Table of contents for January 2013 in Runner's World

LOCATION Sedona, Arizona PHOTOGRAPH BY Colin Meagher RUNNER Jenny Konway THE EXPERIENCE Snow-capped cacti and the red hue from the nearby sandstone mesa make for a fleeting yet dramatic spectacle as daylight hits the Mescal Trail. Skirting the side of the mesa, this rugged 2.6-mile path “feels secluded and peaceful,” Konway says. “The snow brings a quietness to the land that’s powerful to experience.” FOR DIRECTIONS AND RESOURCE INFORMATION, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN. FOR RAVE RUN IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/WALLPAPER.…

RESOLVE TO LOG If you don’t keep track of your mileage and workouts, make a New Year’s resolution to start doing so. The knowledge gleaned from past workouts can help you run faster, get fitter, avoid new injuries, and stop old ones from coming back. Plus, it’s fun telling people how many miles you ran at the end of the year. Start one for free at runnersworld.com/log. GOOD NIGHT, GOOD RACE Several elites, including 2012 Olympic Marathon winner Tiki Gelana (above, right), offer their secrets for a good prerace rest. Watch the video at runnersworld.com/elitesleep. FOLLOW OUR NEWSWIRE Every day, we bring you the latest news for and about runners on Runner’s World Newswire. From elite racing updates to just-released scientific studies, we cover it all at runnersworld.com/news. ONLINE POLL…

DEAR MILES, I have a friend who has been a great running partner—until recently. Her pace has increased considerably. She asks me to run with her but repeatedly drops me, then claims remorse, before doing it again. I typically run on trails, and I’m starting to think she’s using me because she doesn’t know the trails as well as I do. How do I tactfully let her know I don’t want to chase anymore? —MARY S., Litchfield, Conn. Think less tactful, Mary, and more tactical. Announce matter-of-factly before your next run: “I’m doing X:XX pace today, give or take.” And then stick to it. When Sally Speedster opens her usual gap, maintain your pace while watching her disappear around the next bend until she notices she’s running all by herself.…

In Outer Space Astronaut Sunita Williams trained for and participated in September’s Nautica Malibu Triathlon from the International Space Station—240 miles above Earth. Harnesses kept her from floating off her treadmill for a four-mile run and stationary bike, where she covered 18 miles. She simulated the half-mile swim using a strength machine specially formulated for weightlessness. She finished the event in 1:48. At Sea Lori Forstein, a retired bank officer from Princeton, New Jersey, spends her winters aboard Crystal Cruise ships and stays fit by running around the approximately half-mile Promenade Deck. Over the years she’s logged 3,200 miles at sea while running by the Sydney Opera House, in the shadow of Mt. Fuji, and through the Panama Canal. She does intervals by “running downhill as the ship rides the…

KATHY MARTIN, 61, of Northport, New York, has set nine U.S. 60–64 age-group road records at 5-K (19:04) to 50-K (3:58:37)—and world indoor track records at 1500 (5:12.2) and 3000 (11:16.5) meters. 1. Stay Strong “I mix different time-based intervals in the same speed workout, such as 3 x 3 minutes, 4 x 30 seconds, 3 x 5 minutes, then 4 x 1 minute. It develops speed, strength, and endurance.” 2. Stay Positive “I bet other age-groupers on who will hit a better age-graded score at races. There’s beer or wine at stake, but it’s really about motivating myself, and bragging rights.” 3. Stay Young “Remember that age is just a number. My idols are runners in their 80s or 90s who are still 20-year-olds in their minds when they…

Q Should I change my stride or form on treadmills? A On a treadmill, runners tend to simply pick their feet up and place them back down on the moving surface, rather than pushing off the surface as they would outside. The confined space also alters your proprioception, or the awareness of your body in space, which causes you to tense up. And of course when you run inside, there is no wind resistance. To compensate for these three factors, set the ’mill on a 1.5 to 2.5 incline to promote good running form. Lean more forward at the ankles, land more on your forefoot, and concentrate on pushing off the belt rather than letting it carry you along—in other words, run with some spring in your step. —MATT BARBOSA…

CHANGE ONE THING If your plan is a huge change, you won’t stick with it, says Edward Weiss, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University. Write down five changes you’d like to make; choose one you can manage with the least disruption. Once you keep it up for a few weeks, move on to the next. SLOW DOWN When you eat in five minutes, it doesn’t give your body time to process and get full, says Margaret Harris, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. By slowing down while you eat you’ll enjoy yourself more, eat less, and feel satiated. KEEP A MOOD JOURNAL Write down not only what you eat but how it makes you feel, says Harris.…

Soft Ginger Cookies Dates keep these whole-grain cookies moist without using butter or oil. “Crystallized ginger adds the perfect bite—spicy and chewy at the same time,” says Bullock-Prado. 3/4 cup hot coffee 1 cup chopped, pitted dates 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs at room temperature 1/4 cup organic blackstrap molasses 1 1/2 cups organic spelt flour or whole-wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger 1/4 cup turbinado sugar Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine coffee and dates and stir in baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Put mixture in a food processor; process until nearly smooth. In a bowl, whisk eggs and molasses. Continue whisking…

RESTORATIVE What to expect: Long holds using supportive blocks and bolsters ease muscles into a deep relaxation. What you’ll like: Physical and mental downtime. What you may not: It can be hard doing (almost) nothing. IYENGAR OR ANUSARA What to expect: A focus on precise positioning with the use of props. What you’ll like: Correcting strength imbalances and learning proper form. What you may not: The slow pace as the instructor helps everyone achieve correct alignment. ASHTANGA, VINYASA, FLOW, POWER FLOW What to expect: A heart-pumping, flowing practice that quickly moves through a series of strengthening poses. What you’ll like: The fast-paced, intense nature appeals to athletes who want to feel challenged. What you may not: Beginners not familiar with the poses could struggle to keep up; if your arm…

IS THERE NOTHING SACRED? Although I’ve never heard anyone actually ask that question out loud, I’ve always imagined the proper vocal delivery would be one of such exaggerated outrage that it teeters on the thin line between tragedy and comedy. The preacher asks the question and it cracks you up. The comedian asks the same and it makes you think. Regardless of delivery, the answer to the question for me, apparently, is no. One evening a celebrity friend of mine, who knows me as a writer and has stridently hidden his children from the press, peered over the top of his drink and shook the cubes in his glass. “Don’t ever write about your children,” he told me. “Definitely,” I said. I had just written a column about my youngest…

2012 NYC Marathon Special Report What did Hurricane Sandy reveal about the New York City Marathon—and about runners in general? The answers to these and other questions may not come easy. IF FRED LEBOW hadn’t nudged the New York City Marathon out of Central Park in 1976, dramatically stitching all five boroughs of the city together into one unifying event, perhaps fewer people would have cared this year about whether the marathon was run or not. In all likelihood, New York and the handful of big-city marathons that existed back then would’ve remained the obsession of an ectomorphically endowed few, and not become the beloved bucket-list desire of untold millions of citizen-runners around the world. Fortunately, Lebow and friends did move the event out of the park, opening it up…

YOU GAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT MAKES A GREAT MARATHON after you run a half-dozen, and exponentially more when you run 25, or 100+. Which is why we pulled together a panel of ultra-experienced runners who have collectively logged more than 1,800 marathons to select top events for this year’s guide. These runners know that organization, atmosphere, and the people behind the scenes fuel the race experience as much as the course and weather. But they also bring their personal preferences to their picks: Some know what best suits beginners, others (Dean Karnazes) go for more gnarly adventures. Their selections comprise a diverse list—from the best new big-city race to small, scenic gems—for you to choose from, whether your 2013 goal is to run a fast time, finish your first marathon,…

IT’S 9:45 A.M. on New Year’s Eve. An overcast sky spits driblets of mist on my dad, brother, and me as we limber up in the midst of a pack of 130 runners near an old Unitarian church in the center of Montague, the small town in western Massachusetts where I grew up. “Ready?” I ask Luke. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he replies with a groan. Dad grunts in agreement. We’re about to do the Sawmill River Run—an unpretentious 10-K organized by the Montague rec department. It’s become as much a New Year’s tradition for us as popping champagne bottles and swapping resolutions. Yes, it’s cold, but being together and racing is the perfect reminder of how lucky we are to have enjoyed good health and each other for…

53, Westchester County, New York WHEN I TRAVEL for a story, it’s typically in the developing world. If I’m in Sudan surrounded by minefields, I’ll pass on a run. Places where I do run, people look to see who I’m running from. IN NINTH GRADE, I made the cross-country team. My 5-K PR was 16:58. MY RUNNING HERO was [Steve] Prefontaine. One day, I got to school and there was a note on the bulletin board that he had died [May 1975]. LAST YEAR, I added speed-work to my routine. Doing fast 440s makes me feel younger. IN 1980, I ran Boston in 3:22. A year later, I ran New York in 2:59 as a bandit. I’d like to run another marathon. But it will be depressing how much my…

FOR ME AT LEAST, there was no calm before the storm, and certainly none after it. Hurricane Sandy hit in the middle of the most intense and surprising two weeks of my running life. Over 17 days, I experienced in vivid detail the uniquely unifying power of running—or at least running in races—as well as the limits of that power. It began on October 19 at the Runner’s World Half & Festival in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The weather had been dicey most of the week, but on Friday afternoon, the clouds parted and the sun came out as if on cue. It stayed that way all weekend, tweaking the fall foliage like a real-world Instagram filter. More than 6,500 runners took part in the 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon, and kids races, all…

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Katie Wong surges down the sidewalk, seemingly in gleeful competition with the setting sun as it dips toward the mountains beyond her Corona, California, subdivision. Her auburn hair is pulled into a ponytail that reveals a determined grin. Every weekday after finishing homework Katie clocks miles, while her mom trails in the family minivan, working toward her school-year goal: 100 miles. Katie has chased this milestone every year since she was 7, when her elementary school signed up to join the 100 Mile Club, a nonprofit fitness program that challenges kids to run for the century mark within a single school year. Kara Lubin, 44, launched the club in Corona in 1992, and in two decades her program has been adopted by 140 schools in eight states across the…

Mike Morton, 41, Lithia, Florida 1] The record It’s kind of a dream. Next, I’d love to go sub–13 hours for 100 miles. 2] Run 24 hours…then? First, drug testing. Then, awards. Once that was over, I just crashed. 3] Treadmill pump-up Any AC/DC song, man. 4] Buildup for 24 12 miles at lunch, 13 to 15 at night. On weekends, an 18-or 20-mile run each day. A year of that. 5] Ultrarunners are… Dedicated. A little rebellious. They’re trying to buck the system. 6] Celebration toast Some Diet Coke and bourbon whiskey. Jim Beam. 7] Biggest fear Heights, but I deal with it. I had to skydive with the Army. 8] Worst place to run Kandahar, Afghanistan. I hated that place! I was doing 20-mile treadmill runs every other…

3 Ways to Stay Toasty 1 COVER UP But don’t overdo it. Dress like it’s 20 degrees warmer than the thermostat reads to account for the heat you’ll generate once you’re moving. Stick to moisture-wicking fabrics like polypropylene to stay dry. 2 GUARD AGAINST GUSTS Winds blowing at 20 mph can turn a tolerable 30-degree day into a 17-degree chill-fest. Wear a wind-resistant outer shell, and try to start your workout into the wind and finish with it behind you. 3 PREP MUSCLES Ten minutes of easy jogging, dynamic stretching, or even doing a few jumping jacks will raise your heart rate and body temperature and pump oxygen in your legs, priming your body for a run. FACT OR FICTION A longer warmup is more beneficial. FICTION Warming up is…

IT’S EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP in New Year’s hype and set grand plans for the coming year. Indeed, goals are an important part of being a runner: They help us focus, progress, and stay on track with our workouts. But establishing a target can be tricky. You want to aim high enough to stay motivated but not so high that you stress out if you fall short. The best solution is to set incremental goals—daily, weekly, and monthly targets that allow you to enjoy regular accomplishments and stay focused on your next step. Aim for the following micro-goals and get on track to a great running year. EVERY RUN GET OUT THE DOOR Establish a routine—organize your gear, set your route, and stick to the same time of day…

“Easy” as 1-2-3 WHY Practice pace changes and build strength WHO RECOMMENDS IT Alissa McKaig, 26, of Blowing Rock, N.C., was 8th at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials (2:31:56). Complete 13 three-minute segments—run one minute at a moderate pace, one minute moderately hard, then one minute hard. Make each minute of each successive segment slightly harder, so that even your moderate minute doesn’t feel all that moderate at the end. “This workout teaches you to run by effort,” says McKaig. “It’s tough, yet fun.”…

WHEN MADE WITH the right ingredients, soup provides carbs, protein, and antioxidants, supporting your muscles like no other meal. Plus, studies show eating a bowl before a meal can curb your appetite and reduce overall caloric intake by 20 percent. Many runners think they need hours to cook a decent soup, but that isn’t true. You can make a delicious meal with whatever is in your kitchen, and have it ready in 30 minutes. Create your own soup by following these five steps, choosing among the fresh, frozen, and leftover ingredients you have on hand from the list below. STEP 1 COOK AROMATICS These vegetables, herbs, and spices add flavor and aroma. In a 4-to 6-quart pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 cup diced vegetable aromatics and 2…

Grapefruit IN SEASON November to April Good for You Half a grapefruit packs 75 percent of your daily need for vitamin C. Research shows marathoners who ingest 200 mg or more of vitamin C daily cut their risk of catching a cold by half. Pink and red varieties contain vitamin A and the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene. Get the Best Choose firm, heavy fruit that is round or slightly flattened at each end. Early-season grapefruit are tarter and get sweeter as the season goes on, whether the flesh is white, pink, or red. All varieties have yellow skin sometimes tinged pink. Avoid green skin, which indicates the fruit is unripe. Kitchen Simple Bullock-Prado likes to roast grapefruit and pair it with Greek yogurt for dessert: Peel and section grapefruit, removing the…

USE A FOAM ROLLER for post-run recovery? Smart move: This simple tool acts as a deep-tissue massager, working out kinks in overused muscles. But its benefits don’t end there—it can also build strength and stability. Because the foam roller has a curved, unstable surface, adding it to an exercise, like a plank, suddenly gives a standard move a challenging twist. “Balancing on a foam roller requires your body to recruit more muscles, especially in your core, to perform the move,” says Tyler G. Travis, executive director of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, who created this routine. Try to do these exercises two to three times a week (on easy-run days so you’re not too wiped out) to build total-body strength that’ll help improve performance…

THOSE OF US who write about running have to mine endless complexity out of the simplest of activities. Recently, reduced to contemplating a column on “right-left-right vs. left-right-left,” I got to thinking about the man who looms high above us all in the firmament of running writers and writing runners—the man whose book, in terms of its power to inspire people to run, was the equivalent of a pursuing bear. “Fixx,” I say to the librarian, “with two X’s. First name Jim.” “Ah, yes,” she says. “We have it, The Complete Book of Running. But I can’t help but notice the copyright date is 1977. We have another book, copyright 2012, Running for the Indolent: A Complete Training Guide. Would you rather have the more recent one?” “Oh, no,” I…

2012 NYC Marathon Special Report IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY for a marathon. The air was crisp, the sky was luminous, and the late-afternoon sun washed brightly over the debris-scattered streets of Red Hook, on the west side of Brooklyn. Homeowners tossed sodden possessions out onto sidewalks. A man carefully laid out the pieces of his car’s engine on a blanket to dry out in the sun. “Seeing this makes me sad,” said Justin Gaykamangu, 29, a quiet, chiseled speedster who had hoped to break three hours in New York. “We went through the same thing.” In 2011, heavy rains caused flooding that washed out the only road to Ramingining, Gaykamangu’s isolated community 350 miles east of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory. “We were four weeks without food getting in,…

MEN’S 1. For a tight squeeze… At first glance, testers questioned the horizontal fly on the breathable CW-X Litefit Boxer Brief ($35, cw-x.com)—or the need for a fly at all. But in the end, they forgot it was even there. + The fit is tight yet comfortable, thanks to a design that offers light support. – Some testers felt that the wide waistband was a little too tight. 2. For full-frontal protection… Winter weather can slice through all but the hardiest pants. But it won’t pierce the windproof panel on the surprisingly soft Brooks Thermal Wind Boxer ($35, brooksrunning.com). + Brushed-fabric interior and long cut provide insulation almost to the knee. – “Thermal” is right; these undies are too warm for anything but freezing conditions. 3. For the super-sweaty… “Breezy”…

EMERALD NUTS MIDNIGHT RUN New York City About 5,000 runners, many in costume (below), join this four-mile-long party in Central Park that begins with a fireworks show as the ball drops in Times Square a mile or so away. nyrr.org NASHVILLE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION RUN 5-K Nashville This 5-K starts in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame and continues down Music Row. Stay for the postrace party, where you can feast on Southern fare—last year’s participants got black-eyed peas and biscuits. irunfortheparty.com BRAZEN NEW YEAR’S DAY 5-K, 10-K, AND HALF-MARATHON Lake Chabot, California Begin the year with fresh air and natural beauty—all three of these races take place on paths (some dirt, some paved) around Lake Chabot, a 315-acre lake near Oakland. brazenracing.com…

LEADING WOMEN “Sole Sisters of ’72” (November) really hit home with me. I am 49, female, and started running competitively when I was 6. I ran the Seaside, Oregon, Marathon in 1974 in 3:56 when I had just turned 11. At the time, I had no idea about the conflict involving women and marathoning going on around me. I am so grateful for those women who came before me and cleared the way for other women to run when and where we wished. I feel a connection with these wonderful women, as if we are all linked by our freedom to run. (By the way, knock on wood, my uterus has never fallen out from such exertion.) —BAMBI WILL, Bend, Oregon I was born a few years after the 1972…

DREAM WORKOUT Goviva.com offers “once-in-a-lifetime” vacations, including a three-day trip to Mammoth Lakes, California, to train with Meb Keflezighi. Cost: $4,750. POOR FORM Hurdler Liu Xiang, who crashed at the London Olympics, suffers another blow when a Chinese hospital uses his photo to promote a sexual performance aid. HAUTE TOE-TURE Models wear Vibram FiveFingers on the runway during designer Adrian Alicea’s show at New York Fashion Week in September. THEY’RE FAST? Actress Olivia Wilde proclaims that she and her actor boyfriend Jason Sudeikis “have sex like Kenyan marathon runners.” Whatever that means. GOLDEN TOUCH The Nikon camera Usain Bolt grabbed from a media member to photograph fans after his Olympic 200-meter win sells for $7,300 in a charity auction.…

Inspire a charity, then run for it In 1986, two years after GEORGIA CLELAND was diagnosed with leukemia, her father, Bruce, created the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT) program. While Cleland, now 29 and living in Ruxton, Maryland, is relatively new to running, she finished TNT-partnered half-marathons in Orlando, Washington, D.C., and San Diego in the past year. —KAREN ASP “I’m so happy to be giving back to TNT.” Race the course you nearly died on JIM SCHEIBEL, 65, has 40 marathons on his résumé. But the event that’s most meaningful to him is the Twin Cities 10-Mile—where the former St. Paul mayor suffered a heart attack after crossing the finish 11 years ago. Scheibel finished the race in October for the ninth time since his near-death…

WHILE MANY RUNNERS revel in identifying goals and penciling in training blocks, many more coast along with only a vague idea of their intentions for the New Year. But whether you’d like to stay fit or crush a PR, you’ve got a better chance of achieving your goal if you think like a coach and devise a plan for yourself. “To get faster, avoid plateaus, and prevent injury, you need a structured program with different types of workouts,” says Kelly Wissolik, a coach at Energy Fitness Coaching in Ohio. Follow these guidelines for plotting your year, and put on your coach hat periodically to chart your progress. STAY FIT Even if you’re not racing, you need a schedule to stay accountable and make progress, says Shelly Florence-Glover, coauthor of The…

HALF A CENTURY AGO, American marathoner Buddy Edelen snuck out for a 40-minute run on his rest day. Edelen was the first man to break 2:15, yet he suffered the same crisis of confidence about taking days off that plague most competitive runners. “This is a manifestation of uncertainty,” scolded Edelen’s coach, according to the Edelen biography, A Cold Clear Day. “There is a time to train and a time to rest—not halfway rest.” As Edelen no doubt felt, it’s tempting to focus your training on building toward harder workouts, and schedule rest when your body “needs” it. Studies have found that inexperienced athletes make exactly this mistake, steadily increasing training until fatigue or injury forces them to back off—then repeating the cycle. Experienced athletes deliberately plan their recovery. By…

AFTER WEEKS of holiday indulgences, many runners are ready to start the New Year on a healthier foot, and often that means shedding pounds. But even the most health-savvy runners can get caught up in diet myths that sabotage their goals. “Weight loss is so complex and confusing because there is so much conflicting information out there,” says Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. With our experts’ help and the latest research, we’ve dispelled five myths so you can start slimming down for good. Myth: NO SWEETS BEFORE NOON Most runners who want to lose weight assume they have to forgo dessert. But not only can you have it, you can have it for breakfast, according to a study published in…

1 AROMATICS BEST CHOICES Onion, garlic, celery, carrots; dried sage, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, rosemary, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder HEALTH PERK They add anti-inflammatory compounds that fight soreness. QUICK TIP Add fresh herbs at the end of cooking to prevent flavor loss. 2 LIQUIDS BEST CHOICES Vegetable, chicken, beef, and fish stock; tomato puree and juice; beer or wine (up to ¼ of total liquid) HEALTH PERK Liquids keep you hydrated in the winter and relieve congestion. QUICK TIP Condensed stock you reconstitute with water takes up less storage space. 3 VEGETABLES BEST CHOICES Kale, carrots, peppers, bok choy, cabbage, tomatoes, mushrooms, squashes, broccoli, sweet potatoes HEALTH PERK Veggies pack antioxidant vitamins and runner-friendly minerals. QUICK TIP Add greens during the last five minutes to prevent overcooking. 4 PROTEINS BEST…

SURE, YOU’RE TIME-CRUNCHED and, okay, maybe a little intimidated about being the only person who can’t touch his toes in a room full of Gumbys. But winter is the perfect opportunity to put excuses aside, when your mileage is likely to take a dip, making it easier to carve out cross-training time. And if you’re starting the New Year with the goal of nabbing an elusive PR or wrestling a nagging injury to the ground, yoga could be a critical piece of your get-faster or get-healthy plan. Yoga has the potential to do so much good—improving strength, flexibility, and mental focus—that it’s surprising that so many runners don’t know a downward dog from an upward dog. In fact, 73 percent of respondents to a recent runnersworld.com poll said they don’t…

RUNNERS OFTEN HAVE their own “miracle cures” they swear by to relieve leg soreness that can crop up after a difficult or long run. But what really works to cure those aches—and what doesn’t? We asked experts for their take on popular methods so you can feel fresh-footed in a flash. The Cure > REFUELING The Verdict > DO IT Hydrating postrun is critical. Dehydration slows down all recovery body functions. Drinking H2O replenishes both cell and blood volume and helps regulate body temperature, which can enhance recovery, says Allan Goldfarb, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. You must eat, too. “A 4-to-1 ratio of carbs and protein eaten within two hours of exercise is ideal for recovery,” he says. The Cure > ICE…

jan: Plan Your Race Year PUTTING A RACE on your calendar now is one of the best ways to get and stay motivated. You commit to a goal. But staring down a year of race options, you may feel excited or daunted—or both—especially if you’ve never raced before. Should you tackle a first 5-K? A mud run? The annual mega-10-K all your coworkers sign up for? Aim for a PR in a half-marathon? Here are some guidelines to help you figure out what event—or even better, events—to sign up for in 2013. Set two primary goals. If you’ve never run a race before, set your sights on your first 5-K. Veterans can take it up a notch—within reason. “Maybe it’s a faster 5-K in the spring and your first marathon…

– Louie Zamperini Lifetime Achievement: LOUIE ZAMPERINI By Laura Hillenbrand It was the spring of 1944, the height of World War II. In a Japanese torture camp, a captured American stood, ravaged by illness and shockingly emaciated, surrounded by guards clutching clubs and baseball bats. His name was Louie Zamperini (shown at left, c. 1940), and he’d once been a luminous track prodigy. Lifted from juvenile delinquency by running, he set a U.S. high school mile record that stood for 19 years, and an NCAA mile record that lasted for 20. As a teenager in 1936, he placed eighth in the Olympic 5000 in only his sixth race at the distance. By 1940, he was an Olympic 1500-meter favorite, the man many predicted would be the first to break the…

What do you wear under your running shorts? For years, my answer to that was: “Nothing. My shorts have a liner built right in, so underwear would be redundant. Also, it’s none of your business.” Then I shared this opinion in my blog, and the comments just poured in. Lots of runners shared my view that underwear isn’t necessary. Others disagreed—vocally. A poll reinforced these findings: Of 2,493 runnersworld.com readers, 1,078 said they always wore briefs, compression shorts, or a supporter under their running shorts; 1,196 said they never did; 219 said, “meh.” Some men swore they needed the extra support that undies provide. Others enjoyed what one commenter called the “air conditioning” effect of going without. Some ladies said they went commando to minimize chafing. A surprising number maintained…

ANDREW BUMBALOUGH 25, fourth in the 5000 meters at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials → “My first year as a professional runner [2011], I made leaps and bounds, but I had a sophomore slump. I just missed the London Games. I’d like to make the World Championships team and head to Moscow.” DELILAH DICRESCENZO 29, seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials → “My goal is to work to make the World Cross-Country team again [she was on the 2009 team]. Hopefully, I will be doing more road races and will move away from doing a lot of track races.” BEN TRUE 26, 2012 USA 5-K champion → “The World Championships for the 5000 or 10,000 outdoors will be my number-one focus, but there’s the World…