We recently met a 72-year-old runner at a marathon expo. He was wearing a shirt that said, “Running is 80% mental. The rest is in your head.” We giggled and complimented his sense of humor before he told us that his shirt was no joke.

Without hesitation, he launched into a mesmerizing and lengthy story about how he found running in his 60s but didn’t think he could run a marathon. He ran a few half-marathons but believed he was too old to handle a longer distance. Shortly after his 70th birthday, though, he decided to give it a try. “It was all in my head!” he shouted, before detailing how he has run six marathons and has no plans of stopping as he gets older. 

All too often the barriers in our racing and training are not physical but mental. The body is well-trained and ready to perform, but something in the mind holds us back. Some invisible wall is keeping us from experiencing that breakthrough race we are physically ready to run. If we are to reach our full potential we must train the mind as well as the body.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, I could have run faster! within moments of crossing the finish line, or you can’t figure out why you don’t race as fast as you think you should, these three tips will help you shatter the mental barriers holding you back and catapult you to greater success as a runner:

1.  Visualize: During your runs, see yourself in your next race running effortlessly. Picture yourself accelerating as the race goes on. Imagine fighting through the fatigue and refusing to slow down as you fly past people in the final mile. The more often you see it in your head the more likely you are to come through on race day.

2. Open your mind: Having an open mind doesn’t mean just letting new ideas and beliefs in. It also means letting old beliefs and ideas out. For you to really believe you can do something you must add the new idea that you can while simultaneously subtracting the old idea that you can’t.

3. Compare yourself to others: We normally discourage comparing yourself to others, but in this case if you can find someone who is already running faster than your goals, who is close to you in age, size, and general fitness, it will reinforce the belief that you can do it too!

Just before our new 72-year-old friend walked away to pick up his bib number for his seventh marathon, he offered one last piece of wisdom. “The next time your mind (or anyone else) tells you that you can’t do something, remember that you absolutely can. You just need to believe it.” 

And we thought we were the running experts!

How do you break through mental barriers? What do you see as your mental barriers to overcome as a runner?

—Tim Catalano & Adam Goucher, Running Reporters

Running the Edge co-authors Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano became instant friends while running together at the University of Colorado. After college, Adam went on to have a very successful professional career that garnered eight national championships and an Olympic berth; Tim became a psychology teacher and high school coach in three different countries. They write about their passion for running on their blog, “Run The Edge” and on Facebook.

It’s the final 400 meters in the biggest race of the year. You can see the finish line ahead and the clock counting away the seconds. Your personal best time is within reach, but you’ll need to dig deep, ignore the searing pain in your quadriceps, and commit to one last surge. Your arms feel numb and heavy as you gulp for air in rapid breaths. The clock will not slow down. Will you? 

At first glance, you might think you need superhuman courage to mount a strong finishing kick when faced with these painful barriers. But how a runner reacts in moments like these has more to do with experience than with courage.

The more familiar you become with the sensations of extreme exertion that come in the final parts of a race, the less scary they become. You must practice this feeling well before race day if you are going to perform at your highest level when it matters most. 

Here are three tips to help you develop a winning kick:

1.  Select a specific distance: The type of exertion it takes to run the last 200 meters of an 800-meter race is very different than the last mile of a marathon. Select a specific race and the length of the kick you are trying to develop. 

2.  Simulate the finish: You do not need to run the entire race distance to simulate what it will feel like during the finishing kick. Run a shorter distance at a faster pace to simulate the fatigue you will have when it is time to kick. Then, focus on running hard to the end.  For an 800-meter race, this might mean running an all-out 400 meters and then pushing through the last 200. To practice the last mile of a 10K, run 3 miles at 20 seconds per mile faster than your 10K pace, followed by a hard mile.

3.  Reflect and repeat: While the memory of the workout is fresh, reflect on your finishing effort. What did it feel like? How long did it take to recover? What did you learn about yourself and what you can handle? Could you go even harder next time? If time allows before your big race, schedule two or three of these sessions to really improve your performance.

Here is a real example of the above tips:

Olympian Kara Goucher’s coach wanted her to practice the pace and exertion it will take to contend over the last four miles in the Olympic Marathon next month in London. Last week, at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Duluth, Minnesota, Kara ran the first 9 miles at a quick pace but waited until the 9-mile mark to really push hard. Her 2 miles, from 9 to 11, averaged 5:15 per mile and she ran her last 2 miles with an average 5:08. Her simulated finish gave her confidence in her ability to compete in the last stages of the race. Her reflection? She can go even harder!

Consider this new scenario, once you’ve practiced your finishing kick:

There are 200 meters to go now as the relentless clock continues to count down the time between you and that new PR. But you are equally relentless; you have been here before. You have practiced for this moment. You are not afraid. You burst across the line and stumble around on wobbly legs. The new PR feels great but knowing you had the courage and strength to finish that fast feels even better.  

What innovations and improvements to your training have helped you reach a new PR?

—Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano, Running Reporters

Running the Edge co-authors Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano became instant friends while running together at the University of Colorado. After college, Adam went on to have a very successful professional career that garnered eight national championships and an Olympic berth; Tim became a psychology teacher and high school coach in three different countries. They write about their passion for running on their blog, Run The Edge and on Facebook.

Our running courtroom has five controversial rules of running etiquette are on the docket this week. We will hear arguments from the prosecution and defense for each case and then submit our verdict for your consideration. Keep track of which side you are on and whether or not you agree with our verdict.  

Case #1: To Wave or Not To Wave

Are runners required to be friendly and personable on a run, or do they have a right to be in their own worlds, ignoring everyone else?

Prosecution: Runners should be friendly to each other. We all share the roads and trails. A simple hello or a smile with the wave of a hand can go a long way in contributing to a more friendly running community.

Defense: Sometimes runners are “in the zone” or running so close to their threshold that even a smile might put them over the edge. A runner in the middle of a hard workout, or just choosing to be alone with their thoughts, deserves a free pass on the wave and hello.

Verdict:  Runners should wave or at least acknowledge one another. Do your best to be friendly even if you are too tired to smile.  

Case #2:  Headphones or No Headphones

Many runners enjoy wearing headphones and listening to their favorite tunes while working out. However, headphones mean that runners are not as aware of their environment and can pose a risk to themselves and others.

Prosecution: The risks are too great both for the runner and for others. They will not be able to hear “On your left” from cyclists. They are also deaf to the sounds of traffic and the friendly “hellos” from other runners.

Defense: Headphone use is not a big deal and is the choice of the runner. Runners should be allowed to listen to their music just like people get to listen to the radio in their cars. 

Verdict: Headphones can be used but at a reasonable volume to allow the runner to hear other sounds in the environment. If a runner is on a track or trail, feel free to crank up the volume.

Case #3:  Dogs or No Dogs

Some runners prefer furry four-legged companions to human ones. But dogs will be dogs and their running owners have a special set of rules of etiquette to consider.

Prosecution: Most runners have had an encounter with a dog. Even if the dog turns out to be friendly, the adrenaline shot a runner gets in that moment of doubt can ruin a run. There is also the problem of runners not wanting to stop and clean up the dog’s mess.  If a runner is planning to run hard and not stop, leave the dog at home.

Defense: Running with dogs can offer security for people running alone. They provide motivation to get off the couch and out the front door. If dogs are our best friends then shouldn’t we be allowed to share our favorite hobby with them?

Verdict: If a runner runs with a dog then the dog (not the run) is the first priority. Dogs, even friendly ones, must be on a leash. Runners with dogs should pause to allow other runners to pass before continuing on. No matter the pace or scheduled workout, a runner must always stop to clean up all dog messes.   

Case #4: To Spit Or Not To Spit

Bodily functions do not stop when a runner heads out the front door. Mucus builds up and sinuses need to be cleared. The question is how do we deal with these issues while on a run to be polite to other runners or people on the path?

Prosecution: Spitting is rude and should not be done in public. Just swallow it and call it re-hydration. Other runners and walkers should not have to see, hear, or possibly step in your bodily fluids!

Defense: It is OK to spit or crank out a snot rocket as long as the runner looks around to make sure it will not be getting on anyone. If running in a group, runners should move to the back of the pack before attempting a farmer’s blow. 

Verdict: Go ahead and spit. Make every effort not to get it on anyone or leave it in a place it might be stepped in. If you are in a pack, move to the back first.  

Case #5: Obeying Traffic Laws

Do red lights and 4-way stops apply to everyone? Do pedestrians always have the right of way?

Prosecution: No workout is worth putting your life or the lives of others at risk. If you choose to run the roads in a city, then you need to respect the rules and obey all traffic laws as if you were a car or bike.

Defense: Runners do not want to mess up their splits by waiting for a light to turn green. If they can safely dart through traffic without getting hurt then they should be allowed to ignore the law and get in their workout.

Verdict: Runners can cross roads without going all the way to an intersection and can go through red lights when it is safe to do so. However, if runners do not obey traffic laws and get hurt, they are the only ones to blame.

You be the judge: Do your running verdicts match ours? How would you rule on each case in your own running courtroom?  

—Tim Catalano & Adam Goucher, Running Reporters

But even more interesting were some of the other stats that they revealed, including which supplements were the most popular. Multivitamins ranked number one (a whopping 72 percent of those polled said they took one regularly), with Vitamin D (51%) and Vitamin C (49%) coming in second and third. After the big three, the following other supplements ranked as follows:

•     Calcium (43%)
•     B vitamins (42%)
•     Fish Oil (40%)
•     Iron (27%)
•     CoQ10 (11%)

To be honest, some of the data revealed seemed like common sense to us. For example, multivitamins typically rank high for most people because they tend to consider the all-purpose supplement to be a kind of “catch-all” for any nutritional holes they may have from eating a not-so-perfect diet.

Vitamin D’s popularity seemed obvious as well. Although Vitamin D is the only vitamin your body can produce on its own with just 15 minutes of sunlight exposure, 70 percent of Americans are estimated to be deficient in it—not good when you realize it’s essential for everything from calcium absorption and regulating immunity to fighting depression and lowering your risk of diabetes and certain forms of cancer (including breast, colorectal, and ovarian).

But the most fascinating fact brought to light by this study was how taking a vitamin or supplement seemed to make people actually feel fitter. An overwhelming 93% agreed that they felt more confident about their overall health when taking vitamins and/or supplements.

You might think that effect may be more common among top athletes who may be so keenly in tune with their bodies that they’re able to notice even the slightest improvement from a supplement. You might even assume that the “feel fitter” phenomenon could be more popular with beginners who just feel better knowing they’re popping a pill. But no—it seems that effect is felt across the board, no matter what type of exercise you’re into, or what level of fitness you may be presently at.

Of those surveyed, 81% considered themselves to be “active” when asked to define themselves. An even closer look revealed that:

• 22% described themselves as athletes
• 21% felt they were a “weekend warrior”
• 17% coined themselves a cardio cruncher
• 16% defined themselves a runner
• 14% labeled themselves a health nut
• 9% considered themselves a gym rat
• 14% said they couldn’t describe themselves in any category

Among those who considered themselves “super-active,” vitamins and supplements even scored higher when it came to things they felt to be necessary for achieving their fitness and health goals, ranking higher than caffeine, electrolyte-enhanced water (or drinks), vitamin-enhanced water, meal replacement bars, and even energy drinks.

So what do you think? Are there certain supplements that you simply can’t live without, and do you feel a noticeable difference when taking them? Do you feel “fitter” because you invest in some form of supplement and take it regularly?

—Myatt Murphy, Fitness Reporter

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy, CSCS, is the author of the best-selling books Testosterone Transformation (Rodale, 2012), The Body You Want in the Time You Have (Rodale, 2005), The Men’s Health Gym Bible (Rodale, 2006), and Men’s Health’s Ultimate Dumbbell Guide (Rodale, 2007). His work has appeared in innumerable magazines and online.

Are you getting your recommended daily allowance of core exercise? These five simple medicine ball exercises are just what the doctor ordered. Follow the prescriptions and dosages carefully and you will be well on your way to curing the running blues.  

Note: For beginners, start with a basketball before moving up to a medicine ball.  

Prescription #1: CHOPS

Stand with your right foot back, left foot forward, and a slight bend in your front leg. Hold the medicine ball straight out from your body. Bring the ball up above your right shoulder. Then, using a chopping motion (like you’re swinging an ax). Go from the upper right across the front of your body to the lower left. This should be a controlled motion.

Dosage:  Do 10 chops (down and back up is 1 rep) then repeat on the opposite side with your left foot back and right foot forward.

Prescription #2: MEDICINE BALL PUSH-UPS

In a push-up position with your left hand on ground and your right hand on the ball, do a push-up.  Once you are back at the top, roll the med ball to your left hand. Focus on keeping your hips level to the ground; do not allow them to dip when you switch hands. With your left hand on the ball and your right hand on ground, do another push-up. 

Dosage:  Repeat this for a total of 10 (5 on each side). As you get stronger you can increase your reps. If you have trouble with a regular push-up position you can do the push-ups on your knees.

Prescription #3: MEDICINE BALL CIRCLES

Hold the medicine ball above your head, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Rotate your body in a large circle. Imagine making a complete circle around your body (head to toe) with a slight bend in your knees, but keeping elbows straight. It should take you about 3 seconds for one full rotation.

Dosage: Do 10 large circles to the left, then 10 to the right.

Prescription #4: 4-MINUTE MEDICINE BALL CORE DRILL

(One of Kara Goucher’s favorites)

Lay on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees. With the medicine ball between your knees, hold a crunch position for 30 seconds. At 30 seconds, flip over into a forearm plank position, keeping body “tight” and straight (don’t let your hips drop). Hold for 30 seconds. Flip back over and repeat.

Dosage: Do this four times to get a total of four minutes. As you get stronger you can increase to six minutes.

Prescription #5: SIDE-TO-SIDE QUICK ROTATIONS

With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the medicine ball just below your chest and about six inches away from your body. Rotate to the right, then to the left. One side-to-side rotation should take about one second.  

Dosage: Do 30 seconds or a total of 30 side-to-side rotations. 

For best results, add these core exercises into your workout routine three times a week.

Side effects may include: better-looking abs, faster times, improved posture, Enhanced mood and body image, loose-fitting clothing, and jealous looks from runners in your age group.

—Adam Goucher & Tim Catalano, Running Bloggers

Photos courtesy of Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher

“When you say you are ‘slow,’ do you mean compared to the 93% of people who can’t run a mile without stopping, or the majority of Americans who never exercise?” We asked a runner this question at a recent race expo. She was trying to convince us that she was a “slow runner” and we were trying to convince her that there is no such thing as slow. (To be honest, we made up the 93% number. Fortunately, she didn’t ask us where we got our statistics.)

Sensing that she needed more convincing, we tried another approach. “If a woman qualifies for the Boston Marathon, does that make her fast?” She nodded enthusiastically.  

“What if she finishes the marathon in last place? Does that make her slow?” The look of compassion on her face communicated that she felt sorry for these two men desperately trying to impart anything close to wisdom. We wished her good luck in her race and requested that she let us know how she did when it was over.  

Two days later we received an email informing us that she had improved her best time in the  half marathon by over two minutes. She went on to explain that even though she was slower than most of the other competitors in the race, she was faster than any previous version of herself. The runner she was three months earlier would have looked at the runner she is now with admiration and respect. Now she wanted to train harder than ever to be an even faster runner in her next race.  

She ended the email with this thought, “From Olympians to runners just trying to finish a 10K, we are all fast. Runners at every level are pushing their limits and trying to see how good they can be. The only way to be slow is not to run at all.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

—Tim Catalano & Adam Goucher, Running Bloggers

Ever forget to put your underpants in your gym bag and end up going “commando” to a work meeting? That happened to professional triathlete Chrissie Wellington, too. Only her work meeting happened to be at 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s office. 

Wellington’s candor in her new autobiography, A Life Without Limits: A World Champion’s Journey, is not limited to the humorous side of her rise to be the world’s best triathlete. There’s a dark side, too, one that includes a battle with eating disorders, a renegade coach, and the bullying she experienced by fellow triathlon team members, perhaps spawned by jealousy: Wellington turned pro just before turning 30 (ancient by professional standards) and won her first Ironman World Championship —a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run — at the Hawaii Ironman a mere six months later. She has gone on to win that race three more times, along with every Ironman triathlon she’s ever entered. Thirteen, to be exact, in only five years.

Her story is compelling and her life thus far has been extraordinary. We had a few questions for her and Chrissie Wellington shared her answers.

Innovation for Endurance: For most professional triathletes, triathlon is all they know; it’s the only job they’ve ever had. But before you turned pro, you spent years as an adviser in international development for the UK Government, even rolling up your sleeves to aid people in third-world countries. How do you think your perspective on human suffering affects your personal capacity for your own physical suffering?

Chrissie Wellington: These life experiences have definitely shaped me into the athlete I am today, enabling me to develop independence, strength, and perspective. It made me realize the power of sport to make a difference in people’s lives, in developed and developing countries. It has enabled me to see wonderful landscapes and meet some great friends. I bank these memories and draw heavily on them when I am training and racing, especially to get me through the tougher, darker times. Most of all, traveling—and the things I have seen—have taught me so much about our capacity to endure and overcome hurdles, to never take for granted the opportunities I am given, to appreciate the simple things in life rather than placing value on material possessions, and to seize every chance that comes my way. 

IFE: “Still got it.” That’s a sentence that repeats throughout your book regarding the memorabilia you’ve saved throughout your life. Of all the things you “still got,” is there anything you prize most of all?

CW: The scars born of the crash before Kona 2012: They tell more than a thousand words.

IFE: You took up cycling while living in Nepal and rode extensively in the shadow of the Himalayas. You have said in your book, describing those amazing rides, “I’m sure it was the making of me.” What would you say makes up the total Chrissie package?

CW: I don’t think my success is down to one single quality, but rather a whole package of traits: drive, determination, consistency, self-belief, a great support structure, physiology, and good genes (or failing that, an ability to look good in jeans!), positivity, ability and willingness to overcome adversity, an ability to rest your mind as well as your body, a competitive fire, my life experiences and yes…..big calves.

IFE: Your fastest marathon time in an Ironman race (2:44:35) suggests a real possibility that you would be equally competitive in a straight marathon. Has competing in other sports, be it running, swimming, cycling (or something removed from triathlon) crossed your mind?

CW: Of course, I am always open to a challenge and I would love to do a big city marathon, to test myself to the limit and see what kind of time I could achieve.

IFE: I suspect you will live the next 35 years as passionately and productively as the first 35 years of your life, and will need to write a second memoir. What will be the highlights in that book?     

CW: I think this great question is best answered by plundering the final paragraph of my autobiography ….which goes a little something like this….

“…how can I speculate on what the future holds, when the present is so astronomically removed from whatever expectations I might have had in my youth? My only policy throughout has been to keep an open mind and, whatever I may do, to give it my all. It still takes my breath away to think where that simple outlook on life has taken me. I never set out to be a world champion – not many ordinary girls from Norfolk do – but neither have I ever wanted to be left wondering, ‘What if..?’ At so many stages along the way, the limits that I thought I could see lying ahead dissolved as I approached them. And that has been the most exciting discovery of all”.

— Kara Thom, Runner’s World Reporter 

Photos courtesy of Chrissie Wellington and Center Street Publishing 

In his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami focuses on the physical and mental transformation he underwent when transitioning from a smoking, drinking jazz bar owner to an ultramarathon runner. Beginning at age 33, he gradually went from 36 miles a week to running marathons in under 3 1/2 hours, to, finally, completing the grueling 62.137-mile race known as the ultramarathon.

Though many runners stick to a traditional 26.2-mile route, a growing number are no longer content with such a straightforward course. Instead, they might opt for five marathons in five days — along with 560 miles of cycling and 12 miles of swimming. That’s exactly what endurance athletes Richard Roll and Jason Patrick Lester accomplished in May 2010, when the two friends completed five Iron-distance triathlons over five days. To really stamp “epic” onto their achievement, they did each race on a different Hawaiian island.

Are you saying, “Five? Is that it?” If so, maybe you’re the type of athlete who needs at least 365 marathons in a year. Pushing the boundaries on the extreme — pushing well-passed those boundaries, in fact — comes Stefaan Engels, who already held a record for completing 20 Ironmans in a year. In February 2011, Engels completed 365 marathons in as many days. (Being that the old record for one year was 52, Engels must have felt he really had to make his mark.) After completing that quest, Engels said he felt like “Joe Average” going to work every day. It’s now going to take a leap year for someone to outdo Joe’s legacy.

I know what you’re thinking after viewing the photos in the links above: These runners are just not muddy enough. Thankfully, US Mud Sports responds to that challenge with the Ultimate Mud Run, a two-day event happening this weekend in New Jersey. Sure, it’s only seven miles, but throw in 25 obstacles, uneven terrain, and lots and lots of mud, and you have one of what is arguably the weirdest and certainly the most fun races to ever take place.

Sometimes just one element is not enough, however. Who doesn’t want to run through a raging fire and barbed wire as part of their workout? As the Spartan Race sub-header states, “You’ll Know at the Finish Line.” This two-day event held all over the planet features lots of Gladiator-style photos and messaging to inspire those on the fence. The organization points out the puniness of simple marathons and triathlons, and asserts that you’ll go “well beyond your comfort zone” as you climb, dive, slide, jump, and most probably despise your existence as you try to “conquer the Olympic Super Spartan” within you.

What sort of ultimate race have you tried, or would you like to try?

— Derek Beres, Women’s Health Reporter

Photo courtesy of RichRoll.com. 

It was so hot at the Boston Marathon! How hot? This tweet from @runningtimes sums it up:

Kipyego missed bottle at 25 miles and went back for it. Korir almost came to stop to grab water cup. Must be brutal out there.

When elite runners are willing to sacrifice time in order to cool off, it’s hot. Elite runners finished the race as temperatures reached 78, but slower runners can expect to feel the mid-80s before they cross the finish line today. If they don’t run a personal record, they might be able to say they ran a different sort of record. Boston’s record high for April 16 was 84 degrees set in 2003. Today’s high is expected to hit 86 degrees.

In fact, the forecasted heat led race organizers to extend the unprecedented offer to defer registration to next year for the nearly 27,000 runners. Those who carried on with their 26.2-mile journey started the race with the temperature in the low 70s, some 30 degrees warmer than the 46-degree start in 2011. 

The warmer weather translated into slower times for this year’s winners, which is better than the alternative: Defending champion Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, who recorded the fastest marathon finish on record at Boston last year with a 2:03:02, dropped out due to cramping.

But it wasn’t slow for everyone. In the men’s wheelchair division, Canadian Josh Cassidy set a new world record in 1:18:24.

Being bipedal is one of the features that set humans apart from our tree-climbing forebears. Yet sometimes we forget that things we do automatically have a profound impact on our bodies.

Walking is one of those everyday things we can forget to appreciate. It does all kinds of good things for us — helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising the good kind (HDL), reduces our blood pressure, and alleviates anxiety and depression.

Research also shows us that the less we walk, the more likely we are to lose the neurological connection between our brain and feet, creating those tragic broken hips in our later years. Due to sedentary work lifestyles and a continual reliance on automobiles, our connection to the very act that set us apart from the less-evolved can sometimes seem lost.

Thankfully, a recent resurgence in the art of walking has shone the spotlight on the act of putting one foot in front of the other. I inherited the walking gene from my father, averaging many miles a day while living in one of the finest walking cities in the country, New York. In fact, the city is so perfect for sightseeing and socializing that Matt Green, who already walked from Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, to Rockaway Beach, Oregon, is now canvassing (and photographing) every single street in all five boroughs of the Big Apple - all 8,000 miles of them. And in my new home city of Los Angeles, a few more people are taking to the streets, rather than cars.

Designer and urban planner Matt Tomasulo is also a big walker. The Raleigh, North Carolina, resident has created two initiatives, Walk Raleigh and Walk [Your City], which is the focus of a new Kickstarter campaign, to help promote more foot traffic and fewer carbon footprints.

Tomasulo assured me that he’s not anti-automobile; he just loves both the social and physical aspects of walking. “Aside from the obvious personal health benefits, walking has plenty of mental, social, cultural, and environmental values as well,” Tomasulo says. “Walking is social; you begin to recognize people in your community or neighborhood, which can help build trust and safety in a place. Walking also provides freedom of mobility. It [along with running] is the only physical act that does not reply on any supplemental hardware or energy.”

Tomasulo’s Walk Raleigh pilot program was based on the idea of promoting without preaching. His organization hung a number of signs around the city informing pedestrians how far away various destinations were by foot, much the same way that electronic signs on Route 10 inform you how much traffic is going to delay your trip downtown (usually, a lot). Walk [Your City] provides an online platform for users in any state or country to print their own signage. 

“In a way, Walk [Your City] is lowering the barriers to entry of being a pedestrian and an advocate,” he says. “The signs do not tell you to eat better, to drive less, or really to do anything different than what you are doing. Instead, the campaign simply presents basic but useful information about navigating your city streets in minutes by foot versus miles by car,” explains Tomasulo. “We have found that one of the greatest obstacles with walking is actually public perception. Walking 10 minutes is much easier to digest than walking half a mile. By making this idea simple and the sign-building tool accessible online, we are opening the door to any citizen who wants to help others discover that a park or drugstore might not be as far away as they originally thought.”

Is your city a great walking city? Where is your favorite route where you live?

— Derek Beres, Women’s Health Reporter

Photos courtesy of Matt Tomasulo