4 Feet Running - Ep. 50

Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan do the audio part of their Santa Dash 5K in snowy Fall River, if the fates allow

- Dan uses various excuses as to why he doesn't run more -- but till then he'll have to muddle through somehow

- Nik's streak of bad luck continues briefly, and is determined not to have a cup of cheer

- Dan can't seem to nestle all snug in his bed when it's nestling time, and visions of sugarplums keep him awake

- They talk about Christmas lights and decking the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, &c.

- Nik wants to deck her bike with a new tire and winter trainer, fa la la la la, &c.

- Figgy pudding is not mentioned anywhere in the show, but I thought I'd mention it here anyway

- They read a whole Santa sleighful of feedback and get several voice messages from nice people

- The annoying hiss you hear during the feedback portion of the show is the sound of the living room radiators at full blast -- sorry for the noise

(12.17.08)

4 Feet Running - Video 2

Celebrate the first snow of the season with a 4 Feet Running Santa run on video! This week:

- Nik and Dan don they now their gay apparel and go for a 5K in the snow

- They talk a little about Christmas decorations (but they barely see any)

- There's more Garmin vs. Nike Plus discrepancies

- Audio podcast next week!

(12.7.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 49

Which do you want first, the bad news or the good news? 4 Feet Running has both this week:

- Nik and Dan go for a 4.5-miler through their neighborhood

- They have the best running geek week ever, with Runner+ back, a newish Garmin, and challenges on Buckeye Outdoors

- They have a terrible geek week also, as Nik's MacBook Pro lapses into a coma

- Nik and Dan check out treadmills and do really, really long intervals through stores across southern New England

- Reading treadmill reviews is very confusing, but they make the best of it

- Nik and Dan have some goals in mind they'll work toward with or without a hamster wheel

- They get feedback from some very nice people

(11.26.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 48

Santa Claus is stuck in a glass cage with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik, Dan, and listener John run the Edaville Rail Run 5-miler trail run in Carver, Mass.

- Coming along for the ride are John's neighbor Jack, his daughter Amy, and Dan's work friend Jon -- so that's 3 Johns for the price of 1 right there

- Edaville Railroad has a whole Christmas display going, complete with creepy Santa dioramas and transgendered elves

- Nik's Garmin Forerunner 405 goes bye-bye

- They also meet an older lady who's all banged up but who still runs the 5-miler

- Dan starves his way across 5 hard miles, Nik's glucose levels plummet, but everyone else doing the race has a phenomenal time

- Listeners share their Garmin woes

- More Stanley the pointer dog hogging all the attention at the end

- They get email and phone calls from very nice people

(11.17.08)

4 Feet Running - Video 1

Wow! It's 4 Feet Running's first ever video podcast! Nik and Dan check in very quickly between audio episodes with a little rough home-made video:

- Nik has a little bad news about her Garmin 405

- They talk about their race plans for the next audio episode

- Special Guest Star: Stanley as Stanley the pointer dog

- Go to www.runcast.tv for more information

(11.7.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 47

Think global, run local with 4 Feet Running! This episode:

- Nik and Dan go for the Zen Run 10K in Lakeville, Mass.

- They talk about their World Wide Festival of Races runs, and why they prefer to call it the WWF

- Fall's their favorite season, so they take advantage of it by being out among the various topiaries, lakes, cranberry bogs, and other features of nature

- Then nature calls

- Nature won't stop calling, so they take advantage of nature by having a pit stop in the woods

- Nik discusses what it's like to go wheat-free, Dan wants manly-sounding shoes, and Myrna can't stop wheezing

- They talk about their first-ever experiences with running

- Nik and Dan get some great feedback from very nice people, and actually give some feedback to other very nice people

(10.27.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 46

4 Feet Running has a wicked good time at the Salem Wicked Half-Marathon! This jam-packed week:

- Nik and Dan get lost in a thick, dark fog in America's spookiest city

- Nik prepares to run the Wicked Half, her longest distance in a while thanks to some gastrointestinal & dietary issues

- Speaking of which, she finally gets an answer as to what's wrong with her (sort of)

- Dan realizes he's too neurotic to do Chi Running

- They get recognized by a very nice listener

- Dan hears a very angry half-marathoner refuse any sort of encouragement whatsoever in the strongest possible language

- Nik has a great time at the race but misses her favorite socks

- They also discuss some other interesting clothing choices in their childhood

- They get some fantastic feedback

(10.4.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 45

This is take three of 4 Feet Running! No wait--take four. This week is jam-packed:

- Nik and Dan explain their unexplained absence on a 4-mile run through their neighborhood: crappy luck

- They decide to take the show biweekly for now due to life stuff

- Nik continues her rivalry on the Million Feet Running Challenge with Nigel from Running from the Reaper

- They review Chi Running by Danny Dreyer and Pose Method of Running by Nicholas Romanov

- Nik explains how she's been running twice a day

- Dan's got a slight case of dehydration and sleep deprivation, which is not unique to him in his office

- They explain all this Bad Boys of Running vs. Bad Girls of Running business

- They get feedback from some very nice people

(9.18.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 44

We're smokin' stew in a tent down by the river with 4 Feet Running! Or, as the French say, Quatre Pieds Courent! This week:

- Nik and Dan do a 3-miler by the Fall River waterfront

- They briefly meet up with their favorite newspaper hawker

- Dan bids a frustrating farewell to the Crazy Man Running Store and finds a new shop

- Nik is feeling better, stomachwise, which is helping her keep up with certain British podcasters on RunnerPlus challenges

- They meet a regiment of French Revolutionary War re-enactors camped by the river, nice people who nearly bayonet a civilian

- Nik and Dan can be Parisian taxi drivers

- There's broken bicycle banter and chi chit-chat

- They get some feedback from very nice people

(8.28.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep 43

Run through the playground of America's rich and famous with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan go for a 3-miler down Bellevue Avenue in Newport, R.I.

- They keep an eye out for Vikings and/or Chinese explorers

- Dan tries out some new shoes that may or may not be working

- Nik is feeling somewhat better, but her gastrointestinal doctor's nickname is a bit too appropriate

- A quick update on their World Wide Festival plans

- They have a little picnic in Touro Park, near the Chinese-Viking-settler monument

- They get feedback from some very wonderful people

- Keep your eyes peeled for an extra-special project

(8.10.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 42

elebrate 1 year running with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan run at night in Bristol, R.I., to escape the heat

- They recap their yearlong adventures podcasting and in running

- Dan's gone from a blob to an honest-to-goodness runner

- Nik's working through her GI issues, and she doesn't mean an overseas deployment, unless "overseas deployment" is some sort of euphemism

- They discuss the first podcasts they ever listened to, and their first experiences with running podcasts in particular

- Dan gets the hard sell from a gym membership lady

- He also describes a relaxing experience on the open water

- They read feedback from some wonderful people

- Stay tuned at the end for a special treat!

(7.28.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 41

These colors DO run with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan meet Special Guest Star John to run the Mattapoisett 4th of July 5-mile road race

- They talk about Mattapoisett history, and how it's the nicest, most quaint town in southern Massachusetts

- Running podcasts are the best -- all three of them are agreed on this

- John describes what it's like to run a 10-mile-long 5K

- Embarrassing race running stories aplenty, and what it's like to quit smoking after decades

- Nik talks a little bit about gluten intolerance and her possible Celiac disease

- They get a special message from Adam "Another Runner" Tinkoff and Austin Hastings

- They read feedback and reviews from some very nice people

- Special thanks to John for making it a great show!

(7.14.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 40

Just a quick run to the post office with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan go for an easy 3-miler through the neighborhood

- Despite his second-to-last finish in his last race, Dan's going to try another race next week

- Nik discovers she has something strange: reactive hypoglycemia

- Meet (very briefly) Mike the Quizmaster Postman!

- Nik goes into a little more depth about her shiny new Garmin Forerunner 405

- They talk about their favorite new hobby: geocaching

- Then they get feedback from some very nice people

(7.2.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 39

There's foreshadowing, suspense, and dramatic irony aplenty with 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan! This week:

- Nik and Dan run the Fairhaven Father's Day Road Race 10K

- They predict it won't rain -- guess what happens?

- Nik has mysterious trouble with her Garmin -- guess what happens?

- Dan hopes he won't be in last place for his first 10K -- guess what almost happens?

- They recover from their lousy races with a nice, relaxing walk, where everyone's a winner

- Their dog Stanley has interesting (and expensive) food preferences

- Nik shares her first look at the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS sports watch

- Dan wraps up his 10 in 10 in 10 Challenge (10 weeks, 10 pounds, 10K) and looks to the future with sunny optimism

(6.24.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 38

Have a very Vermonty time with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan and their dogs are in glorious Burlington, Vt., for a week

- Nik prepares to run her 4th 26.2-miler, the Keybank Vermont City Marathon

- It should be beautiful in Vermont this time of year -- all that snow...

- Somehow Dan gets a free marathon T-shirt even though he doesn't run the race

- They keep an eye out for Burlington nudists

- Nik and Dan discuss their training plans, bicycling through Canada, science vs. yoga, and why no one ever runs out of Chapstick

- Nik has a great time running the race

- She talks about what it's like running 2 marathons in 1 month, and Dan talks about how he grunts when he runs

- They get some great feedback from very nice people

(6.6.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 37

It's the 7th anniversary of 4 Feet Running! Almost. This week:

- Nik and Dan celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary doing a 5-mile run with the dogs in Barrington, R.I.

- Nik continues her tapering on the way to the Vermont City Marathon

- Dan has sort of a lousy running week thanks to the rain

- They discuss the early days of their courtship, which had a Sharks & Jets type feel, politically, until it became Sharks & Sharks

- They talk about their future marathon travel plans, which may include Texas

- Nik & Dan meet a guy still bitter about World War II

- They get some coffee and kale soup and read some feedback from very nice people

(5.21.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 36

Two races for the price of one with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik runs the Cox Providence Marathon while Dan runs the New Balance 5K

- It rains a lot. Again.

- Nik runs about a bergillion miles this week, shattering her previous record of half a bergillion

- Dan gets a new Nike+ Sportband, which is wicked cool

- Nik explains how all the artists she knows tend to not run marathons, but her own personal funk is over

- Dan chats with The Mystery Lady, a fellow 5K runner

- The biggest thrill about running the first-ever marathon in Providence: full bottles of Gatorade

- The worst thing about running the first-ever marathon in Providence: friction and bloody thighs

- They describe their new running challenge and get some great feedback from very nice people

(5.10.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 35

It's 4 Feet Not Running with Nik and Dan! This week:

- Nik and Dan are hotel-bound in New York City due to rotten weather (they're going to run next week, promise)

- Nik goes for a 3.5-miler, but her feet hurt from wearing "girl shoes" at a conference

- Dan gets his pants and Chuck Taylors soaked by rain

- Then begins his bizarre 10-mile quest across Manhattan for more pants

- They run into Clive Owen -- yeah, that Clive Owen -- and catch a Broadway show

- Nik meets a guy who writes and publishes bathroom books, all by himself

- They get some feedback from very nice people

- Special thanks to Gordon from Tiree for his song "Buddha Bill"

(5.2.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 34

It's a spring fling in Plymouth with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik, Dan, and the dogs rock on for 3 miles in downtown Plymouth

- Stanley the pointer goes for several swims in Town River while running through Brewster Park

- Nik's in a running funk, but is really liking this Twitter business

- Dan's 10K training plan is going according to plan, but ice cream may sabotage his 10 in 10 Challenge

- They talk about Nik's ancestor who came over on the Mayflower and may or may not have slipped on a banana peel

- Speaking of which, they talk about meeting an older lady clown with a filthy mouth (it's hard to explain ... just listen to it)

- There are no pictures of Plymouth Rock because it's frankly not that impressive

- They read emails and reviews from very nice people

- Special thanks to Gordon from Tiree and Adam "Another Runner" Tinkoff for their song "I Do"

(4.22.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 33

Take a run downtown with 4 Feet Running as Nik and Dan run the Officer Thomas Giunta Memorial 5K road race! This week:

- Nik recalls her first time running this race years before, the start of her running habit

- Dan finally -- FINALLY -- gets a 10K training plan

- Nik's running routine isn't working so great for her, plus oil paint poisoning sucks

- They come dangerously close to not getting any race swag due to poor foresight

- Nik wins the Whitest Sneakers Award for her brand-new Brooks, purchased at the Crazy Man Running Store

- Dan outruns the military for most of the race

- Other characters glimpsed in this episode: Nik's Chauvinist Teacher, Dan's ex-coworker Stacey, and an accountant named Bubbles

- They discuss Dan's new 10 in 10 Challenge and read some reviews by very nice people

(4.12.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 32

4 Feet Running goes back to the future! Actually, to California. Hill Valley, California! Actually, to Berkeley. In this week's 32nd episode:

- Nik drops Dan off at the airport so he can attend a multimedia journalism conference in Berkeley

- Dan's now linked in to Facebook and Twitter

- Nik uses her powers of deduction, honed by years of watching "Murder She Wrote," to solve the mystery of her recent queasiness

- Dan, aka Future Boy, gets the DeLorean up to 88 to end up back in time on the west coast

- He gets a panic attack

- Dan runs twice through the streets of Berkeley, the second time bringing along a special guest star

- Dan reports live from downtown San Francisco with the most bizarre, uninformed travel show ever

- Gramma doesn't think very much of Dan, but he behaves himself very well and comes home safe

- Nik and Dan catch up and read some email and iTunes reviews from very nice people

(4.1.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 31

Experience the sounds, sights, tastes, and smells of New Bedford, Mass., with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik runs the New Bedford Half-Marathon (that's it, no special name)

- Dan's having a great time running now that he's introduced cartography into his routine

- Nik is having less fun -- she's burnt out, tired, and queasy

- Some sights: Barflies emerging from their cocoon

- Some tastes: KFC, fish sandwiches, and Fierce Gatorade

- Some smells: Fish, garbage, dog poop from the future

- They listen to a special audio comment from a nice person

(3.21.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 30

It's a 4-miler in a van down by the river with 4 Feet Running! This week:

- Nik and Dan run for 4 miles through beautifulish Somerset, Mass.

- It's the longest Dan's run ever -- seriously, like, ever

- They talk about ugly houses and wild goose attacks

- Nik has some trouble sleeping and getting a good, decent run in

- Dan wonders if he should put Vicks Vapo-Rub on his nipples to clear his sinuses while he runs

- They discuss the pros and cons of video art and hoarding cats

- Dan is not the Man With A Plan, and Nik is deeply unhappy about Daylight-Saving Time

- They read feedback from some very nice people and plug a great charity for MS in case you'd like to donate

- APOLOGIES: Forgot to hit the Bleep Button on a few swears in there

(3.10.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 29

It's a case of the Februaries at the Hyannis Half-Marathon with 4 Feet Running! In this special race-day episode:

- Nik and Dan head to beautiful Hyannis, the tricep of Cape Cod

- They track the elusive North American sister Kim, a wily, rarely photographed mammal that's small and Asian

- After funerals and emergency room visits with relatives, Nik and Dan get the Februaries

- They discuss American cultural development vis a vis breakfast eggs

- It's chaotic in Hyannis but at least everybody survives intact

- Nik runs a great half-marathon race in record time

- Dan pays a record amount of money for a bagel

- They do a post-race wrapup and read some e-mails from very nice people

(2.29.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 28

Accidents will happen in the 28th episode of 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan -- it's the special Half at the Hamptons episode! This week:

- Nik and Dan find themselves pretty much all alone in deserted Hampton Beach, NH, where Nik's running the town's first half-marathon

- Nik reveals her super identity, and it stinks

- Dan and Nik describe her strange stint in jury duty involving Mrs. Magoo, a fall into a grave, and a stinky bath mat

- Dan tries to figure out what to do with himself in a town where everything including the McDonald's is boarded up for the winter

- Nik has a great half-marathon time

- Other people don't do so well at all -- there are two drastic accidents

- Nik and Dan do a scared and worried post-race wrapup in the car

- Then they drive the hell home as fast as they can

(2.16.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 27

Unready for some football: It's the Super Bowl edition of 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan! In this 27th episode:

- Nik and Dan take a bathroom break (they're remodeling their bathroom) to squeeze in a three-mile run down by the Fall River waterfront

- They leave a sore Stanley dog at home with Myrna to keep him company

- Nik is worried she's ill-prepared for the Half at the Hamptons next week

- Dan, having slept for 15 hours, is more chipper about it

- Somehow or other, they get on the topics of the early days of computers, middle school misogynists and journalistic ethics

- They shrug over the Super Bowl

- Nik and Dan may or may not meet a fan, but they do read feedback from nice people

(2.4.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 26

The "worst podcast thus far"? Harumph! It's 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan! In this 26th episode:

- Nik and Dan and the dogs go for a 3-mile run through an unfamiliar section of Providence, R.I.

- Nik talks about how she's feeling post-op, and how she's on the Couch-to-100-Pushups plan

- Dan turns into Cranky McCrankerson, and has a blast with his Shovelglove

- She describes her fartleks -- shaddap! That's what they're called!

- They speak wistfully of their lost youth and impending old age -- then talk about fartleks some more

- Nik and Dan read email and reviews from some very nice people and one meanie

(1.29.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 25

Steak, lobster, and a 3-miler: It's the surf-and-turf episode of 4 Feet Running with Nik and Dan! In this 25th installment:

- Nik and Dan run through the streets of Fall River because it's snowy and nobody can be bothered to shovel

- Nik is well on her way back after having appendix surgery

- Dan discusses his recent slowdown in running and his new favorite weight-training device

- Nik buys shoes from a friendly running-store hermit

- They talk about how Fall River has the highest rate of diabetes in Massachusetts, and the city's weight loss challenge, and how lobster dinners don't help this

- Learn more about Portuguese American diets

- There's an embarrassing mixup on Buckeye Outdoors -- honest

- They read feedback from some very, very nice people, including get-well wishes and some more iTunes reviews

(1.20.08)

4 Feet Running - Ep. 24

It's the 24th episode of 4 Feet Running, the first show of 2008! This week:

- Nik and Dan have plans to run the Hangover Classic 5K in Salisbury, Mass., and Nik prepares to do a polar bear plunge

- They don't, because Nik decides to have an emergency appendectomy instead

- Nik and Dan talk about her surgeon, whose name rhymes with a battery-operated adult toy

- Nik has a secret tip for getting to the front of the line at the ER

- They spend New Year's in the hospital watching "The Twilight Zone"

- It's The Year in Running as they go over their 2007 stats and make resolutions for 2008

- They read feedback from some very nice people and play a very special promo from Adam "Another Runner" Tinkoff

(1.5.08)