This month, I want to pay my respects to Michael Colgan, since I have just learned of his passing in late 2025. One of his daughters wrote a stirring obituary, and it is a tearjerker for me.

I still remember coming across Optimum Sports Nutrition by Colgan in the late 1990s, and I have a copy on my shelf that I turn to as a reference. The book that most impacted me is The New Power Program. It inspired me to travel to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and spend a week with him in 2006. This forms the underlying foundation for my strength training, and I recommend it highly.

Colgan remains an intellectual hero for me. I want to thank him for inspiring and challenging me over my many years in the sporting world.

Featured Products

• Classic leather skipping/jump rope. This is my favorite way to warm up, and recently I updated my old rope, which had torn after 10 years. If you are taller than six feet, you might want to consider a 10-feet option, available through Ring to Cage. There is a calculator here that helps you choose the right length.

  

• All-cotton tank tops (singlets) by Hanes. I am taking steps to reduce plastic exposure in my life, and one way is to return to natural-fiber clothing. These cost-effective ones are 100 percent US cotton and have a sleek design for training.

Around the Web

1. “Maintaining Muscle Mass while Aging” (lecture), Lynn Bellmore, Colorado State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Extension.

2. “The Power of Awe,” Drew Ginn, Leadership in Every Seat.

3. “Exercise to Treat Depression Yields Similar Results to Therapy and Antidepressants,” Mia Parkinson, Cochrane Library.

4. “Physical Exercise as Standard Care in Mental Health Medicine,” James Nuzzo, Nuzzo Letter.

5. “Rethinking Deli Meat: What the Research Says about Colon Cancer Risk (and What to Eat Instead),” Kierston Murphy, Proactive Nutrition.

6. “Breaking the Sugar Cycle with Dulsa Founder Natalie Nicole” (podcast) John Odermatt, Finding Freedom.

7. “Abrupt Training Changes Cause Injury” (podcast), Rebecca Caroe, Rowing Chat.

Upcoming Events

I will seek to bring together useful and appealing endurance-related events in the Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming vicinity—at least those that catch my eye.

1. Horsetooth Half Marathon, Fort Collins, Colorado, April 19, 2026.

2. Colfax Half and Full Marathon, Denver, Colorado, May 17, 2026.

3. Pilot Hill Trail Run (25K or 10K), Laramie, Wyoming, May 30, 2026.

4. FireKracker 5K, Fort Collins, Colorado, July 4, 2026.

5. Monument Marathon, Gering, Nebraska, September 26, 2026.

If you are reading this, you are probably like me and love to eat. Growing up on a farm with six siblings meant we jumped on all the food we could get. That especially applied to fish and chips, since your fish was private property but the chips were in the commons. Predictably, the chips—what Americans call fries—were depleted first.

The challenge is that body fat, beyond an optimal level, undermines performance in athletic contexts. My rule of thumb is that each pound of excess body fat equates to an extra minute over a marathon. Assuming you have excess fat to lose, cutting 20 pounds—about 10 kilograms—is likely to shorten your finish time by 20 minutes.

This post's sponsor is Green Pasture, my favorite outlet for healthy fats, especially cod-liver and butter oil and bison tallow. Use the FERG coupon code at GreenPasture.org.

This applies to many sports, not just the marathon. In the lead-up to my final competitive single-scull race, I considered ways to squeeze out an extra length or two of speed. One idea came to mind: getting leaner to improve my power-to-weight ratio. Eliminating potatoes from my diet for a few weeks did the trick, and I won the senior national title by open water.

Body composition is a sensitive topic, and my goal is to offer healthy, sustainable strategies. After a DEXA scan at Colorado State University, I discussed the results with the laboratory director and asked about CSU athletes taking the test. He shared that it was no longer part of the programs because too many athletes developed eating disorders.

Ideally, athletes work with a sports-oriented dietitian. Even if you pay close attention to your nutrition, accountability and fresh perspectives help. Plus, a skilled dietitian can give precise estimates regarding the nutrients you need en route to your ideal physique.

Over two summers—2023 and 2024—I utilized Kierston Murphy of Proactive Nutrition Consulting, and I recommend her. An athlete in her own right, she has an office in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and she is available for online support. If you are focused on avoiding diabetes or obesity, consider Steve Cooksey, AKA the Diabetes Warrior.

There are three broad factors driving excess body fat:

• high-glycemic-index foods, those that spike our blood sugar;

• frequent snacking, which means less time for fat burning;

• a calorie surplus, when energy consumption exceeds expenditure.

Two accessible sources expand on these points:

• Fat Head (2009), a humorous documentary in response to Super Size Me (2004), which was popular but misleading;

• “The Mystery of Weight Loss,” a podcast episode of Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World.

I will assume you are training for your target sport within the constraints of your schedule. The following ideas are for gradual fat loss, ideally over half a year or more.

1. Fast weekly. Die-hards fast for an entire day. My recommendation is to start gently with fasting until noon and then, when ready, until 6 p.m. That way you give yourself 14–20 hours without spiking your insulin. One can also flip this and start at noon.

2. Eliminate one sugary food. Most people have one item that is disproportionately undermining their physique, and this can be avoided or limited to no more than one day per week. Soft drinks or sodas, for example, are deleterious because the dissolved sugar rapidly enters one’s bloodstream. Others might be ice cream, fries, or chips—assuming they are common in your diet.

3. Take a protein supplement daily. While most people consume excess calories, athletes do not typically consume excess protein. Our musculature, especially as we age, is crucial to our performance, so any dieting best not limit protein. My own smoothie typically includes raw milk, a raw egg, and either whey or collagen as foundational. You can substitute this with an Epic bison bar or an RXBar.

   

4. Find a sweet-tooth substitute. This can be applied to many foods, but at least one would help. In my case, I have shifted to Primal Kitchen’s unsweetened ketchup. Stevia is a well-established option for sweetening smoothies, and I recommend chocolate with more than 70 percent cacao. Now that I am running out of my Honduran supply, Beyond Good is my go-to choice in the United States. Try the rum-raisin flavor!

5. Complete a weekly strength session. This might be counterintuitive, since it diverts attention away from sport-specific training. However, it goes with the protein supplement. Any fat reduction must not come at the expense of your musculature. At least one strength session will reinforce healthy hunger and stimulus for a resilient athletic frame. Some sort of whole-body circuit training, akin to crossfit, makes sense. If you want advice on this, Niki Veldman is my strength-for-running guru (email her).

6. Set a weekly weigh-in. At some point, your motivation will fluctuate down. A consistent weigh-in keeps us accountable, and you can get affordable scales that offer a rough measure of body composition. This is a useful data point, since weight loss alone is not the goal. A professional scale will give more accuracy, but it is not crucial.

7. Use a meal-prep service. These are not necessarily as healthy as home-cooked food, but they buffer against junk food when you are too tired to cook a proper meal. Some companies like Clean Eatz offer an extra-protein option. Factor is a well-known provider that delivers to your door, although that means a ton of packaging. In both cases, keep an eye on the ingredients, since undesirable additives creep in.

Please do not overdo the above. As I mentioned, the best fat loss happens incrementally, at about half a pound or quarter of a kilogram per week. That allows you to more easily maintain your refined frame on a long-term basis.

If you would like to book a consultation with me, please sign up here.

Development is structured in four phases: foundational understanding and trust; acquisition of technical skills and personal responsibility; transition to performance with goals and healthy pressure; and consolidation in a high-performance environment. As athletes evolve, they move from depending on the coach to almost full autonomy over training, goal setting, and preparing for the highest level. Cases like Sam Ruthe illustrate the importance of guiding exceptional talent with balance, prioritized education, and emotional maturity.

While natural talent is a must, the difference between remaining a promising athlete and reaching Olympic level lies in long-term determination with the right tools. Experience shows that strong systems are game-changers for talent development, as seen in Irish rugby under the leadership of Joe Schmidt. Culture, structure, and high standards transformed the national team, over a decade or two, to one of the world’s best.

Use the FERG discount code at MyPureWater.com.

Recommended Links

• Follow James on LinkedIn and Facebook.

“The Coach-Athlete Pathway to High Performance,” James Mangan, Ferg Running.

Editor’s note: this is a guest post and forthcoming book chapter by rowing coach James Mangan. An Irishman, Mangan is an elder statesman of rowing circles and was previously coaching director at the Castleconnell Boat Club in County Limerick—where I trained briefly in 2017. He now leads coaching at Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut. Please also listen to his interview on this month's Ferg Running podcast (47 minutes): “Optimize the Coach-Athlete Relationship | James Mangan.”

Success is won by those who believe in winning and then prepare for that moment. Many want to win, but how many prepare? That’s the big difference.

– Herb Brooks, US Olympic hockey coach.

Your pathway to success begins with preparation, and it is shaped by the environment you train in. As a coach, the role is to create a space that challenges you, sharpens your focus, and pushes you toward growth. Success is not just about natural talent or physical ability. It is about understanding your journey as an athlete, taking ownership of your development, and thriving within the framework we build together.

You will face two types of pain in competition. The first is the pain of failure when you have given your absolute best and the outcome still falls short. The second—and far worse—is the pain of regret: looking back and realizing there was more you could have done to change the result. Pain of failure teaches us a critical lesson: preparation and execution are everything.

Understanding yourself as an athlete is a key part of this process. Just as no two athletes have the same physical attributes, no two athletes think or approach challenges in the same way. Some of you may be naturally extroverted, motivated by engaging with others and thriving in high-energy environments. Others may be more introverted, drawing strength from quiet determination and deep focus. Both personality types have their strengths, and recognizing where you fall on this spectrum will help us refine how we communicate and work together.

Development happens in stages. At the beginning of your athlete journey, you may feel passive—relying on the coach’s guidance and expertise as you try to understand the sport and its demands. As you progress, you will gain confidence and knowledge, evolving into a more assertive athlete. A shift towards assertiveness represents a higher level of ownership: you begin to take responsibility for your growth, your mindset, and ultimately your success.

The pathway to achievement is not linear. It will test your physical and mental limits. With preparation, the right mindset, and a clear understanding of the journey ahead, you will find that every challenge brings you closer to your goals.

Defining the Pathway: Beginner to High Performance

An athlete’s development is a journey—starting from simple beginnings and progressing through various phases toward high performance. Whether you are just entering a sport or striving to compete at an elite level, understanding this pathway can help you take ownership of your growth while building a strong, collaborative relationship with your coach.

Phase 1: Building the Foundation

When young athletes join a new program or team, the initial focus is simple: learning basic tasks and building connections. At this stage, coaches focus on getting to know you—your personality, preferences, and how you execute tasks. Building rapport is crucial, as a strong relationship sets the stage for future growth. The athlete’s role or job is to enjoy the environment, participate enthusiastically, and begin to understand the sport.

Phase 2: Developing Skills, Responsibility

As athletes transition from beginners to developmental or intermediate levels, they start taking on more responsibility. This phase involves:

• Feedback and communication. Coaches seek your input during practice and help you understand how to execute a plan. This dialogue strengthens your ability to think critically about your performance.

• Ownership beyond training. You begin to take responsibility for areas like nutrition, sleep, and recovery—key elements that support your physical and mental growth.

• Goal setting. Coaches introduce performance goals to help you focus on improving specific areas, such as fitness, skills, or endurance. These goals teach you not just how to succeed but also the value of the journey toward success.

The Journey versus the Goal

A common mistake is viewing goals as merely a measure of success or failure. The journey to achieve the goal is where the most valuable lessons lie. Along this pathway, you learn:

• Self-discipline: staying committed to training routines.

• Resilience: adapting to setbacks or failures.

• Strategic thinking: planning steps to reach your destination.

A coach observes how you approach these challenges and helps you refine your mindset and skills.

Phase 3: Transitioning to Performance

At the performance level, athletes are on the pathway to high performance. This stage involves:

• Pressure and standards. You operate in a more intense environment where clear standards and expectations drive your progress.

• Assertiveness. By now, you have developed strong mental skills and take ownership of your training and preparation.

• Goal setting with metrics. You collaborate with your coach to create goals based on physiological markers, such as improving endurance, strength, or speed. These goals are grounded in measurable outcomes.

Performance Goals versus Competitive Goals

Performance goals are those within your control—like improving your squat by 20 kilograms or enhancing endurance. They empower you to take charge of your development.

Competitive goals are team or coach driven, such as winning a championship. This depends on external factors like the opposition.

Phase 4: High-Performance Environment

At this elite level, athletes face high stress and must manage multiple factors:

• Recovery and Maintenance: Knowing how to manage injuries, recovery, and training volumes is essential for sustaining performance.

• Long-Term Planning: Athletes work with coaches to create detailed periodization plans that break down the season into training cycles with clear objectives.

• Refined Communication: The dialogue between coach and athlete becomes sophisticated, focusing on fine-tuning strategies and preparing for top-tier competitions.

Goal Setting for Athletes

Goal setting is a powerful tool for personal and athletic development, but it is not just about achieving the end result. The real value lies in the journey—the process of learning, growing, and adapting along the way. When athletes focus on what they learn during this journey, they become more informed about their strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately making better decisions for their future development.

The Role of Mirroring in Development

Young athletes often learn by observing and emulating others. This process, called mirroring, plays a crucial role in skill acquisition.

• Study top-class athletes. Watching videos of elite athletes provides insight into how they move, strategize, and perform under pressure.

• Choose appropriate models. It is important to find role models with similar physical and athletic attributes. For example, a shorter gymnast might focus on studying athletes with a similar body type to understand how they execute certain movements.

• Adapt movements. Athletes do not need to copy every aspect of a role model’s performance. Instead, they should focus on specific movements or techniques that align with their own capabilities and refine them to suit their unique style.

Key Takeaways for Athletes

1. Goal setting’s value is in the journey. Focus on what you learn as you work toward your goals. Each step in the process contributes to your overall development.

2. Respect and collaboration are vital. Build a relationship with your coach based on mutual respect, allowing for open communication and shared growth.

3. Learn through observation. Study athletes who resemble your style and adapt their techniques to fit your own capabilities.

4. Leadership comes in many forms. Whether you lead through quiet determination or by energizing the team, your actions can inspire those around you.

Editor's note: I want to thank James Mangan for being a mentor to me in challenging times. He has devoted his life to the betterment of athletes in Ireland, the United States, and beyond, and I wish to see his book come to be and preserve his legacy.

Over the years, I have had few injuries from running, aside from falling over and/or spraining my ankle on trails. However, about five years ago, when Achilles’ pain persisted, someone recommended shoe rotation.

The problem was gone seemingly overnight. This benefit makes intuitive sense, given varied impact on your legs and feet. It is also consistent with other people's experiences and a famous 2013 academic study in Luxembourg. Kevin Jermyn, a cross-country coach at Duke University, explained to me that “rotating works well for avoiding injury and swifter recovery.”

One pair, the Brooks Ghost, brought that pain back, and I had to let them go. My shoe awareness, you might say, was lifted: those that did not jibe with my feet became easier to identify.

Since the selection and quality of running shoes have risen immensely in the last 20 years, rotation makes more sense: shoes are now better designed for distinct purposes. Our vocabulary has also broadened to handle the new array of races and training types, with something for everyone.

Gone are the days of using one trainer for every run, including road races. Yes, that is the way it was back in the 1990s. Getting a pair of spikes for the track or flats for the road was a rare and special occasion.

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My three shoe-rotation goals are injury prevention, enjoyment, and performance. Improved performance is perhaps most obvious, since there are fancy super shoes that can help on race day. These cost easily a dollar per mile and are best used sparingly. However, categories are blurring as cost-effective plated shoes get released.

While some people might have a careful process to rotate precisely through shoes, this seems robotic and unnecessary. Rather, I have a few shoes for everyday runs, and then I have a few with specific purposes. If I am in the mood for a pair, I roll with them regardless of whether I used them the day before.

I have not tried every shoe or brand out there, and there are new brands and models rising all the time. In particular, I have been for test runs in On Cloud trainers, and likely I will add them in 2026. Plus, Tracksmith has such an understated vintage look; I will likely succumb to temptation and buy their basic road shoes.

Here are my top seven for you to consider:

1. New Balance 880 15. These, in my assessment, are the most durable trainers on the market and your best bet for getting started—the Toyota Corolla of running shoes. A new pair recently arrived, and you can get a thousand miles on them without a problem. Further, their robustness tackles gravel roads and trails.

2. Hoka Rincon 4. These are the most plush or maximalist shoes I own. Best saved for the road, given their less durable grip, they are a lot of fun and my go-to pair after New Balance.

3. Altra Torin 7. These have the wider toe-box and zero drop that made Altra famous. They are a great for changing up the feel of your connection to the ground and for foot health. (The Torin 8 is now available.)

4. Asics Magic Speed 4. These are like the 7 iron on a golf course, covering a lot of bases. The carbon-plated Magic Speed is my favorite for harder long runs and competitive track workouts. You could also use them for road racing, if you would rather not pay for top-of-the-line super shoes.

5. Xero HFS 2. I used to run in bare feet on the farm in New Zealand, so I can attest these are not like running with nothing: there is plenty of protection. However, they connect you sharply with the road or trail, and your calves get a workout. While I use them on all surfaces and at the gym, newbies would best ease into them on trails or softer dirt roads.

6. Puma Nitro Deviate Elite 3. I picked up a pair by chance because of a half-price sale and ended up loving them. They invite your body to eat up the miles, and I am far from alone in my positive experience. I used my first pair for track workouts and for pacing the three-hour group at the 2024 Calgary Marathon. The latest edition—one down from Puma’s premium racer—is lighter, and it was my choice for the recent Houston Marathon.

7. Asics Metaspeed Edge. Asics is right up there with the quickest super shoes on the market. I tested them against the Nike Vaporfly 3, and my preference was for the Metaspeed Edge. If I had a slighter build and ran more on my toes, I would opt for the new Asics Metaspeed Ray. A Loveland friend brought them to a group workout, and they are impeccably designed and featherlight.

While the Edge is designed for cadence runners, I am a stride runner but still find it snappier than the Sky. I have run great races in the Sky, including my fastest marathon on a regular course (Grandma’s), so knowing which Asics super shoe is best for a specific person is nigh impossible without a trial. If you are willing to drop US$500, buy both and alternate them over a few races. Neither will do you wrong.

Elite road shoes are now $300 or above, and they are only good for a handful of races. You need not rotate super shoes in much, perhaps a few times per year, given the cost. However, after you no longer feel them popping, you can use them like the Magic Speed for tempos and less prominent events.

Summary

My everyday rotation includes plain vanilla (New Balance), cushioned (Hoka), zero-drop (Altra), and minimalist (Xero). The Xero gets less attention on the road and more on the trails. Then I use the Magic Speed or an older super shoe for track workouts and tempo runs. Finally, my favorite shoes for road racing are the Puma Nitro Deviate Elite and the Asics Metaspeed Edge.

All this is not to imply my approach is optimal. My list is merely meant to be a useful starting point to harness rotation benefits. Finding which shoes match your own needs is an enjoyable part of the journey.

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My entrepreneurial hero is John Mackey, cofounder of Whole Foods Market. He coauthored Conscious Capitalism (2012), which makes the case that a noble mission leads to profitability.

My athletic journey is a long one, going back three decades. Admittedly, I did not realize my youthful dreams. However, after a decade of heavy training, including four years as an NCAA Division I collegiate athlete, I came away with an important realization: you can live the life of an elite athlete well into your twilight years. Elite athletes devote the lion’s share of their time to preparation, and you can undertake a similar lifestyle. A tiny fraction of their time goes to participation in Olympic or world-championship events off limits to the layman.

Further, as we get older we are often in a better financial position to live that elite-athlete life. We also likely have more maturity and better organizational skills to bring out our best habits and avoid pitfalls. As the saying goes, youth is wasted on the young.

This post’s sponsor is XX-XY Athletics, an apparel brand that respects male and female differences. I enjoy their Intrepid Jogger and their 100 percent cotton Campus Colors Dad Cap made in Colorado. Use the FERG coupon code at XX-XYathletics.com.

My mission is to find avenues to top-level performances that fit into the lives of people who are not full-time professional athletes. There are endless targets to focus on that might not get you on television but that reflect outstanding achievements. In my case, I have two loves—the marathon and rowing—and each year I come up with new targets for each sport.

Since that mission might seem broad, a touch of my underlying thinking is pertinent.

1. Anyone who follows me knows I emphasize personal responsibility and individual freedom. We need to be accountable for our actions, in the good times and the bad times.

2. My upbringing was on an organic sheep and cattle farm, so that gave me a sympathy for unprocessed foods and broader natural health. These days, that falls under the umbrella of the paleo (ancient or primal) approach to nutrition. The basic idea is to find what fits with our ancestry—what we are adapted to rather than what might be the fad of the day.

   

3. Arthur Lydiard was one of the chief developers of modern endurance training, and his legacy remains relevant. The Lydiard method is foundational to endurance plans, as espoused by my mentor Lorraine Moller and the Lydiard Foundation. Arthur also mentored Michael Colgan, my go-to man for diet and strength-training insights, although he has retired now.

4. Public-choice economics explains how regulators and centralized information sources get captured by professional lobbies. Public education being controlled by teachers’ unions, rather than parents or taxpayers, is one such example. That means we benefit from a broad array of sources that are as independent as possible, ideally crowdfunded by subscribers. The good news is that we live in a fabulous era that is spawning independent media and research.

5. The term political correctness gets thrown around loosely, but essentially it means the pressure to conform with widely held or promoted dogmas. One example is that the two genders are interchangeable. This pressure interferes with our better judgment and objective analysis, so my intent is to present the unvarnished truth and let the chips fall where they may. That might ruffle feathers, but it makes for a more meaningful dialogue.

6. One piece of wisdom I took from my week with Colgan on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, was that there remains immense untapped athletic potential in humans. That was 20 years ago, and advancement in performance continues at a rapid clip. That leads us to have optimism regarding the prospect of game-changing improvements for the vast majority of athletes. That also means breaking out of traditions or mental constraints that impede innovation.

Ferg Running has been a passion project over the past couple of years. However, I am ramping up three domains: content, affiliated products, and a training ecosystem in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming.

One of my priorities is accommodation at my Fort Collins home for people who would like to train at altitude. My place has unlimited, picturesque, and varied running routes right out the door. There is a basement apartment available with plenty of privacy and space.

Please reach out if you would be interested in a training camp, perhaps for a week or two. If you are curious about the merits of Fort Collins, Colorado, for training, watch my video “Five Reasons Why Fort Collins Will Be the Next Running Mecca.”

If you would like to book a consultation with me, please sign up here.

Nuzzo delves into the concept of minimal-dose training with strategies to gain meaningful strength via cost-effective time investment. These include:

• full-body sessions performed once per week;

• routines structured around a single set per exercise spread across different days;

• strength “snacks” lasting only a few minutes;

• and occasional strength tests that enhance neuromuscular efficiency.

Nuzzo also advocates eccentric exercises. These provide a high stimulus in the same amount of time one might devote to isometric or conventional concentric exercises.

The central idea is that a low-volume but strategically designed approach can generate measurable progress, especially for individuals without a solid training background or a perceived lack of time.

These alternatives are not intended to replace advanced programs. Rather, they offer a realistic, sustainable, and scientifically supported entry point for developing strength without relying on long or complex sessions.

Receive a 10 percent discount on Green Pasture with the coupon code: FERG.

Recommended Links

• Follow James on X and Substack.

• Read his article: “Minimal Dose Resistance Exercise.”

In the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, a friend scoffed at a US athlete who had opted to pull out of her event and stay home. My friend’s remarks were typical, since prominent sportsmen are fodder for public consumption. Their athletic prowess and technical precision make them seem robotic, devoid of feelings and inert to criticism.

If you want a reality check and warts-and-all view of what goes on in the mind of such athletes, look no further than Lorraine Moller’s autobiography: On the Wings of Mercury (360 pages, 2007). A multi-Olympian and Boston Marathon winner, Moller has seen the highs and lows of elite running, and she shares in lucid fashion the corresponding joys and pains.1

This post's sponsor is Green Pasture, my favorite outlet for healthy fats, especially cod-liver and butter oil and bison tallow. Use the FERG coupon code at GreenPasture.org.

Moller and I both grew up in rural Waikato, a province of New Zealand, and I remember watching her bronze-medal performance in Barcelona. I was nine years old in 1992, and my teacher at Glen Massey Primary School presented her as a role model of determination. Moller was 37 and, in the eyes of almost everyone, over the hill when she managed her most famous performance.

What Mrs. Russell and I did not know from the video footage and commentary was Moller’s long and fraught path to Barcelona glory. Moller had endured countless bumps in the road, particularly lackluster performances, persistent injuries, and relationship struggles.

As my father used to say, you have to learn to lose before you can learn to win. He meant that a good loser does not let failures divert him from his long-term objectives; nor does he avoid difficult learning opportunities with a high likelihood of failure.

Perhaps out of stubbornness, Moller did not let personal struggles stop her, and she faced more than her fair share. In addition to severe medical difficulties as a child—which scarred her mind—she entered distance running at a time when it was not open to women.

Distance running was not even open to professionalism, but Moller was one of the pioneers who refused to be dissuaded. She and a handful of other prominent athletes ran for prize money and played chicken with gatekeeping officials. Eventually the dam burst as athletics associations could no longer confine athletes to amateur status.

The layman will struggle to appreciate the difficulty of elite training. Typically, its long-term burden leads to an unbalanced life, personal dramas, and performance slumps. The New Zealand public can be especially brutal with athletes who fail to meet expectations, and failing to fight until the end or at least finish is a recipe for widespread condemnation.

Such was the sting of disapproval that sometimes Moller opted to simply stay away from New Zealand, to hide away from the media. Living in Boulder, Colorado, not only provided altitude and trails for fruitful training, it was an oasis for her mental health.

Disapproval came not only from the media and their readers and viewers. Her family, partners, and sponsors were often just as critical. She recounts, for example, the humiliation of being dropped by Mizuno as her sponsor. She tried to negotiate and explained that she was as fast as ever, but the answer was a firm no. It was business, and Mizuno wanted younger, youthful athletes to captivate prospective customers.

There is an odd redemption in Moller’s account, but its complexity belies distillation. Above all, On the Wings of Mercury is a forthright and touching account of a life lived to the full, of how one lady trained herself, ultimately, to self-acceptance. Moller humanizes the stoic athlete and shows the resilience, work ethic, and mental toughness one needs to cut it at at the top.

Along the way the reader is treated to comical episodes from haphazard tours and chaperoned women’s teams, to tales of small-town New Zealand and our running royalty of the 1970s and 1980s. They included Anne Audain, Rod Dixon, Dick Quax, Allison Roe, and John Walker. This era, led by the coach Arthur Lydiard, was one of great pride for Kiwis. These runners, along with the earlier generation of Peter Snell and Murray Halberg, forged our national identity as tough, rugged, and honorable people from down under.

Moller has put it all out there, with plenty of too-much-information moments. When I got to meet her for the first time recently she shared that she was embarrassed at her own mother reading about her less noble actions. However, candor about her shortcomings and misdeeds helps the reader empathize and relate to an exceptional lady. That is the treasure in On the Wings of Mercury.

If you would like to book a consultation with me, please sign up here.

My motivation has returned to both train and build my endurance ventures here at Ferg Running. However, that means pursuing a more ambitious goal. My target now is 2:35 at the Chevron Houston Marathon in January 2026 (register here). We all seem to understand round numbers, and 2:30 would be a dream. However, I am concerned that 3:33 per kilometer (5:43 per mile) is a touch ambitious for me.

This post's sponsor is BOA USA, my go-to source for running apparel. Get a 10 percent discount when you use the FERG coupon code at BOAUSA.com. I especially love their Men's Solid Three-Inch Half Split Trainer Shorts (pictured), which are my favorite for training.

At present, my best is 2:45 on a regular course, which I ran at Grandma's Marathon last year, and 2:38 on a net-downhill course, which I ran at the Utah Valley Marathon in 2023. On a side note, the latter, which finishes in Provo, is one of the best courses around for Boston Marathon qualification. The organizers have tweaked the point-to-point course to narrowly avoid Boston's net-downhill indexing requirements, which kick in at 1,500 feet of net loss.

To gauge my capacity for improvement, I plan to run an all-out half marathon in Dublin, Ireland, in November. If I can crack 1:15 there, I will consider a target faster than 2:35.

However, I am getting ahead of myself and the purpose of this post. The target is Houston, which is just over 20 weeks away. I have been easing back into training for the past three weeks and ran 75 miles (120 kilometers) last week. Here, I want to get down my initial nuts and bolts for preparation and give readers a sense for how to construct their own plan. Why I chose Houston will remain a topic for another day.

So many elements go into such a plan, one hardly knows where to start. Let me note my chief references. My overarching mentor is Lorraine Moller. She is a four-time Olympian from my home province in New Zealand, and I am privileged to live near Boulder, her home, and count her as a friend. Her autobiography is On the Wings of Mercury, and I highly recommend it. A review will appear soon with the Ferg Running newsletter.

For endurance training, I have long held Arthur Lydiard's methods in high regard. You can learn more about these through the Lydiard Foundation or by reading his many books coauthored with the late Garth Gilmore. I read all I could find by these two back in the 1990s at my high-school library in New Zealand, and they changed my views forever. For a more modern explanation, you can pick up Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard by Keith Livingstone.

For nutrition and strength training, I follow the recommendations of Michael Colgan. In the mid-2000s, I got to meet and be certified by him as a power program coach at his home on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. However, the Colgan Institute appears to be no more. He is at least 86 years old now, so he has likely retired and retreated from public life. His two most prominent reference works are The New Power Program and Optimum Sports Nutrition, and I still turn to them as starting points. For more personalized advice on strength training for running, I go to Austin McCool and Niki Veldman. Likewise, for nutrition I go to dietitian Kiertson Murphy.

Since this post is already ballooning, I will break the plan down into parts via future posts. In short, I am following a basic 24-week plan from the Lydiard Foundation's training wizard. I make many adjustments to suit my own preferences, and I follow my own sense for how much recovery I need. I also consider workout ideas from Advanced Marathoning by Pete Fitzinger and Scott Douglas.

We all have our own time availability and level of motivation, but my workload stems from my rowing days at Lake Karapiro in the 2000s. Within that community, doubling was the minimum and just expected. The athletes there targeted 200 kilometers (124 miles) per week from about 12 sessions on the water or the erg (rowing machine). The most committed among them would add in a couple of strength sessions per week, along with perhaps a yoga class and some cross-training such as running or cycling.

Rowing has an oddly similar speed as running, although rowing places less impact on your joints. I am targeting the training load upheld by elite rowers and will follow a weekly checklist, to be outlined in a forthcoming post. Fitting this all in will not be a piece of cake, but it will be necessary to achieve a meaningful improvement over previous years’ performances.

Fergus Hodgson, CAIA, is a Lydiard Foundation Level II endurance coach. He is available for personal consultations: register here. Follow him on Instagram, Strava, YouTube, and X.

The glaring dominance of Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes in distance running has spawned a search for explanations and ways to compete. A Scottish gentleman, and handy runner in his own right, went to train in Ethiopia for a year in the mid-2010s and came back with more than a story to tell.

Fortunately, Michael Crawley is a captivating writer who inserts the reader into Ethiopia’s colorful running world, including many hyena stories! Unfortunately, he conveys primarily mysticism and does not subject the assertions in the book to scientific rigor or rational scrutiny.

Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia (272 pages, January 2022) offers countless anecdotes and perspectives from Ethiopian runners, coaches, and officials—including celebrities, past and present. However, there is no disentangling of the features, many of them fanciful and confusing, that might have nothing to do with Ethiopian prowess.

On the contrary, Crawley eschews Western attempts to quantify and isolate East African running traits as demeaning. Rather, for his University of Edinburgh doctoral thesis in anthropology, Crawley simply describes Ethiopia the way it is firsthand and in a poetic, reverent fashion. The reader can make up his own mind regarding which Ethiopian habits pay dividends and which do not (or worse, do harm).

This post’s sponsor is Green Pasture, my favorite outlet for healthy fats, especially cod-liver and butter oil and bison tallow. Use the FERG coupon code at GreenPasture.org.

A surprising omission is performance-enhancing drugs, which presumably he did not witness during his stay in Ethiopia. Whether that is the case or not, substances such as EPO are an elephant in the room. This problem is not exclusive to one coach or team and was documented in the 2015 film Doping: Top Secret by German journalist Hajo Seppelt. Likewise, the BBC film Catch Me if You Can, also released in 2015, demonstrates EPO’s effectiveness and widespread use.

In fact, during his stay Crawley came across Zane Robertson. He moved with his twin brother from New Zealand when he was 17 to base his training in Kenya and learn from the locals. Robertson’s contention in the book is that East African runners succeed in spite of, not because of, many of their habits and environmental factors. In 2022, after the book’s release, Robertson received an eight-year ban from the New Zealand sports tribunal for EPO doping.

Out of Thin Air does not address whether the Ethiopians succeed on account of genetics, illegal boosters, or training from a young age. However, as the title suggests, it does discuss at length the altitude training that forms an integral part of the locals’ regimen. Altitude appears to be an ingredient crucial to Ethiopian success, not that this is a secret to anyone.

Although there is not a detailed presentation of periodized training plans, other recurring themes merit examination. For example, the Ethiopian athletes always train in groups and frown upon anyone who would dare to do otherwise. In addition, they pursue different landscapes and surfaces for agility and strength.

With phenomenal role models, such as Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopians see professional running as a realistic, accessible endeavor. Those involved do whatever they can to pursue international prize money and membership in sponsored clubs. Recreation and health are hardly at the top of their minds. Since one needs money to train, and money from running only comes after training, there is a chicken-or-egg problem. That means the professional runners often come from relatively wealthy families who can afford to support their kin at the outset.

Crawley’s “magic” in Out of Thin Air comes not from the training ideas. Rather, it comes from being more than a fly on the wall in a fascinating subculture—one that could not be replicated in North America. (The eight-hour audio version adds even more flavor to the account.) The reader will never look upon Ethiopian runners as he did before; he now has a sense and appreciation for the world from which they have emerged. That world was all I could think of, for example, when I saw them take, in chaotic fashion, the first three places in the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.

For many years, I have observed an icky side of elite sports: doping. The story of Zane Robertson, caught taking EPO (erythropoietin), has been especially saddening. He is a fierce competitor and has been perhaps New Zealand's greatest male marathoner.

That has led me to wonder, how can someone boost his performance naturally and rival dopers?

Perhaps in another post I will address blood quality and EPO. However, for two reasons, testosterone is particularly relevant: (1) it is closely tied to athletic performance, and (2) it has been declining in males in recent decades. Beyond heightening male characteristics, superior performance from testosterone rests on greater muscle growth, red-blood-cell production, and aggression.

Even if you are not concerned about sports performance, consider these symptoms of low testosterone, as reported by Medical News Today: reduced sexual desire (especially in females), erectile dysfunction, smaller testes, lower fertility, reduced bone mass, decreased energy and motivation, depression, reduced memory and concentration, increased fat, and disrupted sleep.

To make matters worse, economist Peter St Onge notes that low-testosterone men vote for socialism. A Claremont Graduate University researcher has even shown that testosterone shots shift Democrat men red and improve their mood. Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger was right when he labeled Democrat males as “girly men.”

Here are four tips to boost your performance and avoid that fate.

1. Eliminate most alcohol.

A small amount of alcohol, perhaps one or two servings per week, appears to be relatively benign (although even that is up for debate) and probably good for your social life. For simplicity and to protect my brain health, I stopped drinking entirely when I turned 35. For myriad reasons, backed by ample evidence, heavy drinkers have lower testosterone, both in the short and long run.

These days, you can get excellent nonalcoholic beers from the likes of Athletic Brewing. I enjoy Virgil's zero-sugar root beer and cream sodas or Reed’s extra-strength ginger beer. Another healthy and widely available alternative is naturally delicious coconut water.

2. Lift weights.

While I recommend at least two devoted sessions per week, anything is better than nothing. Beyond conventional weights, high-intensity interval training and group circuit training are useful. These also make sense for when you need a break from heavy lifting, which should not be done consistently all year round.

Minimal-dose bodyweight exercises, as promoted by sports scientist James Nuzzo, also have a positive effect and can be particularly useful when on the road. He estimates that “about 80 percent of people do not meet the recommended guidelines for participation in muscle-strengthening activities.… a substantial proportion, about 58 percent, do not participate in any muscle-strengthening activities.”

If you do not know where to start, my weight-training bible is The New Power Program (2001) by Michael Colgan. I got to meet him up on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, about 20 years ago at one of his training camps, and he was a man ahead of his time. You can also hire Niki Veldman of the Raintree Athletic Club in Fort Collins, Colorado. Whether you are local or not, she is available as a personal trainer and focuses specifically on weights for endurance athletes.

3. Distill your water.

One of the chief reasons for declining testosterone levels appears to be endocrine disruptors in food, packaging, and water, as detailed in Nobody Wants You Healthy (2022) by Mark Richards. Contaminants in water supplies are endless. Most large US cities and even supposedly enlightened towns, like the one I live in, pollute water by deliberately adding toxins such as hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium fluorosilicate. Evidence continues to mount, even from governmental sources, that fluoridation lowers testosterone and intelligence. Keep that garbage out of your body.

Ideally, distill your drinking water and store it in glass or stainless-steel containers, for the purest water possible and no leaking bisphenol A (BPA) from plastics. BPA is another endocrine disruptor.

I first read about the merits of distillation in Optimum Sports Nutrition (1993) by Michael Colgan and bought my own Mini Classic CT Distiller in 2021. I have not looked back and now partner with Pure Water, which manufactures the distillers in Nebraska, so you can get a 5 percent discount with the FERG coupon code. If you prefer a cheaper made-in-China option, I recommend the Megahome Countertop.

4. Take superfood supplements.

Unfortunately, the modern diet tends to include a ton of processed and sugar-laden food that has lost much of its goodness. I will write more on broader nutritional ideas in forthcoming posts. However, disciplined supplementation that addresses declining testosterone, especially among adult men, makes sense.

Here are a few of the most well-established supplements for increasing testosterone, although admittedly the experimental research tends to come from animal trials (or trials with just men). The following do not come with any guarantees from me, and I do not pretend to be your physician. I have linked to what I deem to be reputable brands, and please buy through these links to support this publication.

• ashwagandha;

• cod liver oil;

• deer velvet;

• fenugreek;

• ginger root;

• tongkat ali.

If you want to start with just one or two of these, I would go with fenugreek and/or ginger root, since they are the most affordable.

The deer velvet, supplied by Mountain Red, comes all the way from the South Island of my native New Zealand. Use the FERG coupon code for 5 percent off and free shipping when you buy a six-pack.

Please be careful when choosing cod liver oil. Although it offers many benefits beyond testosterone, some fisheries are polluted, and the contaminants show up in the oil. Nordic Naturals harvests its oil from the Arctic, which one hopes is cleaner, and the company emphasizes purification and testing. Garden of Life also has a great-tasting one from Iceland.

Also, the processing matters. Fermented cod liver oil from Alaska, offered by Green Pasture, seeks to retain the goodness, but the taste is too much for most people. That is why I linked above to the capsules. For more bang for the buck, go with the value-size bottles. The FERG coupon codes applies to Green Pasture products as well.

If you are especially concerned about your testosterone level or just want to know where you stand and monitor changes, you can test this easily at the likes of Any Lab Test Now or AthleteBloodTest.com. There are also convenient at-home tests available on Amazon.com, including an affordable one by Everywell.

Please share your own ideas and experiences below. Have specific protocols worked for you? Did simply more rest help? That is another one that should go without saying.

Fergus Hodgson is a Lydiard Foundation Level II endurance coach and former New Zealand under-20 rower and collegiate scholarship athlete. Follow him on X, YouTube, and Substack.

For the past two years, I have raced chiefly with the Asics Metaspeed Sky(+)—which I first ordered directly from Japan via eBay (they were the latest thing in September 2022). However, the quality of super-shoes on the market has continued to rise, and I opted to reconsider after plenty of racing in two pairs of the Sky.

My focus this year has been on cracking 2:39 for the marathon. Much toing and froing has led me to two candidate shoes: the Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris and the Nike Vaporfly 3. Although the Edge is supposed to be for cadence/shuffle runners—not stride runners like me—I opted to give it a try and get a feel for its quickness through the toes. Both the Edge and Vaporfly have highly curved carbon plates that emphasize quickness rather than leverage for stride length.

The target race is tomorrow, as I write this: the Long View Marathon from Fort Collins to Loveland—essentially my home course (discount code: FERGRUNNING).

While my approach to deciding was complicated, the outcome proved more difficult than anticipated. To cut to the conclusion, I will run in the Edge, but with a major caveat, of which you should be aware.

Keep in mind, both are top-of-the-line shoes. Given their precision, plenty comes down to personal feel. Both have proved their capacity to bring victories and have major marathoners running in them.

This article's sponsor is the Lydiard Foundation. Led by four-time Olympian Lorraine Moller, this foundation offers coach education and certification in the tradition of the late Arthur Lydiard (1917–2004). He was the coach who popularized periodized training and achieved world-dominating success with the New Zealand national team. His legacy lives on, and I am proud to have completed level two of the three-part program. Use the FERG coupon code for a discount on the courses at LydiardFoundation.Podia.Com.

Test Runs

For both shoes, I ran my regular home 10-mile loop around Fort Collins, and I injected four one-kilometer intervals at a bit quicker than race pace (around six-minute miles or 3:40 kilometers).

Both such runs were in the evening, and both had similar conditions. However, I did run in the Edge first and then the Vaporfly four days later. See brief clips below: the Edge in yellow and then the Vaporfly in white.

The conclusion: the Edge was snappier. It felt sharper and lighter. I will list out the advantages of each in the conclusion, but the difference was clear to me. In fact, the turnover in the Edge was so quick, I almost felt off balance, with my legs getting ahead of my body. My sense is the Edge is modeled after the Vaporfly with a few neat improvements. Nike achieved a first-mover advantage with carbon-plated shoes, but other brands have caught up quickly.

Keep in mind, I have previously been racing in the Sky (left). Further, I have trained tempos in the Asics Magic Speed (right) and the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 (middle). Although not normally a Puma man, I was back in New Zealand when there was a 50 percent-off sale. I picked up a pair and liked them, so I continue to use them for tempos and shorter races. They are another solid option for the marathon, and I paced the three-hour group in them at the Calgary Marathon in Alberta.

The Weigh-In

This is where the story gets interesting. Before the Vaporfly run, I remembered to weigh both pairs of size-11 shoes. The Vaporflys came in at 217/216 grams (left/right), and the Edges came in at 203/194. I repeated this a bunch of times and, even after a cleaning, the weights did not change; nor did they change after the run in the Vaporfly.

In other words, the left Edge was 4.6 percent heavier than the right. This did not seem kosher to me, and I reached out to Asics. After they wasted my time and had me deal with a call center in a faraway land, they forwarded my case to a warranty unit. After a weekend and three and a half business days, I received an email that they would provide me with a voucher of equal value to buy a new pair on the Asics website. That could have been a different pair—the Metaspeed Sky Paris was tempting—but I was determined to try out the Edge in a race, so I bought a second pair.

The reply was just in time for me to receive my new shoes before the race, but you can guess where this is going. I weighed the new pair right away, and they came in at 200/206—a similar but smaller disparity. The good news is that I can use the lighter of each pair, so 200/194.

This smacks me as odd, especially since the Vaporfly came in with just one gram of separation. Further, I have always respected Asics as made by a Japanese firm with extreme devotion to quality. My first pair of serious running shoes, back when I was 12 or 13 in New Zealand, were the Asics Gel 123. I loved those babies, and that led me to favor Asics in the years to come, although I have shifted away from them over the last decade for regular training shoes.

Head to Head

While the Edge is my preferred choice, but are both sophisticated shoes, so we are to some degree nitpicking. The Edge appears—now made in Vietnam—to have some manufacturing imprecision. If you buy them, weigh them right away so you can decide whether you want to return them. After you have run in them, this is difficult.

Vaporfly advantages: sturdier build and more durability, better aesthetics, more on-top ventilation, a slightly more stable, comfortable feel, especially around the ankles.

Edge advantages: 7.3 percent lighter (on average), a wider/roomier toe box, a quicker turnover, a slightly more energetic feel.

Both had a great lockdown over the forefoot, but you need to tie your laces tightly (with heel-lock lacing). Both shoes show a bit of looseness as you get further into your run. Especially for the Vaporfly, I would go larger if you are debating between two half sizes. The Edge feels more true to size.

If you would like to add your own perspective or challenge mine politely, please leave a comment here or on YouTube. Please also subscribe for more endurance updates, be that on Substack or YouTube, and connect with me on Strava.

Recently, I spoke with an aspiring elite distance athlete about her post-college prospects and the best places for setting up shop. For distance running, the most established locations are Boulder, Colorado, and Flagstaff, Arizona. For track athletes, Eugene, Oregon, would have a similar draw, at least for those focused on shorter distances.

My pitch was that Fort Collins, an hour up the road from Boulder and nestled along the Rocky Mountain foothills, will be the next peer—a fellow Mecca, if that term allows for plurals. The other candidates that come to mind are Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Park City, Utah.

Yes, I am biased: I live in Fort Collins and would love for the running community to continue to grow and become even more competitive. That would generate a rising tide for everyone involved. That being said, here are five reasons why Fort Collins is a stellar base for elite running.

This article's sponsor is Mountain Red deer velvet. When I looked for deer velvet to assist with my training, I found the best option to be Mountain Red, harvested in my native New Zealand. Get this long-prized supplement for virility directly from the source. Go to mountainred.com and use the FERG coupon code for 5 percent off and free shipping when you buy a six-pack.

1. Unrivaled training routes.

I have lived in too many places in my life, and I have never seen one that even comes close to having routes akin to those on offer in and around Fort Collins: mountain trails, flat or hilly asphalt, paths through town, and gravel roads on the edge of town. The city has many miles of well-maintained paths through and forking out of town, as does nearby Loveland. These paths tend to go under bridges and roads, allowing you to avoid most traffic, and that includes a 20-mile loop.

Many of these amazing routes and trails have captivating views to boot and see little use. On a recent Saturday morning, for example, my buddy and I ran the Double Bacon—20-miles of dirt-road rolling hills on the northeast side of town. We saw barely another person on this classic loop that looks upon the gorgeous Rockies.

2. Optimal elevation.

There can be too much of a good thing, and that includes altitude. Fort Collins's 5,000 feet is ideal, since it is not so high that it impedes speed training, but it is also high enough to get the benefits of thinner air.

Further, if you want higher altitude for targeted sessions, there are many routes of more than 8,000 feet within an hour or two's drive. These include the Medicine Bow Trail, Pilot Hill, the Summit Trailhead, Red Feather Lakes, and Pingree Park.

Candidly, although usually clean, the Fort Collins air is not perfect. When there are forest fires, some of the smoke hangs over town. Further, on occasion some pollution from Denver drifts north.

3. A brimming race calendar.

Even as someone heavily involved in the Fort Collins running scene, I cannot keep track of the races around town, and I continue to become aware of more all the time. Especially during the spring and autumn, there are multiple races each weekend. Given strong competition between race organizers, the events tend to be extremely professional.

Events in the greater Fort Collins area include traditional road and cross-country races, trail races, track meets, and marathons and ultramarathons, along with niche races for those with a taste for the extreme. Many include prize money and attract elite international competitors and national representatives, aided by proximity to Boulder.

The Fort Collins Running Club is extremely active with more than 1,000 members. The club hosts a members-only "Tortoise & Hare" series at no charge to members. Similarly, nearby Loveland has the Sweetheart City Racing group, which has at least two gatherings weekly. Windsor, just across the I-25 highway, also has a budding running community.

Those wishing to enter Sweetheart City Racing events can do so with the FERGRUNNING discount code. My favorite of theirs is the Long View Marathon, which takes place each October and includes half-marathon and five-kilometer races. It runs between Fort Collins and Loveland, and this year will be my fourth year in a row participating. I have also repeated the Valley 5000, which takes place each August. I know and respect these organizers, and I encourage others to participate in Sweetheart City events, which span Northern Colorado.

4. Proof of concept.

The proof is in the pudding. Fort Collins has already produced and hosted elite distance runners. At the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials, one man (Tyler McCandless) and one woman (Sophie Seward) were both Fort Collins-based athletes, and there were many other athletes in the area who came close, including Shelley McDonald of Loveland. In 2023, she set the master's course record at the Monumental Half Marathon in Indianapolis. Fort Collins also has a semiprofessional ultramarathoner—Adrian Macdonald—who gets invited to the world's premier events.

In addition, there is a rising women's team—Front Range Elite—attracting solid talent and winning nigh all team events they enter. Their most prominent athlete of late is Rachael Rudel, and she has had a string of recent victories, including over Boulder elites at the Pearl Street Mile.

The openness of the running community in Fort Collins means someone could swiftly be welcomed and join the fray. There are countless regular group runs each week to fit different tastes and needs. The most popular is probably Tuesday Night Track, followed by the trail runs and the Horsetooth Half Marathon training group.

A new elite men's team for Northern Colorado is in the works. If this interests you, please reach out to me directly, so I can keep you posted.

5. Attractive living.

The secret is out: Fort Collins consistently ranks among the best places to live in the United States, and the population is rising in Northern Colorado—about an hour north of the Denver International Airport. I first visited friends here in 2011 and was enamored with the outdoors and the crunchy, health-oriented population.

A cursory search brings up Livability.com, which notes the "active" population, "beautiful surroundings," and "commitment to the environment." US News & World Report ranks Fort Collins as one of the best places to retire in the United States, noting "access to nearby Rocky Mountain National Park and other pristine public spaces."

Niche.com gives Fort Collins an A overall and highlights short commutes, health and fitness, nightlife, and outdoor activities. The cost of living is somewhat high, and that is Niche.com's lowest grade for the city's specific characteristics, but Fort Collins is a bargain relative to Boulder.

There is a lot one could add, but the population of about 200,000 is appealing to many people: large enough to have what you need, such as employment options (buffered by Colorado State University), but small enough for an outdoor lifestyle. Since I grew up in a remote area, I favor a lower population and do not want more growth, but other people perceive Fort Collins to be a small town.

If you would like to add your own reasons or challenge mine politely, please leave a comment here or on YouTube. Please also subscribe for more endurance updates, be that on Substack or YouTube, and connect with me on Strava.