Table of contents for July 2017 in Runner's World

THE LOOP THE INBOX THE WILL TO RUN I’m heartbroken for Shannon Farar-Griefer (“Should Stop. Must Stop. Can’t Stop.” May)—for her MS diagnosis and for the awful things she endured as a child. I also find it very brave that she shared her story. I am facing my own medical problems that have caused me to scale back to half marathons. On some days, I simply rejoice in a good, painfree three-mile run! SUSAN KRAUSE, VIA EMAIL GOLDEN YEARS There are a lot of older runners like me that would enjoy a monthly page featuring the “over 65” group. The cover story for May is Jordan Hasay (“She’s Going the Distance”). She is very talented—but hard to relate to as I have socks older than her. LEE KESSINGER, VIA EMAIL…

1. Sunski Makani With reliable craftsmanship and polarized lenses at unusually low prices, the new Makani also offers a fun pop of color to a classic tortoise frame. Our testers with oblong faces found the tall lenses offered great, distortion-free coverage for easy road miles. $55 2. District Vision Kaishiro Designed for dashing through urban canyons as well as in and out of tree cover on trail runs, the Kaishiro with Gray/District Black Rose lenses darkens automatically. Our tester says the aviator-style frames stayed put. $199 3. Julbo Aerolite with Zebra Light Red Lens These frameless shades weigh less than an ounce and have a free-floating rubber piece that cushions the top of your ears for long-run comfort. The lenses darken quickly and have a red tint for a relaxed…

News, Trends, and Regular Runners Doing Amazing Things When Matt Kelso, 36, ran his first marathon in 2015, he got a tattoo to commemorate the feat. the atlanta-based client manager already had a variety of body art, but he wanted something specific to celebrate his running life. the resulting wing above his left ankle was inspired by the Greek God Hermes Now an eight-time marathoner with a 3:29 PR and lots of ink both commemorative and spiritual, Kelso has become a distinctive figure in the Atlanta running scene. He trains every day, most often without a shirt in the scorching summer months along the BeltLine trail or in Piedmont Park. On July 4, he will compete in his third Peachtree Road Race 10K. –Ali NolAN “once winter passes, i stop…

On March 1 at Folly Beach in South Carolina—nicknamed “the Edge of America”—Rickey Gates shouldered his 12-pound backpack and started to run west on a five-month, 3,500- mile trek to San Francisco. The 36-year-old mountain ultrarunner from Colorado is taking his time, carrying everything he needs without support, forgoing a GPS watch, and marking a circuitous route on mostly dirt trails, small back roads, and even a stretch on a stand-up paddleboard. “I have chosen to slow things down, simplify my life, and get to know my country at a step-by-step intimacy,” Gates wrote before leaving. He’s snapping thousands of photos along the way, before an August finish. Here are some of his notes from the road and trail. —Allison PAttillo Frugal Traveler “I want this to be something that…

Key EASY Keep the pace conversational. HILLS + STRIDES Log the distance on a hilly course, or do repeats— maintaining a comfortable effort—between a mile of warmup and cooldown. Finish with six approximately 100-meter pickups (strides), gradually accelerating to about 5K effort, holding it for five to 10 seconds, and gradually decelerating. Recover fully (walking) between each. XT Easy-effort, low-impact cardio workouts like swimming, cycling, or pool running—just enough to get blood circulating (30 to 60 minutes). Totally optional. LONG Maintain a conversational pace. STRAIGHTS/CURVES + DRILLS Warm up with 2 miles of jogging to a track, followed by dynamic stretches: leg swings (side to side and front to back), walking lunges, high knees, and butt-kicks—10 reps of each on each side. Then do four laps, surging on the straightaways…

Yes! While cheese can be high in fat and calories, it’s also a good source of protein, calcium, and phosphorous for healthy bones, says Heather Mangieri, R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of Fueling Young Athletes. Blue Thanks to its funky, intense flavor, less than an ounce should do the trick, but blue cheese is fairly high in sodium—16 percent of your daily needs. Pair with caramelized onions or go classic with hot sauce. Cheddar Per ounce, it packs 115 calories, nine grams of fat, and five grams saturated fat. But full-fat dairy still trumps fat-free, which tends to be more processed. Swiss This holey cheese has a lot going for it: A oneounce slice packs eight grams of protein (more than most cheeses), 30…

But Ashley shares Reebok’s commitment to inspire change through sports and fitness. And she seizes every opportunity she can to leverage her fitness and her reach for a greater good. Last year, troubled by the news about poverty and corruption-ravaged Haiti, Ashley embarked on an ambitious mission to raise money for the Maison Fortuné Orphanage in Hinche, Haiti, which educates 300 local children. “These children have so many limits. I wanted to give them a chance at a better education,” she said. “I wanted to shine a light on how beautiful the country, culture, and people are.” For more than 72 hours in April, defying harrowing heat and illness, Ashley ran 230 miles across along the Western border of Haiti, and raised $80,000 for the orphanage. The money Ashley raised—which…

The best runners, we often hear, are black belts in the art of focus. While the rest of us are wondering if we left the kettle on, those at the front of the pack are centering their thoughts on…well, what, exactly? Being focused, on its own, isn’t necessarily helpful—your performance depends on where you focus your attention. The best way to focus depends on the context. 1 During Strength-Training Hoisting a weight seems simple, but it involves coordinating the precise movements of thousands of individual muscle fibers in the correct sequence. So once you’ve practiced an exercise enough that it becomes familiar, your best bet is to let your body run on autopilot. Instead of focusing internally, on the movements of your muscles and limbs, focus on the external consequences of…

MEN’S WOMEN’S 1. Altra Escalante With a knit upper and an all-new bouncy midsole compound, the Escalante offers a responsive, go-fast sensation while training. For everyday wear, the sleek aesthetic reduces the sometimes shocking appearance of a roomy toebox that offers comfort for tired feet. $130 2. Adidas Ultraboost X This women’s-only shoe has an upper that floats freely at the arch (it’s tacked to the midsole at the heel and forefoot). This allows the stretchy knit to hug your foot like a sock. The extra soft midsole is comfy whether you’re on your feet for hours during a long run or walking the streets of Paris. $180 3. Brooks Pureflow6 While the heathered fabric looks retro (making this a great pair to wear with jeans), the limited-edition model has…

Police use Fitbit data as evidence to charge a Connecticut man with the murder of his wife—noting that the device recorded her movements for about an hour after the husband claimed she had been killed by an unknown intruder. Canadian Olympic racewalker Evan Dunfee places 133rd overall in the 2017 Vancouver Marathon with a time of 3:10:34, making news for doing what racewalkers do—walking outrageously fast. Hours after his historic 2:00:25 marathon during Nike’s Breaking2 attempt, Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge deejays his own celebration party. Red Bull TV releases a 40-minute documentary titled Made to Be Broken, which follows ultrarunner Karl Meltzer’s epic 2,188-mile quest last summer to better the Appalachian Trail through-hike record. Young adult–fiction author John Green completes his first-ever 10K to cap off his “100 Days”…

1 ULTIMATE BEEF BURGERS Makes 4 (Pictured on previous page) 6 slices bacon 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 Tbsp. sriracha canola oil, for the grill 4 slices (¹⁄2" thick) sweet onion 1 1/2 lb. ground beef chuck or sirloin 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 4 slices (1 oz. each) sharp cheddar cheese 4 kaiser buns, sliced 16 dill pickle slices 4 tomato slices 4 leaves Boston or Bibb lettuce Place bacon slices in a large skillet. Cook over medium, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Let cool slightly, then break in half. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and sriracha. Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Brush grates with oil. Add onion and cook, flipping halfway through,…

Amy Frohnmayer, graduate student, practitioner of Western psychology and Eastern contemplative disciplines, seeker, sufferer, healer, daughter, sister, friend, and ardent celebrant of the daily sacrament of distance running, met Alex Winn in a manner emblematic of her deeply lived, determinedly happy, tragically abbreviated life. Early on the evening of November 1, 2013, Amy stopped at her favorite Thai restaurant in Bend, Oregon, to pick up dinner. There was an air of novelty to the early darkness, an edge of heightened awareness in people’s faces, that Amy might have found stimulating. She made a point of paying attention to small details and ordinary moments that others took for granted. Back in college at Stanford University, for instance, she had written a letter to her father describing a cloud formation in the…

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE of my monster month of training, bone-tired, with a 20-miler on deck in less than 36 hours, so staying up until 2 a.m. was out of the question. For what had to be the first time in my life, I set my alarm for 11:25 p.m. As promised, I nudged my 12-yearold son awake, careful not to rouse his 8-year-old brother. The two of us went downstairs to the family room and called up the Twitter feed on my laptop just in time to catch the end of the prerace commentary from Italy, six hours ahead. I expected him to fall asleep before the runners had finished the first 5K, but he didn’t. Nor did I. We were riveted. Thousands of others were, too. Judging…

when most runners think “yoga,” they likely imagine an active practice: forward fold into upward-facing dog into downward-facing dog, and so on. these better-known types of yoga—including flow, power, and hot varieties—build strength, balance, and range of motion in a way running does not. these classes appeal to runners because you feel like you’re working out. yin yoga, on the other hand, involves holding gentle poses for up to 10 (!) minutes. remaining still for that long is hard—especially for runners— but relaxing into these poses promotes joint mobility and prevents degeneration. Plus, the inward focus developed through yin yoga can help you better tolerate discomfort and keep calm in the face of adversity—skills that carry over into running. to practice, come into a pose and go to the “first…

Most of the 725,000 attendees at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on January 21 arrived to the National Mall by plane, train, or car. But among the masses, four New York City–based friends completed portions of the 245 miles on foot. Calling the trek “Run4AllWomen,” they rotated between running and riding in a support van over three days. Along the way, thousands joined them for sections of the route, helping to raise more than $100,000 for Planned Parenthood. “This entire experience has shown me the power of an idea,” says Alison Mariella Désir, a creator of the run and founder of the club Harlem Run. Here’s why the four running activists laced up to spread their message. —danielle Zickl 1. Talisa Hayes, 36, Harlem profession Personal trainer ran 35…

The secrets to a breakthrough race may lie in unexpected places. Sure, most runners dissect their long runs, interval workouts, and nutrition, but the best runners look beyond those metrics to reach their full potential. That was the key takeaway from researching and reporting our new book, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success. Although one of us (Steve) coaches pros who have been on the cover of this magazine (like Neely Spence Gracey) and the other (Brad) writes about sports science, we discovered novel ways to optimize athletic performance by interviewing worldclass artists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and musicians. By looking outside of running— and studying not only physiology but also psychology, sociology, and even philosophy—we uncovered powerful strategies that can help all…

Whole-grain or whole-wheat options are healthiest, but you can certainly indulge once in awhile. Brioche A brioche bun is light and fluffy, thanks to its eggs and butter; a four-ounce bun has 14 grams of fat. An indulgent choice? Yep. Should that stop you? Nah. Pairs perfectly with delicate patties like salmon. Ciabatta and Kaiser Hold up well under the messiest burgers. Ciabatta will really help you carb-load, with 54 grams per 3.5 ounces. Kaiser has 34 grams. Gluten-Free Many gluten-free brands are made with a variety of whole grains, like brown rice and sorghum. Onion A softer bun with great texture, it’s also one of the more flavorful options, thanks to its onion flecks. Goes well with a veggie burger. Potato Made from refined flours, these lose a lot…

I first laced up for a serious run the day I found out my ex-wife [Shanna Moakler] was pregnant with our son, Landon. I came home from the doctor’s office and ran to the freeway, which was four miles away. I’d never really run for fun before, but I did it every day until he was born. I was going to be responsible for someone and be a role model. That was the beginning of being in shape. When I got in that plane crash [in 2008], 65 percent of my body was burned and my right foot was almost amputated. Doctors told me, “You will probably never run again. You may not play drums again.” The minute they said that, those became challenges for me. Once I taught myself…