Jersey Shore: RTB Style

Look out J-Wow. Beware Vinny. There's a new Guerrilla Juice Head in town and he's not on steroids. New Balance Reach the Beach Relay is running their asses from the half pipe at Mountain Creek to the sandy, Hawaiin Tropic stained Beach State Park in Berkeley.

Are you running RTB:NJ? Don't forget to stop at the Shore Store and pick up some Snookie Slippers to keep those tootsies warm in the van.

TMIRCE gets Race-y

After a few long weeks of family, friends, lots of food, and running, it's time to settle in for winters long haul. But it doesn't have to be done alone. On December 18th, TMIRCE broke all the rules, kicked ass and took names at the Cambridge 5k Yulefest, placing 1st overall in the team category with the help of some top secret speed-demons.

And again, this past Saturday at the Resolution Run 2 Kick Cancer in Lexington, TMIRCE repped strong and threw down 2nd place in the team competition. Go team.

But the truth is, you don't have to be a super speedster or uber competitive to run with us. Being part of a TMIRCE team is something anyone can do because we believe firstly in having fun together, and that's what counts. Pfff. So we got a couple trophies in the bag...we have fun together no matter what, drinking beers, eating breakfast and slamming down some post race champagne for the hell of it. Even more importantly, we've had a bunch of people run their first race ever as part of team TMIRCE and for that we thank you.

We can never have enough TMIRCE power at local races. Supporting one another as we tear up the pavement can be inspiring to rookie and veteran TMIRCE'ers alike (speaking of which, big ups to Jonathan Dioli, Sean Murphy, and Rachel Vanderkruik for stepping up at the Saturday Fun Run+BFast the last two weeks, banging gongs and hosting the best run ever.)

Now we have an opportunity to strut our stuff, get informal all over everyone, and race like the Mayan calendar is about to run out of time. Sunday, Feb 05 2012 at 10:30AM (for you sports fans, that's Superbowl Sunday) is racemenu's Super Sunday 5 Miler. They've put out a call to all teams who think they have what it takes to achieve greatness. Well I say, since we're already great, let's do this one for fun and uphold the informal name to it's truest meaning. By my count, there's about 6 people who registered under the join team option and typed "TMIRCE" and so should you. Whether this is your first time ever hearing of us or the billionth, we want you to run with Informal Nation.

Want to run with Informal Running? Then get off your booty and join:
~

The Most Informal Running Club Ever
we're even on Facebook too.

3 tips for morning running

Tonight's sunset...4:30pm. It's getting darker, earlier, and there's nothing we can do about it, or is there? I've been less motivated to run, or even work out as of late do to the decreasing daylight and warmth. Seeking the solace of my living room sofa and television have been all too enticing.

I am an evening runner. I love the post work run but now that it's barely light enough to see the path, I have to resort to changing my routine. As it's been darker earlier, that means it's also been lighter earlier, in the morning that is. Sunrise is at 6:30 am. I usually need about 30 minutes to feel comfortable enough to get moving. Here are my three tips to morning running:

Tip 1: Automatic coffee maker
I don't know about you, but I need coffee in the morning to really get going. I set my drip machine's timer the night before to start making coffee at the same time as my alarm clock. By the time I get out of bed, there's a hot pot waiting in the kitchen.

Tip 2: Have your running gear ready
Lay out, ball up in a pile, or sleep in your running clothes. I hate stumbling around in the morning looking for the right clothes to wear. Once I have my shorts or running pants on, I am more likely to actually go running then just sit on the couch drinking my pre made coffee.

Tip 3: The battle with the bathroom
Contraversial topic here, but it needs to be addressed. We all know what it's like running before evacuating the troops. Cramps, sluggishness, uncertainty that we'll even make it the whole way without the need to stop and find relief. Coffee is a natural diaretic and can help move things along, hence why tip 1 is tip 1.

Why it's okay to have pizza and beer

Some people run to get in shape. Some people run so that they can eat food like pizza and beer. Other people run just to run. Me, I love slurpees.

Tuesday nights at the Harvard track has become a staple for most runners and tmirce'ers come out for all different reasons. You wanna get fast, you wanna get strong or you're training for a race. We run for all sorts of different reasons but the outcome is the same. See post track workout photo below.

From Left: Fast Bob, Ray, Dan, The Kid, Energizer Bunny, Danzu Ryu

So why do you run? I bet it's because a llama's chasing you; a valid reason. If that's not the case, tell us. If you're looking for a good reason to get out on a Monday night when it's dark and want to run with some fun people with free food afterwards, check out Lululemon's new run from their store at the Pru.

Want to run with Informal Running? Then get off your booty and join:
~

The Most Informal Running Club Ever
we're even on Facebook too.

TMIRCE's IN4MAL Birthday: 3 Reasons why you don't want to miss it

4 years ago, a man by the name of Dave Johnson decided to go for a run with some friends. On Saturday, October 22nd, we celebrate his legacy by throwing ourselves a huge birthday bash. TMIRCE'ers have been pounding the pavement and slamming breakfast for nearly 4 years now and we've built a lot of friendships, not just with one another but with great organizations like:

• New Balace Reach the Beach Relay
• City Sports 
• Race Menu
• Hint 
• Clif 
• Mix1
• El Taco Llama

...and they've always come through for us in big ways. We've grown by leaps and bounds and you, Informal Nation, are the reason why we've been so successful. Volunteers, race and event organizers, and Saturday cleaning crews are just some of the ways people have stepped up for TMIRCE. We want to thank everyone for being a part of this club and the only way we know how to do that is to get down and seriously boogie.



So are you still on the fence about coming out on Saturday, October 22nd? Here are 3 reasons why you should really consider RSVP'ing:

1. This is by far, the largest event we have and it only happens once a year. The people that you normally see in running clothes and on the streets will be decked out in their finest party gear. Wait, what? You heard me. This is a FANCY event - held at the prestigious Courtyard Marriott in Cambridge. Dress to impress.
2. The raffle is one of the best you'll come across at any informal event. You can purchase tickets at the door. 5 for $5, 10 for $10 and wingspan for $20. Here's a taste of what's in store:
• Local restaurant gift certificate dinner's 
• City Sports gift cards and other gear
• Reach the Beach Relay running gear
• Race Menu - 4 entries to the Monster Dash and Bash party
• Grand Prize (The same as last year. Were you there? Who remembers?)
• Sur-prize raffles that the organizers don't even know about yet
3. Last years success of the Mix1 Dance Off has inspired us again to invite Katie Visco back to defend her title. Katie threw down some serious moves and won the dance off of the century, yielding her unprecedented Mix1 prizes. Does anyone have the guts to step up or face getting served? 

Of course this is just a taste of what's to come. Surprise guests and activities for all will round out a fun night of dancing, beverage-ing, and hanging out with friends. If you want to come and haven't RSVP'd yet, go to either of the sites below and RSVP to one. The event costs $15 dollars. All proceeds of the night, including raffle sales, go to your running club so that we can continue to grow and stay informal. 

RSVP on Facebook.com 

or

RSVP on Meetup.com

Your favorite band sucks. A tribute to running with music and "the Empire"

There is big controversy in the running community about running with music. Some people like to run with it, others don't like to run with it, some people tell runners they can't run with it - usually concerning safety reasons - and the one thing we fail to see is in fact the music. During a few of my most memorable runs, I was accompanied by Anberlin, a true American rock band. Anberlin's lead vocalist, Stephen Christian, evokes a tone reminiscent of the 1980's, Duran Duran-ish, while the band mixes in a host of hard core guitar rifts, drum beats and a "Cadence" that nearly anyone can run to. I was of the lucky few who got to see Anberlin co headline with Switchfoot this past Sunday in New York City at the Best Buy Theater in Midtown. Brian Schantz of The Aquarian has a great review. But don't take my word for it.

Cadence is one of the most important aspects of good form running, typically around 180 beats per minute. Want to measure it yourself? Count each step you take while running for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4. This will give you a general idea of how many steps/beats, your taking every minute. A good indicator of measurement is if your counting between 42 and 46 steps every 15 seconds. But I digress.

Your favorite band sucks. How do I know this? Because it was printed on a sticker I got from Empire Discs (now closed) in Garden City - Long Island - NY. Known in my circle of friends as "The Empire," my friends and I would pile into my 2 door, 1986 Cadillac eldorado after class and go lose ourselves among the endless rows of music, waiting to be found. It was here back in 2003 that I discovered Blueprints for the Black Market, Anberlin's debut album. The first song on the album, "Readyfuels" is what turned me into a runner. If you've never run to music, it's my suggestion that to get your butt in gear and check out one of the great bands of the 2000's, run to "Redayfuels" and get back to me. You'll probably need a new pair of pants by the end of the run.

People of New Balance Reach the Beach Relay: Volunteers do it right

Every year, like ants preparing for the cold winter months, New Balance Reach the Beach Relay - RTB - volunteers begin hustling, bustling, and storing up sleep hours before setting off on this yearly adventure. With title sponsor New Balance in the mix, New Balance RTB has been able to explode onto the 200 mile relay running scene with some serious firepower to the 13 year old annual New Hampshire tradition.

But then there are the not so unsung hero's who are recognized as the back bone of this race by nearly all who participate and are held aloft within their own ranks. I'm of course referring to the aforementioned volunteers. Why are they not unsung? The volunteers that sacrifice their time and energy to ensure a smoothly operating event are at the forefront of every turn, literally, are praised by New Balance RTB staff and runners from the moment they begin to the last second they're on the clock. Starting at the top, Race directors Rich Mazzola and Mike Dionne forge lasting relationships that imbue volunteer organizations with a sense of pride in their massive accomplishments over the course of 4 days. That's right...some people start volunteering on the Wednesday before race day. Some volunteers show up to cook meals for race staff, some to unpack the merch tent, some pack race packets with hundreds of timing chips, while others staple banners to the walls of Cannon Mountains facade.

Spread across 200 miles of rural New Hampshire, hundreds of people turn out, some in costumes; selling cookies, hot breakfasts, showers all in support of their fire departments, local education facilities, girl scout troops, City Year programs, and even local running clubs! Organization, safety, and fun are the names of the game here. New Balance RTB commits itself to these core values by over-communicating them during several volunteer training sessions leading up to the big day. Volunteer coordinator, Carol Rainville, works especially hard at making sure every volunteer feels as if they're personally making a difference. They respond by working hard at every turn, getting their hands filthy with garbage, standing on the shoulder of the road for hours directing traffic while wearing a Mario costume, and getting personal with some of the teams in an effort to make lasting connections while teams wait for their runners to arrive. This year, like years past, New Balance RTB exceeded expectations; as volunteers, runners, and the communities of New England, came out in support of the annual celebration of endurance and ability to sleep in a smelly van.

Morning run motivation bleg

Waking up early to go running is tough. I know some people love it. I am not one of those people.

But I would like to be.

Is there a trick to getting motivated for morning runs? What suggestions do you have? Add your advice/tips/etc. in the comments.

Top 3 ways to mentally prepare for a race you know you won't PR

Training? Training? We talkin' bout training? C'mon man...
This summer has been a tough time to train. The heat, the thunderstorms, the aches and pains, and yet somehow the running continues. With sore legs and mental exhaustion, looking ahead to the Quebec City Half Marathon had been daunting to say the least.

I've been lucky enough to have PR'd - attained Personal Records - in a bunch of races this year already. I have a feeling that I won't be doing to much more of that since as we runners plateau, we reach the peak of our abilities and then begin to decline - or chase the dragon (don't do drugs kids.) So I got to thinking, as the Quebec City Half marathon approached, that I probably won't PR the race; which led to instant depression and sapped all motivation I may have had. I'm not a terribly competitive runner, but like most, staying motivated to compete can be difficult. Here, I've devised my top 3 ways to mentally prepare for a race that I knew I wouldn't PR:

Background: Hotel Frontenac

1. Suck it up and remember where you came from. So what! I started running for fun years ago, but not until recently, when I started breaking my own records did I start getting competitive with myself. Thinking about past running struggles has helped to some degree. I remember as a young tween, being able to pull off two miles before collapsing in my driveway on Long Island. Or the bursting pride I felt when I finished my first 5 mile run without stopping. Running at it's core is plain old fun so don't you forget it!
2. Stay the course. Sometimes running day in and day out, whether training for a race or not, can be monotonous. Us runners can become fixated on a number, a time, a distance, and get deflated if a training run doesn't go so well or the past few races didn't yield positive results. It's important to remember that you've already been running and your training won't completely abandon you. Get up in the morning, look those sneakers in the face, and take um out for a good old pavement beating just to spite them. 
3. Run with friends. It's more fun. Remember before when I said running should be fun? I wasn't kidding. Running is inherently and individual sport. When you've had enough of yourself, take it out on someone else - so to speak. Running with your friends or groups of people can be motivating and help you get through the tough times. Someone's probably going through what you feel right now so talk about it while they try to keep up with you - after all, you've been training all summer! 

Come race day, you might be surprised. For the last 6-8 months you trained, beat your body, experienced the elements when no one else dare go outside. I didn't PR last week in Quebec City, but at mile 4 I felt great and found my rythem. I finished just one minute slower then my goal and feel pretty proud of that, as crossing the finish line I remembered the dog days of summer (heat index was 108F). I guess that's why they call it training. Who knows...you might even get a sweet picture in the end.

Blues and Running: The two best clubs in Boston heating up

Put some south in yer mouth yall.

Wednesday night, I made my way into the heart of Brighton to find some respite from the oppressive heat and humidity. The plan was to grab a bite at one of my favorite local BBQ pits, Smoken' Joe's BBQ. While I found a nice air-conditioned restaurant, Pianist, Alizon Lissance and special guests made sure that they kept the place hot with some great southern blues. I felt like I was in the heart of Cackalacky as the tomato base was flowing and the pulled pork was 'smoken.' Get there early on a weeknight for some great food and music. Joe's  selection of west coast beers, while limited, really highlights the BBQ/Blues joints' attention to southern detail. Joe himself (a self-made BBQ expert with more then 20 years experience) is usually around to serve your drinks. And if you're lucky enough, he'll sit down at your table and educated you about some of the greatest jazz and blues musicians you've never heard of.

Best run ever.

TMIRCE Saturday's at City Sports have been equally hot, both in attendance and temperature - more so the temperature. The dog days of August have settled in. The past few weekends running have been hot, but also humid. TMIRCE'ers have been coming in the door with a good pre-sweat. I tend to have difficulty maintaining speed and endurance in the heat - not to mention my body also seems to breakdown faster and recovery takes longer. Be heard - What are 3 things you do to train and recover in the heat? - Best answer will be the topic of my next post. The run was the best ever as is tradition but the table of healthy snacks and goodies surpassed my weekly expectations. The stand out items of the week, Ginger donuts, were baked by TMIRCE baking veteran, Diana.


I'm hopeful 8/20's TMIRCE - pre Puma 5 Miler at 5pm - in response to this post, will have some pulled brisket, coleslaw, and corn bread for the post run festivities.

Want to run with Informal Running? Then get off your booty and join:
~

The Most Informal Running Club Ever
we're even on Facebook too.

PUMA with a Hint of rain

I can take a Hint - to re-hydrate that is.

Last night, PUMA of Newbury St. hosted their first, of what I hope to be many, group runs. I had responded on Facebook along with 90 or so other respondees but was unsure of how many would sneak out of their offices and homes to run. Upon entering the store, runners were greeted kindly by the enthusiastic Greg Haskell, who handed out PUMA gift-cards, PUMA 5 Miler discount cards, and directed us to the Hint bucket. My favorite is the Mango Grapefruit.

The running route was familiar as it took us across the Harvard Bridge (Mass Ave.) and around the Museum of Science for a total of 4.5 miles. Running with some local Bostonian elites including Martin Potter of cheekyrunnning and winner of the Reggae Ramble, Chris Wagner, motivated us to hold a 7:36 pace. The rain held off just long enough to make the run enjoyable.

Post race beers at Octoberfest.

Harpoon also stepped up in supporting a great after run shindig at Lir on Boylston St. They were handing out drink tickets, pizza, and sandwiches. According to local running legend Kaipo Henning, Harpoon was very generous. They also happen to sponsor one of my favorite events of the year, the Octoberfest Road Race - Registration opens 8/19 and it will sell out.

Want to run with Informal Running? Then get off your booty and join:
~

The Most Informal Running Club Ever
we're even on Facebook too.

 

Running on Martha's Vineyard with the Garmin Forerunner 210

Martha's Vineyard is larger then one would expect for an Island, but then again, Long Island, NY is 150 miles long. Docking in Vineyard Haven, I'm wondering how far it is to my destination and excited to get out and try my new Garmin 210, first by bike, then by run. If anyone has any running route suggestions while I'm down here, feel free to comment and I'll give a full review of your route.

Running with Lulu in a Thunderstorm

Last night I was heading out the door for an after work run with Nicole from lululemon. I felt a breeze and looked up and saw ominous storm clouds approaching. Inside the buzzing store, Nicole and I discussed briefly our concerns regarding the weather, but decided, as most Bostonians of summer do, to brave the elements as they presented themselves.

The streets of Back Bay were crowded with throngs of people, clinging to every moment of outdoor time they could, creating a challenge of bobbing through the crowds as we attempted to find the river path. The heat was oppressive at one point, but the breeze kept us going until we reached the Harvard Bridge on Mass Ave. when the sky's opened.


Nicole, Assistant Manager of lululemon in Back Bay, has a deep passion for running, yoga, and bringing the Vancouver based brand onto the running scene. Did you know that they make men's apparel? I've been a fan of lululemon since I bought my running shorts there back in March, but I've come to realize that they are more than just a clothing store. lululemon has a great mantra geared towards creating a healthy community, bringing people together to share in positive experiences through yoga, running, and sometimes the occasional beer and sushi.

Our run took us around the Museum of Science where the duck boats were lined up with excited children quacking away. The rain continued to pepper us but at this point it was a welcomed reprieve from the heat. As we cruised back into the Back Bay, around 8 min/mi for the duration - said my Garmin Forerunner 210, the sun broke the clouds and reflected off of the Prudential Tower. After a good stretch and a quick bite at Bostone's, my favorite local pizza joint, we said our goodbye's and headed for home.

Summer Days and nights on the road in Vermont - GMR Review

A few months ago, I received an invitation to join a team for a fabled 200 mile relay. That's right, 200 miles. But before you jump to the conclusion that I'm solely nuts, our team consisted of 11 other people, split between two vans that would leap frog one another during 30 hours of running.

The scenery is what you'd expect from Vermont. Green, mountainous, epic vistas and then there were the little details. During my 3:30am run, the near full moon was setting just in front of me to my right, while the darkened sky was giving way to the early morning sun behind my left shoulder. I quietly ran through a Christmas tree farm, seeing triangular shadows looming in the early morning mist, and smelling the deep pine as it moved over the roadway. My other two runs were equally experiential with rolling hills, turtles, and lots and lots of cows.

Minimalism, Barefoot Running, and a touch of science.

The Most Informal Running Club Ever - TMIRCE - at City Sports on June 11th had a bit more appeal than usual. We hosted our first ever, and in my opinion, best ever, minimalist clinic. In a nut shell, over the past few years and in response to the popularity of "barefoot running" as described in Chris McDougal's Born to Run, Informal Runners of TMIRCE had been asking about this phenomenon that we have come to know as the minimalist movement. In response to your questions and inquires, we invited Dan Lieberman, Harvard Professor and Human Evolutionary Biologist to come and share with us his findings and personal thoughts on the movement.

Informal Queens of TMIRCE Track - and some guys too.

The queens of track and Ryan

Sunny, warm nights in Boston don't happen often enough, but when they do, people shake off that wintery rust - grabbing the bull by the horns and coming out on Tuesday nights to run faster and stronger. The workout was a simple "sandwich" 1200m - 800m x2 - 400m - 800m x2 - 1200m and a 200m on top, bringing the total distance to 6.2k. What was special about last night was the great camaraderie between runners, supporting each other, clapping and cheering as we finished each lap.


It's been exciting to hear all the great success stories from runners who have been coming out to track workouts and pushing themselves. TMIRCE encourages runners to support one another and to push one another in running - and sometimes life  -  when we need it. That being said, informal Ryan recently ran a 5 miler at a 7:20 min/mile and attributes some of his recent successes to track workouts. Congrats to him for really utilizing track to get a bit stronger and faster and seeing success.

Last night we shared the track with several other clubs, all going through their weekly motions of run and repeat. Our workout pushed us to run a bit further than normal though, keeping us out 15 minutes later than our usual Tuesday workout. No one seemed to mind though, since the weather was immaculate. Not represented by the photo above are the 4 other runners, Ray, myself, Evan, and Renee who were either nursing blisters, speeding around the track, or just playing Words with Friends. 

After the beating ourselves playful into the ground, we went to Charlies Kitchen, home of the famous Double Cheeseburger and jalapeno poppers. The beer flowed and burgers demolished by the ravenous runners. A typical night of track, and post track celebrations as constituted by the Tuesday tradition.  

INFORMAL MINIMALIST CLINIC

Running twice a day. 3 reasons why you should.

Go AMCATS

Without getting into the nitty gritty details that no one wants to hear, I'll begin with this. Running twice a day can be a challenge with busy life schedules, work, kids (I don't have any though), ice cream eating contests, but there is always time to run/exercise if you use these three points as a guide:

1: The magical 25th hour
I know it seems counterintuitive, but the more you run, the more time you have for other stuff. Don't believe me? Well thin about it like this. You want to run twice a day so you wake up before work and get out on the streets. Do three miles in 25 to 30 minutes and run number one is over. You now have the whole rest of the day to do everything you want and then some. That 2nd run at lunch, between classes, during a shift break, or after work, gives you what seems to be some extra time in the day. It's magic.

2: Beef up your mileage, rock your legs
Training for a relay? Or how about a marathon? Beefing up mileage without breaking down your body can be a real benefit from running twice a day. Try 5 in the morning and 3 to 4 miles at night for a good 8 to 9 miles in one day. You'll build muscle without sacrificing to much energy.

3: Cause 3 times is too much
Who really wants to run 3 times a day anyway. Unless you're running to and from work, and running to get your lunch, really just running all the time, planning on three times a day to run is something not even world class athletes do.

What do you have to say about running twice a day?

Get out there and stay healthy. Eat right, take care of your body and run.

TMIRCE Minimalist Clinic