Inspiring Running Story of the Month

Apolo Ohno

Olympic Speed Skater, Short-Track Speed Skating
Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
27, Salt Lake City

I started running at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, when I was 14. My nickname was "Chunky," and I was the worst runner there.

After failing to make the 1998 Olympic team, my dad took me to a cottage on the coast of Washington state for a week. I ran daily and thought a lot. I was at my lowest point physically and mentally.

One day, in the middle of a rainy, cold run, I stopped and asked myself how much I wanted to be a speed skater. If I was going to fulfill my dream, I knew that I needed to finish my run, no matter how many blisters I had or how bad I felt. That was the turning point for me.

Now I run almost every day and love it. I need to stay lean for my sport, and I tend to build bulk and muscle easily. Running helps me stay stringy.

Right now I'm doing more intervals and less volume. This means lots of hill sprints. But last summer I was running anywhere from 50 minutes to two hours at a time. My regimen depends on what I'm trying to do with my skating.

No other workout makes you want to throw up as much as a hard interval run.

There's a trail near where I train in Manitou Springs, Colorado, called "The Incline" that goes straight up. No matter how far you go, walking or running it, it's going to hurt. I used to bike there twice a week from the training center, run it, and ride back.

I skate tucked into this ball that isn't natural for the body. Since the position makes it harder for me to process oxygen, I need to be really fit.

While I was competing in Dancing with the Stars , I often ran to get in a quick workout. I like that I can do it anywhere.

During the Olympics, I'll keep running. The day before a race, I always go for a run to clear my mind and get ready.

I do my best thinking when I'm running. I don't know why that is — everything seems to flow so easily. It's almost a spiritual thing for me.