In this episode we look back on some of the possibly more amusing moments of this PodCast. In a year of sad and bad news, war and disasters: it’s important to remember that it was a year worth living, and hoping that the next one is an improvement over the last. Happy New Year!

I’m following a new marathon training plan for my Spring race.  It’s no longer about just getting the miles in.  It’s about learning what marathon pace feels like, and teaching my body to achieve that speed through moderate distances on a consistent basis.

It happens to the best of us, the Burnt Out Syndrome is a very real thing, and it’s important to listen to your body as well as your spirit to detect the symptoms…because if you push too hard or run a mile too far, you’re going to snap.

The tradition of gift giving during the holidays has become part of our culture, so in advent of the day we present an independent review of a few items that your fellow runners might hope to receive should some fat man in a gaudy suit shimmy down your chimney bearing even more gadgets and gizmos.

There are those who believe that middle of the pack runners should never be allowed to run a marathon.  Twice a year, so called journalists and essayists embark on a controversial attempt to discredit our fellow runners, and ridicule our efforts on the road.  In this episode, we dissect one such attempt from a writer “wanna-be‿ and give him a piece of his own medicine.

Jim Fixx was the guru of running, he was the one who told the world about the benefits of our sport, and even in his death: he taught us to remember the heart: both for it’s biomechanical wonder and frailty, and the romantic property we bestow upon it with our love for life.

Increased longevity, a better quality of life, a more profound sense of self satisfaction and personal fulfillment are all yours for the cost of a pair of running shoes, some time to train and the energy to move your self across the planet. This is the cost of running, and the benefits are endless.

There is a popular misconception that runners are afflicted with a compulsive physiological and psychological disorder.  It is said that some runners are addicted to exercise. In this episode we look into some of the research surrounding this, and search for the truth about exercise addiction.

In this short format show we go back to Virginia, to meet up with my friend Joe after our successful running of the 31st Marine Corps Marathon, I also introduce you to a few other PodCasts which you’ll want to check out, and I read some race reports and emails from fellow runners.

In this episode I have the honor of running a 26.2 mile marathon with the assistance and protection of the United States Marine Corps through the streets of Virginia and Washington DC.  It’s an amazing thing when you meet the people who guarantee your freedom to run across your country.  These are the soldiers who risk their lives so that my family and I can sleep peacefully at night, safe from harm.  God Bless the US Marines.