MyRunAcrossAmerica

Thoughts on the NYC Marathon cancellation. Get over it!

2012-11-03T15:42:00.001-07:00

The brouhaha over the non-cancellation earlier in the week then last moment cancellation of the ING NYC Marathon has been loud and long. In my opinion, the wailing and gnashing of teeth has been too loud and gone on too long.

I have no dog in the hunt so it gives me a clinical vantage point from which to have an opinion. I was not running the race, nor do I have loved ones in the bulls-eye zone of Hurricane Sandy. So, I have no emotional connection.

The cancellation was smart. The timing was stupid. The outcry even more stupid.

The city was/is without power and there were dozens of deaths. The storm’s destruction will take weeks maybe months to clean up. Safety crews and medical workers are running all out. Law enforcement is taxed to the max protecting citizens from looters and each other as tempers flare over the lack of power and gasoline.

These same public service people would have had to stop the hard work of cleanup and rescue to provide support for the race. Tough spot.

The race should have been cancelled early in the week.

The rationale the NYC RoadRunners Club used about revenue for the city, vendors and sponsors wore/still wears thin. It would have been interesting to listen to the dialogue between the sanctioning organization, corporate sponsors, the city and others to understand the line of thinking earlier in the week. Maybe the “show must go on” decision felt noble. It may have even been right financially on a spreadsheet, but it made little common sense in light of the situation.

Then to compound the already bad decision, the NYCRR waited until some portion of the runner’s were in transit or already there in the city to cancel the race. Apparently many showed up to find hotel rooms unavailable as they were being used to house displaced people. Didn’t these runners watch the news or call ahead?

The reaction has been an interesting human study.

Monitoring Twitter and Facebook feeds reveals that most/many seem to be modestly annoyed but understanding. Some though are shrill in their critique of the NYCRR. Some are pissed because of the no refund policy. (Easy solution, some bright marketing person at a big budget company like Nike with a $2.4 Billion marketing budget in 2012 should spend $8-10 million and sponsor 2012 runners entry fees for 2013.) It clearly says on every race entry that the fees are non-refundable. You get injured, you pull out. You miss a flight, you pull out. In this case Mother Nature was the cause, the race pulled out.

Get over it.

This drama is all that is wrong in today’s corporate sponsored mass marathons. The money being spent behind these races has turned the sport into a bit of a circus. When smart calls on races are being held hostage to money, it is a slippery slope. What’s next?

To the runners bitching about the cancellation- please shut up. Yes, it is a minor inconvenience. It is microscopic when compared to having a relative killed or seeing a family’s house taken away in the floodwaters. You sound like a self obsessed clod complaining about missing a race when the devestation looks as bad as it does.

To the people at the sponsors and NYCRR who made decisions based on the money factor in the face of a serious disaster. Shame on you.

To the people displaced or had relatives killed in the storm? Sorry for your situation, my thoughts are with you and I am sorry you have had to listen to this kind of garbage as you try to put your lives back together.

Me?

I am not going to sign up for a mass corporate sponsored 26.2 ever again. Instead I will look for the small regional races where money is not the purpose of the race. I doubt it matters in the scheme of things, but I want my race fees to go to a charity or a small race director who is doing because they love the sport…not the money that goes with it.

DNFs are 99% Mental...Toughen Up!

2012-09-26T19:00:00.002-07:00

If you race big distances enough eventually you will be visited by demons that can have you waving the surrender flag and taking the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish).

Most of the time, long haulers can stuff the quit monster back into the dark dank box it crawled out of. Occasionally, the comfort of the SAG wagon or the rest area with “down the mountain shuttle access” beckons a little to loudly.

In my 14 years of racing long, I have had 3 DNFs. I remember every one.

In retrospect, I will say that only 1 of the DNF’s was a legit physical problem (severely pulled hamstring at a marathon 8 weeks before Ironman Louisville 2010).

The other two?

I quit because I was a being a pansy.

Seriously.

Two years in a row at the Cascade Crest Classic 100, I quit (mile 54, mile 62) because I lost mental control and allowed temporary pain to get in my head. I am not sure what my justification was, but I suspect the conversation between my ears went something like…

“My (insert whatever body part) hurts. It hurts real bad. I am cold, wet and hungry. (Waaaaa, Waaaaaaaa, Waaaaaaaaaaaa! ) I quit. I still cleared 54 miles. That’s good enough right?”

Guess what? 100 miles with 35,000 feet of elevation change is supposed to hurt. Running 26.2 miles after cycling 5 hours plus will push you to the bloody edge. Being hungry or thirsty or dehydrated is part of the journey. Your body can take it…your mind is what usually fails you.

Avoiding a DNF is 99% mental/ 1% physical.

At mile 72, when you are feeling horrible and feeling like quitting, it is time to get deep within yourself and keep moving.

Cold and Wet? Keep moving.

Tired, hungry and thirsty? Keep moving.

Cramped, throwing up or worse? Keep moving.

Injured? Keep moving. If you are moving, you are not injured enough. Your body won't lie.

Keep moving. Your mind will quit before your body will.

I once talked to Ironman legend Chris Legh about how he maintained focus and full throttle during periods of pain. He graciously spent 30 minutes on the phone with me giving me his thoughts. Specifically, how to push hard when the chips were down.

This Chris Legh....

His answer? A mantra that he had taped to his bike tube and written on his arm that he stared at as the negative thoughts entered his mind…

TTFU (Toughen The F Up).

Great advice when your mind is about to betray you.

Keep moving…a DNF is mental!

Runners Gut - 7 Ways to Keep You Out of the Woods

2012-09-08T09:08:00.002-07:00

It starts with a rumble. You ignore it.

Maybe you discretely (or not so discretely) let off a little of the pressure. Your eyes scan the sides of the road…yards, woods, buildings.

Nah. Not going to do it. Disgusting.

Rumble, rumble, rumble. Ouch.

Crampy.

The eyes begin to dart. Big patch of trees over there….

Hope I can make it!!!!

Hope no one sees me.

Could I get arrested for this?

Whew….

Runners Gut (technical medical term – joggerscra pititus) is not always preventable, but there are ways to reduce the chances that you are going to need to imitate a bear.

As a guy who runs a lot (pun not intended, but I will take it), I have 7 tried and true methods I have found to help reduce the chances for the need of a pit stop during a race or a run.

1) Don’t use simple sugar electrolyte drinks during the run. Gatorade, Powerade and the like use sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup. The simple fact is most people have a hard time processing simple sugars easily during runs…hence…well…you know…the runs… (PS Gatorade/Powerade sponsor guys, since you never call me, consider this my absolute rejection of any future sponsorships you may offer for my future Run Across America Attempt 2.)

2) Try electrolyte capsules especially ones that have a little sodium bicarb in them. The bicarb neutralizes acid. It calms the stomach before the results hit south.

3) Ginger chews. I could write for hours on the power of ginger. A great article can be found here http://www.livestrong.com/article/338023-ginger-and-digestive-problems/

4) Stay away from dairy before a run. I know there are people out there that love cold milk before a run. However, these people have stomachs made of cast iron. Most people have a real difficulty with dairy right before a run.

5) An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of…well…. There is no better way to prevent a reading of the Sunday paper in the woods than draining the swamp ahead of time. Coffee is a great way to start a run…2 hours beforehand. Just run empty!

6) Don’t eat anything before a race that you have never eaten before. You never know what your system may think of that Spicy Tofu Pad Thai the night before a 70.3! (Hint, this pasta carb loading dish should be served to your closest competitor if you want to win.)

7) In order to skip the mid race blues, take a dose of Kaopectate or similar medicine a few hours ahead. I don’t pack my ultra running gear or bike for an Ironman without a little baggie of fun.

Even if you do all of these things, you may end up reading the New York Times in the woods at mile 24. Our bodies are fickle things that have minds of their own.

Final word?

Race bibs can multi-task….

Death of an ultra runner...

2012-08-09T08:24:00.001-07:00

Ultra endurance running is not an inherently dangerous sport. I can easily think of many other sports that carry with them higher risks for death and injury than running 50, 100 or more miles.

Running...

…in heat

…on mountains

…in the middle of no where

...usually by ones self

No big deal!

Hmmmmm....

I guess I am as guilty of being a bit nonchalant about the danger as the next endurance runner.

If I had a dollar for every time I cheerfully and dismissively told my wife the little white lies we all tell like...

“Ehh, the trail I am running is no big deal. Heck you could drive a truck on it”! This said fully knowing that I may be three bad steps or a trip away from a 300 foot cliff dive.

“I felt great” when I actually felt like I was 2 seconds away from heat stroke. (Ironman Louisville 2010…dehydrated, sick....I decided stupidly to run on people’s lawns figuring that if I passed out/collapsed I would be less likely to crack my head open on pavement. ) “No babe, the 100 degree heat did not impact me a bit!”

“I am recovering quickly!” Said to wife just seconds after I just hung up the phone with my doc….“Hey Doctor Dave, I have not pee’d in 3 days after XYZ race…when should I start worrying that I f-d up my kidneys?"

I would be rich for every one of these fibs told to my wife to keep her from being nervous…

Maybe a person begins to believe the lies over time.

Indestructible am I!
That happens to others.
I know when to say when.

Then….

BAM!

Yesterday I opened up Facebook and got a cold water in the face jolt.

One of my running circle friends sadly reported he just had received some bad news that one of his ultra running comrades had just died in Death Valley on an adventure run. Details were sketchy, but it seemed it was likely due to dehydration/heat stroke.

There it is.

Fate issuing a full frontal head butt.

Wake up dude....that could be you or any of your friends.

There but for the grace of God (or not) go all of us who run long, run hot and run harsh.

Be safe out there friends… The distance. The heat. The terrain.

We are all one bad decision, one step or one sip away from it….

Me?

Taking it a little smarter from here….

The Running Community...and a shout out to DailyMile!

2012-08-02T07:11:00.003-07:00

Two weeks ago I had dinner with my sometimes running pal, ex Youngstown-mafia-dude-now architectural genius HughB and his awesome dude-ette AW. Over a bottle of wine and a C- Indian food dinner the subject came up about how awesome people were to each other (many complete strangers btw) on the social networking/exercise application “DailyMile” (www.dailymile.com).

We both marveled at how supportive, helpful and just plain NICE people were on the application. Both of us have been using it for a while and neither of us could recall anyone flaming anyone or being less than role model citizens. (How's Facebook or Twitter doing for you these days?)

Now, I am sure there are buttchinski’s amongst the running/triathlete community.

Statistically there have to be.

But it made me wonder…

It got me thinking…

As I look at the tribe of people that running has connected me with on a frequent basis these folks look like a real force of good. Not only do they run, bike and swim but they seem to be a group of amazing people outside of the athletic space.

I looked at my circle on DailyMile, Twitter and Facebook…what I saw was pretty uplifting!

A young woman who just took the Bar Exam and is about 22 marathons into running 50 marathons in 50 states.

Three separate guys who have run across the US raising tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities.

Multiple business owners. One who has started two successful businesses in the last 24 months. The business owners include a Badwater/Barkley finisher and a lady who just finished in the Top 3% at the SF Half Marathon at the same age I am.

A woman who just finished her first Ironman and is now headed to MBA school at Babson (after turning down full rides to Harvard, Yale and Berkeley for academics).

A successful sales manager who just attempted Ironman Texas with two carbon/titanium hips due to Crohn’s.

The list goes on…

What’s my point?

The tribe of endurance Runners/Bikers/Swimmer are super humans?

Better people?

A greater race?

No.

I would not be that stupid, arrogant or smug to make that kind of a statement. I am sure as I type this that you can identify five douchebags who participate in e-sports. They are out there...but I would guess in small numbers.

But this connection fascinates me.

What comes first? Success in life or success in athletics? Are they mutually intertwined?

I know one thing…

It motivates me to not represent the tribe poorly…

So now for an unsolicited shout out to Dailymile...

If you want to make friends with some great athletes and people, head on over to DailyMile...it is truly a great social network for folks who think like you do. It is easy to use and gives you a virtual support group for your athletic endeavors.

A case of IDD, Inspiration Deficit Disorder

2012-07-27T16:08:00.003-07:00

“Doctor, I am not well.”

“What seems to be ailing you?”

I cannot seem to get myself out of bed in the morning to go running. When the alarm goes off, I make up some excuse, roll over and go back to sleep.”

“The drizzle will make the pavement too slippery. I may fall and get injured.”

“I have a big day today and need to get an extra hour of sleep.”

“Hmmmmm….my shin feels funny, better take it easy today.”

“Oh, I ran hard yesterday (even if I didn’t).

“I am tapering….for a race…in 2013...that I need to sign up for.”

“There might be a dog on my run that bites me.”

“I see. How many miles have you done the last two weeks?”

“40 if that, I used to do 40 in a day on the weekends.”

“Hmmmmmmmm…..that does not sound good.”

“Doc, I don’t have any energy, except to run to the refrigerator and grab a cold IPA.”

“When did you last race?”

“December.”

“Hmmmmmmm. When did you last sign up for a race?”

“December.”

“Wow. I mean. Hmmmmmm. Have you skipped races you paid for?”

“Wellllllll, maybe a few.”

“Hmmmmm. I am sorry. It sounds like you have a really bad case.”

“Doc, what is it? What do I have?”

“Ed, I have some bad news for you. You have acute IDD.”

“IDD? Oh my! You can give me some penicillin for that right? This is just between you and me right? My wife does not have to know. Guys code and all. Our little secret.”

“Ed, I am sorry. Penicillin cannot help you. Nothing I can give you will cure IDD.”

“IDD, wait, I thought you said STD. What’s IDD?”

“IDD is short for Inspiration Deficit Disorder. This disease strikes all runners and triathletes eventually. Symptoms range from temporary laziness and lethargy. Sometimes, in rare cases it can lead to Dorito binging and a BMI measurement in the 50s.”

“BMI in the 50’s?. How do you cure it?”

“I cannot cure it. Only you can.”

“How Doctor How?”

“You must get out there and rediscover what you love about running and racing. That is the only way. If you don’t re-find it, you only have six months left.”

“Six months? I am going to die from this?”

“No. Six months until you are hitting belt length PR’s versus race time PRs."

"You gotta save me Doc. Give me something."

"I prescribe the SF Marathon on Sunday. Take two halves and call me on Monday…..Next patient please."

The Other Olympics

2012-07-02T17:20:00.001-07:00

Just about the time I was beginning to feel down on myself for my ROMAS disease (Rapid Onset of Middle Aged Slowness) a reminder not so gently smacks me in the face.

"A few aches and pains are nothing in the grand scheme of things."

I suspect many of you have been watching the Olympic qualifications. These trials are filled with swimmers, runners, javelin throwers and scores of other human specimens all displaying amazing feats of strength, speed and agility in order to qualify for the Olympics. One has to amazed and impressed.

One thinks…if only I coulda, woulda, shoulda…maybe I could have been there 30 years ago. Oh, my aching shin splints…

Then, that less than gentile reminder…

The commercial for the 2012 Olympics pops up.

You know, the one showing 8-10 athletes. Some, without any form of physical impediment, intermingled with athletes doing the same sport in wheel chairs or wearing prosthetics or missing this or that. The commercial concludes with a joint Summer Olympics 2012/Paralympics 2012 logo.

Powerful stuff.

Especially as I sit here bitching to myself about how achy, unresponsive and whiney my 48-year-old body seems to be getting. My lot can be a whole lot more challenging.

This commercial is inspiring to me. It also made me feel like a big fat schmuck for my wrong-headed thinking about how it sucks to feel aches and pains as I put myself out on beautiful trails.

Then…

I got curious about the kinds of performances the Paralympic athletes turn in. How inspired should I be?

I went here: http://ipc-athletics.paralympic.org/records/ to get an idea. What I found was mind blowing. I expected to find “great efforts”. What I did not expect to find are eye popping times in sports of all types.

Here are a few tidbits that will change your perspective about the “other” Olympic games. Since this is a running blog, I focused on some running numbers.

What was your fastest 5K? Mine? Somewhere around the 20 minute mark. What if I told you a couple of Para-Olympians did it in around 15 minutes? What if I told you Marla Runyan was listed as blind and ran a 15:07 5k? (Dude, you just got chicked by a girl...who cannot see.) Or if a guy with Cerebral Palsy named Kazuya Maeda did it in 12:33 in the wheelchair division? Pretty inspiring…

How fast can you run a 100M dash? If you clocked me, I am guessing an hour and 37 minutes would be the time these days. However, another visually impaired athlete named Elchin Muradov did it in 10.66 seconds…not sooooo far off of Usain Bolts record.

So, as we settle in to listen to Bob Costas walk us through the London Games, we should look to see what the other very able athletes in the 2012 Paralympics pull off. Chances are their performance will make you quit whining about your own efforts.

Where are my Advil and Moonpies? I need to get running!

Giving Middle Age the Middle Finger

2012-06-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Two new books out in the last 30 days and a couple of Ironman 70.3 race results give me reasons for hope as I watch my own calendar pages fly by.

Rich Roll’s “Finding Ultra” (I highly recommend it!) and Scott Jurek’s new book “Eat and Run” (purchased, but not yet started!) are both written by endurance athletes who have reached the half marathon point or headed down the back half.

Throw the ever running (and writing) Dean Karnazes and the ever-winning Lance Armstrong into this mix of greying endurance athletes and you end up with a relatively old set of guys. These dudes would have long since hung up their jerseys if they were playing football, hockey or basketball.

In fact, if you average up their years, you end up with an average age of nearly 44 years! Karno is 50 this year. Rich will be 46, Lance 41, and Scott a relatively spring chicken at 37 (and a half!). The late Micah True was 52 and still kicking up dust in the mountains a short few months ago. My friend John Teeples ran a 9^th place Badwater this year at age 47.

At 45, some guys buy sports cars. Other guys trade in starter wives for younger models. Other guys just run! Or bike! Or swim! These are probably smarter and safer ways to spend time than the sports car or trophy wife!

Why are older guys still seeing success in a business that would dictate victory to younger people?

I have my opinions.

First, I think these middle agers have conquered the mental aspects of endurance racing. They have been in the pain cave before, learned from it and survived to fight another day. They know pain comes and goes. These guys keep moving, make friends with pain and bide their time.

Secondly, they have the patience and wisdom required to train and race using smarts versus body. I doubt any of them “get out too fast” for a race or “miss the nutrition or hydration window”. Smart racing and training comes from experience and knowledge about themselves gained over decades of self-experimenting.

Thirdly, I don’t think they take themselves so seriously as to cause themselves mental stress and drama that drains energy during peak performance loads.

Finally, I think a big difference is the big black competitive streak running down their backs that only gets wider and darker with age. These guys are fierce individualists that still want to beat themselves and pass the guy in front of them.

As one of those guys somewhere between 13.1-26.2 miles on the age meter, I understand. Though not in the same club as the gents I mentioned here, I know the pain, have the experience and still the competitive fight to try to pass whoever is ahead of me.

“Hey middle age! Yeah, I am talking to you!!!!”

10 Awesome Running Quotes

2012-06-03T11:25:00.001-07:00

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”

-Jesse Owens

“Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never pushed through the obstruction.”

- William James

“I don’t want anyone to do anything except come run, party, dance, eat, and hang with us. Running isn’t about making people buy stuff. Running should be free, man.”

-Micah True

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"

 - Peter Maher

“Most people never get there. They're afraid or unwilling to demand enough of themselves and take the easy road, the path of least resistance. But struggling and suffering, as I now saw it, were the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not constantly demanding more from yourself--expanding and learning as you go--your choosing a numb existence. Your denying yourself an extraordinary trip.”

― Dean Karnazes,

"Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run."

 -Monte Davis

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving.”

– Maurice Greene (attributed to Roger Bannister shortly after running the first sub-4 mile)

“No one ever drowned in sweat."  -Author Unknown

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people."  

-Bill Bowerman

“When you run on the earth and run with the earth, you can run forever.”

- Tarahumara Indians:

How do you stay motivated? Five things I have learned.

2012-05-19T14:50:00.003-07:00

It's morning. Early morning. You are awakened from your sleep by an annoying alarm clock.

"Time to go run, uuuuugh"

The bed? Warm. Soft. Really soft.

"Man, laying here feels so good. Let me gather my thoughts."

Your wife/husband/partner/dogs are all still snoozing away. They look like you feel...warm...comfortable.

The hour? Too early really.

"Who gets up at this time of day to exercise anyways?"
"I have already ran 4 times this week. I probably need a rest day!."
"Heck, it is probably raining out there. I think I can hear it."

Adjust the alarm for another hour, roll back over to sleep.

Feeling guilty.

Feeling like a total candy-ass.

"Get your butt out of bed lazy! If you don't get out today, it will make it easy to roll over again tomorrow."

Turning off the alarm and getting out the door....

Does this sound at all familiar?

We all go through it. It is hard to stay committed to a rigorous exercise plan day in day out for years on end.

I have worked out at least 10-12 hours a week (sometimes much more) for the last 15 years. I have managed to stay motivated (more or less) during the whole time period.

During those 15 years of hardcore training, I have learned at least five things about motivation.

Motivation ebbs and flows. Some days running is a total joy. Some days it is just "meh". Some days it really sucks. The key to managing these ebbs and flows is to not get wrapped up in the day to day brain talk. I fully expect I will not love running a day or two a week. That's okay to me. I recognize that no matter how I feel, I gotta get out there and do the work. My body is mostly independent of my self talk and I can deal with the ups and downs.

When you are temporarily unmotivated to exercise, do it anyways. Push yourself to just get started. I can tell you that some of my best mornings are ones where I almost talked myself into staying in bed and pushed myself to shut down the negativity in my head. My self talk always congratulates me at the end of the miles for not wussing out, getting started and then getting it done.

Know why you exercise and remind yourself of this frequently. Do you run for thinking time? Do you exercise to rock a hot bikini on the beach this summer? Do you run to lose weight? Are you training for a race? Whatever the reason, remind yourself why you exercise frequently. Steer your inner self talk to the results of missing a session. "Hmmm, I missed my 8 miles this morning. I need to put in the miles to stay on my training schedule for the SF Marathon. I really want to do well at SF!"

Get some strange. Yup, I said it, but I am not meaning it in the way you took it! What I do mean is that you should change up your routine if you start to feel stale. Go from road to trail. Run to bike. Throw a boxing workout in. Go to a yoga class. Whatever...just change it up for a few days. Your motivation will return for your primary exercise vehicle soon enough.

Plan extended breaks to give your body and mind time to regroup. After each of my 9 Ironman races, I took a month off. I lived like a civilian for 25-30 days. I did it for a number of reasons, but the main one was to give myself a period to bottle up motivation. ( I always relished the return to normal training after the extended break.)

As the Nike commercial goes....

Just do it!

If you want to share your motivation secrets...throw a comment below!

Run for the Heroes...Future Runners of the Month!

2012-04-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

15+ relay teams.

15 solo runners.

260 miles of running across hot Georgia tarmac.

Why? For the challenge and to raise money and awareness for House of Heroes (HoH), a Columbus, Georgia based not for profit whose mission is to help veterans and public safety households with basic house repairs and renovations. A great cause...our vets, police and fire officers deserve our best.

This past week, I caught up with my friend John Teeples, who is heavily involved with the HoH Run for the Heroes and is once again serving as race director. John was fresh off running 78 miles or so over 40 odd hours at the Barkley Marathons. I was lucky to grab him for a few minutes.

John, how are you feeling after Barkley?

It was harder than anything I have every attempted. The terrain, the distance and the tough challenges of running on mostly unmarked trails. I cannot even describe the difficulty of the race.

Wow, and now you are working hard to get the HoH Run for the Heroes pulled together. How is it going?

We have a lot of interest this year. It looks like we will have 12-15 individual racers and 15 or so relay teams. There is a lot interest in the relay race and folks from Fort Benning are putting together teams. We are also again blessed with committed sponsors this year.

What is the fund raising goal this year John? You guys did real well last year.

Last year, we raised over $70,000. We would really like to go over the $100,000 mark this year. We know times are still tough for folks, but the people we are helping need the kind of assistance HoH's projects provide. We are grateful for every donation and volunteer we get.

How did the run go last year?

It was hot out there! Our winning relay team defied the heat and covered the distance in about 34 hours. That is pretty fast. We did have three individual finishers. The run for the individuals was a little less of a race versus just hanging in there for the entire run. It is hard to run 260 miles. We did have 3 get it done though!

Where does the money raised by the Run for the Heroes go?

The money goes to provide assistance to military vets, public safety officials and their families in making repairs and improvements to homes. HoH chapters are popping up in areas all over the country. It is such a worthy cause! We literally help these people with the hard work and resources needed to get repair and renovation work done to improve their quality of life.

How can people sign up or donate to the HoH or the run?

The best way to go is to hit the website http://www.runfortheheroes.com/plaintext/home/home.aspx
There you can find information for making a donation, race participation or sponsorship opportunities.

John, I know you are a pretty modest guy, but the work you and the rest of the HoH crew are doing is so awesome. You and the team are role models.

I am just doing what everyone else would do in the same situation. Our vets and safety officials deserve our help.

(Me thinking - hmmmm, not enough people doing enough good deeds like HoH these days.)

Well John, thanks for you time, maybe we can figure out a way to run some together soon.

We will figure out something!

If you can help..head on over to one of the links and donate!

The Courteous Runner - 9 Things Conscientious Runners Do!

2012-04-15T08:33:00.003-07:00

My last few weekends have been full of heavy miles on road and trail. I watch people a lot on my runs. It is sad to say but there has been an uptick in bad runner behavior.

So if I were writing a Miss Manners guide for runners who want to be polite, it would look like this....

Rule One: Courteous runners launch rockets with care! Hey!!! Everyone running any kind of distance needs to launch one from time to time. Be thoughtful about where you launch and the direction of the wind. There is nothing more gross than getting attacked by a wayward rocket.

Rule Two: Courteous runners know that when you are running up a trail, you should move over to the right (or side) when a down hiller is coming at you. It is just plain rude to not give ground to someone joy gliding down a hill while you are on the way up!

Rule Three: Courteous runners, when passing walkers or other runners on a mixed use path (aka bike use), glance over their left shoulders before they make a lane change. The spinal cord injury you avoid may be your own. I have seen several near misses on the Golden Gate bridge where a fellow runner darted to the left to avoid a tourist, right into the path of a skidding (swearing) cyclist.

Rule Four: Courteous Runners don't just stop dead in the middle of a path or trail...they move to the side. I don't care if your shoe lace is flapping, there is a bald eagle nest directly above or you stopped to gawk at an attractive lady in front of you...stopping in the middle of a trail with others behind or ahead of you creates an obstacle that may cause someone an accident. The only exception? You are face to face with a bear!

Rule Five: Courteous runners pick up their trash! Dropping Gu foils or other trash on a trail is disgusting. Are people really that lazy, stupid and uncaring? We should be able to make citizen's arrests complete with instant death penalty rules for this.

Rule Six: Courteous male runners "go" far enough off the trail as to not expose the "little marathoner" to other runners (especially of female persuasion) when nature calls. Pull off the course, get behind a tree or bush or something. Exposing oneself to nature (ahem) should not involve an audience.

Rule Seven: Courteous runners let faster runners go by on tight trails. Forcing an obviously faster runner to stay behind you or "earn it" on a tight trail is just not cool. Give a quick wave behind and pull over. The faster runner may be the bonked out guy you need to pass 5 miles down the road and you want the same courtesy.

Rule Eight: Courteous runners leave one ear bud out on tight trails when listening to music. It seems obvious, but listening for trail noise behind and ahead is impossible with "Seven Nation Army" blaring at maximum loudness in both ears.

And finally...

Rule Nine: Courteous male runners don't speed up unnaturally to avoid being chicked. Deal with it dude. She is faster than you. You picking up the pace is only amusing to her. Press your luck too hard and she may turn on the jets to give your ego a final kick! Let her go man! Let her go!

Follow My Racer....

2012-04-07T17:29:00.002-07:00

My day job met my endurance sport passion last year. During my first Run Across America attempt I had an idea about using cell technology to better serve runners! Since then, I have been working in my spare time with a talented group of people to develop a website and mobile application called FollowMyRacer.com.

How many times....

Have you run a race and had your friends or family miss you as you passed them on the course because they did not know where you were? One meticulously colored poster board saying "GO DAD, 26.2" has just gone to waste!

Have you raced with a group of friends and gotten separated on the course and had no way to locate them easily? "Bob stopped to tie his shoe, said to keep running and that was the last time I saw him."

Would you have given the race a little extra had you known your best racing buddy competitor was only 300 yards ahead of you? "I had to buy Heather an IPA because we had a friendly little bet that I could beat her this year!!! If I had only known she finished 20 seconds ahead of me. I would not have walked that last water station!"

Would you like to play back your race step by step and compare your performance against your last year's race or your friends run?

Have you wished there was a place to go to get advice on particular race courses from others who have raced the course? "Is Heartbreak Hill really as bad as they say?"

Wished you could see your position on a moving map during a race compared to a pace bunny? "I want to finish at 4:00, the bunny is starting to pull away....I better pick up the pace!"

Wished there was a way you could see how your relay team mates are progressing through the course so that you know when to get your game on?

That is what we attempted to get done with FollowMyRacer.com and a companion iPhone/Android phone application!

We are about 48 days away from releasing the beta. My plan is to sponsor a few racers as guinea pigs for a few months as well as work with a few race directors to load it up for free for anyone running the race.

The site is looking great and the finishing touches are being applied to the Mobile side.

You can sign up for more information or be a beta user here.

To all of my friends, you can have it as soon as I get it to test out!!!

The Mindset of the Ultra Runner

2012-03-31T10:22:00.008-07:00

I don't consider myself a true ultra runner.

This is not faux modesty. My bonafides compared to others who "run long" are thin. I have never ran Leadville. I paced for a guy at Badwater...but that is like kissing your sister. The Barkley Marathons will not likely open up to admit a jamoke like me.

Sure, I have done some things that put me at the "edge" of being in the club. Ironman Triathlons. 50 milers. A few failed attempts at longer races. A few long days strung together here and there.

In the end I have just run some miles. Sometimes, a lot of miles. But not "those kind of miles". I am a hack when it comes to real endurance efforts.

But..

I have been around enough real runner dudes and dude-ettes that I think that I can profile ultra runners for the FBI.

Here are my observations on the mindset of the ultra runner.

Why do they do it?

They don't do it for the money. There is virtually no money in ultra-running. Most of the time all you "get" is a medal or a belt buckle and three days of dehydration.

The reason they do it is for the challenge.

"Duh! Of course, it's the challenge you dumbass!"

I submit that your understanding of the word challenge does not cover it. I am talking "challenge to the extreme". Some people climb big mountains to get "high". Some people rob banks for the "thrill". Evil Kneival jumped football fields with a motor cycle.

Ultra runners have this type of challenge DNA.

People run 24 hours to see if they can conquer the physical topology challenge and to conquer the challenge called themselves. There is nothing more sensical at mile 30 than to listen to your brain telling you to stop. Crushing that thought in your brain gives you a feeling like no other.

What are common personality traits of ultra runners?

Of course there are people of every type running big. However, most of the people I have met have some common personality traits.

First? Quiet humble mental strength. These men and women are some of the most humble unassuming people you will ever meet. They shrug off the sheer awesomeness of what they attempt and generally call their accomplishments unimpressive.

Second? They possess an overarching sense that very little that occurs on the race course or in life is a "big deal" that cannot be pushed/ran through or waited out. Rest. Plow through. Keep moving. Nothing can not be over come. Quit whining.

Third? I would say most of the endurance folks I know are introverted. Sure, there are a few very public figures in the sport that "appear" to be pegging the extrovert meter...but most ultra athletes toil in the quiet and shun attention. (I ran with Dean K. a two times over the last several years and though he appears to be a publicity hound to others, he came off as more thoughtful and low key in person. My guess is he is more introverted than people think.) Introversion does not mean they are shrew like in one on one conversation. What comes through is that they are low drama and low maintenance when it comes to needing the company of people and attention.

Four? They are persistent to the core. Again, you may be thinking "thanks for the obvious". What ultra runners exhibit is not your normal "get up and do it again" run of the mill persistence. Persistence takes on stronger meaning in the mindset of an ultra runner. In the dead of the night or at mile 46, persistence goes turbo. You don't know if you have gritty persistence until you are wet, cold, hurting and on the edge of bonking...yet you keep going. You cannot understand that kind of persistence until you are faced with it.

Five? They are helpful and sharing to other runners. Every ultra runner, Ironman or adventure racer in my contact range exhibits amazing ability and interest in offering coaching, ears and assistance to others in the sport. You may be thinking "but they are competing, why are they wired this way? Helping others could help them lose.". The dirty secret? Ultra runners know that they are not usually competing with each other. At big miles, the competition is almost always internal man vs. self. Most ultra runners don't see others as the competition. (That is until you are 500 yards away from the line and the other guy is right beside you!)

Six? They are always looking for the next big "hit". Ultra runners start with marathons...then 50K's, then 50 milers, which lead to 100Ks, 100 miles and beyond. Leadville to Badwater to the Barkley to the Sahara etc. etc. etc. The next challenge or race is usually always in the back of the head. The next fix needs to be bigger, badder and nastier than the last. A segue to....

Seven? Many, but not all possess addictive type personalities. There are studies out there that show the ranks of ultra runners are disproportionally populated with people who have beaten drug and alcohol problems. On many of the big runner websites there are personal stories about beating alcohol, drugs or other addictions by getting the running bug. Others may have been work-a- holics or a-holics of other types. Even for people who are not recovering addicts of some sort, I bet you can identify some "extreme" behavior that indicates an addictive personality type.

I am sure there are exceptions to every one of these traits. However, I think this would type cast 80% of the people I know who hit the miles large.

Someday, I will join the club.

My Confession...

2012-03-22T18:34:00.005-07:00

I have a confession to make. I have been in a relationship with another while married to my lovely wife.

It's true. Yes, it is true. It is time for me to come clean.

This relationship has caused me to spend thousands of dollars on hotels in strange cities. In fact, I have been so horrible of a husband that this relationship even had me talking my wife into making these hotel arrangements for me.

I confess that I have clandestinely blown wads of money on clothes, shoes, watches, bracelets and other items to keep this second relationship going. My paramour is a demanding one and is constantly requiring me to buy "her" things. There is always some new bobble she must have.

I have even shared my second relationship with others. Don't judge me. Other women. Other (gasp) men. Strangers. Someone dressed as Elvis. People who have paid to have the privilege. Tall. Skinny. Stout. Short. I share her with them all.

I disappear for hours to spend time with my secret flame. In the middle of the night. On weekends. Occasionally a 24 hour get away. On mountains. In deserts. City streets. Country roads.

Sometimes the liaison is a "quickie"...30 minutes here...40 minutes there. Sometimes though, these meet ups can go for hours...even in front of crowds. I am shameless. I don't care what people think.

Sometimes I talk to people about my relationship and get tips on how to make it better. I even blog about my time with her sometimes.

Boldly, I even took my father and mother in law with me one time to spend some extended time with my other special one. My father in law joyfully video taped it. Sicko!

My heart races. I breath hard. All in the name of love.

My wife? She encourages me. She knows all about my other relationship. Go! Great job! She sometimes says. How was it? she asks upon my return. She approves of my life choice. Says that she wishes she can join us. Hmmmm....

I talk a lot when I am with my "other"...I often get my best thoughts around "her".

This relationship has made me the happiest I have been at times...and as down as I can be at others.

But because you are reading this....I suspect you have your own confession to make.

Running is like that...

A second wife...a great friend....

I confess.

Regular Amazing Runners of the Month...Two of Them!

2012-03-17T12:11:00.001-07:00

It is time for my monthly blog post featuring a Regular Amazing Runner!

There are thousands of regular amazing runners! “Joes and Jills” out there doing inspiring and awesome things associated with their love of running. These people probably are not out there winning races, getting six figure sponsorships from major clothing companies or showing up on TV to pitch whatever. These athletes are mere mortal common runners out there setting big goals, raising money for good causes, meeting other runners and having a lot of fun.

I have two runners for the Month of March.

Both are attempting cross country runs! Both are raising money for Wounded Warriors. Both, in my eyes are total bad asses.

Somewhere in Arizona right now is a bushy mustached guy carrying a US Flag and running. John Pyle, a 55 year old from Sarasota is headed East! Starting in my town of San Francisco on March 1st, John is on day 16 of an expected 83 day journey across the United States, ending up back home in Florida sometime in May.

He is running to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. He is looking to raise a lot of money. $1,000,000 in fact.

He is hoping to average 42 miles a day. From personal experience, I know that this is an extremely hard level of miles to maintain. You can follow his progress across the US or donate to the Wounded Warrior Project through John at http://www.patriotrunacrossamerica.com/.

Regular Amazing Runner Two!

On March 26th, folks in Coos County, Oregon will see Jamie Summerlin off on his cross country voyage that will take him 100 days and cover 3,300 miles. The 39 year old ex-Marine, his wife and kids will, if all goes to plan, end the run on July 4th in Annapolis.

Jamie, like John is also running across the country in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. Unlike John Pyle, who has been running and competing in marathons and ultra marathons for years, Jamie is somewhat a new comer to the long distance running fraternity. Don't under estimate him. To donate to Wounded Warriors through Jamie's site or follow him on his journey, go here www.runforwwp.com/

Regular Amazing Runner Update!

Elizabeth Trask, the first regular amazing runner I highlighted is less than 24 hours away from her 21st state...on her way to completing marathons in 50 states!

I hope you enjoy reading about these people as much as I do. In our crazy world, people doing positive cool things like the highlight runners truly stand out.

Of rain, morning runs and wimpage

2012-03-14T07:21:00.001-07:00

On weekdays, 3:00 a.m. running is my usual sweet spot. The demands of work, running, my other side hobbies and attempts at being an attentive husband relegate me to 3:00 a.m. jaunts through downtown San Francisco.

I enjoy these runs mostly. It is quiet, I get to see wildlife (not the animal kind) and it never fails to get me in the mind set to go do battle against the forces of good and evil in the software world.

Where I draw the line on my morning running insanity is when I have to run in the rain at night. Call me a pansie, wuss, wimp, nancy boy or any other term you want...I just hate running in the rain at night. There are many good, scientific reasons for this...of which I will defend here.

First, my Grandmother on my dad's side beat into my head that you don't go outside with a wet head.  As a kid, I heard it one hundred seventeen thousand times "Don't go out with a wet head!". I know that this is bunk, but the idea of going outside and creating a wet head in real time violates my Grandmother's teaching in spirit and result.

Second, why take that the chance that acid rain is or is not something real? My time withering face has challenges as it is. It did not start great, so why give Father Time the middle finger and speed up the process by dumping acid rain on my skin?

Third, another Grandmother maxim. "He is is so stupid, he does not even know to come in out of the rain." People around me rightfully question my intellect daily...why take the chance that not coming in out of the rain serves to fortify that idea? I can see a member of my Board of Directors talking over my fate after a bad quarter, setting his papers down and staring at the rest of the board. "And to further substantiate our concerns, "He is is so stupid, he does not even know to come in out of the rain."   I can prove my stupidity in other creative ways thank you very much.

Fourthly, running in the rain causes marital stress. I live in a condo in the heart of downtown San Francisco. I have no mud room or other place to demud, undress or rinse off sludge...except the master bathroom shower.   The last few times I did this, I found myself sleeping on the couch...armed...afraid to sleep. My wife, normally a sweet woman, develops the disposition of a chainsaw stuck on high when confronted with caked and splattered mud in the shower, brown tinged white towels and drying running gear in our nicely appointed master bath.

Finally, when confronted with waking up at 3:00 a.m. and seeing pouring down rain, my reptilian brain function reminds me how warm the bed is. It reflects on the soft comfort of blankets, a sleeping wife and two spooning furry dogs. It reminds me that all I have to do to start a warm caffiene drip is to hit a switch and that the morning papers are full of interesting stuff. If all that fails and I waffle towards going out in the rain, the GO BACK TO BED IDIOT voice usually chimes in.

Call me what you will, but rain turns me into a running wimp...and I did not run this morning!

(Heaven help those around me.)

Shoe Review inov-8 XL233

2012-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get my trail grubby mitts on another model of inov-8 shoes this past week. I will say the Brits are on to something! A few weeks ago, I gave the XL155's a shot and declared them awesome. I will say the XL233s were nearly as impressive.

Weighing in at a thin 8.2 ounces, these shoes are lighter than most of the cement blocks you may be picking up at your local Footlocker. Though not as anorexic as the XL155s, they are pretty darn light on the foot.

The 6mm drop made me feel a little like Goldilocks in the new nursery book story "Edilocks and the Three Shoes".  These shoes felt jusssst right on the stride. It was a noticably different drop that I found to be very comfortable.

I had the same lace tightening challenge with the 233s as I did the 155s. The materials inov-8 uses in the upper and the lack of "extra" materials leaves the toe box succeptable to over tightening...for me I scrunched up the front of the shoe a bit the first tie, ran it a bit, over-loosened it and then finally figured it out the third tie.

More on the materials. The upper is constructed of a very light mesh. For structure they clue or melt rib like plastic supporters on the mid part of the shoe. That is how they are trimming the weight below most of their competitors.

The shoe made me adjust my stride a tad.  Why? I was making slap sounds after the first mile or two. I figured out that to quiet the stride out I needed to aim to land more on the front of the shoe.  The adjustment made my calves feel a bit fussy the day after, but I have been running shoes of various drops the last few weeks so it is to be expected.

I put 16 miles in on the 233s this week.   One of the things I will be watching on both the 155s and the 233s is how many miles I get out of the soles...they are very thin compared to many other manufacturers.

A quick check on the web reveals the inov-8s to be sold for $110 -$130.   I recommend you buy them from your friendly local running store.   There you will be able to give them a few strides on a treadmill to see if you like em!

inov-8 makes some trail shoes. I see a pair in my future!

6 Steps, 6 months to your first marathon! Guaranteed!

2012-02-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

Six months to running your first marathon…from 0 to 26 miles in 6 easy steps!

According to Wikipedia, 500,000 Americans will run marathons in the next twelve months. Even if you are out of shape as you read this, I know it is possible in six months to have you running 26.2 miles by September!

You might be sitting there, your face all fake orange stained with a handful of Dorritos saying…

“Who?”

“Me? “

“Does he know I am reading this while washing down Dorritos with a 2L Pepsi?”

Yes, I am talking to you. I can see you. You can run a marathon. Trust me.

If you follow these six easy steps, I know you can be crossing a marathon finish line in September smiling ear to ear!

How do I know?

Because I started just like you back several years ago. I made it from 0 miles to marathon in the span of six months. You can to!

Step One: Register for a race in September or October and tell 10 people who will razz you about it if you back off!

You may be saying, “Whoa, I am not sure I will be up to running a marathon in September.” There are two reasons I am telling you to sign up now. One, by signing up for the big goal now you will have something to aim for! Why tell 10 people? This ten person army of support or conversely embarrassment/peer pressure if you start to back away from the goal will be just enough to keep you running during dark days. Secondly? Races fill up and you need to sign up for your fall marathon early!

Step Two: Go to a real running store and get the right gear.

Start with a treadmill stride and foot strike analysis and buy the shoes the experienced folks suggest you buy for your running stride type. Buy yourself a couple pair of running shorts, some good socks, a water bottle/belt and a running hat or two. IF you have the cash, buy a GPS watch that can give you the basic info you need to track your progress. Experiment a little on gear. Try a couple different manufacturers and fits until you find something you like. (Hey Columbus, GA...go to Big Dog Running Company!)

Step Three: Devise a training plan

There are a ton of places you can Google to locate a marathon training plan. If you are overwhelmed with all the plans you see, try this one. I know it will work for most people.

You have 24 weeks roughly to build up to a long run of 18-20 miles.

1) Start with 10 miles a week by walking/running 3 times a week. 2 times short (2 miles each) and a longer run of 5-6 miles. It is okay if you walk on the long run. Don’t sweat it.

2) Add 1-2 miles a week using the same pattern 2 runs short and 1 run long for the first 10 weeks. By the end of 8 weeks, you will be up to a respectable 25 miles a week. Your run pattern should look like 7 miles 7 miles and a long run of 11. You should start to feel good by now and picking up some confidence! Still, if you need to walk a bit, it is okay!

3) Weeks 8-18, try adding one day and 2-3 miles a week to the total. I would focus on adding to your long run. By the end of week 18, aim to have three shorter runs and a long run a week. I would suggest you aim for a 7-7-7-15 pattern. If you can get to 13-15 miles long by your 4.5 month point, you are nearly HOME FREE! (Don't over train. Injuries will result. I know!)

4) Week 19-22? Work a few more miles into your routine per week, by the end of week 22 if you are at 40-45 miles, you are well on target. By the end of week 22, aim to have a pattern of 5-7-8-6-20 miles on your 4 day running schedule. If you hit 20 Miles on your long run by Week 22, you will nail your marathon day!

5) Week 22- to race time? Keep up the 4 day pattern, but cut a few miles from the total every week, take a little off your long run each time. Drop a day of running as you get to week 24 or so.

6) Race week? Run a few maintenance runs. Don't go more than 6 miles. The hay is in the barn. If you have managed to get yourself to the 18-20 mile long run range, YOU WILL FINISH YOUR FIRST MARATHON!

Step 4: Figure out what your body needs food and water wise at the longer miles through experience.

Over weeks 18-24 or so, you will have six long runs to help you dial in what you need nutritionally to make it 26 miles. A few hints: Your body stores roughly 1800 calories…enough for you to go 15-18 miles without hitting the proverbial wall where your stored sugar calories empty out. The goal for you is to add 200-400 calories an hour as you run. Don't over do anything!

There are a number of products on the market to sample. Bars, gels, shots etc. They all work. The key is to figure out which ones won’t make you sick as you run. Drinking? If you can drink a few sips of water or electrolyte drinks every 15 minutes or so, whether you are thirsty or not usually will do the trick. Aim to drain about 20 ounces for every hour you run. If you can, eat/drink the same brand the race is using on race day.

Step 5: Work in a half marathon somewhere around month 4

Find a 13.1 race sometime in month 3.5-4.5 if you can. It will give you great experience as to what a race morning and start is like. Secondly, it will give you a reward and be a confidence booster that you can do a longer race!

Step 6: Read, run, read, run, read, run!

There are several magazines, books and websites devoted to running. I suggest you go out there and learn a bit every week and try to incorporate a few things you learn each week. Try something you read every week. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Warning: Don’t try anything new the last two weeks before you race. You want everything you do to be tried and tested under long run conditions.

Bonus Step 7: Enjoy the entire process.

Listen up. Unless you are 28 year old prodigy from Kenya or Ethiopia with a Nike sponsorship, you are not going to win your first marathon (or likely any other that follow). Enjoy the process of training, the feeling of a great run workout, the camaraderie of other runners you meet, the fun of race week and the race itself. It is okay to walk during the race…most people do. There is no shame in walking a few miles here and there…the goal is to become one of the .16% a year of American’s who completes the task. Don't quit. You will make it!

I can tell you that I know many first time marathoners who have told me the feeling of crossing the line for the first time rivaled any happy moment in their lives. The adrenalin. The cheering crowds. The sense of accomplishment. It is worth the effort.

I guarantee you, if you follow these seven steps, you will complete your first 26.2!

If you are training for your first marathon and have questions…go to Facebook “MyRunAcrossAmerica” and ask your question. I, along with a few hundred other runners, will be happy to share our knowledge!

Good luck!

Running Shoe Review: inov-8 Road-X Lite 155

2012-02-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

inov-8 Road-X Lite 155 Shoe Review

I can’t help myself.

Some people geek out on the latest sound systems. Some go into fits over new gadgets. Me? Throw some new brand or model of running shoes, tri bike frame or other race gear at me and I will go into spasms.

I don’t roll my eyes at you for having to buy the only 52.845 inch, 4Dimensional Pot Bellied Pig Plasma Powered TV with enough speaker wattage to broadcast sound to China…so don’t roll your eyes at me! To each his own!

One of my close running friends has been after me to try shoes made by UK based inov-8 for a while now. Previously a Newton man and now drinking the New Balance MT101 kool-ade I was open to give em a try. This friend had done some serious miles in inov-8s, so I figured he had some cred.

I gave the inov-8 X Lite 155s a 12 mile spin this morning.

I gotta say, from the time I took them out of the box, I was in love.

First, they were the lightest shoes I have ever slipped on. Weighing in 5.5 ounces XL155s are nearly half the weight of "those other" shoes which will likely feel like concrete boat anchors the next time I spin them around the bay. I literally wondered if I had slipped on another pair of socks they were so light.

Second, they conformed to my foot like a second skin in the right places (top, heel and ankle) and left me room in the places I want room (toe box and around the forefront area). They were sooooo comfortable.

I took them out on the road and found them to be almost like running with no shoes at all. With only a 3mm differential, these shoes are nearly as flat as a pancake. (Differential = the difference between the cushion by the heel and the cushion near the mid-foot). By comparison, the MT101’s I had been running the last few months are 10mm. If I were you and have not been running flat shoes, move into these slowly with the miles. They stress parts of your calf differently than anything you may be used to, so go slow!

Because they are so light and flexible, I did have to tie them a few times at different tightness levels to get it right. The first time, I pulled the strings a little tight and bunched up the front a bit on the shoe. The second time, I gave myself a little too much slack and they rattled around on me. Third time was a charm!

Once I got it right on the tight, I put 12 miles into them and felt like I could knock back a marathon with the inov-8 155s straight out the box with no blisters or rub points. They were like a second skin.

Finally, at around $100 bucks, they won’t bust your budget. There are more expensive shoes out there that don’t offer the feel that these do.

Gents, if you are worried about what your wife will say if you bring home another pair of running shoes, I suggest you take a page from the female play book. Hide them in the trunk of the car until the coast is clear. Run in them a few times to rough em up. Then, put them with the rest of your shoes. When the wife asks/accuses "Oh, I see you bought some new shoes?!", you say "Naw, I've had those for a while."

Ladies? No advice for you...you already know that trick. Go get yourself a pair! He will never know!

4 Shoes on the 4 Shoe Scale!

Old guys (and gals) rule!

2012-02-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

Old not slow…

At first glance, today’s Ironman Panama 70.3 smack down by Lance Armstrong (aged 40) could easily be attributed to Lance’s super humanness. His 3 hours, 50 minute 2^nd place to a previously undefeated Bevan Docherty, 34 years old was stunning. Lance led until the final 1 km.

You could come to the conclusion that Lance being competitive at his age is yet another symptom of his paranormal athletic freakiness. That may be true.

But his near victory made me curious about how “the over the 40 gang” is holding up in races.

A closer look at performances by age grouper runners and tri-athletes in the 40 plus range reveals something many of us “old timers” know.

40 plus does not necessarily mean slow!

Take as an example, the 2011 San Francisco Marathon’s male #100 finisher by age group finish times:

Age Group: #100 Finisher Time

30-34 3:35

35-39 3:38

40-44 3:37

45-49 3:45

The results would suggest that 40-44 year old males can keep up with the younger generation.

A check in to the NYC Marathon 2011 stats revealed a similar pattern. In fact, an over 40 year old dude finished the 26.2 mile course in 2:24 versus the #1 M30-34 finisher time of 2:28!.

In triathlon, the playing field takes a bit more of an expected distribution. I took a look at the results of 2011’s Kona Ironman Championships. These folks are typically the best of the best from across the world and would likely provide the top end examples of each age groups capabilities.

Finish times for the Male #50 finisher by age group:

30-34 9:33

35-39 9:35

40-44 9:49

45-49 10:10

(Research Note…Tip of the bike helmet to M70-74 finisher Milos Kostic with an 11:45!!! Smokin Milos!)

At quick glance, you can see that older people are generally slower. Sure, only a fool would state otherwise.

But don’t count out that 45-49 age group! The fastest 45-49er beat all but 1 under age 20 finisher and would have beaten nearly all of the Top 15 finishers in the M30-44 years old categories.

What about the ladies?

Is being competitive over 40 just a male thing? What about the fairer looking race dude-ettes? Do Age 40 plus women as a whole keep up with younger model years? Let’s look at the same races.

The San Francisco Marathon 2011 #100 by age group female finisher times:

Age Group: F#100 Finisher Time

30-34 4:07

35-39 4:23

40-44 4:28

45-49 4:43

Age 40 does not necessarily mean slow! The 40-44 age group for women gave the youngsters a run!

What about Ironman Kona 2011?

Finish times for the Female #25 finisher by age group (I adjusted to #25 finisher as competition size sampling was smaller):

Age Group Finish Time

30-34 10:39

35-39 10:54

40-44 10:58

45-49 11:36

Again, those 40-44 year olds can hang with the younger women!

Now, I know you math geeks out there are gonna hate! I can hear you now.

“Your sample size is too small.” (Admittedly true.)
“You did not account for x,y,z.” (Nor a, b, c)
“Yes, but…..(insert probably right statistical analysis rant here) (Shut yo mouth will you?)

Further study would likely show some kinks in my quick conclusion that…

“Old guys (and gals) rule!”

But that’s my story. If you don’t like it, get your own blog.

Regular Amazing Runner of the Month: Donald Corry

2012-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

One of the cooler aspects of running is that there are thousands of regular “Joes and Jills” out there doing inspiring and awesome things. These people probably are not out there winning races, getting six figure sponsorships from major clothing companies or showing up on TV to pitch whatever.

These athletes are mere mortal common runners out there setting big goals, raising money for good causes, meeting other runners and having a lot of fun. February’s athlete has an amazing story!

Regular Amazing Runner of the Month: Donald Corry

Nine years ago, Donald Corry lit a fire in me for endurance sports. This kindling of a passion ultimately pushed me into completing nine Ironman Triathlons, too many marathons to count and at least a dozen ultras.

It started with Donald congratulating me upon a successful running of the Boston Marathon by arrogantly sniffing “Congrats on Boston. But you know, a marathon is interesting, but until you put 2.4 miles of swimming in front of it and 112 miles on a bike, it don’t really mean all that much.”

His “congratu-sult” led me to entering and completing the Duke IronDevil with Donald six months later.

Fast Forward

A few months ago, Donald announced that he would be attempting his fourth Ironman. Ironman Texas in Houston on May 19th, 2012.

I was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Dude are you nuts?

Donald decided to strap on his Giro Helmet for another run at Ironman to help raise money for a cause he is passionate about. Pattison’s Academy, based in Charleston, SC is a charter school focusing on the comprehensive educational needs of children with disabilities. By blending rehabilitative therapy, tailored instructional components, leading edge technology and other innovations, the Pattison Academy helps kids succeed in our tough, unforgiving world. Donald has been with the Pattison effort from the start. He hopes to raise $10,000 through his efforts, enough to fund the transportation operations for the school and summer camp.

His goal and mission is a noble and worthy story that stands alone by itself. I could easily end the blog post here.

As if raising $10,000 for Pattison’s was not inspiring enough….

In between being a devoted husband and father to three, dealing with a demanding job at a Charleston based software company and helping Pattison’s Academy, the rest of this ex-Army Intelligence Officer’s story will likely drop your jaw.

Along with his M-Dot, Donald has a Superman logo on his chest.

Donald is an Ironman. Donald also has Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is an unforgiving illness that put Donald in the hospital 25 times between 1995 and 2005.

After years of medications started weakening his bone structure, Donald had to have both hips replaced.

Donald is doing this Ironman on replacement hips.

Wow.

A Chat with Donald…

I caught up with my old friend Donald over the last few weeks and asked him a few questions about his upcoming journey.

Donald – what did your wife say when you dropped the bomb that you wanted to do another Ironman?

Frankly? She said I was an idiot! Then I explained why I wanted to do it…to help raise money for the Academy. At that point she knew she couldn’t stop me and really didn’t want to try. Her efforts and thoughts turned to those of support.

She worries about me for sure. But she has been around me and understands how I am wired. We discussed one night what would happen if my hips really starting hurting during the run. Without missing a beat, she looked at me and said “Well you would just Commando Crawl to the line”.

I bet. Tell me what is driving you to do another Ironman? You have been told by doctors to retire a few times!

“This is about the kids at Pattison. Go to their website, go to YouTube and search on Pattison’s Academy. I wish there was a way I could help these kids feel the way I feel during a race. Ed, you are the first to talk about my past health issues. I simply don’t want for me to be the story. I want the fundraising and the trips these kids get to take as a result to be the story. These kids are so much more inspirational and more courageous than I am or ever will be. I am trying to include them in my adventure. Ironman is such a great community! Remember how YOU felt during Ironman race week? I want to somehow bring that feeling to some of these kids.”

Your triathlon race career started with some competition from some guy named Lance?

(Laughing), Yeah, I got started in tri’s in 1986 with the YMCA Triathlon in Wilmington, NC. I was too small for football, basketball, or baseball….(I played golf). I wanted to race and be competitive and this was it. There were not a bunch of under 18 year olds racing at that time in the old USTS Bud Light Series. Triathlon was not popular as a sport then as it is now. Because of that, I easily qualified for the Nationals 2 years in a row in 1989 and 1990. I raced in 1989 in Hilton Head, SC. Notables at that race: Mark Allen, Mike Pigg, Scott Tinley, and Lance Armstrong to name a few.

Soooo, you were the one that scared Lance off into another career….what has been the hardest part of getting back into the game?

(Again laughing…) I don’t know that I had much impact on Mr. Armstrong. Getting back in the game is about managing every minute of my day. Simply finding the time to train is hardest. I wish they had a trophy category for 41 years olds with three kids, a 65 hour work week and an active life with a charity. I would win that one for sure!

Any special significance to Texas?

None really, I have a few friends down there to help me out. I am a Carolina guy…I figured Houston weather would be pretty similar to the Low Country’s weather.

What kind of gear you running with these days?

Bike - 2011 Cervelo R3
Wheels – Zipp 101
Components – Ultegra
Race Day Hydration – CytoSport
Recovery – Muscle Milk

Gotta ask….post race favorite beer?

Heineken!

Good luck Donald. Your story is inspiring on so many levels.

To follow Donald’s journey head over to this www.ironmanfundraiser.com

To learn more about the Pattison Academy and how you can help go here: www.pattisonsacademy.org

To donate using Donald’s page go here: http://ironman.kintera.org/texas2012/believe

Regular Amazing Runner of the Month: Elizabeth Trask

2012-01-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

One of the cooler aspects of running is that there are thousands of regular “Joes and Jills” out there doing some inspiring and awesome things. These people probably are not out there winning races, getting six figure sponsorships from major clothing companies or showing up on TV to pitch whatever.

These athletes are mere mortal common runners out there setting big goals, raising money for good causes, meeting other runners and having a lot of fun.

In 2012, I am going to bring you the stories of 12 of these Regular Amazing Runners that I have come to know over the last few years. Some of them I have met and shared miles with. Others, like the person below, I have never met but have followed through blogs, Facebook friendships and the occasional email.

Endurance runners, though mostly solo artists, are a tight and supportive community. I hope you enjoy meeting some of these regular people doing some cool stuff as much as I did!

Regular Amazing Runner of the Month: Elizabeth Trask

If you are lining up to run a marathon in California, New Jersey, New Hampshire or Michigan any time soon, be on the lookout for a smiling, pink tutu wearing sparkplug with the picture of her father on her back and the 50 states with red Sharpie circled hearts on 20 of them. 20 heart circled states signifying 20 states down!

Elizabeth Trask is on a mission to run marathons in all 50 states plus an extra in honor of her father who passed away when he was 51 of a sudden heart attack. "50 for Billy" is her mantra.

Elizabeth, 20 at the time, through her grief, was inspired to do something big in memory of her father, whom she credits for inspiring her to run at an early age. “My father ran cross country for Nasson College (Maine) and my mom ran a lot in her youth as well.” Elizabeth took her early love of running from age 12 through middle school, high school and college, always with her eye on the big prize of a marathon. “I ran my first marathon in 2008 at the Mount Desert Island Marathon. I plan on running Mount Desert as my 51st marathon.”

Elizabeth ran 16 marathons in 16 states in 2011. She passed through Tennessee, Oklahoma, Minnesota as well as running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, the Myrtle Beach Marathon and one of my favorites, the Shamrock in Virginia Beach. This year she hopes to exceed 25 total marathons run.

“Sometimes the hardest part of my goal is all the travel.” She often travels for longer times than the races themselves. Elizabeth recently completed a weekend double doing the Mississippi Blues Marathon and the Alabama First Light Marathon back to back. She cheerily exclaimed, “It was a great opportunity to hit two southern states in one weekend!”

To top all of her marathon exploits, Elizabeth is studying Law at the Massachusetts School of Law. I asked her how she was able to juggle the strain of running marathons all over the US and manage to be intensely involved with her studies. “It has been tough at times to balance marathons with law school. Lucky for me my professors at school are very supportive of my journey!” She will be taking the bar examination this year, so squeezing in marathons will be a challenge.

Elizabeth’s running is also aimed at raising money for a charity as well. After her father’s passing, The Center for Grieving Children in Portland, Maine helped her get through the tragedy with support and friendship. (To donate in Elizabeth’s name, click here.)

The coolest thing that has happened to her on her journey so far? “I got to sit next to Kipyegon Kirui (Kenyan winner of the 2010 Pittsburgh Marathon with a 2:14-ish pace.) on a flight home from the Twin Cities Marathon. The coolest thing about distance running is how close you can get to the elites and how genuine they are.” She went on to say that one of the best parts of running is the social aspect.

Shoes? ASICs!

Pre race eats? A bagel!

Post race treat? A couple of beers with friends and something bad…like PIZZA! (A girl after my own heart!!!)

If you want to follow Elizabeth or donate to her charity cause, go to her blog at http://50forbilly.blogspot.com/

Go get em Elizabeth!!!

7 Running Resolutions for 2012

2012-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I figured I would share with you the things that I am committed to in 2012 as it pertains to my running hobby.

1) I resolve not to race in a man thong, speedo or tu-tu. I have gotten to the ripe old age of 47 without doing so. It is a bad, bad look and I am just not gonna do it in 2012. This is good for all of earth's citizens.

2) I resolve not to snicker at people as I pass them at mile 20. Ever since that ugly incident at the Shamrock Marathon on Virginia Beach (Cops Episode #2113), I have learned that people don't appreciate being snickered at.

3) I resolve not to slow down just a little as I come up on pretty women as I run so that I can get a better look. This resolution (of course) does not include feigning an injury or epileptic seizure, petting said person's dog, repeatedly needing to tie my shoes or lighting up a menthol to help my lungs breath easier. Those things happen and if it causes me to slow my pace down a bit...then it is what it is. The jurisdiction zone for this resolution is also limited to a 2 block distance through the Tenderloin district.

4) I resolve not to leave my Camelbak, water bottle holder, shorts, shirts, hats or socks in the shower after I rinse them out because they are too muddy to directly put in the washer. I do get a grace period of 72 hours. This is a "sister" resolution of last year's broken resolution of promising not to leave Clif Bar wrappers or Ginger chew wrappers in my shorts and letting them gum up the washer.

5) I resolve not to smugly tell people in the elevator at my condo that I just got back from running from San Francisco to Tiberon even if they ask how far I ran. However, if they pressure me, I will just say "I ran for for a little bit" with just enough snarky arrogance to let them know it was not down to the corner to buy a doughnut.

6) I resolve not to compete with every runner on the road I encounter. No more will every person who is out for a leisurely stroll become a competitor for a podium spot in my head. This resolution includes everyone except for that one guy who is all decked out in Ironman 70.3 gear (that is not an Ironman dude, it is a half Ironman), wearing 12 bottles of gel, water and Oakleys. You deserve to be dusted.

7) I resolve to not wear compression socks out to dinner, at the beach or taking my dawgs for a walk. I don't want to be this person. The science behind them is inconclusive. People don't automatically think you are a player while you wear them...in fact most people think you look like a goof ball. No compression socks.

There, my 7 resolutions for running in 2012!!!!!

4 Pieces of Gear I fell in love with in 2011 and one that left me : /

2011-12-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

2011 over and done.

What a learning year it was for me. Y'all got a front row seat. Thanks for being interested.

Running over 2,500 miles in the course of a year gives me a license to have "opinions" on what I think is good gear. Of course, you need to try things out for yourself. But if you are looking for gear that was battle tested by a guy who gave a lot of things a try over the last 12 months...take a quick peek.

These are not affiliate links or anything so if you want to see the gear close up, hit the link.

Shoes: Many of you are going to fall over when I tell you that my favorite running shoes of the year were not the Newton Gravities that I trained in for RAA1 and ran 20% across the USA in.

Whaaaaat?

Yes, I am going to say that I am now a bigger fan of the New Balance MT101s. Why? They are light as a feather. They don't hurt my achilles tendon. They are great for trails...AND okay to run on the road with. At $75 bucks they are about 1/2 the cost of the Newtons to boot! And as my running buddy Hugh says, they are also sharp enough to wear with a tuxedo!

Socks: I tried every brand of running sock known to mankind. If you are looking for some great socks, try Northface brand running socks. My wife says the reason I like them is they are clearly marked Left and Right. I say I like them because they stay tight, keep your feet from getting blisters and if you are lazy, you can wear them with dress shoes as the tops are black! HA!

Best drink while running: Another surprise.

I drank a lot of Cytomax in the last year. I am still a big fan of a bottle of Cytomax or two for recovery. However, my favorite run drink for long runs is Ginger People's Ginger Soother with honey.

For a couple of reasons...

First, when I run longer miles I some times get a little stomach anger. Ginger Soother calms it right down. Second, the stuff is super sweet and almost always gives me a sugar boost when I need it. You still need to take eCaps or some other electrolyte capsule on a long day, but they go down nicely with Ginger Juice!

Best way to get 400 Calories into you:

Moonpies...nuff said!

Finally, one piece of gear to stay away from:

If you are looking for a running watch with GPS and heartrate monitor, steer clear of the Timex Ironman Series.

Why?

The GPS function sucks. I sometimes never get it to link up...45 minutes into my run. When I do, it sometimes lapses...so my milage on new routes is always suspect. Additionally, the battery life is low. You may laugh, but sometimes when I run, I expect the battery to last more than 12 hours. I was getting less than 8 when the HR monitor was running and 10-11 when just in GPS mode. Also, compared to some of the other brands out there, the Ironman Timex is huge. Not to mention the huge price tag! ($360 bucks when new...)

Anyways, these are just my opinions. I am sure you have some favorites as well! These worked for me!

2012....here we come!