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.

Track Radio

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Jon Waldron

In a year without an Olympic Games or World Championships, one of the highlights of the summer for Track & Field fans is the IAAF Junior World Championships, taking place in Eugene this week. I admit, I’ve never paid much … Continue reading →

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Slow Starter

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Jon Waldron

Many, many years ago — when my kids were little and Joni was in pre-school — I had a trivial but interesting experience running with one of the other dads there, the father of one of Joni’s friends. I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Credentials

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Jon Waldron

Fifteen high school long jumpers formed a single line on the runway. It was Sunday afternoon, and after nearly two full days of warm ups, drills, lectures, and instruction, it would not have been surprising to see a lack of … Continue reading →

Posted in Coaching, High School Runners, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Assisted by…

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Jon Waldron

On Friday night in Monaco (Friday afternoon here in the U.S.), Asbel Kiprop will attempt to break the world record for 1500m. The current record of 3:26.00 was set in Rome by Hicham El Guerrouj over sixteen years ago. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Pro Runners, Records & Statistics | 2 Comments

From the Archives: Props for the Lowly Pushup

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Jon Waldron

[First published March 11, 2008] Man, it’s tough to write about running when one isn’t actually, you know, running. I started one essay about the awkwardness I still feel when I go to “work out” in a fitness center. Had … Continue reading →

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After Dinner Story: Zatopek

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Jon Waldron

Iva is telling us how she first met Emil Zatopek. “It was because of our dog,” she begins.

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Adventures in Counting

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Jon Waldron

It was a fateful day a decade or so ago when I picked up “Daniels Running Formula,” a systematic approach to training distance runners penned by well-known physiologist/coach/guru Jack Daniels, and read the following: “Elite distance runners tend to stride … Continue reading →

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“I Just Felt Like Running”

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Jon Waldron

Happy Birthday, Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956)!     “That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road, and when I got there, I … Continue reading →

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Have We Become More Weather-Averse?

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Jon Waldron

I don’t want to be the grumpy old man in the EZ-boy who tells annoying stories about how tough it was when he was a kid, but I’m struck by the number of road races that got canceled on July … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather and Seasons | Leave a comment

Lucky Louis Finishes His Last Race

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Jon Waldron

Louis Zamperini passed away this week. The former NCAA mile record holder, 1936 Olympian, WW II fighter pilot, survivor of Japanese prison camps, and the subject of Laura Hillenbrand’s remarkable chronicle, “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, … Continue reading →

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