In 2006 Dane Rauschenberg ran a marathon every weekend of the year. His feat of traveling to big cities and small towns across North America to run an official 26.2-mile race was recounted in the book See Dane Run. Running Matters is his new weekly blog for Blue Ridge Outdoors.

I was raised Catholic. Ironically, I have very little guilt left in me about skipping church these days. I guess my parents did a poor job of raising me in their chosen religion. However, they did instill in me a fantastic amount of faith, which I find far more important, and for that, I thank [...]

I was checking my email the other day and saw some of the headlines posted under my web browser’s “Hot Topics List.”  More often than not I glance at these for two seconds (as I do not care about Justin Beiber or most of what counts as a hot topic), but I do like to [...]

Running makes you more fit. Everyone, all together now: “Duh.”  However, it is amazing all of the other things which running seems to improve as well.  First and foremost, this is not a scientific study. In fact, I thought about doing some research for this but in five minutes found conflicting studies  that more or [...]

When Kobe Bryant wants to better his game, he doesn’t go to the ping pong table. Peyton Manning doesn’t hit the pole vault pit to work on his throwing motion. Albert Pujols assuredly spends little time playing darts in order to hit more home runs. Why should I have to cross-train to be a better [...]

In San Francisco last weekend I spent some time with John Ball. John is a mid-60s runner who once ran a 4:18 mile, a fairly good time, even for running snobs. In 1983, John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He decided he wanted to fight back the best he could and not let PD run [...]

One of the most common questions I am asked at expos and book signings is: “What do you eat?” As is the usual with me, I honestly care about questions I receive, not just on the surface but on multiple levels. First of all, I want to answer the question to best of my ability. [...]

As the total number of marathon finishers increases, and the average marathon finishing times get slower and slower, the debate about how slower marathoners are ruining what it means to be a “marathoner” has raged on. To some extent, I understand the viewpoint of those who state that those in the five-hour range or slower [...]

The last two races I have participated in featured some post-race comments I came across either on-line or up close and personal from race participants. I have long advocated that until one has worked a race, designed a course, been a volunteer at an aid station etc., that for the most part you should keep [...]

Much has been written about the effects of running at altitude and rightfully so. However, one thing I have often heard is how at altitude (or elevation—technically different things) there is a lower percentage of oxygen in the air. Actually, the percentage of oxygen (~21%) stays the same until about 10,000 feet; it’s just the [...]

At the Stillwater Marathon, where I did my 34 mile birthday run on my 34th birthday, I had the pleasure to once again play witness to a wonderful story. The long hours of sitting in expos, putting up with flight delays and then getting my tired body out to run 26.2 miles fairly frequently is [...]

After years of striving to get a “BQ” or Boston Qualifying standard, we can now add “JFKQ” to our lexicon. The JFK 50 Mile race has added qualifying standards for the first time ever for its massively popular race just north of Washington, D.C.  Let me break down the top tier of what they are [...]

By the time you read this, Lisa Smith-Batchen will have just finished running 50 miles. For the 45th time. In 56 days. Yet she will still have five more 50-mile runs in the final five states of her Running Hope to America journey before she can rest. On June 19, Lisa will finish her 50-miles-in-every [...]

Talking to hundreds upon hundreds of people at races across the country, I hear many goals and dreams. I tell virtually everyone I speak with to stay in touch with me and let me know about their first marathon experience the next day, how their goal for the year shapes up or anything else running-related. [...]

Look, it bothers me neither way if you run barefoot or not. I honestly could not possibly care less. If it works for you do not wish to run in ANY shoe ever again, it affects me in no way, shape or form. Actually, that is incorrect. If it gets you out running pain-free and [...]

I was not a runner growing up, barring the times when I ran in other sports. Sure I was a member of a ridiculously good track team my senior year (our closest dual meet was 101-49—suck on that Franklin, Pa.!) but I was, at best, a decent runner. I wouldn’t say that running consumes my [...]