Upcoming Issues
Check out what to look for in the next issues.
As featured in the Web Only issue of Running Times Magazine
March 2010
RT Masters of the Year
Our annual rankings of the best performers in each age group 40 and up reveals another year of record-breaking performances from both young (like open 20K national champion Coleen DeReuck at 45) and old (witness 93-year-old Evelyn Tripp who ran an age-graded 13:19 for 5K). Check out our master's rankings from last year >>
PLUS: We present an listing of all-time best American age-graded performances, and catch up with four of the all-time greats to get memories of their best years and find out what they are doing today.
N
o Vacancy
Want to run a marathon in 2010? Hope you’ve already signed up. Increasingly, races are filling early, and not just the big ones, like New York, that has had a lottery for more than a decade; mid-level, mid-American marathons now often cap the field well before race day. When Boston started turning runners away in November even if they had qualified, we decided to take a look at the situation, and assess what methods races are using to limit the size of their fields and what it means for the long-time, serious runner.
The Master and the Wunderkind
They are 6 decades and worlds apart, yet they share this: domination. Ed Whitlock has made headlines since he became the first man over 70 to break 3:00 in the marathon (he’s since lowered that to 2:54, at age 73). Lukas Verzbicas, at nearly 1/5 of Whitlock’s age, drew national attention by taking down the national high school record in the 5,000m as a freshman, while not considering distance running his primary sport (he’s a triathlete). We take a closer look at these two bookends of excellence in our sport.
Real Answers to Real World Questions
Training advice abounds that paints big-picture plans or detail specific workouts down to the meters and seconds, and we lap them up. But many questions seem to fall between the cracks, especially when it comes to apply these workouts and plans to our specific situations; how do we deal with timing issues, running with a group, weather concerns, difficulty finding hills, or making it to a track? Scott Douglas asked top coaches and runners to provide real-world answers that you can apply to your training this year.
Meet the World Champions
(no, they aren’t Ethiopians)
It’s been more than a decade since anyone but an Ethiopian woman has stood on top of the podium in the 10,000m at a world championship, and nearly as long in the 5,000m. This year, however, two young Kenyans bettered the Ethiopians to take gold. That can happen on any give day, you may argue, but a closer look at these two Kenyans — Linet Masai and Vivian Cheriuyot, who live and train together in London during the track season — reveals that they aren’t flash in the pan, but have demonstrated excellence in the junior ranks for years, and are coming of age to take their place on top of the world.
Owner’s Manual
Coach and masters star Pete Magill describes how to overcome the ten most common types of pre-race jitters. Plus, the best medicine ball exercises for runners, a better way to include recovery bouts during hard workouts and a simple do-at-home way to speed recovery after a hard workout.
McMillan’s Performance Page
Coach McMillan shares part 2 of the lessons he learned in 2009 and how to incorporate them into your training, including building a “no fear” attitude, and how to use hills and mileage to manage your peak.
Masters
Pete Magill describes the surprisingly competitive (but no less friendly) culture of top masters today through the window of the 2009 Syracuse Festival of Races.
College
This issue we’ll look at the Stony Brook University distance running program coached by former elite Irish marathoner Andy Ronan. After being bumped up to Division I a decade ago, Ronan now has the program on the cusp of competitiveness, partially building on Irish, Swedish and Kiwi runners. We’ll highlight emerging twin sensations Lucy and Holly Van Dalen, who hail from New Zealand. A sidebar will discuss on the re-emergence of Stanford as a men’s distance power under new coach Jason Dunn.
Shorts
We’ll present 10 things to look forward to in 2010, including hot races, emerging athletes to watch and other trends. Our Gear section will highlight four new running watches; We’ll catch up with American distance legend Craig Virgin, who is working as a consultant coach for schools in Colorado and Florida. A short Q&A will feature Micah True, the American who started the trail running race that was popularized in the book “Born to Run;” and Roger Robinson’s Footsteps column will take a historical look at the Milrose Games.
Trails
We’ll profile Tim Parr, a former Western State University runner who has run sub-2:20 on the roads but has since changed his focus to ultrarunning. Training with the Gunnison Distance Project, Parr won the 2009 Leadville Trail 100.
High School
Marc Bloom, editor of The Harrier, presents impressions and lessons from the 2009 Nike Cross Nationals, plus training advice from Coach Roy Benson.
APRIL 2010
Minimalism Madness
It’s everywhere now, from the New York Times to obscure blogs: people eschewing shoes and jumping on the barefoot bandwagon. Few marathoners getting in their 60-mile weeks are going to go bare cold turkey, but should we dismiss the movement altogether as a Born to Run-induced fad? We look at the science and practice of minimalism and argue for a moderate minimalism: wearing the least shoe you can, and working to reduce that shoe through strength and form work.
Spring Shoe Review
We review the 2010 models, with specific attention to shoes that will help you run better and faster this year (see minimalism story).
The 5K Is An Effort
Masters champion Pete Magill details a training plan for the 5K for experienced runners that allows you to dial in the specific effort you need to set a PR at this difficult distance.
Marathoners of the Year
2009 was a watershed year in the marathon, with stellar performances by runners young and old (relatively), both international and American. We sort out the top performers using our exclusive ranking system. Will London and Chicago victor Sammy Wanjiru reach the top? Or will Tsegaye Kebede’s three strong performances (2nd in London and Berlin, victory in Fukuoka) surpass Wanjiru? What of Meb and the other Americans?
Owner’s Manual
The stretching debate will probably always be with us, but we’ve got evidence from new studies about the benefits of dynamic stretching. We describe why, when and how to stretch most effectively. Plus, a step-by-step guide to self-diagnosing shin pain.
McMillan’s Performance Page
Coach McMillan details five characteristics of successful runners he’s observed, with specific ways you can become more like them.
Racing: No Vacancy
Want to run a marathon in 2010? Hope you’ve already signed up. Increasingly, races are filling early, and not just the big ones, like New York, which has had a lottery for more than a decade; mid-level, mid-American marathons now often cap the field well before race day. When Boston started turning runners away in November even if they had qualified, we decided to take a look at the situation, and assess what methods races are using to limit the size of their fields and what it means for the long-time, serious runner.
Masters
A 60-something runner reflects on the passing years, and we highlight the training and racing of an age group ace.
COLLEGE
A profile of Metro State’s Anthony Luna, the NCAA Division II 800-meter champion who will be moving up to the 1500m as the 2012 Olympic trials approach. Luna was a standout in high school, but had to take time off from running while working and starting a family. Plus, a sidebar on Pete Julian (Luna’s former coach), a former elite distance runner who is the new head coach at Washington State.
SHORTS
The Shackleton twins tackle the marathon together right after college; Q&A with Meb Keflezighi on his plans for 2010; Five runners to watch this spring, with brief details on how they improved in 2009; Roger Robinson’s Footsteps column
TRAILS
A primer of Midwest trails, races and runners.
High School
A coach tells how his team won, then lost the state championship within a few hours — then came back to win the next year for good. A profile of Megan Morgan, high school distance star who placed second in the juniors race at the Mountain Running World Championship.Plus: a preview of track standouts to watch for in your region of the country.
MAY 2010
Spring Marathon SpecialIf it’s spring, then it’s marathon time, including the granddaddy of them all, Boston. We look at why regular runners aim for Boston year after year as their personal Olympics. We also visit with our marathoner of year, Sammy Wanjiru, as he gets ready to defend his London title, and reveal the Japanese secrets behind his and other Kenyans’ success.
Pesky Performance Nutrition QuestionsWhat supplements (legal ones) actually help runners? What supplements should I avoid? Is there value in training my body to run without carbs? What’s the trade-off? What happened to the d
epletion cycle in carboloading? These questions and more answered in our nutrition package.
Basics of Basic SpeedTo run faster, you need to learn how to run fast. Sounds simple, but what exactly is basic speed, and how do you improve it? Elite coach Jay Johnson shows how to apply the principles he uses with his runners to build the speed that will translate to faster times at all distances.
The Illinois WunderkindLukas Verzbicas wins national high school titles and sets records seemingly at will, and running isn’t even his main sport. We profile this teen triathlete to find out just how good he can be if he decides to focus only on running.
Owner’s Manual How long does it take for a hard workout to make you faster, not just tired? We detail how many days it takes your body to get fitter from the most common types of workouts, and how to schedule your training accordingly. Also, how to conquer stomach problems on the run.
McMillan’s Performance PageCoach McMillan outlines four favorite workouts for the 10K.
Racing: The College SceneA big part of the renaissance in American distance running is happening at the college level. Today’s college runners are tomorrow’s Olympians, and there are more of them running faster than ever. We look at this happy development and forecast whether the future will be even brighter. Plus, a profile of national half marathon champ Antonia Vega, who will next tackle the Boston Marathon.
MastersWe explore the training and philosophy of Suzanne Ray, 55-year-old American record holder from Alaska, and reflect with a 60-something runner on the passing years and when one becomes a “life-time runner.” Plus training ideas from Bill Rodgers.
CollegeWe take a look at the cross country and track programs at Villanova University, which has been rich with distance running talent since the early 1970s. Now under the guidance of Gina Procaccio and Marcus O’Sullivan, the programs are still among the best in the NCAA. The women won last fall’s NCAA cross country title, while the men have consistently produced top 1500m and 5,000m runners. Also, a sidebar on Sheila Reid, a former top junior runner who has rekindled her career with the Wildcats.
ShortsBoston 2010: We interview runners who ran in 2008 and 2009 to find out what worked and what didn’t; We profile former world-class triathlete Fiona Docherty, who is training under Steve Jones in an attempt to reach the world championships marathon standard at this year’s London Marathon; Craig Virgin set national high school and college records in Illinois and still lives there, but now he’s helping high school teams across the country win state titles; Plus, we’ll have a short profile on Tony Sandoval, who won the 1980 U.S. Olympic marathon trials; And we’ll highlight five runners to watch this spring. (And maybe, a Q&A with Deena Kastor, who will be running London in late April.)
TrailsA short profile of American mountain running sensation Joe Gray, a former University of Oklahoma runner who has found his niche in trail and mountain running. We catch up with the two-time U.S. Mountain Runner of the Year as he begins the 2010 season.
High SchoolA look at a Facebook group created to save Oregon high school cross country, interview a top high school miler and get Roy Benson’s advise on how best to integrate barefoot running into your running.