I'm a big fan of goal setting and now is the best time to get your goals set up for next year. 

But there is a big mistake many of us make that sabotages our goals every year. And that is not coming to grips with the current year. You see, if you don't close out the current year, it's going to influence your goals moving forward, and not always in a good way.

Along with your wins, you might of had some plans that didn't turn out, some times you didn't follow through or do the work. You may be left with the feeling you're not worthy or even have the capability to succeed.

It like climbing a mountain with rocks in your pack.

Don't let your past dictate your future.

Here's what to do... get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left side, write down your wins and disappointments from all aspects of your life for 2018.

Then on the right side of the line, write your lessons learned from each entry. 

As an example, for running, I wrote down that I successfully...

The whole basis of the Forever Runner Method is elimination of chronic inflammation and stress so you can continue to be healthy and fit as you age.

I've got to tell you, it's a hard sell due to the pervasive "No Pain, No Gain" attitude surrounding the fitness industry.

My method is counter-intuitive  to mainstream fitness because it's based on science, not marketing. That's why we go against the grain with low heart rate training and limiting carb intake.

And if you think running slow and not eating bagels is tough, I have another challenge for you.

The winter time is when many of us head to the gym to keep up our fitness due to shorter daylight hours and lousy weather.

The problem is, most, if not all gym programs are based on "No Pain, No Gain".  After all, why would you pay money to a trainer if they didn't leave you slumped over a puddle of sweat on the floor.

The "HIIT" protocol (High Intensity Interval Training) is universally proclaimed as the best workout you can...

This last week I was watching a TED Talk, "How to Die Young at an Old Age".  Great title and an important message.

When my father was 96 years old, he had to check into an assisted living facility to recover from some surgery. I was surprised that even though he was the oldest resident there. He was the only one who get down on the ground to store things under his bed and stand back up by himself! 

The sad fact is that most people become more feeble as they age, as their muscle mass diminishes and their connective tissues degrade. And this is the leading reason for assisted living. 

The problem is, conventional medicine concentrates on how to keep the unhealthy to live longer, rather than a healthy lifestyle.

This is where you, as a runner, has an advantage. By engaging in our high impact activity, along with following the Forever Runner guidelines of strength, mobility and sprinting, we can maintain our muscle mass and connective tissues to stave off frailty so we...

It's the holiday season and time to find that perfect gift for your runner that is over 50, or if you're that runner, to share a hint to your partner!

The following are 5 great gifts that complement the Forever Runner Method and helps us older runners continue to be healthy and fit as we age.

 #1:  Primal Endurance

If you are looking for the best reference book for runners over 50, Primal Endurance is the best. This book covers it all; How to slow down, balance out and chill out.  Learn the right way for low heart rate training, low carb, high fat eating, strength training and sprinting. The perfect complement to my Forever Runner Method training. 

 Click here to get Primal Endurance from Amazon

#2:  Garmin 235 heart rate monitor watch

Training with the right heart rate monitor is crucial for tracking progress and identifying your level of training stress. I like the Garmin 235 because it not only is a wrist based...

With all the disruption  going on in the world, it’s good to know some things don’t change.

Such is the case for the Maffetone Method.

After 35 years, Dr. Phil revisited his 180 - age formula and found it was still the best way to develop aerobic capacity, loose weight, and reduce the stress of training.

But he did come up with a couple more rules. 

Since your aerobic development is also based on a healthy diet, if you are eating crap, you need to subtract an additional 20 beats from your MAF heart rate.

If you are overfat, that is your waist measurement is more than half your height, you should subtract another 5 beats.

And, if you are suffering from chronic over training, you should subtract another 10 beats.

The good news is that is you are showing progress year to year, you don’t automatically readjust for your age, you only need to drop 2 - 3 beats over a 5 year span.

Also, if you got a solid 2 years in the bank and are un-injured, not sick and still...

Last Sunday, I was talking about world champion marathoner Eluid Kipchoge and how his training regime actually follows MAF principals. He runs about a hundred miles a week at a comfortable pace(for him).

If you got all excited about that and wanted to adopt the same training plan for your next marathon, it would be a huge mistake.

The difference is following the traditional approach to training rather than an objective approach.

Traditionally, training plans are based on mileage and pace, which means the effort can be much greater for you overall than an elite athlete. 

In the case of Eluid, the total amount of time running his 100 miles per week at 6 min/mile is 10 hours. If you tried to run 100 miles a week at 12 min/mile, you would be training 20 hours a week! 

This is an extreme example but it shows why many of us end up over training and getting injured following traditional training plans based on mileage.

The objective approach is based on your...

Hope you had a great week last week.

I recently listened to Bran Kearns' Primal Endurance podcast about the training routine of marathon world champion Eluid Kipchoge. 

Like most elite marathoners, Eluid puts in the miles, 100 -130 miles a week. But unlike many competitive marathoners and probably a lot of us, he does most of his training at a relatively easy pace.

It's estimated that most of his weekly runs are at 10 to 20 beats below his MAF heart rate. He trains 1:30 per mile below his marathon pace which equates for us around 2 - 3 minutes below our marathon pace. And his intensity workouts are short with plenty of recovery. 

So he doesn't beat himself up training to compete at the highest level.

He knows, and his competitors know, that when he shows up on the starting line, he has a lot more in his tank than the others. Heck, he doesn't even taper for his races!

He is proof that no pain, no gain is not true, even at the highest level.

"When I run, I feel good, my mind...