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.

The Last of the World Marathon Majors

For some reason, I woke up this morning thinking about the New York City Marathon. Sunday, November 2nd will be the 44th running of the race first organized by Fred Lebow and Vince Chiappetta. This year, the race will celebrate … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon, Pro Runners | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Your Moment of Coaching Zen

A vignette from Friday’s workout with the team: It is a rather clever workout, I think, and one that I hope will simulate of some of the demands of racing in the league championships in a week. I’m having the … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, High School Runners | Leave a comment

A Little Rain (to Brighten Your Day)

According to the Boston Globe, nearly four inches of rain fell in Boston over the past couple of days, as a typical Nor’easter brought strong winds and heavy precipitation to the area. Wednesday night was particularly delightful, as thunderstorms brought … Continue reading

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

We All Just Decided to PR…

See, this is why I love coaching high school cross country. Every so often you have one of those days when the kids defy your wildest expectations and suddenly start racing like young Ritzenheims and Flanagans. OK, maybe that’s an … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, High School Runners | 2 Comments

What Happened to You, Jerry Mizner?

“So what is the word here? Is it confirmed?” “Shit yes. They think maybe three, four months of no training. even then it’s touch and go because of the possibility of a relapse. But at least I get out of … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Movies, Injuries & Health | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

From the Archives: Speaking of Geb…

[A couple of weeks ago, Dennis Kimetto became the first human being to cover the marathon distance in less than two hours and three minutes, with Emmanuel Mutai only a few seconds back. Kimetto’s record run re-inflamed the speculation about … Continue reading

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The Sport of Fitness

  “In implementation, CrossFit is, quite simply, a sport—-the ‘sport of fitness.’ We’ve learned that harnessing the natural camaraderie, competition, and fun of sport or game yields an intensity that cannot be matched by other means.” – The CrossFit Journal … Continue reading

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At Franklin Park

“It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest. When … Continue reading

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This might hurt

Probably all of us have had the experience of seeing a doctor, dentist, nurse, or other medical professional and being told that something they are about to do is going to hurt. It’s such a universal experience, that I think … Continue reading

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Are 5Ks the Kudzu of Distance Running?

There was a time not so long ago when I would regularly scan the race results on Cool Running just to stay informed about the local running scene. In those days, it didn’t take long to look through the handful … Continue reading

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