Volume 19

Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 The Death Valley 300 The hottest place on Earth and the highest peak in the Lower 48 within the same California county. What connects them? Summer running. Part 1. by… Richard Benyo · 46 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 My High-Altitude Marathon After years of therapy, I now have the courage to write about a challenging marathon held in 2002 in the Western Rockies. It was a double-loop… Jack McDermott · 5 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 The Path To 42K Why run the marathon? However simple that question may be, the answer can vary as much as the field itself on race day. Whether the runner… Paul Clerici · 26 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Running Reykjavik “They come from the land of the ice and snow, of the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.”* by Jeff Knapp August 2013 marked the… Jeff Knapp · 11 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Natural Fuels As a marathon runner, you are likely to have experimented with an array of energy gels, sports drinks, and protein bars. They are both convenient and… Naomi Mead · 9 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Under Two Hours—And Beyond The marathon: a magic distance and event, one that requires ambition, planning, determination, courage, persistence, stamina, and endurance, all traits the Greek messenger Pheidippides was required… Pj. Christman · 13 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Preserved The ancient Greeks showed their love and loyalty to their gods, heroes, and teachers by immortalizing them with statues. Their aim was to show men moving,… Gail Kislevitz · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 The Pacer “Y ou should train for a marathon. Philly is in November,” I said. “I’ll do it if you promise to train and pace me,” she said.… Michael Green · 20 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 Keep It Simple Ifirst spoke to Rob on the Friday before the “big” race. It was a brief encounter. He was leaving the prerace briefing and I yelled out… Bree Lambert · 8 min read Vol. 19, No. 1 · 2015 The Third Olympian Editor’s note: During the 1970s, the United States dominated the marathon, especially when it came to international competition. During that era, the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan… Hal Higdon · 32 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 The Death Valley 300 The 1987 United States versus United Kingdom race nudged the course to a new level. Part 2. by Richard Benyo Chapter 2: The Long & Winding… Richard Benyo · 34 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (Vol. 19, No. 2) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, July 26-27, 2014—In the past year, I have run my fair share of races, all as part of a New Year’s resolution to… Tyler Hill · 14 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Distance Running—and Racing—in the Ancient World In reality, if de Coubertin and Breal had wanted historical accuracy, they should have stuck with shorter races. The premier events of the ancient Olympics (which… Pam Nourse · 9 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Running Around The Menstrual Cycle The menstrual cycle, which occurs monthly from menarche (age 11-14) until menopause (age 45-50), is the defining physiological characteristic of females. The levels of the four… Jason R. Karp · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Into the Woods When I was a child, I walked in the woods with my father. He worked in the city where skyscrapers stood in for trees and then… Gretchen Stahlman · 23 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Letit Snow The early-morning symphony of snowplow blades scraping the city streets doesn’t have to bury your planned run. After a fresh drop of the white stuff, hit… Clint Cherepa · 8 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Whatto Keep Packed Traveling to races is fun. Packing for them is not. In fact, packing can be a chore almost as stressful as running a marathon—without the medal… Marsha White · 12 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Hats Offto Larry! Champ of what? Well, champion of what this magazine is all about, that’s what! Richard Laurence (“Larry”) Macon has undisputedly run more marathons (with some ultras)… Chuck Savage · 10 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Wreathed In Glory The crowning of an olive-branch wreath atop the winner’s head at the Boston Marathon is far from a cliché. There is a deep, soulful connection and… Paul Clerici · 24 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Boston Through Allens Legs aching, sweat glistening, dehydration setting in, yet smiling ear to ear: a perfect illustration of my body and mind after a second journey along the… Kevin Frick · 15 min read Vol. 19, No. 2 · 2015 Less Than Four First, I’m old, and I don’t want to be. All my adult life I’ve been told I look younger than my years. If that’s what people… Ken Frick · 19 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (Vol. 19, No. 3) LAKE CHABOT, CALIFORNIA, October 11, 2014—The first time you taste the incredible magic of breaking the 26.2-mile barrier, you feel like a child. A frontier, previously… Devon Kelts · 12 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 Don’T Let The Gift Stop Here Braving the wind in my first days alone in East Texas, enjoying the unique surprises each day brought.© Alexander Kreher Author’s note: In 2011, at the… Zoe Romano · 25 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 When Watching Ultras Was All The Rage While the crowds attending most ultra events today are, as they say, small but enthusiastic, in the second half of the 19th century, long-distance footraces were… Matthew Algeo · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 Largest Marathons And Their Trends In 2014 at New York, a record for the most finishers in a marathon was set at 50,432. Thirty-nine years ago in 1976, the record was… Peter Harvey · 36 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 Comparing the Great Wall Marathon and the Beijing Marathon Istarted running long distance back in high school. I joined the cross-country team and wore out my fair share of Nike Waffle Trainers, New Balance 320s,… Jeff Walsh · 20 min read Vol. 19, No. 3 · 2015 Back to the Basics It’s funny how cell phones used to be big and bulky. Through the years, they got smaller, sleeker, and smaller still. The ones that were the… Cara McLaurin Esau · 26 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (Vol. 19, No. 4) EAGLE, WISCONSIN, June 5, 2010—To finish, I needed to do more than put one foot in front of the other. I also needed a black 50-gallon… Clint Cherepa · 13 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Ten Top Marathons In the United States “W hat are your top 10 marathons to run in the United States?” That was a question asked of me recently on Facebook, one of nearly… Hal Higdon · 4 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Pacing The conditions for the 2006 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run were rather grim. After a particularly snowy winter there was still plenty of the white stuff… Zeke Zucker · 28 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 The Ironman (And Woman) Comes To Cuba Ihoisted myself out of the pool to check the workout board a little better, rested on my ribcage, slipped a bit, and came down hard on… Kathy Smith · 26 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Night Runner The familiar “clicking” sound my clock makes every day at midnight caused me to look over at my wife. She was still sound asleep. I put… Kevin Polin · 10 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Running, Racing, And Death It was a regular Wednesday night. It was another routine dinner after a regular day at work and a long, boring drive home. It was three… Brian Burk · 11 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 The Long Run The key component of marathon training. An excerpt from Running a Marathon For Dummies. by Jason R. Karp, PhD The long run is, unsurprisingly, the key… Jason R. Karp · 22 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Something to Run For Tuesday evening, Steve was sitting on the couch after getting home from work, eating dinner, and watching the news on TV. His leftover turkey had cooled… Ray Charbonneau · 23 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Something Gone, Something Gained Imiss my old friend. When the hip pain brought on by synovitis (inflammation of the lining of the joint) became too much to bear, literally, I… David Paling · 5 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 The Audacity Of Cavinwoodward You would think—in theory at least—that the key to being a top ultrarunner is to be single minded, well organized, and happy to toil for hours… Rob Hadgraft · 24 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 The Unfinished Race That Stuck In My Craw Every step promised disaster. I placed a foot in the loose grit on the steep slope in the crook of the next switchback and shifted my… Gary Dudney · 15 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Stopped Worrying About The Race The author with Canadian runner Sylvie Boisvert before the start of the race. ▲ The 10-day winners and 6-day winners of the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Race.Courtesy… Phil Mccarthy · 8 min read Vol. 19, No. 4 · 2015 Twenty-Four Hours, Minute By Minute Saturday, September 20, 2014 6:25 a.m. “You mean they’re really going to run for 24 hours?” Reluctant Race Director Dan (RRD for short, because RRDD has… Dan Horvath · 20 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Marathon DULUTH, MINNESOTA, June 20, 2015—As I sit here on a plane, flying over the Midwest, heading back to my home in Saint George, Utah, a smile… Amber Green · 10 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 Running The Shawangunk Ridge Trail Where’s George? It’s 9:00 p.m. I’m standing at checkpoint #6, high in the Shawangunk Mountains. The woods, tangled and dark, envelop us. One volunteer is still… Kenneth A. Posner · 21 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 Triplethe Fun In 2007, I had been doing Ironmans for about six years and wished to attempt something longer. It was a natural choice to go for one… Sam Smith · 18 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 On the Same Side According to my sister, I was a jerk when I was a kid. When we were young and she was scared to sleep in her own… Clint Cherepa · 3 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 Running Fortime Imagine an ultra with no cutoffs, no sweep vehicle, and no DNFs! This is what you get with fixed-time ultras. According to runningintheusa.com, there are 190… Phil Mccarthy · 52 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 The Way We Were A now-grizzled high school cross-country team looks back at the formative years. attorney Michael Bernick, who was looking back at long-distance running the decade before the… Bernick, Bernick, Kantor, Gurnick, Flesch, And Wittlin · 5 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 For the Long Run I’ve been running regularly for the past eight years, though I consider myself a lifelong runner. I started when I was 11, when my dad and… Holly Hight · 44 min read Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 Autumn Marathons First, a confession: I am addicted to racing, and the time of year is irrelevant to me. Unless a race is canceled because of snow or… Marsha White · 23 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 5 · 2015 My New York City Marathon Ididn’t know what to expect, only that this was going to be special. Some things you can prepare for, but in a lifetime not many rise… Ken Frick · 17 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 What’S New In Running Research […] everal studies relative to endurance running have recently been published, and the following provides a brief synopsis of each. Eo * * Kusy, K., and… Mel Williams · 11 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (Vol. 19, No. 6) QUEENS, NEW YORK, April 22-May 2, 2009—This was a fund-raiser for Camp Sunshine, with a goal of raising $10,000. Camp Sunshine is located in Maine and… Mike Brooks · 15 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 What’s New in Running Research Several studies relative to endurance running have recently been published, and the following provides a brief synopsis of each. * * * Kusy, K., and J.… Douglas Jordan · 11 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 From Kidnappingto Kona Jose Ramirez had never thought about qualifying for a coveted slot at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, but it happened at Ironman Cozumel on December 1,… Cathy Tibbetts · 9 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Return From Burnout ACourtesy of Cascades Lake Relay s I barreled down the highway toward Bend, I thought I’d fallen out of love permanently. I was on my third… Holly Hight · 12 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Into the Maine Woods Would you like to travel through time? Of course you would! So how about traveling back to 1981 and Chicago’s Lakefront to witness one of the… Rich Limacher · 23 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Comrades Some people would say that there are two kinds of ultrarunners: those who have run Comrades, and those who want to. Comrades is famous in the… Jeff Horowitz · 23 min read M&B Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Running From the Dark Well, it’s not far down to paradise, at least it’s not for me Almost any time you can lace your flats, and find tranquility Oh, a… Paul C. Maurer · 1 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 Self-Coaching Using Your Gps Watch In the vast universe of all things related to running, there is an empty space next to the signpost that says, “Here be the analysis tools… Phil Miller · 16 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 The Hand Of Friendship Images of Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen dead-heating in the first London Marathon in 1981 were everywhere at the 35th, including the cover of the media… Roger Robinson · 17 min read Vol. 19, No. 6 · 2015 The 1968 Olympic Marathon Trials Over the years, as I have returned to run again the marathons of my youth, I find myself feeling more and more out of place, a… Joe Head · 28 min read