Table of contents for Issue 6 2021 in Runner's World

Embracing Failure, p.34 I’m clumsy, so I need to pay attention to the ground or I’ll trip or roll an ankle. By doing this, however, I can clear my mind and be present. I forget about all the daily stresses, which is exactly what meditation is all about. Anxiety lives in the future and depression lives in the past, so by focusing on the present and being aware of your surroundings, your true self emerges. PLUS: Praise the process, not the result. I started out fixated on the end goal instead of enjoying and being fixated on the journey and process.…

MICHELLE MOE, 69 PHOENIX “IF YOU CAN’T GO FAST, GO FAR.”—DR. JOAN ULLYOT RUNNER'S+ Hardest Run of My Life… A 10K race I did back in central Pennsylvania, where we used to live. I swear the entire 10K was uphill, and a steep uphill at that. I was not a hill runner at the time, and ended up at the tail end, right in front of the ambulance. I was so discouraged and embarrassed I didn’t even go to the finish line, but to my car instead. …GREATEST RUN OF MY LIFE My first race—who doesn’t remember their very first race? It was a 10K in Philadelphia, start and finish at the steps of the Museum of Art. I wanted to run in memory of my dad, who died of…

YOU MIGHT THINK of it as a cushy celeb workout or a relaxing flow akin to yoga. But if you haven’t tried Pilates, you’re missing out on some major strength, speed, and endurance gains. “Though it has many overlaps with yoga, Pilates is different in that it focuses on core engagement with every movement,” says Susie Crossland-Dwyer, ultramarathoner, Pilates instructor, and founder of Studio S in Cincinnati. Whether you practice it on high-tech equipment at a studio or on the floor in your basement, you’ll strengthen the muscles that support your posture—and that makes you a stronger runner. “When your core is more stable, it creates a stronger kinetic chain, meaning the lower half of your body can move in the way it’s designed to, and you’ll run more efficiently,”…

TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN AND 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden drinks three to four cups of coffee each day. “I’m a huge coffee fan,” Linden says, which should come as no surprise since she and her husband own a coffee company, Linden x Two. “I have two cups first thing in the morning, and it’s beneficial in getting all systems—mind and body—up and running before I head out the door for my first run,” she adds. Many of us (elite and non-elite) use caffeine to our benefit, as research has shown that in addition to perking you up, it can also make you faster and help you focus during your workouts. But as with any other performance food or drink, education is key to achieving maximum benefits, so we tapped experts…

IF YOU KNOW someone new to running or starting to train for their first race, becoming their go-to person to guide them into the sport can be fulfilling. You get to see them reach milestones in their training and improve over time—and ultimately help them achieve their goal of crossing a finish line. As a mentor, you can help newbies avoid pitfalls in their training that they aren’t familiar with yet. For instance, a newer runner may be overtraining and doing repeated hard workouts, thinking this will help them excel; you already know they need to keep their training in check or else risk injury or burnout. New runners also tend to be overwhelmed by all the different workouts and group runs out there, and they’re raring to go when it…

This time last year, we assembled our Gear of the Year list, reflecting on 2020 and feeling hesitant yet hopeful for 2021. Things obviously still aren’t like what they used to be. However, races have started up again, we watched amazing Olympics feats this summer, and we’re finally able to run together again. On these pages are the 28 products that upped our running game this year, or just brought us joy during these uncertain times. Nonrunners may not understand our glee over finding the right pair of shoes or splurging on a smartwatch with long-lasting battery life. But we’re the crowd who wake up before sunrise to get in a run before work. The crowd who save their pennies for registration, plane tickets, and a hotel room for a…

PRICE: $135 | TYPE: Road | DROP: 12 mm WEIGHT: 9.7 oz (M), 8.1 oz (W) TWENTY-FIVE MARKS A huge milestone for the Rider. One longtime tester pegged this version as his favorite yet. As a wearer of the Rider since its 13th version, I can vouch that it’s definitely the softest and most cushioned Rider I’ve ever worn. That in part is because the brand delivered on the promise it teased us with in the Rider 24: a full-length midsole layer of luxuriously soft Enerzy foam. In previous Riders, the midsole featured a mix of foams—ranging from its firmer U4ic to TPU-bead based XPOP—both above and below the wave plate. Though comfortable underfoot, the combination of different foams made the shoe’s ride feel a bit disjointed. Depending on whether…

Michele Glover, 67, of Indian Land, SC, says she got into running for a very simple reason: “I didn’t want to get old!” She first laced up her shoes on New Year’s Day in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since. Kat Cosgrove, 33, of Washington, DC, won’t leave her door without wearing her trusty trucker hat. “My husband hates it and thinks it looks really goofy,” she says, “but I have short hair that bounces around and looks like a mess when I run. A hat keeps my hair in place and the sun out of my eyes.” Brooke Gunderson, 27, of Clinton, IA, recently participated in the Moonlight Chase, a local four-mile run that took place at night and required runners to dress up in glow-in-the-dark gear. She snagged…

PAULINA JAYNE ISAAC FEATURES EDITOR LOVE TO RUN AS LONG AS IT’S NOT AT THE CRACK OF DAWN (A.K.A. BEFORE 10 A.M.!) PRODUCTS I'M USING RIGHT NOW WHAT GETS ME OUT THERE I broke my left ankle in March, which put a halt to my fitness routine. My physical therapist gave me a running plan, which has been extremely motivating and the ultimate form of self-care right now. I also recently got engaged and want to be in the best shape of my life on my wedding day. It’s not about weight loss for me—I just want to feel really confident in my body. ON THE BUCKET LIST I really want to do a Color Run. I haven’t had a chance to do one yet, but they seem like so…

ANTONIO COSENZA, 2 8 DEARBORN, MICHIGAN WHAT MATTERS IS WE DID IT; WHAT MATTERS IS WE FINISHED RUNNER'S+ JUMP BACK IN I decided to run my first marathon after not having run in over a year. I was called into work late the night before and got home with enough time to shower and change before having to immediately head down-town for the start of the race. I was surprised at how well the first 18 miles went, but the remainder proved to be a bit more than I was ready for. However, that postrace beer and nap still remain among my favorites of all time. SHOE STORE OR ONLINE? Shoe store. Who doesn’t love the immediate gratification and excitement of driving 15 minutes down the road, picking up the…

If you can swing classes on a reformer machine, you’ll gain the most strength benefits, says Betiku. But hitting the mat a few times a week (in a studio or at home) is still highly effective. Zero in on the muscles that keep you stable on the run by doing these three moves, three times a week. THE HUNDRED Lie faceup, legs extended. Lift head, shoulders, and legs, keeping knees straight (bend to modify). Extend arms down by sides, off floor. Pump arms up and down, breathing in for a 5 count, and out for a 5 count. Repeat 10 times. REVERSE PLANK Sit with legs extended. Place hands behind you, fingertips facing your butt. (Turn them slightly out if that feels better.) Press hands and heels into mat and…

HOW DO YOU spend your off-season? Let’s back up. Do you have an offseason? The fact that you can run year-round is a very neat element of this sport, but it also means that you should set some personal boundaries. For me, it’s important that within my running, I create separation and structure to better help identify when I’m in a training cycle and when I’m simply staying connected to running. I call the “down” periods in my training “Fun Run Season.” Running brings me joy and helps me feel connected to the person I want to be, so I never want there to be large gaps within my life without it. But there are times after I race when I’m not physically or mentally prepared to throw myself right…

STRONG GLUTES ARE THE KEY TO STRONG RUNNING. That’s because this muscle group—composed of the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus—is the biggest in the body, and it’s not there for vanity. The glutes keep us standing upright, separating us humans from our hunched-over primate ancestors, and they power the body forward and uphill, says Greg Grosicki, PhD, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. In short, these muscles can help you run, and super fast. Research shows that runners can go harder when their backsides are built up. The glutes of pro sprinters were 45 percent larger than those of a sub-elite group, according to a small Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study. The glutes are also crucial to injury prevention. “Any weakness in the glutes…

EARPHONES 1 | Jabra Elite Active 75t, $180 These earbuds are designed for active—read: sweaty—busy people. Out of the many earbuds our editors tested, these charged among the fastest and held a respectable amount of juice. The battery lasts longer than five hours (24 with the charging case), and the in-ear fit is comfortable, with swappable silicone gel inserts. For outdoor use, the hear-through option comes in handy when you need to be aware of your surroundings, though it muffles the sound of your music a bit. A favorite feature is the ease of controls: Simply touch the outside of the earbuds to turn them on or off. When listening to music, remove one bud from your ear to auto-pause. Plus, a quick charge of just 15 minutes means you’ll…

1 | Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50 Pump, $58 (18 fl. oz.) One winter day I went into a pharmacy to pick up sunscreen and lectured a poor store associate on how the sun doesn’t go on vacation. (He’d just told me they stopped stocking sunscreen end of summer.) Runners: Please wear it year-round. SuperGoop!’s lotion comes in one-ounce tubes to 18-ounce bottles, and I think every runner needs the latter for wherever they tie their shoelaces before heading out. The pump is quick and simple to use and the lotion doesn’t leave white streaks on my already tan skin. Its resistance to sweat and water lasts for over an hour. SuperGoop! says 90 percent of visible aging comes from sun exposure. Besides getting burned—and, yikes, skin cancer—how’s that…

AROUND 80 PERCENT of our heat dissipation while exercising comes not from sweating, but from sweat evaporating off the skin. Clothing, especially winter layering, is a barrier that traps heat, air, and moisture, creating what textile researchers call a “microclimate” between the skin and the inner face of the fabric. As heat and moisture build, humidity rises, hindering evaporation and, therefore, the skin’s ability to cool the body. One functional fabric works with the body’s efforts to thermoregulate in the cold and, yes, the heat: wool. Research in performance apparel has shown that wool fibers pull moisture from that micro-climate. This lowers humidity, allows sweat to evaporate faster, and cools skin temperature—which is what we sense when we’re feeling intensely hot during exercise. Dr. Raechel Laing, professor emeritus at the…

KEN KAWADA VIDEO PRODUCER NO MATTER HOW SLOW YOU’RE GOING, AT LEAST YOU’RE LAPPING EVERYONE ON THE COUCH PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW BIGGEST CHALLENGE I’VE FACED For those returning to running, like me, it’s getting out that door. But it’s smooth sailing once you figure out what works. For me, early-morning runs work best, so now they’re part of my daily routine. BEST ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED The hardest part of running is always the middle of the race or training. A former coach once told me to replace my “can’t do” thoughts with positive reinforcements. Simply telling myself “I’ve got this” or “Beat that record” makes a huge difference and motivates me to do better. MY RUN GOAL Right now, I’m challenging myself to a 30-day running streak. With…

GLO This platform boasts big names in wellness, like Kristin McGee and Kit Rich. Plus it provides both traditional mat classes and fusion sessions that blend Pilates with more targeted strength-training. $18/month or $162/year; glo.com PILATESOLOGY Come to this site for its encyclopedia of moves for newbies and plenty of options to find a teacher who fits your personality. Stay for the workouts designed specifically for runners. $20/month or $179/year; pilatesology.com PILATES ANYTIME With more than 3,400 videos, classes on the mat or reformer, options for props, and more, you’ll never get bored. Search by level and preferences like “Pilates for back pain” or “stress” to find your match. $18/month; pilatesanytime.com…

ONE. SINGLE. MILE. For many, the distance is equally attainable and intimidating. When motivation is waning, it’s common to tell yourself “just do one mile” to get going. But when it’s time to race that mile? Well, that’s a different beast. “The mile will take you to your threshold nearly the entire time,” says Ashley Paulson, certified iFit trainer and run coach. “You’ll feel your lungs burn and the blood in your legs pulsing.” But that doesn’t (and shouldn’t) stop us from trying to get faster at the 1600-meter distance. “As runners, we are always pushing our own boundaries,” Paulson says. “The mile is a great way to check your cardiovascular fitness, it’s a good tool to predict other race times, and it can serve as a baseline for programming…

IN MY FAMILY, we were expected to do well in school and also participate in sports. I ran cross country and track, and like practically everybody else in Minnesota, I played hockey. Then in my junior year, I discovered alcohol and pot. Athletics completely fell away, and I just kind of scraped through the rest of high school. I went to college, where my addiction became more prevalent. I was drinking hard, doing cocaine, and smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day. I graduated, returned home to work for my family’s supermarket business, and got married, but for the next decade, my alcohol and drug use spiraled. It was obvious to everybody but me that my life was falling apart. After my family staged an intervention in 1994, I…

Hoka Mach 4, $130 We gave the Mach 4 an Editors’ Choice nod in our Spring Shoe Guide, dubbing this trainer as perhaps the best Hoka yet. Almost a year later, we stand by this declaration. The shoe is remarkably lightweight yet still generously plush, and has the feel of a Hoka without quite looking like one. The Mach can be an everyday workhorse, speed shoe, or marathon racer. It owes this versatility to its dual-density Profly foam; the midsole is softer in the heel and slightly firmer in the forefoot, providing support and explosive rebound. The slightly curved rocker sole urges you to roll forward and go faster. But the best thing about the Mach is how comfortable it feels. It’s the kind of shoe that makes you glad…

PRICE: $200 | TYPE: Road | DROP: 4 mm WEIGHT: 7.0 oz (M), 5.8 oz (W) LET IT BE known: 2021 is the year the racing flat has officially been declared dead. Conventional wisdom held that to make a shoe faster, you had to make it lighter. That always meant you’d lace up a shoe with a paper-thin sole on race day—it was, literally, flat compared to the profile of your trainers. But with the wave of new midsole foams, we’ve discovered that cush is king—even on race day. Skechers has been working with one of those new formulations, which it calls Hyperburst, with wonderful success. For its previous top-of-the-line racer, the Speed Elite, it used a moderate amount of foam that, in the end, proved to be too little…