Author Archives: Jon Waldron

Unknown's avatar

About Jon Waldron

Running and Racing have been important parts of my life for as long as I can remember. I ran Track and Cross Country at Amherst HS, back in the day, and am proud to have been training and competing with the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) for more than thirty years. If my bones hold out, I hope to continue for another thirty. Sixteen years ago, I began coaching, first as an Asst. Coach at Newton North HS in Newton, MA, and for the past ten years, as Head Track and Cross Country Coach at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts. I've been writing about running for almost as long as I've been running, dating back to high school, when I would write meet summaries for the Amherst Record for about $0.33 per column inch. I've been blogging about running since 2005, and began blogging at "the runner eclectic" in 2014. Until recently I also had a day job, working full-time as a Technical Product Manager for Nuance Communications, based in Burlington, MA. But I am now on what might turn out to be a permanent sabbatical. Thank you for reading my blog, and please consider leaving a comment.

No Brain, No Train(ing)

  More great news from the world of science, and by “great” I mean news to make runners feel better about themselves. Writing in the New York Times, Gretchen Reynolds summarizes recent research that links vigorous exercise to increased neurogenesis … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Movies, Running Research, Training | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Oh, the Humidity!

The adaptability of the human body to environmental conditions is astonishing to me. As runners, we experience this as a year-round phenomenon, running in all sorts of weather that appears to others to be extreme, but is actually quite tolerable … Continue reading

Posted in Training, Weather and Seasons | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Why it Matters

Brenda Martinez edges out Amanda Eccleston for 3rd in the women’s 1500m final. “I was thinking, no matter what I have to get to the finish line […] Over the last two hurdles I thought, I’m getting over this and … Continue reading

Posted in Olympics, Pro Runners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Above the Fray

“Was he of this earth? Could it really be this much of a joke to him, running this pace without a care in the world?” – John L. Parker, Once a Runner Another evening in Eugene, and another half dozen … Continue reading

Posted in Pro Runners, Racing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Zero Sum Game?

I think that, fundamentally, the difference between those of us who find value in organized sports and those who consider organized sports at almost every level to be a colossal waste of time comes down to how we see competition. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Olympic Trials – Day 3

Three days in, The U.S. Olympic Track and Feld Trials is reminding us all why it’s the most exciting, dramatic, and poignant track event of the quadrennium. Unlike the Olympics and World Championships, which are all about medal counts and … Continue reading

Posted in Olympics, Pro Runners, Track | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The National H.S. 4 x Mile record goes down… to crickets

This will be a short post, but maybe of some interest to fans of high school track and field. A few days ago, my friend Josh alerted me to the fact that Flotrack had posted a video of the 2016 … Continue reading

Posted in High School Runners, Records & Statistics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Other Side

It’s a beautiful afternoon, sunny and warm but not too humid. My legs are feeling pretty good, and I’m not aware of any obvious issues to dim the prospect of a lovely run on the trails. All things considered, I … Continue reading

Posted in Injuries & Health, Training | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ode to Summer Roads

Today is the solstice and the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, the solstice also corresponds with a full moon, a phenomenon known as a “strawberry moon,” which, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, hasn’t occurred since … Continue reading

Posted in Weather and Seasons | Leave a comment

Are Marathons Stupid?

(Image from fivethirtyeight.com) I’m usually psyched to see a running-related piece show up on a mainstream news and opinion site. It provides a temporary reprieve for the feeling that I’m a lunatic engaged in a fringe activity. Also, occasionally the … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon | 2 Comments