THIS KITCHEN GADGET IS AN UNHERALDED TRAINING TOOL
Runner's World US|Summer 2024
Not only would the rice cooker help me meal-prep and pile on the carbs, but it was a badge of honor, a commitment to serious training.
Theo Kahler
THIS KITCHEN GADGET IS AN UNHERALDED TRAINING TOOL

AS MY COLLEGE roommates and I wasted away the summer of 2020, yanked from our teammates on the track team due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a cloud hung over the house.

Sitting on the kitchen counter, tucked away in a corner, was a large 32-cup rice cooker that my teammate, John, left behind for us to store until he returned to campus-an indefinite amount of time.

John, or "Dohini," as he was affectionately nicknamed for unclear reasons, was known for his love of high-mileage training and vegan lifestyle. The guy ate the same thing for almost every meal: beans and rice.

And at the foundation of his diet was his prized rice cooker, which ended up at my house after he was hastily kicked out of the dorms and had to fly home. I'm sure he experienced phantom limb pains.

My roommate, Jack, and I avoided the rice cooker. We knew it hadn't been cleaned out, and we were scared to open it. For weeks, out of stubbornness and laziness, we let it sit, knowing that it was probably a petri dish of growing bacteria. It took about three months until Jack finally caved in and rolled up his sleeves.

In a bit of a letdown, it was actually pretty tame inside. No noxious odors; just a lot of crusty starch. Jack put it in a cabinet when he was done, where it awaited its owner.

I've always admired Dohini for his monastic commitment to running and his simple diet. For most people, white rice and a room-temperature can of black beans-and usually some microwaved veggies topped with salt and sriracha-would get painstakingly dull. I certainly had no interest in replicating the diet myself.

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FLERE HISTORIER FRA RUNNER'S WORLD USSe alt
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
Runner's World US

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.

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LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
Runner's World US

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.

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3 mins  |
Fall 2024
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Runner's World US

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.

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2 mins  |
Fall 2024
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
Runner's World US

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.

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3 mins  |
Fall 2024
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
Runner's World US

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.\"

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2 mins  |
Fall 2024
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
Runner's World US

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.

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7 mins  |
Fall 2024
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
Runner's World US

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.

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10+ mins  |
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RUNNING WITH HANK
Runner's World US

RUNNING WITH HANK

How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.

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10+ mins  |
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WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
Runner's World US

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.

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A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Runner's World US

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.

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Fall 2024