FAST & HEALTHY
RECOVERY MEALS Plus THE ULTIMATE
POST-RACE COCKTAILS p38
MOTIVATE YOURSELF NAIL ANY GOAL LOOK COOL, STAY COOL
WHEN TO
GO HARD, WHEN TO
BACK OFF
OWN YOUR RUN
p64
Beginners
4 MILESTONES TO AIM FOR (AND CELEBRATE!)
Insider Training
6
STRETCHES THAT WILL
YUKI MANIA!
THE “CITIZEN RUNNER” WHO HAS WON 23 MARATHONS
Knox Robinson, a New York City marathoner and coach, has style for miles. p34
FIX YOUR FORM
14 REASONS TO LOVE THE TREADMILL NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNERSWORLD.COM
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COV E R P H OTO G R A P H B Y P E T E R YA N G ; S T Y L I N G B Y T H I M I N H H U Y E N N G U Y E N & B R I A N S T H I L A I R E
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2015
RAVE RUN
EDITOR’S LETTER
THE LOOP
12
14
16
88
WORK TO LIVE, LIVE TO RUN New York City’s West Side Runners club is famous for fast blue-collar immigrants who train as hard as they work. BY SARAH GEARHART
ON THE COVER Injury-Prevention Guide ............... 60 Recovery Meals........................... 52 Post-Race Cocktails ..................... 38 Go Hard or Back Off? .................. 64 Beginners: Milestones to Aim For .. 46 Yuki Mania! ................................. 68 Motivate Yourself ...................42, 83 Nail Any Goal .........................42, 48 Look Cool, Stay Cool .............. 34, 83 Stretches to Fix Your Form ........... 62 Reasons to Love the Treadmill ..31, 66
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT WHITMAN
76 RUN THIS CITY
83 TRAINING/MOTIVATION
GO, SPEED RACER, GO!
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
THE RACER’S BRAIN
Yuki Kawauchi is a government clerk who loves Manga comics, Karaoke— and winning lots of superfast marathons.
Given all the running trails, running clubs, and runner’s hangouts, you might as well call it the City of Runnerly Love.
Simple coping mechanisms can keep mental hurdles from blocking your mojo on race day.
BY KUMIKO MAKIHARA
BY NELL MCSHANE WULFHART
68 RW PROFILE
BY DR. JEFF BROWN, WITH LIZ NEPORENT
NOVEMEBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 5
CONTENTS
21
58
WE’RE ALWAYS RUNNING AT RUNNERSWORLD.COM
SAFETY WEEK
HUMAN RACE 21
PERSONAL BEST
Social Movement How a simple search for training buddies launched a revolution in Harlem.
24
Back Story Nick Arciniaga takes aim at a top-five finish in NYC.
26
Action Star Artistic filmmaker/ runner Casey Neistat.
30
Runner by the Numbers This cancer survivor has run the Marine Corps Marathon 28 times.
TRAINING
“I’m pretty minimal with gear,” says Arciniaga, who placed 10th in the New York City Marathon last year. “I only started using a GPS watch a year ago. For me, the most important thing is to run as much as I can.”
42
Whine and Shine How to deal with (and learn from) a bad training run.
44
The Fast Lane Race with a pack to get pushed to a PR.
46
The Starting Line Celebrate these unsung milestones.
48
Race Prep The final few weeks can be the ones that matter most.
50
Ask the Experts Is jumping rope good for runners?
Go You! They got a fresh start.
31
What Do You Know? Indoor running classes? Ahh-mazing.
32
Remy’s World Life is short, so keep it sweet. BY MARK REMY
52
Street Style The flamboyant founder of Black Roses NYC.
One-Bowl Wonders Five wholesome recovery soups.
54
Quick Bites Put a little pumpkin in your diet.
56
Fridge Wisdom Grow your own sprouts to up your vitamin intake.
58
The Runner’s Pantry Six delicious ways to top your toast.
34
35
Intersection Hall, family of six?
36
Life & Times A body-part crush inspires a return to the roads.
FUEL
BY KAREN RIZZO 38
Run It by Me Postrace cocktails.
39
Ask Miles Your etiquette guide.
RACES+PLACES 99
Spa Running Festival 10K A soak in steamy hot springs awaits.
MIND+BODY
112
Katherine Lowry Logan She aims to run one marathon and write one novel—every year.
6 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
Get Better, Stay Better How to bounce back from (and/or prevent) five common injuries.
62
The Body Shop Six moves for a smoother, more efficient stride.
64
Should You Race Today? A stepby-step guide to help you decide.
66
Insider Training Tools to keep things interesting on the ’mill.
How do you cut your toast? 21% Diagonally 19% Horizontally
I’M A RUNNER
60
60% I don’t! Based on 432 responses to an online poll
GEAR
Shore up your running form with the strength and flexibility routine on page 62, and watch it demonstrated at runners world.com/formfixers.
WHO ARE YOU? Maybe you are that runner. The one who’s always Instagramming. Or half-stepping. Or farting. Check out the 11 types of annoying runners at runnersworld.com/ annoying.
I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y DA N F U E H R E R ( A N N OY I N G R U N N I N G PA R T N E R )
30
TRAINING VIDEO
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y JACO B P R I TC H A R D ( H A R L E M R U N N E R S ); M I TC H M A N D E L ( B R E A D, WATC H , TOAS T ); S T E P H E N M AT E R A / TA N D E M S TO C K .C O M ( R U N N E R W I T H R E F L E C T I V E A R M BA N D)
Shorter days mean darker runs and often hazardous weather. So we’re devoting a week in November to the best safety practices for runners. Check out runnersworld.com/ safetyweek for details.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
VP/PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL JOHN ATWOOD Editor TISH HAMILTON Executive Editor SUZANNE PERREAULT Senior Managing Editor CHRISTINE FENNESSY Articles Editor (Features) KATRIN M C DONALD NEITZ Articles Editor (Mind+Body, Human Race) BRYAN BOYLE Senior Editor (Gear) JOANNA SAYAGO GOLUB Senior Editor (Nutrition) MEGHAN KITA Senior Editor (Training, Races+Places) JONATHAN BEVERLY Shoe Editor LINDSAY BENDER Assistant Managing Editor ALI NOLAN Associate Editor KIT FOX, MEGAN HETZEL Reporters
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What do you do to keep your mind occupied during long runs? • “Save up stories to tell and dissect with training partner!”
• “I hold a fierce, one-man debate inside my head about what I’m going to eat after my run. The burger usually wins.”
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RAVE RUN
WILMINGTON, NEW YORK RUNNER Jacki Arevalo THE EXPERIENCE Runners, hikers, and bikers all share the Flume Trail system, a network of nearly 10 miles of single- and doubletrack through the Adirondack Mountains with occasional rocky offshoots like this one along the Ausable River. “The air is cool and damp, in a good way,” Arevalo says, “and there is a visceral sense of the season changing.” AIM HIGH For sweeping vistas of autumn hues, drive (or take a gondola ride) to the top of Whiteface Mountain, just 20 minutes away. At 4,865 feet, it’s New York’s fifth-highest peak. FEEL THE RUSH Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games, is about 12 miles southwest. There, professional drivers will take you ripping down the bobsled track. LOCAL FARE Try the Cobble Hill sandwich at The Cottage in Lake Placid: “What’s not to love about turkey, apple, and cranberry?” says Arevalo. PHOTOGRAPHER Louis Arevalo/ Tandemstock.com
FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/ RAVERUN.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 13
EDITOR’S LETTER
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
14 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
In the tribe’s warm embrace after the 1990 NYC Marathon.
I think I’ve found the only socks I ever want to wear again! Stance socks combine technical cred with great fit and colorful cool. (That’s the Cadence QTR, $16, above.)
The Nov/Dec Running Times has a great profile of about-to-break-out marathoner Nick Arciniaga (he’s also on page 24 herein) plus a taste of John L. Parker Jr.’s Once a Runner prequel.
Trailhead, by Lisa Jhung (VeloPress), has inspired me to run the trail race added to our RW Half & Festival in Bethlehem, PA (October 16–18).
month, in honor of marathons in New York and Philadelphia, we feature clubs in those cities made up of immigrants (page 88), eclectic urbanites (page 21), and beer lovers (page 79). Knox Robinson, who appears on this month’s cover, cofounded Black Roses NYC in 2013. He wanted to take an approach, he says, “like you’d find at a training camp in Kenya or Portland, Oregon,” and to welcome men and women, black, white, or otherwise, “so we can really learn from each other.” But what sepa rates t he Black Roses from other tribes is that it’s “based in the greatest city on the planet, and we are exploring, celebrating, and sharing that culture with the world.” Robinson sees lots of other new groups in New York and elsewhere. “All these crews,” he says, “are paving the way for a true third running boom.” I hope all these tribes continue to come together, and I suspect they will. The most powerful feeling I get at races—from gigantic marathons to Firecracker 5Ks—is the sense of being among people who feel much the way I feel about life, and who are about to embark on the same challenge. There are no strangers on the starting line, just fellow runners who haven’t met yet. DAVID WILLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
@DWilleyRW
We have lots of NYC Marathon stories in this issue (look for this and similar icons). We’d love to meet you at a seminar or shakeout run on race weekend—see runnersworld.com/rwnyc for details. I ran my first marathon there in 1990, and this year will again be interviewing runners from the course for the ESPN2 broadcast. PHOTOGRAPH BY MITCH MANDEL
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y M I TC H M A N D E L ( S O C K S ); C O U R T E S Y O F V E LO P R E S S ( T R A I L H E A D)
I’ve been listening to podcasts during long runs—fascinating stories that make the miles sail by. One of my favorites is Invisibilia, which explores human behavior and the unseen ideas, emotions, and assumptions that affect our lives. An episode called “The Power of Categories” focused on our primal need to sort ourselves into social groups we identify with or aspire to. The hosts made the case that life is harder when you have no category, and that finding one—surrounding yourself with people who are like you in some key way—makes you feel that you are not only significant, but enduringly so. I was three miles into a good, sweaty run when I started listening to it, and because great audio stories penetrate your brain in a very evocative way, I got to thinking about runners. After all, we’re a category. When the first running boom went off in the 1970s, simply being a runner set you apart. Runners were a tribe—a few thousand skinny guys running sub-three marathons and training 90 miles per week in what looked like underwear—but a tribe nonetheless. From then on, the world was divided into two kinds of people: runners and nonrunners. It said so in the bi-
LATELY
ble (or at least in The Runner’s Bible, published in 1985). We began waving knowingly to other runners. We wore race jackets and running shoes at all hours. We wondered why more people didn’t get off the couch! Today, though, there are 42 million runners in the U.S. About half are women, and it seems like everyone has run a marathon. You could argue that because our category is so much larger, we have a better chance of forging the enduring significance we crave. While that may be true, we are actually organizing our tribes more tightly, especially in big cities. We are creating subcategories—running clubs, groups, and “collectives” that are highly social (fueled, yes, by social media) and narrowly defined around identity, race, time goals, and other idiosyncrasies. So much for the loneliness of the long-distance runner. Running clubs are not new, of course. The first to register with the Road Runners Club of America was the New York Road Runners, in 1958, with 29 members. It now has 60,000 members, and in the past 10 years, RRCA-member clubs across the country have grown from 660 to 1,095—which does not include informal grassroots tribes growing just as quickly. Ever since profiling November Project (now in 23 cities) in December 2013, we’ve followed this trend closely, and have recently featured running tribes from all over with all manner of niches, whether it’s art (BlacklistLA, July), Sunday repasts (bRUNch Running, August), or sexual orientation (Frontrunners, October). This
THE LOOP
THE QUESTION
THE HIERARCHY
In what form do you prefer to consume pumpkin?
COOKIES 8% 7 ER BE
%
51%
PIE
COFF EE 6%
Find two more delicious uses for the autumnal fruit (yes, a fruit) on page 58.
2 8%
EASY ON THE EYES Thank you for the new Fall Shoe Guide graph (September). I’m color-blind and couldn’t follow the other one for anything. JASON ROBERTS, VIA EMAIL
NOT AMUSED I can’t express how disappointed I was in “The Business of a Porta-Potty” (September). I subscribe to your magazine to learn about running. I hope the next issue doesn’t have any crap in it. (Pun intended.)
Based on 407 responses to an online poll
THE POSTS
In August, runners from November Project Philadelphia and RunPhilly took over our Instagram (@runnersworldmag) to document their trip to RW HQ in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and to nearby Bethlehem, host city for the Runner’s World Half & Festival (October 16-18). Go on a running (and eating and drinking) tour of their home stomping grounds on page 76.
ANGELA WRIGLEY, VIA EMAIL
GUT IT OUT I appreciate the desire to get back to greatness (“It Sucks to Be Great,” The Fast Life, September). Whenever my wife gets down on herself, I ask her, “Would the 80-year-old you be proud of who you are?” It’s the challenges that make us tough.
“Is heavily sucking wind a running form?” —Fawn Lipe
“Like a gazelle. After the cheetah caught it.” —Gavin Mongan
JERRY STEWARD, VIA FACEBOOK
ADVENTURE RUN So in Anchorage (Rave Run, September), I can run until midnight without a headlamp, but I also have a chance of being a doormat for a moose or dinner for a bear. That keeps it interesting!
For interactive online guides to Philly and other great running cities, go to runnersworld.com/ runningcities.
“Usain Bolt, crossed with a Minion.” —Justin Fennessy
CHRISTOPHER FRAME, VIA FACEBOOK
Send comments to letters@runnersworld .com. If your letter is published, you’ll receive an RW T-shirt. RUNNER’S WORLD reserves the right to
edit readers’ submissions. All readers’ submissions become the sole property of RUNNER’S WORLD and may be published in any medium and for any use worldwide.
16 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
“A drunk turtle.” —Gemma Cowan The group started their day with a run beside the historic stacks of Bethlehem Steel— backdrop for the Runner’s World Half & Festival— and capped it with pints at Brew Works on Main Street.
“An old Clydesdale on his way to the glue factory that thinks he’s a thoroughbred.” —Derek Lockhart Learn how to fix your form on page 62.
A L A M Y ( B E E R B OT T L E ) ; M A R K J. BA R R E T T/A L A M Y (C LY D E S DA L E )
CORRECTION: In our trail shoe guide “Backcountry Rock Stars” (October), we showed images of the Nike Air Zoom Wildhorse 3 instead of the Nike Air Zoom Terra Kiger 3 on pages 95 and 102. We corrected the error at runnersworld.com/trailshoeguide.
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y M I TC H M A N D E L ( P U M P K I N ) ; N S P- R F/A L A M Y (G A Z E L L E ); U N I V E R S A L P I C T U R E S / E V E R E T T CO L L E C T I O N ( M I N I O N ); JA M I E M C D O N A L D/G E T T Y I M AG E S ( B O LT ) ; TO P- P E T- P I C S /A L A M Y ( T U R T L E ); N I KO L A S PA S E N O S K I /
AD BRE
THE INBOX
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING FORM?
Many of our achievements happen with paper and paper-based packaging. Achievements both great and small. Discover how paper and packaging help us reach so many of our life goals. HowLifeUnfolds.com Š 2015 Paper and Packaging Board. All Rights Reserved.
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THE LOOP
GENIUS SOLUTION FOR MUSCLE CRAMPS When muscle cramps hit Dr. Rod MacKinnon while kayaking in rough waters, two things smacked him like a raging rapid: fear and insight. The fear of being stuck in shark-filled waters triggered an insight for the Nobel Prizewinning neuroscientist that set him on course to invent the most effective way to prevent muscle cramps. His genius discovery? To treat the nerve instead of the muscle. Along with fellow kayaker and Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. Bruce Bean, Rod set out to find a solution. Their four years of researching, testing, and electrifying led to a scientific breakthrough that will improve athletic performance forever.
THE COVER
Cover subject Knox Robinson, 40, is coach and cofounder of Black Roses NYC running collective. “After placing 100th in the 2011 New York City Marathon, people came to me seeking advice,” says Robinson, of Beacon, New York. “I saw a need to translate elite training for weekend warriors.” He shares a few of his style tips on page 34. Cover photo by Peter Yang
Follow Robinson on Instagram @firstrun.
FARAH’S STREAK OF WINNING TIMES
THE DEFINITION
TAPER CRAZIES
2015 World Championships 5,000 meters 13:50.38 10,000 meters 27:01.13
A STATE OF MOOD SWINGS, FOOD CRAVINGS, ANTSY LEGS, ANXIETY, PHANTOM INJURIES, AND THE URGE TO RUN WHEN YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. CAN ONLY BE CURED BY RACING.
2013 World Championships
“I watch motivational videos and cry for no reason, and dream I’m at the starting line in high heels.” —Carla Campabadal
10,000 meters 27:30.42
5,000 meters 13:26.98 10,000 meters 27:21.71 2012 Olympic Games 5,000 meters 13:41.66
2011 World Championships
THE LATEST
5,000 meters 13:23.36
Great Britain’s Mo Farah (“The 50 Most Influential People in Running,” October) won gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August. The victories marked Farah’s sixth and seventh consecutive world or Olympic distance titles.
“I clean the house with the energy of the Tasmanian Devil. For a week straight.” —@DanielGabalski “Everything that doesn’t feel right is obviously a catastrophic injury and all of my training has been a waste.” —@BTBogtrotters THE IMPRESSION
“I get nightmares of missing the race. I wake up at race-day time every day for two weeks just to prepare.” —Vanessa Wendt
Get the story at itsthenerve.com
© 2015 Flex Pharma, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“Everyone around me seems to feel the two weeks before a marathon is the perfect time to piss me off.” —Paul Lekan
After following four New Yorkers who cram hard training around long hours on their feet at work (“Work to Live, Live to Run,” page 88), writer and 10-time marathoner Sarah Gearhart was inspired. “I was taken aback by their positive attitudes,” says Gearhart. “Despite their hardships, they didn’t feel sorry for themselves. Honestly, they gave me a renewed perspective on running that I really needed.” ILLUSTRATION BY WARD SUTTON
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y P E T E R YA N G ( R O B I N S O N ); A L E X A N D E R H A S S E N S T E I N /G E T T Y I M AG E S ( FA R A H )
“My right pinky toe started to hurt like crazy three days before my first marathon. Morning of, it was fine.” —@jjruns
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POSTRACE BARTENDING p38
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTION STAR p26
HUMAN( )RACE NEWS, TRENDS, and REGULAR RUNNERS doing AMAZING THINGS
SOCIAL T N MOVEME
HARLEM RUN-AISSANCE A running group unites and celebrates a historic neighborhood.
Two years ago, when Alison Mariella Désir founded Harlem Run, her goal was simple: Find some running buddies. She ended up launching a local running revolution. Désir had finished her first marathon in
San Diego in 2012. Back home in Harlem, she and a friend met up for runs and invited others to join on social media. Word spread, and within a few months, Harlem Run multiplied from two to 10 to 50. Today, as
Alison Désir (center) will run the NYC Marathon with nine other members of Harlem Run.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACOB PRITCHARD
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Members of Harlem Run are featured in this issue’s HR logo.
many as 100 people turn out for runs. Harlem Run hosts three- to six-milers on Mondays, track or stair workouts on Thursdays, random “popup” runs advertised through social media, and for the last several months, weekend long runs for those training for the NYC Marathon. Ten members, including 30-year-old Désir, will participate in this year’s event. Inclusiveness is central to the club’s ethos. Harlem Run counts members who are young, old, black, white, experienced, and beginners. Many are born-and-raised Harlemites, but the group also includes transplants, people from elsewhere in the city, and even tourists. Every run starts with participants in a circle, answering an icebreaker question, and then captains split up into different pace groups. Postworkout, they hold “run chats” to answer beginners’ questions. “There are other groups where it seems like you have
to have certain gear or talk a certain way to fit in,” Désir says. “I wanted people to feel comfortable coming with whatever they have on, not having to know anything.” Désir and her five group captains plan varying routes that explore Harlem, which is rich in African-American cultural touch points, including the Apollo Theatre (shown below). “The idea is connecting people and having them respect the community, understanding their place within this historical space,” she says. It’s common for people in the neighborhood, especially kids, to join in midrun. Désir says business owners often invite runners to stop by when they’re finished. “Harlem is one of the few places left in New York where there’s still that tight sense of community,” Désir says. Harlem, she says, “is a hot place to be right now.” But with that have come issues of gentrification and income inequality. She
Harlem Run boosts members’ physical fitness and community spirit. Kids often join in.
LOCAL LEGENDS In town for the marathon? Désir recommends… Stay “Aloft Harlem [2296 Frederick Douglass Blvd.] is a cool boutique hotel and is central to public transportation and Harlem’s two so-called restaurant rows.” Shake Out “Go to Marcus Garvey Park. It’s .8 miles around, flat, and an easy run to get your legs fresh.” Gear Up “Take the A train to 59th Street to get to New York Running Company in the Time Warner building. Ask for Mary Arnold, a Harlem local, ultrarunner, and very cool woman.”
Fuel Up “We’ll have a Halloweenthemed dinner the night before. Come in costume for a family-style meal. Follow us @harlem_run on Instagram.” Shout “We’ll have a cheer block on Fifth Avenue between 135th and 137th Streets. Pump up runners and help them get to the finish.” Celebrate “The race ends by 72nd Street, so jump on the 2/3 train to 125th and go to Harlem Shake for the Harlem Run afterparty. They have burgers, fries— even kale salad— as well as beer and wine.”
sees her group of runners as a force to help preserve the community’s identity and help residents who are in need. Earlier this year, Harlem Run partnered with Harlem United, a nonprofit that serves the HIV/AIDS and homeless populations, to put on a one-miler in Harlem’s historic Marcus Garvey Park. The event drew 150 participants and raised $2,500 for health and housing services. Désir, who is working on her master’s in counseling psychology at Columbia University, also wants to start Harlem Run psychological workshops to promote the mental benefits of fitness. In this fall’s marathon, Harlem Run will have a cheer block and will man the 21st mile’s fluid station, where the course enters the neighborhood. “There are negative thoughts associated with Harlem, and misgivings about whether it’s safe,” Désir says. “We want to show that sense of community and support, that this is a place where everybody should come out and run.” —NICK WELDON
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THE FORCE IS WITH HIM
BACK STORY
NICK ARCINIAGA 32, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA
After placing 10th last year, the 2:11 marathoner is aiming for a top-five finish at the New York City Marathon on November 1. —NICK WELDON
ABOUT TIME I lived with my parents when I was trying to become a pro runner. I tried every distance before making my marathon debut in Chicago in 2006. My dad said if things didn’t go well there, I’d have to get a full-time job. Luckily, I ran a 2:16. MATH WHIZ I have an accounting degree and do parttime clerk work for Run Flagstaff, the local running store. I’m a numbers guy. WILD RUNS You see a lot of wildlife—deer, elk—on the trails. I recently ran by some porcupines, which was a first. I thought they were boars with spines. I didn’t think they’d be that big. IT’S A WRAP I love breakfast burritos. I’ll wrap up eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, and sometimes refried beans. It’s what my dad used to make me before races.
24 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
BEER MILE! I’m not a beer drinker. I might have five a year, so when I ran my first beer mile this summer, I hit my quota. I was okay until the last lap, and then everything started coming up. I had to do a penalty lap and ended up running an 8:42. TRAIL BUDDY My wife, Carolyn, and I have a dog, Luna. I run with her once a week, but only four or five miles. She’s part pit bull so she’s muscular, not a distance dog. She chases squirrels. SWEET TAPER I crave candy—like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups—leading into a big marathon. My body’s demanding more calories. GETTING HIGH This summer I summited Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet. I stumbled many times on the way down after catching my toes on rocks and roots. DOWN THE ROAD Eventually, I’d like to go after Doug Kurtis’s record of 76 sub-2:20 marathons. I’ve done it 15 times, so I have my work cut out for me.
My fascination with Star Wars is genetic. My parents are huge fans. I wore a race kit with a Rebel Alliance logo for the 2012 Boston Marathon.
PARENTAL PRIDE
I won the Disney Star Wars Half Marathon in January. My family was out cheering and had fun spotting all the male spectators and runners dressed as Princess Leia. DATE NIGHT
When the new Star Wars movie is released in December, I’ll force my wife to go to the first midnight showing with me.
GEEKING OUT
I’ve become a Star Wars history buff. I’ve probably read 50 Star Wars novels.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS HINKLE
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y V I C TO R S A I L E R / P H OTO R U N ( B O S TO N M A R AT H O N ); CO U R T E SY O F M A R AT H O N F OTO ( S TA R WA R S H A L F ); CO U R T E SY O F R A N D O M H O U S E ( B O O K C OV E R S )
HAPPY RETURN I’ve raced in New York City five times, and every time I’ve had a good performance. The spectators push me, and the overall energy helps me run well.
FAN BOY
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runner Casey Neistat is the (photo) bomb. For Casey Neistat, life is all about motion. With his signature Ray-Bans and mop of unruly hair, the 34-year-old filmmaker and 3:01 marathoner treats the world (especially New York City) as his athletic and artistic playground. Almost everything he touches turns into an adventure, or at least usable content. Neistat’s slice-of-life YouTube vlogs (about crashing his bike into cars parked in bike lanes, snowboarding down the middle of a city street, or running the NYC Marathon) get hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of views. His Instagram and Twitter accounts
26
throb with hearts and stars, and his irreverent Nike ads are among the brand’s most popular. Fans wait outside his Tribeca studio office to snap selfies with him. This past July, he launched Beme, an app that lets users send short uneditable
FOR MORE ON NEISTAT, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/NEISTAT.
Neistat in his studio office (above) and running (far left) in lower Manhattan. “I have words that motivate me tattooed on my body [left],” he says. “I also have a lineline-hash tattoo with my marathon PRs on my left leg. I only add a line if I break my PR. It’s in desperate need of an update. My 2015 NYC Marathon goal: 2:59:59.59.”
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN RAYNER
T H I S PAG E : N YC I CO N I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y DA N WO O D G E R ; P H OTO G R A P H CO U R T E SY O F CAS E Y N E I S TAT ( D O M O R E TAT TO O); O P P O S I E PAG E : P H OTO G R A P H S CO U R T E S Y O F CA S E Y N E I S TAT ( TO P G R I D O F S I X I M AG E S )
ACTION STAR NYC filmmaker and
videos that then disappear. Within eight days, more than a million Beme videos had been shared. In 2002, three years before YouTube even existed, Neistat and his brother Van made a name for themselves with their video “iPod’s Dirty Secret” (they stenciled “iPod’s unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months” around the city). It garnered 6 million views in a month and led to Apple policy changes. But back to that motion thing. Neistat has knocked off 22 marathons and three Ironmans—despite a titanium rod where his right femur should be, the result of a nasty Vespa accident when he was 25. The father of a 17-year-old son and an 11-month-old daughter says the freedom of running combined with the city’s energy is responsible for his most significant ideas. “Running is where I get most of my work done,” says Neistat, who will run his fifth NYC Marathon on November 1. “I plot out the day, figure out the movie,
write scripts. I came up with the plan to marry my wife on a run. I decided to start a tech company on my run. Every major decision I’ve made in the last eight years has been prefaced by a run. Where else do you get those uninterrupted hours to do nothing but think?” —CALEB DANILOFF
“My runs aren’t time- or distancebased. They’re landmark-based— like from Tribeca to the GW Bridge and back. That’s part of the magic of NYC.”
INSTAGRAM PICS
VIDEO STILLS (bottom row)
(top row)
In 2012, Neistat finished the NYC Ironman in 11:10: “After every marathon and Ironman, I go home, clean up, and get back out there to cheer. At Ironman NYC, I was there when the 17-hour finishers came in. There is such inspiration in watching someone who’s busted their ass for 17 hours. It’s incredible. I love it.” In 2014, Neistat married jewelry designer Candice Pool in South Africa: “I’m taking the leap figuratively tonight (getting married), so I thought I’d take the leap literally this morning (at Lion’s Head summit).”
From Neistat’s YouTube video NYC Marathon vs. YouTube Music Awards: “There are a lot of exciting days in the course of one’s life. And Sunday, November 3, 2013, was one of those days for two reasons: The NYC Marathon and the YouTube Music Awards. Same day, and I had tickets to both.” From Neistat’s Nike Mind Games ad: “The games start early. I’m not even out of bed. I can’t run. I ran yesterday. I’m gonna run tomorrow. It’s raining. I’m sick. Too much traveling. I don’t sleep well in hotels. She wants me to stay. These aren’t my
shoes. I gotta get the kid to school. These are the games I play just to get out the door. Then I run. This is when the real games begin. I wonder if I’m faster than that taxi? What about that dog? What about a train? I’m definitely faster than that guy. Can I make it across this bridge before this song ends? How many times do my feet hit the ground in a minute? How long can I run in this rain before my iPod breaks? Can I catch my shadow? Can I catch that shadow? What about my leg? I’m not supposed to be running. Will these mind games make me slower? Am I a lunatic for thinking like this? I don’t care. As long as I run.”
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 27
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RUNNER BY THE NUMBERS
MAUREEN “MOE” HIGGINS 61, PERDIDO BEACH, ALABAMA
When Higgins was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in 2013, her doctor told her she could maintain her normal activity level. The doc may not have realized his patient was the Leading Lady of the Marine Corps Marathon—a nickname Higgins earned for finishing the most MCMs of any woman since 1986. The retired teacher trained through chemo to finish that year. She’ll be back at the starting line October 25. —MEGAN DITROLIO
NUMBER OF MILES SHE HAS RUN DURING HER MARATHONS
3 to 5
Miles she ran four times a week during treatment. “Running during chemo gave me hope. It’s not letting it destroy who you are. I identify as a runner more than anything.”
FIFTY
INJURIES SUSTAINED DURING HER RUNNING CAREER. “I AM VERY CAREFUL.”
2014 YEAR SHE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE MCM HALL OF FAME
11,450
MILES SHE BIKED IN 1984, THE YEAR BEFORE SHE SWITCHED FROM CYCLING TO RUNNING 30 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
3:53
Smith, a U.S. Army Cyber Officer in Baltimore, marked her 30th birthday in 2009 with a total hysterectomy. Known as a “previvor,” Smith tested positive for the BRCA2, a gene linked to breast or ovarian cancer risk. She opted for a hysterectomy and a bilateral mastectomy, sans reconstructive surgery. “It was empowering; it’s like I got permission to start living life,” says the mom of one who will run the New York City Marathon on November 1. Five months after her 2009 surgery, she ran the 2010 Boston Marathon. Today, she has more than 26 marathons, three 50Ks, and a 100K to her credit. —MOLLY BLAKE
100 pounds lighter
NUMBER OF AQUARIUMS SHE MAINTAINS IN HER HOME, ONE OF HER BIGGEST HOBBIES
TWENTY-SIX
Her ice hockey number, which honors former Ranger Martin St. Louis. Higgins is the only female player in her league. Number of years her husband, Henry Hutchinson, has followed her in the car during her early morning training runs, which often begin at 4 a.m. to beat the heat
Empowered survivor
JESSICA PETRAS
Age she qualified for the Boston Marathon. She ran the race in 2005 in 4:45.
Fastest time she’s run at MCM (1987)
MARGARET WEBBER SMITH
NUMBER OF MCM FINISHES
147
TOTAL MARATHON FINISHES
Three years ago, Petras weighed nearly 260 pounds. When her husband was deployed to Afghanistan, “I thought, This is the time to focus on myself,” the 29-year-old says. She bought an elliptical trainer, overhauled her diet, and shed 80 pounds by the time he returned to Fort Drum, New York, six months later. “He was shocked,” she says. “His reaction inspired me to become even healthier.” Petras, who is now a mother of two and weighs 155 pounds, will run her fifth marathon in New York City for Fred’s Team to raise money to fight fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, a rare liver cancer that took the life of a close friend in 2008. —MEGAN HETZEL
CO U R T E SY O F M A R AT H O N F OTO ( H I G G I N S ) ; S H AU N W I L K I N S O N /A L A M Y ( Y E L LOW F I S H ); M A R T I N H A R V E Y/A L A M Y ( B L U E F I S H ) ; L I F E O N W H I T E /A L A M Y (O R A N G E F I S H ) ; S C OT T L E V Y/ N H L I V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ( S T. LO U I S ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F M A R G A R E T W E B B E R S M I T H ( S M I T H ); CO U R T E S Y O F J E S S I CA P E T R A S ( P E T R A S )
Runners who inspire us
Warner leads runners through 28-, 45-, and 60-minute runs. Her downtown Manhattan studio has 36 treadmills.
SEE DAVID WITHOUT SUPPORT.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
HOW TO RUN HAPPY INSIDE Debora Warner loves the machine that some runners love to hate. Last November, she founded the Mile High Run Club, New York City’s first treadmill studio, which specializes in indoor group running classes. This past summer, Warner, 44, offered a NYC Marathon training plan mixing both outdoor and indoor workouts. “In the studio, each runner controls just how fast or how steep they go, which means people of various speeds can work out together,” she says. That’s just one perk of the treadmill, she says. Here, Warner sells us on her favorite training tool.
F R O M TO P : P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B R A D BA R K E T; A N TO I N E WAG N E R ; T H O M A S M AC D O N A L D
—ALI NOLAN
SET THE PACE “The accuracy of pace setting on a treadmill gives you a level of control, and it helps you learn the feel of different speeds.”
training, you have to come to terms with the fact that bad weather happens, and there has to be an alternative to running outside.”
GO UP AND UP “Live in a flat locale? Simulate a hilly race course inside.”
COME TOGETHER “In a 45-minute class, mileage totals range from two to five. An experienced runner can train next to a slower friend. And the slower runner may be motivated by their friend’s higher mileage.”
BEAT THE WEATHER “If you’re serious about
VISUAL CUES “Gyms often have
treadmills facing mirrors. Having a constant visual on yourself helps you maintain good form—arms should track back and forth (not across your midline); keep shoulders relaxed and down.” SPEED HAPPENS “Doing slow, easy miles on a treadmill gets monotonous. So just being on a treadmill encourages you to mix things up with intervals, hill repeats, or ladders. Time passes faster, and you get fitter.”
Endurance Engineered. GET ONE OF WARNER’S TREADMILL WORKOUTS AT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/WARNER.
cw-x.com
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Remy’s World BY MARK REMY
HEY, SUGAR! My name is Mark, and sometimes I consume things that are “bad” for me. It’s okay if you do, too.
T
he final half hour or so of the run was not pretty. In a classic case of “Do as I say, not as I do,” I’d set off that morning on a 17-miler—an out-and-back trail run—with no breakfast and nothing on me. No gels, no chews, not a single, solitary jelly bean. ¶ Also, I had nothing with me to drink. ¶ Also, did I say “17-miler”? Because it turned into a 19-miler. ¶ Even before my small group and I reached the turnaround, after a long, steady climb, my gut was growling. This does not bode well, I thought. I was right. During the second half, things went downhill, literally and figuratively. ¶ You know how the gas gauge in your car goes to “E,” but even on “E” there’s a bit of fuel left, just to give you some wiggle room? Well, my tank had been on “E” for some time. Every step hurt. I was running, as it were, on fumes. ¶ To my surprise, I didn’t die. I hung with the group, barely, and sputtered back to our Sunday run rendezvous, a small bagel shop. I staggered in, opened the beverage case, and grabbed a can of Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda. I really lucked out that day, because apparently the folks at Dr. Brown’s had decided to make one super-special can of soda, the Single Best Can of Soda in the History of Soda, and
quietly hidden it in this bagel shop in northwest Portland, Oregon. And I’d found it. Me! What are the odds? I am not exaggerating when I say that this soda was the best thing I have ever tasted. Seriously. I put the can to my lips, closed my eyes, and was transported. This stuff was 12 ounces of carbonated ambrosia, with Caramel Color and Artificial Color (Red #40). Ah, Dr. Brown, I thought. You have saved my life. And for just $2.75. Lowest co-pay ever. Between sips, I turned the can and read the label: One serving, 180 calories, 45 grams of sugar. “Wow,” I told my companions. “That’s a lot of sugar.” Then I tipped the can into my mouth and drained it. Only later, with my brain function fully restored, did it occur to me: Too many people will never know this kind of joy. Because for some people, including no small number of runners, soda is Bad, with a capital “B.” (And that rhymes with “P” and that stands for...Poison!) They would sooner drink battery acid, and will tell you so, and by the way, do you know how much sugar 45 grams is? Would you like to see a visual representation, in the form of a sugar-cube pyramid? Because they have one, somewhere. On top of which, don’t you know that Coca-Cola is spending millions on “research” to convince us that soda isn’t making us fat? Open your eyes! As a result, soda is on some people’s blacklist—a roster of Bad Food and Drink that will never, ever pass their lips. These lists vary from person to person, but typically they include things like hot dogs, fast food, sugary cereals, ice cream, and Hostess Sno Balls. Even if they do allow themselves an occasional Bad Food, they can’t do so without beating themselves up over it or, at a minimum, announcing loudly that they’ll have to run X miles later to “burn it off.” That’s a damn shame. There’s room in a healthy diet for ILLUSTRATION BY ZOHAR LAZAR
Food doesn’t exist simply to sustain our bodies. It also exists to sustain our souls and bring us pleasure.
the occasional sugary soda, if that’s that it is up to each of us to choose what you’re craving after a long, hot the path of righteousness. run. Or even during. Just ask Frank Thou shalt not consume milkshakes. Shorter, who famously drank flat Thou shalt not request butter for Coke en route to his gold medal in thy popcorn, because, oh my God, the the 1972 Olympic Marathon. saturated fat! While we’re at it, there’s room Thou shalt wail and gnash thy teeth in a healthy diet, too, for a burger at hearing the word “processed,” for at a summer barbecue. (Assuming verily, processed foods are the devil. you eat meat, of course; if you don’t, Thou shalt never be entirely sure that’s another story.) Or for a doughwhat thou mean by “processed,” but nut after your weekly track workout. this shall not stop thee from wailing Or for whatever it is that you look and gnashing. forward to eating from Thou shalt wring thy time to time, not because hands at Starbucks, tryyou need it but because ing to determine which you want it. item hath the fewest calWhat’s When we see foods ories before it is your turn your go-to indulgence? only as a vehicle for nuto order. trients, we do ourselves Thou shalt frown at Join the conversation on Twitter using a real disservice. Food the Nutrition Facts la#RWIndulgence and isn’t just “fuel,” and it bel before purchasing following @remysworld doesn’t exist simply to or consuming any packsustain our bodies. It aged food. It’d be better, also exists to sustain our of course, if thou just souls and bring us pleasure, even if had a piece of fruit instead. No! Not that pleasure is fleeting. that piece of fruit—it may be a GMO! Banish it! I don’t know when it happened, exThou shalt spread this gospel on actly, but at some point we turned manifold online forums and comdiet into dogma. I do think it’s interments sections so that others may esting that as polls say Americans see the error of their ways. are less and less religious, we seem Amen. more and more fixated on food. And It doesn’t have to be this way. We more and more rigid about it. don’t have to demonize certain foods We don’t believe in God. We beto eat well, and we don’t have to feel lieve in phytochemicals. guilty every time we eat a cookie. Today the discriminating eater Much of it comes down, I think, to has many denominations to choose mindfulness—to taking the time to from: Paleo, Vegetarian, Vegan, savor whatever it is we’re eating and Raw, Atkins, Zone, Gluten-Freedrinking. Guzzling soda like it’s watopian…the list goes on. ter, all day every day, isn’t healthy, Others are loyal not so much to a obviously. But neither is regarding particular sect as to a larger abstract it as toxic and being mortified by its idea of “eating clean,” a term that very existence. One is mindless, the doesn’t even try to hide its puritaniother hysterical. Both are extreme. cal zeal. Or its visceral disgust with Life is short and, yes, often nasty the rest of us, i.e., the “unclean.” You and brutish. We’d do well to pause know, like lepers. and appreciate moments of bliss What all of these philosophies wherever we can find them. have in common is a dichotomy— Even in 12-ounce cans. the idea that in this world there is Good Food and Evil Food, that these Mark Remy is a Runner’s World writer at large. For more, go to runnersworld.com/remysworld. forces are in constant tension, and
SEE DAVID WITH CW-X’S SUPPORT WEB
TM
Endurance Engineered. cw-x.com
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R “I’ve had dreads down to my waist. I’ve had short hair. Earlier this year, I was at a training camp in Mexico. I was out in the desert, feeling soulful and rootsy. My hair is a reflection of that.”
STREET STYLE
KNOX ROBINSON
“This shirt jacket from Nike’s ACG [all conditions gear] line has urban functionality. After practice, you can go to a bar or art show and look good.”
40, RUNNING COACH, WRITER IN BEACON, NEW YORK
ACCESSORIES Robinson always wants to run— and look—his best. The 2:36 marathoner has two coaching gigs: He leads workouts for the Nike+ Run Club in New York City and for Black Roses NYC, a 40member group he cofounded in 2013. “Our crew might train on the West Side Highway, then go out for happy hour ramen,” he says. “I have to be prepared to look good after practice.” He says his wardrobe is influenced by music, culture, and the New York City art scene. Robinson, who writes for GQ and V Magazine and has a 12-year-old son, has run 16 marathons and five ultras. He hopes to break 2:30 in the New York City Marathon on November 1. —ALI NOLAN
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“The name Black Roses comes from a reggae song. So for this kit, I wanted a touch of reggae—green, red, yellow.”
“I layer my pants sometimes— these are Nike ACG—especially after practice if we are going out.”
“These tights have a reflective strip. So you can be safe on nighttime runs without wearing Day-Glo.”
“I generally wear lightweight flats on streets. But these trail shoes— Air Zoom Terra Kiger 3s—look urban without sacrificing quality and functionality. I’ve been wearing mine to town as part of a more rugged look.”
WATCH BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO OF ROBINSON’S PHOTO SHOOT AT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/ROBINSON.
“These Sunpocket glasses were originally made in the ’70s for skiers. They collapse at the bridge, so I can fit them in a pocket. I know they look a little obnoxious, but they work. I have five pairs.” “I use a stopwatch because I don’t want to be out on the track timing my athletes with my iPhone. For all they know, I could be texting or checking Instagram. I want them to have the confidence that this is a dedicated timing instrument used specifically for their efforts.” “My mom gave me this nameplate bracelet. It has my last name in a crazy classic font and my birth date on the back. She probably gave it to me as a reminder to act my age.” “I just started running with a Garmin a year ago. I usually run for time rather than distance. But sometimes I need to hit 20 miles in under two hours, so the GPS is necessary.”
“In the warmer months, I don’t wear socks. It just feels better to me.”
PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER YANG
SEE DAVID READY TO RUN A PR.
THE INTERSECTION
The only human capable of bringing down Usain Bolt at the world championships in Beijing is a Segway-riding cameraman.
Pippa Middleton swims 6.2 miles and runs 40.3 miles in 13:04 as part of the Swimrun World Championship in Sweden.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic logo is scrapped after plagiarism allegations.
VP Joe Biden jogs through a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh as crowds cheer, “Run, Joe, run!”
Kenny Chesney donates $100,000 to his Spread the Love Fund, which he founded to help Boston bombing amputees.
For the first time, the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials will be televised live. NBC’s broadcast will start at 10 a.m. (PST) on Feb. 13.
STOP!
H A M I LTO N ); CO U R T E SY O F V I B R A M ( S H O E ); J E F F S W E N S E N /G E T T Y I M AG E S ( B I D E N ); YO S H I KA Z U T S U N O/A F P/G E T T Y I M AG E S ( TO K YO O LY M P I C LO G O); I M AG I N E C H I N A /S P L AS H N E W S /C O R B I S ( B O LT )
O F CAT H E R I N E O P I E / I F C ( P O R T L A N D I A ); KA R WA I TA N G / W I R E I M AG E /G E T T Y I M AG E S ( B U S E Y ); C O U R T E SY O F LO S A N G E L E S D O D G E R S ( S H I R T ); CO U R T E S Y O F S I T F I T C H A I R (C H A I R ) ; DAV I D B E C K E R / W I R E I M AG E /G E T T Y I M AG E S ( FAVO R
Ryan and Sara Hall, who have been active in charitable projects in Africa, adopt four Ethiopian sisters.
A Japanese designer creates a Vibram-soled athletic shoe with stretchy fabric wings that wrap and Velcro around the foot.
GO!
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y S A R A H A L L V I A I N S TAG R A M ( H A L L ) ; A L L OV E R S W E D E N /S P L A S H N E W S /C O R B I S ( M I D D L E TO N ) ; A N D R E W M C C L A N A H A N / P H OTO R U N (O LY M P I C T R I A L S ) ; M I K E W I N D L E /AC M 2 01 5/G E T T Y I M AG E S (C H E S N E Y ) ; C O U R T E S Y
Where running and culture collide
Portlandia puts out a casting call for runners to appear in an upcoming episode. Watch for RW’s own Mark Remy.
Suzy Favor Hamilton reveals in her tell-all book Fast Girl that she “easily” won the 75-yard Rock ’n’ Roll Stiletto Dash in Vegas shortly after turning her first trick as a call girl in 2011. Six high school cross-country runners in Michigan are extras in Camp Manna, a summercamp comedy starring Gary Busey (due out in 2016).
Work your abs and arms—while parked on your butt. The SitFit Chair is “a foldable lounge chair that integrates a full-body gym.”
A British TV host tweets that she fell off a treadmill while running naked and suffered minor burns.
FRIVOLOUS
Endurance Pro Tights
The L.A. Dodgers host “Running Night,” offering fans a ticket package with a “Dodger Stadium Running Club” T-shirt.
Endurance Engineered. cw-x.com
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Life & Times BY KAREN RIZZO
THE RE-AWAKENING After a (really) long layoff, one runner gets in touch with a (long) forgotten body part.
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y dog, Sakari, was excited. ¶ He was used to a steady, relaxing pace that allowed him to stop and smell the roses, or, as it were, the stains on the sidewalk, but I’d started to run—if you call being propelled forward off leaden feet running—so he, too, broke into a trot, as regal as mine was plodding, his head nodding in rhythm. If he were a comic book character, his bubble would’ve read, “We are on!” ¶ It had been nearly 18 years since I’d been a casual runner—one of many physical endeavors I’d known B.K. (before kids)—so my recollection of what running felt like was hazy. But I knew the basics: I’d start slow; keep my back erect and head steady; I wouldn’t jackhammer the ground with my heels; and I’d turn back home if I started puking on the side of the road. ¶ My body felt strangely light during those first couple blocks. Maybe my high arches, bony feet, and linebacker knees really were meant for running, and the thought motivated me for a full five minutes to goalpost number one, the Foremost Liquor Store. There, I slowed to a walk and became aware of my entire head burning. I gasped, pinched my waist, and muttered obscenities until the start of our next five-minute slog. When that one was done, only my ears burned. Ten minutes later there was a third short run, followed by the long walk home, during which I smiled and nodded at everyone I passed on the sidewalk, trying not to burst out with, “Can you tell I was running?!” 36 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
For the past few years I’ve been especially watchful of the runners in my neighborhood: sylphlike teens in gym shorts from the high school track team—I love the way they all cascade down the street, a bobbing wave of inexhaustible energy. Sinewy old guys with tightly knotted limbs—I want their air of authority (I also want their calves, but more on that later). Parents in soy- and applesauce-stained T-shirts pushing jogging strollers—they’re my role models for overcoming sleep deprivation and vanity. Lean, indeterminateaged women with great haircuts—are they 40? 60?! Baby-fat princess in a hot pink tee and tights with her pinkcollared pit bull—I crave her chutzpah. Elderly lady with the iPhone armband—I want to be her at 80. And yes, I wantonly crush on sculpted calves. I take note of them on men and women. It doesn’t matter what’s going on from butt to scalp, but below skirts and shorts, above socks and sandals, in every skin shade and texture, I covet those sharp divides. After years of tending to kids, my own were like shapeless lumps of Play-Doh. Back at home, I expected to be overtaken by a narcoleptic wave. I wasn’t. I kept checking in with my body to see which part would cramp first, but aside from a vague heaviness, nothing. I sat in my salty skin and flat hair waiting for someone to come home so I could pop up and say, “Wow, that was a great run!” at which point there’d be awe and congratulations and offers to do the dishes. After an hour I tired of waiting and finally showered. The next morning, however, I could barely roll over in bed. My inner thighs ached and my ankles crackled as I rotated them. As I crept stiffly to the kitchen, taking stock of each painful muscle group, I felt them. My pummeled calves. The priming had begun. So, Sakari, we are on! Tomorrow. When I can lift my knees. Karen Rizzo’s debut novel, Famous Baby, is about a woman who runs after her daughter, figuratively. Rizzo runs, literally, in Los Angeles.
ILLUSTRATION BY LEO ESPINOSA
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RUN IT BY ME
SIR MIX A LOT An ultrarunning bartender shakes up postrace cocktails.
Bryan Dayton, 42, knows about long, hard runs. He’s a competitive ultrarunner (he won the 2006 and 2007 national 50K trail championships) who will log up to 80 miles a week when he’s prepping for his next event. As co-owner of two Colorado restaurants (Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder and Acorn in Denver), founder of the Colorado chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild, and a regular on the cocktail competition circuit, he has an-
REHYDRATOR
MONK’S GARDEN
ROSIE’S RETURN
GINGER’S LOST ISLAND
INGREDIENTS Aloe vera water, fresh cranberry juice with no added sugar, lime, honey syrup, cherry syrup or grenadine • Clean and light, this nonalcoholic drink offers up a healthy serving of aloe vera water. “Aloe has so many healing qualities,” Dayton says. “It’s packed with vitamins—B, C, and E—plus folic acid, which strengthens the immune system.” Fresh cranberry juice adds a slight tartness and a jolt of vitamin C, which may help with connective tissue repair.
INGREDIENTS Muddled cucumber, tarragon- and basilinfused vodka, lemon juice, lavender-infused simple syrup, Chartreuse liqueur, dash of celery bitters • This herbaceous drink sits pretty in a highball glass with a cucumber slice and a sprig of Thai basil on top. “Green Chartreuse is one of the oldest liqueurs in the world,” Dayton says. “It has 130 different herbs and spices in it and was made by Carthusian monks in France. It was blessed by God, so it’s got to be good for you, right?”
INGREDIENTS Gin, sparkling rosé, raspberries, orange bitters, rose flower water, fresh lemon • Serve this blush-colored sparkling drink in a champagne flute and feel your muscles and mind relax. “It’s packed with vitamin C, and it’s a low-alcohol cocktail, so it will smooth out the edges of postrace pain,” Dayton says.
INGREDIENTS Tequila, Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice, cinnamon- and cardamom-infused agave, sugar • A twist on a traditional margarita, the ginger liqueur may help soothe an upset stomach. “Tequila makes you feel invigorated, wakes you up a little when you feel worn out from a race, and pairs well with that endorphin high,” Dayton says.
38 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
other area of expertise: innovative, delicious thirst quenchers. We asked Dayton what he might concoct if he were mixing up celebratory drinks at a finishline beverage station. “You always have beer stands at the end of a marathon,” he says. “With a cocktail, you can rehydrate and add some nutrition.” Here are his creations (including two nonalcoholic versions) designed with runners in mind. Cheers! —KARA MAYER ROBINSON
JAMES BROWN INGREDIENTS Cynar artichoke-based liqueur, bourbon, Amaro Averna Italian liqueur, Left Hand Brewing Company milk stout, honey syrup, one egg, Angostura bitters • This heavy hitter is essentially an alcoholic milkshake. “It’s in your face and it’s awesome, like James Brown,” Dayton says. “The bourbon is rich with vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. The egg brings protein, Rocky Balboa– style. After a run, you’d drink this, go back to the hotel room, and that’s it. Lights out. Done.”
SOUTHEAST VISIONS INGREDIENTS Muddled
blackberries, coconut water, grenadine, lemon juice, Fee Brothers alcohol-free aromatic bitters • This alcohol-free refresher is served up in a cocktail glass over crushed ice and garnished with speared blackberrries. It’s loaded with coconut water for rehydration, grenadine for a pop of sugar, and mashed blackberries for a vitamin C–rich immune-system boost.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA STUMPF
ASK MILES He’s been around the block a few times— and he’s got answers.
If you find yourself in a porta-potty during the National Anthem, what should you do? It gets awfully quiet, so I feel awkward continuing to use the bathroom. —Caroline H., Florham Park, NJ
I haven’t run a marathon in a while. How long can I keep my 26.2 bumper sticker on my car? —Jeff R., San Diego
Relax, Jeff. Those stickers have no expiration date. They’re like window stickers from your alma mater. Once a State Tech graduate, always a State Tech graduate, that’s my motto. (It’s also the motto of State Tech. Except it’s in Latin.) Likewise, once a marathoner, always a marathoner. So your 26.2 sticker can stay indefinitely. Of course, if having it there is making you feel guilty or vaguely fraudulent, by all means peel the thing off. Or, you know, just run another marathon. Whichever is easier.
Here’s what not to do: Leap to your feet with a hand over your heart. That practically guarantees you’ll stumble forward, unlatching the door and tumbling out with your shorts around your ankles just as everyone gets to the bit about the ramparts. So what should you do? Stay put. Keep as quiet as you can until the singing ends. Then clap and holler along with everyone else. Actually, I recommend doing that last part every time you use a porta-potty. I do, and it’s oddly satisfying.
Whether you are new to running or a world-class ultra runner, Feetures! performance socks let you run free – free from blisters, free from discomfort, free to savor the joy of the run… free to soar above the trail.
Better fit. Better feel. Better run.™
Have a question for Miles? Email askmiles@ runnersworld.com and follow @askmiles on Twitter.
What’s the single biggest race-day mistake
KS you’ve ever made? MILE S AS
Getting kicked out of the race because I yelled “GO!” on the starting line before the starter did. @itai_eema
Does wearing flip-flops instead of racing flats to the race count as a mistake? If so, that. @MarcusForFree Too. Many. Tacos. @laurawherry Forgot the @BODYGLIDE. Never. Again. #thechafeisreal @mustridebikes
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDY REMENTER
feeturesrunning.com
Getaway
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42 52 60 66 TRAINING
FUEL
MIND+BODY
GEAR
PERSONAL BEST GET FIT, EAT SMART, RUN STRONG
TAPE SECRETS
Tweaked your knee—but have a race tomorrow? Tape it. Plan to hit the trails—but don’t want to uproot an old ankle injury? Tape it. Kinesio tape—the flexible, colorful bandage strips you’ve likely seen on competitive athletes— enhances mobility while protecting vulnerable spots from injury and reinjury. “Taping is, hands down, my favorite conservative treatment for runners’ soft-tissue injuries,” says ultrarunning podiatrist Austin Sedicum, who runs a private practice in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. “Kinesio tape can support tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints while allowing full range of motion, so you can keep exercising while healing.” There are several brands of kinesio tape (KT is shown here) available at drugstores. For more on caring for injury-prone body parts, see page 60. PHOTOGRAPH BY JARREN VINK
Watch a demonstration on proper taping technique at runnersworld.com/ howtotape.
TRAINING
Races go on even if it rains, so use damp long runs to test gear for wet-weather comfort.
WHINE AND SHINE
What you take away from tough days can set you up for future success. By Jessica Migala
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SAU C O N Y E XO JAC K E T S
WHETHER YOU’RE going long to prep for a race or simply to build endurance and fitness, not every outing will go smoothly. Maybe it’s pouring rain, or you feel tired, or you have to dart inside every restroom you see. The problems may make you miserable in the moment, but they can help you in the long run (pun intended). “Dealing with different conditions and circumstances in your run can train you to be a smarter and more prepared runner,” says Janet Hamilton, running coach at RunningStrong.com. No matter what the day throws at you, here’s how to get through it and learn from the experience.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS HORNBECKER
P H OTO G R A P H B Y A N D R E W M C C L A N A H A N / P H OTO R U N ( WA R D)
GI DISTRESS
JUNK LEGS
INCLEMENT WEATHER
You and your running buddies have likely swapped tales of midrun porta-potty dashes due to nausea or runner’s trots. In fact, research shows up to 50 percent of endurance athletes complain of stomach woes. SURVIVE IT A sloshing stomach often starts with dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance. Take a walk break and have some sports drink or water, says Hamilton. As for trots, find a bathroom ASAP. If you can continue the run in either scenario, that’s good practice for coping with GI issues that may pop up midrace. If, however, you’re dry heaving, vomiting, or making stop after stop to void, call it a day. LEARN FROM IT You may need to drink more or take in more electrolytes. “I’ve had a few athletes take electrolyte tablets before their runs, and some say it helps prevent trots,” says Hamilton. Also take stock of anything new or different you ate in the previous 48 hours (not just the night or morning before), and skip the potential offenders next time.
If the skies open or the wind howls as you’re lacing up for your 10-miler, you have two choices: Power through or reschedule. But, if you bail on a run now, you’ll be ill-prepared to handle similar conditions at a race. SURVIVE IT If going outside is dangerous—really strong winds, lightning, extreme heat or cold— postpone or head for a treadmill. If it’s rainy or blustery and you’re training for an event, run as planned. “It can help prepare you for how to adjust your pace or what to wear on race day,” says Hamilton. For example, a visor keeps rain out of your eyes, while body-hugging clothes reduce drag on windy days and the chance of chafing on wet ones. LEARN FROM IT If your long run is set for Saturday, check the weather on Thursday, says Boulder-area exercise physiologist and triathlon coach Krista Schultz. You may move the long run to Friday or Sunday to avoid the worst weather—just remember to schedule an easy or rest day between every hard or long effort.
If you’ve been building your mileage or doing more hard workouts, you’ll probably suffer from leaden legs at some point as your body works to adapt. Even with steady volume and intensity, an off day is still possible. SURVIVE IT Rethink your route: A loop of a few miles instead of a long out-and-back will keep you from being stranded. Then, slow your pace for a few minutes, walking if need be, before picking it up again. Still bad? Take a gel and a few sips of water—your body will absorb the carbs in just minutes, so you should feel peppier quickly. If you see no improvement after 15 minutes, pack it in or you’ll risk injury. If you’re training for a race or don’t want to skip the run, try again the next day. LEARN FROM IT Determine why you felt so bad, says Hamilton. Stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, impending illness, or dehydration all play into how you feel. If you can’t figure it out and you continue having off days, see your doctor to rule out conditions like anemia or thyroid problems.
NEED MOTIVATION? Get-going tips from coaches Hamilton and Schultz CHANGE IT UP Going long lets you explore beyond everyday routes, so head for a new-toyou park or neighborhood. If you’re doing a local race, run on the course.
SCHEDULE IT Instead of “long run Sunday,” plan specifically: “breakfast, errands, run, nap….” Figure out how to fit your miles into your day and check them off like a (fun) to-do.
TREAT YOURSELF A stack of pancakes sounds good, right? Or a movie matinee? With something enjoyable, yummy, or relaxing waiting for you, you’ll get out the door faster.
GRAB A BUD Arrange to meet a friend, or a few of them, at a specific time. The accountability can stop the habit of stalling until you run out of daylight and can’t go.
FOLLOW THE LEADER Advice from the world’s best runners JARED WARD, 27, of Provo, Utah, won 2015 U.S. Championships titles in the marathon (2:12:56), 25K (1:14:57), and 20K (59:24). BUILD UP “I do the identical workout several times in a training buildup to compare times and gauge improvement. It’s motivating to perform better than the last time and to know I need to push myself to improve again the next time.” SQUAT DOWN “I love squats. I load the weight on a barbell and do four sets of four reps once a week. This helps my legs last longer in the marathon before the Jell-O feeling kicks in.” THE WORKOUT “My ‘fatigued miles’ workout is three onemile track repeats at 30 seconds faster than goal marathon pace, after I’ve run at least seven miles. This speed training on tired legs makes race pace feel easier.” —BOB COOPER 43
TRAINING
THE FAST LANE TRAINING ADVICE FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE
BY ALEX HUTCHINSON
latch onto the next pack that comes up behind you. WORST > STARTER Sticking close together helped leaders deal with 40-mph gusts at the 2014 New York City Marathon.
HACK THE PACK
Racing with a group beats going solo—if you do it right.
BEST > PERSISTENT PACKS
The most successful runners—those who best maintained their pace throughout the race and sped up the most at the finish—were those who ran with the same group from start to finish. Sometimes 44
the packs consisted of teammates, but often it was rivals of similar ability. These days, many big races set up pace groups aiming for predetermined goal times; you can also set up your own pack via message boards or social media,
FOR MORE FROM ALEX, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/SWEATSCIENCE.
GOOD > NOMADIC PACKS
The next-best outcomes came from those who ran most of the race with other runners—but not always the same ones. If you realize that you’re stronger than the other runners in your pack, look up the road to see if there’s another group you could join. Then, make a decisive move to catch them instead of lingering in no-man’s-land. Conversely, if you’re getting dropped by your pack, it’s very easy to become disheartened. Instead, slow a little, regroup, and prepare mentally to
ALWAYS > PACK TACTICS
Once you’ve found the right pack, tuck in. The best position aerodynamically is directly behind someone else, within about three feet. (Don’t clip the leader’s heels.) Top marathoners burn about two percent of their energy overcoming air resistance even on a calm day, and more on windy days, so positioning does matter. But packs are most effective when everyone shares the pacemaking duties. Think of the other runners in the pack as your teammates, and work together—until the final mile, when all treaties dissolve.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y G U I L L E R M O M U R C I A /G E T T Y I M AG E S
In the Tour de France, everyone knows the power of the peloton: The riders in a pack almost always outpace loners. Even though slower speeds in running races mean drafting’s benefits are smaller, tucking in can make holding a pace easier, mentally and physically. But not just any pack will do. Earlier this year, researcher Brian Hanley published an analysis of the pack-running behavior of competitors at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships between 2007 and 2014. By studying how packs formed and splintered, he was able to determine which strategies worked best—and which backfired.
or simply look for kindred souls during the early miles of a race. It’s fine to tuck behind someone for a few miles, but after that, it’s your turn to lead.
PACKS The worst strategy of all—worse even than running the whole race alone—is to try to stick with a pack that’s too fast for you. In Hanley’s analysis, those who started with a pack but were dropped before reaching the halfway point of the race slowed down the most as the race progressed. Setting realistic goals will help you avoid this trap, but sometimes the energy of a pack is so contagious that the whole group goes faster than intended—like in the 2013 London Marathon, when a 1:01:34 first half wreaked havoc on the entire lead pack. Check your splits periodically to make sure your pack-mates aren’t getting carried away.
THE WIND RUNS LIKE HER. Jordan Hasay 2X NCAA Indoor Champion
NIKE AIR ZOOM STRUCTURE 19 The world has been in awe of Jordan Hasay’s running abilities ever since she was a record-breaking middle-schooler. Ten years on, while other promising stars have long since faded, Hasay shines even brighter than before. To be this good for that long takes passion, focus, consistency—and a serious set of wheels. Plus about a hundred pairs of ultra-responsive, super-supportive Air Zoom Structures. They’ve got the Zoom Air she needs to go fast, and the Dynamic Support system she needs to keep going. And that means she’s got everything she needs—for whenever she wants to outrun the wind.
FIND YOUR FAST AT NIKE.COM/RUNNING
TRAINING
THE STARTING LINE TIPS FOR BEGINNERS FROM AN EASYGOING COACH
BY JEFF GALLOWAY
You Asked Me Jeff answers your questions. Should I be striving to nix walk breaks? No. Walk breaks give you control over how you will feel late in your run, reduce aches and pains, and speed recovery. Walking as needed allows a runner at any level to enjoy a run without hitting a wall. How can I avoid comparing my accomplishments to those of other runners?
CAUSES FOR CELEBRATION
Give yourself a hand for not-so-obvious achievements. Early in your running life, you have plenty of milestones to celebrate: the first time you make it around the block, or run-walk for 30 minutes, or complete a 5K race. But to enjoy a healthy, lifelong relationship with running, you eventually must find ways to measure success that don’t involve going farther or faster. Celebrate the first time—and every time—you’re able to do these things: GO ABOUT YOUR DAY POSTRUN Running can be tiring, even if you stick to a sensible run-walk plan. That’s why so many runners love coffee: Bouncing back from a run can be half the battle, especially for newbies. Returning from a run feeling refreshed rather than depleted shows that you’re 46
adapting to the stress of that distance and pace. ENJOY A RUN FROM START TO FINISH While the first mile of a run can be tough for anyone, new runners may regularly take a while to warm up. However, a day will come when you feel good from the get-go—a sign that
JOIN OUR ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BEGINNERS AT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/THESTARTINGLINE.
you’re getting stronger and better at pacing yourself. BRAVE TOUGH WEATHER When running itself isn’t easy, it’s especially hard to get out the door on a rainy, windy, or cold day. But enduring a workout in bad conditions builds character and confidence, and can help you avoid making excuses in the future. RUN CONSISTENTLY It takes about three weeks of running at least three days per week to get to the point where missing a workout triggers a sense of withdrawal, which increases desire to be more consistent. This healthy cycle can help you maintain your running habit for years.
Be the captain of your own running ship. Someone progressing faster than you may simply be built to handle more training without injury. Set a “mission” for each run that will give you personal satisfaction.
Fact or Fiction New runners improve more rapidly than more experienced runners. FACT Running every other day or so can improve fitness significantly during the first six to 12 months, and employing a smart run-walk strategy can ensure that this progress isn’t inhibited by injury. Experienced runners can improve with proper training, but at a reduced rate. ILLUSTRATION BY RAMI NIEMI
Let’s go further than we ever thought possible. Congratulations to all Bank of America Chicago Marathon athletes. We celebrate your courage, determination and perseverance. Visit bankofamerica.com/chimarathon to learn more.
Life’s better when we’re connected®
© 2015 Bank of America Corporation. Member FDIC. ARXYW4M7
TRAINING EVEN IF the only thing that gets you through peak training for a big event is using the mantra I’m tapering soon, once it’s time to cut back, you may end up feeling restless. But running less is crucial—it gives your muscles time to fully repair, your body time to restock its energy stores, and your mind a break from hard training, says Jim McGehee, a Blacksburg, Virginia–based coach with a background in exercise physiology. Most marathon tapers last three weeks, but some athletes need just two. Half marathoners should taper for 10 to 14 days. If it’s your first try at a distance, err on the side of too much taper. Here’s how to cut back smartly before your big day. Do it right and you’ll start the race mentally and physically refreshed, and even fitter than you were during your hardest weeks. Believe us.
RACE PREP
PLAN OF CUTBACK Taper strategically to ace your half or full marathon. By A.C. Shilton
3 2 1 WEEKS OUT
WEEKS OUT
WEEK OUT
McGehee has his marathoners cut their mileage by about 25 percent this week. “But I mostly cut back on their long runs and the distance of their daily runs rather than cutting out entire days,” he says. This keeps you on a regular running schedule and eliminates the problem of having a ton of newfound free time in which to fret about race day.
Bobby Holcombe, a coach and former pro runner in Tennessee, has his runners cut their mileage by another 15 to 25 percent with two weeks to go. (If you’re starting your taper now, reduce volume by 30 to 40 percent.) Again, the runs should be shorter, but not all easier—Holcombe likes mile repeats at marathon pace with the last rep slightly faster.
“I don’t worry about mileage at all the last week,” says McGehee. Do a few 25- to 30-minute runs. Three or four days before your event, get in one last workout with race-pace running, but keep it short. McGehee has his athletes do short intervals on the road with more recovery than work. “I don’t want them to get lazy with their cadence,” he says.
DON’T FORGET TO Keep some faster running. McGehee schedules at least one run with race-pace or faster miles. “Your legs need to keep that fast turnover,” he says, because these miles will help your body remember a quicker rhythm when the gun goes off.
DON’T FORGET TO Eat. Often athletes
DON’T FORGET TO Keep doing the range-of-motion drills you did throughout training. McGehee encourages the continuation of any flexibility exercises—like high-knees drills or side-shuffling steps—to keep the joints open and the muscles loose.
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feel that because they’re running fewer miles they need to consume drastically fewer calories, but you need to fuel adequately for race day, Holcombe says. Prioritize healthy carbs from fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY TM DETWILER
Blake His second chance at life
made possible by an organ donor
Blake, teenager, soccer player, heart recipient, with his mom, Robin
Blake received his gift of life—a heart transplant—when he was just two weeks old. Today, when his mother Robin watches him play soccer, she still marvels at the precious gift their whole family was given. You can be someone’s second chance, too. Say yes to donation. Sign up online as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
Imagine what you could make possible. Go to organdonor.gov.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration
TRAINING ASK THE EXPERTS
Is jumping rope good for runners? Yes—by making your toe-off more explosive, skipping rope helps develop a longer, quicker stride. It also requires good form that mimics good running form. Do sets of 30-second reps, 60 seconds rest; build from three to six sets. —Brett Stewart, C.P.T., cowrote Ultimate Jump Rope Workouts (7weekstofitness.com).
Stay light on your toes, and keep your spine straight, head up, and eyes forward.
50 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
How can I loosen up to run the day after a long trip?
If it’s not sharp, localized pain—which could indicate an injury—it’s likely just delayed-onset muscle soreness, which can peak two days after a hard workout and linger even longer. However, spend the next day or two recovering with short, slow runs, easy swimming or cycling sessions, or rest. Applying heat, stretching postexercise, getting a light massage, and wearing compression socks may also help ease soreness. —Tracy Golder is a marathoner and online coach based in Pennsylvania (hummingbirdrun ning.weebly.com).
Start by rolling your legs, glutes, and back with a foam roller to find stiff spots. Use your body weight to apply pressure at each spot for one minute, allowing those muscles to relax. Next, use leg swings, lunges with trunk rotation, kneeling hip-flexor stretches, and quad stretches to stretch the hamstrings and hip flexors, which tighten with sitting. Then, start your run at a slower pace than usual. —Maria Poranski, a Virginia Beach– based running coach and certified personal trainer, has finished marathons in all 50 states.
Exercise physiologists have debated this for years. The answer is fuzzy because all three work in concert, says Matt Woods, a 1:09 half marathoner, running coach, and exercise physiologist who has tested hundreds of runners at SportsLab of Real Fitness in Wooster, Ohio. “The consensus is that the main limiting factor is the ability of your heart and lungs (the engine) to deliver oxygen (the fuel) to your working muscles (the wheels). But it doesn’t matter how much oxygen is delivered if your muscles aren’t well adapted to using it.” New runners are limited more by muscle inadequacy because their running-specific muscles, capillaries (the pathways to muscle cells), and mitochondria (the parts of cells that produce energy) haven’t fully developed. More-experienced runners appear to be limited more by heart and lung capacity.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y B U C K S T U D I O/C O R B I S
The Explainer Which is most important for running: heart, lungs, or legs?
I’m still sore three days after a long run. Is that okay?
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FUEL
CHUNKY TOMATO BEEF SOUP
Meaty and filling without being overly rich, this soup is ideal after a tough run when you need to refuel but don’t want to feel weighed down.
ONE-BOWL WONDERS
Five soups that offer recovery-friendly nutrients—in 30 minutes or less. EXCERPTED FROM RUNNER'S WORLD: MEALS ON THE RUN, EDITED BY JOANNA SAYAGO GOLUB
With its rich broth, sweet onions, and just the right amount of gooey cheese, this soup will warm you to your core after a cold, rainy run. It also offers the carbs and protein you need to recover. Makes 4 servings 3 Tbsp. extravirgin olive oil 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf ¼ cup dry sherry 3 cups reducedsodium beef broth ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 4 slices (½") whole-wheat baguette 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and very soft. Add the sherry and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When evaporated, add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Position an oven rack 4" from the heat and preheat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and top each with 2 Tbsp. cheese. Broil for 2½ minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is golden. Place 2 Tbsp. cheese in the bottom of four small bowls. Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Top each with one cheese toast.
52 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
Makes 6 servings 1 lb. ground sirloin 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups reducedsodium beef broth 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp. dried thyme 1 cup elbow macaroni ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sirloin and cook for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the oil, onion, and carrot to the pot. Cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Add the broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, beef, and thyme. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Add the pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
Rainy Day Onion Soup
F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y M I C H A E L P E D E R S O N ; P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y BA R B F R I T Z
RAINY DAY ONION SOUP
Stock your pantry with staples like chicken or vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and dried pastas.
Chunky Tomato Beef Soup
Turkey, Barley, and Kale Soup
Hungry for more? Pick up a copy of Runner’s World: Meals on the Run (Rodale, October 2015), our collection of 150 runner-friendly recipes ready in 30 minutes or less. Order online at mealsontheruncookbook.com/rw.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MITCH MANDEL
SWEET POTATO CHICKEN STEW
For gluten-free runners, sweet spuds offer energizing carbs. This quick stew gets its deep flavor from smoked paprika, making it taste like it simmered for hours. Makes 4 servings Sweet Potato Chicken Stew
Spicy Salmon and Noodle Soup Using prediced mirepoix in this soup saves time, or you can chop 1 onion, 2 carrots, and 1 stalk celery yourself.
2 Tbsp. extravirgin olive oil 1 sweet onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups reducedsodium chicken broth 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained 1 tsp. smoked paprika 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½" cubes 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley In a large pot, heat the oil over mediumhigh heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, beans, and paprika. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Scoop out 1 cup of stew and puree in a blender. Return puree to the pot. Add chicken and simmer until heated. Add the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
SPICY SALMON AND NOODLE SOUP
TURKEY, BARLEY, AND KALE SOUP
Salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids that help soothe inflammation after a tough run, while rice noodles add a carb kick.
Lean ground turkey provides protein to speed muscle recovery postrun. Because it contains dark meat, it has slightly more fat than ground turkey breast, but it also packs more zinc and iron. Kale helps replenish potassium and magnesium.
Makes 6 servings 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 shallot, sliced 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 Tbsp. red curry paste 1 can (14 oz.) light coconut milk 4 cups lowsodium vegetable broth 6 oz. rice noodles 1 Tbsp. fish sauce 1 Tbsp. soy sauce Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving ¾ lb. skinless salmon, cut into 1" pieces 4 oz. snow peas ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook 2 minutes or until soft. Add ginger and curry paste. Cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Boil a pot of water. Add noodles and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse. Set aside. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and salmon to the soup pot. Partially cover and simmer 5 minutes, until fish is cooked. Add peas. Remove from the heat. Divide noodles into 6 deep bowls. Ladle soup on top. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 package (10 to 14 oz.) prediced mirepoix ½ lb. lean (93%) ground turkey 1 tsp. poultry seasoning ½ tsp. garlic salt ½ tsp. ground black pepper ¾ cup quickcooking barley 5 cups reducedsodium chicken broth 2 cups baby kale leaves 4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mirepoix and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add turkey, poultry seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking the turkey into pieces, for 3 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add the kale, and simmer for 7 minutes or until the barley is tender. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each with Parmesan.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 53
FUEL QUICK BITES
MAKE A GOOD TOAST
Delicious toppings for a postrun snack are the best thing since, well, sliced bread. By Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D.
SALMON SALAD
Studies show that the omega-3 fats in salmon can reduce muscle soreness and improve mood in athletes. MIX 4 oz. cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. chopped dill, 1 tsp. horseradish, and ½ tsp. lemon zest. Spread 1⁄4 of mix on 1 slice rye toast. Top with baby spinach, cucumber, and lox. PB & HOMEMADE J
TOMATO EGG
Sun-dried tomatoes supply lycopene, which may protect runners’ skin from UV rays. Eggs provide brain-boosting choline and protein. MIX 2½ Tbsp. sun-dried tomato spread and 1½ Tbsp. sour cream. Spread on 1 slice sourdough toast. Top with 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 tsp. capers, and fresh dill garnish. 54
FOR COMPLETE RECIPE NUTRITION DATA, GO TO RUNNERSWORLD.COM/TOAST.
Blueberries are rich in a chemical that may help reduce body fat storage, while almond butter helps keep your energy on an even keel. STIR ½ cup blueberries, 1⁄3 cup ricotta, ½ Tbsp. honey, ½ tsp. vanilla, and 1⁄4 tsp. orange zest. Top 1 slice whole-grain toast with almond butter, ½ the fruit mix, and mint. SMOKY AVOCADO BEAN
The healthy fat in avocado can tame postmeal hunger, according to a 2013 Nutrition Journal study. MIX 1 mashed avocado, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp. minced chipotle pepper, juice of ½ lime, and salt. Spread on 1 slice sprouted toast. Top with black beans, red onion, mango, and cilantro. CHICKEN PESTO
In addition to packing protein, chicken contains niacin, a B vitamin that converts food into the energy you use to run hard. SPREAD 1 Tbsp. pesto on 1 slice sprouted toast. Top with 2 slices roasted red pepper, 1⁄4 cup shredded cooked chicken, 2 Tbsp. sliced olives, and a scattering of arugula.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y M I TC H M A N D E L ; F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y M I C H A E L P E D E R S O N
Choose loaves labeled “100% whole grain,” including whole wheat, rye, and sprouted breads.
Chia seeds create a jam rich in fiber, which may cut mortality risk from various diseases, reports a 2014 study. HEAT 1½ cups raspberries in a pot for 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. chia, plus a squeeze of honey and lemon; heat 2 minutes. Mash, then cool. Top 1 slice wholewheat toast with peanut butter and jam.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
AM ANDA REGO – HOK A ONE ONE ELITE 1500 ME TER RUNNER
CLI
THIS IS NOT A SHOE.
F TO
N
2
T H I S I S A N I N V I TAT I O N . TO R ACE
TO THE CORNER AND BACK. TO R ACE AROUND THE CORNER ON THE TR ACK. TO GO FAST. TO GO SLOW. TO GO IT ALONE. TO GO WITH THE FRIENDS WHO DEMAND AS MUCH OUT
O F E AC H S T R I D E A S YO U D O . TO G O B E C AUS E T H E R E I S N ’ T A N Y BO DY W H O C A N TA KE IT AWAY FROM YOU WHEN YOU’RE DONE . TO GO WITH THE CLIF TON 2 – 7.2 OUNCES OF SMOOTH RUNNING THAT INVITES YOU TO GO FURTHER THAN YOU DID YESTERDAY. TO GET
HOK AONEONE.COM
FASTER FOR TOMORROW. LET’S GO.
FUEL
DIY seedling to table
Store home-grown sprouts in the fridge for up to one week.
GROWTH SPURT
Trendy and tasty, home-grown sprouts add nutrition to your running diet.
While some will sport large, leafy green tops, most sprouts are done growing when they have tiny tails only 1⁄16" to ¼" long.
VITAMIN KICK Sprouting increases the levels of some vitamins (including B and C) found in plant seeds. It also boosts antioxidant content, resulting in higher levels of betacarotene and anthocyanins, for example.
PROTEIN BOOST Sprouting stimulates an array of changes that lead to a boost in the amount and quality of protein in seedlings—great for runners eating a plant-based diet.
MORE FIBER In just one day of sprouting, the level of soluble fiber—the type that helps curb appetite and lowers blood cholesterol— goes up two-fold in most seeds.
2 / Transfer to a bowl. Add cool water to cover seeds by an inch. Stir gently. Cover with cheesecloth. Leave at room temperature in low light (no direct sun). 3 / After an overnight soak, drain and rinse seedlings several times. Return to a colander or sieve and cover with cheesecloth. 4 / Repeat rinse-anddrain cycle every eight to 12 hours until you see sprouts (two or three days max). Sprouts should smell fresh. If they develop an offodor, toss them. 5 / Rinse your finished sprouts one final time and drain thoroughly.
MEAL BOOSTERS THROW a handful into stir-frys during the last few
minutes of cooking. STIR into whole-grain pancake batter. MIX into batter for muffins or quick-bread. TOSS into salads, wraps, and sandwiches. BLEND into a postrun smoothie.
BEST BITES
GRAINS Try hull-less oats, spelt, kamut, buckwheat groats, and quinoa, which requires only a 20minute soak and will have little sprout tails with its first rinse.
56 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
BEANS AND LEGUMES Mung beans supply 40 percent of your daily vitamin K need in one cup. Lentils and chickpeas are good, too. Skip soup beans, which are difficult to sprout.
NUTS AND SEEDS Broccoli seeds do best in cool weather. Alfalfa sprouts provide vitamin C, folate, and omega3s. Hulled pumpkin and sunflower seeds can sprout in less than an hour.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MITCH MANDEL
S T Y L I N G B Y A N N I E C H E R V I N E DWA R D S ; F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y M I C H A E L P E D E R S O N ( PA N CA K E S )
EASY TO DIGEST Plant seeds supply carbs and protein that can be difficult to digest. Sprouting (soaking grains, nuts, seeds, and beans in water) makes it easier for your GI system to take up these nutrients.
1 / Start with clean tools and hands. Place ½ to ¾ cup seeds, nuts, beans, or grains (see “Best Bites,” below, for ideas) in a colander or sieve. Rinse until the water runs clear.
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SO ME P LA CE S MA KE YO U A L ITTL E lighter ON YOUR F EET AND brighter I N YO UR SMI LE . ANSWER THE CAL L AT SANDIEGO.ORG
FUEL
THE RUNNER’S PANTRY
Use the puree in a smoothie, along with a banana, nutmeg, and cloves.
GET PUMP(KIN)ED UP!
RW contributing food writer Mark Bittman shares ways to use a canned staple.
is not only more convenient than fresh—it’s better for you, too. One cup packs three times as much beta-carotene as boiledand-mashed fresh pumpkin, plus seven grams of fiber. A caveat: “Don’t get the pre-spiced ‘pie’ mix that has lots of added sugar,” says longtime runner Mark Bittman, whose latest book is A Bone to Pick, a collection of essays from The New York Times. “You want pure puree.” Here’s how he uses this seasonal favorite. —YISHANE LEE
CANNED PUMPKIN
SPICED PUDDING “The texture of this pudding is so creamy, you’ll swear there’s dairy in here.” Canned pumpkin is a good source of iron, manganese, potassium, and calcium.
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until the tofu is smooth and the pumpkin is fully incorporated. Divide the mixture into six 1-cup bowls and refrigerate them until set, about 2 hours. Makes 6 servings.
58 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
1½ cups allpurpose flour 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup milk 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 2 eggs Grape-seed oil, for cooking Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk the milk, pumpkin, and eggs. Gently stir into the dry ingredients. The batter should be thick. Lightly oil the skillet. Add 1⁄4 cupfuls of batter. Cook pancakes, flipping when bubbles rise to the top and the bottoms are brown, 4 minutes per side. Makes 10 pancakes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MITCH MANDEL
F O O D S T Y L I N G B Y M I C H A E L P E D E R S O N ; P R O P S T Y L I N G B Y BA R B F R I T Z
24 oz. silken tofu (about 3 cups) 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree cup maple syrup or other sweetener 1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground ginger ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg Dash salt
FALL PANCAKES “These hearty pancakes are a perfect postrun meal.”
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sling.com/buynow57 or 1.888.358.8192 Promotional O ers: Free trial: Available to new customers upon account activation. Must provide email address and credit card. HBO® may not be included in free trial. Billing and Cancellation: After any promotional period your credit card will be charged monthly for applicable subscription until you cancel your service. Cancel on Sling.com or by calling 1 (877) 811-4788. Programming fees are charged monthly in advance and no credits or refunds will be issued for partial months after cancellation. Equipment Requirements: Requires internet-connected compatible device. Compatible devices include: PC or Mac, Roku, iOS 7.0 and higher, Android 4.0.3, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Google Nexus and Xbox One. Watching on TV requires use of Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick. Viewing limited to one device at a time, except for HBO® (3 devices at a time). Miscellaneous: Certain programs may be unavailable due to programmer restrictions or blackouts. Only available within the United States. State and local taxes apply. All prices, fees, charges, packages, programming, features, functionality and o ers subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. See Sling.com website for details. O er ends 12/31/15. ESPN and ESPN2 are registered trademarks of ESPN, Inc. ©Disney. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. HBO® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Oɝce, Inc. CNN, CN Cartoon Network, TBS, & TNT logos are trademarks of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. ©2015 Sling TV L.L.C. All rights reserved.
MIND+BODY GET BETTER, STAY BETTER
How to recover from (and/or prevent) common running injuries By Beth Dreher IF YOU SUFFER an injury, your doc-
tor may recommend cutting back on mileage or even taking a complete break from running. While downtime gives you a chance to mend, rest shouldn’t be the only part of your recovery plan. “If injured runners don’t address muscle weaknesses and faulty mechanics, they’re almost guaranteed to reinjure,” says Colleen Brough, D.P.T., O.C.S., assistant professor at Columbia University’s physical therapy program. Here, running injury specialists outline how to put common injuries to rest— for good. Follow the “active recovery” advice as you ease in and build up your mileage. When you’re back at full operating speed, add the “relapse prevention” tip to stay healthy.
KT tape can support and safeguard injuryprone muscles, tendons, and ligaments while you run. For a demo of how to apply it, see runners world.com/howtotape.
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y A N D R E A M A N Z AT I
60 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
PHOTOGRAPH BY MITCH MANDEL
ILIOTIBIAL-BAND SYNDROME
HAMSTRING STRAIN
ACTIVE RECOVERY When running, increase the width of your steps by a few centimeters to reduce the friction between the IT band and thighbone, says Reed Ferber, Ph.D., director of the Running Injury Clinic in Calgary, Alberta.
ACTIVE RECOVERY Exercises such as planks, clamshells, and bridges strengthen weak glutes and hips, common culprits of hamstring strains. It may be helpful to work on agility (check out runnersworld.com/ carioca). In a University of Wisconsin study, runners with acute hamstring strains who completed a rehab plan that included agility work recovered faster and were less likely to be reinjured than those who didn’t work on their agility.
RELAPSE PREVENTION Side
planks strengthen the muscles on the outside of the hips. RUNNER BEWARE Skip the hills. On inclines, the knee stays bent longer, which increases tension in the IT band, Ferber says. Avoid running circles in the same direction on a track and roads with high cambers.
Do bridge walkouts (with hips raised, walk your feet out, alternating right and left steps; the straighter the legs, the harder it is). This strengthens the hamstring as it’s lengthening, which is consistent with the action of the muscle during running. RUNNER BEWARE Avoid speedwork until your pain is completely gone. “The hamstring most commonly gets injured when the muscle is quickly lengthened, as it is when sprinting,” Brough says.
RELAPSE PREVENTION
MEDIAL TIBIAL STRESS SYNDROME
PATELLO-FEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME
(Shin Splints)
(Runner’s Knee)
ACTIVE RECOVERY Increase the number of steps you take per minute by five to 10 percent. Count your steps, do the math, then search Spotify for, say, “180 beats per minute,” for songs to listen to while running. Riding a stationary bike can help, too. “Being on an indoor bike where you don’t have to worry about traffic can help you get a feel for a high cadence, which you can carry over to running,” Brough says. “On the bike, focus on activating the transversus abdominis of the abdominals and the gluteus maximus, which help stabilize the pelvis and improve running mechanics.” RELAPSE PREVENTION Runners who land with an exaggerated heel strike are most likely to suffer from shin splints. Increasing your running cadence will lead to a shorter stride length. RUNNER BEWARE “If you return to running too quickly, this injury can quickly turn into a stress fracture,” Brough says. Follow each running day with two rest or cross-training days.
ACTIVE RECOVERY “Hip and core strength is essential to eliminating knee pain,” says Ferber, whose research on the topic was recently published in the Journal of Athletic Training. Three times a week, do three sets of 10 reps of each of these exercises: standing hip abduction, standing hip external rotation, and standing hip internal rotation (get instructions for these moves at runnersworld.com/ stronghips).
PLANTAR FASCIITIS ACTIVE RECOVERY Use over-the-counter orthotics in your shoes as you rebuild mileage. “Most athletes I’ve treated with plantar fasciitis have recovered more quickly with orthotics,” says Ferber. Once the pain has subsided, remove the inserts. Use a foam roller before running to loosen calves and Achilles tendons. Roll the injured foot over a frozen water bottle for one minute four to six times a day to reduce swelling. RELAPSE PREVENTION
RELAPSE PREVENTION Walk
backward uphill or on a treadmill set to five percent incline (hold the handrails to avoid tripping). This isolates the muscles on the front of your thighs that help keep the kneecap in proper alignment. “While targeting the hips is key, research still tells us that quad strengthening is an important part of runner’s knee recovery,” Ferber says. RUNNER BEWARE While you’re in pain, avoid running downhill. “Pounding down hills increases the force on the knee joint and slows recovery,” he says.
Strengthen the calf muscles that support the tissue on the bottom of the foot with heel raises. Work up to three sets of 20 reps four days a week. “Always do this exercise after a run or workout,” Ferber says. “Doing it before will put increased strain on the plantar fascia.”
RUNNER BEWARE Don’t
walk around barefoot, which can further strain injured tissue, Ferber says. And throughout the day, opt for supportive shoes over flipflops or high heels.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 61
MIND+BODY
GLUTES The glute muscles generate the force that enables you to run. If they are not firing properly, other muscles will pitch in. But over miles and miles, those compensating muscles can become overloaded, exhausted, and, eventually, injured.
THE BODY SHOP
POSITION STATEMENT Six exercises to improve running form
GOOD RUNNING FORM happens on the roads, of course. But there are simple exercises you can do before and after you run to improve body awareness, strength, and flexibility that will carry over to a smooth, efficient running stride. Target your glutes, hips, and arms with these pre- and postrun moves to make running feel easy and effortless.
BEFORE YOU RUN Activate your glutes by lifting one leg out to the side. “Draw” basketballsized circles with that leg, feeling your glutes engage. Do 10 circles in each direction with each leg.
AFTER YOU RUN Release tension that accumulates in your glutes by crossing one ankle above the opposite knee and sit your hips back and down until you feel a release. Hold for 10 breaths and switch sides.
—SAGE ROUNTREE, AUTHOR OF RUNNER’S GUIDE TO YOGA
HIPS Good running posture is less about maintaining a stiff, rigid spine and more about pelvis positioning. When you run, your pelvis should be neutral—not tilted forward or backward—so it doesn’t interfere with the functionality of attaching muscles.
BEFORE YOU RUN Alternate between lifting your chest and tailbone (left) and rounding your back and dropping your pelvis (right). Try to find a neutral point between these; that’s the pelvis position you want.
AFTER YOU RUN A strong core helps maintain a neutral pelvis. Lie down and lift your legs. Lower your legs toward the ground while keeping your pelvis level. Bring your legs back up. Repeat 10 times.
ARMS If you stretch at all, you most likely focus on your legs; your upper body is probably neglected. But for a powerful running stride, your entire body needs to be working in unison. A fluid, smooth arm motion carries over to an efficient stride.
BEFORE YOU RUN Lift your arms out to your sides, at shoulder height with your elbows bent upward. Keep your palms facing inward toward your head. Press your elbows back and lift your chest. 62
FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF THIS ROUTINE, GO TO RUNNERSWORLD.COM/FORMFIXERS.
AFTER YOU RUN Recline in a supported back bend over a foam roller or a rolled blanket placed vertically up your spine. Extend your arms into a T, and relax and breathe for a few minutes. PHOTOGRAPHS BY MITCH MANDEL
M O N TA N E V E S T, B R O O K S S H I R T, N E W BA L A N C E S H O E S
Sinking into this glute stretch also promotes balance, but hold onto something if you’re feeling shaky.
photo by @bubritt85
thank you running The moment when you slip on that first race medal is hard to beat. And with Glycerin 13’s Super DNA midsole, you’ll get perfect, dynamic cushioning that instantly adapts to your every step. That’s a wonderful thing, because now that you’ve achieved this milestone you’ll want to get right out and start training for that next big race. Learn more at brooksrunning.com
Runner’s World is a registered trademark of Rodale, Inc. All rights reserved.
13 rin ce Gly
MIND+BODY
SHOULD YOU RACE TODAY?
You don’t feel so good. Here’s how to decide whether to sit it out or gut it out. By Liz Plosser
start here! YOU WOKE UP FEELING…
Pain
#@&$! at Mother Nature
Blah
Are you trying to PR? How long has it hurt?
Because you feel… no
Sick
This is new.
Nervous
yes
Have you felt sluggy for more than four days?
Tired
It’s been bugging me for a while.
RUN! You got this! Why?
RUN! Start slow and see how you feel.
Has a doctor told you not to run because of a sprain or stress fracture?
no
You have the flu. no
You’re hungover.
yes
Not sure. Too much pasta last night? yes
How long is the race?
Half Marathon
5K–10K
Marathon
Outside my window…
yes
RUN! You got this!
RUN! Just don’t go all-out for a PR.
It’s raining or cold. How long is the race?
no 5K–10K
Marathon
Half Marathon
Did you travel for it?
It’s really hot. DON’T RUN! Register for a new race a month away that’s the same distance.
RUN! But take it easy and be prepared to bail midrace.
yes
no
Did you travel for it?
no
yes
RUN! Start slow and see how you feel. Be prepared to bail midrace.
Sources: Thomas Schwartz, exercise physiologist and coach in Highlands Ranch, Colorado; Jordan Metzl, M.D., sports-medicine doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City
64 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
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INSIDER TRAINING
Running on a treadmill? Banish boredom and keep cool with these accessories. By Kelly Bastone 5
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3 / BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 20 ACOUSTIC NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES Want to tune out blaring gym TVs or heavy breathing from the neighboring treadmill? These packable earbuds are your salvation. $300 4 / MISSION ENDURACOOL COOLING TECHKNIT TOWEL Soak it with water, wring it out, and snap it in the air to activate enough coolness to invigorate steamy indoor workouts. Soothes overheated necks and foreheads. $18 5 / CHACO Z/VOLV FLIP With a cult following among raft guides, this water-ready sandal grips shower tile, dries fast, and offers plenty of support. A pedorthist helped design the footbed. $65 6 / HYDRO FLASK BOTTLE & INSULATED SPORT CAP Hydro Flask’s vacuum-insulated, stainless-steel bottles keep water cold for hours. In August came the debut of an insulated sport cap, allowing runners just to reach and sip by way of the nozzle. $28 for 21-ounce bottle; $7 for cap
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8 / SALOMON BANDANA HEADBAND This silky, tissue-thin headband feels like a cool forehead compress that wicks moisture and keeps it from dripping into your eyes. $15 66 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RYAN OLSZEWSKI
P H OTO G R A P H B Y M I TC H M A N D E L ( WAT E R B OT T L E )
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7 / FITMARK VELOCITY BACKPACK Tailored for gym-to-work commuters. There’s a laptop sleeve, an odor-resistant shoe pocket, a water-bottle pocket, a toiletries organizer—even a fleece-lined pouch for eyewear. $120
OTHERS MAY RUN FASTER, BUT NO ONE RUNS AS FREQUENTLY FAST AS MARATHONER YUKI KAWAUCHI DOES. WHICH, AT LEAST IN JAPAN, MAKES THIS MANGA-LOVING SALARYMAN A ROCK STAR. 51 MARATHONS –
23 WINS!
THE O! STAT US Q U
SUPER FAST!
NEVER QUIT! This page: Going all out at the New York City and Tokyo marathons. Opposite: At home in Saitama, Japan, sporting his signature fringed hairstyle.
R A C E R
GO!
BY
KUMIKO MAKIHARA
PHOTOGRAPH BY
ANDRONIKI CHRISTODOULOU
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BY DAY, A MILD-MANNERED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE ...
the boy is running hard,
years later, Japanese marathoner Yuki Kawauchi is still running
MORE THAN 20
hard. Very hard. Kawauchi, 28, races nearly every weekend, in distances that range from half marathons to ultras to the world marathon majors. Racing so many events is impressive, but what makes Kawauchi exceptional is how consistently fast he runs them. In 2013, he ran 11 marathons, four of which were sub-2:10 performances: He ran 2:08:15 and 2:08:14 Kawauchi out in (his PR) 42 days apart in front at age 4 during February and March, and
V I C TO R S A I L E R / P H OTO R U N ; S A N K E I V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S
a school sports day (left); as a second-grader after finishing runner-up in a local kids’ race (right).
2:09:05 and 2:09:15 just 14 days apart in December (at press time, a world record for the shortest time span between sub2:10s). In 2014, he ran 13 marathons in times that ranged from 2:16:41 to 2:09:36 (his seventh career sub-2:10, a total that netted him the Japanese record). This past May, he ran—and won—three half marathons over three days, running 1:07:23, 1:07:03, and 1:09:23. By comparison, just one American man ran a sub-2:10 marathon in 2013 (Dathan Ritzenhein ran 2:09:45 in Chicago), and only one did so in 2014 (Meb Keflezighi ran 2:08:37 in Boston). In fact, just 16 Americans have ever run under 2:10, and few pros of any nationality run more than two marathons a year. But Kawauchi is not a full-time athlete. He’s got an office job. He works about 40 hours a week. He collects prize money from races but refuses sponsorships or appearance fees (as a government employee, he is forbidden from receiving income from other jobs).
P R E V I O U S S P R E A D, C LO C KW I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: P H OTO G R A P H S B Y E L S A /G E T T Y I M AG E S ;
his breathing loud and choppy. He sees his mother up ahead, standing at the spot on the asphalt path that marks the end of the lap. She’s looking at the stopwatch in her hand. If he beats his personal best, even by a second, practice will end and there might be a reward. An ice cream or a burger, maybe. If he’s slower, he’ll have to run around the park again. He hates those penalty runs, but at age 7, he doesn’t dare challenge his mother. She shouts, “Three minutes 34…35…36,” and each second declared propels him faster. When he finally reaches her, he collapses on the grass. Bits of twigs and dirt stick to his sweaty arms and legs as he rolls around on the ground and tries to calm his breathing. But soon his mother is shouting again. “What are you doing lying down there?” It’s time for a penalty lap.
BUT BETTER KNOWN AS ...
THE CITIZEN
RUNNER!
W I T H FA N S ); C O U R T E S Y O F Y U K I K AWAU C H I (C H I L D H O O D P H OTO S )
T H I S S P R E A D : P H OTO G R A P H S B Y T H E A S A H I S H I M B U N V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ( K AWAU C H I AT WO R K ,
Mobbed by press after being selected to Japan’s marathon team for the 2013 IAAF champs (left); with fans after the 2011 Fukuoka International Marathon (above).
He has no coach or manager. At 5' 7" and 130 pounds, the public servant doesn’t look much like a runner. By day, he’s the office nerd channeling Clark Kent, wearing glasses and working at a desk, his back ramrod straight. On weekends, though, despite a contorted expression and labored stride, he’s blowing past his competition. Because of this, he is an inspiration for Japan’s millions of weekend warriors. The Japanese love marathons and marathoners in part because the culture values the stoicism the race requires. “Runners come across as people with perseverance,” says Yukiya Higuchi, editor of the Japanese monthly running magazine Courir. “You can practically measure the extent of their efforts [by] watching their sweat drip.” Kawauchi has garnered such a huge following because he’s dared the masses to believe that a desk job isn’t a deal-breaker when it comes to achieving great things. “Kawauchi has shown them another
way of life for an athlete. For him, marathoning is not the ultimate goal. It’s a hobby,” says Higuchi. In turn, these ordinary runners spur the “citizen runner,” as Kawauchi is affectionately called. Where he was once compelled by the promise of a sweet treat, Kawauchi now performs his best for those, he says, “who’ve only seen fast runners on TV.” MAKING HIS FANS happy “is my mission,” Kawauchi says in Japanese while scarfing down a sandwich (he speaks limited English). He’s seated at a small table giving back-to-back interviews in a corner of the media area the day before the 2014 New York City Marathon. Amid the noise of simultaneous press briefings and race officials rushing in all directions, Kawauchi speaks in a rapid-fire manner while looking me straight in the eye, displaying utmost attention to each question. Kawauchi’s running career began
early. When he ran 7:30 in the 1500 meters as a 6-year-old, his mother, a former high school middledistance runner, was impressed. Mika Kawauchi decided to coach him, and her training program, which lasted until the boy finished elementary school, consisted of daily time trials in local parks. His task each day was to best his personal record; if he was up to 30 seconds off, he had to run an extra lap. If he was a minute off, two laps. If he was consistently slow, he would have to walk the nearly two miles home alone, although that only happened a few times. An obedient child, Kawauchi remembers that no matter how much fun he was having playing video games with friends after school, he’d tell them, “I have my running now,” and head to the park. Mika Kawauchi’s fierce parenting style is not that unusual in Japan, where mothers traditionally push children to excel. But the boy’s compliant character allowed her to create and enforce a
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BIG IN JAPAN
The country’s marathoners once dominated the world, taking the top three spots at Boston in consecutive years. But today, another race steals the show. BY KIT FOX
The Hakone Ekiden is one of Japan’s most popular annual sporting events. Nearly 30 percent of the country’s households tune in to the two-day, 134.9mile regional collegiate relay completed by about 20 university teams. But while Hakone Ekiden competitors are lauded by the Japanese public, rarely do they transition into great marathoners. In 2014, for example, no
Japanese runners—male or female—cracked the top 20 in the World Marathon Major rankings. Instead, the swiftest high school and collegiate runners are fed into a corporate running structure focused on pro ekiden relays sponsored by some of Japan’s largest companies, like Toyota. The word “ekiden” loosely references Japan’s communication system
P H OTO G R A P H CO U R T E SY O F Y U K I K AWAU C H I ( M A N G A )
grueling regimen. Every The winning team day he went as hard as he of the 2015 Hakone Ekiden celebrates on could, staggering at the January 3, 2015, by finish. When the occasiontossing their final al passerby remarked that runner; Kawauchi’s it was too much to make collection of running manga (left). such a young kid run so hard, Mika Kawauchi retorted, “This is our family’s way of raising children.” Her approach likely prepared the boy mentally for the rigors of running track at school, where training methods are intense. Kawauchi’s high school team practiced six or seven days a week, with daily 30-minute strength-training in the morning plus afternoon runs that could exceed two hours. They did speedwork three or four times a week. Going allout was expected, and stronger runners like Kawauchi, who often pulled ahead of the group, routinely collapsed by the finish. Initially, the boy thrived, but during an 11K training run in his second year, Kawauchi felt a sharp pain above his left knee. He kept going, however, completing ten 400-meter sprints and 80 squats with his teammates. “Then I completely broke down,” he says. He suffered shin splints and recurring bouts of iliotibial-band syndrome in his left knee. It was the start of a persistent cycle—injury followed by insufficient recovery followed by injury—that would torment Kawauchi throughout his high school years. Under the team’s hierarchical system, out-of-commission runners like Kawauchi were assigned the humiliating tasks of carrying bags or fetching water for teammates. He recorded his emotional turmoil in a diary with entries like, “What am I? Human scum?” His mother, who had handed over the coaching reins to the track team, recalls giving her son his space. “It seemed like he needed to get through this on his own,” Mika Kawauchi says. “If he wanted to talk about it, I was there,
P H OTO G R A P H B Y T H E A S A H I S H I M B U N V I A G E T T Y I M AG E S ( H A KO N E E K I D E N )
from the 17th and 18th centuries in which a chain of messengers delivered mail around the country, similar to America’s Pony Express. In the spirit of that ancient system, the first running ekiden occurred in 1917 and gained national prominence after World War II, says Adharanand Finn, a news and running blog editor for The Guardian and author of The Way of the Runner, about Japanese running culture. For a population reeling from war’s destruction, “running was seen as something to build morale,” Finn says. “It was a good example to workers that if you work hard, you will succeed.” Large companies funded their own ekiden teams—providing salaries,
facilities, and coaching to runners—to give employees something to celebrate. The ekiden system ultimately led to the country’s running boom in the 1950s and ’60s. That boom coincided with the growth of several major marathons around the world, and a period of international dominance by Japan’s pro runners; in both the 1965 and 1966 Boston Marathons, they took the top three spots. Meanwhile, ekidens continued growing in popularity. Japan’s largest newspapers began sponsoring the races, and their wall-to-wall coverage introduced more fans to the sport. Once the event went on live TV, corporations realized the marketing value
of winning races, and they injected more sponsorship and prize money into the system, raising the profile of the races, which spurred even more interest. The event’s format is at least partially responsible for its popularity. The relay turns running into the ultimate team sport, says Finn. “There’s a real sense of responsibility because you’re one link in a chain. In an ekiden, one guy can’t have a bad race. Individual warriors are fighting at the same time.” The team concept, he explains, is more culturally appealing to the Japanese than individual performances are because it taps into the ancient Samurai code, bushido. “It’s a code of honor, discipline, and morality. There’s this idea that ekiden runners are following that tradition,” says Finn. The paradox of the ekiden is that while it has popularized running in Japan, its overemphasis in men’s running is likely responsible for the decline in the country’s international presence. The largest pro relays are in fall and winter, a schedule that makes it difficult for Japanese runners to compete in or peak for major marathons. There’s “no doubt” the ekiden system has hurt Japan’s international running results, says Brendan Reilly, an American sports agent who represents several Japanese runners, and who has organized training camps for corporate-sponsored Japanese running teams. “How much can you do internationally when the focus is only on [ekidens]?” Such focus has another cost as well. Japanese runners follow a brutal training regimen, logging dozens more miles per week than most elite marathoners. “There’s a huge emphasis on effort with Japanese runners,” Finn says. “If you
feel tired and your form suffers during a run, you train harder.” There is a high burnout and injury rate, according to Reilly. In fact, the Kenyan runners whom Japanese corporations regularly recruit to compete for their teams are known to train separately from their Japanese peers. “Almost every time I have been involved in recruiting a foreign runner for a Japanese team, one of the questions that comes from the athlete’s coach or agent is about the intensity of Japanese training,” Reilly says. “I think there is this widespread belief that some of the Japanese training methods are nuts.” Of course, there are Japanese marathoners— like Yuki Kawauchi—who compete outside the corporate system and are trying to make a name for themselves in competitions other than the ekiden. They support themselves with day jobs, which differs from ekiden runners who receive salaries and professional coaching from the corporations they represent. So yes, the relay probably diminishes Japan’s international presence. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, according to Finn. “Without the ekiden system there wouldn’t be any corporate teams, and without any corporate teams there would be a lot less opportunities to be a pro runner,” he says. “If you’re a runner, the system is good because it means you have a job. You just have to prioritize your goals differently to focus on the ekiden.” Perhaps more important, however, the system has made the Japanese public crazy about long-distance running. “The ekiden has [made] running an even bigger, more important thing in their culture,” Finn says. “It is key to keeping running alive.”
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but he didn’t say much.” Shortly before high school graduation, another hardship struck. Kawauchi’s father— who had massaged the boy’s aching legs every night no matter how late he arrived home from work—died suddenly from a heart attack at age 59. Says Kawauchi regretfully, “He only saw me at my lowest point.”
74 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
Kawauchi at a press conference in Saitama, after a poor performance in the 2012 Tokyo Marathon kept him off Japan’s 2012 Olympic team.
stage), and his fame still permeates the Hakone Ekiden—at the start of the 2014 race, students handed out a university newspaper with a huge photo of his tortured race face and the headline, “The Legend of Passion.” In his senior year, Kawauchi ran his first marathon, the 2009 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in southern Japan, in 2:19:26. The following month, he ran the Tokyo International Marathon in 2:18:18, and came in 19th. He had found his calling. AROUND THIS TIME, Kawauchi made another important discovery. For years, he had been running for others—his mother, his coach—obedient to their bidding and afraid that if he stopped heeding them, he would lose everything he had worked for. But one day, he overheard another student saying how much he liked to run; “I suddenly realized that I wasn’t running because I was afraid, but because I liked to run,” Kawauchi says. “It was like I woke up. And after that, my times just kept getting better.” Kawauchi catapulted onto the elite
stage and into the public consciousness at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon. At mile 24, as he overtook the only other Japanese runner ahead of him, an excited broadcaster raved about the surge of the “star citizen runner.” Kawauchi finished third in 2:08:37, first among Japanese. To date, he has run 51 marathons, placing in the top three in 31 of them and winning 23. He’s accepted invitations to races around the world, including Egypt, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S., where he’s run the New York City Marathon the past two years. “He almost always has the fastest final split,” says Brett Larner, who has known Kawauchi since 2006 and authors the website Japan Running News. “He’s really tough. No matter what the circumstances, he can really grind it out, just putting everything into that last 1.2 miles.” Tsuda, too, credits Kawauchi’s sheer force of will. “It’s not talent, but mental strength,” he says. “When things get tough, he pulls forward.” Tsuda, who volunteered to coach Kawauchi after graduation, attri- (Continued on page 107)
P H OTO G R A P H B Y J U N T S U K I DA /A F LO/ Z U M A P R E S S .CO M
PERHAPS because of his injury history, Kawauchi was never a standout in high school, and no university recruited him. Instead, he went to Gakushuin University in Tokyo, a school known not for athletics but for educating Japan’s nobility, and joined its track team. If Kawauchi’s mother started the engine of his running career, his college coach shifted him into high gear. Seiichi Tsuda adjusted the young runner’s habit of kicking his right foot outward upon landing, a move that was burdening his left side, and encouraged him to keep a steady pace so he wouldn’t collapse upon finishing. The drive conditioned from childhood was still there; Tsuda would tell his restive protégé: “Let’s try to enjoy our training.” To Kawauchi’s surprise, his coach scheduled speedwork just twice a week. Gradually, the young man learned to scale back his do-or-die approach to intervals and chill out if he felt a strain coming on. The tempered approach paid off, and within months, his PR of 15:07 for 5,000 meters fell to 14:38. Kawauchi had finally learned how to balance his training and heed his body. “I felt like I was in paradise,” he says. To add to this euphoria, in his sophomore year, Kawauchi achieved the dream of all young Japanese runners. He qualified for the 2006 Hakone Ekiden, a two-day-long university men’s relay of 10 roughly 13.4-mile legs that covers the 134.9-mile distance from downtown Tokyo to the hot-spring resort town of Hakone and back (see “Big in Japan,” page 72). It’s one of Japan’s most popular sporting events. More than a million spectators typically line the course, and nearly 30 percent of the population watches the live TV broadcast. While the field boasts the country’s top university teams, one team is composed of runners from schools outside the elite racing circle. As Gakushuin University had never fielded a runner in the race, news spread of its contestant. Kawauchi finished third in his leg (he qualified again in 2008 as a senior and finished third on the sixth
SHAMED BY DEFEAT, KAWAUCHI SHAVED HIS HEAD IN REMORSE ...
In the City of Brotherly Love, you’ll never run alone. Or drink alone, or eat alone, or karaoke alone… By Nell McShane Wulfhart PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS SEMBROT
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Members of the Run 215 community on the popular Kelly Drive Loop, which starts and ends at the Museum of Art and traces the Schuylkill River.
W
ith more than 30 organized running groups (and counting), Philly is indeed the City of Brotherly Love for runners. “The running culture in Philly is super welcoming,” says Jon Lyons, founder of Run215.com (@RUN_215), a comprehensive site for info on local runners, group schedules, and races. “You can meet up with a group of people that you’ve never met before and have a great time.” From the South Philly Striders to the Fairmount Running Club to the Wissahickon Wanderers, you’ll find kindred spirits in nearly every neighborhood. And the fun rarely ends after the run: Many groups finish at a local pub—Philly consistently ranks as one of the top beer cities in the country, after all—and Lyons’s new 10 p.m. #nightshiftphl run culminates in anything from cheesesteaks to karaoke. If you’re looking to mix up your terrain, Philly’s got you covered. Forbidden Drive, a shaded gravel track following Wissahickon Creek, is perfect for summer running; Pennypack Park is an oasis in the city’s crowded northeast; and trail runners can gut it out through the woods and hills of 9,200-acre Fairmount Park (check out runphil.ly for trail maps created by Alon Abramson of the West Philly Runners club). For the competitive set, there’s an event nearly every month, from the new Philly 10K in August (started in 2014) and the 30,000-strong Philadelphia Marathon in November to May’s Broad Street Run, the largest 10-mile road race in the country. For updates on events and races, follow Philadelphia Runner—the city’s largest running store—@phillyrun and #myphillyrun. And there’s more. The city is transforming its postindustrial landscapes into recreation areas such as the 7.5-mile (and growing) Delaware River Trail. A mile east of Center City, the route includes a mustrun, out-and-back across the Ben Franklin Bridge and newly designed piers with bars and restaurants, food trucks, hammocks, and bike trails. It’s the newest running spot for a city that has truly embraced our tribe.
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Most days of the week, you can find a group leaving from—or suffering on—the 72 steps made famous by Philly’s favorite fighter, Rocky Balboa. Every Wednesday morning at 6:25, November Project gathers here for a mix of stair running, situps, and pushups (@Nov_ProjectPHL). Philly Runners meets here at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays for 8.8-milers and Thursdays for hills or speedwork, and at 8 a.m. on Saturdays for long runs (phillyrunners.org). The Fairmount Running Club combines stair running with plyometric training at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays (@FairmountRunCo). 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
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It’s unthinkable to visit Philly without having a cheesesteak, and John’s are top-rated, but, says Lyons of Run215.com, “If you want a real Philly sandwich, it’s roast pork. Roast pork with sharp provolone—you gotta go with sharp—is the ticket to a happy life.” The décor at John’s is bare bones (think picnic tables), but the location, just a half mile from the start of the Delaware River Trail (see page 80), makes it the perfect postrun nosh stop. johnsroastpork.com; 14 E. Snyder Avenue
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4 /Schuylkill River Trail For really long runs, check out the 60-mile Schuylkill River Trail, which runs from South Street in Center City (with a four-block-long, over-water boardwalk), along the Schuylkill (pronounced SKOO-kull) River and Kelly Drive to Valley Forge National Park, ending at Parker Ford. For something shorter, cross the Falls Bridge to do the popular 8.45-mile Kelly Drive Loop that starts and ends at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—the river’s west side nets you great views of the boathouses along the opposite shore and the city skyline. schuylkillrivertrail.com; 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway (for Kelly Drive Loop)
P H OTO G R A P H B Y RYA N C O L L E R D ( F I S H TOW N B E E R R U N N E R S ); M A P I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y T H O M AS P O R O S TO C K Y
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2 / PHILADELPHIA RUNNER This one-stop specialty retailer hosts yoga classes, the occasional in-store party, and several group runs from its Center City location: shop runs every Thursday at 6 p.m., and runs with Young Involved Philadelphia (#YIPRuns) and the Honeygrow Run Club (#hgRunClub) at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday and last Tuesday of the month, respectively. Runners get a 25 percent discount at Honeygrow’s restaurant next door. philadelphiarun ner.com; 1601 Sansom St.
5 / BLACKBIRD PIZZERIA The city’s first vegan pizza joint, Blackbird hosts Team Humane League’s regular “Meatless Monday” five-miler at 6:30 p.m. (@TeamHumane). (The vegan/vegetarian group just asks that flesh-eaters honor the “meatless” part.) Afterward, try the “Popeye,” which comes with spinach, shiitake mushrooms, and pumpkin-seed pesto. blackbirdpizzeria.com; 507 S. 6th St. FEDERAL DONUTS With five locations, the place serves just two things: fried chicken and donuts. The odd pairing was inspired by celebrity chef and co-owner Michael Solomonov’s craving for Korean fried chicken, and his fellow owners’ love of fried dough and its potential to be so much more than glazed and sugared (e.g., grapefruit brûlée, lemon ricotta). federaldonuts .com; 1632 Sansom St.
10 / FISHTOWN BEER RUNNERS Every Thursday night at 7, meet up with the Fishtown Beer Runners for a three- to five-mile run starting in the revitalized north Philly neighborhood (@beerrun ners for start locations). They end up at local watering holes like Philadelphia Brewing Company, a microbrewery that partnered with Philadelphia Runner in 2014 to put on the inaugural Philly 10K. fishtownbeerrunners.com; 2440 Frankford Ave. (Philadelphia Brewing Company)
6/ BELMONT PLATEAU Known for its rugged, forested slopes, lush meadows, and tree-lined creeks, the Belmont Plateau spans 100 acres of Fairmount Park and features 10 miles of trails. While high school and college cross-country races have been held here for decades, the courses (comprising five of the 10 miles) were slated to be marked and color-coded by the end of September (yellow for 3K, blue for 5K, and red for 8K routes). myphillypark.org; 2000 Belmont Mansion Drive
7 / YARDS BREWING COMPANY This local brewery along the Delaware River Trail has a tasting room, free tours, and city-inspired beers like the Love Stout and its Ales of the Revolution series. Every third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m., the 4.25-mile #YardsBeerRun leaves from 6th and Race Street and ends here for happy hour. yardsbrewing.com; 901 N. Delaware Ave.
9 / PHILA MASSAGES Dedicated to athletes, Phila Massages specializes in sports massage that enhances performance and recovery. The team employs techniques like deep-tissue therapy, myofascial release, and active isolated stretching. They also volunteer every month at local races like Rescue Run and Run the Bridge. For the Philadelphia Marathon in November, they coordinate the massage tent and offer postrace discounts to participating runners. philamassages.com; 132 S. 17th St., 4th floor
City Tap House Its ever-changing menu of craft beer includes many local brews. Located just 1.5 miles west of the Schuylkill River Trail in the University City neighborhood, the gastropub partners with local breweries like Yards and Philadelphia Brewing Company to support what managing partner Andy Farrell calls the “great culture in Philly of beer running” by offering discounts on pints to runners after races and to groups who end runs here. citytaphouse .com; 39th and Walnut Streets
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Avenue Pier Renovated in 2014 as a park with a boardwalk, it has an art installation—“Land Buoy,” by Jody Pinto—that you can climb for views. Mile 1.4 2) The Moshulu Turn right off the trail and run by the Moshulu, a docked ship with a good open-air happy hour on deck.
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Go to runnersworld .com/philly for an interactive tour of the Delaware River Trail. And check out our online collection of other great running cities (like Chicago and Austin) at runnersworld .com/running cities. Next up: Los Angeles.
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Mile 6.4 6) Morgan’s Pier One of the city’s best outdoor spots for drinks and dancing, all right on the water.
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Mile 2.3 4) Race Street Pier Go right and loop to the end of this high-design pier. Opened in 2011, it was built by the group that designed New York City’s High Line. Also: water fountains.
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The place for festivals and concerts. Restrooms and water fountains here, too.
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y M . F I S C H E T T I F O R V I S I T P H I L A D E L P H I A (1 ); R I C H A R D C U M M I N S /G E T T Y IMAG E S (2); M. K E N N E DY F O R V I S I T P H I L A D E L P H I A (3); R U S S E L L KO R D.CO M (5); J. FUSCO FOR V I S I T P H I L A D E L P H I A (6 ); G EO R GE W I D M A N /A P ( 7);
Mile .6 (northbound) 1) Washington
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The intervals and long runs are in the bank. Now you need to psych yourself up to face— and overcome—race-day challenges.
The Racer’s Brain
WE RUNNERS, as a group, are
generally as tough as bunions. Many of us embrace the black toenails, the sore muscles, the twinges and dings that come with the sport like a badge of honor. Still, every runner I have ever met has a Kryptonite. Despite how many long runs you logged or how fast you ran your repeats, your mind can throw a hurdle your way on race day that can sabotage all your hard work. As a runner, your biggest asset (or sometimes your greatest enemy) is your brain. You must put in the miles and the time to run your best. But I believe physical conditioning alone isn’t enough to put wings on your feet. What you think and feel on race day has a huge influence on how well you perform. Being head psychologist for the Boston Marathon for the past 14 years and having worked with thousands of runners, I can tell you that understanding the mechanisms behind your thoughts and emotions can help you run and race your best. Just as you might have a tight IT band or a tweaky knee to overcome, you probably have a running psychout that challenges you as well. On the following pages are four mental obstacles that runners commonly encounter on race day. I’ve paired each with coping mechanisms—based on brain science and psychological techniques I’ve used both in my private practice and as part of the medical team of several major road races, including Boston. Soaking up this knowledge will give you the psychological edge to run your best race.
By Dr. Jeff Brown (with Liz Neporent) Illustrations by Meg Hunt
PRERACE JITTERS You selected an event, circled it on the calendar, trained your heart out. Then you get to the start and you’re so nervous you might pass out. Intellectually, you know it’s just a local five-miler, but emotionally it feels like an Olympic final. What’s Going On Your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) controls your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood vessels. That heightened, nervous feeling you get just before the gun goes off is caused by the SNS pumping adrenaline and other hormones into the bloodstream. When the agony of waiting is finally over and the race starts, this flood of “fight or flight” hormones starts your heart racing and causes your blood pressure to climb, leaving you instantly more alert and primed for action—good things. If you’re super keyed up, however, it can be an issue. In an overly agitated state, you’re likely to rocket out too fast, leaving nothing for the later part of the race. Prerace planning helps you strike the right balance between the SNS response and keeping your cool. How to Cope Visualize success Before the race, take
a few moments to imagine that you just achieved your goal. Picture yourself crossing the finish line. Or looking down at your watch and seeing a new PR time. Hold the mental picture in your head, conjuring up as much detail as you can. Use all your senses. Is there a cheering crowd? How does your body feel? What are your emotions? Building mental familiarity with the race in this way can help you relax—and even boost your performance. Envisioning yourself running well appears to create neural patterns in the brain that nearly match the neural patterns created by actually performing a physical activity. This seems to code the muscle, motor, and behavioral memory of a skill. When combined with enough physical training, visualization may imprint the skills into your brain and help train your muscles to do exactly what you want them to do. Reaching a goal mentally might help make it easier for you to achieve it physically.
start making mistakes. You can manage your anxiety by thinking confidently. Prepare mantras you can remember and repeat to yourself, like I’m strong, I’m fast, my speed will last. Mantras that can take potential negatives and turn them into positives also work. Be superstitious On race day, it’s always
wise to stick to a routine—eat only what you tested in training, for example. But if you have “lucky” shoelaces or safety pins, by all means, use them. Shoelaces and safety pins may not possess magical powers, but people who develop superstitious thoughts and behaviors can use them to help calm their minds. Even though this is illogical thinking, it offers a sense of control, comfort, and meaning. Instead of allowing your anxiety to get the best of you and possibly hamper your performance, the enchanted beliefs and ritualistic behaviors of a superstition help keep you calm and focused, which can positively impact your performance.
Think positively When you come down
with a bad case of the butterflies, it means fear has set in. Fear throws off your pacing, it makes you doubt your strategy, and it messes with your sense of energy management. That’s when you 84 RUNNER’S WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
FEAR OF HILLS To many a runner, hills are the enemy. They are an obstacle standing in the
way of fast times. A burden to be endured. A soul-sapping exercise in pain. Remember, I’m the psychologist for the Boston Marathon, home to Heartbreak Hill, one of the most feared stretches of incline in the world. Over the years, I have watched people of all abilities face Heartbreak with all sorts of emotions and outcomes. I have seen fear, anguish, pain, and rage. What’s Going On So many times a runner will come to a hill with a preconception of how horrible it will feel to run up it. Those negative feelings form a feedback loop in the brain, stoking your hatred of hills even more. When you come to the base of a hill with thoughts like that in your head, you set yourself up for a miserable experience. How to Cope Love them Instead of cursing a hill before you even climb it, try convincing yourself how much you love it. Really. Tell yourself that hills are the greatest thing ever. They make you stronger. They make you tougher. They give you amazing glutes. Tell yourself you’re the little engine that could, that slow and steady wins the race, that what goes up must come down—whatever cliché helps you embrace the climb. After a
while, this new thought pattern—even if it seems far-fetched—will evolve into an actual belief.
ing, it may also sometimes feel dull and repetitive—especially in a long-distance event with more cows than spectators lining the course.
Use your imagination Mental imagery can help you conquer climbs. One runner told me she sights something along the edge of the road, such as a tree or a car, then throws a mental rope around it that she imagines she can use to pull herself upward. Another runner told me he pretends he is being carried up the hill by a winged horse. As you approach a hill, picture yourself cresting it and gliding down it. Staying calm and positive in the face of a monster incline will help you conserve energy, energy that will help make the actual physical climb easier.
What’s Going On Your brain desires novel experiences, which the reward centers of the brain respond to by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that brings on sensations of joy and delight. It really doesn’t matter if you are on a treadmill or running through the streets of Paris—once the novelty of running or racing wears off, the faucet for those feel-good chemicals shuts down, and you may as well be listening to a lecture on the organizational management of office cubicles.
Tune In—or out Some runners dissoci-
Divide and conquer After weeks or
ate by going to their happy place to try and forget they are working so hard. Other runners take the exact opposite tack: They own their pain with a sort of “hurts so good” attitude. Muscle aches and feelings of fatigue only make them push harder. Or they think about their bodies and coach themselves with mental comments like “Relax your shoulders,” “Keep your body tall.” Most runners don’t exclusively use one thinking style all the time. Without realizing it, you may switch between several different mental strategies in different situations, depending on what works for you.
months of training, you might feel “over” the idea of doing another long run—even if that long run is the race itself. Breaking up the full distance into smaller, more manageable chunks helps: For instance, three 40-minute hits of exercise is easier to face than one two-hour chunk. Breaking it up into bite-sized bits makes a long stretch more palatable.
How to Cope
BOREDOM You might think that so long as you’re in the middle of a race with cheering crowds, booming music, and amazing sights to see, your mind will never go numb. But that’s not always the case. While racing can be exciting and inspir-
Entertain yourself By all means, put on
those headphones and crank up the tunes (so long as you can do so safely). Have a motivating playlist or a podcast ready that engages your brain and takes your mind off the road. Play a mental game, like counting how many of those cows (or red cars or fire hydrants) you see along the way. Run your race with a running
buddy—even if you didn’t start the race with one. If you see someone who’s running at a similar pace, you could attempt to strike up a conversation to see if you could share a few miles together. …Or don’t! Perhaps it’s time to stop
thinking about boredom as a bad thing and reframe it as a valuable mental opportunity. Between smartphones, TV, the internet, and countless other forms of distraction, our 21st-century brains are so used to being switched on and engaged it’s easy to feel panicked anytime there is nothing entertaining going on. Emerging science is beginning to show that the brain is far from quiet during those dull times. Scientists have found that a neural circuit switches on when the brain isn’t preoccupied with an external stimulus, and an elaborate
Staying calm in the face of a monster incline will help you conserve energy.
electrical conversation takes place between different parts of the brain. Studies suggest that daydreaming and creativity are generated by this network. This is an ideal state for the brain to be in when it comes to problem solving. So if you can embrace boredom and let your mind wander along, you might stumble across your best ideas. (Remember this next time you’re on a treadmill.)
HITTING THE WALL Cyclists refer to it as bonking; Brits sometimes call it “hunger knock.” By any name it’s a pretty awful experience. When you hit the wall, it can literally feel like you have run face-first into a stack of bricks. It’s palpable. Legs start feeling like concrete posts, every step is a triumph of will, and you seriously doubt that the race actually has a finish line. What’s Going On The prevailing notion has posited that hitting the wall is a purely physical phenomenon. As the theory goes, that overwhelming fatigued feeling and leg heaviness is the result of muscle failure; the muscles and liver have wrung every last drop of glycogen, the body’s preferred source of fuel, from their stores. With no more gas in the tank, you are forced into a survival shuffle. But there is a more recent theory—one that takes the brain’s contribution to your performance into account. Noted exercise physiologist Timothy Noakes agrees that runners feel the wall physically, but he doesn’t consider it a purely physical phenomenon. The brain, Noakes believes, tells the body it’s time to hit the wall whenever it feels the body has gone too far, too fast. When the brain determines you have reached what it considers your breaking point, it increases serotonin levels. This reduces neural control to recruit muscle fibers, which in turn triggers the sensation of extreme fatigue. Although a voice may whisper in your ear that you’ve given all you have to give, Noakes says in reality you may be able to dig deeper and give more physically. How to Cope Distract yourself Investigations into bonk psychology have looked at which brain strategies work best for the average, non-elite runner. External dissociation (focusing on scenery, crowds, things not directly tied to the race) appears to be the most effective wall-avoidance strategy and results in a later onset of fatigue. A cheering crowd, a spectator’s support sign, or a band playing in the distance may be just enough to distract your brain from the punishing bodily sensations of running without causing you to lose too much focus on pace and water stops (which are still important to monitor). Mentally hurdle it Positive self-talk and visualization play a huge part in avoid-
A voice may whisper in your ear that you’ve given all you have to give. But in reality, you may be able to dig deeper. ing the wall. Before the race, I suggest doing visualization exercises in which you hit the wall and picture yourself dealing with it effectively. If you believe you will dominate the wall, you are more likely to make your beliefs a reality. Face reality If you do hit the wall, sip some sports drink to get some carbs in your system, but don’t overdo it. If you have a running partner who can help encourage you through it and run with you to the finish, that’s best. Please remember that hitting the wall can affect your ability to think. I have seen plenty of people disoriented and slurring their words, hustled into a medical tent. I feel concern when I see them out on the course wobbling through runner traffic, trying to make it to the finish. There is a point of no return that you need to accept. Going beyond that can be dangerous. If it’s not your day, it’s not your day.
POSTRACE LETDOWN Once the journey is over and you’ve told your tales of victory and defeat over a few postrace drinks, you may be left feeling a little lost at sea. After training, thinking, and planning for so long, what do you have left to look forward to? What’s Going On Hitting your goal is an amazing feeling that is often followed by a real letdown. Completing a race you seriously trained for can leave you asking, What purpose
does my training now serve? Also, if you’ve stopped running, you might be missing all those feel-good chemicals that were feeding your brain. How to Cope Enjoy your break You pressed the go button for so long that it’s hard to power down. But that’s exactly what you should
do. I know plenty of runners who experience a vague sense of guilt when sleeping late after a race, but R&R is exactly what you need. Even if you have something else big planned in the future, it won’t set you back if you take time to pay attention to other things you neglected in life. So, yes, turn off the alarm clock for a few mornings. Hang out with friends. Catch
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y DAV I D Y E L L E N ( B U R F O OT ) ; A N D R E W L E E (G A L LOWAY ) ; S T E V E J E N N I N G S /G E T T Y I M AG E S ( K A R N A Z E S ); R O B E R T A . R E E D E R / T H E WAS H I N G TO N P O S T/G E T T Y I M AG E S ( L A R R I E U S M I T H )
GREAT MINDS Mental strategies of top runners
AMBY BURFOOT winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon, RW editor at large “I think one of those things that running teaches you is that there is disappointment. Once you get to a certain level of high achievement, you are much more likely to lose a race than win it. It is a negative until you turn it around and refuse to let it be. You find enough in it to keep motivated and keep hoping for the return of that great day. I learned from the running coach Jack Daniels that the great day you have is not a fluke. That’s your ability. That’s who you are. You don’t hit it every day, but that is what you are capable of. I like that. The goal for me was always to figure out the right formula and get back and have a great day again.”
JEFF GALLOWAY 1972 Olympian, running coach, RW columnist
“I’ve used mental training methods for more than 40 years with myself and my clients. One strategy I call ‘dirty tricks.’ These are quick fixes that you use to just get from one point to the next. When I was highly competitive, I’d see a person go by and my subconscious would start producing negative thoughts. So I would get out my giant invisible rubber band. I would give a little swoosh with my hand and I would throw the rubber band over their head and around their waist and then start cinching them in toward me so that I could pull off their momentum. All of this was fantasy world, but it got me down the road another half-mile.”
DEAN KARNAZES ultrarunner “I’ve run through mud, water, sand, and snow, and over rock, and none of it really bothers me. When I engage in any physical conquest, such as a marathon or ultramarathon, I go into it with the simple commitment to myself that I will try my hardest and give it my all. You can’t
control the weather, you can’t control the other competitors, and you can’t foresee the unforeseeable. No matter what, the commitment to be the best me that I can be is unchanged. The other thing I have done is shifted my paradigm in respect to pain and struggle. Instead of trying to avoid it, I welcome and celebrate the hurt. Bring it, baby!”
FRANCIE LARRIEU SMITH five-time Olympian “I used visualization before races all the time. When I would race indoors, I would walk out to the infield and just focus on the lights up in the rafters and think about the race. I would see myself running and winning the race. To me it’s just turning all of your energy inward and focusing on the event. Now that I work with athletes as a coach, I encounter people who are terrified of the starting line. I try to explain that it’s normal to feel nervous. It’s just learning how to channel the energy, to spend some time picturing how you want the race to go.”
up on your reading. In general, recharge before you hit the road again. Reflect Think about your performance— what worked and what you can do better next time. However it went down, it’s worth analyzing why things went the way they did. You’re stocking up information for the next time you’re standing at the start of a race. Now you’ve got some past life to relive, some fodder for positive thoughts or better planning. Avoid the trap of letting others bring you down, especially if you’re already feeling a tad disappointed. If someone asks about your time, tell them you finished and it was awesome. If you didn’t finish, tell them you are happy with your effort. Don’t indulge in comparisons that leave you feeling like you somehow came up short. Set new goals After you take a pause, consider hitting the gas pedal again. If you’re burned out, dedicate yourself to something new. Set your sights on a different distance or even a new cross-training activity. Having a new passion project can stoke your love of the road. And a fresh perspective is never a bad idea.
Excerpted from The Runner’s Brain: How to Think Smarter to Run Better, by Dr. Jeff Brown with Liz Neporent (Rodale), available in stores and at rodalestore.com/ runners-brain.
WORK
to
LIVE LIVE
to
RUN
Few athletes work harder (or dream bigger) than the Latino immigrants of New York City’s legendary WEST SIDE RUNNERS.
They all wake early. By 6 a.m., Cesar Estevez is starting his eight-miler at Forest Park in Queens, New York, the prelude to the eight hours he’ll spend on his feet as a barber. Roberto Puente is gearing up for the first of eight 400-meter repeats at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. He won’t bother to shower afterward since his work as a welder keeps him sweaty all day. Domenica Ramos is finishing up a 20-minute yoga session in her Harlem apartment. She’ll feed her 5-year-old daughter, then strap her into a running stroller for a quick workout before starting her double shift as a restaurant server. Rene Cuahuizo is already working, unloading 50-pound boxes of produce, meat, and poultry at a food market in Midtown. After nine hours—or 12 if the place is packed—he’ll run six miles at 6:30 pace in Central Park. All four of them belong to the West Side Runners (WSX), one of New York City’s oldest running clubs. Formed in 1975, the team was initially composed of upper-middle-class, white professionals with a few African-Americans. The first two Latino runners joined in 1979. Word spread, and by the early ’80s the composition of WSX—by then more than 100 strong—was mostly Latino, says Bill Staab, president of the organization since 1978.
The club has always been one of the city’s most competitive—WSX members have won 14 men’s and four women’s team titles in the New York City Marathon. While it does include more than 20 male Ethiopians capable of running a sub-2:15 marathon, the majority of the club’s 235 active racers are still working-class Latino immigrants. These are the athletes who routinely dominate their age groups in local events—guys like Estevez, 57, who runs a sub-39-minute 10K, and Puente, 32, who can clock a 1:13 half marathon. They run fast by doing what busy, motivated runners have always done—by cramming training around the rigors of their daily grind. But the daily grind for these four athletes often entails unpredictable hours and unreliable meal breaks. It means being on their feet all day, doing hard, physical, sometimes dangerous work. Yet Estevez, Puente, Ramos, and Cuahuizo all manage to rack up serious mileage and impressive PRs, and they all plan to line up on Sunday, November 1, for the New York City Marathon. Getting to the start—and reaching their target times—won’t be easy. Success means doing their best with the time they have. This summer, we spent a day following each of them to see how they do it.
By SARAH GEARHART Photographs by ROBERT WHITMAN NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 89
Roberto
PUENTE 32, Queens, welder From Quito, Ecuador Arrived 2005
PUENTE’S FOREARMS are peppered with white scars from f lying sparks. He’s a welder, and the job makes him sweat so heavily he looks like he’s been sprayed with a hose. But he’s used to hard work. After his dad died of cancer when he was 13, Puente dropped out of school and worked construction to support his family. He moved to the U.S. in 2005 to live with an uncle; shortly thereafter, he lost two brothers in Ecuador, one to suicide, another to a car accident. Directionless, he started drinking until his uncle, a runner and member of WSX, threatened to kick him out. “He was very angry with me,” Puente says. He eventually came around; he joined WSX, got a job, and started running to work, 11 miles round-trip from his apartment in Queens to Brooklyn. He hadn’t been much of a runner in Ecuador, but once he started, he was soon racing—and winning. In January, he ran the Fred Lebow Manhattan Half Marathon in 1:13:44, finishing fifth overall and first in his age group. Puente works eight hours a day, five to seven days a week, depending on the job. But every morning, he gets up at 5 to chip away at another very big job—running 2:30 on November 1. He ran his first marathon in New York in 2006, finishing in 2:54 on little training. He dropped out of subsequent attempts in 2007 and 2008 with severe muscle cramps. His goal time is bold, he admits, but he’s a better, more focused runner now. “If you say you can, you can,” he says. “You have to keep that in your mind. Be positive, always.”
5:00 AM 5:30 AM
6:10 AM
12:38 PM
5:00 A.M. Puente wakes and puts on running clothes. He packs his backpack with the breakfast and lunch his wife, Sylvia Zamora, prepared for him at 4 a.m. 5:30 A.M. Leaves the house and gets into his blue 2011 Hyundai—the first car he’s ever owned—for the 40-minute drive to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. His 2-year-old daughter’s small pink shoe hangs from the rear-view mirror. Before Yerenne was born, life wasn’t great, he says. “I spent money on things I didn’t need, mostly alcohol. Now I don’t drink at all,” says Puente. He brings her to every race. Before he steps to the starting line, he kisses her cheek and tells her, “You’re my good luck.”
7:30 PM
Arrives at the park. Today is a speed session. Puente trains up to 90 minutes each day before work. He averaged 60 miles per week in July, and 100 in August and September. 6:10 A.M.
Changes into dry clothes, then drives to Yonkers to his job as a welder at Hughes Iron Works. “I don’t have a place to shower. It doesn’t matter because I’m going to get sweaty and dirty at work.” 7:50 A.M.
8:05 A.M. Pulls work clothes from the car’s trunk, including a safety jacket and mask to protect him from sparks. “What I do is very dangerous,” he says. “If I continue to do this, in five years I’m going to feel pain in my bones. But for now I do it because I get high pay.” Puente makes $30 an hour. 10:24 A.M. Takes a break to guzzle water; he still hasn’t eaten anything. He thinks about Yerenne when he works. “I never imagined I’d have a daughter. I never imagined I could love a child so much. I’m doing this job for her future.” 12:00 P.M. His lunch break is 30 minutes. Puente walks to a grocery store down the street to buy green grapes
and VitaminWater to supplement his lunch of beef, potatoes, and yellow peas. 12:14 P.M. Returns from store. Usually he eats with his coworkers, but today he sits alone next to his toolbox. 12:38 P.M. Back to work. Puente enjoys physically demanding work and seeing his hands black with grease. 4:32 P.M. “This is crazy,” he says as he emerges from the work area drenched in sweat. “We had a large job.” He thought he would finish a couple hours earlier so he could pick Yerenne up from the babysitter and spend more time with her. He sees her about two hours a day, in the evening. 4:44 P.M. Pulls up to an ATM to get cash for the $8 bridge toll. He rubs his right eye as he enters his pin. “Sparks flew into my eye today. It can’t not happen. The metal burns the mask.” 6:05 P.M. Relaxes on the couch for a couple minutes. His living room sports 37 medals, 15 plaques, and 11 trophies. Many of them are age-group awards. An ex-girlfriend threw several of his awards in the garbage while Puente was at work one day. She didn’t support his running, so he took a two-year break from the sport in 2009. 6:38 P.M. Picks up his daughter before driving to Williamsburg to meet his wife, who works at a cleaning-supply store. 7:30 P.M. A couple times a week, he runs a second training session on the McCarren Park track in Williamsburg. Sylvia and Yerenne cheer for him from the sideline. 8:15 P.M. Spends time with his wife and daughter in the apartment. There’s no sitdown family meal. Dinner for him is usually a glass of water and a piece of fruit. 10:00 P.M.
Lights out.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 91
8:15 PM
Domenica
RAMOS
5:45 AM
32, Harlem, server From Milagro, Ecuador Arrived 2001
and her 5-yearold daughter, Gabriela, Ramos works double shifts six days a week at an Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side. She started running in 2013 to deal with the stress of being a single mom. At first, she ran with her sister Daniela, pushing Gaby in a running stroller for a few miles at a time; a year later, Ramos joined her sister as a member of the West Side Runners, and the pair ran the 2014 New York City Marathon in 3:33. She trained for this year’s event while pushing Gaby. Ramos came to the U.S. at 18. When she was nearly 2, her father, a journalist, was shot and killed in a park. Years later, her mother remarried, to an abusive man. When he started threatening the girls, Ramos’s mother sent her and Daniela to an aunt in Washington Heights. Neither woman has been home or seen their mother in person since. Ramos went to community college, then worked various jobs before landing at the restaurant her sister manages. She’s been a server there for six years. The work is hard, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, and she’s “bone tired” by 11 p.m. If she has to, she’ll alter her Sunday long run to accommodate her weary body. She had planned to PR in New York this year and run a 3:20—“I know I can do better,” she says—but in early August, a ruptured ovarian cyst set her back. It didn’t stop her. “I’m running the marathon for my own good,” she says. “Running and Gabriela are my sources of strength and happiness.”
6:15 AM
TO SUPPORT HERSELF
6:50 AM
7:00 AM
7:21 AM
7:30 AM
5:45 A.M. Starts the day by stretching for 20 minutes. She shares her threebedroom apartment with her sister Daniela. Ramos is separated from her husband; the couple can’t afford a divorce. 6:15 A.M. Makes breakfast for Gaby. Ramos treasures the morning, as it’s the only time she has with her daughter.
8:00 AM
10:15 AM
6:50 A.M. Scrolls through her iPhone, and reads through workouts from her coaches, Sid and Asteria Howard (the latter is vice president of WSX). Today is an easy day, a 30-minute recovery run. 7:00 A.M. She and Gaby head to Riverbank State Park. 7:21 A.M. Ramos is the only person running with a kid. She enjoys the challenge of pushing 45-pound Gaby: “I feel stronger in my core,” she says. Occasionally, Gaby falls asleep, but mostly, she talks. “She’s like a coach. She’ll yell at me to run faster.”
12:48 P.M. Attempts a quick bite of a sandwich, but customers arrive. She tries to eat every two hours. “She eats like a man,” says her sister Daniela, laughing. Ramos is 5'5", 105 pounds, and says she’ll likely gain about five pounds during training. 2:48 P.M.
Lunch crowd winds
down. 6:00 P.M. The dinner crowd starts trickling in. A dozen people are seated within minutes. 6:57 P.M. The restaurant is nearly full. Ramos moves quickly, placing menus, taking orders, clearing plates, serving wine, and refilling water glasses.
8:00 A.M. Gaby has run several kids’ races, and her medals are on her bedroom wall; Ramos keeps hers in her underwear drawer. “It’s the only place where I have space.”
9:10 P.M. Only a few tables remain. Ramos uses the lull to call the babysitter—her friend wasn’t able to come and watch Gaby. Ramos pays the babysitter, who watches Gaby three days a week, $10 an hour. Tonight, she’ll owe her more than usual. “It’s hard. Sometimes I feel guilty that I work so much. Gaby is old enough to understand that if I don’t work, we can’t keep the apartment. It’s a sacrifice, but life could be worse.” Daniela helps watch Gaby, too, when she’s not at the restaurant.
9:34 A.M. Takes the subway to the Upper West Side restaurant Bettola, where she is a server.
10:00 P.M. Ramos orders Mahi-Mahi and a salad that she’ll eat at home. On slow nights, she leaves before 11.
10:15 A.M. After arriving for her 11 a.m to 11 p.m. shift, starts arranging tables.
10:45 P.M. Cleans the apartment and prepares a meal for Gaby and the babysitter to eat the following night. “We don’t use the microwave. I’d rather spend more time and money buying organic food and making sure Gaby is eating well.” She makes rice with sautéed spinach and a salad of chopped carrots, tomatoes, and avocado.
7:30 A.M. The pair head home. On long runs, Ramos packs water and snacks in the bottom of the stroller.
11:42 AM
12:17 P.M. Folding napkins gives her time off her feet.
11:00 A.M. A babysitter arrives at Ramos’s apartment to relieve Daniela and watch Gaby until 7 p.m., when a friend will take over. 11:42 A.M. Sets tables. Ramos averages just over $100 a day in tips, $200 on Saturdays. “Serving is honest work. I can’t complain. I pay all of my bills from here.”
12:00 A.M. Goes to bed an hour earlier than usual.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 93
6:57 PM
Cesar
ESTEVEZ
57, Queens, barber From San José de las Matas, Dominican Republic Arrived 1976
says Cesar Estevez. “I talk all day about different subjects—from politics and sports to business. It’s good for the brain. You learn a lot as a barber.” Estevez has spent the last 38 years plying his craft at a private men’s club in Midtown. He especially loves it when his clients—he’ll have about 25 over an eight-hour shift—ask for running advice. He likes to say, “Listen to the body. I’m not afraid to run a nine-minute pace.” Heeding his own advice has helped him finish 43 marathons, including seven in Boston and 19 in New York City, all as a WSX member. He set his 2:51 PR in New York in 2010 and this year aims to run 2:57. “I know my mind has to be right there with me,” Estevez says. “You have to learn how to run with your head and your heart when you’re tired.” The same mental fortitude helped him when he first came to the U.S. in 1976 at age 18. He and his father and three siblings settled into a three-bedroom apartment on the Lower East Side. “It was different back then,” says Estevez. “There was a lot of crime and drugs. I didn’t understand people. I just had hope.” When he joined WSX 21 years ago, initially to lose weight, he ended up tapping a hidden talent and discovering his passion. “I hope when I turn 80 I will still run,” he says. Every weekday, he looks up at the rainbow of marathon medals that hang in his barbershop above a bulletin board tacked with race photos. The view inspires him to keep on going.
“I LOVE WHAT I DO,”
5:00 AM
8:00 AM
6:12 AM
or Runner’s World, which a client regularly brings in for him.
5:00 A.M. Wakes up and puts on his running gear. Skips breakfast—Estevez doesn’t like to eat before he trains, not even before a 22-miler. 5:15 A.M. Drives to Forest Park. Estevez runs six days a week (he takes Fridays off), logging 50 to 70 miles. 6:12 A.M. Today he runs solo on the park’s trails, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he meets a fellow WSX member at the park’s track for speed workouts.
11:00 AM
8:00 A.M. Ends his workout with a series of crunches and pushups near the track, grabs a quick drink, then heads home. 9:00 A.M. After showering, Estevez drinks green tea and eats two rolls of bread, his typical breakfast. If he has time, he’ll take a quick nap. 9:20 A.M. Leaves his apartment and walks around the corner to Q37 bus station. His commute to Midtown is approximately an hour each way. His work attire is semi-casual: slacks and dress shoes and a smock. He always removes his white Garmin before leaving for work. 11:00 A.M. The morning rush in his shop begins 30 minutes after he arrives and will last for the next three hours. His clients are primarily businessmen and lawyers. “Running is good for my business,” he says. “When my clients know I’m training for a marathon, they want to talk about running.”
4:00 P.M. Afternoon rush starts; this one also lasts about three hours. Estevez doesn’t mind standing most of the day; he thinks it makes him physically stronger, which helps him run better. 7:00 P.M. Prepares to close the shop. 8:00 P.M. Leaves for the train back to Queens. 9:00 P.M. Arrives home in time to eat dinner with his wife of 30 years, Maria. Their two daughters, ages 27 and 29, also live in the house. Maria mostly cooks Latin food, rice with chicken or steak and beans with yucca and yams. Estevez is mindful about not consuming much processed food. “I love chocolate. I love Oreos. But I can’t keep sweets in the house,” he says, laughing and pointing to his belly. He is 5' 7" and weighs 155 pounds. 10:00 P.M. Relaxes by watching pro sports. He can’t get enough of the Mets—his favorite team—when it’s baseball season. 11:00 P.M. Lights out. Estevez wears a Garmin Vivofit fitness band on his right wrist, which tracks his sleeping patterns. He averages about six hours a night.
2:00 P.M. Takes a 15-minute break for lunch—chicken sandwich and fruit—in the club’s cafeteria. If he’s overbooked with appointments, he’ll skip lunch and raid the mini-fridge in his shop, which he keeps stocked with fruit and water. 3:00 P.M. A lull in appointments gives him a chance to drink a cup of green tea and read the New York Post
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 95
9:00 PM
Rene
CUAHUIZO
6:00 AM
32, Queens, food delivery worker From Cholula, Mexico Arrived 1999
THERE’S A SMALL MEXICAN FLAG sewn on
Rene Cuahuizo’s WSX racing singlet. A club member for 13 years, Cuahuizo has run 10 marathons, eight in New York City and two in New Jersey. He ran his 3:02 PR at the New Jersey Marathon in April, and can’t help wondering how much faster he’d be today if he hadn’t spent three years—2011 through 2014—working 14 hours a day at a Midtown pizzeria. Back then, he only averaged 26 miles a week. Now he gets up at 4:30 for his nine-hour shift (which occasionally stretches to 12) as a food delivery worker and trains after work in Central Park or Juniper Park in Queens. Intending to go big at this year’s New York City Marathon—his goal is 2:40—he’s doing more speedwork and more mileage, 80 to 100 miles a week. Cuahuizo came to the city in 1999 to live with his father, who’d arrived several years earlier. He joined WSX around 2002 to make friends (he wasn’t a runner at the time), and has come to see his teammates as members of his extended family. Today, he shares a three-bedroom apartment with his father, brother, older sister, and her 5-year-old son; another brother lives in Brooklyn. His mother and six more siblings are still in Mexico—he hasn’t seen them in 16 years. “I miss everything about my mother,” Cuahuizo says, recalling their last day together. “She left me at a bus station; I was 15 years old. She told me, ‘Good luck, take care.’” They Skype once a week. Cuahuizo thinks about her during every marathon—he’s dedicating this year’s race to her.
8:00 AM
10:02 AM
3:16 PM
4:04 PM
4:30 A.M. Gets up, takes the first of three daily showers. 5:00 A.M. Walks a few blocks from his apartment in Corona, Queens, and takes the R train into Manhattan. 5:45 A.M. Arrives at Grand Central Station in Midtown. Walks to his job at a nearby food market. 6:00 A.M. Unloads boxes of produce, meat, and poultry in the market’s basement; he estimates each box weighs roughly 50 pounds. It takes about two hours. “This is my gym,” he says. 8:00 A.M. Helps prep nearly 50 fruit platters for delivery to corporate offices.
6:13 PM
10:02 A.M. Takes a 15-minute break to eat eggs, potatoes, and fruit. Cracks a raw egg into his orange juice.
Delivers catering orders to nearby offices. 10:39 A.M.
11:30 A.M. Washes dishes for the cooks. About 50 employees work the market’s pizza, pasta, sandwich, salad, and sushi bars. 2:30 P.M. Piles two plates with fruit, coleslaw, rice, lasagna, and salad. “I don’t eat much meat when I marathon train. It’s too heavy.” He’s the only runner on staff.
6:51 PM
3:03 P.M. Changes out of his work clothes for the commute home. 3:16 P.M. Waits for the 7 train; he’ll transfer trains to get home. 4:04 P.M. Arrives at the three-bedroom apartment he shares with four other family members. In his room, which he shares with his younger brother, Cuahuizo has more than 60 race medals, 12 trophies (mostly age-group awards), and stacks of Runner’s World Mexico from 2009. “I like to reread them for training information.” A copy of Competitor is autographed, “To Rene, Best wishes. Run
to win. –Meb”; Cuahuizo met the Boston Marathon winner at a running store in New York City. 4:45 P.M. Showers for the second time. Puts on the Boston Marathon T-shirt he got this year when he went as a spectator. He wears it for inspiration. “I want to run Boston someday.” 5:07 P.M. Leaves for the train to go to Central Park for a six-mile training run. He plans to do some weekend long runs with Roberto Puente. Both men ran the 2011 NYC Marathon as guides for Edison Peña, one of the Chilean miners who was trapped underground for more than two months in 2010. Cuahuizo also helped guide Peña for the miner’s inaugural NYC Marathon in 2010. 6:13 P.M. After a few warmup drills, Cuahuizo takes off at a seven-minute pace; he’ll soon drop down to 6:30. He often thinks about Mexico when he runs. “I always miss home.” He’s mailed several race medals and running photos to his mother, which she displays in her house. 6:51 P.M. Finishes in 38 minutes after latching onto another runner. “I feel good, strong.” He’s extremely competitive, and doesn’t like getting passed. 9:02 P.M. Back home in Queens, Cuahuizo showers again then eats dinner— three eggs with tuna salad and refried beans—while watching the Gold Cup soccer match, U.S. versus Honduras. His living room is sparse; a few folding chairs lean against orange walls, and a small table sits adjacent to a tiny kitchen. 10:30 P.M. Eats five pieces of toasted bread soaked in cold milk—a ritual of comfort food that reminds him of his childhood in Mexico, when his grandmother fed him the same snack. 11:00 P.M.
Lights out.
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 97
10:30 PM
MAY 15, 2016 FREDERICKSBURG, VA REGISTRATION OPENS OCTOBER 21
IF THE SHOE FITS... In August, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Tradeshow in Salt Lake City, Utah, brings together players from the outdoor sports apparel market. Most brands bring their latest innovations in gear, apparel, and shoes, making it an exciting time for the industry. It’s also a chance for the editors and marketing teams at RUNNER’S WORLD to catch up with our partners in the running industry and get a peek at what’s new and what’s next in running shoes and gear. The timing was perfect for RUNNER’S WORLD to honor the brands that won awards in the Fall Shoe Buyer’s Guide in the September issue and online with the newly redesigned Shoe Finder (runnersworld.com/shoefinder). This time around, four brands captured five awards, and two of the biggest names in the business were present to pick up their hardware in person from RUNNER’S WORLD. Editor’s Choice was awarded
2014 ASME NOMINATION FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE
to the Brooks Ghost 8, while Brooks Glycerin 13 was chosen as Best Update. RUNNER’S WORLD Publisher Molly O’Keefe and Brand Editor Warren Greene presented those awards to Brooks CEO Jim Weber and Senior Manager of Footwear Product Line Management Carson Caprara. The New Balance Vazee Pace earned Best Debut, and RUNNER’S WORLD Shoe Editor Jonathan Beverly, with O’Keefe, gave the award to New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini in front of the giant Jenny Simpson photo in the New Balance booth. Also picking up September shoe awards were Under Armour Charged Bandit as Best Buy, and Pearl Izumi N3 as Best Debut. TOP (from left to right): Brooks Senior Manager of Footwear Product Line Management Carson Caprara, RUNNER'S WORLD Publisher Molly O'Keefe, Brooks CEO Jim Weber, and RUNNER'S WORLD Brand Editor Warren Greene BOTTOM (from left to right): RUNNER'S WORLD Publisher Molly O'Keefe, New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini, and RUNNER'S WORLD Shoe Editor Jonathan Beverly
FOUR-TIME ADWEEK HOT LIST WINNER 14 BEST AMERICAN SPORTS WRITING SELECTIONS PEOPLE’S CHOICE WEBBY WINNER AD AGE MEDIA VANGUARD WINNER
for more events + promotions runnersworld.com/insidetrack
RACES+PLACES
TIPS, TRENDS, and MUST-RUN EVENTS
Runners descend about two miles to finish outside Hot Springs National Park.
SPA RUNNING FESTIVAL 10K CELEBRATE The Superior Bathhouse, which operated as a spa until 1983, is now the first brewery and tasting room in a U.S. National Park, with 18 craft beers on tap. superiorbathhouse.com
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENJAMIN KRAIN
November 21, Hot Springs, AR sparunningfestival.com
In the early 20th century, visitors flocked to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to bathe in piping-hot (143ºF!), mineral-rich spring water. Such baths were thought to treat everything from aches and pains to polio. These days, the hot springs—which rise from a mile beneath the earth’s surface through a fault—continue to draw tourists to the area’s five spas. The city’s other big attraction is the Spa Running Festival 10K, now in its 34th year. Every November, around 500 runners tackle the quad-busting, mostly uphill route through Hot Springs National Park. But the lure of a postrun soak isn’t the only reason to try this 10K, as past participants explain on the next page. NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 99
RUNNERS REVIEW
S PA R U N N I N G F E S T I VA L 1 0 K
Uniform Measures Ditching your usual race apparel to get in the Halloween spirit? Top costumed racers explain how to do it right.
FAST FINISH
CROWD SUPPORT
—LISA REILLY, 55, HOT SPRINGS, AR
SEASONAL SCENERY “The race is in late November, so the foliage can be spectacular. You run along tree-lined Bathhouse Row [with its eight bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923, two of which—Buckstaff and Quapaw—operate as spas today] during the first mile and pass through colorful forests while you’re climbing the mountain.”
“There must have been several hundred people cheering. I saw an Elvis impersonator, a lady with a poodle skirt, and some people playing kazoos.” —COLECIA WHITAKER, 31, ARKADELPHIA, AR
GREAT OUTDOORS “The nickname for Arkansas is The Natural State, so even in the city, you’re always close to the outdoors. You can go hiking in Hot Springs National Park [on 26 miles of trails], which is less than a mile from the 10K starting line.” —CHRIS HALL, 36, LITTLE ROCK, AR
PERFECT POTABLES
—CINDY BASWELL (RACE DIRECTOR), 59,
“The city’s mineral water [which is served, chilled, on the course] tastes amazing. There are jug fountains where you can fill bottles with hot water for free.”
HOT SPRINGS, AR
—DAVID SAMUEL, 72, MOUNT IDA, AR
SOAK Buckstaff Bathhouse opened in 1912, making it the longest continuously operating bathing facility in Hot Springs National Park. The whirlpool mineral bath in an individual tub is the go-to option; add a Swedish massage for extra relaxation. buckstaffbaths.com
JON RICE Runs a mile dressed as Darth Vader every year on the predicted hottest day in Death Valley (His PR? 6:13 in 2013 on a 125ºF day) “The hardest thing about costumed running is wearing a mask. I drilled 25 strategic holes in mine. If you don’t have enough airflow, you end up trapping CO2 and breathing it in.” ANDY DOWNIN The 2001 U.S. 1500meter champion ran a 17:31 5K dressed as a pancake. “You need to practice in the suit. My biggest challenge was that I couldn’t use my arms, and using just your legs the whole way is a lot harder than I expected.”
NATIONAL TREASURES Race in some of the country’s most epic parks. MOAB RED HOT 55K & 33K These challenging trail races weave between Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, two of the five national parks in Utah. Runners pass enormous red rock formations with the La Sal Mountains in the distance. February 13, 2016, Moab, UT grassrootsevents.net
100
TO LEARN ABOUT MORE RACES IN NATIONAL PARKS, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/NATIONALPARKS.
ACADIA HALF MARATHON & 10K Enjoy mountain and ocean views on these rolling courses through the northeast’s only national park. Because Acadia is on an island, entrants get to run along the Atlantic while looping around 1,058-foot Champlain Mountain. June 5, 2016, Acadia, ME midymca.org
VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS Sign up for this series’ half marathon to scale a portion of 4,000foot Kilauea, the most active of the five volcanoes on the Big Island and one of the two within the limits of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. August 20, 2016, Volcano Village, HI volcanorainforestruns.com
RUNNER INTERVIEWS CONDENSED AND EDITED BY ADAM VOILAND
P H OTO G R A P H S B Y WA LT E R B I B I KOW/JA I /CO R B I S ( B U C K S TA F F BAT H H O U S E ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F C H R I S BA R N E S ( H E R R O N ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F L AU R A G R E E N F I E L D ( R I C E ) ; CO U R T E SY O F E U G E N E M A R AT H O N ( D OW N I N ); CO U R T E SY O F C H R I S M A R T I N E Z / M OA B R E D H OT 55 K & 33 K ( M OA B R E D H OT )
“The first 2.5 miles are fairly flat with a slight incline, then you hit West Mountain [about 300 feet of elevation gain over a 1.5-mile stretch through Hot Springs National Park], so you just have to take your time. But when you get a little past mile four, it’s all downhill from there at a comfortable grade.”
CAMILLE HERRON Fastest woman to run a marathon dressed as a superhero (2:48:51, Spider-Woman) “During the race I did have GI issues, but it’s not like I could go to the porta-potty—I was all zipped up. Get it all out before you put the costume on and then hope you don’t have any issues midrace.”
Mustache Must-Runs “Movember”—the initiative to raise funds and awareness for men’s health— means fun, facialhair-themed races. BEARDS AND BEERS 5K
C O U R T E S Y O F D O N N E L S O N ( B E C K E R ); CO U R T E S Y O F S A N A N G E LO W I C K E D W I N E R U N 5 K /J E A N I E S L AT E P H OTO S ( W I C K E D W I N E R U N ); D. H U R S T/A L A M Y ( W I N E G L AS S )
CO U R T E SY O F M U S TAC H E DAC H E ( M U S TAC H E P H OTO); CO U R T E SY O F R I C H C R U S E /C R U S E P H OTO.CO M (CA R L S BA D M A R AT H O N ); C O U R T E SY O F B R I A N M I TC H E L L & DAV I D M E F F E R D/S E E KC R U N (C L I F F H A N G E R ) ;
TRENDING
Enjoy a fast, flat course and a postrace pint (or several) at this New England shindig: The Boston Beer company (brewer of Samuel Adams) provides unlimited suds for finishers, and a local pizza shop supplies the pies to soak it up.
SPEED GUARANTEED
Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon THE HIGHLIGHT Perfect weather and terrain for a fast finish
Entrants in both of these mostly flat, out-and-back SoCal races enjoy perfect temperatures (race morning averages 45 degrees) and about nine miles of ocean views. Runners pass surfers, fishermen, and the occasional dolphin pod along the
Highlights of these races include starting on the cobblestones of the oldest paved road in Minneapolis and crossing the Mississippi on a stone bridge. November 28, Minneapolis moustacherun.com
MUSTACHE DACHE 5K This race series—currently in 16 U.S. cities—offers more postrace activities than you can shake a can of shaving cream at: Runners can pose in a free photo booth or compete in the best-’stache and/or best-costume contest.
Wicked Wine Run 5K Most wine-themed races make you run at least a half marathon to earn your vino, but not this series—just 3.1 miles stand between you and your celebratory drink. The San Angelo, Texas, event runs on rural roads and through the fields of the Christoval Winery and Vineyard. Runners receive one glass of red or white at the finish. November 14, San Angelo, TX wickedwinerun.com
Multiple dates, multiple locations mustachedache.com
BEERD RUN 5K This flat 5K takes runners around Orlando’s Lake Baldwin and ends with a best-beard competition at the postrace party. Can’t grow your own? Opt to receive a faux one when you register, or have the on-site face-painter draw one on you after you finish. November 22, Orlando beerdrun.com
January 17, Carlsbad, CA, carlsbadmarathon.com
DRINK UP
November 21, Manchester, CT beardsandbeers5k.com
MOUSTACHE RUN HALF, 10K, AND 5K
way. Marathoners climb just one major hill, which peaks 325 feet above sea level at mile nine, while half marathoners fly through barely-there rollers.
COOL COURSE
Cliff Hanger 8K and 5K Speed along Missouri’s only urban Scenic Byway—no car required— in these races through the historic district of northeast Kansas City. The course runs along 3.8-milelong Cliff Drive, which the Missouri Department of Transportation designated as a State Scenic Byway in 2000, and passes 19th-century mansions, North Terrace Lake, and a 30-foot waterfall. November 1, Kansas City, MO cliffhangerrun.com
Three feats to cheer
Bob Becker, 70, became the oldest finisher of the 292-mile Badwater Double (the Badwater 135 plus 11 miles to Mount Whitney’s 14,505-foot summit and back). Usain Bolt, who has won every global 200-meter title since 2008, extended his streak at the world championships. (He also won the 100.) At Holland’s Tilburg Ladies Run, Shalane Flanagan broke the 25-year-old U.S. road 10K record with a 31:03. THE PODIUM
NOVEMBER 2015 RUNNER’S WORLD 101
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cease competing in qualifier races for the world championships in Beijing this August until his performance improved. He kept to his word and stayed away.
• CONTINUED FROM PAGE 74 butes the young man’s drive to his close relationship with his mother. He views the mother and son as “monozygotic,” and says that Kawauchi, despite his declarations of fun, still runs “for his mother’s attention and a fear of being left behind.” In the summer of 2010, after 18 months of a postcollege partnership, Tsuda and Kawauchi had a falling out over practice and racing schedules. Since then, Kawauchi has been on his own, a lonely endeavor, particularly in times of failure. When he came in a disappointing 14th place at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon, Kawauchi shaved his head—an expression of remorse in Japan. And when he came in third, running 2:12:42 in a dramatically close race at the Asian Games Marathon in South Korea last October, he promptly announced he’d
KAWAUCHI LIVES in a two-story suburban home with his mother and one of his two younger brothers in Saitama Prefecture, about 34 miles north of Tokyo. Since college, he’s worked for the Saitama Prefectural government, assigned to the 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift at a night high school. He answers phones, enters data, and collects tuition and meal payments. As a government employee, he gets about 25 days off and uses most of them for racing and traveling. Straitlaced and serious, Kawauchi spends most of his spare time running. Four mornings a week, he’ll log 18 to 20 kilometers (11 to 12 miles) over about two hours in a park near his house. At night, he’ll strength-train in his room with homemade equipment, using an old bike tube as an exercise band and a 33-pound weight bar from which he hangs his retired running shoes. He does speedwork on Wednesdays and uses the weekend to make up some mileage. He might hit mountain trails for anywhere from three to seven hours, but often, he competes.
Kawauchi targets monthly “main” races before which he’ll run various distances in preparation. In 2014, in addition to running 13 marathons, Kawauchi completed 12 half marathons, one 50K, one 40K, two 30Ks, one 20K, and a 10-miler. By September 10, 2015—press time—he’d already run eight marathons, 15 half marathons, a 50K, and numerous shorter races this year. While most elite runners would cave under such a load, Kawauchi thrives, viewing his packed schedule as a way to fulfill his dream of a “marathon pilgrimage” throughout Japan and the world. “It looks hard to others, but for me it’s just so much fun,” he says, although his face betrays little in the way of excitement or pleasure. His manner is simply matter-offact; he knows exactly what he wants and that hard work is required to get there. He rarely drinks alcohol, because he worries it might affect his racing. The night before a race, he likes to eat Japanese-style curry, thick sauce over white rice, and he’s obsessive about getting exactly seven and a half hours of sleep. As for his recovery regimen, it’s not nearly as involved as one would expect, given his level of effort. If he’s in Japan, he’ll relax and rest by alternating between hot- and cold-water (Continued on page 110)
RACE SPOTLIGHT
RACING AHEAD A RUNNING FESTIVAL WITH LAGNIAPPE
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APR 9, 2016 - Garden Spot Village Marathon & Half Marathon New Holland, PA Contact: Kelly Sweigart, 433 South Kinzer Avenue, New Holland, PA 17557. (717) 355-6000 marathon@gardenspotvillage.org www.gardenspotvillagemarathon.org
Run in beautiful Amish Country with horse & buggies and one room schoolhouses! Running this race makes you eligible for the coveted “Road Apple Award”! HogeyeMarathon.com
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MAY 21, 2016 - Armed Forces Day Festival/ Liberty Lightning 9K Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ Contact: AFDF Planning Coordinator, 549A Pompton Ave., Suite 195, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. (862) 217-4226 LL9K@libertyrun.org www.libertyrun.org
The most scenic skyline in the world and the fastest 9K on the Planet.
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NOV 8 - Port City Orthopaedics Battleship Half Marathon & 5K Wilmington, NC Contact: Ed Fore, P.O. Box 3434, Wilmington, NC 28406. (910) 398-5539 edfore7628@bellsouth.net www.5starraceproductions.com
3-Bridge course, River Taxis to Battleship Start
NOV 14 - Anthem Richmond Marathon, Half Marathon & 8K Richmond, VA Contact: Race Director, 100 Avenue of Champions, Richmond, VA 23230. (804) 285-9495 marathon@sportsbackers.org www.richmondmarathon.org
NOV 21-22 - Blue Moon Harbor Lights Half Marathon, 5K, 1Mile & Challenge Norfolk, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@harborlightshalf.com www.harborlightshalf.com
NOV 26 - TreesGreenville Turkey Day 8K, 5K & 1/4 Mile Greenville, SC Contact: Joelle Teachey, 231 Tanner Drive, Taylors, SC 29687. (864) 313-0765 turkeyday8k@treesgreenville.org
MAR 5, 2016 - Snickers Marathon & Half Marathon Albany, GA Contact: 112 N. Front St., Albany, GA 31701. (229) 317-4760 www.albanymarathon.com
Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Run Madison, WI Contact: Sandra Chambers, 16851 Southpark Dr., Suite 100, Westfield, IN 46074. (317) 354-7796 sandra@visioneventmanagement.com
MAR 19-20, 2016 - Yuengling Shamrock
www.madisonminimarathon.com
Marathon Weekend, Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K & 1M Virginia Beach, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@shamrockmarathon.com www.shamrockmarathon.com
APR 3, 2016 - Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Relay Knoxville, TN Contact: Jason Altman, P.O. Box 53442, Knoxville, TN 37950. (865) 684-4294 info@knoxvillemarathon.com www.knoxvillemarathon.com
MAY 1, 2016 - Divas® Half Marathon & 5K in North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, SC Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. info@runlikeadiva.com www.runlikeadiva.com
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NORTH CENTRAL
www.turkeyday8k.com
APR 30, 2016 - Christie Clinic Illinois
Presented by Greenville Health System.
Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 10K, 5K & Youth Run Champaign/Urbana, IL Contact: Jan Seeley, P.O. Box 262, Champaign, IL 61824. (217) 369-8553 jan.c.seeley@gmail.com
DEC 6 - Divas® Half Marathon & 5K in St. Augustine Beach St. Augustine Beach, FL Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. info@runlikeadiva.com
www.illinoismarathon.com
www.runlikeadiva.com
MAY 15, 2016 - Divas® Half Marathon & 5K
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Midwest at Branson Branson, MO Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. info@runlikeadiva.com
DEC 19 - Surf-N-Santa 5 Miler Virginia Beach, VA Contact: J&A Racing, 3601 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. (757) 412-1056 info@surfnsanta5miler.com www.surfnsanta5miler.com
FEB 13, 2016 - Publix Hilton Head Island Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Hilton Head Island, SC Contact: Bear Foot Sports, 20 Towne Drive, PMB #200, Bluffton, SC 29910. (843) 757-8520 bfs@hargray.com www.bearfootsports.com
MAR 5, 2016 - Myrtle Beach Marathon, Half Marathon, Team Relay, 5K & Fun Run Myrtle Beach, SC Contact: Myrtle Beach Marathon, P.O. Box 8780, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578. (843) 293-RACE mbmarathon@yahoo.com www.mbmarathon.com
AUG 20, 2016 - Madison Mini-Marathon,
www.runlikeadiva.com
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MAY 15, 2016 - Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K & Kids’ Run Cleveland, OH Contact: Ralph Staph, 29525 Chagrin Blvd., #215, Pepper Pike, OH 44122. (800) 467-3826 cmi@clevelandmarathon.com www.clevelandmarathon.com
JUN 11, 2016 - Summerfest Rock ‘n Sole Run, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon, 5K & Kids Run Milwaukee, WI Contact: Sandra Chambers, 16851 Southpark Dr., Suite 100, Westfield, IN 46074. (317) 354-7796 sandra@visioneventmanagement.com www.rocknsolerun.com
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SOUTH CENTRAL
JAN 9, 2016 - Mississippi Blues Marathon, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & Relay Jackson, MS Contact: John Noblin info@msbluesmarathon.com www.msbluesmarathon.com
JAN 15-17, 2016 - The Louisiana Marathon, Half Marathon, QuarterMarathon, 5K & Kids Marathon Baton Rouge, LA Contact: Danny Bourgeois, 721 Government St., Suite 103, Box 295, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. (504) 669-1530 danny@thelouisianamarathon.com www.thelouisianamarathon.com
A Running Festival with Lagniappe
FEB 20, 2016 - Jail Break Run, Half Marathon & 5K Baytown, TX Contact: Mary Pinney, P.O. Box 893, Mt. Belvieu, TX 77580. (832) 767-8535 mary@project-blue.org www.jailbreakrun.org
APR 24, 2016 - Divas® Half Marathon & 5K in Galveston Galveston, TX Contact: Continental Event & Sports Management, P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. info@runlikeadiva.com www.runlikeadiva.com
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MOUNTAIN PACIFIC
JAN 17, 2016 - Maui OceanFront Marathon, Half Marathon, 15K, 10K, 5K & The Free Cookie Fun Run Lahaina, HI Contact: Les Wright, P.O. Box 20000, So. Lake Tahoe, CA 96151. (530) 559-2261 runmaui@gmail.com www.runmaui.com
JAN 17, 2016 - Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon & Kid’s Run Carlsbad, CA Contact: In Motion, Inc., 6116 Innovation Way, Carlsbad, CA 92009. (760) 692-2900 info@inmotionevents.com www.carlsbadmarathon.com
The BEST winter marathon/half marathon destination! Long-sleeve technical shirts, coastal course and more! Event sells out - register today.
C LO S I NG DAT E FO R T H E JANU ARY/FEBR UAR Y 2016 ISSUE IS OCTOBER 26, 2015
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RACING AHEAD • CONTINUED FROM PAGE 107 FEB 7, 2016 - Surf City Marathon & Half Marathon Huntington Beach, CA Contact: 7080 Hollywood Blvd., 4th Floor,
Hollywood, CA 90088. info@runsurfcity.com www.runsurfcity.com
MAR 19, 2016 - Valley To The Sea Marathon, Half Marathon,10K & 5K Wailuku, HI Contact: Rudy Huber,
P.O. Box 1024, Wailuku, HI 96793. (808) 280-5801 huber_rudy@yahoo.com www.runnersparadiseinc.com
JUN 5, 2016 - Divas® Half Marathon & 5K in San Francisco Bay Burlingame, CA Contact: Continental Events & Sports Management,
P.O. Box 56-1154, Miami, FL 33256-1154. info@runlikeadiva.com www.runlikeadiva.com
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INTERNATIONAL
MAY 29, 2016 - Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 2K & Kid’s Marathon Ottawa, ON, Canada Contact: John Halvorsen,
5450 Canotek Rd., Unit 45, Ottawa, ON K1J 9G2. (866) RUNOTTA halvorsen@runottawa.ca www.runottawa.com
Run with over 49,000 runners in Canada’s Capital!
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baths fed by hot springs. With just a small circle of friends, mostly runners, Kawauchi is somewhat of a loner, preferring to sing by himself in karaoke rooms, belting out—sometimes several times in a row—the sevenminute-long song “Silent Jealousy” by the Japanese rock band X Japan. He also owns, by his estimate, the largest collection of running-related manga. The heroic feats of the comic characters may be unrealistic, “but they wind me up,” says Kawauchi. What really gets him going, however, is reflected in his favorite motto: “genjyo daha” or “destroying the status quo.” That sentiment refers to repeatedly conquering a staggering race schedule and to defying the country’s running establishment, which is dominated by a rigid system of corporate sponsorships. Japanese businesses traditionally recruit runners out of school and provide them with in-house coaching. In exchange for full-time employment, athletes compete with their company names emblazoned on their uniforms and singlets. (In honor of his employer, Kawauchi’s racing singlet reads “Saitama Prefecture,” but he receives no funding from them, says Larner.) “I want to change the conventions of Japan’s running world,” Kawauchi has repeatedly said. With the exception of a small group of elites who have ventured outside the system (like London Olympian Arata Fujiwara, who courts both corporate and individual donors to support his efforts), nearly all of Japan’s top runners compete for corporate teams that often train twice a day at company facilities, and log around 620 miles a month (nearly double what Kawauchi averages). Kawauchi’s success hasn’t gone over well with many such runners because it prompts the office number-crunchers to question the need to finance the training of corporate athletes—here’s a fulltime employee doing it all alone who is just as good as them, and often better. In showing his countrymen there are ways to race successfully outside the corporate system, Kawauchi has been a pioneer—Larner calls him “the rebel government clerk.” “In the past, if you said a citizen runner would aim for the Olympics, people would have said, ‘What are you talking about?’” says Toshihiro Endo, a sports reporter for Japan’s Nippon Television AX-ON. “But now, it’s no longer a dream.”
the Japanese public loves Kawauchi. Spectators line up at races to shake his hand, often saying, “Thank you for giving us citizen runners the courage.” There’s even a comedian, Takashi Emu, who specializes in imitating Kawauchi and shows up at marathons sporting a similar fringed hairstyle and offering handshakes to those who can’t get to the real thing. His everyman appeal caught the eye of Mary Wittenberg, former race director of the New York City Marathon, to which Kawauchi was invited the past two years. “He’s everything we aim for,” says Wittenberg. “He’s so relatable.” Kawauchi will again race New York in November, hoping for a “third time lucky,” after finishing a disappointing 11th in both 2013 and 2014. He hopes, too, for the chance to compete in Rio de Janeiro at the Olympics (selection is based on the August world champs in Beijing and three Japanese marathons that start in December), and in London for the 2017 world championships. He certainly has no plans to retire. “I hope to run in races all over Japan and around the world, no matter how old I get, until I die,” he says. On his bucket list is the Paris Marathon: “I want to see the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. One of my favorite manga characters runs the Paris Marathon.” While Kawauchi credits his mother and Tsuda for guiding him toward the path he’s now on, it was his departure from them both that ultimately freed him to succeed as a marathoner. Of his metamorphosis from obedient son and student to instigator and star of Japan’s running world, Kawauchi says, “If I was told to turn right, I’d turn right. If I was told to turn left, I’d turn left, striving for perfection in every way.” Now on his own and bolstered by legions of fans, he feels empowered and exhilarated. “I had suppressed my emotions ever since I was a kid. I was the serious, good boy.” With a shy laugh, he adds, “Now I’m having a blast.”
AND FOR THAT,
RUNNER’S WORLD (ISSN 0897-1706) IS PUBLISHED 11 TIMES A YEAR, MONTHLY EXCEPT BI-MONTHLY IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY, BY RODALE INC. VOLUME 50 NUMBER 10, EDITORIAL OFFICES 400 SOUTH 10TH ST, EMMAUS, PA 18098 (610-967-5171). ©2015 RODALE INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO RUNNER’S WORLD, P.O. BOX 26299, LEHIGH VALLEY, PA 18022-6299. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT EMMAUS, PA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. IN CANADA POSTAGE PAID AT GATEWAY MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO. CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 40063752. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADA ADDRESSES TO RUNNER’S WORLD, 2930 14TH AVE, MARKHAM, ONTARIO L3R 5Z8. GST #R122988611. SUBSCRIBERS: IF THE POSTAL AUTHORITIES ALERT US THAT YOUR MAGAZINE IS UNDELIVERABLE, WE HAVE NO FURTHER PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. OBLIGATION UNLESS WE RECEIVE A CORRECTED ADDRESS WITHIN 18 MONTHS.
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I’M A RUNNER
Interview by Nick Weldon
KATHERINE LOWRY LOGAN
NOVELIST, 65, LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
“Whether it’s putting your thoughts on paper or going for a run, you’re never too old.”
IN MY NEW BOOK, my heroine finishes a mud run, then goes to London during World War II. She meets marathoner Alan Turing, who was nearly an Olympian. MY WRITING and my running are like a ribbon wrapped round a stick. I don’t know which is the ribbon and which is the stick because they’re so intertwined. I’M MORE OF A process person. It’s the daily grind of learning my characters, or running the miles to get to the starting line. That’s the real achievement. I RAN the Air Force Marathon, my first, in 2012, a year after my first mile. I pushed through despite a pinched nerve and knee issues. It gave me a strong belief in myself. I’M NOT FAST. My PR is 6:17 at the Air Force Marathon. But if I could run New York in under six hours, I would be thrilled. LEXINGTON HAS a beautiful old section near downtown that’s well-shaded. I can walk out my door and do 10, 12, or 14 miles just in that area alone. I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS. I can go out for hours with a long book and be so happy. I’m never in a hurry unless it’s a mystery or suspense book—they make you run faster.
the first draft of my first book in 1997. Days later, my husband committed suicide. The book went into a drawer. In 2008, after years of healing, I took it out and started writing again. I FINISHED
interested in time-travel stories, starting with A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain. I I’VE ALWAYS BEEN
112 RUNNER’S WORLD SEPTEMBER 2015
wanted to write strong women who overcome tragedy in their lives. And they’re all runners. I DIDN’T START RUNNING until 2011. I was writing, drinking my second glass of wine, and eating a bag of chips. I thought, “This can’t go on.” That day I bought running shoes. Now my goal is to do a marathon and a book a year.
The Emerald Brooch, Logan’s fourth book and the third in her time-traveling romance series The Celtic Brooch, is scheduled to be released on November 1, the day of her first NYC Marathon.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER in New York, and her children’s other grandmother has already run the New York City Marathon, and she’s published two books. So I have to run. It’s competition. TO HAVE MY GRANDKIDS hug me at the finish line and be able to say, “I watched my grandmother run New York”—that is a more important legacy than any book.
PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM DESHAZER
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