An ultra a day

By Christopher | May 18, 2010

After running halfway across America nonstop and averaging a solid 50k a day, 64-year-old Yijoo Kwon is feeling the consequences: he’s getting faster. He’s now almost out of Kansas and bearing down hard on Missouri. If you can meet him for a few miles, you’ll make his day and have a great story for the…

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Dr. Runner’s World and Mr. Hyde

By Christopher | May 17, 2010

What a delight to see that Runner’s World got rid of the “Sports Doc” who made the embarrassing, fearmongering comments about running shoes, and replaced him with a guy who makes it his first order of business to pen one of the most poised, knowledgeable and honest appraisals of barefoot running I’ve ever read. Oddly, or…

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Talk about born broken…

By Christopher | May 16, 2010

“If everybody stopped wearing shoes from the moment they are born, maybe it would be an easier transition, but right now, for someone to transition all of a sudden to doing barefoot running, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” —Dr. Michael Lacy, podiatrist. I guess in Indiana, they’re pulling newborns out by the laces.…

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Memorial Day 5k, West Chester, PA

By Christopher | May 14, 2010

Back in 2006, I spent a long, hot day and night in the Vermont woods with Billy Bonehead as we crewed for Jenn Shelton in the Vermont 100. One of the best parts of that race (apart from running under the stars with Bonehead and Brujita for the last 25-plus miles) was vagabonding from aid…

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“What the heck happened to his ear?”

By Christopher | May 14, 2010

While watching this video of Barefoot Tim doing his thing, I was struck by the way he embodied Coach Eric Orton’s observation that Tarahumara runners move down-and-up, not up-and-down like the rest of us. I was keeping an eye on Tim’s ear at the top of the frame to check this out. All of a…

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Yijoo Kwon, super stud

By Christopher | May 13, 2010

In 1996, Yijoo Kwon faced a choice: get in shape, get injections, or die. He was 50 years old and had just been diagnosed with diabetes. But rather than opting for insulin injections, Yijoo began running. At an age when most men are giving up on exercise, Yijoo rapidly trimmed off weight, got his blood…

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“Born to Run” on Jeopardy

By Christopher | February 11, 2010

Luckily, a stunned friend was quick enough to grab a photo when this clue flashed on the screen Wednesday night on “Jeopardy.” The contestant nailed it, too.

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Menstrual-controlled running shoes, new from Asics.

By Christopher | February 11, 2010

No, seriously. I only wish I were kidding. Just when you thought the shamelessness of running-shoe scams had reached bottom, whaddaya know — they find new depths to the cesspool. Asics is kindly offering to sell you a $190 running shoe that will magically adjust its midsole to your menstrual cycle. Read on, and marvel…

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Who needs speed?

By Christopher | February 7, 2010

In “Born to Run,” I explore the idea that the reason we gather by the tens of thousands to run 26.2 miles through city streets isn’t to survive the experience, but to share it… Excerpted from “Born to Run”: The reason we race isn’t so much to beat each other, he understood, but to be…

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The Mafia Business Model

By Christopher | February 7, 2010

A few months ago, I wrote an article for Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine about the opportunity that natural running presented to running-shoe retailers. The only reason these stores exist is because the owners position themselves as experts. Now that it’s becoming clear that the torque and excess cushioning in modern running shoes are harmful, what…

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