DaLabGator

Run for Kids Challenge 50K

2013-05-05T14:39:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday last week I was wondering if I was going to complete a ultra a month for the year. I was having trouble finding a race for May. Well; while I was on Ultrasignup.com. I found a race over at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham AL for that weekend; the Run for kids challenge.I did really enjoy my time at Oak last year so I signed up.
The weather forecast was rain most of Sunday. But all I wanted was an ultra and did not care for time.
I had a plan of running about the first 20 miles and then going to the normal run walk for the rest of the race.

The course:
The route the race took was on a different trail then the race I ran last year. It stayed on a 3.34 mile loop of rolling hills with no big climbs. With one aid station at the start finish; refueling would be easy.

PreRace:

After getting the race site around 0615. I picked up my packet and started to put my shoes on. And out of the blue Molly comes in. We started talking and I found out that she was in the 12 hour run. If I would have known that I knew someone else that was going to be out that I might have signed up for the 12 hour.
Lap 1:
The first lap was a little long to help thin the group thin out with about 1 mile of road running. It did not seems to thin anyone out but it did make me go out faster then I would have liked. Being the first look I have not seen the course at this point so I did not know what was going to be in store for the loop. I was surprised because with all the rain that was fell in the last day; that the course was draining water really well. Only a few spots were holding water. Come up with about 1/2 mile to go on the loop I rolled my ankle bad. One of those rolls that you feel up your whole leg. (At this point I told my self that I was glad I did not switch to the 12 hour.) So I started walking to see if the pain would go away and just run walk the rest of the race. But to my surprise yet again. After about 1 minute of walking I could start to put pressure on the ankle again. The ankle still hurt but I could run on it at least.

Lap 2:

With my new goal of just trying to finish the race I went out on lap 2. I stayed with some people leaving the aid station but quickly felt good enough that I wanted to run by myself. So I left the group I was with and set off down the trail. I felt good enough on the loop that there was no walking. But I looked down at my watch to see what pace I was running and I saw the watch in off mode. I knew I started the watch at the start and had GPS. But oh well I start the watch back up and finished the lap.

Lap 3:

Before I started the third loop I wanted to refill my bottle. I was not drinking that much on the first 2 laps so I dumped the water out of my bottle and filled it with HEED. I really dont like to drink HEED but I know that it has the electrolytes I need for the race. So I went out for loop number 3. I am still running so all is good.

Lap 4:

I went out on Lap 4 and the weather was starting to let up. With that also came a little warmer temperature. About half way around the look I looked at my watch again and saw black lines. The type of lines telling me my watch has given up the ghost. I think this was a little blessing. I was no longer running off of the watch I was running off of how my body was feeling and it want to run.

Lap 5 and 6:

These two laps are a little fuzzy I know I look my shirt, hat and watch off and handed them to a volunteer to put near my bag. I was also still running and passing people. Passing people always makes me feel like running faster and when I pass a person I would see someone else up heard so I went into chase mode. It was lots of fun because it was no longer loops it was go to the next person. So I just spent those laps chasing down people.

Lap 7:

When I got to the aid table I asked how may laps I had because I just could not keep track any more. I found out that I was starting number 7 of a total of 9. So three to go. I want to say at this point my time was around 3 hours and 30 minutes. But thanks to the watch I am not sure until the splits get published later. I feels like I was slowing down but I could see the end was getting closer.

Lap 8:

Before I started lap 8 the guy that was counting laps told me that I was in third. I told him thanks and filled my bottle and ate some cookies and went off. About half way around the loop a guy came out behind me and we starting talking. I asked him what race he was in and his lap. He told me he was in the 50K and he was on lap 8. I told him he was in forth and about how far up everyone was. He laughed when I told him third was 6 ft ahead of him. But it was nice to run with someone. With about 1/2 mile to the end of the loop I picked a rock in my shoe. I could not believe it I ran the better part of 28 miles and did not pick up a single rock in my shoe and with 3.3 miles to go. I picked up one.

Lap 9:

I did not want to push the last lap with a rock in my shoe so I stopped at the aid station to dump the rock out and filled my bottle up. I went out as hard as I could because I knew I was playing catch up to third place. I am not even sure he filled his bottle up for the last lap. I tried hard to catch him but with 1 mile to go I saw he was about 1/4 mile ahead and it was not going to happen but I still knew this was going to be a big day for me.

Finish:

I crossed the line in 5:05:58. When I knew I was going to have a big day I did not know it was going to be this big. That was a 25 minute PR for the 50K. Not bad for a guy who had to walk in every marathon he has ever entered. I ran the whole 50K miss the few steps after I rolled my ankle.

Looking back I guess the few things I learn at this 50K. Inorder to run a fast 50K you need to run the whole 50K. HEED works but still taste like something awful and Molly makes great rice krispie treats.

Till the next time.

KAG

North face 50 miler DC

2012-06-13T11:42:00.002-07:00

Here is my recap of the North Face 50 Miler in DC. I am not saying this is anywhere near perfect but I wanted to get the thoughts on "paper". Enjoy. KAG

Well where do I start.

The day before the race a friend of mine Kelsey post on the Facebook that the DC area was in a tornado warning. I did not think anything of it. But when the rain started coming down my way to Neil's house, I started to think this might get a little wet.
The gun went off right at 0500. We started out running around a golf course. At this point it looked like what I thought last night was correct; it was wet. Everyone around me was trying to keep their shoes dry. Well thanks to my fast drying MT110s and no sock combo; I just hit the water right down the middle. Or as a friend, Shane, would say "hit the meat."

The first three aid stations went by really fast. This put me about a forth the way though the run and I was feeling great. I was sticking to my new plan of eating a chocolate #9 every half an hour and eating some food at the tables. I also found myself running more of the hills here. I would just drop to an easier gear and move up the hill. Before I knew it the three loops at the far end of the course was over with and I was on my way back to the start. This last bit was by far the worst. After having about 1000 people run out and back, the 50k and marathon ran on the same trail. After having about 1000 people run on the same mud line. It just looked a brown slip and slide. But you just have to keep moving on. Step by step I knew that this was going to end up as one my better days on the trail.

As I got about one mile from the finish I hit a really low point. I just want to walk it in but his wonderful person in the marathon relay was running near me. As I was about to take a short walk break she looked at me and said something like, are you really going to let this girl beat you. I quickly replied yes. Well she took that as a challenge to get me running again. We she did just that. I think with her pushing me I ended up with a quickest mile of my last 15 or so. I ended up crossing the line in 9 hours and 34 minutes.

Looking back there was way to many loops on this course. The loop that started at Great Falls had two out and back sections on it. This would not have been bad if the parks had limited trails but there were trails all over to be used. Then to top it off we had to do this loop 3 times. That must my biggest problem with the course. But, other then a lot of repetitiveness it was very well marks and the volunteers were great.

I want to thank North Face for putting on a great race.

Until next time.

KAG

Running and Rambling: New Balance Minimus Zero Trail Review and Giveaway

2012-04-12T05:36:00.001-07:00

A new fancy pair of shoes for free. It is worth a shot.

Running and Rambling: New Balance Minimus Zero Trail Review and Giveaway

KAG

Mount Mist 50k 1/28/2012

2012-02-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

When I first started writing this race report. I was going to include the adventures that lead up to that day but I will leave that saying thanks Vince for coming back just to have lunch with us.
For weeks leading up to this race Andy Roberts was giving me little pointers about the course. I am not sure if I remembered any of those pointers by the time the race started.
Around 0720 everyone made their way to the starting line. During the the national anthem, as I gazed at the flag, I saw a man with a rifle. I thought to myself do not false start. As the anthem ended we moved a ever closer to start of the 18th running of this premier 50k.
As the rifle went off I slowly saw the leader drift by. I started off with Andy hoping not to go crazy and blast into the woods. This seemed to work well. About 2 miles into the run Andy told me that he needed to drop it down a little, so I did what any guy would do. I told him I would see him later and went on down the trail. This was harder then I would have liked. The trail was hard to pass on and every time I passed someone I just flew up to the next person to just hunt the next hole for passing. Everyone was moving great and looked up and saw aid station 1 on my left; then thought why am I running away from it. This thought did not last to long because we were on this jeep road. after running on the single track for the last 4 mile or so it was a nice place to open up the legs and get up to speed.
We enter the woods again and at this point I had a flash back of running high school cross county. With sharp turns that just about looped back onto itself. It was a rush that was short lived. As soon as this section was over we went threw aid station 1. I did not stop for anything here. I had my Chocolate #9 and a backpack full of water.
The start of this next section was rocks, lots of rocks. I ended up bounding from rock to rock falling down the hill. I hear some footsteps behind me and he most of been moving really fast I let him by and by the time I looked up for my next step, he was about twenty yards ahead of me. Minutes later the trail dumped us out at the power lines. I could still see the guy ahead of me so I tried to catch up to him because this parted looked more runnable. I thought I was making up ground when the trail just stop. I looked around for the markers but none were around. I was not sure where I made the wrong turn at but all I thought at the time was all these people are passing me and I have no way down but to go threw this thorn bush. By this time 2 or 3 more people were in my same spot. I made the command decision to bushwack threw the 50 feet are thorns. I made to back to the trail thinking that I left part of my leg in that bush. Looking back this next 40 minutes or so was a bad choice. I pushed really hard to catch the people that passed me when I was stuck in the bush. When the 2nd aid station came up I was ready for some more water. As one of the great volunteers was filling up by bag, someone said to me do you need any aid. I quickly replied why it was just a thorn bush. I looked for some boiled potatoes at the table but did not see any, so I ended up getting a small handful of peanut butter pretzels.
Trying not to stay to long at the tables, I left. I do not remember much about the next 50 or so minutes except the stone cuts. That was a cool bit. As I got closer to the third aid station I remember feeling a little low on sugar.
I kept taking my #9 and small handfuls of pretzels. About 20 minutes into this next leg. Andy came up on my heals. It felt good to run with him again. But my energy was fading with each step. I was able to hold on and run with Andy to the forth aid station but as I filled my pack with water; he left me to run his own race.
The section from four to five had to have been the hardest for me to run. I think it is because I did very little running during this section. I never thought the water line hill would end and when you get to the top of it; you had to climb a water fall. It was cool to do the climb but I had nothing to respond with after completing it.
Reaching the fifth aid station I regrouped and was able to quicker again (walking faster). I still do not know how the people coming up behind me we able to move as fast as they were. At this point it was hard to do any running that was not flat or down hill. The one big problem with this is most of this section goes up. It looks odd only running two or three steps, but it works. Those steps could keep you ahead of a cut-off in these types of races or could keep you just ahead of the next person.
As I was reaching the top of the final climb the volunteers were offing beer to the runners. As nice as it would have been to stop for a ice cold beer I knew I had only about 1 and half miles left on my race. I remember looking at the map before and knew this whole section was flat. So I ran. I am not sure if it was fast even though it felt fast, but I was running. I could see man with a camera taking pictures of people crossing this little mound of dirt. Some energy was coming back so as I hit the top of this mound I jumped and kicked my heels together. And there it was the finish line. The end of a great race in a time of 5 hours 31minutes and 36 seconds.
Are there part of this race that I could have run different. Yeah, like not getting off course would be a great start but that is why there is always next year. I would say that over all this race was one of my better races in the last year or so.
Until next time.

KAG

Running and Rambling: Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Review and Giveaway

2012-01-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

I have never run in Merrels before but these look like a great shoes and a plus side this website is giving away a free pair.

Running and Rambling: Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Review and Giveaway

TUDC 2011

2011-12-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, where do I begin. As normal I was up before all (04:30) to eat and make sure my bag was packed. With all the normal morning routine done I woke Marie up with a cup of coffee at 05:00. With the car packed and ready to go we left a little after 05:30. By the time we arrived at Wakulla Springs around 06:10, the place was already a buzz with people. I quickly set up my aid station at my car and put on my shoes. With my aid station ready it was time to talk to some friend before the race. After talking to some friend and a wonderful prayer by Gary; we were off to the starting line.
Lap 1:
There was no shotgun or fancy cannon like some races I have been to this year. Just Gary with a cell phone saying, "Gang be quiet because you are not going to have that much warning of the start...Go." And with that we started the race in the jungle, as some call it. This lap felt like it was over before it started. I reached the first aid station feeling really good running with Jeff for a little while before he drifted away ahead of me. Settling into my pace I started to talk to people as I came up by them. Talking seems to help some of the time go away. And I had some time to talk. Near the end of this lap I saw my lap counter David Yon. He looked me in the eyes and said something on the line of do well or I will miss a lap.
Lap 2:
I picked up my first pacer of the day, Sean Hudson. We made small talk of and one. I just keep saying keep me on 8:30 unless I am taking one of my walk breaks. (I wanted to take 2 walk breaks a lap just to change my stride a little) Again the lap went by fast, but was well on pace.
Lap 3:
Right off the start of this lap more people were joining my fight to finish. Mike Peymann joined up and we started talking about he party last night. He was saying that it was a blast. I was still keeping really good pace and had high hopes of a big PR.
Lap 4:
Sean ended his turn pulling me around at the start of this lap. I remember people telling me that I looked great. I was feeling good as well. At this point when we started up the little hill on the long out and back, I started to feel my left hamstring start to get a little tight. I did not think anything of it because it went away within a few steps. I should have taken this a sign that I was not doing something right but I did not. I just asked for some Advil and kept moving. Near the end of the lap I picked up Tim and Olivia Yinger.
Lap 5:
Mike M. set me off running in good hands with Tim and Olivia. I was as still moving good but I did have to had a few more walk breaks in. That hamstring pain was coming back and was staying longer. It was only on the heading to the aid station. But leaving that station I felt good and was still rolling. I think my pace dropped to 9 minute. But over all still in good shape. Near the end of the loop I saw Mike Martinez. He came up and said I thought I was going to have some time to walk around but I got in about 3 minutes ago. I smiled at him.
Lap 6:
With 50K in the books; this race was going fast. I rolled my hamstrings at my car and continued on. I still was moving really good until I was about to the second turn around. I started to get light headed and my heart rate was getting high. I have had this happen before and I needed sugars and fast. The only problem was I had about 1 mile to the aid station. I felt like I was swaying back and forth. But Mike kept telling me to run if I fell over he would catch me. So I would run about 400 meters and walk some. Mike kept pushing me. It was what I told him to do the day before. We had quick talk on Friday about the race. I said Mike you have to make me run when I do not want to. I just need you to keep pushing. It is in my head, not my legs. I finished that lap, my slowest of the day.
Lap 7:
Before Tim and Olivia left they gave me a paper towel full of food. All food that contained salt; stuff my body needed. I went from that station to my car and rolled my legs and took in some more fluids. But this time I took my bottle. By the time we got to the main road I was already feeling better. Running more and faster then the lap before. But by the time the next aid station arrived my bottle was empty. I filled it back up with more water and took a shot of Gatorade. Back on the road I, Mike pushing me along. Before I know it I was getting close the end of the lap.
Lap 8:
The plan Move Forward. That is all I had to do. A few salty chips and some more water in my bottle and off we went. Mike and I, it was like a good Wednesday run only not 0500. That was all I had to do. But really all I wanted to do was stop and walk. Every time I tried to walk Mike would look at me and say not yet you have to get to that sign. Then we would get to that sign and he would again say well you dont want that person to see you walk so just a few more steps. He knew the more I ran the fast the ground would be covered. He shorten my walk breaks to 30 seconds just so I would walk less. Somehow Mike convinced me that the best thing to do was try to run faster. So there we are about 1/2 mile to go until the finish and you have me trying to sprint. I use the words try because it was not any faster then what I was going. And just 7 hours and 50 minutes after I started I was done. That is a about a 13 minute PR over last years time.
Lessons Learned
I should have eaten more at the beginning of the race. I was taking in a Boost drink every lap but I think my body could have used more salt then just that. I should have slowed down earlier in the race, but I was feeling really good.

To close I would like to thank Gary and Peg Griffin for putting on a great race. I will be back next year. Everyone that kept me company during this adventure: Sean, Mike P, Tim, Olivia, and Mike M. I could not have done this without you guys. I feel so happy to have great friends. To Marie thanks for seating in the cold to watch me run in circles, I owe you lots of coffee.

KAG

Boston Mini Marathon

2011-10-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

At 0600 Chris, Joel, Elizabeth, and I received our delicious bagels and coffee at Bruegger's. We soon we off to the best little half marathon around. With just one small missed turn setting us back a whole 30 seconds. We made it to Boston GA around 0700. This give the lazy runners, myself included, lots of time to fill out the entry form. With all the forms filled out and money handed in; it was time to find out where we were going to get the BBQ sandwich. Last year a few of us made the mistake of getting BBQ from the first truck we saw. Turns out some people will sell you canned pork on a bun. Not cool. We found a few places that looked like they would do the trick.
So this race time. Shortly after 0800 the race started and we were off to see the cows. I was not looking for much out of the race because of the 50 miler a few weeks ago but I had to try something. Joel and I started out together at the first mile, ~6:32. But after that Joel was moving along really good. I settled into a nice 6:45 pace. If I could hold that the rest of the day I would be in for a great treat. As the miles clicked off I was still feeling great but I wanted to wait until the turn around before I tried to do anything, but people were coming back to me.
The turn around came fast. By the time I got there I had a few people in front of me so I could race back to the finish. Another great thing about this course is that you get to cheer on all the great runners behind you for the next few miles. This also is a great motivator to try to stay moving fast.
Around the 5k mark I started to feel my right hamstring become tight. I just thought it was not being 100% and still recovering, so I pushed on. But as each mile moved by the hamstring became tighter and tighter. I knew I was close. I just kept telling my self just make this one mile and then think about it. Well that worked. I was able to hold that monster off until the finish.
I came in 17th with a time 1:28:33. Not my fastest 1/2 marathon but I will take it. I felt great most of the course and feel like the recover is working. I hope this means some good things in the future.
So after all of us finished we went on the hunt of BBQ. The few spot we wanted to eat at were not for the people. They were there for a BBQ contest at 1600. Well this was 1000 and we wanted food now. So we walked around looking at the different vendors. Well I picked the first one. Well the place smelled like they were smoking there meat so I thought it was a good sign. So I ordered a sandwich. I was fooled yet again. This thing was a mess. The meat had no flavor to it and the sauce was just some store bought junk. I told the rest of them to go somewhere else. The second place on the other hand a long smoker. I asked him if he would let me see his BBQ and he said sure. And this looked right. I wish I took a picture of it but the sandwich did not last that long. But it had everything that your BBQ sandwich needed; a nice crust on the meat, a good sauce that did not take away from the meat, and a nice bun. I hope I remember this for next year.

Until next time keep moving forward.

KAG

The North Face challenge 50 Mile ATL

2011-10-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

Well where to begin…
When the alarm went off at 0300 as all my 50 milers have started. Soon after the morning routine, Andy and I were off to the shuttle. We got to the start around 0430ish and started talking to other runners. Then we spotted Dean, the man muscle, so I had to get a closer look (on a side note that guy looks like he has never had any fat on him). Shortly after that the starting gun went off and we shot out to get a good spot before the woods. Well I think that worked out really well, we got to the first aid station in about 55 minutes. The next section had some trouble in it with Andy's feet, but a quick change of socks fixed that. By the time we hit the third aid station Andy was feeling great and I knew he was going to have a good day. On the other hand I was feeling a little off, but still good. Andy put about ten minutes on me in the next 10 miles. After that the only other info I had on Andy was he was about 40 minutes ahead of me at 28 miles.
But back to the race, I thought the footing was as good as it was when we where out there a few weeks ago. The only really hot part of the course was the tornado area. (Marisol said that area was great because you could watch the runners for a good bit. ) As the race went on and the miles keep ticking off I knew I was not going to make my goal of 10 hours, but I thought I had a good shot at 11 hours if I had a great last 12 miles. I felt great so I put all I had into the next five mile section and was catching people left and right. It just looked like some people could not walk up hill any more but I was just climbing them like they where flat. Well then I had 7 miles to go and still feeling great, pushing along running as much as I could and the miles were melting away. Until that last 2.5 miles, by then all I wanted was a hot meal, but I was still pushing along. I remember someone asking me how I felt and I yelled like a million dollars that had been torn up. Someone yelled back but that still is a million dollars. Then a half-mile went by. And everything started to go south. My feet started to hurt a lot and my legs were cramping bad, but I knew I was close so I drank a lot of water and took some salt and kept moving forward. Well with a half mile to go I was seeing more people and they were telling me that I was close. And then someone said up the hill and then your done, at that point though I could not run up the hill at all. However, as soon as I saw the crowd this energy came over me and I just started sprinting as fast as I could. And before I knew it, it was over, 11:33:09. By this time I saw Andy and he told me he got first masters. When I heard that I was so happy for him.
After the race most of us went back to the yurts so we could use the jacuzzi and order some pizza. We stayed up late telling stories.
It was a great race. The North Face did great job. Until December
KAG

May 2011 summary

2011-06-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

First off, I know it is almost the end of June and this is the May summary.

Second, May was a great month of training for the Mohican 50 mile race. I had great 50k training run. Showing me that I was ready for the race the following month. I only raced once all month long and it was a great experience but I think a bad race.( too hot).

In the middle of all of this training I got to see a great friend of mine get married. And I also meet some great people in Boone, NC.

The miles break down as follows:

Workouts: 34

Races:1

Total number of miles: 309.9

Total time running time: 47 hours and 13 min.

Gate to Gate 4.4. mile Race: 29:02

Again sorry for the late post. But staying moving.

KAG

The Only Time You Can Drink and Drive [Video]

2011-05-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

The Only Time You Can Drink and Drive [Video]: "

Caztek Engineering has built a bike-bus that carries 14 people and moves by pedal power. As in, you sit and cycle to move the bus. The only redeeming thing? It's a moving bar—you're supposed to drink and drive.

The bike-bus, called the CityCycle, maxes out at 6mph so it's pretty damn slow but it does have in-floor coolers, room for a keg, storage, purse hooks, cup holders, LEDs, and a six-speaker sound system. The man up front steers the whole get up, so make sure he's sober, but the rest of you can drink and cycle your heart away. I'm pretty sure I'll have stopped peddling by beer number two though. [Core77]

April 2011 Summary

2011-05-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Well April was a odd month. I had a great first week and race at the Springtime 10k, but near the of the 2nd week I started to get a really bad cough. It turns out that I had pneumonia. Well that hurt my Palace 5k run. It also took me a total of 2 weeks to really feel better from it. So near the end of month everything started to turn back around enough for me to have a great race at the Tails and Trails 5k.

So for the monthly numbers:

27 hours 51 minutes and 22 seconds.
194.34 miles

Springtime 10k 38:59
Palace Saloon 5k 19:41
Tails and Trails 5k 18:58 *PR*

until next time keep on running.

KAG

March 2011 summary

2011-04-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

So March was a big month for me. I ran my first 15k at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, FL. And I also put in 2 60+ mile weeks in the month. I am starting to get some strength back in the legs and I am not as tried as I was in the first half on the month. So it looks like the high mileage is a paying off.

So the numbers; I ran 43 workouts; 36 hours, 27 minutes, and 41 sec; with a total of 248.59 miles.

Ability first almost 5k in18:04
Gate River Run 15k in 59:34*PR*
Thomasville Road Baptist Church 5k 19:15

This is also my highest mileage for month so far.

Next month has 2 of my favorite races Springtime and Palace.

KAG

February 2011 summary

2011-03-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Well February as a great month for running for me. I had two great races back to back and a 67 mile week. This has been my highest training week since I ran in college. Just that one week took a lot out of me, but I think I have bounced back well so far.
So for the numbers. I ran a total of 193.25 miles in 30 workouts with a total run time of 28 hours 17 minutes and 46 seconds. I think the running form is coming together slowly. Running hills is helping me work on my knee lift.
Tallahassee 1/2 marathon 1:27:57
New Orleans 1/2 marathon. 1:25:57 *PR

My body feels great lets hope everything keeps moving well like this.

Forward motion is the only thing that matters never look back.

KAG

The Legend of Zelda: the 80s teen movie

2011-02-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks Fishel

The Legend of Zelda: the 80s teen movie: "

Truly, words can not justify what you are about to witness, but I'll give it a whack anyway: A brilliant mashup trailer of 80s teen movie moments all smoothly tied together into a video game character love story. You're going to nostalgia so hard, you have no idea.

The details make it. And it's weighted down with them. Enjoy!

[Video link] Thanks for making me cry tears of joy, Dannel!

Did you qualify for the Boston Marathon and miss out on registration? Here’s a free entry for ya…

2011-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Did you qualify for the Boston Marathon and miss out on registration? Here’s a free entry for ya…: "

I was approached yesterday by the folks from Salonpas to giveaway a Boston Marathon registration to anyone who wanted it (including yours truly). Given I’ve already run Boston (my favorite sports experience to date!), and more importantly because I have zero desire to cause that much pain in my legs in the next few months – I’m going to give it away.

Except, there’s one little caveat that I decided on (which, I think you’ll appreciate). Back on October 18th the Boston Marathon sold out in 8 hours – cutting off the opportunity to register for many peeps. More importantly – folks who had worked their butts off to get a Boston Qualifying time, only to come home from work that day and find it already sold out.

So I decided this would be a good opportunity to try and rectify that – even if only for one person. While the Salonpas folks said I could give away the entry to anybody, I’m going to make the following tiny little conditions:

1) You must have already run a Boston Qualifying time for your age group per the normal Boston qualifying rules, as of October 18th, 2010 (meaning, prior to the last roughly 13 months of that date). While I know others qualifying after October 18th had the door closed on them early this year, I really want to help out the peeps who will otherwise not be able to use their BQ time at all.

2) You must be willing to run the Boston Marathon this year (April 18th, 2011). I know this sounds silly – but please don’t enter unless you will run (the whole thing).

3) This must be your first Boston Marathon experience. There’s something special about Boston that’s just different for newbies.

4) You must have the time of your life. That’s it!

Sound like a deal? Then simply leave a comment below – that’s it. Nothing fancy to do other than say hello. Though, if you write a poem, it’ll be more entertaining for all of us to read – but the winner will be chosen at random from the entries.

Finally – I’d like to thank Salonpas for this opportunity. During my survey a few weeks ago you told me that you didn’t want ‘sellout’ freebie advertising type giveaways (that I haven’t done to date) – but that you loved some of the really unique ones I could get (and you loved the gadget giveaways). I think this fits the description of ‘dang cool’ pretty well. Of course, I do want to briefly mention what Salonpas is – as that’s the least I could do.

They have an simple pain relief patch that you can slap on after you torment your body during training. It lasts up to 12 hours before you get to tear it off and slap on another one for more happy. They are currently hosting a sports sponsorship program where groups can apply to receive workout backpacks, water bottles, T-shirts, and samples for every member of their team. To apply, head on over to their Facebook page and click on the ‘Get Started’ button (or any other buttons that look interesting). Or you can just visit their normal Facebook page here.

Technical deets: The winner will receive a fully paid entry to the 2011 Boston Marathon on behalf of Salonpas. The winner does not have to know the date nacho cheese was invented, nor why it was invented. The winner will receive a pile of free goodies from Salonpas, including some of their products and also a running kit – they are under no obligation to use either though. The winner will otherwise pay their own way to Boston and all the normal expenses – none of that’s covered by me or Salonpas. Entry is open to US folks only this time (first time ever!), sorry! Winner may or may not be required to send me a finishers photo so I can post it then…depends on how brutal it looks…the more brutal, the more likely it’ll be posted. ;)

Entry period closes Sunday, February 13th at 11:59PM Eastern Time. That way I can give someone a Valentines day gift! Good luck!

Call to Action

2011-02-04T05:48:00.000-08:00

It is to bad Dean is not making is way to Tallahassee. It would be fun to run with him.

Call to Action: "
We have a HUGE problem in this country. We’ve let our health slip, and it’s costing us in more ways than we think. In my home state of California alone, the cost of treating obesity and obesity-related diseases is a staggering $23 billion a year. Yet, that figure only captures the hard medical cost. I would say the quality-of-life issues and the anguish and loss of self-esteem that being in such poor physical condition takes an even greater toll. Obesity and inactivity are villains robbing many of us of life’s basic happiness.

Okay, you know these things. You’ve heard it all before. We all have. What we really need is action to address the problem. In the spirit of doing what you can, I’ve come up with a plan. But I need your help. Let’s get this country moving again!

What I’m asking is that you to join me in this crusade to take back the health of America. On February 25th I’ll be taking an important step toward bringing greater awareness to the insidious problem of obesity and inactivity, and I want you to be part of this mission. Let’s collectively encourage physical activity and healthy diet by showing that running and outdoor activity can be fun and rewarding, all the while raising funds for a great cause, Action for Healthy Kids.

The press release below explains the undertaking. I hope to see you out on the open road!

(To learn more, including how you can help, click here.)

“LIVE! WITH REGIS AND KELLY” ANNOUNCES “REGIS & KELLY’S RUN ACROSS AMERICA WITH DEAN KARNAZES”

LIVE’s Most Ambitious Endeavor Yet Features Ultra-Athlete Dean Karnazes Running Coast-to-Coast to Inspire America

12-Week Event Will Benefit Action for Healthy Kids®

NEW YORK, NY – February 3, 2011 — On today’s “LIVE! with Regis and Kelly,” hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa announced the popular morning talk show’s most ambitious undertaking yet. LIVE is teaming up with ultramarathon runner, author and motivator Dean Karnazes for “Regis & Kelly’s Run Across America with Dean Karnazes,” a coast-to-coast challenge designed to inspire Americans to get up, get active and get healthy.

Beginning in Southern California on February 25 with a spectacular kick-off event at The Disneyland Resort that will be broadcast that morning on LIVE, Karnazes will undertake the unthinkable: he’ll run nearly 3,000 miles, averaging an unbelievable 40-50 miles daily, nearly the equivalent of two marathons every day. From California, he’ll make his way cross-country through the Southwest, passing through Arizona and New Mexico on his way to America’s Heartland. After running through Kansas, Missouri, Indianapolis and Ohio, he’ll head down to the nation’s capital, then travel north through Maryland and Pennsylvania, before completing his journey in mid-May when he runs into LIVE’s New York City studio, live on the air.

In addition to sending an important message about health and fitness, the run also will benefit Action for Healthy Kids®, the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment. Action for Healthy Kids helps schools become healthier places and teaches kids to eat right, be active every day and ready to learn.

As he runs, LIVE’s viewers will follow Karnazes’ challenges and triumphs as he takes on an amazing feat few athletes would attempt. LIVE will cover Karnazes every step of the way, with regular live and taped video updates from the run. Karnazes also will maintain an on-going blog on the LIVE website, and tweet messages and photos from the road so viewers can keep track of his incredible odyssey. In many cities, there will be organized “Run with Dean” 5k events in which local runners can join the ultramarathoner and be a part of his extraordinary cross-country trek. All proceeds from the 5k events will benefit Action for Healthy Kids and their efforts.

Three key partners have joined LIVE and Karnazes to make “Regis & Kelly’s Run Across America with Dean Karnazes” possible. In conjunction with its Way to Well Commitment, Walgreens will provide health checks for Karnazes as he makes his way from California to New York and provide wellness supplies for the three-month run. Eucerin is partnering with LIVE to build awareness of their “Skin First” mission, by encouraging people across the country to make skincare an essential part of their daily healthcare routines, as well as providing skincare tips and advice to viewers throughout the duration of the run. And as Karnazes journeys mile-by-mile across the country, OnStar will provide GM vehicles equipped with its full range of services, keeping Karnazes and his team connected and safe at all times.

“We first got to know Dean when he tried to break a world record on our show, running more than 211 miles on a treadmill over a 48-hour period. The entire staff was amazed and inspired by him,” said Michael Gelman, Executive Producer, “LIVE! with Regis and Kelly.” “This is an incredible opportunity for us, to be working with a role model like Dean Karnazes on such a positive effort: encouraging fitness, fighting against childhood obesity, and hopefully inspiring our viewers to live healthier lives.”

“America needs to reclaim its health,” noted Karnazes. “LIVE is bringing light to this critical situation and I am glad to be part of it. Let’s run!”

“With more than 30% of children in this country overweight or obese we’re fighting a serious childhood obesity epidemic. We have to get our children eating well and moving more,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Director of Action for Healthy Kids. “That’s why we’re thrilled to be working with ‘LIVE! with Regis and Kelly’ on Dean Karnazes’ cross-country adventure. It’s a fantastic way to highlight the importance and benefits of physical activity.”

Again: To learn more, including how you can help, click here!"

January 2011 summary

2011-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Well if January is a show of whats to come from this year. I see many pairs of shoes in my future. I ran 230 miles in 34 workouts for a total of 32 hours 49 min and 52 sec. I was also able to run three races. I have been slowly trying to work on my running form. I think it will help with the longer races I have planned.
Wild Mountain Scramble 4.11 miles in 32:32
Bowlegs 5k 3.1 miles in 19:42
GWTC 30K 18.6 miles in 2:13:37*PR*

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KAG

Hail to the king baby

2011-01-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Gamers! Check Out The New DUKE NUKEM FOREVER Trailer!: "

The long running Duke Nukem franchise is still cranking out the video games. After nearly a decade in the works Duke Nukem Forever will hit store shelves via Gearbox Software on May 3rd. Check out the new trailer gamer peeps and let us know what you think!

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Giveaway–January 2011!

2011-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

DCrainmaker is at it again.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Giveaway–January 2011!: "

Because it’s Friday. Because my bike finally arrived at my hotel in the country of Jordan three days after I did (though, my luggage…not so much). And because most importantly – the bike arrived in one happy piece. Thus, so many reasons to be happy to and give away a Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

Here’s my in depth review if you aren’t familiar with the little orange device.

Like the all my giveaways there are no restrictions on where the goods go to – so no matter where in the world you are, I’ll send to you. I’m going about this like a random raffle drawing, except that you can get multiple ‘entries’. Here’s the usual skinny on how:

One Entry: Simply place a comment below on this page, that’s it! No lyrics to create, or poems to make. No stories to tell, or anything complex. Only comments on this page count (nope, comments from 2 years ago don’t count).

Two Entries: Three different ways to double up here. In addition to the comment below, just put a link on your blog (if you have one) to this contest page. Or the second option is adding your Twitter account as a follower of DCRAINMAKERBLOG and retweeting the contest announcement. By simply spreading the word, ya get an extra entry. (Note: If you’re already a follower, simply re-tweet and you get credit!). The final third option for non-Twitter/Blog peeps is to Share this on FaceBook instead. Surely you have FaceBook, right? There’s a handy button below the post for doing it automagically.

Three Entries: Triple-time baby! This is easy – just do all three of the above! Twitter (or FaceBook), Blog/Site, and Comment. Ya max out at three entries though…no quadruple dipping here!

See, that’s pretty painless, right?

Please let me know in your comment below how many entries you’ve qualified for if more than one, as it’s super-difficult for me to lineup a Twitter account named “AwesomeRunner28” to a blog named “RunnerGuy” to a comment listed from “RunningCowTippers!”, and I certainly want you to get all your entries. I don’t need to know your account names, just how many entries. Also, if ya have technical questions/thoughts/comments/diatribes/poems regarding the FR310XT specifically, use that post page for those writings.

The winner will get a brand new Garmin Forerunner 310XT (with HR strap).

The contest will run until Thursday January 20th, 2011 at 11:59PM Eastern Time when I’ll close the entry period. I’ll announce the winner the following day.

For those curious on how the giveaways work, here’s the deets. Thanks all!

(Note: If you’re active duty military and deployed and are unable to complete the three entry methods above, simply shoot me an e-mail and I’ll get ya counted for all three. Thanks!)

Flash Ad: BMW Burns Logo onto Cinema-Goers’ Eyes

2010-12-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

Flash Ad: BMW Burns Logo onto Cinema-Goers’ Eyes: "

I’m not a big fan of motor vehicles, but I love this eye-burning guerilla ad from BMW, a kind of a cross between Julius von Bismarck’s Fulgurator and Max Headroom’s blipverts.

The stunt was pulled in a German movie theater. A giant Profoto Pro-7B was hidden behind the screen, a studio flash unit that pumps out enough light to… well, you’ll see. In front of the light was a card, with the letters “BMW” cut into it.

During the ad, and its usual guff about living your dreams by wasting fossil fuels, the flash fired and burned the letters into the unsuspecting viewers’ retinas. Then the motorbike pilot-man (that’s what they’re called, right?) on-screen tells everyone to close their eyes. They do, and see the letters projected onto the backs of their eyelids.

As you can see from the cinema-goers’ reactions, the smoke-and-mirrors gimmick went down well. I can’t imagine this working in the U.S, though. None of the teenagers would see it, as they’re all texting and chatting on their phones, and somebody, somewhere, would decide to sue the theater for triggering an epileptic fit. Sigh.

BMW – Flash Projection [YouTube]

Profoto: The Light Shaping Retina Searing Company [Strobist]

See Also:

The Brains Behind the Image Fulgurator

Gun Camera Adds Graffiti to Other People's Photos

Gadget Lab Podcast#35: 3D Holograms, The Image Fulgurator, and New …

November Forerunner 210 Giveaway

2010-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Another great giveaway by DC Rainmaker.

November Forerunner 210 Giveaway: "

Over the last week or so I’ve been testing out the Forerunner 210 GPS running watch, which is brand spankin’ new and just released in time for the Holidays. I’ve been so happy with it to date, that I’ve decided to give one away. And while I don’t have a full In Depth Review put together quite yet, I’m happy to say this watch is just about what the majority of runners out there want.

And since I love the watch, and I love you guys…you get a free watch. :)

Like all giveaways to date, there are no restrictions on where the goods go to – so no matter where in the world you are, I’ll send to you (heck, with all my travel as of late, I might just simply drop it at your front door myself!). I’m going about this like a random raffle drawing, except that you can get multiple ‘entries’. Here’s the usual skinny on how:

One Entry: Simply place a comment below on this page, that’s it! No lyrics to create, or poems to make. No stories to tell, or anything complex. Only comments on this page count (nope, comments from 2 years ago on a post about pasta don’t count).

Two Entries: Three different ways to double up here. In addition to the comment below, just put a link on your blog (if you have one) to this contest page. Or the second option is adding your Twitter account as a follower of DCRAINMAKERBLOG and retweeting the contest announcement. By simply spreading the word, ya get an extra entry. (Note: If you’re already a follower, simply re-tweet and you get credit!). The final third option for non-Twitter/Blog peeps is to Share this on FaceBook instead. Surely you have FaceBook, right? There’s a handy button below the post for doing it automagically.

Three Entries: Triple-time baby! This is easy – just do all three of the above! Twitter (or FaceBook), Blog/Site, and Comment. Ya max out at three entries though…no quadruple dipping here!

See, that’s pretty painless, right?

Please let me know in your comment below how many entries you’ve qualified for if more than one, as it’s super-difficult for me to lineup a Twitter account named “AwesomeRunner28” to a blog named “RunnerGuy” to a comment listed from “RunningCowTippers!”, and I certainly want you to get all your entries. I don’t need to know your account names, just how many entries. Also, if ya have technical questions/thoughts/comments/diatribes/poems regarding the Forerunner 210 specifically, use that post page for those writings.

The winner will get a brand new Forerunner 210 (including HR strap).

The contest will run until Thursday November 18th, 2010 at 11:59PM Eastern Time when I’ll close the entry period. Baring any major travel snafu’s, I’ll announce the winner the following day.

For those curious on how the giveaways work (like the part about how these are funded by me…), here’s the full deets. Thanks all!

(Note: If you’re active duty US Military and deployed - simply shoot me an e-mail and I’ll get ya counted for all three. Just like that…magic. Thanks!)

2010-10-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

participant

Name (CTZ)	Gates, Keith (USA)
Bib number	4068
age group	25-29
Age	29
City, State	Tallahassee, FL

race info

START TIME	07:31:37
Est.Finish	-

totals

place (M/W)	1646
place (ag)	335
place (total)	1905
time total (netto)	03:19:28

splits

Split	time of day	time	diff	min/mile	miles/h
05K	07:54:12AM	00:22:35	22:35	07:16	8.26
10K	08:16:28AM	00:44:51	22:16	07:10	8.37
15K	08:39:02AM	01:07:25	22:34	07:16	8.26
20K	09:01:32AM	01:29:56	22:31	07:15	8.28
HALF	09:06:29AM	01:34:53	04:57	07:16	8.27
25K	09:24:04AM	01:52:28	17:35	07:15	8.28
30K	09:47:37AM	02:16:00	23:32	07:35	7.92
35K	10:12:39AM	02:41:03	25:03	08:04	7.45
40K	10:40:18AM	03:08:41	27:38	08:54	6.75
Finish	10:51:05AM	03:19:28	10:47	07:55	7.59

GU All about it!

2010-09-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is kind of nice. I might just try it.

GU All about it!: "Call them crazy, but they did it.

After scrutinizing rounds of testing, research and development to find the next flavor of Roctane, GU Energy found that the majority of athletes preferred...booze?

The taste-test and selection process yielded the newest Roctane flavor to be incredibly reminiscent of a Mai Tai. GU can't (and won't) call the new flavor "Mai-Tai" - it lacks the chunks of fruit, pig roast hula dance and inevitable hangover. So instead, they are calling it Island Nectars. It's frickin' delicious.

As you may know, the Kona Ironman is next month; GU found it to be perfect place to launch the new flavor. The curveball: Up until last week, this new oral delight (can I say that? Well, I did.) was only going to be available to Kona qualifiers. It dawned on us that such an idea was just plain ridiculous. So, from now until Oct 31, GU is not only opening the new flavor to the public, they are giving it away for free.

The Taper Monster

2010-09-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

I kind of feel like this.

The Taper Monster: "I'm trying to keep it locked up...
I'm trying to keep it under control...
But no matter how good my intentions it's still breaking out with a fury.

The taper monster. Otherwise known as the days leading up to the race when I can, in a matter of seconds, flip from my usual cheery self:

To this:

As the race gets closer and I start freaking out about the things that are out of my control, I try to freakishly control everything possible in my life. Obviously this affects my ability to play well with others.

Driving in my car, singing along to the radio:

Suddenly a car pulls out in front of me:

How dare you cut me off! You're trying to get me injured before Kona!

In the grocery store, stocking up on healthy produce

the lady in front of me sneezes in the direction of my produce:

How dare you! You're trying to get me sick before Kona!

When I can't find my USAT card:

When I find out I'm not getting a much anticipated check before I leave:

To my coworkers:

To my boyfriend:

Are you seeing a pattern here?

I still have another week of this to go. I'm hoping that I can keep this beast under control.

RUNABOUT

2010-09-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks Dean

RUNABOUT: "

The legendary running coach Jeff Galloway has probably trained more marathoners than anyone on earth. Jeff teaches a unique training system that includes regular, brief walking period. He’s also among the few running coaches who encourages those athletes preparing for a marathon to do training runs exceeding 26.2 miles (including the walking segments). Those who follow this advice report that the inclusion of walking segments makes these “overdistance” workouts perfectly manageable. Going beyond the distance of the actual race is also a great confidence builder, especially for first timers.

I recommend a slight modification to Jeff’s approach that I simply call Runabout. Inspired by the Australian Aboriginal practice of Walkabout, it works like this: After you’ve put in some good training and built a fairly decent level of fitness, pick a weekend morning to set out the front door of your house with a running pack, the contents of which should include: some cash, a credit card, a cell phone, some fluid and some snacks—maybe also a map or a GPS if you want to get really sophisticated. Choose a direction (i.e., north) and start running. Keep running until you feel like taking a break, but don’t. Just slow down and jog or walk, but don’t stop moving. The important thing is to keep upright and maintain forward progress. If you get really tired, run by Starbucks and grab a latte. Stick a straw in it and drink it as you shuffle along.

Try to make a complete day of the outing. Better, end up at one of your favorite nearby resorts or spas, and make an evening of it as well. Don’t worry about how many miles you actually run. Focus instead on keeping on your feet and on moving forward, one way or another (be it running, jogging, hiking or walking), for at least six to eight hours. Mostly, have fun and enjoy the experience.

Not only will you get a great workout, it’s an interesting and spontaneous way to spend a day (or series of days!). Funny things happen out there. You have chance encounters, you see things you wouldn’t normally see during your typical daily runs, and it can be quite captivating. Rarely in our modern society do we spend an entire day outside, and there’s just something enchanting and magical about watching a day go by from the exterior of a building rather than stuck inside one. There’s a lot to be learned from those Aboriginals, despite not having a single Starbucks in the outback.

Keepin’ it fresh,

Dean Karnazes