This is part one of a two part episode. I’ll publish the second part at the end of the year. In the last episode of Phedippidations I talked about getting back to a metaphysical place where I once belonged: a "home" where I was once happy and healthy. For lack of a better term I called this a “transformative journey” and said that I wasn’t doing this to specifically lose weight or get healthier, but to regain that passion I once had for this sport and to feel like a member of the running communi...
Feb 14, 2015•34 min
I “once belonged” to a community of fellow runners. I understand that many of you and this association have always considered me to be a member of the “run local, think global” team, but I haven’t felt that way for some time. That’s my problem, and it’s okay, that’s going to change. I “once belonged” out on twelve mile long run around my town, through the hills of an Old New England farm trail, past the birthplace of the “Angel of the American Civil War Battlefield”, Clara Barton, past St. Roch’...
Jan 17, 2015•34 min
Episode twenty-three of Phedippidations, which was published on December 18th, Anno domini 2005 was titled “Cold Weather Running”. I guess you could consider this a bit of an update to that recording. While some of the information I covered back then was useful, I think I my have missed some Key (West) points that should be made more clear...and furthermore, I think that the way that show was produced...specifically …WHERE it was recorded, could be improved upon. Thus I can think of no better pl...
Dec 25, 2014•36 min
We live in the age of the selfie and self promotion. Social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Podcasts: allow us to share so much of our lives, and we…in posting such content assume that there’s someone out there who cares…or maybe we just hope they do. For better or worse, we’ve become a society of exhibitionists, sometimes even boastful of our situation and accomplishments. I disagree with the Christian view that pride is one of the so called “seven deadly sins” I agree...
Nov 22, 2014•1 hr 1 min
Something to contemplate on your long, slow run today: The Teleological argument in support of the existence of God says “that the universe is ordered towards some end or purpose, that it was created by an intelligent being in order to accomplish some purpose.” FACT: We live in a 13.7 Billion year old universe that will end in a “Heat Death” 100 Trillion years from now. The Scottish philosopher David Hume didn’t think much of the “Teleological Wish”…he wrote that: “A very small part of this grea...
Oct 25, 2014•1 hr 6 min
On the Fox News website a few weeks ago, Dr. Jennifer Landa, wrote an article “How Endurance Running Can Damage Your Health”. Dr. Landa is an excellent physician. She’s the Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD, a franchise of doctors specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. In this episode of Phedippidations, I’m going to refute Dr. Landa’s arguments by applying a healthy dose of skepticism to her craftily…and well worded arguments. But unlike my usual vitriolic attacks pointing out the bla...
Sep 27, 2014•1 hr 3 min
I have this “other podcast”, that I call Intervals…and unlike the portmanteau title of Phedippidations…the title “Intervals” is a bit of a double entendre. Whereas Phedippidations usually has a theme to each episode…Intervals is themeless. I “make it up as I go along”, and it has been a sort of “stream of consciousness” podcast that I put out there…because, why not? Today we’ll go back to the year of our (Time) Lord 2010. It was a good year; as years go. Since then, so much has changed in my lif...
Aug 30, 2014•1 hr 5 min
Today, on Phedippidations I’m going to teach you three things, and I mean REALLY teach you…you can’t flunk this course, and if you already know something (or a lot of things) about wine, then consider this a refresher. Our syllabus is as follows: In the first chapter I’ll tell you how to taste wine, nothing fancy: just the basics…and I know you probably think this is intuitive, but tasting wine takes practice, as we’ll discuss. In the second chapter, I’ll tell you three important wine terms that...
Jul 19, 2014•1 hr 6 min
The thing about human beings that strikes me as both wonderful and fascinating: is our capacity for change. If you asked me ten years ago would I ever “own” a dog, I’d have laughed at the notion. Today, the reality is that I do not “own” Eva…she owns me…or better put, we own and love each other. Eva Jones is many things: but most of all, most importantly of all: she is, to me: an example of the good animal I could be. She is a perfect example of love and joy…and she’ll always be that way for me....
Jun 13, 2014•56 min
Five dudes drove to Biff-Country in the summer of 2002. They saw moose, canoed, swam, and slept in tents. They ate beans, Dick’s Famous Chicken, pop-corn, jerky, mango, and Reece’s Cups. They skipped rocks, climbed on rocks, jumped off of rocks into a lake, watched stars, the moon, and the Northern Lights, and read Harry Potter around campfires. Then they drove home. It was all in the Biff-Country, and it was awesome. This is their story.
May 26, 2014•1 hr 23 min
When you elevate something that is not important and dedicate some passion to it, you are living your life to the top. I don’t care what it is: running, playing the guitar, tasting wine, watching a TV show about a mad man in a blue police box flying through space and time, cooking, eating, even podcasting. I am, and have been since I was a small child, a fan of the Boston Red Sox. The game is one of my passions. The purpose of this episode; if there was a purpose, was to demonstrate the importan...
Apr 29, 2014•1 hr 18 min
Today I want to talk about this trend for living like our “Old Stone Age” ancestors. What does recent science say about the benefits of minimalist running and the paleo-diet? Are these practices something that we, as runners, should adopt? Can “Paleo Running” and a “Paleo Diet” help us to live better, healthier lives? Agriculture was a life changing advancement for early hominids. It allowed us to spend more time together, in ever growing groups, to develop a civilization that would expand to al...
Mar 30, 2014•56 min
In the course of our discussion today, we’re going to talk about many things: determination, dedication, will power, and wanting it. What I will not be able to do, is convince you to meet your goal. It wouldn’t matter if I made the most perfect, passionate, logical argument as to why you should train for and run a road race or marathon, why you should climb the tallest mountain, swim the widest ocean, win the most prestigious award or even drop 40 pounds. I might make you feel guilty for not try...
Feb 26, 2014•1 hr 5 min
This is my response to an article published in the November 12th edition of the “Wall Street Journal” titled “OK, You’re a Runner. Get Over It” by Chad Stafko…and while I’ll try to keep it civil, I can’t promise I won’t lean over the line of anger. What I can promise, both you and Stafko is that I won’t make a single logical fallacy with anything I’ll have to say. The burden of proof in the matter of Stafko vs. Fellow Runners is most completely with Chad: my place here is to merely point out wha...
Jan 31, 2014•54 min
I’m here with my family and friends…at place we consider to be the happiest place on earth. This is Key West. Why this is our happy place is the focus of this episode, and before you get the wrong idea: this show wasn’t sponsored by the Key West Travel Bureau…I understand that many of you have your own personal paradise’s…but this is mine. I’ve only been here once before, about a year ago, in March of 2012, for only three days. Long time listeners to Phedippidations might remember episode 287 ti...
Dec 07, 2013•1 hr 5 min
I see the act of running as a pathway to a special state of consciousness that allows us to "expose and undo our hidden fears and hopes", to "befriend who we are are". Doctor George Sheehan knew alot about this...but you have to really listen carefully to what he's actually saying in order to understand. I'm about to read from you one of the most controversial, in my opinion anyway, chapters of his now classic book "Running and Being - The Total Experience" published by Second Wind II LLC. It’s ...
Oct 31, 2013•1 hr 11 min
While faith is, by definition, unwavering; scientific understanding often and sometimes frequently changes, as new observations about our universe are uncovered and demonstrated. Conventional wisdom, those faith sourced ideas that are so greatly accepted that they go unquestioned, is an oxymoron...that is, a conjoining contradictory term. In the case of running shoes and pronation we have long accepted the idea that: neutral or cushioned shoes are helpful for those with high arches, stability sh...
Sep 29, 2013•1 hr 7 min
Oxford Massachusetts is typical quaint New England Village, in the Heart of Central Massachusetts that remains, after 300 years, a quaint country town with a long American history. The Europeans settlers from France and England were not the first to live here; but since it’s founding the town has managed to maintain both it’s charm and terroir; a less known gem in the commonwealth of Massachusetts and a place that I call home. Last month, on July 31st, Massachusetts state representatives Paul Fr...
Aug 24, 2013•1 hr 13 min
With this episode I’m off and running on my 9th year of podcasting. Did I think that I’d still be at it after all this time? To be honest I didn’t really think about it...I just kept on producing the shows. Clearly, this isn’t the same Phedippidations that it was back in 2005...alot has changed with the writing, recording, production, sound quality, processing, sound effects, music sounders and beds...not to mention the changes in the life of the host. We homo sapiens are funny when it comes to ...
Jul 20, 2013•1 hr 32 min
Over the years, I have spoken to you about all of the many benifits as to why running is good for you. I’ve talked about the physical, psychological and even the spiritual benefits of this sport...but I’ve also tried to get across this point: that running is just one of the ways to improve your health, increase your level of happiness and extend the duration of your life. I’ve told you that “Runners are special” but I’ve always been quick to admit that I’m not saying we’re better than non-runner...
Jun 21, 2013•1 hr 6 min
It was on April 19th, in the year of our Lord 2000, that I first registered the domain name of SteveRunner.com. It wasn’t my idea. It was that of a good friend of mine, Jim, who I had attended the University of Lowell with in the early 1980’s, and worked with for over 20 years. It was on that 19th day of April, 13 years ago that he suggested I reserve a domain name for my running blog. I had been posting my running related essays on a website hosted at CompuServe, but the only way you could read...
Jun 07, 2013•1 hr 10 min
We wish you could have been here. The Cinco Loco was a never to be duplicared in the history of the universe event; a run with a unique group of good people who came together to share their time; to be there for a friend who had lost his precious child, to be there at the finish line of an event that hatred tried to ruin; to celebrate the friendships that we had made on line, through podcasts and the social media tubes of the Interwebs...and to enjoy a victory cupcake, in person, together...side...
May 24, 2013•1 hr 13 min
My name is Steve, I’m from Boston, and I am Boston Strong. There’s a certain amount of pride that I have, in saying that. But the truth is, we’re all from Boston. Boston...is more than just a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...for runners like you and I, it’s a idea...it’s a place where dreams come true. The course from the Hopkinton Bandstand to Boylston Street is more than just a paved roadway...it’s a course. Wherever you’re hearing me right now, that course is connected to you. When...
Apr 20, 2013•1 hr 24 min
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. The Buddah The world is a better place for the life of a young man by the name of Jacob Tinkoff. If you haven’t heard, it breaks my heart to tell you of this worlds loss of my friend Adam Tinkoff’s son, Jacob. No parent should have to endure such tragedy alone. So now you know, and now together, we mourn. Jacob, or Jake to his friends, was a good, kind and sweet young man. He was also a pa...
Mar 25, 2013•17 min
How fast can the fastest human being run? We know that Usain Bolt of Jamacia ran at a top speed of 27.78 miles per hour (44.72 km/h) between the 60 to 80 meter segment of the 100 meter sprint in 1.61 seconds on August 16th, 2009 at the Berlin World Championships. But what I want to know, is how fast could the fastest human being ever really run. I’m not talking about Usain...the guy is amazing...but we are human beings, and we have evolved with this particular physicolgy. What would it take for ...
Mar 22, 2013•1 hr 2 min
If you’re a new runner, or know someone who is...or even if you are a runner who has packed away your running shoes because you’re in some kind of a slump, or gave up running due to reasonable health reasons...I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. You’re not the first runner to quit, and you won’t be the last. I know, because I’ve been there...and todays epsiode of Phedippidations is a shout of encouragement...it’s my attempt to say to you that even if you’ve hung up your shoes: you’re no...
Feb 28, 2013•1 hr
I’ve had alot of time to think about how I’d conclude, this: my 300th episode...and I guess it makes sense for me to briefly comment on something I said in episode 1: When I talked about the horrible feeling of dropping the ball and losing the 1977 championship baseball game of the Weymouth Farm League for my team, The Red Barons. The essay I wrote and read was my way of explaining why, after that crushing loss, I sought to involve myself only in sports that celebrated individual achievement. I ...
Feb 01, 2013•1 hr 12 min
The next episode of Phedippidations is a celebration of this podcast and the community of which it is a part...we’re celebrating not because of anything I've ever recorded, presented or produced...but because you stepped up and said you would participate...that you’d jam some ear buds in your head and at least go for a run with me....whether you've been listening since episode one or if this is your first; the honor to run with you is mine. Thank you for that honor, for being a friend and a fell...
Dec 02, 2012•1 hr 5 min
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are a class of medicine used to reduce fever and treat acute or chronic conditions where pain and inflammation are present. They are used, generally for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthropathies, gout, menstrual pain, headaches, post operative pain, and fever. Side effects include: myocardial infarction, stroke, erectile dysfunction, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, gastric ulceration, diarrhea, acute renal failure, tubular ne...
Nov 10, 2012•1 hr 2 min
Love, is a many splendored thing, it’s all that matters, it’s all around, it moves in mysterious ways, it’s the answer, it makes no promises, it’s blind, you can’t buy it, it’s not for sale, it takes it toll, you can’t hurry it, it’s not a game, it’s a battlefield, it will keep us together, you can’t help falling in it, it doesn’t ask why, it hurts, and: “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that”. Whatever “that” is. As runners, we say that we “love to run”, as husbands, wives and partn...
Oct 13, 2012•1 hr 10 min
