Don Kardong
Don Kardong
DonaldFranklin Kardongis a noted runner and author from the United States. He represented his native country in the men's marathon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth22 December 1948
CountryUnited States of America
encourage good help parents track
Support the athlete, encourage the team, help the coach. That's what good track parents do.
distant happened seemed teachers war
When I was in middle school, and teachers lectured about World War II, the conflict seemed impossibly distant and irrelevant. And it had only happened 15 years earlier.
When I started running, a gadget was a wristwatch with a secondhand on it.
somebody
There's always somebody doing something more extreme than you are. It used to be that if you ran the marathon, that was the end of it.
choose length mark match objects pace running speed telephone vary
Fartlek, or speed play, is variable-pace running that emphasizes creativity. During a 30-minute run, choose objects to run to - telephone poles, trees, buildings, other runners, whatever. Make choices that mark off different distances, so your pickups vary in length from 15 to 90 seconds, and modify your pace to match the distance.
enjoyable runners
Even for runners who never make the transition to more sophisticated workouts, easing into speedwork will lead to more enjoyable running.
equally field marathon matched mile quarter route running shortcut street takes
If an athlete takes a shortcut - literally, for example, by running a street that shortens the marathon route by a quarter mile - he or she doesn't have an insurmountable advantage. But it's an unfair advantage, and in a field of equally matched athletes, it's more than enough to make a difference.
cause disrupt ignoring runner showing
Clearly, there are things a runner does, intentionally or not, that disrupt team cohesion. And there are also things a runner doesn't do that can cause problems: not trying, showing up late, skipping team-building activities, and ignoring the coach's instructions.
dad example mom pops problem track
An overzealous parent is just one example of the kind of Problem Mom or Dad who pops up at track meets, threatening to put a damper on the day.
across along angular granite hidden leaves path race ran rip rocks slick toughest trail van york
The toughest trail I ever ran was the Escarpment in the Catskills of New York State. This was an 18-mile race through Rip Van Winkle country, routed through boulder fields, across angular juttings of granite and along a path with an unrelenting barrage of roots, rocks and mud, all of it hidden under slick leaves and dangling nettles.
chance complicate footprints hides ice later leaving marking merely ruts snow tire turns twist
Sure, the first light snowfall may be a chance to dance giddily, leaving squeaky footprints through the neighborhood, marking the runner's right to the domain. But later drubbings of snow merely complicate running. Snow turns to ice, to slush, to ice again. Tire ruts twist ankles. New snow hides the hazards.
bad behind encourage fast jog rally regardless runner spirits veteran whether
Cheer for your teammates, regardless of whether they're fast or slow, veteran or neophyte, varsity or JV. Or rally the spirits of someone who's had a bad performance. Also, encourage stragglers during tough workouts; jog back to 'pick up' a runner who's behind during a long run.