Ring in The New Year with a 3 Day Run!

While most settled for watching Dick Clark and waiting for the ball to drop, a Scotsman named William Sichel was taking the ultra-marathon scene by storm. He ran in the new year by winning one of the toughest races on earth, the Across the Years 72-hour event held in Phoenix.

For three days he ran, sleeping little and logging more miles than most Americans would in a year, and more than most well trained marathoners would in a month. During the 72-hour event he saw temperatures ranging from near freezing at night to over 100 degrees during the day. All told he ran 269.36 miles through the Arizona desert. He ran almost continually and finished 34 miles more than the second finisher.

Hard to imagine beating someone by more than a full marathon distance.

Although tis sort of event might be enough any mortal, for him it is a warmup. He will follow-up with a 6-day race aiming to cover 567 miles during the Athens International Ultra Marathon Festival starting on 3 April. The 55 year-old runner will be running on an outdoor cinder circuit used during the 2004 Olympic Games.

With all that pounding, he’ll need more than a soft track and a truck load of Gu. We wish him luck!


Dr. Christopher Segler is Marathon Runner, Ironman, as well as an award-winning podiatrist, and sports medicine foot surgeon practicing at the Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls. For more information about heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails and ankle pain, and other common causes of foot pain, you can order a FREE copy of his book, My Fit Feet, by visiting http://www.MyRunningDoc.com or http://www.AnkleCenter.com.

Marthon Champion Dies at Age 41

On Monday it was announced that Australia's double Commonwealth Games marathon gold medallist Kerryn McCann has died from cancer at age 41. She has long been regarded as one of Australia's best female long-distance runners. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Apparently the cancer spread to her liver four months ago.

It is reported that she died in peace at her home south of Sydney with her husband and three children by her side. "On behalf of the entire athletics community, I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to the McCann family," Athletics Australia President Rob Fildes said in a statement. "Kerryn will fondly be remembered for being an extremely popular team member who represented her country on 14 occasions, across an athletics career that spanned 22 years."

In 1996 at Atlanta and 2000 at the Sydney Olympics McCann competed in the marathon but saved her best performances for the Commonwealth Games.

She won the gold medal in Manchester in 2002 and later defended her title in Melbourne Australia four years later with an incredible last-lap effort against Kenyan Hellen Cherono. At that time she was 38.

She will be missed by the running community throughout the world.


Dr. Christopher Segler is an award winning foot surgeon and Ironman Finisher who treats elite athletes. His podiatry sports medicine practice is Doc On The Run: San Francisco Podiatry Sports Medicine House Calls. To learn more about increasing your speed and avoiding running injuries like tendonitis, shin splints and stress fractures, you can register for a FREE membership and copy of his monthly newsletter “Finisher’s Circle” by visiting http://www.AnkleCenter.com .

No Show for Ironman Florida

As I write this, I should be covered in salt, draped in mylar and wearing a finisher medal for Ironman Florida. I should be eating pizza and watching other's dreams realized, crossing the line, a year of effort paid off. 

Instead, I blog. 

Due to a remarkable culmination of commitments (both business and family) I decided at the last minute to skip the event. As soon as I had decided to do that, my wife pointed out that "MyRunningDoc" would not have approved of anyone showing up for that race given the preponderance of stress and massive shortage of expendable energy available. So I find some small consolation in the knowledge that I made a difficult but healthy decision; one which I would have supported any patient in making.  I am already registered for Ironman Louisville 2009, and if the stars align just right, I just might find a spot for Ironman Florida 2009 as well. 

For all of you who did participate today...I hope it was all you dreamed of!  See you next year.

What is MyRunningDoc.com

MyRunningDoc.com is a new website created only for runners and triathletes in order to provide you with all the resources you need to Stay Fit, Go Long, Run Fast, and Be Strong.  Our focus is injury prevention. With that in mind this site has been created for you...the educated active athlete. Created by award-winning podiatrist, foot & ankle surgeon and multiple Ironman finisher, Dr. Christopher Segler