Milo and the Calf

Category: Quoth the Runner

  • More on Why We Run

    When I picked up Bernd Heinrich’s Why We Run, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it. It is both a memoir of ultra training and a mediation on what we can learn from the endurance and running abilities of various animals. Generally, I’m not a huge fan of naturalist writing – I’m a…

  • Numbers Don’t Lie: The Cold Simplicity of Running

    “Ultimately, running appealed to me because its quality cannot be defined in terms of anyone’s use or place in a hierarchy or plan. Perfection is fairly and objectively defined by numbers. There are strict levels of excellence that anyone who chooses can easily recognize and aspire to, with the ultimate being a record. There are…

  • Burfoot On Training for Boston

    In mid-March my Wesleyan track team took a spring training trip to Quantico, Virginia. With Boston a month away, I wanted to pile on the miles. The first morning, I was up early for a 17 miler. That afternoon I talked my teammate Bill Rodgers (yes that Bill Rodgers) into joining me for what promises…

  • Like Brushing Your Teeth

      “Dellinger was good in the running events.  He’d tell his boys that when you get really fit, running’s easy, running’s like brushing your teeth” Bowerman said.  “Of course, that wasn’t training.  Training is like having your teeth cleaned an hour a day” – Bill Bowerman on Bill Dellinger from Kenny Moore’s 2006 Runner’s World…