Coach's Blog

Galapagos

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:13:00 +0000

The book , "Stumbling on Happiness" makes the hypothesis that our happiness is built upon how we visualize our future and the author comes to the conclusion that we can best foretell the future by asking other people about their experiences and learning from them.

"The irony, of course, is that surrogation is a cheap and effective way to predict one's future emotions, but because we don't realize just how similar we all are, we reject this reliable method and rely instead on our imaginations, as flawed and fallible as they may be."

To me, the funny thing is, that in this Galapagos of NYC and even the Upper East Side there is a wealth of people and knowledge to learn from each other and yet we don't tap into that as much as we should. As runners, we can learn a lot from the coaches and athletes that have been at this game a while. I guess that seems like common knowledge but I do think that often times we bury ourselves in books or google searches instead of asking those surrounding us in the park. Hearing from a fellow runner that it is okay to miss your goal time by one minute because they did it and their life went on. There is something about shared human experience that allows us happiness. And I am not talking about that in terms of some hippy commune, I mean in more every day occurance type ways.

Perhaps this is why RunUrban has been so successful. IF the Galapagos is survival of the fittest we are pretty fit only because we have taken it upon ourselves to be educated by surrogates who could help us foretell what 6 months of proper training could do for a marathoner instead of relying on our imaginations...although our imaginations are a pretty strong secondary machine when we need to fabricate an innovative workout.
I hope this post has helped someone. I will leave you with this-

"As It turns out, the benefits of practice and coaching are not limited to any particular skill. In fact, practice and coaching are the two means by which we learn just about everything we know. Firsthand knowledge and secondhand knowledge are the only two kinds of knowledge there are, and no matter what task we master that mastery is always a product of direct experience."

Run Urban 10 Week Reset

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:50:00 +0000

It is about that time, we are wrapping up another successful Speed & Form 10 week session. But do not fret because July 7th is a day of new beginnings, a new and fresh 10 week session abounds. Not certain about joining? I will let the numbers do the talking. Posted on the blog you will find a few of Run Urban's athlete's vast improvements in their mile time trials between the winter and spring sessions--take a look:

Mason- Winter: 6:24 Spring: 5:42,
Norbert- Winter: 6:46 Spring: 6:29
Rina- Winter: 7:43 Spring: 7:11
Robin- Winter: 7:12 Spring: 6:43

And we are looking forward to seeing the leaps and bounds made by our athletes in this new session. For those of you that want to take your training to the next level for a fall marathon then the Marathon training program is for you. There are 4 months left in the program and it is a good time to join! Our USAT&F certified coaches have had a lot of coaching success with the Marathon program, it is above par any other program in the city.

Pricing
Marathon Program: $1,000 or 2 payments of $500.
Speed and Form- $175 for 1 night and $225 for 2 nights a week. (FYI: 2 nights is really the best way to train and is needed to meet your optimum performance)

Also, don't forget that this Thursday, July 10th Cara and her nutrition team are going to be educating us on "Running Nutrition" at the uptown store at 7pm. All are invited. Lastly, feel free to join us on Sunday's at 8am for the the Run Urban long run...who knows, you just might win a pair of shoes!!!

Still not sure about joining? If you haven't trained with us before and you would like to try it out then come try a session for free. We promise that you will love it.
Any questions? Email info@urbanathleticsnyc.com

U.S. Olympic Trials---Eugene OR.

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:23:00 +0000

After spending a day learning coaching tips from coach Dwayne Miller his athlete Lashawn Merrit dethroned Jeremy Wariner of the 400M title. It was a special event and a highlight of the trip to witness such an amazing race!

Hanging at the Hilton

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:11:00 +0000

"Room Service," she said in an unknown accent while banging harshly on the door to our room. I rolled over, the clock read 7:15 am and Todd was still fast asleep across the way. I trudged to the door, "No thanks, gracias," I said and headed back to bed. Minutes later we both were geared up, riding in the Hilton elevator and recapping our previous days entrapments. The elevator stopped on the 2nd floor and in walks Jeremy Wariner, all 6 ft 3 of him.
We had mapped out a run that was fixed to stop at the Oregon University campus for some pictures for this very blog, and then on to the Pre Trail (trail named after the Eugene legend Prefontaine) where we presuppositioned we would see some stars.
"What did you think about Dwaynes ( coach of LaShawn Merrit, a olympic hopeful and promising athlete in the 400m) take on breaking the race down as a coach and focusing on the details?" asked Todd.
"I thought that was interesting but it is hard to do that with road races, I mean we aren't coaching people on a track where we can see there every movement."
We took pictures and moved on, "I think this direction is right." We continued our conversation recapping what we had learned the previous day at the USAT&F Coach Podium Summit. We got so engrossed in the conversation that we soon were lost...and we didn't know it. Luckily the locals were nice enough to give us directions when we finally realized our mistake in navigation.
"I really want to see the 800m race on youtube. All the papers were mentioning how it was one of the best finishes ever." I said.
"Yea, we should check it out online when we get back to the hotel," Todd replied. ""Hopefully on Thursday the races are as promising."
I said, "Yea, I'm glad we were able to snag tickets for at least one day."
We ended up climbing a long and steep hill where once at the top a young fawn leapt in front of us on the road. The park was gorgeous and it offered a view of the University of Oregon campus and its magnificent and redone track. The evening prior Todd and I had ventured to the track where they were holding children's races.
"That track was so cushy right?" I asked
"Man, that thing is amazing. Just being able to step onto it made this whole trip worthwhile. A real work of art." Todd said. "Hey, what does that sign mean? Pre's Rock."
"Oh, that is the memorial where Prefontaine crashed his car and passed away."
We took a few pictures of the vigial and then headed down the hill.
We were still lost by the way. At the bottom of the hill we stood hungry and tired next to a little coffee bodega mapping our next move when a runner quickly zipped by us. We both looked at each other, "That was Meb Keflezgi," we said in unison. We followed the professional runner through a tunnel and over a bridge. I bet Todd to challenge him to a short race. Meb dissappeared around a corner and we realized we have finally made out destination, Pre's Trail. I will save you the details but during our run we experienced a runner's geek opendium. We ran by Diego, from the UofO NCAA winning XC team, then we passed Ryan Hall who was peddling along the path with a buddy, and then we witnessed Meb again. The trail was a beautifully groomed sawdust path that led you in a 1.66 mile loop by a stream and through some peaceful woods; a far cry from the prefabrication of the Reservoir. It felt so silly being so excited just to see so many professional athletes but it is an experience I wouldn't trade for most denominations of money.
With thirst creeping up on our heels we finished up the trail and bolted back to the hotel.
"It was really interesting to hear the coaches yesterday talk about their backgrounds. It seems like there are so many ways to become a coach. No one set path, ya know," Todd said.
"That was nice to hear, I mean, it seems all of them had their own path they took to become successful- to have athletes at this level," I said.
"Totally, and the tenure that some of the coaches possess was impressive," Todd said.
"Right, and it seemed like once they got one great athlete, if they did well with them, then others flocked to be coached by them. But the sticking point seemed to be getting that one athlete," I said.
"That is the way the business works," Todd said.
We entered the hotel through the back door with sweat on our brows with a stench iminating from our pores.
"Is that Abdi," I asked.
Sure enough, Todd and I rode the elevator to the 4th floor with Abdi. This was no longer a dream, but it was slowly fixing itself, coming into focus as actuality- a happy reality. We were at the Olympic trials brushing elbows (or riding elevators) with the worlds best athletes in the sport we love so much. Can it get any better then this? Stay tuned.

Central Park, the nether regions

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Very cool article in the NY times that has a virtual map that explains great spots to run in Central Park.
click here

Injury Prevention

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Last night, Run Urban invited Dr. Shawn Williams to present our very first Run Urban Education clinic. Sean orated an excellent talk on "Preventing and Dealing with Running Injuries." Afterwards there were plenty of questions from our athletes. Hopefully we all were able to take something away from the session. Below is a copy of Shawn's powerpoint presentation. If anyone wants to add what they thought about the clinic or mention something they learned or even ask Shawn a question then feel free to leave a comment on the blog.

PowerPointPresentation

If you want to set up an appointment:
Dr. Shawn Williams DC, FICPA Chiropractor
212-935-1700

Lagat in NYT

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:11:00 +0000

If you missed the article...it is worth reading (click link below)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/sports/olympics/24lagat.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=lagat&st=nyt&oref=slogin

German Fernandez 1600m 4:00.29

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:31:00 +0000

WOW!

Little Brown Takes Over the Town

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:09:00 +0000

Danny has won the proverbial racing circuit triple crown; thus deeming himself little Brown. By winning the
Harbor Fitness 5K on SUN MAY 31, the YAI 5K on SAT JUNE 5TH @ Central Park and the Sloan Kettering 5K on June 6th at the West Side Highway- he has usurped Big Brown who came up way short in the final race! What is next? Congrats!

Nike Prefontaine Classic 2008 Mens 2 Mile Last Lap

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:01:00 +0000

Check out their closing lap. This is what Brooks Johnson calls "the critical zone". Focusing on the ability to be able to race the last 400m of a race at a very fast intensity in order to compete. It is where races are won and lost and Lagat is a champ in the critical zone, he executes every time. Look forward to witnessing more of this at the Olympic trials and the Olympics.

Mini (Cooper)

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:01:00 +0000

So I saw a mini Cooper last night in this stunning blue color. I had the same reaction I do when I see people with their iphones, "I want one."
The only reason I bring that up is because it has the word "mini" in it and this past weekend the Urban Ladies put together a solid team effort at the Mini, including a little brunch at one of my favorite spots for coffee (La Pain Quotidian). Great Job, it looked like fun, but being a male myself, I was excluded from the fanfair...

ASUDA MAKIKO 43:15
PERKINS MARTHA 43:40
LABINER NANCY 44:34
TAKEICHi AYA 46:55
MARGULIES DENISE 47:29
MCINTYRE KAREN 47:44
KONRAD EVELYN 48:59
RODIN JANIS 49:05
BEROTTI SUSAN 49:14
SMITH JANINE 50:59
BOTT ELISABETH 52:26
YOUNG SHAWN 55:44
ALVAREZ ALICIA 55:51
KAVOULAKIS JESSICA 56:53
SUMMERSON CHRISTINE 58:11

You are so Irresistable

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:40:00 +0000

If reasons were as plentiful as blackberries, I would give no man a reason upon compulsion. -Shakespeare

A day before the Brooklyn Bridges 125th anniversary I found myself pedaling across the bridges wooden slats. When I gazed up at the clock on top of the Watchtower it read- 3:15 am. I was the only person on the bridge. I was in awe in the moment, it seemed like one of those really heartfelt but sacharrin moments in an indie film...cue the theme song please.

The real fun part came when my girlfriend found out what I had done, "What drove you to be so stupid?" (I know guys, you asking why I told her. Good question). She was completely fair in asking, I mean I had asked myself the same thing when I woke up with aching legs and my throat parched. But I figured the answer was simple; I decided at 2:30 that it would be a good idea to hop on my bike and ride across the Brooklyn Bridge. I know it could have been dangerous and something bad could have happened to me but I was acting off of-
An uncontrollable impulse to perform and act, often repetitively, as an unconscious mechanism to avoid unacceptable ideas and desires which, by themselves, arouse anxiety.
It was an act of compulsion and I was focused on the moment as a moment of freedom, not one of anxiety. That is what compulsion provides us as humans. It allows us to suspend our anxiety in order to feel a false sense of short lasting freedom. Just think of all the forms of compulsion we as humans take part in; compulsive eating, drinking, drugs, obsessive compulsive behaviors. All of these things free us for a moment in time. Frees us from what you ask? Some form of torment that has manifested in our every daily life.

I would like to, at this point, show you that endurance sports, such as long distance running, attracts and welcomes impulsive behavior because, to an extent, it rewards compulsive behavior. Don't believe me? I can't tell you how many people, upon impulse, decide to change their regimen days before the marathon. They decide to take GU or take try a new pair of shoes and more often then not they pay the price. These people act impulsively because they are tormented that they are not doing everything right and that they need something "else" to make their marathon perfect.

As an athlete I lied multiple times to my coaches about my mileage because I knew they would disapprove of how much I was doing. Now as a coach I know I will receive the same treatment from my athletes. I know when I tell an athlete to not do their long run after the race they just ran hard or I tell them not to add so much mileage into their program so quickly they nod yes and then go out and impulsively, against their will and mine, do the opposite. And if they are lucky they will not get injured by such behavior or be too over trained that they burn out. Actually some of the best athletes I have known are super compulsive; they run lots of miles, train injured, and they obsess about perfection. The difference is that these athletes at some point learn how to harness their behavior. Most of them actually learned the hard way, they got injured or burnt out and then changed their behavior when they returned.

So riddle me this, if I am out running a lot of hard miles every week because I want to win races. If I am out in Central Park every moment I can get training. If I am so focused that I only run, eat, sleep. What is wrong with that? And I will say nothing, at least no yet. But the moment you get a knee injury and your coach and Dr. tell you to take a little time off and instead of listening you go out and run just as hard then I will question your reasoning. It at that point has become compulsive because remember, compulsion is an impulse that is used as an unconscious mechanism to avoid unacceptable ideas and desires.

A plausible analogy that will stick is the alcoholic. The moment you find yourself at the bar drinking when you know your life, family, and well being is on the line and yet you can't stop yourself from grabbing that drink and experiencing its momentary freedom, then something is wrong. Impulse is a hard thing to fight against because its very definition is that we don't have to rationalize our behavior since we keep it unconscious and in the dark. So then how do we fight it?

First off, be honest. Telling my girlfriend about my compulsive bike ride allowed me to logically hear her input, which in a way, enlightened me on how silly and impulsive my behavior was. Tell your coach the truth, even if you know he will come to a conclusion you don't want to hear or follow. We can't beat compulsive behavior until we deal with the consequences. Which leads me to my second point, prior to acting impulsively, think rationally and logically about what you are doing. If you have a fracture in your foot and you can feel it on mile one of a long run you shouldn't be doing, then listen to the pain, listen to your body. Realize that your body is telling you that the consequence of this pain could be even more enduring pain later on.

So, last night I found myself riding my bike at 2:30 in the morning again. I thought logically about it and realized that there weren't many consequences to my actions. And any consequences I could imagine were outweighed by the freedom I felt riding my bike in the silent and open night air. I plan on not telling my girlfriend this time though (although she will read this) which makes this bonafide compulsive behavior. Maybe at some point this behavior will become unhealthy or dangerous and at that time I will hopefully think logically and rationally, working to dispel my angst in a healthy way rather then acting impulsively. If you try I promise I will too.

Keep Running.

Usain Bolt 100m world record 9.72

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:37:00 +0000

Last night we attended the Reebok Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium. The early rain put a damper on things but the meet was by no means a dissapointment. The best part....new world record. Second best part...after party with primo tequila!!!

Numbers Talk

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:39:00 +0000

As a coach I have a tendency to always be looking forward, thinking of what is to come next. Sometimes it is good to look back though and delve into the results of your labor. When trying to conceive a recent workout I became frustrated and stared at the groups time sheet blankly for what seemed like 5 minutes. What I found came as a surprise; all of our runners who ran a mile time trial with us in the winter ran faster in their most recent mile time trial. RESULTS RESULTS RESULTS. The speed and form work we did with our athletes over the winter really paid off. From a coaches standpoint it made me more confident in our training and coaching philosophy. Here are some of the more outstanding results:

Jessica K
Winter: 7:23 Spring: 7:14

Mason S
Winter: 6:24 Spring: 5:42

Norbert K
Winter: 6:46 Spring: 6:29

Rina K
Winter: 7:43 Spring: 7:11

Robin G
Winter: 7:12 Spring: 6:43

Great job guys.
We also had some stellar performances for individual athletes who took the plunge into spring races. Anthony Crichton- Stewart and Andrea Kent both performed at the Boston Marathon and ran 3:32:47 and 3:34:12 respectively.

After some intense winter training Mason Sung headed to his home state of Oregon and competed in the second annual Eugene Marathon. He ran an impressive 3:31:55 for his debut marathon.

Rina ran the Jersey half marathon in 2:01, just short of her goal of 2:00. She ran a courageous and fast last 4 miles but wasn't able to close the time gap. We know she is capable of running much faster and we are looking forward to posting her times come fall.

Also, Emily Moqutadari (Sp?) came to me the other day and mentioned she had PR'd in the Jersey half. She attributed her success to the speed work she did over the winter with us. She is now training for a fall marathon with TNT and we wish her the best.

Up next: Fall marathon training, come join us Tuesday and Thursday nights- also Sunday mornings long runs, 8am, at the Uptown Urban Athletics.

See you in park.

Recession is an Ugly Word (A post for Monica)

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:37:00 +0000

I was on my way to the bank the other day when a Barron's article on the impending recession came to mind. I had a gloomy feeling that was not only sticking to my mind but was sucking it of cerebral strength. The word "recession" has such negative connotations, think about it: Receding hairline, Receding a promise, Receding the lawn. Ok, maybe not the last one but you get the point. A recession basically means options are diminishing. Sad right? I mean, we are Americans and we love having our countless options, 42 flavors of ice cream, 67,000 different options at Starbucks, 100 different shoes to choose from at Urban Athletics.

I am the first to admit that I have a bit of a post modern mind; so I thought about what a recession in running would look like. Is it something we should worry about? And I don't mean recession as in, we had the big running boom in the 80's and now less and less people are taking up the sport (although that may be an interesting piece also). I am posing the question: If there is such thing as an absolute dollar but its value fluctuates is there such thing as an absolute comparative in running? For instance, if 1 dollar is always 1 dollar then 1 mile is always 1 mile. But the value of the dollar is effected by the state of the economy. What does this mean for the mile?

What I realized is that there is a value in workouts that most athletes don't notice. I don't want to say that "Running Economy" is definitively the correct term but I am going to use it and explain it here.
Running economy- There is a value in your form, value in your fitness, and a value in how you perform your workouts as a runner. I only know this because I have studied it as a coach, in recession terms you can think of me as your broker who is going to save you lots of money and hardship.

When most coaches say running economy they mean 'form'. This is partially true, the formula being that the proper form means the least amount of body exertion getting the most forward output or motion. At Urban we see this as a proper forefoot strike, arms fluid and moving almost mechanically back and forth, and correct slightly leaned posture. We have all seen the person hobbling around the park with horrific form and could automatically tell they were wasting lots of energy. It is important to learn proper form because every step in a race counts and if you are running a marathon that is lots of steps.

But you can't take those steps and hold proper form unless your body is fit. You ever watch the olympics with Michael Johnson demolishing the competition in the 400? If so, you witnessed him take every step just as strong as the last while his competitors lost posture and seemed to flail towards the finish line. You need long runs and some core strengthening exercise in order to strengthen your economy and hold form.

And lastly, the one that most people don't realize, is workout performance. If you go out and run a mile as fast as you can right now you would be getting a good workout but if you went out and ran it slower it could be just as beneficial to you. Why? Because of training specificity. If you are training for a marathon it is important that you get interval training in. With intervals you are testing your Vo2max and strengthening your lungs. But it is just as important to get your long runs in also so your body adjusts to running the distance you are going to be racing. So essentially, to do your best, you need both speed and long runs. (You also need Tempo runs but we will save that for another day)

At Urban we understand the necessity for specificity and that is why we have speed and form classes and a marathon training program. Your running value can only go up training with us. Are you one of those people who train by only doing long miles but never get in any speed work? Just ask some of our current athletes and they will dispel such a regimen because they did that but have now seen the light, so to speak. So if you feel like you are in a running recession (your options are diminishing, you can only put so many longs runs together in a week and your times aren't improving) and you don't expect the government to fix the issue then come see us at Urban and we will help you raise the value of your dollar.

Sold on Failure

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:47:00 +0000

As a certified running coach I highly promote failure. I'm sure you did a double take when reading that line, am I right? I am not talking about failure in the sense of, "we all learn from failing." I am meaning failure as in, "run until you feel like you can't anymore."
I, as well as the rest of the RunUrban coaches are proponets of interval training. We have seen major results from this type of workout even in the beginner athlete. Not only does speedwork done in the form of intervals test your VO2max (your lungs) it reminds you that you have another gear. This is the type of thing we do with our two day a week Speed & Form sessions. For example, we may ask our athletes to due 12 400's w/ a rest of 1:15 to 1:30 at a pace we figured out from a time trial. When done correctly this type of workout feels easy for the first 3-5 but on the 6th one you usually feel the lactic acid burn in your body and a shortness of breath.
How many of us have seen marathoners who train only with long mileage all the time? Any given day they can go for 10 miles at an 8 minute pace and then another day step on the track for a one mile race but still only run 8 minute pace. Not that 8 minute pace is bad. But not being able to break that barrier and run a faster pace is not good for further development.
When Todd and I were at the USAT&F Olympic Track & Field coaching summit a few months back, a well known and credible coach who has trained multiple olympians was quoted as saying, "We recently realized that we were being beaten by the rest of the field because we were trainer runners and not athletes." Meaning, that the coach realized that they were teaching them to run but not be athletic. Athletic being agile, strong, quick on the toes. Plyometrics is a good place to start to build a well rounded athlete. But when asked by a fellow coach what is the fastest and best way to train someone to become a well rounded athlete he replied, "speed and form training, being able to not only run the miles but being able to run repeat 400's at a fast clip. In the international field our athletes have been keeping up with the rest of the world for most of the race but then we get dusted in the final laps. The Kenyans and Ethiopians are able to pull off a sub 55 bell lap in the longer races. We can't compete if our athletes cannot perform at high speeds in the big races." He then went on to play video of Bernard Lagat winning the 1500 M at the World Championships. He pounded into our brains how fast Lagat ran his last 300 of that race and how the race was won in milliseconds.
Now, I know most of us are not looking into being future Olympians but it has been proven that speed work keeps you sharp and makes you a better athlete, and thus a better runner. That is why at Urban we tout speedwork that pushes you to your limits, and towards failure. Along with speed we also critique running form because there is such thing as proper form. There is a science to it; having the proper form means you are getting the most distance out of your energy through fluid forward movement. This all may sound a little eccentric or grossly difficult but it really isn't and it can be a lot of fun. As coaches, during this last ten week Speed and Form session we have taken a lot of enjoyment out of seeing our athletes improve in leaps and bounds by supplementing their weekly routines with intervals and tempo runs. Mason, one of our athletes, recently mentioned how he is running his long runs a little faster without noticing right away because it felt easier. Don't believe me? Come give it a try.
We also have a marathon program starting on May 1st which is worth its weight in gold. You will get advice from top coaches like I have just provided plus access to that coach via email and the two speed session a week. So if you are looking to qualify for Boston or just to complete your first marathon come and join us. You won't be disappointed.

Speed & Form Training

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Todays is the last day of our first 10 week speed & form session. Next Tuesday is the start of the next 10 week session. Most people from the last group are continuing over and training is going well for all. WE are most excited for the weather to start to clear up and spring to usher us into the marathon season. If you are interested in our second session of speed & form then please give us a call or email us at info@urbanathleticsnyc.com. See everyone out there.

Zoot

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:14:00 +0000

We are proud to present a new line of shoes at Urban; ZOOT. Zoot is known for mainly being a tri-athlete company but we have also found their line of light weight responsive shoes to be good for general training and road races also. They fit like a glove and the flexibility mimics that of the Nike Frees (but w/ support if you prefer). So far the reviews have all been positive and tri-athletes and runners alike are falling into step with ZOOT. Come by our uptown location and try a pair today!

Boston Indoor Games

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:52:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

I had chance to shoot some video and make a little montage. Check it out @ this link.

http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/flotrackr/videos.php?a=video_show&show=&vid=26982

Orphan's

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Boston Games: One thing I learned, the indoor track season is the neglected step child, most professional athletes skip the season and those that do show up rarely compete to full form. On the other hand outdoor track is yet a bastard child, it doesn't get a whole lot of attention or hype until every four years father Olympics comes around and offers some short lived paternal love. These roles are hard to deny. But maybe their identities are what make them so interesting; similar to how Dickens was fixated on writing about orphan children because humans love the orphan story (just ask Walt Disney).

The Boston games attracted a noticeably homogenous crowd and it was obvious that we all had showed up because we were infatuated with Track & Field. No one would endure the cold trek or the hard bleachers if they didn't love what they were witnessing. I don't think one person was present at the meet because of corporate tickets or to get on tv (although ESPN did make an appearance (can someone please tell ESPN it's not cool for the camera man to stand in front of the timing clock, I don't care if you are from ESPN)). We were at the event because the sport is exciting to us, we know it's a bit of an orphan sport, although sometimes that role is confusing when the event is sponsored by a corporate entity (Reebok) but we are reminded when the event is held in a Community College gymnasium (with no concessions I might add). All in all they call the event one in a series of a Grand Prix. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the event but lets not kid ourselves, the only thing grand about the meet was Mottram's stellar 3000m (runner up: The little kid who was 3' tall and ran an amazing 200 for his relay.)

Boston or Bust

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:36:00 +0000

On the docket this weekend: Reebok Boston indoor Games. I will be shooting up to Boston in a mini Cooper offered by Zipcar. Should be some great races (Galen Rupp will be racing the mile and Khadevis Robinson & Nick Symmonds will be battling it out in the men's 800m) and hopefully they will let me shoot some video that I can post on here. Good luck to everyone running the half marathon in CP!
Also, there is the option to comment on this blog, please comment as freely as you like. The first person to write a comment pertaining to the subject matter or at least some factoid of worth will receive a free water bottle or something of that sort.

Keep Running.

Stay on the Horse

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Some days I find running futile. I think we all do. Some days our reasons for running become outweighed by circumstance. For instance, if you are running to lose weight and be fit and you step on the scale in the morning and it says you have gained weight. Or you enjoy running because you love to compete and win but one day you realize you are not winning anymore and you just want to hang in the towel. Or like many of us maybe running is a social event for you and one day your social structure collapses and running alone just doesn't cut it. When our reasoning is outweighed by circumstance it is hard to even consider putting our shoes on and circling the park. The crazy thing is that we're invested in running, we all are. It is a support we use to make our lives happier, we are emotionally connected to getting our heart rate up everyday. And if we are connected to running what is the point of making our love circumstantial? Who cares if you have gained weight, if you keep running it will come off. The real gravity of our love affair with running can be seen on these hard days where life isn't adding up so to speak. You ever notice that when you do push through the circumstances and get out for a run on such a futile day that you more often then not feel great when you finish? That is a beautiful thing.

Just keep running.

In it to Win it but Safety First

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Is it rain or is it snow? A barage of slush fell on the hooded heads of the winter training group. But to the tempests chagrin our brave athletes proved the stronger. They not only completed a workout of 10x200 w/ 1 minute rest, they killed it. No naming names, but Anthony mentioned he was close to losing his dinner, the workout was that rough. At the end we gave the athletes a surprise of running a 400 hard. For the 400 Nina flew through the slush w/ a very formidable looking countenance and an aggressive stride. I really should name everyones name here because just showing up in the wicked weather was an accomplishment but you know who you are. Everyone ran very well and as coaches we were pleased.

When coaching I always try to remember what the USATF taught us about safety first. In Lieu of that Danny and I decided to wear reflective vests provided by Brooks. You can never be to safe in CP when you have bikes flying by and random cars darting around on a road that is supposed to be closed. We also invented a new contraption that served us well in the wet weather.

Recipe for the 'safety light':
Take one NB red transparent water bottle
Take one blinking red light
place light into the water bottle and...
VOILA! You have a blinking pylon you can stick in the road to warn bikers etc. that there are athletes on the road.

A Cerebral Matter

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:17:00 +0000

The mind is a powerful engine. How often do you hear someone say a situation is 'mind over matter.' This could not be more true then for running. So often races can come down to gutting out the pain your body is feeling and shutting your mind off to it. But how often do we train our minds or feed its confidence? We train everyday, our bodies that is; which in turn trains our mind and builds confidence but do you ever put sole focus on your mind? Let me ask you this, how many times have you lost a race because you mentally gave up before the gun even went off? We have all been there. We get intimidated by the crowd and the monster next to us who is 6 feet and all legs. Fear strikes everyone before races. The irony being that the fear and tension all ceases the moment the race begins. I'm sure there is a book written on sports psychology that explains in due detail the precise way to train your mind for competition. Anyone know of a good one?

This leads me to another issue of the mind...dreams. Todd and I had the privilege of attending the USATF Podium summit in Las Vegas this past month. The place was packed with coaches and physiologists who had athletes banking on berths to the pending summer Olympics and we learned an amazing amount of information in a jam packed weekend. But the thing that struck me the most, and this is strange, was when Joaquin Cruz, an accomplished 400-miler who won gold at one point, mentioned that he used to have a recurring dream/nightmare sequence where he would be on the track in a race and for all his might he could not move his legs while everyone passed him. I know we all have a dream like this, where we try so hard to move but it is as if our feet are in cement or we try to yell but nothing will exceed from our mouths. What is most interesting is that here is a guy, Joaquin, who trained like an animal and won enough races to be overtly confident and yet he still struggled with his mind and his subconscious mind on a regular basis.

This all goes to prove that much of a race takes place in our head. So I ask you, have you put the mental training in so when race day comes you have the mental fortitude to push through the pain, to shatter your nightmare and move your legs from the cement, and to succeed to your bodies utmost ability. We can admit, we all are unsatisfied at the end of a race when we can tell ourselves that we held something back.

Welcome to your mind.

Certified 2008

noreply@blogger.com (UrbanAthletics) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:14:00 +0000

Wow, we have been busy at Urban; with the holiday season, the launching of our winter training program, and everything else that found its paws pulling us away from our normal schedule. I am happy to say that we have all come out unscathed and presently doing well.
The winter program has been a great time so far and it has kept growing exponentially with beginners and old pro's alike. Hopefully I will have some video of that soon. Todd, Paul, Danny, and myself are all fully certified as coaches so we are hoping this will be a successful year for Runurban. Todd is running 100 + miles a week while coaching his clients. He currently has a group of superstar girls who will be ready to tear up the track this spring. Paul is certified in stretching and is starting a stretching program to go along with Runurban, if you need stretching or want to learn how to properly stretch then give him a call. Danny has started coaching personal clients whilst his own training and has been able to balance it well. I am continuing to coach at St. Bernard's and taking on personal clients. At the end of the day we are all out there coaching the winter group together and having fun with it. The head coach and boss, Jerry, has had his hand in the coaching cookie jar by endowing us with his years of wisdom and mentoring us plebians.

It's not too late, you can still sign up for our first 10 week session of our winter program, we also have a second 10 week session to follow. It is time to make your New Years Resolutions happen. We're here to help.

Happy New Year to all,

Welcome to 2008