Pavlina Cerna

Pennsylvania

Senior Features Editor at Runner's World

Senior Features Editor at Bicycling Magazine

Senior Features Editor at Popular Mechanics

Senior Features Editor for @runnersworld 🏃‍♀️ @BicyclingMag 🚴‍♀️ and @PopMech 🦾 Proud immigrant turned citizen 🇨🇿🇺🇸

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Articles

Don’t Let Period Cramps Ruin Your Runs-Here’s How to Deal

Sep 5, 2024 | yahoo.com | Pavlina Cerna

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Earlier this spring, my 10-mile race and my period were scheduled to arrive on the same day. Every 28 (or so) days since my teenage years, I’ve found myself curled up in pain on the bathroom floor on the first day of my menstrual cycle, so the prospect of me actually having to run during that time caused nothing short of panic.
Running a Marathon Can Change Your Life! Here Are 28 Motivating Reasons to Chase This Bucket-List Goal

Jul 11, 2024 | yahoo.com | Pavlina Cerna

The marathon is a bucket list item for many. It’s a commitment and a massive accomplishment. It’s as much a physical as it is a mental challenge. And there are as many reasons people decide to run a marathon as there are marathoners. We asked Runner’s World+ members to share what made them sign up for their race, what motivated them to train for weeks on end, what pushed them through 26.2 miles across the finish line, and what about the experience oftentimes made them come back for more.
Running a Marathon - What Makes People Want to Run a Marathon?

Jul 11, 2024 | runnersworld.com | Pavlina Cerna

If you were looking for a sign to go the full distance, may this be the motivation you needed.
Make Your First Marathon a Little Easier By Learning From These Classic Mistakes

Jul 8, 2024 | msn.com | Pavlina Cerna

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7 Mistakes to Avoid for Your First Century Ride

May 15, 2024 | bicycling.com | Pavlina Cerna

Riding 100 miles in a day is certainly a challenge, but with enough preparation and training, it’s definitely one you can confidently add to your bucket list. We have both tips to make your century a success and many training plans to choose from to fit your experience, fitness level, and time availability, starting at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, all the way to 20 weeks. Truth be told, no matter how well prepared you are, you’ll only recognize some errors in hindsight.
Running Helped My Depression After the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting

May 14, 2024 | runnersworld.com | Pavlina Cerna

The shooting began during Jason Aldean’s concert. It was the third and last night of the festival—October 1, 2017. If I could go back, do the whole weekend over again, and just change the ending, I absolutely would. Before the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, I had never been to an open-air festival. I saw the headliners, including Jason Aldean (my favorite), and immediately thought there was no better place than Las Vegas for my first event like this.
Choosing Morning Runs Over Evening Drinks

May 13, 2024 | runnersworld.com | Pavlina Cerna

To keep the cold at bay one December night in 2022, my friend Justine and I got together for some mulled wine, a hot drink as delicious as it is sentimental to me, reminding me of holiday gatherings and Christmas markets back home in the Czech Republic. As the familiar sweet smell of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and lemon filled my apartment, I declared out loud (more to myself than to Justine) that I had a 10-mile run on my training plan the next day, so I needed to take the night easy.
How to Use Running to Overcome Your Anxiety, According to Experts

May 9, 2024 | runnersworld.com | Pavlina Cerna

I learned that I suffer from anxiety when, some 10 years ago at the age of 20, I checked myself into a hospital for what I was convinced was an impending heart attack. My chest felt tight, my breathing rapid, my head spinning, arms tingling. I couldn’t think straight. After a series of tests, the ER doctor told me that physically, I was healthy. Then he gently suggested what I’d just experienced may have been a panic attack.
The Benefits of Running for Your Mental Health

May 8, 2024 | runnersworld.co.za | Pavlina Cerna |Mike Finch

The advantages of running go well beyond your physical health; the sport works just as many wonders for your mental health and wellness. A 2020 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health associated running with improvements in a range of mental health outcomes and concluded that running has positive implications for various mental illnesses.
How Running Helped Heal This Father From Depression and Grief After Losing His Son

May 3, 2024 | runnersworld.com | Pavlina Cerna

I think of running as a supportive best friend who has helped me through so much and is always there for me. But I also argue with it and sometimes get mad or frustrated and need a break. When it gets really hard, I think about Crew, my son who passed away, looking down on me and being proud. That keeps me going. In the end, as complicated as it can be, my relationship with running has given me a lot. That’s what a best friend does, I suppose. That’s what love is.