Indice dei contenuti per December 2016 in Runner's World

32, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND Huddle plans to make her marathon debut in New York City after an epic track season: She won the U.S. outdoor track championships in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, then in Rio, she shattered the American 10,000 record (30:13.17). But what got a lot of fans talking and tweeting was her campaign for the creation of a female runner emoji. “Though it’s a lighthearted topic among gender equality issues, the request was serious,” she says. “I do love a good emoji.” —SCOTT DOUGLAS FIRST ADVENTURE “I’ve heard New York is a difficult debut. But I feel like I need to be excited about a race that long in order to commit to that level of work. And New York has that excitement.” SPEED QUEEN “Before training…

MOMENTOUS Trinity Gay, 15, a rising track star and the daughter of Olympian Tyson Gay, dies after being caught in the crossfire during a shooting at a Kentucky restaurant. A 62-year-old Florida runner becomes enraged with a 13-yearold cyclist for blocking a path and grabs him by the throat. STOP! Green Party presidential candidate (and four-time marathoner) Jill Stein tells Politico: “I assume I have the lowest blood pressure of any candidate.” When told that Hillary Clinton’s is 100/70, she responds, “Man, I would be happy to run a race with her anytime.” A Young and the Restless actor (and runner) whose character was killed off the show starts rumors that he’s returning by quoting Galen Rupp in a tweet. Virgin America launches the “First Class Shoe” with built-in wifi,…

When did it become acceptable for runners to play music on a device without earbuds— for all to hear— during a race? —Emily J., San Diego True story: Recently I was running on a forest trail in solitude and silence. Until I approached another runner and heard…Peter, Bjorn, and John? Yes. The Swedish pop trio was blaring from her tiny, tinny phone speaker. If you’re in a race, where the “audience” is dense and captive, this would be annoying, especially if there were multiple speakers playing multiple tinny songs. You could control your airspace by wearing your own earbuds and playing your own music. But if you’re like me and not keen on audio distractions at all, sadly, I’m not sure what we can do. Running with music is the…

Life can get in the way of running at any time of the year, but holidays are especially challenging. Whether you’re hosting parties and visitors from out of town or just attending get-togethers and traveling, a busy social calendar leaves less time for logging miles. If you’re struggling, make your mantra “something is better than nothing,” and try these tactics for keeping a routine intact. PLAN AHEAD If you look at your schedule, you can probably pinpoint windows during which you’re least likely to have other obligations usurp your running time. For many people, that’s first thing in the morning. If it’s before the sun rises, plan to run in a safe, well-lit area or hit the treadmill. REFRAME Think of your run not as an item on your to-do…

Yes—if you avoid comparing yourself to others. Instead, analyze what friends post. If someone shares a favorite interval routine or strength circuit, consider how it might boost your fitness. And if a friend gets hurt, their posts may clue you in to training mistakes you should avoid. —Lora Johnson is an RRCA-certified coach in Austin, Texas (crazyrunninggirl.com). Is it okay to bounce between 10 and 30 weekly miles? Avoid it if you can. Fluctuating this much puts your body on a distressing roller-coaster ride: One week you’re doing serious running—demanding a lot from your muscles, bones, and joints—and the next week you’re barely logging enough miles to stay fit. Stick to a tighter range, like 15 to 25 miles. This allows your body to adapt to the stress of higher-mileage…

SMOKY BLACK BEAN Stay full with the fiber and plant protein from black beans. TOP 1 slice whole-grain bread with mashed black beans, sliced roasted red pepper, grated smoked Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced avocado, and second bread slice. APPLE CHEDDAR Antioxidant-rich apples and omega 3–packed walnuts add crunch. TOP 1 slice whole-grain bread with thinly sliced apple, grated sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped fresh sage, chopped walnuts, and second bread slice. SALMON BEET Nitrates from beets and omega fats in salmon may improve muscle endurance. TOP 1 slice marble rye or pumpernickel bread with smoked salmon, a squeeze of lemon juice, a schmear of cream cheese, sliced roasted beets, dill, and second bread slice, coated with more cream cheese. CHICKEN FIG Roasted chicken is high in protein, and figs give you…

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, stretching won’t necessarily improve hamstring flexibility and restore range of motion. If poor alignment is to blame, your hamstrings are already in an overextended position and stretching can be counterproductive, says Mike Robertson, M.S., C.S.C.S., and co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. The first step in finding relief, he says, is to work toward achieving proper pelvic positioning, which will alleviate tension down the back of your thighs (see previous page). The second step is to strengthen your hamstrings so they can help you maintain that good alignment—while sitting, while walking, and while running. Robertson recommends the following two-day workout. Do the warmup moves to help you get good pelvic positioning first. Then do the first two strength moves on one day and the second…

“Training for a marathon is something positive to work toward.” EILEEN MOON has a tremendous amount of energy, which is a good thing, because she needs it for all the passions competing for her attention. As a cellist in the New York Philharmonic, she plays in up to four concerts per week, all of which require rehearsals and time learning the music. She’s the founder of a music series in Warwick, New York, 65 miles northeast of the city, with which she performs chamber music (more rehearsals!). She shares a house in Warwick with her #musicalexa long-time partner, Phil Myers, the Philharmonic’s principal French horn player—who often travels the world to teach and perform—and their six small dogs. Because five of the pooches are suffering from various elder-caninerelated issues (so…

DORI LIVINGSTON 53, Special Agent, State Police Austin, Texas “I’m not going to let cancer beat me.” NO ONE EVER GOES to a physical exam expecting to discover she has cancer, but for Dori Livingston, the diagnosis of stage 3 melanoma shocked both her and her doctors for two reasons: because that type of cancer is not common among people with darker skin and because it was uncommonly aggressive. She was in surgery the very next day. “They took out a good chunk of my arm,” she says. “It was pretty scary.” On the same day in 2009 that Livingston found out about her melanoma, a good friend learned of her own stage 4 breast cancer. When that friend suggested that the two run a Susan G. Komen 5K, which…

MICHAEL & DONALD HARMS 33 AND 20, SPECIAL EDUCATION TE ACHER AND HIS SON MANASSAS, VIRGINIA “WHEN WE RUN, DONALD FORGETS HE HAS A DISABILITY. HE FEELS LIKE JUST ANOTHER RUNNER.” MICHAEL HARMS first noticed Donald’s smile. They were on a porch at a home for children with disabilities in Jamaica in 2010. Donald lay on a mat. He was 13 years old, and because of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, had severe mobility limitations, communicating in short monosyllabic bursts. He could smile, though—a bright, wide smile. Harms remembers scooping Donald up in his arms. “I felt like I wanted to take care of him for the rest of my life,” he says. Harms and his wife, Hope, had traveled to Jamaica for their second time volunteering at the home. They’d…

“FOR ME, THE QUEST WAS DEEPLY PERSONAL. I WOULD FINALLY RUN ALONGSIDE MY ANCIENT BROTHER.” Adapted from THE ROAD TO SPARTA A New Book by DEAN KARNAZES Many runners are familiar with the story surrounding the origins of the modern marathon. As the well-worn legend goes, after the badly outnumbered Greeks somehow managed to drive back the Persians who had invaded the coastal plain of Marathon, an Athenian messenger named Pheidippides was dispatched from the battlefield to Athens to deliver the news of Greek victory. After running about 25 miles to the Acropolis, he burst into the chambers and gallantly hailed his countrymen with “Nike! Nike! Nenikékiam” (“Victory! Victory! Rejoice, we conquer!”). And then he promptly collapsed from exhaustion and died. Turns out, however, the story is bigger than that.…

“My dad taught me how to shoot when I was 10 at a family cabin. In high school I was on a shooting team, then I joined the Army. I’ve always been around guns. I got my concealed carry permit in January 2016. I carry a Walther CCP—I named it Walter. I sometimes let my friends or family know, ‘I got Walter on me.’ I clip it to the front pack that is part of my ultra kit. “I’m training for a race that’s kind of crazy [the Grand to Grand Ultra, a 170-mile, seven-day stage event]. Here in North Carolina, during the day it can be 90 degrees with 100 percent humidity. I work with a trainer in the morning, so this summer I was often waiting until early…

November 19, San Diego, usahalfmarathonsandiego.com CELEBRATE Start your tour of San Diego’s craft beer offerings at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, which offers ample outdoor seating. stonelibertystation.com TIPS, TRENDS, and MUST-RUN EVENTS WELL-PLANNED COURSE “As we stood in the starting chute, we could see the sun rising between two buildings in downtown San Diego. That was followed by a long, gradual uphill, which was nice to have early because you got it out of the way. The second half of the race is completely flat. In fact, the whole course was laid out nicely: It was wide enough so it wasn’t crowded, and there were plenty of aid stations.” —BRIAN McANENY, 47, GARDEN GROVE, CA FIT FIELD “In other races, I get so mad zigzagging around people who just…

When Gwen Jorgensen launched her triathlon career in 2010, the former University of Wisconsin swimmer and runner knew a key to her success would be her commitment to cycling. As it turns out, one cyclist’s commitment to her proved just as crucial. Jorgensen, now 30, met Patrick Lemieux, now 29, in 2011 on a group ride in Milwaukee. She was still a full-time accountant; he was a pro cyclist visiting from St. Paul, Minnesota. The ride began with Jorgensen picking Lemieux’s brain and ended with the two making dinner plans. Before long, they were juggling a relationship with their frenetic racing schedules, a tall task that ended the day Lemieux announced he was retiring from cycling to become Jorgensen’s one-man support crew. “Gwen was a better athlete than I ever…

Come Out and Play!” reads the headline. “Run Together!” shouts the cover of this very magazine. Another praises “The Rise of Running Tribes” and depicts a group of beautiful young people smiling, posing, and generally being goofy, one lady perched on the back of a shirtless man. The articles describe high-spirited fun, group F-bomb chants, music and dancing during workouts, games designed to make sure you don’t run alone, and mandatory hugs. Lots of hugs. Excuse me while I cringe and recoil. Before anyone gets offended, let me make clear: It’s not you, it’s me. I am, admittedly, not the target age for the new wave of running groups, but I can’t think of any time in my life when I would have felt completely comfortable in one of them.…

Once upon a time, if you wanted to recover quickly postrun, you had to brave a tub full of ice cubes. But recent research casts the efficacy of the cold treatment in doubt. Rejoice! And turn up the tap. Hot baths can help soothe tired muscles and make reading Runner’s World in the tub so much more pleasant. A long, hot bath may encourage your body to adapt as it would to the stress of summer running (see “Sweat to Succeed,” page 40). Even better: A 2010 paper found that such heat adaptations can boost performance even in cool weather. Save the ice for smoothies. GET FIT, EAT SMART, RUN STRONG…

Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese (above) ran the fastest half marathon ever—58:23—and is a four-time world champion at the distance. He’s also the most efficient runner ever tested. In a 2008 study by Spanish researchers, the superstar consumed just 150 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight for every kilometer he ran—about 30 percent less than a typical three-hour marathoner, and 20 percent better than previous efficiency champs like 1972 Olympic Marathon winner Frank Shorter. Unlike VO₂ max, which reflects the maximum amount of oxygen you can consume, “running economy” is a measure of how much oxygen you’re consuming (and therefore how much energy you’re burning) to maintain a pace. Using less oxygen is a big advantage in long races—you’re saving more fuel for later in the race. While economy can only…

KATE GRACE’S first season on the world-championship level was full of surprise and delight. In July, she pushed past two prerace favorites— who had tangled and fallen—to win the 800-meter 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and set a personal record. A month later in Rio, she improved her PR to 1:58.79 in the semifinal round and was the lone American in the final. While it was her first time in the big leagues, in some ways Grace says she’s been preparing her whole life. As the daughter of 1980s aerobics icon Kathy Smith, Grace early on learned techniques— like meditation— to deal with pressure. At Yale University, Grace made three NCAA finals in the 800 meters. In 2011, Grace joined the New Jersey–New York Track Club and gradually doubled her weekly…

MEXICAN-STYLE HOT CHOCOLATE Bittersweet chocolate has polyphenols, which, when routinely consumed, can help boost bloodflow and improve running performance. The heat from cayenne pepper may also rev up your metabolism. Postrun, the protein and carbs in milk will help your muscles recover. DRINK UP Mix 1 cup low-fat milk, 1 oz. 70 percent cacao bar (chopped), 2 tsp. raw sugar, ¼ tsp. vanilla, and a pinch of ground cayenne pepper. Warm, stirring until chocolate melts evenly. chocolate melts evenly. TURMERIC TEA A staple in Indian-style curries, turmeric is partially made of curcumin, shown to be an anti-inflammatory. In eastern medicine, curcumin is used to treat digestive disorders and arthritis. Research has also found that this phytochemical may fight oxidative damage from tough workouts. DRINK UP Steep slices from a 1"…

HARD WEARS 1 / KATADYN BEFREE Ditch the iodine tablets. This soft flask has a microfilter that keeps out almost all trail-side nasties you’ll find in North America. $40 2 / JULBO AERO LITE These frameless shades weigh less than an ounce and have lenses that darken in intense sun, good for everything from trail runs to high-noon workouts. $180 3 / POLK BOOM BIT Clip this Bluetooth speaker to your shirt or hat so you can still hear traffic. The battery lasts 1:45 on full-blast—dial it back to save juice. $30 4 / JAYBIRD FREEDOM Wire-free headphones are hip since Apple announced AirPods, but we still reach for this Bluetooth set. They sound great and are comfortable on long runs, plus the cable makes it a cinch to find…

Rhonda Foulds 53, mother with Parkinson’s disease Justin, Texas “Running is not a cure, but it gives me a much better quality of life. I feel normal when I run.” TWELVE YEARS AGO, Rhonda Foulds relied on 32 medications and a wheelchair to get through the day. Today, she relies on one thing: running. Foulds was training for her first marathon in 1999 when she noticed a tremor in her right pinky finger. When the twitching spread to her hand, then to her arm, and then she could no longer turn her head or smell anything, she sought medical attention. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease stunned Foulds, then only 35 and the mother of three young boys. “I thought this was an old-person’s disease,” she says. Foulds stopped exercising and…

When three young women were murdered midrun over a period of nine days this past summer, runners reacted with understandable shock, alarm, and concern. Nothing about the victims’ final miles should have been out of the ordinary: All three headed out in broad daylight. All three were on routes they’d traveled safely in the past. Their deaths occurred while they were running by themselves—one in Michigan, one in New York City, one in Massachusetts. But almost every runner trains alone sometimes. That such ordinary circumstances led to such unfathomable tragedy made these stories especially heartbreaking. At press time, more than two months had passed, and no suspects had been named in any of the three cases, which are likely unrelated. As details of the murders spread in early August, well-meaning…

I NEEDED TO finish the Brooklyn Half this year, my first half marathon, in enough time to get ready for two shows of The Color Purple [on Broadway] later that day. I took it as a challenge. MY GOAL TIME WAS 1:45, but I had a small asthma attack at mile 11 and finished in 1:47:19. Luckily, I was able to do both shows. I STARTED RUNNING when I was 22 and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, at first to help offset my weight training. My body likes weight work, and doing distance keeps everything toned so I don’t bulk too much. WHEN YOU’RE IN A CLASS full of young actors, everyone’s both hungry to get started and petrified, and running is a really good way…

THE INBOX A TALE OF 50 CITIE At 11, Chicago just missed the top 10 list (“America’s 50 Best Running Cities,” October). The two major reasons? Safety and climate. Okay, safety I get, but the weather here is great! #dontaskmeafteroctober KELSEY BLINDT GROSS, VIA FACEBOOK I’ve run in nine of the top 10 cities and feel fortunate. There are wonderful places all over this country, and running is the best way to see a new place. My best add this year was running Puget Sound [Seattle] three mornings in a row. CHRIS GAFFNEY, VIA FACEBOOK Chiming in for Louisville. I’ve lived and run in Portland and Seattle, and they’re great. But we have a Frederick Olmsted– designed park system and the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and “mini marathon” (13.1), which…

Well, I’m afraid the jig is up. It’s time we acknowledge the obvious: For a column that is (A) in a running magazine and (B) about becoming a runner, it really doesn’t contain much running. ¶ Actually it contains, like, none. None running. ¶ I blame myself (I mean, who else is there?). See, I’m a writer before I’m a runner, and I’m acutely aware that prose about the physical act of running has the potential to be straight up deadly: “I took a step. Then another. Then another. Soon, I had taken many steps. I decided to take more.” This, dear reader, is the kind of insipidness I’ve tried to spare you. Except! (There’s always an except.) Running has become such a curious feature of my life, such a…

DAVID BROWN Fastest blind athlete in the world Wearing an American flag– design blindfold made by his mom, Brown won gold in the 100 meters at the 2016 Paralympics. Brown, who lost his eyesight at age 13 due to complications from a rare illness, ran tethered (with a three-inch shoestring) to his guide, Jerome Avery. Racing in the T11 category (for athletes who are almost or completely blind), Brown finished in 10.99, only .07 second shy of his own world record, set in 2014. “Jerome yelled for me to lean at the finish,” says Brown, 24, of Chula Vista, California. “I listened to hear how far back the other runners were; then I started celebrating.” —KIT FOX SCOTT SEARLE Stays clean running— with a yo-yo Searle, 40, doesn’t just run…

IT’S HARD to resist the allure of a January or February race-cation. Sun, shorts, and an umbrella-garnished drink at the finish line— what’s not to like? However, heading south for a distance race can be tricky, especially if you train in old-fashioned winter. “If you’re accustomed to a cool climate, then running a race in heat is going to be much harder,” says Janet Hamilton, an Atlanta-based coach. “You may need to rethink your time goal.” How much to adjust depends on your fitness level: One study that examined decades of finisher data at seven marathons found that the negative effect of temperature, humidity, and solar radiation on finishing time increased significantly the longer a runner took to complete the race. This may sound discouraging, but don’t cancel your travel…

EVEN IF YOU RUN every day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s (see “Streak With Us,” page 18), you’re not immune to weight creep. In fact, more than 50 percent of annual weight gain happens in that 38-day period (give or take a few days, depending on the calendar). Here’s how to make it through the eating-and-drinking season without waistline regret. 1. PREGAME YOUR PARTY Make the most of arriving fashionably late by having a healthy mini meal an hour before you go. Aim for 250 calories (or fewer), with 15 grams of protein and five to 10 grams of fiber, like a spinach salad with chicken and cranberry relish. Filling up will make it easier to resist pigs-in-a-blanket. 2. KEEP YOUR OFFICE STOCKED Holiday desserts are loaded with sugar and…

RUNNERS OFTEN ASSUME that tight hips and hamstrings are simply an occupational hazard. And that if they ever want to touch their toes again, they’ll have to dial down the mileage or spend hours on the yoga mat. But Trevor Rappa, P.T., D.P.T., a physical therapist at Resilient Performance Physical Therapy in New York City, says that running isn’t necessarily to blame—poor posture is likely at fault. And stretching will only provide temporary relief until the root cause is addressed. A lot of runners, and people in general, carry themselves with what Rappa and others call “extended posture.” In this type of stance, a person carries his lower ribs in front of his body, his glutes jut out behind him, and there is a big curve in his lower back…

JIM BRADEN 81, retired manager The Woodlands, Texas “I don’t worry about what I can’t do.” JIM BRADEN’S fitness week starts on Monday, with a 5.6-mile run on a golf course near his home. He runs a little more than 5 miles on Wednesdays and Fridays, too. Saturdays he goes 8 to 10, and Sundays he does a “lovely easy run around a lake.” On Tuesdays and Thursdays? Braden calls those “off” days— but he’s at the gym, doing cardio on the bike, StairMaster, or rower and a strength workout. It’s an ambitious routine for anyone, let alone an 81-year-old. But Braden refuses to give in to the consequences of age. Sure, he’s slower. That’s inevitable. With his running and working out, however, he’s certain he’s staved off diseases that…

KRYSTALANNE CURWOOD 31, WAITRESS AND STUDENT BOULDER, COLORADO “WHEN YOU GET YOUR COMMUNITY BEHIND YOU, YOU CAN GO EVEN FARTHER.” KRYSTALANNE Curwood barely had a warmup before she became a runner—and a very fast one at that. In 2012, her mother, Lynnmarie Mann, signed up for a half marathon and encouraged her daughter to start running, too. Curwood, then 27, was living in Los Angeles, where her fitness regimen consisted of one activity: Latin ballroom dancing. Krystalanne started running a few days per week, five to seven miles at a time. A month later, a close friend was murdered and her employer called to say her position had been eliminated. Mourning the loss of her friend and her job, she went with her mother to the Rock ’n’ Roll Las…

AARON SAFT 39, running-store owner Asheville, North Carolina “I do as much good as I can through running, because that’s what I know.” AARON SAFT’S favorite superhero is The Flash—a.k.a. “the fastest man alive.” Saft owns action figures (“For my kids!”), T-shirts with the hero’s signature lightning-bolt insignia, and a thick stack of Flash comics. He loves the skintight, red-suited hero for two reasons: The Flash runs really, really fast. And he improves the lives of people in his community—the citizens of Central City. Sounds a lot like Saft, who also runs really, really fast. When he was 14, he clocked a 4:56 mile. At age 28, he set a 2:30 marathon PR. This year, he took eighth in the National 50 Mile Trail Championships. He logs 90 to 100…

“I passed a man walking his large dog, and I waved at the dog. The dog’s owner responded by saying, ELITZA NICOLAOU, 35, TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN “I was running when I came up on a couple of dude-bros working out on the lawn near the path, flipping tires and such. As I ran by, one yelled, and pointed down. I thought he was pointing at the tire, but then I realized he was pointing at his crotch.” AMBER CARR, 28, KALKASKA, MICHIGAN yelled at me on a fine summer morning. Yes, I had a shirt on.” MARY HARVEY, 35, BROOKLYN “A group of older, drunk dudes saw me and started catcalling and calling out every step I took with They were commenting on the motion of my chest as I…