Runner's World December 2012

LOCATION Boardman, Oregon PHOTOGRAPH BY Woods Wheatcroft RUNNER Suzanne Hemmy Waldrup THE EXPERIENCE Open to runners just one day annually (for A Very Poplar Run 5-K/10-K on November 17), the GreenWood Tree Farm has 25,000 acres of poplars, bare and bewitching come winter. Blanketed by faded leaves, the flat terrain only enhances the forest’s uniformity. “It’s very surreal and mesmerizing,” Waldrup says. FOR DIRECTIONS AND RESOURCE INFORMATION, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN. FOR RAVE RUN IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/WALLPAPER.…

CLAIRE TRAGESER In “Social Mania” (page 77), Trageser explores runners’ growing affinity for social media. “Running is the perfect fodder for Twitter and Facebook,” she says. “Most runners don’t walk up to you and say, ‘I ran 10 miles today,’ but they’ll post it online.” JOSÉ MANDOJANA Shooting a collection of 22 real runners for “The Runner’s Body” (page 54), Mandojana set out to make each subject look heroic. “The common thread was that they are all so passionate about the life running has given them,” he says.…

LAST DECEMBER, for the first time, we dedicated most of an entire issue of Runner’s World to one of our favorite subjects: you, our readers. Judging by the tremendous number of stories submitted for that issue—and then, the overwhelming response to the ones we published—it was a roaring success. So we were excited to do it again this year. But how? Well, since last year you told us about what inspires you and how running has changed your lives, this year we decided to examine how all the sweat, blisters, hours, and miles have literally shaped you. Thus, “The Runner’s Body” (page 54) was born. Other magazines do “Body Issues,” of course—notably ESPN The Magazine— but we put our own spin on it. In keeping with The Readers Issue theme,…

DOG FIGHT As an owner of two rescue dogs, I was drawn to John Brant’s frightening article about the Garritson brothers’ run-in with pit bulls (“Don’t Go Out in Those Hills. There Are Dogs Out There.” October). When I began to read the first few paragraphs, I remember worrying that the pit bull would be portrayed as the enemy. I was relieved that wasn’t the case. As veterinarian Dr. Deborah Hofler said, “When a pit bull gets in trouble, we need to look at the individual animal and its owner, and not stereotype the entire breed.” Thank you for identifying the true issue of why this horrific incident occurred. —STEVE GOOD, Ames, Iowa As an animal advocate and an attorney, I found the article one-sided, uninformed, and meant to sensationalize…

CHILL OUT As temperatures drop, days get shorter, and free time evaporates due to holiday preparations and celebrations, your motivation to get out and run might dwindle, too. Don’t let it. Head to runnersworld.com/winter for tips on how to make the next few months of running more productive and enjoyable, and set yourself up for your fastest spring ever. VIDEO SPOTLIGHT HIT THE TREADMILL Don’t let frigid temperatures reduce your mileage. Use this treadmill workout to keep in shape when the mercury plummets. Go to runnersworld.com/wintertreadmill. THE GREATEST GIFT Can’t figure out what to buy for the runner in your life? Check out the latest shoes, gear, and apparel at runnersworld.com/giftguide. ONLINE POLL Do you use social media (like Twitter or Facebook) to tell people about your runs? Yes, nearly…

SAM FOX SPED down the craggy trail alongside Alex Flynn, fresh off an ascent of 14,496-foot Mount Whitney. The men were on a dual mission this warm September day: to climb the Lower 48’s highest peak and to raise money for a charity close to their hearts. For Fox, Flynn’s junior by 15 years but the veteran here, the run was not just a chance to champion a cause—Parkinson’s—but also a homecoming of sorts. Fox, 25, joined Flynn as an outreach and engagement officer for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. A year earlier, though, he was grinding through 42-mile days on the nearby Pacific Crest Trail in a solo attempt to run the Canada-to-Mexico route in a record 60 days (the mark was 65 at the time). The record was…