Swinsei’s 2011 Running Results
Darkside New Years’ Day Marathon
By Don Swinford, Run Club USA Co-Founder
After the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama on December 10th, I went public with saying I was done with running marathons. The reason for this announcement, which went worldwide on Twitter, was due to injuries to my feet. I have been suffering for 18 months and I had enough – I needed to take time to heal.
I took a few weeks off from running – just did a little walking. There was no improvement in my feet. I started gaining weight due to inactivity. So I decided to run in moderation. Then it happened on New Year’s Eve – two of my friends, Alan Reynolds and David Millican started talking about running the Darkside Marathon on New Years’ Day, which was less than 24 hours away. And like a drug addict, I decided to do it too — bad feet and all.
The Darkside Running Club was founded in December of 2002, by Al Barker and Scott Ludwig. It’s a great group of members from around the country and solid leadership. Scott is the President of this Club. They do a great job serving the community by offering free events throughout the year. I highly recommend that you join the Darkside Running Club.
The Marathon consisted of 5 loops and 5 short out-and-backs on the running paths in Peachtree City, Georgia. My goal was to finish in 5:30 hours, but I was focused on doing 5:15.
The first 7 miles were really consistent (11.00 – 12.00 pace), but mile 8 I took an extra long break and my pace for that mile was 18.36. Mile 9-18 I average a little less than an 11.00/mile pace. On mile 19 I saw a friend, Ben Kirkland, who was out for an 8 mile run. Ben ran with me for the next 3 miles which ended up being my best pace of the race. Miles 22 – 26.2 were the normal gut check miles. Overall I felt fine, except for my feet! My last mile was an 11.03/mile pace.
The good news about my results is that I achieved a Negative Split:
- 1st Half = 2:41:16
- 2nd Half = 2:28:24
Darkside was my 11th fastest marathon (out of 13). Over the past 56 days I have run 4 marathons. My times were: 4:08, 4.32; 5.24, and 5.09.
The best part of a marathon is running with friends and other runners. Alan and David finished the race strong. And thanks to both for encouraging me to run the Darkside.
Run Strong!
Rocket City Marathon Recap
It’s a good feeling to be done. Yesterday I spent 5 hrs and 24 minutes questioning why I run marathons. Rocket City was going to be a nice and easy marathon. I was aiming for a 4:25 and with a little luck I would pull a negative split and run a 4:15.
Rocket City is a fast course. With only 1500 runners and a flat course, many runners are able to BQ (Boston Qualify). I joined the 4:25 pace group (which is a 10:06/mile pace) and met several first time marathoners. I enjoyed encouraging and chatting with my fellow runners in our group.
One thing I noticed from the start was that I never felt good. It was a struggle to maintain a 10/mile pace. I stayed with the 4.25 group for 11 miles at which time I had to hide behind a tree and pee for the second time. This time I would not be able to catch-up with the group. The journey would be solo from this point on – or would it be?
In addition to just feeling bad (stomach issues, headache, and sluggishness), my feet were in intense pain. I have been suffering with Metatarsal Bursitis in my left foot for 18 months and a Neuroma in my right foot since the Savannah Marathon.
Oh, that reminds me that this was my 3rd marathon in 35 days. I did Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon (4:08) on November 5th and Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon (4:32) one week later on November 12th. Overtraining was another factor in this meltdown at Rocket City.
Miles 12-16 were a struggle (10:54, 10.36, 10.28, 11.37, and 12.45), but nothing like I would experienced later in the race. Mile 17 is when the walking started – lots of walking! My feet were killing me along with everything else. After the race several people asked me if I ever considered quitting. My answer is easy. I don’t quit things I start. Goals are made to be done. So I limped along and ran a little and walked a little. Along the way, I was able to meet a lot of other sufferers. I have never talked this much to other runners before in a race. People from all over the globe came to Huntsville to share this experience with me!
Rocket City was my 12th fastest marathon. My PR was at the Saint George Marathon (3:48) in 2007. I’m really proud of that PR, but this 5:24 is special too because I had to reach down and find something to keep me going. It took every ounce of determination, focus, perseverance, and grit I could find. My Rocket City medal will hang proudly next to my Saint George one. In both cases the goal was the same – reach down and find what it takes to do 26.2 miles. No small feat — one that I have done 12 times.
After logging more than 2000 miles this year as well as 2100 last year, my feet deserve time off. My plan is to take the rest of the year off from running. A little elliptical, but no outside running is on my agenda. It’s time to heal.
I appreciate all of the emails, texts, and phone calls this weekend. It’s great to have so much support.
“There’s no greater feeling in the world than the feeling of DONE”
Run Happy!
PS I had a great time with Alan Reynolds. He had a great race at Rocket City.
100-year-old marathoner finishes race
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Associated Press
TORONTO — A 100-year-old runner became the oldest person to complete a full-distance marathon when he finished the race in Toronto on Sunday.
Fauja Singh earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for his accomplishment.
It took Singh more than eight hours to cross the finish line — more than six hours after Kenya’s Kenneth Mungara won the event for the fourth straight year — and he was the last competitor to complete the course.
But his time wasn’t nearly as remarkable as the accomplishment.
Event workers dismantled the barricades along the finish line and took down sponsor banners even as Singh made his way up the final few hundred yards of the race.
Family, friends and supporters greeted Singh when he finished the race.
“Beating his original prediction, he’s overjoyed,” his coach and translator Harmander Singh said. “Earlier, just before we came around the (final) corner, he said, ‘Achieving this will be like getting married again.’
“He’s absolutely overjoyed, he’s achieved his lifelong wish.”
Sunday’s run was Singh’s eighth marathon — he ran his first at age 89 — and wasn’t the first time he set a record.
In the 2003 Toronto event, he set the mark in the 90-plus category, finishing the race in 5 hours, 40 minutes and 1 second.
And on Thursday in Toronto, Singh broke world records for runners older than 100 in eight different distances ranging from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.
The 5-foot-8 Singh said he’s hopeful his next project will be participating in the torch relay for the 2012 London Games. He carried the torch during the relay for the 2004 Athens Games.
11,000
Today I surpassed 11,000 lifetime running miles (since 2003). Prior to 2003, running was an activity I did to get in to shape for a sport. In 2003 running became my sport. During the past 8.5 years I have run 9 marathons, 16 half marathons, and countless other events.
I look forward to the next 11,000 miles!
11,000
Run Club USA 2010
2010 Done
2000 Miles!
Wow …. Can’t believe I reached 2000 miles for the year. My goal for 2010 was 1200 miles (100 miles/month). The turning point was a 4 month stretch of 200+ miles. During this journey I have run a marathon, 2 half marathons, 2 15k’s, and a 10k.
How about Coldplay – 2000 miles!
Swinsei
Love the Woods
HILL COUNTRY AT SERENBE TRAIL 15K
Today Run Club USA sent 4 of its members to Serenbe: Jon B, Drake D, Rick H, and Don S. This was Drake’s 1st Serenbe, Jon and Rick’s 2nd one, and Don’s 3rd. The weather was perfect (35 degrees) at the start. 750 Runners (500 for the 15k and 250 for the 5k).
Jon suffered an injury at mile 2 when he twisted his ankle. It was pure guts for him to finish the remaining 7.3 miles. He made us proud.
Drake was unbelievable today. This was his 1st trail run and he beat us all. God designed him to be faster. Congrats to Drake for being the 1st Run Club member to finish.
Steady Rick once again had a great race. He’s the most consistent and dedicated runner in our group. Rick is our hero!
This was Don’s 3rd Serenbe. He said it was his most enjoyable one too.
Today is National Coffee Day
Post from Business Pundit
Today is National Coffee Day, that annual day where you have a communal excuse to flaunt your usual cuppa.
To honor the day, companies are offering you…statistics. Last year’s National Coffee Day was full of freebies, but few providers are ponying up much more than numbers this year. (Scroll down to see who is offering freebies.) Here are some of the stats that various surveys found.
According to this National Coffee Association survey:
* 56% of adults drink coffee beverages every day.
* 84% of drinkers “have not changed their consumption habits despite the economic environment,” although 4% more people than last year prepare their coffee at home.
* 40% of coffee people buy is gourmet.
FilterFresh’s survey found that:
* 95% of people get their caffeine fix from coffee (rather than soda or tea).
* More people would give up their cell phones before giving up coffee.
* 71.5% of people drink coffee with their coworkers.
* 68% of people would not tell someone if they had coffee breath.
More fun facts from this Dunkin Donuts/CareerBuilder survey:
* 40% of young American workers (18-24) can’t concentrate as well without coffee. 43% of 18-34-year-old workers have less energy without coffee.
* 24% of 18-34-year-old American workers “buy coffee as a way to treat themselves for a job well done.” (How about buying it as a way to congratulate yourself for getting up in the morning?)
* Nurses, doctors and hotel workers drink the most coffee out of all careers surveyed.
Freebies from Around the Web
Free coffee at LaMar’s Donuts with this coupon.
Some Dunkin’ Donuts shops are giving away free coffee to celebrate National Coffee Day. Check your local shops to see if they’re participating.
Boca Java is offering free shipping on all of its products today.
Dunn Bros. is giving away a free cup of coffee to its email subscribers.
Florida’s Barnie’s is giving away free coffee.
#1 in the World, Again
After taking a week off with an injury and with no hope of recovery soon, Swinsei went on a 5 day rampage and achieved the #1 rank in the world.
Runners who have run the most miles over the last 7 days
#1 – Log-a-Run Leaderboard
2 Run Club members achieved #1 ranking on the worldwide Log-a-Run Leaderboard this week.
For the past 3 days i2ileadership (aka Samurai) has led the way.
Runners (Male – Ages 40-49) who have run the most miles over the last 7 days
- Samurai (101.3)
- Rob Williams (69.0)
- DreamCrusher (59.0)
- LAFohlen (50.7)
- Shawn Aebi (46.0)
- Freddie B (42.5)
In the next age group Grand Master Sensei (aka Swinsei) has been ranked #1 for 4 days.
Runners (Male – Ages 50+) who have run the most miles over the last 7 days
Samurai and Swinsei will continue their drive to remain #1 for a few more days. #ultratraining
cheat sheet to the perfect pour
new shoes! YES!
I love new running shoes. Currently wearing: Vibram Five Fingers, Brooks Launch, Brooks Green Silence, and Brooks Cascadia 5. My newest shoes are:
Brooks Mach 12
National Trail Running Day August 21st
National Trail Running Day August 21st || Serious Running Blog || SeriousRunning.com.
by Serious Running
I started National Trail Running Day last year because I love trail running and I wanted to share my love. So there it is, I love Trail Running and I’m not scared to admit it. Although, it wasn’t love at first run, my love grew. First, I was a track runner middle school, then a cross-country runner in High School, then a road runner in college, and I finally became a trail runner in my first job after college, United States Army Officer. Every morning at 630 my unit would venture out into the forest of Ft. Bragg, NC trails. Running is what defined many Army Officers and I was serving in the 82nd Airborne Division which prides itself on being the most fit unit in the Army. Just to pass Airborne School you had to complete a run test that many could not conquer. So the leaders in the 82nd were expected to be fit; and there is no greater test of physical fitness than a long run in the woods.
One of the reasons I joined the Army was that I love the outdoors. Running trails in the morning was my favorite time of day while serving. The early morning dawn coming through the pine trees, everyone trudging through mud and sand; an exhilarating way to start the day. It was a time to reflect on the task in front of you while also pushing your body to its limits. At the time I didn’t even know trail running was becoming a sport of its own, I just knew that exercising in a natural environment made me happy.
After two deployments and over four years of service I separated from the Army to take on new challenges. At the time of separation I had to decide where I wanted to live, which graduate school program to attend, and what type of job I wanted. I had gone straight from college to the Army and up until this point, the Army had always told me where to live, what schools to attend, and what job to do. I now faced some major life decisions for the first time. I was up for the task though, I had been a Platoon Leader in Iraq conducting combat missions and making decisions effecting 30 men’s lives. I was used to making important decisions. However, I quickly learned that these new decisions that lay ahead of me were much different than the quick, reactive decisions I was used to making for the Platoon, now I had more time, more variables, and the decisions only effected me. I began working on these decisions with the same fever as if I was still deployed, working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I was maintaining my work-out schedule, but I was often drained and exhausted, running on fumes. (pun intended)
I continued on this pattern for 3 months straight before I finally broke down. I stopped everything. I had reached my decision benchmarks and now I could relax. Slowing down forced me to think and understand everything that was happening. I realized I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Was this the path I wanted to take? I had quickly made all of my life decisions and began executing them before thinking if they were truly making me happy. I quickly became depressed under the weight of my ignorant direction. While in the Army I had such great responsibility, respect, and prestige for what I was doing. All of a sudden it hit me, I was just like everyone else. But I wasn’t like everyone else; I was a civilian with no valuable skills, specific direction, or contemplated long-term goals. I had to reinvent myself. Not knowing how to attack this problem I started running more. Training gave me goals to work toward without life changing commitment. I decided to start each day the same why I did when I was in the Army, starting with a trail run. Eventually I decided to stop doing the job I had picked only because I had to pick an industry for my MBA applications and started doing something that I love; running and writing about running. That is why I started SeriousRunning.com with my brother and later National Trail Running Day.
National Trail Running Day is a day to celebrate the benefits of Trail running with runners taking to the trails of varying difficulties and distances, connecting with nature and the environment, slowing down their lives and getting back to the basics. For more experienced runners, Trail Running offers a more technical version of road running that allows runners to challenge themselves. The fact is, everyone can enjoy Trail Running and National Trail Running Day is a great way to increase awareness of the sport.
Trail Running changed my life forever and it could do the same for you. Take a friend trail running on August 21st, 2010 and enjoy the trails. It’s all about happy trails.
Related posts:
- National Trail Running Day, August 22nd!
- Happy National Trails Day! A National Trail Running Day is cooler.
- Inaugural National Trail Running Day a Success!
- Happy National Running Day!
- SkirtChaser Denver, Saturday August 29th
Tags: Army
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 7:05 am an
About RUN CLUB USA
VISION
To be the best run club on the planet we inhabit
PURPOSE
The Run Club USA exists to help people achieve their wildest dreams and at the same time encourage them to develop and grow relationships.
CREED
“it’s all about the coffee”
CORE VALUES
· Confrontational Accountability
· Obsessively Committed to Whatever
· Fearless Pursuit of Goals
· Focus on Results
· Empower Personal Growth
· Expand Sphere of Influence
OBJECTIVES
· Build lasting relationships
· Encourage one another to achieve personal goals
· Advance the concept of community
· Never remain silent on the truth – debate relentlessly
· Serve others
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
· We really love and appreciate our good members. They are the reason for our success and we want to make sure we keep them happy. It is for this reason we actively seek to discourage certain personality types from joining the Run Club. These people just tee everybody off and spoil the fun for everyone else.
· The Run Club is not a politically correct organization. If you are easily offended, then there is a good possibility that you will be offended here. The Run Club was not designed to be a “feel good” club. We call it like we see it.
· The Run Club is not a fraternity, it is a privately operated club and as such we enforce a very strict “No-Whining” policy. We are sorry if you are offended by obnoxious comments, or if you feel that the feedback you receive is too harsh, but if you need to have total control over your environment then you really need to stay home.
· As a Run Club member you do not have rights. The Founding Members are the only ones with rights and we reserve the right to rescind your membership, especially if we think that you’re a great big jerk. We strive to keep the Run Club an official “Idiot-Free Zone” at all times, so if you’re acting like an idiot we’ll be sure to let you know, right before we kick you out.
· We know that we can’t please all of the members all of the time and the Run Club has absolutely no intention of trying. We are a small, privately-owned club. Unlike the running clubs in your local communities, we really don’t want to please everyone. We believe that when you try to please everyone, you end up catering to the lowest common denominator. That’s something we really don’t want any part of. Then we’d end up average and ordinary, and we’d have to tolerate jerks. No thanks. Our operation has been designed to welcome and serve only that group of people who appreciate what we do, and how we do it.
Swinsei
PRR — It’s a 1st for Drake!
The Peachtree Road Race (“PRR”) celebrated its 41st anniversary on Sunday in Atlanta Georgia. And Drake Dale celebrated his 1st PRR and his 1st ride on MARTA. He was one of 55,000 runners who participated in the biggest road race in the World.
This event was started in 1970 by Atlanta Track Club — 110 runners participated. Drake must have been about 30 years old back then (just kidding, but how old is he?). Over the past couple of years Drake has participated in 10-15 events per year. Often he’ll run 2 races on the same day. But the PRR was never on his resume, until now. Drake — Congratulations on this accomplishment!
Other Run Club members to run this year’s event were: Rick Harrell, Scotty Redmond, John Bermudez, and Mark Jeffares. Congrats to all!
Run Strong,
Don
PRR Finisher 1985, 2003-2010
You Know Your an Ultra Runner If… (Part 5 of 5)
- You think a 100-mile race is easier than a 50 miler because you don’t have to go out as fast.
- You say, “Taper? Who’s got time to taper? I have a race coming up this weekend.”
- You’re tapering/recovering, and you’d rather drive 50 miles to watch Ann Trason’s heavenly running style for 20 seconds than the Super Bowl.
- You have to rent a car to drive to a major event because you and your pacer own stick shifts and neither will be able to drive them on the return trip.
- You actually DO drive a stick shift home with a severely pulled left hamstring
- You meet someone of the opposite sex on the trail of a 100 and all of conversation is about what color is your urine, can you drink? and were you able to dump.
- You know you’re and ultra runner when a girl changes her tank and her bra in front of you and all you do is take another drink of water, look at your watch, get up and tell your pacer “Let’s hit the trail.”
- On a long drive you see the road signs listing various mileages to different places and think of how long it would take to get there on foot rather than by the car your driving.
- You’ve started a race in the dark, run all day, and finished in the dark (if your lucky).
- Your non-Ultrarunning running friends look at you strange when you tell them that 10:00/Mile is a fast pace for a 100 mile race (not to mention most ultras).
- You don’t hesitate to lie down in the trail (anywhere) when you are falling asleep on your feet during the early morning hours on the second day of a 100 miler; and it feels so comfortable.Finally…
- You know your an ultrarunner when you actually sit down and read all of the postings about, “You know your an ultrarunner when…” and can laugh and relate to all of the comments.
Special thanks to my FB Friend Norma Bastidas for the post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/norma.bastidas
You Know Your an Ultra Runner If… (Part 4 of 5)
- When you meet the opposite sex you see:
- A possible crew.
- A possible pacer.
- A possible search and rescue team.
- A possible race director.
- A possible source of race entry fees.
- You ask advice of hundreds of people on a list, looking for answers you have already determined to be correct, taking hold of only those, and running with ‘em.
- Your wife asks you the morning after your first 50 miler if you’re still planning on that 100K in five weeks, and you say “Sure!”
- You strap on your water bottles and walk the hills… in a 5 K race and consider that your 10 minute pace is a blistering pace.
- People praise you to the high heavens for being able to finish a marathon, and you feel insulted.
- You do a triathlon and it is your RUN time that is slower than the years when you specialized in triathlon.
- You are told *not* to run another marathon during the next few months (because that would be bad for your health), and you really follow that advice – by immediately sending off the entry form for your next 50/100 miler.
- Somebody asks about the distance of an upcoming race and you, without thinking, say, “Oh, it’s just a 50K.”
- You’re running a marathon and at mile 20 say to yourself, “Wow, only 6 more miles left, this is such a great training run!”
- You know you are a clumsy ultrarunner when after running headfirst into the trail for the third time get up and continue running even though you are bleeding and covered in maple syrup where your gel flask exploded and you have another 20k to go.
- You go for an easy 2 hour run in the middle of a Hurricane and think it is fun to get wet, muddy and run through the rivers that were once trails.
- You get to the 81 mile point of a 100 miler and say to yourself, “Wow, only 19 miles left!”
- You try to tie double knots in your Oxfords.
- You pass a swamp towards the end of a run and think ‘How bad could it be?”
- Livestock salt blocks look good after a run.
- You’re embarrassed that you’ve only done 50K’s…
- Your wife/girlfriend/significant other asks you the question and you say:
- “sorry, I don’t have time, I have to go running”
- “sorry, I’m too tired, I just went running”
- “sorry, I would rather go read all my messages from the ultra-list”
- You go down a flight of stairs, uh, backwards, after an ultra and everybody laughs.
- No one believes you when you say “never again”.
- You refer to certain 100 mile races as “low-key.”
- You number your running shoes to distinguish old from new, since they all look dirty.
- Prior to running a difficult race, you check to see if local hospitals and urgent care centers are in your PPO.
- The only time major household projects get done is in a taper or race recovery.
- Everything in your life, everything, is organized in different sized zip-loc bags.
- You call a 50-mile race “just another training run”.
Special thanks to my FB friend, Norma Bastidas, for the post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/norma.bastidas
You Know Your an Ultra Runner If… (Part 3 of 5)
- Peeing in the toilet seems unnatural.
- You start wearing running clothes to work so you’re prepared for afterwards.
- Running trail is better then sex.
- Vaseline isn’t just for fun anymore.
- When the start of a marathon feels like a 5K and you’re wondering “Why is everyone in such a rush? Where the ##@@**!! is the fire?”
- As an infant you were dropped on your head.
- Nobody recognizes your power T’s. Met a guy at the market the other day who was wearing an AR50 T. So was I. I gave him a hearty, “Ta-da.” He said, “Oh yeah, I tell people we were all acquitted and the charges were dropped.”
- You sign up for a 10K and
- you strap on your fanny pack because you never know where the aid stations are.
- you bring your own drinks.
- you bring potatoes and salt.
- you start fast and a six year old passes you.
- you are the only one walking the up hills.
- you run it a second time because its not far enough to call a training run (and you were racing the first time through).
- you are the only one around who is eyeing the bushes THAT way.
- you punch the lap button on your watch instead of the stop button at the finish.
- When “NEXT GAS 36 MILES” signs start sounding like tempting runs.
- Your pedicure kit includes a pair of pliers.
- Your number of toes to toenails doesn’t match.
- You drink from a water bottle at the dinner table.
- You consider the mold and mildew in your bottles extra electrolytes.
- You just found out Poison and Oak are words by themselves.
- You see a 1 quart water bottle colored like an Advil bottle, and don’t realize that it’s not in fact an Advil bottle.
- You know you’re married to an ultrarunner when Valentine’s gifts come from Ultrafit.
- You know you’re married to an ultrarunner when she helps you up and says, “Come on, suck it up, keep moving!” and you know she means it in love.
- You know you’re an ultrarunner when a prospective employer asks for a photograph and all you have is race photos.
- You know you’re an ultrarunner when the races you enter end in a different area code. -and pass through several different Zip codes enroute.
- You know you’re an ultrarunner when your crew tries to keep you motivated by saying, “You’re in second place and only 6 hours behind first with 25 miles to go!”
- You know you’re an ultrarunner when you go to your 8:00 a.m. college geology class and you can use the salt crystals, still caked on your glasses frames from your early morning run, in your talk on the category of sedimentary materials called evaporites (and I’m not making this up).
- You know you’re an ultrarunner when, on the night of a bad thunderstorm and downpour, you ring for a cab, and your announcement that this is the *first time* you’re not getting home under your own steam causes a stunned silence in the office.
- You bother to argue about (discuss the meaning of) what an UltraRunner is!!!
- when you don’t finish on the same day as the winner.
- your dogs can drink out of water bottles
Special thanks to my FB Friend Norma Bastidas for the post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/norma.bastidas
You Know Your an Ultra Runner If… (Part 2 of 5)
- You visit a national park with your family and notice a thirty-mile trail connecting where you are with the place your family wants to visit next, which is a 100-mile drive away, and you think “Hmmmm”.
- Someone asks you how long your training run is going to be and you answer “seven or eight … hours”.
- People at work think you’re in a whole lot better shape than you think you are.
- You actually are in a whole lot better shape than you think you are.
- Your weekend runs are limited by how much time you have, not by how far you can run.
- You always have at least one black toenail.
- You buy economy-sized jars of Vaseline on a regular basis.
- You tried hashing, but felt the trails were too short and easy.
- You think of pavement as a necessary evil that connects trails.
- You rotate your running shoes more often than you rotate your tires.
- Your friends recognize your better dressed in shorts than in long pants.
- You really envied Tom Hanks’ long run as Forest Gump.
- You carry money around in a zip lock bag because store clerks complained that your money’s usually too sweaty.
- Any time a plain old runner talks about her aches and pains, you can sympathize because you’ve already had that at least once.
- You put more miles on your feet than on your rental car over the weekend.
- You don’t need to paint your toenails; they’re already different colors.
- You start planning the family vacation around races, and vice-versa.
- When you start considering your next vacation location on the merits of its ultras only.
- You spend you entire paycheck on running gear, ultrabars, and entry fees.
- You miss a work deadline cause you just had to have that “one more minute” on-line writing to the list.
- You become a quasi-expert on different detergents so as to not “hurt” your tee shirts.
- You leave work early to hit the trails.
- You wear t-shirts based on if you’ve had good work outs when you’ve worn them before.
- Have a trail shoe collection that would make Imelda Marcos envious.
- You walk up the stairs and run down them.
Special thanks to my FB friend, Norma Bastidas, for the post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/norma.bastidas
You Know Your an Ultra Runner If… (Part 1 of 5)
- Your wife tries to introduce you to your three children and you reply “Three?”
- You spend more time in the drug section than the food section of the local market.
- You wonder why they don’t make all running socks a dusty brown color.
- You have more dirt on your shoes than in your garden.
- You think that ibutrophin belong on the breakfast table.
- You get more phone calls at 5:00 AM than at 5:00 PM.
- You don’t recognize your friends with their clothes on.
- You have more buckles than belts.
- You postpone your wedding because it will interfere with your training.
- You keep mistaking your boss for Norm Klein.
- 6am is sleeping in.
- Your feet look better without toenails.
- Your idea of a fun date is a 30-mile training run.
- You’re tempted to look for a bush when there’s a long line for the public restroom.
- You don’t think twice about eating food you’ve picked up off the floor.
- You can expound on the virtues of eating salt.
- You develop an unnatural fear of mountain lions.
- When you wake up without the alarm at 4AM, pop out of bed and think “lets hit the trails”.
- When you can recite the protein grams by heart of each energy bar.
- You don’t even LOOK for the Porto-sans anymore.
- Your ideal way to celebrate your birthday is to run at least your age in miles with some fellow crazies.
- Your ideal way to have fun is to run as far as you can afford to with some fellow crazies.
- You know the location of every 7-11, public restroom, and water fountain within a 25-mile radius of your house.
- You run marathons for speed work.
- You have more fanny packs and water bottles and flashlights than Imelda Marcos has shoes.
Special thanks to my FB friend, Norma Bastidas, for the post: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/norma.bastidas
National Running Day
It’s all about that first step! Running is an incredibly healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise. Whether it’s five minutes, 15 minutes, or 45 minutes, every little bit of time spent running makes a difference in the goal to live healthy, happy, and heart strong.
Join me for National Running Day on Wednesday, June 2, as we come together as a nation to take strides toward leading healthier, fitter lives!
Memorial Day Run
Memorial Day Run – 10 mi / 01:37 09:40 pace
7 AM Run in Fayetteville. Legs felt tired, but overall I was okay. My strongest miles were 8 and 10. Hot and humid — dropped 4.5 pounds during my run. Great way to start the week, end the month, and reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day. Grateful!
Splits:
Mile 1 = 10.54
Mile 2 = 9.28
Mile 3 = 9.27
Mile 4 = 9.41
Mile 5 = 9.46
Mile 6 = 9.26
Mile 7 = 9.48
Mile 8 = 9.10
Mile 9 = 9.53
Mile 10 = 9.06
Alternative Running Shoe Designs
Peter L. Genius or Gimmick
If, like me, you tend to be mildly (ridiculously, really) obsessed with what you put on your feet when you run, then you’re probably aware that some at times innovative, and at other times downright unusual shoe designs have become popular in the past few years. In this post I’ll review a few of the more interesting shoes out there, and point out a few others that are definitely worthy of recognition (for lack of a better word!).
Vibram Fivefingers
The Vibram Fivefingers are one of the hottest shoes out there for runners these days. Made popular by the publication of the book Born to Run by Chirstopher McDougall, the Fivefingers are basically fancy water shoes with little pockets for each of your toes. Despite their odd, head turning appearance, runners desiring a more minimalist style of shoe that lacks the typical cushioned sole found on most running shoes have flocked to the Vibrams in droves. At one point last year, it was almost impossible to find the Fivefingers in stock anywhere on-line, and they continue to sell at a rapid clip (the soon-to-be released, running-specific Vibram Fivefingers Bikila is shown in the image to the left). As a Vibram runner myself, I view them as a fantastic tool for strengthening your feet and legs, but caution is recommended – do to much to soon in these shoes and you risk injury for your tender, shoe-softened feet. You can read a recent post by Michael B. on the dailymile Community Blog to learn more about the Vibram Fivefingers.
Newton Running Shoes
The Newton line of running shoes distinguish themselves by being designed specifically for those people who land on their forefoot/midfoot when they run, and for those people desiring to transition to this style of running. Newton’s have a unique system of “actuator lugs” under the forefoot that absorb shock upon impact and then release it on toe off – Newton calls this Action/Reaction Technology™. I have a pair of Newton Sir Isaac shoes, and they certainly have a different feel about them – the heel is noticeably lower, and the forefoot noticeably more cushioned than in a typical shoe. I haven’t put in enough miles in mine to pass a good judgment, but a number of dailymilers swear by the Newton shoes. If you’re a forefoot striker, and a small population of runners are, then these are really the only shoes designed specifically with you in mind (unless, of course, you want to forgo cushioning and run barefoot or in Vibrams). The major downside of the Newtons is price – most models will run you $150+.
Nike Free
The Nike Free line of shoes is designed to simulate running barefoot, and in terms of flexibility and weight they do a very good job of it. Nike rates the Free’s on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being barefoot and 10 being a typical shoe, and they’ve had models rated at 3, 5, and 7. I personally own a pair of the Nike Free 3.0’s, and they’re one of my all time favorites – light as a feather, ridiculously flexible, and extremely comfortable. I’ve put in well over 200 miles in my Free 3.0’s, and they’re still going strong. Where the Free’s don’t quite live up to the barefoot-like claim is in the presence of a cushioned heel, but despite this I’d still call them a fairly minimalist shoe. The Free 5.0 (see picture to the left) is a popular model these days, and Nike has a new model called the Free Run+ set to be released sometime this year.
Z-CoiL
The Z-CoiL shoes look like a typical running shoe with one major difference – they have a giant spring stuck on the heel, kind of like Nike Shox on steroids. If you don’t buy the argument that cushioned heels on shoes are unnecessary, then the Z-CoiL might just be the perfect shoe for you! For those of you who like to head off the beaten path, they make hiking versions as well to help you avoid impact on that oh-so-hard dirt. Now, I’m sure this monster spring might do a good job of absorbing shock, but the last thing a runner wants to do is bound through the air like Michael Jordan while on the move. Furthermore, it seems to me that raising the heel that high off the ground is an ankle sprain waiting to happen. Whe it comes to the Z-CoiL, I think I’ll pass.
Asics Kayano 16
Listen up ladies – Asics has designed the shoe you’ve been waiting for! A new version of the Asics Kayao 16 actually adapts to the hormone levels in your body to provide just the right amount of cushioning for those special times in your ovulatory cycle when you need that extra bit of padding under your feet. Apparently, when you’re at the most fertile stage of your cycle, your arch drops, and when you’re menstruating, the arch rises back up (now that this cat’s out of the bag, expect sales of ovulation predictor kits to tank in favor of a simple foot inspection!). These shoes supposedly adjust cushioning to respond to the rising and falling of the arch, so those hormone driven changes in foot structure can be compensated for. Color me skeptical. Now, if only Asics could design a shoe for me that also senses my wife’s hormone levels and makes me run really fast during that certain special time of the month – the Asics PMS has a nice ring to it, and by PMS I mean “Perfect My Stride” of course (man do I hope she never reads this…). If you want to read more about this “menstrual shoe,” check out this article from the Daily Mail.
Gravity Defyer
You might think it would be impossible to find a shoe that combines the best features of the previous two in this post, but I think I’ve succeeded. The Gravity Defyer Ballistic combines the spring-heel of the Z-CoiL (though in this case the springs are internal and a bit smaller), with a snappy logo that appears to be a swimming sperm. I’m not sure if this resemblance was intentional, but when I think about running fast and strong, the first thing that pops into my head is the graceful stroke of a sperm’s wiggling tail. It’s like they were reading my mind! Now, guys, if you really want to impress the ladies on your next group run, go out and buy a pair of the Ballistics – and if any of them happen to be wearing the Kayano 16’s, keep a close eye on their feet – here’s betting you see those arches drop. For another great take on these amazingly cool shoes, check out this great post by Downtown Runner.
The author of this post, Peter L., is a runner from Concord, NH. You can view Peter’s dailymile profile page, or read more about his running adventures on his personal blog, Runblogger.
warrior dash
We (“The Run Club Core”) completed the Warrior Dash course in the hills of the North Georgia Mountains on Sunday, May 23, 2010. I’ll never forget the chant, “We are Warriors, We are Warriors, We are Warriors” as the crowd cheered us on.
The Warrior Dash is definitely an event more than just a race. It’s like a mini-Woodstock to those who are old enough to remember the 1969 event in Bethel, New York. There was a stage with a band playing the entire time – music by Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and many more. There was of course lots beer and turkey legs to be had, but we all abstained from both. There was an axe throwing booth and a “Warrior Gear” booth. Woodstock didn’t have axe throwing!
Our day started with a bang as we had a pre-event meal at Oinkers. A full BBQ lunch an hour before the race was perfect!
As we lined up to race, it didn’t seem to me that our wave actually had 500 people in it, but I’m bad in math. The event was sold out long ago and each wave had 500 Warriors. Many people probably chickened out? Our Club had several members to do so.
After the count-down and rather unexpected and quite hot blasts of fire from each side of the start gate, we were off. The course was pretty narrow for the amount of people that were running and those Warriors who were trying to win quickly jostled themselves up to the front. For the Run Club, Cox, Gravitt, and Millican hurried to lead the pack. As for myself, I was enjoying running with my son, Ryan, and the other Club members.
All of the 10-12 obstacles were designed to get you muddy and by the way, the organizers were successful in doing that! We were running this event on the second day and most of the waves were already done, so the course was well beaten as more than 10,000 runners had gone before us.. Needless to say the course was slicker than snot on a doorknob! Lots of people ate mud. Franklin was covered head to toe – he was a muddy mess.
The home stretch consisted of the Muddy Mayhem and the Warrior Roast. These are the obstacles you see in the videos. The Muddy Mayhem had barbed wire in place to keep you down in the mud, it was no coincidence that this obstacle was the muddiest right at the end of the race. By the time you’re at the finish line, you’re COVERED in mud. Our only injury came from this part of the race. That mud had rocks in it! Bridges got a boo boo on his knee. He almost bled out!
The Warrior Roast was two rows of fire about a foot tall each time. It was warm, and you surely didn’t want to fall. We all watch, excitedly, two girls in tutus almost beating Skinner and Winstead over the fire. On the other hand we had Grady who had a fire in his belly – he was a man on a mission. Unfortunately, we never saw Cooke, Dale, Holcombe, or Knight. But these guys are true Warriors and made us proud with their performance.
All in all, we had a blast! We scored a great parking place and had awesome food at Oinkers, DQ, and the Varsity. The Warrior Dash once again proved that “it’s all about the coffee”.
The Varsity
ASU Undies Run
May 4, 2010. Tempe, AZ. On the last day of class at Arizona State University, some 17,000 students stripped down to their undies for the http://www.asuundierun.com, an annual run through campus for charity. When it was all over 20,000 articles of clothing and shoes were donated to five charities across the Valley of the Sun (Greater Phoenix area). Sounds like a fun way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Eve.
Thanks to Brooks Guru Dana Forrest for the video. Follow Dana on Twitter at @brooksguru9.
BE A MILER
NATIONAL RUN A MILE DAYs set for May 6-8
Join the American Running Association (ARA) this May 6, 7 or 8 to RUN A MILE. Why the Mile? Is it because all speed is measured in miles per hour? Or is it because the mile is standard unit of distance measurement from one town to the next? Maybe it’s just the best way to start a fitness program in America.
The NATIONAL RUN A MILE DAYs is a great opportunity to get boys and girls interested in getting in shape and measuring their fitness level. It is also a chance to run one of the great track events in history, the mile. Our NATIONAL RUN A MILE DAY celebrates the barrier broken back on May 6, 1954 by Roger Bannister of the United Kingdom who became the first person to break the 4 minute barrier in the mile.
Commit to “BE A MILER”. Your goal can be simple. Run four laps on the track. PE classes in schools can choose either May 6 or May 7 and have all classes in the school participate. Clubs or groups can gather on Saturday May 8 and run the mile.
A racing flat that’s green (and fast)!
It’s no secret. When it comes to sustainability, it’s time for running gear to lead the way, not follow. With our usual passion, Brooks has embraced this challenge. The result is the Green Silence—available now—a groundbreaking advance in running shoes that will not be kept quiet.
By utilizing recycled and other earth-friendly components, this striking—and strikingly fast—performance racing shoe breathes new life into the competition category—as well as countless post-race plastic water and sports beverage bottles, rubber that would otherwise be abandoned, and discarded Skid Row, Kix, and Ratt CDs. No wonder the Green Silence has so much personality.
Key Green Features:
- BioMoGo, the world’s first-ever biodegradable midsole for running shoes
- 75% of the shoe’s materials are post-consumer recycled
- Biodegradable insole and collar foams
- Laces, gillies, and reinforced webbing are 100% post-consumer recycled
- Water-based adhesives are used throughout
- All dyes and colorants are non-toxic
- Packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled
Constructed with roughly half as many parts as comparable shoes, the Green Silence requires less petroleum and energy to make. Of course, the shoe manages all of this while delivering the premium performance expected from Brooks.
Reduce your carbon footprint. Move forward. Run Happy®.
Learn more:
Interact with the Green Silence
See the shoe, its specs, and a 360 view and zoom
Explore what powers Green Silence performance
Read the Green Silence press release
Go to the Green Silence Glossary of Terms
boston
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team fury: granite grinder half marathon
This race has it all! No mile was the same as the next! Running across the giant granite slab sections seemed like I was running on a different planet! The river side trails, and stream crossings added to the fun! The root covered single tracks provided challenging uphill and downhill passages through the trees. The grassy meadow crossings took my breathe away (nope, it was the hills!). I did enjoy this adventurous race — it did push me to the limit!
Randy Gravitt was the only other Run Club members to take on this challenge. We stayed together for about 8 miles, but as the race progressed, Randy was getting stronger and I was bonking. He represented Team Fury well! Here’s Randy making sure I didn’t go the wrong way!
Toughest half marathon out of the 15 I have run. Hills, roots, rocks, creeks. single track, technical, pasture, granite, more hills. Fell down running on a single track downhill. Ouch!
Team Fury’s race results: Gravitt 2:21:17 and Swinford 2:27:40
New Brooks Cascadia 5 felt great.
Do the Unthinkeable
Great video by a great man. Scott finished ahead of me at the 2007 ING Georgia Marathon. He is an inspiration ….
Garmin Forerunner 110 Great for DailyMilers
The author of this post, John H, is a GPS enthusiast and runner from Pleasanton, California. Add him as a friend or view his training log on DailyMile
Garmin just announced the newest member of their Forerunner gps-enabled fitness monitors, the Forerunner 110.
The 110 is the sleekest member of the Forerunner family. It looks like an ordinary wrist watch. Many of the previous Garmin models are quite large. I’m a total geek and don’t mind running with a computer strapped to my body. I think a lot of people will like the style of the 110.
I’m a GPS hobbyist and enjoy helping my friends learn how to use their Garmin’s for running. I’ve used both a 305 and a 310XT. Both are very powerful training tools with lots of features. They have routes, GPS navigation, laps, splits times, and advanced workouts. These features are pretty awesome if you follow a detailed training plan or run in the wilderness and want to use your GPS to find your way home. Most people don’t want or need these features and never use them. It just takes too much time to master the complexity.
The 110 is a great design. It eliminates the frustration associated with the older Garmin models while putting the most useful features into a stylish and comfortable package. It’s sleek and small. The important data fields are prominently displayed. You won’t get confused navigating complex menus. And most importantly, you won’t look like a geek wearing this on your wrist.
Best of all, you can upload your activities from your Garmin Forerunner 110 to DailyMile and share them with your friends. The 110 uses the Ant+ wireless synch to connect to a Mac or PC. From there you can easily upload to DailyMile using the Garmin Sync feature.
If you’ve been considering buying a Garmin but were waiting for a sleeker and easier device, take a look at the Garmin Forerunner 110.
The author of this post, John H, is a GPS enthusiast and runner from Pleasanton, California. Add him as a friend or view his training log on DailyMile
boston’s fastest streaker
The Boston Marathon in 2007 is one of my greatest running memories. I thought my readers would enjoy this article.
PA’s S. Mark Courtney returns for Boston #31 in 2010
As featured in the May 2010 issue of Running Times Magazine
“In high school I set two goals to reach before I turned 40,” says S. Mark Courtney (who goes by his middle name and the initial of his first name, which he makes people guess). “To get my pilot’s license and to run Boston.” He never earned that pilot’s license, but he ran Boston 17 times by the time he turned 40, and at 54, he’s still going strong. 2009 marked the 30th year in a row that Courtney finished the Boston Marathon.
I
t all started in 1980. Boston was the premier race in the country, and qualifying times were getting stricter. Courtney’s 3:02:14 finish time placed him just over the 50th percentile. “Little did I know I’d get faster than that over the years,” he says.
Indeed, his average finishing time for all 30 Bostons is 2:47:08, with a course PR of 2:31:58, run in 1986. His slowest time, 3:06:58, is from 1996, when he limped across the finish line with a leg cramp. Last year, when he was 53, Courtney ran 3:00:45, over a minute faster than he managed on his first race in Boston.
There are men who have run more consecutive races than Courtney, but none of them can match his consistent quality. His 30-race average, and the average of his 25 best times (2:44:03) are unofficial records, as determined from data kept by Boston’s Quarter Century Club.
Now, with a young daughter and a booming race timing business, Courtney’s mileage is the lowest it has been in over 20 years and he is beginning to wonder if he’ll ever dip under 3 hours again. But 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade and he is now training with renewed motivation as he tries to become the first person to run a sub-3-hour marathon in five decades.
For most of the year, Courtney runs less than 30 miles per week. Although he’ll try to get in some long runs of 10-15 miles as the marathon approaches he has come to realize that, with a lifetime total of 85,000-plus miles and decades of races under his belt, he doesn’t need the 20-milers anymore.
Courtney acknowledges that he has been lucky to have completely avoided injury problems. Dec. 19, 2009, marked 30 years of running without missing a day. “One mile counts as a run, but I have very few 1-mile days on the books,” he says. “Usually the least I run is 3 miles.
“I’ve never been injured to the point where I had to take a day off,” he says. “I don’t know what I’ve done right or wrong, but I’ve been very fortunate.” For many years he would make a practice of jumping into races that he was timing. After being stuck behind the computer, entering runners into the timing system until minutes before the gun went off, “I’d grab my shoes, race the 5K and 16 minutes later I’m back in the truck to score the race,” he recalls. No warm-up, no cool-down, no injuries.
His wife, Debbie, is also a marathoner with a 13-year Boston streak to her credit. They split up most weekends to time different races, and on busy weekends he could have six crews at additional events. Through the fall cross country season, they often have races to time every day of the week — on top of his day job as a physician’s assistant.
To assist with his chip timing system, he and his cousin created a machine that bags and scans chips automatically, so he doesn’t have to go through the slow process of registering and packing the chips by hand. He now bags chips for big races across the U.S., as well as internationally. When you pick up your chip and number at Boston this year, know that it has been through the machine in Mark’s basement.
Boston isn’t Courtney’s only streak: He’s run Pittsburgh’s Great Race 10K 25 times in a row and 28 times total. He missed the first year, and two other years because he was timing it. He’s also run a four race series called the Twilight Quad in his hometown of Grove City, Pa., 26 times. “I missed the second year because I stubbed my toe. If I’d known it would go so long, I wouldn’t have missed it,” he says.
The last race in the Twilight Quad series has come to be known as “Courtney’s Ice Cream Race.” Last year, for the 100th running (25 years of four races each summer), 800 runners showed up from a town of 7,000 people, and they ate 128 gallons of ice cream. You can probably guess who provides the ice cream.
The timing business has allowed him to maintain a connection with the world of competitive running, even as he is slowing. Courtney says, “As I get older I can appreciate the business part of it more.”
But the business part of it is based, in large part, on the participant experience. Courtney would no sooner give up the timing business than he would stop taking part in the game that has lasted over 30 years. “I’ll be 84 when I [tie Johnny Kelley's record of] 61 Bostons. Anything can happen at any given time but I have all intentions of going back to Boston each year.”
running the race against cancer
Running the Race Against Cancer —Any Distance and Pace, any Location and Race.
Most of you have already picked out your racing events for this spring and summer, so why not make those races mean something more, something greater? Put more meaning—and reward—into every racing stride.
By Skip Cleaver
Redefine your personal best: Race for Dana-Farber
Did you know the next race you run could help find cancer cures? Join Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Running the Race Against Cancer® program and compete as an individual or as part of an official team while supporting Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund’s mission to conquer all forms of cancer.
Why you should run for Dana-Farber & the Jimmy Fund
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, located in Boston, Massachusetts, provides expert, compassionate care to children and adults across the globe and is home to revolutionary cancer discoveries. Since its founding in 1948, the Jimmy Fund has raised millions of dollars through thousands of community efforts to advance Dana-Farber’s lifesaving mission.
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Choose your own race and pace
Through the Running the Race Against Cancer® program, you can run in any race, of any distance, in any city around the world while raising critical funds to benefit Dana-Farber in its pursuit to eradicate cancer. You set your own pace by choosing your racing event and establishing your own fundraising goals, with DFCI providing support every step of the way. Registering is easy. Once you’ve chosen your event and secured your race entry through the race’s official registration process, visit RunDanaFarber.org to officially join the Running the Race Against Cancer® program. All participants receive a personalized fundraising web page, fundraising incentives, and online tools that help you spread the word to everyone know that you’re racing toward the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.
Join the team
You can also do your part to help fight this disease by joining an official Dana-Farber Team in one of a select group of races. As a team member, you will receive a race entry, Dana-Farber racing jersey, training support, and fundraising help to reach the team fundraising minimum requirement. Dana-Farber currently has teams in the following events: B.A.A. Half Marathon®, Bermuda International Race Weekend, Falmouth Road Race, and New York City Marathon.®
Want to learn more about joining an official team, or picking your own race to run?
Visit the Running the Race Against Cancer® website at: www.RunDanaFarber.org
Join the Facebook group! Search for “Running the Race Against Cancer,” to become a member of the Facebook group, and start connecting with other runners.
Connect w/ Text! Make a gift by texting “Jimmy” to 2022 to give $10 to the Jimmy Fund.
Your $10 gift will be charged to your mobile phone or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message and data rates may apply. Service available on most carriers. Full terms and conditions at www.hmgf.org/t. Text HELP to 20222 for help. Text STOP to 20222 to cancel.
For more information about Dana-Farber Cancer Institute visit: www. DanaFarber.org
Endomondo
I like to provide my readers with options on tools for tracking their activities. I’m currently not using Endomondo, but it looks like an interesting tool for athletes.
Endomondo’s Concept
Are you into running, cycling, walking, skiing, kayaking, roller skating – or other sports involving movement across a distance? Endomondo makes your experience even more exciting! Endomondo.com is the place where you automatically track all your sports data and set up and monitor your personal goals. At Endomondo.com you meet like-minded friends, get inspired by them, challenge them and follow their activities… live! So whether you are into just following your personal achievements or whether you wish to place yourself in a larger network of sports partners that challenge and support each other’s efforts – Endomondo.com is your new world of endorphins.
You will get the most out of Endomondo.com with a GPS mobile phone or a Garmin GPS watch. Free of charge, you can download the software to most common GPS phones directly from the website. In our FAQ, you can see a list of all the GPS devices you can use with Endomondo.
Sign up at Endomondo.com, and if you want to use your mobile, click on the Download link and you will receive a text message with a link to the free program. You are now only a few steps away from a completely new way of doing sports. Join us… get out there and free your endorphins!
one day without shoe: april 8th
Our Run Club has decided to support One Day Without Shoes. Feel free to join us!
Hey, our friends from TOMS are having their 3rd annual One Day Without Shoes, Thursday April 8th. One Day Without Shoes is an annual barefoot holiday to spread awareness of the fact that most children in developing countries grow up without shoes.
They invite you to pledge to join or start your own barefoot walk. It might be cold, it could be uncomfortable, and your feet will certainly get dirty, but you will help raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life (and we always have a good time too).
The facts:
· In many developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
· Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
· Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
· In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
· Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.
You’re also welcome to walk for 5 minutes or a 1/2 mile, anything you can accommodate. RSVP to join us at OneDayWithoutShoes.com.
Pass the word to your office, church community, friends, family, and neighbors. Get out and take a walk with us on April 8th. Global change always starts with a passionate group of locals!
best basketball team ever!
ING Part 4: Love that bling!
Bling! That’s it, the bling. I have 9 marathon and 14 half marathon medals. It never gets old. Each medal is a reminder of hard work, dedication, commitment, and achievement.
More ING Bling!
And more Bling …
What race bling have you earned?
ING Part 3: It’s all about the coffee
Running events with others makes the experience special. It’s not about running side-by-side with someone, but knowing that others are experiencing the same thing as you. There were seven of us running the ING. It was great sharing our experiences after the race. As I mentioned in my previous post, we have motto, “it’s all about the coffee” — that is, we go through life together.
Here’s a short video of the start of the race. I’m in black shorts and a grey Street Grace shirt:
And here are our results!
Don Swinford #6310 – Brooks ID Team, Run Club USA, & Street Grace Running Team
Fayetteville, GA
| Clock Time | 1:54:16 |
| Chip Time | 1:52:38 |
| Pace | 8:36 |
Bret Giles #7057 – Run Across Georgia Team for American Cancer Society
Dunwoody, GA
| Clock Time | 2:00:36 |
| Chip Time | 1:58:58 |
| Pace | 9:05 |
Ken Speir #17294 – Run Club USA & Samaritans Purse
Newnan, GA
| Clock Time | 1:56:15 |
| Chip Time | 1:54:22 |
| Pace | 8:44 |
Mark Speir #6966 – Samaritans Purse
Boone, NC
| Clock Time | 1:40:46 |
| Chip Time | 1:38:52 |
| Pace | 7:33 |
Rick Harrell #17497 – Run Club USA
Peachtree City, GA
| Clock Time | 2:11:57 |
| Chip Time | 2:10:19 |
| Pace | 9:57 |
Charles Holcombe #2068 – Run Club USA
Newnan, GA
| Clock Time | 2:09:13 |
| Chip Time | 2:06:18 |
| Pace | 9:39 |
Eric Homansky #15639 – Brooks ID
Smyrna, GA
| Clock Time | 1:33:00 |
| Chip Time | 1:32:56 |
| Pace | 7:06 |
It was awesome to be a part of this event with these guys.
Who are are your running partners?
ING Part 2: It’s takes a village?
In this year’s ING Georgia Half Marathon I was representing three organizations. Brooks ID Team, Run Club USA, and Street Grace.
Brooks ID – This was my first race as a Brooks ID’er. I was disappointed because my Brooks uniform hasn’t arrived yet, but I ran the race with pride in my Brooks Launch. The Brooks ID Team is a group of runners across the country whose purpose is to inspire other daily. Obviously a key component is to promote and expand the Brooks brand which is easy for me since I love Brooks’ shoes and apparel.
Run Club USA – As one of the founders of Run Club USA, we have pursued making this the best Run Club on the planet. We don’t have big events, fancy uniforms, or world class runners, but we do have a group of guys who meets weekly to go through life together. Our motto is, “it’s all about the coffee”. It’s always an honor to represent our Club at events.
Street Grace – I have supported Street Grace for over a year financially, but this was my first opportunity to be a part of Street Grace Running Team. Street GRACE is dedicated to supporting, enlarging, and allying with those individuals and organizations working toward eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Street Grace’s ultimate goal is the elimination of this problem in the city of Atlanta and duplication of these efforts in other cities across the United States. If you didn’t get a chance to support me for the ING event, you can donate now to Street Grace.
Again, it was an honor to run for the Brooks ID Team, Run Club USA, and Street Grace. It may not take a village, but each of us should reach out to impact others.
Who do you run for?
ING Part 1: It Gets Better Every Year
I have participated in the ING Georgia Marathon or Half Marathon every year since the inaugural race in 2007. In two of those years I have set a PR in my half marathon (2008, 2010).
The ING is noted for a lot of positive things, but being a fast course it is not! I call it the race of “turns and hills”. That’s why I’m amazed at achieving PRs at the ING. Maybe I like pain! Or maybe running in the ATL, on my home turf, motivates me.
Here are some of the hilly streets we ran: Marietta Street, Piedmont Ave, Central Park, Baker Street, Edgewood, Euclid, Briarcliff Road, Freedom Parkway, North Highlands, Virginia Ave, Park Drive, 10th Street, Juniper, Techwood, and back to Marietta Street. And this list doesn’t include all of the additional streets the marathoners ran.
This is an exciting event, with more than 16,000 runners. Each year they find ways to improve the ING. This week I will be writing several posts about my experience running the ING. Please check back to read my race report.
are you a warrior?
Run Club USA will be participating in the Warrior Dash on May 23rd at 2:00 PM. This will be an awesome event for our Club. There’s still time to sign up. Do it now!
no shoes, run bare
RUNBARE is devoted to inspiring runners and non-runners alike to run and walk barefoot for a better, healthier injury free lifestyle.
In the Summer of 2009, Co-Founders Jessica Lee and Michael Sandler launched the Barefoot Running Club in Boulder CO. In three short months, the the club has been featured on the front page story for the Denver Post sports section and appeared in the November issue of the Competitor. Meanwhile, Michael Sandler has been interviewed for an upcoming documentary on ultra endurance athletes and has been contacted by athletes and experts across the country about the club and RUNBARE. The club’s huge success inspired Jessica and Michael to launch a RUNBARE, barefoot running school to help people looking to heal, to get back into running, to overcome adversity, reconnect with nature, and find a different way of living.
What are your thoughts on running barefoot?
tracking race results
Another good social network for Athlete is Athlinks. Athlinks is both the largest and most complete results database for endurance races on the planet, and a fully-featured social network built specifically for the endurance athlete community. They add over one million results to the database each month from several thousand endurance races including running (road races, track and field, cross country), triathlon (any multi-sport), swimming, cycling (TTs and crits), mountain biking and more.
social training for runners, triathletes, and cyclists
That race was great, but how do I stay in-touch with the people I just met? And how can I find people to train with in a different city? Providing an answer for these questions drove the creation of dailymile. The founders of dailymile wanted to find a better way for athletes to sign-up for races, share workouts, and meet participants. Participating in a race doesn’t end after you submit payment. It’s the daily journey of training, learning, and sharing. As athletes, each day for us is an adventure filled with lessons learned and friends made. We share these experiences with one another through dailymile.
I have been using dailymile for about a year. It’s a lot like Facebook, but with a focus on training. It has been a great tool to connect with other runners around the world. Take a look at my profile and see if you like what DM can do.
Run Strong!
racevine
about racevine
Regardless of the race you are training for (5Ks, marathons, ironman triathlons, etc), there are many questions that need to be answered before doing the actual race! For example, “How am I going to get to the start line?”, “Are there enough porta-potties?”, “What airport should I fly into?”, and the list goes on.
Racevine was built to answer one simple question:
“Where do I find everything about my race?”
From the first timer to the veteran runner/triathlete, Racevine can address all your concerns ranging from “How do I plan my race schedule this year?” to “Is this a first-timer friendly race?” Also, you may wondering “Is there a race I can do in San Diego this August?.” Or “How do I let everyone know how much I loved the Boston Marathon last year?”
Racevine can answer all of these questions. Founded in 2009 by Gregory Lou – a fellow runner and triathlete, it is a site built by racers/computer geeks for the racing community to share their experiences with others.
Find and review your race with us and say “I heard it through the Racevine!”
Information obtained from racevine’s website.
Brooks ID Team
I received great news this week from Brooks Running Shoes that I have been selected to be a part of the Brooks ID Running Team for 2010. Over the past 8 years I have purchased every name brand running shoe on the market, but Brooks has stood out as the best.
As you’ll see in the picture below I have a love for Brooks shoes. Check out the Launch, ST4, Cascadia 5; Trance NXR, Adrenaline GTS 8 and 4s, etc. Currently I’m using the Launch for mid to long runs, ST4 for tempo / interval training, and Cascadia 5 for Trail running.
The Brooks ID Program has a lot of cool benefits. I feel fortunate to make the cut! I will make Run Club USA proud.
Run Happy! Run in Brooks!
Run Club USA is ….
VISION
To be the best run club on the planet we inhabit
PURPOSE
The Run Club USA exists to help people achieve their wildest dreams and at the same time encourage them to develop and grow relationships.
CREED
“it’s all about the coffee”
CORE VALUES
- Confrontational Accountability
- Obsessively Committed to Whatever
- Fearless Pursuit of Goals
- Focus on Results
- Empower Personal Growth
- Expand Sphere of Influence
OBJECTIVES
- Build lasting relationships
- Encourage one another to achieve personal goals
- Advance the concept of community
- Never remain silent on the truth – debate relentlessly
- Serve others
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- We really love and appreciate our good members. They are the reason for our success and we want to make sure we keep them happy. It is for this reason we actively seek to discourage certain personality types from joining the Run Club. These people just tee everybody off and spoil the fun for everyone else.
- The Run Club is not a politically correct organization. If you are easily offended, then there is a good possibility that you will be offended here. The Run Club was not designed to be a “feel good” club. We call it like we see it.
- The Run Club is not a fraternity, it is a privately operated club and as such we enforce a very strict “No-Whining” policy. We are sorry if you are offended by obnoxious comments, or if you feel that the feedback you receive is too harsh, but if you need to have total control over your environment then you really need to stay home.
- As a Run Club member you do not have rights. The Founding Members are the only ones with rights and we reserve the right to rescind your membership, especially if we think that you’re a great big jerk. We strive to keep the Run Club an official “Idiot-Free Zone” at all times, so if you’re acting like an idiot we’ll be sure to let you know, right before we kick you out.
- We know that we can’t please all of the members all of the time and the Run Club has absolutely no intention of trying. We are a small, privately-owned club. Unlike the running clubs in your local communities, we really don’t want to please everyone. We believe that when you try to please everyone, you end up catering to the lowest common denominator. That’s something we really don’t want any part of. Then we’d end up average and ordinary, and we’d have to tolerate jerks. No thanks. Our operation has been designed to welcome and serve only that group of people who appreciate what we do, and how we do it.
I’m currently posting at Face it … Fight it … Beat it . Come join the conversation.
going dark for a while
Check out all my previous post.
Enjoy
Ryan and Sara Hall named Visa Humanitarian Athletes of the Year
By Vicky Oddi, USATF
Posted Tuesday, 1 December, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS - 2008 Olympian Ryan Hall and his wife, 1,500m runner Sara Hall, who in 2009 started The STEPS Foundation, have been named Visa Humanitarian Athletes of the Year by USA Track & Field.
The Halls will be honored on Saturday, December 5 at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind. The event is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2009 Annual Meeting.
In 2009, Ryan Hall finished third in the Boston Marathon, running 2:09:40. It was the first time an American male has finished on the podium since 1984. Hall then finished fourth overall in the ING NYC Marathon in 2:10:36 to take second in the USA Championship race. Also in New York this year, Sara Hall took third place in the Fifth Avenue Mile in a race that was so close that first through fourth place all finished in 4:23.
In September of this year, the Halls launched the Hall Steps Foundation, which will fund programs to create a better life for youth living in poverty in the United States and abroad. The foundation aims to use running’s lessons to encourage people to take “small steps” toward the goal of tackling issues like clean water, sex trafficking, and leadership development. Domestically, the foundation plans to create mentoring programs for at-risk youth to train for a race with an adult runner.
Said Sara, “Ryan and I are very honored to receive this award, and wish we could be there to accept it in person! Both of us hope through our charitable work, including founding The Hall Steps Foundation, to leave a positive mark on our sport and inspire lives along the way! Our goal through The Hall Steps Foundation is to engage the running community is social justice efforts, and we are excited to see the response of the running community so far! We are very thankful to Visa and USATF for providing us with events and a platform on which to compete, and it is great to give back with all we’ve been blessed with. We will be using the funds from the award to go towards our social justice efforts through The Hall Steps Foundation. Thank you very much!”
The Halls announced their foundation in September in New York, where Sara ran the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile that weekend and Ryan the ING New York City Marathon on November 1. They donated their winnings from those races to the foundation. Their charitable venture is a function of Fun 4 Kidz, an organization providing opportunities for disadvantaged children.
The Hall Steps Foundation, in connection with the New York Road Runners, also funded a Young Runners program in each of the five boroughs in New York City, helping more than 200 children learn the value of running.
“Ours can by its very nature be a selfish sport, but we are blessed that many American track and field athletes give back to their communities,” USATF CEO Doug Logan said, “Sarah and Ryan Hall are incredible examples of how a humble selflessness can make running a vehicle to help others. That charity is a prime motivator for both of them is an example we can all learn from, in running and in life. It is with great admiration that I congratulate Ryan and Sara on receiving this richly deserved award.”
“As a long-standing partner of USA Track & Field, Visa is proud to present the Visa Humanitarian of the Year to Ryan and Sara,” said Michael Lynch, Head of Global Sponsorship Management, Visa Inc. “They are amazing role models and continue to inspire in and out of competition. We’re proud to recognize their work with this award.”
For more information on the Hall Steps Foundation, visit www.thestepsfoundation.org.
About Visa: Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks–VisaNet–that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.
Thanksgiving with the Run Club
Thanksgiving is not a time of rest and relaxation for our members. Besides the normal and enjoyable family things we do, we run. Today we are highlighting a couple of our members:
Dwain Cox
Ran a 19:53 at the Johnson City Turkey Trot 5K (6:24 pace). Great time especially on such hilly course. Over 3000 runners showed up. The runners finished the race by doing a lap on the track at a local high school. A lot of people were in the stands cheering — that’s always cool. Great way for Dr. Cox to start Thanksgiving.
David Millican, Chip Millican, & Alan Reynolds
David, Chip, and Alan met at the Club (Starbux) and ran 9 miles collectively. This was only the second time since 1995 that David hasn’t participated in either the Atlanta Marathon or Half Marathon.
Ambush by @lhenry_wareagle
Don Swinford
Achieved #1 status on Thanksgiving morning in the online community Log-A-Run. After 3 days he remains #1:
Runners who have run the most miles over the last 7 days
a man’s answer to “black friday”
Tony Dungy – I AM SECOND
One of my favorite coaches is now retired NFL Head Coach Tony Dungy. Coach Dungy’s life has been well documented over the years. Here’s a great video of Coach Dungy sharing what is really important in life. I AM SECOND
Running is Painful
On November 14th I wrote a post on, I Now Understand Way we only had 3 members run the Serenbe Trail 15k Race today. Trail running is painful! Today I got my picture from the race and all I could see is pain — in a strange way I could feel the pain again.
Pain - Head-to-Toe
My Calves were about to Explode
Ouch
guess who? caption, please ….
Caption Please ....
available bib number?
Tweet and let me know if you have an available bib number for the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day race at http://twitter.com/RunClubUSA or email me at runclubusa@ymail.com
it’s all about the coffee
The Dream Coffee Cup ….
Unlike T.S. Eliot’s J. Alfred Prufrock, I can’t measure life out in coffee spoons. I tend to lose the darn things. That’s exactly why this self-stirring, self-heating, USB-chargeable coffee cup is the stuff my caffeine-deprived daydreams are made of.
Brando calls it the USB Whirl Wind Warmer Cup and it’s all too lovely. It keeps your beverage at a comfortable 40°C and stirs everything up at the push of a button. You can recharge the cup’s batteries using either an AC outlet or a USB port, so there’s no reason to be left without stirring power.
It’s $37, and it may be my coffee cravings talking, but somehow that doesn’t seem too bad considering how much all my lost spoons add up to. [Brando via Red Ferret]
1000-mile feat
A leading ultra distance runner from Orkney is training for an attempt to become the first person to cover 1,000 miles in under 16 days.
William Sichel, 55, is setting up a training camp in Aviemore to prepare him for his biggest personal challenge so far.
The run next March will see him stop for 40 minutes every five hours to eat and sleep.
He has previously run a 135-mile race in California’s Death Valley.
Caption Please ….
barefoot coffee ….
Our motto is, “it’s all about the coffee”. Occasionally, I will post an article about coffee. I found this one and I liked it because it’s about “Relationships” and I liked the name “Barefoot Coffee” too. We have a few barefoot runners and a lot of coffee drinkers. Enjoy!
people
Producers
Relationship Coffee
Barefoot coffee is all about relationships. It is the hand that crafts the coffee that makes the biggest impact on both the flavor of the coffee and the positive impact that it has around the world. Coffee has a dramatic effect on many thousands of lives in its journey from the finca to the french press. Barefoot is committed to making the impact a positive one. Positive environmentally, socially, financially and personally. We believe in doing business by shaking hands and working on a win-win solution for everyone. The best products are always reserved for friends. Coffee is no different.
Thats why we are developing the Relationship Coffee © program. It is not a save the world through free trade scheme (although we do aim to save our world). It is not a “we buy direct” campaign (although we often do!). And it is not a subsidized pricing system (although we do pay far more for great coffee.).
It is simply an old school way of doing business based on relationships, fairness and quality. It is started with a conversation over coffee, sealed with a handshake after breaking of bread together. It’s a personal relationship with conscientious coffee farmers. It’s just the right thing to do.
It recognizes that great people make the best coffee and that the best coffee is reserved for friends. We wanna be friends with those great coffee farmers! So we do just that.
So what is a Relationship Coffee? ©
To be a Relationship Coffee the farm has to these criteria:
- Consistently high cultivation and processing standards
- Farmed sustainably, using sound environmental practices
- We have visited the farm
- We communicate with regularly and have broken bread with the farmer
- Fully separated microlots
- Farm and Barefoot have 2 or more years of partnership
- Guaranteed to receive at least a 50% higher price than Fair Trade
Sometimes this results in a farm where we buy direct from them and write the checks to them. Other times Barefoot negotiates the quantity, milling and price with the farmer and then contracts an exporter and importer separately to bring the coffee in to the country. Every country has different rules and systems. No farm is exactly the same. But the quality of the coffee and the quality of the people is always high.
These farms are Barefoot’s current Relationship Coffees:
- Finca Vista Hermosa, Guatemala
- Finca San Jose and El Porvenir, El Salvador
- Dominion Trading, Ethiopia
- Aconcagua, El Salvador
- Daterra, Brazil
- Malacara B, El Salvador
Every Saturday morning for the past 6 years we have proved that “it’s all about the coffee”.
Click here to find out more about Barefoot Coffee.
the secret of trail running – FEAR
I Now Understand Why ….
By Don Swinford
I Now Understand Why we only had 3 members run the Serenbe Trail 15k Race today. Trail running is painful! The wet / muddy conditions along with a couple extreme hills made the event a challenge but at the same time the trails were beautiful and scenic. It was cool to run through streams and mud pits.
For the second year in a row Dr. Dwain Cox won his age group for this race. He won this event in spite of falling down early in the race due to being tripped by a fellow runner.
I had a very difficult race. In addition to the hills and mud, I twisted my ankle on mile 7. All of my muscles and joints are hurting. My ankle is the least of my concern as I write this post. However, I love trail running. Can’t wait to do another one. Here’re my splits: 7.54 (too fast); 9.48; 9.56; 9.09; 10.21; 9.43; 11.59 (twisted ankle); 11.24; 9.48; and 2.26. Started too fast and finished flat.
Alan Reynolds ran a steady and strong race. He stayed focused and had a great run. He demonstrated why he’s a Sensei.
run worldwide – november 16-20
New deal every morning at 9am all next week!
Quantities are limited. The clock is ticking.Get a jump on these exclusive, limited-time offers. Let us send them to you each morning! Check it daily, check it early for amazing discounts.
No forms to fill out! Just click here to receive email notifications all next week.
If you would like to sign up for our deal of the day E-mails rather than checking the web site each day, you can use this link:
http://www.runworldwide.com/Default.aspx?tabid=766
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tracks workout miles
About a year ago we covered Plus 3 Network, the service that tracks consumers’ workout miles and then converts them into charitable donations. Danish Endomondo offers similar workout-tracking capabilities but with a focus on personal and competitive motivations instead.
Now in beta, Endomondo is designed to help users keep track of their sports activities, challenge their friends and then follow them live while they are working out. With a focus on distance sports—including running, biking, hiking and kayaking, for example—the site supports most GPS mobile phones and Garmin devices. Users begin by downloading Endomondo’s free software onto their device. They then bring the device whenever they run, walk, bike or participate in any other distance sport. The technology automatically tracks their course along with their distance covered, end time, average speed, split time, calories burned, and more. Users can also choose to enter their workouts manually. Either way, they can then view their complete training log, challenge their friends and follow their progress, create teams, find buddies and follow their activities. They can also find new routes, draw new ones and share their favorite ones with others.
Launched about a year ago, Endomondo also offers corporate versions of its technology including company challenges, weekly status reports and superior technical support. Those in health and fitness: how about offering a like-minded service to your own paying members, possibly as a free perk…? (Related: Site matches motivation ‘buddies’ with shared goals.)
Website: www.endomondo.com
Contact: feedback@endomondo.com
world run day
Today was my first World Run Day Event. I ran the 7.2k event in Peachtree City, Georgia. Mission Accomplished!
world run day
New Product
To reduce the number of plastic water bottles that end up in landfills, consumers are encouraged to buy reusable bottles. Since those can be bulky to carry along, a company in Thousand Oaks, California designed an alternative. Vapur is a reusable water bottle that flattens when empty. Like a regular bottle, it stands upright when full. But when it’s empty, users can fold or roll it up to stick it in a pocket or a purse.
Made of ultra-durable three-ply, BPA-free polymer, Vapur bottles can be cleaned in a dishwasher’s top rack and can be frozen to keep water cool. Vapur’s eco-creds aren’t limited to their day-to-day use: since the bottles can be shipped flat, they’re also greener to ship from manufacturer to distributors and consumers. All in all, it’s an innovative way to make it more convenient for consumers to drink and carry tap water. Also of interest is that the product was developed in-house by design agency Tonic, as part of their strategy to create and spin off products of their own.
Website: www.vapur.us
Contact: www.thinktonic.com/contact-us.php
What can you do in Vibram fivefingers? You name it.
- In to running? Go run a 5 mile race, a 5K, a half-marathon (in New York or Chicago), marathon, triathlon, or ultramarathon. Or just sprint! And yeah, you can POSE in VFFs, too.
- Want to take things slower? Go for a walk.
- Discover your city through the lens of your feet.
- Maybe you’re tired of the ground, so go skydiving or hang gliding in your VFFs!
- Or you can get vertical and climb a waterfall, a random rock wall, street light, or tree.
- If you prefer the watery depths, VFFs work with scuba fins, too! Or just go rafting (FiveFinger Flows a plus, but KSOs work fine!).
- Or perhaps you prefer fishing? What about kayaking?
- And then there’s hiking, which is a great way to get grounded (And many, many VFFers are enjoying the sensations of being almost barefoot in mother nature!).
- You can even go to work with KSOs modded for “dress mode!”
- How about wearing KSOs on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart?
- Need a break from the grind? Go explore Grenada, vacay in Hawaii, or relax in Jamaica. Or perhaps you’d rather play shuffleboard on a cruise or go camping in France.
- If you’re flying anywhere, sometimes you can even get through airport security without having to take off your fivefingers.
- Your “dogs killing you?” Then you must not have VFFs! Dogs give two paws up for fivefingers.
- Think fivefingers are funny? Then try improv in them!
- Watch some fireworks, grill out, and chill out on Independence Day.
- Go to a baseball game at Fenway Park or play a game of kickball.
- Go long-boarding.
- Want to lift heavy things? Be a “hard living comrade” and swing a kettlebell! Or try kettlebell certs and boot camps in them!
- You can march in a parade while playing the fife or, if you prefer, grab a trident and paint yourself blue.
- Not only do fivefingers work for putt-putt (or you might know it as “mini golf”); they also do fine for golfing.
- You can even impress your girlfriend by getting her a pair of VFFs!
- If that’s not enough, you can even get married.
As you can see, it’s really not “What can I do in my Vibram fivefingers?” It’s “What can’t I do in my VFFs?”
http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php
A Marriage Retreat that ROCKS!
by Don Swinford
If you know me, you know that I hate Marriage Retreats – with a passion! Marriage Retreats sole purpose is to destroy men. As you sit in a circle or around a camp fire the retreat leader will ask the guys, “Tell the group how you feel?”, “Share with the group how you have failed your wife (family)”, “Why do you put your job ahead of your wife (family)”, and on and on.
The leader will not stop badgering until at least one man cries. There are always tears and then some of the weaker men will begin hugging each other. The retreat will end with the men saying their wedding vows again to their wives. They make commitments they will never keep. And finally, the criers and huggers are so embarrassed and ashamed of their wimpy behavior that they go undercover until the memory of that dreaded weekend dies.
Not this guy and not his wife – we won’t fall into the Marriage Retreat trap. She’s so cool. She hates them too! Thank you Lord!
My wife (@feliciaswinford) is so innovative and creative; she designed the perfect Marriage Retreat for us. We tried it out his past weekend. It’s called A Marriage Retreat that ROCK! (aka The Five Commandments of a Marriage Retreat).
I. “Thou shall be alone.” Other couples cannot attend your Marriage Retreat! Just husband and wife, no one else. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Dillard House
Cloudland Canyon
II. “Thou shall eat lots of good food!” That rocks too! This is second on the list because cool stuff happens while sharing a meal (you share dreams, disappointments, goals, and life, etc.)
Dillard House
Big River - Killer Fish Tacos
III. “Thou shall communicate.” And if needed, use words! Pay attention, listen carefully, hold hands, and you know the rest. Just do it! It’s just the right thing to do.
Communicate Over Ice Creme
Communicate Over Popcorn
And More Popcorn
IV. “Thou shall have fun.” No if ands and buts are allowed. Do things that are fun. Fun things create lasting memories. Make it happen.
#1 at Waterfall at Cloudland Canyon
#2 at Tallulah Gorge in the Fog
V. “Thou shall take a little time to be alone.” Take a nap, read a book, or go for a run. The reason it is last on the list is because you only take alone time if that’s what your spouse wants to do. Put her first!
#2 Rock Climbing
#1 Site Seeing
@feliciaswinford ROCKS! She coordinated our weekend in Dillard, Chattanooga, and Cloudland Canyon and I must say this is the best Marriage Retreat ever!
A Marriage Retreat that ROCKS!
city running tours
Here’s a cool business venture ….
Share your love of running with us as we share our city with you! City Running Tours offers guided running tours of New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC and Charleston and soon many more. Whether you are a recreational runner continuing your daily routine or training for a marathon and need to get your miles in, City Running Tours is here to accommodate your needs as a runner and a tourist. Choose your distance and the sights you want to see, then let us share the history, urban myths and the unofficial landmarks that make these cities unique.
run club at its BEST
the human race update
Two of the founders of Run Club USA, Alan Reynolds and Don Swinford, ran the Nike Human Race 10k today. The race started at 8:30 AM EST. Both men ran hard and finished the race side-by-side.
It was an amazing race for both Sensei’s. Just Do It!
The Human Race
Swinsei has entered the Nike Human Race on Sunday, October 24, 2009. Find out more at The Human Race.
gym technik
As attractive as those tight-fitting workout clothes might be, there’s not much room to carry a notebook and pencil. With this in mind, Gym Technik created a digital tool that allows fitness buffs to track workouts and analyse their progress using something they’re likely to have with them anyway: their phone.
Users can set up a Gym Technik account online at home, and then use their smartphone to access routines and data while at the gym, where they can also input data on weights, sets and reps, and track their performance with progress charts and graphs. Collected data can be submitted to Gym Technik’s personal trainers for advice about achieving fitness goals, and users can access an extensive library of trainer-approved workouts. Gym Technik guarantees that its basic edition will remain free, but is working on a premium (paid) service.
While similar apps are available for the iPhone, there’s still room for entrepreneurs to create mobile offerings beyond the App Store, helping consumers track and improve progress towards fitness or other goals, from weight loss and healthy eating to academic development and finance.
Website: www.gymtechnik.com
Contact: www.gymtechnik.com/support.aspx?mode=contact
athletic apparel made from trash
Sports apparel is a huge industry dominated by a few giant brands. So it’s refreshing to see a small company from Arlington, Virginia gathering support across the United States. Which is probably due to Atayne’s unique angle: its athletic clothing is made from trash.
Atayne uses recycled polyester (from post-consumer plastic bottles) and recycled cotton. For odor control, fabrics are treated with naturally-derived chitosan. The concept for Atayne’s product line was born when founder Jeremy Litchfield discovered that his traditional red running shirt contained petroleum, dioxins and other potentially harmful chemicals that might be absorbed by his body when he perspired. Which sparked the idea for a performance apparel company that would put people and the planet first, instead of solely focusing on convenience and aesthetics.
Not only does Atayne’s approach mean less waste in landfills and less energy used manufacturing materials, it’s also likely to attract enthused and loyal customers who’d rather sport one of Atayne’s eco-proud slogans than a mega-brand’s logo. (Related: Recycled plastic bottles into graduation gowns.)
Website: www.atayne.com
Contact: info@atayne.com
Vest Sucks, but Logo Sucks Worst
Every year Peachtree City Running Club does a great job with the the Classic 5k /15k event. It’s the one event I look forward to every year. But they just can’t get the shirt, sweatshirt, or vest right. This year’s runner’s vest is too tight, too short, and too sucky. However, the logo is even worst. Check it out:
Come on Peachtree City Running Club, you can do better than this. This great event could be greater with a better product and better logo.
Saturday Random Thoughts
- Great job by the Run Club USA runners (Charles, Drake, Dwain, Jon, Ken, and Peter)
- Great event by the Peachtree City Running Club
- Race event Runner’s Vest SUCKS (every year the shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, or vest sucks for this event)
- Swinsei failed the Run Club by not supporting its members with a tent and banner after the event
- Starbucks was dead – where were our Moon Pies?
- Great running weather this morning
- Race event Runner’s Vest SUCKS
- #21′s volleyball career is over
- UGA is finally playing a good game (vs Vandy so it’s not that big of a deal)
- I guarantee Tech will win today (GT v VT)
- Race event Runner’s Vest SUCKS
- Congrats to Ronin’s daughter for running the 5k
- Stats is a great place to eat (Sports Bar — TVs everywhere!)
- Reese’s Peanutbutter donut from Sublime Doughnuts was awesome
- Race event Runner’s Vest SUCKS
- Back home watching football — it’s all good
Too Tight, Too Short, Too Sucky
Swinford drops out of 15k
Due to a family commitment, Swinsei will have to drop out of the Peachtree City Classic 15k. Swinsei and Ronin (JB) were scheduled to race this event. Ronin will now go head-to-head with Peter Cooke.
Cooke, Holcombe, Dale, and Speir are Racing too
Peter Cooke and Charles Holcombe have entered the PTC 15k as a training run for the ING Georgia Marathon.
In other developments, Ken Speir has challenged Drake Dale and Dwain Cox to a foot race at the 15k. Speir has guarantee a victory!
JB and Doc Representing Run Club USA
Once again @jonbridges and @dwaincox will represent our Club at the Peachtree City Classic 15k. Dr. Cox is shooting for a course record, while JB is gunning for a PR. Keep an eye on these boys as they make us proud.
Guest Blogger: Recap of 13.1
Guest Blogger: Peter Cooke
The race was rough but good. Started strong and definitely glad I trained for 12 weeks leading up to the race. The time off for various reasons during training did affect me some…I got cramps in my calves around mile 12. Next time I’ll heed the Swinsei’s advice and increase mileage whenever I come across an injury. Overall it was a great experience. I made my goal of hitting the 2.5 hour range (2:33) and ran out the last quarter mile and got the BLING.
I have a cool down race in the Peachtree City Classic 15k this week. Next up, Team Rage is four weeks into training for the ING Full in March 2010. Who’ll be there with us? http://www.inggeorgiamarathon.com/site3.aspx
pcookie
"I Want What Swinsei Has"
Samurai’s First Trail Event
A little tweeting …..
@i2ileadership Way 2 go Samurai. Trail runners are Fury kind or people unlike the 2 other guys.
i2ileadership Insane! 2:24.02 – 28th place overall. Bee sting on mile 10. A trail runner was born today. Samurai
i2ileadership @DonSwinford Moon pie for breakfast . . . Breakfast of mountain men! People like us all over the place. Crazy! sam
i2ileadership MMM12 miler begins in 30 minutes. These people are a different breed. Am i nuts? Intense mountain will require fury!
@i2ileadership let the FURY run free!
i2ileadership @DonSwinford MMM12 miler in 1 hour. Ready for the challenge! Samurai
Where ….
Fort Mountain State Park, located in Chatsworth, GA, 90 miles north of Atlanta. The Start and finish lines are located at the Main Group Shelter, located by beach.
Course Description — Hard ….
Difficult, sometimes technical trails with long, extended climbs, over and around Fort Mountain.
Both races will start with a flat, quick loop around the lake. The course then connects to the Gahuti trail via the rocky and rooty Big Rock trail. The Gahuti travels around the edge of the park. The trail is single track, cambered and rocky as it travels just below the summits of both Cohutta and Fort mountains.
The course will briefly leave the Gahuti to take in a loop around the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain trail is narrow and footing is difficult until reaching the legendary rock wall, where the trail then descends back to the Gahuti and gradually begins to widen with the footing becoming smoother. The hills do not end coming “down” the mountain back to the lake, the elevation gain is almost the same as the initial ascent.
The course will come back to the lake via the other side of the Big Rock trail (look out for bears! I spotted one last July on this trail section). The 12 milers will run back around the lake for their finish. The marathoners will turn and run up to the 301 loop via the steep power line trail.
The 301 loop is a beautiful, challenging, and mostly double-track trail. It passes through pine and scrub laurel thickets, upland hardwood and cove forests, by old mines, then waterfalls and rhododendrons before
returning up the mountain then following the mountain ridge top before descending back to the lake. From there the marathoners will run back around the lake for their finish.
WAY 2 GO SAM! U MADE US PROUD …..
13.1 Marathon Atlanta Results
The 13.1 Marathon Atlanta was a good event for all of us. Peter ran his first half marathon, while Charles knocked off 20 minutes from his first one in March of this year. Dwain ran his usual hard and fast race without being fully trained for this event. Don and Ken ran together for the majority of the race and enjoyed the conversations with each other and other runners.
DWAIN COX
|
Clock Time |
01:34:58 |
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Chip Time |
01:34:17 |
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Overall Place |
74 / 2601 |
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Gender Place |
64 / 1147 |
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Division Place |
9 / 193 |
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Age Grade |
67% |
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Pace |
7:11.5 |
DON SWINFORD
|
Clock Time |
01:55:49 |
|
Chip Time |
01:53:54 |
|
Overall Place |
594 / 2601 |
|
Gender Place |
406 / 1147 |
|
Division Place |
24 / 89 |
|
Age Grade |
60.9% |
|
Pace |
8:41.2 |
KEN SPEIR
|
Clock Time |
02:00:20 |
|
Chip Time |
01:58:25 |
|
Overall Place |
835 / 2601 |
|
Gender Place |
545 / 1147 |
|
Division Place |
69 / 157 |
|
Age Grade |
56.1% |
|
Pace |
9:01.9 |
CHARLES HOLCOMBE
|
Clock Time |
02:06:24 |
|
Chip Time |
02:04:35 |
|
Overall Place |
1084 / 2601 |
|
Gender Place |
662 / 1147 |
|
Division Place |
86 / 139 |
|
Age Grade |
47.5% |
|
Pace |
9:30.1 |
PETER COOKE
|
Clock Time |
02:34:55 |
|
Chip Time |
02:33:02 |
|
Overall Place |
2091 / 2601 |
|
Gender Place |
1012 / 1147 |
|
Division Place |
128 / 139 |
|
Age Grade |
38.7% |
|
Pace |
11:40.3 |
Great job, guys!!!!!
70 Miles of Birthday FURY
Samurai pictured above with Great1 and Speirit who he took under his wing at the SGM in 2007. Both men also achieved PR’s in the race thanks to Samurai’s influence.
—————–
Yesterday, on the anniversary weekend of the St. George marathon, our own Samurai (a.k.a. i2i) stormed to the top of the world rankings with a 70 mile week. It was 2 years ago this weekend that Samurai joined his Team FURY teammate, Sensei, in St. George where they both ran sub 4 hour marathons. This makes the third time that Sam has been World #1. He called the rise to the top his personal Quest. The “Quest” began last Monday as a gift to his father. Sam ran the 70 miles for his dad, retired Georgia Power Company founder, Lee Gravitt who turns 70 today.
i2i was quoted as saying: “Happy Birthday Dad! You have lived like a Samurai warrior for 70 years. Now you are given the gift of a 70 mile week and Samurai dominance on the leader board.”
Samurai was also pleased to hear that Team FURY partner Sensei ran a 1:53 half marathon yesterday in the inaugural 13.1 in Atlanta. Sensei’s performance was also a tribute to Father SAMURAI, Lee Gravitt. Sensei, current lunch specialist for Georgia Power, has special appreciation for Lee and his history with the company.
With these two monster performances, there is speculation that Samurai and Sensei are about to unleash the FURY in a big way. Stay tuned to see what the Team does next.
On 10/5/09 7:47 AM:
Runners (Male – Ages 40-49) who have run the most miles over the last 7 days:
1. Samurai (70.0) <http://www.logarun.com/calendars/Samurai/2009/10>
2. Lance Logan (48.0) <http://www.logarun.com/calendars/lltoolbox/2009/10>
3. russwyd (47.0) <http://www.logarun.com/calendars/russwyd/2009/10>
4. cgrecco (38.5)
5. jimdandy (33.2) <http://www.logarun.com/calendars/jimdandy/2009/10>
Mission Accomplished
by Don Swinford
Today Peter Cooke, Dwain Cox, Charles Holcombe, Ken Speir, and I ran the Inaugural 13.1 Marathon Atlanta. About 3000 runners participated in this event. Peter and Charles will be writing blog posts for us in a few days.
Good job guys! I’m looking forward to our next race — The Peachtree City 15k Classic.
Check this one off of the list!
Charles & Peter: Post Race
Number 1 in the World
For the 2nd consecutive year Randy Gravitt (aka Samurai, Sam, i2ileadership, i2i) has achieved the Number 1 ranking in the world. Let’s congratulate @i2ileadership for this significant accomplishment.
- Samurai (65.6)
- cgrecco (58.5)
- Lance Logan (46.0)
- russwyd (39.0)
- Hutchison (37.4)
Randy has run several marathons over the years such as the St. George, ING Georgia, Chicago, and The Flying Pig. He achieved this ranking not because he’s training for an event, but in honor of his dad’s Birthday on Monday!
Check out Randy’s blog at: I2i Blog
Gravitt, Swinford, & Speir
Cox, Swinford, H. Gravitt, and R. Gravitt
My 2nd Half Marathon
Guest Blogger: Charles Holcombe
“The upcoming 13.1. This will be my second half marathon. I ran the ING half marathon earlier this year. My time for that race was 2 hours and 26 minutes. I am planning to run in or around 2 hours even.
I feel like this is an achievable goal seeing that we have been training for a good 12 weeks. I’m pumped for another race which will help build up to the goal of running the full ING marathon in March.
My main goal when I returned to running was to improve my overall health and lose weight. So far I have lost 15 pounds, I feel better than ever and running has become an obsession for me. Bring on the Half because I’m ready.”
Note: Charles is one of the newest members of Run Club USA. Way to go Charles!
My 1st Half Marathon
Guest Blogger: Peter Cooke
13.1. This will be my longest run to date by about 3.1 miles. Team Rage has been training for the past 12 weeks leading up to this. Had a few kinks here and there plus two medical set-backs, but overall I’ve stayed strong and not let those times get me down.
Over the past 12 weeks of training I’ve increased my speed, mileage, endurance, and overall recovery time; mostly just stretching myself further. This has been a great experience and I’m ready to run this 13.1
Next up: running the ING Full in March.
But…
It’s all about the coffee…
PCookie
Coming Up on October 4th
Run Strong Team Utah
Here’s a shout out to John Turnage, Alan Reynolds, Mark Lawrence, and Rick Harrell.
Have a great marathon at Top of Utah.
You guys are well trained and ready for this big event.
Top of Utah Countdown
Just a few days from now Alan, John, Mark, and Rick willing be heading to Utah to run the TOU Marathon. I thought it would be good to share a few of the comments from previous participants of this event:
RUNNERS COMMENTS
Average Ratings: Course –  Organization –  Fans –  |
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| Wow, what a great marathon! (about: 2008) Course: 4 Organization: 5 Fans: 4 C. J. from Geneva, IL (9/30/08) 1 previous marathon The scenery in Logan was just breathtaking. There were many times during the first 14 miles that I couldn’t believe my luck in picking such a beautiful race. The altitude was a bit of a struggle for someone from the Midwest, but not a deal-breaker. I might suggest a new route for the last 12 miles, as there are so many turns that, at times, could interfere with one’s momentum. The volunteers and spectators were great. The race was planned extremely well and I hope to enjoy it again. Thanks to everyone for making it possible. |
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| Great first 1/2, smelly middle 1/3, nice finish (about: 2008) Course: 4 Organization: 4 Fans: 4 S. L. from San Diego, CA (9/25/08) 4-5 previous marathons | 1 Top of Utah Marathon It was my first time running in high altitude and it definitely affected me. I cramped halfway through and hobbled all the way to the end. It was my 4th marathon and 1st out of California. The canyon run is great and very pretty scenery. The first 1/2 goes fast, and it’s all downhill, so it’s easy. The middle 1/3 is all smelly, and the whole time you will smell horse crap. It’s flat and scenic, but it smells like horse poo the whole time. The end is through nice suburb and the finish is pretty nice. There’s a part toward the finish where the road is not closed off, so you run right next to cars and it’s sort of annoying. But overall, it was a nice little marathon that is growing. The pasta dinner was pretty good and worth it. Well organized for a little marathon, and the medal was nice and chunky. |
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| A Great Run (about: 2008) Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 C. M. from Yuba City, CA (9/23/08) 1 previous marathon | 1 Top of Utah Marathon This was my second marathon and a fantastic experience. The run down the canyon has breathtaking scenery that makes the time pass quickly. Once out of the canyon, the spectators are great. The hills near the end are short and not as bad as others have stated. A superb organization as well. |
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| Awesome Marathon! (about: 2008) Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 J. V. from Flowery Branch, Georgia (9/23/08) 50+ previous marathons | 1 Top of Utah Marathon Wow! This is a stellar marathon. The views of the sun rising over Blacksmith Fork Canyon are astounding, especially with the leaves changing. The course is a gentle downhill, with few real hills at the end either. The support was fantastic. Great medals, great shirts, and great moose trophies for those placed. The pasta party had a wheel to spin for a prize – and the prizes were as nice as $90 North Face sleeping bags. All in all, this clearly one of the finest marathons in the country: highly recommended. |
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| Beautiful course, typical of the Wasatch Marathons (about: 2008) Course: 4 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 D. M. from Ogden, UT (9/23/08) 11-50 previous marathons | 1 Top of Utah Marathon If you run Salt Lake, Ogden or Logan, you know the course – start up in the Wasatch, run down a beautiful canyon not normally accessible to pedestrians, finish in town. The first 14 miles of this race are down a canyon. The biggest disappointment, for me, was the terrain after mile 14. Most of it was run through rural to suburban settings twisting and turning all the way to the finish. Compared to Ogden, I think Logan needs to rethink the last part of its course. I also think that Logan (and Ogden for that matter) need to think about wave starts. The first mile is incredibly congested as a couple thousand runners try to make their way along the narrow, winding 2-lane road at the start. Things had thinned out by the first mile marker, but it’s still quite the crowd. Still, the organization is impeccable. And, the canyon is very much worth the effort of doing this marathon. I live in Ogden, so driving up that morning was something of a hassle, but same-day check-in was flawless, making a hotel unnecessary for me. There were plenty of port-a-johns. Nice medal. Great volunteers. A very nice experience. |
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| What an awesome experience!!! (about: 2008) Course: 4 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 Jose Jimenez from Utah (9/22/08) 1 previous marathon | 1 Top of Utah Marathon This was my first marathon and the experience probably could not have been better. Everyone involved in the marathon, from the race directors, to the volunteers, to my fellow runners were nice, helpful and encouraging. The course was beautiful and really calmed me down during some of the tougher parts of the race. I only gave the course four stars because there are some parts in the first half that are a bit too steep and the hills at the end were a bit demoralizing. The race expo was pretty good, the packet pickup was fast and the timing chip worked flawlessly (milliseconds are great). The finish line was great. There were a lot of spectators throughout the second half, but not so many that I lost my wife in the crowd. My goal was 4:30 and I did it in 4:34. All in all, a great experience. I will be back next year. |
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| Great run; very pretty in the canyon (about: 2008) Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 4 Cody Bowles from Stansbury Park, UT (9/21/08) 1 previous marathon | 1 Top of Utah Marathon I just ran this race not only for the first time, but as my very first marathon. The run was great. I didn’t like some of the uphill running at the end. I wish the terrain were a little bit more mixed. But all in all, it wasn’t bad. I had a lot of fun and finished in a time of 4:05.32. |
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| Perfection. (about: 2008) Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 Your Pal Roland from Smithfield Utah (9/20/08) 11-50 previous marathons | 6+ Top of Utah Marathons This was my 7th TOU and the best one so far. The leaves were more spectacular, the weather was ideal, and the organization was superb. If you’re looking for a marathon to run in Utah that has all the ingredients for an enjoyable run, this is it (although Ogden and Park City work just as well). A tip for packet pick-up: have a nice meal first, then swing by at about 8:30. No lines. |
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 Top of Utah Half Marathon (about: 2008)Course: 5 Organization: 2 Fans: 4 T. B. from Utah, USA (8/30/08) 1 previous marathon | 1 Top of Utah Marathon My husband and I ran the Top of Utah half this August and have to say that we were very disappointed! First, the race seemed really disorganized, the course lacked an obvious start or finish line and there were no obvious mile markers. Also, the start was completely nuts, they didn’t get the buses out before lining us up and then we were not lined up in any order, just crammed together with slow mixed in with the fast. Also, there was NO GU offered – only oranges and bananas, while we were both anticipating GU. In addition, the results did not get posted on the website, so even though we had to leave right after the race, we have no way of knowing what our times were. |
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| All-Around Great Time! (about: 2007) Course: 5 Organization: 5 Fans: 5 A. S. from The great northwest! (10/7/07) 3 previous marathons | 1 Top of Utah Marathon This is such a great event: Beautiful scenery, downhill much of the way, great fan support. A few specific things I loved: |
Club Member of the Week – Larry Henry
On September 9th, I received a Direct Twitter message from Larry Henry asking me to blog about someone interesting. Here’s Larry’s message:
Instead of writing a bio or telling you what Larry likes about life, I decided to share the 10 things he hates:
10 Things Larry Hate (not all-inclusive)
1. Endless sales meetings … and meetings to plan more endless sales meetings
2. Meaningless e-mail … especially from people he doesn’t like. He doesn’t like many people.
3. Invitations to join Facebook … Larry believes FB is for losers.
4. Traffic … Larry thinks that with the lousy economy at least there would be fewer cars on the road.
5. LinkedIn invites from business associates he can’t get rid of.
6. Fewer freebies (aka free eats and swiped supplies) due to cutbacks.
7. Books with pages … that why we have ipods – reading is out, listening is in.
8. Eco, green, environmentally-friendly … Larry doesn’t give a crap about breathing fresh air.
9. Men that cry … there’re too many sissies in this world … too many “Wild at Heart Cry Babies”
10. Teleconferences. That’s right, more meetings.
Bonus: Larry HATES coffee served in a paper cup.
Run for a Cause: The Bridge Run
The food pantry at the Real Life Center is getting desperately low. There are a lot of people living right here in Fayette County who are struggling to put food on their tables.
The Real Life Center is a ministry aimed at providing food for these families. On October 3rd, the Bridge Community Center in Peachtree City will be hosting the First Bridge Anniversary 5K Run/Walk.
The race starts at 9:00AM at the Bridge Community Center; 225 Willowbend Road. All race profits will go to benefit the Real Life Center! Please help us to get the word out about this new run.
Link to entry form: The Bridge Run
Charter Member: John Turnage
Personal Info:
Wife, De. Married 20 years this May
Adelaide, 12, in 7th grade
Jack, 10, in 5th grade
Isaac, 7, in 2nd grade
First year all three kids not homeschooled. They go to Trinity
Employment:
Work at Delta. Been here 10 years. Also, have a payroll business. Been doing that for 3 and a half years.
Hobbies:
My hobbies at this point revolve around my kids. I like football and computers.
Reading:
I am reading all of the Harry Potter books. I stole that idea from LH.
Music:
I have listening to a lot of Toby Mac lately.
Marathons and Half Marathons Events:
I have only run 1 half-marathon: The Silver Comet. I think I finished it in just a shade over 2 hours.
I have run 2 marathons: Disney (2007) and three months later, the 1st ING.
I hated both of them.
Have you trained differently for the Top of the Utah Marathon?
I have trained very differently for this marathon. Many more miles and much more time. It have run almost 500 miles since March of this year. I am training based on my heart rate, not a run pace.
TOU Goal?
My goal is to finish in under 5 hours and to not be totally miserable.
Future running or adventure goals?
My future goals are to never run another marathon until after my 50th birthday. Which is in 7 years. I am going to limit myself to nothing longer than half-marathons.
I am an indoorsman, not an outdoorsman.
Charter Member: Alan Reynolds
Personal Info:
Wife Patti teaches Macy at home and volunteers at OM for the Bill Drake Band as their Stage Manager.
Macy turns 15 in October, teaching her to drive is just around the corner.
Morgan is a Sophomore at Lee University in Cleveland, TN.
Employment:
Work out of my home for Anthony Liftgates as their Southeast Region Sales Manager. I have been with them for 6.5 years.
What are your hobbies?
During marathon training, running is my only hobby. I love golf, ping pong and spending time with friends. I also enjoy serving on a couple of non-profit boards.
Books currently reading:
Amusing Ourselves To Death by Neil Postman and the expanded edition of Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
Music currently listening to:
Third Day, Casting Crowns and Lifechurch.tv’s worship podcast.
Previous marathons and half marathons:
Marathons: Chicago, Big Sur, Music City Nashville and ING Atlanta
Half Marathons: ING Atlanta, Atlanta Half (Thanksgiving), Albany
Have you trained differently for the Top of the Utah Marathon?
The past year or so I have made several significant changes. (1) The middle of 2008 I decided to change from striking my heal to landing on my mid-foot when I run. (not on my toes like Dwain) Almost overnight the pain in my lower back went away. (2) On January 20th, 2009 I decided to run for 45 days in a row. Not having a reason to stop, I have kept it up. My motto is “I am running at 5:00 somewhere”. (3) I have a friend that has tried to convince me to train by what is called the “Maffetone Method of training”. Long story short, you do not allow your heart rate to go over a specific rate based on his formula. We will see how it goes on race day. I can say without a doubt that I have a great aerobic base and a resting HR of 42 which is down from 60 when I started training this way. We will see how it goes on race day.
Do you have a goal for TOU Marathon?
Anything under 4 hours
Future running or adventure goals?
Qualify for the Boston Marathon and run the New York Marathon.
Charter Member: Mark Lawrence
Personal Info:
Sally (age not disclosed), Katie (22 – graduated from Ga Tech May’09), Nate (16 – Jr. at LCS)
Professional Info:
CompuCredit. Been here for about 10 1/2 years. Started a side-business last November that’s growing – slowly.
What are your hobbies?
Running, golf, snow skiing and playing drums… but, not necessarily in that order.
What books are you currently reading?
“The 4-hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss, the Gospel of John.
What music are you currently listening to?
Listening to whatever music I have to learn the drum part to play. When not learning the music, I like Jeremy Camp (if you haven’t heard his story about losing his 1st wife to cancer, it helps understand the passion and depth of his lyrics), Bebo Norman, Third Day, Big Daddy Weave, Dave Mathews Band
What marathons and half marathons have you run?
Halfs: Silver Comet Half (Marietta – ran it twice), Atlanta Half (Thanksgiving Day), Country Music Half (Nashville, TN), Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Half (Albany, GA – PR 2h 8min – if I remember correctly), ING Half (Atlanta)
Fulls: Country Music Marathon (Nashville, TN – 5h 15min), Inaugural ING Atlanta Marathon (Atlanta – 6h 15min – it was BAD!)
Have you trained differently for the Top of the Utah Marathon?
Training for TOU has been different in 3 ways: a) we trained like most plans say to train – long, slow distances run at 1:30 slower than projected marathon pace; b) trained within a defined heart rate zone (my max rate was 135 but, on average, I stayed in the 140′s); c) there were 3 runs that were 20 miles or longer (previous trainging only had 1 run at that length). I’ll let you know if any of it’s working on 9/19/2009.
Do you have a goal for TOU Marathon?
My goal is the same as it’s been for my first 2 marathons – finish in 5 hours or under. If I can’t leverage 18 miles of downhill into a “less-than-5-hour” finish, I probably never will!
What are your future running or adventure goals?
Well… probably no more marathons in my future. I think 3 will be a gracious plenty at 52. I’d like to play more golf and run a half marathon here and there. Maybe a 15K or two every now and then. Oh, and keep running regularly so I can eat like Swinsei, not gain any weight and keep my annual bloodwork parameters all “within normal limits!”
Charter Member: Rick Harrell
Personal Info:
Kathy, Married 23 years, Teacher
Kevin age 20, Sophomore, Emory University
Anna age 16 Sophomore, Starr’s Mill HS
Employment:
Kroger Pharmacy 28 years
Hobbies:
Running and Golf
Book currently reading:
Velvet Elvis
Music currently listening to:
Anything Christian- XM radio mainly
Previous marathons and half marathons:
Marathons: Ga ING and Nashville
Half: Atlanta Half, Ga ING, Nashville, Albany
Have you trained differently for the Top of the Utah Marathon?
Training by heart rate. Try to always keep my HR below 130
Goal for TOU Marathon:
Less than 5 hours.
Future running or adventure goals?
Maybe rim to rim at the Grand Canyon. I will continue to run the PTC 15K, Ga ING Half. It would be nice to run about 4 half marathons a year. I am not sure I have another full marathon in me.
