Phedippidations

This week I present for you the short story “The Winning Bug” written by Jackson Volney Scholz also known as the “New York Thunderbolt”.  Jackson Scholz was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprint, was born in 1897 and died on October 26th, 1986. In the 1920s, he became the first person to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games. He won the gold in Antwerp for the American 4x100 meter relay, he won the silver in the 100m race in the 1924 Paris games, losing to Britains Harold Abrahams as depicted in the movie Chariots of Fire, and he won the gold in those games in the 200 meter race.  He also ran in the 1928 games in Amsterdam, finishing 4th in the 200 meters. After his running career had ended, Jackson Scholz became well known for his writing, and today I’m going to read you one of his best short stories, an excellent first reading for what I intend to have as an ongoing feature of this podcast. “The Winning Bug”. Show Links: http://www.the22miler.blogspot

The greatest reward for producing a podcast like Phedippidations is the electronic messages that you are kind enough to send me, but there’s an old Scottish proverb that reads “What may be done at any time will be done at no time.” Today I’m making an effort to find some time to go through my email inbox to answer some of the messages you’ve been kind enough to send me over the past three months.  Despite good reason and a stressfully increasing workload, I’ve felt guilty for not answering your messages to me, and while I have read every email that I’ve received; my inability to find time to respond to you has been on my mind for quite some time. If I can’t answer every email the least I can do is produce this podcast every week and go for a run with you.  I can’t promise everything I’ll have to say here will be worthy of your listening; but I can promise to follow the same compass as you…heading in the same direction to better health and becoming a good animal. Show Links:The story “Patience” was read with p

There are so many beautiful places on this planet that you can find to go for a run which are beautiful, interesting, and memorable.  If you are traveling for pleasure, business or any purpose: pack your running shoes, a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt; you’ll see the places you visit from a more interesting and intimate perspective and will be able not only to say you visited that place, but can boast quite proudly that you’ve run there. In this episode of Phedippidations, I go on vacation to Florida and in the course of my journey I meet a good friend whom I’ve been hoping to meet for a very long time: THE Zen Runner himself: the great Adam Tinkoff. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: “Road Trip” by “Dirty Proper”

In April of 1990, Arthur Lydiard gave a lecture in Osaka Japan as part of a clinic he conducted in Tokyo and Osaka.  From that trip, numerous articles were written in running magazines all over the world, and the material he covered led to his publishing a book titled “Running With Lydiard”. He is without a doubt one of the greatest athletic coaches of all time, and is credited with popularizing and inventing the sport of recreational running and jogging for health.  His training methods were all about building a strong base and incorporating periodization and there are many world class runners today who give credit to the man for their impressive success on the track, fields and roads. This is the exact spoken presentation of his Osaka lecture in conversational form that sometimes wanders outside the rules of grammatical perfection, it lacks the physical expressions that were transmitted during the lecture, and is often a stream of conscious thoughts that converge on more solid themes, but in this episode I’

As runners, we all have questions; questions about our experiences on the road, questions about best practices as outlined by the experts, questions about the human body and the science regarding motion and our bodies, and even just questions about each other.  How are you doing? How are you feeling?  How’s your running going?  Have any big races planned in the near future?  What’s up?  What’s going on?  Did John Michael get his puppy yet? As friends and fellow runners we have plenty of questions as part of an ongoing conversation that we have with each other every day.  We are connected by a common interest, in this sport we call running: and with questions to spark new conversations, we offer answers to run with, out here on the road. When friends hang out and go for a run, they talk about stuff like this, they ask questions of each other and look for answers as a way to get to know each other better.  In this episode I’ll pose some of the questions asked by fellow runners, and attempt to answer each as bes

The book George Sheehan on Running to Win, is a book of wisdom, sage advise and clinical recommendations from a well versed authority on health and fitness.  Dr. Sheehan was someone who was passionate about our sport, and cited many reasons why all should join us on the road.  Most of all, he promised us that the act of running is fun. In his book “Running to Win” Dr. George Sheehan perfectly articulated what many of us have been thinking all along.  We’re all winners when it comes to this sport, and running to win is to win, through running. It doesn’t take a miracle or a magic pill, an incantation, self hypnosis or some new age marketing slick definition of the term “courage” to become a runner; it takes determination and dedication…it takes a desire to become a good animal in a physical sense, and a true winner in every sense of the word. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: “Win at All Costs” was by Man Bites God:

There are plenty of reasons why runners break.  The human body is a fantastically robust and adaptable organism, but it has it’s physical limits that, despite our good intentions through hard and long runs…can often lead to injury.  The problem is that our willpower is often far stronger than our bodies power to absorb stress.   You have within you the power to accomplish great things, and run impressive races…while at the same time you have the power to run yourself into the ground, and break that body that you’ve been fortunate enough to inhabit. Always remember that our human bodies are amazing pieces of equipment but compared to the surface of the planet, they are just small squishy things…and you know what happens when you take a small squishy thing and throw it at the side of a mountain…it squishes. Don’t squish yourself.  Run long, fast and hard…but never over the physical limits that mark your own structural integrity.  Your body can do great things, but not if you abuse and overuse it out here, on t

I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but the anniversary of my first breath on this planet’s ocean of oxygen takes place on the 19th of this month, just a few days after this show is available for download.  It was of course 9 full months prior that I first came to be; and have been growing into a more complex organism ever since. As my complexity increases, so do the ideas that get formed in my admittedly teeny tiny little brain…and like a balloon in the state of inflation, if I don’t get some of these ideas…both good, bad and frankly quite silly…out of the skull within which they are formed…well, like a balloon, something’s going to pop….and I don’t think you want to be left having to clean up the mess. Thus we have an episode of this goofy little podcast dedicated to things not necessarily related to running; but let’s go for a run today, you and I…and I’ll do the talking about things that I’m thinking about…the thoughts, opinions, and observations that a soon to be 47 year old fellow runner congers

Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong, and when we ignore those messages we are risking further and more permanent injury.  Myofascial trigger point pain syndrome is problematic because of the nature of referred pain, where a defect in the muscle can cause soreness elsewhere in the body.  To resolve this kind of pain, you have to identify its true source, and apply massage as a preventive measure to overcome it.  It takes patience and consistency to perform the stretches, exercises and massage that will help you to overcome trigger point associated pain, and allow you to run upon the open road, in comfort. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: “Passion and Pain” was by Lance Larson. 

If you find yourself struggling to catch your breath during a race or on a particularly cold or humid day, you may have exercise induced asthma.  Don’t let it prevent you from taking to the road and reaching your goals. I have every intention of running and finishing future marathons, and I won’t let my exercise induced asthma keep me from running.  There are treatments available to all of us who suffer with E.I.A. which can make our enjoyment of this sport continue through our lives.  Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “On the Run” was by Stormy Mondays Wines Reviewed by Kevin, Harper, Rob and Steve:2005 Chateau Mirambeau Papin Bordeaux Superieur: 60% Merlot, 40% Cab Sauv.2005 Rodney Strong Vineyards - Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This episode is a review of the leap year 2008, MMVIII of the Gregorian calendar, Anno Domini of the Common Era. Like any other year, 2008 had it’s accomplishments and failures, its successes and disasters, it’s good moments and instances of sadness and terror.  We lived through it all and each in our own way did our best, wished the best for others and helped to make the world just a little bit better than it was last year. This week we listen to some of the skits, sketches and audio bits that I produced in an effort to give my family and I a chuckle or two.  Happy New Year! Show Links:The song “We are Wolves Here” off the new album “Wake Up and Say Goodbye” was by David Usher.

This week your goofy little host goes “off the deep end” again with a podcast filled with critical thinking, loud enunciation and a very un-holiday-like disposition. This episode is a statement of my opinion.  Not all will agree with that opinion, and all are invited to consider and challenge what I have to say here.  I suspect many will consider my premise faulty and my conclusion to be wrong; but this is just MY OPINION, and if I sound angry and passionate in my argument it’s because it bothers me when fellow runners suffer the appeals of a marketing pitch designed to ridicule them without their conscious understanding in an effort to sell books. Just because someone says that it takes courage for you to run your first mile, does not make it so.  It does not make noble the action by affixing such terms to explain how you came to be.  Terms and words like “indomitable spirit”, “intelligent choice”, “dedication”, “perseverance”, and “commitment” better describe how you became a runner; and credits you with t

Ted Corbitt was without a doubt the “father of long distance running”.  He was a pioneer in ultramarathons and a big part of the running revolution of the 1960’s and 70’s.  He was once called “a spiritual elder of the modern running clan". We will remember him in many ways: as the quiet guy in the background working to establish rules for age groups and course measurements.  As a promoter of distance running who worked behind the scenes.  He was an amazing athlete who was able to cover distances that is considered impressive by any standard, and he was a kind hearted, soft spoken fellow runner who overcame hatred and prejudice to embrace a sport that he loved so well.Most importantly, he was someone who loved to run.  It was his life long passion, it was his daily joy and it was something that defined him, improved him and gave his life meaning and a happiness that inspires all who knew him and know of him…because Ted Corbitt was a man with an indomitable spirit who came into this world to live his life to th

In this episode I run the 20th Annual Whiten Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race in Whitensville, Massachusetts; a village in Northbridge.  It wasn’t my fastest five miler, but I had fun running it never the less.  I came to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, to enjoy the morning with fellow runners, to compete against those around me and most of all, to run. Old New England towns remain preserved while merging with the modern world and new technologies.  You can see that most clearly when you go for a run in such a town such as Northbridge Massachusetts, and the village of Whitensville. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “Run to Your Grave” was by The Mae Shi

Running clubs are local organizations that you can join to gain the support of fellow runners as a way to motivate, inspire, invigorate and improve your performance on the road.  But for all the great benefits that joining a running club will give you, there’s something else you should consider in deciding whether or not you should join such an organization.  When you join a running club you are not doing it only for yourself but as an opportunity to help others improve as runners: you are signing up to encourage others, to prove by your participation that running is a worthy effort, and to help others who are members of that club to run faster and farther, over and above what they might have otherwise thought they were capable of.  In today’s episode I’ll list some of the great running clubs that are out there. Thank you to everyone who responded to my “Twitter Tweet” for running clubs! Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “Some Christmas Huggin and Kissin’” was by Geoff Smith

When you are out there, running a race, and you find yourself (point A) behind another runner (point B) whom you are working to catch up to…there is a relative velocity between the two of you that is much smaller than you can imagine…and today, I want to help you imagine it…because once you’ve come to realize how small that difference is, then you’ll be better able to summon the energy required to exceed that speed and close the gap between you and that runner ahead of you to the point where you’ll beat him or her to the finish.  When you consider the difference, you’ll gain the confidence to catch up. Show Links:  Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “You Can’t Catch Me” by Cottrell Gant

So what is the point of giving gifts to each other during the holiday?  It is to express our feelings of appreciation, care and fondness for one another…and the best way to do that, with respect to gift giving, is to make the gift a personal reflection of what you know the person you’re giving to would appreciate. Runners appreciate the little things; a good book on our favorite subjects, or something simple like a pair of gloves, socks or a water bottle…items which help to protect and comfort us during our daily runs…these are things that will be appreciated every day and serve as reminders that you, as the gift giver, really understood and cared enough to give something related to our passion for this sport and the importance we give to the gift of running. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “The Gift You Always Wanted at the Bay” was by Jon Caspi

Our core is our center; it is where our arms, legs and head meet to create the human body we inhabit and control.  It is where, just a few inches or centimeters above, resides the all important heart, pumping oxygen rich blood to all of our extremities.  In an anthropological sense, the heart is the focused center of our emotional and mental character….it is the mystical source of our kindness, charity, and love.  In this same way, our core…the very central characteristic of who and what we are is sometimes associated with our human identity. To excel physically you must have a strong and powerful core, to excel as a human being you have to have a resilient and resolute center.  Work on that part of yourself, both physically and emotionally and there will be nothing you cannot accomplish.  Focus on developing your core and you’ll discover the power within yourself to run long and far and then you’ll find the strength to go on. Show Links:Fdip Blog of the Week: The song “The Strength” was by the Brothers Fallo

This episode will serve as proof that I’m an totally independent new media producer, and will guarantee that I never get that huge contract with a major running shoe label.   But when running shoe companies  enable their outsourced suppliers to treat their workers poorly, in unhealthy working conditions for long hours with wages that hardly allow them to feed and shelter their families…they are being evil…either by direction or failure. You and I can support the fight for human rights and the environment every day with our dollars…by purchasing products and services sold only by those companies and businesses who treat their workers with dignity and promote the basic human rights to life, liberty, freedom of expression, equality before the law and in society, the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education along with ensuring that the production of goods does not negatively impact the environment. My expose here about some of the major running shoe manufac

Life is all about making choices.  Choices between what’s right and wrong, choices between what’s good and evil, choices between altruism and egotism, of giving and taking, of sharing and selfishness and choices between what’s smart and what’s dumb. I chose to run the 2008 Bay State Marathon just as 25 years ago this month I chose to take part in a project to help etch my college radio station’s name in the history of a Northern Massachusetts city. Sometimes we do things without thinking it through, or considering the consequences.  Sometimes we do things on impulse or instinct and throw caution to the wind for ideals and purposes which seem like a good idea at the time. Whatever we do, for whatever reason we do it: one thing is perfectly clear.  We all have a choice. Show Links:The song “Choice” was by Jon Miller