Monday, 7/8/19

American Tour de France team has barred its riders from using cellphones at the dinner table during the 3-week race

Study: A Kind Partner More Important Than Compatibility …Jerks are bad news. Who knew?

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint. Wouldn’t you like to know the footprint of every politician, you know, who tell us it’s everyone fault, but they themselves don’t need to pay the price.

Weekend, 7/6-7/19

The Devil’s Dictionary

Jen A. Miller/NYT: Running With My Mom With links.

Unofficial World Championships Qualifiers Lists

Los Angeles is where you confront the objective fact that you mean nothing. …You’re free. More.

Meet Yao Miao, the Best Ultrarunner You’ve Never Heard Of

Friday, 7/5/19

Dr. Michael Joyner Reviews Matthew Futterman’s Running to the Edge
…Stark look at how Americans suck in the marathon.

While running 400m repeats, my coach once said to the group “Your parents probably haven’t felt what you are feeling for decades. Maybe even ever!” …A reminder that once in a while we have to remind our body what it’s like to go to the well and use all of the systems of our body. ~Steve Magness

How to Be Happy

Kipchoge sleeps enough. Consider

Thursday, 7/4/19

How to Use Your Muscles to Predict Your Mortality

Butte to Butte 5K results. Don finished in 25:28.3, second in age group.

The hilly 10K 6 years ago.

Semi Rad: It Could Be Worse

You Can’t Wear Leggings After Sixty: Really? How About You Kiss My Little Tiny Bodybuilder’s Butt?

Wednesday, 7/3/19

How fast can we run? …I ran track (poorly) and cross country (better) for Anaheim High School in 1961-1962. Trained and raced barefoot, mostly. And so, yes, I was a forefoot striker. Like everyone else. For cross country, for trails and the road, you had three choices: barefoot, crappy Tigers from Japan, and a tennis shoe like thing from Adidas. For track, the sole choice was Adidas.

Highly recommended: the wet engine and Deep Survival

The enemy.

Tuesday, 7/2/19

LetsRun is…Looking for athletes who were wrongly denied a Pan Ams Game spot (and a lawyer who wants to help them)

Nike cancels release of July Fourth sneaker. Kaepernick took offense.

Arizona takes offense

One in Five Americans Get Hurt By Someone Else’s Drinking Every Year

The Myth of the Sports Scholarship. Why should we pay taxes, and students more in fees, to pay for athletes who are not there to learn?

Magness: After a breakthrough, you should back off, not press forward

Q&A with Roger Robinson

Roger Robinson, 80, was born in Birmingham, England, and raised in suburban London. He obtained scholarships to an academic high school and then attended Cambridge University, graduating with an M.A. and PhD in English. Seeking a less urban environment and more opportunity, he moved to New Zealand. He taught English at the University of Canterbury. At age 35 he became a full professor at Victoria University of Wellington where he spent most of his career. Highly regarded as a teacher, he also became Dean and Academic Vice Chancellor. Always a scholar, he wrote scores of articles and wrote or edited books, mostly concerning 19th century English novels.

His passion for words is similarly reflected in his many articles for Running Times and Runner’s World and books on running. His latest book, When Running Made History, was published in 2018 and is his best. It may be one of the best running books you will ever read ($17.96 on Amazon). Roger was also a prominent track announcer, TV and radio commentator, and continues as a major spokesman and historian for our sport.

His passion for running began after attending the 1948 London Olympics. Thrilled and inspired by Emil Zatopek’s 10,000m victory, Roger became a life-long runner and racer, despite lacking any sprint speed or finishing kick (he was always last in any school 100m trial). However, he developed a prowess as the years rolled (ran) by, representing England and later New Zealand in world championships. He became an age group world-beater once he reached his forties and fifties. At age 75-plus, following a partial knee replacement, he won U.S. age-group championship races at 5K (22:16), 10K (47:38), and a 1:46:57 half marathon. At 78 he had a total knee replacement on the other knee and is now working hard to get back to running and racing. He has some serious targets once he makes his debut in his new age group.

He is married to Kathrine Switzer, the first registered female to run the Boston Marathon. Switzer continued to be a notable racer and she continues to be a major force in promoting women’s running and racing. Roger and Kathrine divide their time between New Zealand and the Hudson Valley in New York State. Roger is the proud father of two sons, Tom and Jim, and grandfather to William, Maria, and Sophie, all New Zealanders.

For more, click on and enjoy July OTC Newsletter

Weekend, 6/29-30/19

USATF Debacle Gets Even Weirder

Pre Classic, probably the best track on the tube this year, on NBC, Sunday, 1 p.m. Details.

Why you should talk to old people.Hello In There

Walk with a Doc. For 13 weeks, leading up to the Eugene Marathon, Vin Lananna/TrackTown USA has a one hour Sunday workout. There is always a M.D. there to walk and talk with anyone. Free.

Are you signed up for your local July 4th race? Hope so. Jen A. Miller/NYT on the largest race in the country, Peachtree. And some outstanding links.

Friday, 6/28/19

Learn When to Hammer Your Workouts and When to Chill

The Power of One Push-Up

Study: Spinach Is Pretty Much a Steroid, Maybe We Should Ban It

Why Sometimes Just Finding Silence is Enough

Don’t miss: Q&A with Michael Joyner, M.D.

Thursday, 6/27/19

While waiting for a heart, guy raises money for Heart Institute and does a 10K. Story.

USA Track and Field Tries To Hide The Fact That They Messed Up BIG TIME

Consider the hummingbird… Joyas Voladoras

It just gets worse. Up To 39 Athletes May Have Had Their Spot on Team USA Denied Thanks To USATF’s Incompetence …Who gets fired when the head honcho signs off on the goof?