Anyone—at any age or stage of life—can become a runner. But it’s the moment when your mindset shifts and you’re not just lacing up for another training run, but you’re actually looking forward to it and find yourself truly happy that you’ve fallen in love with the sport. It might be that running came into your life when you needed it most, or that your love of running started at a young age. Whatever it was, readers bared their soles and shared the heartfelt reasons they truly love running.

As cyclists, most of our ankle movements take place only within a limited range of motion—the pedal stroke. So when you’re training off the bike, it’s important to add in some traditional resistance exercises along with dynamic plyometric movements to build ankle and calf strength. That will help you gain increased stability, mobility, strength, and performance, and decrease your risk of injury, says Kara Miklaus, NASM-certified trainer and co-owner of WORK Training Studio in Irvine, California.

Our guess is you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t appreciate cereal. It makes for an affordable, quick and easy breakfast before early morning runs or a fast and tasty snack to refuel after one. And when you skip the sugary stuff and reach for whole-grain cereals, you can actually make a relatively nutritious breakfast. That said, cereals fall into the carbohydrate category, which is good for us runners who need that energy for 10-milers or intense speed workouts. But it does make

• Recent research published in PLOS ONE found that using a disruptive alarm to jolt yourself awake actually may be less effective at helping you shake your grogginess. • People who used melodic tones reported feeling more awake more quickly than those who used stereotypical loud alarms. • If you don’t wake up properly, your performance can be hindered anywhere from 30 minutes up to four hours, which may affect everything from your morning ride to tasks at your job. Waking up for a morning work

• A recent study published in Neurology found that incorporating whole foods such as leafy greens, veggies, and some fruits into your daily diet can reduce your risk of developing dementia by 48 percent. • Foods such as kale, spinach, tomatoes, and pears were found to help prevent cognitive decline. • The flavanols—anti-inflammatory—properties in fruits and vegetables are thought to help reduce damage to cells that can potentially cause Alzheimer’s. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disea

• A new meta-analysis published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation journal found that heart-healthy diets are naturally low in cholesterol. • Overall heart-healthy dietary patterns that lower saturated fat and dietary cholesterol intake, such as the Mediterranean diet, reduce risk for heart disease. • Focusing on the health of the overall diet rather than a numerical value of cholesterol is more effective in making successful dietary changes. Overhauling your diet—especially when

Another One Bites the Dust “I was a runner in high school and college and had inconsistently run after college. After getting engaged, my fiancé, who is an avid runner, and I met for a run. She took off slowly and then I passed her sprinting, and she passed me 1/4 mile in and I ended up walking most of the two-mile loop. Fortunately, we are happily married and she has supported me with multiple races including seven half marathons, a marathon, and 50K. We took a family running date this past Su

• New research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that swapping out your usual salty or sweet afternoon snack for walnuts can boost gut health and help lower heart disease risk. • The fiber and saturated fats in walnuts were found to have a positive impact on gut health and heart disease risk. • Heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet promote eating nuts as a source of healthy fats. Reaching for a snack between mealtimes or postworkout is something we all do. And sometimes t

Our guess is you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t appreciate cereal. It makes for an affordable, quick and easy breakfast before early morning rides or a fast and tasty snack to refuel after one. And when you skip the sugary stuff and reach for whole-grain cereals, you can actually make a relatively nutritious breakfast. That said, cereals fall into the carbohydrate category, which is good for us cyclists who need that energy for long hours in the saddle or intense interval workout

• The Surf City Marathon on February 2 paid tribute to the nine victims killed in the Calabasas, California, helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26. • The race started with a moment of silence and had special tributes at miles 8 and 24. • Runners wore Kobe Bryant jerseys, shirts with the names of the victims, and one man even dribbled a basketball for the entirety of the half marathon. One week after a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, tragically killed nine people—including NBA legen

Everyone has heard some bad training advice at some point. Family and friends—runner and nonrunner alike—love to insert their two cents and tell you what it is they think is best for your training. So, we wanted to know what the worst advice you’ve ever gotten is and wow, the answers you gave on our Instagram post were shocking. This advice ranges from bad to baffling to just plain offensive and old-school. What better way to showcase a series of bad advice than with a series of gifs? Though yo

The RW Takeaway: The Aday Fast Forward Bra is one that can stand up to HIIT sessions, layer for a run, and stay put during downward dog. It’s a bra you can wear all day for support without discomfort. • Compression is tight, but not too tight—it provides the perfect hold • Despite being longer in length than many sports bras it doesn’t ride up When it comes to sports bras, I like something that can marry comfort, support, and style. I like bras that are high impact without annoying cups, clasps

• MTV’s True Life Crime investigates the heartbreaking case of Jerika Binks as a part of its eight-episode docuseries. • Binks went missing while out for a run in American Fork, Utah, in February 2018. • The episode examines why her disappearance didn’t get more attention and searches for answers, until a break in case shocks those who were following it. The heartbreaking story of Jerika Binks, the runner who went missing nearly two years ago while on a trail run near her home of American Fork

Sorry, but it looks like a lot of stereotypes about runners skipping cross-training days, overtraining, and taking recovery shortcuts are true. The evidence comes right from runners themselves, in the form of the most common responses we got when we asked for the training mistakes made last year. Sure, it can can be intimidating to hit the gym and it’s easy to skip postrun stretching or run too fast on recovery days. However, simply logging miles and getting on with your day could actually be s

You’re midway through a ride when you start feeling tired. You planned to get in some solid miles, but you’re ready to call it quits halfway through because it feels like you’re slogging along and the end is nowhere in sight. A twisting torso and unstable core may be to blame. When you have a weak core, your torso can’t stabilize through the pedal stroke. This extra effort saps your energy, leading to less power and easily fatigued muscles. To climb stronger and ride longer, it’s important to i

In much of the country, the “-ber” months signal the end of daylight, warm temperatures, and a runner’s motivation. Let’s admit: it’s hard to drag yourself out of bed when it’s pitch black outside and your breath crystalizes the instant it escapes your lips. Or, if we do gear up for a run, it’s often on a treadmill at the gym, avoiding any wintry slop outside. But, with the right attitude and tools, you can achieve just about anything. In our case, being equipped with the proper winter accessor

The majority of your power comes from your legs, so that’s why having a strong posterior chain—the back side of your body that includes your glutes, hamstrings, and calves—is so important. One way to build power in your legs: doing single-leg exercises. That’s because working your muscles in this way helps isolate each leg to build more strength as well as increase mobility, explains Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., CEO and founder of TS Fitness in New York City. Plus, in order to maintain an upright posi

The key to becoming a stronger athlete is a strong core, but it’s easy to forget—or simply not have enough time—to add in some abs exercises at the end of a training ride. The good news is, you don’t need a whole lot of time: You can challenge your core and build strength in just eight minutes, thanks to this abs circuit that can improve your performance on the bike. This core circuit targets every part of your core, from your hips, to your trunk, to your obliques, and it incorporates rotation

“I stopped being intimidated by the gym when I realized everyone else is there fighting their own battles and insecurities. We all have a lot more in common then we realize that.”—altitude.fox “Most people are focused on themselves! A lot of fears come from worrying what other will think and who might judge you but most of the time we forget that the majority of gym goers have their own goals and concerns. It’s okay to go down in weight or not do as many reps without being worried. You’re there

The majority of your power on the bike comes from your legs, so that’s why having a strong posterior chain—the back side of your body that includes your glutes, hamstrings, and calves—is so important. One way to build power in your legs: doing single-leg exercises. That’s because working your muscles in this way helps isolate each leg to build more strength as well as increase mobility, explains Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., CEO and founder of TS Fitness in New York City. Plus, you’re usually hunched o