Category Archives: Uncategorized

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 →

[ Originally published October 28, 2009] In Tuesday’s NY Times, an article entitled “The Human Body is Built for Distance”  begins with this rhetorical question: “Does running a marathon push the body further than it is meant to go?” Sometimes, … Continue reading →

Medals and trophies are nice, championships are special, and acclaim is welcome — but there’s nothing like that first cash prize for placing “in the money” at a road race. My sister Robin, a faithful reader of the blog, reminded … Continue reading →

Back in 2002 the City of Newton, where I live, hired a new police chief named Jose Cordero. He had served for over twenty years as a police inspector in Queens, and had established a reputation for reducing robberies, burglaries, … Continue reading →

[First published September 21, 2007] Is running complicated? In spite of the fact that I seem to be writing or talking about it all the time, it strikes me that running is pretty much the simplest thing you can do … Continue reading →

A few years ago, my friend Robert Chasen wrote a lovely paean to a course that he ran every summer while on vacation at his summer cottage in Nova Scotia. (You can read it and other essays on his blog, … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →