One foot in front of the other.
Win a portable solar panel from Brunton!
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Step 1: Click one of the buttons below to donate the amount for the raffle entry you want. It will take you to the donation site. You can enter more then once, just donate the base amount multiplied by the number of entries you want.
Step 2: Click one of the buttons below to send out the tweet for the item you want to be entered to win. It is VERY important that you tweet the proper item so I can see that you are entered in the right contest.
Step 3: I will close the raffles at the following times:
Polar RS300X #1 – 6/10/11 – 8 PM EST
Newton Running package, women’s – 6/10/11 – 11 PM EST
Polar RS300X #2 – 6/11/11 – 9 AM – EST
Brunton Restore – 6/11/11 – Noon EST
Newton Running package, men’s – 6/11/11 – 3 PM EST
Winners will be announced about 30 minutes after each raffle closes. You do not have to be online at the time to win. I will contact each winner on Twitter to let you know that you’ve won. Unfortunately, raffles are only open to those in the US and Canada.
THIS GUY!
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Today is National Running Day (woohoo!) and to help you get in the mood to go outside and rock it, I thought I’d share this AMAZING video. Get ready to be inspired!
Alberto Contador gets one step closer to racing the Tour de France
Heat training by Torbjørn Sindballe
American Trail Running Association
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Last night my wife and I were watching the premier of the new season of So you think you can dance. Admittedly, my favorite part of watching any show like that (American Idol, America’s Got Talent, etc.) is getting to take advantage of the massive laugh factor that the preliminary auditions provide. However, in the seasons that I’ve watched the show, coupled with the fact that I am an artist myself, has given me a fairly decent eye to be able to recognize really amazing dancing.
One of the girls auditioning last night, whose name escapes me now, really struck me with the way she danced. Many of the stories that are highlighted on that show and others are stories of loss and hardship and much of the time the dancers featured in those stories, while often incredibly wonderful dancers, have quite an obvious sense of that loss and hardship in the way they dance. The girl I’m speaking of did not.
I can’t remember her story, except that she was on the show last year and just barely missed out on the top twenty dancers (either my memory is going or other things are getting pushed out by the words to nursery rhymes). The thing about her was that when she began to dance, she did so with absolute joy. Her face, her body, everything exuded pure, unadulterated joy and it was uplifting just to watch.
It then occurred to me to keep a closer eye on the dancers that were…well…less than spectacular. With the those that just seemed to be there to be silly, there were those who were bad dancers but still danced with joy. Of course, many of them were much harder to distinguish since emoting is one of the most difficult parts of any performance art form…trust me.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about forcing a smile and how it’s actually not going to get you in a better mood. But I don’t think that smiling and joy are entirely synonymous. I think that a smile can be entirely fake and joy can often be read in the most furrowed brow.
So I guess it comes down to this; when I go out for my long ride tomorrow and my long run on Sunday, the temperatures are supposed to be in the middle 80′s with super high humidity, but I’m going to ride and run with joy. My joy will be in the fact that I am physically able to run. It will be in the faces of my family. It will be that this coming Monday, while it does represent a long weekend for many, is to honor those that have fallen so that I am able to go out and run whenever and wherever I want to. So this weekend, and always, whether it’s smiling or frowning, run with joy.
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If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.
~Priscilla Welch
Wouter Weylandt dies in the Giro d’Italia
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There will be days you don’t think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have.
~Unknown
Anyone can run 20 miles. It’s the next six that count.
~Barry Magee
A new study in the Academy of Management Journal shows that people who force themselves to smile at work actually wind up putting themselves in a bad mood which can, in turn, cut productivity. According to lead researcher Brent Scott, assistant professor of management at Michigan State University, “Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal and that’s bad for the organization.” The flip side to this idea is that people who are truly happy and smile as a result of some happy memory or other event have an improved mood that actually makes them more efficient.
Why is this important to athletes? Many of you may remember seeing Chrissie Wellington in her first race in Kona. At the time she was a no name athlete who, from the looks of it, was having a blast on her way to her first (of three) Ironman World Championships. In fact, in all of Chrissie’s races since her smile is one constant thing, aside from blazingly fast speed, that is her calling card.
After watching that race and others with Chrissie, I decided that I would make myself smile during races and training. The thinking was that I would do all this smiling on the run since it wasn’t very practical while swimming and I seem to have some oddly contorted version of a smile while on my bike anyway.
Almost immediately I found that forcing myself to smile was harder than any run I was doing. I’m one of those people who version of getting “into the zone” often involves becoming very introspective, which tends to spill over into my facial expressions. I have become better about this and have learned to become more aware of the world around me and to get out of my own head a bit. In fact, on a ride last night I found myself thinking about kosher energy gels. I don’t know why, I’m not Jewish, but my friend Ari keeps kosher and since we’ve spoken a bit about it before my mind just wandered there.
In the 2009 New York City Triathlon I decided to put the smile thing to the test in a race setting.
Somehow, it just never clicked. In the picture at the right it’s quite clear that while my mouth may be smiling, the rest of me is not. According to this study I was actually in the process of putting myself in a worse place and was killing my productivity.
So, where does Chrissie get it? As the study says, those that are truly happy about something, whether it’s a fond memory or looking forward to something, are going to actually smile and be naturally happier. I was helping someone in a running form clinic recently. She was very much in her own head and had a constant downcast look of pain and laboring on her face while she was running. Aside form the fact that this was destroying her form since it caused her to be hunched at the shoulders and collapse her torso, it also gave her a sense of being defeated by something that SHOULD be fun.
I stopped her and we began to find a place in time where she enjoyed running. I asked her if she remembered being a small child and running barefoot in the summer. When she was a kid, she wasn’t running to fit into some clothes or for any kind of health concern, she was running because it was fun. She was running because at our core we all love that sound of wind whipping by our ears and the breeze on our cheeks. I then had her keep that memory in her mind and pick a point on the horizon which, since were right beside the beach, was easy to do. I ran ahead to let her get into that place for a minute and then she ran. It was beautiful. Smiling from ear to ear and with gorgeous form, it was not hard at all to see the child running because it is fun.
So, how do we get to that place where we aren’t forcing it but we’re truly having fun and enjoying what we’re doing? It is my opinion that we don’t necessarily need to find a specific memory or a mental escape, we just need to find a way to not be so concerned about our activity. Now, if you can do that and smile, great. If not and you find yourself with a perpetual scowl while training or racing, that’s fine too. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s what’s inside (your mind) that counts.
So, go run (or ride or swim or walk or whatever) and take a break from the arduous tendencies we all posses. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every day we wake up and can call ourselves athletes is a good day.
The race does not always go to the swift, but to the ones who keep running.
~Anon.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up.
It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle
when the sun comes up you’d better be running.
~Anon.
Legally Blind woman wins the Flying Pig Marathon!
Triathlete stops, mid-race, to save a life.
Man REALLY gets “natural” and tries to run a marathon…NAKED!
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In an epic show of badassery, Teresa McCoy, 37, of Tampa stopped during the bike leg of the well know St. Anthony’s Triathlon to save a life.
McCoy, who is a nurse by profession noticed a fellow racer being looked at by police officers. She decided that she would pull off the course to see if she could help. The officers, who believed the man to be having a seizure had apparently not taken his pulse. Upon checking, McCoy didn’t feel any signs of life. She immediately began CPR while calling for a defibrillator, which one of the officers had in his truck. Immediately after shocking him, her fellow athlete came to. Having answered the call of duty, McCoy got back on her bike and finished the race!
Teresa McCoy, we salute you!
[St. Petersburg Times - Tampa woman saves man's life, then finishes triathlon]
Leave a comment on this episode (142) and be entered to win a FREE pair of Stuffitts!!
Geoffrey Mutai wants his world record
Haile Gebrselassie weighs in on the marathon world record (sort of)
2011 Boston Marathon is not Kara Goucher’s day
Ironman Louisville gets five more years
2011 Ironman World Championship Lottery Results
A closer look at “balance” bracelets, necklaces and the like
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Kim Smith, native New Zealander who calls Providenc Rhode Island, ran an amazing race for the first 17 miles or so of the 2011 Boston Marathon this past Monday. Then tragedy struck. The video below is an interview with her soon after having to pull out of the race, unable to run.
@RunProvidence tweeted this on her behalf:
From Kim Smith “Since everyone has sent so many nice messages I thought I would update. Had an MRI and I tore my Soleus muscle.”
New York Times recap of the 2011 Boston Marathon
Natural running form clinic and symposia
Natural running form clinic in Hampton, Virginia
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Come see me sing with Christopher McDougall and Co. at the Naked Tour!
I am now coaching! If you’re interested, email me at info@ironbrandon.com
Get up to THREE entries to win a Sony NWZ-W252 (pictured) by doing the following:
Entry one: Comment on Episode 140 of the IronBrandon Show [LINK]
Entry two: Have someone else leave a comment and refer your name (that way you BOTH get an entry!)
Entry three: Tweet the following: Listen to the IronBrandon Show 140 and be entered to win a Sony MP3 player! http://goo.gl/p9PCV #IB140
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Leave a comment HERE to win a FREE bottle of Vidazorb!
Sally Meyerhoff killed in cycling accident
Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp
Kara Goucher declares, “I’m back”
2011 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon Women’s Odds
2011 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon Men’s Odds
2011 Boston Marathon adds a third wave to the start
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Racers Against Childhood Cancer (RACC)
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Daddy and Sydney spending some down time between the gym and rehearsal in Milwaukee…
Leave a comment HERE to be entered to win a FREE bottle of Vidazorb!
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Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images
This is Kelly Gneiting. He is a sumo wrestler. He currently weighs 410 pounds. He is a marathoner.
In 2008 Gneiting completed the Los Angeles Marathon in 11:52:11. At the time his weight was about the same as it is now, and should have put him in the Guinness Book of World Records. However, the guidelines for this particular record, according to Guinness, say that the entire race must be filmed and that the runner must be weighed immediately before as well as immediately after the race.
The current record stands at 275 pounds, though after searching the Guinness website I don’t seem to be able to find it (if you are able, please send me the link). Training every day, with a long run of 6 miles on Saturdays, Gneiting hopes to complete the 2011 L.A. Marathon on March 20 in somewhere between nine and eleven hours.
As I’ve said in the past, we all know someone who has been affected by prostate cancer. Many of us, however, have no idea what affects te proliferation of prostate cancer and what we can do to beat it to the punch.
I came across this site today and it goes into some wonderful detail about prostate health and prevention. From screening to prostatitis and into the side effects of prostate disorders such as erectile dysfunction, this site includes an impressive list of resources and survivor stories.
Gear news and reviews at GEARIST.COM!
Draft Legal age group racing in Florida
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TriSports.com Phoenix Triathlon
Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island
Leave and episode HERE to win a FREE pair of Stuffitts!
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So I’m pretty sure that some of you will read this and mark me a certifiably insane, which is fine.
Yesterday evening as I was in the middle of a ride on my indoor trainer, I looked to my right where there was a mirror. The set I was doing was 8 x 6 minutes in heart rate 4-5a zones, hard effort with 2-minute recoveries, so needless to say I was whipping up a mighty sweat.
See, over the past few weeks I have had an extremely difficult time getting motivated to train. I’ve never been affected by seasonal influences before, but the shear amount of darkness and gloom this winter seems to have gotten a bit of the better of me. I’m not depressed by any stretch, but I just don’t “feel it” when workout time comes. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I wake up at 6 AM, leave my house by about 7 AM and sit in an office with no direct windows until about 5 PM. This gives me a grand total of approximately 30 minutes of sunlight in a day, which consists of my walks to and from the subway and my walk to and from getting lunch.
By the time I get home in the evening I just want to take the hour and a half that I have to spend with my daughter to do just that. After that if I have a run scheduled, it seems like the last thing I want to do is go out into the freezing cold and dodge snow and black ice for an hour. If I do run, my dinner doesn’t meet my stomach until 8 PM at the earliest and since I try my best to at least be in bed by 10 PM, you can see that my day gets exactly zero meaningful progress done, with the exception of spending minimal time with my family.
“Why don’t you just run in the morning?” Good question. I’ve never been that much of a morning person to begin with. However, morning is usually the coldest part of the day and to get in my workout, eat breakfast, walk the dogs, shower, move the car (depending on the day…NYC parking sucks) and get ready for work, that means I would be waking up at 4:30 AM.In the summer I do this no problem though I’m not entirely sure what the difference is. Maybe it’s that I don’t like the idea of going from a nice warm bed to sub-20° temps?
Back to the point.
So I looked to my right, into this mirror, and I started outlining my goals…out loud…to myself. Then I went over the uncanny ability I have to “logic” my way out of being motivated (see above). I talked to…me about what a waste any given day was when you’re perfectly capable of getting up and killing whatever challenges try to tear you down that day. I told myself that not being motivated doesn’t yield any results and that motivation begets motivation. That with each workout if I just relaxed and did what my body was ready to do, then that would in turn provide the energy and in turn the motivation for my next workout. I spoke to myself about how things had gone last year and the positives and the overwhelming negatives.
As I said all this, the me in the mirror listened intently and then said back to me, “Well, what are you wasting time being pissed off for? Get your ass in gear and get moving.”
Few workouts have burned so good. Now it’s time to get moving.
Prostate cancer affects everyone, even those that may seem above it all. Here’s a short, but seemingly long, list of some rather famous people who’ve fought the disease. Some have won and some have tragically lost. Please click here to help me raise money for Athletes for a Cure and the Prostate Cancer Foundation on my way to the 2011 Ironman Canada.
Harry Belafonte: He was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer in 1996 and successfully treated. He is now a prostate cancer advocate, raising awareness of the disease in men.
Bill Bixby: Diagnosed in 1991. He succumbed to the disease on November 21, 1993.
James Brown: The Godfather of Soul was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 but survived. He died of heart failure in 2006.
Robert DeNiro: The Academy Award winner was diagnosed with early-stage cancer in 2003 at the age of 60. He has kept details of his treatment private. His father died of prostate cancer at the age of 71.
Sen. Bob Dole: Diagnosed in 1991 and successfully treated, he became an outspoken prostate cancer advocate. He became a spokesperson for Viagra because of the problems prostate cancer survivors often experience with erectile dysfunction.
Robert Frost: The poet was diagnosed in 1962, had a radical prostatectomy the same year, and died in 1963.
Rudy Giuliani: The former New York City mayor was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2000 and had surgery to implant radioactive seeds in September 2000. Giuliani’s father died from prostate cancer in 1981 at the age of 73.
Robert Goulet: Diagnosed in 1993 at the age of 60 after a routine blood test for insurance purposes, Goulet underwent a radical prostatectomy and is now free of prostate cancer. Robert Goulet died in 2007 of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease.
Merv Griffin: Diagnosed in 2000 at the age of 75 and underwent 7 weeks of radiation therapy.
Alec Guinness: While battling glaucoma, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2000. In July 2000, he was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and died a month later on August 5, 2000.
Langston Hughes: Died on May 22, 1967 at the age of 65 after complications from abdominal surgery related to prostate cancer.
John Kerry: The former presidential candidate was diagnosed in late 2002 with early-stage prostate cancer and had successful nerve-sparing prostate cancer surgery in 2003. Kerry’s father died of prostate cancer in 2000 at the age of 85.
Timothy Leary: The 1960s counterculture icon died from the disease in 1996 at the age of 75.
Phil Lesh : The Grateful Dead bassist announced that he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer in October 2006.
Nelson Mandela: Diagnosed in 2001 with early-stage cancer. He underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy and made a full recovery.
Roger Moore: The former 007 was successfully treated with surgery in 1993.
Pablo Neruda: Died of the disease in 1973 at the age of 69.
Laurence Olivier: Diagnosed in 1967 and underwent radiation treatment that successfully eradicated the cancer.
Jerry Orbach: The Law and Order star died from the disease in Dec. 28, 2004 at the age of 69.
Linus Pauling: The Nobel Prize winner was diagnosed in 1991 at the age of 90 and died of the disease in 1994.
Colin Powell: In 2003, he underwent surgery for early-stage prostate cancer and made a full recovery.
Johnny Ramone: The Ramones guitarist died in 2004 at the age of 55 after a five-year battle with the disease.
Telly Savalas: The “Kojak” star died of the disease in 1994 at the age of 70.
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf: Diagnosed in 1993 and underwent successful surgery.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau: The Prime Minister of Canada died of prostate cancer in 2000 at the age of 80.
Bishop Desmond Tutu: Diagnosed after a routine exam in 1996. He was treated in the United States with hormone therapy and radiation.
Earl Woods: Tiger Woods’ father was diagnosed in 1998 and successfully treated with radiation, but the cancer returned more aggressively in 2004. Woods died on May 3, 2006 at the age of 74.
Frank Zappa: Died of complications from the disease on December 4, 1993 at the age of 52.
Floyd Landis wants to legalize doping(?)
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GoLite Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket
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While I’m sure that many might call this a selling out of sorts, or perhaps ask, “What do Geb and Johnny Walker have to do with one another?”, I quite enjoy this commercial. Tell me what you think in the comments!
I think it often slips our minds. I think we all forget far more than we remember that every day of the year the United States Armed Forces are placing themselves in harms way. I think we forget that that fact is not political it is simply a fact. I think we forget that even in times of relative peace, we are enjoying that peace because someone gave their life to help make it possible.
Often at this time of year we see images of our troops abroad sending messages to loved ones back home. These are messages of love and hope. Hope that families will be reunited soon and that God will see the person on the other end through another day safely. We take for granted the fact that many families are unable to have such virtual conversations because the soldier who should be wishing for home has laid down his or her life in the ultimate sacrifice of millions of Americans who will never even know.
Throughout the days, months and years politicians, organizations and individuals use our Armed Forces as a bargaining chip or as an idealogical standard. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter which side of the spectrum you come from, our troops protect all of us. If someone doesn’t believe in having a military at all, that person’s right to stand up and yell that is protected daily by the same troops that are the focus of their ire. If a soldier is homosexual or heterosexual, whether you agree with it or not, they still bleed and they still die. Whether you like it or not our troops are , in fact, sacrificing their lives for us all.
During this season of love, joy, peace and fellowship, we should all strive to keep in mind that thousands of families won’t be together because someone is standing vigil over our freedoms and the freedoms of others. Someone is taking up arms and willingly standing in front of a faceless enemy that wants nothing more than to wreak havoc on peace. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brother, friends and spouses, every one of the members of our armed forces knows what could lay in store for them, yet still they protect and defend us all.
It is with gratitude and profound humility in my heart that I say to the members past and present of the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard and all those in the United States National Guard and Reserves; thank you. Not just this season, but in all seasons, on all days. Thank you, merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and happy new year.
Brandon Wood
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We’ve arrived at that time of year (Ok, I’ve arrived at that time of year). The major marathons are over, triathlon season is hanging on to the last vestiges of warmth in the Northern Hemisphere and many of us are still digging our way out of a Thanksgiving and football induced coma. We have arrived at “The Off Season”.
As I look back at the past few months, since the remnants of the previous off season gave way to flowers and warmth, and I begin to lay out the next few months of my schedule, I’m actually quite surprised at how much “on season” stuff I’ll be doing. If you read or heard my race report from the 2010 Philadelphia Marathon or the comments that followed, you may have noticed that I really didn’t race that much this year and now that I’m not in über hard core training, I actually find myself wanting to race more.
2010 began well enough with a new half marathon PR in the Manhattan Half Marathon (part of the New York Road Runners half marathon series). That race marked a few firsts; the first time I had someone pacing me (thanks @RunningLam!), the first time I felt like I really “raced” a race of that distance no matter how humble my actual time was and also the first time I went into a race with a very distinct plan and was able to stick to it. I found that this race also got me moving in a solidly good direction in terms of my running. In fact, less than a month after this race I broke my PR time of 1:35:20 quite easily by over two minutes…during a workout!
The next race up was Ironman 70.3 Mooseman in June. Seeing as I had not been in an actual race since June, I was already falling into a pattern of training and not racing. Mooseman went quite well all thing considered such as the torrential downpour, hills that I was not quite expecting and the mud pit that was transition. Little side note, I set a new half marathon PR of 1:35:08 which should tell you something about the direction of my fitness since that was after a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile, HILLY bike ride.
Next up was the New York City Triathlon in the middle of July. It was a reasonably good race though I managed to swallow about half the Hudson River during the swim only to almost puke it up on the bike. Going into this race I had the goal of getting my elite time (2:15) and I did get that time…by 15 seconds. I’ll take it but I know that I can do better and while I’m not scheduled to race the NYC Tri this summer, I will be back and I will kill it.
By this point in the year I had only done three races and was training far to hard. Now, I don’t want this to appear as though I was being told to train as hard as I was. In fact, coach Jeff was constantly telling me to reign it in on my workouts and I and my ego didn’t want to listen. Yes, I was going faster and farther but I was in the process of peaking far too early. About a month before my biggest race of the year, Ironman Louisville, my body shut down and refused to go. For about a week I simply could not put together any solid workouts at all. During this time and in the rest of the lead up to Louisville, coach Jeff deserves a massive amount of credit from bringing me back from what could have easily been the end of my season right there.
If you’re not already aware, my Ironman Louisville ended in a medical DNF. This was due to still unexplained cramping throughout my whole body. Shortly after IML, I resolved to get back and do something and so I signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon and shortly following that, I went to the Chicago Marathon with Newton Running (GREATEST RUNNING COMPANY/SHOES EVER) and while there had the opportunity to pace my brother-in-law in his first ever marathon. The run was amazing and I had a blast but I wouldn’t exactly call it a race.
Last weekend when the Philadelphia Marathon rolled around and I wound up in the porta-jon at mile 11, my race quickly switched from the full marathon to the half. This led to countless conversations since then about WHY. The answer that seems to be coming around was racing. See, in 2009 I raced in 15 different events and this year (2010) only 6.
Maybe I’m wrong about why Philly went bad and maybe it’s something that we’re all missing. I also have to give a big, unsolicited shout to Newton Running and to Jeff for keeping me injury free for so long (knock on wood)!
For now I’m going to race more. I’m going to have fun and I’m going to just enjoy the “off season” and really, REALLY use it to build strength. Hopefully when I come out on the other side of this period of the year it won’t feel like an off season at all but will have me itching to swim, bike and run FAST. Meanwhile, I’ll also be doing the stuff that winter allows for; skiing, hiking, camping, cross country and introducing my 8 month old daughter to the amazing world we live in.
How does your off season look so far?
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Kara Goucher is now a mere eight weeks into motherhood and she’s already laying down tempo runs that would be the envy of most of us. I know that I, for one, have been eager to see what her first races back from pregnancy will be. In her most recent blog post she talks about some of the struggles she’s finding with how much being a mom requires. Seems like she’s making it work quite well so far! Click the link to read her whole post. [LINK]
Natural Running: The Simple Path to Stronger, Healthier Running (By Danny Abshire with Brian Metzler)
London 2012 Olympics runs into Ramadan
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This is for all those who’ve ever been a touch sore on “Marathon Monday”!
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, The Barefoot Professor
Hit and run driver being let off with a misdemeanor
SIGN THE PETITION TO KEEP FELONY CHARGES IN PLACE
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Fourteen months ago 1st Lieutenant Ryan McGuire lost his leg in a boating accident on Lake Amistad. The wind caught an inner tube sitting next to him, and the rope attached to the tube yanked him from the boat and he flew out at 40 miles per hour, dislocating his hip, fracturing his pelvis, and mangling his foot. Since that day, McGuire has undergone rehab with a prosthetic leg, run in the Air Force Marathon, and competed in the Warrior Games in his Newtons. It is remarkable to see someone focused enough to make such a quick recovery. You can read the full story here.
McGuire is still determined to become a pilot, and was approved to return to training on October 29th. We wish him the best of luck!
Honey Stinger Bar Review on Gearist
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On her blog Chrissie Wellington goes a bit more in depth about her difficult decision to pull out of the Ironman World Championship this past Saturday in Kona. Always the gracious competitor, Chrissie begins her blog post with the following:
“But before I try and explain the decision that I made I want to start off with a huge congratulations to the amazing Mirinda Carfrae. Her performance on Saturday was nothing short of remarkable. She truly is a worthy World Champion.”
To read Chrissie’s full article click HERE
10.05.2010– Marathon Martin Parnell will run in the Victoria Marathon on October 10, 2010. It will be Parnell’s 188th out of a planned 250 marathons run this year. For his Marathon Quest 250 initiative, Parnell runs an average of five marathons per week throughout 2010, raising money and awareness for Right to Play, and organization that promotes children’s participation in sports as a driver of social change in communities around the world. If successful, he will cover a total distance of 10,550km (6550 miles).
Parnell only began running in 2002, at the age of 47. His first race, in 2003, was a short 5 kilometers (3.11 miles). By 2005 he was able to complete a 4-month cycling expedition from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa, and now has done many races including marathons and ultra-marathons and Ironman events.
“I’m doing this because I love the challenge and I love the cause, quite simply,” says Parnell. “Right to Play is a wonderful organization that is truly making the world a better place everyday. I wanted to raise money and awareness for what they do – and, on a personal note, I wanted to see if I could do 250 marathons in one year. Part of this is to show people that you really can do anything you want if you commit to it.”
Parnell took his inspiration for Marathon Quest 250 from Dean Karnazes who ran 50 marathons in 50 days across 50 U.S. states. He also inspired by Larry Macon, a sixty-four year old lawyer from San Antonio, who set the current Guinness World record for running the most marathons in one calendar year (105 marathons in 2008).
To support marathonquest250.com
You can contribute in the following ways:
• Sponsor a marathon
• Run with Martin or to make a donation please go to: www.marathonquest250.com
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I got the following email from my friend TK last night:
Hello to all my friends in running! I am most likely going to participate in this 10k/5k on September 25th. Proceeds go to the Michael J Fox Foundation to support research to find a cure to Parkinsons Disease. Many of you know this is a cause dear to my heart. I hope some of you will join me. Note the race is a fair distance away — there is transportation provided from Grand Central — near Beacon, NY. It’s $25 for the 10k and $20 for the 5k.
Link to register is below, and if you have questions you can email Jennie directly (tell her I sent you).
I know many of you are training for Fall marathons and/or are competing in the 5th Ave Mile the next day. Nevertheless, I hope you’ll be able to fit in this race too–or at least spread the word among your runner friends, too.
So, let’s help TK and Team Fox! On a side note, if you’re looking for a blog with some fantastic writing and honest wordsmithery (yep, I just made that up), then you MUST check out TK’s site HERE
09.14.2010 – (Boulder, Colo.)
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Far fewer men have finished an Ironman triathlon. Newton Running co-founder and CEO Jerry Lee can now claim both. Lee, a prostate cancer survivor, completed the Ironman Canada triathlon on August 29, along with the 30 other Team Newton members who together raised over $70,000 towards their goal of $100,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).
“Prostate cancer is a frightening disease that is much more common than many people realize,” states Lee. “We had an amazing group of our staff members and athletes who raced in Canada and worked incredibly hard to raise money for an important cause along the way.”
Lee’s inspiration to race Ironman Canada came from Winter Vinecki, a Newton-sponsored, 11-year old triathlete who lost her father to prostate cancer. Vinecki has raised over $150,000 for prostate cancer in honor of her father and last year she challenged Lee to race an Ironman-distance event and raise money for the cause. Two weeks ago, Vinecki was at the Ironman Canada event with Lee and finished the race alongside him.
Newton raised the money through sales of a limited edition PCF shoe, sales of Team Newton VIP entries to the sold-out race, and sponsorship pledges from family and friends of racers.
The remaining stock of limited edition Newton Running PCF racers are now available online here. $25 from the sale of each shoe goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am the social media manager and a customer service rep for Newton Running. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
Who: This contest is open to anyone and everyone in the U.S. and Canada (also APO)! Tell your friends!
What: Stuffitts! I have spoken about these simple yet awesome shoe savers in the past. Click here to read more about them. I cannot say enough how great they are!
When: Starting NOW! This is an ongoing contest that will be every month, or until every person on the planet has nice, fresh smelling shoes!
Why: Because Stuffitts are awesome! The folks at Stuffitts are being SUPER generous and I also want to give you guys something that I think is a great addition to any athletes arsenal!
How: On the last podcast episode post of each month (example: Episode 99 on June 28 HERE) entrants should leave a comment (however long you'd like). On the following week's show (the first show of each month) I will draw, by random number generator, one winner! That's it!
Good luck!
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