Running with Riley

Can't find anything to do on Haloween? Why not jump in a Race or two?

2009-10-28T11:02:00.003-04:00

There is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE to not get out and run a race this weekend. There are so many opportunities that some may have to be careful not to do too much!!

Let's Start with Halloween morning.

Get Fit For Jesus 5K
Ricki Smith is hosting the Get Fit For Jesus 5K at 10:00 AM in the Barboursville Park. (Complete Event Info) This looks to be a good race and for a good cause. If you support this race, you can help send Ricki to the other side of the world on a mission trip. How cool is that? Plus the course is really flat and is a great opportunity for some good times.

WV Cross Country State Championship
We also have the WV Cross Country State Championship at Cabell Midland High School. The Cabell Midland Boys are the favorite but it will be a very interesting and sloppy race. There are no opportunities for the general public to race but if you are a fan of running, then I highly suggest coming and watching 4 races with the best runners in the state.

2009 State Meet Schedule
10:00 AM	AAA Girls
10:45 AM	AAA Boys
11:45 AM	AAA Awards Ceremony
12:45 PM	AA-A Girls
1:30 PM	AA-A Boys
2:30 PM	AA-A Awards Ceremony

We also have the Freaky Fall 5K in Louisa, KY!

Halloween Evening:

We have two races that encourage people to dress up as they have awards for the most creative costume.

Halloween Hustle Night 5K Race

(Owingsville, KY)

Haloween Sooktacular 5K

(Hurricane, WV)

AND FINALLY if that wasn't enough, the Marshall University Marathon is on Sunday morning!!

This event has everything from a walk, a 13-mile 3-person relay, a Half-Marathon, to the Full Marathon. Over 1,000 athletes normally compete in this event. The great thing about this race is that it finishes inside the Marshall Stadium!!

So if you want to run, you have to look hard for an excuse not to race this weekend. If you don't want to run, come out to one of the many events and have a good time cheering on the runners!

Hopefully we will see you out there! Keep on Running!!

MU ALUM RUN

2009-10-02T11:08:00.002-04:00

The 2009 MU Alum Run is tomorrow.

This is one of the biggest and best run races in our area. Race Director Sharon Stanton has always done a great job with this race. The awards, race safety, timeliness, results, everything is always top notch with any race that she is in charge of.

I would recommend that anyone that wants to get out and do a 5K, do this one!! You can run it and compete against some of the best in the region or come out and walk it.

Did I mention that the course has been moved? The course will be the same as the WV 5K Championship. This is a USATF Certified course. This will allow those of us that like to compare our times from one year to another to be confident that we are comparing times on the same distance!

Click this link for all the information !!

TriStateRacer.com will have results and pictures from this event! Hope to see you there!

Weekend Recap

2009-09-28T09:09:00.004-04:00

Wow, what a weekend. I am glad that we race early in the morning! We were able to get some good races in before the nasty rain that came later on Saturday.

We had the Prestera Run for Recovery in Ritter Park and the Pumpkin Run 5k in Milton, WV.
MU Professor Eric Migernier ran a 19:38 for the win at the Prestera Run. Now I know he is a little faster than that so I imagine that the course was a little long. A 13-year old named Story Moosa won the overall women's title at the Presetera Run for Recovery with a time of 27:23. Big congrats to Story for her win!

At the Pumpkin Run 5K, MU Sophomore David Bias ran an amazing 15:48 on a hilly and twisty course. For the women, Erin Dilley ran a good 20:23 for the women's title. The pumpkin run had some really cool looking awards and my wife loved the T-Shirt.

TriStateRacer.com has complete results from both races and pictures from the Pumpkin Run.

Looking Ahead...

We have 4, that is right, 4 races in 7 days in the Tri-state!!!!

- Wednesday, Sept. 30 - Valley Legacy Run - Lucasville, OH
- Thursday, Oct. 1 - Old Fashion Days 5K - Greenup, KY
- Saturday, Oct. 3 - MU Alum Run - Huntington, WV (This is the big one!!)
- Saturday, Oct. 3 - Tri-State Fire Academy 5K - Barboursville, WV

We hope to see you all out there and join in on the fun!

As always, check out TriStateRacer.com for all the information on local racing!

Here are Pictures of the Male Winner from the Pumpkin Run 5K, David Bias Erin Dilley!

Little Lessons from Mammoth Lakes

2009-09-25T11:27:00.003-04:00

Sorry for being gone so long. Geez, I feel so bad for letting this blog go so long without being updated.

Anyway, today I have been inspired to write after reading an article about the Mammoth Lakes (CA) Track Club. This is an olympic level club that trains at altitude. They are coached by Terrence Mahon (a 2:13 marathoner himself). Some of the best distance runners in the country live and run here.

I had the great opportunity to meet Terrence last winter in Charlotte, NC. He gave a lot of great ideas for training and I plan to share in time.

However, for now, I want to link to the last page of the article that I read. The title of the last section is: "Little Lessons From Mammoth."

I think that the term "Little Lessons" is a major understatement. The lessons pointed out are the core of any workout plan!

Read and enjoy!

Little Lesson from Mammoth Lakes

Updates

2009-07-15T15:47:00.003-04:00

Man, summer sure is here and I have fallen off of the horse with this blog. Good news is that I have not fallen off of the horse in regards to running.

Here is a brief update of what has happened since the last blog:

The WV 5K Championship Presented by the Herald-Dispatch was a HUGE Success
I was injured - Bad Calf Pull
I have come back to 50/mpw and running strong
Got bit by a dog last week in the leg
About got bit again last night (Not Liking dogs right now)

There is a couple of races this weekend, off the top of my head I know there is one in Ritter Park and one at the Hurricane Wave Pool Park. Check out TriStateRacer.com for more information!

The WV Hot Dog Festival 5K is in two weeks and promises to be a big and competitive run.

Updates.....

2009-05-13T13:40:00.003-04:00

Lot's of good stuff has been going on. I have been crazy busy lately so let me try to do an update here.

Coaching Season is Over

At Barboursville Middle School, we had a great season. Of course, we had the #1 runner in the nation in Jacob Burcham who had PRs of 2:05.50 (800), 4:33.32 (1600), and 10:14.78 (3200). We also had the #2 and # 3 runner in the state at the middle school in Jared King and David Jobe. If you are a fan of running, keep these three names in your head as they are very capable of doing VERY BIG THINGS at the high school level!!

For the girls, we had a lot of success as well. Alex Ellis ran the 3rd fastest time in the state with a 5:42. That would be a time good enough to qualify for the HS State Meet in some regions. The girls 4x800 team won the County Meet and everyone is looking forward to running this summer and getting ready for XC season!!

The WV 5K Championship Run/Walk

This thing is growing and growing and will end up to being a HUGE event! I am so pumped that we have received so much help in organizing and planning the race. Cassey Bowden of the United Way of the River Cities has done a wonderful job of getting the word out and motivating people to compete.

This race is for everyone. The race committees goal is to promote fitness on all levels. If you come and walk, run, push a stroller, or compete in the wheelchair division, there is a spot for everyone!!

We have tons of great news to share:

Free Pasta Dinner June 5th at Frankie D's Italian Chophouse for all registered participants
Money prizes to overall winners and age group winners
Post race meals/snacks provided by the Salvation Army
Host Hotel - Pullman Plaza Hotel has provided special rates
The Herald-Dispatch will provide great media coverage
The people at Pullman Square have offered their services and we will be holding the awards ceremony there!

If you want to register, please visit www.tristateracer.com/wv5k for additional information and entry forms!

Personal Running

I have horrible news on this end. Two and a half weeks ago I was heading out Guyan River Road for a 10-miler and only made it 3 miles before I had a terrible pain in my right calf area. I had to hop back to the house and take 12 days off. This was the worst. I am glad that I was coaching and planning for the 5K, these two activities took my mind off of the fact that I was not able to run.

I have since been able to run 5 days now. I still am very tender in the calf area but it is getting a little better.

I am icing, massaging, and taking my IBs (ibuprofen) every night to make it a little better. I know that the running now will help loosen it up. I am running lighter (only 4-5 miles now where I was running 7-8 miles before the injury) at a slower pace (7:30 pace vs the 6:50-7:00 pace I was at before the injury).

Talking to my wife last night, I think I have made plans to compete in the Parkersburg Half-Marathon and the Charleston Distance Run, hopefully those races will let me lead up to a marathon in the fall.

Healthy Tri-State

I was approached by the great Rod Allen at WSAZ about doing a Healthy Tri-State commercial for them. I agreed as long as I could get some of the athletes in the video and he said that would be fine. I have been contacted by co-workers, friends, and family saying they have seen me on TV. Rod sent me a copy of the commercial so I have seen it on the computer, but not on TV yet.

I want to say thanks to Rod Allen and all those at WSAZ for letting us be a part of the Healthy Tri-State initiative as well as the athletes who showed off their stretching talents (Alex Ellis, Austin Jarrel, Abby Triplett, David Jobe, and Eric Wooten!!)

Back to race planning and running, we hope to see everyone out there on June 6th!!

Holy Cow!!! What a Week!!

2009-04-11T15:28:00.004-04:00

This has been one of the craziest and most exciting weeks of my life. Two major things happened and they all revolve around fitness!!

WV 5K Championship

I am the race director of the WV 5K Championship that will be held in Huntington, WV on June 6, 2009. On Wednesday we had our press conference. About two hours before the press conference, I got word that the Herald-Dispatch has signed on as the title sponsor. This partnership with the Herald-Dispatch really launching this event into the Stratosphere. We have two goals with the event:

1. Showcase the top talent in the area - We have athletes who have ran in the US Olympic Trials and even Beijing. It looks like we will be able to get these elite runners to come to the race.

2. Promote Fitness in the Area - How cool would it be if we get 1,000 or more people from the area to toe the starting line on June 6 just a year after we were called the "Fattest City in America?" What type of message would that send to the rest of the nation?

The proceeds from the event will go to the United Way, which is AWESOME!! The United Way of the River Cities is a wonderful group that will use the proceeds from the event to continue promoting fitness in our area through different wellness programs!!

This is going to be a great event!! If you are interested in signing up, then grab yourself a Entry Form and mail it in!! If you are interested in volunteering, then e-mail me at Pat@TriStateRacer.com.

Check out all the press that we got this week from our press conference!!

- State 5k Championship to be in Huntington

-Huntington Prepares to Host 5K Championship

- Huntington to Host 5K Championship

Jacob Burcham Sets National Record

I am also the Coach of Barboursville Middle School. On Thursday evening at Cabell Midland, one of the athletes I coach ran the 1600 (Mile) in 4:38.10 in the 8th grade. This is the fastest time in the nation! He has exceptional talent and the smarts to go with it. The best thing is he is very humble.

This was very good experience for everyone who was at the meet. It is not everyday that we get to see the fastest runner in the nation (for his grade).

Jacob Burcham Sets National Record

Recap of Adam Johnson Memorial 3 Mile Run for Success

2009-03-30T11:49:00.003-04:00

The first race of the season started 8:30 Am on 3rd Ave on Saturday Morning. If anyone knows Teddy Johnson, you know that he does things a little differently. And he did it in a very good way. With over 200 finishers, this race was a success.

The course was completely flat as it went from 3rd Ave and 10th St backwards on 3rd Ave to 20th St to 5th Ave to 7th St. and back to Pullman on 3rd Ave. This was backwards and at first, I had some concerns as 5th ave is roughly 1 mile of a gradual upgrade but it turned out great. The hill by the Herald-Dispatch Building was challenging but once we got over it, we knew it was all down hill.

The winners were familiar faces to the running circuit. Jason and Marion Pyles were the overall male and female winners. Jason took off from the start and had the lead within one block and didn't look back. He ran just above 5 minute per mile pace for a 15:10. 2nd Place went to local running and walking shop owner Robert Smith. 3rd went to a young man named Jonathan Blatt who said he had a huge PR (Personal Record) as he crossed the finish line.

Marion, who is coming off a 3:00:49 marathon one week ago in Virginia Beach, ran a very fast 18:20 to claim the lead. This is a good run as most marathoners will not run a step for a couple of weeks after a marathon. 2nd place went to the young Jorden Thronton who is running for Milton Middle School. 3rd place in the girls division went to Skye Taylor who goes to Covent School and trains with Cabell Midland.

Here are some interesting links about the race.

- Overall Results
- Age Group Results
- More than 200 Runners Help Battle Huntington Drug Woes

Huntington Races Start Up This Weekend

2009-03-26T10:30:00.002-04:00

I am really pumped that we get into racing again in Huntington. The last race was in December. We are due for a chance to test out our fitness.

This weekend, we have the Adam Johnson Memorial 3 Mile Race. The start and finish line is at Pullman Square this year. The start time is 8:30.

Looks like the weather may try to be a little wet but warm.

If you haven't signed up yet, you can still sign up the day of the race. I have provided a link below with the complete information! Hope to see you there!!

Adam Johnson Memorial 3 Miler

Goal Setting the Lance Armstrong Way

2009-03-18T14:34:00.005-04:00

Alright, so you are interested in getting "Fit" but what does that mean and how do you know when or if you have actually gotten "Fit?" Too many people say they are setting a goal but they are missing out on 3 of the key concepts that go into setting a goal.

According to Chris Carmicheal, legendary coach to Lance Armstrong, there are three parts of a goal.

Part 1: What is your goal?

This has to be very specific. You cannot say, "I want to get fit." That is not measurable and you will never reach a goal like that. Olympic Marathoners wish they were more "Fit."

Here are a couple of other bad examples:

I want to run a race
I want to feel better
I want to look better

These are all too broad and cannot be measured.

Here are a couple of good examples:

I want to run 3 miles without stopping
I want to lose 10 pounds.
I want to ride my bike from Guyandotte to the West End of Huntington and back.

These three goals are very specific and you will immediately know when you have reached that goal.

Part 2: Set a Date

This is designed to keep you tied to the goal and not let it get out of reach. If you set a goal without a date tied to it, then you allow yourself to keep pushing that goal away.

You may start saying things like: “Oh, I can do that next spring or I have always wanted to do that and someday I will” Those two statements are people who are giving up on their goals or who have not fully committed to their goals.

Now, let’s go on to how to properly complete step 2 of the goal setting process.

Let’s take the good goal of “I want to run a race.”

That is a wonderful goal but now you need to set a date by when you want to run that race.

This is easy, go find a race and set your goal of running it. You can change it to something like…

I want to run a race on June 6^th

Great Job!! Now you have a date set and you will know if you have completed the goal or not!

Now on to the third part.

Part 3: Set a Place

We are using the example of wanting to run a race on June 6^th. To finish out your goal you need to say when and/or where you will be accomplishing that goal.

A complete goal will sound like this: “I want to run the WV 5K Championship in Huntington, WV on June 6^th.”

That is a complete goal. You have all of the characteristics of a goal set. Now you can focus and work towards achieving that goal.

Here are a couple of other good and bad examples:

Bad:

I want to get married

Good:

I want to get married to (Insert Name Here) on June 20^th, 2010.

Bad:

I want to lose 10 lbs.

Good:

I want to lose 10 lbs. by July 4, 2009. (Location would just be silly here)

Bad:

I want a promotion at work.

Good:

I want a promotion working for the Herald-Dispatch by January, 2010.

Yes, Warm Weather!! Time to Plan for a Race

2009-03-07T17:50:00.004-05:00

In my last post, I guess I got it right!!

I stated that I was excited about Track Season starting for the young people because that meant that warm weather is coming and I actually got it right!! I hope I have just as good of luck in the future. My next prediction will be a white Christmas. Stay tuned to see if I get it right!

On my run this morning, I saw 4 other people running. It was so great to see more people out and about. I ran with the team this afternoon at the Barboursville Park and it was packed with people running. Glad to see everyone taking advantage of this nice weather!

The race directors in the area are gearing up for all the races that will be held. The first one in our area is the Adam Johnson Memorial 3 Mile Run. If you know anything about local running in this area, then certainly you know Teddy Johnson. He is the extravagant, former president of the Huntington Road Runners Club. He has provided direction for many races in our area.

He has decided to focus all of his attention on his son's memorial race. His son tragically passed away 2 years or so ago. Last year was the 1st Adam Johnson Memorial race. Teddy has moved the start/finish area for the race from Ritter Park to Pullman Square.

He has some of the nicest race shirts that I have seen in our area.

Teddy has made a great decision by putting his race at the end of March. His race will be the first one of the season and I am sure that there are plenty of people who will be eager to see what type of fitness level they are at and this is a great place to test that out.

The race is on March 28th. (Complete Adam Johnson Memorial Information)

Hope to see everyone there!

Update

2009-03-02T12:44:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

Hope that the weather hasn't discouraged anyone from running. I have been slowly progressing my weekly distance over the past month. The weather has been really cold but as I have been able to keep warm. I hit 50 miles last week with 7 runs in 7 days. I don't really know when my next day off will be. I am sure that my body will let me know when it is time to take a day completely off.

Track season starts today for the high schools and middle schools in our area. This is always makes me happy for a number of reasons. The one reason that we may all share is that is should be warming up soon! This is a good time to get out and moving.

Remember to start slow and be consistent with your running. Don't go out in your first week and run a ton of miles just to be sore and quit the next week. Getting into shape takes time and effort. At first, easy is best.

Tallman Winter Series Final Event Preview

2009-02-05T14:14:00.005-05:00

The final event for the 2008-2009 Tallman Winter Series is coming up this Sunday. Over 150 runners have braved the cold weather to train for these races and it all comes down to the 10K that starts at 2 PM this Sunday in Charleston, WV This unique series is the only races in our area where the brave can come out in the bitter cold and test their fitness. Running is a year round activity and the Tallman Track Club has done a great job of creating this successful series.

The setup is really cool! The first race was a 5K, then a month later they moved the distance up to an 8K (5 Miles), and the final race is a 10K. Each race is a little further then the list. It is a great place to buildup your mileage.

Even if someone has not participated in the first two events, WK Munsey of the Tallman Track Club wants everyone to know that they are still welcome to show up. He wants to remind everyone that they will be holding drawings for prizes, sweatshirts, and pizza for a post-race meal! While most of the people in the race may be focused on the fitness aspect of just running, there are a few that are in it for glory!

There is a nice preview of the final event of the Winter Series on TriStateRacer.com. Click HERE to see the complete preview!

Starting a Running Program

2009-02-02T11:55:00.005-05:00

Running can be pretty simple. On the surface, there is only one main rule. Go out and run!! Doesn’t sound too hard does it? In fact, the hardest part of running is taking that first step. For me, once that first step is over with, the next 5-10 miles is a breeze.

Once you get in a good habit of running, there are other considerations to make. You may first want to ask yourself “Do I know how to run?” This question goes further than just putting one foot in front of the other quickly. As with many other things in your life, you will need to make a plan. The running plan will allow you to structure your running in a way that will keep you motivated and injury free.

I have seen too many people take up running and in the first week, they go out and run 15-20 miles after years of not running. They tell me that they feel great and I am really happy for them……. However, when it comes to week 2, they are no where to be seen.

What has happened to them?

The answer is really simple, they did too much too fast.

There are physiological considerations when putting together a running plan. If you are one who hasn’t taken a step in a while, then you want to progress through your running in a way that will not leave your body in shock.

So how do you get into a good running program?

There are many opportunities out there that will help you. The rule that I follow is not to increase my mileage by 10% from the week before. I also will build my mileage for three weeks while not increasing on the fourth week.

A good and patient progression will look like this:

Week 1: 20 Miles

Week 2: 22 Miles

Week 3: 25 Miles

Week 4: 25 Miles

Week 5: 27.5 Miles

Week 6: 30 Miles

Week 7: 33 Miles

Week 8: 33 Miles

This is a VERY safe program that will keep you injury free. This program will not put your body into shock and make you feel tired. The hardest part about this program is holding yourself back.

You will start to feel really good right away and want to say to yourself that I can push it a little further today and be alright. You actually want to resist this at first. That is what the program is for, to guide you through your running and insure that you will do what is right.

So how will you know how many miles you have gone?

First, you will need to keep a log of your mileage. You can do this in a notebook, find an online running log, use an excel sheet, or some way that works best for you. The most important part is making sure that you keep it updated. I can look back and tell you exactly what I ran on this date 1, 2, or 3 years ago. This information can tell me a lot and sometimes it is nice just to look back.

Second, how will you know what mileage you ran today? You have a couple of options here.

I have a Garmin GPS watch that I use on unfamiliar routes. This is great but costly. It keeps me honest and lets me know at any time how fast and long I have gone.
You can drive it – I know, not the best option.
Google Earth – You can use this free application. To do so, find your location, then click on Tools > Ruler. It has two options (Line and Path). If you use the path, you can map where you went. While this is not 100% accurate, it will still give you a pretty good idea of how far you went.
MapMyRun.com – This site gives you some really nice options as well as an online running log.

Here are a couple of links that that can provide more information on beginning a running program.

I think it would be best to say that if it has been a LONG LONG time, then see a doctor to make sure that your body can handle the new physical exertion that you are about ready to put on your body! If you don’t want to do that, then go out there, run and walk some, and if it hurts, I mean painfully hurts, then stop. If you have some aches, then that is natural.

Now GO OUT AND RUN!!!

Running in the Winter

2009-01-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

This has to be the hardest time of the yeat to get out and go for a run. The extreme cold can really kill somone's motivation. With a couple of ideas and tips, getting out when there is 3 inches of snow on the ground will be just as easy as going for a run when it is 68' and sunny!!

1. Dress Appropriately

Of course this is a simple idea, but how many people really know what articles of clothing will a.) keep you warm b.) keep you light c.) keep you dry.

The key to this is layers. The first layer should be a base layer. The Under Armour type of tights work great here. They keep you warm and wisk the sweat away from your skin. If it is cold out, I will just go out in some tights for the bottom half (Yeah I do get complaints) :) On top, where the core is, I go with three layers. The base layer (Under Armour), then a cotton layer for added warmth (This is short sleeve or long sleeve depending on just how cold it is), then a wind breaker over top of that. This wind breaker keeps wind and rain/snow away from my body.

Don't forget about your gloves and a hat of some sort. I have noticed that if you cover your core (Heart, Lungs, etc.) Properly, your hands will stay warm. If you don't keep your core covered, then the hands will be the first to suffer. The hat, I remember my grandmother always telling me that 80% of your body heat is released through your head. Don't know how right she was but I think it would be silly not to wear one. I have a nice one that is double layered around the ears to make sure they stay warm and comfortable.

2. Be Consistent!

I read this article and posted it on TriStateRacer.com in hopes of encouraging people to get out and run during the winter. To parapharse the article, they say and I agree that the more you make it a habit, the easier it is to get out and run not matter what mother nature throws at you!

You don't have to go and try to kill yourself everyday, just make it a habit to make sure you get a run in everyday that you have planned. If you have planned a run and see it through, then it will not only make you a better runner, help you lose weight, and help you win a trophy at one of the local road races but it will also help you build character and personal strength.

3. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES!!!

Read THIS!!!!

The best part of this article is that they mention that more injuries happen in the Summer than in the Winter! When considering injury's, how can you find a better running surface then 1/2 inch or so of soft snow. Feels GREAT!!!

4. Take Someone With You

Everything is better when you do it with someone else!! From doing the dishes to running. If you find a training partner or group, then they will help motivate you. I always find that when I am scheduled to meet someone, it is much easier to get out the door and get my run in.

5. Ok, So You Don't Want to Go Outside!

They do make treadmills. However, they are not for me, but if you have one and you are getting on them and being consistent, good for you!! The fact that you get on the treadmill and you are moving is the most important part! I haven't been on one since a trip over a year ago to Columbus when they got 2 or 3 inches of snow and I was stuck in the Hotel. Not a bad experience!!

Hopefully some of these ideas, tips, and such will help you get out and go run. I know just thinking and writing about them has for me!! In fact, I am going to go put on my three layers, only tights over the legs though (Sorry if you drive by and see me) and get my 4-5 miles in for the day!!

"To motivate, educate, and get at least one person out on the roads or the treadmill and run."

2009-01-29T14:26:00.001-05:00

So here we go with my first fitness blog. I have never blogged before so give me a little time to get used to this. I will attempt to make this blog interesting so that you will come back and read it.

I guess the first thing I need to answer is WHY would you want to read this blog?

I would assume that you are somewhat interested in fitness because you have chosen to at least give this a try. That is good, we have common interests! This blog will be used to highlight all types of things regarding running. Come back here often to look for tips on running, news from the local road races, and even interviews of people who can inspire.

This blog can also be your resource to local fitness opportunities. There are a lot of groups out there that meet on a regular basis. This will be the place to visit in order to find out who is visiting when and where they will be. Also, some people may too shy to join a group like this and hopefully I will be able to explain that these groups really do enjoy new people joining them.

Why am I qualified to write a blog?

That is a good question. My first thought is “I am not ready to write a blog.” Believe me, there are a lot of people out there who are more qualified than me but I will give it my best shot.

I guess the one thing I have to my credit is a post-college 40 lb weight loss. I am sure I will blog about that later though…..

Another thing that might give me credibility is the website that I run. I am the webmaster for TriStateRacer.com. It is a running website that has all the results, pictures, and upcoming race information. Because of this, I have become very well informed of the happenings in the running community.

In the end, my goal with this blog will be to motivate, educate, and get at least one person out on the roads or the treadmill and run. If I can do just that, then I will say that this is a success!