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little more substance in some of my responses. I did not want to abuse Carmichael’s tactic, after all. But I was also genuinely interested in hearing others’ answers to some of these questions. While I may have run a few more miles than most, I still have a lot of learning left to do. I’ve gained plenty of valuable new tips from my peers, whether they’re more or less experienced than me. One of the things I love about running is how open most runners are to sharing ideas with one another. Another thing I love is that you never stop learning, as long as you keep an open mind and maintain a willingness to experiment.
    “Don’t you ever get injured?” a female runner asked me as we climbed a small hill in the latter miles of the marathon.
    “Not yet,” I said, rapping my knuckles on my skull. “Knock on wood.”
    Short Answers to the Three Questions I Hear Most Often
    Q.
How do you train?
    A. I train by feel. I run as far and as fast as my body tells me to each day, though I do try to do at least two very long runs per week. Those base-building long runs are critically important to me.
    Q.
. What do you eat?
    A. I try to base my diet in natural, whole foods that existed hundreds of years ago (vegetables, meat, dairy) and avoid modern processed foods (fast food, packaged products, soft drinks).
    Q.
How do you keep from getting injured?
    A. I do a lot of cross-training with other sports, including mountain biking and windsurfing, to strengthen all my muscle sets.
    “That’s incredible,” she said. “How do you do it?”
    “They say one of the best things you can do as a long-distance runner is to choose your parents well,” I said, meaning I was lucky to have inherited favorable biomechanics for running. “It’s nothing I’ve trained for,” I admitted. “I’m one hundred percent Greek, and my dad insists we’re from the same village as Phidippides. I always tell him, ‘Dad, we’re from Southern California; what
village
are you talking about?’” Joking aside, there’s more and more research showing that common injuries are linked to stride irregularities. But it’s not much easier to improve one’s running biomechanics than it is to choose one’s parents, so I let my questioner in on my third secret, and perhaps the only one that’s useful to other runners.
    “I’ve also done a lot of cross-training,” I said. The truth of the matter is that I mountain bike, windsurf, climb, surf, and snowboard primarily for fun, not to prevent injuries. But I am certain these activities have increased my injury resistance by strengthening muscles that oppose the primary running muscles, thus enhancing the stability of my joints.
    “What do you eat?” asked the next runner to pull alongside me, a mountain of a man who looked like he ought to be wearing pads and running on artificial grass. I hear this question often. Some people are very food-focused and seem to believe it is the cause of everything, for better or worse.
    “Do you mean in general or when I’m running?” I asked.
    “I don’t know.” He thought for a moment. “What did you eat for breakfast today?”
    “I had a bowl of Greek-style yogurt [there is no added sugar in Greek-style yogurt] and granola with banana slices,” I said. “I find it easy to digest, and it provides carbohydrates for fuel, protein for muscle integrity and recovery, and fat for satiety. I also had an apple on the drive over to the start for a little extra fuel.”
    “I’ll have to try that,” he said.
    “Well, it works for me,” I said. “But there’s no guarantee it will work for you.”
    QUICK TAKE: Peel appeal. The peel of many fruits may be the most valuable part. That’s because the peel contains triterpenoids, a powerful type of antioxidant. So use the whole fruit if you want maximum health benefits.
    If I could offer only one piece of advice to runners, it would be this: “Listen to everyone, follow no one.” That’s because each runner is