About
My sordid past includes being the editor of Running Times and co-authoring four books on running. These days, my official title is senior editor for Running Times. Among less aerobic enterprises, I’ve been published on running in the Washington Post, Slate, Men’s Fitness and Continental Airlines’ in-flight magazine, to name a few.
Although my specialty is–wait for it!–running, please don’t typecast me. I’ve had full-time editorial positions with the National Recreation and Park Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging and the American Association of Blood Banks, and I’ve done substantive freelance editing for the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. I’ve also been paid to proofread tax returns, manage a restaurant, wash dishes, paint fences, perform soil tests, work at a Boy Scout camp and do something or other at a paper-cup factory. So there.
I live in South Portland, Maine, with my wife, photographer Stacey Cramp, and our dog and two cats. We moved here from the Washington, D.C. area at the end of 2003. I grew up in Reisterstown, Maryland, where I graduated from Franklin High School in 1982. I got my B.A. in religion from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and my M.A. in church history and theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1988, I spent a whole eight weeks in a Ph.D. program at George Washington University before deciding I didn’t want to be in school for another six years and in debt for another sixty. I don’t go to church.
I’m fortunate to be able to apply my writing and editing skills to topics I care about. I started running in 1979, and estimate that my odometer passed the 90,000-mile mark at some point in 2008. I was pretty good there for a little while—30:48 for 10K, 51:01 for 10 miles, 1:08:40 for a half marathon—but have always run primarily because I like it and to keep from going on shooting sprees. I’ve never run a good marathon, owing to too much vertical motion in my stride, a ridiculously high sweat rate and general wimpiness.
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Hey Scott. Like the new web page. Do you still have the link to ‘when we were kings’?
Regards
Andy
Hmm, given that I can’t remember what that file was about, I’m not sure where it might be. Please refresh my memory.
It was about your best year of training/racing.
Scott:
I miss your more acerbic wit during your stint with M & B. Use your advanced marathoning schedule for last three marathons. The first rendered a PR with only 14 weeks, then went to 18 week schedules up to 70+ with poor results. I was tired and disinterested at the starting line; I’m also 61 and have been running competitively for just 10 yrs. I now think your schedule is too much for me at my age. I also think I’m a quick swing peaker (Noakes) who peaks high but short. I also confess to racing (that’s 6:50-7:10 for me) in the middle of the 70+ during training because I thought I was adapting to a higher level. Well, call me a fool. I never really recovered before taking the starting line a Boston where I performed miserably ‘09. Does this sound like a plausible explanation?
That sounds plausible. I know that some coaches advocate shorter cycles for older runners, starting each cycle from a decent base level of fitness. If you search the Letsrun message board for stuff from John Kellogg on masters training, you should be able to find some interesting descriptions about why changing hormone levels merit rethinking traditional cycles.
Scott, I own one of your books on training and was very impressed. This will be my first year coaching young athletes and I plan to implement some of your teachings.
Breathtaking shot of you in the wild in this month’s issue of RW! Stacey’s talent seems huge, and so do your running legs.
Nice website, Scott! I wish I had realized years ago how accomplished you have become. I would love to pick your brain to help me recover what’s left of my running prowess. It seems I should start by perusing your impressive body of (written) work. I’m so glad for you that you have been able to live the kind of life you want, doing what you love. I’m also really glad you still have the sharp wit we all - well, some of us - enjoyed back at Franklin and before!