Runner's World

inside knowledge

Robby Andrews Worst Nightmare p.60 I wish I’d known how much running was going to change my life, and I absolutely would’ve started sooner. I was small for my age and introverted as a teenager; running gave me an outlet and a community to open up to. ALSO: My go-to workout is 10 16x200m (or 30-second) hill sprints with walk/jog down rest. It’s rumored I once covered a 30-second hill in 29 seconds. Hill repeats! Long hills, short hills, fast hills, not-so-fast hills, steep hills, gentle hills, dirt hills, grass hills, road hills—hills are the best bang for your buck, especially if you have some friends to do them with.…

inside knowledge

Gene Dykes You’re Never Too Old p.24 In the Cross Country Club Nationals at Lehigh University, I’d run a reasonably strong race and was beginning to listen to demons whispering in my ear that it would be okay to coast. Then an age grouper passed me. I had to fulfill that runner daydream of going head-to-head with an opponent and nipping him at the wire. I picked up the pace, though I was already struggling. Then I picked it up again—and again. I graduated to levels of pain I never knew existed—and I won out. I learned that I could trust myself to finish as strong as necessary. ALSO: For marathon hydration, I’m a fan of single-bottle hip belts. It means carrying a little extra weight, but it’s better to have a…

my running life

ASSISTANT SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR CURATING A SEASONAL ROTATION OF CANDLES TO MAXIMIZE EPSOM-SALT BATHS PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW LISTEN UP CURRENTLY TRAINING FOR Haddonfield Adrenaline 5K and Philadelphia’s Love Run Half We need less postrun selfies and more postrace parties! ON BREAKING A SWEAT Mile threshold repeats—easy to calculate for the mathematically challenged, and extra spicy. BEST RUN OF MY LIFE (SO FAR) Easter morning last year. My running partner, Lindsay Jones, and I were dreading our long run tempo on the Schuylkill River Trail. We played a pump-up song—“Saw Lightning” by Beck—and went nuts. That run turned out to be my best workout ever. ON THE BUCKET LIST Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I spectated last year and had a blast. I plan on crossing the finish, then running my cooldown directly up to Scratch Bakery in…

my running life

SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO FAR OR FAST. JUST GO PRODUCTS I’M USING RIGHT NOW STRETCH IT OUT I’m an avid yogi, and lizard pose loosens my tight hamstrings and creaky hips every time. One Runner Who Inspires Me 86-year-old marat honer Ginette Bedard. Age ain’t nothin’ but a number. BUCKET LIST RUN Marathon du Médoc. Two of my favorite things—running and wine—in the French countryside? Mais oui. THE GREATEST RUN OF MY LIFE… The first run after my back surgery. It was just a loop around the local park, but I was so grateful to be running without pain again. …THE HARDEST RUN OF MY LIFE I made a classic error at the 2016 Run10Feed10 in NYC: I went out way too fast and spent the second half of the race battling stomach cramps. Currently Training for HERSHEY HALF…

the inside lane

HOW’S THE OLD saying go? You always remember your first tick? I still remember mine, 10 years ago. The little devil was buried deep into my right shin, halfway between my knee and ankle. I felt him before I saw him, my fingers immediately stopping on some weird new bump, seemingly the size of a cranberry, just above the top of my dress socks. Of course, being inexperienced in such matters, I panicked and yanked him out with my fingers. Then I panicked again because I most definitely messed that up. So I sought advice from my track club teammates at practice that night after work: Would I contract Lyme disease? How would I know? And, um, so how should I have pulled it out? If you spend any time at all…

can too much vitamin d be bad for your bones?

FROM BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA CREDENTIALS ASSOCIATE HEALTH AND FITNESS EDITOR HARDEST RUN EVER THE 2017 UGLY MUDDER BEST RUN EVER KAYENTA, ARIZONA GO-TO SHOES ADIDAS ULTRA-BOOST FAVORITE PIECE OF GEAR LULULEMON FAST AND FREE CROP PANTS SOUL ROUTE ANYWHERE I CAN SEE THE OCEAN RUNNING PHILOSOPHY ADAPTABILITY IS KEY. DON’T BE AFRAID TO SWAP THINGS AROUND IN YOUR TRAINING PL AN IF YOU NEED TO. By now, we know that vitamin D is essential for building the strong, healthy bones we need in order to run our best. And because running is a weight-bearing exercise that puts stress on our bones, getting enough can help prevent injury as well. According to Barbara Lewin, R.D.N., a sports nutritionist who works with Olympians and endurance athletes, vitamin D, along with other nutrients, can reduce your risk of stress fractures by optimizing bone density, fighting inflammation, improving muscle strength, and…