I looked it up and the beautiful, almost summer like, weather we will have the next few to several days is way too early to be called an "Indian Summer". (For those who don't want to click the link it turns out that should not be used until November - or, at a minimum, after a hard frost.)
As you may have noticed, I've struggled for meaningful content in the blog this year almost every week. My attempts to get guests posts have mostly failed and the sources of my running information just keep recycling the same information again and again. (It could be that I need to seek out new sources?)
I did somewhat like this article that once again debates the most effective workout for runners. It's a wishy-washy conclusion - "the benefits of the various training intensities are complementary to a degree" and goes into how to best balance the ratio of low, moderate, and high intensity running. The short answer - limit your high intensity running workouts to only about 20%. (As with most things I've wrote about lately, this may only matter for 1 or 2 of the people in TRY, but just because you don't train at a near elite level, doesn't mean you can't gain a little bit of a performance boost by being wise about how you do train.)
On the feedback front, I could truly use some input from you jaded, veteran, 5K runners in the group. What does it take for you to come out and run a random 5K race? I know you have more shirts than you could ever want and the race length and experience is boring to you. What WOULD get your attention? Why would you do a random 5K? Do age group awards or finisher awards entice people? Is there something you've seen or heard done elsewhere that could be incorporated locally to make a race stand out?
The reason I ask is because I will be helping with a race next April. But I see the crap-ton of races on the local race calendar and I think it is something that is totally overdone right now. Have we reached a saturation point yet? At what point are there not going to be enough interested people to support all these runs? Are they counting on new people continually taking up running and being excited about races? I know personally I support ones with causes close to me or done by people I want to support, but really could care less about doing another short race. (Well, except for stretchy pants, I suppose. Those are still fun at races!)
Anyway, the Inflatable 5K is this Saturday and I see another glow in the dark run is being done somewhere nearby (Ithaca, I believe). Perhaps the only way to stand out is to do these major gimmicks? (Color, mud, glow, foam, inflate, zombies, etc.) Compared to those types of races, it seems like any "normal" 5K is going to seem boring?
What else? I was hoping for more photos from the Tuff e Nuff from two Sundays ago now, but all I have is these two screen captures from a news story that Escalade, our friend Katie P, and I were briefly shown in. We borrowed a Team Beef shirt for Katie and represented in the 10K portion of the race.
It was refreshingly local compared to the Tough Mudder which has everything sponsored up the wazoo (it's to the point that every wall you climb over, jump off or swim under has a corporate sponsor on it - this morning I just saw photos with Dos Equis bottles floating on top of their ice water obstacle). Ugggh! Enjoy your arctic enema, proudly brought to you by Dos Equis. ("I don't always freeze my labia majora off by jumping into ice water, but when I do, I prefer to take my mind off my frozen 'flappy wet bird' with Dos Equis.)
But I've given up on getting TRYers to care about obstacle course races so I'll just stop now. Well, after I recommend the "Tuff e Nuff" as one to do, if you want to see what they are about, but don't want to pay a fortune or get shocked by live wires or risk excessive injury to get through one. It's as safe as one can be, natural, and has some nice scenery when you get near the top of the ski hills. (And kudos to the organizers for doing one that is based all around being alcohol free.)
Last one - if you are involved in the Empire State Marathon this year, you should know this already, but for those who are not - they just announced a course change last week and will no longer be running into Baldwinsville. They are taking advantage of the lengthened west shore trail and will be using that instead of the loop through the village. I'm sure it is a lot easier, logistically, to not have to close roads or worry about intersections, but it also means that hundreds of less spectators will be along the course. A logical, but not necessarily good change there? It is going to be a battle with boredom for the marathoners and marathon team participants. (The third leg of the four person team is entirely done on the west shore trail. (You better hope for family members cheering you on, because I cannot imagine any random spectators supporting you there.) The half marathon course remains unchanged from what I can tell.
Map is here for anyone who cares.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment