Competitor February 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

Meb’s favorite running watch Page 19

Weird running gear that works Page 20

Click here to hear Kara Goucher explain why she runs.

On the

ROAD Top Americans aim for a berth on the U.S. Olympic marathon team

to

RIO

CLICK HERE

for 18 Tips for a Healthier Fitter You in 2016.

CLICK HERE

to read about what’s trending in 2016.

BEGINNER’S RUNNING GUIDE Everything you need to know to get started, build fitness and run faster!

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Kara Goucher is back ... and she means business.

FIN DIN G B ALAN CE 3 camps that teach a holistic view of running Expert insights on how to improve your marathon time

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Captured 4

R et u r n of t h e J ed i The force was certainly with Nick Arciniaga on Jan. 17 in Anaheim, Calif.

The 32-year-old professional runner, who just happens to be a huge Star Wars fan, successfully defended his title at Disneyland’s Star Wars Half Marathon with a time of 1:05:49. As he approached the finish line, his wife handed him a glowing toy lightsaber, which he proudly brandished as he broke through the finish line tape. Arciniaga, one of the most consistent marathoners in the U.S. in the past several years with a 2:11:30 personal best, grew up just down the road from Disneyland in Fountain Valley and went to college at Cal-State Fullerton about 10 miles north of the theme park. Annie Bersagel won the women’s race in 1:15:09, wearing a Star Wars stormtrooper T-shirt. Both used the Star Wars Half as a tune-up for the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles. The event also included a 5K, 10K and kids races.

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Click here to see a list of the best running movies of alltime.

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Photo: Courtesy of runDisney

Click here to see a list of the best running scenes in non-running movies.

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Contents

f e br ua ry 2 0 1 6

Features

Departments

Community

22 Beginner’s Running Special: The New Runner’s Welcome Package

12 Starting Lines

Best of Competitor

Everything you need to get from start to finish. Plus, free 5K, 10K and half marathon training plans.

By Jason Fitzgerald

28 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon Preview We highlight the contenders in the Feb. 13 races in Los Angeles that will determine the 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon team.

Plus: Don’t Call It a Comeback Ahead of the 2016 Olympic trials, Kara Goucher is back—and she means business.

By Brian Metzler The Comeback Kid After quitting running in search of a regular life, Luke Puskedra found his way back, and is now one of the best marathoners in the U.S.

By Dan England

38 Holistic Running Renewal Sync your mind and body to maximize your miles at an all-encompassing instructional camp.

By Allison Pattillo

The rise of tech-enhanced shoes, new running books and tips for obstacle racing.

Readers’ favorites from your region

Run It

Gear

Our top picks for a variety of upcoming races

18 Shoe Talk

Back Page

Tips on how to buy your next pair of shoes

19 Wearable Tech We review Meb’s watch of choice, the Epson Runsense SF-810

20 Collective

Last Lap Elite American marathoner Shalane Flanagan talks about her legacy, her new cookbook, and what needs to be done to clean up competitive running.

Unique gear that works

Training 42 First Lap 5 tips for sticking with your training plan

46 Workout of the Month Brad Hudson’s fuel run for marathoners

47 Elite Insights

ON THE COV E R : Kara Goucher was shot at Pro Photo Studio in Boulder, Colo., wearing a Oiselle Endorphin 3/4 Long Sleeve ($58), Oiselle Stride Short Mini ($44), Kara Goucher GPS One Signature Series watch from Soleus ($89), Zensah Tech+ Compression Socks ($50) and Skechers GoMeb Speed 3 shoes ($125).

Photo: James Carney

Meb Keflezighi on chasing success

B E LOW:

48 Coach Culpepper Planning your racing season

Cool Impossible Run Camp in Jackson, Wyo.

Photo: Eric Orton Mountain Running academy

Click here for 8 ways to make 2016 your best year of training!

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LET’S GO COMMITMENT

Official Vehicle of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series® Options shown. ©2015 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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COMPETITOR.COM 8

2 0 1 6 U.S . O LYMPIC T R IA L S MA R AT H O N Check out our coverage leading up to the races that will determine the U.S. Olympic marathon team on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles at Competitor.com/olympictrials2016

CONNECT WITH US Join the conversation

Facebook.com/ competitor. running

Follow us

@runcompetitor

See what we share

@runcompetitor

BASE BUILDING

SHOE TALK

RUNNING TECH

NUTRITION

Get tips for building the founda-

Check out our videos that highlight

What are the hot tech items in

Learn how to use nutrition to take

tion for a great year of racing at Competitor.com/basebuilding

the newest running shoes on the

2016? Check them out at Competitor.com/2016tech

your running to the next level at Competitor.com/nutrition

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market at Competitor.com/shoetalk

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A run can change everything. And it’s not just you that looks better. Everything looks better. It’s a win-win times infinity.

© 2016 Brooks Sports, Inc.

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Contributors

Writers, Designers & Photographers

Editorial

Brian Metzler senior editor Mario Fraioli managing editor Adam Elder web editor Ryan Wood associate editor Emily Polachek editor-in-chief

Ja s o n F i tz g e ra l d Denver-based Jason Fitzgerald, who wrote “The New Runner’s Welcome Package” on page 22, is a 2:39 marathoner and co-author of “Running for Health & Happiness,” a beginner’s guide to run-

ART graphic designer

Valerie Brugos

contributing photography

James Carney, Scott Draper, Greg Lambert, Nick Nacca

ning. He is a USATF-certified coach and founder

senior contributing editors

Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi, Jason Devaney, Allison Pattillo contributing writers

Jeff Banowetz, Erin Beresini, Adam Chase, Jay Dicharry, Dan England, Jason Fitzgerald, Matt Hart, Lisa Jhung, Max King, Duncan Larkin, Greg McMillan, Kelly O’Mara, Bryon Powell, Rachel Sturtz, Sam Winebaum

of Strengthrunning.com. Through his website, Jason has helped thousands of runners accomplish their

C i rc u l at i o n , m ar k et i n g & P r o d u ct i o n production manager

goals with results-oriented coaching programs.

Meghan McElravy advertising production manager

Gia Hawkins director, pr

Dan Cruz

M a ri o F ra i o li Our senior editor, Mario Fraioli, coordinates all things

director, web development

month’s revamped training section (starting on page

Scott Kirkowski director, seo/analytics Johnny Yeip

yourself as a runner—whether you’re a newbie or experienced racer—with expert advice from some of the best minds in the sport. Mario is author of “The Official Rock ‘n’ Roll Guide to Marathon and Half-Marathon

director, creative services

Matthew McAlexander system administrator Bruno Breve video producer Steve Godwin

Training,” and has coached competitive age-groupers and elite runners since 2005.

Aaron Hersh audience development manager

Kristy Buescher manager, media marketing

Nicole Christenson

d i g i ta l s er v i ce s

training for the magazine and on Competitor.com. This 42) focuses on fundamental elements to improving

director, digital media & strategy

web developers Joseph Hernandez, Miguel A. Estrada web director James A. Longhini associate creative director

Thomas Phan junior web designers Sean Marshall,

Eddie Villanueva

A d v ert i s i n g

Doug Kaplan 312-441-1551, dkaplan@competitorgroup.com vp media sales Jason Johnson 858-768-6824, jjohnson@competitorgroup.com vp, media sales Ian Sinclair 860-673-6830, isinclair@competitorgroup.com vp, media sales Gordon Selkirk 858-768-6767, gselkirk@competitorgroup.com vp, media sales Todd Wienke 414-517-7457, tawienke@competitorgroup.com manager, media sales Jeff McDowell 858-768-6794, jmcdowell@competitorgroup.com manager, media sales Jenn Schuette 858-228-3761, jschuette@competitorgroup.com manager, media sales Kelly Trimble 858-768-6749, ktrimble@competitorgroup.com svp, sales

•

•

•

•

A l l i s o n Patt i llo When confronted with nagging injuries and plateauing race times, Allison decided to reexamine her approach to running by going to camp and writing

•

•

•

•

about it on page 38. After taking up meditation and

part n er s h i p d e v e lo p m e n t a n d A cc o u n t m a n a g e m e n t

yoga, reducing sugar in her diet (within reason) and getting more sleep (most of the time), she’s feeling healthy and antsy to toe a starting line again. In addition to a couple of trail runs this year, Allison plans to

director Erin Ream Liz Centeno-Vera, Renee Kerouac, Kat Keivens

managers

digital ad operations

Carson McGrath

run the 2016 New York City Marathon in November.

F i n a n ce finance director

Gretchen Alt

a publication of

Da n E ng la n d

president

Josh Furlow

Dan England wrote the profile about Luke Puskedra

chief administrative officer and

in our U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon preview on page

chief financial officer

32. He’s the features editor, Sunday editor and a

Wendy Godoy

columnist for “The Greeley Tribune,” where he’s won

chief marketing officer

10 first-place feature writing awards from the Colorado Press Association and the Associated Press. Dan has completed more than 25 half marathons and four marathons, and climbed more than 200 mountains, including all 54 of the 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.

Keith S. Kendrick senior vice president, events

Tracy Sundlun Molly Quinn senior vice president John Smith

senior vice president

9477 Waples Street, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121 • 858-450-6510 For distribution inquiries: 858-768-6493 Digital Issue support: support@zinio.com Distribution management: TGS Media Inc. • tgsmedia.com, 877-847-4621 No part of this issue may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Competitor is a registered trademark of Competitor Group Inc.

official magazine

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REGISTER TODAY!

MARATHON | HALF MARATHON | 5K | RELAY

#RNRSD

速

Funded in part by the San Diego Tourism Marketing District Corporation with City of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.

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s ta r t i n g l i n e s

New Balance and NYRR sign huge, historic deal!

Click here for more running tech insights.

The Rise of Tech- Enhanced Running Shoes

By Bria n Metz ler

By early March, Under Armour’s Gemini 2 Record Equipped ($150) and the Altra IQ ($199) will debut as the world’s first two running shoes with built-in tracking chips.

But in the not-so-distant future, technology could lead to custom midsoles personalized to the precise size and shape of your feet and the performance specs of your gait.

Shoe brands have used 3D printing to create prototype samples for several years.

It’s a quick and relatively inexpensive process that has allowed shoe designers to have a tangible one-off sample without creating expensive molds in an overseas factory. A few brands have even built parts of promodel racing spikes on 3D printers.

During Boston Marathon weekend in April, that technology will come to life in a finished product as New Balance unveils the first shoes for recreational runners with 3D printed midsoles. The midsole characteristics

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of the yet-unnamed shoes are being built to the specs of underfoot pressure data collected from a variety of runners in the company’s Boston design center.

The new high-performance shoes will have midsoles made from a process known as selective laser sintering, which involves the conversion of a newly developed elastometric powder into solid cross-sections, layer by layer, using a laser.

A similar process could soon be used to design custom-built shoes. With help from Intel RealSense imaging technology, New Balance has already created a small batch of shoes with custom 3D-printed midsoles based on the specific foot size, shape, flex characteristics and impact force data of individual runners.

“Certainly where this could go is to the notion of performance customization,” says Chris Ladd, executive vice president of New

Balance. “To be able to make product for an individual based on their stride, their strike, their cadence, their gait and really understanding what their foot does under load and under pressure on a run will ultimately provide the runner with a greater ride and better performance.”

Imagine what it would mean if you could head to your local running store to undergo some 3D foot scans and a few days later lace up a pair of running shoes customized to your specific specs. Being able to scale that kind of technological advancement and sell mass quantities of those products might take a while, but the technology is already here.

“It could be the future of shoes,” says Henry Guzman, co-owner of Flatirons Running Store in Boulder, Colo. “Our goal is help get runners into shoes that are best for their feet and how they run, so that kind of development would be amazing.”

photo: Courtesy of New Balance

New Balance has pioneered custom midsoles using high-tech foot scanning and 3D printing technologies.

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news s ta r t i n g l i n e s

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Reading About Running Four new books we recommend for late-winter running inspiration Running Your First Ultra

Customizable training plans for your first 50K to 100-mile race

By Krissy Moehl

Click here for a list of the best running books of alltime.

Hansons Marathon Method Run your fastest marathon (2nd Ed.)

By Luke Humphrey

with Keith and Kevin Hanson

With 15 years of experience and more than 100 ultra races under her belt, there is no one more qualified to get runners across the ultra finish line. In “Running Your First Ultra,” Moehl provides runners with a comprehensive guide to training both the mind and body for these grueling races. In addition to sharing stories about her own experiences on the trails, she provides customizable training plans and leaves room for readers to personalize the book by allotting space to write down goals and fill out a checklist before race-day.

In the updated edition of “Hansons Marathon Method,” the coaches of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project reveal their innovative marathon training program that has helped runners become true marathoners and outrun their personal bests.

Their training approach tosses out mega-long runs and high-mileage weekends—two old-fashioned running traditions that often injure and discourage runners—in favor of spreading those miles more sensibly throughout the week. In this edition, the Hansons program welcomes newer runners with a new, lower-mileage “just finish” program.

How Bad Do You Want It?

Dirty Inspirations

By Matt Fitzgerald

By Terri Schneider

Mastering the psychology of mind over muscle

The greatest athletic performances spring from the mind, not the body. In “How Bad Do You Want It?,” Fitzgerald examines more than a dozen pivotal races to discover the surprising ways elite athletes strengthen their mental toughness. Each chapter explores the how and why of an elite athlete’s transformative moment, revealing powerful new psychobiological principles you can practice to flex your own mental fitness. The new psychobiological model of endurance performance shows that the most important question in endurance sports is: How bad do you want it?

Lessons from the trenches of extreme endurance sports In “Dirty Inspirations,” Schneider presents the unique perspective of a woman who has made it her life’s work to exceed her limits. The book takes readers through environments as majestic as they are unforgiving—from the brutal heat of the Sahara to the deep jungles of the Amazon and the awe-inspiring peaks of Denali in Alaska. Part philosophical journey, part spiritual awakening and part riveting drama, the stories presented in “Dirty Inspirations” embody the incredible resiliency of the human body and the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

2015 Running Store of the Year Oklahoma City’s Red Coyote Running and Fitness was named the 2015 Running Store of the Year on Dec. 3 at The Running Event trade show in Austin, Texas. The store, started in 2010 by Jon and Burke Beck, earned a spot on the prestigious 50 Best Running Stores of America list for the fifth time and was named a finalist for the third time. The program is co-organized annually by Competitor and Running Insight trade magazine.

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The 5,500-square-foot store is bright, clean, well-merchandised and has developed several wildly successful running programs, including its Pack Pint Runs, co-sponsored by a local brewery and often benefitting a good cause, and its Newbie Running Program that has attracted hundreds of beginner 5K runners since its implementation. “No day is ever the same,” Jon says, “but we come in every day with the goal of wanting to help make a healthier community.”

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PROfile 14

S TA R T I N G L I N E S

marathon and the pioneers like Jacqui.

I also loved the autobiography of runner Kim Jones, “Dandelion Growing Wild.” What a remarkable and tragic life she has lived!

LAST GOOD MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I really enjoyed “A Race for the Soul,” which covers the 2001 Western States from the perspective of several athletes of varying abilities.

FAVORITE RUNNING SHOE? My most favorite road shoes of all time are the Puma Road Racers, which I won several marathons in during 2010-11, and the Nike Lunaracers, which I wore for all my ultras this fall. My all-time favorite trail shoe is the New Balance 790.

34, Warr Acres, Okla.

WHY DO YOU RUN? Running makes me feel more alive and makes life better! I like running for stress relief, good health, meditation, alone time, the freedom, fresh air, being outside, connecting with the natural environment, and enjoying the seasons.

FAVORITE PLACE TO RUN? Locally, my favorite places to run almost daily in Oklahoma City are the hilly, historic neighborhoods of Heritage Hills and Lake Hefner, which can be brutal with the wind—something we call poor man’s altitude!

TYPICAL PRE-RACE MEAL? If it’s an option, I go with a 6-inch tuna sub from Subway, 2 chocolate chip cookies and a root beer. The day before I ran the 50 Mile World Best I ate at Taco Bell and Subway. I have some food intolerance issues (including basil and tomatoes), so I stopped eating prerace pasta and my GI issues went away.

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FAVORITE POST-RACE, PIG-OUT FOOD? A hamburger, French fries and beer.

Fish and chips and beer are good too.

Click here for

WHAT ARE THE NEXT more about Camille Herron’s BIG RACES ON YOUR 100K world CALENDAR? championship.

My first goal is to go after the 50K American record, most likely at the Cowtown Marathon on Feb. 28 in Fort Worth, Texas. Then I’ll be making my trail racing debut at the Lake Sonoma 50-mile, and if that goes well I’m going to aim for the Comrades 90K on May 29 in South Africa and the Western States 100-miler on June 25 in California.

LAST GOOD BOOK YOU READ? I wish I had more free time to read. I’m two-thirds through Jacqueline Hansen’s book, “A Long Time Coming.” It’s fascinating reading about the early revolution of the women’s

WHAT’S YOUR FUELING STRATEGY? For a marathon, I alternate 5Ks of taking either sports drink or water with gels. I’ll usually have about three gels in a marathon and grab more cups if it’s warm and I’m extra thirsty. For the ultras you need a lot more fuel, and what works for me is taking a gel with water every 30 minutes, plus cups of a sports drink as needed.

Herron won the 2012 Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Okla., in 2:48:51 dressed as Spiderwoman, setting a Guinness Book of World Records mark for a women’s marathon in a superhero costume.

“I grew up as a dancer and have always been a bit of a clown, so it was a way of entertaining the people and showing my sense of humor.”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CAMILLE HERRON

CAMILLE HERRON

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T ICK TOCK I T ’S T I M E .

It’s time to put a half on the calendar.

Time to tear down your ego and build up your base.

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Time to run doubt into the ground.

Time to go because one second standing still is a second you’re behind.

Time to 13.1.

It ’s time for the VANQUISH 2 – our lightest, max-cushioned shoe yet. hokaoneone.com

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t r a i l + a d v e n t u r e + o b s ta c l e Click here to read about a new type of off-road running.

16

s ta r t i n g l i n e s

your Intro to O bstacle R ac i ng

By Max King

Like snowflakes, microbrews and running shoes, no two obstacle races are identical. While many of the obstacles are common among races—walls, barbedwire crawls, cargo nets and mud pits—most races have a set of unique obstacles exclusive to that event. Some will play to your strengths, others will expose your weaknesses. But that’s the fun of it! No matter which race you choose, you’ll have to adapt and persevere to reach the finish line.

Here’s a little primer on the different races out there and the training you’ll need to get through it.

Click here for a rundown of 50 trails in 50 states.

1. Getting Started

obstacles, the race will have a few more

get you through the obstacles more

world and will take you to your limit,

A great first obstacle race is the Warrior

upper-body strength based obstacles

efficiently and faster. However, these

and quite possibly break you physically

Dash—a more for-the-fun-of-it type of

as well. These might include sandbag

are still great for a runner willing to put

and mentally in the process, but the

race that’s un-timed and focuses more

carries, rope climbs, tire flips, etc., but

in a little gym effort. CrossFit endur-

rewards of accomplishing one can’t be

on the mud, camaraderie and the post-

will also be things that most runners

ance alone isn’t going to prepare you to

matched with any of the shorter races.

race party than competition. If you’re a

can accomplish with your typical func-

run an obstacle race like this. There’s

runner, this type of race requires zero

tional fitness routine that all runners

still a lot of running in any of these

As you get into obstacle racing, you’ll

preparation other than just having an

should already be doing.

events, so you need to also have your

find out that there is something for

aerobic engine tuned like a distance

everyone and that runners tend to

runner.

excel at the sport because of their

open mind to what’s coming next and a willingness to get dirty. This type of

3. Going Longer

race is generally shorter (5K to 8K)

The third level of obstacle racing

in distance, uses efficiency-based

starts to favor the true obstacle-rac-

4. Upping Your Game

event that’s less intimidating and, if

obstacles (that you have to crawl over,

ing athlete. These are typically longer

If you’ve been hitting the weights

you find that you like it, move on to a

under or through) and requires very

in distance, 10K to 18K, and incorpo-

but still keep up on your running

new challenge. Or stick to the shorter

little upper-body strength to reach the

rate more difficult obstacles such as

fitness—and maybe you’ve even run

ones that can be just as much fun (if not

finish line.

upper-body strength based obstacles

a few ultramarathons—it’s time to

more) than a longer, more challenging

with monkey bars, and generally more

up your game with a longer, harder,

course that may have you begging to

2. Progressing Your Skills

obstacles where specific training is

more masochistic obstacle race. A

lie down in the mud and go to sleep.

going to help you. The BattleFrog series

Spartan Beast (20K+) or the much

No matter what you do, though, don’t

As you graduate from the 5K mud runs,

as well as the Super Spartan races are

longer Worlds Toughest Mudder (24

neglect your running fitness.

you might find yourself in a Spartan

good examples of this type of race.

hours) will test even the best athletes.

I would suggest equal parts mountain

These tend to focus on competition

Working in the gym on pull-ups, fin-

running and CrossFit training for tak-

but still have a family and/or party

ger-grip strength with carries and bar

ing on either one of these races. They

atmosphere. Along with your efficiency

hangs, as well as leg power is going to

are the ultras of the obstacle-racing

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Max King is the two-time defending champion of the Warrior Dash World Championship and a former world mountain running champion.

photo: Spartan Race

Sprint or another local obstacle race.

aerobic conditioning. Start with an

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S h o e Ta l k 18

Gear

Click here to read reasons you should retire your running shoes.

H o w t o B u y Y o u r N e x t Pa i r o f S h o e s B y A da m W. C ha se

Click here for trail running shoe buying tips.

With so much techno-speak and marketing jargon about running shoes, it’s hard to know which ones are best for you. Here are four tips to help you find the right pair this spring.

1. Shop smart You can buy shoes at a lot of places, but most specialty running shops sell only running-related gear, apparel and accessories—unlike a sneaker shop at the mall or sporting goods store that sells gear for many other sports besides running.

And the people who work there know and understand running—running shoes, running gait types, how to train and what accessories you need. They are experts at fitting shoes and understanding how different types of shoes can influence your form, improve the kind of running you’re doing or reduce the chance for overuse injuries. The bottom line? Running shops ooze inspiration.

2. Feel or float?

3. Get a pair that fits

4. And finally …

Shoes are generally categorized by how much cushioning and structure they have. Do you like to feel the ground or would you rather have more cushioning under your feet? Running in minimally designed shoes requires agility and exceptionally strong lower legs and feet.

Running in maximally cushioned shoes requires good balance and an inherent sense of proprioception. As far as structure goes, most runners pronate (the process of the foot rolling inward from the ankle when it impacts the ground) to some degree, and that’s OK. Many runners can run in neutral shoes or light stability shoes, which have a little bit of structure to reduce overpronation.

However, severe overpronation can lead to a variety of common overuse injuries, and in that case, more supportive shoes (or corrective insoles) are often needed.

But remember, doing regular speed and strength drills will help you strengthen your feet and balance your gait.

Your running shoes should fit snug, but not tight, in the heel and midfoot/arch area without pinching or feeling constrained when your foot flexes. The toe box shouldn’t be too tight either; it should have some extra wiggle room for your piggies to splay upon impact and push-off. (Some shoes have considerably more roomy toe boxes, especially shoes built for running rugged trails.) Your foot will also tell you if something about the shoe doesn’t feel right: Does it cramp your toes? Is there a seam that rubs awkwardly?

Does it feel like it’s slipping off your heel on every stride?

If the laces really need to be tightened down to get a comfortably secure fit, it’s probably not the best shoe for you.

Never shop for a shoe by its color or how it looks with jeans. The one that comes in your favorite color may not be the best for you. And when it comes to running shoes, you should only wear them for running.

Having a quiver of shoes will allow you to rotate pairs during a week of training and help extend the life of your shoes.

However, wearing your running shoes to do errands, mow the lawn or other everyday tasks will change the wear pattern of the outsoles and make them wear out sooner than they should.

And that could lead to overuse injuries.

For more insights and 2016 shoe reviews, go to Competitor.com/shoes

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WEARABLE TECH GEAR

19

WATCH OF CHAMPIONS B Y SA M W I N EB AU M

It’s not surprising that Epson-sponsored Meb Keflezighi chooses the SF-810. It’s a pure, no-nonsense run watch with deep training and racing features—and no activity tracking or phone notifications. The most popular running watch brand in Japan, Epson is also a

major player in mobile sensing. In the SF-810, Epson uses its own highly efficient GPS and other sensors for 20 hours of battery life with GPS and HR enabled. The HR sensor is among the most reliable we have tested.

Stride length is automatically calibrated to

NOT THE ONE?

GPS and takes over in blind spots (think trails). One of Meb’s favorite 810 metrics is to compare his stride length to cadence.

Altitude, ascent and descent data is via a barometric sensor and not the more common, less accurate GPS method.

EP SO N R UNSENSE SF-810

I’m looking for…

$300 ($230 without HR)

GOOD LOOKS PLUS GPS, HR, MUSIC, PHONE NOTIFICATIONS AND ACTIVITY TRACKING

Click here for the best running tech gear of 2016.

TomTom Spark Cardio+Music, $250

PHONE NOTIFICATIONS, ACTIVITY TRACKING AND A DEEPER TRAINING, RECOVERY AND COMMUNITY PLATFORM

Sunnto Ambit3 Run, $349 with HR strap

PHOTO: GREG LAMBERT

WRIST-BASED HR, ACTIVITY TRACKING AND PHONE NOTIFICATIONS

EASY CONFIGURATION Setting up via the watch is a bear, but is easy via the Run Connect app.

HOW FAST WAS THAT LAST 5K, 10K, ETC.?

Set up auto laps for every mile, along with four other distances of your choosing.

QUICK HEART RATE READ No need to be in a workout mode to see your HR. Great for a morning check.

Garmin Vivosmart HR, $150

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Collective 20

Click here for the coolest new running gear of 2016.

Gear

Uniq u e Gear that Works B y A l l i son Patt i l lo

Recovery and self-care certainly aren’t as fun as lacing up for a run, but they’re essential to staying healthy and logging long miles. We rounded up some of the craziest gear and gadgets to help keep you injury-free, plus a few more to solve problems you didn’t even know you had.

[1] Acumobility Eclipse Roller, $70 With an unusual, angled notch, this model has four distinctly shaped zones, plus five pressure strips, to work different muscle groups. The result is a whole-body recovery workout with one tool.

[2] Addady Boomerang Massage Roller, $48 In addition to targeting hard-to-reach areas, this flexible strap has three medium and three hard massage balls for customized relief. Half of the balls also have a special coating that grips skin to truly work pesky knots and pressure points.

[3] BFF Turbo Electric Foam Roller, $300 It looks like a giant buffer, and it is. It even comes with different covers to smooth rough skin or massage in pain relief gel. The soothing vibrations also relax and rejuvenate muscles, increase blood flow, release tight fascia and treat trigger points. No rolling required.

[4] Falke Impulse Short-Sleeved Shirt, $220 Knitted and silicone nodules are incorporated into the shoulders and back of this sleek running shirt to stimulate fascia and, ideally, improve form. A patch in the lower back makes it difficult to fall into a late-run slump, while the shoulder nodules encourage better arm swing.

[5] Knuckle Lights, $60 For those who don’t like wearing headlamps or carrying a flashlight, knuckle lights are an alternative nighttime solution. Each light shines 140 lumens in a flood beam pattern to illuminate your path. Sold in pairs, they come with rechargeable batteries and a charging stand.

[6] The Healing Sole Flip Flops, $150

[7] Shift Watch Band, $40 Made from flexible silicone, the band fits securely over the thumb and rests in your natural sightline for easy, on-the-run readability—meaning no awkward arm bending and no watch banging on your wrist bone. It comes in small, medium or large sizes, with attachments to fit most sport watches.

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photo: greg lambert

Slide into these when you hop out of bed—or post-run for on-the-go healing. A raised platform for your big toe enables muscles to relax, medial heel cutouts cushion the plantar fascia, a firm sole and just enough arch structure provide support and a rockered sole reduces foot tension.

1/21/16 1:36 PM

VARIDESK® helps turn your workday into your workout, letting you burn calories by easily switching between sitting and standing. It ships fully assembled and converts your current desk into a height-adjustable desk in minutes. Models start at just $175.

Order online or call 800-933-4798.

For patent and trademark information, visit VARIDESK.com/patents

©2016 VARIDESK®. All Rights Reserved.

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THE NEW RUNNER’S WELCOME PACKAGE Everything you need to get from start to finish.

BE GI N NE R ’S RU N N IN G SPE C IAL

B Y J ASO N F ITZGERALD

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Lacing up your shoes as a new runner and training for your first race is an exciting, rewarding experience. You’ll have the chance to get in the best shape of your life, but more than that you’ll experience new things and expand your athletic horizons.

You’re joining an inclusive and supportive community of motivated people on a journey of self-discovery. You’ll tackle new challenges and likely learn more about yourself in the next few months than you have in the past few years.

BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS: • How much should I run per week?

• How can I get faster?

• Should I run races for time or just to finish?

• How do I stay healthy and prevent injuries?

Starting a training program for the first time can be an overwhelming endeavor, but over the following pages we’ll provide the answers to these questions to ensure you enjoy your new sport, have a great race experience and a long, rewarding career as a runner.

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BeginnersGuide.indd 23

Click here for a beginner’s guide to the half marathon.

Be g i nn er ’s R u n ni n g Sp ec i al

photo: istockphoto.com

Click here for more stories for new runners.

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HOW CAN I GET FASTER?

Click here to learn how to avoid common mistakes new runners make.

BE GI N NE R ’S RU N N IN G SPE C IAL

HOW MUCH SHOULD I RUN PER WEEK? New runners are most limited by a lack of endurance, or an underdeveloped aerobic capacity. Therefore, increasing endurance should be your top goal. Developing your aerobic capacity will help you race faster by boosting stamina and improving your ability to hold a pace for a longer period of time.

By running more, your body will experience significant adaptations, including improved efficiency and running economy, increased mitochondria levels in the muscles and a higher aerobic capacity.

You may have heard of the 10 percent rule, which states that you can increase your weekly mileage by 10 percent each week. This is a good general guideline, but it has its limitations. More conservative increases in running volume can help new runners limit the risk of injury. This cautious approach will pay off long-term as consistency and injury prevention are prioritized over big jumps in mileage.

Most new runners typically run two to four days per week totaling 10 to 20 miles. These runners are best served adding one to two miles every other week, with an emphasis on increasing a once-a-week long run.

For example, if you’re running 11 miles per week in three runs (3, 3, and 5 miles), add one mile to your long run every other week. You can also add a mile to one of the midweek runs every other week. In a matter of weeks, your overall mileage will double and your risk of getting injured will be kept to a minimum. But what if you can’t run the entire distance? It’s OK—take walking breaks if necessary. The primary goal is to complete the distance; the secondary goal is to run the full distance.

BeginnersGuide.indd 24

Most new runners—or novice runners who haven’t trained with a group or followed a plan—typically go out and run the same pace all the time. The way to improve your fitness and become a faster runner is to mix up the types of training runs you do each week.

Like any other aspect of training, it’s best to start gradually when mixing in elements of speed. Strides and hill sprints will help lay a foundation that prepares the body for longer, more challenging workouts in the future. Strides are roughly 100-meter accelerations that build to about 95 percent of maximum speed. Hill sprints are eight- to 10-second maximum-intensity sprints up a moderately steep hill. Both require full recoveries between repetitions.

New runners can implement strides or hill sprints into their training program after one to two weeks of consistent easy running. After three or four weeks of strides and hill sprints once or twice a week, you’ll be ready to attempt your first speed workout.

A fartlek session (Swedish for “speed play”) is a great introductory workout that mixes intervals of faster and slower running. For example, after 5 to 10 minutes of warm-up jogging, alternate running 1-minute faster segments at a comfortably hard pace and 2 minutes of easy running as recovery until you’ve done six of each, then cool down with 5 to 10 minutes of easy jogging. Fartlek workouts are versatile and can be run almost anywhere.

New runners who start with strides or hill sprints for a few weeks and gradually progress to fartlek workouts are taking a systematic, logical approach to introducing speed workouts into their training, which helps reduce the risk of injury while prioritizing consistent improvement.

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HOW DO I STAY HEALTHY AND PREVENT INJURIES? Running can lead to a variety of overuse injuries and muscular strains, but training with a preventive mindset and additional strength workouts can help keep you healthy.

Preventing injuries should be a top priority for every new runner. “Sandwiching” each run between a dynamic warm-up and a core or strength workout can dramatically reduce your risk of injuries.

A dynamic warm-up includes exaggerated movements that mimic running, like leg swings, donkey kicks, lunges, hurdle drills and skips. Perform four to six exercises for 5 to 10 minutes in total before starting your run to increase your heart rate, improve circulation and prime the body to run.

Check out Competitor.com/dynamicwarmup for examples of exercises to do before you run.

A post-run strength workout can include squats, planks, bridges, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and leg raises. These basic exercises train movements, not muscles, and are more running-specific than bodybuilding-oriented exercises such as bicep curls or bench presses. Improving mobility, along with strength, will help keep your risk of injury minimal.

Visit Competitor.com/strengthcircuit for a bodyweight strength training routine you can do after running.

Setting a goal finishing time is often thought of as an advanced runner’s concept, but even new runners can aim to finish their first race under a certain time.

Since the first several months of your running career are focused on establishing consistency, gradually building mileage and increasing fitness, it’s best to set goal times for shorter races that you know you can finish. Once you know you can finish a race, the next step is to run it faster.

So if the race is less than 10K in distance, set a goal time based on marks you’ve set in training.

For example, if 9 minutes per mile is a comfortable training pace for you, you may try to finish your first 10K at 8:45 per mile or your first 5K at 8:30 per mile.

Longer races like the marathon or half marathon require more advanced training, maturity as an athlete and dealing with complex logistics. Until you have years of experience before your first long race, it’s best to set a goal of just finishing it. The personal bests will come later!

BeginnersGuide.indd 25

Click here for to learn the importance of dynamic stretching.

BE G I NN ER ’S RU NN I NG SP EC IA L

PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

SHOULD I RUN RACES FOR TIME OR JUST TO FINISH?

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BEGINNER 5K TRAINING PLAN

WEEK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MILEAGE

1

REST

1.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

REST

1.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

OPTIONAL XT: 30–60 MIN @ EASY EFFORT

5

2

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

1.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

OPTIONAL XT: 30–60 MIN @ EASY EFFORT

6

3

REST

2.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

OPTIONAL XT: 30–60 MIN @ EASY EFFORT

7

4

REST

2.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

REST

7.5

5

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

1.5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

5K RACE

REST

6.6

Click here for the 12 best exercises to build your body.

BEGINNER 10K TRAINING PLAN WEEK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MILEAGE

1

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

OPTIONAL XT: 30–60 MIN @ EASY EFFORT

7

2

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

OPTIONAL XT: 30–60 MIN @ EASY EFFORT

8

3

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

4 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

11

4

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

13

5

REST

4 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

5 MILES @ EASY EFFORT

REST

12

6

REST

3 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

2 MILES @ EASY EFFORT + 4 STRIDES

REST

10K RACE

REST

11.2

BeginnersGuide.indd 26

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

BE GI N NE R ’S RU N N IN G SPE C IAL

Click here for a story about the basics of hydration and nutrition.

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Beginner Half Marathon Training Plan Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Mileage

1

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

2 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

4 miles @ easy effort

Optional XT: 30–60 min @ easy effort

9

2

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

5 miles @ easy effort

Optional XT: 30–60 min @ easy effort

11

3

REST

4 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

6 miles @ easy effort

Optional XT: 30–60 min @ easy effort

13

REST

FARTLEK: 4 miles w/6x30 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

7 miles @ easy effort

2 miles @ easy effort

16

REST

FARTLEK: 4 miles w/8x30 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

4 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

7 miles @ easy effort

2 miles @ easy effort

17

6

REST

FARTLEK: 5 miles w/8x30 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

4 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

8 miles @ easy effort

3 miles @ easy effort

20

7

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

2 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

6 miles @ easy effort

REST

11

REST

FARTLEK: 5 miles w/6x60 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

4 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

9 miles @ easy effort

3 miles @ easy effort

21

REST

FARTLEK: 5 miles w/6x60 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

5 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

9 miles @ easy effort

3 miles @ easy effort

22

REST

FARTLEK: 6 miles w/8x60 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

5 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

10 miles @ easy effort

3 miles @ easy effort

24

11

REST

FARTLEK: 4 miles w/8x30 sec pickups @ hard effort w/2 min recovery between pickups

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

7 miles @ easy effort

REST

14

12

REST

3 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

2 miles @ easy effort + 4 strides

REST

Race: Half Marathon!

REST

18.1

4 5

8 9 10

Glossary of Key Terms:

BeginnersGuide.indd 27

XT:

Strides:

Easy effort:

Fartlek:

Cross-training, such as

100-meter

A comfortable, conversational

An introductory workout that mixes

accelerations at 95

running pace. Take walk

brief periods of faster running

percent of top speed

breaks if necessary.

followed by a recovery interval

swimming, spinning, or a brisk walk or hike

Be g i nn er ’s R u n n in g Sp e c ia l

Week

1/19/16 5:24 PM

s .

A am P Los n te 16. n ON es i tho 20 TH 13 rac mara ctrials A AR Feb. pic mpi S M in the . Olym m/oly L o .S IA s TR unner 16 U titor.c C 0 e r I 2 p y MP ke he m LY ht the ine t o to Co O . lig rm , g U.S high l dete erage We t wil cov e tha mor r o F 28

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After a rash of changes in 2013–2014, Kara Goucher has been focused on trying to make her third U.S. Olympic team this year.

Road2Rio.indd 28

PHOTO: JAMES CARNEY

Click here to watch a video of Kara Goucher’s marathon training insights.

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Don’t Call It a Comeback Although she went through some big changes, suffered a few setbacks and endured a public feud with her former coach, Kara Goucher never really went away. But now, ahead of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, she’s back—and she means business.

[By Brian Metzler] Click here for Kara Goucher’s career highlights.

little more than 15 months ago, Kara Goucher knew she had to ask a hard question and brace herself for an answer that she didn’t want to really hear.

She had just finished 14th in the 2014 New York City Marathon in a disappointing time of 2:37:04, by far the slowest of her career.

While there were a lot of factors that went into that unsatisfying effort—relentless wind, some overly aggressive racing tactics and not-quite-optimal fitness compared to the rest of the field—it was an experience so humbling that she knew she had to come to a point where she had to make sure she was being honest with herself.

So, sitting with coach Mark Wetmore in a quiet New York hotel room and talking to her other coach, Heather Burroughs, on speaker phone from Boulder, Colo., Kara spoke bluntly as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I just want you to tell me if I’m fooling myself. Am I done?” she asked. “I’ve had a great career, and I can walk away from it. I don’t want to be that person who thinks they have something more to give and they don’t.

I just want you guys to tell me ...”

There was a short silence but, at the time, it seemed like an eternity as her entire career flashed before her eyes.

Road2Rio.indd 29

the final 4 miles of the race, all amid the clamor of thousands of cheering fans in Central Park.

Goucher had been contemplating her future as a runner a lot in the weeks preceding that self-prescribed face-the-music-moment, but in a very optimistic way. She had turned in a credible 1:11:39 effort at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon six weeks earlier and was excited to run her first marathon in 18 months. Realistically, she knew she wasn’t prepared to stay with the leaders deep into the race, but she and her coaches thought she could run in the 2:28-2:30 range.

She was actually ahead of that pace early and then backed off slightly, only to find herself running alone amid the howling winds. When things go wrong in a race, no one is immune from self-doubt and loathing—not even Kara Goucher. She’s as human as the rest of us, and, she admits, probably more sensitive than most. She forged ahead, but running alone proved to be a huge challenge.

And so the sting of not living up to expectations—both her own and those of her coaches—hurt deeply that day as a talented field ran away from her midway through the race. Although she had endured a few lessthan-stellar races in her career, no moment was as frustrating or poignant as when she hit the wall at mile 22 and had to swallow her pride and struggle with all of her might just to finish

“Certainly after the 2014 New York City Marathon, nobody would have given Kara much of a chance,” Wetmore said recently.

After making the bold decision in late 2013 to leave Portland, Ore.,—and part ways with coach Jerry Schumacher, training partner Shalane Flanagan and Nike—to start anew under Wetmore and Burroughs, her former college coaches, in her former home of Boulder, Goucher believed in her heart that she could still make a serious run for the 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon team.

But it was a huge, life-changing move, filled with plenty of risk and unknowns. She was already one of the most accomplished runners in the U.S.—having raced well in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and earning a bronze medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 2007 IAAF World Championships—not to mention one of the most adored. She appeared to have little to gain and everything to lose.

But after those big changes—and after Goucher testified to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2013 that her former coach, Alberto Salazar, engaged in unethical practices within his Nike Oregon Project team—she was looking for a fresh start.

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Running should be fun, but it was becoming too much of a grind in Portland.

It’s not that she had anything to prove to the world, her fans or even herself, she says. It was more about having one more opportunity to chase excellence—and a third Olympic team berth—while she still had the chance.

By early 2014, life was good—very good, in fact—with her husband, Adam, and her young son, Colt. She was enjoying life back in Boulder, and had signed new endorsement deals with Skechers, Oiselle, Nuun, Zensah and Soleus—companies willing to partner

with her regardless of how competitive she was. Although anonymous message-board haters started to suggest she was living off of her past accomplishments and even reasonable skeptics were suggesting she was too old to be competitive, Goucher was doing everything she could to return to form.

Despite a few setbacks and distractions—a hip injury in 2014 and a minor knee surgery last winter, and, of course, the very public war of words in the media with Salazar last summer—Goucher has been toiling away as if her life depends on it, knowing all along that age is just a number.

From her coaches’ point of view, that meant adding a bit more speed work and diversity to her training and adjusting her gait a little bit, as well as, of course, logging plenty of long, solitary runs on the dirt roads north of Boulder where she originally honed her talent as a collegiate runner in the late 1990s.

And yet, after her 36-year-old body didn’t respond the way she hoped or expected on that cold, windy day in New York, she desperately wanted her coaches to tell her if it was time to hang it up and move on in life. No one can truly sense that answer on their own, which is why she was begging her confidants to let her know.

“I needed to know right there because I didn’t want to go on fooling myself,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes as she recalled that moment. “They both immediately said, ‘We believe in you. We believe that a year from now you can be a totally different athlete.’ I really needed to hear that at that moment.”

Turns out Wetmore and Burroughs, who are nothing if not frank, were absolutely right, even though they knew it would take a lot more work and a lot of hard miles to get there. For the time being, all Goucher could do was let their words beat down her uncertainty, and reframe that frustrating race as another life experience and perhaps a source of future motivation.

“As hard as that day was, I never thought for a moment that she was a 2:37 marathoner,” Burroughs says. “We just had more work to do.”

Road2Rio.indd 30

With the belief that “everything happens for a reason,” Goucher is happy to be back where she started her career and running with the weight of the world off of her shoulders. Even though she has experienced the dark side of the sport and the harsh realities of the business

photo: PhotoRun.net

Click here to read about what Kara Goucher alleged about her former coach Alberto Salazar.

Goucher ran away from a strong field at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Half Marathon on Dec. 6.

Now, 15 months later, Goucher is in prime shape and ready to be a contender in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles. Under the careful guidance of her coaches, she’s run slightly fewer miles than in previous marathon build-ups, spent more time doing quality workouts and focused a bit more on recovery.

1/21/16 1:52 PM

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Click here for a behind-thescenes video about a photo shoot with Kara Goucher.

Whether or not she makes the 2016 Olympic team, Goucher will go down as one of the most successful distance runners in U.S. history.

of running, she says she’s still the same funloving, dorky girl she was when she started running in high school in Minnesota. Running is fun again, and that might just be the missing ingredient she needs in her quest to make the Olympic team.

“Kara always makes everyone laugh and makes it fun,” says Sara Sutherland, a firstyear pro runner training under Wetmore and Burroughs. “She is one of those rare people with the talent to be real goal-oriented and extremely tenacious and determined, yet always warm, caring and genuine.

PHOTO: PHOTORUN.NET

“That is why she is such a good person to look up to,” Sutherland says. “She has the combination of being an admirable person and an admirable athlete.”

Goucher says she feels as fit as she’s been in years, with her best base of fitness since before Colt was born in 2010. There are indications she’s right. Twice last fall, she turned in solid efforts to win half marathons—at Big Sur in 1:11:13 on Nov. 8, and Rock ’n’ Roll San Antonio in 1:11:10 on Dec. 6—despite training through each of those events.

Road2Rio.indd 31

But to say that the U.S. Olympic Trials race will be competitive is an understatement.

In 2012, Goucher raced neck and neck with Amy Cragg (née Hastings) to narrowly earn the third and final spot on the team. Flanagan and Desiree Linden, the top two finishers from 2012, return as the favorites, and Cragg is back too.

Plus, six other American women have posted sub-2:30 efforts since Goucher ran 2:28:11 to place sixth at the Boston Marathon in 2013—and 32 more U.S. runners have run faster than the 2:37:04 she ran in New York.

All are younger than Goucher, except, of course, 42-year-old Deena Kastor, who ran an American masters record of 2:27:47 in Chicago last fall. (“The Internet keeps reminding me that I’m old,” Goucher joked after winning in San Antonio. “I look at Deena Kastor and I don’t think she’s old.”)

Those are the black and white facts about the field, and, on paper, Goucher is one of probably 10 women who have a realistic chance of making the Olympic team. But Goucher might be a bit of an outlier, given that she’s running with a huge sense of purpose. Not

only to make the Olympic team again, but also to cap this phase of her career as authentically as possible.

“I’ve never seen the slightest hint that she’s been ready to walk away,” Burroughs says.

“Even when she’s ready to be done with marathons and track races, she’ll be doing something else, probably ultramarathons.

She is unusual in that she’s been good since she was 15 years old and she’s still totally motivated. Not many people can sustain that and want to get up every day to train so hard for the right reasons.”

For all of Goucher’s hard work and sacrifices, though, there’s no guarantee the Trials race will have a fairytale ending. She knows all she can do is put in the work, race with courage and let the haters be damned.

“I hear it—people tell me I’m too old or my best days are past me,” she says. “That’s too bad they think that, but it doesn’t matter what they think. I’m not running for those people.

I’m 100 percent focused on what I need to do, and whether I make the team or not, it’s been worth the journey to try.”

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Puskedra thought he was done with running, but his 2:10:24 effort in Chicago last fall cemented his status among the best marathoners in the country.

Road2Rio.indd 32

Click here for a behindthe-curtain look inside the Nike headquarters.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON

Click here for more images from the 2015 Chicago Marathon.

1/21/16 1:57 PM

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The Comeback Kid After quitting elite running in search of an average, regular life, Luke Puskedra slowly found his way back into the sport. Now he’s one of the best marathoners in the U.S. and a top contender for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.

[By Dan England]

any times, with a baby on the way, Luke Puskedra tried to settle into his role as a working man.

He bought a car, and he thought he could be a salesman. He bought a house, and he thought he could become a real estate agent.

After a contractor did some work on the home, he thought maybe he could work in construction.

Every time, his wife, Trudie, disagreed. She knew that Luke, deep down, was a runner.

But because this was after his disastrous first marathon in 2014, and before last October’s breakthrough in Chicago, when, as an unsponsored runner, he finished fifth and ran the fastest American time since Meb Keflezighi’s 2:08:37 in Boston in 2014, Luke disagreed with her. He was no runner. He was sick of running.

Yet Puskedra had been a runner his whole life. He discovered it in third-grade gym class, growing up in Ogden, Utah; the following year, his father drove him to Junior Olympic meets. He became a high school standout and a star recruit at the University of Oregon, where he earned numerous AllAmerican honors and placed fourth in the 10,000-meter run at his final NCAA championships in 2012.

When he ran 1:01:36 in his first half marathon

Road2Rio.indd 33

later that year, many thought he could be a professional star, too. In 2013, Alberto Salazar invited him to the Portland-based Nike Oregon Project to train alongside some of the world’s top runners.

When the time came to prepare for the New York City Marathon in 2014, Puskedra traveled to Salazar’s camp, by himself, and he ran 160 miles a week. Many, including Salazar, were amazed by Puskedra’s talent, but Puskedra saw himself as a grinder.

He admired the casual approach of, say, Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp, but he couldn’t match it. Puskedra thought he had to outwork everyone else. Occasionally, he ran until he was sick.

Running, though, is one of the few sports that doesn’t always offer more rewards for working harder. Illnesses are a common sign of overtraining, and Puskedra also had other symptoms of it. Standing at the start line on Staten Island, he knew he wasn’t right.

It was cold and windy, and he felt sluggish, with wooden legs. He watched the lead pack go first, and then the second pack, and then, the most punishing irony of all happened.

He began to get passed by elite weekend warriors, the guys who had lives, families and careers—all the things he thought he had to sacrifice for running. He ran 2:28:54, a deplorable result for a runner of his pedigree and career bests.

Click here for treatments about how to treat plantar fasciitis.

Puskedra didn’t want to get married right away—even though he met Trudie, a tennis player, at Oregon and loved her—and he didn’t want kids, either, all because of running. Running seemed to take the fun out of everything, or at least skew the perspective of everything else in his life.

In fourth grade he felt obligated to run well because he didn’t want to waste his Dad’s time driving him all over the country to Junior Olympic races, even though his dad just seemed to enjoy the races and didn’t care about the results. When he was in seventh grade he saw his future, and by the time he got to Oregon, he enjoyed competing, but he didn’t enjoy training.

After the disappointing race in New York, during a little break, he ate all the foods he couldn’t eat before, and he didn’t stop. His time off stretched into two months and included four-week trip to South Africa with Trudie to visit with her family.

He just wanted to be a normal person. He wanted to have a wife, a child and a job that he didn’t need to obsess over. When he moved away from Salazar’s camp and back to Eugene, where he’d had his successful college career, he did it for Trudie’s opportunity to become a tennis pro with her old college coach at a club.

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When he was back, however, he kept getting texts from Andy Powell, his old coach, who invited him out to run with the guys.

Oregon, Powell reminded Puskedra, was a family, not just a program. And every time Luke would ask Trudie if he could go, she always said yes. If you want to run, you should run, she said.

“As a man, it’s hard to swallow that your wife is working and you’re not really doing much,” Puskedra says. “But she never gave me the easy out. She never let me off the hook and said I couldn’t run.”

She never let him settle for being a regular dude. Instead, she gave him the time to rediscover that he was a runner.

“I kept telling him that I was making enough for us to be comfortable for a year or so,” Trudie says. “And all the time, I was hoping that he’d start itching to run again.”

If Powell didn’t want Puskedra to squander his talent, Trudie wanted her husband to run because of her own limited ability as a tennis player. She was good enough to play at a prestigious college but she couldn’t play professionally. She knew Luke had that rare chance to compete with the best.

Powell and Trudie both knew, even without talking between the two of them, that Luke needed to discover that itch on his own.

They couldn’t push him. Both of them, then, had to grin when Luke began to join Powell’s team out for a few runs.

Parker Stinson was especially glad to have Puskedra hanging around practice.

Puskedra hosted him on his recruiting

Click here to read how to become faster by doing striders.

As Oregon’s coach, one of Powell’s most important jobs is to prepare his runners for a life beyond the track. Even when they’re seniors and facing the biggest meets of their careers, he’s encouraging them to think beyond running and helping them prepare to find regular jobs and lives.

Puskedra had returned to Eugene as a guy who had successfully given up running. He was 23 pounds over his racing weight. And still, Powell wanted him to start running again.

He always viewed Puskedra differently.

He was one of maybe five guys Powell had coached in his career who could conceivably make the Olympics and possibly even contend for a medal.

Puskedra had some success on the track, but the past year has proven his real opportunity lies on the roads as a half-marathon and marathon runner.

As Trudie saw it, with Powell inviting him to practice, it was her job to keep him from finding a job for as long as possible. Puskedra was a worrier, and, as such, he wondered constantly if he was doing his part as a husband and a father.

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photo: PhotoRun.net

The fact that Puskedra looked “like hell,” Powell says, didn’t change his mind. He hoped that Puskedra would begin to look at his young team—a team full of guys who loved to run—and want to join them.

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visit to Oregon in 2009. “He was someone I really looked up to,” says Stinson, who, like Puskedra, would go on to have a career full of All-American results with the Ducks.

Puskedra was glad to have him around too.

Stinson was the third piece of the triangle.

He helped make training fun. Stinson now calls their training sessions “magic.”

“We just took off, and it’s freeing because

we don’t worry so much,” Stinson says. “We know we will push each other.”

from New York, when people expected him to break out as one of the best Americans.

Once he was back in, Puskedra had to learn how to race again without worry. Thanks to a grant from the Road Runners Association, Puskedra began to travel to smaller races, which would keep the pressure off him as he got his racing legs back. Those went well, and Powell put him in Grandma’s Marathon last June. Puskedra enjoyed it immensely and ran 2:15:27. He soon thought a major marathon like Chicago would be a possibility. He built up to the Chicago Marathon in October by running 120 miles a week, 40 less than what he put in before New York.

Salazar’s Oregon Project didn’t work for Puskedra, but Puskedra doesn’t believe his coaching had anything to do with his failure in New York. He respects Salazar, and said Salazar gave him plenty of guidance.

Puskedra’s 2:10:24 effort stunned the American running community, but it was more of a pleasant surprise for those who were working with him.

“He was in unbelievable shape right before Chicago,” Powell says. “The marathon is such a strange beast, but the times were coming easily to him.”

Click here for an interview with Ryan Hall about his retirement.

Powell believed. He said he would have been disappointed had Puskedra not run at least 2:12.

So what was the difference between New York and Chicago? Before New York, Puskedra overtrained, Stinson said, because he didn’t believe in himself. Training, even too much training, is reassuring to uneasy runners because it’s work, and work makes you better. But you have to believe in the hard work you put in. Puskedra never allowed himself to do that because he always believed he had to outwork others.

“This time, Luke felt great about his workouts, and he would leave it at that,” Stinson says. “He couldn’t do that before.”

Now he’s a contender once again, this time to finish in the top three at the Feb. 13 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles. Puskedra admits he wishes he was in the same position that he was in Chicago: as a relatively unknown, unsponsored runner. Yet there are differences now

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“I’ve pondered that a lot,” Puskedra says.

“I don’t think it was his coaching. My mind wasn’t right. If I was in his program now, with the way I’m feeling now, I’m sure I would excel. But I like the situation I’m in now.”

He writes his own training plans, and Powell gives him advice. He trains with Stinson. And he’s at home with his infant daughter. He thought about spending a couple weeks at altitude prior to Chicago, but he’s discovered that he doesn’t need to isolate himself from his family. He actually needs them around, even with all the work that raising a baby requires. His little girl seems to negate some of the pressure he’ll naturally put on himself.

“In the end, she’s not going to care what time I run,” Puskedra says.

The danger, of course, is Puskedra’s naturally obsessive tendencies, and you can’t just suddenly decide to stop being Type A. Trudie monitors it, and when Luke got back into competitive running, she gave her husband a little advice. Tennis players, she said, will use a phrase to remind them to stay focused on the important things during a match. So they decided on a phrase that she would use when she thought Puskedra was getting carried away with the training again. “Keep it simple,” she tells him.

It’s worked, because Puskedra, for the first time in many years—maybe since the seventh grade—is enjoying running again.

So far in 2016, he’s proved 2015 was no fluke—he set a new half-marathon PR of 1:01:29 on Jan. 17 in Houston.

“I remember him sending me a note after Chicago,” Powell says. “It said, ‘That was fun as hell.’”

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WOMEN

The Short List Here are the top runners in the women’s field of the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon based on the fastest times recorded since the qualifying window opened on Aug. 1, 2013.

34, Portland, Ore., 2:21:14 Already a three-time U.S. Olympian, she’s the second-fastest marathoner in U.S. history. She was sixth in the 10,000 meters at the world championships in Beijing last August.

Desiree Linden 32, Rochester, Mich., 2:23:54

Profile

Serena Burla 33, Stafford, Va. 2:28:01

“Honestly, I’m one of those people that leaves all the logistics up to my coach [Isaya Okwiya],” she says about training in the greater D.C.

37, Boulder, Colo., 1:11:10* This two-time Olympian is running as well as she has in several years. Her two half marathon wins in late 2015 (1:11:13 at Big Sur and 1:11:10 in San Antonio) weren’t close to her PR, but she ran solo on courses that included many turns and rolling hills.

32, Portland, Ore., 2:27:03 After just missing the Olympic marathon team in 2012, she wound up 11th in the 10,000m at the London Games. She was fourth in the 2015 U.S. 10K finals and has been training with Flanagan since last summer.

Deena Kastor 42, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 2:27:47

33, Stafford, Va., 2:28:01 This cancer survivor and mom set her 10,000m PR (32:17) in May and placed 10th at the IAAF World Championships (2:31:06) in Beijing.

She also won the 2013 U.S. half marathon championships in 1:10:48.

Annie Bersagel 32, Oslo, Norway, 2:28:29 Although she’s lived in Norway for several years where she works full-time as a lawyer, Bersagel has posted some of the top marathon and half-marathon times among U.S. runners in recent years.

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Although her recovery was long, arduous and uncertain, Burla made her

Kara Goucher

Amy Cragg

Serena Burla

area. “I just wake up, read my training plan and do what I need to do. You have to focus on one day at a time.”

That’s a bit of wisdom she undoubtedly gained from battling cancer in 2010, which resulted in an intensive procedure removing both the tumor and dominant muscle in her right hamstring.

Runners to Watch

A 2012 U.S. Olympian in the marathon with a 2:22:38 PR, Linden ran strong in her fourthplace finish at Boston in April (2:25:39), a year after a fast 10th-place effort there (2:23:54).

Kastor’s 2:27:47 in Chicago set a new U.S. masters record in October. Not too shabby for someone who won the bronze medal way back in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and set the American record (2:19:36) in 2006.

Click here to read what Meb Keflezighi and Shalane Flanagan say about the Olympic Trials course.

* = half-marathon time

Over the past few years, Serena Burla has maintained a low profile. However, her 2:28:01 marathon PR in 2013 is the fifth-fastest trials qualifying time and her most recent 10th place finish at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing was a reminder not to overlook the tenacious athlete, mother and cancer survivor.

Shalane Flanagan

Click here to read why merely qualifying for the Olympic Trials is a big deal.

Sara Hall

Kellyn Taylor

32, 2:31:14, Redding, Calif.

Hall had a rough marathon debut in Los Angeles last March (2:48:02), but then she placed 20th at the World Cross Country Championships in Beijing a few weeks later. She came back strong at the Chicago Marathon (10th, 2:31:14) in October.

29, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:28:40 With the sixth-fastest marathon debut time by an American woman, Taylor will also be the seventh-fastest qualifier on the Trials starting

comeback by qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon. Unlike her race dropout in 2012 due to hypoglycemia, though, this year she plans on executing the entire course.

“What will be on that day will be,” she says.

“As long as I know that I gave my best and wherever that puts me, I need to be content with that as long as I know I gave it everything I had.”

—Emily Polachek

The women’s field is dominated by fast and savvy veteran runners. line. The 2014 U.S. 25K champion who owns a 1:10:59 half-marathon PR is also the only one training to be a professional firefighter.

Colleen De Reuck 51, Boulder, Colo., 2:39:22 DeReuck was the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon champion in St. Louis.

She’s a four-time Olympian (three times for her native South Africa and once for the U.S.) who won an age-group world title at last October’s Ironman World Championships.

Magdalena Boulet 42, Oakland, Calif., 2:41:36 In the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials race in Boston, Boulet famously dashed

out to a huge lead and ran solo until Deena Kastor caught her. Now the vice president of Research, Development and Innovation at Gu, she’s since moved on to a successful ultrarunning career and was the 2015 Western States 100 winner.

Jen Rhines 41, Boston, 1:12:34* One of the most accomplished U.S. runnners ever, Rhines is a three-time U.S. Olympian, and has continued to run strong into her 40s. She was third at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships and 51st at the world championships last year in Beijing.

Total number of qualified women: 244

Women By the Numbers

Via the 2:45:00 marathon qualifying standard: 196 (including 41 under the “A” standard of 2:37:00) Via the 1:15:00 half-marathon qualifying standard: 48 U.S. Olympic record: 2:25:38, Shalane Flanagan, 2012

photos: PhotoRun.net

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Click here to see more stories about the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.

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MEN

Watch the Feb. 13 U.S. Olympic Trials races live on NBC beginning at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) * = half-marathon time

The Short List The top runners in the men’s field of the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon based on the fastest times recorded since the qualifying window opened on Aug. 1, 2013.

Ryan Vail 29, Portland, Ore., 2:10:57 He ran a solid 28:04 for 10K on the track last spring, but then spent the summer and fall recovering from a navicular stress reaction.

Meb Keflezighi 40, San Diego, 2:08:37 The only runner ever to win Boston, New York and also earn a medal in an Olympic marathon (silver in 2004), Meb is attempting to make his fourth U.S. Olympic team. Yes, he’s 40, but he had two very strong performances to his credit in Boston (2:12:42) and New York (2:13:32) in 2015. Don’t bet against him.

Dathan Ritzenhein 33, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2:09:45 Although he was a bit dinged up with minor injuries last fall, Ritz, who is seeking his fourth U.S. Olympic team berth, is healthy and should be the competitor he was at the Boston Marathon last April (7th, 2:11:20).

31, Rochester, Mich., 2:11:20 Curtis has continued to improve as a runner after finally solving an ongoing problem with insomnia.

He’s one of the fastest 5K runners in the field with a PR of 13:18 on the track.

Galen Rupp 29, Portland, Ore., 1:01:20* The silver medalist in the 10,000-meter run at the 2012 Olympics (and the American-record holder), Rupp might try to double in the 10,000 and the marathon at the Rio Olympics.

He’s never run a marathon, but he certainly has the skills to run 2:10 and will certainly be a contender, if he decides to run in L.A..

Jeffrey Eggleston

Diego Estrada

31, Boulder, Colo., 2:10:52

26, Flagstaff, Ariz., 1:00:51*

In 2014, he clocked a 2:11:57 at Boston and a 2:10:52 at Australia’s Gold Cost Marathon. He ran a half-marathon PR of 1:02:41 in January 2015. He placed 13th in the marathon at the 2013 world championships.

Estrada also has never run a marathon. Although the 5K might be his best event, he’s shown he’s capable of running longer. He has the fastest half-marathon qualifying time of anyone in the race, so expect him to be in the thick of things.

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27, Seattle, 2:18:47 On paper, only two runners in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon men’s field have slower qualifying times than Bennett Grimes. Frankly, he’s pretty happy—and admittedly pretty darn lucky—just to have gotten in.

Grimes, who works for Brooks Sports as an apparel category manager, was battling a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis when he made his marathon debut in Houston last January, and although he still ran well (2:18:47), he came up just short of the Trials qualifying standard of

2:18:00. An adjusted gait led to hip, glute and hamstring issues, so he wound up taking three months off last summer and started to think about 2020.

But when the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard was lowered to 2:19:00, he was suddenly a qualifier—albeit with less than three months to get fit.

What was the first thing he did when he found out? “I called my dad to tell him,” says Grimes, whose father, Danny Grimes, was a 2:13 marathoner who represented the U.S. at the 1987 world championships in Rome and placed 16th in

Runners to Watch

25, Portland, Ore., 1:03:41*

Puskedra’s 2:10:24 PR in Chicago last October confirmed his status among the U.S. elite, as did his 1:01:29 half-marathon PR in Houston on Jan. 17.

25, Eugene, Ore., 2:10:24

Bennett Grimes

Chris Derrick

This three-time U.S. cross country champion ran his first half marathon in January. Although he probably hasn’t peaked in the 10,000 yet, he’s been a champion runner at every level of his career and should be a top-five contender in LA.

Luke Puskedra

photos: PhotoRun.net

Bobby Curtis

Profile

Jared Ward 26, Provo, Utah, 2:12:56 Ward took a break from his running career to complete a Mormon mission before becoming a four-time All-American at Brigham Young University. He’s coached by two-time U.S. Olympian (and former BYU standout) Ed Eyestone.

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the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. “He’s been my coach since high school, but he never put pressure on me to be a runner.

He quickly came up with a modified plan for me to get me ready in time.”

Grimes, who had a hand in deisgning the Brooks elite race kits, says he’ll be ready to rumble. “It’s really exciting,” he says. “A few months ago, I thought I’d have to wait four more years. Now I’ll be running against the best runners in the country and representing the company I work for wearing a race kit I helped create. That’s pretty cool.”—Brian Metzler

The men’s field is one of the deepest in decades.

Elkanah Kibet

Nick Arciniaga

32, Bend, Ore., 2:11:31

32, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:11:47

A native of Kenya who ran for Auburn, Kibet became a U.S. citizen in October 2013 and made his sterling marathon debut last fall, running his PR at Chicago (about a minute behind Puskedra). Kibet, who runs for the U.S. Army, could be a threat to foil some of the more well-known contenders’ plans.

One of the most consistent marathoners in the U.S. for the past several years, Arciniaga has run faster than 2:15 seven times since 2009. He finished eighth at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials (2:11:56) and finished seventh at the 2014 Boston Marathon, just off his 2011 PR of 2:11:30. (For more about Nick, see Page 4.)

Sam Chelanga

Matthew Llano

30, Bend, Ore., 1:02:59*

27, Flagastaff, Ariz., 2:12:28

Another Kenyan who got his U.S. citizenship last fall, Chelanga has never run a marathon but has some amazingly fast track credentials. A four-time NCAA champion for Liberty University, he’s won two U.S. titles on the roads as a pro.

Llano has come on strong in recent years, finishing as the runner-up at last year’s U.S. marathon championships in Los Angeles then running a stellar PR in Berlin. His 1:01:47 half-marathon PR ranks among the all-time U.S. top 20 list.

Total number of qualified men: 211

men By the Numbers

Via the 2:19:00 marathon qualifying standard: 86 (including 27 under the “A” standard of 2:15:00) Via the 1:05:00 half-marathon qualifying standard: 125 U.S. Olympic Trials record: 2:09:02, Ryan Hall, 2008

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Click here to read about Team RWB’s running camp for veterans

Holistic Running REnewal Sync your mind and body to maximize your miles at an all-encompassing instructional camp

Admit it, there are times when running feels like an energy suck. When you have to find the time.

When you need to do an interval workout. When you feel you should go faster or farther. The truth in each of these statements depends upon your perspective. Instead of listing all the effort you give running, consider all the things running gives you: Improved health, new friends, better fitness, inner strength, a happier vibe and a better outlook on life, just to name a few.

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Photo: Eric Orton Mountain Running academy

By Allison Pattillo

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Click here to see photos from a Run Mindful Retreats camp.

Cool Impossible Run Camp in Jackson, Wyo.

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Click here to learn more about Run Mindful Retreats camps.

“I expected nutrition and rest to be important to running,” says Leslie Cline Harper, a self-taught, 40-year-old runner from Charlotte, N.C., who attended a Mindful Running Retreat in Moab, Utah, last fall. “But it surprised me to learn that self-compassion and confidence have a place too. They need and deserve as much attention as nutrition and rest. In applying these principles, I feel a new freedom with my running practice.”

When you look at running in a new light, you are able to tap into the holistic mind and body connection and, ideally, turn your daily run into a gift instead of a chore. But, as for many new things, the experience is often better (or at least easier) when shared. Luckily for runners looking to go beyond faster splits and PRs, you’re not alone.

Many professionals and age-groupers alike are on a similar quest, and new camps and programs incorporating aspects of mindfulness are cropping up to meet the need.

The approach can vary from ethereal to nuts and bolts, so understanding your desires—back to the concept of self-awareness—is essential. We checked out three programs that aim to bring new appreciation to the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. At each one, coaches share experiential knowledge in stunning locales best explored by foot, with plenty of time for informational sessions, yoga, meditation and even hanging out by a campfire.

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Become present on every run and in everyday life Being present in the moment has appreciation for the experience of been a guiding tenet in Timothy running and their approach to it.

Olson’s success as an ultrarunInformation is imparted through ner—he’s a two-time winner and yoga and introductory medcurrent record holder of itation classes, delicious the Western States group meals and Endurance Run, “Meditation is stunningly beauone of the exercise for your mind, country’s most tiful trail runs just like running is for challenging by tailored your body. You just have to 100-mile trail speed and disraces. He now tance to suit remember there is peace ability levels from incorporates and calm out there for mindfulness in hikers to experiwhen you are ready to every aspect of enced ultrarunners. accept it.”

Group runs and hikes his life, from eatare coordinated with ing nutritious, whole meetup spots to enhance the foods and appreciating the beauty around him while on a community aspect and give the trail run to daily meditation, a yoga various groups shared experiences practice, and the thoughtfulness with along the way. which he balances running, family and work.

“Meditation is exercise for your mind, just like running is for your body,” Olson says. “Some days a meditation practice is smoother than others. You just have to remember there is peace and calm out there for when you are ready to accept it.”

Olson launched Run Mindful Retreats last year in Boulder, Colo., and Malibu, Calif., to share the successes of his journey with others. Don’t expect to focus on form and geek out on race-day fueling triumphs and failures though. Instead participants are guided toward a greater

Run Mindful Retreats The buzz: Expect to leave with a new or renewed sense of calm, and the ability to see the beauty in every run.

Best for: The runner looking to enhance his/her running and life through meditation, mindful fueling and community.

Dates: March 24–27, Malibu, Calif.; June 16–19, Boulder, Colo.; Aug. 11–14, Boulder Info: Timothyallenolson.com/ run-mindful-retreats

Photo: Allison Pattillo

Harnessing the positive attributes of running can take your mood and your performance to a new level. The shift comes in realizing that running isn’t something that ends when you leave your shoes at the door. What you eat, how you sleep and your mindset are all intertwined with how you perform and feel on a run. Conversely, how you feel while logging miles spills over into the rest of your life. Becoming self-aware, appreciating your surroundings and being present in any given moment are all steps—albeit somewhat vague and ambiguous—along the journey.

1/21/16 2:06 PM

Photo: Eric Orton Mountain Running Academy, Mindful running retreats

Find out about additional 2016 running camps at Competitor.com/runningcamps.

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Experience nature as the perfect classroom and playground

Learn how to tune into you While traveling the world

As the coach of Born to Run author Between sessions spent running up, down and across the incredible Christopher McDougall, Eric Orton incorporated his deep knowledge trails at Jackson Hole Resort, Orton of body mechanics, understanding stresses the importance of highof human behavior and race quality foods, positive thinking experiences to help a and visualization, and the “Being power of awareness perpetually injured immersed in a in both running runner become and life. If you healthy and run camp for several days truly believe—and a 50-mile race. is not only a ton of fun, commit to the Orton believes but it helps you absorb the work—you can good mechanlessons better since you’re accomplish your ics and form are getting immediate goals. And, at least essential to injuwhen it comes to runry-free running, but feedback.” ning, total body fitness is he also knows clients an essential element, accordwon’t put in the work if ing to Orton. Feet and ankles get they aren’t enjoying the process.

Which is why attendees of the Cool special attention with strengthening Impossible Run Camp in Jackson, and mobility exercises because they Wyo., are encouraged to look at their are the foundation for a successful surroundings as a giant classroom running program. for running, learning and having fun.

At her Mindful Running Retreats your body and being aware of (not to be confused with Run how running is working for you.

All of the running and introspecMindful Retreats), Elinor Fish tion happens in awe-inspiring encourages people to let go locations, with 2016 camps of preconceived ideas and expectations, and simin Utah, Iceland and ply “tune into you” Spain. Programs “I ask clients to discover the include nutrihow running serves roadblocks in tious meals them and fits into their your running prepared routine. Over from fresh, life. They need to be locally the course of honest about it. Running her 25-year sourced should make you a better running ingredients, person, not add to career, Fish luxurious your stress level.” realized that the accommodapile-on-the-miles tions (to help with method of running could recovery, of course!) and be a recipe for disaster. For her, flowing trails with scenic views. the result was a bout of adrenal fatigue and feeling drained by Mindful Running the very sport she turned to for Retreats energy. She discovered that looking at her path to health and The buzz: Expect to leave return to running as a process feeling energized and premade it easier to understand. pared with the tools needed This process of self-discovery is to continue fine-tuning a healthy relationship with the what attendees learn at her all-felifestyle of running. male retreats. “I ask clients how running serves them and fits into Best for: The female runner their life,” Fish says. “They need looking to establish longto be honest about it. Running term running health and find should make you a better permore joy in the sport. son, not add to your stress level.”

“Being immersed in a camp for several days is not only a ton of fun, but it helps you absorb the lessons better since you’re getting immediate feedback,” says 32-year-old Colorado Springs resident Eric Johnson, who went from thinking about running an ultra to winning a 50K a year after attending a Cool Impossible Camp. “Eric helped me understand the concept of mixing up my runs—hitting the trails nice and slow (relatively speaking) for easy/recovery days and incorporating fartlek-style trail exercises on interval days.”

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Cool Impossible Run Camps The buzz: Expect to leave blissfully tired, and with dirt rings around your ankles, tips for self-coaching and a game plan for tackling your goals.

Best for: Someone ready to try something they never thought they could do: going farther, running trails or improving speed.

Dates: July 28–30, Jackson, Wyo. Info: Runningwitheric.com/page/ jackson-hole-run-camps

The process incorporates a whole-health approach of run recovery, setting mindful goals, creating a consistent practice around running, listening to

Dates: April 23–29, Costa Brava, Spain; Aug. 2–8, Reykjavik, Iceland; October, Moab, Utah Info: Elinorfish.com/events

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TRAINING

5 TIPS FOR STICKING WITH YOUR TRAINING PLAN B Y K EL LY O’ M A R A

Click here to read why running a half marathon is a big deal.

Tip: A running group can help keep you motivated and accountable.

As you prepare to tackle your training this spring, keep these key tips in mind:

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GET THE RIGHT PLAN FOR YOU

“Make sure the plan is personalized,” says coach Brian Rosetti, a founder of the Run SMART Project. If your training plan is too hard, you’ll end up hurt and in over your head. Too easy and you won’t improve. Either way, you’ll want to quit.

It’s common for runners to get pumped up this time of year, bang out a few hard workouts, then

find themselves injured or sore and giving up on the whole thing.

The most important factor in sticking to your training plan is getting the right plan in the first place. Rosetti says it should take into account your current fitness level (be honest!), prescribe distances and paces based on your fitness, and progress as you go.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Your training plan looks so good on paper. Now all you have to do is do it. But actually finishing all those workouts on their assigned days is a little trickier than it seems.

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FIRST LAP 44

TRAINING

COMMIT TO A GOAL

Ideally, you’re progressing toward something—otherwise you’re going to find excuses not to stick with it.

Tip: Regularly remind yourself of the reasons you’re doing the workouts.

“A lot of times that first week feels pretty good, but then it starts to wear on you,” admits Dennis Barker, head coach of Team USA Minnesota. The monotony of the day-to-day workouts can be hard to get through unless you have a reason to do so.

That reason doesn’t have to be a race, though that’s often the most motivating. Your goal just needs to be concrete and far enough out, but not too far—about three to four months—that you can work toward it over time.

Set smaller goals along the way, like running a certain amount of mileage or nailing your weekly track workouts.

FIND A BUDDY

Getting someone to train with is “huge in terms of accountability,” he says. It works especially well if your friend is training for the same race and runs about the same speed as you. Even if you can’t find that ideal training buddy, you can still use group workouts and training “dates” to get yourself out of bed so you’ll have someone to enjoy (or suffer through) your workouts with.

CM0216_T_5Tips.indd 44

Click here for six mental tips for success in the marathon.

PLAN YOUR DAY AHEAD OF TIME

BE FLEXIBLE (BUT CONSISTENT)

Even if you’re always motivated to do the workouts, it will still be hard if you don’t have the time.

It can be easy to find yourself second-guessing your training. Should you be doing more? Should you cut a workout because you had a rough day?

If you think you’re magically going to find time in the day, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. You have to plan your day specifically and set time aside, instructs Barker. For most people, that’s easiest in the morning. “Then you don’t have to think about it,” he says. “The later you wait, the more excuses you come up with.”

If you are going to get your training in after work, plan for it before you leave the house. Bring healthy food to the office. Schedule your tasks so you’ll be done in time to leave and be realistic about what you can do.

It’s important to be flexible, says Barker, and know that there’s a limited amount of energy—emotional and physical—you can expend. If one day is exhausting at work, then maybe you need to move your hard run to another day. That doesn’t mean you need to fall off your plan entirely. It just means being sure that each day has a training objective and value. “Think about what you want to accomplish each day,” Barker says.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

There are a few common reasons people stray from their training: they’re too busy or don’t have time, they think they know better than the plan, or they’re just not motivated. By far the biggest issue, Rosetti says, is staying motivated and keeping training fun.

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Workout of the month 46

Training

Click here for a story about ditching long, slow runs.

Click here to read about 5 marathon training mistakes.

Brad Hudson’s Fuel R un for marat honers What: A long run of 16

W h y: “The whole idea is to

W h e n a n d h o w: Every

to 24 miles run at 90 to 95 percent of your goal marathon race pace. E.g.

If your goal marathon pace is 8:00 per mile, the pace of your fuel run should be between 8:24 (95%) and 8:48 (90%) per mile.

build a bigger tank and address the metabolic demands of the marathon,” says Brad Hudson, coach of Hudson Elite training group in Boulder, Colo. “You get more aerobically fit and burn sugars and fats the same way you do in a race without totally destroying yourself.”

three to four weeks during a 12to 20-week marathon training cycle, Hudson recommends doing a fuel run, building up to 22 to 24 miles about three weeks out from race day. For experienced runners, Hudson will sometimes have them complete the second half of the run at goal race pace.

CM0216_T_WOTM/Insights.indd 46

photo: istockphoto.com

B y M a r i o Fr a i ol i

1/21/16 2:10 PM

elite insights Training

47

Meb Keflezighi “Throughout my career I’ve reminded myself that I need to stay committed and have to persevere in order to achieve my goals. Success doesn’t come easy for anyone, but if you do the small things continually—like drills, strength work, stretching or taking an ice bath—eventually they will pay big dividends. And that’s true for all runners, whether you’re a beginner or an elite. You have to be committed to doing the small things, even if they seem pretty boring.”

photo: courtesy skechers

American Meb Keflezighi is the only runner to have won the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon and an Olympic medal. He’s aiming to make his fourth Olympics at this month’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles.

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COACH CULPEPPER 48

TRAINING

PLANNING YOUR RACING SEASON B Y A L A N C U L PEPPER

Once the initial excitement of the new year wears off, February is a good time to really start focusing on your goals for the months ahead: Race times you’re aiming to hit, places you want to experience, unique events that sound fun or even redemption for unfinished business. A whimsical mindset rarely produces desired results.

Now is the time to think through what is important to you by forming a blueprint that will serve as the guide to get you where you want to go.

CM0216_T_CULPEPPER.indd 48

CO RN ERSTO N ES

TA RG E T G OA L S

VA RIE TY

The first step is actually based on

Many athletes, even the best ones, struggle with

Each racing season should include

reflection. Take a moment to think

seeing the big picture and only think about what

some element of variety. Ruts are

about last year. What went well?

event is next on the calendar. It’s important to

created when the same plan or

Where did you fall short of expec-

identify a few key races throughout the year that

program is duplicated each year.

tations? What could you have done

you really want to nail, and work backward from

Variety should not only be a theme

better? Use the answers to these ques-

those events. It can be tempting to keep the same

in training, but in races as well. This

tions to acknowledge what worked

schedule year after year and, inevitably, dupli-

might mean focusing on the 5K for

for you while homing in on the areas

cate the same training. Your training should be

a period of time before resuming

where you need the most improve-

targeted at the end goal—not the intermediate

your half or full marathon training.

ment to ensure you don’t make the

ones or less important races that often become

This could also include a trail race

same mistakes. The key to this pro-

a distraction to the larger objective. This may

or something else totally different

cess isn’t rewriting the entire book—in

require skipping an annual race you enjoy and

from your norm. Breaking up the

most cases, it’s about making small

adjusting your mindset to focus on the main

routine is important as long as it

changes that have a big impact.

goal for the season.

doesn’t compromise your goals.

Two-time U.S. Olympian Alan Culpepper won national titles from the 5K to the marathon. His first book, “Run Like a Champion,” is available at VeloPress.com.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Click here for a list of bucket list 5K races in the U.S.

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Mid-Atlantic region.

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51

BEST 5K/10K:

Pike’s Peek 10K, Rockville, Md. BEST HALF MARATHON:

Loudoun Half Marathon, Ashburn, Va. BEST MARATHON:

Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, D.C. BEST TRAIL RACE:

The North Face Endurance Challenge, Washington, D.C. BEST DESTINATION RACE:

Big Sur Marathon, Big Sur, Calif.

BEST WOMEN’S RUNNING EVENT:

Baltimore Women’s Classic 5K, Baltimore, Md. BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

Team in Training

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

Back on My Feet

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

Kara Goucher

BEST TRIATHLON:

Outer Banks Triathlon, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Team Z, several locations

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

Fit Pro Massage, McClean, Va. BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Balance Gym, Washington, D.C. BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Solidcore, Washington, D.C.

Off-Road Indoor Cycling, Washington, D.C.

Spark Yoga, Arlington, Va.

BEST SUMMER RESORT:

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

BEST WINTER RESORT:

BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Spartan Race

Craig Brooks, Fitness Unleashed, Accokeek, Md.

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

Fast Track Sports Medicine & Performance Center, Arlington, Va.

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR:

BEST SPECIALTY RUNNING SHOP:

BEST BIKE SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Ray’s Hell Burger, Arlington, Va.

Richmond Gran Fondo, Richmond, Va.

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

Potomac River Running, Washington, D.C.

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANTS:

BEST YOGA CLASS:

BEST RACE SWAG:

Hoka One One Clifton 2

Nuun Hydration

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

Capitol Hill Classic Kids’ Race, Washington, D.C.

Ashburn Area Running Club, Ashburn, Va.

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Baltimore Running Festival

Parks Half Marathon, Rockville, Md.

REI, several locations

North Wildwood, N.J.

Snowshoe Mountain Resort, W.Va.

Jeep Cherokee

Dr. Aleck Wong, Herdon, Va.

Spokes Etc., Leesburg, Va. BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Transition Triathlon, Leesburg, Va.

Raleigh Running Co., Raleigh, N.C.

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Midwest region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Faith & Fitness 5K/10K, Chicago BEST HALF MARATHON:

Chicago Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, Chicago BEST MARATHON:

Chicago Marathon

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Fitness Formula Clubs, several locations

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Team to End AIDS

Total Restoration Massage Therapy, Oak Park, Ill.

John Bingham

Fit Body Boot Camp, several locations

Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10-Miler, Darien, Ill.

BEST TRIATHLON:

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

BEST DESTINATION RUNNING RACES:

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

BEST WOMEN’S RACE:

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

BEST TRAIL RACE:

RunDisney Running Series, Orlando, Fla., and Anaheim, Calif.

Women’s Magnificent Mile, Chicago BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

Pumpkins in the Park, Chicago BEST RUNNING CLUB:

(tie) Elijah Running Club and Chicago Endurance Sports

Chicago Triathlon

Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour, Mequon, Wis.

Tough Mudder

BEST RACE SWAG:

Hot Chocolate 15K Run, Chicago

Big Foot Triathlon, Lake Geneva, Wis.

BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SPECIALTY STORE:

BEST BIKE SHOP:

Fleet Feet Chicago, several locations

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Pints Pub Run, Fleet Feet Sports, Elmhurst, Ill.

BestOf_MW.indd 51

BEST YOGA CLASS:

Fitness Formula Clubs

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Rick Applewhite, Exercise Life, Chicago BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

Aligned Modern Health, several locations

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Saucony Hurricane

Fitness Formula Clubs

REI, several locations

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Nuun Hydration

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

The Scout Waterhouse & Kitchen, Chicago BEST SUMMER RESORT:

The American Club, Kohler, Wis. BEST WINTER RESORT:

Breckenridge Resort, Colo.

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Jeep Wrangler

Jen Evola, LMT, RD, LDN, CGFI, CFST, Mobile Health & Wellness, Chicago

Wheel & Sprocket, several locations

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Urban Tri Gear, Westmont, Ill.

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Tri-Umph Inc., Chicago

1/19/16 2:11 PM

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Mountain West region.

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51

BEST 5K/10K:

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

(tie) Golden Leaf Half Marathon, Aspen, and Equinox Half Marathon, Fort Collins, Colo.

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Project Purple

Colorado Athletic Club, several locations

BEST MARATHON:

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Bolder Boulder 10K, Boulder, Colo.

BEST HALF MARATHON:

Colorado Marathon, Fort Collins, Colo.

BEST TRAIL RACE:

Bear Chase Trail Run, Lakewood, Colo.

BEST DESTINATION RUNNING RACE:

St. George Marathon, St. George, Utah

BEST WOMEN’S RACE:

Zooma Run, Colorado Springs

Team in Training

Kara Goucher

BEST TRIATHLON:

Boulder Ironman 70.3 BEST CYCLING EVENT:

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Snowmass Mud Run, Snowmass Resort, Colo.

BEST RACE SWAG:

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

Chase the Moon Endurance Run, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SPECIALTY STORE:

BEST BIKE SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Flatirons Running, Boulder, Colo.

24-Hour Fitness, several locations

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Great Candy Run 5K, Denver

Runner’s Roost, several locations

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

BEST YOGA CLASS:

BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

Hoka One One Clifton 2

Orange Theory Fitness, several locations

Denver Century Ride

(tie) Hot Chocolate Run, Denver and Human Potential Running Series, several locations

Revolution Running, Denver and Boulder, Colo.

Chris Grauch, Boulder Deep Tissue, Boulder, Colo.

REI, several locations

Core Power Yoga, several locations

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Nuun Hydration

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

Southside Walnut Café, Boulder, Colo.

J.B. Bittner, 24-Hour Fitness, Boulder, Colo.

BEST SUMMER RESORT:

BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

BEST WINTER RESORT:

Red Hammer Rehabilitation, Louisville, Colo.

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

(tie) Dr. Kendelle Krause, Accelerate Health, Denver, and Dr. Heather North, Red Hammer Rehabilitation, Louisville, Colo.

Vail Resort, Vail, Colo.

Winter Park Resort, Winter Park, Colo.

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Subaru Outback

Boulder Cycle Sport, Boulder, Colo.

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Kompetitive Edge, Sheridan, Colo.

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club, Denver

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Northeast region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Rocky Run, Philadelphia BEST HALF MARATHON:

Boston’s Run to Remember, Boston BEST MARATHON:

Boston Marathon

BEST TRAIL RACE:

Black Diamond Running Series, Scranton, Pa. BEST DESTINATION RACE:

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Alzheimer’s Association

The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers, New York City

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Run Tri Ride to End Alzheimer’s

Bill Rodgers

BEST TRIATHLON:

Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Shamrock Marathon, Virginia Beach, Va.

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

BEST WOMEN’S RUNNING EVENT:

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, Boston, Mass.

BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

NYRR Times Square Run, New York

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

Nike Running Club, several locations

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Mizuno Inspire

BEST SPECIALTY RUNNING SHOP:

Marathon Sports, Boston, Mass.

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Scranton Running Company Barrier Breakers, Scranton, Pa.

BestOf_NE.indd 51

Tour de Scranton, Scranton, Pa.

Spartan Race

BEST RACE SWAG:

Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

Boston Marathon

BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

REI, several locations

BEST BIKE SHOP:

(tie) Cyclesport, Bergen County, N.J., and Action Wheels Bike Shop, Depford, N.J.

Body Balance Massage, New York City

Robert Wood Johnson Fitness & Wellness Center, New Brunswick, N.J. BEST SPINNING CLASS:

LA Fitness, several locations BEST YOGA CLASS:

(tie) Mondo Yoga, New York City and Priya Hot Yoga, Philadelphia BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

(tie) Adam Goodrich, Marathon Physical Therapy Fitness and Sports Medicine, Pembroke, Mass., and Dave DiSanto, Mercerville, N.J. BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

(tie) Marathon Physical Therapy Fitness and Sports Medicine, several Boston-area locations and Complete Health and Chiropractic, Morrisville, Pa.

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR:

(tie) Chris O’Brien, Marathon Physical Therapy Fitness and Sports Medicine, Newton, Mass., and Dr. Jeffrey Clancey, Yardley, Pa./Lawrenceville, N.J. BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Advocare 02 Gold

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

Backyard Ale House, Scranton, Pa. BEST SUMMER RESORT:

Killington Resort, Rutland City, Vt. BEST WINTER RESORT:

Loon Mountain, Lincoln, N.H. BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Honda Pilot

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Landry’s Bicycles, several locations BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Live4Tri South Jersey Triathlon Club, Moorestown, N.J.

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Northwest region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Rogue Farms Independence Day 5K, Independence, Ore. BEST HALF MARATHON:

Newport Bay to Brews Half Marathon, Newport, Ore. BEST MARATHON:

Portland Marathon

BEST TRAIL RACE:

Orcas Island 25K, Orcas Island, Wash.

BEST DESTINATION RUNNING RACE:

Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage, Blaine to Langley, Wash.

BEST WOMEN’S RACE:

Bridge of the Goddess Half Marathon, Cascade Locks, Ore.

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Girls on the Run

Villasport Athletic Club & Spa, Beaverton, Ore.

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Shalane Flanagan

Northwest Personal Training, Portland, Ore.

BEST TRIATHLON:

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

Team in Training

Lake Meridian Triathlon, Kent, Wash.

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Warrior Dash

BEST RACE SWAG: BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

Superhero Showdown, Anchorage, Alaska

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

Portland Running Company Race Team

Hot Chocolate 15K Run, Seattle

Amy Brown, Athena Rehab, Portland, Ore.

Tempo Cycling & Pilates Studio, Portland, Ore. BEST YOGA CLASS:

The People’s Yoga, Portland, Ore. BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Josh Adams, Raise the Bar, Seattle BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

InHealth, Seattle

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

Hood to Coast Relay, Mt. Hood to Seaside, Ore. BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENTS:

Nuun Hydration

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

Widmer Brewing, Portland, Ore. BEST SUMMER RESORT:

Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, Ore. BEST WINTER RESORT:

Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Subaru Outback

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

Cheryl Myers, PT, Anchorage, Alaska

REI, several locations

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS

BEST BIKE SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SPECIALTY STORE:

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Portland Running Company BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Portland Running Company

BestOf_NW.indd 51

Northwest Tri & Bike, Kent, Wash.

Northwest Tri & Bike

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Raise the Bar, Seattle

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the PaciďŹ c West region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Carlsbad 5000, Carlsbad, Calif.

BEST HALF MARATHON:

San Dieguito Half Marathon, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

BEST MARATHON:

The San Francisco Marathon BEST TRAIL RACE(S):

Brazen Racing Trail Series, East Bay Area BEST DESTINATION RUNNING RACE:

Boston Marathon

BEST WOMEN’S RUNNING EVENT:

Nike Women’s San Francisco Half Marathon BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

Junior Carlsbad 5000

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

San Diego Track Club

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Hoka One One Clifton 2 BEST SPECIALTY RUNNING SHOP:

BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

National MS Society

24 Hour Fitness, several locations

BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Team in Training

Meb Keflezighi

BEST TRIATHLON:

Wildflower Triathlon, Monterey County, Calif.

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

Bike MS Bay to Bay, Irvine, Calif., to San Diego

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Spartan Race

BEST RACE SWAG:

(tie) Hot Chocolate 15K Run and Santa Rosa Marathon BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

Carlsbad 5000

BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

Orange Theory Fitness, several locations

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Nuun Hydration

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

Fly Wheel Sports, Los Angeles BEST YOGA CLASS:

CorePower Yoga, several locations

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

In N Out Burger, several locations

BEST SUMMER RESORT: BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Shawn Phillips, Los Angeles

Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku, Hawaii

BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

BEST WINTER RESORT:

Rehab United, San Diego

Northstar California, Truckee, Calif.

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

(tie) Dr. James Chen, San Francisco and Dr. Benjamin Liang, Los Angeles

Subaru Outback

REI, several locations

Forward Motion, Danville, Calif.

BEST BIKE SHOP:

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

Fleet Feet Pleasanton, Calif.

SF Restoration Therapy, San Francisco

Mike’s Bikes, Folsom, Calif.

Nytro Multisport, Encinitas, Calif.

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

San Diego Tri Club

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the South region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Honored Hero 5K, Fort Worth, Texas BEST HALF MARATHON:

Bentonville Half Marathon, Bentonville, Ark. BEST MARATHON:

Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth BEST TRAIL RACE:

War Eagle Trail Races, Rogers, Ark. BEST DESTINATION RUNNING RACE:

Route 66 Marathon, Tulsa, Okla.

BEST WOMEN’S RACE:

Jingle Butt 5K, Arlington, Texas BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

Mayor’s Race 5K, Dallas

BEST RUNNING CLUB:

Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Grapevine, Texas BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Brooks Ghost

BEST RUNNING SPECIALTY STORE:

(tie) Luke’s Locker and Fort Worth Running Company, several Texas locations BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

(tie) Rush Running Rush Hour Speed Session, Bentonville, Ark., and Fort Worth Running Co. Monday Funday, Fort Worth

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BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

Team in Training

BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

Kara Goucher

BEST TRIATHLON:

(tie) Riverman and Trifecta Triathlon, Palo Pinto County, Texas BEST CYCLING EVENT:

Hotter ‘N Hell 100, Wichita Falls, Texas

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Spartan Race

BEST RACE SWAG:

River Cities Triathlon, Shreveport, La.

BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

War Eagle Trail Races, Rogers, Ark. BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

REI, several locations

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Fort Worth Tri Club, Fort Worth BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

Cyril Russel-Harris, CR Massage, Fort Worth BEST HEALTH CLUB:

Lifetime Fitness, several locations BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

Black Box, Forth Worth

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

Lifetime Fitness, several locations BEST YOGA CLASS:

Bikram Yoga North Texas, Arlington, Texas BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Sharon Jackson, FitBodies, Fort Worth BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

Active Spine & Sport Therapy, Fort Worth

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

Nuun Hydration

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

Katy Trail Ice House, Dallas BEST SUMMER RESORT:

Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas BEST WINTER RESORT:

Breckenridge, Colo.

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Subaru Outback

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

Dr. Brian Mulhall, Active Spine & Sport Therapy, Fort Worth

BEST BIKE SHOP:

Richardson Bike Mart, Richardson, Texas, and Fort Worth Cycle, Fort Worth BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

PlayTri, Colleyville, Texas

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5 201 Every year, we ask our online readers and social media followers from around the country to vote for their favorite races, specialty shops, clubs, charity programs, coaches, products and more. Competitor is pleased to announce the 2015 winners for the Southeast region.

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BEST 5K/10K:

Peachtree Road Race 10K, Atlanta BEST HALF MARATHON:

(tie) Atlanta Track Club Thanksgiving Half Marathon, Atlanta, and Helen Holiday Half, Helen, Ga. BEST MARATHON:

Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon, Savannah, Ga. BEST TRAIL RACE:

Yeti Snakebite 50/50, Lithia Springs, Ga.

BEST DESTINATION RUNNING:

BEST RUNNING SHOP GROUP RUN:

Big Peach Running Co., several Georgia locations, and Fit2Run, several Florida locations BEST CHARITY TRAINING PROGRAM:

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society BEST CHARITY TO FUNDRAISE FOR:

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research BEST RUNNING CELEBRITY:

Shalane Flanagan

Yeti 100 Mile Endurance Run, Abington, Va.

BEST TRIATHLON:

BEST WOMEN’S RUNNING EVENT:

BEST CYCLING EVENT:

Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon Weekend, Orlando, Fla. BEST RACE FOR KIDS:

RunDisney Kids’ Races, Orlando, Fla.

Allatoona Triathlon, Roswell, Ga.

The Atlanta Cycling Festival, Atlanta

BEST ADVENTURE/MUD/ OBSTACLE RUN:

Tough Mudder

BEST RACE SWAG: BEST RUNNING CLUB:

(tie) Yeti Trail Runners and Atlanta Track Club

Best Damn Race 5K/10K, Orlando, Fla. BEST RACE T-SHIRT:

BEST RUNNING SHOE:

Mizuno Wave Rider

BEST SPECIALTY RUNNING SHOP:

PTS Sports, Roswell, Ga.

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BEST BIKE SHOP:

Mack Cycle, Miami

BEST TRIATHLON STORE:

All3Sports, Atlanta

BEST TRIATHLON CLUB:

Alien Endurance, Miami

BEST SPORTS MASSAGE:

BEST SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR/THERAPIST:

BEST HEALTH CLUB:

BEST SPORTS SUPPLEMENT:

BEST FITNESS STUDIO:

BEST POST-RACE RESTAURANT:

BEST SPINNING CLASS:

BEST SUMMER RESORT:

Florida Sports Massage, several locations

BTB Crossfit and Boot Camp, Atlanta

Studio South Fitness, Sarasota, Fla.

2.2 Fitness, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. BEST YOGA CLASS:

Green Monkey Yoga, Miami BEST PERSONAL TRAINER:

Andy Clark, Miami

BEST SPORTS REHAB CENTER:

(tie) Tye Marr and Dale Yake, Acworth, Ga.

Nuun Hydration

Smokebelly BBQ, Atlanta

Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City Beach, Fla.

BEST WINTER RESORT:

Vail, Colo.

BEST ACTIVE LIFESTYLE VEHICLE:

Honda CRV

PT Solutions, several locations

Walt Disney World Marathon, Orlando, Fla. BEST OUTDOOR SHOP:

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, several locations

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RUN IT 66

community

Where and When to Race Racing this time of the year is largely a function of where you live. For some, the cold and slippery weather limits outdoor time. But for others, it’s the best season to enjoy cool temperatures and low humidity. No matter where you live, though, it’s always a good time to add races to your calendar and keep you training through the last of winter and into spring.

B y J eff B a n ow etz

For a complete race calendar, go to Competitor.com/calendar

Asheville Marathon

Photo: Colby Rabon

Click here to read about America’s 25 Best Half Marathons

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RUN IT 68

community

M a r at h o n s / H a l f M a r at h o n s

Rock ‘n’ Roll Washington DC March 12; Washington, D.C.

Asheville Marathon March 12–13; Asheville, N.C.

Georgia Marathon March 20; Atlanta

Get a close-up view of the nation’s capital at this Rock ‘n’ Roll event, which features both a full and half marathon (and 5K) that hit all the major sights in town. This being a Rock ‘n’ Roll race, expect a course lined with live music, local bands and cheer teams to keep you going strong.

Choose from the half on Saturday or the full marathon on Sunday; either way you’ll enjoy running through America’s largest backyard at the Biltmore Estate, the 250-room French Renaissance chateau built by the Vanderbilt family. Both races stay within the private grounds of the property, which was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

In its 10th year, the Georgia Marathon was purchased by the Atlanta Track Club, which organizes more than 30 events in the city. The race starts and finishes at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta and offers a loop course that explores much of the city.

Photo: Courtesy of Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

Rock ‘n’ Roll Washington DC Marathon

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M a r at h o n s / H a l f M a r at h o n s

Bend Marathon April 24; Bend, Ore.

Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon April 30; Louisville, Ky.

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon May 1; Cincinnati, Ohio

After a successful inaugural year, the Bend Marathon and Half returns to the Oregon mountain town. The route along the Deschutes River and the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway is about 90 percent pavement, 10 percent trail. The first half climbs about 500 feet, but mostly finishes with a fast downhill.

Before Churchill Downs is filled with fancy hats and mint juleps, Louisville welcomes runners from all over the country for a race that takes a bit longer than two minutes. The loop course features a tour of many of the city’s neighborhoods as well as a lap inside the Churchill Downs track. Be sure to bet on yourself!

You might snicker at the name, but the Flying Pig Marathon celebrates its 18th running this year and is regarded as one of the strongest races in the Midwest. The weekend is full of races, and runners can even challenge themselves by completing the “4-way,” which includes a 5K and 10K on Saturday followed by the full marathon on Sunday.

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

Photo: Michael E. Anderson

Photo: Courtesy of Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

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community

5K to 15K

Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K March 6; New York City

Hot Chocolate 15K and 5K March 20; San Diego

Cohasset Road Race by the Sea 10K April 3; Cohasset, Mass.

This New York Road Runners race in upper Manhattan offers a scenic (and hilly) tour of Washington Heights. Runners will circle Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters while being entertained by salsa, blues and Irish folk musicians. Plus, a little gospel, meringue and jazz to keep the multicultural theme going.

San Diego’s year-round warm climate isn’t ideal weather for hot chocolate, but anyone who loves chocolate will certainly enjoy this 5K and 15K race with a start and finish at Petco Park. After the race, celebrate with a fondue party that includes plenty of other chocolate treats. All runners also receive the coveted full-zip, fleece-lined race hoodie.

Celebrating its 40th running this year, this race features a challenging course with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean. The 10K race is capped at 1,770 participants—the year the town was founded—and all participants will receive a 40th anniversary longsleeve T-shirt.

Photo: Courtesy of Cohasset Road Race

Cohasset Road Race

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5K to 15K

Shamrock Shuffle 8K April 3; Chicago

Levi’s Presidio 10 April 17; San Francisco

Texas 10 Series Sienna April 24; Missouri City, Texas

This race marks the unofficial start of Chicago’s racing season, and more than 20,000 runners fill Grant Park to put that winter training to the test.

The flat course winds through downtown Chicago, and the post-race party features live music and beer. Plus, there’s a belated St. Patrick’s Day theme.

This family-oriented event starts at the Presidio and features 5K, 10K and 10-mile options, with the longer runs crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge and back, before finishing at Crissy Field.

Enjoy a hot breakfast, live music and those great views of the Bay post-race.

This inaugural run is the third race among seven in the Texas 10 Series, which features the Race to the Armadillo Cup. This particular race runs 10 miles, 5 miles and 1 mile (for kids) through the community of Sienna Plantation (near Houston) on a relatively flat course among the oak trees.

Photo: Courtesy of Shamrock Shuffle 8K

Photo: Courtesy of Cohasset Road Race

Shamrock Shuffle 8K

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community

Click here to learn how to train for a 50K race.

Trail

Dances with Dirt March 12; Dade City, Fla.

Into the Wild OC Trail Runs March 12; Orange, Calif.

Napa Valley Trail Marathon March 19; Saint Helena, Calif.

This challenging trail run less than an hour from Tampa, Fla., takes runners through a cypress forest with an impressive array of botanic diversity. The loop course is primarily flat and fast, and runners can choose from a 10K, half marathon or 50K. You’ll witness plenty of wildlife, including armadillos, deer, wild pigs and maybe even an alligator.

Runners in Orange County will get to explore two of the area’s most beautiful parks (Santiago Oaks and Irvine regional parks) at this trail run that offers 21K and 10K distances. The 10K is less technical and run largely underneath a canopy of oak and sycamore trees. The 21K is more challenging with steep climbs and descents. Both races reward runners with beautiful mountain vistas.

This 26th annual event takes runners on the incredible singletrack at the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. The course is challenging, with plenty of hills, streams and rocks, but you’ll be rewarded with scenic views. The area is filled with some excellent restaurants and wineries, making it a fine destination race.

Photo: Joel Boroian

Napa Valley Trail Marathon

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Trail

Rogue Trail Series: The Maze March 27; Austin, Texas

Spring Xterra Cheyenne Mountain April 10; Colorado Springs, Colo.

Chickamauga Chase April 16; Chickamauga, Ga.

The first leg of this 13th annual three-race series takes place at Walnut Creek Park and features a trip through a labyrinth of trails with plenty of climbs and a few creek crossings. Each event features a 10K, 30K and three-person 30K relay, and the course is well marked with plenty of aid stations and support.

Choose from the 5K, 12K or 24K at this Colorado race in the picturesque Cheyenne Mountain State Park. As you’d expect, the race does take runners to higher elevations, reaching 6,500 to 7,200 feet above sea level. Keep that in mind when choosing your distance, but each of the distances features some spectacular scenery that makes the climbing worthwhile.

This 48th annual event offers a 15K and 5K road race through the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park just across the TennesseeGeorgia state line. But it also includes an excellent 8-mile trail run that gives runners a decent view of the Civil War battlefield. The course is also relatively easy, with hardly any significant elevation changes.

Photo: Mason Trinica, The Gazette

Spring XTERRA Cheyenne Mountain

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Last Lap 74

T h e Fa v o r i t e Shalane Flanagan, 34, Portland, Ore.

By Mar io Fr aio li

When the top female marathoners line up at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, many eyes will be on defending champion Shalane Flanagan. Since winning the 2012 Trials in record time (2:25:38) and finishing 10th at the Olympic Marathon in London, the three-time Olympian has not let her foot off the gas. She’s added more national titles in cross country, road and track racing to her extensive resume, and has posted the two fastest marathon times by an American female during the Olympic Trials qualifying period (2:22:02 and 2:21:14 at Boston and Berlin, respectively, in 2014). Flanagan was fourth at Boston in 2013, seventh in 2014 and ninth in 2015 (although she could move up a spot in 2013 and 2014 if drug cheat Rita Jeptoo of Kenya is stripped of her titles), and also took third at Berlin in 2014 when she ran the second-fastest American time in history.

What do you think needs to be done to clean up the sport?

I would love to see lifetime bans invoked for athletes caught doping. I just don’t think there’s a place for athletes who have taken that path. I don’t think they should be part of the sport if they don’t respect their peers or the history of the sport or the integrity of it. It’s a pretty big offense in my mind.

What big goals do you want to achieve before you retire?

Making my fourth Olympic team is really important to me.

It just shows—hopefully—the consistency of my career and

CM0216_B_LAST.indd 74

it would be a nice culmination because I don’t know if I would go for a fifth Olympics. And then my second goal is, obviously, to win the Boston Marathon—it’s a goal I’ve had for a while.

What is your forthcoming cookbook, “Run Fast, Eat Slow” about?

It’s not about “light and lean,” it’s just about indulgent nourishment. It’s really going to help runners realize that sitting down and indulging in really great food can be nourishing and social and fun.

What would you like your legacy to be?

Just to be a part of such an amazing team and group of people is really important to me. So that’s what I hope to be remembered as: Someone who was a great teammate and helped elevate not only my own running and American distance running but my teammates that I’m surrounded by daily, and having a positive impact on their lives.

For the complete interview, go to Competitor.com/lastlapshalane

Click here to read an interview with Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray.

Click here to read about coach Brad Hudson, the marathon whisperer.

Photo:Scott Draper

What have you learned since the last Olympic Trials?

It’s nice to know that I don’t have to outdo myself every time. In fact, I feel like I can actually do a little bit less volume and a little more quality training now, which is fun for me. Learning how to race the 26.2-mile distance rather than just completing it is an art form, and I’ve had a variety of experiences since the last Trials and have learned how to actually race over the full distance.

1/21/16 2:24 PM

If you’re a competitor, you beat your best.

It’s what you do.

RYAN BETHKE/COMPETITOR GROUP

If you want to save money on car insurance, you switch to GEICO. It’s what you do.

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1/19/16 11:13 AM

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