Phedippidations

Our core is our center; it is where our arms, legs and head meet to create the human body we inhabit and control. It is where, just a few inches or centimeters above, resides the all important heart, pumping oxygen rich blood to all of our extremities. In an anthropological sense, the heart is the focused center of our emotional and mental character….it is the mystical source of our kindness, char...

This episode will serve as proof that I’m an totally independent new media producer, and will guarantee that I never get that huge contract with a major running shoe label. But when running shoe companies enable their outsourced suppliers to treat their workers poorly, in unhealthy working conditions for long hours with wages that hardly allow them to feed and shelter their families…they are being...

Life is all about making choices. Choices between what’s right and wrong, choices between what’s good and evil, choices between altruism and egotism, of giving and taking, of sharing and selfishness and choices between what’s smart and what’s dumb. I chose to run the 2008 Bay State Marathon just as 25 years ago this month I chose to take part in a project to help etch my college radio station’s na...

Over 1,100 runners from more than 40 countries took part in the 3rd annual World Wide Festival of Races. This really was a festival; it was a celebration of life, of community, of doing something of importance, endurance and strength. It was a day where we took to the roads and ran together although we were apart. There were many reasons why we all took part in this event: to celebrate, to share,...

"It's hard to appreciate the Earth when you're down right upon it because it's so huge. It gives you in an instant, just at a position 240,000 miles away from it, (an idea of) how insignificant we are, how fragile we are, and how fortunate we are to have a body that will allow us to enjoy the sky and the trees and the water ... It's something that many people take for granted when they're born and...

These are some of the things that have been on my mind lately…random thoughts that I dwell upon while I’m getting my miles in…and that’s one of the great things about running…it can sometimes be a time for you to reconnect with yourself, to dedicate the duration of your run to thinking about politics, hate, wine and endurance….so let’s go for a run together, and indulge me the privilege of telling...

It was once thought to be impossible for any human being to run the distance of a single mile in less than four minutes. Roger Bannister knew that if he focused on the task, if he used both his medical knowledge and physical abilities in a good and effective training program he could break the four minute barrier, and accomplish the impossible. This is his story. Show Links:http://www.worldwidefes...

Running will not prevent you from developing cancer, but it may save your life by retarding it’s growth and by increasing your bodies natural resistance. Life is worth fighting for…and moderate exercise such as a 2 to 3 mile easy run every day is something that can both ease the stress from dealing with cancer as well as help us to fight against it’s uncontrolled growth. Researchers aren’t sure ho...

A podcast is so much more interesting, entertaining, informative and intimate than a radio show. When you subscribe to a podcast, you’re really joining a social club of like minded enthusiasts for whatever the topic of conversation may be. Running podcasts are special in that they can be listened to while you, yourself, are out on your runs…or on a treadmill, or in the car on your way to or from w...

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a procedure that can postpone the condition of clinical death, where the heart has stopped beating and the victim is not breathing. There is no guarantee of successful resuscitation, but you can act as the heart and lungs of a victim to provide the body and brain with life sustaining oxygenated blood while waiting for a trained emergency responder or doctor to arri...

Running is a universally important skill to have in life; no longer solely for the purpose of hunting, gathering and chasing down wild animals that lack the endurance we possess…but as a way to keep our bodies in shape, to help strengthen our muscles and cardiovascular system and to become the good animals we were meant to be. In baseball, it’s one…two…three strikes you’re out; but in life you onl...

The mens marathon of the 29th Olympiad will feature the fastest and most prestigious distance runners in the world today. Those few hours and some minutes will mark the greatest race of their lives, and we will witness inspirational feats of athleticism as they run through an ancient city which is being transformed into a modern world. While these are the best runners on an elite level which many...

This is episode one of a new podcast, created and presented by fellow runners around the world. The Runners Round Table! http://www.runnersroundtable.com Episode 1 - Join us at the table as we share some time with our good friend Dr. Monte from the great podcast, Fitness Rocks. He shares insight he gained from an interview with Dr. Eliza Chakravarty of Stanford Medical School about how exercise (n...

The athletes who will run in the woman's marathon of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing China are some of the very best distance athletes in the world. Each of them have worked incredibly hard to reach this level of competition, and to qualify to stand at the starting line in Tian'an Men Square. What happens during this race will be historic; the moments of the event will be forever seared in the memori...

When you make a stand and decide to change the amount of natural resources you use, such as the oil and gas used by generators to produce electricity to run your water heaters, and lights, and when you install insulation in your home to keep the heat generated from escaping into the cold and low water use shower heads to reduce the amount of clean water used in the bathroom…you are reducing your d...

The Ancient Olympic Games where part of a festival, where fairness and athleticism where considered sacred. For over twelve hundred years the games were played in the Athenian city of Olympia and served as a cultural event to promote trade, commerce and diplomacy. The athlete was respected and set powerful examples for all who came to watch them compete. Their stories became the part of an ancient...

Frank Shorter is one of those rare living legends whose legacy is seen in every runner who seeks to better him or herself, and who runs with an infectious joy and passion…and sincerity. There are legends in our sport, as there should be…but Frank Shorter is much more than a legend, he is an Olympian, a leader, a teacher, a good person and above all: a fellow runner. Show Links: http://rosaryarmy.c...

This episode of Fdip is much different than all the others, and for those of you who dislike the musical selections that I include in each episode, this one is probably not for you. But music marks our life and times. Itâs more than just the poetry or melody: itâs the soundtrack that touches us; it expresses and reflects our feelings, it captures our emotions and it gives voice to our hearts. In t...

Planning your Fall Marathon is all about setting a goal, with many months ahead of you within which to prepare. What marathoners learn as we engage in this preparation is that the joy, passion and discovery takes place during our training: in many ways the marathon itself is merely a celebration of what we have been able to achieve through the hours and miles that we’ve spent in training to get us...

Today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about a book written by Dr. George Sheehan titled “Personal Best: The foremost philosopher of fitness shares techniques and tactics for success and self liberation, published in 1989 by Rodale Press. It’s a book of 37 chapters, each one an essay and study into an physical of cerebral aspect of running. For anyone looking to read a sample of the right brain...

Have a glass of wine with me while I catch up on some emails from fellow runners. Wine is one of my many passions. In order to appreciate wine you have to come into it with a clear head, a clear palate and a clear nose. Wine making dates back to 6000 BC and is a major part of the culture of many societies and religions. Wine is also a social beverage, something to share with friends and enjoy with...

Today I’d like to point out something that’s really obvious; so obvious in fact, that we tend not to think about it much. In this episode I present for you a very basic, truthful, scientific and historical bit of trivia that both describes and explains the premise which propose, and that piece of trivia is this: Fred Flintstone never wore running shoes. Running shoes are not evil: you’ll have to p...

I have known my friend Kathy for many years, through many life adventures and glasses of quality wine. In this short format episode of Phedippidations, we run the Long Island Marathon Festival of Races 10K road race in New York, with the goal of finishing in an hour or less. This is also the story of how I met my wife and the contentious angry beginnings of a friendship that will last a lifetime,...

In this episode we'll hear the stories of others who ran the 112th Boston Marathon. When you write up a race report you"re not just doing it for yourself to memorialize the even, you're doing it for others; passing on your observations so that they can incorporate it into their own form of opinion as a way to better understand the event so that we can improve our performance on race day. Its" not...

This is a race report and audio recording of my 7th time running the Boston Marathon. This year was different in that I approached the starting line unprepared for the task ahead of me. Suffering from a case of peroneal tendonitis, my training was minimal throughout the winter months. On April 21st, 2008 I made the decision to ignore common sense setting a bad example to friends, family and fellow...