In 1984, 11-year-old Deena Kastor sat in her living room with her parents, eyes glued to the first women’s Olympic Marathon. American Joan Benoit Samuelson emerged from the tunnel into the Los Angeles Coliseum to claim the gold, waving her white hat. “No matter what my profession turned out to be in life, her performance that day would’ve inspired me to be better,” Kastor said during a recent visit to Chicago. Read the full article for Runner’s World.
Author: cindy.kuzma@gmail.com
What Runners Need to Know About Menstrual Cups
Many athletes swear by this reusable, long-wearing alternative to pads and tampons. Read the full article for Runner’s World/Zelle.
What’s Running Through Your Head When You’re Running?
“Come on keep the stride going, bro.” “I should be freakin’ flying right now for sure.” “I’m going to throw up.” You don’t often read phrases like these—or repeated f-bombs—in academic research papers. Then again, few if any scientific protocols have tapped the thoughts of long-distance runners in action. Read the full article for Runner’s World.
Your Midrace Period Questions Answered
By now, you’ve probably heard about Kiran Gandhi, whose blog about running her debut marathon during her period without a pad or tampon recently went viral. Reactions to the piece have run the gamut, from “you go, girl” to “yikes” to “hope she didn’t like those tights because that stain’s never coming out.” The philosophical debate has dominated the comments sections, but the post also raises some practical questions. So we went to the experts for tips to help any woman run with the flow. Read the full article for Runner’s World.
5 Things No One Tells You About Running As You Get Older
Even if you’ve never had the urge to lace up a pair of running shoes, you can’t help but feel inspired by 42-year-old Deena Kastor. This fall, she’ll return to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon—a race she won a decade ago—aiming to run 26.2 miles faster than any American woman age 40 or older ever has. Over more than 20 years of logging miles and winning races, Kastor has absorbed a lesson or two about running. Read the full article for Prevention.com.
She Runs: Alexis Ross
Following a nasty car crash in 2014, Alexis Ross thought she might never run again. But a year to the day later, this Chicago-area runner completed her first half marathon. Read the full article for Zelle.
4 Ways To Boost Your Grip Strength (And Why You Should Want To In The First Place)
Forget reading palms—for a better glimpse into the future, shake hands. A stronger grip could predict a longer life, according to recent findings published in the Lancet. Read the full article for Prevention.
Strong Hips Relieve Knee Pain
Struggling with knee pain? For relief, consider aiming higher. Rehab routines that incorporate the hip—as opposed to the knee alone—appear to work better for combating runner’s knee, according to a new research review published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Read the full article for Runner’s World.
5 Over-the-Counter Medicines You Should Never Take Together
You can buy over-the-counter drugs without a prescription, but they still have risks—especially if you treat yourself with more than one at a time. Read the full article for Men’s Health.
The Green Flash Blazes Through Chicago
Lionel Sanders doesn’t swim that well — at least, not for an elite long-distance triathlete. He typically comes out of the water about four minutes after the race leaders. But just wait till the run portion of the swim-bike-run event — about 10K in, he’ll catch up. That come-from-behind strategy has served him well, making the 27-year-old Canadian — who visited Chicago on Monday — the youngest top-10 Ironman in the world. This year alone, he’s won four out of his six half or full Ironman races and has his sights set on the Ironman World Championship in Kona in October. Read the full article for A Sweat Life.