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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

Beat the Running Blahs

Posted April 18th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

girl running in the city Sometimes, it feels like nothing could be more rewarding than a long run in the fresh spring air. Your legs are weightless, the day is windless, and the minutes seem to fly by.

But what about those other days? You know, when you feel like you crawled out of bed to fall flat on the road, or your same old route feels blah and you can’t stop checking your watch. How do you to combat boredom in your running routine, keep things interesting, and sustain a challenging fitness lifestyle that leaves you wondering what’s next, instead of counting the seconds until you can hit the showers and grab a coffee?

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NYRR, Wittenberg Continue to Lead the Way

Posted September 14th, 2007 at 9:03 AM by Scott Bush

Section: Marathons, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

For the past few years, every major marathon seems to include a handful of pacemakers to take out the race and push the fields to fast times. While fast times look impressive on paper, they don’t always make for the best races and the public is generally unaware of the records and impressive times for elite marathoners. With that in mind, Mary Wittenberg, the race director for the New York City Marathon, announced Friday that there will be no pacemakers at this year’s race.

mary wittenberg “Our sport is full of great stars who thrive on competition and the purity of head-to-head racing,” Wittenberg said. “In the end, it is all about the thrill of racing and the pursuit of victory. Who cares what the clock says? We owe it to our best to put them front and center and let them race.”

This is great news for a variety of reasons. While hundreds of thousands run a marathon or two each year, few of those runners know more than a couple of the world’s best marathoners. Taking away pacemakers in the front of the pack allows TV commentators to focus on identifying athletes and build stories around them, creating more space for athletes to be showcased. No pacemaking also signifies a larger, more competitive field at the end of the race, instead of a strung out group, with no more than a handful of athletes in the lead pack.

The New York Road Runners build running environments in their city that are both creative and diverse, and with Wittenberg at the helm, NYRR consistently shows why New York City is the center of the second running boom. Dropping pacemakers from the elite race is a bold move. It suggests more head-to-head racing, but slower finish times. NYRR often gambles with ideas like this and continues to exude the creativity, confidence and ability to elevate their events and athletes that this sport so desperately needs.

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Run through the day, but then always dance the night away!

Posted January 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 AM by Valerie Cerami

Section: Running & Training, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

From pop stars, to pro athletes (to you and I) … taking a dance class is a true power enhancer and morale booster. Exactly the little lift we all need for the cold-n-dark winter months ahead.

There are as many types of dance, as there are types of personalities.

Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hot, Hula, Salsa, Swing, Square, Exotic, Ballroom, Ballet, Break, Belly … to name but a few. I’m most certain you can find a style that suits your profile, mood and/or schedule. Need a little inspiration? Flip on WABC and watch the popular “Dancing With The Stars”, it’s sure to get your toes a’ tappin’.
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