A. No, never. I have found that it really messes up my calves and is not really great exercise. So no, why would I? Now, if the question is really “what do you do when it’s cold or when it’s raining and you have a run schedule”, the answer is: I go and run outside! […]
A. The night before a marathon, I tend to eat a small plate of pasta with butter and some protein like chicken or salmon…and for desert, anything simple like rice krispy bars or plain cookies. What I avoid is heavy cream or spicy tomato sauces, and anything too rich, too sugary, or with too much […]
A. No, never. First of all, I actually don’t know many people who do this, and the few who run multiple marathons have their own plans and destinations that are independent of mine. Also, most marathons –even big international marathons – are generally regional events. Add to that that marathons can often have 8,000 to […]
A. Not that often, actually: only three times a week; usually Tuesday mornings (6 miles or so); Thursday mornings (8-10 miles) and Saturday morning long runs (12-22 miles depending on how close the next marathon is). Interestingly, because I run marathons now about once a month, my downtime recovery (usually a week of no running […]
A. Yes, I have had several great running coaches (Greg Close, Joe Bachana, and Jim Saint-Amour) in the past few years, some of whom have taught me to run better and with less injuries, and all of whom have kept me “honest” by posting a weekly schedule for me, the details of which are tracked […]
A. I think about my running form, I look at the scenery, and I listen to audio books, podcasts, and music. On marathon days, I have a specific routine of saving the final chapters of a suspense novel (such as an Agatha Christie murder mystery or a David Baldacci thriller) for the last half. Wanting […]
A. Speed is not my focus; getting to do lots of marathons around the world is. One thing seems certain, though, that a) getting older and b) doing constant running does tend to slow things down over time. At one point early on, I trained with my coach Greg Close to become really fast and […]
A. Kind of, sometimes… While they are all 26.2 miles long, some marathons have little twists to make them more appealing by, for example, taking place at night (ex. Las Vegas night marathon) or running though a special experience (Disney World, which links five theme parks and ESPN Zone while being cheered by Disney characters, […]
A. I get this question all the time, but the simple answer is always the same: 26.2 miles (42.195 KM). All marathons anywhere in the world are 26.2 miles. No exceptions. Just like a baseball has nine innings, or basketball has four quarters, a marathon by its definition consists of 26.2 miles of running. Now, […]