So, with some amount of hesitation I have put my hat in the ring for my first half marathon.  I’m a former collegiate athlete who has since taken a leave of absence from physical activity of virtually all types.  But, thanks to Andy, I’ve been pursuing fitness in a few creative ways over the last 6 months, including Emerfit and moderate trail running.   Recently though, I started to notice that my trail running was inconsistent at best.  I’d go out with Andy once every other week and die.  So, I did what anyone who’s never run more than 6 miles at a time in his life would do; I registered for the Medicine Bow Half Marathon, in Wyoming.

Andy will be running the full marathon as shown above.  Luckily, I only have to do half of that.  This race is a “hilly out and back” that starts at 8700 ft.   The temperature is typically between 40 and 60 degrees.  It will be a good test of my ability to train and discipline myself leading up to an event.  I will be posting some of my training regimen throughout the weeks ahead, which will include comments on diet, Emerfit, and hitting the trails around Northern Colorado.

74 days till race day!

Jobe

outsideallday.com

Weight Loss For Runners: The 10 Rules of Weight Loss
By Nancy Clark

Nutritionist Nancy Clark shares 10 tips all runners should know if they want to drop some pounds.

1. To lose 10 pounds of body fat a year, you need to eat 100 calories less per day. Cutting too many calories from your daily intake will sap your energy level and increase your hunger, making you more susceptible to splurging on high-calorie foods. 2. Don’t skip breakfast. Eat within two hours of waking.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Ok, this is it. The season of crappy eating is officially over. Starting Monday I’m a lean mean eating right machine. Coach Dave sent my week 1 base phase cycling plan and I start training at Emergent Fitness on Tuesday night. My act is now officially back together.

I’ll be on the bike or in the gym 7 days this week and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sick or feeling gross.

But, its not Monday, so pizza will be consumed this evening, I’m off to pick it up right now. Ummmmm, pizza!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

GOOD BUZZ: No more coffee guilt
By Liz Applegate Ph.D.
From the May 2009 issue of Runner’s World

In a study done last year, researchers gave cyclists an energy bar with or without caffeine (equal to one cup of coffee) before and during a long, hard ride. They found that cyclists who have caffeine ride farther and think faster on cognitive tests than the no-caffeine group�useful news to runners in endurance events and adventure races, where quick decision-making is key.

Click here to read the rest of this article.

I wonder if diet Pepsi and chocolate brownies have the same positive benefits?

Andy B
outsideallday.com

These shoes are not a gimmick. They perform as describe. I actually miss running in them, still no recover from my plantar fasciitis. I rode after work tonight, it took 15 minutes to get prepared, when you run after work, you step out of your car ready to go. I miss that “easy” feeling. I’m a huge fan of these shoes.

More info on Newton Running Shoes at: www.newtonrunning.com

Newton blog: www.therunningfront.com

HT to the Trisports.com blog.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

We took the family to the gym this morning, Julie ran 90 minutes outside and I did 75 minutes on the spin bike, sauna, then spa. After the gym we hit up Chipotle (our current fav), and headed out on a drive to scout the Horsetooth Half Marathon course for Julie and Alison (Julie’s twin sister).

Horsetooth Half Marathon
April 19, 2009
More info: www.horsetoothhalfmarathon.com

You could say that as we drove we were a little more than shocked to understand what they would be running. The race begins with an immediate 500ft elevation gain over 2 miles. This hill is almost laughable it’s so steep, and never ending. From a funny laugh at my wife and her sister perspective I’m looking forward to taking pictures and video while their on course, they are going to SUFFER! I’m predicting cuss words will be thrown out.

Click here to see the course map. The course is beautiful.

Pictures and video to come…

Andy B
outsideallday.com

…or else you might end up like this woman, with no one to pry a rabid fox from your arm! Gnarly story! Wish they had pictures!� (But I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be better than the images I have generated in my head)

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) – With a fox locked onto her arm, an Arizona jogger ran a mile to her car, where she was able to dislodge the animal, throw it into the trunk and drive to a Prescott hospital. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said the fox, which later attacked an animal control officer, tested positive for rabies.The unidentified Chino Valley resident told deputies she was on a trail Monday at the base of Granite Mountain when the fox attacked, biting her foot. The woman said she grabbed it by the neck when it went for her leg and it latched onto her arm…

For the rest of the story go here:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D948V99O3&show_article=1

Mike Lawson
District of Columbia
outsideallday.com contributor

This weekend I’ll be laboring through the 24th annual Army 10-Miler.� This is the largest 10-mile race in America with a 2007 registration totaling 26,000.� This may be due to the incredible course –it begins and ends at the Pentagon, passes by the Lincoln and the Jefferson Memorials, and crosses right in front of the Capitol building.� I’ll admit, my training leading up to this run hasn’t quite been up to par, and I know I won’t be breaking any records.� At least I won’t be running in combat boots.

Mike Lawson
District of Columbia
outsideallday.com contributor

A few weeks ago Alison and I decided to run the Lake Forest 5K on July 4th. It was a perfect morning for the run. The temperature was in the mid 70s and a little overcast. We both started off quick and ran a good first mile. The second mile we both ran a little slower because there was a giant hill that we had to run up. The third mile we both finished strong. Needless to say the Alison destroyed, she finished first in her division. I finished 5th in my division and more impressively beat Alison by 18 seconds! This is just the start of the race season. Two more races to go by the end of summer, the San Luis Triathlon and the Hood to Coast. Look for more posts to come.

Click here for the race results.

Alex Omel
outsideallday.com Contributor

Coach Felipe from Breakaway Training just sent me over my first 4 week plan. Holy crap I’m pumped, this is my chance to not be fat anymore and maybe be better than Bryan Cass at something! I wasn’t planning on getting up early tomorrow to train but my plan calls for a 90 minute high cadence ride and a 30 minute run. I have to get it all in before work, 6 am, here I come.

While browsing my plan I came across the word “Farklek”. If I was still in junior high (or Dave’s mind) this would still be a fun word. Google is amazing….

Fartlek, which means “speed play” in Swedish, is a form of conditioning which puts stress mainly on the aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.

For more information on Fartlek go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek

Andy B
outsideallday.com