Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Hal Higdon- A Running Legend


The first time I met Hal Higdon, I was a graduate student at Ball State University. Higdon was part of an ongoing study on aging and it's effects on human performance. Since the late 60s', Dr. David Costill had been collecting data on a small group of runners, and Higdon was back for a check-up.

Higdon, who finished 5th in the 1964 Boston Marathon and made 8 Olympic Trials appearances, was an amazing specimen. Back in those days we used a 3 lead electrocardiogram to monitor the heart's response during treadmill tests, and when we hooked him up, I was shocked to see his resting heart rate in the low to mid 30s (he says he's been as low as 30 beats per minute).

Years later I met Higdon again, this time in Australia at the World Masters Athletics Championships. He was in the middle of a quest- running 7 marathons in 7 months in the year of his 70th birthday.

Today Higdon is one of the most recognized authors of running books on the planet. He's written 35 books and countless articles and columns on running. His most recent work is a novel appropriately called Marathon.

If you are looking for a training plan to prepare for your next race, you need go no further than halhigdon.com. From beginner to ultra-marathoner, Higdon has a plan.

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