Author Archives: Jon Waldron

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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.

Sixto de Mayo

“…Hang yourself, you will regret it; do not hang yourself, and you will regret that too; hang yourself or don’t hang yourself, you’ll regret it either way; whether you hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret both. … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, High School Runners, Weather and Seasons | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Penn Relays and the Wider World

On Monday afternoons it’s always a challenge to get the kids to focus. The first Monday is May is especially rough. The school as a whole is beginning its final sprint to graduation in less than four weeks, and kids … Continue reading

Posted in High School Runners, Pro Runners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ramble On, Thou Aged Runners

On Sunday morning, on a gorgeous spring day of bright sun and an emerald blush of new leaves on ancient trees, a crowd of two hundred aged runners took to the streets of Dedham, Massachusetts to race in the venerable … Continue reading

Posted in Race Reports, Records & Statistics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hopeless Love

These days, we no longer puzzle over the question of why runners run. That used to seem like an important philosophical question, but nowadays we’re awash in evidence that regular exercise keeps us healthy in mind and body, and that … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon | 1 Comment

On Not Knowing How to Watch Boston

A few days ago, a friend asked me for suggestions on where to go to watch the Boston Marathon. It was an innocent question, and I wished I had had a simple, straightforward answer. But the question threw me instead … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cheaters prosper quite often, actually

(Image: Scatter plot of BAA Marathon finish times by Bib number. Source: marathoninvestigation.com) To say I have mixed feelings about modern Internet sleuthing to find Marathon cheaters is to put it mildly. On the one hand, there’s something absolutely fascinating … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

For Whom the Digital Clock Ticks

Over the past few years, I’ve faced many training sessions and quite a few race days when I thought I couldn’t be more unprepared for the rigors ahead. Whether it was injury, lack of training, unwise choices leading up to … Continue reading

Posted in Racing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Useless Things

In Spring, hundreds of flowers; In Autumn, a harvest moon; In the summer, a refreshing breeze; In winter, snow will accompany you. If useless things do not hang in your mind, Any season is a good season for you. – … Continue reading

Posted in Weather and Seasons | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Kicking Gene

I have to admit right at the start that the title I chose for this post is intentionally simplistic. Even among non-scientists like me, it’s generally understood that the old notion that there are single genes responsible for complex physical … Continue reading

Posted in Attempts at Humor | 2 Comments

Moving Day

On Saturday I helped some friends move from their small apartment in Watertown, Mass. to a much more spacious apartment in Acton. Although the old apartment, located on the first floor of a two-story house near Watertown Square, appeared compact … Continue reading

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