Innehållsförteckning för April 2014 från Runner's World

LOCATION Marin Headlands, California PHOTOGRAPH BY Scott Markewitz RUNNERS Max King, Lydia Blandy, and Amy Sproston THE EXPERIENCE About 20 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Ridgecrest Boulevard’s undulating pavement sits high above the Pacific Ocean alongside Mt. Tamalpais. “In the springtime, this route is peaceful and the colors are spectacular,” Blandy says. “It’s the best escape from the buzz of nearby San Francisco.” FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN.…

Woman of the World STAND AMONG the throngs of runners at any race in the United States, and you’ll be surrounded by women. Indeed, according to Running USA’s State of the Sport report, 56 percent of all U.S. race finishers in 2012 were female. Outside of North America, however, the scene changes. While women’s running has made big strides, especially in parts of Europe and South America, racing remains largely a men’s sport globally. Worldwide statistics are hard to come by, but in Spain, for example, in 2013, women made up only 13 to 18 percent of the field in the country’s three largest half-marathons (compared with 60 percent in the same distance in the United States). And female participants made up only eight to nine percent of the field…

Set Around-the-World Records In November, FIONA OAKES, a British firefighter, set two new world records: She became the fastest woman to complete a marathon on every continent plus the North Pole in the shortest period of time (225 days) and in the quickest aggregated time (31:11). Oakes, 43, runs to raise funds for her animal sanctuary.—GAIL KISLEVITZ “The most challenging part was fitting in my training with my hectic lifestyle and around the needs of my animals. This meant lots of night runs with my head torch.” Be Ultra-Determined GREG SODERLUND, 66, a veteran ultrarunner and former Western States Endurance Run race director, has lost his kidneys, liver, bladder, prostate, and urinary tract to cancer. Despite these setbacks, he was planning to run February’s Davis Stampede Half-Marathon. Soderlund administers dialysis…

WITH LONGER DAYS, milder temperatures, and trees beginning to show some green, spring is an ideal time to get outside and hit the trails. And there are as many reasons to go off-road as there are places to run. “I find that I recover a lot quicker from training on trails than from pounding on the street,” says Olympic marathoner Magdalena Boulet, who lives in Oakland, California, and who typically logs 80 percent of her mileage off-road. “Plus, I get pure enjoyment from being far from traffic and being in nature.” You don’t need to be an Olympian to reap these benefits, nor must you scramble up steep rock faces. The American Trail Running Association defines a trail as anything off-road or unpaved, including flat gravel paths and wide dirt…

Winning Moves Outrace your opponents with these three maneuvers MOST RUNNING WORKOUTS focus on the goal of racing as fast as possible at an even pace, but when you’re competing against other people, that’s not always how it plays out. At last year’s USATF national championships, for example, the runners in the men’s 5000-meter race loped through the first mile in 5:22 as the contenders eyed one another and jockeyed for position, then scorched home with a final mile of 3:56. Tactics, rather than PRs, dictated the outcome, allowing unheralded Ryan Hill (above) to nab the bronze medal ahead of two runners with best times 10 seconds faster than his. No single strategy will be successful in all races. Instead, top runners develop a variety of racing skills so they’ll…

TOMATO DRESSING --> Slice 1 tomato in half. Grate down to skin (discard). Whisk with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon redwine vinegar, 1 minced shallot, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Health kick Lycopene in tomatoes may help lower blood pressure. TAHINI DRESSING --> In a blender, puree cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons tahini, juice of ½ lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ teaspoon each cumin and smoked paprika, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Health kick Olive oil contains antioxidants that protect your heart. LIME-SESAME DRESSING --> Whisk juice of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons light sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons Asian chile sauce, and 2 teaspoons honey. Health kick Lime juice is brimming with vitamin C, which studies show may help runners avoid…

Miso Ingredients for everyday cooking Get the Facts This fermented soybean paste, a Japanese staple, contains probiotics that aid digestive health and help form bone-building vitamin K, says Lisa Dorfman, R.D. Miso is high in sodium—a tablespoon packs a quarter of your daily total. But studies show it may not raise blood pressure like table salt does. A 2012 study found miso may protect against heart disease. Get the Best Look for miso in plastic or glass tubs in the Asian foods aisle at grocery stores. It comes in three varieties—white, yellow, and red. The darker the miso, the longer it’s been fermented and the stronger and saltier it tastes. Store it in the fridge for up to a year. Get Cooking Gourdet uses miso in a simple sauce to…

Back to Boston I AM LOOKING at a photo taken of myself in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, last April 15, in which I am running next to William Greer of Austin, Texas. In the picture, William is looking off to the side, which he often did, because he is legally blind. I am wearing a race bib that says GUIDE, and I was prouder to have those letters on my bib than an official entry number. I had arrived at strange crossroads in my running. My last marathon, in the fall of 2011, had been a PR by a wide margin, but afterward the pressure drained from my tank. Once I had done what seemed impossible, why continue to grind out miles in pursuit of ever more narrow personal goals? What did…

IF YOUWANT to lose weight, running is a surefire way to torch calories. It also revs your appetite, leaving you hungry for, well, more of everything. But you don’t have to live on chicken breasts and broccoli. With smart changes, you can eat your favorite foods and slim down. That’s the idea behind the new reality show Cook Your Ass Off, where chefs compete to give a healthy spin to unhealthy dishes (the finale airs March 16). While the show isn’t about runners per se, its cast is full of them, including host and celebrity chef Richard Blais (who’s run two marathons and lost 60 pounds); longtime runner and nutritionist Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D.; and judge Nate Appleman, a Runner’s World contributing chef who could relate to the contestants. “I…

"I’M JUST NOT SURE I CAN DO THIS!" IT’S A TYPICAL SUNDAY night in late January, in a little suburban pocket on the edge of Denver. My kids, ages 10 and 7, are parked in front of America’s Funniest Home Videos; my husband is folding the laundry, listening to a football game; and I’m whining over the phone to my coach, Briana Boehmer. I have a fracture in my foot and a sore shoulder, and I’m worried I won’t make it to the starting line of the Ironman triathlon I’m supposed to be training for. “I can’t run. I can’t swim. I’m tired. I’m angry. I’m hungry all the time, but nothing sounds good. And I have no patience for anything or anybody, especially my kids.” Tears roll down my…

Uphill Battle WHEN A FRIEND told me about the Blue Ridge Marathon in Roanoke, Virginia, I knew I had to run it. The April race bills itself as the “toughest” road marathon in the country, thanks to its 7,400 feet of elevation change. Since I’m the sort of runner who actually enjoys downpours, blizzards, and extreme terrain, the superlative made it hard to resist. I had already done four other marathons (including Chicago and Marine Corps), but the courses they were run on felt tame. Blue Ridge offered a way to test my mettle—and earn some bragging rights—in a way that few other races could. While reading up on the event, I discovered the Mount Lemmon Marathon in Tucson, Arizona, which also claims to be the toughest 26.2 in the…

APRIL 6 Platte River Half-Marathon Littleton, Colorado 3,000 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? For the postrace feast Ten miles of this speedy course skirt the South Platte River. Stick around for some finger-lickin’-good barbecue and a microbrew (or two) at what Colorado Runner magazine voted the best postrace party in the state (below). platteriverhalf.com 12 Carmel Marathon Carmel, Indiana 4,000 RUNNERS WHY RUN IT? To nail a PR Unlike many smaller races, this one offers pacers for every five-minute increment from 3:05 to 4:00, then every 15 to 20 minutes from 4:10 to 5:30. The flat and fast route (above) winds through peaceful parks and along the White River before finishing just north of the Palladium, the city’s 1,600-seat music complex. carmelmarathon.com 13 Bucks County Half-Marathon Richboro, Pennsylvania 2,000 RUNNERS WHY…

GIANT IMPACT I was in a four-mile race that amputee athlete Marko Cheseto (“Runner, Interrupted,” February) ran in Anchorage on June 22, 2013. My friend introduced him to me and I asked to take a picture. Instead of just standing side by side, he said, “No, we do it like this,” and had us put our arms around each other’s shoulders. Out of nearly 600 runners, he finished in fifth place. After the top five were given their awards, he went to the other runners who finished ahead of him and congratulated them. He stands 10 feet tall in my eyes. —DAVID PALLUCONI, Fairfield, Ohio UP AND RUNNING I really enjoyed the article “A Second Wind” (Mind+Body, February). I sometimes have a hard time getting motivated for my late-in-the-day run…

DEAR MILES, My husband and I have worked our way up from 5-Ks to ultramarathons. Our friends who don’t run are expressing concern and confusion about our “running addiction”: We’re not home on weekends, we spend so much money, we self-inflict pain. How can we assure them we’re okay? —ISABEL M., San Antonio You don’t need to rattle off a list of running’s benefits—you aren’t trying to “sell” these friends on running, per se. You’re trying to reassure them. So just acknowledge their concern and promise them that you and your husband are healthy and happy. Also, pledge to make time to see your friends more often, if that’s what they’re getting at. If you’re always hitting the sack early and skipping out on social events because you’re resting up…

THE OFFENSE Running stickers decorating our cars THE VERDICT Fine, within reason. Running stickers are like cats. Having one “26.2” (or the like) is great. Two or three is okay. Four? Maybe, if you have room. That said, once you reach five or more, you enter Crazy Person territory. Which doesn’t mean you can’t have a couple dozen cats, or running stickers. It just means that in doing so you forfeit your right not to be ridiculed. THE OFFENSE Running in public, where—gasp!—everyone can see us THE VERDICT Oh, please. Yes, most of us run outdoors. Where other people might see us. Certain critics call this narcissism. We call it unavoidable. These same critics also find it obnoxious that we sometimes wear bright, neon colors while running outside. We call…

In November, AARON BRAUN, 26, of Alamosa, Colorado, won the US National Road Racing Championships 12-K in 34:28—two seconds off the U.S. record. 1. Break It Up “I break track workouts into sets, such as four sets of 4 x 400 meters instead of 16 x 400. I get a better workout keeping the recovery short—with a long recovery only between sets—than with a medium recovery between all 16.” 2. Speed It Up On tempo and long runs, I start slower than my intended average pace and then get gradually faster the rest of the way.” 3. Ease Up “If I’m not feeling good, I turn a track workout into an ‘effort’ workout on the road—replacing mile repeats with five-minute repeats, for example. On those days it’s best to not…

Q I do a weekend long run, plus a few easy half-hour weekday runs. Is that okay? A Yes, if you run only for fitness, you’re a beginner, or you’re content to do short races strictly for fun. But if you’re aiming for a PR in a 5-K or 10-K, be sure one weekday run is a tempo run or speedwork. And if you’re targeting a half-marathon or marathon, add two mediumlong runs—at least one at a tempo pace—on weekdays. With those additions, your week might look something like this (following a “hard/easy” pattern to allow recovery): Sunday, 90 minutes easy; Monday, off; Tuesday, 30 minutes easy; Wednesday, 60 minutes tempo pace; Thursday, off; Friday, 60 minutes easy; Saturday, 30 minutes easy. —GINA MEYERS is an RRCA-certified running coach in…

Belly Aching Don’t let stomach trouble sideline your running IF YOU’RE LIKE most runners, you’ve probably experienced midrun stomach trouble that forced you to cut short a workout or even a race. In fact, studies show that about 60 percent of runners have GI problems. So what’s going on? When you run, your body diverts oxygen and blood from your GI tract to your muscles to help power your activity. This lack of resources hampers your stomach’s ability to do its job, sending improperly digested food into your intestines, drawing fluids with it, and setting the stage for bloating, gas, nausea, and worse. High-intensity runs, long runs, warmer weather, and dehydration all exacerbate this effect. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to help minimize running-related stomach troubles. SIDE STITCH…

Run. Rub. Repeat THERE IS GOOD REASON massage therapists are part of an elite runner’s entourage. And why the lines for a postrace massage seemingly extend for miles. A rubdown—even a deep, intense one—feels great. Runners report that massages help lessen muscle tension and improve range of motion, while also making them feel relaxed and rewarded for their hard efforts. Yet despite massage’s popularity and positive reputation, there’s been little scientific evidence to support why athletes feel so good when they hop off the table. “It can be hard to merge basic science with alternative medicine,” says Justin Crane, Ph.D., a McMaster University researcher who conducted some of the first objective studies on massage in 2012. Practitioners say massage relieves muscle soreness, promotes circulation, flushes toxins and lactic acid from…

Fabric of Life A WHILE BACK, I had to regain control of my house. Every time I opened a closet, toys, towels, clothes, or random kitchen utensils hidden by my kids in a game of Treasure Hunt fell to my feet. I had to lose the clutter or I would lose my mind. My own closet was first. Tossing the red Ann Taylor blazer was easy. So was losing the green dress coat I’d had since college. I was in the zone, I was brutal, and in 30 minutes I’d cleared out half of my closet—including my first race shirt, a muddy brown unisex tech T from the 2008 Salt Lake Marathon. The iron-on decal reeked of chemicals. Though it was a size small, it fit like a nightgown. I’d…

ALL OF THEIR LIVES, THEY HAD TO LOOK UP TO OTHER PEOPLE. BUT NOW, AFTER RUNNING BOSTON, IT’S THE OTHER WAY AROUND. SHE runs down Beacon Street knowing HE is not far away. Seconds ago someone in the crowd had called out to her, alerting her that he was just ahead. For hours, and for nearly 25 miles, she had trailed him, though to say she was chasing him isn’t fair. They were both racing after something, not against someone. He just happened to have had a nearly two-hour head start. She sees him. He’s easy to spot from her vantage point amid the moving knot of bodies getting closer and closer to Boston’s Back Bay. He’s wearing a white, long-sleeve technical shirt under a yellow racing T. He runs…

A COACH Triathlon has a lot of moving pieces—and I wanted my body to stay in one piece—so I invested in a coach. Static training plans can work, especially for runners, but they assume you don’t get injured, travel, or lose your mojo. A FORGIVING—OR AT LEAST UNDERSTANDING—FAMILY My husband generously let my training take precedence over his marathon schedule, and he threw in only a couple (very deserved) snide remarks when I procrastinated so much that I disrupted everybody’s schedule. LOT OF $$$ The race entry fee for Ironman was $650. Many hotels in the host cities require a minimum three or more nights’ stay, plus you have to pay for travel. Luckily, I owned a triathlon bike, wet suit, and all the other necessary equipment, and I belonged…

DAVID TORRENCE, 28, had a successful 2013, setting personal bests on the track and defeating a strong field at the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5-K (13:34). This year, he turns his focus back to the mile with a return to the USA 1 Mile Road Championships (April 22), an event he won in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Q Why didn’t you defend your road mile title in 2012 and 2013? A My coach [John Cook] was kind of against the road miles. He felt they broke down my body more than a track mile and was wary of me doing them, but he retired this past summer. I’m excited to see if I can reclaim my throne. I had a good streak going, and I had a lot of fun.…

Fabrice Calmels I STARTED running seriously to train for playing Othello last year, a very physical role. Now I run four miles a day. I LOVE TO run on the lakefront, but I also use the treadmill and elliptical. I’m 6-foot-6, 216 pounds, so I have to guard my joints carefully. I WAS BORN in France and started ballet at age 3. Here, people say I should’ve played basketball or hockey instead. MY FIRST race experience was silly. A friend asked me to run some of the Chicago Marathon with him. There was so much excitement, I ran 20 miles. I couldn’t move the next day! I’M A PERFORMER, so I know the power of the crowd. But a race is different. There’s constant support from people screaming on the…

CHARLES BUTLER Last year, Butler waited on the photo bridge over Boylston Street for the first little people ever to run the Boston Marathon, a pair he wrote about in “Big” (page 60). “The bombings prevented them from finishing,” he says. “But just by getting to the start, they inspired many little people who had been told not to run”. NATHAN PERKEL Though he prefers cruising around New York City on a skateboard, cover photographer Perkel says he enjoys the solitude found in running, too. “With both I am able to get away from my other thoughts and just focus on that one activity,” he says. “But the real reason I run is to balance my cookie ookie addiction.”…

The Olympic silver medalist (1500 meters) hosts The Manzano Mile, an all-comers track meet in March 1] Mile High It’s an exciting event: We have live bands and races for the entire family. 2] Buy My T-shirt! The flying lion represents me; the yellow symbolizes my yearning for a gold medal (leomanzano.com). 3] Salesman I sold enough shirts to cover a month of altitude training in Mexico. 4] Bilingual I was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when I was 4. I value being influenced by two cultures. 5] Fast Fingers Origami has always been relaxing to me. 6] B-fast Special After a race, I love a heavy meal of pancakes, eggs, coffee, and OJ. 7] On My iPod Ghostland Observatory and Vampire Weekend. 8] Safe Keeping I…

3 WAYS TO HANG TOUGH 1. Conquer Hills Use short, quick strides and drive your knees upward. Do your best not to slow down once you’ve crested the incline. Get more hill advice at runnersworld.com/the-starting-line/video. 2. Don’t Stop Short Studies show that your brain backs out before your body does when you’re tired. Near the end of a long run, flex your mental muscle by reminding yourself that there’s gas left in the tank. 3. Charge! If you really want to get after it midrace, throw in a surge: Speed up for 10 seconds to a minute, then return to race pace. Kicking up your pace can open up your stride and boost your confidence. Get more speedster moves on page 30. THE PULSE How do you dig deep to…

WHETHER YOU STARTED running to improve your health, to lose weight, or simply to prove you could do it, your goal as you continue to run should be to enjoy yourself. If your routine has become so routine that you dread lacing up, it’s time to make a change. Even minor ones can help you head out the door with a smile on your face. YOU ALWAYS Run the same loops TRY Running them in reverse Having a favorite route (or a few) beats “where will I run today?” stress, but running on autopilot can get boring. A simple way to switch things up is to run your usual loop in reverse. You’ll still know where you are and how far you’re going, but you’ll engage your brain a bit…

The Big Salad FOR A HUNGRY RUNNER, salad is easy to dismiss as little more than filler—something to hold you over until the main course arrives. But with the right ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can throw together all-star salads brimming with fresh flavors and hearty enough to serve as a meal. These power salads can provide all the carbs, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed to run well. “Salads are great meal options for staying lean,” says Ilana Katz, R.D., C.S.S.D., a sports nutritionist in Atlanta “They keep you feeling full, which means you’re less likely to overeat later on.” QUICK HUMMUS SALAD Easy to assemble and rich in vital nutrients for runners, this deconstructed hummus is perfect for weekday lunches. Chickpeas, the main ingredient in…

Spicy Carrots and Shrimp with Cucumber Salad This seasonal salad uses spring or “baby” carrots—a tender, miniature variety sold with greens attached. You can sub in any fresh, whole carrots cut in 4" to 5" lengths FOR THE CUCUMBER SALAD ¾ cups rice-wine vinegar ½ cup honey 2 Japanese or English cucumbers, sliced thin 1 large shallot, sliced thin 1 Thai chile, sliced thin 1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks ¼ teaspoon salt FOR THE CARROT MIXTURE 1 pound baby carrots (4" to 5" long), trimmed and halved lengthwise 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 ripe avocados, diced 1½ cups sourdough croutons 2 cups loosely packed cilantro Black sesame seeds, toasted To make the cucumber…

Stay on Your Toes Keep your big piggie in top shape A RUNNER’S BIG TOE has a big job. When your foot strikes the ground, it helps stiffen the tissues along your arch. This creates a stable platform, giving your foot more ability to propel you forward. But if your big toe is stiff or misaligned, it can’t do its job as well, which can disrupt your mechanics, says Christopher Johnson, a Seattle-based physical therapist. He suggests testing your range of motion (see “Flex Test,” below) and, if needed, doing these other exercises three times a week.—Nicole Radziszewski FLEX TEST Determines your toe’s range of motion TO DO Use one hand to press down on your four smaller toes while using the other hand to pull up on the big…

JUST BEFORE 8 P.M. on January 4, 2013, a dozen sleep-deprived but elated runners staggered across the finish line of the Ragnar Relay in Key West, Florida, having just covered 197 miles over 36 hours as a team. As the athletes traded celebratory high-fives and embraces before a cheering crowd, it was hard to imagine that they had once collectively weighed an additional 1,200 pounds. Just a few years earlier, not one of the 12 runners could climb a flight of stairs without pausing. Many had suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, and other by-products of obesity. They began their weight-loss journey alone but shared a common process: dropping pounds the old-fashioned way, with diet and exercise—specifically, running. They met in 2011 through social media, bonded over their strug-gle, and…

RUNNING IS NOT very popular in Haiti. Some people say I’m foufou—crazy—or that I must be smoking something. They think I’m a madman to be running under the hot sun. Their comments don’t bother me. I can’t engage with people because that would throw off my rhythm. When you run on the streets of Portau-Prince, you have to dodge cars and motorcycles. Motorcycles are the most dangerous—they go wherever there’s a space, even if there’s a runner there. I’ve almost been hit many times. After the earthquake in 2010, the streets were clogged with debris. My neighborhood, Morne Lazarre [in Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince], was destroyed; I lived in a tent for two years. But my things weren’t all destroyed—I still had my old running shoes. Now, most of…

GET A GRIP GROUND COVERED Whether you run technical terrain or groomed trails, there’s a shoe to suit your needs. ALL-MOUNTAIN BEST FOR RUGGED AND STEEP TERRAIN New Balance Minimus Trail Zero v2 $110 If the original version of this shoe was a dune buggy, this update is a four-door Jeep Wrangler—it’s an all-new shoe from the ground up. The v2 gets deep lugs and a softer midsole, though it keeps the Minimus name because its heel-to-toe offset remains near zero. BOTTOM LINE A low-profile shoe that chews up rugged terrain. Skechers GOrun Ultra$85 Reminiscent of oversized models from Hoka One One, the GOrun Ultra is about as cushioned as it gets. “You can’t find a trail shoe with a softer ride,” says Andrew Izzo, a 26-year-old wear-tester from East…

READY, SET, GO…? More like lights, camera, action! Runners in their best celebrity-inspired garb steal the spotlight at this half-marathon, which starts in front of the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, and ends on a red carpet. A 6 a.m. call time kicks off this outand-back race, which first sends runners east on Hollywood Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard, then north toward the halfway point along the Silver Lake Reservoir. Runners then head back to the finish along the star-studded Walk of Fame. Participants might spot real celebrities along this mostly flat course before earning their own Hollywood Star medal. After striking a pose on the premiereworthy carpet, finishers get to celebrate with a performance by an ’80s cover band. hollywoodhalfmarathon.com…