Health &
Fitness
“Olympian Katie Ledecky Wants Us to Keep Moving—Here are Her 4 Tips for Staying Motivated” (Well+Good), Ledecky offered some of her expertise and advice for all of us who are just trying to stick to a fitness routine week-in and week-out.
“Let’s Talk About Menopause and Running” (Women’s Running), Women don’t stop training after age 40, so why aren’t we openly discussing how to adjust and adapt as our bodies go through seismic shifts?
“Recover Smarter. Run Stronger” (Runner’s World), Reaping the benefits of training is all about how you spend the time that you're not running.
“How Drinking Alcohol Really Impacts Exercise—And When to Cut Back for Your Fitness Goals” (Women’s Health), A glass of wine or a cocktail here, a workout class or a 10-K there. When should you consider forgoing alcohol in favor of fitness performance—or overall wellness? WH investigates.
“The Orlando Pride Are Ditching White Shorts So Their Players are Never Uncomfortable on Their Periods” (Women’s Health), “When you alleviate the stress around your period, you’re improving the performance environment.”
“The Case for True Rest Over ‘Active Recovery’” (SELF), Yes, there’s a difference. And it’s an important one.
“How to Practice the ‘Leave No Trace’ Principles While Enjoying Nature” (SELF), The seven principles apply whether you’re out in the wilderness or just in your backyard.
“What is ‘Type II fun,’ and why do some people want to have it?” (The Washington Post) (PDF version)
“5 Reasons Why Athletes Can Embrace Aging” (Women’s Running), There's always the opportunity to adjust your mindset when it comes to performance. Erin Strout offers a new way to think about aging as a runner.
“What Is Happening to My Body? A Runner’s Guide to Perimenopause” (Women’s Running), Welcome to midlife mayhem, a special time in life nobody wants to talk about. (PDF version)
“Dealing with Disappointment: How Pro Runners Bounce Back” (Women’s Running), Runners set big goals and often those dreams don’t come true. It happens to everybody—even Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
“Ski Uphill This Winter to Feel Fit Come Spring” (Outside), Ski mountaineering, or skimo, is a proven way to enjoy the snowy months while building strength and fitness.
“Six Ways to Strengthen Your Resilience” (Women’s Running), It’s like a muscle. You have to strengthen it.
“Life is A Lot Right Now. How to Know if Running Will Help or Hurt” (Women’s Running), Between the pandemic, the news, financial hardships, childcare...we’re all so tired. Here’s how runners can take care of themselves.
“This is How You Raise Healthy Female Athletes” (Women’s Running), We examine how to #FixGirlsSports and raise a stronger, healthier generation, as well as how to re-evaluate our own body image for the better.
“This anxiety-inducing fitness test purports to tell you how long you’ll live. We investigated.” (The Washington Post) (PDF version)
Profiles & Features
“Ice Breaker” (Wesleyan University Magazine), Glaciologist and climate scientist Alison Criscitiello scales the world’s tallest mountains, pushing the limits in pursuit of high-risk, high-reward impactful science. (PDF Version)
“The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials at a Crossroads: Can the Beloved Event Survive?” (Outside), Plenty of athletes and fans say the event is their favorite, but it’s also a money-losing labor of love with an uncertain future.
“Pride and Purpose” (The Penn Stater Magazine), An accomplished résumé, a supportive family, and a student-centric approach set the stage for Neeli Bendapudi’s historic hire as Penn State’s 19th president. (PDF version)
“Leading the Charge: 50 Years After Title IX” (Wesleyan University Magazine), Four generations of Wesleyan women look back on the advent of federally mandated gender equity in education and the opportunities that sports have afforded them.
“Embracing the Mission” (The Penn Stater Magazine), A career born of curiosity and a thirst for adventure during his college years has taken Gen. Gary Brito to one of the highest commands in the United States Army. (PDF version)
“The NAU Women’s Cross Country Team is Leveling Up” (Women’s Running), The Northern Arizona University women’s squad has long lived under the shadow of an extraordinarily successful men’s team. Until now.
“Female College Athletes are Facing a Mental Health Crisis” (Women’s Health), Five female athletes died by suicide last spring, and more athletes than ever report they’re struggling. WH explores what’s behind this mental health epidemic among some of the nation’s brightest, most talented young women, and what we can do about it. (PDF version)
“Why Top NCAA Triathlon Coaches Won’t Use Body Composition Testing” (Triathlete), Measuring body fat was once a common performance strategy, but for college athletes it can do more harm than good. What can we learn?
“Will Triathletes Cash in on NIL Deals?” (Triathlete), “Name, image, and likeness” policies are still in disarray, but experts offer some suggestions about how college triathletes might benefit.
“These are the Best Spectator Cheers, According to Science” (Triathlete), Ever wonder what the most helpful types of encouragement are for your triathlete? Research has the answers.
“In Her Power: Mary Cain Focuses on a Healthy Future for Girls and Women in Running” (Women’s Running), In 2019, Mary Cain alleged abuse under the most renowned distance running coach in the country. Then she promised to do whatever she could to fix girls' sports. (PDF Version)
“For Gabby Thomas, Olympic Medals are a Means to an End” (Women’s Running), Gabrielle Thomas is one of the fastest sprinters the country has ever seen. But her Olympic medals aren’t just awards. They’re one more way to draw attention to what really matters to this Harvard grad.
“Athletes Describe What it Really Feels Like to Be an Olympian” (Outside), It's the pinnacle achievement for many athletes, but making Team USA brings a roller coaster of emotions that can't always be anticipated.
“Just Say Cheese” (Women’s Running), When COVID-19 takes away so much human interaction, the Eugene grocery store is the place where you probably know everybody’s name.
“Running With Her Whole Heart” (Outside), Curiosity, resiliency, and spirituality have propelled Sara Hall to unexpected marathon success in her late thirties. She intends to explore her potential as long as she still loves to run.
“The More Authentically They Live, the Faster Nikki Hiltz Can Run” (Women’s Running), They came out on National Transgender Day of Visibility. On the track, Nikki Hiltz feels like a weight has been lifted.
“How Olympian Ajee’ Wilson Keeps Her Cool” (Women’s Running), Ajee’ Wilson is an Olympian and 800-meter American record-holder. She’s also the “coolest customer” you’ll ever meet, her coach says. Find out just how this U.S. track star remains unflappable under pressure and has become a master at resilience—and how you, too, can persevere through personal challenges.
“Women Coaching Women: A Winning Combination at the NCAA Championships” (Women’s Running), Men can coach women, and women can coach men. But something special happens when women lead women.
“Aliphine Tuliamuk: Six Weeks Into Motherhood, With an Eye on the Olympic Marathon” (Women’s Running), After winning the Olympic Marathon Trials a year ago, she never imagined what the next 365 days would bring.
“Can We Run Away From Politics?” (Women’s Running), The sport has deep roots in activism and advocacy for issues like health care, equality, climate change, and racial justice. Here’s why that doesn’t disappear when we go for a run. (PDF version)
“Running Toward Change” (Women’s Running), Faith E. Briggs and Clare Gallagher are speaking up and asking runners to consider important issues like clean air, protecting public lands, and racial injustice.
“Des Linden is Not Done Yet” (Women’s Running), The two-time Olympian had big plans for 2020. Didn’t we all? But in typical Desiree Linden-style, she’s taking the uncertain times in stride.
“Shalane Flanagan is Just Getting Started” (Women’s Running), Many athletes worry about what's on the other side of pro sports, but the 2017 New York City Marathon champion has found new purpose in coaching, cooking, and commentating.
“Why Women Will Save Running” (Women’s Running), Former Nike Oregon Project runners’ accounts of emotional abuse by Alberto Salazar are kickstarting a conversation about an ugly side of sports and how to change it. (PDF version)
“Kipchoge Becomes the First Human to Run a Sub-2-Hour Marathon” (Outside), 34-year-old Eliud Kipchoge ran 26.2 miles in 1:59:40 on a tree-lined avenue in the heart of Vienna, surrounded by pacemakers and cheering crowds.
“Kara Goucher on Alberto Salazar’s Doping Ban: ‘I Feel at Peace’” (Women’s Running), The whistleblower speaks about the anti-doping investigation of her former coach and reflects on her time as an Oregon Project member.
“Cheated: Dopers Steal More than Medals” (Women’s Running), Athletes who have been cheated out of their place on world championships podiums by dopers explain how it’s cost them—financially and emotionally. (PDF version)
“Gabe Grunewald Refused to Let Cancer Have the Last Word” (Runner’s World), She leaves a powerful legacy that extends far beyond running. (PDF version)
“Behind the Scenes of Desiree Linden’s Incredible Boston Marathon Win” (Runner’s World), Fans called it the most epic women’s race in 122 years. Judge for yourself.
“Running Home: Inside Shalane Flanagan’s Journey to Win the Boston Marathon” (Runner’s World), She ran the race of her life at the 2017 NYC Marathon. Retiring then would have meant going out on top. Instead, she’ll line up for a chance at the biggest marathon win of her career. (PDF version)
“Every Monday Night, Your Favorite Olympians are Watching the Bachelorette” (Runner’s World), For many pro runners, the reality show is as much a part of the schedule as the long run. But why?
“The Gold Medalist: Matthew Centrowitz” (Runner’s World), His 1500-meter gold in Rio was the first for an American in that distance since 1908.
“Why U.S. Distance Runners Won So Many Medals at the 2016 Olympics” (Runner’s World), In the longest events, Americans won two more medals at the Rio Games than in the previous four Olympics combined.
“Shalane Flanagan on Dehydration, Delirium, and Drama at the Olympic Trials” (Runner’s World), She made her fourth Olympic team on Saturday and is recovering from her exhausting race.
Essays & Opinions
“Why Kara Goucher’s Story Matters” (Outside), The world silver medalist’s memoir, ‘The Longest Race,’ lays bare why female athletes may never realize their full potential under systems still rife with inequity, abuse, and harassment.
“Back to School Handle With Care” (Women’s Running), The first-year college athletes have spent formative years surviving a pandemic. The way they experience sports—and the world—is different.
“A Last High Five for the Dog Who Wouldn’t Run” (Women’s Running), Marley took life at a slower pace, but his exuberance and encouragement were never-ending.
“Tokyo Olympics Cement Allyson Felix’s Legacy. But She’s More Than Her Medals” (NBC News Think), Felix's fight for a more equitable and just society is as important as her feats on tracks around the world. Know her name. (PDF version)
“An Oasis, Not an Escape” (The Penn Stater Magazine), A small Pennsylvania lake offers comfort, and a chance to reset. (PDF version)
“Why Do Removable Sports Bra Pads Exist?” (Women’s Running), A personal rant turned into an education. Here’s why so many running bras have those removable pads that you lose in the laundry.
“I Witnessed Rob Krar’s Greatest Victory. It Wasn’t Winning an Ultra” (Runner’s World), His recent Leadville 100 title capped an inspiring fight against a severe depressive episode. (PDF version)
“A Cast of All Men Contemplate if Alberto Salazar is a Victim or a Villain. Surprise! They Get it Wrong” (Women’s Running), Lacking a diversity of perspectives, “Nike’s Big Bet” misses the mark on athlete abuse.
“Stop Telling Women What to Wear” (Runner’s World), At Rowan University, the cross-country team was told to put their shirts on.