Given the important place that this site holds in my life, it is extremely rewarding to see the work I put in here recognized as important in some way. I’ve been fortunate to have been recognized as a top running blog by Competitor Magazine and Sneaker Report, a top fitness blog by Outside Online, and most recently one of 50 blogs making a difference in fitness, health, and happiness by Greatist.

In this post I wanted to encourage you to take a look at the list Greatist put together. What I particularly like about their list is that they focused on sites primarily written and managed by a single person (or pairs of authors). What this means as that the success of these sites is largely the result of a tremendous amount of hard work put forth by a an individual who is extremely passionate about the topic that they focus on. There are some well-known names on the list, but many of the authors probably started a lot like me – in relative obscurity. It probably took a year of consistent posting before I had any kind of sizable readership, another six months after that before the income generated from the site was more than a few dollars per day, and three full years before the possibility of doing this full-time entered my mind. You have to be willing to persevere to build a successful website. You have to be able to endure through a long period of productivity with little apparent return. But if you continue to plug away, good things can happen. Blogging isn’t easy, but it can be very rewarding, and the bloggers on the list are great examples of this.

I’m honored to be among great company in this list, and was happy to see fellow run blogging friends like Jason Fitzgerald of Strength Running and Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete included. Both Jason and Matt are testaments to what one can achieve when you put the full force of your effort into a website. Like me, both have followed their websites into full-time careers revolving around writing and web-based running content. I would imagine that many others on this list have followed a similar path, please take a moment to check them out!

A few weeks ago I interviewed my dailymile buddy Greg Strosaker on the dailymile Community Blog. Greg graciously offered to reciprocate, and he just posted the contents of an interview he did with me on his blog, Predawn Runner. If you have any interest in learning a bit more about me, including how I became a biologist and runner, the ever-so-romantic story of how I met my wife in a frog lab, and how I developed this blog, check out our interview here: Predawn Profile – Interview With Pete Larson (Runblogger). Thanks Greg!

Every once in awhile you hear a story that moves you in a way that few others do. This was how I felt when I listened to Phat Disney Geek’s (otherwise known as Byron) race report from the 2010 Disney Half Marathon on the Running to Disney podcast (by Gordon H.). Byron’s story about completing the Disney Half after losing 70 lbs from the start of his running journey in mid-2009 was as emotional as it was triumphant, and I highly recommend that you give it a listen – you can download the episode here on Itunes. You can also read a race recap on Byron’s blog, Phat Disney Geek.

I was disappointed to find out that Byron more or less stopped running after Disney, and wound up regaining most of the weight that he had lost. In a recent blog post, Byron laments falling off the running wagon, and asks for help in holding himself accountable in order to get healthy again in preparation for a return to Disney in January 2011. Here is Byron in his own words:

“I believe that I finally have all the pieces coming together to get this going again. BUT, I need your help to get me going and keep me going. From those that are willing, I need the tough love. To hold me accountable to what I say I am going to do and what I need to do and to not let me get away with slacking off and making excuses.“

So I’m writing this in the hopes that you might stop by Byron’s blog and offer some helpful words of encouragement. As someone who has also made a dramatic personal transformation through running (you can read my weight loss story here), I understand the power that support and motivation from fellow runners can provide, and I wish Byron the best on his renewed journey, and I hope that you will too.

In addition to his blog, Phat Disney Geek, you can follow Byron on Twitter at http://twitter.com/phatdisneygeek, or on dailymile at http://www.dailymile.com/people/PhatDisneyGeek.

I’ve just spent some time reading through some posts on Amby Burfoot’s Peak Performance blog on Runner’s World – if you haven’t read his blog, it’s definitely worth a look. His posts are well researched, even-handed, and very science-oriented. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a Boston Marathon winner and one of the most experienced runner’s in the business.

One of the things that I’ve found is that Amby and I share a very similar perspective on running shoes (or lack thereof) and their relationship to performance and injury prevention (i.e., that we need more scientific data, and that what is out there is largely inconclusive). It seems that he, like me, believes that runners likely vary widely in their shoe needs, but that the goal of each runner should be to find the least shoe possible for their body. He’s also open-minded about barefoot running, having run several races barefoot himself (you can read more about that in his book, The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life, which I also highly recommend).

You can click this link to add Peak Performance to you RSS reader.

You can also follow Amby Burfoot’s Exercise Science Twitter feed at: http://twitter.com/exerscience

I’d also like to point you to several posts on the Peak Performance blog that are excellent reads:

-Which Is Better–Rearfoot Striking Or Midfoot/Forefoot? An Experiment Of One

-Do Running Shoes Cause Running Injuries? A Few Insights on a Dismal Science

-Should You Switch Your Stride to a Forefoot Landing? Maybe Not

-New Nature Magazine Cover Story Shines More Light on Barefootin’

And for a post not focused solely on running, I thought this one was excellent:

-Sports Illustrated Updates the Genetics-of-Sports Story with Latest Findings

My friend Matt over at the Run Luau Run blog (@luau on Twitter) got ahold of the only pair of Vibram Fivefingers Bikilas in his size at his local City Sports store yesterday. Matt is almost exclusively a Vibram Fivefingers runner, and has done several full marathons in VFF’s (KSO’s and Treks). Clearly, he couldn’t wait to try out the Bikilas, and you can read his thoughts about his first short run in them here: http://runluaurun.com/2010/05/08/vibram-bikila-product-review/. Sounds like he has a new favorite shoe!

Update 7/09/10: I just put up a post about my own first run in the new Vibram Fivefingers Bikila. Check out my very preliminary Vibram Fivefingers Bikila review here on Runblogger.

Aside from posting links, I haven’t done much active promotion of other running blogs here on Runblogger – that changes now. I’d like to use this post to point you in the direction of a blog written by a friend named Matt, better know as @luau. His blog, Run Luau Run, is well written, he’s a great minimalist runner (he puts in almost all of his miles in Vibram Fivefingers), and his most recent post is a phenomenal call to get people active in 2010. His goal for the year is to get 10 people to make running a regular part of their life. Here’s an excerpt from this post, which you can read in its entirety here:

“Look at the people who have crossed the threshold. The looks on their faces when they are done with a run should be all the answer and motivation you need. It feels good. It makes them happy. The first 1-3 miles become an entrance fee – an investment in the run, if you will. If the payoff wasn’t worth it, they wouldn’t be doing it.

That’s it.

That’s my pitch.“

Matt and I ran the Manchester Marathon together in early November, and he and I helped another runner (Michelle/@bklynrunner of the Runnin’ Down a Dream Blog) reach her goal of 1000 miles for 2009 by “virtually” running 105+ miles with her from December 7 to December 31.  He understands the value of the support and motivation that fellow runners can provide to one another, and another of my favorite posts from his blog discusses the value of the on-line running community, and how technology, rather than distancing us from one another, is actually bringing some of us closer together.  This is a lesson that I also learned in 2009, and one that I hope to help Matt promote going forward.

Check out his blog, Run Luau Run, and help Luau reach his goal in 2010!

4 Feet Running
4 Feet Running is a biweekly podcast with Nik and Dan! She’s a marathon runner training for her 6th. He’s a beginning runner who finished the C25K program and just ran his first half-marathon. Every 2 weeks (mostly), they record themselves on a short run somewhere in New England (mostly), they talk about their training, play some music, and have a few laughs.
Authors: Nik and Dan (@blackfonzie and @painternik)

Ann’s Running Commentary
Author: Ann Brennan (@brennanannie)

The Adventures of Cowboy Hazel
Author: Robert James Reese(@cowboyhazel)

Becoming Bonkproof
Work hard, train smart, never bonk again.
Author: Caleb Masland (@calebmasland)

Believe In The Run
Follow the trials of training for and running of the 2010 GORE-TEX® TransRockies race
Author: Thomas Neuberger (@neudesigns)

blog.andyobrien.com
Author: Andy O’Brien (@andyo22)

Ernesto Burden’s Blog
Digital media, marathons, and other lagniappes…
Author: Ernesto Burden (@ernestoburden)

Kathy Runs
Training, Nutrition, and Motivation
Author: Kathy (@simpsoka)

Mel Reads, Writes, and Runs
Author: Mel (@tinyrunner96)

Mileposts by Dorothy Beal 
All about the miles of my life.
Author: Dorothy Beal (@MilePosts)

momforlife
momforlife started out being about my quest to run a 5K in less than 30 minutes, but many weeks my 10 year old’s exploits (or some other life event) are a lot more interesting.
Author: Paula (@paulakiger)

Musings from a Multisport Mama
A multisport blog by a multitasking mom in graduate school for anthropology and part-time web designer with 2 awesome kids.
Author: Rockett Kirwin (@multisportmama)

Phedippidations PodCast Website
Thoughts, opinions, observations and rambling diatribes composed during distance long runs.
Author: Steve Runner (@steverunner)

Run Bulldog Run
The Running Adventures of British Bulldog
Author: Steve Speirs (@britishbulldog)

Run Faster Mommy!
The Adventures of a Mom on the Run
Author: Heather Gannoe (@runfastermommy)

Runblogger
Thoughts and tips on running, blogging, and living an active life.
Author: Pete Larson (@Oblinkin)

RunnerDude’s Blog
Anything and Everything About Running.
Author: Thad McLaurin (@RunnerDude_)

Running Quest
Running is an ongoing quest. Just like life. This blog is an account of my journey from bed to finish line, as I struggle to overcome a number of setbacks. I hope that by sharing the ups and downs together with my learnings along the way, you too may reach your goals. After all, running, like life, is a quest best taken together.
Author: Clynton Taylor (@RunningQuest)

Running Without Being Chased…
A couch potato’s journey from the cushions to running a 5K.
Author: Melanie Neumann (@MelanieNeumann)

Ted’s Running Journal/Logbook
Ted’s Running Adventures
Author: Joel (aka Ted) Rooy (@SeeTedRun)

This Bee’s Knees
I am a parent and a runner. On really good days, I manage to be both. If you are either or both and enjoy and/or struggle with the challenge of juggling the two roles, I’d love to hear from you and have you hear from me.
Author: Leon

Trail Running Blog
Former cross country runner, currently training for my first half
Author: Phong Chieng (@SDrunner)

Description:

Once again, if you’d like me to add your blog here, either post a comment or send me an e-mail (use the Kontactr button below) with your blog title, name, link, and a short description of the blog’s content (and a Twitter address if you have one). Following the format I have here would be great (and would make my job easy!). My only stipulations are that the blog (or podcast) be running-oriented (at least in part), and that it be actively updated.