Running Form

This is a pretty good video about running economy. It's a video for Newton shoes, but mostly it just talks about running form. These are the changes I have been able to incorporate into my running over the last year, becoming a mid-foot/forefoot striker, wearing a minimalist shoe and having better running posture. It can be a long process depending on where you're coming from, but I think it has helped my running a lot.

We reached double digits for the first time in the One More Mile Challenge today. It is day 10. I think this next week is when things will really start to get interesting. Running 10+ miles every day of the week won't be an easy task with everyday obligations getting in the way. We still have 8 in the game (Ed dropped at 5 to tapper for Pinhoti, which I am still waiting to hear how he did!!)

I think this challenge has really helped my running so far. I didn't feel so great the first 6 days. despite the fact that we were running short mileage, I hadn't been running consistently and I just felt out of wack. The past four days have been much better and I've found a pretty good groove. I hope I am just hitting my stride and not my peak.

I had a couple good runs in mt. Airy this weekend. My run today was split into two parts. I ran 6 in the morning (5 miles running at right under 8:00 pace, and one mile walk.) then I went back to the rec after work and ran 4 more miles at about 7:45 pace. My legs felt stiff after this mornings run, but they loosened up once I started running tonight.

Tomorrow will be a tough one for me. The rec center will be closed so I will be forced to get in my 11 miles out in the cold and dark, either early in the morning or at night.

Don't forget we're still looking for extra donations to go to NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and the charity chosen by the winner of the challenge. If you feel like making a contribution to our pot let Mike or I know. Here is the link to the One More Mile Challenge blog
One...More...Mile! Challenge Feel free to follow along and offer words of encouragment in the comment section.

Day 5 of the One More Mile! Challenge and it looks like we will have our first casualty. It's a technicality, really, Ed is running the Pinhoti 100 miler on Saturday so he is shutting things down until then. Still 8 runners in the hunt and no sign of any of them breaking. It's been a while since I've run 5 day in a row. Even at these low mileages my legs are feeling a bit fatigued. On to 6 miles tomorrow.

Vote For KIMBA!!! Kim has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the EverymanTri.com Best Endurance Blog of the year. please go here and vote for her blog "TALES OF THE TRAIL GODDESS" And if you haven't seen Kim's blog, well....CHECK IT OUT! :)

Also, if you subscribe to Marathon and Beyond Magazine be sure to flip to page 126 of the new November/December issue. They used the picture from my blog heading (which I took at the top of Klone peak during the Plain 100 in the Cascade Mountains of Central Washington) in their article "How to Host a Hundred." and if you don't subscribe to Marathon and Beyond, go ahead and do that now! Here.

I did some calculations for the one more mile! challenge.

Completing the first week would mean we each ran 28 miles that week

Completing the second week would mean we each ran 77 miles that week

Completing the third week would mean we each ran 126 miles that week

Reaching 31 days would mean we would have to run 196 miles in those seven days!

Woah that all adds up quick!

Mike and I have pledged additional money if anyone is able to make it to 31 days. Feel free to do the same! It would give us motivation to keep going, and we could give quite a bit more money to charity! C'mon! anybody?? Just leave a comment on my blog and I'll let Mike know.

We are headed into day three of the One More Mile! Challenge. So far all 9 runners are still in the game. I think it will be after day 7 that we see some started to drop off, hopefully I'm not the first! But I wouldn't rule it out. These first few days are no problem, as all of us just use mileage that we would normally have run, but after the first week it will start to become an effort specifically focused on the challenge, to make sure you get in enough miles everyday, with no days off or short runs. It should be fun to see how it all turns out!! Stay tuned.