Third Grader Trains for Half Marathon

WEAVERVILLE — When most of his classmates are sound asleep on Saturday mornings, third grader Leopold Wimberly is on his way to Cullowhee to train for the Citizen-Times Half Marathon.

The 30-minute fat blaster

Limited time for the gym? Here's how to make the most of it.

Training for Badwater in a Snowsuit

That guy you've seen running in a snowsuit down the Mission Beach boardwalk is now the winner of the hottest, most grueling footrace on the planet.

Mike Trevino, 26, of Mission Beach won the 135-mile Badwater Ultra-marathon 2001 yesterday with a time of 28 hours, 18 minutes, 12 seconds.

Alberto Salazar: 14 Minutes

3,100 Mile Race . . . Around a City Block

About 12 runners are taking part is this year's Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Run in Queens, endeavoring to honor their leader, Sri Chinmoy, and attain spiritual transcendence; only person to have completed race in each of past seven years is woman, Suprabha Beckjord; volunteers supply food, drink and first aid; photo (M)

Bill Finkbeiner has Come a Long Way

BILL FINKBEINER vividly remembers his running infancy. After struggling through eight-mile jogs, his feelings of accomplishment were often overshadowed by another strong sensation: pain.

"I just liked to see if I could do it," recalled Finkbeiner. "I'd do it, but it left me crippled for days."

Treadmills versus the Great Outdoors

Running on a treadmill and running outside are both excellent forms of aerobic exercise, but they're not identical. There are subtle differences you need to consider when choosing one over the other. Here are the pros and cons of each.

Alison Delgado: Post-Pig Interview

Here's a link to an interview with Alison Delgado after she completed the Flying Pig Marathon, just 18-months after her near-death accident.

She's my hero.

: )

Steve Prefontaine: Is the Hero Worship Justified?

The career that began with such promise a mile away at Hayward Field ended on a sharp curve in the foothills of east Eugene, on Skyline Drive, exactly 156 feet from where that drive intersects with Birch. It was there that Prefontaine's gold 1973 MGB hit a rock wall and he was killed.
"There's no doubt in my mind or the department's mind about what happened that night," Loveall says today. "He was a drunk driver."

 Pre's People in turn resent that the department released Prefontaine's blood-alcohol level, found to be .16. At that time, in Oregon a level of .10 was considered driving while intoxicated and .15 was a criminal offense. Also in 1975, making such information public was not customary.

The National Alcoholism Council in Santa Ana said that a 150-pound man would have to have at least five to six drinks to register a .16 blood alchol level. Loveall said that what remains with him most about that accident was the pungent smell of alcohol, although no containers of any kind were found in the car or at the accident scene.
 

Reflections on Running

This past weekend I ran a wonderful long run of about 15-16 miles, and by the end of it I was scared.

Not because of my usual inner demons, but because I finished the last 2 miles with pain in my right foot. I've read and heard enough stories about running injuries to worry not about the pain, but about not being able to run.

Barefoot Running: No Panacea

Swept by the barefoot running craze, ultra-marathoner Ryan Carter ditched his sneakers for footwear that mimics the experience of striding unshod.

The first time he tried it two years ago, he ran a third of a mile on grass. Within three weeks of switching over, he was clocking six miles on the road.

During a training run with a friend along a picturesque bike path near downtown Minneapolis, Carter suddenly stopped, unable to take another step. His right foot seared in pain.

"It was as though someone had taken a hammer and hit me with it," he recalled.

Green Tea or Sugar-Free Coffee?

Sugar-free coffee gives you taste and benefits of coffee with fewer calories.Green tea, on the other hand, is a healthy drink because it is a decent source of antioxidant polyphenols.A refreshing and calorie-safe beverage, green tea works as a good substitute for unhealthy beverages regularly consumed in today's lifestyles.So, now that both sugar-free coffee and green tea are healthy, we wonder which is healthier. Let's take a look...

The Antarctica Marathon: Battling Ice, Rock, & Mud

Penguins, millions of which have their run of Antarctica, are comically awkward creatures on land. So too, it turns out, are human beings struggling to complete a marathon on "the last continent" in unseasonably warm weather.

Why do we sleep and dream?

Studies are shedding light on the mystery of sleep

ANYONE who has ever owned a hamster will know that the animal spends an inordinate amount of time sleeping. Depending on your point of view, that might be a good or bad thing. Hamsters are small and, broadly speaking, the smaller the animal, the more sleep it needs. While elephants need as little as three or four hours of sleep per day, tiny opossums will snooze for 18 to 20 hours. Flipper, however, doesn't seem to sleep at all--at least not in any way that humans know it. In the bottlenose dolphin, each side of the brain appears to take it in turns to do something that is equivalent to sleep but with only one eye closed.

Five Good Fiber Habits

To have proper digestion and a fast metabolism, regular consumption of fibre and water is essential. They are necessary for your system to run efficiently and effectively. Poor food choices speed up the breakdown of body tissues, which leads to the existence of fat in your body. We are, definitely, what we eat.

85-Year-Old-Refuses to Give In

Murray Ginsburg started running for his high-school team and has not stopped exercising daily in more than 70 years.

When he turned 75 and his knees began to give him problems, he stopped jogging and switched to 13-mile-long walks in the surrounding areas of his home in Coral Gables.

Spartathlon: Why We Run

David Sexton

Robin Harvie, who has written a book on the art of running, is so obsessed that he will be completing the London Marathon on Sunday not once but twice. David Sexton meets a man on a mission LONDON MARATHON THE RUNNER

ROBIN Harvie is a man obsessed. I know this before we meet, because I've read his book, Why We Run, an honest confession of monomania, frankly subtitled A Story of Obsession.

Ultramarathons -- Reasons for Quitting before the Finish Line

That one runner went to great lengths - 100 miles - to make the JFK 50-mile race more, uh, challenging, shows the extreme nature of extreme athletes called ultra-marathoners.

The JFK 50 is one of the most respected East Coast ultra-marathons - anything more than the standard 26.2-mile - and last month's 38th version drew nearly 900 competitors to Boonsboro, some from Howard County.

The 7-4-7 to a Great Physique

A great physique can be yours without spending hours in the gym. Want proof? The 7-4-7 method harnesses all the power you can muster by structuring your sets in perfect tandem with the weight you're using. The result? Simple: The body you always wanted without moving into your local gym. Don't worry, you can thank us later.

Home Remedies for Leg and Foot Injuries

A couple months back, I ramped up the mileage, increased my speed, and changed shoes.

Ooops.

That all was a bit more than my body could handle, at least my lower extremities.

I woke up one Monday morning and both my hips hurt, my IT bands were killing me, and the left side of my left foot was experiencing mild pain.  Two weeks later, I've tried just about every remedy I can find, and I must say, some of them actually work.

The Self-Transcendence 3100 mile

Think 100 miles is long way to run? The Self-Transcendence race in Queens, New York, is a whopping 3,100 miles. Participants have 52 days to complete the distance.

Two long dark braids sprout from the base of her skull, which is covered by a mesh cap and a head-lamp. With her rugged-looking Montrails laced tight and triple-knotted for good luck, she flicks on her light. She looks like she's prepared to go spelunking in a cave but instead sets out at a brisk trot, sticking to a trail that traces the south face of the Boise Foothills. It's 5 a.m. and darker than the inside of a cow, but Joëlle Vaught's eyes glisten with an alert focus that keeps her on her feet.

The "No Pain, No Gain" Myth

I SAW AN INTERESTING SAYING THE OTHER DAY WHILE VISITING A RUNNER'S WEB SITE. IT READ: "NO PAIN, NO GAIN!"

That's the perfect credo for both veteran and novice runners. For years, runners have gotten all sorts of misinformation. Often, runners are told that they're destined to be injured if they spend enough time in the sport.

Who is Ann Trason?

Ann Trason's first love is long-distance running. The mere thought of competing in a conventional marathon sends shivers up and down her spine.

The Truth about Cross-Training

So what’s the truth about cross-training? Let’s bust the myths first. Let’s be honest: nothing can replace running for a runner; and running workouts are the best way to improve your running.

If you’re a running fanatic (as opposed to a triathlete or a recreational runner), you cross-train because you have to. You cross-train to avoid letting injuries get serious enough to ruin your racing season or even end your running career permanently. You cross-train to stay fit and to maintain your sanity when your body is used to exerting itself hard every day and suddenly that stress- and energy-release is cruelly snatched away.

1,000 Miles Per Year

Erick Larson runs close to a thousand miles a year.

"I do four miles a day, four days a week," said the 60-year-old businessman.

Catching Up with Bill Rodgers

In the '70s, the name Bill Rodgers became synonymous with the Boston Marathon and marathons in general.

Rodgers, a guest speaker at noon on both days of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Health & Fitness Expo in Euclid, won 22 marathons in his career. In 28 of his 59 marathons, he finished in under 2:15.

He won the Boston and New York marathons four times each between 1975 and 1980, twice breaking the American record at Boston (2:09:55 in 1975 and 2:09:27 in 1979). Track & Field News ranked him the world's No. 1 marathoner three times.

In advance of his Cleveland appearance, Rodgers, who ran for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team in Montreal, discussed the state of marathon running and other topics in a phone Q&A on Tuesday.

Q: What was your favorite race?

A Sub-2 Hour Marathon? Not Anytime Soon Say Rodgers, Mutai

Geoffrey Mutai, the winner of the 2011 Boston Marathon, came very close to two hours in his finish time last year. He set a course-record, world-best time of 2:03:02.

Yet when asked about the possibility of an under-two-hour marathon, he sounded doubtful.

Determining Your Body Age

Health clubs and gyms are using new tests to measure body fat, strength, cardiovascular conditioning and flexibility of clients and potential clients in order to determine their true 'body age'; test makers say that having sense of your physical age is valuable motivation to exercise; doctors say you can slow down aging process through exercise, but you cannot reverse it; drawing (M)

Caballo Blanco's Autopsy Results are In

Link

A Runner Beset by Injuries

Last year, I joined the umpteen thousands -- and the nearly 150 from our area -- who ran in the Fargo Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, and various relays. As I write this the day prior, my feelings are not so much of excitement as they are relief and trepidation.

7 Tips for Living Longer

1) KEEP MOVING: An active lifestyle can add up to four years to your life and cut your risk of stroke and heart attack by 20%.

Too Much of a Good Thing

The wiry, emaciated frames of extreme distance runners are no accident. A study of ultra-marathoners found that muscle cell autophagy-a process by which cells self-destruct-increased by 49% after a 200K race. Say it with us: All things in moderation.

Men's Fitness
May 1, 2012

David Goggins and Akos Konya

In many ways, David Goggins and Akos Konya are polar opposites.

At 6 feet 1, 192 pounds, the sculpted Goggins resembles an NFL safety. Konya goes 5-8, 130.

Goggins was raised in America's heartland, outside Indianapolis. He lives in Chula Vista. Konya grew up in Hungary. He lives in Oceanside.

Goggins is black; Konya is white.

Walking Anyone?

Five reasons to add walking to your running routine

Runners tend, for the most part, to share this view on walking: It is fine when conducted at church, the grocery store or after surgical procedures. Otherwise - nah.

Well, Runner's World editor Amby Burfoot has run about 100,000 miles in the last 35 years. He now uses walking as part of his training (heretofore referred to as R/W, as in run/walk). Here's why you should, too.

These are from the runners world.com newsletter:

Six Signs your Workout is Too Tough

When you've got a major goal in sight, it's easy to push yourself too far, too fast, or too long. It doesn't help that shows such as "The Biggest Loser" depict contestants exercising to exhaustion for hours a day. No pain, no gain, right?

The Joy of Soy?

IF YOU want to learn how to live longer, look at the people of Okinawa, a string of islands in south-western Japan. Raised on a diet of fish and soyabeans, their life expectancy is among the highest on Earth. There is a natural control group; many Okinawans fled to Brazil and Hawaii after the second world war, where they switched to a meatier diet of steaks and burgers. All have been studied regularly by Japanese researchers over the past three decades to prove that a soya-rich diet can prolong life. Now it is time for the taste test: can a healthy bag of soya nibbles sweep the fatty potato snack off the table?

Are you a Fruitarian?

The Western States 100: What are Your Limits?

Ultrarunning: Can you Deal with the Pain?

Foam Rollers Can be a Godsend

Using a foam roller is a great way to get your muscles prepped for your new sporting season. Foam rollers are denser then pool noodles, six inches in diameter, one to three-feet long. Professional leagues such as the NHL incorporate foam rollers into workouts every day.

Body and Spirit

Early one Sunday last November in New York, I was among several hundred people crowded into a large tent for prayers, singing, Scripture-reading and Holy Communion. We were a diverse group -- in age, race and denomination -- full of enthusiasm and nervous energy. But unlike your average Sunday morning churchgoers, we were all in running clothes. The preacher encouraged us to pray for everyone we passed on the course that morning and to pray for everyone who passed us. Then we went out and ran 26.2 miles.

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study: Update

TRAILS: Meet Dr. Stephen Messier

We posted recently about our visit to Wake Forest University for participation in the TRAILS study.

Running Shorts interviewed Messier (above), professor and director of Wake's J.B Snow Biomechanics Laboratory, this week by phone. More from that in just a minute.

First, the background on TRAILS:

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study (TRAILS): Part II

People who run strike the ground with a force of as much as 15 times their body weight.

So it's no surprise that the body, particularly joints, don't always react kindly.

Knees wear down, shin splints develop, tissues in the heel inflame.

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study (TRAILS): Part I

Up to 65 percent of runners sustain an overuse injury each year. Wake Forest researchers, funded by a $600,000 grant from the U. S. Army, plan to find out why.

The two-year study, called The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study or TRAILS, will determine the differences between runners who sustain an overuse injury and those who remain injury free.

IT Band Heaven

OMG.

If their is a divine being, He certainly had something to do with this invention. Worst running injury I've ever had in 30 years of running. My IT band has been so sore, I can't remember the last time I could walk, much less run, pain free. Five minutes of this exercise, and it was like I had a pair of new legs. Ahhhhhhh. I can't wait for tomorrow morning to see how the run goes.

Bookshelf: Helping Injured Runners Get Healthy

"Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running: How to Fix Injuries, Stay Active, and Run Pain-Free" by Dr. Lewis G. Maharan

Velo Press

Written by the former medical director of a running club and the New York City Marathon, this is a comprehensive, illustrated guide to running injuries and how to prevent them. Also covered is how to prepare for running events of all types and distances. Stretches, exercises, tips

for racing in various weather conditions, and treating aches and pains are covered. 

More books to keep you on track

The Other Bill Rodgers

April 2012

Bill Rodgers has run the Cherry Creek Sneak every year since its inception in 1982, and he will be running it again Sunday to celebrate its 30th anniversary. But before we get to what keeps him coming back, we had better make it clear he's not the guy who won the Boston Marathon four times and the New York City Marathon four times.

Badwater Craziness

In 1989, Tom Crawford and Richard Benyo completed the first double crossing (which became known as the "Death Valley 300"), running from Badwater to Mount Whitney's summit and back to Badwater again.

What a Really Good Run Sounds Like

Amby Burfoot Weighs in on the Ultra Scene

87-Year-Old Still Running Marathons

1997

The first time Abraham Weintraub tried to enter the New York City Marathon, he was not thinking about how fast he could cover the 26 miles and 385 yards. All he wanted to do was push his wife, Ruth, in her wheelchair.

Our Old Friend the IT-Band

Most people wouldn't know what the iliotibial band is until they injured it. But once they do, the pain can stop avid runners and other athletes in their tracks.

Your IT bands, as they are commonly called, start at the hips, run along the outside of the thighs and attach on the outside of the knees.

Hardrock 100

Interview with Lisa Tamati

Treadmill versus Elliptical

I'm confused about the elliptical machine and the treadmill at my gym. Which machine would give the best and fastest results for losing pounds and losing inches from my hips and thighs?

I sweat a lot more using the elliptical and burn more calories. But someone told me that using the treadmill will actually firm up the body more than the elliptical. On the elliptical, I set the resistance at number 7. On the treadmill, I run at 4.5-4.7 mph. I exercise about five times a week and want to be as productive as possible.

While treadmills and elliptical trainers are two of the most popular pieces of cardio equipment out there, each has its own perks and pitfalls. For an expert's point of view, we asked Faith Kromer, fitness director at Quest Fitness in Ellicott City, to weigh in on the subject.

Lisa Tamati and La Ultra

July 2011

An athlete who has run the length of New Zealand, the Gobi Desert and California's Death Valley, Lisa Tamati is now struggling to draw breath just sitting still.

The ultra-marathon runner arrived near the top of the world on Monday, New Zealand time, as she prepares to acclimatise for the La Ultra race through the foothills of the Himalaya's.

La Ultra will take her 222 kilometres over 60 hours from the Indian mountain town of Leh, winding through the two highest driveable passes in the world.

"I am still struggling to breathe and its a weird feeling to be sitting doing nothing and puffing," Tamati said on her blog recently. "How am I going to run at 2000m higher than this, and not for 5 minutes but for 60 hours? Incomprehensible to my struggling body right now."

The 42-year-old will reach a peak altitude of 5334m and experience temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsius to -6C during the challenge.

Megan Stewart Changed Her Life Via Running

Megan Stewart didn't want to be old, fat and miserable - so she ran a desert marathon.

When the Taranaki woman turned 40 she decided to make some life changes.

She weighed 94 kilograms and in six months she lost 22 kilograms and began running.

A Two-Hour Marathon?

ONE of the mighty un-scaled peaks of athletics lost a little more of its once presumed invincibility late last month when Haile Gebrselassie gave the world a glimpse of the first two-hour marathon

More than four decades since the sport's last great conquests - Roger Bannister's destruction of the four-minute mile barrier in 1954 and Jim Hines breaking 10seconds for the 100m in 1968 - the same lasting legacy achieved by these two men beckons in the marathon.

Gebrselassie sliced 27 seconds off his own world record to win in 2hr03min 59sec

By breaking through the 2:04 barrier, he scattered the clouds that had obscured the two-hour peak.

Expert opinion is divided over how long it will take before the summit is reached, and some even remain doubtful it will be.

Masters Runners: Running into Old Age

June 2000

The camera lens was getting too close and Dan Conway said he didn't want his wrinkles to show.

He was kidding, of course. At age 61, wrinkles are no bid deal. Conway isn't bothered by ego.

Running the Sahara with Ray Zahab

In Ray Zahab's world, a comfortable jog is 30 kilometres, a serious marathon is 200 kilometres in extreme conditions -- and an honest test of a man's endurance is the Sahara Desert.

Mr. Zahab, a 38-year-old reformed pack-a-day smoker from Chelsea, successfully completed that test last Tuesday when he dipped his hands into the Red Sea.

Interview with Alison Delgado

MATT LAUER, co-host:

We're back now at 8:10 with the call to action for an emergency physician that soon became anything but routine. That's because Dr. Tim Delgado discovered the critical patient he was working on was his wife. We'll speak with the Delgados in a moment, but first, TODAY national correspondent Amy Robach has their story. Amy:

AMY ROBACH reporting:

Matt, good morning. Twenty-eight-year-old newlywed Dr. Alison Delgado was a second-year pediatric resident, a marathon runner and in her free time an avid cyclist. But that charmed life took a tragic unexpected turn when a vehicle crashed into her while she was on her beloved bike.

Alison Delgado: The Backstory

The worst behind her, Alison was able to focus on rehabilitation and recovery. She progressed rapidly from her lowest point, when she had trouble remembering Tim’s name. They played Uno, Life and Scattergories. Using an iPad, Tim showed her photos and prompted her to search her memory for the words to describe them. Certain words, including “helicopter,” proved elusive at first. Tim also encouraged her to play the video game “Harbor Master,” which hones multitasking skills.

Alison Finishes 4th at Flying Pig Marathon

Eighteen months ago, Allison Delgado suffered numerous broken bones and a brain injury when she was struck by a car while bicycling.After surgery on a brain aneurism and a seizure after returning home, doctors weren't sure how well she'd recover. But Sunday, Delgado had recovered enough to complete the Flying Pig Marathon, finishing fourth among all women runners.

Alison's Recovery Continues Tomorrow

“An amazing medical miracle, an incredible athletic achievement and a love story,” Paul Farrell said of the Delgados. “It's a story worth reading every day. That's what I will tell my children.” Alison’s long road to recovery will travel another 26.2 miles Sunday when she runs her first marathon, the Flying Pig, since she finished the Pig in 2009.

Alison Wins Race 7 Months Later

Don't Let It Be Ally: Part I

Don't Let It Be Ally: Part II

Alison Delgado on E60

Alison Delgado, Crash Victim, Named Official Starter at Sunday's Marathon

Alison Delgado, who survived a life-threatening bike collision in October, will be the official starter of the 2011 Flying Pig Marathon on May 6.A resident at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Delgado was the women's winner of the 2005 Pig, her first marathon and had run two more marathons, including the 2009 Flying Pig.

A 10k Every Day

December 29, 2010

A FATHER-of-two is nearing the end of his 10k every day challenge in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Tim Bridle is due to finish his 365th 10,000 metre run on New Year's Eve after completing his first on New Year's Day.

Contemplating Immortality

IMMORTALITY is an age-old obsession. Plenty of literature deals with the subject, from the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamish to the poems of Homer and the writings of the Old Testament. The quest to live for ever has motivated medieval alchemists, modern techno-Utopians and mystics through the centuries.

Is it possible for a 60-year-old to be as limber as Gumby?

To regain that Gumby-like flexibility would require a real commitment, but it is possible. An excellent study published in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy in 2007 found that if older people stretched five days a week for six weeks, holding the stretch for 60 seconds and repeating it four times, they could improve their ankle movement by over 12 degrees, which is a lot.

10 Food Facts

1 RED FOR DANGER

In a study of more than 120,000 people, scientists at Harvard Medical School found a diet high in red meat increases the risk of dying from cancer and heart problems. They estimated each daily serving raised the risk by 13per cent, and 20per cent for processed red meat.

The British Heart Foundation say red meat can still be eaten as part of a balanced diet, but recommend using lean cuts and varying sources of protein by eating fish, poultry, beans or lentils instead.

Actress and healthy eater Gwyneth Paltrow cut red meat and processed food from her diet years ago but still eats fish and poultry, and a little homemade cake now and then.

Impact of Sleep Deprivation not Overcome by Healthy Lifestyle and Exercise

Ranjan Das, CEO and MD of SAP Indian subcontinent passed away after suffering from heart attack in Mumbai.He was just 42, one of the youngest CEOs.What killed Ranjan Das and Lessons for Corporate India sometimes ago, many of us have heard about the sad demise of Ranjan Das from Bandra, Mumbai.He was an active sportsperson, a fitness freak and a marathoner.He was commonly running on Bandra's Carter Road. One day he came back to home from his gym, collapsed with a massive heart attack and passed away.

It was a sudden realization for corporate India.However, it was even more grievous for runners among us.Since Ranjan was a keen marathon runner (he ran Chennai Marathon in February 09, simultaneously some of us were running Pondicherry Marathon 180 km away ), it comes to our minds that why an extremely active, sports person gave in to heart attack just at 42.

Was it a result of stress?

Running Shoes & Injury

There are several on-going, multi-year studies at Harvard, MIT and the University of Newcastle (AUS) that are looking at injury related to footwear. Harvard department of Anthropology is publishing a study that dissects unshod human running gait and injury (or lack thereof.)    If the only injury from running shoes is Achilles tendinitis, is the implication that the other “running related injuries” such as neuromas, plantar fascitis, blisters, bunions and joint problems would be present in if people didn’t run?

How Shoe Geometry Affects Running Gait

'Five Fingers' Shoes Sued Over Claims for Injury Risk

NEW ORLEANS, April 2 -- They have been spotted on some of the world's most famous feet such as those of Prince Harry, Kate Hudson and Shailene Woodley, according to the Daily Mail.

But Vibram USA Inc's Five Fingers running shoes, which are designed to simulate the sensation of running barefoot, have now received negative attention due to a class-action lawsuit against the company.Valerie Bezdek from Florida is suing the company for making misleading statements about the Five Fingers product.She claims that the shoes pose more risk to the wearer than regular running shoes, and even bare feet.Ms Bezdek, who purchased a pair of the Five Fingers footwear for $104.90 in April of last year, has made claims for damages and attorney's fees and costs on the behalf of 'thousands...the precise number is unknown.' daily times monitor Published by HT Syndication with permission from Daily Times.

Marshall Ulrich & the Badwater "Quad"

There is a 146-mile running race from the minus-282-foot bottom of Death Valley to the 14,496-foot top of Mount Whitney, which is bad enough. But Marshall Ulrich needed to make it more of a challenge.

He decided to run a quad Badwater 146. Nearly 600 miles of running from the lowest point to the highest point in the contiguous United States, and back. Twice.

Up and down, up and down.

Microscopic Tears: How Muscles Pay You Back

Active people know the feeling all too well: a stiff and achy sensation in the muscles that sneaks up on the body 24 hours or more after, say, a hard run, a challenging weight lifting session or the first day back on the ski slopes. Sports scientists call it delayed onset of muscle soreness. Athletes call it a nuisance because even simple movements like walking down stairs can be an ordeal. If the soreness is severe enough, it can hamper the next workout or even ruin a ski vacation.

Remembering George Sheehan, the Running Philosopher

Dr. George A. Sheehan (November 5, 1918 - November 1, 1993) was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his books and writings about the sport of running. His book, "Running & Being: The Total Experience," became a New York Times best seller.


Originally Published Circa 1991

If the Grim Reaper wants to catch Dr. George Sheehan, he had better drop his scythe and put on running shoes. A year ago, 69-year-old Sheehan, noted author, fitness expert, cardiologist and marathon runner, was diagnosed as having cancer. ``I have an alien in my body,`` he says, matter-of-factly.

Running into Old Age

George Sheehan

Winning Doesn't Matter, the Point is to Run

I first came upon the aging process in a race. I felt no sense of advancing years in my day-to-day activity. My work week was unchanged: I wrote, I traveled, I lectured. Some people marveled at my energy and endurance. It was my weekend race that finally told me I was no longer young.