In my New Year Running Resolutions for 2022 post from last week, suggestion #8 was to “read at least one running book”. As much as I believe this is an important resolution, I confess that I kind of threw that one in at the last minute, mostly because I was selecting the running books I want to read this year.
A few readers contacted me letting me know this is a clever idea and they will either pick or have already picked their running book for 2022. As an avid reader, I can’t but be delighted on the reception this suggestion had. Now, one of my readers (and dear friend), asked me that, based on this suggestion, what is “the one book” I will recommend for someone to read in 2022.
If you want to get better, learning about our sport is as important as putting in the miles. Being knowledgeable is always an advantage
The question was so broad that I didn’t pay much attention to it, at first. But as the week progressed, I kept circling back to it. Sure, there is not a straight answer to it but there must be a way around it. Somehow, this remained in my brain’s backburner and would not go away. So this is what I have come up with:
There is no way to recommend just one book. No one book encompasses everything, nor it can satisfy the curiosity of every reader. In the post, I stated that “If we want to get better at our sport, we must learn about its science, its practices, its history, and its top performers. Personal experience is important, sure, but it is not the wherewithal to become the best runner you can be.”
Based on this, I decided to segment that suggestion and propose one book from each category. So, based on your particular interest, you can have “The One Book”. It is not what was asked but I hope it fits the bill.
Science –The Science of Running, by Steve Magness: If you want to geek out and dig deep into the science of what happens inside your body when you run, this is the book for you. It is dense, full of biology, scientific references and it is not the most fun to read. But if you decide to go through it, you will come out with a deep understanding on the physiology and mechanics of what happens when you run and why.
Practices –Run for Your Life, By Dr. Marc Cuccuzzella: The author has run Sub-3 marathons for over 30 consecutive years. In this book he mixes science and personal experience in an easy-to-read narrative, without geeking out on the science side of things. He explains the importance, the right way, and the approach to human movement so you can do it smarter, stronger, and springier. This book is as much for a sub-3 marathoner as it is for a walker wanting to complete a first 5k.
Reading while running is neither safe nor necessary. This is a real photo.
History –Kings of the Road, By Cameron Stracher: This is the story of Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, and how they fueled the first running boom after Shorter’s marathon gold in the Munich Olympics (1972). It shows how running went from a niche activity by a bunch of crazies to the foundation of the New York City Marathon. This is the base for what came later, and thus, what we are enjoying, today. These were the pioneers who brought marathoning to the mainstream of participation sports.
Top Performers – There are great bios out there on Rodgers, Shorter, Johnny Kelly, Steve Prefontaine, Haile Gebrselassie and many more. But if you are delving into running bios for the first time, 26 Marathons, by Meb Keflezighi could be a good place to start. Beyond his running acumen, most of us can relate to him because he is a contemporary figure. We can also learn plenty from each one of his 26 incursions into the 26.2 monster.
Special Mention – Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall: An indispensable read for anyone interested in understanding how the human body was built to run, told through superb storytelling. This book has become a classic and there is a good reason for it. Just beware that his praise for minimalistic running shoes and barefoot running has been disproven. But other than that, it is a gem.
I set up my website sometime in 2019, so I could one day launch my coaching services business. But life, work and training got in the way and my two original blog posts stood there alone for quite a while. But, after having a wonderful experience coaching a handful of runners in the 2020 Miami Marathon, I decided to resuscitate my writing and wrote about it. Promoting the post through social media I was surprised to get a solid reaction in the running community and, from there, it just took off. 23 months later, and having missed only one week since, I am happy to announce you are currently reading the Foultips.run blog post number 100.
A sampling of some of the blog posts from earlier 2021.
These 100 blog posts have become my labor of love for running. I spend a lot of time looking for stories, reading books, magazines, talking to people in running forums or figuring out topics that will be of interest to the running community. Some friends have pointed me to remarkable people they know, and this is stories like “The Inspirational Story of Marie Bartoletti”, or “Running with Lymphoma” by Coach Annemarie McCormick Howell, were published. Both became some of the most read post.
Through the blog I met Coach Mia Braithwaite, who wrote “The Journey of the Fat Runner”, which is the most read post in the history of my blog. Mia’s story and passion about including athletes of all sizes into the running community got her a profile in the latest issue of Runner’s World Magazine.
Even though book reviews have not turned into the most popular posts, as I would have liked, I still enjoy reviewing running books, because if one day, someone can benefit from it, my effort will be worth. And suddenly, this came true the Christmas when a coaching client posted a book he just started reading. I replied letting him know it was a terrific book and he told me his wife visited my blog to find him a running book Christmas. My faith in book review posts has been rekindled, so be prepared for more.
The blog has allowed me to share information on the science of running, exercises, firsthand experiences about my running life, and recommendations to keep safe during challenging times. I have been lucky to have about 15 contributors in these two years. Runners who have graciously either written original pieces or gave me permission to repost their content. Special thanks to them.
In the last two years, 9515 readers have visited the blog, reaching its peak in April 2021 with 1,425. Visitors from the United States make up most of my readership and if someone can refer a runner in North Dakota to my blog, I can finally complete all 50 states. Canada, India, Venezuela, and United Kingdom complete the Top-5 geographic locations of my readers. Overall, visitors from 78 countries in six continents (nobody from Antarctica yet) have honored me with their visits. These include visits from faraway corners of the world such as Mauritius, Vietnam, Guernsey, Uganda, and Saudi Arabia.
9515 readers form 78 countries have visited Foultips.run within the last two years.
Twenty-eight of my 99 previous posts have reached at least 100 reads. This may mean nothing when compared with the big blogs around the world, but this is a one-person show and to know that my readers come back and find interesting running information about their sport, keeps me inspired to keep going.
I confess that at times I feel unmotivated, deflated, and wondering if my blog reaches enough runners to be meaningful. If it makes any difference or if it matters at all. But, from time to time, a runner goes out of its way to let me know they enjoy my blog, or leaves me a comment, or lets me know they applied something they read here to their running life, that one of my stories has inspired him/her, and I realize it is worth continuing.
So, as 2021 comes to an end, I want to thank every single person who read the first 100 posts of this blog, even if it was just once. It is because of you that I live to write another post.
For this week’s blogpost I want to do an introspection to reflect on what the year that is coming to a close has been on a personal level. I just reached the 1000-mile mark last weekend. This alone is a miracle for me, even though I have reached the milestone several times before. 2021 came for me with many challenges that go beyond the Covid pandemic completing its second year. I faced serious health challenges that, held by the hand of the Lord and with the support of my wife, family, and friends, I have been able to overcome. It has been quite a journey.
This was me at the hospital, two days after my open-heart surgery
On June 23 I underwent open-heart surgery after two years of trying to manage the issue. My arteries had a wiring problem since birth that suddenly, at age 53 and having been active all my life, started becoming an issue. I also got a coronary artery by-pass.
Recovery was an arduous process. I started walking around the ICU floor, two days after the procedure despite having 13 different things connected to my body. Once I got home, I developed a circuit around my house (living room to kitchen, to living room to 2nd bedroom, to master bedroom to bathroom and back). I made sure to walk right by my medal rack so I could make sure to see where I had been and where I wanted to get back. Then the walk progressed outdoors to pick up the mail and then to half a mile. Finally, on July 10th, 17 days after my procedure, I was able to walk a full mile. One month from my procedure I was walking 4 miles a day, and after 2 months I started cardiac rehab. I had walked close to 200 miles since surgery.
By August 30 I was able to run five, one-minute intervals and two-and-a-half weeks later I ran 20 minutes straight and was released from cardiac rehab. From there I started a run/walk protocol to enhance my endurance and little by little was able to run more, walk less and rack up mileage. On November 3rd I completed my first 10-miler and on December 4th completed half marathon distance in 2:25. On December 18th I run/walked 17 miles and the next day I completed 1000 miles for the year. If it wasn’t because I am the one doing all this, I wouldn’t believe it was possible. I would need Strava proof to make sure nobody is trying to trick me.
Walking by this display kept me focused on the goal.
There is a reason why I write this, and it is not to toot my own horn. I am writing this because I am the living proof that having an active life is the key to develop a body capable of repairing itself promptly and efficiently. I have been active my entire life and have been running or walking non-stop for 14 years since my return to the asphalt. In my estimation, this has been the key to my miraculous recovery. So much that, with my cardiologist’s blessing, I will be participating in the Houston Marathon on January 16th, just 207 days after my procedure.
This could have not been possible without surrendering my health and recovery to God, while doing my part to assist. This could have not been possible without the devotion and dedication from my beautiful wife, Meki, during my recovery. This could have not been possible without the support of my family, who were ready to help in anything I could need. This could have not been possible without the support of my buddies from No-Club Runners, who epitomized why runners are such a special bunch of crazy people. This could have not been possible without being fit and healthy for a prolonged time.
So, as life got back to normal, I returned to work after seven weeks of recovery and the pandemic continued to wreak havoc in our lives; my cardiologist told me it is time to turn the page on this episode of my life. To move on to bigger and better things. And thus, as I reached the psychologic barrier of the 4-digit number of miles for this challenging year, I reflect on the year that was and the life I have left.
Note from the Editor: I am subscribed to the “Running and Schmidt” blog by Coach Shelby. A few weeks ago she wrote a funny post. It was funny only because it was real, and somehow reflected the true nature of every morning runner out there. Every runner will be able to find a little bit of him/herself in these random thoughts. I am publishing her post with her permission.
Feel free to contribute with your own thoughts in the comments section. Enjoy!
There are countless tihngs that go through the mind of morning runners. Some, funnier than others (Picture by libreshot.com)
If you wake up at ungodly hours to run countless miles, you can safely fall into the category of \”crazy morning runner\”. You know them, you see them, you are them: we are the ones with headlights, neon vests, half opened eye lids and enough coffee in us to fuel a small rocket.
Most of us don\’t run with headphones at that time of the morning, for safety, so we have A LOT of time to think. Have you ever run more than three miles without headphones? I don’t love it. It allows me to have WAY too much time to think and my mind is like black hole with no end in sight.
While my endless thoughts just won’t stop, every once in a while, I come up with some gems that I can’t help but share.
So, with that being said, I present you:
Internal Morning Running Thoughts
WHY am I up this early!?!?
When does the time change for it to be brighter earlier? (Then repeats “spring forward fall back” and try to do math at 5am to what time it would actually be).
Passing the same house you did earlier but now they have lights on: “Ohhhh look who’s awake now.”
Seeing someone’s garbage/recycle full to the top: “Damn! did someone have a party?”
When you see another runner like you crazy enough to give up sleep: “Did we just become best friends?”
Seeing a dark object that I can’t fully make out: “Is that a human/dog/ wild animal.”
When a car seems to be slowly coasting along past every house: “What is that car doing? I’m gonna break out my ninja moves—watch out!!!!! Oh it’s just paper delivery l, carry on.”
Literally, every time I bump my pepper spray against myself: “Please don’t let me pepper spray myself.”
Passing houses with lights on: “Doesn’t anyone sleep around here!?!”
When there is a mound of tree clippings taking up half the sidewalk or road: “Do they have any trees left?!?”
When anyone comes around a corner, otherwise of the street or basically into existence remotely near me: “Stay awayyyy!”
I know I can’t be the only one to have these thoughts and I’m sure that everyone has their own!
What are some of the thoughts you have?
*Shelby Schmidt is a running coach certified by RRCA. You can follow her in Instagram at @runningschmidt, and read her blog at https://www.runningandschmidt.com/
As athletes, especially as runners, we are usually very fit people. It doesn’t matter if you weigh 120 pounds and look like a Kenyan world-record holder or if you are on the 200+ or 250+ side of the scale with an overhanging gut. Being fit does not mean being healthy, and it doesn’t mean you have a heart disease vaccine.
In the 1982 New York City Marathon, when my dad ran his first 26.2, a French runner collapsed and died. He told us that he passed this guy in the middle of the ruckus, which made it to all the newspapers next day. It must have been quite an impression on a 16-year-old kid, for 39 years later I am telling you this story.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a 24-year-old runner passed away from a cardiac issue during the Montreal Half Marathon. Unfortunately, this is one of the handful of cases that happen every year, where a fit athlete goes out for a run and, sadly, doesn’t comes back.
Jim Fixx wrote one of the most influential books in the history of running, yet he passed away from a cardiovascular issue, suddenly, at age 52.
If the father of the running boom in the United States is Frank Shorter, the Godfather must be Jim Fixx, author of the mega 1977 best seller “The Complete Book of Running”. In a pre-internet, pre-Google era, this book popularized access to the knowledge of the sport, including the cardiovascular benefits of jogging and running. This guru went for a run on July 20, 1984, at age 52, and died of a fulminant heart attack. He was in great shape, but his autopsy revealed he had atherosclerosis, with one artery blocked 95%, a second 85%, and a third 70%. His father had died at age 43 of a second heart attack.
During the Marathon Trials for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ryan Shay, a 28-year-old, high-performance athlete with a 2:14 PR, collapsed 5.5 miles into the race and was pronounced dead 40 minutes later. Autopsy report said: “Cardiac arrhythmia due to cardiac hypertrophy with patchy fibrosis of undetermined etiology”. Whatever that means, it doesn’t sound good.
But there have been many cases of runners luckier than Fixx and Shay. One of the most active and fit guys you will ever meet is Dave McGillivray. You may know him as the Boston Marathon Race Director since 2001. His athletic accolades include running across the United States, (3,452 miles) in 80 days, running the Boston Marathon every year since 1973, 9-time Hawaii Ironman finisher and has participated in over 1000 organized races. Yet, in October 2018, at age 63, underwent triple bypass surgery. His family cardiac history was against him, regardless of how fit he was. He is one of the lucky ones that is telling his story.
Ryan Shay, a young marathoner with a 2:14 PR, passes away suddenly at the 2008 Olympic Trials.
These are just three relevant cases from many that time and time again prove that just because you are fit, doesn’t necessarily mean you are cardio-vascularly healthy. These are two concepts that are not inclusive.
And there is a reason I bring up this subject, today. And it is because of my personal experience, which I would be dishonest if I did not share with my readers. Two years ago, during my yearly medical check-up, my doctor told me that even though a stress test wouldn’t do much for me because I was a fit marathoner, I should do it anyway “because you never know”. And guess what? you do. A congenital issue in my arteries was discovered. Unoxygenated blood was recirculating while bypassing the lungs, which created such a stress for my heart it could have provoked a heart attack. Fast-forward two years, and on June 23, 2021, I underwent open heart surgery to fix the issue. This “unneeded” stress test potentially saved my life. Now, very shortly, I should be cleared to run again.
The moral of this story is to make sure that you understand that even though you keep an active and healthy lifestyle, you are not immune to the genetics of your ancestors, cardiac birth defects or the sequels of your unhealthy habits prior to your active life. Get checked up. You never know. I am proof of it.
NOTE: If you are having or had a cardiovascular issue and you are an athlete, one of the best support resources I’ve found is the Cardiac Athletes Facebook group. I invite you to check it out.
Maybe because I started running way before personal computers and the internet were ubiquitous. Or because I am a visual person. Or because I am just traditional. I like to keep track of my sporting activities in a written log. For years I handwrote in a 3-ring binder and, as the technology progressed, I set up a spreadsheet that has been constantly changing as I learned more about the wonders of MS Excel.
These days, with Garmin, Strava, TrainingPeaks, RunKeeper, and many, many more, you just forget about it, and someone keeps track for you. And they do so with more parameters than you will ever need, know what to do with, or care for. I do believe it is inevitable that any “serious” runner will end up with a GPS watch and an online account, and that is a good thing. But at the same time I believe that so much data, uploaded up there in the cloud, where you can access but small portions of it at a time, is not necessarily better. Yes, well into the 21st Century, I advocate for a written running log.
World Record holder Eliud Kipchoge has been keeping a handwritten running log since he turned professional
Eliud Kipchoge, —yes, that Eliud Kipchoge— has kept a had written, yearly running log since he became a professional runner. He records in every single workout as detailed as possible, also adding things and thoughts from outside the running world that may help his training. “When you write, then you remember”, he says. If it works for Kipchoge, maybe you should give some thought.
There are multiple ways to keep track of your activity. You can do it by hand in an appointment book, a 3-ring binder, or a notebook. There are also a variety of journals on sale specifically designed for this purpose. In your computer you can develop an Excel sheet to track what is important to you, or you can just write in your entries in a Word (or equivalent) document. Google has spreadsheets and documents that are accessible in your desktop computer and phone. The options, these days, are limitless.
It is important to take your time to write or type something into your journal, purposefully, so you can internalize it, meditate on it, and visualize. Your GPS watch doesn’t record your thoughts.
Your entries can be arranged, based on the platform where you keep them: daily, weekly, or monthly. My personal preference is monthly because it allows me to review a bigger segment of my training in a single glance. Since I developed my Excel sheet, I have added weekly totals, monthly and yearly totals, pace average, heart rate, temperature, humidity, cross training, and much more.
Why do we keep track?
Because when we get in a rut (and you will), you can go back to when you were doing great and check what worked for you back then.
Because when you are training for your goal race you can glance your entire training without thumbing through hundreds of single entries in Strava or Garmin.
Because when you decide to change GPS watch brand, or want to change your online tracking platform, you won’t lose the data in your account.
Because when you are looking for a specific piece of data you can flip a page or two instead of combing through thousands upon thousands of data entries that were not designed with your needs in mind.
Because you can store it by year, month or whatever parameter works for you so data will be easily accessible when you need to consult it.
Because it creates a spectacular database that will become your frame of reference to get you from where you are today to where you want to be, tomorrow.
Handwritten logbooks or computer spreadsheets can become as elaborate or a simple as your individual needs.
If by any chance I have persuaded you to give a running log a try, start right away. Now! Write down date, mileage, time and specific, detailed notes of each workout. If you did a particular mobility exercise or weightlifting routine that made you feel good, write it down. If you ran with someone who helped you get the best out of your ability, write it down. If the temperature or humidity became a pro or a con on your run, write it down. If you started with a new pair of shoes, write it down. If you feel any parameters become key in every workout, start tracking them.
The key to the usefulness of your log is the quality and trustworthiness of the data. If you fail to do your entries after each training, if you don’t keep good notes on why it went great or why you bonked, if you are just guessing your mileage and time, if you are lying to yourself, if you misplace your logs in your home or computer; then you are better off not wasting your time.
Think of all the benefits I’ve enumerated and check for yourself if they have any merits.
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