Run, Karla, Run!

Along with the best of the decade, the “naughty aughties” have been notable for many a moment we’d rather forget. But as the old adage goes, forgive but never forget. So here’s a look back at the scandals and heartbreaks that shook the running world in the past decade: the worst moments in the world of running.

5). Antonio Pettigrew admits to doping

Though he never failed a drug test, like so many other track stars caught up in the doping imbroglio that plagued the last decade, Pettigrew (pictured left) confessed in 2008 to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, he and his 4×400 relay teammates were stripped of their gold medals from the 2000 Olympics. But it wasn’t just Pettigrew. His relay-mates Alvin and Calvin Harrison (pictured second left and second right) had already been slapped with four- and two-year suspensions respectively for their own doping offenses. And relay alternate Jerome Young was banned for life in 2004 after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Only Michael Johnson (pictured right) escaped the scandals unscathed. The U.S. men have won the 4×400 relay every Olympics since 1984. But this put a blight on that record. It certainly wasn’t the first we’d heard of doping in track and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

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The end of the “aughts” is upon us, and it’s been quite a decade for running. Here are the 10 runners who thoroughly dominated their fields in the past 10 years—The Best Runners of the Decade. My picks are completely unscientific and subjective, and I’m sure they will incite at least a little grumbling. But these 10 runners have dazzled the world with feats of strength worthy of Festivus, and racked up the hardware to prove it. Drum roll please… Read the rest of this entry →

It was bracingly cold as the temperature dipped below freezing, but the giggles of two hundred grade school girls filled the courtyard outside of Asphalt Green in Manhattan on Saturday morning. Some of the girls were getting their hair spray-painted at a “Happy Hair” stand, others were sipping hot chocolate and many more were socializing with friends and family. But nearly all of them were excited to run—and no short distance at that—3.1 miles.

Back in grade school, I loved to run. Mostly because it was the best way to get from point A to point B. But also because it was part of so many games I liked to play—Freeze Tag, Flashlight Tag, Ghost in the Graveyard and all the other neighborhood romps. But also because I was on swim team and “dry land” practices often involved loops around the indoor track at my local YMCA; jogging the track gave my teammates and me a chance to socialize that we didn’t get with our faces in the water.

But I never had a chance to be part of a formal running program back in elementary school. So when I heard about Girls on the Run, I was excited to help out. Read the rest of this entry →

• The Stick. Lots of runners have tight muscles. I try to balance yoga with training, but even then my calves sometimes feel like they might snap. I’ve seen these things at marathon expos and I’ve always been intrigued. The Stick compresses and stretches muscles to ease pain. Models vary by length and firmness—the website even has a cool calculator that tells you which one is best for your body type. The Marathon Stick is ideal for distance runners. $32. Read the rest of this entry →

You’ve got questions. I’ll find the answers. Welcome to “Ask the Running Nerd,” a new segment on “Run, Karla, Run!”

My family and friends are always calling and e-mailing me with questions about anything and everything, including running. They know I’m a reading and research nerd, and if I don’t know the answer myself, I will find it for them.

Like the good nerd that I am, I’ll do the same for you. Every week I’ll find answers to your burning running questions, whether they’re about training, racing, eating, etiquette, products, just about anything!

Want to know how long it takes to recover from a marathon? Or how to ease IT band pain? Or what the best recovery drink is? These are just some of the queries friends have posed to me.

So do you have a question? Shoot it my way! Let my fingers to the walking, er running, for you. Contact me here: Contact Karla Bruning or post below.