I enjoy a good movie as much as anyone, but for me to sit still for two straight hours requires three things: bad weather, a long run finished, and the possibility that Russell Crowe might appear on the screen. Otherwise, count me out. But I snapped to attention last week upon hearing the news that Angelina Jolie had removed her breasts. Or rather, surgeons did, at her request, to dramatically more » Read more
Vegetarian Runner: Embracing the Label
Today I didn’t eat any meat. I didn’t yesterday either. Or the day before. Or the day before that. You didn’t know I was a vegetarian, did you? That’s okay. I didn’t either. But I am. And have been for a while. In order to put this story in context, let me give you a a little history and explain why what I eat matters. Read more
Commitment or Compulsion? The Signs of Exercise Addiction
Runners tend to stick to our training plans like rice on a sushi roll. We aren’t known to be flexible in our routines; we have a goal set and we strive to keep on track to reach it, whether that means enduring nasty 20 mile per hour winds to get in our 15-miler before church or skipping out on a happy hour to head to the track for speedwork. All that is fine more » Read more
Is Running Bad For You?
Ever since the untimely death of Micah True and various sensationalized marathon deaths around the country, the subject of whether running is good or bad for you–and how much running is good or bad for you–has been a media and discussion board hot topic. Never mind that True’s death was due to cardiomyophathy, an enlarged heart, which can be caused by something as simple as an infection, not necessarily from more » Read more
Giving Back: Blood Donation Alternatives for Runners
This post originally ran on August 6, 2012. In light of the Boston bombings, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit this topic. We all know that giving blood is important. I was raised believing it was my civic duty to give blood whenever I could. So I donated blood regularly since I was 18 years old and even gave plasma when I was in college (that more » Read more
Oh, He Won’t Bite: A Runner’s Plea to Dog Owners
“Oh, he won’t bite.” How many of you have heard that before? How many of you unfortunately realized the owner was lying? I was two houses away from home when a 1-year-old boxer took a bite out of my left calf. I had assumed there was an electric fence (mistake #1) and kept on running. I tried to keep calm as I passed the unleashed baby. As a result, I more » Read more
A Salty Guide to Sports Massage
Do I really take all my clothes off? Do I want a male or female? What do I say before we start? Will it hurt? What if I fart? All of those questions ran through my mind as I arrived for my first sports massage two years ago, and they might be running through yours if you’ve decided you need one as a part of your running recovery routine or more » Read more
Ask-a-Salty – Chafing
Ask-a-Salty is the feature that answers your burning questions about running. If you have a question, you can contact us by clicking on the “Ask-a-Salty” above the R and U of the banner. Or for the convenience-lovers among us, you can just click here. Today’s question comes from BG in California who asks: Is there a way to heal an under arm chafe fast … Ouch! How can I avoid this more » Read more
Urban Running Safety
Without fail, the first question someone usually asks when she finds out I’m a New York City runner is, “Do you run in Central Park?” The answer? “Well no…I live in Brooklyn, so that’s a little far. And mostly I prefer to run on the streets.” And the next question, without fail is, “Is that safe?” I’m fully confident that urban running is just as safe as running on a more » Read more
When the Only Safe Place to Run Is the Center of the Road
Even though the Boston Marathon is still two months away, the course is already busy on weekend mornings. Locals start running the course – portions of it, at least – in January, ignoring the cold, snow, and hostility of sedentary motorists unwilling to share the road. Witness the complaint (right) to the Hopkinton Police Department: Officer O’Brien’s fine police work notwithstanding, let’s be honest: At one point, the runners probably more » Read more