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.

A few thoughts on failing (gloriously)

“[We] foster an environment where failing gloriously is just as honorable as succeeding greatly, where trying something new is just as respectable as setting a record, where the greatest thing we can accomplish isn’t necessarily winning at all costs, but … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, High School Runners | 2 Comments

No Apology Necessary

News item: (Lancaster News) sports columnist Mike Gross issues apology in the wake of the passionate outrage sparked by his track and field column…” – LancasterOnline “The past few years, I have volunteered to be a part of LNP’s coverage of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Path of Least Resistance

“My opinion is that the single most effective tactic used on Saturday was to have Kipchoge run most of the distance close behind a Tesla vehicle onto which had been mounted a large wind shield pretending to be a clock.” … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon, Records & Statistics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Two hours: A Writing Exercise

[A moment ago, I started a stopwatch. I plan to sit here at my computer for the next two hours and write about Nike’s ‘breaking2’ publicity stunt for that exact amount of time. I’ll try to fix typos and other … Continue reading

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

Red-Letter Days

There they are, prominent among countless undistinguished runs dutifully recorded within one’s physical or virtual training log, the workouts that tower above the rest like monuments. They are the long, long runs, or the special blocks, or the hardest track workouts you’ve … Continue reading

Posted in Coaching, Training | 1 Comment

Sharing Battle Road

So here it is May, and in Southern New England spring is in full riot. Gardens have flowers again, and trees have green leaves. It finally feels like it’s OK to put the storm windows up and the screens down. … Continue reading

Posted in Weather and Seasons | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

In Memoriam: Tom Fleming

“He was high energy, very empathetic, and had a remarkable ability to reach a wide range of kids, boys and girls. He didn’t run an easy classroom but it was a great classroom. Third graders who heard about him kept … Continue reading

Posted in In Memoriam, Marathon | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Boston, be my shining star

Some things should be obvious. It should be obvious that the Boston Marathon is not like London or Berlin or Chicago. It should be understood that, above all, the Boston Marathon is a competition, not a time trial, a test … Continue reading

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Words to Run By

    Even as the constant cheers from a million spectators fill their ears and urge their tired bodies up and over the hills, runners in today’s marathon will be attending to other voices — the quiet but urgent voices … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Another few words about Boston

I hadn’t intended to write anything about the Boston Marathon this year. I found it hard to escape the feeling that everything had already been written, and by people much more dedicated and knowledgable than me. Since I had nothing … Continue reading

Posted in Marathon | Tagged , | 1 Comment