HOLIDAY SURVIVAL!

WINE ? PIE? YES, BUT

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OPEN FLAP!

*Are You Game?

THE RISE OF RUNNING TRIBES & SERIOUSLY SOCIAL WORKOUTS*

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POWER FOODS: EAT THIS, PLUS THAT!

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SLOW DOWN TO GET FASTER

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BEGINNERS

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED

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DECEMBER 2013

RUNNERSWORLD.COM WORLDS LEADING RUNNING MAGAZINE

JOIN THE #RWRUN STREAK!

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THE BEST (& WORST) OF 2013

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BAD RACE? GET OVER IT FAST!

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MARY CAIN ROCKS U.S. RUNNING

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SHOE G
UIDE p9
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ALL-NEW

KEEP G OING!

SOCIAL MOVEMENT
Like other next-gen running clubs, Bostons November Project cares about getting in shape, building community, andoh, yeahhaving a damn good time

68

1 1 2 3 4

Micah Risk, 28 Lucia Capano, 24 Joey Kile, 24 William Cha, 23

NEAERA

19 months

LINDSAY SMITH

LISA MARA

26

28

BOJAN MANDARIC 32 (Co-founder)

DAVID SCHWARTZ

70

DAISY ROBINTON

26

BROGAN GRAHAM 30 (Co-founder)

DERRICK SHALLCROSS

GOLDIE KAUFENBERG

JAMES BROAD

HAYLEY IRIS BROOKS

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29

31

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Photographs by (top to bottom) THOMAS MACDONALD; Sports Illustrated/Getty Images; MITCH MANDEL; DAVID BRANDON GEETING; I llustrations by KEVIN LYONS; NIGEL BUCHANAN

RW December
> FEATURES > FIXTURES

64 Social Movement RUNNING ROGUE How offbeat running clubs are redening what the sport can be for a new generation of athletes.
BY CALEB DANILOFF

13 19 22 22 25
99 84

68 HUGS, SWEAT & CHEERS And how November Project, a grassroots tribe based in Boston, is leading the charge.
BY CALEB DANILOFF

Rave Run Editors Letter Running Commentary Contributors Human Race Members of an Orthodox community break from tradition and run to help othersand themselves. PLUS The Intersection (26) Ask Miles (28) Back Story: Ben True (28)

79 THE YEAR IN RUNNING The top news-makers, extraordinary runners, and must-have gear of 2013. INCLUDING The amazing teen phenom Mary Cain.
BY JOHN BRANT (84)

> PERSONAL BEST

94 WORDS TO RUN BY Exceptional wisdom from Dr. George Sheehan, runnings philosopher-king. 99 WINTER SHOE GUIDE Find the perfect pair for you among the top 18 models from this season.
BY JEFF DENGATE AND MARTYN SHORTEN, PH.D.

31 The Warmup Six ways to stay balanced head-to-toe. 35 Training How a little walking can improve your running. 44 Fuel Eat these foods together to boost health and energy. 51 Mind + Body Bad race? How a poor performance can fuel a successful one. PLUS Get faster with a strong upper body. (54)
51 79

> COLUMNS

> ON OUR COVER

56 The Fast Life Parenting, like running, comes with challenges, triumphs, and human excretions.
BY LAUREN FLESHMAN

60 The Newbie Chronicles Run every day during the holidays? Bah-humbug! I mean okay!
BY MARC PARENT

> DEPARTMENTS

Photographed exclusively for RUNNERS WORLD by GUIDO VITTI at Quixote Studios in Boston.

108 Races & Places Make like Ralphie and race in Clevelands A Christmas Story Run celebrating the lms 30th anniversary. 126 Im a Runner Lisette Oropesa, 30, Soprano, The Metropolitan Opera.
60 44

INTERVIEW BY MATTHEW MONTEITH

R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M

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With Westin

Q: Congratulations on becoming the RunWESTIN Concierge. What an honor! What will you focus on in your new role? A: Its indeed a real honor! As the RunWESTIN Concierge, Im there to make sure Westin runners are set up to succeed, and take the stress out of traveling for a race. I support them with everything from training tips, inspiration, and race logistics, to celebrating what theyve accomplished. I even run course previews so I can share the ins and outs of the various Rock n Roll race courses. Q: Can you tell us more about Westins commitment to running? A: All of the Westin hotels now offer running maps and state-of-the-art Westin WORKOUT facilities, open 24/7, with running concierges at select properties. We also offer New Balance Gear Lending, which includes high quality running gear for our guests to use during their stay which is incredibly convenient. Q: What sort of benets come with the VIP Marathon Package offered at the RocknRoll Marathon? A: When runners sign up for the VIP Marathon Package, as a part of Westin Hotels partnership with the RocknRoll Marathon Series, I connect with them immediately. Training for a race takes months, and I support them throughout their journey. Our VIP Marathon guests receive the royal treatment: a pasta dinner for two, late checkout, ice for their tired legs, and more. At many races, a VIP Recovery Tent will await our guests at the nish line, with snacks, drinks, and even a massage therapist. I look forward to meeting many more runners across the world through the program.
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When you stay at a Westin Hotel & Resort, you have everything you need for an unparalleled tness experience to stay on track with your training without missing a beat. Theres no better way to discover a new place than to hit the pavement. Westin has you covered with local, customized 3 and 5 mile running maps at all of their locations. Select properties even have running concierges to lead guests on running explorations. Return to a bottle of cold water and fresh towelsnow thats service. Would you rather stay indoors to get your workout in? Westin WORKOUT offers state-of-the-art tness facilities that are open 24/7. Forgot your running shoes, or dont feel like packing a pair on you trip? The New Balance Gear Lending program provides workout clothes and shoes you can use, so you are covered. Westin is a runners utopia. Recently, Westin partnered with the Rock n Roll Marathon Series and created a special VIP Marathon Package for guests to purchase during race weekend. Westin hired Chris Heuisler, the rst ever RunWESTIN Concierge. Chris is responsible for curating the ultimate running experience at Westin Hotels during these Rock n Roll race weekends. Chris joined a thousand applicants in a nationwide race for the passionate runners ultimate dream job; and he nished rst. As an experienced marathonerChris has completed 25 marathons in 20 statesand as a top-tier trainer, Chris embodies Westins spirit of unparalleled hospitality, service and personal achievement. Chris Heuisler weighs in on the great strides that Westin has made for runners who come to stay at their properties.
For more information on Chris and the VIP Marathon Packages, visit Westin.com/RunWESTIN.

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Find Om at home with yoga routines designed specically for runners by instructor and avid runner Rebecca Pacheco. Strike a pose at runnersworld.com/yogaseries.

Want to stay t and motivated during the holidays? Pledge to run at least one mile per day, Thanksgiving through New Years. Learn more at runnerworld.com/runstreak.

> IPAD

For audio interviews with November Project runners, get the iPad version of this issue.

Photograph by Alamy (reindeer)

OTHER VOICES

> RUNNERSWORLD.COM

Every runner has a story. Share yours with us for a chance to be published in our Other Voices web column. Learn more at runnersworld.com/ othervoices.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID WILLEY

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LOCATION Chamonix, France PHOTOGRAPH BY Scott Markewitz RUNNER Hamish Moeller THE EXPERIENCE Tucked beneath the snow-capped Mont Blanc massif range in the French Alps, the Col des Montets pass links Switzerland with eastern France. The trails here run the gamut from easy and at to steep and rugged, Markewitz says. I love running here in late fall, when all you can hear is the sound of your feet crunching on the frost-covered ground.
FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN.

Strength in Numbers
IM WRITING THIS on October 17, but its already safe to say it: What a year! I dont recall another one when the running world changed more, grew in so many new ways, or bounced back from such adversity. Sadly, there was lots of awful news: Oscar Pistorius fatally shot his girlfriend on Valentines Day, then the bombs went off in Boston, a 28-year-old drowned during a Tough Mudder, and a World Anti-Doping Agency survey

revealed that 29 percent of the athletes at last years World Championships admitted to using PEDs. But for proof that the good far outweighed the bad in 2013, turn to The Year in Running (page 79). Heres a taste: The world record in the marathon fell to 2:03:23, Deena Kastor returned to her record-setting ways as a masters runner, and a woman named Colleen Kelly Alexander nished her rst half-Ironman and presented her race medal to the trauma surgeon who helped piece her together again after she was run over by a truck in 2011. Amazing stuff, but not entirely unexpected. For runners, inspiration and perseverance always trump doubt and darkness. Its a fact, kind of a fourth addition to Newtons Laws of Motion, one of the things that keeps us going. Of course, we keep one another going, as well, and this year running went social in a new way. Incredibly, more than a million people were projected to take part in a Color Run in 2013, with tens of thousands more participating in similar untimed non-races. I became one of them at a Color Me Rad in May. My 8-year-old son and I ran together and, yes, had fun. That, and getting doused in pastel-hued powder, was the whole point. It was a social exerciseemphasis on the social. People arrived and ran (or walked) in packs. I dont think I saw a single person alone or running hard. Nothing wrong with that; if you want to race, you enter a different kind of event. But to me, at least, the whole thing felt a little empty, for reasons I didnt fully understand until I took part in November Project, where the run and the fun are equally essential.

Started in 2011 by two former college rowers trying to motivate each other to stay in shape, November Project is a grassroots running group that doesnt call itself a running group. I rst heard about it at a party just before the Boston Marathon. A few RW staffers had done an NP workout that morning, and as they described it, I thought maybe theyd been brainwashed. Inspired by rap-music-playing, f-bombing cofounders Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric, more than 100 runners worked out hard, hugged one another, took funny pictures, and then went on with their lives, which no longer felt ordinary. I decided I had to see it for myself. I nally did on a rainy Friday morning in June, on my rst trip back to Boston after the marathon. Friday is hills day for NPers, who gather in a small neighborhood park in Brookline at the top of a half-mile climb that rises perversely to a 17-percent grade near the top. There were about 80 of us. Five times we went up and down. Brogan, wearing a cape and smacking a cowbell with a weathered oar handle, high-ved everyone at the top. I had run sparingly and mostly alone through the spring, so this was the hardest run Id done in a long timeand the most fun. Not because I nailed the workout (I certainly did not) but because it was a workout, and because we had done it together. I was hugging people Id never met before, remembering yet again how many reasons there are to be grateful I am a runner. Caleb Daniloff captures November Projects ethos and appeal in Hugs, Sweat & Cheers (page 68), but I highly recommend you experience the tribe yourself. There are now NP groups in San Francis-

SOCIAL CLIMBING

Running and communing at Harvard Stadium with a few hundred members of November Project.

Photographs by AL LI SO N PH AR MAKIS

co; Madison, Wisconsin; and Edmonton, Canada, with three more in the works. In Boston, 500 people often show up for the stadium workout at Harvard. There are 37 sections, each with 31 rows of knee-high cement seats to climb. I was there at dawn on a recent Wednesday. Even though Id been training hard through the summer and fall, I still only managed 29 sections in our 35-minute workout. Yet a couple hundred of us had turned the oldest football stadium in America into something new, pushing ourselves, and each other, to do more than we wouldve done alone. The next day, Bojan wrote on the NP blog: Its still crazy to think that less than two years ago BG and I were running around Charles River just trying to stay in shape through the winter months. Today thousands of students, nurses, accountants, bus drivers, and dog walkers are getting together to sweat and hug before they go on with their respective days. Its a beautiful thing! The tribe is strong! Isnt it, though?

R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M

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I C E L A N D # W I N T E R R U N

me realize I was doing more donts than dos. Using the recommended tips, such as planning multiple goals and not eating, sleeping, and breathing running, I have improved my stress management and gained an edge on my competitors. Runners World truly comes in handy at the best times!
CRAZY TRAINING

> #HOWIREADRW

In our October issue, we asked you to Instagram a photo showing how you read Runners World. Readers submitted pics from hot tubs, soccer practices, tailgatesas well as between patients and after long runs (see below). To see more shots or add your own, search #HowIReadRW.

GARRETT LEPINE via e-mail

ROLE MODEL

As a longtime avid reader of Runners World, I can say with absolute certainty that The Maniac Next Door (October) was one of the more amazing and entertaining articles ever included in your magazine. While most dedicated runners like myself think that we maintain an ambitious and dedicated workout routine and training schedule, Junyong Paks efforts make our schedules look like childs play. Thank you for bringing us this inspiring story of one adventure-race champion whose dedication and commitment seem to know no boundaries.
STEVE MENAUGH LaGrange, Kentucky
MAKING HEADWAY

I applaud Nadia Ruiz (Class Act, Human Race, October) not only for running 100 marathons by age 28, but for running each mile with a purpose: to teach her students and community the benets of healthy living. I am 27 years old, with 19 marathons under my belt, and to say that Nadia is an inspiration is quite an understatement. To me, she is a true leader.
JACQUELINE N. WILKINS Arlington, Virginia
SERIOUS STUFF

I read my @runnersworldmag before I start my clinic. Im a #runner and a #doctor #howireadrw

@Skibum4Eva

As a high school runner who feels pressured to do my best, I was eager to read Mackenzie Lobbys Taper Stress (Mind+Body, October). The article made

CONTRIBUTORS

Oh my gosh! I ran (not walked) to get my pencil to take the Are You Serious? quiz (October). It only took me until question four to realize that the author, Mark Remy, was not serious. Was he really poking fun at runners? I laughed so hard while I took the quiz. Thank you for bringing humor to your magazine along with serious stuff. Sometimes we joggers have to be kept in check!
KIM LUBENOW Pulaski, Wisconsin

#Howireadrw on the subway home after a long run in #centralpark #tuneup #nyrrtuneup #runnersworld
@leilannieee

CALEB DANILOFF Daniloffs solitary running days are over. After covering the renegade tness tribe November Project (Hugs, Sweat & Cheers, page 68), the Bostonian has embraced the lively group. I bought into it; Im going on ve months.
22

KEVIN LYONS Lyonss hand-drawn monstersfurry, wild dudes who yell and scream embody negative race-day thoughts in Breaking Bad Races (page 51). A lifelong RW reader, he says, Its truly a dream to blend my love of running and my passion for illustration.

I have been a subscriber since I rst began challenging myself with running in 2010 and have run more than a dozen half-marathons using your advice and guidance. I was excited about your Are You Serious? quiz until I hit the very rst question that asked where I line up in a race. I run slow, so I am never near the start of a race. Already that question made me feel like Im not a real runner, a sentiment that many slower runners are often told and tend to internalize. The fact that I am in the back of the corrals makes me no less of a runner than those who are blessed with the gift of speed.
JENNIFER MICKLASH Columbia, South Carolina

> #RWRUNBRAG

As 2013 winds down, this is the time to look back and celebrate your accomplishments of the year. Post a picture of your top 2013 running highlight on Instagram using #RWRunBrag. And be sure to tell us why that moment denes your year in running. Well publish our favorite submissions in an upcoming issue.

THE LATEST

Updates on runners whove appeared in our pages

CALORIE COUNT

I was thrilled to see Your Perfect Eating Plan in the October issue. But I was disappointed that the story gave inadequate facts about nutrition needs. On page 64, it explains that a 120-pound runner training 40 miles a week needs 1,800 calories per day. As a registered dietitian, I nd this number to be too low; Id estimate that this runner would need at least 2,300 calories a day. I have often encountered runners who eat way too little for the demands of training. I would recommend a much higher caloric intake for marathon training.
NATALIE KRETZER, R.D. Durham, North Carolina

Two writers who appeared in our September issue, Malcolm Gladwell (left) and Louis Cinquino (right), ran 5:03 and 5:56, respectively, at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City on September 22.

A NOTE TO READERS: We have

learned that one of the sources in our report on the Boston Marathon bombings (4.15.13: An Oral History, July issue) appears to have provided us with inaccurate information. A runner named Renae Tuffy claimed in several interviews to have been on Boylston Street near Exeter Street when the bombs detonated at approximately 2:49 p.m. Since those interviews, however, we have found, or been shown, several social-media posts, photographs, and text messages that place her at least a mile back at that time, behind the bottleneck of runners on Commonwealth Avenue. Signicantly, Athlete Tracker, which recorded the location of every runner at multiple points on the course, has Tuffy crossing the 40-K mark (24.8 miles) at 2:52:16 p.m., approximately three minutes after the bombs went off. When questioned about these contradictions, Tuffy again claimed to have witnessed the bombs: I was on Boylston I always thought I saw the second one, but after the fact Ive been told it was really the rst one I denitely saw the one thats closest to the nish line. However, after an exhaustive investigation, we are unable to corroborate her claim. The Editors

PAMELA NISEVICH BEDE, M.S., R.D., REPLIES: As dietitians, we realize

that many factors go into determining a runners calorie needs, so it can be difficult to give a blanket recommendation for a population of runners, especially because women and men vary greatly in their needs. A woman of average height was selected for this example. The 1,800 calories suggested was established using two different, validated energy equations: Mifflin-St. Jeor and the Owen Equation. An activity factor for a very active individual was used. The equations resulted in an energy requirement of 1,720 to 1,830 calories a day. Many calorie recommendations on the Internet are erroneous, suggesting as little as 1,200 or 1,500 calories a day for an active individual. I felt that 1,800 calories was a good compromise and not too low.

Running on Faith
Members of an Orthodox religious community break from tradition and run to help others and themselves BY JOHN HANC
AS ZELIG MANDEL circles the six-mile loop of New York Citys Central Park one morning in June, another runner calls out: Hey, nice beard! Mandel takes it in stride and smiles and tugs on his ample whiskers in response. Its a comment he hears a lot from other runners he encounters on his training grounds, where he logs 20 to 40
FORGING NEW GROUND

Nierenberg adjusts her wig; Mandel at work; the pair running in Midway, Brooklyn (clockwise from top left).
Photographs by CLEMENCE D E LI MB U RG

miles a week as he preps for his third 26.2-miler, the New York City Marathon, held on November 3. Mandel doesnt sport facial hair because hes an aging hippie or a trendy hipster: Hes an Orthodox Jew. Id probably be described as ultra-Orthodox, the 52-yearold rabbi says. In some communities, an Orthodox Jewish runner is almost a contradiction in terms. But Mandel is one of a growing number who are showing that they can still conform to their beliefs and

customs while enjoying the benefits of runningas well as do a mitzvah (a good deed) by running for charity. Thats thanks to Team Lifeline, a running group founded in 2006 to raise money for Camp Simcha in upstate New York, a refuge for sick children, many of whom are Orthodox Jews. In its rst year, Team Lifeline had 26 members. Today, it has 450a majority of whom practice the strict form of Judaism. Each runner raises $3,600 in exchange for entry into the Miami, Las Vegas, or New York City marathon, chosen in part because all are Sunday events (Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath). Organizers for the Miami and Las Vegas races allow the team to set up kosher aid stations; and Miami and New York provide space and logistical support for a special early morning prayer ceremony prior to the race.
R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M 25

UNLIKELY DUO

Orthodox Jewish men and women must separate for worship services, but they can run together.

SINCE 2006, TEAM LIFELINE RUNNERS HAVE RAISED $10 MILLION TO BENEFIT SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.

SHOE SELLER NFL retiree Warren Sapps running-shoe collection is sold at a bankruptcy auction in a bid to regain his lost fortune. Collected: $6,390. NOTE TO SELFIES After a runner causes a starting-line pileup snapping a self-portrait, the Hong Kong Marathon launches an anti-sele campaign. Good luck with that.
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TRICK SHOT In a faked video posted on a French Web site, Usain Bolt tells NBA player Tony Parker, Your jump shot sucks, and proceeds to hit three shots on an unbelievably high basket. ROCKY RUN A Philadelphian calculates how far Rocky ran in Rocky II 31 miles!inspiring a Rocky Run ultra, which will retrace the ghters steps December 7. SHUTDOWN MELTDOWN Republican Rep. Mark Sanford denounces the closing of the Lincoln Memorial after seeing it chained up while he was out on his regular running route.

Photographs by AP (phone); Getty Images (race inset, Sapp); Mitch Mandel (shoe boxes); Alamy (Rocky); Reuters (Bolt); AP (Sanford)

The majority of our participants are new to long-distance running, says Moshe Turk, Team Lifelines director. Its not that Orthodox Jews are forbidden to be tnessoriented, its just that theres a large portion of the community that is not focused on personal fitness. While the primary focus of these new athletes might have been helping children, it has helped spark a running and tness culture within the Jewish community. Team Lifeline runners receive guidance from New York running coach Toby Tanser, who has been impressed by their dedication. They follow instructions to the letter, says Tanser, who believes that their faith is an asset. The marathon is a head

game. Anyone who has done one knows that in order to nish or reach a time goal, you need to dig deep. These people have a deep well to draw from. Tanser tries to meet with the New York contingent of the group once or twice per training cycle; most of the contact is online. (Team Lifeliners are throughout the United States and Canada; a few are in Israel and London.) Mandel joined the team in 2011, three years after he took up running as a way to combat stress. Yes, even a man who spends his days studying the word of God can use a break. Anyone who has to deal with a board of directors can relate, he says. And if the pressures of running a synagogue werent enough, Mandel, who lives in Passaic, New Jersey, has 10 children, ages 8 to 27. Im not sure if Im running to keep up with my kids or keep away from them, he jokes. Studying the Talmud [the written law of his religion], a lot of questions come up. Sometimes you just need a clear mind to think about these things, and you can do that while you run. Mandel started on a treadmill at a gym and eventually summoned up the courage to run in the streets. I got a few strange looks, especially from people who knew I was a rabbi, he says. Typically, Mandel wears the conservative dark suit and fedora favored by most Orthodox men. The idea of a man in his position in shorts and a T-shirt is jarring to his co-religionists, who believe in personal modesty. Change is a slow process, Mandel says.

But its happening. The fact that the majority of Team Lifelines runners are women demonstrates the rising acceptance of female runners in a community in which women are separated from men at worship and at many social gatherings. Team Lifeline runner Dena Nierenberg, 40, a professor of psychology at Brooklyns Touro College, is part of the movement. In Judaism, we believe in bringing light to the world, says Nierenberg, a mother of four. How am I going to do that if I dont feel good about myself? Running helps me feel good. Thanks to the support of her progressive parents, Nierenberg has been involved in sports since she was young and ran her rst marathon in 2003. As an Orthodox woman, she is required to wear a head coveringa scarf or a wig are most common. I usually wear a little tichel, she says, using the Yiddish word for a kerchief tied loosely around the head. In warm weather, she adheres to her religions modesty-focused dress code by wearing a running skirt that extends past her knees. Mandel chooses his running attire with an eye toward both piety and practicality. While many think that Orthodox Jewish men must wear a yarmulke, Mandel says any head covering will do. So in the marathon, Im just another runner with a baseball cap, he says. Just another runner, indeed: The only prayer Im saying as I run, Mandel says, is Get me to the end!

DEAR MILES, I was in an elevator before a half-marathon/5-K when someone asked me, Are you doing the half? I said, No, the 5-K. She responded, Well, at least youre running. Is it me, or has the 5-K gotten a bad rap as a beginners race? KAT P., Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania Are you sure you werent part

DEAR MILES, Do hot baths hurt recovery? @STEPHJDINGMAN My motto is: If you want to take a hot bath, take a hot bath. Follow it with a nice leisurely stroll. Then a beer.

To ask a question, e-mail askmiles@runnersworld.com or follow Miles on Twitter at twitter.com/askmiles.

82% OF POLL RESPONDENTS CONTINUE TO RUN OUTDOORS IN THE WINTER AND COPE BY DRESSING SMART: LAYERS, HAT, GLOVES.

Ben True, 27, Hanover, New Hampshire

The Nordic skier turned track and cross-country pro is hungry for the spring track season
1 Resolution My top 2014 goal is to break 13 minutes in the 5-K. 2 True Love For two terms at Dartmouth, I focused on skiing. Quitting running made me realize it was my passion. 3 Powder Perk Skiing gave me cardiovascular strength without the pounding on my legs, so my body is fresher now. 4 Carb Overload For a morning race, I eat six bagels with banana and peanut butter. 5 Love and Hate Long tempo runs are great workouts. When Im not t, theyre the worst thing ever.
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6] Golden Neighbor I grew up

10 minutes away from Joan Benoit Samuelson in Maine. We ran regularly when I was in school.

7] Motor Mouth Joanie would

talk at 6:40 pace for 15 miles. Shes one tough lady.

8 Blueprint I studied art history and like architecture. I cant see myself ever having a desk job. 9] Driven Im extremely
competitive. If Id train with others, Id run too hard all the time.

10] @bentrue Todays

agenda? Drink way too much coffee and attempt to golf.

Illustration by ANDY R EMENT ER ; Photographs by Andrew McClanahan/PhotoRun (True); Victor Sailer (Samuelson); Thomas MacDonald (banana and bagels)

DEAR MILES, Im new to outdoor running, and I love it. But Im not sure Im ready to handle cold temperatures. Any advice? CHRISTY R., Sharpsburg, Maryland Move to San Diego. Not an option? Learning to run in cold weather is like, well, learning to run. At rst its hard, but you adapt and learn to love it. To get there: Run midday, if possible. Not only is it more comfortable to run when temperatures peak, but slick spots on the road have had a chance to dry. Dress in layers,

and never leave home without a hat and gloves or mittens. When roads are icy, be safe and get back on the treadmill.

of some sociology experiment? Rage Provocation in Conned Spaces: A Field Study, maybe? Assuming that this woman wasnt trying to push your buttons (elevator humor!), it sounds like she didnt know any better. Most of us know that training your guts out for a 5-K and then racing ittruly racing itcan be every bit as tough as running something longer. I say this as someone who has both nearly

killed himself over 5000 meters and run plenty of easy marathons. The moral of this story? Take the stairs.

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51

Balance Your Body

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

3 WAYS TO STAY STEADY

1. Get even If one side of your body is weak, the other side picks up the slack and becomes overworked. Check yourself: Stand on one leg with your eyes closed. Time how long you can balance. Switch legs and repeat. If the difference between sides is 10-plus seconds, do the exercises at runnersworld.com/ ndyourbalance. 2. Fuel up If you feel dizzy after a run, you could be dehydrated or have low blood sugar. Keep an even keel by eating prerun and consuming a protein- and carbohydrate-packed snack within an hour after you nish. 3. Dont slip! Slick outside? Wear ice cleats so you can run strong outdoors this winter.

Potassium does a runners body good: It keeps electrolytes and uid levels in check, which helps regulate your heartbeat to prevent muscle cramping. The recommended daily dose of potassium is 4.7 grams. Find it in bananas, potatoes, and milk. For a recipe that uses gs, another great source, see page 48.

RUNNING THE NUMBERS

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The percentage by which athletes were able to reduce their risk of an ankle sprain after regular balance-training workouts. Building ankle stability is especially important for trail runners who navigate uneven terrain. See runnersworld. com/trailagility for exercises.

THE PULSE

How do you keep an even race pace?

47% 33% 9% 8%

Run with a watch. Run by feel. Use a running app. Stick with a pace group or pacing buddy. 2% Wear a heart-rate monitor. 1% Use a pace wristband.

PERFECT COMPOSITION

Based on 2,095 respondents of an RW poll

Want less fat, more muscle? (Who doesnt?) Supplement your running with strength and resistance training. Lifting weights increases lean muscle mass, which in turn revs up your metabolism so you continue to burn calories for up to 38 hours after you leave the gym.

If you undertrain, you may not nish, but if you overtrain, you may not start.
STAN JENSEN, ultrarunner who completed The Last Great Racesix 100-milers in one yearin 1999
Illustration by CAROLYN RIDS DA LE

R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M

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Take walk breaks early to nish your long run strong.

SLOW IS STEADY

School of Walk
SEASONED RUNNERS often view walking as a sign of failure: You walk only when you can no longer run. But the truth is that periodic walking, in training and even in races, can help you run faster and better. Walking reduces the impact forces on the muscles, joints, and tendons, and reduces breathing rate and heart rate, says running coach Jenny Hadfield, coauthor of Marathoning for Mortals and founder of coachjenny.com. So runners are able to cover more distance with better form and alignment, and a reduced risk of fatigue.
Photographs by J OS HUA SI MPSO N

13:20 minutes per mile) helped runners conserve energy.

WALK THIS WAY: During your weekend long run, briskly walk for 30 to 60 seconds after every mile, no matter the overall distance, says Hadeld.

No matter your running experience, slowing down (sometimes) can speed you up BY MATTHEW SOLAN
WALK SIGNAL: YOURE FIGHTING FATIGUE OR LEG SORENESS NEAR THE END OF LONG RUNS OR RACES

WALK SIGNAL: YOURE RUNNING FAST INTERVALS

This often means youve gone out too fast, says Hadeld. To combat that tendency, walk early on. Periodic walking can provide more overall rhythm with your pacing by making you slow down, she says. Taking walk breaks also lowers the impact on your body, which may prevent cramping. In fact, a study published this year in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface found that a mix of walking and running (in the range of 9:00 to

Walking in between intervals instead of stopping to rest keeps your body ready to run. Walking helps push blood back to the heart and muscles, which can reduce cramps and heavy legs, says Terry Nicola, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at the University of IllinoisChicago Sports Medicine Center. If you usually jog between intervals, walking instead can help you recover more completely so you can do your repeats faster.
R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M 35

WALK THIS WAY: After a hard interval, slow to a walk. As your heart and breathing rates fall, pick it up into a brisk walk for the remainder of the rest period.

WALK SIGNAL: YOURE TACKLING A GIANT HILL

Whether your longest run or race is ve miles or 50, taking walk breaks while going uphill can help you manage energy. When you attack a hill, you often are exhausted when you reach the top, says Hadeld. Walking up helps you avoid the crash-and-burn. You can make up the time on the downhill.
WALK THIS WAY: Running downhill stresses your muscles and joints more than running ats. Train your body to handle it with reverse hill repeat workouts, in which you walk uphill and run downhill. Sub out your regular hill workout for this one every other week.

WALK THIS WAY: During long runs, plug in brief walking breaks within 30 minutes of starting and every 15 minutes afterward, and use that time to either drink or eat. During races, take breaks at water stations. Practice good etiquette when downshifting: Run through the station and to the outside of the path, then call out, Walking! And thank the volunteers.

WALK SIGNAL: YOURE TENSING UP, SHUFFLING YOUR FEET, OR OTHERWISE FALLING APART

WALK SIGNAL: YOURE TAKING IN WATER OR FOOD

If you struggle to maintain comfortable form during long runs, weaving in regular walking periods can help you reset. Your brain gets lazy during long runs, which can make your form sloppy, says Tom Clifford, a Level 2 USA Track & Field Coach and owner of Without Limits in Wilmington, North Carolina. You can begin to sway, plod, and scuff your feet. Periodic walking breaks can help you run more efficiently, and more comfortably.
WALK THIS WAY: Schedule a 30-second to

It can be challenging to eat or drink (and not spill) while youre running. But taking in 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates every hour, and drinking when youre thirsty, can mean the difference between a runners high and a bonk. Walking while refueling helps ensure that youre getting what you need to perform your best, says Hadeld.

one-minute walk every ve to 10 minutes during your long runs. This is enough time for your brain to reset, Clifford says, while noting to keep it short: If you walk too long, your heart goes back to rest. When you resume running, practice your arm swing, a slight forward lean from your ankles, and a midfoot strike, and focus on relaxing your upper body.

After notching top-20 nishes at the 2012 Chicago and 2013 Boston marathons, CARLOS TRUJILLO, 28, of Boise, Idaho, placed 37th at the World Championships Marathon in August in 2:23:13.

1.

Speed Up

Ped Xing
5-K or 10-K Broken Mile Repeats: Run 800 meters (two laps around a track) at race pace, walk for 30 seconds, then run 800 meters at race pace. Walk for two minutes. Repeat four to six times.

Try one of these workouts (with walking) from coach Tom Clifford
Half-Marathon Lane 6 Tempos: Begin at the 400-meter staggered starting line in Lane 6its about 37 meters beyond the nish line. Run 400 meters at race pace and stop at the nish line. Walk back to the staggered starting line and repeat. Start with 12 repetitions and work up to 20. Marathon Pace Breaks: Bounce back faster from marathon-pace workouts by including walk breaks. Try 4 x 2 miles at marathon pace with a one-minute walk in between reps, or 2 x 4 miles at marathon pace with a two-minute walk in between.

I like to run signicantly fasterby at least 30 seconds per milefor a few miles in the middle of long runs. That breaks it up and makes it more than just an easy run.

2.

I back off the pace on a run if Im feeling tired, and I pick up the pace if Im feeling great. Tuning into your bodys signals is more benecial than sticking to a rigid plan.

3.

Rest Up

I wake up three to four hours before a race and spend most of that time listening to music. It helps me relax and focus on my race goals. BOB COOPER

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Photograph by Victor Sailer/PhotoRun (Trujillo)

Ease Up

FACT OR FICTION?
Strength training will make you faster. FICTION Targeted running workouts long runs that boost endurance, speed workouts that improve mechanics and muscle capacityare the best way to produce the changes that adapt the body for faster running. That said, strength training can help you build a stronger body that may be more resistant to injury.

Q I want a running-related goal that isnt tied to racing. Suggestions? A Some runners set frequency-based goals (rewarding themselves if theyve run 15 days in a month). Some set long-term goals, like to run in a National Park in each state. And some work to lengthen their longest run, which you can do by adding a mile or two every two to four weeks.

Q+A

One Step Ahead

Choose a 2014 goal that builds on what youve done
TIS THE SEASON for holiday celebrations, chilly runs, and reections on the year

thats about to end. Whether or not you achieved your 2013 goals, knowing what you have accomplished this year can help you choose what to shoot for in 2014. The new yearand the motivation boost that comes with itis just around the corner, and having a goal in mind before January 1 will ensure that you hit the ground running.
THIS YEAR Ran Occasionally NEXT YEAR Run Regularly THIS YEAR Finished Your First Race NEXT YEAR Run a Bit Faster

TIP OF THE MONTH

Watch Your Form

Maintain a short, quick stride when youre running. Overstridingextending your legs too far forward as you runis a common cause of injury, as it can put excess strain on the knees and hamstrings. Whats more, it can slow you down. Be sure to keep your feet under you to support your body and help you maintain forward momentum. Envision yourself pushing up and off the ground. For more tips on running form, go to runnersworld.com/form.

When you dont feel like running, its easy to say, Ill go tomorrow. Become more consistent by scheduling four runs each week: one hilly day, one speedwork day, one easy day, and on the weekend, a long run or race. If you still struggle, tell yourself: Ill just go for 10 minutes. Once you start, youll likely want to continue.
THIS YEAR Finished a Color Run NEXT YEAR Run a 5-K Race

To get faster, you need long runs and speedwork. Every other week, do a long, slow run, working up to two to three miles beyond race distance. For speed, try this track workout weekly: Run a lap comfortably. Then run a lap 10 seconds faster, then walk a lap. Start with four fast laps, and build to 10 to 14 before your race.
THIS YEAR Ran a Personal Best NEXT YEAR Tackle a Longer Distance

A themed event without the stress of a clock can be fun, but many races are just as friendly and upbeat. Plus, once youve earned a nishing time, its hard to resist trying to improve. Ask local running stores which 5-Ks are well-organized and fun. On race day, line up near the back and move to the side of the road during walk breaks.
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Focus on lengthening your long runs. Do them weekly, at a comfortable pace. Every other week, increase the distance one to two miles, until youre running at least 10 miles (if youre targeting a half-marathon) or 20 miles (for a marathon). The rest of the week, do at least three runs of at least 30 minutes each at any pace youd like.

Join our online training program developed exclusively for beginners at runnersworld.com/thestarting line. Connect with other beginners in private forums and get access to RW experts on weight loss, working out, injuries, and more!

Illustration by ZO H AR L AZ AR

youve entered the overreaching zone. Hold the higher volume for two weeks from that point, and then back off.
MONITOR THE SIGNS

Crank It Up
Training too hardcarefullycan produce fast times
WHEN RESEARCHERS AT Frances National Institute of Sport asked a group of triath-

letes to ramp up their training by 40 percent and maintain that volume for three weeks, the results were predictableat rst. By the end of week one, the athletes showed signs of overtraining, like excessive fatigue and an inability to get their heart rate up to its max, and they began to run more and more slowly. But after the three weeks and a week of easy training to recover, their performance rebounded. They ended up running faster than the athletes in the control group, who had trained at their usual levels. Pushing yourself beyond your limits for a few weeksa tactic coaches call functional overreachingcan force your body to adapt and build tness more quickly than the usual slow-and-steady approach. Be warned: Training through heavy fatigue is a high-risk approach that can progress to full-blown overtraining if you dont pull back in time, and its not easy to get the timing just right. But if youve been stuck at a performance plateau for a few seasons despite consistent training, the gamble may be worthwhile.
RAMP UP THE VOLUME

A concrete way to detect this unusual fatigue is to repeat a standard workout, like the six-mile tempo that British Olympic 1500-meter runner Andy Baddeley does every Thursday. He always runs at the same heart rate (just below his lactate threshold), then he times how long it takes for his pulse to drop below 125 beats per minute after he stops. Sudden increases in the tempo or recovery time signal that the body is struggling to recover, which means you should start the two-week maintenance phase of overreach training. To try this approach, start doing a weekly threeto ve-mile tempo run at least four weeks before you ramp up mileage, keeping your heart rate between 80 and 85 percent of max after the rst mile, and repeat every week until the overreach phase ends. You can also take your resting heart rate rst thing every morning: If the seven-day average drops by more than three beats, that suggests youre overreaching.

Increasing either volume or pace can push you into

the overreaching zone, but volume is the safer bet. Speeding up makes it hard to control exactly how much extra fatigue you get, and you risk turning aerobic workouts into anaerobic ones. For the rst week, increase your mileage by 15 percent by lengthening easy, long, and tempo runs; spread out the extra miles over a few days, and dont change your high-intensity workouts. If youre struggling to recover after the rst week, simply maintain this mileage increase. If you still feel normal, increase volume by another 10 percent, adding one or two double runs if necessary. In either case, as soon as you start feeling unusually fatigued, you know

THE PULL-BACK The biggest mistake you can make after an overreaching block is to settle back into your regular training, letting the accumulated fatigue linger. Instead, immediately drop your mileage down to about 60 percent of its preoverreach levels for one week, and dial back the intensity of your hard workouts. Make an extra effort to get plenty of sleep, and book a massage to address any minor aches. If you dont feel refreshed and raring to get back to full training after this recovery week, thats a serious warning sign that you may have overdone it. In that case, bring the mileage down to 40 percent of normal for another week and stick to easy runs.

Hutchinsons blog, Sweat Science, is at runnersworld.com. Follow him on Twitter at @sweatscience.

Illustration by M AR K M ATC H O

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Q I like to run every day. Do I have to take days off?

A You dont have to do anything, but scheduling at least one nonrunning day each weekfor total rest or for gentle cross-trainingcan help improve your tness level and race times. Rest days let your body recover, repair, and rebuild so you can run farther and faster. At least once a week, try replacing a recovery jog on the day after a long run or speed workout with an active-rest day: Go for an easy bike ride or walk; hit the gym, pool, or yoga studio; or do another nonrunning activity you enjoy. The next day, youll likely notice that your legs feel springier than they would have if youd run. And always take a day or two completely off if something hurts or your legs feel excessively heavy. BILL STOKES is an RRCA-certied coach based in Springeld, Illinois (prtrain. com).

Q What exercises can I do to develop stronger quads? A The best exercises for these powerful muscles at the front of the thigh will also strengthen other muscle groups and create balanced leg strength. Running itself is one of the best quad exercises, but you can make your quads even stronger and more durable by doing squats and lunges. There are many variations of both, performed with or without weights. Two of my favorites are the weighted front squat, with a barbell or kettlebell held at the chest (pictured), and the slow walking lunge. This move comes closer to simulating running motion than standard lunges, works your quads even when youre not holding a weight, and also strengthens the gluteals, psoas, piriformis, and hamstrings. JIMMY GABANY is a certied running coach and personal trainer in Las Vegas (elementalrunning.com). Q Should I push hard against headwinds or just accept going slower? A On training runs, pushing hard will make you stronger, the same way a resistance workout at the gym does. Try to maintain the same pace you

WEIGHT UP

Build strong quads with a kettlebell.

5-4-3-2-1 Blastoff!
WHY Stay t in the off-season with a fartlek-like countdown WHO RECOMMENDS IT Dot McMahan, 37, of Oakland Township, Michigan, was the second American (18th overall) at the World Championships Marathon (2:39:52). Jog 20 minutes, then run pickups of ve, four, three, two, and one minute(s), each followed by a matching recovery jog. Jog 20 minutes to nish. Theres no pressure to hit certain times, but spending 15 total minutes at a swift pace at midrun maintains your tness and ability to focus.

Submit your questions to asktheexperts@ runnersworld.com.

DO A MINI-STREAK! JOIN THE #RWRUNSTREAK ON TWITTER AND RUN EVERY DAY FROM THANKSGIVING TO NEW YEARS DAY.

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Photographs by MITCH MAN DE L; Victor Sailer/PhotoRun (McMahan)

would run if it werent windy, knowing that youll be able to cruise with tailwinds at your back later on. (Unless its a point-to-point route. Then, run by effortslightly slower

if youre running into the wind, and slightly faster if its at your back.) If you face headwinds in the rst half of an out-and-back run, the hard work will be over at halfway; if theyre in the second half, youll get practice pushing hard on tired legs, which simulates the end of a race. If youre actually racing, however, be more cautious: Slow down against headwinds and run based on effort so you dont crash and burn. KAREN ROBERTS coaches runners at Get Fit, in Amarillo, Texas (Americas third-windiest city).

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

Perfect Pairs
Eat these foods together to boost health and energy BY MATTHEW
KADEY, M.S., R.D.
BATMAN AND ROBIN, Thelma and Louise: Some foods are like these storied duosgreat individually, but a powerhouse as a team. When we eat certain foods together, their nutrients combine to produce a performance or health benet that outweighs what youd get if you ate them on their own, says Marni Sumbal, M.S., R.D., owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition in Jacksonville, Florida. Tap into the powers of food synergy all day long with these six good-chemistry combinations that may improve your runs and set the stage for better recovery.
BREAKFAST COMBO: GREEN TEA + TOAST = LESS OVEREATING

PRERUN

POSTRUN

DINNER

BEFORE BED

Starchy breakfast favorites like toast, pancakes, and cereal are a great way for runners to load up on carbohydrates. But when eaten alone they may produce a blood-sugar spike and crash that can lead to postworkout or midmorning cravings for sweet or fatty foods. Green tea may blunt the spike, easing the urge to overeat. A 2012 Pennsylvania State University study found that starch combined with an antioxidant in green tea, called EGCG, lowers blood-sugar rise by up to 50 percent. The dose of EGCG in the study was the equivalent of that found in 12 ounces of green tea. That same 12-ounce cup also provides about 45 milligrams of caffeine to jumpstart your morning.
BONUS Add a squirt of lemon to your cup of green tea. A study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that adding citrus juice to green tea increases the bodys ability to absorb the teas antioxidants.

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Photographs by DAVID B RANDO N G E E TI NG

LUNCH COMBO: LENTILS + RED BELL PEPPER = MORE ENERGY

Lentils are rich in ironwhich helps transport oxygen to working muscles making the legume an ideal lunch option for runners. But because iron in plantbased foods is non-heme (i.e., not from hemoglobin), the body doesnt absorb it as easily as it does heme iron found in animal products, says Ilana Katz, M.S., R.D., a sports nutritionist in Atlanta. Enter vitamin Crich red bell peppers. Vitamin C is a powerful enhancer of nonheme iron absorption by making it more soluble in the intestines, says Katz. Dark leafy greens also have signicant doses of iron, while tomatoes and broccoli provide vitamin C to boost iron absorption.
BONUS Higher vitamin C intake can help marathoners slash their risk of catching a cold by up to 50 percent.

muscles what they need after a workout, says Sumbal. The quicker you recover, the faster you can put in hard miles again.
BONUS A British Journal of Nutrition study found that milk protein improves uid retention postexercise, allowing for better rehydration and recovery.

Skip these potentially harmful pairings

Double Trouble

DINNER COMBO: SALAD + OLIVE OIL = LOWER DISEASE RISK

PRERUN COMBO: OATMEAL + STRAWBERRIES = STRONGER RUNS

The carbs in a bowl of oatmeal and berries provide a quick and convenient snack before lacing up your shoesand the tag team of antioxidants (oats) and vitamin C (berries) may do your heart some good. Researchers at Tufts University found that vitamin C interacts with oat antioxidants to possibly improve how well antioxidants disrupt the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (oxidation makes this so-called bad cholesterol even worse).
BONUS Splurge on organic strawberries. The Environmental Working Group found conventionally grown berries can contain high amounts of pesticide residue.

A salad of brightly colored vegetables such as carrots, spinach, and tomatoes is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants, including beta-carotene and lycopene. But skip the fat-free dressing: These antioxidants require dietary fat for absorption. A 2012 Purdue University study found that the monounsaturated fat in canola oil (also think olive oil, almonds, and avocado) was best at bolstering antioxidant uptake, while saturated fat (think bacon crumbles and creamy dressings) was the least effective. Using just three grams (a little less than a teaspoon) of a monounsaturated fatrich dressing is all that is needed to get the full benet.
BONUS Monounsaturated fats are important for heart health, Sumbal says. They lower LDL cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk for heart disease.

ENERGY BARS AND SUGAR ALCOHOLS Bars containing sugar alcohols, such as malitol or sorbitol, can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

MILK AND TEA Casein protein in milk can bind up antioxidants in tea, rendering them less useful for boosting heart health.

BEFORE BED COMBO: GREEK YOGURT + HEMP SEEDS = MUSCLE

POSTRUN COMBO: CEREAL + MILK = QUICKER RECOVERY

More proof that cereal and milk are made for each other. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that subjects who ate whole-grain cereal with fat-free milk after exercising at a moderate pace for two hours experienced noticeable increases in muscle glycogen repletion and protein synthesis, two markers for exercise recovery. The natural sugars, protein, amino acids, and electrolytes in milk team up with carbs in cereal to provide

Photographs by MITCH MAN DE L

Shuttering the kitchen after dinner is common diet advice, but if you want to build muscle, consider a high-protein bedtime snack. Findings published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2012 suggest that eating up to 40 grams of milk protein a half hour before bed promotes new muscle growth if exercise occurred earlier that evening. More lean body mass can improve aerobic capacity, increase muscle efficiency during runs, and reduce injury risk, says Katz. Greek yogurt has about double the protein of traditional versions, while nutty-tasting hemp seeds contain more protein (10 grams in three tablespoons) than other seeds, making this a power couple.
BONUS Greek yogurt packs probiotics, which may reduce stomach issues like cramps and nausea in athletes.

DIET SODA AND BOOZE Diet soda doesnt delay stomach emptying the way drinks with sugar do, so alcohol hits you faster.

BAKED GOODS AND COFFEE Eating saturated fat (like in commercial baked goods) with coffee raises blood sugar twice as much as eating the fatty meal alone.
R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M 45

On RWs Facebook page, you asked how to survive the holiday eating season
WHICH DISHES SHOULD I SKIP TO AVOID THAT SLUGGISH POSTHOLIDAY-MEAL FEELING? Heaping scoops of mashed potatoes and stuffing draw blood and digestive juices to the GI tract, giving you a swollen, stuffed feeling. Adding to the damage are heavily salted foods like gravy; they increase thirst, so you drink more, leaving you even more sluggish. It takes at least 24 hours for the body to clear this excess. What to do: Scale back on portion size to reduce volume and sodium intake. Aim for slightly less than a serving size (see chart). WINE OR BEER? Wines fewer calories give it a slight boost over beer: 120 calories for a ve-ounce glass versus 156 for a 12-ounce bottle. Beers bubbles and big volume ll up some drinkers more quicklymeaning combined with food, beer is more apt to tip you over the fullness line. Too much wine, on the other hand, may cause hangover headaches. But its not all bad: Both drinks supply antioxidantswine contains

Pie, Wine, and Potatoes!

resveratrol (from grapes), and beer has avonoids (from hops and grain). What to do: Stick to two drinks per meal to keep calories and alcohol in check.
WHATS A GOOD PROTEIN SOURCE FOR VEGETARIANS? Many sides contain protein: Black-eyed peas (no bacon) supply 13 grams per cup; cup mashed potatoes (milk-based) and one cup green bean casserole each have three grams; a slice of pumpkin pie adds seven, totaling 26 gramsright around the 20 to 25 grams recommended per meal. What to do: Another option? Tofurky (dont knock it unless youve tried it). Made with soy, its loaded with protein. Serve it with a brown-rice and whole-wheat-bread stuffing for 40-plus grams of protein. ARE LOW-CAL DAYS A GOOD WAY TO OFFSET HEAVY-EATING DAYS? Studies show eating about two-thirds of your daily calorie needs for a few days out of the week helps control weight. But dont consume fewer than 500 caloriesyoull

feel lethargic and miss nutrients. Periodically scaling back may also help curb portion sizes on big-eating days because you get fuller quicker after near-fasting. What to do: Pick a few days between feasts and reduce your calories by 30 to 40 percent; planning ahead boosts the chance youll follow through. And keep running itll also help you avoid weight gain.
SHOULD I EAT A PIECE OF GRANDMAS PECAN PIE PRE- OR POSTRUN? Postrun, for several reasons: Exercise reduces appetite, so you may eat less pie after putting in some miles. If you ate the pie prerun, it would actually suppress the number of calories youd burn during digestion. Plus, youd risk feeling too full to run at all and may instead opt for more delicious pie, rather than working out. The best argument for eating the pie postrun, however, is that exercise boosts calorie burning even after youve stopped running. What to do: Run intervals, then eat pie. Studies suggest the afterburn may increase slightly if you eat right after a hard run.

BURN IT OFF Undo dinners damage

HOLIDAY FAVORITE SERVING SIZE OF CALORIES RUN IT OFF*

Roast turkey (light and dark meat) Mashed potatoes Homemade gravy Sweet potato casserole Green bean casserole with crispy French onion topping Flaky dinner roll and butter

4 ounces cup cup cup 1 cup

Smart phone Tennis ball

168/serving 178/serving

1.7 miles 1.8 miles .7 miles 1.4 miles 1.4 miles

baseball 67/serving baseball 137/serving Baseball 142/serving

Apple pie TOTAL

1/8

of 9" pie

Pair of thin 411/ socks serving 1,272

4.1 miles 12.8 miles

*150-pound person running nine minutes per mile

Photograph by MI TCH MAND EL

1 ounce roll + 1 teaspoon butter

Computer mouse + thumb tip of butter

169/serving

1.7 miles

Lemons
In Season
Winter

RW COOKBOOK
EXCERPT

Good for You RW Contributing Chef Gesine Bullock-Prado reaches for this celebratory treat after a race or long run
Aside from being a rich source of vitamin C, lemons contain citrus limonoids. These compounds may be useful in preventing or treating a range of cancers, including breast, lung, and skin. Limonin, a type of long-acting limonoid, has also been shown to possibly lower levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol.

Sticky Toffee Figgy Cupcakes

These cupcakes, featured in The Runners World Cookbook, only taste decadent. Pumpkin puree, gs, and coffee add rich, moist avorwith little fat.

Get the Best

CAKE 1 cup hot coffee 1 cups nely chopped dried gs 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 large eggs, room temperature cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie lling) 1 cup whole-wheat pastry our teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg CARAMEL SAUCE 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon almond oil 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar Pinch salt cup fat-free evaporated milk
Eureka and Lisbon are the most common varieties in the U.S. and have a mouth-puckering tartness. Meyer lemons (which are a cross with mandarins) are rounder and sweeter. The rinds should be fully yellow (or yellow-orange for ripe Meyers) without blemishes. For the juiciest fruit, choose ones that are small but feel heavy.

Kitchen Simple
Lemon juice, pulp, and peel can all be used, raw or cooked, in sweet or savory dishes. Before juicing a lemon, bring it to room temperature and roll on a counter to loosen its juice sacs. Combine the juice with olive oil, garlic, and pepper for a simple dressing. Bullock-Prado likes to turn plain sugar cookies into lemon treats by adding 1 tablespoon each lemon zest and juice to the dough. YISHANE LEE

CALORIES PER SERVING: 125; CARBS: 25 G; FIBER: 2 G; PROTEIN: 2 G; FAT: 2 G

GESINE BULLOCK-PRADO, author of Bake It Like You Mean It, planned to run the Marine Corps Marathon in late Octoberas long as her IT-band cooperated. I usually race in memory of my mother, who was taken by colon cancer, says Bullock-Prado. But this one Ill do for Team Kea, in honor of a high school classmate who died of breast cancer. For more, see gesine.com.
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Photograph by J OYCE L EE ; IIlustrations by GEORG INA LU C K

Preheat oven to 350oF. Place liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. In a bowl, pour coffee over gs. Stir in baking soda. Let it sit for 5 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk eggs, brown sugar, and honey until thickened (3 minutes). Add pumpkin. Mix just till combined. In another bowl, mix our, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. With the electric mixer on low, add the g mixture to the egg mixture. Slowly add the our mixture. Combine until moistened. Pour batter into muffin tin, lling each spot 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes, or till the cake springs back when poked. Repeat with remaining batter. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, oil, honey, brown sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar melts. Continue stirring and slowly add the milk. Stir until thickened (5 minutes). While cakes are warm, poke a few holes in each with a toothpick. Spoon 1 teaspoon sauce over each. Serve, or store in the fridge for two days. Makes 16.

Breaking Bad Races

Upsetting performance? How to get over it and move on to better times
BY BOB COOPER
IF HIGHWAY TO HELL is an apt de-

scription of your last race, when your pace slowed to a crawl and you werent sure youd finish, you might want to consider the perspective of British poet John Keats, who called failure the highway to success. Although it may seem contradictory (or crazy) to celebrate a op, many experts agree that losses can fuel future wins. A bad race is an opportunity to gather information, learn, and improve, says Ralph Heath, a runner and author of Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big. You need to embrace failure as part of the process. Turning a negative into a positive may seem impossible, especially when your war wounds still sting. But the sooner you accept the past and learn from it, the faster you can move on to a PR-filled future. Heres how to recover.
SCREAM AND SHOUT

Allan M. Due, 56, of Goldthwaite, Texas, was new to running when he started training for the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon. He followed a training schedule, lost 30 pounds, and felt prepared to break four hours on race morning. But he started too fast and then his left knee started to hurt. It started with a twinge and got worse until it felt like a dagger, he says. He had to walk the last nine miles, nishing in 5:05. I was devastated for days. After a bad race, many of us endure disappointment and, yes, even devastation, says Gloria Balague, Ph.D., a Chicago-based sports psychologist who works with USATF athletes. Some runners get highly emotional because
Illustrations by KEVIN LYON S

R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M

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they see it as a personal failing, she says. If youre invested in your running and dont get the expected return, these feelings of disappointment are natural and healthy to express. It shows your commitment and passion. This initial grieving stage may last a few hours or a few days, but its not helpful if it lingers. Prolonged grieving lowers self-condence and motivation, Balague says. When you are unable to constructively evaluate what happened and point to a solution, it may signal some underlying emotional issues. Balague recommends pinpointing the source of your anguish. Are you embarrassed by how others view your performance, ashamed that shortcuts in your training caused it, or upset with Mother Nature for unleashing a heat wave? Whatever it is, isolating the source will help you work through your feelings and regain your emotional balance.
DISSECT THE DISASTER

Instead of analyzing all of this in your own head, Nyamora recommends going over the details of your race with someone elseideally an experienced runner or coach. Writing about the experience in a journal or blog can also be helpful. Your internal thoughts can be overly critical, but when you write about an experience, you tend to be less negative and more objective, he says.
MOVE FORWARD

Once the cursing and crying subside, its time to examine your misadventure. Every race is a learning experience, so whatever happened is really okay, says Cory Nyamora, Psy.D., a running coach, clinical psychologist, and director of the Endurance Sports & Psychology Center in Berkeley, California. The rst step is to separate what you couldnt control (poor weather, illness, a devious pothole) from what you could (uneven pacing, inadequate training, unrealistic goal), and make peace with the rst and focus on rectifying the second. For example, if you started too fast, you can plan to run with a pace group at your next event or position yourself farther back in the pack. If you slowed in your nal miles, you can aim to do more racepace workouts in your next round of training, or you can adjust your goals if your attempted pace was too ambitious.

When Dues disappointment eased, he signed up for another marathon and found an online coach, who gave Due a strength routine to rehab his knee and a training schedule that included speedwork to increase his odds of breaking four hours. Though signing up for another event, as Due did, is a good way to move on, Nyamora says its important to think of the next race as separate and independent from the rstand not as a doover. That mindset will make you feel extra pressure at your next event, and that could hurt your performance, he says. And so Nyamora encourages runners to space out the events; dont rush to race again the following weekend. This is especially critical if youre a halfmarathoner or marathoner. You might be eager to redeem yourself, but if your muscles arent fully recovered, you could be setting yourself up for another bad race experience. (The rule of thumb is that you need one day of recovery for every mile raced.) You also need to consider the emotional toll the bad race took on you. If youre feeling desperate to prove something to yourself or others, or youre still angry about the last race, wait, Nyamora says. It might be best to take a break from racing until you feel emotionally recovered and really miss it. Four months after Marine Corps, Due ran the Cowtown Marathon in 3:59, nailing his goal time and lowering his PR by more than an hour. I felt elated and proud that Id picked myself up, refocused, and accomplished the goal, and grateful that Id redeemed myself. The success wouldnt have been so sweet without the initial failure.

Arms Race

Strengthening your upper body can help you score faster running times
RUNNERS LEGS get all the attention. But if you neglect your upper body, youre missing out on an opportunity to become a faster, more efficient runner. Working your arms, shoulders, and back increases muscle strength and promotes good posture, which improves breathing and arm swing, says Krista Schultz, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., exercise physiologist, coach, and co-owner of Endurance Works in Boulder, Colorado. And arm swing is the X factor in running well: It drives your body forward and helps maintain cadence and rhythm. Schultz developed this routine to strengthen and improve range of motion in your upper body. Do two sets of exercises 1 through 3 rst to warm up. Then do two sets of exercises 4 and 5. Do the entire routine two or three times per week. Jessica Girdwain Watch a video of this routine at runnersworld.com/arms.

1. ANGEL TO DO Lie on a foam roller lengthwise so that your neck and upper back are supported by the roller. Bend your elbows and bring them into your body, forming a W with your arms, palms facing up. Extend your arms up so they rise above your head, then bring them back down, elbows close to your body. Do 10 to 20 reps.

2. PRONE FLY TO DO Drape yourself over a stability ball; support yourself by placing your hands on the oor in front of you. Lift your torso while raising your arms out to your sides and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position. Do 10 to 20 reps.

3. EXTERNAL ROTATION TO DO Hold a resistance band with both hands, about 12 inches apart, palms up. While keeping your shoulders back and your elbows pinned to your sides, stretch the band out with both hands. Return to starting position. Do 10 to 20 reps.

4. PUSH-UPS TO DO Start in an elevated plank position: palms pressing into the oor, in line with your shoulders. Bend both elbows and lower down until your chest hovers above the oor. Do 10 to 20. To make it easier, drop to your knees or elevate your hands on a box.
54

5. PLANK CHANGE-UPS TO DO From an elevated plank, bend your left elbow, and lower down so your left forearm is on the oor. Do the same on your right so youre now supported by both forearms. Straighten your left arm, then your right. Thats one rep; do 10 to 20.

Photographs by MITCH MAN DE L

THE FAST LIFE

By Lauren Fleshman

Parenting, like running, comes with challenges, triumphs, and human excretions
NORMALLY at this time of year, I sit down with my training journal and make some kind of sense of how the year went. I scan through my old goals sheet and compare it to reality until Ive got a good handle on what went well and what didnt, and more important, why. Taking the time to do this is good for several reasons: (1) It satises my need to overanalyze everything. (2) It gives me an excuse to be antisocial when my relatives are over. (3) While tness deteriorates and food intake escalates during the holiday season, this mental exercise is the only way to make forward progress on my running. (4) Some advanced thinking makes setting goals for the New Year way less painful. And setting appropriate goals makes you faster. Thats why youre reading The Fast Life, right? Well, theres one minor technicality: I didnt race this past year. For the rst time in 18 years, could it be possible that I have nothing to analyze? Nonsense! While I may not have been out racing 5-Ks and marathons like all of you, I did grow a human, deliver it successfully, and release it into the wild (by which I mean I let my husband, Jesse, watch him). And since you cant take the athlete out of the new mom, I did set some goals and expectations for my year of the baby, and now I will analyze them for you. EASIER THAN EXPECTED

Year of the Baby

Dealing with human excretions of a gaseous and liquid nature (Judes). Before I had a kid, babies grossed me out. Moms who wipe spit-up off their kids and hastily rub it onto their jeansI could never be like that. All that pooping on themselves and milk spit-up settling into
56

their neck folds undergoing fermentationthe cheesy barf and epic farts and why do people have babies again? I dont know how to explain this one, but after having a baby, its just not gross. Not only am I not disgusted anymore, I like it. When Jude barfs down my cleavage, Im like, Thanks for the all-natural moisturizer! When Jude blows out the top of his diaper, Im like, Woooooow! Jesse, come quick! This ones gotta be a record! Getting my body back. You may have heard that I walked the catwalk for Oiselle during New York Fashion Week three months after delivery, in a midriffbearing race kit, with a disturbingly bronzed spray tan. (If you hadnt heard, well, now you know.) Im fully aware that while quick comebacks happen here and there, this is not the average postpartum experience, nor should it be the expectation. And it wasnt my expectation. That is why this is in the easier than expected section. In my particular case, I think being Olympic Trials fit going into pregnancy, having minimal symptoms and

cravings, lifting weights consistently, and cross-training on the ElliptiGo as my running mileage decreased all set me up brilliantly for a quick rebound. Well, that and having the catwalk on my calendar lighting a fire under my ass. Caring for a dependent life form. Never having been responsible for a dog, or cat, or fish, or even a Beanie Baby, I wasnt convinced I could properly care for a human baby. When I heard babies didnt speak English until they were many months old, I really started to panic. Luckily there is such a thing as parental instincts, and when you pair them with a side of Google, anyone can be a relatively decent parent. Ill never forget the rst moment I felt like a real, bona de mom. It wasnt the moment he was born, like some people say. It was about 10 days later, when I left him with Grandma. I was explaining how he likes to face out when you hold him, and if he wont take a pacier, try wiggling his legs first, and he sleeps longer when hes swaddled, and a cry that sounds like an ambulance is due to fatigue, not hunger. As I walked out the door baby-free, I thought to myself, BAM! I really am getting to know this kid. I can do this! Missing out. As a runner geek, I wasnt concerned about a newborn encroaching on my dubstepping raver lifestyle. But I was expecting to be bummed out about missing other stuff, such as a spontaneous yoga class, the deliciousness of sleeping in till 10 on the weekends, free time, going to the movies, and so on. I didnt want to be one of those parents who stops living their life. Almost to prove a point to ourselves, the rst time we got a babysitter, it was to see the newest overrated Matt Damon ick. And an
Illustration by K I RSTE N ULVE

THE FAST LIFE

hour into it, you know what I was thinking about? Jude and his delicious fermenting neck folds. Anxiety about missing out on your old life comes from the part of your mind that cant comprehend how much youll enjoy your new one.
HARDER THAN EXPECTED

You have to ask for help, which is hard when youd rather do everything yourself.
tion was and basically thought new parents were a bunch of whiners. What. A. Joke. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the effects of fatigue about seven weeks after having a baby. I became a crazy person who was overly emotional and completely irrational. When I tried to think, I felt like my software was broken, the blank screen of my mind ashing the broken floppy disk icon of my old-school Apple computer. Not being a bitch-face to Jesse. So now imagine Jesse coming in staring at my broken oppy disk and trying to help x it. Instead of booting back up nice and slowly, a gigantic ghost banshee jumps onto the screen screaming at full volume. To turn this article into an interactive experience, search for Ghost Car on

Being scared. Im not afraid of much, except spiders (and not even really spiders. I just like to watch Jesse save the day). So it took me by surprise in the last couple weeks before Jude was born when I feared we were making a huge mistake. That Jesse and I would start hating each other and get divorced and have to sell our house at a loss and ask my mom to raise the kid while I went off on a spirit quest. Whenever this happened, Jesse would try to reassure me, but all I could think was, Liar! I see the fear in those eyes! Sleep deprivation. Like any other world-class procrastinator, I have always relied on all-nighters. And because of that, I thought I knew what sleep depriva-

YouTube and youll get to live in Jesses shoes for 21 seconds. Pumping. Breastfeeding is a pretty incredible thing, and pumping is, tooin theory. Its supposed to be the great liberator. Pump some milk, and someone else can feed your kid while you go for a run or do some work or plan your spirit quest. The concept sounded great, but pumping brings with it a host of other action words like storing, labeling, refrigerating, freezing, organizing, panicking, thawing, sterilizing, spilling, and crying. Not only that but hooking oneself up to a pump is the least sexy thing one could possibly do with one of the sexiest parts of the female body. It burns my eyes to look at it. I need a blindfold just to relax enough to allow the milk to release. I mean, milk to release. Its disgusting. Asking for help. If you are lucky like me, a few people will toss out a blanket offer to help with your newborn at some undetermined time in the future. Problem is youve gotta ask, and I suck at

asking for help. Stubbornly plunging ahead until I break down is more my style. Like a lot of new moms, I catch myself feeling like I should be able to do it all, and when I cant, I feel bad about myself. Having a baby has made it super apparent that I am not Wonder Woman. And thats maybe one of the most incredible gifts of parenthood. It shatters any illusions you have of invincibility, which connects you with other people in a beautifully vulnerable way. Dealing with human excretions of a gaseous and liquid nature (not Judes). First of all, to the 500 fellow moms who found a way to tell me your crazy birth stories, not one of you warned me about the after-effects. I realize postpartum stories dont have the same gladiator allure, but I would have appreciated a heads-up that peeing ones pants while running is normal. And a tip about nursing pads would have been nice. Nobody at work believed my story about the sprinklers hitting me in two perfectly symmetrical

places on my way into Picky Bars HQ. Id love to help future moms out about so many things, but this is a family magazine. Ill just say wear black shorts when you run, and dont do crunches or inversion yoga poses in large groups until youve tried them on your own rst.
LAST WEEKEND I drove out the Cascade

Lakes Scenic Highway toward my favorite trail of all time: Green Lakes, in Bend, Oregon. It was my rst true Sunday long run back from baby, fully equipped with running mates in the backseat, a bathing suit for a postrun river soak, and packed lunches for postrun grubbing. We climbed for miles past half a dozen waterfalls up to the tree line where a freezing stream zigzags alongside an obsidian lava flow, the massive rocks stacked in a crumbly pile that I imagine God himself carving through on a snowboard when nobodys looking. And at the top is our prize, two green lakes lying heavy and at in the basin of the craggly

Cascades, a site where my dad would have shone brightest before cancer started to make its mark. Wait up a sec, I say as I kick off my shoes, strip down to my shorts and sports bra, and push off the edge of the grassy bank into the prickle and sting of the clear and wet. The breeze dries the clothes on my body as we fly single file down eight miles of switchbacks toward the car. This is the run Ive thought of so many times over the past year as a symbol of my return to the sport, and there is no doubt in my mind anymore that I will complete it. My eyes focus on nothing more than the feet in front of me so my mind can safely wander home. Home to the place I grew up, where one amazing life is winding down, and home to Bend, where another is just getting started.

Lauren Fleshman, a pro runner with Oiselle and cofounder of Picky Bars, gave birth to Jude Eiger Thomas on June 10. She writes at runnersworld.com/laureneshman.

Run every day during the holidays? Bah-humbug. I mean...okay!

SOMETIMES you nd amazing things in faraway places accessible only by cameratoting explorers in deep-water vessels; sometimes you nd them just down the road. My buddy Gerry lives down the road. He runs every day. By that I mean he literally runs every single day without skipping for any reason, ever. He has laced up and headed outside to run through hurricanes, blizzards, lightning storms, ice storms, heat waves, hangovers, us, fevers, sprains, tears, broken toes, broken ngers, broken ribs, and every imaginable
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A Season to Streak
family and professional obligation for the past 21 years. Minimum valid distance in emergencies is one milefor example, a transcontinental flight to Beijing that crossed the international dateline, when he had to run his mile through the airport in dress shoes; a vacation with friends on a live-aboard with no land in sight, where he had to run in circles on the deck of a sailboat; the days following his two marathons. The Streak, he calls it, then usually smiles and shakes his head and says, I dont recommend it.

Of course he doesnt have to recommend it to recommend it. Hes 10 years older than me but looks 10 years younger. While many of my runs are overly dramatic and stubbornly muddled with hardship, his are clear and simple and done. Rather than wear fitness like a fancy jacket on running days like I do, he has absorbed tness into the fabric of his life. Ive asked him how he does it, how he runs every day, and he always shrugs like its no big deal. He says a morning run is on par with brushing his
Illustration by NI G E L B UC H ANAN

SEE MORE. ACHIEVE MORE.

The new TomTom Runner GPS Watch uses easy to read, full-screen graphics to help T y you achieve your personal best time. So you can focus on your run, instead of on y your watch. tomtom.com/sports

teeth and he wouldnt think of skipping that either. I tell him thats the nut-job speaking and he should admit that only to people he really trusts. Because we all want something different on our pizza, but we can all agree that theres a signicant difference between running ve miles and a little basic oral hygiene. Then one afternoon, a friend sent an e-mail with an invitation for me to see rsthand how different they really are. A link in the mail brought me to a page for something called the Runners World Holiday Streaka challenge to run at least one mile every day through the sticky-bun gravy-trough of Thanksgiving to New Years Day. You sign on and gut it out for the next 40-plus days or call yourself a quitter. Do it smart and youll emerge from the holiday season unscathed, and maybe even tter than you were before, the page saidessentially a Dont-Get-So-Stinking-Fat Holiday Streak. This was an interesting idea. A holiday season without weight gain. It seemed freakish. It seemed lacking in holiday spirit. Like a Christmas tree without ornaments. Scrooge was very skinny, youll remember. The evil magician who almost melted Frosty the Snowman was also very thin. Holidays without weight gain would break a long-standing personal tradition. Would I be as much fun at parties if I didnt bring the big cheeks with me? What would it be like to enter the cold snap of January without the extra weight? Was it even advisable? Would I feel an urge to migrate? Mostly I wondered whether I would have time to run every day. In a house with three kids, two full-time jobs, extended family to feed, songs to play, decorations to hang, cookies to make, booze to drink, and a Santas sleigh to fill, I wondered how I could get it in. Then I thought about something my friend and RW colleague Mark Remy said about nding time to runa long to-do list isnt a reason to skip a run, its a reason to do one. And if Gerry found time to run every day for 21 years, I could probably do the same for a little over a month. Ill do it, I said out loud to no one in the room. A running streak is a deal you make with only yourself.
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You never feel guilty about the run you dont take when you take them all.
As long as its not a gateway drug, Susan said later that day. Holiday Streak sounds quaint, but if youre still on it a year later, Ill have to tie you down and lock you up for a day. I told her I didnt think that would be a problem, but made her promise to do so if necessary. The beginning of the streak was a Thanksgiving turkey trot no different than what Id done ever since I began running. The afternoon was also the samea mountain of food washed down with wine. Different was that I had to haul the food/wine mountain out with me for the following mornings runone I would have skipped if not for the streak. Like people who use a day of rest to recover from a long run, I discovered I had always used a day of rest to recover from a long food hangover. That weekend, we had guests over for dinner. Between the shopping and cleaning and cooking, I hadnt found a moment to get a run in. Just before they arrived, I dashed out in jeans and running shoes for three miles and returned as they were pulling up the driveway. When they got out of the car, they asked me if everything was okay. I said yes and ared my nostrils to try to breathe through my nose. They smiled uncomfortably, and I asked them to open the wine and have a glass while I took a quick shower. I knocked off short, easy runs for the next several days wherever I could fit them in. On the seventh day of the streak, I blasted through a white-out snowstorm and exercised my rst just-one-mile option. When I stepped back into the warm house, I looked like Id lost a ght with a snowplow. The kids asked if I was all right. I said yes and tried to casually ip the snow from my shoulders as if running a mile through a blizzard for no reason at all was something dads did from time to time. Four weeks into the streak I had hit a rhythm. You do almost anything every day for four weeks and you start to get

good at it. I no longer got tired on a run. I found out legs dont hurt on days off when you never take a day off. You never feel guilty about the run you dont take when you take them all. You dont have favorite running clothesyou have whatever is clean and whatever works, which is whatever you happen to grab when you reach into the drawer. Individual runs are not important, but running as a whole feels more so. One morning I completed a long run without ever breathing faster than a resting pace. Once I came home after an exceptionally cold run and looked in the mirror at the icicles on my eyelashes and thought, I am officially as crazy a runner as anyone Ive ever made fun of. Then I took a hot shower and dressed up and looped a belt around my waist and hooked the buckle on the smallest holea new hole on a belt Ive had for more than 10 years.
EVER SINCE moving into our small

house, Ive had a recurring dream that I discover a hidden door that opens into a large room I never knew aboutthe more I explore the room, the larger it gets, and the more shocked I become that its been hidden in plain sight. By New Years Day, I felt like that dream had come true in a sense. When youre on a running streak, you discover a new room called the road. Any place you spend time in every day becomes a kind of room, even if its a strange oneeven if its narrow and miles long and has cars and trucks occasionally driving through it. Some amazing things are in faraway places, some are down the road, and sometimes the amazing thing is just the road itself. I completed a short run with Gerry on New Years Daythe last day of my official streak. As we parted, he smiled and told me it was supposed to be beautiful weather the next day, perfect for a run. I told him Id probably get one in, and I dida 10-mile blaster on January 2 that tied me down and locked me up for the rest of the following day.
You can nd more of the Newbies exploits on runnersworld.com/newbie and by following on Twitter at @NewbieChronicle.

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Offbeat running clubs are breaking from tradition and redening what the sport can be for a new generation of athletes
nine years ago when Cedric Hernandezs buddy decided to run home over the Brooklyn Bridge after an evening out rather than take a cab. He saw how amazing it was and said he wanted to start running bridges, says Hernandez, 31. There was no traffic. He didnt have to deal with stoplights. It had great hills. Thats when he started the club. Today, the NYC Bridge Runners, a rotating crew of 300 night owls who tackle the citys bridges every Wednesday evening, represent a growing fitness movement around the country. From New York City to Denver to the hinterlands, grassroots crews are gathering on the streets for outof-the-box workouts and a chance to connect, all heavily facilitated by social media. We use our city like a playground, says NYC Bridge Runners co-leader Her-

I t all started

nandez. We never know what were going to do until we get there. It could be the 59th Street Bridge. It could be the Williamsburg. We might do the TripleBypass, which is the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Manhattan bridges. Well make people do pull-ups on the stop sign. Anything that you could hurdle or jump over, well do that. We want to get people stronger and make it a lot more fun. Offbeat running communities are not entirely new. Think Hash House Harriers, the colorful drinking club with a running problem that dates back to the 1930s. But theres denitely been a movement in recent years to experience running in nontraditional waysjust look at the explosive growth of Color Runs and obstacle-adventure races such as Tough Mudder. Our group is best described as unconventional, says Paul

NYC BRIDGE RUNNERS

Photographs by T HOMAS PRI O R

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Jones of the New England Spahtens (say Spartans in your best Beantown accent), a running club composed of some 1,200 obstacle-course acionados. "Youll nd us running a local 5-K with bricks in a rucksack and doing 30 burpees at each mile marker. Certainly the vibe and the loose, entertaining structure of these groups appear to be attracting a new generation of runners and would-be runners who may nd the classic format of traditional running clubs too intimidating or serious, or who might not see their handful-of-miles-aweek as enough to qualify them as running-club material. In Boston, November Project, a twoyear-old tness group, is ringing loud, in part because of an infectious spirit thats equal parts ass-kicking and arms-wideopen (see page 68). At their free workouts, hugs and positivity awards are the norm. So are F-bombs and spray-painted T-shirts. They stage their own guerrilla street races, with the nish line a local watering hole. Three times a week, hundreds of tness enthusiasts of varying athletic abilities lace up for the 6:30 a.m. sessions. In Denver, Joe Hendricks draws a whopping 250 souls to his grueling three-hour, total-body workouts, dubbed

It Burns Joe Fitness. Wednesday workouts are held downtown; Saturday and Sunday sessions are at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Running is part of the burn: sprinting up bleachers and hills, and 5-K banana runs where lead runners peel off and back-of-the-packers can move to the front. We stay together as a group that way, says Hendricks, 50. The former BMX trick rider is also a DJ and hosts dances for his members, whom he considers family. He hasnt charged a dime for a single drop of sweat. Thats part of the magic of this thing. People are there because they want to be, not because they paid and feel they have to be. The no-rules-no-dues ethos, coupled with a sense of communal ownership, is particularly popular among twenty- and thirtysomethings, who are well represented in these unorthodox tribes. That doesnt surprise Jason Dorsey, 35, the founder of the Center for Generational Kinetics and author of several books on Gen Y, a generation that grew up very much connected and included. Gen Ys want to be seen as unique and to be part of something special, says Dorsey. When we look at these underground clubs and any underground athletic event, the fact that its underground,

emerging, new, and different, that really is the draw, and Gen Ys tend to be early adopters of this. Social media is clearly a significant driver, too. The Idiots Running Club, started by a pair of rural runners in Ozark County, Missouri, took to Facebook two years ago. They now boast 2,000 members around the world who identify with their sense of fun and runnerly self-deprecation. Its not life or death whether you qualify for Boston; its just running, says David Murphy, 41, a utility contractor superintendent. None of us are going to be elite Olympic athletes. Were still going to be moms and dads and work our day jobs. We have an oath that people have to take. They have to promise not to take things too seriously, and give it everything they have, and it ends with them spinning around three times and spitting. Thats all it takes to join. The Idiots Running Club now stages monthly group runs and an annual eighthour Skunk Run in Missouri's Mark
OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES

The New England Spahtens prep for obstacle races at Harvard Stadium with sandbag hauling, burpees, and squats.

NEW ENGLAND SPAHTENS

Photograph by A LL ISO N PH ARMAK IS

IT BURNS JOE FITNESS

Twain National Forest, complete with event shirts and old copies of Runners World for prizes. In the virtual world, they are representing, too. There are Idiots out in Washington and Detroit that get together all the time, Murphy says. I see a lot of posts like: Hey Im going to be traveling to Florida; I'll be in Tallahassee. Are there any Idiots out there? And people will respond and then they get together and run.

Photographs by BE NJAMI N RAS MU SSE N (top) ; NATE LU K E

THE IDIOTS RUNNING CLUB

MARATHON FITNESS Bojan Mandaric, 32, Noand share them for free. We At Red Rocks Amphivember Projects cofounder, know people will use them theatre in Denver, says social media not only as their social media prole, hundreds gut out three-hour workouts gets people in the door but that their friends and famiand come back for more. amplies his groups mesly will see it and ask: What sage. We tag people in phois this November Project? tos, says the former Northeastern UniverMany of these tribes, if not all, were the sity rower. Everyone wants to see happy accident of a couple of pals wantthemselves looking good. We shoot as ing to work out together, and they have many quality photos as we can and handgrown organically into bona de compick the ones people would pay $40 for munities. Mandaric says a group like November Project helps correct a social aw he sees in traditional running clubs. There, you have a separation of fast groups, middle of the pack, and back of the pack, he says. Fast runners will train with fast runners and hang out with fast runners. All our workouts are strategically contained within one area, so you can have the overlap of the fastest and slowest, and theyre constantly supporting and encouraging each other. It appears that Americas tness buffet has added a bunch of new and avorful stations for runners and potential runners alike. Hungry? Dig in.
Additional reporting by Megan Hetzel FOOLS PARADISE

A core group in Gainesville, Missouri, meets for a run, but thanks to social media, there are Idiots everywhere.
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social MOVEMENT

IF YOU WANT TO RUN WITH BOSTONS GRASSROOTS

YOUD BETTER BE SERIOUS ABOUT WORKING OUTAND ABOUT LOVING YOUR FELLOW PERSPIREE.

BY

CALEB DANILOFF
GUIDO VITTI

PHOT O GRAPHS BY

THE RISE OF THE TRIBE Members of the highoctane November Project, including Neaera, a Dogo Argentino who joins her owner for Friday workouts.

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NO MORE COWBELL .

Please. As if in answer, a hollow clanging echoes around Harvard Stadium and we all drop to the concrete and rip off 10 push-ups. Then its back to the steps. I dont care if you slow down, dont stop moving, a deep voice booms. Just like life. A few high-lunges later and I slap my hand at the faded number 22 at the top of the seating section. My lungs are heaving, my quads so heavy Im pretty sure they could anchor a boat. I draft behind a couple of lithe college-aged women, reining in my breath as we trundle down the steps before tackling the next section. Holy crapola, those are steep, one of them says. To my left, at least a hundred runners clamber up the rows in various stages of distress and concentration. To my right, easily a hundred more. You stop moving, youre dead, the booming voice continues, then youre no fun. That voice belongs to Brogan Graham, known to most around here as BG. At 6' 6", hes impossible to miss. But just in case, hes dressed in a red-and-white-striped long-sleeve shirt under a green Milwaukee Bucks basketball jersey, a bright bicycle cap, a pair of coffee-colored shades, and black running shorts. In his hand, a drumstick and a cowbell. The 30-year-old is the irrepressible cofounder of November Project, a grassroots fitness group thats part ash mob, part running tribe, and all the rage in Boston. This mornings mission: 40 sections of the iconic horseshoe coliseum in Allston, Massachusettseach 31 rows steepsprinkled with re drills of push-ups and burpees. Were not a running club or boot camp, Graham says, but people accidentally do a lot of running with us. What started two years ago as a way for a pair of former college rowers to keep each other motivated during winter has turned into a year-round phenomenon,

drawing hundreds to their irreverent, high-octane workouts, from recovering couch potatoes to competitive marathoners. Three times a week, from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., between 100 and 650 freshly woken souls lace up for skin-quivering strength work at different spots around the city on Mondays; breath-robbing steps at Harvard Stadium on Wednesdays; and quad-searing repeats on one of Bostons steepest hills on Fridays. Rain or shine. For all this, not a penny is collected. No signatures or e-mail addresses required (participants get notication of the upcoming workouts via the groups Web site and social media feeds). The only dues are good vibes and dedication. And a lot of sweaty bear hugs. TO KNOW THEM IS TO HUG THEM

ifteen minutes earlier, Id been standing with Graham and about 30 other newcomers on the stadiums lower concourse while the big kids began their sections above. Whether youre chasing a sub-3:00 marathon or your shoes still have that new-sneaker smell, everyone spends day one in the newbie meeting. Olympic gold medal rower Esther Lofgren and then-Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference began their rst November Project workouts in this same spot. The biggest race of the day, we say, is from when your alarm clock goes off to when you get out the door, Graham says. Just show up. Workouts effin easy. (Except he drops an actual F-bomb.) He looks around, scanning the bleary eyes and pillow-scarred cheeks. A couple ground rules, he continues. At November Project, we are not shakers. We are huggers. If youre not comfortable with that, youre not going to like it here. I grew up in the Midwest. We are huggers on a daily basis. Huggers have more fun in this life. Shakers dont risk anything. If you dont risk, you dont earn the chance to live a better life. I know it sounds Hallmark, but its true. Id heard about the hugging, written off by some reporters as a marker of the everyone-gets-a-trophy Millennial and Y generations. Even though the young and taut outnumber the bearded and wrinkled here, thats a misfire. Graham and co-

founder Bojan (pronounced BOY-an) Mandaric are hard-core not just about tness but about community. The hugging is both an icebreaker and an equalizer. At traditional running clubs, runners tend to seek out folks of similar speed, Graham says. November Project workouts are designed to push limits but not segregate by ability. Theirs is a shared battleeld forged by a desire to go full-tilt, stoke competitive spirits, test mettle, and have fun. So for the next minute, introduce yourself to one or two people and, with a

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lot of eye contact and repeating their name so you remember it, have a conversation where you learn something about that person, he says. Within seconds, an excited babble lls the air. BAT TLE CRY

wenty minutes into the workout, much of the chatter fades to heavy breathing, occasional swears, and a few pleas to Jesus. Too quiet for Graham, apparently. Are you good? he calls out.

dude is bent over gulping On cue, a couple hundred UP AND AT EM Harvard Stadium for breath while a couple of voices shout back the tribes hosts NPs 6:30 sweaty young women in battle cry: F--k yeah! Fola.m. workout: short shorts and sports bras lowed by clapping and hoots climbing 1,147 steps. have stopped to share water, and hollers. And suddenly, legs shaking. They were with me a month weve all picked up our pace. On the eld, earlier when I rst started running the groundskeepers, well familiar with the stadium alone. Still, with a good 15 years scene, tend to the lacrosse nets. After I on them, I was chuffed. get a high-ve from Graham, I hear: See A few sections later, near a cooler of that guy in the orange shorts? Hes with orange slices someone brought, I come Runners World. Chase him. Crap. upon Mandaric, also known as Bojan the Near the upper bleachers, hidden from Serbian. Hes easy to spot, too. At 6'4" and the action, a tatted-up muscle-bound
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sporting a shaved head, the former Yugoslav national team rower has a camera to his eye. I straighten up and try to wipe the grimace from my face. Mandaric is known as the quiet one, which isnt quite fair, as everyone comes off subdued compared to Graham. The 32-year-old is sly and witty, and just as friendly. The whole operation is really his fault. One November evening in 2011 at a local bar, he lamented to Graham, his former Northeastern University crewmate, that he needed to stay t in the winter but didnt want to pay for it. They made a pact to meet in the mornings, no excuses. They created a shared Google doc to chart their progress and named it the November Project. After a winter of just the two of them training, they sent a few open invitations and taunts into the Twittersphere. A handful of friends were the rst to show up. Then they told a few friends, who told a few friends, and a movement was born. It almost started as a joke, we were hyping it so much, Mandaric says, a hint of a Slavic accent on his words. Come to the stadium with us. November Project will kick your ass! Somehow, people just started showing. I remember looking around one morning, seeing 30 people running steps with us, and thinking, This is so wildly out of control. That was May 2012. By the end of June, their numbers had swelled to 100. And they kept rolling with it. In September, the founders pledged to get November Project tattoos if 300 people showed for a workout. When Stanley Cup champion Ference, with his large Twitter following, showed up, the boys were inked by October. Six months later came the bombings at the Boston Marathon. The Wednesday after the marathon was the biggest turnout we ever had up to that point, over 450, Graham says. People just wanted a place to go, to commune. Running clubs showed up. Im used to greeting people, but looking out into that crowd, I got tongue-tied. Today, even on the rainiest of days, they wont drop below a hundred. November Project has grown into a bona de community and a reality show waiting to happen. BG rallies the troops, starts the hype, brings the vibe up, Mandaric says. People start running, and Im walking around taking photos. Facebook has been one of
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WORKOU TS
Heres what awaits tribe members at November Projects three weekly sessions
monday DESTINATION DECK The Destination refers to the ever-changing city locations to which members are expected to run if they live within 6.2 miles. The Deck is for a deck-of-cards workout that awaits arrivals. Each card indicates the number of reps and each color a different exercise: Ace is 14, king 13, queen 12, etc.; black cards are traditionally push-ups, red are sit-ups (burpees and squats might be thrown in). The point is to go through the entire deck as quickly as possible. Because of the large turnouts, ve decks might be passed around the crowd with leaders ipping cards for groups of 20 or so. This brings people together to push and encourage each other, says November Project cofounder Bojan Mandaric. Sometimes, Mandaric and fellow cofounder Brogan Graham ditch the deck and change up the

THE

conditioning. One week, the workout might target legs, the next, core and upper body. Or they might throw different elements into a variety circuit. For instance, 100/100100 leg throw-downs and 100 push-upsis often done when the meet-up location is far and people have to run good mileage to get there. Throw-downs involve one person lying on their back holding onto the ankles of their standing partner. The lying partner lifts their legs to the standing partner, who pushes them away. Each set of 25 throw-downs is followed by 25 push-ups. This workout is designed to break up the run, work the core, and get people to partner with someone they dont know. What about beginners? We think that everyone can do push-ups, on their knees if necessary, and sit-ups and burpees, Mandaric says. If they cant, they skip a rep or two or drink water or x their shoe. Were not judging. Everyone does their best. You just do as much as you can, keep coming back, and youll see progress. wednesday STAIR CLIMBING AT HARVARD STADIUM The full tour is 37 sections, or 1,147 steps. The concrete sections are laid out coliseum-style overlooking the playing eld. The seating rows are about three feet deep and 1.5 feet tall, and the access stairs are about half that height. Runners start in Section 37 and end at Section 1, with faster runners going rst. Typically, you sprint to the top and, depending on fatigue level and the number of folks in front of you, walk or jog to the next section and down the access stairs. The goal is to

not stop. But no one stink-eyes you if you need a breather, though youll be encouraged to keep going. Newbies shoot for 19 sections, or halfway. Other stadium workouts: > 40 sections, broken up with randomly announced re drills, or ve to 10 push-ups or burpees. The seat sections at Harvard Stadium are wide enough to allow you to drop wherever you are. > FrogMan 1, named after a hiker Graham met on the Appalachian Trail, is 50 sections: 37 to 13, then 13 back to 37. The idea is for faster and slower runners to encounter each other much of the way. > The last Wednesday of the month is PR day. > Some Wednesdays are 35 minutes to chew up as many sections as you can. friday HILL REPEATS ON SUMMIT AVENUE, BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS The front side of the hill is .4 miles, with a grade that uctuates between seven and 17 percent. A typical workout is four to six full frontals, for 3.2 to 4.8 total miles. Another option is three to four fulls, taking runners up the front and down the back side, which is .25 mile with a comparable grade. Total distance is between 3.9 and 5.2 miles. There is no beginner or expert course; everyone does the same route as best they can. The point is to run together. Graham and Mandaric will often add extra elements, like a human hurdle, one of them crouching at the top, or a cross-country detour through the sloping hilltop park. You never know exactly what youre going to get, but it will be memorable. C.D.

monday

wednesday

our best recruiting tools. Its bringing 65 percent of traffic to our Web site. Its all tagging people in photos and tweeting. Their Web site also features a section called We Missed You. As collegiate rowers, if one oarsman overslept, the boat couldnt go out and seven guys were left facing dreaded on-land workouts. At November Project, if you drop a verbal, meaning you say, post, tweet, or text that youll be at the next workout and dont show, the guys reach for their holsters, trolling the Internet for embarrassing pics and ribbing the unlucky soul in a blog post. Rowing is very much a no-excuses sport, Mandaric says. That accountability is what drives our philosophy. Another driver is community-building: making connections between people, spreading civic joy, someDONT SAY thing especially CHEESE resonant in this NP runners often employ silly rituals still-healing city. goggle eyes or tongues After Graham had outfor workout pics, a family heirloom like those on the next page. stolen, he posted a homework assignment for tribe members to counter the bad by doing good. I mean like paying the toll for the car behind you, not just holding the door open for someone, stuff you should be doing anyway. And by picking random parts of the urban landscape for their Monday workout, theyre opening members eyes to the worlds of their fellow citizens. Some neighborhoods are maligned, some off the beaten path, but if you live within a 10-K distance, youre expected to run there. In our lives, where we just see our driveway and where we work and the one bar we go toto visit a new neighborhood is fun, Graham says. Mandaric sums it up this way: Every week you refall in love with the city you live in. PEER PRESSURE fter graduating from Northeastern, both spent a few years coaching crew, Graham at their alma mater and Mandaric at Syracuse. Later, Graham cut his social and digital marketing teeth at Hubway, Bostons bicycle-share program, and he now works full-time for New Balance. Mandaric is currently between jobs, working as a freelance Web
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friday

ous time, says Mandaric, designer. Not including the WORKOUTS ON NP members train who has a 5-K PR of 19:32. workouts, they each spend year round in In fact, one of their missions about 20 hours a week on Bostonno matter the conditions. is to mold members into November Project business racers. To that end, they stage social media, blogging, retheir own road race once a season, and cruiting, and devising new and zany twists the last Wednesday of every month is PR to juice the workouts and stir the faithful. day at the stadium, when participants try To break their own sweats, Graham and to clock their fastest stair climb. Mandaric are usually on site by 5:20 a.m., Not surprisingly, some describe chewing up the stairs or the hill before November Project as a cult. Ian Nurse, 35, the tribe arrives. Well, most of them. There a Boston sports chiropractor who placed is now a substantial gatheringan early 44th at the 2013 Boston Marathon rungroupthat joins the leaders. ning a 2:25, is among the happily brainWhile both had marathons under their washed. The hill work in particular has belts before November Project, neither boosted his speed and stamina, he says. saw himself as a typical runner. When But beyond that, he adds, the infectious you look at us, with our rowing backspirit behind November Project diffuses ground, our height, we can say to somenot only the seriousness that can enone who is out of shape and wants to try velop a strict training regimen but also November Project that were not typical larger cultural attitudes. What Brogan runner types, either. That helps welcome and Bojan bringtheir charisma, enthupeople, Graham says. Still, Graham logs siasm and caring, the positivity awards, around 25 miles a week and BQd a few the happy birthdaysit very much goes years back with a 3:06. Both consider against the all-business atmosphere November Project miles especially poyou see among people in the Northeast, tent. Every time I race ve- or six-milers, where everyones on their phones, not I shred at least a minute off of my previseeing one another.

Patrick Burke, the director of player safety for the National Hockey League, has also drunk the Kool-Aid. Logging a few solitary miles a week, and never in the morning, the last thing Burke, 30, would have called himself was a runner. His pal Ference goaded him into trying November Project last fall. After seven months, Burke was running the Boston Marathon for charity. It was very much out of my personality range to work out three times a week with a big group of random people, he says. I thought the hugging was the dumbest thing in the world. Im like, Dont touch me. Its 6 a.m. I havent had coffee. Now, its something I rely on. It gets me out of bed in the morning. Ive bought in and made a lot of really good friends and pushed myself to the next level in the training. Im now someone who describes himself as a runner. Graham and Mandaric would love to see the November Project concept replicated around the country, if not the world. There are free tness and racing groups in different states, but few with the same head of steam. Already three additional November Project chapters have sprung up: one in Madison, Wisconsin, run by Grahams older brother, Dan, a professional swim coach. Another in San Francisco, headed up by former Northeastern University track standout Laura McCloskey. And in September, Ference helped launch a Canadian chapter in Edmonton, Alberta, where he now plays for the Oilers. The founders are currently elding applications from several other cities. Turning their creation into a full-time gig appeals to Graham and Mandaric, but both are adamant about keeping the workouts grassroots, spirited, and free. They look at what theyre doing not as a way to fatten their bank accounts but to make better an already amazing city and country and world, Graham says. We need to nd ourselves an old, rich runner who wants to do good in this world by nancing us.

MISSED
Skip a workout after committing to make it? Graham and Mandaric will dig up an unattering

WE

YOU!
photo and post it on their Web site for public shaming.

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TRY THIS AT HOME!

How to launch your own tribe

November Project founders Bojan Mandaric and Brogan Graham want their movement to spread, and they welcome anyone interested in creating their own NP tribe to visit november-project.com, where they outline the commitment level required. Mandaric and Graham are happy to answer questions and give advice, but there is a strict application process for those who hope to follow in their footsteps and create a spin-off tribe. Mandaric says group leaders need to be t and have welcoming, enthusiastic personalities. You have to be in great shape to start a group that will grow, he says. To be a leader, aside from personality, you have to be at the top of the pack. You cant really preach something you cant do yourself. If youre just getting together with some of your friends to run a few sections and do some push-ups and sit-ups just for sh--s and giggles, then it doesnt really matter. And if theres no cool stadium or steep hill nearby? Just create something, Graham says. It can be a one-mile loop or laps around a school. But set it in stone. The key is consistency and accountability, they say. If it rains and you dont show, people will wonder about you, Graham says. Between the two of us, we havent missed a workout in two years. C.D.

yeah! I stagger to the upper In the meantime, they are SWEAT EQUITY The social media concourse, where I find getting noticed. In July, savvy group ends 49-year-old Boston reghter Boston-based New Balance each workout with a group photo. Jeff Whitman, wearing a launched a global ad camlobster bib of sweat. He drives paign called Runnovation, an hour from Manseld, Massachusetts, which features November Project in both with his wife, Marsha, who is training to print and video. (New Balance does not qualify for the Boston Marathon. It keeps sponsor November Project, and Mandaric me t for work, he says. Id like to get was hired after the campaign launched.) one of the academy classes here so they The campaign showcases how social and can see how out of shape they are. participatory running has become, and Every workout ends with hugs and a November Project is the perfect articulagroup photo. At least 250 sweaty bodies tion of that, says Josh Rowe, a senior ll in the concrete rows of section 19 as marketing manager with the company. the hands on a clock tower inch toward Many of our associates at New Balance 7:30. Before Mandaric lines up the shot, participate in November Project workGraham invites down a participant. outs, and the excitement, camaraderie, Tribe, this is Sara Wild. She has the fastand grassroots approach is refreshing. est stadium time for women in November Project: 23 minutes, 27 seconds. I take full GROUP LOVE credit. Today is also her birthday. Graham, who holds the mens record with a m cooked by section three. Grahams blistering 18:42, asks everyone to stand boom box sits throbbing with a and raise their hands. Listen carefully, or hip-hop bass line. A wispy young Sara will get hurt. I want us to sing Happy runner named Lindsay Smith in a sprayBirthday on a loop and be nished by the painted November Project shirt catches time we pass her to the top. up to me. Okay, Caleb, you and me, he And with that, Graham hoists a giggling says. Lets go! Go, Caleb, go! Others join Wild to the waiting hands and she is bodythe chant. I haul ass and worry about surfed while we all serenade her. This one catching my breath later. It works. At the the groundskeepers watch. Suddenly, we top, I thank Smith, and, of course, we hug. are no longer individuals with work presBy the time I crest my nal step, Im so sures and insecurities and demanding spent you could drape me over a railing. touch screens, but a glistening, 500-armed And I still have to run two miles back creature of joy. Mandaric smiles as he home. Over the past 40 minutes, the perfilms. Graham tosses his head back in ception that marathoning had made me laughter. Raucous applause bursts forth as supert has crumbled. But looking across Wild is at last lowered to the ground. the 1,147 steps Ive just conquered, I can It takes a lot for me to say this, but only describe the feeling as, well: F--k thats the weirdest thing weve ever done, See our iPad edition for additional photos Graham says, still grinning. Now, everyand audio interviews with many members of body, get the hell out of here! November Project seen in these pages.

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RUNNING
IN
THE

YEAR

THE

STORIES, RUNNERS,

2013
BY NICK WELDON

AND

TRENDS THAT DEFINED

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EX TR A

Everyday athletes inspired us with incredible feats this year By Debra Witt
BACK ON HER FEET

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

COLLEEN KELLY ALEXANDER

In 2011, a freight truck rolled over Colleen Kelly Alexander as she rode her bike. Still recovering from that horric accident, Alexander, 38, of Clinton, Connecticut, says shell race until shes earned a medal for each of the 50-plus people she estimates had a hand in keeping her alive. As of September, Alexander had handed over more than three dozen medals to doctors, first responders, and nurses whom she credits with saving her life and helping her through her recovery. But the most signicant handoff happened this fall when she gave her head trauma surgeon, Lewis J. Kaplan, M.D., the medal shed earned at the August 2013 Ironman 70.3 Timberman (a half-Ironman), the longest and most difficult event shes completed since she was pieced back together again. Im slow, I limp, and Im in pain, she says. But I have two legs and a beating heart, and so I run. This is the best way I know to let the heroes who fought to save me know that what they did matters.

Story of the Year BOSTON When two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the nish line of the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three and injuring scores, runnings most hallowed stage was warped into a horror lm played out in front of the entire world. The images of terror and destruction from that day were seared into our collective memorybut what will also endure are the stories of heroic runners, bystanders, police officers, and reghters rushing into the chaos to aid the wounded. Locals opening up their homes to displaced runnersoffering food, phones, clothing, and shelter. Law enforcement braving several more harrowing days to bring the perpetrators to justice. In the weeks that followed, tens of thousands of runners across the countryand in several locations around the worldcame together for spontaneous local runs to pay tribute to the victims, rallying under the credo that came to dene the recovery by the city and the running community: Boston Strong. More than $60 million has poured into the One Fund Boston, set up to

support the families affected by the bombings. Many contributions have come from runners, like the trio of Brits who organized a relay from Los Angeles to Boston and raised more than $91,000. And then theres this: 84 percent of runners who couldnt nish the race will run again next year. Demand to run Boston 2014 is so strong that organizers have expanded the eld by 9,000 spots to 36,000. Runners have responded. Other Newsmakers THE RECORD FALLS Whats cooler than being cool? How about announcing to the world your intention to break the world record in the marathon, and then making it look easy when you do. Wilson Kipsang spent the week prior to the September 29 Berlin Marathon making his intentions abundantly clear to reporters, and then, with all eyes on him, the Kenyan ran a 2:03:23, sailing past Patrick Makaus two-yearold mark by 15 seconds.

BEDLAM ON BOYLSTON Fast action by bystanders and rst responders saved numerous lives in Boston.

the most ever in one race. They were led by a marathon newbie: Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, who nished in 2:04:45and then won Boston in April. On October 13, Kenyan Dennis Kimetto shattered the Chicago Marathon course record by 53 seconds with his 2:03:45 nish, and womens winner Kenyan Rita Jeptoo, who also won Boston, was the rst woman to go sub-2:20 in a year and a half (2:19:57).

NEED FOR SPEED Kipsang wasnt alone in rewriting the marathon record books. The year got off to a fast start at the Dubai Marathon on January 25, when ve men broke 2:05,

TRAGEDY AT TOUGH MUDDER On April 20, the obstacle racing craze touted as Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet took a deadly turn when Avishek Sengupta, 28, of Ellicott City, Maryland, drowned at a Tough Mudder in West Virginia. He was pulled out of a deep, muddy pool in a Walk the Plank obstacle and was revived after spending several minutes submerged, but died the next day from what was ruled an accidental

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Photographs by AP Images (Boston) ; R E E D YO UNG (Alexander)

GEAR
drowning. It was the rstand, lets hope, lastdeath to stem from a Tough Mudder; the series has had about 750,000 participants since launching in 2010.

YEAR
SINKING HOPES Mudders waited as a diver searched for their fellow participant.

OF THE

Need a holiday gift idea? Here are our top 11 picks for 2013s must-have running gear
BY JEFF DENGATE

Photographs by Alamy (Tough Mudder); Getty Images (CrossFit) ; M I TCH M ANDE L (gear)

TRIFECTA American wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden made history in becoming the rst personable-bodied or notto win three major marathons in the same year. She won her Boston debut in 1:45:24, and six days later, on her 24th birthday, claimed the London Marathon title in a course-record 1:46:02. In October, she won Chicago in a course-record 1:42:35 and, at press time, was targeting the NYC Marathon to complete a historic grand slam. DOPING DOWNERS In July, separate reports revealed that U.S. sprinting star Tyson Gay and former 100-meter world record holder Asafa Powell, along with four other Jamaican track-and-eld athletes, tested positive for banned substances. In August, a World Anti-Doping Agency survey showed that 29 percent of athletes at the 2011 World Championships and 45 percent of athletes at the 2011 Pan-Arab Games

anonymously admitted to doping in the past year. The big busts and WADA report further damaged pro tracks already dubious reputation.

CROSSFIT GOES MAINSTREAM In July, ESPN 2 aired the rst live telecast of the CrossFit Gamesthe competitive offshoot of the popular exercise program based on short and intense workouts. CrossFits benets for runners have been debated, but it has never been more in demand by the general population. There are 10 million global practitioners, and the CrossFit Games, launched in 2007, attracted 138,000 applicants from 118 countries, and awarded $1.4 million in prizes this year.

1. COVER UP Do you drive to the track or trailhead to run? Then you know how hard it can be to keep your car seat clean and dry afterward. Orange Muds Transition & Seat Wrap ($40) is a towel with a zipper on one end, so it slips over your headrest and stays put as you sit down. Want to put on some dry clothes rst? A belt runs the length of the towel so you can wear it around your waist for a quick surfer change. orangemud.com

2. MOTHER GOOSE Down is Mother Natures best insulator, but doesnt necessarily make for good running apparel. (Try jogging in an Everest-worthy snowsuit.) Nikes new Aeroloft vest ($180), however, uses down in rows that roughly align with your rib cage to keep your core warm on chilly days. Vented shoulder panels and laser-cut holes allow the jacket to breathe, so youand the down lldont get soaked. nike.com

3. PINT-SIZED POWERHOUSE Smaller than a traditional foam roller, Trigger Points Grid Mini ($25) is all about convenience. For travel, it takes up no space and holds socks in its center, says Sage Rountree, yoga instructor and USA Triathlon and RRCA-certied coach. Its too small for full back coverage or for use in strengthening exercises, but its perfect for rolling out tight calves, IT bands, and glutes. tptherapy.com
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August, Americas rst medal in the event in 16 years. He didnt stop there: Amid controversy over host Russias anti-gay laws, Symmonds voiced his disagreement and dedicated his medal to his gay friends, earning widespread global admiration for using his platform as an athlete to make a stand.

EX TR A

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

MAKING THE MOST OF HIS TIME

IRAM J. LEON
At any local road race, Iram J. Leon could easily be confused for any one of the tens of thousands of runners in Austin, Texas. What separates the 33-year-old from the rest of the pack is the crescent scar on the left side of his head and his blue seizure alert wristband. Both speak to the diagnosis of brain cancer that doctors say will take his life within the next 10 years. That reality compelled him to adjust his running life. Unlike most runners who consider running as their me time, Leon has made running his we time with his 6-year-old daughter, Kiana, whom he pushes in a stroller while competing in racesand winning a few, including the Gusher Marathon in Beaumont, Texas, this past March. Three years ago, doctors found a tumor near the center of Leons brain on the left frontal lobe. Around the same time, he and his wife separated. Soon after, he lost his job as a probation officer (due to cancer-related memory lapses, he says). His response: Run as much as possible and connect with his daughter while he can. He started pushing her in a stroller for short workous, and soon progressed to distance events. The 3:07 marathon win in March has been their biggest victory. At the awards ceremony, Leon placed his medal around Kianas neck. If everything goes right and I live longer, I did some cool stuff with my kid, thats a win, he says. If everything goes wrong and Im dead soon, we made good memories, thats a win, too. Joe Nick Patoski

BUILT FOR THE LONG HAUL In June, Texas state senator Wendy Davis did for the Mizuno Wave Rider 16s what the Tarahumara did for huaraches when she sported a Rouge Red pair of them during an 11-plus-hour libuster of a hotly debated abortion bill. Daviss marathon drew signicant media attentionwhich worked to Mizunos benet: The Wave Rider 16 shot up to the top-selling womens shoe on Amazon that week. NICK SYMMONDS, AMERICAN BADASS The colorful middle-distance runnerpreviously more

MARATHON SESSION Wendy Daviss Mizunos helped her endure her epic libuster.

famous for stunts like courting Paris Hilton and breaking the U.S. beer mile record than for his success in his primary event, the 800 metersmade all the right kind of noise in 2013. After running a PR in the 2012 Olympic nal but nishing only fth, Symmonds nally broke through on the global stage by winning 800-meter silver at the World Championships in

OH, NO-LO Americas favorite hurdler-turned-bobsledder Lolo Jones made a habit of staying in the headlines in 2013 for everything but running hurdles. (She did race in the 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. outdoor championships but nished fth in the nal and failed to make the national team for Moscow.) Jones drew criticism from her less-fortunate peers in June for posting a video clip on Vine where she showed her $741.84 paycheck from the 2012 bobsledding season during which she won silver at the World Cupand joked that she wouldnt make rent that month. A few weeks later, she allegedly punched a woman at a Lake Placid bar. To pack on weight for bobsledding, she also

STEPPING UP Nick Symmonds won silver in Moscow, then spoke out for gay rights.

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Photographs by AP Images (Davis); Victor Sailer (Symmonds) ;B E N S KL AR (Leon)

WASHED OUT A massive September ood in Colorado that killed nine and displaced thousands also destroyed many popular running trails and forced the cancelation of the Boulder Marathon. Local elite marathoner Jason Hartmann, training for New York, tweeted about the weather: Crazy doing a tempo and having National Guard helicopters ying over you while doing it.

GEAR YEAR
OF THE

Photographs by MITCH MAN DE L (gear) ; Corbis Images (Farah); Victor Sailer (Kastor)

4. ITS A SNAP GoPro video cameras are the go-to choice for adventurers, and the Hero3 Black Edition ($329) is the companys top offering. A variety of housings and mountshead and chest straps work best for runnerslet you affix the camera to just about any surface. Its also an ideal tool for taking snapshots midrace, thanks to its small size. Without the waterproof case, it slips easily into a pocket, says Scott Dunlap, a speedy masters runner who posts a slew of midrace pictures on his Web site, atrailrunnersblog. com. It bounces a little, but no worse than a gel. gopro.com 5. BARELY THERE The North Face Better Than Naked shortsleeve shirt ($50) is one of the thinnest and lightest weve found. That means it dries quickly and breathes well on even the

hottest days and longest runs. Front seams are glued at rather than sewn, to minimize chang. thenorthface.com 6. LOW RIDER Of all the bags and packs available, editors around the RW offices keep reaching for Fitletics Neoprene Single Pouch with Race Number Holder ($24). Usually waist-based carriers ride up on me, says Caitlin Giddings, runnersworld.com producer, but this one stays down. tletic.com 7. SOUND CHOICE Yurbuds turned its popular headphones up a notch. The Venture Pro ($100) gets a new housing to improve sound quality, while magnets on the back let you snap the two buds together behind your neck for quick storagewhen, for instance, you want to chat with your training partner. yurbuds.com

started a 9,000-caloriea-day diet that included four McDonalds double bacon cheeseburgers a day; shes up from 130 pounds during track season to 157. Lolo also found time to take an acting turn: In August it was announced that she would have a cameo role as an airport gate attendant in the 2014 lm Left Behind. Runner of the Year MO FARAH The best runner on the planet (you disagree?) cemented that status by following up his historic 5000-10,000 double gold medal victories at the London Olympics by winning gold in both events again at the 2013 World Championships. Ethiopias Kenenisa Bekele, at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 worlds, is the only other runner to do the same. Masters Runner of the Year DEENA KASTOR The 40-year-olds amazing 2013 proves the old saying

SWEEP VICTORY Mo Farah won gold in both distance track events at the World Championships.

that age is only a number. With little left to prove by anyones standards but perhaps her ownshe owns the American records in the marathon, half-marathon, and numerous other distancesKastor started her year with an inspiring third-place nish (2:32) at the Los Angeles Marathon in March. Then, at the Beach to Beacon 10-K in Maine on August 4a tune-up for the World Championships marathonKastor shattered the U.S. masters record
(continued on page 87)

AGELESS WONDER Deena Kastor showed no signs of slowing down in 2013.

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ROOKIE YEAR
OF THE

MARY
Could 17-year-old Mary Cain, with Alberto Salazars help, be U.S. runnings next big crossover star?
BY JOHN BRANT ACK HOME in Portland,

THERES SOMETHING ABOUT

Oregon, after the 2013 World Track and Field Cha mpionsh ips in Moscow, Alberto Salazar may have wanted to discuss the accomplishments of Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., and other decorated veterans of the Nike Oregon Project. All anyone wanted to talk about, however, were the exploits of a 17-year-old girl from the suburbs of New York City who was just beginning her senior year in high school. But that was only natural, Salazar acknowledged, given Mary Cains prodigal year. Less than a month earlier, Cain, the youngest athlete ever to compete in a 1500-meter world championships nal, had nished 10th in that event in Moscow. In late June, after leading for most of the bell lap, shed nished second by a heartbeat at the same distance in the U.S.A. Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Earlier in the year she had set 10 indoor and seven outdoor U.S. junior and high school records in distances ranging from 800 to 5000 meters, a streak of virtuosity, precocity, and range matched only by the teenaged reign of Mary Decker in the 1970s. Cain had logged her performances at major national and international track meets against professional runners often 10 years her senior: in June, a brilliant, sub-two-minute 800 at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon; in February, a high school and junior national indoor mile record at the Millrose Games in New York City; in May, a thrilling 1500-meter second-place nish at the Oxy High Performance Meet in Los Angeles; again in June, her sterling race at the U.S.A.

Outdoor Track & Field Championships; and in August, her bold, assured journey through the heats of the world championships to her top-10 nish in the nal. The young womans substance, moreover, was matched by her style. She galvanized track fans with her mule-like kick and fearless nishes, and captivated mainstream audiences with an ingenues exuberant charm that was underlaid by a womanly intelligence and poise. Cain had burst on to the world stage under the direction of Salazar, the marathon great turned longtime coach of the Oregon Project. I didnt really do anything for Mary that any other coach couldnt have done, Salazar said. Returned from a round of meetings at the Nike campus, he sat out on the deck of his house in Portlands west hills, savoring the warmth of one of the last full days of summer. Molly, his wife, and his daughter, Maria, a recent graduate of the

University of Georgia and an accomplished equestrian performer, were out of town. With his dogs settled at his feet, Salazar opened a beer, but he kept his phone at hand, always on call for his athletes. Before I got her, she had already run 4:11 for the 1500, he continued. And I thought she could get down to 4:04 or 4:05 with a normal course of good training, including a solid regimen of strength and exibility work. Any good coach couldve gotten that improvement. Despite these disclaimers, Cains meteoric rise surely wouldnt have happened without Salazars guidance. Coach Salazar came along and changed my life, Cain wrote in a blog in August. Indeed, consider some of the ways that the relationship might have gone sour. Salazar could have pushed Cain too hard, to the point that she turned off. She might have gotten sick or injured. Communication could have snarled between Salazar and Cain, or between her coach and her parents. Cains former teammates at Bronxville High School might have resented her success and rendered her teenage life miserable. Cain could have turned bigheaded and moody. Oregon Project athletes could have felt jealous of the attention that their coach devoted to the phenom. Salazar might have slipped up and inadvertently paid for Cains hotel room or given her a T-shirt, threatening her amateur status. But none of these things happened. Instead, one year after Cain and Salazar formed their partnership, Cain appeared to be healthy, happy, and more in
TEENAGE KICKS Salazar tells Cain shes just set a new U.S. high school 800-meter record (left); laughing it up off-track (right).

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Photographs by AP images (previous page); Sports Illustrated/Getty images (this page)

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love with her sport than ever. Rather than upsetting the Oregon Project chemistry, Salazar reported that his athletes enjoyed training with Cain and cheered her triumphs. She had successfully maintained her amateur status and retained the option of competing on the NCAA level. And after a year in which doping scandals, a superstorm, and a terrorist attack had deeply roiled its sport, the American running community celebrated the arrival of a new sweetheart and potential crossover star. During her dizzying year, the adults in Cains life had carefully shielded her from the media. If it was up to me, there would be no media at all about Mary, Salazar said. Thats impossible, so weve decided to limit it. Her parents arent allowing any intimate lifestyle reporting, like following her around in school or talking to her friends. Salazars face darkened. Mary deserves the chance to be a normal kid. Accordingly, Cains parents declined to be interviewed for this article, and would not allow Mary to be interviewed. However, for the rst time, Salazar agreed to speak at length about his experience coaching the Cains daughteran experience that, from the start, seemed to roll with a momentum of its own, following an almost magical, preordained trajectory.
Runners World: One year ago you saw

a video of Mary running the 1500 at the 2012 World Junior Championships earlier that summer. Against women three and four years older, then-16-yearold Cain finished sixth and smashed Jordan Hasays U.S. record for the distance by four seconds. What made you decide to take such a personal interest? Alberto Salazar: I was struck by two things: by how powerful she was and by how much room she had to improve. Her

form needed work, especially through the upper body and shoulders. Mary was a former competitive swimmer, a breaststroker, and the muscles of her chest and shoulders were disproportionately developed. She was lacking in core strength and hip exibility. But all that could be easily xed. Mary had an amazing engine, and her overall stride was sound. Most important, she ran with passion and incredible competitive drivestuff you cant coach, that has to be inherent in an athlete. This was the kind of talent that only comes around once a generation, if that. RW: So you contacted the Cain family in Bronxville [an affluent suburb in Westchester County, north of New York City]? AS: Yeah, I introduced myself and offered some suggestions based on watching the video. Her mom had run cross-country in school, but otherwise her parents had no background in distance running, and they sort of felt caught in a quandary. They realized that Mary had outgrown high school competitionstarting her junior year, she had already won ve New York state titles in track and cross-countrybut they had no idea what to do about the situation. The family had even talked about Mary taking a year off from running. I was just calling to offer some specic, biomechanical suggestions, but afterward the Cains asked me if I could provide workouts on an interim basis until they found her a coach. I agreed and eventually they asked if I could continue to work with Mary for the year. We discussed an arrangement in which she would continue as a student at Bronxville High but no longer compete on the school teams. Instead, Mary would compete in national junior and high school meets and in professional-grade open races. Shed keep her amateur status. We talked about it over a series of (continued on page 116)

MARY CAIN, MEET MARY SLANEY

For all of Mary Cains amazing achievements during 2013, they pale in comparison to the early triumphs of Mary Slaney (ne Decker), the most accomplished American middle-distance woman of any era. In 1973, at age 14, Slaney was one of the countrys best half-milers; by the following year, at age 15 (above), she had set the rst of her eventual 17 official and unofficial world records, logging a 2:01.08 indoor 880. During an era when track was still a mainstream sport in this nation, Little Mary Decker became a household name. When youre that young, you dont feel the pressure, says Slaney, now 55. Every race is just so much fun. But then people start expecting you to run faster every time you step on the track. Then you start feeling the pressure. Perhaps no teenage athlete ever endured more pressure, or adversity, than Slaney. Along with chronic foot injuries, she was battered by criticism and controversy. The 1980 U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games denied her an Olympic showcase at the prime of her career, and at the 84 Games she infamously tangled legs with Zola Budd. Today, however, Slaney betrays no bitterness, nor does she think that theres something inherently hazardous about a teenage girl running at a world-class level. You get super-high at that age when things go well, Slaney says. Throw that in with the hormonal stuff, and you can have a combustible combination. But I had zero in terms of family support, good coaching, and knowledge of training and nutritionI just ran, Slaney continues. Mary Cain has the material and emotional support structure, a solid family, the benet of a vast body of knowledge, and a good coach. I think shes at the start of a long, healthy, wonderful career. J.B.

GIRL POWER Cain winning the 2012 Penn Relays High School Girls Mile in 4:39.28; Slaney, age 15, in 1974 (top right).

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Photographs by AP Images (top); Corbis

EX TR A

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

DEFYING HIS AGE

ORVILLE ROGERS
Orville Rogers isnt driven by competitive spirit. Good thing, because in his age bracket he doesnt have much competition: Rogers turned 96 this year. In March, at the age of 95, he set five world age-group records in distances ranging from 100 to 3000 meters at the USA Track & Field National Masters Indoor Championships. I guess you could say I still get around pretty good, says the World War II veteran and retired pilot who lives in Dallas. Rogers, whose running career began at age 50, ran several marathons but crossed his last 26.2 nish line when he was 75 (in 3:39) and decided to shift to shorter events. My favorite distances are the 400 meters outdoors and the 200 meters indoors, he says. Both are one lap, so my plan is simple: start fast, turn left, and hurry home. When 16 members of his family flew to Washington, D.C., for the masters championships in March, they were surprised to discover their patriarchs celebrity. It was spectacularpeople wanted his autograph, says granddaughter Jennifer McGuirk. Hes an inspirationnot only is he still running in his 90s, but hes running well in his 90s. In addition to actually running, Rogers likes to stay on top of studies touting the sports benets. I have friends who wonder if Im in my right mind by running so much, he says. Every now and then I get a chance to remind them that running has been proven to give you a longer life and a better life. And Im sticking with that. D.W.

Photographs by Marleen Van den Neste (Rogers) ; DANIE L SH EA (The Color Run)

(continued from page 83)

at the distance by more than 20 seconds, running a 32:28. Kastor nished the World Championships marathon in 2:36, good for ninth placewhich registered as a disappointment for her, even though she was the top American by a wide margin. Best Trend THE COLOR RUN In a crowded eld of alternative fun-run series, The Color Run (pictured above) has emerged as a singular phenomenon. In February, it was announced that 600,000 colorsplattered people did a Color Run in 2012, making it the largest 5-K series in the U.S., and organizers of The Happiest 5-K on the Planet projected that its 100-plus worldwide events scheduled for 2013 would draw over a million participants. Many in the running community

have chafed at the notion that completing one of these events equates to nishing a traditional 5-K, but as a mechanism for bringing a new breed of newbie into the fold, The Color Runs impact is undeniable: Last year, 60 percent of participants were rst-time 5-K runners. Worst Trend LAST-MINUTE RACE CANCELATIONS Caveat emptor would have been a good mantra for runners looking to race this year. A number of events were canceled with little notice, leaving runners demandingand not always gettingexplanations and refunds. Among the last-minute cancelations: Californias Temecula Valley Half-Marathon, the nal four races of the defunct Great American Mud Run series, and the Liberty Run Marathon in Jersey City,

FUN FIRST The Color Run has drawn in newbies by emphasizing partying over PRs.

New Jersey. The latter was canceled 11 days prior to its scheduled date of May 25. Race director Dave English and Jersey City officials gave conicting explanations for the decision. Runners complained on the events Facebook page, which has since been removed. The races site says refunds are being issuedbut it also once claimed a marathon would take place. Scandal of the Year OSCAR PISTORIUS In a cruelly ironic twist, it was on Valentines Day that the former RW Hero of Running became a villain by

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California history and a former runner living with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease). His sharp wit and close relationship with his athleteshe continues to coach from his wheelchairmake this lm a must-see. Book of the Year THE SPORTS GENE The breakthrough book by former Sports Illustrated senior writer and current ProPublica reporter David Epstein turns some of runnings oldest conventions inside-outincluding the classic nature versus nurture debate on sprinting and distance-running success. Other topics tackled by Epstein, who ran track at Columbia University, include: what makes ultrarunners tick, what legendary miler Jim Ryun can teach us about trainability, and why 6'4" Michael Phelps has a shorter leg inseam than 5'9" middle-distance great Hicham El Guerrouj. If you ever wanted to know how you could work harder than your training partner and still run slower races, Epsteins book addresses that, too. Tip of the Year RHYTHMIC BREATHING The best advice weve heard all year came from within our own ranks, in the 2013 book Running on Air, cowritten by Budd Coates, our parent companys senior director of health and tness. He has developed a breathing technique that calls for a 3:2 pattern: Inhale for three strides, exhale for two. The method is built upon studies that have shown that breath-training can improve endurance and that exhaling on alternating left-right foot strikes can lower injury risk. If youve struggled with injuries (who hasnt?) or are stuck in a rut and looking to shake things up, consider the Coates technique.

EX TR A

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

CHASING A NEW LIFE

PORTIA BANKS
For Portia Banks, 2013 has been all about moving forward. Not only did the 42-yearold business analyst from Irving, Texas, join a running group, but she also went on to earn an age-group award in her rst 5-K, lose 40 pounds, and complete her first half-marathon in July. But the ground shes gained psychologically is perhaps even more impressive: In January, she had the strength to pack up her three kids and leave her husband of 14 years. And in June, when he pulled a gun on her, she had the strength to keep on running. (She now has a protection-fromabuse order against him.) Banks had been an active kid but struggled to stay t as she got older. Her husband didnt help, she says. Any signs of personal growth or achievement on Bankss part were met with anger and belittling. He was very harrassing; eventually I had to leave, she says. I didnt want my kids to live in a dysfunctional home or to one day perpetuate it. Moving out motivated Banks: She stepped up her running and joined Black Girls RUN!, an organization for female African-American runners. Through that group, she built the endurance and confidence to fuel her 5-K debut in April and then her half-marathon in July. Shes not done: In December she plans to run a marathon. I get emotional when I think about how my ex was trying to deter me from doing things I love, she says. I feel empowered when I run, and that spills into my life. Running means Im free. D.W.

shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Whether or not you believe his defense that he mistook Steenkamp for a burglar when he red four shots through a locked bathroom door, killing her, the incident changed his public persona forever, welcoming criticism of the Blade Runners reckless lifestyle and well-documented temper. Just six months after becoming the rst double-leg amputee to compete in the Olympics and making it to the seminals in the 400 meters, Pistorius stood in a courtroom in Pretoria, South Africa, to hear a prosecution accuse him of premeditated murder. He was formally charged on August 19 and his trial begins on March 3; he could face a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. Movies of the Year RUNNER A great watch for fans of American track lore: Director

BORN TO RUN FAST? David Epsteins book challenges common notions on how genes inuence athleticism.

Shola Lynchs entry in ESPNs Nine for IX documentary series is the denitive account of Mary Decker Slaneys infamous tumble behind Zola Budd in the 3000meter nal of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Slaney, Budd, and others recount the buildup to and fallout from the day Slaneysobbing on the tracksaw her dreams of a medal vanish in an instant.

RUNNING FOR JIM This documentary tells the story of Jim Tracy, a former RW Hero of Running (January 2012), the winningest high-school cross-country coach in

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Photographs by M I TC H M ANDE L (book)

GEAR YEAR
OF THE

Unusual Suspects INSPIRING, MIND-BOGGLING AND JUST PLAIN WEIRD RUNNER FEATS FROM 2013 Mark Covert, 62, concluded a 45-year daily running streakthe longest on record in the U.S.after a run on July 23. Hed run at least one mile every day since July 23, 1968. On September 12, Brit Tony Phoenix-Morrison, 49, completed his 40th marathon in 41 daysall done with a 93-pound refrigerator strapped to his back. In the process, the man known as The Fridge raised more than $70,000 for cancer research. Possibly related: Days after nishing, Phoenix-Morrison was hospitalized with spinal injuries. Alison Bradley, 26, of New Zealand, set the unofficial speed record for a trans-American crossing when she nished the 2,800-mile journey from New York to Los Angeles on July 14, her 68th day of running. Ten men running the Calgary Marathon set a Guinness record for fastest linked marathon; tied together by leashes around their waists, the group nished in 2:55:23. They broke the old recordyes, there was an

COOL CUSTOMER Tony PhoenixMorrison put his back into raising money for charity on his fridge runs.

old record, set by ve menby nearly two minutes. The effort raised nearly $100,000 for mitochondrial-disease research. A routine half-marathon training run on June 2 left 33-year-old Trish Staine of Duluth, Minnesota, with excruciating back painthat turned out to be an unknown pregnancy. The next day Staine gave birth to a healthy baby girl she never knew she was carrying, naming her Mirashort for miracle. On June 30, Jonathan Rice, 42, ran a 6:36 mile through the hottest stretch of Death Valley on a 129-degree day dressed as Darth Vader (below). Rice has submitted the feat to Guinness for consideration as the hottest run on record.

Photographs by AP Images (Phoenix-Morrison); Jonathon Rice (Darth Vader); M ITC H M ANDE L (gear)

8. FINE FIGURE Cut to t a womans dimensions, the Nathan Vapor Shape Hydration Race Vest ($175) sits closer to the body to eliminate bouncing. Straps at the corners of the water bladder cinch down the load even tighter. nathansports.com 9. TAKE FLYTE Seamless and fashionable is how testers described the new Flyte Long Sleeve ($66) from Oiselle. The bird graphic is subtle and the sleeves are snug but not restrictive, thanks to a longer cut and raglanstyle shoulders. oiselle.com

10. IN LIVING COLOR The Chroma Pop effect found on Smiths Dover sunglasses ($209) is like applying the Hefe lter to an Instagram photo suddenly, colors appear a little more saturated. The nosepieces arent adjustable, but theres plenty of ventilation around the lenses to prevent fogging. smithoptics.com 11. NIGHT LIGHT Ideal for three seasons, the Asics Lite-Show Favorite 1/2 Zip ($55) is silky soft. Its seams are reective, so youll be visible from all angles without the usual patches of silver tape. asicsamerica.com J.D.
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11

EX TR A

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BREATHING EASIER

BRIAN SIMPSON
In May, Brian Simpson, 44, defied doctors expectations when he broke ve hours in the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon, his third 26.2-miler. He crossed the line in 4:59:25an achievement so meaningful to him, the time is now tattooed on his right leg. That was monumental, he says. It was the rst time I thought of myself as a runner. Simpson, a respiratory therapist from St. Marys, Pennsylvania, suffers from stage-4 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease that causes air to get trapped inside the lungs. The condition almost took his life in 2001. Back then, Simpson weighed 355 pounds and was unable to breathe on his own. Considered end stage, he became homebound with hospice nurse care. He heard about an asthma patient who took up playing the oboe to build lung strength. Initially, with only nine percent lung function, Simpson could only play for a minute or two, but he built up to multiple hours a day. That oboe got me functional, he says. Functional means his lung capacity hovers between about 20 and 29 percent, which is still compromised, but not terminal. He started walking, then running (with a portable oxygen unit) and lost 130 pounds. He nished his rst marathon in 2011 (5:51) and his second in 2012 (5:56). I feel like Im living now, says Simpson, who will run a 50-K in October and a marathon in November. For me, just to be able to do what others do is amazing. D.W.
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2013 was rough for newscasters reporting on runningbut great for fans of watching cringe-worthy gaffes on endless loop. First, there was WDSU-TV anchor LaTonya Norton, who in February, following Mo Farahs victory at the New Orleans Half, asked the track star, Now, havent you run before? Then, in April, A. J. Clemente was red following his debut newscast with a North Dakota station after he accidentally uttered a pair of expletives on live TV. The cause of his meltdown: trying to pronounce the name of London Marathon winner Tsegaye Kebede. In late March, a YouTube video of a 60-meter European Veterans Athletics Championships race between nonagenarian sprinters Emiel Pauwels, of Belgium, and Ilmari Koppinen, of Finland, became a viral smash. The race (below) played out in classic tortoise-and-hare fashion: Koppinen, 95, seized a large lead early, but 94-year-old Pauwels (at left) used a slow, steady pace to pass his fading elder at the very end.

Photographs by RANDY H AR R IS (Simpson) ; M ATTH E W REAMER (Spector)

Viral Stars THE RUNNER VIDEOS THAT RULED THE INTERNET In July, an Albuquerque TV station reported on an unknown female runner who had been caught on a security camera appearing to defecate, on multiple occasions, in an area mans yard. In the news clip, the man accused the woman of malicious fecal distribution which, when the clip was posted to YouTube in July, naturally made the pooping runner an Internet sensation.

EX TR A

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

UP FOR A CHALLENGE

ERIC SPECTOR

Running is what Eric Spector doeshes raced in more than a hundred events from 5-Ks to marathons since taking up the sport in 1978. Taking time off is not. So what did the then-64-year-old from Kensington, California, do in 2012 when a fractured bula forced him to take five months of downtime? He plotted the ultimate comeback. Spectors Comeback 65 was a bucket list of 10 grueling endurance events hed complete while he was 65. In June 2012, Spector, who runs a software company, launched his crusade with the Dipsea Race, which boasts 7.4 miles of brutal trail climbs and descents. From there, he completed two more trail runs (the Double Dipsea and the Woodside Ramble 50-K); one swim competition (the 1.25-mile Alcatraz Invitational Swim); one 129-mile mountain-bike race (The California Death Ride); a half and a full Ironman triathlon; the San Francisco HalfMarathon; a local 10-K (his recovery event); and one marathon (the Avenue of the Giants Marathon) on his 66th birthday in May. Finishing all 10 was my goal, but not my expectation; a lot of these events were totally a reach for me, says Spector, who is now focusing on qualifying for the 2015 Boston Marathon. I told myself that if I recover fully and get back out, I would use the next year to do something challenging for myself and maybe inspire others to realize that being tter is a choice everyone can make, no matter how old they are.D.W.

Quote of the Year

EX TR A

) ORDINARY PEOPLE

finish the race.

President Barack Obama at a Boston bombing memorial service, April 18

We

SMALL WONDER

WINTER VINECKI
With its stamps from Kenya, Peru, Mongolia, and Antarctica, Winter Vineckis passport implies it belongs to a seasoned travelernot a high-schooler. But 14-year-old Vinecki, of Salem, Oregon, is not your average teenager. Shes on a mission to become the youngest person to run 26.2 miles on each of the seven continentsa feat she needs to achieve before her 15th birthday in December. Vinecki, who started her quest in April 2012 with her rst marathon in Eugene, Oregon (which she nished in 3:45), will close out 2013 with races in New Zealand and Greece. What motivates me is knowing that my running helps save lives and helps me keep my dads spirit alive, she says. After her father, Michael, died from prostate cancer in 2009, Vinecki read about the seven continents marathon record. I told my mom that I wanted to earn it for dad and for all the other families affected by prostate cancer, she says. With that declaration, Vinecki and her mom, Dawn Estelle (a triathlete and doctor whos been running the marathons with her daughter), created Team Winter, a nonprot foundation that has raised more than $400,000 for prostate cancer research. Vinecki, who is also an aerial skier with the goal of competing in the 2018 Olympic Games, speaks at more than two dozen event expos, hospitals, and schools each year. I didnt set out to inspire others to shoot for the impossible, but as I talk to people especially kidsIve realized that this is a big part of what I want to say, she says. Anybody can make a difference. D.W.
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Photo of the Year

Boston Globe photographer John Tlumackis snapshot of a fallen and dazed Bill Iffrig, surrounded by Boston police (below), came to symbolize the chaos and confusion that seized the city in the aftermath of the nish line bombings. The image made the cover of Sports Illustrated that week, and Iffrigs storythe 78-year-old got up and nished his marathon in 4:03:47became a symbol itself. His was the resolve the nation needed at that fragile time, and President Obama even mentioned him by name in his address at a memorial service later that week. (Read more about Iffrig at runnersworld. com/runners-stories/ back-on-his-feet.)

Photographs by Nick Horsfall (Vinecki) ; AP Images (Boston)

PRERUN

GLUTEN-FREE

VEGETARIAN

VEGAN

FAST

LOW-CALORIE

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No matter your training program,

RUNNING NEVER

food is a vital part of any runners routine. But why rely on tasteless protein bars and bland carbs when you can eat flavorful, healthy fare? The Runners World Cookbook compiles the best recipes from our pages, each bursting with flavor and packed with nutrients, and all designed to deliver the maximum energy, power, and sustenance to help you go the distance, meal after delicious meal. On sale now wherever books and e-books are sold.

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ENTHUSIASM, BEHIND THE INSPIRATION,

BEHIND THE

BEHIND THE

THE WILL

THERE MUST BE

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TODAY MAY BE YOUR DAY TO

I WAS ON A RADIO SHOW discussing exercise

with a woman who did not exercise. The spirit is willing, she told me, but the esh is weak. I had, of course, heard the excuse many times before. But for the first time, it occurred to me that the opposite was also true. The esh is willing; it is the spirit that is most often weak. Our bodies are capable of the most astounding feats. But the horizons of our spirits do not reach beyond the TV, the stereo, and the car in the garage.
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The esh is not only willing; it is eager for action. The esh is lled with everything our spirit lacks: strength and energy, endurance and stamina. We come from a breed that crossed continents on foot and trekked from pole to pole. Even now, we see busy mothers running marathons, stockbrokers in Outward Bound, retired executives climbing Everest. We are of a esh that asks for more and more challenges, that seeks one frontier after another. What is missing is not physical energy. The fuel is there, waiting

to be ignited. We need some spark to light the res, something to get us into action. From the moment we wake up in the morning, we cop the plea that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We lie abed as the alarm clock, the radio, and the family take turns trying to get us up. Still we remain immobile until the last possible minute. Yet how many calories does it take to overcome inertia and get out of bed? Whose bodies are so exhausted that they cant get their feet on the floor? I can plead that Im in a semi-coma, not yet

Previous page: Photograph by Steve Boyle; This page: Photograph by Jordan Siemons

ready for coordinated action, but similar scenarios recur throughout the day. The body is ready, willing, and able, but the spirit is becalmed. Where there is no emotion, there is no motion either. What is missing is the spiritual energy called enthusiasm. It is from lack of enthusiasm that the failures of the spirit multiply during the day. When we are enthusiastic, we develop a determination to equal the endurance of our muscles, a fortitude to match the courage of our hearts, and a passion to join with the animal strengths of our bodies. To succeed at anything, you need passion. You have to be a bit of a fanatic. If you would move anyone to action, you must rst be moved yourself. To instigate, said Emerson, you must rst be instigated. I am aware of this every time I lecture. For an hour before the talk, I can be seen walking alone, muttering to myself, gradually building myself to a fever pitch so I will nd it completely natural to end a talk standing on a table with nothing on but my Levisand with the pants legs rolled to my knees. But the spirit has more to offer than just this excitement. It gives us the motivation when the excitement is missing. The spirit is what gets us through when everything else fails. As Oxford professor Ralph Johnson points out in his paper Factors in Human Endurance, a persons ability to survive often depends on the qualities of his personality. The mind-body relationship is particularly striking in the historical accounts of explorers and mountain climbers, people in extreme situations who were stretched to their limits and beyond. The explorer Captain Scott, writing of one of his men, commented, Browers came through the best. Never was there such a sturdy, active, undefeated man. Of Scott himself, one of his companions would write, Scott was the strongest combination of strong man in a strong body that I have ever knownand this because he was weak. He conquered his weaker self and became the strong leader we went to follow and came to love. Behind the enthusiasm, behind the inspiration, behind the passion, there must be the will. We can choose. We can

decide. We can will to do it our own way, when we want to. When we do, nothing can prevail against us. Otherwise, we are merely wishing, idle dreamers in the world of the accid spirit. We must want something and want it badlywant it with the zeal and passion and enthusiasm of a Don Quixote or a missionary. Then, we will suddenly nd ourselves in motion, with a clear focus on our goal. Once moved, the spirit and the esh are like a matched team of horses, each asking more of the other. Fused by the will for that brief and wonderful moment, the esh and the spirit become one. I amjust as you area unique, neverto-be-repeated event in this universe. Therefore, I havejust as you have a unique, never-to-be-repeated role to play in this world. Mine is a personal drama for which I am at once author, actor, director, and producer. Unfortunately, this perception comes late in life. It was something I knew as a childnot clearly, of course, but nevertheless with certainty. My life as a child was my own. It was lled with the play and invention, the energy and intensity, the humor and intelligence that becoming the person you are demands. But all too soon, we become members of the herd. We learn herd rules, herd regulations, herd morality, herd ethics. We become part of society. Society must be preserved, so we accept the obligations it imposes. Others have raised questions about this necessity. Are we sent here, asked Thoreau, to do chores and hold horses? The answer, says society, is yes. Work has to be done. And if work is not available, then make-work has to be devised. We must be kept busy. The idle mind begins to think, the idle body begins to play, and that is dangerous for the herd. In such moments, those childlike moments, we may see ourselves as we are and recognize the life we should live. Some happy few have these revelations early. But most of us submit to the herd, with little resistance. We behave docilely until we have fullled our obligation to procreate, until we have used our productive years in support of the institutions that keep society on an even keel.

But then what? The 40s (and 50s and 60s) have arrived. The herd no longer needs us, nature no longer protects us, the race no longer cares. We are on our own. We have served our purpose. What then are the prospects? Wonderful! Perhaps even better than wonderful. We can now return to the play and invention, the energy and intensity, the humor and intelligence we knew as children. The pressures that made us supportive of the herd are dying out. Each of us is feeling the urges that make us different rather than the same. Each of us is sensing the infinite varieties of body and mind, of values and temperament that make us unique. And with that comes the knowledge that the chores are over. There are no more horses to be held. We know now about the herd. We need no longer be bound by those rules, need no longer act out those roles. Somehow, we will nd the strength and the courage and the insight to make our own rules, to act out our own drama. That is the paradox. In what others consider the twilight years, we will be more than we ever were before. At a time when we are supposed to take to the easy chair and be content with serenity and a large book, we are transformed with energy. We have a vigor and a toughness youth cannot match, and for the rst time since our childhood, we know how to play. Why must this all wait until we are age 40, or older? It need not, I suppose. It just happened that way in my case, but I am a slow learner and a creature of habit. For you, it might be different. Lightning may strike when you are 21 or not until you are 70. Today may be your day to leave the herd.
DR. GEORGE SHEEHAN,

1980

Get more of Dr. George Sheehans motivational writing, as well as timeless practical advice, in the new book The Essential Sheehan: A Lifetime of Running Wisdom from the Legendary Dr. George Sheehan (Rodale), available at runnersworld. com/essentialsheehan and in stores October 29.

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WINTER SHOE GUIDE 2013

RW Shoe Finder

Start!

nding the right pair of shoes is a highly subjective exercise, but weve simplied the task by reviewing 18 top new models. To nd the best pair for you, answer the questions in this owchart. Your choices will lead to a set of options tailored to meet your needs and preferences. For even more reviews, see runners world.com/shoender.

Are you looking for a TRADITIONAL running shoe?

YES

NOT NECESSARILY

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

BMI is calculated from your weight and height, and offers a fairly reliable indication of body fat. Generally, the higher your BMI, the more shoe you need.
UNDERWEIGHT

20

OPTIMAL

25

OVERWEIGHT

Find your BMI at runnersworld.com/bmi.

LESS THAN 18

YES

Is your BMI 27 or greater?

(see chart above)
NO

What is your weekly mileage?

18-32

MORE THAN 32

NORMAL

NORMAL Normal-arched runners commonly have normal pronationthe natural rolling of the foot after impact that dissipates shock. These runners can wear just about any shoe. HIGH High-arched runners often underpronate (or supinate); the feet do not roll enough, so the legs absorb extra shock. Runners should seek added cushioning but not extra support.
YES

Are you INJURY PRONE?

NO

FLAT Flat-footed runners often overpronate; their feet roll inward more than the ideal amount, increasing the risk of injury. Added cushioning and support can help. Find your arch type at runnersworld.com/wettest.
3 OPTIONS

3 OPTIONS

4 OPTIONS

ORS EDITOICE CH

Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3 (p. 102)

MORE SHOE

Brooks Addiction 11 (p. 102)

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14 (p. 102)

New Balance 860v4 (p. 103)

Nike Zoom Structure+ 17 (p. 103)

Asics GT-2000 2 (p. 103)

Infographic by TH O MAS PO ROSTO C KY

FLAT

What is your ARCH TYPE?

HIGH

ARCH TYPE

LESS SHOE

NO

1 OPTION

NO

Would you like a more MINIMAL feel?

YES

Would you like at least some CUSHIONING?

YES

Puma Faas 100 R (p. 107)

MINIMAL SHOES
Minimal shoes have thinner-than-average midsoles, are extremely light and exible, and have a barefoot-like feel. Recommended for lightweight, efficient runners or for enthusiasts interested in working on form and foot-strengthening drills.

6 OPTIONS

New Balance RC 1400v2 (p. 107)

6 OPTIONS

INJURY PRONE
NO

Have you been injured in the past 12 months, or battled injuries throughout your running career? If so, answer yes, which will lead you to shoes with more cushioning and/or support.
YES

Altra The 3-Sum (p. 107)

Are you INJURY PRONE?

Is your BMI 23 or less?

(see chart above left)
NO

Nike Free Hyperfeel Run (p. 106)

YES
7 OPTIONS

BEST T U DEB

Photographs by TH O MAS MACD ON A LD

FLAT

What is your ARCH TYPE?

NORMAL

HIGH

Nike Free Flyknit+ (p. 106)

YES

Are you INJURY PRONE?

7 OPTIONS

NO

Karhu Fluid 3 Fulcrum (p. 106)

7 OPTIONS 1 OPTION

1 OPTION

8 OPTIONS

BEST BUY

BESTTE A UPD

Saucony Guide 7 (p. 104)

Puma Faas 600 S (p. 104)

Asics GT-1000 2 (p. 104)

Asics Gel-Super J 33 (p. 105)

New Balance 890v4 (p. 105)

Ecco Biom Evo Racer Lite (p. 105)

WINTER SHOE GUIDE 2013

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14 $120

longtime gts wearers said the 14 stays true to its heritage. It boasts all the

Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3 $210

The Prophecy sees its rst update underfoot. Our testers generally liked the more exible forefoot and cushioned rideespecially when striking heel rstbut some found the dual plates to be rm in the forefoot. To make the shoe more exible and ride smoother, Mizuno segmented the bottom plate and rubber where the two plates meet.
BOTTOM LINE Ideal for runners who land with a heavy heel-strike.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

trappings of a traditional stability model, but rides as smooth as ever. It has the same stability, exibility, and cushioning Ive come to expect for both everyday training and long runs, says Chris Garges, a speedy tester from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who trained in the GTS 14 leading up to his 1:16 at Septembers Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon. The cushioning hits the sweet spot: Its soft enough for high-mileage training but rm enough to remain stable. New to the 14: Printed overlays are used sparingly to adorn the upper. HEEL CUSHIONING Unlike many shoes on the market FIRM SOFT today, which have gone totally FOREFOOT CUSHIONING stitch-free, many of the GTSs overFIRM SOFT lays are still stitched onto the mesh FLEXIBILITY LESS MORE to provide additional support.
BOTTOM LINE Soft and stable ride for runners with at feet. WEIGHT: 11.2 oz (M); 9.4 oz (W) HEIGHT: 35.5 mm (heel); 24.4 mm (forefoot)

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 12.5 oz (M); 9.5 oz (W) HEIGHT: 38.7 mm (heel); 24.6 mm (forefoot)

The laces pass through small channels for a secure hold.

Brooks Addiction 11 $120

Theres no mistaking the Addictions purpose: Its a big shoe that offers gobs of motion-control features and a surprisingly soft ride. It had just the right amount of cushioning and a wide toebox, says Jill Miller, a wear-tester in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who tried Brooks shoes for the rst time. Though its the heaviest shoe in this guide, weartesters noted that its a fair trade for the amount of protection the shoe offers. and orthotics.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

HOW IT FITS

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14

A key to the GTSs success? Our testers unanimously gave its t high praise. A 3-D scan from Shoetr, a company that measures shoes to determine how theyll t, conrms this assessment. To see scans of all shoes in this guide, visit runnersworld.com/shoender.

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 13.4 oz (M); 10.8 oz (W) HEIGHT: 39.0 mm (heel); 23.8 mm (forefoot)

SNUG

LOOSE

102

Photographs by MITCH MAN DE L

BOTTOM LINE Best suited for at feet

New Balance 860v4 $115

The 860 is like a Brooks Adrenaline for New Balancewearers. The shoe has a great balance of cushioning and support, the latter coming by the combination of a soft crash pad on the outer edge of the shoe and a rmer post of foam under the arch. These features help slow the inward roll of the foot upon landing. This update gets a new arrangement of rubber on the outsole, though its placement may have impacted forefoot exibility. The 860 registered the stiffest shoe in this guide in tests at the RW Shoe Lab.
BOTTOM LINE Surprising cushioning and stability in a 10.6-ounce package.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

Nike Zoom Structure+ 17 $110

The Structure is another well-rounded combination of comfort and support, similar to the Adrenaline GTS 14 and 860v4, but its getting it done in an even lighter, lower-to-the-ground package. RW Shoe Lab tests show the forefoot exibility is stiffer than in the previous version, but wear-testers didnt note it as an issue. A slanted wedge of foam is under the heel and arch for pronation controlthe more support you require as your foot rolls inward, the more the wedge provides.
BOTTOM LINE Suitable for high-mileage and beginning runners alike.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

Asics GT-2000 2 $120

Some runners felt the rst version of the GT-2000 ran too narrow in the forefoot. This update puts a little more wiggle room up front. Feedback from our wear-testers and 3-D scans from Shoetr (below) conrm the t is looser; the shoe also runs just a touch long. The blue hues toward the tip of the shoe indicate the roomy toebox. This change resonated with runners. Its denitely an improvement over the previous model, says Rique Campa, of East Lansing, Michigan. I liked the combination of the tight heel and wide forefoot. One knock the testers had: The shoe is a bit heavy, though they said that was to be expected for so much protection and stability underfoot.
BOTTOM LINE A cushy, stable shoe that works for novice runners.
HEEL CUSHIONING
MORE FIRM SOFT

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT FIRM

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE LESS

FLEXIBILITY

WEIGHT: 10.6 oz (M); 8.7 oz (W) HEIGHT: 35.9 mm (heel); 24.6 mm (forefoot)

WEIGHT: 10.3 oz (M); 8.5 oz (W) HEIGHT: 33.1 mm (heel); 24.1 mm (forefoot)

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

DECIPHERING THE DATA

AT THE RW SHOE LAB, an independent testing facility in Portland, Oregon, we mechanically test each shoe we review. The results show how each stacks up against the average for cushioning (soft or rm) and exibility (how much effort it takes to bend the shoe at toe-off), on a scale of 0 to 100. For example, the Structure+ 17, above, is more cushioned than average (its gray bars skew to the soft end). But its a bit stiffer, skewing toward the less exible end.

WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (M); 9.2 oz (W) HEIGHT: 33.7 mm (heel); 24.6 mm (forefoot)

SNUG

LOOSE

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Asics GT-1000 2 $100

Saucony Guide 7 $120
The updated Guide 7 gets a new outsole conguration thats reminiscent of the fth iteration of this shoe; the triangleshaped rubber lugs found underneath the previous version are gone. Instead, bigger patches of rubber give more surface area for traction and better durability, something our wear-testers appreciate in a daily trainer. The shoe still boasts a cushy forefootits one of the softest in this guide.
BOTTOM LINE Soft yet stable, this shoe will go the distance.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

a few things in life are certain: death, taxes, and changes to your favorite
running shoes. But Asics left the GT-1000 largely untouched with this update even the price held steady. The shoes upper received a more breathable, open mesh that helps keep your feet cooler in warm weather. Meanwhile, underfoot, bits of Gel have been exposed, giving the appearance of a softer heel. Mechanical testing in the RW Shoe Lab, however, shows the overall cushioning to be comparable to the debut model. That said, wear-testers are in agreement that this update delivers a comfortable ride with plenty of cushioning. HEEL CUSHIONING Given that the shoe costs only 100 FIRM SOFT bucks, youll sacrice some of that FOREFOOT CUSHIONING luxurious, plush padding that surFIRM SOFT rounds the foot on more expensive FLEXIBILITY LESS MORE Asics running shoes.
BOTTOM LINE A bargain for such a durable, versatile trainer. WEIGHT: 11.3 oz (M); 9.4 oz (W) HEIGHT: 32.0 mm (heel); 23.2 mm (forefoot)

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 10.1 oz (M); 8.2 oz (W) HEIGHT: 34.3 mm (heel); 24.2 mm (forefoot)

Puma Faas 600 S $100

The S means stability, but weartesters say the 600 S excels in the cushioning department. I felt a lot of rebound without the shoe being too soft, says Harry Chandler, from East Lansing. As for stability: Puma has incorporated a few nontraditional devices, like a ared wall on the inner edge of the midsole and a rubber patch embedded slightly deeper into foam under the arch, to help stabilize the foot.
BOTTOM LINE A soft option for faster-paced workouts.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

A firmer foam post under the arch adds stability.

TESTERS TAKE
Age 36 years old Height 5' 9" Weight 150 lbs. Arch Medium Miles 45 per week Years Running 22 Home Bethlehem, PA Occupation Accountant

Bob Thear on the Asics GT-1000 2

This shoe felt as good as the Gel-Kayano 19. The cushioning was great. Some stability shoes have too much cushioning, making them feel bulky. Theres plenty of room in the toebox, midfoot, and heel, but the t never felt loose.

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 9.0 oz (M); 7.6 oz (W) HEIGHT: 30.0 mm (heel); 20.9 mm (forefoot)

104

Illustration by MICH AEL H OE WEL ER

New Balance 890v4 $110

Asics Gel-Super J 33 $100
Since 2009, weve tested only one Asics training shoe lighter than the Super J the original Gel-Lyte 33 (7.7 ounces). That model was suited for neutral runners, whereas the Super J is designed to provide moderate stability for runners who pronate. The result: a lightweight option for the track or tempo runs. Our testers especially liked the low-slung ride, not often found on shoes with motion-control devices.
BOTTOM LINE A touch of guidance for hard workouts and long races.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

in its rst three years, the 890 has proven to be a workhorse for neutral runners logging big miles. Its always had slightly softer-than-average cushioning, but it featured a fairly stiff forefoot. This overhaul corrects that. Thanks to a new midsole/outsole conguration, the shoe is softer than ever, while deep grooves and the placement of rubber allow the forefoot to be more pliable. Perhaps the biggest improvement is the change of last, the foot-shaped mold the shoe is constructed around. This gives the shoe a little more toe spring (it curves upward more at the toes) and xes the t, especially in the toebox. HEEL CUSHIONING Previously, the shoe had a slanting, FIRM SOFT cone shape; its new sloping silhouFOREFOOT CUSHIONING ette brings the mesh closer to the FIRM SOFT foot. Lighter materials saved nearly FLEXIBILITY LESS MORE an ounce of weight.
BOTTOM LINE A daily trainer that will stand up to a lot of miles. WEIGHT: 8.1 oz (M); 6.8 oz (W) HEIGHT: 31.1 mm (heel); 21.6 mm (forefoot)

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 8.0 oz (M); 6.6 oz (W) HEIGHT: 31.2 mm (heel); 25.9 mm (forefoot)

Ecco Biom Evo Racer Lite $130

A lasting legacy of the minimal movement is that shoes have shed weight. The Biom Evo Racer Lite is a bare-bones performance shoe, but at 9.4 ounces it seems heavy compared with similar racer options on the market now. The cushioning underfoot is rm, but appropriately so for how close it positions your foot to the ground.
BOTTOM LINE Suitable for lightweight runners on fast-paced training runs.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

A new seamless upper reduces weight and irritation.

HOW IT FITS

New Balance 890v4

Wear-testers rated the new shape of the 890v4 more favorably than version 3. It has a roomy forefoot and snug heel, says Kevin Myers, of Telford, Pennsylvania. Shoetr scans conrm his assessment. The shoe is a little broader across the toes, illustrated by the teal shading.
R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M 105

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 9.4 oz (M); 6.8 oz (W) HEIGHT: 19.8 mm (heel); 14.5 mm (forefoot)

SNUG

LOOSE

WINTER SHOE GUIDE 2013

Nike Free Flyknit+ $160

the free yknit+ is essentially a new upper added to the serviceable Free 5.0

Karhu Fluid 3 Fulcrum $125

Traditionally, Karhu shoes featured a steep angle from heel to toe, necessitated mostly by the fulcrumthe lever in the midsole designed to quickly transition your weight to your forefoot. Thats been toned down and softened in recent models, including the Fluid 3. You sense a atness to the shoe, but it still gives a nice ride, says Mark Steinberg, a 61-year-old tester from North Muskegon, Michigan.
BOTTOM LINE An up-tempo trainer for midfoot-strikers.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

midsole/outsole unit. We like the existing base, which gives you a 10-mm-drop platform thats still plenty exible and offers a surprising amount of cushioning. The upper is where the magic happens. Advancing on its knit technology, Nike made a socklike, extremely stretchy bootieits so elastic that the shoe curls up at both ends when not on your foot. The t is so snug you almost dont require laces, but strong Flywire threads connect them directly to the midsole to ensure you dont slide around. This new thin construction shaves 1.4 ounces HEEL CUSHIONING off the weight of the standard Free FIRM SOFT 5.0. Our recommendation: Ditch FOREFOOT CUSHIONING your socks, unless you have flat FIRM SOFT feetsome testers said the high FLEXIBILITY LESS MORE arch could cause hot spots.
BOTTOM LINE A barely-there shoe that offers considerable protection. WEIGHT: 6.9 oz (M); 5.7 oz (W) HEIGHT: 28.0 mm (heel); 17.3 mm (forefoot)

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 9.6 oz (M); 8.4 oz (W) HEIGHT: 28.1 mm (heel); 21.3 mm (forefoot)

Nike Free Hyperfeel Run $175

Nike took a novel midsole approach, dropping a thin slab of its supersoft Lunar foam into the Hyperfeel. Even though that foam is removable, its not intended to be optional. Had Nike glued it down, the shoes cushioning and exibility would have suffered. So it left it unattachedyour foot and the laces ensure that its not going anywhere!
BOTTOM LINE A minimal shoe that takes the hard edge off pavement.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

The knitted upper means less wasted fabric.

TESTERS TAKE
Age 27 years old Height 6' 1" Weight 145 lbs. Arch High Miles 4050 per week Years Running 10 Home Allentown, PA Occupation Online Editor

Brian Dalek on the Nike Free Flyknit+

Ive tried the Free, like the 5.0, in the past and always felt they were too soft. Even though this is the same material, I thought the upper gave the cushioning new life. The t works once youre used to the elastic upper. You can easily go sockless.

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE

WEIGHT: 6.1 oz (M); 5.0 oz (W) HEIGHT: 20.2 mm (heel); 14.9 mm (forefoot)

106

Illustration by MICH AEL H OE WEL ER

Altra The 3-Sum $130

Altra has steadily put together a stable of shoes to cater to all types of runners. The 3-Sum can work as a racing at or fast-paced workout shoe for most of us, but it shines during triathlons. Several key features save you valuable time in transition, including nger loops at the tongue and heel for easy entry, and quick-pull elastic laces by Yankz. The upper is soft and seamless to prevent any irritation when going sockless, and drainage holes through the midsole and outsole will ensure that no water pools up inside the shoe.
BOTTOM LINE A zero-drop option for efficient runners on race day.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

New Balance RC 1400v2 $100

When we learned that the 1400 was in store for an update, we not-so-subtly suggested to New Balance, Dont mess it up! Testers report that v2 is true to the original. Using lighter, more breathable materials, New Balance shaved nearly an ounce off the shoe. I liked the superlight weight and that it felt like a glove, says Tish Hamilton, executive editor at Runners World. I used this for intervals. Happily. You will be happy if you go at least a half size larger than normal; it runs short.
BOTTOM LINE Reserve these for race day or speedwork.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

Puma Faas 100 R

$90

For a racing shoe, the Faas 100 R doesnt look too fast. Thats because the shoe doesnt feature much toe spring. Note the pancake prole from heel to toe. (A slightly upturned toe can help smooth out the transition through the gait cycle, making a shoe feel faster underfoot.) But wear-testers tell us the shoes extremely exible forefoot helps overcome the issue. This was really more like a slipper, says Jason Hartzell, a midfoot-striker from East Lansing, Michigan. Fast and at is what you get with this shoe.
BOTTOM LINE High-cadence runners will dig this shoe for a 5-K.
HEEL CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
FIRM SOFT FIRM

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
SOFT FIRM

FOREFOOT CUSHIONING
SOFT

FLEXIBILITY
LESS MORE LESS

FLEXIBILITY
MORE LESS

FLEXIBILITY
MORE

WEIGHT: 8.1 oz (M); 6.6 oz (W) HEIGHT: 18.8 mm (heel); 15.9 mm (forefoot)

WEIGHT: 6.2 oz (M); 5.3 oz (W) HEIGHT: 30.2 mm (heel); 19.6 mm (forefoot)

WEIGHT: 5.8 oz (M); 4.8 oz (W) HEIGHT: 20.4 mm (heel); 15.9 mm (forefoot)

SHOP SMARTER
In addition to the 18 shoes in this guide, our online database at run nersworld.com/shoender has technical analysis of every model reviewed by Runners World and Running Times.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT
RW gear editor Jeff Dengate takes a hands-on approach and walks you through each of the models featured in this guide. For his insiders take, visit runners world.com/shoeguide.

WINTER WEAR
Do you run on slippery, snow-covered roads? Visit runnersworld. com/off-road to learn which trail shoes run as smoothly on paved surfaces as they do over dirt and singletrack trails.

R U N N E R S W O R L D.CO M

107

STICK WITH IT

After your race, enjoy complimentary entry to A Christmas Story House & Museum (left).

OF THE

RACE

MONTH

5-K, 10-K, Leg Lamp Fun Run December 7 Cleveland, Ohio

CELEBRATE THE 30 TH anniversary of

A Christmas Story Run

the holiday classic, A Christmas Story, by racing in the city where much of it was filmed. The flat and fast 5-K and 10-K routes both start in downtown Cleveland at the former Higbees Building, where Ralphie Parker rst sees, and covets, the

Red Ryder BB Gun. Watch the movie on a Jumbotron in Public Square while youre at the starting line, and take water from volunteers along the course dressed as pink bunnies, FRAGILE crates, and leg lamps. Both routes pass through Ohio City, home of the West Side Market, a

local and ethnic food marketplace that opened in 1840, and the Tremont neighborhood, one of the citys oldest. There, the 1937 Oldsmobilea central player in the movies only I didnt say fudge sceneis on display for photo opportunities. The 5-K ends (and the 10-K turns around) at A Christmas Story House & Museum, the actual Parker family home in the lmrunners get free admission after the race. achristmasstoryhouse.com
For more events, go to runnersworld. com/racesandplaces. Race Directors: Enter your event information at runnersworld.com/racedirectors.

DECEMBER

14 Celtic Solstice

5-Miler

Courtesy of Lawrence Volk ; Adam Leahy Photography

Rock Canyon Half-Marathon

Baltimore 5,000 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? To be Irish for a day This hilly course rewards kilt-clad participants with a downhill-to-at nish. Come prepared: Not even a snowstormlike the one that dumped 17 inches on the course in 2009cancels this race. baltimorerunning.com

Marathon & Half-Marathon

Port Orchard, Washington 700 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For that last-minute PR Named after the Yukon Harbor that marathoners pass, this fast course (below) hugs the Puget Sound and boasts views of the snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance. yukondoitmarathon.com

29 Yukon Do It

Double 5-K, Half-Marathon, & Marathon

Allen, Texas 1,000 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For a quick celebration Complete at least one of the three distances on both New Years Eve and New Years Day to receive a pair of medals and a magnetic plate to hold both awards. newyearsdouble.com

31 New Years

Pueblo, Colorado 750 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For the forecast Located in the states more temperate banana belt, this out-and-back route (above) along the Arkansas River is a safe bet for runners hoping to avoid major race-day snowfall. Plus, you cant beat the $40 entry fee if you sign up before November 23. socorunners.org

Halfathon Half-Marathon

15 Florida Holiday

Madeira Beach, Florida 1,000 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For a taste of Florida Despite temps that hover near 60 degrees, runners dont hesitate to dress up in Santa suits. Snag a Florida orange at the aid station near mile six. oridaholidayhalfathon.com

Anti-Aging News

SPECIAL REPORT

TURN BACK TIME WITH THE ANTI-AGING BREAKTHROUGH EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!
The truth about human growth hormone (HGH): What is it? Where does it come from? Can you boost it naturally? And is it really the fountain of youth?

By Tiffany Strobel *

recent Shape magazine article starts out with a very provocative statement: When you see a 50-year-old actress who can pass for 35, you can bet that good genes arent the only things responsible for her youthful glow. Its no secret that the rich and famous of Beverly Hills have been turning to Botox and plastic surgery for years in an attempt to hang on to their youth. But did you know that many among this it crowd have been visiting some of the most expensive clinics in the world for controversial human growth hormone (HGH) therapy? Why? Because they believe HGH helps reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass, boost mood, heighten sex drive, give them plenty of energy, get rid of wrinkles and tighten saggy

When you see a 50-year-old actress who can pass for 35, you can bet that good genes arent the only things responsible for her youthful glow.
Source: Shape magazine, November Issue, 2012

skin... making them look and feel decades not years, but decades younger. In fact, some are even calling it the Fountain of Youth.
So what exactly is HGH? HGH is a single chain peptide hormone thats manufactured deep within the brain... in the pituitary gland. Its released into the bloodstream and travels throughout the body. It passes into your fat cells and can actually cause them to shrink. It enters your muscle cells, stimulating lean muscle growth so you look

more tight and toned, even if you havent been working out. When it reaches the skin it maintains healthy blood flow, ramps up collagen production and strengthens the underlying substructure of the skins critical architecture, keeping your skin firm, tight and smooth, which is why so many experts call HGH the youth hormone...

and why some believe its the key to combatting aging. The problem is that while our bodies do manufacture HGH, our levels begin to decline rapidly as we age, and until recently most thought the best way to increase our HGH levels was through expensive prescription injections (costs can run as high as $1500 per month). In addition to their high cost, these synthetic HGH injections are also extremely controversial, because some experts fear that introducing synthetic HGH into the body may upset the natural production of HGH.

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Dr.Oz says: I have been searching for this from the day we started the show. Ive been looking for ways of increasing HGH naturally because I dont like getting the injections.
Is there a way to increase growth hormone levels naturally? Until recently, the answer to that question would have been a resounding No. However, in September of 2012, a group of some of the most highly respected scientists in the world presented their research findings at the prestigious Obesity Societys 30th Annual Scientific Meeting. These research results made headlines, because they showed that for the first time, there was an oral compound capable of increasing mean, bioactive, serum (blood) growth hormone levels... by 682%.
The formula that was the subject of these research findings is now being sold by SanMedica International under the trade name SeroVital. And despite its much-hyped research, SeroVital remained an underground sensation... until the famed Dr. Oz discussed the products research on his show. He introduced the show segment by asking his audience, How many of you want to start feeling 20 years younger right now? and then discussed what he called a new frontier: stimulating your bodys production of growth hormones naturally with amino acids. And when Dr. Oz disclosed that a recent study [on SeroVital-hgh] showed patients given a special blend of amino acids saw their HGH levels spike more than 6 times... and added, I have been searching for this from the day we started the show. Ive been looking for ways of increasing HGH naturally because I dont like getting the injections, you can imagine the frenzy he started.
Before long, SanMedica was having trouble keeping SeroVital with its proprietary, highly specialized, patent-pending amino acid formula in stock. It went from underground sensation to full-blown phenomenon.

Now, after more than 30 years of time-consuming, detailed research, theres finally an affordable oral formula that encourages the pituitary gland to increase growth hormone production naturally, without dangerous drugs or synthetic hormone injections.

then not eat anything for two hours, or take it at night, at least two hours after your last meal... before you go to bed. And last but not least, while SeroVital is far less expensive than prescription HGH injections, its still not cheap... SeroVital will cost you about $100 a month.

So whats the catch? Well, there are three. First, as with HGH injections, SeroVital is not a magic bullet, but one part of a healthy lifestyle choice including a sensible diet and exercise regimen.

They believe HGH reduces body fat, increases lean muscle mass, boosts mood, heightens sex drive, gives them plenty of energy, gets rid of wrinkles and tightens saggy skin...
Second, for proper absorption, you have to take SeroVital-hgh on an empty stomach. That means you either have to take it first thing in the morning and

Is it worth it? To me, anything that may reduce wrinkles, tighten saggy skin, decrease body fat, increase lean muscle mass, strengthen bones, and boost mood, while giving you plenty of energy and improving sex drive, is a no-brainer. However, make no mistake about it, the established medical community (and of course, they know everything) would say its benefits are largely anecdotal, with research thats preliminary. But theres no denying that something that has a chance of making you look and feel decades, not years, but DECADES, younger, is... at the very least... irresistible. Frankly, Im ready to try it. How about you?

FEATURED PRODUCT

Ulta Beauty says: Even with more than 550 stores, were still having a tough time keeping SeroVital in stock!
*Tiffany Strobel is an author, columnist, and beauty editor of MyFreeDiet. Free standard shipping in the continental U.S.A. only. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 2013 All Rights Reserved. BR14703-3

So where can you get SeroVital-hgh? SeroVital-hgh is currently available at select Ulta stores, and over the next few months, will be available on a limited basis at prestige retailers across the U.S. Having a hard time finding SeroVital-hgh? Cant wait? You can order it directly from SanMedica International by calling 1-800-530-3175 or visit their website at www.SeroVital.com. Use the promo code HGH115 at checkout and shipping is free!

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MARKETPLACE
Continued from page 86
weeks, and I officially began coaching Mary last October [2012]. Mary and I communicated mostly by phone, text, and e-mail, and I hired an independent coach back in New York to help administer the workouts. RW: Her first competition under the arrangement was the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) meet in Portland, at which she nished second to Sarah Baxter. AS: True, but it had rained like crazy the week before that meet and the course was like gumbo, which neutralized a lot of Marys nishing speed and played to Sarahs strength. Mary showed her kick, making up a lot of ground at the nish. I cant wait for track season! she told the crowd afterward. That was when she rst met Galen and Matthew and other Oregon Project runners. They all hit it off right away. RW: As the year wore on, and Cains fame grew, did any tensions develop between her and the other athletes you coach? AS: No, not at all. Just the opposite, in fact. The Oregon Project athletes respect her as a sincere, intelligent, down-to-earth person who has incredible talent and is bringing a lot of excitement and positive attention to the sport. And let me make it clear that Mary is not a member of the Oregon Projectshes officially an unattached, amateur athlete, and we scrupulously adhere to every rule to maintain that status. But as the year progressed, she spent a lot of time training with the project. This summer she spent a couple weeks with us in Park City [Utah, the OPs altitude training base], and again in St. Moritz [in the Swiss Alps], where we went to work before the world championships in Moscow. At the end of our workouts, partly for fun, I would have the runners do all-out 200s, 300s, and 400s. Guys would watch Mary hammer a 25.2 200 or a 41-second 300 and go crazy. They would rag on Matthew, Centro, that little girl is nishing faster than you! RW: Going back to the start of the 2013 season, what were your goals for Mary? AS: From the beginning, just like with Galen and all my athletes, I took a long-term approach with Mary. If I wanted to rush things, go short-term, I could have pushed her to get in 4:01 or 4:02 shape, but that would have risked burnout and injury. She trained ambitiously but steadily, not doing anything different than any other 4:11 1500-meter runner who was serious about getting faster. We approached races the same way. The overall goal was for her to make the world championships team in the

MARY CAIN

1500, and we planned her racing schedule accordingly. We werent trying to make a big splash or prove anything by entering a highschool junior in professional-level competition. I would have backed off if she showed signs of stress or strain. But Mary responded beautifully. She took each race as it came and kept learning and improving. The truly amazing thing is that shes achieved these results without my pushing her that hard. RW: She seems strikingly articulate and thoughtful in postrace interviews. And fearless, almost impervious to pressure. AS: I have to be careful not to forget that shes 17, with all the normal insecurities of a girl that age. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Mary shows the mental toughness of a 25-year-old professional athlete, but other times shes as vulnerable as anybody else, with the usual doubts and uncertainties. Before the 1500 nals at the national championships, she was very anxious. It was as if she was a tightrope walker, and just for a second had lost her focus and looked down. The morning of the race, she called me. Im just a girl! she cried. I dont know if I can do this! I dont want to be the one athlete in the Oregon Project who doesnt run well! Darren [Treasure, the OPs sports psychologist] and I brought her up to our hotel room. Mary called her mom, and that helped calm her down. Then Darren and I talked to her. Youre not a professional, I reminded her. Youre not a member of the Oregon Project. You dont have to worry about letting anybody down. You just have to run your own race and let everything else go. Mary started to relax. She took a nap. Then we had lunch and we watched a videoa Johnny Depp vampire movie. When we got to a juicy scene, I fast-forwarded. Mary laughed. She told me she had already seen the movie and it was no big deal. RW: So along with coaching, you try to provide a family atmosphere? AS: Sometimes I feel more like Marys uncle than her coach. When she comes out west to race or train, she stays here at the house. Shes like part of the family, watching TV, playing with the dogs, doing her homework. Molly and Maria have grown close to her. They say shes different than most other runners that Ive brought homeshes more thoughtful and dimensional. At the world championships, I was busy with other athletes, so I asked Maria, who was there working for Nike, to look after Mary. They would eat together and hang out in the hotel room. Who knows what they talked about? RW: Marys father is a physician, with an income that (continued on page 119)

RACING AHEAD
NORTH ATLANTIC

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www.mbmarathon.com

MAR 30, 2014 - Marathon on Ocean Drive,

10M & 5K Cape May, NJ Contact: ODRC Inc., P.O. Box 1245, Southeastern, PA 19399. (609) 523-0880 odmracedirector@comcast.net
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MAR 30, 2014 - Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Relay Knoxville, TN Contact: Jason Altman, P.O. Box 53442, Knoxville, TN 37950. (865) 684-4294 info@knoxvillemarathon.com
www.knoxvillemarathon.com

FEB 15, 2014 - Bon Secours In Motion Virginia

Is For Lovers 14K , 6K & 1K Virginia Beach, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@vifl14k.com
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APR 5, 2014 - 12th Annual Charlottesville

Marathon, Half Marathon & 8K Charlottesville, VA Contact: Gill - Race Director, 1884 Westview Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903. (434) 218-0402 rungillrun@comcast.net
www.charlottesvillemarathon.com

APR 12, 2014 - Garden Spot Village Marathon

& Half Marathon New Holland, PA Contact: Erica Rutter, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland, PA 17557. (717) 355-6000 marathon@gardenspotvillage.org
www.gardenspotvillagemarathon.org

FEB 22-23, 2014 - Publix Gasparilla

Distance Classic Race Weekend 22nd - 15K & 5K 23rd - Half Marathon & 8K Tampa, FL Contact: Susan Harmeling, P.O. Box 1881, Tampa, FL 33601. (813) 254-7866 gdcarun@verizon.net
www.tampabayrun.com

Run in beautiful Amish Country with horse & buggies and one room schoolhouses! Running this race makes you eligible for the coveted Road Apple Award!

One of the Best Marathons in the USA - Runners World Magazine. A Top Destination Marathon THE NEW YORK TIMES.

MAY 16-17, 2014 - New Balance

Reach The Beach Relay Massachusetts, 200 Miles in 24 Hours Westminster, MA Contact: John, P.O. Box 12, Woodville, MA 01784. info@rtbrelay.com
www.ma.rtbrelay.com

APR 27, 2014 - Divas Half Marathon & 5K in

North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, SC Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. (800) 733-7089 info@runlikeadiva.com
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SOUTH ATLANTIC

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NORTH CENTRAL

DEC 7 - Norfolk Southern Surf-N-Santa 10 Miler & Frostys 5K Virginia Beach, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@surfnsanta10miler.com
www.surfnsanta10miler.com

MAR 1, 2014 - Albany Marathon & Half Marathon Albany, GA Contact: Rashelle Beasley, 112 North Front St., Albany, GA 31701. (229) 317-4760 rbeasley@albanyga.com
www.albanymarathon.com

APR 26, 2014 - Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 10K, 5K & Youth Run Champaign/Urbana, IL Contact: Jan Seeley, P.O. Box 262, Champaign, IL 61824. (217) 369-8553 director@illinoismarathon.com
www.illinoismarathon.com

DEC 14 - Santas Suits On The Loose 5K St. Augustine Beach, FL Contact: Mary Jacobs, 461 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32080. (904) 669-1207 maryjacobs@sunrealty.com
www.racesmith.com

MAR 2, 2014 - Allstate Life Insurance Miami Beach 13.1 Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Miami Beach, FL Contact: US Road Sports & Entertainment, P.O. Box 56-1081, Miami, FL 33256. run@131miamibeach.com
www.131miamibeach.com

MAY 3, 2014 - OneAmerica 500 Festival

Mini-Marathon (13.1Miles) and Finish Line 500 Festival 5K Indianapolis, IN Contact: Eric Rowles, 21 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204. (800) 638-4296 erowles@500festival.com
www.500festival.com

Santa Suit to First 300

JAN 31, 2014 - Critz Tybee Run Fest,

Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 2.8M Beach Run & 1Mile Tybee Island, GA Contact: Robert Espinoza, 3405 Waters Ave., Savannah, GA 31404. (912) 355-3527 robert@fleetfeetsavannah.com
www.critztybeerun.com

MAR 2, 2014 - Seaside School Half Marathon & 5K Run Seaside, FL Contact: P.O. Box 4825, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. (850) 231-0396 info@snsrun.com
www.snsrun.com

Run the Nations Largest Half Marathon and Lap the World-Famous Indy 500 Track. Register at the Early Bird Rate by Nov. 30, 2013 and Save $15!

MAY 4, 2014 - Divas Half Marathon & 5K

Midwest at Branson Branson, MO Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. (800) 733-7089 info@runlikeadiva.com
www.runlikeadiva.com

MAR 8-9, 2014 - NC Half Marathon at

Charlotte Motor Speedway - Half Marathon & Twilight 5K Concord, NC Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. (800) 733-7089 raceinfo@nchalfmarathon.com
www.nchalfmarathon.com

2 Days, 5 Races Equaling the Marathon Distance of 26.2 Miles. A One-Of-A-Kind Event with a World-Class Race Atmosphere for Every Fitness Level and Age.

FEB 1-2, 2014 - Melbourne Music Marathon

Weekend, Marathon, Half Marathon, 1/2 Relay, 8K & 5K Melbourne, FL Contact: Mitch Varnes, P.O. Box 33100, Indialantic, FL 32903. (321) 759-7200 info@themelbournemarathon.com
www.themelbournemarathon.com

MAY 10, 2014 - Scheels Fargo Marathon,

Half Marathon, Relays, 10K, 5K & Youth Run Fargo, ND Contact: Mark Knutson, P.O. Box 2623, Fargo, ND 58108. 888-RUN-FARGO director@fargomarathon.com
www.fargomarathon.com

Fun, Warm Waterfront Run on Floridas Space Coast-High BQ Rate!

MAR 15-16, 2014 - Yuengling Shamrock Marathon & Anthem Half Marathon, 8K & 1M Virginia Beach, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@shamrockmarathon.com
www.shamrockmarathon.com

10th Anniversary of Rockin & Running! Live Bands every Mile....Fast + Flat....Free Post Race Concert.

FEB 8, 2014 - Hilton Head Island Marathon,

Half Marathon & 5K Hilton Head, SC Contact: Bear Foot Sports, 20 Towne Dr., PMB #200, Bluffton, SC 29910. (843) 757-8520 bfs@hargray.com
www.bearfootsports.com

MAY 18, 2014 - Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon,

Half Marathon, 10K, 5K & Kids Run Cleveland, OH Contact: Ralph Staph, 29525 Chagrin Blvd., #215, Pepper Pike, OH 44122. (800) 467-3826 info@clevelandmarathon.com
www.clevelandmarathon.com
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MAR 23, 2014 - Publix Georgia Marathon

& Half Marathon Atlanta, GA Contact: US Road Sports & Entertainment, 528 Plasters Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324. info@georgiamarathon.com
www.georgiamarathon.com

C LO S I NG DAT E FO R T H E FEBR UAR Y 2014 ISSUE IS N OV EM BER 14, 2013

RACING AHEAD
JUNE 14, 2014 - Summerfest Rock n Sole Run, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & 5K Milwaukee, WI Contact: Race Director, 200 N. Harbor Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53202. (800) 837-3378 rocknsolerun@summerfest.com
www.rocknsolerun.com

ADVERTISING SECTION
APR 13, 2014 - Austin 10/20, Ten Miles,
20 Bands, In The Heart of Texas Austin, TX Contact: Turnkey Operations, 4018 Caven Rd., Austin, TX 78744. (512) 299-9190 info@austin1020.com
www.austin1020.com

MAR 9, 2014 - San Diego Half Marathon San Diego, CA Contact: 2320 Truxtun Rd., San Diego, CA 92106. info@sdhalfmarathon.com
www.sdhalfmarathon.com

AUG 16, 2014 - BMO Harris Bank Madison Mini-Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Run Madison, WI Contact: Race Director, 16851 Southpark Dr., Suite 100, Westfield, IN 46074. (800) 495-0474 info@madisonminimarathon.com
www.madisonminimarathon.com

Fresh Distance, More Music, Big Prize Money, Great Runner Perks!

APR 13, 2014 - Divas Half Marathon & 5K in

Galveston Galveston, TX Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. (800) 733-7089 info@runlikeadiva.com
www.runlikeadiva.com

MAR 23, 2014 - Wine Country Runs, Half Marathon Run/Walk, 5K & Kids Grape Stomp Paso Robles, CA Contact: Steve McAllen, 295 Posada Ln., Suite C, Templeton, CA 93465. winecountryruns@gmail.com
www.winecountryruns.com

Win Your Weight In Wine!

SEPT 20, 2014 - Air Force Marathon,

Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH Contact: Tiffany Johnson, Bldg #219, Room 103, 5030 Patterson Pkwy., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433. (937) 257-4350 usaf.marathon@wpafb.af.mil
www.usafmarathon.com

APR 19, 2014 - Mustang 50th Half Marathon

& 5K Las Vegas, NV Contact: Race Director, Vision Event Management, 16851 Southpark Dr., Suite 100, Westfield, IN 46074. info@mustang50thhalfmarathon.com
www.mustang50thhalfmarathon.com

MOUNTAIN PACIFIC

JAN 11, 2014 - City of Palm Springs

Mayors Race and Wellness Festival, 10 Mile, 5K & Kids Fun Run Palm Springs, CA Contact: Michele Mician, Manager Office of Sustainability, Wellness Park at Ruth Hardy Park, Tamarisk Road and Via Miraleste (760) 323-8214 michele.mician@palmspringsca.gov
register at www.active.com

SOUTH CENTRAL

One Time Only!

JAN 17-19, 2014 - Louisiana Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Marathon Baton Rouge, LA Contact: Craig Sweeney, 70380 Highway 21, Suite 2, Covington, LA 70433. (888) 786-2001 craig@thelouisianamarathon.com
www.thelouisianamarathon.com

APR 19, 2014 - New Mexico/Texas Challenge,

Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Hobbs and Lovington, NM Contact: Jim Harris, 103 S. Love, Lovington, NM 88260. (575) 370-4034 leacomuseum@leaco.net
www.leacountymuseum.org

JAN 19, 2014 - 3M Half Marathon

Austin, TX Contact: Race Director, 6801 River Place Blvd. 130-5N-07, Austin, TX 78726. (512) 984-7223 3mhalfmarathon@3m.com
www.3mhalfmarathon.com

JAN 19, 2014 - Maui OceanFront Marathon,

Half Marathon, 15K, 10K & 5K Wailea to Lahaina, Maui, HI Contact: Les Wright, P.O. Box 20000, So. Lake Tahoe, CA 96151. (530) 559-2261 runmaui@gmail.com
www.mauioceanfrontmarathon.com

APR 27, 2014 - San Luis Obispo Marathon,

Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Fun Run San Luis Obispo, CA Contact: Heather Hellman, 205 Suburban Rd. #6, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. (805) 544-2905 info@slomarathon.com
www.slomarathon.com

FEB 8, 2014 - Mississippi River Marathon

& Half Marathon Greenville, MS Contact: Suzette Matthews, 124 Poplar, Greenville, MS 38701. (662) 721-7779 mississippirivermarathon@gmail.com
www.msrivermarathon.com

FEB 2, 2014 - Surf City USA Marathon &

Half Marathon Huntington Beach, CA Contact: Surf City Marathon, 800 Grand Ave. C-10, Carlsbad, CA 92008. info@runsurfcity.com
www.runsurfcity.com

Great CA Weather. Wine Country. Happiest Place in USA! Small Town. BIG RACE!

MAY 4, 2014 - Avenue of the Giants

Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K Weott, CA Contact: Cynthia Timek, P.O. Box 214, Arcata, CA 95518. (707) 822-1861 ctimek@aol.com
www.theave.org, www.6rrc.com

FEB 16, 2014 - Austin Marathon

& Half Marathon Austin, TX Contact: Kristen Z. Nelson, P.O. Box 684587, Austin, TX 78768. (512) 476-7223 info@youraustinmarathon.com
www.youraustinmarathon.com

Californias Classic Oceanfront Marathon.

FEB 23, 2014 - Michelob Ultra El Paso

Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk El Paso, TX Contact: Mike Coulter, P.O. Box 2443, El Paso, TX 79952. (915) 274-5222 information@elpasomarathon.org
www.elpasomarathon.org

FEB 15, 2014 - Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, 43 Mile Event (Bike 26, Run 10, Cross Country Ski 5, Snowshoe 2) Grants, NM Contact: Chad Gaines, P.O. Box 85, Grants, NM 87020. (505) 285-3542 mttaylorquadrathlon@gmail.com
www.mttaylorquad.org

MAY 18, 2014 - Kaiser Permanente Colfax

Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 10 Mile & 5K Denver, CO Contact: Race Crew, City Park, Denver, CO. (303) 770-9600 info@runcolfax.org
www.runcolfax.org

Fastest Boston Qualifier in Texas.

MAR 30, 2014 - Hogeye Marathon & Relays, Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & 4-Person Marathon Relay Fayetteville, AR Contact: Tabby Holmes, P.O. Box 8012, Fayetteville, AR 72703. (479) 445-9251 info@hogeyemarathon.com
www.hogeyemarathon.com
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FEB 16, 2014 - U-T California 10/20, a Ten Mile Race with Twenty Bands in North San Diego County Del Mar, CA Contact: Turnkey Operations, 4018 Caven Rd., Austin, TX 78744. (888) 981-9190 info@cal1020.com
www.run1020.com

Denvers Ultimate Urban Tour!

Great Distance, More Music, Scenic Coastal Course, Benefits American Cancer Society.

JUNE 1, 2014 - Divas Half Marathon & 5K in San Francisco Bay Burlingame, CA Contact: Continental Events & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. (800) 733-7089 info@runlikeadiva.com
www.runlikeadiva.com

FO R ADVERT I S I NG RAT ES CON TACT JACKIE CAIL LOUET AT 214.252.9971

JUNE 7, 2014 - Kahakuloa Half Marathon & Relay Kahakuloa, Hawaii Contact: Rudy Huber, P.O. Box 1024, Wailuku, HI 96793. 808-280-5801 huber_rudy@yahoo.com
www.hawaiielitetrack.com

SPECIALTY RUNNING STORES

CALIFORNIA
THE TRIATHLETE STORE Running, Triathlon, Swimming, Bicycling, Hiking & Walking Apparel And Gear. US & International Shipping. 14037 Midland Rd. Poway, CA 92064 (858) 842-4664 www.thetriathletestore.com

Continued from page 116

allows his daughter to train independently with you and to travel around the world to race. Talk about that. AS: Theres no question that her familys nancial support is important. Dr. and Mrs. Cain have to cover all of Marys training and travel expenses, including paying me the market rate for my coaching services. The NCAA rules are ironclad. Say, for instance, that we were to travel to a meet, and I were to pay for Marys hotel room, and then get reimbursed by her father. It sounds innocentit is innocentbut according to the NCAA, that would be a violation. Her parents have to pay for the hotel and all other expenses, direct and up front. Luckily, the Cain family is in a position to handle that outlay. Dr. Cain has set up an escrow account from which I draw to pay Marys expenses pertaining to the sport. Galens parents, by contrast, had to make considerable sacrifices for him to retain his amateur status while I worked with him through high school and college. RW: Does an American kid have to come from a prosperous family to make it to the top? Do parents need to hire outside coaches if they want their children to succeed? AS: I definitely think its still possible to make it to the highest levels through the traditional American school-based system. Look at Jenny Simpson and Matthew Centrowitz Jr.both came up under excellent high school and college coaches. That said, if you give a kid a chance to train at a high level at an early age, does she stand a better chance of success? The answer is clearly yes. But more important, its the quality of the family, and not the size of their bank account, that makes the decisive difference. Mary and Galen both come from loving families with rock-solid integrity and moral values. Thats the real, lasting advantage that helps them succeed as athletes, or whatever they pursue. RW: In June, Mary ran a 5000-meter race in Portland, finishing sixth in 15:45.46 for a U.S. high school record. But right afterward you had her run two 400-meter repeats at 57- and 58-second pace. At the end, Cain was on her knees on the track. You said Mary achieved these amazing results without you pushing her hard werent you pushing pretty hard that night? AS: That workout wasnt too much for Mary. What makes something too much? Either too much volume or too much intensity. Mary often runs at-out 400s and 200s after long tempo runsher amazing kick doesnt come out of thin air. Run- (continued on page 124)
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MARY CAIN

A True Hawaiian Experience

JUL 27, 2014 - The San Francisco Marathon,

1st Half Marathon & 2nd Half Marathon San Francisco, CA Contact: The San Francisco Marathon, P.O. Box 77148, San Francisco, CA 94107. (888) 958-6668 customersupport@thesfmarathon.com
www.thesfmarathon.com

The Coolest Summer Marathon Youll Ever Run!

CANADA
GORDS RUNNING STORE A Step Ahead In Fitness In Providing Running Shoes, Clothing And Accessories. 919 Centre St. NW Calgary, Alberta T2E 2P6 (403) 270-8606 www.gordsrunningstore.com

AUG 16-17, 2014 - Big Wild Life Runs: Kids 2K & Anchorage Mile (8/16), Marathon, Relay, Half Marathon & 5K (8/17) Anchorage, AK Contact: Sharron Fisherman, P.O. Box 243362, Anchorage, AK 99524. sharron@bwlr.org
www.bigwildliferuns.org

INTERNATIONAL

MAR 2, 2014 - Kilimanjaro Marathon,

Half Marathon & 5K Moshi, Tanzania, Africa Contact: Kathy Loper Events, 7801 Mission Center Court, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92108. (619) 298-7400 kathy@kathyloperevents.com
www.kathyloperevents.com

MAY 17, 2014 - Great Wall Marathon,

Half Marathon & 8.5K Huanguyan/Beijing, China Contact: Kathy Loper Events, 7801 Mission Center Court, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92108. (619) 298-7400 kathy@kathyloperevents.com
www.kathyloperevents.com/gwm

Additional Tours to Xian, Tibet & Shanghai

MAY 25, 2014 - Ottawa Marathon,

Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 2K & Kids Marathon Ottawa, ON, Canada Contact: Susan Marsh, 45-5450 Canotek Rd., Unit 45, Ottawa, ON K1J 9G2. (866) RUNOTTA susan@runottawa.ca
www.runottawa.com

Join Over 44,000 Runners in Canadas Capital!

NOV 9, 2014 - Athens Marathon, 10K & 5K, Original Historical Course Athens, Greece Contact: Apostolos Greek Tours Inc., 2685 S. Dayton Way #14, Denver, CO 80231. (303) 755-2888
www.athensmarathon.com

Various Support Packages.

C LO S I NG

RACE SPOTLIGHT

ADVERTISING SECTION

FOR A DVE RTI SI N G RATE S CONTACT MICHAEL AUSTRY AT 214.252.9971

ADVERTISING SECTION

RACE SPOTLIGHT

FOR A DVE RTI SI N G RATE S CONTACT MICHAEL AUSTRY AT 214.252.9971

RACE SPOTLIGHT

ADVERTISING SECTION

FOR A DVE RTI SI N G RATE S CONTACT MICHAEL AUSTRY AT 214.252.9971

ADVERTISING SECTION

RACE SPOTLIGHT

FOR A DVE RTI SI N G RATE S CONTACT MICHAEL AUSTRY AT 214.252.9971

RACE SPOTLIGHT

Continued from page 119

ning 100 percent isnt too hard. After all, you have to race at 100 percent. Running 100 percent only hurts you if you dont get the necessary rest and recovery afterward. I make sure she gets that recovery. Bill Bowerman said that a coachs primary goal is to get his athletes to succeed in workouts. But it doesnt do any good if you set the bar too low and make it too easy to succeed. My goal is to push my runners to the max in workouts and have them succeed. Thats the art of good coaching. And in this case, the proof is in the pudding. Did Mary get sick or hurt after that workout? Did she seem depressed or stressed out or burnt out? Of course not. An hour later we went out for pizza. Two weeks later she finished second in the nation in the 1500. RW: Whats Mary doing now? AS: Shes back home resting and recovering. After the worlds, she took two days off with no running at all, but now shes been jogging a mile a day at eight-minute pace. Were working on her formspecically, her arm swing. We got 25 percent improvement in the efficiency of her arm swing during the season,

MARY CAIN

and just over the last few weeks, shes improved another 25 percent. Shes also working on her hip exibility, getting her hips out in front of her. Mary is a great student of the sport. I sent her a video on stride mechanics, and Im shocked at how fast shes absorbed the principles. Shes an extremely hard worker who is also very bright and curious about the ideas behind what shes doing. Mary likes to succeed at everything she does. RW: And what about her college plans? AS: In the next month or so Mary and her family will decide about her college, and decide whether shes going to compete on the NCAA level or turn pro while shes going to school. Basically shes choosing among Oregon and a few other schools. Obviously, if she chose Oregon, I could work out the same kind of arrangement that I had with Galen. Galen ran the majority of his workouts with his college team, and I would supervise him during selected sessions. That way he enjoyed the best of both worlds: the full college experience and continuity in coaching philosophy. If Mary goes that route, there would even be more of a seamless experience. The system that the Ducks use now is very similar to the Oregon Projects. Mary could step right into the pro-

gram without missing a beat. And then, when she graduates, she could nally turn pro and step right into the Oregon Project. But if she chooses another school, that would be ne, too. The coach of every college program interested in her has told me that I can be fully involved in her training. And if she decides to turn pro now, of course, then Mary and I would pretty much continue our present relationship. No matter what course she follows, my goals for her will be the same. Mary Cain is the most talented young runner Ive ever seen. I want to help her sustain that talent over time. I want her to achieve her potential, and I want her to do it safely, efficiently, and responsibly.
R UNNERS W ORLD (ISSN 0897-1706) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY RODALE INC. VOLUME 48 NUMBER 12, EDITORIAL OFFICES 400 SOUTH 10TH ST, EMMAUS, PA 18098 (610-967-5171). COPYRIGHT 2013 BY RODALE INC. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO RUNNERS WORLD, P.O. BOX 26299, LEHIGH VALLEY, PA 180226299. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT EMMAUS, PA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. IN CANADA POSTAGE PAID AT GATEWAY MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO. CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40063752. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADA ADDRESSES TO RUNNERS WORLD, 2930 14TH AVE, MARKHAM, ONTARIO L3R 5Z8. GST #R122988611. SUBSCRIBERS: IF THE POSTAL AUTHORITIES ALERT US THAT YOUR MAGAZINE IS UNDELIVERABLE, WE HAVE PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. NO FURTHER OBLIGATION UNLESS WE RECEIVE A CORRECTED ADDRESS WITHIN 18 MONTHS.

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Singing helps my breathing. Running helps me sing. They go hand in hand.

me. Then my husband and I nished our rst half in 2:18 and I said, Dammit, Im going sub-two. I nally dida 1:57 at the 2012 Yonkers Half. I was so psyched.
WHILE training for the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon, my rst, I was playing the crazy lady in Lucia di Lammermoor who kills her husband with a knife. I was always disheveled. It was perfect! MY WHOLE family was there. Thats my hometown. My mother had a cowbell and a poster at mile 19, and it helped me get through and nish in 4:51. Breaking four is next. HILL WORKOUTS are kind of

like doing singing scales or repeated high notesI hate it, but if I do easy stuff all the time, I wont improve.
I HATE the early morning

hours unless Im running. I sing really late, sometimes until midnight, so getting up early isnt always easy.
I DONT listen to music on runs. I listen to my breath or chat with my husband. Its a moving meditation. I love it. I RUN before I sing, often four

Lisette Oropesa
30, Soprano, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City
Interview by STEPHEN CAMELIO Photograph by MATTHEW MONTEITH

WHEN I JOINED the Met in

MY HUSBAND and I started,

2005, I weighed 210 pounds and was told I had talent but needed to lose weight. Through lifestyle tweaks, I lost 60 pounds over a few years. When I started running, I lost 25 almost off the bat.
I GREW UP a geeky band nerd. I was the last person to nish the mile in PE. Id avoided running my whole life.

like idiots, on the hottest day of the year. I couldnt do one mile. Now Im devout.
MY BREATH control has gone

through the roof because my heart rate is low. Singing is exhausting. Youre an athlete, really, on stage for hours.
I DIDNT WANT running to get competitive like singing is for

or ve miles the afternoon before a show. Its my secret. The perfect warmup.

Go to runnersworld. com/imarunner for a video interview, photos, and the full Q&A.

OROPESA WILL PLAY THE ROLE OF NANNETTA IN VERDIS FALSTAFF, WHICH OPENS AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA ON DECEMBER 6.

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