Monday, February 14, 2011

What Runner's World taught me about running



Recently, I did a big magazine purge. Something about the journalist in me makes me a pack rat when it comes to the printed copy. Maybe that's why I have a copy of the front page for most major news events of the past 15 years or so. I've filled a huge storage container with newspapers.

But recently, I dumped almost five years worth of Runner's Worlds into the recycling bin. The only saving grace is that I think all those thousands of pages have taught me these things about running:

  • Every month of the year, you will have a reason to lose weight/trim up/tighten abs/work core/strech/don't stretch. You may clip out these pages and if you're lucky try them once in awhile.

  • Read about 15 food varietals you've never heard of, and a couple recipes you think in theory you'd eat, but ultimately won't. Except for the general I gotta eat better bit.

  • Get tips on running long/fartleks/tempos/speedwork/recovery/race pace and rest that will make for the ultimate first marathon/20th road race/5k/10k/half

  • Understand that no matter how annoying they are, politicians/actors/broadcasters/chefs/retired football players/celebrity are also runners

  • That no bio of any of the above is complete without a PB race time that in theory gives you one chance to be faster (ie. better) than said famous person

  • Someone out there has this amazing running trail that makes your kinda beautiful route look dull

  • They make lots of brands of shoes, for all shapes and pronation, but in the end you're just going to look for your shoe (or the closest to it) and read about that one

  • U.S. running is on the verge of something great. Again. Cue Prefontaine/Portland/Mammoth Lakes/Hansons/Salazar/Hall/Dathan reference.

  • There are really awesome races. You wish Runner's World would stop telling everyone about them. And Boston and New York are a big deal too. We'll remind you every March and October of that till you want to run both of them.

  • That every issue is pretty much like the last, but like that same old route, it's always good to know you've got company

  • And once in awhile, a Steve Friedman or John Brant or Benjamin Cheever or Kenny Moore will write a piece that will leave you in awe, maybe in tears and make you believe that running is truly the most beautiful sport. Google Steve Friedman he's the best of the bunch, the Gary Smith of running writing.

    Somehow, over the years, most of it sunk in. So I threw most of them away, but I think I got the gist of it. One foot in front of the other, right?
  • 3 comments:

    EndorphinBuzz said...

    LOL! I got a one year subscription for Canadian Running last year that I let expire. Maybe I should just dig up the magazines from last year from each month and reread them every month this year. There can't be that many changes in winter layering, spring tuning up and summer marathon training since last year, right?

    alison said...

    I think you really hit the nail on the head with this post!

    Anonymous said...

    Ha!
    I had a moment this morning where I picked up 2 RW magazines and was wondering why I had been sent doubles. Turns out the covers of April 2010 and April 2011 are practically the same!