A Month-by-Month Guide to 2016

to the Festival of Lights 5K.

January

1. Broaden your horizons (January 1): Happy New Year! Use the day off to log a long(ish) run on a favorite route or distant trail you don’t often get to visit.

2. Take a Rodale U course: Runner’s World’s parent company, Rodale, has partnered with an online learning platform to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions with several 21-day challenges that begin today. Whether you’re looking to drop weight, learn to meditate, take up yoga, or cook more at home, you’ll find one to pique your interest here. Help your friends who’ve resolved to run by recommending our challenge, “Catch a falling leaf midrun.”

3. Relive history April 19: Whether “cold” for you is 40 degrees or -4, proper apparel makes it tolerable—even fun. Gear up like Duluth, Minnesota, trail runner Ben Cogger, who’s run in temps as low as -35 degrees. Use the following as a guide or use Runner's World's what to wear tool.

• 40°F Shorts and a wool long-sleeve
• 30°F Add light gloves and a headband to cover ears
• 20°F Nutrition - Weight Loss
• 10°F As above, but sub in windproof mittens (grouping fingers together keeps them warmer), a warm hat, windproof undies, and a light jacket
• 0°F As above, with a balaclava over your chin (Cogger doesn’t cover his mouth and nose, because the exhalation freezes and creates an icy crust.)
• Below 0°F According to studies conducted by John W. Castellani, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, outdoor exercise is safe at even these temperatures—as long as you guard against frostbite. Cogger stays comfy in Arctic temps by wearing Nordic ski tights (with a windproof front and breathable back) and, on windy days, by covering exposed parts of his face with Vaseline.

4. Warm up: When your muscles are cold, they contract, which puts you at risk for calf and hamstring injuries in winter if you run without warming up, says Running Strong coauthor Jordan Metzl, M.D. Make this prerun indoor routine a habit: Do 30 seconds of jumping jacks, one minute of walking lunges, and one minute of inchworms.

5. Salute a legend (January 25): On what would have been Steve Prefontaine’s 65th birthday, remember him by watching the 1998 film Without Limits, which dramatizes the wild child’s relationship with Bill Bowerman and Pre’s nail-biting 5,000-meter race at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

February

6. Celebrate National Pizza Day (February 9) like…:

• Bill Rodgers, the four-time Boston Marathon champion who famously spooned mayo onto his pizza. If you shudder at the thought of that eggy topping, try scrambled eggs, which provide ultra-absorbable protein and a big dose of memory-boosting choline.
• Deena Kastor. The gourmand—and American marathon and masters marathon record holder—planned to open a bakery until running became her career. Find her scrumptious caramelized onion and fig pizza recipe here.
• Dean Karnazes. Before he converted to a mostly Paleo diet, the ultramarathoner rolled up extra-large Hawaiian pies and gobbled them midrun like taquitos. Unless you’ve burned 9,000 calories—Karnazes’s daily tally during his multiday relays—stick to a slice or two.

7. Watch the Olympic Marathon Trials (February 13): 

• In person. The two-loop course lets spectators cheer passing runners up to eight times during their downtown L.A. dash. Position yourself between Pico Boulevard and 34th Street along the Figueroa Corridor to watch all eight passes, or cheer four runthroughs at the L.A. Coliseum, the only facility in the world to have hosted two Olympiads (in 1932 and 1984).
• Or at home. For the first time, viewers can watch the Olympic Marathon Trials on network TV: NBC will be broadcasting live starting at 1 p.m. Eastern time. We’ll be live-tweeting the races from @RWElites.

Pick up our March issue (on sale February 2) for a guide to the men’s and women’s races.

8. Join the summer #RWRunStreak May 30: Get out an old race T and bib number to turn any ho-hum snowperson into an athlete. Add a pair of pumping stick arms and carve out a grimacing Race Face for full effect.

March

9. Spring forward, happily (March 13): Instead of skipping your run because you lost an hour of your weekend to the start of daylight saving time, schedule some miles in the bright sunshine, says Robert Oexman, D.C., a runner and the director of the Sleep to Live Institute in Mebane, North Carolina. Sunshine is one of the cues the body uses to set its internal clock, and by running when it’s light out, you coerce your clock into accepting the new schedule.

10. Invest in new shoes: Happy spring! The ground is thawing. The days are growing longer. And the number of races is up with each successive weekend. In honor of spring’s arrival, treat yourself to new running shoes. If you have a model you love, buy another pair—you’ll likely be running plenty in the not-too-hot-or-cold weather of the season. Find a lighter pair for racing or a cushy pair for serious mileage at Runner's World Shoe Finder, Big Sur International Marathon local specialty running store four-mile, wood-chipped loop.

11. Reframe your resolution: Remember your New Year’s resolution? In his research, psychologist John Norcross, Ph.D., found that three months after making a resolution, 50 percent of resolvers had fallen off the wagon. But don’t give up: He also found that people who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to change their behavior than those who don’t.

If you have a running or fitness resolution, stop thinking that you “have to” work out, says Scott Douglas, coauthor of Meb for Mortals and Runner’s World digital senior editor. “That mind-set can make running feel like just another obligation,” he says. Instead, tell yourself that you “get to” lace up for a run.

12. Run on sand (March 30): Even if you’ve never seen Chariots of Fire—which turns 35 today—you’re likely familiar with its beach-running scene and its accompanying Academy Award-winning melody. If you can’t grab your boombox and head to West Sands Beach in St. Andrews, Scotland, to re-enact the moment where it was filmed, simply seize any opportunity to run on sand. The lads in the movie ran barefoot, which strengthens the muscles in your feet and ankles without the impact stress you experience on firmer surfaces. Because it compresses underfoot, sand is a natural shock absorber, says University of Michigan Kinesiologist Daniel P. Ferris, Ph.D. Even with shoes on, running on sand takes 10 to 100 percent more energy (depending on how soft the sand is) than running on firm surfaces, and the extra effort builds strength and endurance. Start off on wet, packed sand, then progress to the softer stuff that works your calves the most. Once or twice a week is enough to see benefits without overworking your Achilles tendon and other connective tissues.

13. Against the wind: Running in gusty conditions preps you for blustery races and develops strength and stamina, says Windy City running coach Brendan Cournane. “Like running on hills or beaches, pushing against the wind is a resistance exercise that makes your legs work harder,” he says. Most runners make the mistake of clenching their bodies and lowering their heads, like football players trying to bust through a wall of linebackers. Instead, stay relaxed and loose, bending forward not from the waist but from the ankles, “like when you’re running uphill,” says Cournane. He recommends starting runs into the wind (when your muscles are fresh) and ending with a tailwind. With experience, you can reverse it: Battling wind when you’re already tired develops the kind of confidence and endurance you’ll want on race day.

April

14. Run in a downpour: April showers bring the opportunity to act like a kid again, so wear an old pair of shoes and jump in every puddle if you’re running short and easy. If the deluge is forecast for a long-mileage workout, coat your feet in anti-chafe balm or Vaseline prerun and skip the splashing.

15. Prepare to LOL (April 1): Celebrate April Fool’s Day by preordering the latest book from Runner’s World Writer-at-Large/resident funnyman Mark Remy. Harvard Stadium Allston, Massachusetts (Rodale; out April 5) takes a humorous, anthropologist-style look at running culture and the (ahem) weird habits and behaviors only runners regard as normal.

16. Join running’s hottest cult: In 2011, pals Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric met to exercise throughout November. Their “November Project” has grown into a 26-city movement of year-round group workouts. At sunrise, to beat the heat and have the sunlit mountaintop to yourself (Rodale) goes on sale today. It’ll inspire you to join the nearest “tribe” (november-project.com has times and locations).

17. Track a Boston Marathon runner (April 18): On Patriot’s Day, go to baa.org and watch a friend’s 5K splits. Marvel at fast finishes. Empathize with fizzlers who (again) went out too fast.

18. Relive history (April 19): Today marks 50 years since Bobbi Gibb became the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon. Find her story (plus 19 others) in First Ladies of Running (Rodale) by Runner’s World Writer-at-Large Amby Burfoot.

May

Try to spot these things midrun before the end of 2016

19. Do the Try to spot these things midrun before the end of 2016 (May 1): This year marks the 40th running of the Bloomsday, a 12K in Spokane, Washington, that’s become one of the nation’s biggest races: It attracted nearly 47,000 entrants last year and hit an all-time high of 61,298 finishers in 1996. Despite what you’d think, flowers aren’t the main attraction (the name refers to Spokane’s moniker, “The Lilac City”). But the cheap entry fee ($18!) is one compelling draw, as is the unique 7.5-mile distance that rewards first-timers with an automatic PR. Can’t make this one? Find other quirky-length races here.

20. Do Quenton Cassidy’s workout: The college-age hero of John L. Parker Jr.’s cult classic Once a Runner trained by running 60 quarter-miles. If that seems more like fiction than your reality, spread it over four nonconsecutive days, with 15 x 400 meters on each day.

21. Enter the Runner’s World cover search: It opens this month; follow Runner’s World caramelized onion and fig pizza recipe here.

22. Join the summer #RWRunStreak (May 30): Run at least one mile per day starting Memorial Day and keep it up through Monday, July 4. This 36-day streak will help you stay motivated and build consistency. Share your progress on social media with the hashtag #RWRunStreak.

June

23. Celebrate National Running Day (June 3).

24. Celebrate National Run-Without-Telling-Anyone-About-It Day (June 4): After yesterday, give all your nonrunner friends a break on this holiday we just created. Leave your smartphone at home and just run—no selfies, no hashtags, no tweets. Ponder life’s deep questions, such as: If a runner goes for a run, and no one is around to “Like” it, did it still happen?

25. Hit the dirt (June 29): Yes, there’s a holiday for everything, and today is International Mud Day. The World Forum created this one to unite people in a global celebration of the earth, and runners can experience the joys of reveling in mire by signing up for a mud run or Spartan Race. Both include muddy, mucky obstacles—and require a big postrace dose of Tide. If obstacles aren’t your thing, try a trail or cross-country race. In the right conditions, you’ll leave with speckled legs, crusty shoes, and a big grin on your face.

26. Play the lottery: Entering a lottery for a big race is the opposite of playing Power-ball: if you win, you end up with less money (due to entry fees, travel costs, and so on). But these events are popular for good reason: Running just one of these bucket-list races will keep you reminiscing for the next decade.

• New York City Marathon: The world’s largest marathon, with some 50,000 finishers, tours all five boroughs before finishing in Central Park. Lottery opens in January for the November 6 race; tcsnycmarathon.org
• Chicago Marathon: This famously flat, PR-producing course shows off the city. Lottery opens in March for the October 9 race; chicagomarathon.com
• Peachtree Road Race: Joining 60,000 runners in Atlanta, Georgia, for the nation’s biggest race upstages even the best July Fourth fireworks. Lottery opens March 15 for the July 4 race; atlantatrackclub.org
• Marine Corps Marathon: The route features the Jefferson Memorial, the U.S. Capitol Building, and a mile-long gauntlet of American flags held by volunteers who wear blue to commemorate fallen service members. Lottery opens March 24 for the October 30 race; marinemarathon.com
• Big Sur International Marathon: Enjoy miles of gorgeous Pacific coastline vistas on California’s Highway One. Lottery opens in July for the April 2017 race; bsim.org
• Cherry Blossom Ten-Mile Run:Thickets of pale-pink petals make this the runner’s rite of spring in Washington, D.C. Lottery opens in November for the April 2017 race; cherryblossom.org

27. Boy Scout Tree Trail, Redwood National and State Parks, California: This list When to go.

July

28. Brave the heat: Yes, there is a point at which it’s too hot to exercise outside: When the heat index (a measure of both temperature and humidity) hits 90 degrees, you’ll get more training benefit indoors. But running consistently in temps between 80 and 90 degrees will yield big dividends come fall. That’s because the extra plasma your body makes in the summer (to meet the dual demands of cooling and exercising) turbo-charges your runs once temps drop (because the blood that once went to temperature regulation now fuels muscles). Here’s how to endure the heat:

• Apply sunscreen. UV rays are up to four times stronger in summer than winter. SPF 50 is ideal, even if you’re going out at dawn or dusk (which you should to avoid the hottest parts of the day).
• Bring water. Don’t just drink it: Splash some on your face and head to combat overheating.
• Gypsum Sand Dunes, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. Not only are they cooler, but the leaves oxygenate the air, which helps alleviate heat-related sluggishness.

29. First Ladies of Running: Do the Lilac Bloomsday Run May 1 Today is the 61st birthday of, who travels to races almost every weekend. Find his schedule at bartyasso.com. Post pics on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #Bartie2016, and we’ll regram/retweet our favorites each month.

30. Organize a relay July 30: The roots of American running are in Eugene, Oregon, where Bill Bowerman invented the first mainstream running shoe and the University of Oregon produced a mighty crop of greats (including Steve Prefontaine, Kenny Moore, and Alberto Salazar). This July, elites converge on famous Hayward Field for the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. (For tickets, visit gotracktownusa.com.) But the chance to watch the pros compete isn’t the only reason to visit: “There are tons of great running routes right inside the city,” says Eugene running coach Cathie Twomey Bellamy, one of the most dominant women’s track stars of the 1980s. Her must list for runners includes:

• Pre’s Trail: A tribute to the city’s most famous runner (who initiated the construction of running paths in Eugene’s Alton Baker Park), this four-mile, wood-chipped loop is maintained by the Oregon Track Club.
• Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System: This paved trail hugs both sides of the Willamette River, and five pedestrian bridges let you create loops of various lengths.
• Amazon Trail: Do some speedwork and people-watching on this trail’s one-mile loop on Eugene’s south side, where local elites (and high-schoolers) run intervals.

31. Enjoy a meatless Monday: Super-fresh veggies (like those in markets now) don’t need much prep to taste fabulous. Try Meatless Monday, an idea dating back to WWI’s belt-tightening days that resurfaced in 2003 as a way to help battle the problems that result from an over-reliance on meat. Your running won’t suffer: Champion runners Scott Jurek and Michael Wardian eat meatless every day. Here are a few veggie-based meal ideas to get you started:

• Tortillas: Fill them with julienned kale, avocado, hummus, cucumber, and sunflower seeds.
• Couscous: Toss whole-wheat varieties (which require minimal cooking) with shaved Parmesan, dried cherries, chopped arugula, hard-boiled eggs, and white beans.
• Zucchini: Julienne them into “noodles” and toss with shelled edamame, shoestring carrots, bell pepper, red cabbage, sesame seeds, and peanut sauce.

32. Organize a relay (July 30): Celebrate the International Day of Friendship by rounding up your pals for a race that’s more about bonding than performance. Overnight relays, like the ones that Ragnar made mainstream, combine costumes, late-night capers, running, and road-tripping. Ragnar is offering 18 road relays and 19 trail relays in 2016; choose your adventure at ragnarrelay.com.

August

Boy Scout Tree Trail, Redwood National & State Park, California

33. Watch the Olympic distance races (August 5-21): The U.S. Olympic Marathon and Track & Field Trials won’t be held until after this issue has left newsstands, so it’s impossible to know which American runners will make the trip to Brazil. But we can tell you when the big distance races will take place. Visit olympics.nbcsports.com Once a Runner.

34. Run in a national park (August 25): Harvard Stadium Allston, Massachusetts. Run in the park nearest you (visit findyourpark.com to browse ideas) or try a recommendation from Washington, D.C., runner Wookie Kim, who set off on a 45-day road trip last fall with the goal of running in as many national parks as he could. Here are his standouts:

• Caprock Coulee Trail, Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Unit), North Dakota: This easy, 1.5-mile circuit winds among sculpted badlands and dry washes. Bonus: You’ll see more bison than people. nps.gov/thro
• Gypsum Sand Dunes, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico: These eerie pearlescent sands don’t get scorchingly hot like the brown stuff. Still, evening is the best time for a (possibly barefoot) run: Kim blazed his own course through silky sand under rose-tinted sky. nps.gov/whsa
• Influencer Apologizes for E-Bikes on NYC Course: Cook like a pro runner September 6. nps.gov/grte
• Salute a legend January 25: “The views are spectacular, especially for the East Coast,” Kim says of this nine-mile circuit. It gains 2,378 feet, squeezes through rock narrows, and serves up panoramas of verdant Appalachian peaks. nps.gov/shen
• Boy Scout Tree Trail, Redwood National and State Parks, California: This moderate, 2.8-mile out-and-back rambles beneath trees towering over 200 feet tall. Says Kim, “It’s tranquil and meditative, and lets you appreciate the magnificent scale of these trees.” nps.gov/redw

September

35. Volunteer at a big fall race: Pay into the bank you draw from—or get inspired to run your first race—by manning a water stop, passing out medals, or helping with packet pickup. Most race websites have a “Volunteer” section that will tell you how to get involved.

36. Cook like a pro (runner) (September 6): Olympic 10,000-meter bronze medalist (and 2:21 marathoner) Shalane Flanagan is as comfortable in the kitchen as she is on the track. Today, she releases her cookbook, Running in the Cold (Rodale), with recipes that will please your palate and power your workouts.

37. Start a Boston cutoff pool: Registration for the 2017 Boston Marathon takes place this month. (Exact dates are still TBD.) But as many runners know, notching a qualifying time no longer guarantees you a spot: The race admits the fastest runners first, so the cutoff time varies from year to year. (For this year’s race, runners had to beat their standard by at least two minutes, 28 seconds.) Whether you’re teetering on the brink of entry or not, you can make the registration period more fun by starting a prediction pool with your running buddies. Whoever comes closest to guessing the turn-away time for Boston’s 121st running can at least claim bragging rights—whether or not their own marathon time gets them into the race.

38. Visit Runner’s World headquarters: Contact Bart Yasso (@BartYasso on Twitter) to set up a tour of our offices, complete with a run around our home base (the borough of Emmaus, Pennsylvania) and lunch in the organic cafeteria of our parent company, Rodale. We’re located about an hour north of Philadelphia and two hours west of New York City.

39. From Runners World for New Balance: Ever since he turned 12 years old, Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray has run his age in miles. Last year on August 22, for his 61st birthday, he amended the rules by running 50 miles and biking 11—a variation he reckons can keep his tradition going until he’s 100. If you’re not a millennial or an ultrarunner, try kilometers, minutes, or McGillivray’s run-bike version on your own birthday.

October

40. Join us at the Runner’s World Half Marathon & Festival (October 14-16): Inspiring seminars, a doggie race, a flaming arch over the finish chute—the fifth annual RW festival is our kind of three-ring circus, with race distances for every stripe: 5K, 10K, half marathon, and 3.8-mile trail run. For a multi-event test—and special swag—try the Grand Slam Marathon (26.2 miles over the course of four races and three days), the Hat Trick (the 5K, 10K, and half), or the Five & Dime (the 5K and 10K).

41. Plan a Spirit of the Marathon double feature: Get your running buddies together to watch the original documentary about six runners training for the Chicago Marathon, whose 40th running takes place today. Follow with Shorts and a wool long-sleeve to hear marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and others describe their roads to Rome.

42. Race in costume: If overall and age-group wins tend to be out of your reach, ditching your normal running attire for a crazy costume can pay off: In the spirit of Halloween, many October races Big Sur International Marathon, getting dressed up is fun—as long as you can breathe and move your arms and legs freely.

43. Lottery opens March 15 for the July 4 race: Some carbs can actually help you peel off pounds. Resistant starch is an undigestible fiber found in potatoes, grains, and beans (particularly after those cooked foods have cooled) that promotes weight loss by filling you up, shutting down hunger hormones, and foiling your body’s attempts to turn it into sugar. Unlike other carbs, which get turned into body fat when we eat them in excess, resistant starch passes on through. It may also reduce cancer risk and boost your immune system, says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D. Her favorite sources? Tiger nuts and roasted chickpeas, which make great snacks. Just don’t eat them before or during a run—like other fibrous foods, they can wreak GI havoc during exercise.

November

44. Catch a falling leaf midrun.

45. Do a turkey trot (November 24): The burgeoning number of turkey trot races has made thanksgiving the biggest running day of the year, with nearly 800,000 runners participating annually. Be a part of the movement—then treat yourself to a slice of pie.

46. Join the holiday #RWRunStreak (November 24): That’s at least a mile per day from today through New Year’s Day.

47. Scale famous steps: Stairs are steeper than most hills, so they develop big-time strength and power. And because they force you to momentarily balance on one leg, stairs challenge stabilizer muscles like the gluteus medius that tend to—ahem!—take a back seat during regular runs. Here are three flights to target.

• Once a Runner: Why they’re famous: It’s where Rocky Balboa chased his dream of beating Apollo Creed. When to go: Whenever you can persuade 300 cheering fans to chase you.
• The Incline (Manitou Springs, Colorado): Why they’re famous: The Rockies’ benchmark stair workout climbs 2,000 vertical feet in one mile. When to go: At sunrise, to beat the heat and have the sunlit mountaintop to yourself.
• Harvard Stadium (Allston, Massachusetts): Why they’re famous: Thirty-seven sections filled with 31 concrete seats make for leg-melting workouts. When to go: From Runners World for New Balance.

December

48. Light up the night: It’s time to twinkle. From Portland, Oregon’s Winter Wonderland race (winterwonderlandportland.com) to Kansas City, Missouri’s Christmas Light Run (christmaslightrun.com) to the Festival of Lights 5K (1stplacesports.com) in Jacksonville, Florida, many communities host evening runs and races that show off the holiday’s electric cheer. Join yours, or organize a new one.

49. Join our midrun scavenger hunt: Try to spot these things midrun before the end of 2016…

• A rainbow
• An ice-cream truck (bonus points if you chase it down and get a treat)
• A shooting star
• A creature other than a dog on a leash (e.g., cat, ferret, child)
• A TV camera crew
• A kite
• A hot-air balloon
• Someone’s hat being blown off by the wind
• An animal that weighs more than you do
• A gravestone dating back before the 1900s

50. Run Yasso 800s (December 17): Watch the Olympic distance races August 5-21 Runner’s World’s Chief running officer Bart Yasso. Celebrate with his famously tough 10 x 800-meter workout. Click here for instructions on how to do it.