Believe it or not, the human machine can equal the power of a Harley. Until I discovered running, I had only two passions in life: music and motorcycles. Each fueled the other, and employment in one usually meant greater opportunities to pursue the other. For many years, this combination was perfect – I worked long enough as a freelance musician to build a financial base, then rode long enough to need the next gig. Maintaining the balance between time and money was tricky, but with care and a willingness to consume nothing more than peanut butter and beer, it was…
Category Archives: The Penguin Archives
I’ve got to admit I’ve got a soft spot for Seattle, for lots of reason. Seattle was the first place I ever ran outside of the country roads around my home in Oberlin, Ohio. I was there as a part of an admission/recruitment team for the Oberlin Conservatory, staying at a forgotten hotel, and committed to changing my life with my own two feet. Walking out of the hotel for that first run – or to be honest walk with a little running – I had no idea what would happen that day or, as it turns out, with the…
In the Art of War, Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of positioning in military strategy, and that the decision to position an army must be based on both objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective beliefs of other, competitive actors in that environment. On the surface that might not seem to have anything to do with running. And, until last Friday afternoon I would have agreed with you. Sure, I understand that, to a certain extent, positioning in a general sense is important in road racing. If you want to run with the front pack you need to…
Editor’s Note: After nearly 14 years at Runner’s World, John Bingham—perhaps better known as “the Penguin”—has decided to move on. We’re grateful for all he’s done for RW, and we salute him for inspiring countless runners. John personifies the idea that people can change their lives through running. We wish him the very best in his new endeavors. Below is the final “No Need For Speed” column John wrote for Runner’s World. I am not a physicist. I am a writer, runner, and recovering bass trombonist. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking that I understand physics. I’ve read about…
The News & Observer (Raleigh NC) March 17, 1997 Flight of the Penguin John Bingham, hero of the plodding runners, is coming to the Triangle to give us all a lesson in perseverance BY NICOLE BRODEUR, Staff Writer MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — This story begins at the end, where John Bingham has spent every minute of his running life. It is in the ghost-town wake of a hundred road races, where the only spectators left are blood relatives, and where there is no water station, only crushed paper cups … that is where Bingham became The Penguin. There are penguins everywhere, along…