Table of contents for October 2017 in Runner's World

Nothing puts the kibosh on a runner’s high more than a midrun cramp, stitch, or other sudden ache. Though this can happen on any outing, it tends to be more common on race day, especially if you cling stubbornly to your race plan regardless of your training, the weather, the terrain, or your body’s current state, says Mary-Katherine Fleming, a Denverbased running coach. If one of those pains strikes, pull off to the side of the course and try one of these easy fixes. (Attempting to push on through a problem could lead to injury—so don’t do it!) If the issue persists or worsens, stop running and head to a medical tent. Upper-Back Tightness What it feels like:Tightness between the shoulder blades Why it happens:This kind of pain is linked…

When the figure in a blue, skintight bodysuit and tinted ski goggles appears in left field between innings at Atlanta Braves home games, the crowd stands up and even opposing pitchers exit the bull pen to witness, perhaps, the greatest on-field action in the MLB this season (besides the baseball, of course). A fan waiting in the dirt next to the besuited figure sprints when signaled. The figure waits more than five seconds before bolting—closing the cavernous gap in a scene straight from a Road Runner cartoon. If the fan wins the roughly 175-meter race to the opposing foul pole, they earn a RaceTrac convenience store gift card. Despite the generous head start, they rarely do. While inside the suit, the figure is called The Freeze—a marketing promo to sell…

As far back as I can remember, I hated runners. Not running— running was fine, it was fun, it was what my dad did every morning. But runners? They were jocks. They were disciplined, had coaches, wore skimpy outfits. They were—blech—athletes. Me? In high school, I was an asthmatic, four-eyed, smart-aleck skateboarder. The cultural chasm between us could not be bridged. Then, in my mid-20s, I started running to stay in shape. I’d leave my Brooklyn apartment in a singlet, my sensitive bits slathered in antichafing schmutz, an interval workout on my mind. Except… Except that when I looked around at members of running clubs in New York (and around the country), I did not see myself—a nerdy punk-ass skater. I saw the clean-cut, hyperorganized, mainstream athletes I’d always resented.…

It doesn’t matter whether your race is just over three miles or a whopping 26.2—every runner craves that triumphant, arms-in-the-air photo finish. (Because looking like a slumped-over hot mess ain’t cute.) If only a grand finale were as easy as a quick arm toss: “Runners often have a lot of misconceptions about what it takes to finish strong—it involves planning, proper pacing, and some surreal mental and physical fortitude to keep going when your body wants to slow down,” says Ryan Warrenburg, head coach for ZAP Fitness Coaching in North Carolina. And while a lot has to go right to feel good at the end of a race, it only takes a few missteps (sometimes in the first few minutes or miles) to throw your body and brain off track,…

Runner Ashley Taylor The Experience Curving along the coastline—across the bay from downtown Tampa—the mile-and-a-half road through Safety Harbor’s Philippe Park is protected by looming citrus fruit branches. “The way the trees intertwine is just beautiful,” Taylor says. “It reminds me why I love running in Florida.” Historic Setting Take a midrun detour in the park to hike up the ceremonial Safety Harbor Site Indian mound—used by the Tocobaga tribe when Spanish settlers arrived to the region in the 16th century—for sweeping views of the bay. Local Fare The Green Market Café, 4.9 miles north of the park, offers plenty of organic fueling options. After a few coastline miles, Taylor is partial to their turkey melt on organic multigrain bread. Race Nearby St. Pete Run Fest Half Marathon November 19,…

GEAR Do I need to break in new shoes before racing in them? If you have been donning the same shoe brand and style for years, you probably won’t have any problem running a race in a pair that’s fresh out of the box. You know what works for you. On race day, you want a shoe where there won’t be any “surprises,” meaning no blisters, no rubbing, no pain. However, it’s always wise to run a few workouts in a new pair. For longer races, like a half or full marathon, always do a few long runs in a new pair, just to make sure you won’t encounter any problems on the course. NIKKI REITER, biomechanist and coach with the Run SMART Project TRAINING Why should I bother working…

After Josh LaJaunie dropped 230 pounds through running and a plant-based diet, completed his first ultramarathon, and appeared on the December 2016 cover of Runner’s World, he met hordes of self-avowed country boys, like himself, who also wanted to escape morbid obesity. To unite the community, the 39-year-old from Thibodaux, Louisiana, cofounded a secret Facebook group dubbed the “Missing Chins Run Club.” Its 52 members keep posts private to encourage candid, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. “This is the place to talk about why your stretch marks itch like hell,” LaJaunie says. “It’s a beautiful thing to be able to give these beer-drinking, back-slapping men an avenue to health and happiness.” The blunt advice and support have spurred the group to lose, in total, more than 4,000 pounds. Meet four members— each…

Pop quiz: You’ve agreed to lead a Sunday-morning group run for a buddy, even though you’ve been sick for a week with “GI distress.” You wake up feeling no better, sit on the toilet, and, after finishing, stand up to see blood. Hmm. ¶ Do you: (A) text your buddy, explain the situation, and apologize for having to bail; (B) drive to the group run, explain the situation, and apologize for not being able to join them; or (C) drink a glass of water, drive to the group run, and do six and a half miles? ¶ This really happened to me recently, and I chose (C). What was I thinking? (Was I thinking?) Did I decide to run because I was in denial? Or because I didn’t want to…

IT’S 6:30 A.M. ON A HAZY MAY MORNING IN DIEPSLOOT, A RUNDOWN TOWNSHIP IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA. As the sun crests over the horizon, casting a pink glow over the low-slung fog and cooking fire smoke, Sindi Magade emerges from the slumped, one-room tin house she shares with her three children and a nephew, and starts to run. Her undulating nine-mile route will take her to the chic, gated development where she works full-time as a maid. Twice every week she traces this route in the morning, the runs forming the core of her training for the 56-mile Comrades Marathon, the world’s oldest and largest ultra, which is held in South Africa each June. Sindi, 40, jogs onto a street already thick with commuters, many of them dressed in the…

Running is more often than not a solitary pursuit, especially during predawn hours when you must peel yourself out of bed without disturbing your slumbering nonrunner spouse, slip on your Spandex and sneakers in the dark, and head outside for several solo miles. That’s been my midweek routine lately as I prep for the Chicago Marathon, my sixth 26.2 but first in the Windy City. But even during these long runs by myself, I rarely feel lonely. That’s because I know that, as a runner, I’m part of a large collective. Even as we each chase our own individual goals and push past personal limits, we share universal connections— something I’m reminded of each time I whiz past another runner in my neighborhood and we exchange the slightest nod or…

Rebekah Mayer completed her first marathon in a speedy three hours and 14 minutes. Still, she hesitated to claim she “ran” the entire race, because she walked a bit after mile 22. Like many runners, Mayer once considered breaking stride during a distance race as an admission of defeat. “There’s this culture of ‘If you’re going to run a marathon, by God, you run the marathon,’_” says Bobby McGee, a coach in Boulder, Colorado. “Walking is seen as a sign of weakness.” But McGee and Mayer (who’s now national training manager for Life Time Run)— along with Runner’s World columnist Jeff Galloway—are among a growing number of coaches who advise even experienced runners to consider the run-walk approach, especially for half and full marathons. Brief respites from race pace can…

What’s the best way to find new running buddies in a rural town? MATT T., DISPATCH, KANSAS Having grown up in a small community ourselves, we were curious about just how rural yours is. Population data for Dispatch isn’t available, but we learned that it’s in Smith County—which has a total population of 3,700. So yes, definitely rural. In a town as small as yours, you’re likely dealing with folks who don’t run much, if at all. They’ll feel unsure and maybe even a bit intimidated by the very idea. Running with other beginners, though? That’s a dif- ferent story. If I were you, then, I’d try organizing a weekly gettogether explicitly for those just starting out. Promise short distances, easy paces, and zero judgment. Cold beer afterward wouldn’t hurt,…

Standing on the roadside at mile 25 of Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, my son was concerned. As I shuffled past in a cramped facsimile of my usual stride, 20 minutes later than expected, he asked my wife, “Is this normal?” ¶ A veteran of many marathon sidelines, she answered, “Yes. More often than not, this is what it looks like at the end of a marathon.” ¶ I’ve been fascinated by the distance since my first attempt as a 16-year-old, way back in 1980. That day, I’d managed a 3:23, despite hitting the wall and stumbling home in a depleted daze. Thirty-seven years since my debut, I set that first mark as my “realistic” goal for my comeback as a 53-year-old after eight years away from the distance. I…

Petzl Actik Headlamp ›› Rated at 300 max lumens, the Actik will shed plenty of light on the path ahead. We like the low-power wide beam when moving slow over trails. It’s powered by three AAA batteries or a Petzl’s Core rechargeable battery ($30). $45 Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System ›› Iodine tablets and long waits for purified water are things of the past. This 20-ounce soft flask has a microfilter that strips out almost all of the trail-side nasties in North America. Just fill it from a stream and squeeze to drink. $40 Swix Sonic X-Trail Carbon Poles ›› For extremely steep or long outings, try poles—they’ll help you power up hills without resorting to hands-on-knees form. This foldable carbon-fiber pair collapses quickly: A single button push releases the…