Fantastic Nike Free Ad - I Would Run To You

That's just too good. Love 'em or hate 'em, Nike knows their marketing.

Lance Armstrong takes 7th in his second Ironman 70.3

A couple days late on this news, but what the hey. Remember, he took 2nd the last time out. But I'd have to call this a tougher field. Timothy O'Donnell won this Half, the US Championship race in Texas.

Lance's time was about four minutes slower in Texas than previously in the Panama 70.3, but it's impossible to compare tri courses - just too many variables in that long of a race.

Anyway, Lance looks like he could be a solid contender at Ironman 70.3 races and maybe even at full Ironman races. He ain't gettin' any younger, but he could have a few solid years if he keeps the training going.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF APRIL 23rd TO APRIL 29th

April 28th / Weiser River Trail 50k / Council, ID

April 28th / Race for Hope 5k / Beaverton, OR

April 28th / Canby Fun Run 5k / Canby, OR

April 28th / Rolling Hills Run 10k and 5k / Heppner, OR

April 28th / WOU Sprint Plus Triathlon / Monmouth, OR

April 28th / Sean's Run from Autism 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

April 28th / Save the Frogs 5k / Seattle, WA

April 28th / Spring Forward 5k / Tacoma, WA

April 28th / Tacoma Earth Day 5k / Tacoma, WA

April 28th / Glide Wildflower Run 10k and 5k / Glide, OR

April 28th / Eagle Run 5k / Oak Harbor, WA

April 28th / Seaport River Run 10k / Clarkston, WA

April 28th / Capitol Peak Trail 50m and 55k / Olympia, WA

April 28th / Spring into Summer 5k / Richland, WA

April 28th / Explorer's Run for Fun 5k / Dupont, WA

April 28th / Mill Creek YMCA Family Fun Run 5k / Mill Creek, WA

April 29th / Top Pot Doughnut Dash 5k / Seattle, WA

April 29th / Soaring Eagle Trail 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon, 10m and 5m / Sammamish, WA

April 29th / Heroes Half Marathon and 10k / Everett, WA

April 29th / Run2Educate Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Auburn, WA

April 29th / Bellevue 10k and 5k / Bellevue, WA

April 29th / See Spot Run 5k / Yakima, WA

April 29th / Sisters Half Marathon and 8k / Sisters, OR

April 29th / Eugene Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k / Eugene, OR

April 29th / Cherry Blossom Fitness Festival Half Marathon and Duathlon / The Dalles, OR

Photo from a nice gallery of Texas 70.3 shots at Competitor.com.

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Corvallis Half Marathon Elevation Profile

If you haven't registered for the Corvallis Half yet, you better get on it. It's not sold out, but it's close, so head on over here and get registered.

Up above there is the course and elevation - click on it to make it big and beautiful. Pretty flat except for the slog up Walnut to Martin Luther King Jr. Park between mile seven and eight. That's sort of a drag. But it's downhill after that, so you can push hard for home after you hit mile eight.

And here's a PDF of the map of the course from the RD, if you're interested.

We're less than two weeks away.

Ready or not, here we come!

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Running and Triathlon Links Monday!

Here are some links to start your week:

17 year old Cayla Hatton runs a 33:17 10k! - Don't believe it? Check the video here

Portland's Race for the Roses Results - Check the winning female 10k time and compare it to Hatton above

Photos from the Ironman 70.3 California - Andy Potts and Melanie McQuaid are your winners

The Sports Scientists Blog looks at the lawsuit against Vibram Five Finger shoes - People getting injured running in Five Fingers? Weird...

Cooper River Bridge Run, sixth biggest run in US, has hour-long delay before start - I've never seen a race that buses people to the start line not have problems

Oregon's Jenn Shelton sponsored by Hyundai - "Born to Run" has really made her into a star

Triathlete Magazine tells you how to set up your bike like a pro in transition - They should show you how to keep your transition neighbors from knocking all your crap over...get there first, I guess

Dara Torres shows you how to swim like an Olympian - even if you're 44 years old

Coos Bay, OR runner Chuck Engle sets marathon record - he's won, not just raced, but won, 145 marathons

Photo of Cayla Hatton by Tia Ann Chapman of the Hartford Courant.

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15 Months of Running Progress

After a tough, tough Sunday long run (cold, rain, windy, just brutal...then having Meghan Arbogast blow by me like I was in reverse towards the end of my run), it's nice to be able to go back to the running journals from the last two years and be able to say, "Yeah, it was bad today, but look at how far you've come."

And in fact, after adding up the March totals, I don't think I've run more miles in one month.

Ever.

Here are the last 15 months of progress:
Jan. 2011: 62.10 miles
Feb. 2011: 71.80
Mar. 2011: 75.50
Apr. 2011: 71.80
May. 2011: 69.60
Jun. 2011: 85.80
Jul. 2011: 86.80
Aug. 2011: 93.35
Sep. 2011: 77.10
Oct. 2011: 79.50
Nov. 2011: 102.00
Dec. 2011: 119.40
Jan. 2012: 140.90
Feb. 2012: 157.50
Mar. 2012: 190.30

And with the combination of a big-time increase on miles and my old, old, worn-out body, it's probably also not surprising that I've been fighting some aches and pains lately. I actually was scheduled to go over 200 miles for March, but I cut a few runs down this last week after tweaking an oblique muscle for the second time in the past couple months.

Still, all in all, I'm happy with what I've been able to accomplish. Will it add up to a time fast enough to qualify for Boston? Yeah, that's still in doubt, but I'm definitely heading in the right direction.

What else can you ask for, right?

Keep running. I'll see you out there.

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Ultra Star Micah True Missing

UPDATE:
If you haven't already heard the bad news, Micah True was found dead today. Cause of death is not yet known.

Story here.

Weird story out of New Mexico. Micah True, famous from "Born to Run" as well as numerous ultras, has gone missing after leaving for a 12-mile run near New Mexico's Gila National Forest.

Check the whole story here.

After four days, it's not looking good, but I hope True somehow turns up and is OK.

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Urige Buta - the Running Janitor

Looking for a little inspiration for your running? You've come to the right place.

Clicky-click right here to read the amazing tale of Urige Buta, a refugee from Ethiopia, now living in Norway, who runs through mile-long sewer tunnels in between shifts as a janitor.

All of a sudden, your eight mile training run doesn't look quite so difficult, does it?

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF APRIL 16th TO APRIL 22nd

April 20th / Twilight 5k / Lewiston, ID (Friday Night Race!)

April 21st / Falcon 15k, 10k and 5k / Hillsboro, OR

April 21st / Earth Day Run 10k and 5k / Tigard, OR

April 21st / Run with the Dawgs 8k and 5k / Creswell, OR

April 21st / Monument Peak Trail Run 10m / Gates, OR

April 21st / Discover Spring 10k and 5k / McMinnville, OR

April 21st / Walk Your Paws Off 5k / Pendleton, OR

April 21st / Run the Ridge 10k and 5k / Lebanon, OR

April 21st / Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k / Ellensburg, WA

April 21st / Pioneer Lions Race for Juvenile Diabetes Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Kelso, WA

April 21st / Trout Lake Half Marathon, 10k and 5k / Trout Lake, WA

April 21st / Ruston Way 5k / Tacoma, WA

April 21st / Liz Duncan Memorial Run 10k and 5k / Richland, WA

April 21st / Wenatchee Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k / Wenatchee, WA

April 21st / ARC Community Fun Run 5k / Spokane Valley, WA

April 21st / Fun with the Fuzz 5k / Bellingham, WA

April 21st / Lumberjack Endurance Runs 100m, 100k and 50m / Port Gamble, WA

April 22nd / Mt. Si Ultra 50m and 50k / Snoqualmie, WA

April 22nd / Boys and Girls Club Sammamish 10k and 5k / Sammamish, WA

April 22nd / Komen Race for the Cure Spokane 5k / Spokane, WA

April 22nd / WWU Earth Day 5k / Bellingham, WA

April 22nd / King Estate Wine Country 5k / Eugene, OR

April 22nd / Red Lizard 5m / Lake Oswego, OR

April 22nd / Race to Cure Ovarian Cancer 5k / Bellingham, WA

April 22nd / CASA Light of Hope 10k and 5k / Bend, OR

April 22nd / Spokane River Run 50k, 25k, 10k and 5k / Spokane, WA

April 22nd / Cowpie Classic Kids Run 3k / Turner, OR

April 22nd / Albany Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon / Albany, OR

April 22nd / Ice Breaker Road Race 5m and 3m / Great Falls, MT

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New RaceCenter NW Magazine Article is Out!

And it's about streaking!

Keep your pants on, it's not about that kind of streaking. No really, keep your pants on. This is a family blog here! Well...sometimes....

Anyway, let's start at the beginning. I've got a new article in the April/May issue of RaceCenter NW. If you're heading to your local running store soon, pick one up. If you're one of those people that likes to get all techie on us, then head over here for the fully digital version. And over here for all the digital versions of issues from the last year or so.

So let's flip through the pages here and see if there's anything to see.

OK, on the cover, we've got the Eugene Marathon. "Track Town." Sure, I guess. Then the Editor's Note. Brook talks about "humble pie," and how runners love to get a serving, or not. I'm not sure, I was sort of hungry when I read it and he kept talking about pie, and...

Next, we've got the News Briefs: Foot Traffic opens another store in Portland, ClubSport has new tech and Warrior Dash has three events in the NW in 2012. Good, good.

Oh wait, there are more Briefs: Vancouver USA Marathon news, Heaven Can Wait 5k rolls into Bend, Spokane to Sandpoint Relay, and the Germans Love Them Some Portland Marathon. Also good and very nice.

Holy smokes, more Briefs: Marathon keeps growing in the US, and Cherry Blossom Fitness Festival debuts in The Dalles....and I turned the page and there's still more...Blue Lake Tri hits 29 years, Bike MS hits Willamette Valley, and Baker City gets a Cycling Classic. Whew.

Then we've got an article from my boy Max King. Max, who recently missed a turn in the Chuckanut 50k, talks Acclimation 101 on heat and altitude. Good stuff.

Donna Marlor, who has all sorts of initials and stuff after her name, writes about Fluids, Electrolytes and Optimal Race Performance. See, if you've got the RD and the CSSD and the MD and the PhD and things like that, you get to use four-syllable words in your article title. I, personally, try to stick to one syllable: Go. Streak. Yay! I don't like to confuse people right off the bat.

Then we've got USATF stuff.

Then a good article from Jeff Browning on running your first trail 50k. And it's got a big picture of R's Fav Jenn Shelton right at the front, so you know it's got to be good reading.

Next is an article from tri stud Chris Bagg about not feeling bad when you're a loser. I've seen that guy race and I'm not sure he's the right guy to write that article - he's faster than hell. When you title an article "Surviving Disappointment," you probably should hire me to write it.

Then Teague Hatfield talks about the "offset" of running shoes. This is a touchy subject for me because I like shoes with a decent sized offset between the heel and toe, but this whole minimalism craze is driving the shoe makers to shrink the offset down. It's the reason I no longer run in the Nike Max Moto.

Then, THEN, we've got a great article from the R's about Streaking and Running. In other words, running lots of consecutive days or consecutive races. Fantastical article - you'll love it, I'm sure.

After that, an article with two of my favorite Oregon runners featured, Lauren Fleshman and Kara Goucher, talking about their Olympic plans.

Brian Burk talks about swimming in open water - one of my favorite activities, but still something that stops plenty of people from even trying outdoor tris.

Then Event Calendar and Ads and we're done. All in all, a very good issue. Quite a few articles that I'd read all the way through in this one, and trust me, with my attention span, that's saying something.

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Running and Triathlon Links Monday!

I love this OSU promo, showing the incredible Laura Carlyle running...and selling shoes at Five Star Sports in Corvallis. Hey, that's where I buy my shoes!

Here's what happened last week:

Oregon's Shalane Flanagan wins Lisbon Half Marathon - and against a very strong field

Good photo gallery of the Lisbon Half - at Let's Run

Meb Keflezighi talking about training in Mammoth Lakes, CA - it's the new hot spot

Craig Alexander wins Ironman Asia-Pacific World Championships - Caroline Steffen takes women's title

Australia's Erin Densham wins the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup Triathlon - I just wanted to say "Mooloolaba!"

Emma Snowsill gets sick before Mooloolaba - now has only one shot to get on Aussie Olympic Triathlon team

Great article and video on OSU miler and cross country star Laura Carlyle - only been running for a couple years and is already the best OSU has ever had

How long does it take to recover from a marathon? - Good article from the New York Times; the commonly held theories may be wrong

We all get old, even Olympic swimming hero Ian Thorp and running legend Haile Gebrselassie - but not everyone handles aging, and retirement, in the same way

Fantastic article on Eugene's Lauren Fleshman and the trials of distance running and injuries - she's so open and honest; I love her

Another great Running Times article on another great Oregon runner - this one is about Ashland's Timothy Olson, a rising star in the Ultra world

Maybe barefoot running isn't the way to go - if you know my views on barefoot running, you know I've got to link to this

McKenzie River Half Marathon Results - direct from Eugene, OR

Mercer Island Rotary Half Marathon Results - up yet?


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Running a Half as a Test for the Marathon

And here it is, the Corvallis Half Marathon. So soon...

Ready or not, I'm looking forward to the Corvallis Half for a number of reasons:

1) It's my Streak Race.
I ran my first Corvallis Half last year, which was the inaugural running. I plan to keep running it every year until I can be one of those annoying people that says things like, "I've run this race every year for the last 26 years! I was running this race in short-shorts back when your momma was still powdering your backside! I could run this race blindfolded with my shorts on my head like Chevy Chase in Vacation...and still beat you to the finish line!" You know...one of those guys.

2) It's my test for the Newport Marathon.
If I can run the Corvallis Half, which is much more up and down than Newport, in anything resembling the pace I need to keep at Newport, I'll feel pretty good. On the other hand, if I have trouble keeping my Boston pace for a half marathon, I'm probably in serious trouble at the full six weeks later.

3) It starts about two miles from my own home and bed and about 100 yards from my office at OSU.
I can hide in my warm office, with a real bathroom just down the hall, until close to start time. If it's a cold, rainy day (and why wouldn't it be?) this will be a clear advantage.

Let's race!

RACES FOR WEEK OF APRIL 9th TO APRIL 15th

April 13th and 14th / Snake River Sprint Triathlon / Lewiston, ID (2nd week in a row for a split-day tri!)

April 14th / Whidbey Island Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k / Oak Harbor, WA

April 14th / Run for Your Life 5k / Yakima, WA

April 14th / Beat Coach Pete Scholarship 5k / Boise, ID

April 14th / Camp Quest 5k / Happy Valley, OR

April 14th / Y Run for Kids 5k / Tacoma, WA

April 14th / Pear Blossom Run 10m and 5k / Medford, OR

April 14th / Newberg Camellia Run 10k and 5k / Newberg, OR

April 14th / Running for Risa 10k and 5k / Tigard, OR

April 14th / Rage in the Sage Mtn. Duathlon / Benton City, WA

April 14th / Squak Mtn. Trail 50k, Half Marathon and 12k / Issaquah, WA

April 14th / Rotary Run for the Kids 5k / Veneta, OR

April 14th / YFC Run for Youth 5k / Seattle, WA

April 15th / Corvallis Half Marathon / Corvallis, OR

April 15th / Captain Jack's 8k Treasure Run / Kirkland, WA

April 15th / Bridge to Brews 10k and 8k / Portland, OR

April 15th / Bridgeway Run for Autism 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

April 15th / Peterson Ridge Rumble Trail Run 40m and 20m / Sisters, OR

April 15th / Hope Run 5k / Spokane, WA

April 15th / ORRC Vernonia Marathon and Half Marathon / Vernonia, OR

April 15th / Vancouver Half Marathon / Vancouver, WA

April 15th / Alger Alp Trail 50k, 25k and 5m / Alger, WA

April 15th / Spring Fling Half Marathon, 10m, 10k, 5k, Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

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