Table of contents for May 2014 in Runner's World

LOCATION Cape Spear, Newfoundland PHOTOGRAPHER/RUNNER Michael Hanson THE EXPERIENCE Tracing the tip of the Avalon Peninsula’s jagged coastline, the nine-mile Cape Spear Path, which is part of the East Coast Trail, sits on the easternmost point of continental North America. “I felt like I was on the front of a ship in the middle of the ocean, running toward the horizon,” says Hanson, who set up this shot highlighting the Cape Spear Lighthouse. FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN.…

CINDY KUZMA While writing her piece “Go to Sleep Already!” (page 98), Kuzma realized her training could easily be improved with one simple tweak: Get more Z’s. “We’re all looking for that extra edge, and I wondered if sleep could be the missing factor,” says the Chicagoan. She’ll find out if more shuteye pays off at her 14th marathon in Boston on April 21. GUIDO VITTI “I am rooting for Shalane Flanagan to win the Boston Marathon this year,” cover photographer Vitti says of his fast model, who finished fourth in last year’s race. Both Vitti and Flanagan hail from Boston and used their native tongue while shooting in Portland, Oregon. “We were both dropping our R’s left and right,” Vitti says.…

Where running and culture collide CAPITAL DEFENSE In House of Cards, Frank Underwood (played by runner Kevin Spacey) runs with his wife to kick smoking and presumably de-stress from his literally murderous days. SWEAT SCIENCE A school in Hopkinton, Mass., uses the Boston Marathon as a teaching tool. Students study finish-time stats and the impact of training on the body. RUNNING MATES In a video to promote the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign, President Obama and Vice President Biden take a midday running break. HARRY UP One Direction’s Harry Styles runs on stage, inspiring a meme showing the singer running away from dinosaurs, running a marathon, running down a highway. OLD SCHOOL U.K. education secretary suggests running laps as a form of punishment. British track legend Brendan Foster calls it…

Adriana Nelson, 34, Boulder, Colorado The top American woman at the New York City Marathon (2:35:05) will make her Boston debut 1] Boston Bound It’s the race every marathoner dreams of. I’d like to break my PR, 2:28:52. 2] On a Roll My husband and I created Roll Recovery R8, a self-massage tool. 3] Coming to America I left Romania and went to El Paso for college. I wanted to cry. Everything was gray—no trees, no grass. 4] Language Lessons I watched TV with the captions. In three months I was talking a lot. 5] Rocky Mountain High After college, I left for Boulder. I didn’t even wait for my diploma. 6] Raw Recovery Sushi is my favorite food after a hard workout. 7] Dog Is My Copilot I run…

WHEN MOST RUNNERS tackle hills, they focus on the difficulty of the climb. But downhill running poses its own set of challenges—and rewards. Descending feels easy aerobically, but each step triggers muscle-damaging eccentric contractions in the quadriceps and lower legs, says Greg Wells, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Toronto and the author of Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets from the World’s Best Athletes. On level ground, these muscles shorten as they fire; on declines, they elongate while under tension as they work to control your speed. This creates more microtears in each fiber, which stimulates muscle growth but leaves you fatigued and sore. That’s one reason the Boston Marathon, with its four-mile downhill opening stretch, is such a hard course. Practicing running down hills prepares your body to…

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS FROM AN EASYGOING COACH Learn to avoid (or at least handle) midrun discomforts Blisters and cramps and chafing, oh my! The list of uncomfortable things that can happen during a run extends well beyond trudging up a hill or being heckled by a carful of teenagers. Luckily, there are ways to prevent and respond to some of the most common problems. Here’s how to ensure a future with as-pleasant-as-possible runs. SIDE STITCH PREVENT IT Starting a run too fast is a common cause of these abdominal pains, so to prevent them, make sure you warm up properly: Walk for three minutes, then ease into a slow jog/walk for five minutes. OVERCOME IT Take a walk break and do some deep breathing. Make sure you can feel your…

20-20-20-20 Run WHY Learn to get progressively faster in long races WHO RECOMMENDS IT Colleen De Reuck, 50, of Boulder, Colorado, a four-time Olympian who won the Indianapolis Marathon in 2:39:23 to become the oldest U.S. woman (so far) to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials Run 20 minutes at 60 to 90 seconds slower than goal race pace, 20 minutes at 10 seconds over goal pace, 20 minutes at goal pace, and 20 minutes at 10 seconds faster than goal pace. Jog for a few minutes to finish.…

Coconut Skirt Steak with Cabbage Slaw Commonly used in fajitas, skirt steak is budget-friendly, extremely flavorful, and packed with 23 grams of protein per three-ounce serving. The longer you let the meat marinate, the more coconut flavor it will take on. STEAK AND ASSEMBLY ½ cup canned coconut milk 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus extra lime wedges (for garnish) ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons sriracha Salt to taste 1 ½ pounds trimmed skirt steak 1 cup brown jasmine rice ½ cup crushed peanuts (for garnish) CABBAGE SLAW 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon sugar ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1…

GET SMARTER --> When endocannabinoid receptors are blocked, brain cells don’t get the boost they’d ordinarily get from running. CURB MIDNIGHT SNACKING --> Endocannabinoids are believed to help regulate appetite at night. RUN HARDER --> Anandamine dilates blood vessels and the bronchial tubes in your lungs, which could help you run faster and longer. EASE MENTAL PAIN --> Endocannabinoids can help your brain forget bad memories. TREAT CANCER --> Endocannabinoids have been shown to inhibit needed oxygen and nutrient supply to certain types of tumors. FIGHT INFECTION --> Endocannabinoid receptors throughout the body help regulate immunity.…

So many (nonrunners) express concern about our joints. If they only knew… CONVERSING WITH a dental hygienist is like riding in a car with no steering wheel. It starts easily enough but where it goes is not up to you. “How is your daughter?” I recently asked my hygienist. She inserted both hands into my mouth and told me her daughter was beginning the sixth grade, which was a very big step that she seemed to be handling well; she was making friends, and balancing her homework, and no longer wanted fashion advice, but at least she wasn’t boy-crazy. “Uuung,” I said in a drawn out way as if to sound like complete agreement. Thank goodness she’s not boy-crazy. I wanted to say something about my own sixth-grader but could…

This year’s marathon is special. With 36,000 expected runners, it’s the second largest field ever, behind the 40,000 entrants who ran the 100th anniversary race in 1996. As these data reveal, the size and composition of this year’s field reflect both the natural evolution of the 118-year-old race and its rebound after the bombings.—Rachel Swaby RUNNERS RAN EVEN MORE AFTER THE ATTACKS Did the bombings scare runners off? To find out, we used data collected by the fitness-tracking app RunKeeper to tally the average number of runs per user in the month before and in the month after both the 2012 and 2013 marathons. We then compared both years (and accounted for more app users). Turns out, people ran more after last year’s race, especially in Boston. For instance, in…

Ready to start? Let this expert * advice get your running life off on the right foot. The old Chinese proverb got it right: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Rarely is this truer than when you’re first learning to run. The journey might be long and it might be challenging at times. It won’t be an instant makeover, or a 10-minute miracle. But stick with it, and soon you won’t have to call yourself a “beginning runner” anymore. You’ll be a full-fledged runner, having fun, getting fit, able to achieve whatever goals you choose next. To succeed, you must follow a sensible training plan. Here, you’ll find such a plan, plus information to help you get—and stay—motivated. The rest, however, is up to you.…

Potomac River Run Marathon and Half May 4 Washington, D.C. THIS OUT-AND-BACK 26.2 claims to be the easiest in America—it’s straight, flat, and almost entirely in the shade. The route traces the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a former commercial waterway. Half-marathoners run out and back once; full marathoners do it twice. Despite the repetition, organizers strive to keep the field of 350 runners happy: A comedian leads a warmup at the start, and there’s a joke on every mile marker. And the marathon’s relatively low price—$65 if you register early enough—is another reason to grin. safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon Race Directors: Enter your event information at runnersworld.com/racedirectors.…

40, ESPN analyst, retired NFL player, Boston PLAYING FOOTBALL for the Patriots for 13 years, I learned that nothing says New England like the Boston Marathon. I WAS on the treadmill with Tom Brady once, and he said, “We should run that race.” We see other great athletes and wonder if we could do it, too. I HAD a stroke in 2005. That year I launched Tedy’s Team to help other survivors meet, talk, and train together for this city’s signature event. I RAN Boston with my charity for the first time in 2012. My goal was 4:30, but the heat that day slowed me to a 5:26. At 3 a.m. that night I had to go to the hospital to get IVs. I HAD headphones but took them out.…

THE BOSTON MARATHON, to me, has always represented renewal. That’s an odd thing to say about the world’s oldest continually run marathon, but its place on the calendar (the third Monday in April, Patriots’ Day) and celebratory, out-of-hibernation vibe have reliably pulled the dreary tarp of winter off my back for the past decade. Never mind the vernal equinox, it isn’t spring until we’re in Beantown, running every morning along the Charles, meeting readers at the expo, and making the trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square (or cheering for those who do). This year, the meaning of renewal has been magnified. All the Boston marathoners I know—and all the people we interviewed for this issue—are eager to “turn the page” or “close the loop.” The two bombs that exploded near…

THE RUNNING CURE Thank you for your thoughtful piece calling attention to PTSD (“Running Back from Hell,” March). I am a 16-year Army veteran and runner. I spent the first part of my career as a combat engineer on active duty with two tours in Iraq. I’m now a chaplain serving in the National Guard, and I know many men and women like James Buzzell and Joe Miller. The stigma surrounding these invisible wounds is real, but so are the positive adaptive behaviors that military service can engender. Again, thank you for sharing hope for health and recovery. —JACOB SCOTT Klamath Falls, Oregon HEALING WORDS I absolutely loved Katie McDonald Neitz’s honest evaluation of why she hadn’t been able to shake her injuries (“The Whole Body Fix,” March). I am…

EVEN THOUGH David Diamond scrubbed “the hell out” of his Altra Instincts, he knows there’s something forever adhered to them. Those shoes carried the 40-yearold Army special operations officer across the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street last year, and then, sickeningly, into a scene of carnage. He will lace up that same pair of size-10 Altras on April 21 for the 2014 Boston Marathon. “I want those shoes to cross that finish line again, as a tribute, as recognition to those involved last year,” he says. “I want to carry a piece of them throughout the race.” Diamond, who has an 18-year-long military career, was one of several hundred military and state police troopers who received an invitational bib from the Boston Athletic Association in appreciation of their…

Be the Oldest Woman Running Boston At 83, SISTER MADONNA BUDER, a nun from Spokane, Washington, will be the oldest woman running the Boston Marathon. She has run the race six times, including in 2013. Nicknamed “the Iron Nun,” Sister Buder started running at age 47, and in 2012, she became the oldest woman to finish an Ironman. A week before Boston, she plans to compete in a Half Ironman.—GAIL KISLEVITZ “I need to prove an 83-year-old can still compete. Boston is a magical course. I’m sure God will be next to me enjoying it as well.” Do a 250-Mile Warmup On April 13, LARRY GROGIN, 59, will leave his home in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and start running to Boston so he can run the marathon on April 21.…

EMILY INFELD, 24, of Portland, Oregon, ran the fastest road 10-K in nine years by a U.S. woman (31:47) at last fall’s Tufts 10-K, then placed second in a 15:27 PR at NYC’s Dash to the Finish 5-K. 1. Speed Up “I often tack a few track repeats onto the end of a hard workout. Running fast when you’re tired simulates the end of a race, makes you stronger, and forces you to focus on good form.” 2. Soften Up “I do my easy run on dirt or grass the day after a hard workout or long run. Soft-surface running helps me recover faster so that my legs feel good for the next big effort.” 3. Warm Up “Before each run, I do two minutes of activation exercises, such as…

PAIN WASN’T JUST a risk in the 2009 TransEurope-Footrace, which covered an average of 43 miles per day for 64 days straight—it was a given. Researchers tested the pain tolerance of competitors in that year’s race by dunking their hands in ice-cold water for three minutes. The runners—all of whom lasted the full three minutes—rated the pain an average of 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Most of the nonrunners in a control group, by contrast, gave up halfway through the test and rated the pain as 10. To race, you have to face and overcome pain. Studies of athletes have shown that they tend to have the same pain threshold as everyone else. That means that if you apply a painful stimulus, athletes start to notice it…

BLUEBERRY-POMEGRANATE 1 CUP BLUEBERRIES 1 ½ CUPS RED GRAPES 3 STALKS CELERY 1 CUP POMEGRANATE SEEDS The dark pigments in blueberries, pomegranates, and red grapes are a sign of potent flavonoids and polyphenols that may reduce oxidative damage caused by exercise and keep cholesterol in check. SERVES 2; 189 CALORIES PER SERVING BEET-GINGER 2 BEETS 2 PEARS 1 KNOB GINGER 1 CUCUMBER Beets contain nitric-oxide compounds that help oxygenate blood and may enhance exercise performance, while ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and may calm an upset stomach. SERVES 2; 154 CALORIES PER SERVING WATERMELON-CHERRY 2 CUPS WATERMELON 1 CUP TART CHERRIES, PITTED 1 ORANGE Tart cherries contain anthocyanin antioxidants, while watermelon provides the amino acid L-citrulline—both nutrients may help reduce postrun muscle soreness. The high vitamin C content of all three…

SOMETIMES WE GET IT, sometimes we don’t. But we always want it—and more of it. It’s the runner’s high, and when we are lucky enough to tap into it, our runs feel easy, exhilarating, even euphoric. But we aren’t always that lucky, are we? Recently, researchers studied how the brain responds to running and found that the ability to get “high” while logging miles might be hard-wired within us. Years ago, our ancestors’ survival likely depended on chasing down food. The desire to live was possibly their motivation to run and run fast, and the feel-good brain chemicals released when they did so may have helped them achieve the speed and distances required, says David A. Raichlen, Ph.D., an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona. The runner’s…

LOTS OF RUNNERS lift weights and hit the yoga mat to keep injuries at bay. Increasing strength and flexibility is important, but there’s another piece of the injury-prevention puzzle that matters: mobility. “Mobility refers to range of motion in your joints and how well your body moves through a movement pattern,” says Mike Boyle, of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, Massachusetts. It’s different than flexibility—the terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably, and due to this confusion, many runners mistakenly neglect mobility. “When you run, you never really fully extend your hips or ankles to bring them through their full range of motion—so running can decrease mobility,” Boyle says. “If you don’t counteract that, you can develop restrictions that can cause injuries and inhibit performance.” First, take each test…

Interviews by John Brant, Charles Butler, Caleb Daniloff, Scott Douglas, Christine Fennessy, Caitlin Giddings, Megan Hetzel, Jon Marcus, Katie Neitz, Clara Silverstein, and Nick Weldon ELLEN HUNTER GANS 30, writer, Edina, Minn. Was stopped near mile 25. Will return to run this year (guaranteed entry as a nonfinisher). “I was 12 weeks pregnant at the marathon last year [with her first child]. In fact, when I was in Boston, I didn’t know I was going to have a son, and now that I have one, it’s impossible not to think of that little boy, Martin Richard. I have a new perspective of his parents’ loss, not that I can begin to imagine it. Thinking of them losing that little boy when I was carrying one that is now here—there is…

THE COP TWO WEEKS BEFORE MOST OF HER RIGHT LEG WAS BLOWN OFF, ROSEANN SDOIA turned 45. She was feeling sorry for herself. She owned a house in Quincy, on the South Shore, and was renting a second floor apartment in a favorite Boston neighborhood. She had close friends, loving family. She liked her job, vice president at a real estate firm. “I’ve had a good life,” she says. “I’ve traveled. I’ve been to Europe many times. Summer I’d go to Nantucket, to Newport. I had lived in Florida, lived in California.” Nonetheless, she couldn’t shake a feeling of self-pity. “It was the worst day ever,” she says. “I was pretty down in the dumps about it.” “No cake,” she told anyone who might have bought or made one. “No…

(featuring drowsy members of the Fishtown Beer Runners club in Philadelphia) STATUS UPDATE Late night last night. Still managed to get up at 4, knock out an 18-miler, and get the kids to school on time. Didn’t get enough sleep this week. Stayed in bed for an extra hour and skipped my run. LET’S SAY THESE TWO status updates showed up on your Facebook or dailymile feed. Which would get more “likes”? If you’re like many runners (and most Americans), you probably admire the badass who fought through fatigue to complete her run and suspect that the slumbering beauty is a slacker. Our society views sleep as a luxury, at best. Many people think that revealing your need for it marks you as a weakling, says John Caldwell, Ph.D., a…

MAY 3 The Vineyard Run (5-K) Grapevine, Texas 1,500 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For the smooth finish The race (above) starts and ends at a winery. Postrace, enjoy live jazz and free wine tastings. vineyardrun.com 17 The Dandelion Run (Half-Marathon and 10-K) Derby, Vermont 350 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? To follow roads less traveled Runners cruise dirt roads over rolling hills. In keeping with the rural feel, finishers receive cedar “woodals” rather than medals. dandelionrun.org 24 Trails of Fury (50-K, 30-K, Half-Marathon, 10-K, and 5-K) Las Vegas 250 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? To choose your adventure Runners can run up to 50-K in the morning (below), up to 30-K at night, or do a Dirty Double (one morning and one evening race). desertdash.com…

At the heart of so much grief over the Boston Marathon bombings is Martin Richard, the 8-year-old who was killed by the second blast. His sister, 7-year-old Jane, lost her left leg. His parents, Bill and Denise, who suffered physical injuries in addition to their unimaginable emotional wounds, have set up a foundation called Team MR8, derived from Martin’s initials and his age, which was also his favorite number. The foundation’s mission is “to honor Martin’s message of ‘No More Hurting People—Peace’ by investing in education, athletics, and community,” Bill wrote in an announcement. “While the pain of that day will forever be with us, our hope is that this special event becomes a source of strength for our family and a means to make a difference in the world.”…

NEWS, TRENDS, AND REGULAR RUNNERS DOING AMAZING THINGS STEPPING OUT of the Marathon Sports specialty running shop in downtown Boston, members of 4.15 STRONG glance at the traffic-worn yellow-and-blue finish line as they make their way down Boylston Street. Some run with the confident gait of previous marathon finishers. Some walk. Others limp. But the pace and the mechanics don’t matter. They are returning to the grounds of the marathon bombings to put their physical and mental scars behind them in preparation for the 2014 Boston Marathon. “A lot of us have talked about how the anxiety will be the hardest for us, so we keep practicing being near the finish line,” says Lauren Vulcano, 25, a graduate student from Northborough, Massachusetts. As Vulcano stood near this spot with her…

DEAR MILES, Shouldn’t there be a set, universal length for men’s running shorts? I don’t want to see your nether parts, but shorts look silly when they slosh around your knees. —KEVIN Q., Brookfield, Wisconsin First off, Kevin, I’m sorry about the whole “nether parts” thing. I’ll use more care the next time I stretch. That said, I happen to agree that we’d all be better off if midlength shorts were the norm, for the very reasons you cite. But it’s not that simple. Who defines the terms? Who decides what’s “short” and “long” and “midlength”? A tall person? A short person? A cabal of running apparel manufacturers, using their collective muscle to shove these new shorts down our throats? (Figuratively?) Besides, there are more urgent things to worry about.…

3 TENSIONTAMING TIPS 1. Get Going Under pressure? Go run. Science shows that pushing yourself at a comfortably hard pace triggers the release of brain chemicals that make you feel blissful. (Learn about this effect on page 55.) 2. Inhale And exhale in a rhythmic pattern. Your body is more prone to injury if you always exhale on the same stride. Breathing at a 3:2 ratio—in for three steps and out for two—ensures the impact stress of running is shared equally across both sides of your body. 3. Go Off-Road Logging miles on trails can reduce the impact and stress placed on your joints. Plus, running on uneven terrain works your muscles differently, which keeps them balanced. THE PULSE What causes you anxiety before a race? 32% Fear of having…

DOWNHILL RUN/WALK --> Beginners can select a route with gradual rolling hills, ideally on grass or a dirt or gravel trail. Walk the ascents and gently run the descents, letting the hills carry you down. DOWNHILL REPEATS --> After three months of consistent downhill running, try these tougher intervals. Find a grassy hill about 100 meters long (the length of a football field) with a two-to three-percent grade. After a 10-minute warmup, run up at an easy pace, then run down at a comfortably hard effort. Repeat two to four times. Each week, you can add a repeat or two, or find a slightly steeper hill. DOWNHILL LOOPS --> To home in on preparing for a hilly race, find a 1-to 1.5-mile hilly loop. After a 10-minute warmup, run the…

Q What can I do about persistently sore hamstrings? A Are you doing both hilly runs and speedwork? If so, space them out to boost recovery. Both require you to spring off your toes, taxing the hamstrings more than easy running does. Start hill and speed sessions at a slow jog to warm up the hamstrings, and keep them loose with postrun stretching. To stretch, place one foot on a step, bend the standing leg, and reach toward the elevated foot. Downward-facing dog (right) is a yoga pose that’s also valuable, as is using a foam roller on tight spots. Finally, remember to stretch and strengthen the glutes and lower back—weakness or tightness there can force you to overtax the hamstrings. —LEANNE SHEAR, cofounder of Manhattan’s Uplift Studios, is a…

5 TO 7 DAYS OUT RUN LESS, EAT CARBS During peak training, your muscles never fully reload with glycogen. Studies show that backing off running will allow muscle enzymes to store more carbs, building up energy reserves. Perfect plan: Consume three grams of carbs daily per pound of body weight. 3 TO 4 DAYS OUT EAT MORE CARBS! Boosting your carb intake with foods like pasta, rice, bagels, and bananas maxes out your glycogen stores. Back off on foods high in fat and protein to keep your calorie intake in check. Perfect plan: Eat 3.5 to 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight daily. Gaining a couple pounds is normal (since extra water is stored with glycogen), but if you start to gain more, cut back slightly. 2…

You don’t have to run hard to run happy A true runner’s high might be reserved for tough workouts that trigger the release of brain chemicals, but an easy run can still be blissful. There is a state of mind called “flow” or “the zone” that occurs when your brain becomes so focused on running that you aren’t thinking, you’re just doing. Sports psychology consultant and marathoner Cindra S. Kamphoff, Ph.D., explains how to find it. BE POSITIVE “The biggest threat to flow is negativity,” Kamphoff says. “Runners who call the treadmill a ‘dreadmill’ are nearly eliminating the chance that they will find flow on it.” Look forward to your run and anticipate that it will bring you pleasure. FOCUS ON MOVING—NOT THINKING Draw your attention to the feel of…

SO I’M READING The Bully Pulpit, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s new 900-page dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, as one does, and I come across this astounding sentence on page 134: “Even Roosevelt, with his singular disciplined drive, managed to quit work early four or five afternoons each week for a game of tennis or jog through Rock Creek Park…” What? A “jog through Rock Creek Park”? This was the 1890s, 80 years before the first stirrings of the running boom, back when “aerobic” was a word known only to scientists, and people only ran when fleeing their oppressors. Could it be that Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president of these United States, icon of Mount Rushmore, hero of San Juan Hill, was also our nation’s true running pioneer,…

LAST YEAR’S RACE I had finished my race, finished drugtesting and media, and was just getting some food when the bombs went off. I hadn’t heard from my sister, Maggie [who finished in 3:37]. The rest of my family was at a bar. I didn’t know what was going on, so it was more confusion, but a little panicky. I called her and she was in the finish line tent getting a massage. Someone wanted to ruin what I consider the best day in Massachusetts. I quickly went from confusion and frustration to being pissed off. LOCAL ROOTS Growing up, if my dad [Steve Flanagan] or other family or friends were racing, we would get up really early, come down from Marblehead, drop them off, and then go watch the…

Including Roseann Sdoia, 16 spectators lost parts of one or both legs in last year’s Boston Marathon bombings. For some survivors, running—the very spectacle of which brought them to Boylston that day—has become a long-term goal, a symbolic pledge that they won’t stay down long. Stephen Woolfenden (center, with family) was with his 3-year-old son, Leo, watching for his wife, Amber, to finish, when the second blast severed his left foot and injured his son, as well. In June, Woolfenden, 39, was able to take his first steps, and he’s since returned to work in oncology research. He’s also skied, biked, received a running blade, and, in March, he began training to run again. Before the bombings, he did shorter races, and plans to mark his progress by running a…

Whether you’re toting a smartphone, keys, or just energy gels, this gear will let you stash all your stuff on the run. 1 THE NORTH FACE BETTER THAN NAKED LONG-HAUL SHORT Like one of those pickup trucks touting its best-inclass payload, these shorts have storage for days. The outer layer boasts a zippered pocket in back, with two stretch-mesh drop-in pockets to its sides. For extremely long runs, we like the pockets on the thighs of its boxer-brief liner—big enough to hold gels or larger items like Clif Shot Bloks. ($65) thenorthface.com 2 ULTIMATE DIRECTION MEOW Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek and his wife, Jenny, helped craft a line of products for Ultimate Direction, ranging from hydration backpacks to this slim, feminine waist pack. The Meow’s wide, breathable mesh helps the pack…

DESI DAVILA LINDEN, 30, took second (2:22:38, her PR) in the 2011 Boston Marathon, missing the win by just two seconds. After struggling with injury in 2012 and the first half of 2013, she finished September’s Berlin Marathon in 2:29:15 and will return to race in Boston on April 21. Q What’s the secret to racing well in Boston? A Learning to run the downhills is key. Boston beats up your quads, and it helps to get a feel for it before race day. Q What’s your race strategy? A I’m always conscious of running my own race. That way, I can harness my strength: running the last 10-K aggressively and finishing strong. Q Do you have a mantra? A I do, but it’s pretty dull. I repeat, “calm, calm,…