I read the rant and the retort. I have my own unique take on it. From old military days and mind/war games to bouncing and bodyguarding to now marketing in radio for 25 years, I've learned to recognize a reaction similar to the primal 'fight or flight'. The male creature much more often than not responds to things they are ignorant or fearful of with faux anger, often laced with weak attempts at humor or irony. Stafko is a large, unfit man with a type of Napoleonic complex. He can't be you or beat you, so he'll attempt to berate you. Rather than admit ignorance and learn, his tact is to defer from him to you. He's the bully on the playground who's the frightened kid in reality. The frat boy who still calls a beer a "brewski" long after the last kegger, and he is in loathing of himself. Suck it up buttercup, from one fat bald old guy to a younger fat boy, better to be a moving target than a bump on a log. Grow some stones rather than throwing them. Lace up a pair of sneakers, struggle through a 5K and finish dead damn last, but feel the honest rush of knowing you finished it and no one can take that away from you. Back away from the buffet big boy, you'll find a lot of athletes willing to share, teach, cajole and love you into being more than a bitter self hating asshat. Phew! Was that a B.A.R.? And as an aside, Fartleks still make me giggle. ~Adventure Geek Russ
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XTERRA Atlantic Series heading toward stretch run May 30, 2013 – What started out as training runs turned into race victories for Preston Campbell and Jackie Palmer at the XTERRA Lums Pond Trail Run. Campbell was the overall winner of the 10-kilometer trail race at Lums Pond State Park in Bear, Delaware. Palmer placed ninth overall and was the top female. Campbell, a Navy helicopter pilot from Annapolis, Maryland, completed the course in 38 minutes, 18 seconds. It was his second consecutive overall victory in the XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series (he also won the previous race at Seneca Creek, Maryland, last month). “The race was really fantastic,” he said. “I race Columbia Tri the weekend before, so the flat course at Lums Pond felt amazing and the conditions could not have been better.” Campbell’s main sport is triathlons, so he has been entering the XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series as a form of training. He said he took the lead two miles into the course, and then gradually increased his lead the rest of the way. “I ran my race and enjoyed the trail,” he said. Juan Pablo Prada from Newark, Delaware, placed second in 39:17, and Doug Bishop, also from Newark, was third in 39:58. Palmer likes to enter ultra marathon races, so the Lums Pond 10K was a warm-up of sorts for her (she did a longer race the very next day). “I have been to Lums Pond before, but not for trail running so was not familiar with the trail itself, but knew it was flat,” said Palmer, who is also from Newark. “The trails I usually train on are a little more hilly, so I think this helped my strength, even though there were not actually hills in the race.” Palmer finished with a time of 46:26, which was 21 seconds ahead of Leonie Campbell – who is Preston Campbell’s wife. It was Palmer’s second victory in the 2013 Atlantic Series. “I expected the beginning of the course to bottle neck at the trail head and I went out a little faster to try and avoid it so I think I was in the lead for the females from the start,” Palmer said. “There was at least one other woman following close behind me for the first half of the race, but she eventually dropped off. Then I was just racing with some boys to the finish.” CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE RESULTS The XTERRA Lums Pond Trail Run was the third of four races in the 2013 XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series. The series finale will be the XTERRA Big Elk Trail Run at the Elkton, Maryland, on June 22. To register for a race in the series or to learn more about it, please visitwww.adventuregeekproductions.com. Inaugural race set for March 9, with three others to follow in 2013 March 4, 2013 – The XTERRA Trail Run Series has hit the trails near the Pacific Ocean for several years. Now it will also make its way to the Atlantic. The XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series will make its debut next weekend, and the 2013 schedule will bring races to the states of Delaware and Maryland. The new Atlantic Series will feature four races (two in each state) – March 9 at Wilmington, Delaware; April 6 at Gaithersburg, Maryland; May 25 at Bear, Delaware; June 22 at Elkton, Maryland. Each race in the Atlantic Series is open to runners of all ages and skill levels, from any state. Online registration is available for all four races: ATLANTIC SERIES REGISTRATION. “Delaware has a strong trail system, ranging from rocky and rooted hilly trails to smooth dirt that is frequented by both runners and mountain bikers,” Atlantic Series director Kristen Thomas said. “Maryland parks are in no shortage, either, as they are all over the place and are all frequently used and raced on. There is a very wide range with the Eastern states presenting some smoother, rolling terrain, and the terrain getting more mountainous as you reach the Appalachian Trail.” Runners are excited to participate in the Atlantic Series, as it will take them on some of the most scenic – and challenging – trails in the area. “These races are going to be a great time, that’s for certain,” said Steven Leibowitz, who plans to enter all four events. “Each race promises its own adventure and there are distance options for everyone.” Each event in the series will offer two course options – one long and one short – to accommodate the various levels of runners. The short course distances will be 5 kilometers; the long course distances will range from 10 kilometers to 42 kilometers. The top age-group finishers on the long course of each event will be awarded points toward the Atlantic Series, and standings will be updated after each race. At the end of the season, each age-group champion will be awarded a free entry to the 2013 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship at Ogden, Utah, in September. Leibowitz said he has experience on the Seneca Creek Trail in Gaithersburg, Maryland. “The trail undulates across roots and dirt,” he said. “Not far from the urban sounds of our nation’s capital, this place offers a calm respite to the outside world, and will certainly play host to a challenging and rewarding race experience.” Leibowitz said he is unfamiliar with the other three courses in the Atlantic Series, but is looking forward to the challenge of a new adventure. “Not having been to the other three trails makes me both nervous and excited,” he said. “For the locations that will be new to me, there will be plenty of map studying beforehand if I am not able to make it out in advance. The races are likely to be competitive, grueling, and dirty. Sounds like fun to me!” The Atlantic Series is one of 16 regions across the United States that hosting XTERRA Trail Run events in 2013. The others are Alabama, Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Pocono, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Utah. To enter a race in the Atlantic Series or to learn more about it, please visit www.adventuregeekproductions.com or www.xterratrailrun.com. 2013 XTERRA Atlantic Trail Run Series 3/9/13 –XTERRA Brandywine Creek Trail Run – Wilmington, DE – 12km/5km – Atlantic Series #1 2013 4/6/13 – XTERRA Seneca Creek Trail Run – Gaithersburg, MD - 10km/5km – Atlantic Series #2 2013 5/25/13 –XTERRA Lums Pond Trail Run – Bear, DE – 10km/5km – Atlantic Series #3 2013 6/22/13 – XTERRA Big Elk Trail Run – Elkton, MD - 42km/21km – Atlantic Series #4 2013
_ Dear Winter Runner,
Please don’t go out and spend a lot of money on cold-weather clothes. You can comfortably run in clothes sitting in your closet right now. That is, as long as you don’t end up like my friend Bils, from Flint, Michigan, who runs in a bright red toboggan, red sweatpants and a red 49ers sweatshirt. (“Well,” he says, “red’s my favorite color!”) In this article, I’ll give you a few tips for gearing up for the cold at a reasonable cost without insulting your good fashion sense. Pants are the single most important article They’re also the most overused piece of running equipment. You should only get into pants when the temperature (or wind chill) gets below 40 degrees. Come race day, you’ll be better having taught your legs to tolerate a moderate chilliness. Give it a try, and you’ll find that the running motion warms your legs up in just a few minutes. When the weather turns from cool to cold, though, you need pants. True running pants cost around $60, and that’s not a bad purchase for an everyday runner. Look for HIND pants on sale. Another good option is leggings or tights under your regular shorts. That’s popular, though not my first choice. But if you dig tights, by all means. When it comes to short runs up to 45 minutes, any old pair of athletic pants, like sweats or “swishy” pants will work. Yale’s top cross-country runner from a few years back was notorious for running in his raggedy high school team sweats. Everything else: You already own them, so you might as well use them That goes for socks, shoes, shirts, winter hats, and gloves. If new clothes motivate you to go exercise, then don’t let me get in your way. However, if you’re looking for comfort, affordability, and practicality, you need look no farther than your closet. A long sleeve shirt by itself works all the way down to about 40 degrees. When the temp is 25-40 degrees, wear a cotton t-shirt over the long sleeves. If it’s much colder, or if you’re facing bitter wind, consider a light jacket. With gloves and socks start with light pairs, and if temperatures are extremely low, you can double up. With hats, anything works. If you’re in the northern States or Canada, you might pick up a ski mask for the extreme days. Again, you probably already have these clothes. If you don’t, find them at Target or Wal-Mart. To close, a winter’s tale If you’ve done some winter running, you’ll appreciate this story. I ran with some buddies, Perry and Powers, one winter day in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The temperature was around 10 degrees. The wind chill was probably negative. Powers was used to the cold and had plenty of proper gear, including a ski mask. Perry and I, sadly, were somewhat less prepared. We wore toboggans and thin gloves and hoped to tough it out. We ran 20 minutes out, and as we went out into the wind, snow started dumping pretty heavily. As we turned back, it was a veritable blizzard. We could hardly see in any direction. “Can you see anything, Perry?" I asked. “No!” was all he said. Luckily, we were on a straight dirt road and finally made it back. My bangs had turned to icicles, but I was in pretty good shape compared to Perry. Poor guy’s eyelashes had frozen shut! No wonder he couldn’t see! He sat against the wall in misery until his lashes thawed. I think he would have cried, but the tears had no place to escape. That was the coldest run I’ve ever been on. What about you? I’d love to hear your winter stories. Post them below! Stay warm, Jared Campbell Dear Plotting Runner,
Listen, I’ve known runners that run up to 140 miles a week just to compete on the track in 5ks and 10ks. And I’ve known runners that have completed marathons averaging less than 20 miles a week in training. While both of those are almost always poorly conceived plans, you can see how varied mileage can be. And yes, it’s not easy to know what the exact amount is that’s right for you. But I think we can narrow it down. Here’s the first step It probably won’t surprise you because it’s so stupid simple: Start easy and build up. When I say easy, I mean easy. You should be saying to yourself, “man, is that it?!”after every run for your first couple weeks. Most beginners would do best to run no more than 4 runs of 2-4 miles in their first week. Target 12-15 total. Most veterans ought to start at half the volume (or less) of their peak mileage to date. For me, that’s 90 miles. So I’d never start a fresh training block with more than 45 miles in week 1. How to build your mileage You should increase your mileage every week or every two weeks. Try to increase by no more than 20% at a time. Otherwise, you’re asking to get hurt. Beginners should build up to 30 miles a week at the most. If you get there quickly, simply repeat each week until you feel great doing it. That’s a remarkable achievement for your first training cycle! At 30 miles, you will be well prepared for any race shorter than a marathon. Keep in mind, many high school distance runners race at all-state level off of no more than 30 miles a week. Now, what to do if this ain’t your first rodeo… Start incorporating your past experience. If you’ve already gone through a training cycle, your weekly mileage now depends on many factors for which you have a personal knowledge base, so evaluate how it went last time. If it went well, look to build steadily until you’re running 5-15 more miles per week than you’ve ever ran before. If it went poorly, build your mileage to the point where training soured last time. This is your opportunity to work on your durability with complimentary core and stability exercises. And relax – you can, and will, still race fast. In fact, I’ve seen many outstanding college runners race fastest during some of their lowest mileage seasons. You can do the same, no question. Success is about far more than mileage. I hope you now have an idea of where to start and finish. But we’re not quite done. Here are several other tips for setting a mileage schedule that can work for you: · Pull out a calendar and backtrack from your race date. Now plot out how to steadily increase your mileage toward your “peak mileage” in even increments. I suggest hitting this peak 2 weeks before your race. · Be realistic about the time commitment needed to pull off the mileage you’re considering. · If this is one of your first few “serious” training cycles, consider tracking by minutes instead of mileage. You’ll do better that way, I promise. · Record your training daily in a running log. Tabbing up each week will be easier. More important, a log keeps you accountable and will be a valuable resource next time you decide how much training you should bite off. · Stick to your schedule and execute it evenly. I can’t tell you how many people I know damaging their opportunity at good fitness because of inconsistency. I hope you agree that the best way to improve your running ability and prevent injury is to listen to your body and stay patient. Don’t let your mileage goals conflict with that broader strategy. It’s better to take an extra week to adapt to your current mileage than to push ahead when you sense you’re fatigued. A final thought Mileage is part of a balanced training plan. Nothing is better for your running ability than running, BUT remember to do all the little things (stretch, sleep, hydrate, eat) to complement your miles. Best wishes for healthy running and fast racing! Jared Campbell Adventure Geek Race Team Applicant P.S. My suggestions are based off of more than 10 years of experience. I have not researched these notions extensively in the lab or the literature, so if you’d like, please comment to this article with your respectful two cents or any questions. |
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