Table of contents for August 2015 in Runner's World

NEW (DIGITAL) LOOK We gave ourselves a makeover: the brand new runnersworld.com features a cleaner design and simpler navigation that looks particularly great on mobile devices. Check us out! TRAINING VIDEO Fortify your lower legs with the strength workout on page 58, and watch a demonstration at runners world.com/legwork. BUCKET LIST RACES Which races are on your must-do-this-before-I-die list? Compare yours to ours at runnersworld.com/bucketlist.…

THE INBOX ROAD TO REDEMPTION After 12 years in law enforcement and two years of reading RW, “The Wall” (June) is the most inspiring story I have read yet. These men made mistakes, but to hear of how they keep hope and strive to improve and support one another under such circumstances proves that rehabilitation is definitely possible. LEE RUTLEDGE, FORT RILEY, KANSAS I just finished reading “The Wall,” and the tears are still in my eyes. What an emotional story to read after my own humble run. Never again will I think of running as a chore, but rather as a freedom I am lucky to share with folks on both sides of the wall. DOREEN MANNING, SHIRLEY, MASSACHUSETTS CALLED OUT The physical contact and threats mentioned in “The…

The first thing we’re going to need is a euphemism. Something evocative but not gross, something original so it doesn’t bring up past unpleasantness. How about “egress,” a lovely antique word with the simple meaning, “to exit”? Done. ¶ When I was hit by a car in 2010 and was laid up in the hospital, I was put (blessedly) on morphine. Morphine has a lot of wonderful effects, but it often paralyzes the digestive tract. Thus, I did not egress for four or five days, although I was too blissed to care. ¶ Since my recovery, though—for almost five years—my running career has been punctuated by what some call “cramps,” although those can get confused with the muscular kind. Others call it “the trots,” but technically, most runners trot every…

ULTRARUNNER, 33, CANTERBURY, U.K. The Ph.D. student and sports science instructor at Canterbury Christ Church University made himself the subject of his own grueling lab experiment in December when he set out to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest treadmill 100K (about 62 miles). “I massively underestimated the mental effect compared with running on the road,” he says. “It was so, so tough.” Still, with a time of 6:40:35, Anthony crushed the 10-yearold mark—7:21:40—despite a bout of GI distress. Now that takes guts. 6:26 PACE PER MILE ANTHONY AVERAGED DURING THE 100K 20 Minutes faster his time could have been had he not taken a bathroom break due to a “funny tummy” 5,800 APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CALORIES ANTHONY BURNED DURING HIS RECORD TREADMILL RUN 2:16 Anthony’s time in…

Oscar Pistorious may be released from prison in August for good behavior. The sprinter was sentenced in October to five years for the culpable homicide of his girlfriend. Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic decathlon champ formerly known as Bruce, is to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ES PYS in July. U.S. Paralympic sprinter Paul Peterson III’s running blades and championship medals are stolen from his apartment. MOMENTOUS Harriette Thompson, 92, the world’s oldest marathoner, throws out the first pitch at a Charlotte Knights game. After spending four hours behind the wheel in the Coca-Cola 600, Nascar driver (and triathlete) Landon Cassill does a 14-mile run—averaging a 7:19 pace. Roger Bannister’s sub-4:00-mile spikes will be auctioned in September. Experts say they’re worth between $46,000 and $77,000. A graphic novel…

DIEGO ESTRADA,  25, of Flagstaff, Arizona, won the 2015 USA Half Marathon Championships in 1:00:51, third-fastest ever by an American on a record-quality course. He is also the 2014 USA 5K road champion. THE START “Before a speed workout, I run a quick 200 meters at four seconds faster than my goal pace. It makes the target workout pace feel physically and psychologically easier.” BACKUP PLAN “If you’re not feeling so great during a workout, choose quality over quantity by staying close to goal pace and then skipping the final reps. Completing the workout shouldn’t be the main goal.” THE WORKOUT “Try to run 12 laps with each lap one second faster than the last one, finishing at 5K goal pace. This is a fun way to practice running negative…

ALTHOUGH THE CALENDAR may say it’s time to start training for your September, October, or November goal race, selecting a plan based on your current mileage and goal distance shouldn’t be your first step. “Before you choose and dive into a training plan, it’s important to assess your health, your drive, and what you’re hoping to get out of the race,” says Nick Arciniaga, elite marathoner and Team RUN Flagstaff coach. If your body and mind aren’t ready to train, you won’t enjoy yourself or reach your full potential. Here’s how to evaluate your readiness in key areas before you kick off a new training cycle. ARE YOU HEALTHY? Go for an easy run and pay close attention to see if any physical issues pop up, especially aches or pains…

“EACH YEAR, I can’t wait for juicy garden-fresh tomatoes,” says Patricia Wells, who teaches cooking classes in Provence and Paris. “One year I went crazy and had 82 tomato plants in my garden!” All tomatoes contain vitamin C, but red, orange, yellow, and purple varieties also provide lycopene, which may protect against stomach, prostate, and lung cancers. For more, see patriciawells.com. —YISHANE LEE CHILLED SOUP “I like to sip this after morning runs.” 1½ pounds yellow heirloom tomatoes, quartered ⅓ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup water 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt In a blender, combine all the ingredients. Blend on medium for 3 minutes to create a thick emulsion. Chill before serving. Serves 6. HEIRLOOM PLATE “This is a favorite dish topped with an…

BRYAN BOYLE RW Gear Editor 1 / Ultimate Direc -tion SJ Ultra Ves t 2.0 Trail and ultra runners particularly appreciate vests, which situate water bottles on the chest. This vest is one in a UD series– including a women-specific version–that sets bottles up front with pockets and pouches aplenty, including room for a 70-ounce bladder (sold separately). $130 “Glukos Energy Gel is less viscous than most gels. No chasing with water. Less mess.” One box with 12 packets: $24 ERIN BENNER RW Art Director 2 / Hydraform Ergo-Lite Ultra handhel d The pocket on this 16-ounce insulated handheld is big enough for your smartphone, which can be separated by a divider from fuel, ID, etc. Additional gel slots are on the handle. Nozzle requires no handling; just sip, no…

Multiple races challenge your muscles, joints, and brain, making recovery both a physical and a psychological process. Here’s what to do after you cross the first finish line so you’re ready to do it all over again the next day. Boost your bloodflow The better circulation you have, the more oxygen and healing nutrients travel to your damaged muscles. Try compression socks or tights if you’ve used them in training, Leivers suggests; Green recommends putting on comfortable, supportive shoes (no flip-flops!) and doing some easy walking. But don’t trek for miles—this shouldn’t be your major sightseeing day. Tend to aches Ice anything that’s sore for 10 to 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off. Take note of new pains that set in either during the first race, a few hours after,…

Get Strong Outside In an OCR, grip and shoulder strength, pull, and endurance will get you to the finish line. Yancy Culp, 42, a certified Spartan SGX coach based in Austin, Texas, suggests rotating through these rugged moves at five-minute intervals during a five-mile trail run. SQUAT PRESS WITH ROCK (1) Find a rock and grasp it between your palms. (2) Bring the rock parallel to your chest, with your elbows close to your sides. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. (3) Push your hips back and bend into a basic squat, keeping your weight in your heels, knees over your toes, and chest tall. Stand up out of the squat and press the rock above your head. (4) Return to start. Do 10 reps. TREE LIMB…

MEN’S HEALTH URBANATHLON New York: October 24, 2015; San Francisco: November 22, 2015 Run over taxis, then hurdle over construction cones. With two distances to choose from, 10 to 12 miles with 14 obstacles or three to five with seven obstacles, participants traverse stadium stairs, scale an eight-foot wall, and climb cargo nets. In “Burnin’ Rubber,” racers crawl under police barricades using only their hands and feet, then high-knee through a dozen tires and repeat. menshealthurbanathlon.com; $115 URBAN RAID 5 locations, August to November Participants run 3.1 miles and conquer 10 obstacles. Depending on location, the race is held on city streets or sandy beaches. Features include a free-hanging rope ladder, slack line balance beam, tire flips, and sandbag carries. Failure to complete an obstacle results in 10 burpees. Enter…

SMELL THE FLOWERS Unwind before or after the race at tranquil Butchart Gardens. Dahlias, maple trees, and beech trees will be in full fall mode, with lots of reds, yellows, and oranges. butchartgardens.com There’s no shortage of stuff to do in Victoria, British Columbia. The provincial capital on the southern tip of Vancouver Island offers kayaking, canoeing, sailing, fishing, and hiking, and bills itself as “the cycling capital of Canada,” thanks to miles of paths and trails. So it’s no surprise that this active-person’s paradise hosts a marathon every October, when temps (usually in the 50s) are PR perfect. The course rolls up and down minor hills and sports views of the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Mountain Range, and government buildings dating back to 1897. You have to take a…

SOCIAL MOVEMENT A RUNGRY CROWD A running club that’s all about working up an appetite Some runs are about the journey; some are about the destination. Especially when the destination promises espresso, Bloody Marys, and French toast drizzled with maple syrup. That’s the premise of bRUNch Running, a seasonal (see “When to Brunch,” page 20) Sunday morning running club that started in Denver in 2012. The group has expanded to four more cities (Phoenix; Austin, Tex.; Boulder and Fort Collins, Colo.) and is expected to reach 20 locales by the end of 2016. Runners convene at 9 a.m. at a different restaurant each week, log a 5K or 10K run, and then sit down to eat when they return. Cofounders and best friends Alex Weissner, 29, who worked in public…

A coworker is very competitive. He beats me at races, then rubs it in on Monday, even though I told him I run just for fun. How do I get him to stop? —Becky, Dallas There’s no cure for “jerk,” so I recommend quitting your job and moving to another state under an assumed name. If that’s not practical, I figure you have two possible routes: One, be snarky. Next time this guy gloats, stop what you’re doing; do a long, slow “golf clap” and say— loudly —“Wow. You beat the noncompetitive runner in a race. That is incredible.” Continue clapping until he goes away. Or two, be blunt. Tell him his behavior is obnoxious and it needs to stop. Harsh? Maybe. But sometimes “harsh” is the only way to…

Faith Russell Defying expectations Russell was born with spina bifida and was never expected to walk. Today, the 9-year-old rides bikes, practices gymnastics, and does 5Ks. She’s crossed 13 finish lines since taking up the sport last year. “I want to show kids that they can reach their goals,” says the fourth-grader from Maryville, Tennessee. Russell lacks feeling in her feet, so she wears ankle braces and walks most of the 3.1-mile distance. But she sprints the final meters of each race. In September, her family will host the Team Faith Race for One Less 5K. —MEGAN HETZEL Brendan Brustad Honoring victims one mile at a time Over six days in May, Staff Sergeant Brustad, 29, ran 161 miles inside Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. His goal was to…

How much do you have to run if you work at Runner’s World? The truth is, we have a wide range of ability, desire, and commitment. Art Director Erin Benner (pink top) is targeting a sub-5:45 mile, which we know she can nail with smart training and a perfect race day. Executive Editor Tish Hamilton heads this month to the National Senior Games to run a 5K with her mother (age 87) and sister (65). Gear Editor Bryan Boyle, who recently relocated to RW HQ from the mountains of Denver (see his full beard), logs 60-plus miles per week, preferably on trails. And Associate Digital Editor Brian Dalek hopes to run a Boston-qualifying marathon while he trains his fiancée, whom he met on a group run, for her first 26.2.…

Tips for beginners from an easygoing coach Summer’s blooming flowers, ample daylight, and abundance of other people out exercising make it a wonderful running season. However, sunshine and heat can be uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous for athletes. Here are some common challenges you may encounter in the coming months. Learn to deal with them to run strong—and safe—all summer long. I get thirsty while I run. Plan routes that pass water fountains, stash some bottles before your run, or bring your own H2O. Several companies make products to help you tote water; ask a salesperson at your local running store which option is best for you, given how long you usually run. My sweaty clothing rubs my skin raw. If you wear cotton, try clothing made of sweat-wicking materials…

YOU MAY NOT LOVE GETTING UP EARLY, but mornings are often the best time to run— especially during the summer. And since races usually start in the a.m., most runners have to run early, at least once in a while. But it can be hard to fuel up properly: Pack in too much and you’ll risk stomach problems. Eat too little and you could bonk a few miles in. “You’ve been fasting and dehydrating all night,” says Kate Davis, M.S., R.D., sports dietitian and owner of RD Kate Sports Nutrition in Naperville, Illinois. “It’s important to find some way to replenish before doing anything that requires a lot of energy.” How exactly you do that depends on a few things: how much time you have, how long you plan to…

DOWNLOAD BLIPPAR TO ACCESS EXCLUSIVE CONTANT IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT lower leg pain is a common complaint of the runners I treat when you consider the key role these muscles, tendons, and bones play in running. The calf and Achilles tendon work together to generate the force that pushes you off the ground with each step. All while the shin bone helps to absorb and dissipate the impact of every footfall. When these areas are weak, tight, or overworked, they become vulnerable to injury. Here’s how to keep them in top shape. 1234 CALF STRAIN What’s Going On? This occurs when tight or weak gastrocnemius or soleus muscles aren’t ready for the explosive effort required to push your body off the ground. TREAT IT Don’t run. Ice for 15 minutes…

T Atlanta coach Carl Leivers developed this plan to teach your body to perform when tired. Your base should be 3 to 5 miles, 3 to 4 times a week for 3 months. START TRAI NING CHICAGO 9/27 START TRAINING 7/6 RW FESTIVAL BETHLEHEM, PA 10/18 START TRAINING 7/27 ROCK ’N’ ROLL PHILADELPHIA 10/31 ST ART TRAINING 8/10 DISNEY WINE & DINE ORLANDO , FL 11/7 ST ART TRAINING 8/17 ROCK ’N’ ROLL SAVANNAH, GA 11/7 START TRAINING 8/17 DISNEY AV ENGERS ANAHEIM , CA 11/15 START TRAINING 8/24 ROCK ’N’ ROLL SAN ANTONIO 12/6 ST ART TRAINING 9/14 KEY REST Don’t run—if you like to cross-train, keep it low-impact. EASY A relaxed pace slow enough for conversations with friends. STRIDES These 10- to 15-second postrun pickups help you practice…

“PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY TO ME, ‘ANYONE WHO RUNS AS MUCH AS YOU DO DESERVES TO BE SKINNY.’ OF COURSE, WHAT THEY’RE REALLY SAYING: ‘IF YOU DO ALL THIS RUNNING, WHY ARE YOU STILL SO FAT?’” Mirna Valerio climbs out of her car at Black Rock Lake. It’s a shining afternoon in early April in the high country of northeastern Georgia, along the eastern reach of the Appalachian Mountains. The serviceberry trees are budding on the hogback hills, but the oak trees and other hardwoods remain bare. Early that morning, before dawn, Valerio had led a three-mile group run around the campus of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in the nearby town of Rabun Gap, where she serves as Spanish teacher, choir director, and head coach of the cross-country team. She’s about to…

GET STRONG INSIDE Do 3 sets of 15 reps of each, says Spartan coach Yancy Culp. LATERAL PULLD OWNS (1) Sit down at the lat cable station and secure your thighs under the knee cushion. (2) Grasp a straight bar attachment with your hands shoulderwidth apart, palms facing down. Your arms should be extended overhead. (3) Keeping your back straight, bring the bar down until it lightly touches the top of your chest, trying to keep your shoulder blades together. (4) With control, release and return the bar overhead. STANDING CABLE ROW (1) Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. (2) Grasp the bar with your palms facing down, hands slightly wider than shoulder width. (3) Starting with the bar resting at midthigh, exhale and raise it up to…

Lisa Dorfman explains how to hydrate on hot race days How much should I drink midrace in the summer? One to two ounces every 20 minutes— about one big gulp of fluid. If it’s sweltering, I’d drink a gulp every mile. But just like eating before a race—where you should feel satisfied but not full—drink liquids in moderation. It shouldn’t feel like a washing machine in your stomach. What is the ideal balance of water and sports drink midrace? If your race lasts less than an hour, you don’t need calories midrace. In longer races, sip a sports drink or gel at every other water station, and always wash it down with water. Your body can process only about a gram of sugar per minute: Too much can overwhelm your…

THIS MONTH, I would like to humbly but enthusiastically suggest that you get someone running. Could be anyone. Do it for his or her sake but also for your own. It’s a cool feeling to get newbies started, support them along the way, answer all their wide-eyed questions, run with them when possible, and marvel down the road at how much better their health, fitness, and lives are because of it. David Tratner is RW’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications. I can’t claim to have gotten him started, but I was with him during his first “real” run in 2010 and lately have been advising him as he’s gotten serious after a couple years of false starts. As part of our Get Someone Running Challenge, I asked David to reflect…

31, ENTREPRENEUR IN BROOKLYN “I try to keep things easy—I wear clothes that fit well and are somewhat on-trend without thinking too much about it,” says Sands, the cofounder of Grady’s Cold Brew, an iced coffee concentrate brewed and bottled in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Sands isn’t a competitive runner. But he’s dogged and consistent, logging four to six miles three to four days a week, plus a weekend eight- to 12-miler. “On shorter runs, I try to run the opening and closing miles at a 7:30- to 8:00-mile pace, and the middle miles in the 6s. I used to get in the 5s, but I’m 31 now, and the wheels aren’t what they used to be.” Sounds plenty fast, but might we suggest more caffeine?…

Alan Webb was once considered one of the most talented track athletes in history. In 2001, he set the American high-school mile record (3:53.43), and in 2007, he set the national mile record (3:46.91). But due to chronic injuries and plateauing race times, Webb decided to take his career in a new direction. The 32-year-old dad now has his sights on making the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. Here’s what he’s learned about mastering two new sports. —Nick Weldon TRAIN SMART “Triathletes are less prone to overuse injuries. But training can still wear you down. I got sick before a race in Abu Dhabi. Learn your limits.” GET A BIKE FITTING “A proper fit has a big impact on efficiecy—you want the most power using the least energy.” DOUBLE UP “Brick…

It was a cool fall evening around 10 o’clock, and I was slogging through a threemile loop, not yet back to form after a long hiatus from running. I had blamed the break on my busy job and the demands of raising a young daughter, but in reality I’d stopped because my jogs became too sporadic to do me any good. Lacing up my New Balances began to feel like a chore, so I put them away. But as any lifelong runner knows, you can only avoid the road or trail for so long. Running gets under your skin and becomes a basic need. On that night in October, I needed it more than I knew. ¶ About a mile in, I turned onto a partially wooded residential street overlooking…

YOU KNOW the often-touted benefits of running partners: They expect you to show up, they provide camaraderie and conversation, and they cheer you on. But exercising with other athletes offers benefits beyond accountability and support. Join one (or all) of these four group activities to run stronger, become speedier, and have more fun. JOIN A group workout TO GET Faster When you pace alongside others, you tend to go faster than you do alone. This phenomenon is known as “social facilitation,” and the fitness it builds is responsible for countless personal bests. “Training with others is a smart way to boost your speed,” says Dean Hebert, a running coach and mental-training expert in Arizona. “Pushing ourselves is hard, so it helps to say, ‘I’ll just stay with this person.’ ”…

TRAINING ADVICE FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE A week before his legendary race, Roger Bannister ran a three-quarter-mile time trial: “I felt that 2:59.9 for the three-quarter mile in a solo training run meant 3:59.9 in a mile race,” he recalled. He ran exactly 2:59.9, giving him the confidence he needed to break four minutes. While coaches often warn their runners not to race in practice to avoid burnout, an occasional all-out time trial can be useful as a mental boost, a training stimulus, or a reality check. Here are three ways to try it yourself: DRESS REHEARSAL Racing at PR pace is a trip into the unknown, but a well-executed time trial blazes a path for most of the route. Simulate race conditions: Wear racing shoes and clothes, run at the…

NUTRITION ADVICE FOR HEALTHY, HUNGRY RUNNERS TOMATO-PAPAYA REFRESHER This combo is rich in vitamin C, which helps promote healthy cartilage, and potassium, a key electrolyte. 1 cup tomato juice 3 papaya nectar ice cubes (see “Nice Ice,” below) 3 slices seeded jalapeño 1 wedge lime 1 wedge lemon 1 stalk celery with leaves In a glass jar, pour the tomato juice over the nectar ice cubes. Add jalapeño and squeeze in lime and lemon. Stir with the celery. TART CHERRY JUICE AND LIME Tart cherry juice supplies a wealth of antioxidants that help stave off soreness and boost recovery after hard runs. 2 lime ice cubes 1 cup tart cherry juice 1 sprig mint In a tall glass, add the lime juice ice cubes and cherry juice. Garnish with the…

YOU LOVE RUNNING. And when your sport of choice involves the great outdoors, fresh air, and cruisin’ down the road, you don’t want to be stuck inside doing strength exercises. I get that. I’m a runner, too. But I also want to run for the rest of my life. So I strength-train two or three times a week. Running can create muscle imbalances or accentuate ones you already have. Weak calves, for example, can put too much stress on the Achilles and break down the fibers that make up the tendon. Instable hip and core muscles hurt your biomechanics and overload your shins, which can lead to shin splints and stress fractures. Do these exercises twice a week— daily if you have had shin, calf, or Achilles issues in the…

Recovery between races hinges on what you take in before, during, and afterward, says Kate Davis, M.S., a board-certified sports dietitian at RD Kate Sports Nutrition in Naperville, Illinois. “Anytime you’re asking your body to compete for multiple days, you want to stay on top of the calories you’re going to be burning,” she says. RACE-WEEK PLAN EAT Protein Provides the building blocks for muscle repair. Choose lean options like chicken and fish or low-fat dairy. Carbohydrates Fuel endurance performance. Your muscles can store enough for about a 90-minute effort; if your half marathon will take longer, consume extra before and during the race. Fruits, veggies, whole grains Provide carbs along with vitamins and minerals that boost your immune system and fight muscle damage. Healthy fats Unsaturated fats in nuts,…

“I AM A SPARTAN!” People around me yell this every time a hype man on the PA asks, “Who am I?” in the final moments before the official start of the 11:30 a.m. wave of the “Montreal” Spartan Race, which I put in quotes because the race location isn’t actually anywhere near Montreal. In fact, we are two hours north of that city, on a remote section of the Mont Tremblant ski resort, clustered under an arch on a warm day that’s getting warmer by the minute, as the morning’s clouds burn away, giving the sun full purchase to scorch those among us who forgot to apply sunblock. Me, for instance. And then my first Spartan Race begins with a brisk hike, just me and a couple hundred mostly French-Canadians…

A self-described jack-of-alltrades athlete, Amelia Boone (this month’s cover subject) came onto the OCR scene almost by accident when a coworker talked her into a Tough Mudder in 2011. In December that same year, she signed up for the World’s Toughest Mudder, a 24-hour race, and placed second among women. She went on to win that race in 2012 and 2014 and was named The Spartan World Champion in 2013. “OCRs got me hooked on running trails and mountains,” she says. “I’m good at climbing and running steep inclines, and powering through altitude changes.” Now a Reebok Spartan elite athlete, the Chicago-based corporate attorney, 31, recently added ultrarunning to her repertoire. “Before I started doing obstacle races, I ran to keep in shape,” Boone says, “but I didn’t feel the…

During his 28-year NASA career, Swanson (shown here at the Johnson Space Center in Houston) has spent 195 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes in space, traveled 83 million miles, and walked in space five times. I DIDN’T RUN much in high school, but afterward, my dad was getting into it. I started to stay in shape and spend time with him. GETTING OUT on trails helped me enjoy running. I like hiking, so when I put the two together, I realized I could go for hours. I wasn’t good at it at first, and I’m still not that fast, but I’m happy. I’VE FINISHED the 52-mile Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run in Sheridan, Wyoming, three times. You’re taken to the other side of the mountain range and then…