I can totally get through 3 miles. :)
Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies!
What a great event! Go Nike!
LOVE IT!
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"The only true currency in this bankrupt world...
is what you share with someone else when you're uncool. "
- Lester Bangs, Almost Famous
I was wondering why I hadn't heard anything about Nike's 1/2 Marathon Training- Special Event Runs. You know, those super cool summer EVENT runs that I brag to all my friends about. The events that I look forward to each summer since I've been in NYC (okay, to be fair that's only 2yrs) and that are the key social running events of my ENTIRE SUMMER!!Did that just make me sound super lame. oh, whatever...
Well, it seems as though RUNNYC has pulled the plug on the "Downtown/Midtown/Uptown" events they previous did in order to get runners geared up for the Nike 1/2 Marathon. And I know I'm not in super running shape and technically not supposed to be running on my injured leg, but for these events I would have most certainly made an exeption. They were just so much fun.
Anyway... gossip on the RUNNYC runner rumor mill is that they are doing a special blow out event for the Nike Human 10k race. The event will supposedly have all of the fun things that the former summer events had, but this time with some live music to kick it up a notch. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see when/if we get the official event announcement.
Just remember, you didn't hear it from me. :)
Um... I suppose that's a little hard now that I went and posted it on the internet. whoopsie!
(click the pic for a larger view)Great job to Coach Cane's Killers for winning the RUNNYC Nike+ Challenge!! Unfortunatly I had to punk out of this one considering my current hamstring issue, but the competition was fierce and the energy of everyone involved was impressive. Great Job to everyone who was involved!
Make sure to check out RUNNYC's April Calendar!!
Here's last night's run with RUNNYC (click the map link below). The figure 8 loop we ran was about 5.8 and with the addition of our warm up and cool down, a few of us added on an extra 1.8miles. The weather was perfect and the rain held out. I couldn't keep up with the front group, but I was pushing pretty hard for the 5.8 loop and kept it rolling in through the finish. I had an excellent run and was on quite a high afterwards. I even had some awesome company for my cool down and striders after the run. Thanks guys for A. making me cool down and B. being such troopers with the striders!
So, I also signed up for the Nike+ challenge, so I'm excited to use the Nike+ for the first time and check it out. Everyone who signs up will be assigned to a specific team (teams will be selected on March 15th) who they will represent for the actually challenge which goes from March 17th through April 8th.
Tonight's Training: Five miles on the West Side Highway. I couldn't get myself out of bed this morning (shocking!!) to get it done in the AM... so if I can't rock it out at lunch, I'm heading out afterwork.
...when I'm breathless I run 'til I drop. Hey!
Things got a little wet and wild on the Central Park loop tonight. I love running in the rain!! As my highschool track coach would say on miserable rainy days, "It never rains on a runner". I say this line frequently and people always tend to look at me like I'm crazy.
So, I ran the five mile lower loop clockwise with RUNNYC run club tonight (on map - light and dark blue combined loop). I came through in 37mins, which wasn't too bad considering I wasn't feeling 100%. The run started out great until Worku's group dropped my slow draggin' self. Just wasn't my night and they were pretty much cookin'! After the 5-er, me and my fellow (drenched) running chica, dropped the boys (lame) and added on an extra 1.7 lower loop for good measure (on map - light blue lower loop). We also threw in a few striders after the run on our way back to Niketown, because we're just that bad-ass! :)
The total run was a bit over 7miles (with the back/forth from Niketown), but we'll log it as 7mi!
(Once again, you can click the pic (on left) to see a larger map of the CP loops.)
And after I got back to Niketown and changed out of my sopping wet clothes, I got to spend the next 45mins on the train back to Brooklyn gazing lovingly at my BEAUTIFUL Blue Nike Structure Triax 11 trainers. If they feel half as good as they look, I'll be kickin ass and taking names all spring. Booyah! :) Phil, you're the best Ekin in the world! Thank you!! :)
I'm breaking these babies out tomorrow and I'll post the pictures then too. So, for now,
happy running to all and to all a good night!!
As fellow Blogger, Bob commented a few weeks back on my February 4th post, "ahhh so much info online, so little time".... Well, Bob I honestly couldn't agree with you more. But if anything, pointing each other in the direction of a few valuable resources does save some time (at least I think... or hope!).
I was stumbling around the web yesterday when I happened upon this site, http://www.runtheplanet.com/It's pretty flippin' cool! Especially for someone like me who loves to travel and also stay fairly active on my trips.
A few things that really caught my interest on this site was the World Wide Running Club - finder (awesome!) and the World Wide Race Calendar (because you KNOW i love race calendars.. ha!). The site is definetly a temporary fix for my sometimes overwhelming wanderlust. As destination racing is becoming "all the rage", I'm sure we'll be seeing an increase in sites such as this one which will include international races and running groups.
Anyone want to do a training run with the Berowra Bushrunners in Sydney, Austrailia or run the a marathon at night in Cavaliino, Italy (the heal of the boot!)?
Oh well, at least this RuNNeR ChIcK can dream!
Just when I thought it wasn't EVER going to snow in NYC again, all this wet flaky white stuff started to fall from the sky. 
Since Tuesday nights are typically my RUNNYC - RUN CLUB night, I thought I'd send a reminder that for all of February Run Club is giving away a free gift too all new runners (and not just those in NYC).
I've made so many fabulous friends through RUNNYC and the fantastic part about it is that we are all at different levels of running. Some might (and do) call my group of friends "the clique" but it just because we've banched off into so many other areas of interest (ex: wet-n-wild wednesdays, game nights, happy hours in the city, dinner and dance parties, etc...).
I'm not even someone who typically likes "group running", but the benefits of the support of fellow runners and experienced coaches are immeasurable. I got hooked early on after moving to the city since RUNNYC hosts phenomenial runs/parties around the city. It was an excellent way for me to run parts of the city that I would have never even thought to visit.
Overall the group attracts such a wide range of runners but there is always someone at/around your level to run with... and you just can't beat the bag check and post run-free food!
Check out locations in your area or hit up a group run even if/when you're in town for a visit.
It's always free!
So, what are you waiting for? Come Run With Us!
This week's hump day didn't get all Wet-N-Wild, but I still managed to have a little fun. I'm starting to get the sniffles and decided to stay out of the pool. So, instead of the normal Wednesday pool workout, I decided to go out for a "productive" five miler in my neighborhood.
The goal was to get out and get some food on the way home. I must admit, since I've been away every weekend this month, my cupboards are completely bare! Well, mission accomplished! I did one of my normal loops around the hood and traveled down to red hook to the new Fairway (love that place!). I could only buy what I could physically run with for the 1-mile it takes to get back home. And trust me!!..... you DON'T want to be walking through red hook after dark! It was great motivation. :)
Last night's run with RUNNYC was excellent. The weather and atmosphere in Central Park couldn't have been more perfect. I kept a nice steady 7:30 pace and stuck to mhttp://wwwy place of putting in 4 x 20sec striders after my run. Sweet!
After my run, I had the chance to talk to Coach Jonathan Cane about my aspirations to do a triathlon in the near future. Coach Cane is a coach for several running groups including RUNNYC and his coaching service, City Coach. I also ran into one of my good friends Phil Reichner who is an EKIN (NIKE spelled backwards) rep. And in my short conversation with both Coach Cane and Phil I somehow talked my way into starting to train for a triathlon (with CC's support to get me going) and also trying out a pair of NIKEs (as my new training shoes). We'll see how this all turns out, but it makes me kind of happy that I have so many supportive and motivating friends in this big city!
Also, I'm happy to announce that I'm definitely going to train for the Philadelphia Broad Street run. I'm going to continue my "base" training for the next two weeks and then kick it up a few notches! New Nikes and another race to train for... things are definitely going to get interesting next month!! :)
Today's training: 5miles and short core strengthening routine.
The NYC Bridge Runners, a source of spirit and inspiration to the runner who's heart and soul just might be more fierce than their mile splits. A running group with a mission. Combining a love for all things connecting mind, body and spirit and motivating all who "come run with us" to reach further and expand their horizons. This group is a pleasure to share 4-8 miles with whether on weekly runs or "elevated" events around the city.
You'd be surprised what you'd learn say on a run to the "boogie down Bronx" or over the east river on a bridge that took 14 years to build.
The image above is from one of their "elevated" runs celebrating the 124th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge this past spring. It was one of my favorites for so many reasons and this particular image is just one of them.
Give it up for the Bridge Runners, keepin’ this city real!!
http://blog.nycbridgerunners.com/
