Indice dei contenuti per February 2014 in Runner's World

LOCATION West Maui Forest Reserve, Maui, Hawaii PHOTOGRAPH BY Dan Galic RUNNER Renatta Geissinger THE EXPERIENCE The Waihee Ridge Trail mixes flat stretches with steep climbs for a 1,500-foot ascent through a guava thicket and lush forest. “Low-lying clouds blanketed the valley, but I was still able to catch a view of the Pacific Ocean,” Geissinger says of the five-mile out-and-back route. “It’s a beautiful, peaceful place to run.” FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN.…

Last February, I was involved in a motorcycle accident. The bike washed out in a right turn and hit an oncoming SUV. My boyfriend was thrown from the bike while I was pinned between the car and the bike. I was in surgery for seven hours and spent five months in the hospital. I had multiple broken bones, a lacerated liver, and brain bleeding; my spleen and left kidney were removed; and I was on 24-hour kidney dialysis. An infection, which was rapidly taking over my body, meant my left leg had to be removed at my hip and my right one below the knee. I was given a one percent chance of survival. After I was released from rehab, my nurse sent me a magazine article. It was “Andre…

DEAR MILES, Is it bad etiquette to wear your race medal to work the day after a marathon? —@TIMMBR, via Twitter It’s fine to wear your medal to the office the day after your race. Just be careful when using the paper shredder. DEAR MILES, At a park where I run, groups of people take up the width of the running path, like a wall. How do I get around them? —DANIEL T., Bangkok, Thailand Options abound, Daniel. You could leap over the wall of runners. You could run up just inches behind them, literally breathing down their necks until they get uncomfortable enough to step aside. You could procure a cartoonishly large ball, roll it toward them, and watch them clatter like bowling pins. Or you could just plow…

TRACK-STARS-TURNED-BOBSLEDDERS Lolo Jones and Lauryn Williams aren’t the only runners aiming to compete in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. These Olympic hopefuls also consider running a valuable training tool to get them in peak, medal-contention shape.—LAUREN BRADFORD Susan Dunklee, 27 BIATHLON (SKIING AND RIFLE SHOOTING), Barton, Vermont Multitasking “During a race, I ski into the shooting range with a heart rate around 180 BPM, and I need to be able to shoot under that type of stress. I can simulate those conditions in workouts by doing mile repeats before I shoot.” Brain Training “In a ski race, you can tuck down a hill and recover for a bit; in a running race, you work hard at all times, which builds mental toughness.” Rave Run “I like getting into a…

Practice taking one or two steps at a time to see which way allows you to maintain a faster pace. Use the railings to pull yourself up: If your arms are long enough, grab the railings on both sides. Otherwise, use both hands on one railing, pulling up hand over hand to distribute the effort between both of your arms. Try chewing gum to prevent dry mouth in stuffy stairwells. (The stairs in many tall buildings tend to get very little foot traffic; some are used only during fire drills.)…

A FEW YEARS AGO, researchers in Taiwan recruited volunteers for what they were told was health-related product testing. Their first task was to take a pill and rate its texture and color; half were told it was a multivitamin, while the other half were told it was a placebo (which it was). During the next tests, the groups acted dramatically differently. When asked to test a pedometer, those who thought they’d taken a vitamin were more likely to walk a shorter route; at lunch, they chose less healthy food. In a survey, they expressed greater feelings of invulnerability and less desire to exercise. What does this have to do with running? Racing your best demands that you coordinate countless details of training and lifestyle—long runs, intervals, sleep, nutrition, and so…

FROM LEFTOVER HOLIDAY COOKIES to Valentine’s Day chocolates, sweets everywhere tempt even the most strongwilled runner. But you don’t have to bypass every dessert for the sake of your running. With the right ingredients, you can turn sugar-and fat-laden “goodies” into good-for-you recipes. Whole-grain flours, nuts, and natural sweeteners are key when making healthier desserts, says Rebecca Scritchfield, R.D., who specializes in weight-loss management. These indulgences taste decadent but pack tons of runner-friendly nutrients. CARROT-DATE CUPCAKES Instead of using all-purpose flour (which contains few nutrients), this cake relies on whole-wheat pastry flour—it’s made from a soft whole-grain wheat and bakes up lighter cakes compared with traditional whole wheat. Dates replace processed sugar and add potassium. “Runners need potassium for muscle contractions and to regulate your heartbeat,” says Scritchfield. Carrots add…

Cinnamon Get the Facts Cinnamon’s sweet, warming flavor makes it a perfect winter spice. Some studies show it may play a role in helping prevent or treat diabetes by boosting the effect of insulin, which regulates blood sugar, but the findings are inconclusive. Researchers do know it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Get the Best Most of the cinnamon sold in the U.S. is actually a cinnamon relative called cassia. It’s a less expensive alternative to Ceylon, or “true cinnamon,” which is harder to find (look for it at specialty spice shops or online). Ground cassia is dark reddish and slightly bittersweet, while Ceylon is buff in color and sweeter. You can spot a Ceylon cinnamon stick because it’s made of several thin layers, while cassia sticks have just…

LET GO --> Holding on to the handrails can cause excess rotation in the lower body or increased stride width. These issues can lead to pain in the knees, shins, Achilles tendon, and iliotibial band. LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD --> Staring down at the treadmill’s display or turning your head to see a TV screen that’s off to your side can strain your neck and wreck good running posture. KEEP YOUR TOES UNDER YOUR NOSE --> Have your feet land as close to your body as possible. Overstriding (having your foot extend too far ahead of your body) creates an inefficient running form that can cause injury. WATCH YOUR STANCE --> A too-narrow stance is a common problem. Imagine a line dropping straight down from your belly button. The inside edge…

“I’M NOT HAPPY,” my husband said. He was standing in the doorway of our recently renovated master bathroom in our grand hilltop house. Our 6-year-old was downstairs parked in front of a rare unsupervised Sponge Bob-fest. It was January 23, a date I remember because it was the day before I was to begin a 16-week training plan for the Big Sur Marathon. Never mind our child, our marriage, our mortgage—what about my marathon? Pull a thread on a 20-year relationship and it’s amazing how quickly it unravels. Over the next 16 weeks, we met mediators, attorneys, real-estate agents. We staged our dream house to go on the market, divvied up belongings, chose what to divest in an estate sale, found new places to live. We broke the news to…

In 1991, Meredith Chiles was in high school in Tennessee, a top tennis player on a state championship team. But life wasn’t always a celebration. While attending a national tournament, Meredith was RAPED by a peer on a private tennis court. She told nobody what happened. As the years passed, she harnessed the HURT and NEGATIVE ENERGY from the incident and used it to become a standout collegiate tennis player at Vanderbilt University, where she played number-one singles and doubles. She married Walter Dolhare, whom she had met in high school and has now been with for 22 years. But something wasn’t quite right for Dolhare after college. She fell into a DESTRUCTIVE TAILSPIN, one that could not be slowed by a happy marriage, a successful career in advertising, and…

FOR AMPUTEE RUNNERS, running blades are no longer bulky, heavy, false feet. Leading prosthesis companies like Iceland-based Össur have solicited feedback from elite para-athletes to design state-of-the-art blades for weekend warriors and worldclass sprinters alike. Whether you’re sprinting 100 meters or logging 20-milers, the shape, thickness, and curve of these carbon-fiber limbs are meant to maximize forward momentum. Here’s a closer look at how they work, and how prosthetic technology has evolved from the Civil War days of the wooden peg leg. —Jason Stevenson Prosthetic models like Össur’s FLEX-RUN WITH NIKE SOLE (shown here) and the Flex-Foot Cheetah, the stiffer sprinting model worn by athletes like Oscar Pistorius, are for both below-the-knee and above-the-knee amputees and are designed exclusively for running, not everyday use. Blades are custom-designed to an athlete’s…

When police officer ERIKA AKLUFI, 37, isn’t patrolling the streets of Santa Monica, California, she’s training. She has run seven marathons (her PR is 2:50:07) and placed third (first American) at last year’s Empire State Building Run-Up. She plans to return to New York City for her fourth consecutive Run-Up on February 5 (see “Tower Aid,” page 27). Q You’ve improved your time every year you’ve done the Run-Up. How? A Just like in a running race, it helps to be familiar with the course. Modern buildings tend to be predictable, but the Empire State Building has a lot more character. At one point, you run down a hallway and change staircases. Being familiar with the timing of that has helped. Q How do you prepare for stair-climbing races? A…

FRANK BURES “I’m drawn to stories of people encountering unimaginable obstacles,” Bures says. Marko Cheseto, a Kenyan runner who lost both legs after getting lost on a run in Alaskan woods (page 76), fit the bill. “When news broke that Marko was missing, it took my thoughts to East Africa, where I lived in the 1990s,” added Bures, who is fluent in Swahili. JOE PUGLIESE A photographer who specializes in portraiture, Pugliese says that as soon as he met Marko Cheseto in Alaska, “I sensed a real honesty about him. Marko is a remarkable young man with a compelling real-life story. I didn’t have to direct him—he was just being himself.” Pugliese’s photography has also been featured in ESPN and Time. VERONIQUE DE VIGUERIE While photographing Captain Kelly Calway for…

CAPTAIN KELLY CALWAY defines Army Strong. In 2006, soon after beginning her military career, she ran her first marathon on a lark, seriously undertrained, and finished in 3:10:29. The following morning, the then 22-year-old second lieutenant shouldered a 45-pound pack and marched 16 miles in the Arizona desert as part of her Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course. “When we started out, I could barely move,” she says. “I remember tripping and having to catch all that weight with my quads. It brought tears to my eyes.” But Calway didn’t—and doesn’t—give in. Physical and mental toughness are part of the Army’s creed, and the military intelligence officer, who grew up running around military bases as an Army brat, has an abundance of both. In October, Calway, now 29, won the Marine…

Tatyana McFadden, 24, Clarksville, Maryland The first wheelchair athlete to win four major marathons (Boston, London, Chicago, NYC) in one year 1] Banner Year It’s been incredible. It’s tough getting back to school and studying after everything that just happened. 2] Wheel House I bring an everyday chair and two racing chairs. It’s like bringing an extra pair of shoes. 3] Grease Monkey At some races you have to change flat tires yourself. You learn to do it quickly. 4] Muscle Power We don’t have gears in our racing chairs. We push up those hills on our own. 5] Instant Energy! I love Airheads Xtremes sour candy. 6] Fast Hair I braid my hair for races. It’s aerodynamic. 7] Past Is Present I was born with spina bifida and lived…

3 TIPS TO TAKE IT EASY 1. Back Off the Pace Feel the need to floor it on every single run? Even if you’re feeling healthy and energized, ease up on the gas pedal on dedicated recovery days to ensure that your muscles are fully repaired for your next hard workout. 2. Start Smart If you are racing, adrenaline and fresh, tapered legs might put a little too much pep in your step after the gun fires. Holding back will help you conserve energy so you’ll be able to pick it up in the second half and finish strong. 3. Go Steady At the gym, do slower, more controlled movements to challenge your muscles and make them more resistant to injury. For five strength-building moves, see “Not So Fast,” page…

ANNIE BERSAGEL, 30, an American who resides in Oslo, Norway, became the reigning U.S. marathon champion by winning the Twin Cities Marathon in October in 2:30:52—a personal best by 13 minutes. 1. Cling to Others “Try hanging onto runners who are better than you on a long run. I did that with several Norwegian men’s national champions on a 30-K run, and it boosted my confidence.” 2. Race to Train “When you can’t find a partner for a long run, do a race. I got in shape for Twin Cities with four half-marathons—three near marathon pace and the fourth in a PR [1:12:01].” 3. Run to Work “Combine training and a commute by running to and from work, using a shower at a nearby gym. I carry the clothes I…

Q How can I run safely on snowcovered terrain? A If your route is entirely covered in snow, wear trailrunning shoes or the pair you own with the best traction, and consider adding microspikes, which slip over any shoe. Prevent slips and falls by shortening and quickening your stride so your feet land under your body. And watch out for ice—it often hides under or between patches of snow, and it’s more dangerous. You’re more likely to encounter ice on roads and sidewalks, because it tends to break up on soft, uneven surfaces like trails. While running, fix your gaze two to five yards ahead to check for shiny areas, and take it slow on fresh snow that hasn’t been shoveled, salted, or packed down—new powder can hide a slick…

Among Friends Baking Mixes Add just a couple ingredients to the whole-grain mixes for homemade-quality cookies. KIND Healthy Grains Dark Chocolate Chunk Bars Amaranth and quinoa add chewy texture, while plenty of dark chocolate hits the spot. Corazona’s Oatmeal Squares The chocolate brownie almond bar tastes indulgent but provides 5 grams of fiber. Urban Remedy Ginger Brittle Bite-sized and made with organic, raw ingredients, it packs a gingery punch. Unreal The Double One Peanut Butter Cups This candy contains no corn syrup, artificial colors, or hydrogenated oils.…

Chickpea and Cherry Frittata All runners (not just diabetics) benefit from the abundant carbs, protein, and antioxidants in this tasty dish. “It’s big and bold-flavored,” says Talbot. 8 eggs, lightly whisked 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup chopped fresh cherries or ½ cup chopped dried cherries 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup loosely packed, torn fresh mint leaves for garnish Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix the eggs, chickpeas, cherries, goat cheese, almond milk, thyme, agave nectar, and cream of tartar. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture…

RUNNERS ARE often focused on moving faster. But when it comes to strength training, slowing down can be beneficial. There are three ways to work a muscle: isometric (no movement), concentric (contracting the muscle), and eccentric (releasing the muscle). Eccentric strength training involves slowing down the release of a muscle, which puts the muscle under a different kind of stress. By challenging the muscles in this way, they get stronger and become more resistant to damage, says Juan Gonzalez, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., C.P.T., an assistant professor in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at the University of Texas–Pan American. As you do the following exercises, pay attention to pacing: One part of the movement should be done slowly.—Nicole Falcone Watch a video demo at runnersworld.com/slowstrength. 1. ONE-LEGGED SQUAT WHY Strengthens quadriceps,…

AS A KID, I always wondered what would happen to the people I knew in 20 years’ time—who would live and who would die; who would get married; who would become a dentist, a ballerina, an astronaut; who would grow bald; who would get a Great Dane. I wondered about this when I had the most time, which was usually in church. We were a big family that took up most of the pew, which meant we usually had to sit in the front to find one open. That put us first in line for communion and left us on our knees the longest while the rest of the congregation filed past. I’d close my eyes and fold my hands to pray, but after I exhausted every conceivable version of…

THE HALF-MARATHON may be the perfect destination race. Running 13.1 miles is a travel-worthy goal that earns you a medal to wear proudly. But it doesn’t wreck you like a marathon can, so you’ll have energy to enjoy your postrace brunch and a little sightseeing. Which is just one of the many reasons halfmarathon participation is at an all-time high, according to Running USA, a nonprofit that tracks race participation. Since 2000, the number of halfmarathon finishers almost quadrupled to 1,850,000 in 2012. Sixty percent of those finishers are female, and many are out racing for an experience first and a PR second. “The half-marathon is that great distance where it’s something really big to train for, but it’s attainable,” says Tracy Yoder, the statistics and research director for Running…

IF YOU RUN BEFORE WORK OR AFTER, winter can mean a lot of miles in the dark. The items on these pages will ensure that you’re able to see where you’re going—and that others can, too 1/SKECHERS GORUN 2 NITE OWL ($100) skechers.com Nite Owl refers to the glowin-the-dark upper found on this version of the GOrun 2, a shoe we reviewed in our Fall 2013 Shoe Guide. The shoe is surprisingly well-cushioned, given that it weighs less than seven ounces. The teal panels glow intensely after only a short “charge” under any bright light. 2/GOMOTION SYNERGY HYDRATION LIGHTVEST ($95) gomotiongear.com This one-liter hydration backpack sports an adjustable LED light at the chest closure. Because of the placement, road and trail hazards cast longer shadows, making them more noticeable. Three…

FEBRUARY 1 Death Valley Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10-K Death Valley, California 500 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? It’s the best time of the year This flat, out-and-back route through Death Valley National Park lets you run the hottest place on earth (it once reached 134 degrees) when temps aren’t so suicidal. Race-day mercury typically hits the low 70s—all the better to enjoy the view of five mountain ranges. envirosports.com 2 Groundhog Marathon and Half-Marathon Grand Rapids, Michigan 500 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? To relive the same snowy route over, and over, and... Fans of the Bill Murray movie—or folks who don’t like late-race surprises—may enjoy running three (for the half) or six (for the full) laps of this roughly 4.4-mile paved loop (below). Plan for slick spots—Grand Rapids gets more than six…

SPIRITUAL STEPS I really appreciated your feature on Team Lifeline and the Orthodox Jews who run in the New York City Marathon (“Running on Faith,” Human Race, December). I am an Orthodox Jewish psychologist who is also a mother of five children. I have always loved running, but I just recently began racing. Running has allowed me to reach new levels of growth in my profession, in my home life, and in my spiritual aspirations. When we push ourselves to exceed our limits in running, it flows into every part of our lives, and I am grateful to Runner’s World for all of your amazing tips and inspiring features. —DEBBIE GUTFREUND Waterbury, Connecticut ON A DIFFERENT STAGE “I’m a Runner: Lisette Oropesa” in the December issue was a great article!…

ART MOVEMENT At least a dozen life-size sculptures of runners midstride will be on display in downtown historic Manchester, Connecticut, from June through November. PAVEMENT PARTY Indie music label Merge Records is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a 25-K race in North Carolina on March 22. Several Merge artists plan to race, while others will perform live. GAME FACE Francis Lawrence, director of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, says he watched Jennifer Lawrence closely to ensure she didn’t make her selfdescribed “stupid face” when she ran. JUST DESSERTS Celeb chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay completes the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 14:04:48 and says he’ll ink the achievement with “a little Ironman tattoo.” WINNING BID One of the four gold medals won by sprinting legend Jesse Owens at…

Accumulate Mega Marathon Miles JIM SIMPSON became the first American to ever tally 1,000 marathon finishes, a feat he achieved in January 2013. But why stop there? The 72-yearold retiree from Huntington Beach, California, pressed on, logging 149 more marathons between then and the end of November (press time). Simpson gets around to races via a camper, which he recently upgraded so it allows for hot postrun showers.—DEBRA WITT “I am goal oriented, and I like a challenge. I’m going to keep going as long as I can.” Run the Tour de France This past summer, ZOË ROMANO, 27, completed the Tour de France course on her own two feet. The Richmond, Virginia, Spanish tutor averaged 30 miles a day for 63 days, covering 2,022 miles of the route ahead…

IF YOU BORROW one element (besides running) from Rocky Balboa’s training regimen, make it stair-climbing. The plyometric motion strengthens the same muscles as lunges and squats, and taxes your lungs and heart as you power to the top. “Stairs force you to work against gravity, and this helps build two essential needs for runners: strength and power,” says Anne Moore, M.S., an exercise physiologist and running coach in Charleston, South Carolina. You need both, whether you’re kicking to the finish of a 5-K or trying to maintain pace during the later miles of a marathon. Moore adds that stair-climbing “forces you to utilize muscle stabilizers, like the gluteus medius, that get neglected during regular runs,” because you’re balancing on and activating one leg, briefly, as the other moves to the…

MANY NEW RUNNERS feel self-conscious about their pace. They may think they’re moving too slowly, or that they ought to be working harder. That’s simply not true. Running and/or run-walking at a comfortable pace strengthens your muscles, your lungs, and your heart, no matter what the clock says. In fact, if you’re new to running or coming back after a long layoff, it’s best to forget about time entirely and focus on starting and finishing your run feeling good, no matter how “slow” you go. WHY TAKE IT EASY? Doing your regular, weekday runs at a slow pace reduces the risk of injury dramatically while still contributing to your fitness. A weekly long, slow run will improve your endurance, enhance your fat-burning ability, improve bloodflow to your muscles, and build…

Run Plus One WHY To maintain race-readiness all winter long WHO RECOMMENDS IT Ryan Hill, 24, of Portland, Oregon, placed 10th (13:32.69) in the 2013 World Championships 5000-meter final in Moscow. In the last mile of a medium-distance easy run, alternate between 20 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy. The hard segments should feel like a sprint, the easy like a jog. “This keeps me accustomed to faster running in the off-season so the transition to spring speedwork is easier,” says Hill. WHEN IT SNOWS, 61% OF RUNNERS RUN OUTSIDE AND 18% USE THE TREADMILL, ACCORDING TO A RUNNERSWORLD.COM POLL.…

HEART DISEASE is the leading cause of death for both men and women—and your runner lifestyle doesn’t necessarily make you immune. In fact, 25 percent of heart attacks happen in people who don’t smoke and who have healthy cholesterol levels. The good news: Exercise decreases your risk, as can eating a diet rich in heart-healthy foods, such as those in the Mediterranean diet. These foods supply nutrients and antioxidants that work together, creating a synergy that protects your heart. The key is to incorporate all these foods—not just one or two—into your diet to get the most benefit. As a bonus, you’ll also get plenty of quality carbs, protein, and nutrients for top running performance. BERRIES, MANGO, CITRUS Research shows fruit-eaters have a lower risk for heart disease; load up…

TERA MOODY, 34, is coming off one of the strongest years of her racing career. In 2013, she set personal bests in the 8-K, 10-mile, and 25-K distances and tied her 5-K PR. Her secret weapon: the treadmill. “It’s been absolutely huge,” says Moody, a 2:30 marathoner in Boulder, Colorado, who placed fifth in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. Moody, who suffers from insomnia, is typically up by 4 a.m. “That’s when I’m wide awake, have the most energy, and feel like going. I don’t want to run outside in the dark—that kind of scares me—so the treadmill is a good tool.” She says the machine also toughens up her mind: “It’s a good mental challenge to keep going when you could just press stop.” To be sure, the treadmill…

TALK ABOUT A CATCH-22: Research shows that your body is primed to perform its best late in the afternoon and early evening because that’s when your core body temperature peaks. Yet research also shows that willpower wanes as the day goes on—levels of the hormone cortisol, which helps your body get energy from the foods you eat, drop throughout the day. So while your muscles might be running-ready, your unmotivated brain might talk you into bagging your workout. If afternoon or evening is your window of opportunity to run, these science-based strategies can help you get out the door.—Deb Dellapena REFUEL Low blood sugar levels can leave you feeling weak, unfocused, and in no mood for a tempo run. If you’re a midday or evening runner, and the last bite…

TAKE A MOMENT TO ASSESS YOURSELF. Is your neck bent toward the page (or the screen)? Are your shoulders hunched? If your first-grade teacher could see you now, would she tell you to sit up straight? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Most of us tend to slump our heads forward and round our shoulders. When we stand—and run—we have even more problems: Runners often have strong quads and weaker hamstrings and glutes, and this imbalance can pull the pelvis forward to create a “butt out” look. If your posture is faulty, your running suffers. Healthy posture, whether you’re standing in line or racing a marathon, maximizes power in big muscles, like the gluteals and obliques, and allows your organs to work better—including the lungs. Being more upright opens…

THE SOUNDS OF THE CITY GROW FAINT. The air smells of pine, and the wind whispers through the branches. The Alaska Pacific University Trail is rough with rocks, and Marko Cheseto struggles for balance as he runs. Looking for even patches in the dirt, he chooses his steps carefully. Each one is a decision. Once, when he had feet, he flew through these woods. He flew through them faster than anyone ever had. Cheseto, 30, remembers how things once felt beneath those feet: the light touch of the track, the roll of the trails, the give of the red earth he grew up running on. He remembers how far those feet carried him—from a tiny village in the Kenyan Highlands across the world to Alaska and a new life as…

MIST HUNG IN THE AIR as I toed the starting line of the Seroogy’s Valentine Run 15-K, my husband, Ed, at my side. It was 7 degrees—colder than normal for mid-February in northeastern Wisconsin—and I was eager to race. Not just to warm up, but to finally take a good look at the city. De Pere, Wisconsin, is home to St. Norbert College, my alma mater. While I had loved the school, I’d never gotten to know the town. Without cars or bikes, my classmates and I had rarely left campus, which suited my plan to graduate summa cum laude just fine. I certainly never ran while I was there; running, indeed fitness in general, wasn’t that popular in the early 1980s. Besides, I’d despised the sport since the fourth…

Rob Delaney Comedian 37, Beverly Hills I STARTED running when I first met my wife. We worked together. One day she said, “Anyone want to go for a run?” I said, “Yop!” I could barely run an eighth of a mile. I was ashamed as hell. I FELT LIKE a real runner after finishing my first race and seeing a flyer on my car for another race and saying, I’m going to do that one, too. I’LL WRITE absurd fitness tweets when I run, about pumping iron or running up a hill in a mighty fashion, powered by my Vulcan thighs. I ONCE DID a show where the host was wearing Vibrams. My set became all about how you can’t do that. I was like, In God’s name, man, you’re…