A Bit More Science

Let me start out this weeks post by admitting that I just had 15 seconds where I could not remember our own website name! Ouch. It might be time to put me out to pasture?

Tonight's weather forecast is beautiful, so I'm hoping for a banner turnout. I may even show up myself. I'll let someone else decide if it is time for a visit to Faith Hill or not.

This weekend - we have a race that several of us have supported over the years, thanks to Escalade's dedication to the cause. (And it was her first 5k with us. Awww, good memories.) The Teal Ribbon Run or "Hope for Heather" as I tend to call it has changed dates and location. This year it will be in Lewis Park in Minoa instead of at the inner harbor. Website details are here. You can still pre-register for $30 for a couple more days or do day of registration for $35. The race itself is Saturday morning at 10:30. I plan to be there jogging with a double stroller and rumor has it that a rare Escalade sighting will be possible!

Thanks to quick-courting-Corey's wedding photographer we have a fun RUNder Construction "reunion" picture to share. (Note, we had to swap in at one spot, but consider this close enough. God only knows how many times Kelly has day dreamed about swapping them in the opposite direction!) I wish I was more concerned about the camera and less concerned about the signs and Berms probably wishes that photo bombing was possible for short people, but, that said, it is an instant classic:



Plus it does prove that during the summer you cannot avoid construction! No matter how well you plan your route.

Thanks to Aaron here is a much more detailed and thoughtful article on running cadence (and footstrike as well). It is hard to summarize here and this all is too much for some of our beginner runners to even worry about. I do encourage the midlevel to experienced runners among us to read through that and discuss the topic in the next week or two. And I can use the metronome app I have to give you an idea of what the "magic" 180 cadence feels like. If it seems significantly faster to you, then you are a candidate for slowly increasing your cadence. (I realize the article says it is not magical - but it will be the easiest way for us all to quickly self-measure against it and can think about future form adjustments from there. For people above that rate - good for you.)

Lastly, I could use some input. Several of you met David and Ellen at Catherine's house and pool party...well they have made the mistake of letting me help them with their neighborhood 5k race for next year. So, I am sort of on the committee for "Paint Westvale Purple", which will be run next April. It is only 2 years old, but has been an immediate success with almost 400 runners and walkers this year and around $9000 raised (this year) for relay for life. When next spring rolls around I may encourage participation or volunteering or, in Ron's case, FINALLY getting him playing music during a road race...so consider this some advanced warning. Right now, I will take any informal inputs you want to give me on "small" local races that you like or don't like how they do things. Especially if you have a race website that you either really like or really do not like, since my first main task will be to give them a "real" website feel instead of the simple google site they currently have.