Run It Fast®

This is the fun finisher’s medal for the ET Full Moon Midnight Marathon/51K/Half Marathon/10K that was held on August 18, 2013 in Rachel, Nevada.

This is a fun race that starts at midnight in the desert near the infamous Area 51 in Nevada. The medal is totally appropriate for this race…and it glows in the dark! This is one of my favorite races.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal photo submitted by RIF #70 Chuck “MarathonJunkie” Engle. Follow on Twitter @MarathonJunkie]

This is the finisher’s medal for the Running With The Bears Marathon that was held on August 17, 2013 in Greenville, California.

Also included in the photo is the winner’s medal from the marathon which was won by RIF #70 MarathonJunkie! Congrats on the win!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal photo submitted by RIF #70 Chuck “MarathonJunkie” Engle. Follow on Twitter @MarathonJunkie]

Kobe Bryant, known as one of the hardest working basketball players in NBA history, tore his achilles back in the Spring during the last week of the NBA season.

He had surgery immediately and has been posting updates on his recovery via his Twitter and Instagram.

Now comes this video (above) of Kobe (via Instagram) training on an Anti-Gravity treadmill at the Lakers’ practice facility.

Runner’s World identifies the Anti-Gravity Treadmill in this way:

AlterG treadmills allow users to run at a specified percentage of full weight bearing. Originally designed for astronauts, the treadmills have become popular among professional athletes in many sports as a way to speed recovery from injury. Alberto Salazar has broadened use of it to healthy runners; his Nike Oregon Project athletes do some of their running on AlterGs as a way to accumulate more mileage with reduced impact forces.

So it’s like the pull-up machine at your gym where you can pick which weight/% of your weight you want to actually be pulling up. Perhaps Kobe Bean was just floating inside the AlterG! It looks impressive none the less.

Kobe still has a long way to go to be ready for the NBA season, but Kobe appears ahead of schedule to make a return to the NBA sooner rather than later.

Kobe has his knees magically repaired in Germany a year or two ago. No word on how much deer-antler spray has been used on the achilles! (Joke…maybe!)

Follow us on Instagram @runitfast and tag your running pics on IG with #runitfast for potential feature.

Ian Sharman won the Leadville Trail 100 Run (FULL RESULTS) on Saturday evening in 16:30:04, the fourth fastest time in the event’s history.  He was even faster in writing his Leadville race report as it was posted bright and early this morning.

Sharman stated that his body wouldn’t let him sleep so he got to writing. We are the beneficiaries of his sleepless night as he delivered a to the point race report full of his thoughts at different points of the race.

Here are a couple of excerpts from his Leadville Report:

How He Attacked Hope Pass as a Flat Lander: “I decided fairly early on that since I live at sea level and the race is almost all above 10,000ft I’d need to keep my perceived effort down to make my legs and energy reserves last the whole way. Plus I’d already run the other 100 milers recently so wanted to be conservative due to that too. So I hiked every step of Hope Pass both directions but I practice that a lot since I’m not a strong uphill runner and it seemed to work well since I got into second by the top (12,600ft) on the way out, although Nick and Ryan were just behind. Ryan dropped at this point with back problems after looking so strong through the first half.”

His Lowest Point: “Things kept going well through to the Outward Bound aid station at mile 76 and my crew and pacers, Meredith Terranova and Sean Meissner were looking after me well. Hiking up Powerline in the next few miles I still felt fairly good but by about mile 82 things turned and I felt delerious. On the downhill trail into Mayqueen (86.5 miles) I was dizzy and almost tripping over every rock. Nick managed to close on me during this section although I had no idea. Then after Mayqueen a toilet stop seemed to bring me back to life and I was able to cruise along the rolling lake single track.”

Click over to Ian’s website (HERE) to read his complete Leadville Trail 100 Run Race Report.

[image: iRunFar]

Ian Sharman was terrific on Saturday in Colorado and won the 2013 Leadville Trail 100 Run with a winning time of 16:30:04 which is the 4th fastest in race history according to iRunFar.

Sharman finished over 45 minutes ahead of second place finisher Nick Clark who finished with a time of 17:06:29.

After Ian and Nick there was a rather large gap before Michael Aish, who led a large portion of the race early on, finished in 18:27:59.

The rest of the top 10 for the men was rounded out with Kyle Pietari (4th), Andrew Catalano (5th), Timo Meyer (6th), Eric Sullivan (7th), Scott Jurek (8th), Bob Africa (9th), and Javier Montero (10th).

Leadville Trail 100 Top 10 Men for 2013

1. Ian Sharman – 16:30:04
2. Nick Clark – 17:06:29
3. Michael Aish – 18:27:59
4. Kyle Pietari – 18:37:22
5. Andrew Catalano – 18:43:26
6. Timo Meyer – 19:04:20
7. Eric Sullivan – 19:17:34
8. Scott Jurek – 19:21:55
9. Bob Africa – 19:38:42
10. Javier Montero – 19:45:46

Ashley Arnold was the female winner of the 2013 Leadville Trail 100 Run with a winning time of 20:25:43.

Arnolds winning margin was 2 hrs 17 min over second place finisher Shaheen Sattar who finished in 22:42:42. Closely behind Sattar was Keila Merino in 22:47:36.

The remaining Top 10 Women were Katrin Silva (4th), Rebecca Hall (5th), Kara Henry (6th), Abby Penamonte (7th), Maddy Hribar (8th), Nicole Studer (9th), and Margaret Nelsen (10th).

Leadville Trail 100 Top 10 Women for 2013

1. Ashley Arnold – 20:25:43
2. Shaheen Sattar – 22:42:42
3. Keila Merino – 22:47:36
4. Katrin Silva – 23:16:25
5. Rebecca Hall – 23:43:13
6. Kara Henry – 23:50:20
7. Abby Penamonte – 24:06:20
8. Maddy Hribar – 24:24:20
9. Nicole Studer – 24:25:43
10. Margaret Nelsen – 24:37:45

Congrats to all of these runners, all of the LT100 finishers, and to all of the LT100 starters.

Full Leadville Trail 100 Run Race Results

[image: iRunFar]

Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 16 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

To join Run It Fast – The Club then click HERE to read more details.

Author Malcolm Gladwell has written several best sellers including Blink, Outliers, and The Tipping Point. He was a good 1500m runner in middle/high school beating future Canadian Olympian Dave Reid three times (photo above/video below). He recently got serious about running again after several years of light running and pursuing other sports.

He recently sat down with Jerry Sticker of Runner’s World for a very interesting and detailed interview about his love affair with running.

Here are some excerpts from the interview with Malcolm:

How Other Countries Celebrate Running: There’s another interesting element that I’ve observed in Jamaica. (My mom is Jamaican, so we go there all the time.) I remember a couple of years ago going for a run on these little side roads and all these people shouting out to me, tons of them, just cheering me on, encouraging me. They have no idea who I am or what I’m doing there. The idea of someone out there running is so central right now in Jamaican culture that they’re like, “Good for you!” Cars would slow down and people would wave and honk their horns. And it’s not that I was the only person running, it’s just that running was something you celebrated. It was kind of fantastic, actually.

On the Flaws of Age-Class Racing: Age-class running, as you know, is completely unreliable. It’s based on this artificial thing, which is that people who are the same age have the same level of physical maturity. Which just isn’t true. And I always suspected, when I was an age-class runner, that I was just maturing faster than my peers. At 13 I would go to the line at a race and I would be the tallest guy in the race. Now, I’m not a tall person. I realized I was just maturing faster. And if you’re improving in those years, you’re improving your 1500 time by seven or eight seconds a year. If you have six months of maturity on someone, that’s four seconds! These races, these results, mean nothing at that age. All they tell you is that someone has a reasonable degree of promise. But I knew that I was just maturing faster than Dave Reid and that he would catch up with me and surpass me [laughs]. And that I should really quit while I was ahead.

Why Running is the Smart Choice as a Sport for Life: No, none of that is to say America can’t do a better job of finding running talent. It’s just a matter of the sport making a better competitive case for itself. Saying to kids who are doing something else that running is more rational. I mean, I’m biased, but I think of all the physical activities you can do as a kid. What you want to do is something that establishes a pattern of physical activity that is sustainable over a big chunk of your adult life. To me, that’s the main reason why you should do something. That’s why I think tennis is a really rational choice as a sport. Running is a rational choice. Football’s not. Totally irrational choice. Not a sustainable activity over the course of your life. It’s something that will actually get in the way of you being physically active later in life. In that sense I think we can do a better job in making the case for our sport at an earlier age.

This is the finisher’s medal for the Totnes 10K that was held on August 4, 2013 in Totnes, United Kingdom.

Cool colorful medal for a 10K.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal photo submitted by Martyn Ewers.  Follow him on Twitter @greasygringo666]

RIF #280 Suzy Spiceland

This week’s Run It Fast The Club profile is on one of our newest members. RIF #280 Suzy Spiceland may be new to the club but she’s brought a lot of enthusiasm and support in the short time she’s been an RIFer. Suzy is also a Half Fanatic and a Marathon Maniac but she hasn’t stopped there.

Check out Suzy’s profile below:

INFO

Name:  Suzy Spiceland
RIF #:
  280
Twitter:
 @bookaroo32
Facebook:
 Suzy Spiceland

STATS


Years Running:
  8, if you combine the time as both a walker and a runner.
Favorite Race Distance:
 26.2
Favorite PR:
  2012 Illinois Marathon
Favorite Race:
 2009 Delaware Marathon (my first marathon)
Favorite Bling:
 2013 Mississippi Blues
Next Race:  Tupelo Marathon
What Makes You FEEL Fast?:
 When I get in the flow.  When I go down the hill, turn the corner, and take off.  Running on a chilly day.  Passing the people that I consider my toughest competition. 🙂

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS


Why did you start running?
  
I started totally as a walker.  During my son’s junior year in high school, he decided to join the JHS cross country team.  At one of the first “meets” I could  attend, which was in October, I remember freezing my tail off waiting for them to finish.  Right then and there, I decided that while he was out there running, I would be out there walking.  The next event was at his school—a fundraiser.  I walked the 5k.  Finished dead last.  Got 3rd in my AG, since there were only three ladies present in my AG.  I quickly realized, however, that I had to be fast enough to keep up with next-to-last place, so I started jogging whenever I had to in order to keep said person in sight.  It took me three years to be able to complete a 5k without walking.  During that time, I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma.  I used that as an excuse over and over. 

Who inspires your running and why?
 
Too many people to list. Besides, the list keeps changing as I meet more and more runners!  Right now, I’d say Diane Bolton-Jones (RIF #159), Diane Taylor (RIF #276), and Dallas Smith (RIF #79) are inspiring me to aim higher.  If I’m as insane as they are, I’ll find myself doing something totally irresponsible like signing up for Vol State (a 500K race across Tennessee in July).

If you could go for a run with any famous person (living or dead), who would it be and why?
 
Jesus.  Could you imagine the conversation?  Wow! 

What is the strangest/funniest thing you’ve ever seen while running? 
I was surprised one day to come across a large tomato in the middle of the rails-to-trails path.  It wasn’t summer.  And it’s not like there was a grocery store nearby.  I was confused by that for a while.  Another item I saw on the same trail on a different day gave me some interesting visuals for the rest of my run:  running shorts.  I’ve ditched layers while running, but my shorts???

What’s the most beautiful place that you’ve run? 
Cummins Falls Marathon.  About the only thing that could have made that course prettier was if the event took place in the fall, when the leaves were changing color.

What is your favorite go-to pre-race meal?
 
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich about two hours beforehand.  Then, I usually eat a banana at the start line.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race?
 
A milkshake. 

How many pairs of running shoes do you have and which pair are your favorites?
I set all of my current PR’s in Saucony ProGrid Guide 5’s.  These are no longer available, so I’ve been sulking lately.  I’ve gone back to Mizuno Wave Inspires.  I have three pairs I’m running in now, and one new pair still in the box. 

Why do you race?
 
Why not :-)?  For the hell of it.  For the comraderie.  For the challenge.

Big races or small races? And why?
  
I tend to prefer smaller, more “intimate” races.  That said, I totally loved the San Francisco Marathon, and it was big.  I register for all sizes.  I love variety!

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without?
 
Wow!  It would be difficult to whittle the list down to one piece.  Technical clothes are a total necessity.  As are my shades, visor, and lipstick.  Plus, since breathing is not highly over-rated, I carry an inhaler with me at all times.   

What running moment are you most proud of?
 
Completing my first marathon double.  I ran the second one 23 minutes faster than the first one!  Thanks, Josh (RIF #1), for holding the Jackal Marathons. 

If I can’t run, …
I’m on FB or twitter of course 🙂  Or watching NCIS, Bones, Law & Order, etc.

Finally, one last thing…
I nicknamed myself ODB during a long run a while back.  If you’re lucky, I’ll tell you what it means one of these days 🙂

***

Suzy has already begun her journey to “aim higher”. Not only did she run back-to-back marathons in June but she also ran her first 50K! And then she PRd that distance in July. Way to go Suzy! But…not fair to tease us with your nickname and then not tell us what it is. We’ll have to do a follow up with her to see if she will reveal it to us later.

One of the great things about the Run It Fast Club is getting to see our members accomplish something they never thought they would do. I bet Suzy never thought she would be running a marathon back when she started, let alone 2 in a row. Or that she would even think about doing a 50K (or possibly more). You never know what you can do until you try though!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Suzy Spiceland]

Lindsay Lohan is quietly discussing with her close friends about running the Los Angeles Marathon next year in 2014.

It’s not uncommon for celebrities to run marathons. It happens every year mostly in big city marathons, especially New York and Los Angeles.

Lohan has recently been inspired and coached by Olympian Shannon Rowbury after meeting her a few weeks ago according to Naughty But Nice Rob.

Shannon was shopping at the Nike store in her hometown of San Francisco and Lindsay and a pal were also there shopping. Lindsay is a regular at the Niketown Beverly Hills store and actually does some running near her Hollywood Hills home.

Shannon, who’s been dubbed “The Natalie Portman of Track and Field” because of her classic good looks and cinema studies (Shannon earned her Master’s Degree is Film History from Duke University and is planning a remake of the cult running movie from the 1970′s “Goldengirl.“) Lindsay is a fan of Shannon’s, who is ranked amongst the Top Female distance runners in the World. Shannon previously competed at two Olympic Games (2008 and 2012) and won a Bronze medal at the 2009 World Games as well.

I think this is great for Lindsay. As many of us know, running or working out can become as much if not more of an addiction than alcohol or drugs are for some. If Lohan can replace her old, damaging habits with something productive like running she could really do a 180 not only with her life but for her endangered acting career.

Lindsay naturally has a lean body with long legs and she could, with proper coaching and hard work, become a really good runner and/or marathoner.

Best of luck, Lindsay!

[source: NBNR]