Cool Running

As the weather turns colder and I take my running inside, I recognize the subtle change in my training. Outside, I expend energy pushing against air resistance; inside, I face the relentless climb up a treadmill’s incline. But regardless of whether a run is more challenging on pavement or a belt, there’s no question about…

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Jitters

Since no one has risen in defense of the sport of swimming, I guess I’ll just do it myself: Dear Muscleman, Though you claim to have spent years as a competitive swimmer, you seem to have missed the most rewarding aspect of the sport – the competition against yourself. As you know, the most important…

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Washed Away

Every morning, my gym rubs my nose in it. On my way to the locker room, the gym’s layout forces me to walk past the swimming pool – a reminder not only of wasted gym fees, but also of my deeper philosophical objections to the whole activity. Let me be blunt: Stripping down to your…

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Tough Read

I’m always worried by the guys who bring bodybuilding “how-to” books onto the gym floor. My first reaction is similar to when I spot a car with a Student Driver sign: I slowly back away and give him a wide berth. Recently, I’ve been thinking about that scene from Spies Like Us, when Chevy Chase…