Marc Bloom , was a senior writer for Runner's World and track-and-field features writer for the New York Times . He has been writing on health, fitness, and running for over 25 years. His articles have appeared in leading magazines nationwide. In addition to Olympic Gold, which he wrote with Frank Shorter, he is the author of Cross-Country Running and The Marathon . Bloom is the 1983 recipient of the Road Runners Club of America's Journalism Award.