Catching Up on Some Articles

Ahh, the holidays are almost over, and it's time to get back into the full-time training mode (one that isn't interrupted by travel and good food, that is). Along the way, some articles over the past couple of weeks that might be of interest that sparked some questions:

* Should you run when you have a cold? The New York Times investigates.

* The Village Voice takes a look at some of the Kenyan runners that dominate some of the local races. If you get past some of the snarkiness and the somewhat misguided assumptions (as pointed out by the CityCoach blog), there's some insight about what motivates some of the runners.

* Somewhat late to the party here, but don't count on being able to run indoors at the Park Slope Armory this winter.

Upcoming Races

Still culling together a list, but here's a start:

Jan. 3: Freezing Cold Hash Run, Edison, NJ

Jan. 4: Open/Masters New Year's Classic, Armory (168^th St.)

Jan. 8: Thursday Night at the Races, Armory (168^th St.)

(also run on Jan. 22, Feb. 12, Feb. 26)

Jan. 10: Fred Lebow Classic (5 Miles), Central Park

Jan. 18: NYS Parks Winter Run Series, Long Island

(also run on Jan. 25, Feb. 1, etc.)

Jan. 25: Manhattan Half Marathon, Central Park

Jan. 30: Millrose Games, Madison Square Garden

Jan. 31: Long Beach Snowflake Run, Long Beach

Feb. 1: Gridiron Classic (4 Miles), Central Park

Feb. 3: Empire State Building Run-Up, Empire State Building

(entries closed)

Feb. 8: Bronx Half Marathon, Bronx

Feb. 15: Valentine's 5K Run, Prospect Park

Feb. 21: Al Gordon Snowflake 4 Mile, Prospect Park

Feb. 22: Cherry Tree 10 Miler and Three Person Relay, Prospect Park

Feb. 28: Open/Master Last, Armory

Once a Runner in April 2009

According to this Slate article, "Once A Runner" will be republished in April 2009. (An earlier post on this blog, based on a Running Times interview, had suggested this year, which obviously isn't going to happen.)

"Again to Carthage" was OK, but somewhat a disappointment when compared to the standards that Parker set. (I know why he set it up the way he did, and appreciate that, but still wanted something more). The article on Slate is somewhat negative, but don't be discouraged.

If you have never read, ''Once A Runner" is the best book depicting running at the competitive level that's ever been published. Why? It captures both the pressure, the skills, and the inanity the top-level runners cope with on a daily basis - something that can't be captured in the daily/weekly/monthly press. It's fiction, yes, but I'll be grabbing it for my bookshelf and sending some early Xmas presents.

Happy New Year

It's going to be cold outside tonight. More power to those of you doing the midnight races.

And for some inside training, note the following workouts (so you can get ready to race in the frigid winter I suspect this will be -- last week's 65 degrees not withstanding).

New Year's Eve/Day Races

At least three in the area that you want to keep your eye on:

The New Year's Eve Fun Run (11:15 p.m. in Prospect Park)

The Midnight Run in Central Park

Harry's Handicap at 10 a.m. New Year's Day in Prospect Park (mostly a Prospect Park Track Club event, but guests welcome). The quirky thing about this one - you get a head start based on your previous times (the goal for organizers is to have all races arrive at the finish line at the same time, which never happens)

Early forecast: High 20s for that evening ...

USATF Lifts Headphone Ban

I still think it was a good idea ... anyway, race directors now have the discretion to make a decision as to whether to have a ban or not.

Merry Christmas!

Hope the holiday season is peaceful, and the running gifts are plentiful!