One more day...

If you attended and ran CC at Hop High, or competed in the "Squidly Invitational", then you're familiar with some of Coach Nagle's workouts - like, "start with a Martinique and bring it up the hill to a Pickeral Point and back down Durban to the track".


If that training route makes sense to you, then the "500 Mile Club" also has meaning.


Each year, to motivate our team during the summer, our coach created a training program from June 1 to Sept 1 called the 500 mile club (or 300 mile club, whichever is your speed). To hit 500 miles during this period, averages out to about 5.5 miles per day or 36 miles per week.


It's no wonder that during my 3-year HS Cross Country career that our team record had just 3 losses in 3 years and won the county title Senior year with an undefeated season.

So here's your chance to to keep running and accomplish something you haven't since HS. Starting June 1, set your goal for the summer whether its 500, 300 (or in Tim's case +1,000!). A strong running base will enable you to have a good summer base to run in races durnig 4th of July, Labor Day and a strong Fall racing season - if you're so inclined to run a 10K or even Half- or Full Marathon!

Holiday Weekend for Racing

With the Memorial Holiday weekend upon us, I'm hoping that I'll be even more motivated to get out and run than usual. Starting this morning, I was actually able to get myself out of bed for a run (woo hoo!)

Now, that the weather is warmer and there's no school or work to get up for this weekend, maybe making a race part of your weekend plans, does fits in after all.

If you decide you want to do a race and not sure where to go, check out Race Forum.com

they are a great resource for local race info. There are a bunch others, like:

the Race Calendar feature on RunnersWorld.com
or CoolRunning.com

While you're out there, don't forget to hydrate. Don't rely on the race you attend to supply enough, bring some of your own. As we know from our own experiences - those race volunteers, while well-intentioned, can be a bit 'spotty' in their coverage. Or depending on the length of your race, you can carry your own water during the race. You can find great water bottles at Road Runner Sport store or Sports Authority for a wide selection.

And once you hydrate with water --

continue to hydrate with your favorite adult beverage ( 1 ) ( 2 ) or ( 3 )
And run safe this weekend!

Racing Update

Nice entries and comments on racing...see the ticker now up to 188.9

Great job!

• (LG) 6.2 (1st 10K! congrats) at National Harbor, MD
  
• (LU) 3.1 Mother's Day 5K, Berkeley Heights, NJ
• (SF) 30 (Ragnar Relay and Superman half.....are you nuts?)
• (TM) 13.1 (Superman half...is that right?)

Don't forget to click the ADD COMMENTS below the post to update!

Who can suggest any other upcoming runs?

That little 'runner' ticker on the page...

Some of you might have already noticed that little "Run In A Million" ticker on the page. Which I have now moved to the top of the page. I thought what better way to personify the spirit of Run In A Million than to have a ticker of all the collective race miles this group has run and written about.

Who doesn't need a little extra motivation to run from time to time. Despite my
complaints about the hot weather last week, it was still easier to get out of
bed and run - then it was in any January morning at the same time of the am.

So if you've finished a race this year - any distance - 5K, fun run, marathon,
corporate challenge...doesn't matter. When you blog or post comments about it, I will
add miles to the overall ticker.

I have added some collective miles already - and will add the grueling 26.2 for NJ Marathon. (Which actually should count double, since it was so miserable - but we'll leave it at that)
The group of about a handful of us, have logged 97.9 race miles from what you've emailed, posted or commented on Facebook

• 3.1. (LG) Essex County College PTA Club 5K, NJ
• 3.1. (LU) Lincoln Tunnel Challenge, NJ-NY
• 13.1. (MM) New York City Half Marathon, NY
• 26.2. (JM/SF) NJ Marathon
• 13.1. (MM/LT) NJ Half Marathon

I've left the names out to protect the innocent!
If I'm missing any others, please post your comments!

NJ Marathon (May 2, 2010)

If you were outside this weekend in the NJ area - you know how unseasonably warm it was to do anything. And to run a Half or Full Marathon in what ended up being close to 90 degree temps and 80% humidity - brings running to whole new level of insanity.

Which brings us to the New Jersey Marathon and Half Marathon.
More than 10,000 other runners attempted to complete the event, steering clear of EMS and Medical teams waiting in the wings and a few haphazardly run water stops to the finish line. Happy to say that I finished....and honestly feel more pain after from the sun exposure, than from the run itself. Despite completing the first 14 miles in about 2 hours - I felt pretty good, but after mile 17-18 and the leg cramps started to kick in -- it was certainly not a performance for the record books (Olympic or my own!)

A friend of mine took it to a whole different level, by running the marathon in an Elvis costume...this is his invitation to follow & post his pix - or if you want to follow his group on Facebook (The Running Elvii of New Jersey)

In hindsight, organizers should have started the event earlier than 9am and/or increased the #of water stops. Last news I heard 13 runners were taken to hospital and 6 were admitted for heat exposure/dehydration. Lesson learned, is to not over-exert yourself on such a hot and humid day. If it were during training, I think I would skipped the day entirely and gone to beach to hang out with the kids and drink margaritas!

Did I mention it was hot out there?


Top Photo Credit: New Jersey Marathon, NJMarathon.org