I just received a pair of Altra Superior trails shoes in the mail (I purchased them at Running Warehouse – they are now in-stock). My plan was to run in them today and write a first impression report tonight, but it turns out they run small so I need to send them back for a […]
Merrell Bare Access 2: First Impressions and Giveaway
October 16, 2012 By 43 Comments
One of the things that I like about the Merrell Barefoot line is that they use the same last for all of the shoes in it. For example, today I spent the entire work day in a pair of brown leather Tough Gloves, and then finished the day with a 4 mile run in the […]
Neutral Running Shoes Need Not Be the Goal for All Runners: More on Pronation Control
October 15, 2012 By 14 Comments
Over the past few years I’ve written several posts on problems with the pronation control/arch height model of fitting running shoes. These include the fact that runners generally have poor knowledge of how much they pronate, that static arch height does not correlate well with dynamic arch height, and that studies have shown little benefit […]
Minimalist Running Results in Fewer Injuries?: Survey Suggests that Traditionally Shod Runners are 3.41 Times More Likely to Get Hurt
October 10, 2012 By 18 Comments
Last week a flurry of articles appeared linking to the abstract of a new survey based study that suggested that traditionally shod runners are 3.41 times more likely to suffer a running-related injury than minimally shod runners. I opted to hold off on posting anything about the study until I had a chance to read […]
Plantar Fasciitis: How I Beat My Long-Term Battle With Heel Pain
October 8, 2012 By 66 Comments
I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. However, I’ve been holding off because I wanted to be sure that I have in fact won my battle with persistent heel pain. I’m finally at a point where I think my war with plantar fasciitis is officially over. As a runner, I’ve been […]
New Balance MT20v2 Review: Solid Shoe, But Questionable Upper Durability
October 7, 2012 By 28 Comments
The New Balance Minimus MT20v2 is the sequel to the “mass market” version of the New Balance Minimus Trail MT10. I’ve never quite understood the rationale for why New Balance makes both the MT10 and MT20 since they are basically the same shoe with slightly different designs, but I guess they have their reasons. I’ve […]
Do Runner’s Know Their Arch Height and Amount of Pronation, and Does it Matter?: Study #2
October 2, 2012 By 11 Comments
Last week I posted the results of a study published in a conference proceedings back in 2003 that addressed the question of whether runners’ self-assessment of their degree of pronation was accurate or not (i.e., do they know if they overpronate). Their conclusion was that most runners have very poor knowledge of how much they […]
Runblogger’s Blogroll
October 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Update 7/9/2013 – The blogroll that resided here recently died when Google Reader was formally shut down. I am currently working on a new solution – stay tuned!
Race Recap: New PR at the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon!
October 1, 2012 By 24 Comments
One of my most vivid memories from high school was having to complete the 3-mile run in under 21 minutes on the track to make the varsity soccer team. I did it, but just barely (it hurt!), and I can remember teammates puking after they crossed the finish-line. I’m way more competitive with myself than […]
The Honorable Clan of the Long-Distance Runner: Great Article by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch
October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I’d like to alert you to an excellent article on running in the New York Times. Written by Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch, the article takes a somewhat philosophical look at what it means to be a runner, and why recent events in the running world such as Kip Litton’s cheating and Paul Ryan’s exaggerated […]
Running Changes Lives: Louise Cunningham’s Story
October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
One of the things that I absolutely love about writing this blog is meeting people through it who have changed their lives by starting to run. Louise Cunningham is one such person. I met Louise (or Weez) this summer at a running workshop that I co-hosted here in Concord, NH – she drove all the […]
Do Runners Really Know How Much They Pronate?
September 27, 2012 By 19 Comments
Two days ago I posted commentary on an article by podiatrist Ian Griffiths that discussed why the term “overpronation” is inaccurately applied and should be banished as a blanket criterion for assigning shoes to runners. I did quite a bit of research on this topic while writing my book, and my overwhelming conclusion was that […]
University of Richmond (my Alma mater) is Cutting it’s Track and Field Program: Support Them By Signing Their Petition
September 27, 2012 By 3 Comments
I was surprised to open up the Let’s Run homepage today and see the name of my undergraduate Alma mater featured front and center. Turns out the University of Richmond, which I attended from 1993-1997, is cutting their indoor and outdoor track and field programs and the men’s soccer program to make way for a […]
New York Times on the “Myths” of Running: Is There a Best Way to Run
Gina Kolata of the New York Times wrote an article that appeared in the paper today. The title is “Myths of Running: Forefoot, Barefoot, and Otherwise,” and the article opens with the following question: “Is there a best way to run, so that you use the least energy and go the fastest?” Kolata goes on […]