ALMOST HEAVEN!

"Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River."

Take Me Home, Country Roads--John Denver

Morgantown, West Virginia is a magical place. Nestled in the Appalachian Mountain range, along the Monongahela River, the city of about 31,000 residents swells from August to May with the arrival of students from around the world who attend the famed West Virginia University.

Football and basketball dominate the West Virginia University scene. In fact, the University's basketball arena bears the name of perhaps it's most famous alumnus, NBA legend, Jerry West.

Since 2015, however, this small, friendly city, with a big-city atmosphere has become known for another athletic endeavor, and people are beginning to take notice.

On September 23, the third annual Morgantown Marathon will be contested.

Morgantown is a city of rolling hills, so if you're looking for a pancake-flat marathon, this race is not for you. But the Morgantown Marathon is a unique, runner-oriented race that will both challenge and motivate you, as you run through all seven wards of the city, past festivals, bands, and enthusiastic spectators.

For many runners, qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a major goal. If you hail from a region where the geography is flat, the hilly Boston Marathon course can be devastating. Running a race like the Morgantown Marathon is excellent preparation for a course like Boston.

Temperatures in the 50s and 60s during September, along with plenty of shade, are both beneficial to marathon runners, and are featured at the Morgantown Marathon.

If you're looking for a challenging marathon course, a race that is well-organized with many amenities, cheering neighborhood crowds, and breathtaking scenery, you owe it to yourself to place the Morgantown Marathon on your running bucket list.

And if you're not quite ready to tackle the marathon, consider the 'Morgantown Thirteener' Half Marathon.

The out and back course will take you through the city's neighborhoods, keeping you motivated with festivals, bands, and cheering spectators.

Or, you can run the Mountain Mama 8K race. This event begins at the WVU Coliseum, courses through city neighborhoods, and back to the coliseum. The race will kick off the 3rd Annual Morgantown Marathon weekend experience.

For additional information, check out the race website: www.morgantownmarathon.com, go to the Morgantown Marathon Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter @MotownMarathon.

Hope to see you at this great marathon event.

A GREAT NEW FITNESS SITE

Thanks to today's information age, it is easier than ever for fitness enthusiasts to acquire information about staying fit and maximizing our fitness level.

Check out a new site that offers training advice in a variety of fitness sports for folks at any level, lists events, finds groups to get you motivated, and allows you to create your own profile and record your fitness journey in the community.

Following is a description of the Linked Fitness mission.

The site is: Linked Fitness. www.linkedfitness.com, and you can register for free.

"Here at Linked Fitness, we believe that keeping fit and healthy doesn’t have to be a chore. Our mission is to inspire you to achieve your goals by providing all the latest fitness information and a wide range of tools to support your progress and keep you on track.

Join the Linked Fitness Community and get creative by designing your own profile and connecting up with other members to share your ideas and keep motivated. Find sporting and fun fitness events to attend in your local area. Nothing interesting happening near you? Why not create your own fitness group and invite others to meetup and get active with you in your neighbourhood.

Linked Fitness will be here for you every step of the way to provide you with the knowledge and inspiration you need to succeed. Whatever your fitness level or lifestyle, we understand that keeping fit and staying healthy can be tough, so let us support you in achieving your goals whilst still having fun."

Join today, at www.linkedfitness.com. This is an exciting and a very informative site.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS

In a little over two weeks, we will "spring forward," as in most parts of the United States, we will set our clocks an hour ahead as we move into Daylight Savings Time.

About a week later, Winter will officially end, and our long period of darkness will lie behind us.

For many, these milestone dates will mean more time to train at the end of the day as well as more pleasant training conditions.

To be sure, this winter, for most of us, has been a mild one, with a single major snowstorm here on the east coast, and few bitter cold days.

Enjoy the spring, as it is a great time to train and race. Spring marathons will abound, and shorter races will bloom like spring crocuses. Hopefully, your winter training will propel you to many spring successes.

Remember to get to the nearest track to run your speed workouts, but also travel to your local track to support the young high school men and women who are competing in track and field. They often do not receive the adulation often afforded to the "high profile" sports, but, as we know, they work just as hard. Cheer them on. They will appreciate it.

The darkness will subside soon.

Let's all take advantage of, and enjoy the light.

THE NEXT FRANK SHORTER?

There was a time when most Americans had no idea what a marathon was. Marathon runners were a weird bunch, and marathons, in fact road races in general, were few and far between.

A Yale graduate, Frank Shorter changed all that when he won the Olympic Marathon at the Munich Olympics in 1972.He helped ignite the "Running Boom" in America.

I describe and detail the Running Boom in my first book, 'Running Shorts.' www.muldowneyrunning.net , amazon.com/author/joemuldowney

Today, in his inaugural marathon appearance, 29-year old Galen Rupp, the silver medalist in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Olympic Games, proved that he may be the first American to earn a marathon gold medal in the Olympics since Shorter did so, 44 years ago.

Rupp endured record heat, 75 degrees at the finish line, to win in a time of 2:11:10.

Galen Rupp is the real deal and perhaps is the next Frank Shorter.

KUAI-THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY

Like most of you, I am looking forward to the coming of spring.

In addition to near perfect training conditions come April, during that month I am going to have the opportunity to try a training device that is truly revolutionary.

 Kuai's Multi Sport Biometric Headphones https://www.kuaiwear.com may be the greatest sports technology item I've seen since the advent of the GPS watch.

It is a revolutionary headset that monitors your biometrics and sports performance using advanced patented biometric sensor technology. Through your headset you receive sport watch information like your time, distance, pace, and mile splits. You get live voice feedback and coaching, along with a heart rate monitor, and your VO2 max. All the while you can still listen to your music, hear your virtual coach, and receive live voice feed back. There's absolutely nothing to carry. All this information comes through your headset.

The device is very comfortable and is waterproof up to 3 meters. Kuai can work autonomously or connected to other devices, it can receive data from bike sensors and power meters by ANT+ and send data to sport watches and phones by ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart.

This is the perfect training partner for runners, cyclists, swimmers, and fitness enthusiasts.

Watch the video at: https://www.kuaiwear.com, and you'll be amazed like I was.

Place your order now and take advantage of this cutting-edge training tool.

 

 

 

 

PHIL

How about that Punxsutawney Phil?

This morning, the detestable rodent from the western region of my fair state, did not see his shadow, thus predicting that spring is "right around the corner."

Hmm...I DID run in shorts today, as the temperatures hovered in the low 50s, and the sun shone brightly.

Legend tells us that if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2nd, winter will last another six weeks. German settlers imported this folklore to Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Now, Punxsutawney Phil’s handlers maintain 100 percent accuracy in his seasonal predictions, since the first Groundhog Day celebration in 1887, but statistics tell a different story. The actual "success rate" of the 'whistle pig's' (yep, another name for a groundhog) forecast hovers around 37%. Perhaps about as accurate as most local weather persons.

I love writing about Groundhog Day, but I absolutely hate groundhogs. They are ugly, destructive creatures. Groundhogs rut farm fields, ravage crops, and cause general destruction. They carry rabies, and have attacked my dog on two separate occasions.

But furry little Phil remains one of those traditions that is probably "cute" to cling to.

Chances are, winter WILL hang on for at least another six weeks, but as long as I can plant my spring onions around St. Paddy's Day, and run in shorts for most of the month of March, I can endure the prediction of the oversized buck-toothed rat.

HUNKERING DOWN

Well, the blizzard of '16 has, indeed hit, impacting over 80 million people, many of them runners, like us.

I'm currently hunkered down, taking the day off, pondering exactly when I plan to shovel and plow my driveway, relaxing with my dogs, and curled up with a good book. Currently, it's an autobiographical work from legendary talk show host, Dick Cavett.

There are two books I have written that I'd like you to consider (and hopefully purchase).

Personal Best and Running Shorts are written from the perspective of a runner who has experienced all the good and the bad of running that you've experienced. I love running and runners, and over the years, I have forged lasting friendships thanks to our sport.

If you're hunkered down and you need inspiration to get you through the winter doldrums, I promise you'll love these books.

 

Both of my books, Personal Best and Running Shorts are available now, for the lowest price yet, $7.99 each, plus $2.00 shipping and handling, at www.muldowneyrunning.net. Heck, that's about what we pay for a pair of socks today.

 

You can also go to Amazon, at: amazon.com/author/joemuldowney where you can find both books, reviews of them, and the Kindle version of Personal Best for $1.99. Try finding a pair of socks for that price these days!

 

The books are also available from my publisher's site: www.lulu.com

 

Fact is, if you plan to take you first running step, run your first marathon, or want to learn how to drop that marathon time, Personal Best will offer ways for you to achieve your goal.

 

If you want to be inspired, to laugh or cry, with stories from the road, read Running Shorts.

 

And, as my readers know, I pride myself as a "hands on" author. Having trouble with plantar fasciitis? Let me tell you about the 'donut' cure. Want to break 3 hours for the marathon? We can develop a training plan together to make that happen.

 

It's 2016. A new year, with new goals, hopes and aspirations.

 

Want to achieve your personal best?

 

Let me know.

 

I'll help you get there.

Stay safe out there!

 

REST DAY

As winters go, this has been a pretty good one for runners. As I gaze out my window in northeastern Pennsylvania, not a speck of white dots the ground. To date, our only snow has come in the form of a dusting, which quickly vanished.

But from the Carolinas to New England, that's about to change in the next 24 hours. Unless you've been tucked under your blankets the past week, you know that blizzard conditions will grip the eastern seaboard tomorrow.

In anticipation of the 'snowmageddon,' I've already planned a day off from running tomorrow, and if you're within the storm's "bull's eye," so should you.

Little good will come out of slogging out slow miles outside during tomorrow's storm. (If you have a treadmill, then knock yourself out) You will be a danger to yourself and others, your miles will be dreadfully slow, your chances of falling will be greatly increased, and the risk of tweaking a muscle or tendon just isn't worth it.

A day off will help, not hurt you. Enjoy the beauty of the snow, and feel comfort in knowing that your aerobic activity will be satisfied by shoveling, plowing, or playing outdoors with the kids or the grandkids.

Relax, take a deep breath, and accept the fact that it is winter, and many of us are still stuck here in the frozen north.

Be safe.

And take a rest.

'TIS THE SEASON

It's been a busy week.

Marathon season is upon us. March, April and May are ideal months to run a marathon, and although a bum knee will prevent me from running a marathon this spring, this week, with the Holiday season in the rear view mirror, requests for marathon training programs have flooded my desk. Well, you know what I mean, my laptop, not my desk.

I must confess, two of those requests shot to the top of my priority list.

My daughter, Kelly, an accomplished academic, (genetics she clearly did not receive from her father) never liked to sweat. In her mid-20s, she announced that she was going to run a marathon. To her father's delight and amazement, as she had never run a 5K. Well, she did, and to date, she's run six of them. She is running the Ottawa Marathon, with her husband, Mike in May. She wants to break 5 hours and Mike wants to crack the 4-hour barrier.

Father Chris Zelonis never ran much in his youth either, but he does now. At age 39, he qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon and is flirting with breaking the coveted 3-hour mark. Barring unusual weather conditions, he will do so at Boston.

I'm working on their training programs for April and May as we speak.

The remarkable story of Kelly is told in my book, "Running Shorts;" while the extraordinary story of Father Chris is chronicled in my book, "Personal Best." www.muldowneyrunning.net

But let's talk about you.

Hey guys, I've been running for forty years now, and one thing I've come to know: as runners, we LOVE to talk about us!

Looking for a cheap, effective running plan for races from 5K to the marathon?

Get your order in now, and I'll get started.

Go to Fiverr, www.fiverr.com, type "running" in the search box, and find me. I'll design a running program for you, starting at $5.00. Oh, and also check out the reviews. It's fun to write programs for runners from Austria to Singapore.

The desk/laptop is filling up and marathon/racing is approaching.

I'll be happy to help you get across the finish line

TURNING FORTY

Well, I turn forty this year.

Ha, I wish!

Actually, as we begin 2016, I enter my fortieth year of competitive running.

It all begin in May 1976, in the small town of Jim Thorpe, a quaint hamlet, nestled in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. The town is named after the deceased Native American Olympic champion, who, peculiarly, resides there now. If you want to read that bizarre tale, read about it in my book, Running Shorts. www.runningshorts.net It has been a long, strange trip for the Indian from Oklahoma.

Although I ran competitively in both high school and college, turning in some unremarkable performances, there was something about the freedom and the dedication it took to train independently to run all distances that captivated me then, and still does, some forty years later.

Accumulating more th 123,000 miles over those forty years, enough to circle the globe more than four times, the thousands of races, a personal best marathon time of 2:22:54, sixteen appearances at the venerable Boston Marathon, all pale in comparison to the friendships I've made, the relationships I've forged, and the experiences I've enjoyed.

A torn hamstring, suffered three weeks after the 2013 Boston Marathon, and arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in November have forced me to reevaluate my training regimen, but have not diminished my love for the sport.

Through coaching, writing, and mentoring, I enjoy assisting others in reaching their running goals. My mantra remains that, while my best running days are behind me; yours, indeed, lie ahead.

I'm happy to be turning forty. Forty years doing something you love. Because, there is no retirement age in this sport. Just ask Ed Whitlock.

So, if you're beginning your first year of running, or if you're pushing forty, I'm with you. We are a brother/sisterhood of addicts to the most positive addiction.

Here's to another forty.

             Meeting running legend, Ed Whitlock, who is setting world records at age 83

YOUR BEST DAYS

2016 is upon us.

And, your best running days lie ahead.

Why?

Yes, we will become another year older. There may be times of setbacks. Our races may not always turn out the way we had hoped. There will be days when the weather will slap us in the face and it will be difficult to get out the door.

But...You WILL get out there. Because you can.

For nearly four months I was sidelined with a torn meniscus, which resulted in arthroscopic surgery.

It was hell!

Getting back out there proved to me how much I love to run.

Your best running days lie ahead whenever you can run on your favorite route, whether it be street, trail, mountain or beach.

Your best running days lie ahead when you stare Mother Nature in the eye and you win.

Your best running days lie ahead when you can run with friends, laughing, joking, and exchanging training tips.

Your best running days lie ahead when you are out there doing what 90% of the population can't do.

Your best running days lie ahead, and they begin anew tomorrow, in the new year of 2016.

Have a great 2016.

I'll be here to offer my advice, rants, guidance, and, sometimes humor.

Finally, here's an Irish blessing for the New Year.

"May those who love us, love us; and for those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if

he doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles, so that we may know them by their limping."

THE MERRIEST!

From my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas.

I hope for you and yours it is a joyous time with family and friends. And to those loved ones who are no longer with us, honor them with stories and tales of their lives. Over this Christmas season, they are truly with us in spirit.

It's spring-like, heck, it's almost summer-like here in Pennsylvania, with record temperatures. After my run this morning, I worked in my garden and raked leaves.

Remain healthy and enjoy the joys Christmas brings to all of us!

Joe

FREE BLACK FRIDAY TRAINING PROGRAM

Black Friday bargains are unbelievable this year. Last week I received an email from an online running retailer offering a $25 gift card with the purchase of a $100 gift card.

Yesterday, my wife topped me by taking advantage of a $50 gift card with her $100 purchase.

So, I figured it was time to get busy and offer my customers something free with the purchase of my books, Personal Best and Running Shorts, on my website, www.muldowneyrunning.net.

 From now until Christmas day, if you visit my website, www.muldowneyrunning.net you can take advantage of the Christmas two for one sale.

For the retail price of one book, $14.99 plus shipping, you can purchase BOTH books, Personal Best, AND Running Shorts. That's $7.50 for running books written by a runner for runners.

Heck, you can even purchase two of the same book, if you like.

I will personally sign each book and send it out to you promptly.

NOW HERE'S THE FREE OFFER.

You can take advantage of the two for one sale, AND receive a ten-week training program ABSOLUTELY FREE!! That's a value of $25.

Here's how it works. You must purchase the two for one offer on my website, from now until Cyber Monday. (November 30) You will then receive one 10-week free personalized training program, and I will make that offer valid for an entire year. So, if you want to train for a marathon next November, you won't have to take advantage of your free training program until next August or September.

When you checkout, I will record your email, then you can email me at: runnr@hotmail.com, and we can begin your training program at your convenience.

This is a Black Friday sale you can use to become inspired by reading my books, and reach your very own personal best by receiving a training program written by me just for you.

Check out reviews of my training plans, submitted by runners from all over the world at: https://www.fiverr.com/s2/bd1a006ea9

The digital time clock is ticking. You have only one week to take advantage of this one-time offer.

I look forward to helping YOU achieve your personal best.

WRONG PLACE FOR THIS

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2015/09/28/tc-marathon-organizers-respond-to-planned-protests/73001336/

Following is an excerpt from KARE 11 News in Minneapolis

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- "Organizers of the Twin Cities Marathon are working on contingency plans to handle a protest by the St. Paul chapter of Black Lives Matter intended to disrupt the race.
This Sunday, roughly 12,000 runners will take off from downtown Minneapolis at 8 a.m. on their 26.2-mile journey finishing near the Minnesota State Capitol.
Rashad Turner, one of the organizers of Black Lives Matter St. Paul, will not disclose exact plans on how or where they intend to disrupt the race, but he says the group will adapt to any change of plans race organizers have in mind.
"We don't plan on having any physical contact with runners, but we do plan to make ourselves the finish line," said Turner."

I am not going to debate the issue, the cause, the movement, or the reasons for it.

Simply, the marathon finish line is the wrong place for this.

Let's look at two stark, similar examples of misguided individuals using running and athletics as a platform to further their "cause."

In 1980, in response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter decided to boycott the Olympic games in Moscow.

The last Soviet soldiers left Afghanistan in 1989.

So much for your boycott, Mr. Carter.

At the 2013 Boston Marathon, two despicable terrorists decided to further their cause by detonating two bombs near the finish line, killing three and injuring and destroying the lives of many more.

Those lives mattered too.

How does "making ourselves the finish line" do anything to further this cause?

There is no more eclectic, all-inclusive group of people on the planet than runners. There is nothing political or racial when it comes to marathons. I'm certain the Twin Cities Marathon boasts entrants from many countries, nationalities, racial, and ethnic groups.

A good friend, Mike Carriglitto, who will run the race on Sunday, had an excellent suggestion. Hold signs and protest along the race route, if you want your voice to be heard. Threatening the finish line of the race is simply a very, very bad idea.

Folks with disabilities will participate in the race, as will many who will raise many thousands of dollars which will benefit people, regardless of their color or ethnicity.

Organizers of this particular protest are myopic, and have not done their research on runners and their supporters.

If they had, they would realist that the marathon finish line is the wrong place for this.

COACH

The importance of paying it forward in our sport can never be overemphasized. I have written about it on several occasions.

It is gratifying to me to receive a text message or read a Facebook post from someone I've interacted with who has now become a runner and is participating in races, working toward reaching running goals.

A good friend and former colleague dropped over 100 pounds in a little over a year. He now runs his 5K races in the 22s, and recently completed his first marathon.

But, if you really want to pay it forward, using your running wisdom and experience to lead others down the running path, you should try coaching.

In August I began my 8th year as head coach of Penn State Schuylkill's Men's and Women's cross country teams.

Penn State Schuylkill is a branch campus of the Pennsylvania State University, nestled in the hills of east-central Pennsylvania. Only about 1,600 students attend classes at the campus. Many students are local, and they commute back and forth from classes daily. Other students reside on campus, and many of those young men and women are from the inner-city.

This year's team, consisting of 10 men and 7 women is a unique blend of urban and rural students, as well as a contrast of experienced and novice runners.

Several of my team members participated on local track and cross country teams; while others have never run a step.

We have participated in three invitational meets thus far, and have one more invitational and the state championship meet remaining. For the state championship, we will travel to Penn State's main campus, at University Park, and will compete against all the other campuses within our Penn State University Athletic Conference.

At yesterday's meet at Penn State Wilkes Barre, two of my runners, Nico Granito, and Casey Renninger, earned awards, as they placed 5th in their respective races.

It was, however, Keon Major, Muhammad Brown, and Muhmod Shabazz, who truly distinguished themselves at yesterday's meet. On August 24, at our first practice, these young men had never run a distance event.

Yesterday, they all completed a 5-mile race.

They are fine young men, and now they are long distance runners.

Makes a coach proud.

www.muldowneyrunning.com

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

Tomorrow marks the official start of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Clearly, however, judging by the chill in the early morning air here in Pennsylvania, the season arrived a day early.

And, for runners, what a glorious season it is. Arguably, the best running weather of the year will greet us for at least the next eight weeks. Mornings will be crisp and cool. Many days will feature warm afternoon sun that's not too warm, as the sun moves farther away from us.

In addition, runners, perhaps more than any other athletes, will not only witness, but will actually be a part of nature's amazing transformation, as leaves change colors and we run through the magnificent foliage.

Races will abound throughout the next few weeks, and blazing summer heat will no longer slow us down. Yes, we are going to be forced to 'layer up' our clothing, but the effort will be well worth it as we see our race times tumble.

Don't squander these coming weeks. Select a couple of race distances you'd like to attack, and peak for those events. Don't fall victim to 'overracing,' rather, concentrate on the twin pillars of success: a weekly long run and a weekly speed workout during the weeks you don't race. Both workouts become much more pleasant during the fall months.

And, when we reach the end of this season and the Winter Solstice raises it's icy head?

Then it's time to reward yourself as you look back and contemplate your successes and setbacks of 2015.

Use the holidays to take a break for a couple of weeks, ready to rededicate yourself for the new year.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Enjoy this magnificent fall season. Train and race well. When you do, each day will be your personal best.

 www.muldowneyrunning.com

KINDLE KIND

For a limited time, if you go to my author page at Amazon.com, amazon.com/author/joemuldowney, you can purchase the Kindle version of my latest book on running,  Personal Best, for the lowest price ever...$1.99. That's cheaper than a cup of coffee these days!

Personal Best begins with a day I'll never forget: April 15, 2013, the day terror struck the Boston Marathon.

Following is an excerpt of the chapter entitled, 'Was That Thunder?'

WAS THAT THUNDER?

 A good day to run a marathon is usually a bad day to watch a marathon.

That was not the case on April 15, 2013.

The day broke with a deep blue sky; a chilly wind fluttered from the west, the air was dry.

An endless procession of yellow school buses departed from the Boston Common to begin the journey along the Mass Pike to the village of Hopkinton, the center of the running world on Patriot’s Day.

My morning began in an unusual manner. Preparing to run the Boston Marathon for the sixteenth time, my wife and I decided that, rather than deal with the crowds at the bus loading area, she would transport me to the athletes’ village, drive back to the train station at Riverside, and later assume her place near the finish line on Boylston Street.

At the toll plaza, buses were lined up like yellow jackets at the hive, and despite some congestion on narrow country roads, we reached the quaint “Welcome to Hopkinton, Incorporated in 1715” road sign by 7:30 a.m. In the forested area on the edge of town, placards nailed to the trees bore the warning, “No Stopping Monday.” Between the words, “Stopping,” and “Monday,” was the image of a runner breaking the finish line tape.

Within three blocks of the athletes’ village, all roads were barricaded, and as my wife and I exchanged farewells, an achy, empty feeling of loneliness enveloped me, even as I approached a small city of more than 23,000 runners. I stood, motionless, for a few moments, as her car faded to a small silver dot. On a magnificent mid-April morning, something didn’t feel quite right to me.

Check out the Kindle special offer, or receive free eCoaching by visiting: www.muldowneyrunning.com

DON'T BE AFRAID OF A VACATION

Summer is a great time of year, and we're right in the middle of it.

Temperatures have been high, and the humidity has been drenching. Great beach weather, but not so great for running.

Perhaps you're getting out there for your daily run and you are frustrated. Your scheduled 10-mile training run has been reduced to a 7-miler.

On your routine daily workout, you glance at your sweat-soaked watch in frustration and you can't believe how slow you've become.

Not to worry.

It's time for a vacation.

Here's the deal.

You're not going to run your best races in sweltering summer heat, so chill out and scale back your training.

Recognize, that for a few weeks in the summer, your distances may decrease and your times may be slower.

On days when the conditions are 90 by 90, relax with easy miles.

Then, when Mother Nature offers you a break, seize the opportunity.

For example.

On Monday, conditions were brutal. The temperature hit 90 and the dew point was in the 70s. I struggled through a 5-miler. Pools of sweat formed at my sides when I finished.

Yesterday, after a cold front passed through, the temperature dropped to 80 degrees, with a crisp humidity of only 35%. I ran the same course 2 and 1/2 minutes faster than I did on Monday and I felt great.

So the word for summer running is: Maintain!

Try not to lose your fitness level. Do not be afraid to give yourself a short running vacation. Your body will appreciate the rest, and some of those nicks might be given an opportunity to heal.

Soon, ideal fall conditions will begin and you will be able to return to intense training, refreshed from your summer vacation.

And, speaking of that training, check out my website: www.muldowneyrunning.com for a great training offer.

TIMELESS?

Running is timeless.

Wait, let me rephrase that. Running is all about time.

We strive to achieve our personal best times each time we race.

We glance obsessively at our watches when we train.

We overextend those last few strides when we near the finish line of a speed workout.

Each day we hope we will be able to find the time to squeeze workout into our busy schedules.

But, in my experience, running IS timeless. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but yesterday I logged 5 miles on a beautiful, shaded mountain trail with a friend of 38 years, Brian Tonitis. Although our race times have diminished with the passage of time, we still check our splits, we talk about races, about who's running well and who isn't. Like senior citizens on the bench at the mall, we reminisce about old times, and we talk about the glory days of road racing.

In August, I'll travel 100 miles south to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, where I'll run the annual Tom Ausherman Memorial 5-Mile race. The race is conducted by my friend and rival for over 30 years, John Ausherman, in honor of his late father, a pioneer of running in Southern Pennsylvania. John and I have run countless races together, but more than that, we have attended each other's daughters weddings, our families have vacationed together, and we have hunted elk in Colorado. Whenever we get together, we include a brisk run into our schedule.

And, with both Brian and John, I have run with their sons, Matt and Tommy, both excellent runners in their own right.

In a couple of weeks, Wayne Parfitt will travel from Newport News, Virginia to visit his family here in town. We will run together, and we will unpause the pause button and pick up where we left off, having run the Boston Marathon together, all the way back in 1984.

All these outstanding individuals are members of the Cast of Characters, a chapter in my first book, Running Shorts. www.muldowneyrunning.com

Running is an individual endeavor, but your running partners can motivate, you, pull you along to faster race times, encourage you, and even counsel you. Good running partners can be as essential as a good pair of running shoes.

Keep your friends close, but keep your running friends even closer.

Through them, your running can become timeless.

ACCLIMATIZE

In mid-May, a good friend, Samantha Snukis, and one of the runners I personally coach, Father Chris Zelonis, ran the Run for the Red Marathon in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. After a cold winter and a cool spring, the athletes, who had prepared diligently for the race, awoke to morning temperatures approaching 80 degrees. By the time they finished, the mercury hovered near 90 degrees, with high humidity. While both runners ran their personal bests, their times were negatively impacted, and Chris Zelonis suffered severe dehydration.

The reason for their diminished performances was simple. There was just no way they could acclimatize themselves to the temperature increase that quickly. Now, place the race in September, and their results would have been different.

Even during the coldest winter months, the body heats up rapidly when we run. During the summer months, we need to take precautions in order to avoid heat-related issues. But, sooner or later, we are going to be forced to run races under hot conditions, so, we need to acclimatize.

Last week, I left Pennsylvania for a week in Myrtle Beach. Each day my Weather Channel app warned me of "dangerous heat." My daily runs were conducted between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m., yet, most of the days, the heat index stood above 90 degrees. Like a moth to a light bulb, I darted toward shade whenever possible, and used the Atlantic Ocean for my cool down. I ran every morning, and my workout times improved each day. On Saturday morning, before we left for the airport, I ran my fastest workout of the week.

It was dismal  here in Pennsylvania yesterday. It was cool, temperature around 68 degrees, cloudy, and breezy. My dogs didn't want to go outside. Finally, around 3:00 p.m. I decided to go for my longer run of the week. My legs felt light. My breathing felt as though a plastic bag had been removed from my head. I ran my fastest 9-miler of the year.

Running through the Myrtle Beach blast furnace had helped,

The moral of the story?

If you're gonna race in the heat, you gotta train in the heat.

Be careful, but select a hot day here or there and train in the heat. Plant water along the way if you have to, but get your body accustomed to the brutal conditions. Granted, your training time may be slower, but come race day, you'll be better prepared when others aren't.

Get home to a garden hose, a cold shower or bath, a swimming pool, or an ocean and cool down immediately.

Embrace the heat in order to race in the heat.

www.muldowneyrunning.com

                                             Samantha Snukis