At the beginning of 2024, my training for the Tokyo Marathon was interrupted by a sharp pain in my heel. An initial x-ray didn't show any bone damage, but I was given a walking boot and crutches as a precautionary measure. An MRI was scheduled for the following week. Until then, I was advised to rest. However, as you'll soon find out, I wasn't the most obedient patient. Had my case been a stress fracture, I could have risked exacerbating my injury and been forced to stop running for months. I must emphasize not to take my lead. Always follow your doctor's orders and consider rest as a part of your training plan.
January 5
Dear Walking Boot,
I need to apologize for our first meeting. I know the look on my face showed, er, disgust. Truth is, I've never been with a walking boot, so I didn't know what to expect. Usually, I engage in all kinds of activities when I start a relationship. With you, hiking, dancing, and running are clearly off the table.
But...I'm keeping an open mind. At least you're on my left foot, not interfering with my driving. And I should be able to run again in no time, right? Like, in a week or two, so I can resume training for Tokyo? I'm sorry if that's a little pushy.
January 7
Dear Walking Boot,
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TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
