I found some great photos of runners taken by an Austrian named Mark Probst.

I edited and arranged a few photos in hopes of spotlighting the struggle and triumphs that are told through the runners face.

Runner - To Be A Runner

If you are a runner and like to travel, you can combine your sightseeing and running needs by going on a running tour. You can either join a group of runners or order a personalized tour. The personalized tours will accommodate your running abilities.

I didn’t know this existed but it appears to be available in cities all over the world. Very cool!

Below is a list of websites that provide running tours for different cities.

Running Tours in Sydney, Rome and Shanghai

Running Tours in Barcelona and Berlin

Running Tours in Brussels and London

Running Tours in Copenhagen and Tel Aviv

If you don’t see the city of your desire listed above, here are a couple websites that can hook you up in numerous cities worldwide: Global Running Tours and City Running Tours

Runner - To Be A Runner

Runner - To Be A Runner

Here are some thoughts to consider on running with your dog.

Overall Condition
Make sure your dog is healthy enough to run the distances you will be asking of him/her. Different breeds are better suited for different types of training. Below are some links to figure out which breed is suited for the type of running you want to do with your dog. Consider taking you dog to a vet to get the ok on his/her health.

Of course their age and joint condition is an important factor to consider as well as if they are overweight. Running with your puppy is not a great idea, probably should wait till they are over one year old.

Dog breeds that make good runners:
20 Dog Breeds That Make Great Running Companions  
Which Dogs Breeds Make For the Best Running Partner?
A Runners World Guide to Dog Breeds and Running

Dogs don’t usually wear running shoes
It is important to be aware of the condition of your dog’s paws. Running on roads can be tough on their pads. Ideally running on softer surfaces would be better even if it is just for part of the run. Depending on how much you run with your dog you might want to get your pup dog boots, yes they exist. Ruffwear seems to be the most visible company making footwear for dogs. Another thing to be cognizant of when running with your dog is that their paws don’t get burned or frozen. The roads can get pretty hot, icy or salty.

Food and Water
It is best if your dog runs on an empty stomach but they also need energy to run, so plan their eating. Just like human runners, dogs need to be hydrated when running. Depending on how long the run is, you might want to bring water along for your dog. A portable bowl or more awkwardly, they can drink from a bottle. If you can plan longer runs around bodies of water that the dog could jump into, well, that would be cool. Let them jump through sprinklers and puddles if they want. It is good to know the signs of your dog overheating and what to do if that happens. Here is a guide –> Dog heatstroke Survival guide

Training
Be sure to build up from shorter runs to longer runs and take adequate time to recover in between. Just like humans, they build up stamina through training. Their muscles, connective tissue and joints also need time to build strength and get accustomed to running.

Runner - To Be A Runner

Nike and triathlete Sarah Reinersten have teamed up to develop a rubber sole that fits over Ossur’s ‘flex-run’ prosthetic running blade. Sarah Reinersten is the first woman on a prosthetic leg to finish the Ironman World Championships. The Nike Sole is designed in a way that makes it easy to place and remove from the prosthetic blade. The  sole is supposed to increase stability, normalize stride length and improve forward energy return for a more efficient gait progression. This is pretty cool!

Runner - To Be A Runner

Cover your face
A U.S. Army study published in early 2011 showed that your face is almost as important as the top of your head for heat loss. To stay warm, make sure your head and face are covered and keep your hands and feet well protected.

Stay dry
Once your clothes get wet, you’ll be losing about twice as much heat as when they were dry. Even with modern wicking and breathing running clothes. The best way to stay dry is to dress so that you start off cold and remove layers before you start getting wet.

Getting use to the cold could be a dangerous
Research shows that as winter goes on, we become acclimated. Though our bodies and extremities still get just as cold, we don’t feel it as much. This could lead to frostbite if we don’t pay attention.

Avoid cold wind on your skin
Wind blows away the warm air around your body making you feel colder than you would if there was no wind. This also causes our bodies to lose heat quicker. Since runners are moving through the air, it could make the wind around us go even faster. So when the air is cold and the wind is howling, be sure to cover your skin.

Add humidity to your breath
Some people cough or feel shortness of breath while running through cold air. Research shows that this is caused by the dryness of the air not the coldness of the air. Cover your mouth with a scarf or mask when running in cold air to prevent inhaling the trapped moisture from your breath. No, there is no danger of freezing your lungs by running in frigid weather.

Read the whole article on cold weather workouts by Alex Hutchinson and check out some excellent science of exercise posts at his sweat science website.

Runner - To Be A Runner

A Harvard study of competitive cross country runners concluded that runners who habitually rear foot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly fore foot strike. The study measured foot strike patterns of middle and long distance runner’s feet.

What I found interesting and a little shocking is that every year 74% of the runners suffered moderate to severe injuries. Within the 74%, twice as many rear foot strikers had injuries than fore foot strikers. Now this is a small sample and they were competitive cross country runners but it is interesting to note.

Here are a few links to learn more:
Sweat Science – Lieberman on foot strike and injuries on Harvard’s XC team

Free Thy Feet – Harvard Study Supports Minimalist Running

Here is the study at the US National Library of medicine National Institute of Health.
Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: a retrospective study.

Runner - To Be A Runner

Cool graphic showing what happens to the runners body while running a marathon.


This Washington Post article shows the affects of running a marathon with a step by step process.

Runner - To Be A Runner

Runner - To Be A Runner

Not much depth here, but I love infographics and this one is on running, so here you go.

Runner - To Be A Runner