RunRunLive 4.0 - Running Podcast

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-309 – Bryan Lyons on Pushing Rick Hoyt in 2015

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4310.mp3]

Link epi4310.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Hello my friends, this is Chris your host and this is the RunRunLive Podcast episode 4-310.  Welcome.  We are in our final days of taper leading into the Boston Marathon.  I’m ready.  I’m right on my target race weight, I’m strong in the legs and I’ve done it a few times before.  

I’m starting from the back this year in the last charity corral.  It will take me awhile to get to the starting line and it will be crowded.  Looks like we’re getting decent weather, cool and rainy.  That’s actually my favorite racing weather.  

One of my friends from the running club is getting a limo to take a bunch of us out to Hopkinton on Monday morning.  There’s no checked bags from Hopkinton anymore so we’ll have to navigate the cool, wet weather on the morning with some throw away stuff.  There will be a wind.  I don’t know yet if it’s a head wind on not but as far back in the pack as I am there’s lots of shelter if you know what I mean.  

I don’t know if I’ll be carrying my phone or not.  I’d love to be unplugged but I don’t know how to get it into Boston otherwise without being separated from it for a day.  It turns out this new iPhone6 fits perfectly into one of those ½ size snack baggies and you can use the phone through the plastic.

Today we have the great privilege to speak with Bryon Lyons who is taking over for Dick Hoyt in Pushing Rick this year.  It’s a long one, but’s that’s ok.  I think we cover some good ground. 

In the first section I’m going to muse on this year’s Boston from my perspective, as is my annual tradition.  

In the second section we’ll talk about how to use an external brain to get important stuff done. 

I’m good to go for Monday.  I have a red Team Hoyt singlet that I’ll probably put a long sleeve shirt on underneath because of the weather.  It’s also got some rough bits that I’d like to keep off my nipples!  

I still need to swing by Whole Foods and pick up some Hammer Gels for the race.  I tried to cook up my own energy gels from organic peanut butter and cocoa powder but it was a disaster.  It was like when you give a dog a spoonful of peanut butter and their mouth gets all stuck.  I’ll have to keep working on that.  Damn near choked me to death on my last couple long runs.  

We might go long today, but I’ll keep my comments short.  

On with the Show! 

Section one - Running Tips

Tapering into Boston

http://runrunlive.com/boston-taper-time

Voices of reason – the interviews

Bryan Lyons 

From Runners World 

“Team Hoyt Racing at Boston With a Different Look

For the first time since 1980, Dick Hoyt won’t run behind his son. But Bryan Lyons, a longtime supporter and runner, takes up the cause.

By Liam Boylan-Pett;

April 9, 2015

Rick and Dick Hoyt with Bryan Lyons

Bryan Lyons (left, bib number 33864) at the 2014 Boston Marathon with Dick and Rick Hoyt.

In 2014, Dick Hoyt completed the Boston Marathon for the 32nd time—each year pushing his son Rick, who’s a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, in a custom-racing wheelchair. After last year’s race, Dick wanted to retire. Rick, however, wanted to cover the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston again.

He’s going to—this year with a new running partner. Dr. Bryan Lyons, a dentist in Billerica, Massachusetts, and a family friend of the Hoyts, will push Rick in the 119th running of Boston.

“It was sort of shocking for [Dick] to ask me,” Lyons told the Lowell Sun. "My friends told me [the Hoyts] don't want the big name, they want the big heart. If that's the least that I can provide, I'm happy."

This will be the seventh Boston Marathon for Lyons, 44, who has run for the Hoyt Foundation marathon team since 2008, with a best of 4:15:29, which he ran in 2010.

Lyons does have some experience running with Rick, 53. Since January, the two have completed a few shorter local road races and gone on training runs together, according to the Lowell Sun. If Rick isn’t available, Lyons puts sandbags into the wheelchair to simulate his weight.

Although Dick Hoyt, 74, won’t be running, he won’t absent from the marathon. He’s the race’s grand marshal, and will ride in a pace car ahead of the lead runners.

The Hoyt’s story, chronicled by Runner’s World in 2007, has inspired many. Since 1977 when Rick asked Dick to push him through a 5-mile race, the father-son duo has completed more than 1,100 races, including Ironman triathlons.

“Dick will continue to be at the head of the field, leading 30,000 runners on their trek to Boston,” Tom Grilk, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association, said in a press release. “Dick and Rick Hoyt will forever be synonymous with the Boston Marathon and the sport of running.”

Now, Lyons’ name will be attached, too. Once Dick decided not to run, Lyons was an easy choice for the Hoyts.

"Bryan will be out there, and he'll do his best, we know that," Dick Hoyt told the Lowell Sun. "He's a great athlete, a great person, and the type of person that we want to be pushing Rick. And Rick wants Bryan to be the one to do it." 

Section Two – Life Lessons

Using an External Brain – 

http://runrunlive.com/the-power-of-the-external-brain

Outro

That’s it my friends.  Episode 4-310 in the can.  We’ll see what happens over the weekend.  I may do a race report or not.  It’s a lot of work to write something that I am proud of.  You don’t really know the appropriate theme until the race has been run, so you can’t prepare that much.  

I’ve got the Groton Road Race coming up on the 26th and we’ve still got shirts if you want to register.  We’d love to have you.  Then I’m going in to get my heart fixed.  Then…it will be summer time and the living will be easy.  

I was out in California this past week.  I flew out Saturday and came back on the redeye Tuesday night.  I was in Huntington Beach.  You may or may not know that Huntington Beach is known as Surf City USA. This is one of the centers of the surfing culture from Southern California.  

There are surf shops and beach cruiser bikes and classic cars cruising in circles.   It’s a surfer vibe.  

Sunday I was wandering around the resort, killing some time before dinner and ended up going into a surf shop, where they sell shirts, baggy shorts and flip flops to the tourists.  There were a couple young guys lounging behind the counter.  They were your surfer dude types.  Being me, I figured I’d chat them up.  

I say “You guys look tired and bored.” 

To which the one guy replies, “Yeah, we’re the surf instructors but they make us work in here.”

And the other dude says, “Yeah, man, Long night, ya know?”

I nod, as if I can commiserate. 

He thinks I don’t understand.  “I was up all night man, you know those Spanish girls…”

I try to act like that’s something I can relate to as I stand there in my business suit and mid-life crisis look.

He still thinks I don’t get it and says, “Ya know, man? The 6-2?” 

I agree and move on, wondering what the hell ‘the 6-2’ means.  

I tell the story to the guys I’m with and we come up with all sorts of theories around body type ratios and start-stop times.  We Google it but the urban dictionary, while having some fairly unsettling definitions, doesn’t quite fit.  

We spend the next couple days asking people and not getting any good answers.  I go back to the shop but the dudes aren’t working. 

At dinner that night I can see that the busboy is clearly a surfer dude cut from the same cloth.  I call him over and tell him my story in a conspiratorial and hushed way, finishing with the big question.  “What does ‘the 6-2’ mean? 

He says “Well bro, it’s kinda hard to explain…”

I say “Just give it your best shot…”

He continues. “Well it just mean he was tappin that shit all night long…”

The mystery was solved.  That’s all it meant. There were not ratios or timing or measurements involved.  

Now you know.  You’ve got early access to some surf slang. I can see the ultra runners using this one.  How was the middle 50 miles?  “It was the 6-2, bro, all trail, all night…” 

With that I will leave you to your own adventures.  Don’t wait.  Step put the door and do it today.  There will never be a good or convenient time to do epic stuff. 

Enjoy your race. 

I’ll see you out there. 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-309 – Anne – Laura and 50 states by age 25

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi439.mp3]

Link epi4309.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Man, what a week!  I’m tired.  I raced the Eastern States 20 miler on Sunday.  It was the 20th anniversary race and they were back to the original course which starts in Kittery Maine, crosses over into Portsmouth, runs the entire coastline of New Hampshire and ends in Massachusetts.  You get 3 states in one race.  

I didn’t really know how to manage the race going in.  I have been logging 40ish miles a week for a while and have done several 3 hour long runs but I’ve done almost no tempo or speed.  The summary would be that I’m in really good aerobic shape but lacking the sharp edge of racing.  

And, for those of you not paying attention, the reason I can’t do the tempo and speed is that I have a heart condition, ‘exercise induced’ A-fib that I’ve developed over the last couple years where later in a workout, under load my heartbeat becomes irregular.  I’m going in to get that fixed in May but I have to drag my old self through the Boston Marathon course first!

And, for those of you really not paying attention, this is Chris, your host, and this is the RunRunLive Podcast where we consider the transformational power of endurance sport.  From now on, try to pay attention.  

There were 5 of us from my club at the race but we weren’t running together because we were at different goal levels.  I planned to just sort of hang back and let the race come to me and keep a watchful eye on the heart rate.  But, any of you who have raced with me know how that usually goes.  

I’m an excitable boy, and, as usual I struggled to stay slow and knocked off the early miles 45 – 50 seconds a mile faster than my ‘safe’ goal.  I was worried I’d fall apart at the end but I felt great.  The A-fib did kick in for the last few miles but I never crashed and my legs were solid and I wasn’t sore at all on Monday.

We got a great day for racing.  It was sunny and mid-30’s.  There was a bit of a head wind, but nothing that was unmanageable.  This course is nice and flat.  I’ve probably run this race a dozen times.  All-in-all it was an excellent outing.  I had a blast. 

I have to be careful with my exuberance.  Even though it was a good 20 mile run, that only gets you to the base of Heartbreak Hill and for the last 10k my heart was whacking around in my chest like a deranged hamster. 

While I was sorting through the race photos this week I actually paid for one it was so good.  I usually don’t bother with race photos.  The camera isn’t that kind to me in general and I’m too cheap to pay the exorbitant prices, but this was a great picture that captured how much fun I was having and was only $10 for the digital. 

We have a great show for you today. In the first section I’m going to look at how road races have changed over the 25 years I’ve been running them and what that may or may not mean for us.  

In the interview we have the final guest interview that was recorded for me at the end of last summer (sorry Anne and Laura for the delay in getting it out!)  Anne interviews Laura who set the record as the youngest person to run all 50 US states.  She did it by the age of 25. She recounts how she started as an adamant ‘non-runner’ just trying to get to one mile and some of the wonderful, transformative life lessons she learned along the way. 

The final section is a super interesting (and maybe creepy) social experiment that I was running on strangers while traveling this week using the tools of the Pick Up Artists.  

Props to my coach, Jeff from PRSFit.  I told him in January that I couldn’t so any speedwork but I still wanted to race Boston and we figured out how to work with what we had.  All long, slow, build, aerobic training.  I can feel the results in my runs over the last 3 weeks and I can see the strength in my body.  

Just goes to show you folks, where there is a will there’s a way.  

On with the Show! 

Section one - Running Tips

7 ways road races have changed in a generation

http://runrunlive.com/7-ways-road-races-have-changed-in-one-generation

Voices of reason – the interviews

Laura

@50by25

Management consultant who became the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states, while still enjoying her margaritas. Sometimes simultaneously.

I began writing this blog in December 2007 under the title “Absolut(ly) Fit.” I chose the name to reflect a belief that I had then (and still have today): the best way to live a healthy and happy lifestyle is to maintain balance. Of course it’s good for your body to work out and eat healthy food most of the time, but it’s also good for your spirit to eat the foods you enjoy. Perhaps you want to set an ambitious goal like training for a marathon – but in the pursuit of that, you don’t need to give up everything else in order to succeed.

 

Case in point – heading straight from my 2nd marathon to visit my favorite winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle

I didn’t always have this philosophy of balance. Growing up, I preferred musical theater to sports, and never understood how someone could do both. In my mind, you were either artsy or sporty – but never both. I began to challenge this and other assumptions while doing a college internship in Sarasota, Florida. Finding it difficult to make friends in a strange place, I told myself that I could either be miserable and have a terrible summer, or I could make the best of it and spend the time trying to improve myself in some way. I decided that I was going to do two things I had previously thought impossible: learn to cook and learn to run.

 

Lounging and drinking in the ocean? Don’t worry, I still made time for that!

The cooking was easy; the running was a bit harder. I had defined my goal as being able to run one mile without stopping, and lacking any better running equipment, I drove my car in a loop around the neighborhood until the odometer read one mile – that was how far I needed to go. For two months I pounded the pavement, working my way up to running more and walking less of that distance. By the end of the summer I had not only been able to run my one mile “course ” without stopping, but I also completed a 5K race (though that was with plenty of walk breaks)! I was so proud of myself, and told everyone I knew. But after running one mile, I wondered – could I run two miles? How about three?

I gradually increased my distance, completing a 5 mile race, then a 10K (6.2 miles), and eventually a 10 miler. In December 2007, shortly after starting “Absolut(ly) Fit”, I decided it would be my New Year’s resolution to complete a half marathon by the end of the year. I smashed that resolution before the end of the month when I ran theManhattan Half Marathon in Central Park. I was shocked that I had been able to complete it – I thought for sure I was pushing my limits further than I could go. But I did it, and now I wondered – could I somehow complete a full marathon?

I started adding more miles on to my “training sessions” (which were actually just early Saturday morning attempts to burn off the calories of the alcohol and late-night pizza/tacos/etc I had consumed with my friends the night before). I didn’t follow a real training plan, but typically tried to add five to ten minutes onto whatever I had done the last time I went for a run, and that gradual increase helped me to progress injury-free. I didn’t worry about how fast I was going, and instead focused on enjoying the gorgeous views and surprisingly quiet calm of Manhattan on a weekend morning.

But while it wasn’t too hard to do just another five to ten minutes than I had done the week before, the extra mileage was adding up – until one weekend morning, I ran 22 miles! Although I hadn’t been following a formal training plan, I had read enough to know that most marathon training plans stopped around 22 miles… so it seemed that I was ready to go the full distance. I signed up for the Vermont City Marathon a few weeks later, selecting it in large part because it was sponsored by Ben and Jerry’s and promised free ice cream at the finish. If anything was going to get me to run 26.2 miles, it was ice cream!

My mom and my best friend came to cheer me on, holding signs that said “run to the ice cream, Laura!” That motivation certainly helped – whenever I saw their signs, you can bet that I ran a little faster! Of course I had some soul-searching, “why did I sign up for this” moments in the last few miles (what first-time marathoner doesn’t?), but within a few minutes after the finish line, the memories of the tough times were completely replaced by pride of accomplishment. I did it!

 

Proud marathoner with ice cream in hand!

In fact, I was so elated that instead of wanting to stop there, I decided to run another marathon. And another after that. To this day, no matter how many marathons I’ve run, there is nothing like that feeling of conquering the impossible I get when I cross a marathon finish line. It never gets old!

I set a new ambitious goal for myself – to run a marathon in each U.S. state by my 25th birthday – and completed it on June 6, 2010, just two years and one week after I completed my first marathon. In doing so, I broke the world record as the youngest woman to run a marathon in all 50 states. I didn’t stop there, though – in November 2013, I ran my 100th marathon to become the youngest member of the 100 Marathon Club. As of this writing (December 2014), I’ve run 105 marathons in 50 US states, one US territory, and six countries.

 

Seconds after achieving my 50by25 goal, I’m in disbelief.

While I was working toward my “50 marathons by my 25th birthday” challenge, I picked up the 50by25 moniker – and now that I’m a bit older and perhaps not quite so focused on college drinking games and the NYC bar scene, I thought rebranding my blog to 50by25 would make more sense. Yes, I’ve already completed the 50by25 goal and want to move onto new challenges. However, I think the short-and-sweet 50by25 phrase is a great example of how to set a goal, break it up into manageable chunks, and achieve it. It’s quantifiable, it’s timebound, and for me, it provided something inspiring enough to work toward that I didn’t give up even when things got tough. 50by25 is a huge part of who I am today, and a reminder that I can do the “impossible.” Of course I hope to accomplish more in my life and not just rest on my laurels from here on out, but 50by25 was really the perfect quest and serves as a great template for future endeavors.

Though I still run marathons (and write about them on the blog), you’ll find that my blog now focuses a lot on goal setting, productivity, and travel in addition to the usual health and fitness topics. I think mastering these activities is the best way to enjoy life and attain true happiness, and I’m eager to learn and share as much as I can about those topics! If you’re not sure where to start, check out my top posts page that I put together for new visitors.

Thanks for coming by, and if you have any questions, always feel free to leave a comment on a post or contact me anytime :)

Section Two – Life Lessons

Make them smile - http://runrunlive.com/one-powerful-easy-small-habit

Outro

Oi! Oi! Oi! Come on! Let’s have some energy!  Pick it up buttercup! 

Mmmmm… Got a little bit of rumbly in my tumbly today.  Had to make not one, but two pit stops in the woods on my run.  Feeling a bit jet lagged.  I’ve got a funky playlist going now and I’m tapping out this semi-screed for you.  Or, I guess for us.  

I had a funny idea for a short story based in the not-so-distant future where the people who come in last in the race get all the prizes and praise.  No one wants to win because the winners get tied to a post and stoned for being un-feeling bastards.  

I forgot to tell you folks that I’ve been steadily upgrading my hardware.  I got the new iPhone 6 and I really like it.  Not the super big one the ‘just a little bigger’ one.  And I replaced my laptop with a Surface Pro 3 a couple months ago and I’ve grown to like it, especially for travel.  And finally, I lost those Bluetooth headphones that Hilton sent me, ironically by leaving them in a Marriott.  

I like the no-strings attached option though and I’ve bought another pair.  These are called an Mpow Cheetah Sport Bluetooth 4.1 Headphone.  They are good but they go all the way into the ear canal which can be uncomfortable and dangerous because you really can’t hear anything else.  So far my toxic body juices haven’t killed them but the battery life seems to be maybe 4 hours.  And of course the microphone sucks if you wanted to use them to talk on the phone.  

When I was up at the start I had a great chat with Team Hoyt.  Rick and Dick were there as well as Bryan Lyons who is pushing Rick in the longer races now.  I was talking to Dick, who still pushes Rick in the shorter races.  Dick was telling me how he was having back pain and now that he was retired he’s got a physio coach and has been doing core work every day and he feels great.  

Does it ever feel to you like everyone is having the same conversations at the same time?  Dick was telling me about how great having a strong core is.  He’s 75 years old! 

I wanted to thank all of you who helped me make my goal for fund raising for Team Hoyt for Boston. I hope to get Bryan on before the race, in the next show.  He was nervous, telling me he’s not good with ‘media’ – makes me laugh – like I’m Geraldo or something. 

Did some math and figured out that I’ve got somewhere around 5-600 miles on these Hokas.  They still feel fine but I can feel them getting a little ‘loose’.  Time to start looking for a new pair of something.  I’m not going to change horses before Boston.  

But, as a lesson, don’t do what I do, which is to run in a pair of shoes until your knees start hurting.  You should always have a couple pair in rotation and switch back and forth so you don’t get ‘repetitive’ injuries. 

Well my lovelies I have to let you go.  I’m so far behind in my work that I may never dig out and it’s Friday afternoon.  My motivation and energy flows from me and spreads like a dark puddle across the hardwood floor.  The warmth of a comforting bed, the friendly embrace of the couch and the warm dopamine drip of procrastination are sucking at my mind.  

Last week I played hooky one weekday afternoon and went into China town with my daughter. We had a blast knocking around the Chinese shops and eating at a Shabu Shabu place.  We didn’t roll back home until around 8:00 PM.  I had still had to get my run in.  

The weather had taken a turn from the better.  It wasn’t snowing and the hulking drifts had retreated from the roads a bit.  There was not a cloud in the sky.  There was not a breath of wind.  There was a 1/4 moon and a sky full of stars.  It was about 28 degrees – warm enough to allow some freedom from the atrocious and common winter bulk of accoutrements of the past 3 months. 

A soundless night.  

I made my way over through the old neighborhood where I bought my first little house and settled with my new bride in 1985 at the age of 22.  I remember struggling to run a 2 mile loop there as I started my fitful return to fitness in my late 20’s.  

I ran down the sidewalks of my life and looked in the windows of my memories and felt at peace and full of joy. I remembered the nights like this when all is effortless and joyful are the reason I train and race and strive.  It’s the quiet and beautiful moments that sneak up on you while you are busy living that teach you how precious living is. 

I’ll see you out there. 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-308 – Angie – Pregnancy and the Marathon

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4308.mp3]

Link epi4308.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Hey, hey, hey my friends.  How we doin?  We’re sliding unceremoniously into spring up here in the northern hemisphere.  Even though Boston broke the annual snowfall record this weekend it’s been melting nicely over the last 2 weeks.  

The snow banks have receded from the roads like sulky, gray, hulking glaciers leaving room for me to run.  The clocks have been changed forward by an hour and the sun doesn’t set until 7:00 PM.  The sidewalks are filled with the hard detritus of winter cast off by the melting mounds.  Pieces of battered cars, piles of sand and salt, tree branches and the bones of small animals all emerge like some post-glacial science project.  

Now the potholes emerge in the roads.  Great, dark, jagged rifts like portals to other, grimier universes.  And if you need hubcaps just run my roads and you’ll have your fill.  We got so much snow the plows didn’t really know where the roads were and ran wiilly-nilly into the margins breaking up curbs and decapitating mailboxes.  It all lies sad and shattered on my routes. 

I got out this weekend for 3 hours in a cold drizzle.  My legs are good but my heart won’t let me push.  It’s a bit frustrating.  I’m working with Rachel again to strip some of the winter weight off as well and making some good progress.  Eating clean has the added benefit of helping me recover and avoid the aches and pains of most marathon training cycles.  

I’m starting to make big plans for big adventures for after I have my AFib zapped in the beginning of May.  I’ll be coming out of that with a serious base fitness and if everything goes well quite a bit lighter as well.  I want to get back on the trails and fall back in love with our sport.  

Breathe the thick spring air and feel the Earth mother under my souls.  

I bought a new truck.  It’s a stripped down Nissan Frontier.  No power anything, no cruise and a manual transmission.  While a manual transmission is not foreign to me, I have driven manual cars before, it did point out how much other stuff I’m doing with my hands while driving.  Like drinking coffee, eating fruit, listening to my iPhone and various other activities that now require me to juggle while I shift.  

The one thing I had to change was the radio.  It had a basic CD player in it with not even an Aux port.  I procured a nice Pioneer radio with Bluetooth and Aux and USB and Pandora interfaces and a removable faceplate.  I listen to a lot of audio on my phone during my commute.  

I was amazed at how easy and cheap car radios are.  I got it from Crutchfield.com with the installation kit for less than $100.  I probably haven’t looked at car radios for more than 25 years but I remember them being much more expensive and difficult.  I wired it up and stuffed it in the car in an afternoon.  No muss, no fuss. 

Now I have a truck.  I can carry stuff.  Like wood for my fireplace, soil for my garden rocks for my walls and junk away from my house for my sanity. 

Today we have a great and informative interview with Angie from the Marathon Training Academy podcast about running and pregnancy.  I’ve been wanting to find someone to have this conversation with for years.  I ran through pregnancy, but I think an actual woman runner’s insight is probably more valuable.  

In fact, this interview is so well done and full of value I think it’s the gold standard.  60 Minutes called and wanted to use it for one of their segments but I told them; “Look Maury, stick to your overbearing, weighty, world problem pieces and leave the real journalism to the runners.” 

In segment one I’ll talk about how core strength and core flexibility and core balance are all related but different things. 

In the second section I’ll talk about how to approach hard, emotional conversations.  

I’m training away every day to be ready to run Boston in about a month.  I’m not in a position to race it, but I’ll go in and make the best of it.  I think I might default to the ‘don’t die’ strategy that I used successfully at New York this year.  I’ve got the Eastern States 20 Miler on tap two weeks from now and that will tell me what I can expect.  

Thank you to all of you for your support and kind words.  I don’t read or respond in the show but I do appreciate the communications.  I get the feeling that you are all good and decent folks doing the best you can with what you’ve been given, fighting the good fight and making a difference in the world.  

So good on ya for that, pat yourself on the back, Happy St. Patrick’s Day and On with the show. 

On with the Show! 

Section one - Running Tips

Core, Flexibility, Balance and Strength

http://runrunlive.com/core-flexibility-strength-balance

Voices of reason – the interviews

Angie Spencer is a registered nurse, running coach, and busy mother of

three. She has competed 30 marathons in the last seven years and has built

her fitness back to marathon shape after two pregnancies. She and her

husband Trevor co-host the Marathon Training Academy podcast where they

help runners believe that they have what it takes to run a marathon and

change their lives.

 

Links:

Our website

http://marathontrainingacademy.com/

 

Our iTunes address

https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=35920887

Section Two – Life Lessons

How to approach a hard conversation - http://runrunlive.com/having-hard-conversations

Outro

And so it is goodbye… auf widersehen… We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when… 

Trying to create this episode early because I have a business trip to Denver at the end of the week.  We’ll see if the gods and the fates will let me.  Got a lot going on.  A lot of balls in the air, which makes it hard to shift the truck! 

Like I said I’m coming into the final weeks before the Boston Marathon and I’m still collecting for Team Hoyt.  I’ll sweeten the offer.  If you donate to my team Hoyt fund I’ll send you, not just the new MarathonBQ book, but your choice of my other two books of running stories and I’ll even give you access to the audio of them.  

The MarathonBQ book is getting great reviews – all 5-stars so far – for example -> “Even runners with no personal aspirations to qualify for Boston will find this book to be incredibly inspiring, with information that would benefit anyone who is contemplating running a marathon.”

Check it out on Amazon Kindle. 

And finally we’re only weeks out from the Groton Road race and remember you can run virtual this year.  Just go to www.grotonroadrace.com and look under the ‘races’ link.  

I sure hope you folks are enjoying your lives.  I hope you’re doing something useful.  There are a lot of things I see in our world that we can fix.  I don’t know but maybe we can even fix them just by doing the right, good and honest thing ourselves.  

Sometimes I look at projects in my life and I get discouraged because they are so big and take so much work and they involve having hard conversations with people who will pull with all their might in the direction of the muddy quagmire of the status quo.  We talked about how people tend to think they can’t do things, can’t influence things and can’t make a difference.  

I think you can.  Even if the last 5, 10 or 100 times you tried to have the hard conversation it collapsed in a grand, smoky pile of knee jerk recriminations.  It doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy effort.  It doesn’t mean you’re not making a difference.  Keep trying.  Don’t give up.  All you have is today and what you do today matters so make it count. 

Look at where you are today. Prepare for that hard conversation that will change your life and then have it.

And when the dust settles I’ll see you out there. 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-307 – The Continuing Adventures of Wendy Nail

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4307.mp3]

Link epi4307.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Well, my friends, here we are, Late Friday afternoon and time to publish another episode of the long running Podcast series RunRunLive…A serial magazine series sponsored by the Cialis and the History Channel about the trials and tribulations of Yaks farming on the north eastern permafrost… No? Ok, It’s not sponsored by anyone except the neurotically charged neurons of my cranial sphere.  And mostly we talk about distance running and endurance sports and we talk to members of our community about their adventures and transformations and epiphanies.  

And at 25 words with 4 conjunctions that, my friends, is a sentence Vladmir Nabokov would be proud of. 

Just got back from running 1:45 outside on the roads.  That’s two outside runs for the week! I’m killing it!  Heh heh… My training is going good and bad.  On the good side I’m getting the miles in.  On the bad side my AFib is really getting annoying.  

Let me ‘splain…I’m not a doctor, so I’m going to dumb it down to my level.  If you look at your heart it’s a big manual pump.  It’s got these four chambers to it.  Each one of these chambers is like a Turkey baster, you squeeze it and it squirts blood out one side, you let go and it reflates and draws blood in the other side.  

There’s a one-way valve on each side of each chamber, just a simple flap valve, like in the back of your toilet. 

Leading into and out of these turkey-basters are four big pipes.  These pipes return blood and carry blood away.  These are the pipes that get clogged up when you hear about people getting ‘bypasses’.  

The thing is, in order to squeeze and release those turkey basters your heart muscles contract and relax.  The trick is that they have to contract and release in the right sequence or the blood doesn’t move around well.   

What’s going on in my Afib is that erroneous electrical signals are cascading down the sheathing material around these pipes and causing my heart muscles to get the turkey basters out of synch.  This is exercise induced and only happens when I push hard and towards the end of my runs.  

What it feels like is a loss of power.  If I look at my heart rate monitor it will read max, like I’m doing wind sprints.  But it’s not really my heart beating too fast or at max, it’s my heart reacting to these bogus electrical signals and doing the funky chicken.  

When I think about it, now that I know what it is, I can trace it back a few years, but it only got noticeable in the last year or so.  

In its current form it’s just sucking the joy out of my running.  What I love about running is that point when you get warmed up, deep into a workout and can push the gas pedal down and transcend the workout.  Right now, when I get to that point, the engine sputters and coughs. It has removed the ‘flow state’ or the ‘runner’s high’ state from my workouts.  Which makes them more like work and less like the flights of fancy that I love. 

But, all is not lost.  I’ve scheduled myself to go in for a procedure called ‘Cryo-ablation’ where they snake a device up the veins through your groin, into your heart and freeze a ring of scar tissue into those four big pipes.  That ring of scaring blocks the spurious signals from getting to your heart and all is well.  They say it works 80% of the time and I’m a perfect candidate.  But, like Mark Twain was fond of saying, “There’s liars, damn liars and statistics.”

The other alternative is that I could just learn to run slow and short.  But I don’t think I’m ready or wired for that.  Let’s face it. In the grand scheme of things I’m a super fortunate, super blessed guy.  I have nothing to complain about and I really mean that.  

Besides, I’ve got you right?  And who’s going to hold off the zombie hoards if I have to take it easy? 

Today on this show of shows we have the continuing adventures of Wendy Nail who we talked to a few episodes back about barefoot running.  This time around we talk about her international adventures and how running is enjoyed all over the world. 

In the first article on running related topics I’m going to share some insight on my experience training for the hills of the Boston Marathon.  In the second article on life lessons I’m going to talk about how to deal with our hard-wired negativity bias.  

I’m not looking for you to give money to squarespace, dollar shave club or audible, and I don’t need any iTunes reviews, but I do still need help with my team Hoyt campaign for the 2015 Boston marathon.  

I don’t have a problem asking for support because Rick and Dick have given more to our community and sport than we could ever return.  These guys have a statue in Hopkinton for heaven’s sake! They’re the real deal.  Help me help them.  Go to my crowdrise page, it’s in the show notes and on the RunRunLive website – or I may let the zombie hoards eat you. 

On with the Show! 

Section one - Running Tips

The Hills of Boston

http://runrunlive.com/hill-training-for-flatlanders

Voices of reason – the interviews

Wendy Nail 

 

Section two – Life Skills

Can vs Can’t and the negativity bias.

http://runrunlive.com/can-or-cant

Outro

Well, well, my Campneros, another RunRunLive podcast driven to the ground and put in the pen with the rest of the free-range steers – Episode 4-307 done and dusted. 

I found out that my sister is listening to the podcast.  Which, honestly kinda freaks me out.  I’ve always told you that this avatar is just one of the me’s out there.  But since you’re listening, hey, it must be weird for you to hear Dad’s voice come out of me every so often?  I hear it.  You must too.  And remember: “Russell kids are the smartest and best at everything.” Right? 

Heh, is there anything as weird as shared family history?  I mean weird- good mostly, but it really gets under your skin in a way nothing else can. 

Also this week I had a weird interaction with one of the guys I work with.  I also keep I nice tall wall between this avatar and that work avatar.  But, I was so brimming with pride last week I told him about the new book I released.  I gave him a copy with the understanding that he would spread it around, the last thing I need is to be in a business situation and have someone say “But Chris, you had time to write a book…” 

Anyhow, this gentleman is a creative and he sends me back an email that says, and I quote, 

All I can say is… WOW. What a great book, Chris. I who never run or jog anywhere, salute you!

Not only is your writing style a treat to read, but your whole attitude toward running and the philosophical POV you bring to the subject is outstanding. I think this writing is better than 90% of the pros.

Congratulations on a real achievement!

Then he says to me today, why didn’t you quit your job years ago and become a writer?  Which I answered the same way I always do.  Because I’m smart enough to know the difference between a profession and a hobby.  But, is that my Dad talking?  Am I just afraid?  Probably a rational dose of all those things.  

Yes the MarathonBQ book is up on Kindle for your enjoyment, but any listeners of the show who want an e-copy I’ll give you one if you a) contribute to the Hoyt fund or b) promise to write up a review.  

It’s been on the Times best seller list for two weeks now.  Spielberg, Tarantino and Scorsese are fighting over the move rights.  Harison Ford was going to play the ‘old’ me but he crashed his plane last week so they had to switch to Timothy Robbins.  Of course Ryan Gosling is already under contract to play the young me.  Frankly he’s not as smoldering sexy as the young me, but he might pass. 

In my dreams…

We are coming up on the Groton Road Race on the 26th and everything is coming together.  Got some big changes this year and I’m sure there will be some chaos! I set up a virtual race option if you want to run it remotely.  The shirt is super nice and we’ll ship it to you.  As a matter of fact I’m going to go run a 10K in every shirt before we ship them.  And the women’s smalls chafe quite a bit.  

That bit I did today on can vs can’t really resonated when I posted it up on my site.  I got a storm of positive responses and shares. Which is strange because I sort of hacked it together in a bunch of small time blocks, between things, over the course of the week.   I learned early that you never know what is going to synch with people.  It’s not my responsibility to judge what’s worthy.  It’s my privilege to create, to let muses have their way.  

Folks – get out there.  Wipe those winter blues from your smock and get out there.  Lace ‘em up and go on adventures.  Have some fun.  People are watching you and you can influence the world for the better. 

As you are pursuing your adventures and good works, I’ll be there too, I’ll see you out there. 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-306 – Jed’s Life Changes

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4306.mp3]

Link epi4306.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Holy Moley and welcome to episode 4-306 of the RunRunLive Podcast.  Man it’s cold! I As I write this we haven’t been above freezing for a month and have had 6 feet of snow up here!  I like winter as much as the next guy but I’m getting a bit weary of the continuous Blizzard-cane that is New England. 

Since we talked last I did take trip to Atlanta and got some nice long runs in in Buckhead.  I came back from dinner one night and said ‘to heck with it, I’m heading out!’  and ran from Buckhead all the way up Peachtree to midtown.  I was out for a nice 1:45 minutes which is about a ½ marathon for me at an easy pace.  

Everybody else was walking around in winter coats and hats and I was chugging along down the sidewalk in shorts.  

Up here where I live I’ve been banished to the treadmill.  It’s 12:00 noon when I’m writing this and it’s a sunny 10 degrees F with a nice stiff breeze.  I have to put on so many clothes to run in that it’s like a whole load of laundry.  

It’s super dangerous with the roads narrowed by drifting snow and the banks so high the drivers can’t see over them.  You just have to pull out and pray.  Yes I’ve been doing a bunch of treadmill running.  That’s why I have a gym membership! Believe it or not, I ran over three hours on the treadmill last Sunday.  It’s crazy.  

Buddy’s going bonkers.  I think he’s ready to revolt.  As Maryro says he’s gone ‘shack whacky’!

But the days are getting longer.  It will only be a couple weeks and we’ll be back out in the woods splashing through the melting mud and breathing in the good earth. 

So, my friends, I see you sitting on the couch in your pajamas in front of a warm fire eating a large jar of Nutella with a spoon.  You have to cut that out because we’re only months away from Beach season! Get up! Let’s go! 

In today’s show we have another guest interview.  Longtime friend of the show Greg Milbourne has an interview with one of his running friends Jed Carman.   Jed had one of those near death exercise experiences that we all fear and turned it into fuel for his life.  

There’s a lot to be learned from this conversation.  Why does it take a big impact occurrence like this to get us to see how lucky we are and get us to really appreciate a life?  This life is right there in front of you today (as you sit in your pajamas feeling sorry for yourself eating Nutella).  We don’t have to wait for the firm touch of fate to shake us out of our reveries. 

Greg and I have been corresponding since the beginning of the RunRunLive podcast many years ago. And since he’s a mental health professional, I’m pretty sure it’s part of some long term study on manic depressives.  

In the running stuff section I’m going take a deep dive into some of the finer, veteran points on hydration and fueling.  In the deep thinking section I’m going to talk about fierce conversations.  Should be a great show. 

We are 7 week’s out or so from the Boston Marathon.  I’ve decided not to run another marathon in the intervening time. Too much going on.  I’m not going to be the fastest runner but I’m going to have a hell of a base built up.  

I have signed up for the Eastern States 20 Miler put on by Don Allison, who we’ve spoken to on the show a couple times.  They fixed the bridge and we’ll be back to running the old course that starts in Maine, runs the length of New Hampshire and ends in Mass.  Love that route.  Let’s see if I can stay within myself and run it strongly. 

Nice people among you have been trickling in donations for my Team Hoyt campaign.  Keep it up! I have some ground to make up to make my goal.  It matters.  I give you my stunning good looks and brilliance, you give me donations for my Hoyt campaign, and Frankly, I think you’re coming out ahead on this deal!  

It’s hard to walk in the snow when it’s this deep.  I had to dig a trench for the dog to get out and do his thing.  I had to dig a tunnel to my wood pile.  I had to dig a tunnel around the house so the Oil guy could deliver.  I’m hoping all this shoveling is good for conditioning. 

The good news is that the zombies get stuck and you can just whack ‘em on the head with the snow shovel. 

On with the Show! 

Section one - Running Tips

Hydration Deep Dive

http://runrunlive.com/race-hydration-deep-dive

Voices of reason – the interviews

Jed Carman 

Interviewed by Greg Milbourne. 

Articles about Jed

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc/Believing-in-a-way-back-Returning-to-running-after-a-spinal-cord-injury.html

Speech by Jed

http://youtu.be/Zz9gHfDOhMc

 

Section two – Life Skills

Fierce Conversations

http://runrunlive.com/fierce-conversations

Outro

Put that Nutella down.  We’re at the end of another RunRunLive Podcast! This has been episode 4-306. 

If you want to join us for the Groton Road Race on April 26th this year, but are unfortunately waylaid in some unfortunate place like Nome Alaska or Murmansk, it’s ok.  I have set up a virtual race category so you can register, run with us in spirit and send us your time for the results.  We’ll send you a bib and one of our super-popular ‘wearable art’ shirts, that are by popular demand on a high quality tech shirt this year.  

The web site has all the details www.GrotonRoadRace.com

And if you’re thinking, ‘aww, shucks, Chris, you’re just shilling shirts.’ Then you’re missing the point.  You need to go find a local race that you can get involved in.  It’s a privilege and an honor to be able to work with the community and the high-quality people of the race committee to bring this wonderful event out each spring.  It’s an opportunity for us to create something that we can be proud of that supports the things that we believe passionately in.  

And that’s all I have to say about that. 

Speaking of giving back I’ve got a present for you.  I want to give you a copy of my new book.  It’s called MarathonBQ and it’s my manifesto on qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon over the last 20 years.  

I’m proud of this book and I want you to read it and enjoy it.  Here’s the deal.  If you want a copy you can either join my email list, Make a donation to my Hoyt fund or leave me a book review on Amazon Kindle.  If you think that’s something you’d be interested in doing shoot me an email and I will send you a copy.  Simple as that.  

You can see all the details at my lovely website www.MarathonBQ.com. 

Rules of thumb

To take you out I want to geek out a little about ‘rules of thumb’.  

Our lives are filled with rules of thumb.  An apple a day.  8 hours of sleep.  8 glasses of water a day.  20 mile long runs.  The 10% rule.  These are all rules of thumb to give you a ball park answers to complex problems. 

You have to be careful because rules of thumb are not specific to you as an individual. 

In optimization science rules of thumb are called heuristics.  People make up heuristics to simplify complex problems.  For any specific individual for example, “What is the optimal amount of sleep I should get?” is actually a very personal and complex answer that changes with time and health and age.  It’s too hard to solve so we default to the rule of thumb of 8 hours.  

Our brains build heuristics, or gravitate to existing heuristics to find short cut solutions to these complex problems.  Heuristics are valid solution approaches.  They don’t find perfect solutions or the best solution but they get an answer quickly and it’s usually a feasible answer. It works.  It’s the 80% fit.  It’s the ‘good enough’. 

Mixed in with these heuristics are old wives’ tales masquerading as rules of thumb.  They seem to make sense but there’s no evidence either way.  Don’t go out in the rain, you’ll catch a cold.  I don’t know if that’s true or not but I love running in the rain. 

My wife is full of these old wives’ tales, (heh heh), parading as rules of thumb that she inherited from her mother and were passed down from witch doctors in the forest 50,000 years ago.  

My point is that when we are spouting these rules of thumb and similar tall tales we announce them as fact and that can get you in trouble as an athlete.  What works for everybody may not work for you.  You need to test out those assumptions on your own machine and see what works and adjust accordingly. 

Or, to summarize, as they used to say in the 60’s “Question Authority” – in all its forms. 

And as you are considering whether or not what you always believed to be true may or may not be I’ll see you out there. 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-305 – SheriAnne’s Adventures

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4305.mp3]

Link epi4305.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Buenas Dias! Mi Amigos.  I told you that early in my career I did a couple projects in Chihuahua Mexico, right?  That was before it got a bit dicey with the los drugos down there.  More innocent times. 

So we made it to February!  Old Man Winter has shown up with a vengeance up here in New England.  It’s ok, I like winter.  Or at least I can deal with it when it’s really only a couple months out of the year.  

That’s one of the joys of living here is that you get 4 real seasons, but not enough of each to make them annoying.  Makes us flexible and tough.  

Since we last talked it’s been snowing almost every other day.  Last weekend we got a cool 2-day blizzard that dumped 3 feet of snow.  Since it was cold too, zero degrees Fahrenheit, it was that fluffy snow that is great for winter sports and fairly easy to move, but we got a lot of it. 

It’s over Buddy’s head and he’s confined to a short path in the front yard.  He’s got cabin fever and is quite bothersome.  I took him for a walk during the blizzard but it was over his head and up to my thighs so we could only break trail for a couple hundred feet before we had to turn around. 

I’ve been having to get most of my runs in on the treadmill which is not optimal. 

After we last talked I ran the Derry 16 miler and felt pretty good.  The weather was good at just around freezing.  I took it super easy and ran/walked the big hills then closed it nicely in the last 5k.  I ended up running around 2:17 and felt pretty strong.  That capped a 53 mile week for me on 4 runs. 

The following weekend I went out for a 3 hour easy run.  I took it super easy and did loops around my house.  I felt like I could keep going at the end so my base is good and strong.  It’s a bit dismal with the snow and cold and darkness but you know how it is; the only way out is forward.  

Besides, the cold weather slows the zombies down.  

Thanks to those of you who threw me some donations for my Team Hoyt campaign for Running the Boston Marathon this year – I appreciate it.  

Those of you who haven’t, now’s a good time.  I still need your help.  I’m only ¼ way to my goal.  Come on now, I don’t ask you folks to buy t-shirts, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you give me a review on iTunes or vote for me in whatever podcast awards are the thing of the day.  This isn’t a commercial venture for me, it’s a creative hobby.  So, cough up the cabbage and we’ll call it even…quid pro quo Clarice…quid pro quo.

Today we have a most excellent show for you.  I interview SherAnne Nelson who is the captain of a team that is going to take on the Patagonia Expedition Race next year which is a super hairy race in South America.  It’s a run-bike-paddle-mountain climbing survival type thing.  Hard core.  

I feel like I could have done a better job with SheriAnne. I feel like I should have asked, “Are you nuts? Leavingyoru comfy life and family for this misadventure? How do you feel about that?“ but I didn’t.  

Even with my love of a good adventure, I’d be terrified. 

I haven’t been traveling and that always makes me a little itchy.  But I’m getting a lot done, in between angsty episodes of over eating and over sleeping...But the days are getting longer and I’m hitting the road next week. 

In section one I wrote a bit of a tongue in cheek piece about some of the myths surrounding marathon running that we have to watch out for.  In section two we’ll talk about the philosophy of time. 

So, keep on shoveling, but don’t shovel straight lines because as we all know evil spirits love straight lines and will follow them right to your door.  Shovel crooked lines.  It will confuse the walking dead too. 

On with the Show!

Section one - Running Tips

Five Dangerous Marathon Myths

http://runrunlive.com/5-dangerous-marathon-myths

Voices of reason – the interviews

SheriAnne Nelson

Here are the links to follow our team. 

Facebook - http://bit.ly/usateamprsfit Twitter - http://bit.ly/1usateamprsfit Tool Kit - http://bit.ly/prsfittoolkit YouTube - http://bit.ly/prsfityoutube Website - http://bit.ly/usateampatagonia Google+ - http://bit.ly/prsfitgoogleplus

First and foremost I am a mom of 3 young beautiful children. I am a Fitness and Nutrition Coach that believes in helping people realized their untapped potential. I believe too many people go through life wondering if, and wishing they could do something magnificent. Everyone's "magnificent something" is different, mine just happens to be epic adventures. 

Everything I do, I think about my children and the example I am setting for them. Setting goals is critical to being successful in life and I love to set big goals that make my heart beat a little faster and make me wonder if it is possible because I love nothing more than busting past that mental barrier. Anything is possible.

What I bring to the 2016 Patagonia Expedition Race Team is the desire to succeed. Once I set a goal I will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. The hope and inspiration that I bring to others when sticking through the thick and thin of an event brings me great pleasure. Not only do I want to accomplish my goals for me but for everyone else watching me. I want to be the name that comes off of people's lips when they say, "I didn't quit because of you."

The other attribute I will bring to the team is the ability to solve problems under pressure. I deal best when there is pressure, I have the ability to compartmentalize the situation and accomplish what needs to happen in order to move on. I have the ability to keep people calm and focused on the situation at hand.

Athletic accomplishments:

Collegiate Runner - 10K PR 36:30, 5K XC - 17:22, IMAZ '12 10:16 (PR) 3rd,

Kona '13 10:33 30th, IMAZ '13 10:21 3rd, IMMT '14 10:37 6th, IMAZ '14 10:41 5th

Qualified 2x for 70.3 Worlds, raced '14 IM70.3WC 5:05, Ultra 50 miler 3x with a 10:50 PR, Marathon PR 3:14, multiple Boston qualifier, 70.3 PR is 4:46

Here is my ZERO page

http://www.zeroprostatecancerendurance.org/prsfit/sheriannenelson

Happy shoveling :)

Live well.

SheriAnne Nelson

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

KonaMom.com

CoachSheriAnne.com

Section two – Life Skills

“Time”

http://runrunlive.com/time

Outro

Hey folks we have shoveled a crooked path to the conclusion of yet another RunRunLive Podcast.  Episode 4-305 in the can!  

I think we’re short on time so I’ll keep it brief. 

When it gets really cold out I like to wear a balaclava.  Unfortunately a couple years ago I lost my balaclava.  Maybe one of you could knit me one?  I hate to buy one because I we only need it 2 or 3 days a year and I know as soon as I get another one I’ll find the old one.  

My wife in her Yogi Berra moments, (not the picnic basket bear – the catcher with a proclivity for malapropisms) always asks me if I’m wearing my baklava – which gives me a hilarious visual of having my head wrapped in Greek pastry.  

The new book is getting typeset into a beautiful e-book by a nice gentleman in Pakistan – should be able to ship some promo copies next week.  I have to get it converted to Kindle too so I can post it up on Amazon.  

And remember If you haven’t donated a couple bucks to my Hoyt cause – now’s a good time! 

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

We’ve got the Groton Road Race coming together for April 26th this year.  I’m working to set up a virtual race category so folks can run it remotely.  We’ll send you one of the super sweet tech shirts that we’re putting our ‘wearable art’ on this year. 

http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

I was talking with my daughter last week.  She had started a new job and was complaining that she didn’t sleep well because she had too many things going on in her head.  This is another version of the Tetris problem.  

You lie awake at night going over all the things you have to worry about and trying to fit them together in a way that makes sense.  Your brain is working on that puzzle and can’t sleep until it gets resolution. 

The way to address this problem is to get out a piece of paper or the equivalent handful of electrons, and write down all the things that are on your mind.  You purpose here is not to solve the Tetris problem.  Your purpose here is to capture all the bits so your subconscious knows that they are in safe keeping.  

You do this before you go to bed and it allows your brain to take a break and sleep. 

So sleep tight, and I’ll see you out there. 

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-304 – Susan Loken – You’re never too old if you believe

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4304.mp3]

Link epi4304.mp3

Intro Bumper:

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

Hello my friends.  Here we are creeping up on February.  How has the core of you existence been treating you?  Has it been resonating with the universal master mind?  Have you been doing the dosey-doe with your life purpose?  

Yeah, me neither.  But I’m getting by.  I don’t know what it is about this time of year that just makes me want to sleep!  

It’s all good.  I have the headphones in and I’m listening to some reggae and sipping a local IPA and dredging some creativity from the dregs of my old and atrophied brain for you! My friends.  My running friends.  My endurance sweet hearts.  

Those of you new to our podcast, welcome to episode 4-304.  Codec-wise that’s the fourth version or iteration or generation of the RunRunLive podcast and the 304th episode.  Which is kinda cool.  

And, please, know that you’re among friends.  We don’t want your money, well not all of it, we don’t want your reviews and we don’t have any t-shirts to sell I have no interest in signing you up for a subscription or coaching. 

We just like to deconstruct why running and endurance sports has the ability to drive positive transformation in our lives and why this grand adventure fuels our humanity.  That’s all.  So, you’re among friends.  

And never mind all that drivel I spew about zombies, and yak farming and me being a hit man for the Irish Mafia…That’s all just a little fun I’m having.  That’s just a smoke screen.

Or is it? 

Anyway, here we are again and I have a great show for you.  Our interview today is with Susan Loken who took up running at the age of 36 and within a few years made the Olympic trials and became masters’ marathon champion.  We talk through how it has changed her and what lessons we can learn from deconstructing her success.  It’s a great chat.  

When I recorded this I was still fighting my way out of the chest cold I caught in the Caribbean and you can hear it in my voice.  Battling through adversity to bring you this lovely athlete.

Susan and I were introduced by a friend of mine from the Goon Squad Runners, one of my running clubs, with the motto “No whining, just running.”  Her code name is Cougar and Susan is her coach and she’s one of the runners I respect locally for doing the work and pushing herself.  

In section one, the running tips section I’m going to bring you a piece on treadmill step-up runs, which I’ve probably talked through before, but I thought it was timely with the weather pushing us inside.  

In section two I’m going to revisit another topic that we’ve discussed in the past, “How to get out of a winter funk.” Again, this may not be new information for you folks, but the timing is right and I had to work through it myself again, so I figured I’d share the love. 

How’s my running going?  Fairly well. As you know I’m training for Boston now.  As you also know I’ve got a heart problem that is constraining some of the ways and types of training I’ve done in the past.  Nothing life threatening, just something to work with.  

To net it out, I can’t really do the tempo and speed work and a lot of the effort based heart rate training I’ve done so successfully in the last ½ decade.  Instead I’m working on building a huge base at an aerobic level and building my core strength.  

What does this look like?  This is a build week for me and I’ll run 3 days of 1:45 at zone 2 effort, (conversational effort).  For me that’s like 12 miles a session, so that’s a nice 36 mile volume before I get to my Sunday long run.  Sunday I’ll do another 16 and guess what campers?  That’s 52 miles on a 4 day week.  Pretty good, huh? 

On the other 3 days I’m core training. I’m experimenting with some awesome new core protocols that I think are going to work out.  It’s a totally different approach than I’ve done before and really intriguing.  It’s too early to make a call but I’ll let you know. 

The challenge I’ve had this week is fitting 1:45 of running into a weekday.  I prefer to run in the daylight for these and that’s a big chunk of the work day.  I’ve been able to pull it off by prioritizing, but it’s a challenge.  

The theory here is that I’ll be able to build so much strength I’ll be able to bring my pace up for the big race, maybe.  We’ll see.  For now I’m having fun with it. 

I was casting about for some company for my Sunday long run today and my buddy Ryan reminded me that this weekend is the Derry 16 miler.  I went to the site and low and behold it hadn’t sold out so I signed up.  Derry is an awesome race with a stupid difficult course that brings rookies to tears.  I’ve run it at least 10 times.  

For those of you who read my book of running stories “The Mid-Packer’s Lament” you’ll recognize the references to Derry.  Back in the day we ran it in snow storms and in below zero Fahrenheit temperatures.  One year we had a guy die in front of us there, no kidding. 

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

If you like my voice, and by that I don’t mean the digitized sound vibrations of my vocal chords, I mean the unique melody to my prose and the slightly odd way I turn a simile go check out my books of running stories.  You can get them on Amazon or as an e-book from my website or lining bird cages in the seedier parts of town.  

I even read them into audio and you can find those on my website.  If you can’t find them or the website is broken, just shoot me an email. 

That is my gift to you! My voice set free like a rabid Tasmanian devil, or maybe a zombie yak, to terrorize your brain and make your runs that much more interesting. 

On with the show! 

Section one - Running Tips

http://runrunlive.com/treadmill-progression-runs

Voices of reason – the interviews

Susan Loken – Masters Marathon Champion and coach.

http://www.believetrainbecome.com/

Growing up, I was that girl that always skipped gym class because all that exercise and sweat would ruin her fabulous Farah Fawcett hair.

By the age of 36, I had reached a new stage in my life. After the birth of my 3rd son, I was sick of being out-of-shape, short on “me time,” and suffering from lack of good friendships.

I was desperate for change, so desperate that I was willing to sweat. I began running and it actually felt good. My baby weight quickly dropped off and I met my first running friend, who suggested we train for a marathon. Once I was convinced that a 26.2 mile run wouldn’t cripple me, I agreed and we began training.

As I crossed the finished line of my first marathon, huge crocodile tears of joy poured down over a smile so big that it hurt my face, and I didn’t even mind that my hair was sweaty. I knew that I had been changed forever. If I could finish a marathon, I could do anything! I believed in myself and I trained with passion, knowing that success would follow; in doing so, I gained confidence and the understanding that I could become whatever I dreamed!

From that moment forward, I Believed, Trained, and Became a 3-time USA Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, 4-times USA Masters Marathon Champion, 3-time winner of the More Marathon in NYC, and a girl that loves her icky sweaty hair!

I share my passion for running by coaching others to Believe, Train and Become! If you are a competitive runner, I can help you take minutes off of your personal record. If you are a recreational runner, I can help you improve your fitness and endurance, and reach your personal goals. If you are new to running or a walker, I can introduce you to an improved life of fitness.

Between my 10 years of Elite running experience, 8 years of group coaching, numerous courses in personal training, sports nutrition, and coaching, as well my personal understanding of how to balance training with real life, I will build a training plan based on your current fitness, your goals, and your lifestyle. I will help you BECOME YOUR DREAM!!

Do you want to Believe, Train and Become your dream? Let me help you!

Section two – Life Skills

http://runrunlive.com/getting-out-of-a-winter-funk-part-part-two

(2013) http://runrunlive.com/getting-out-of-a-winter-funk

Outro

Hey, Hey, Hey, Episode 4-304 has drawn to a close.  

The best thing about this whole podcasty running community thing is the cool people I get to talk to and hang out with.  That’s the cool part.  You guys are the cool part. I meet new people every week. 

I’ll give you a couple stories from our funky online running community for this week.  I’m on FaceBook as Chris Russell and have a RunRunLive group as well.  I guess Facebook must recommend me as a friend to other runners because I get friend requests, like everyone does.  

Usually I click through to make sure they are real people and not robots or spammers.  I can tell by the number of friends we have in common.  If their profile picture is them smiling with a bib number pinned to their chest, they’re in. If their profile picture is them grinding up the side of a mountain, yop, they’re in.  

This week I had a lady send me a friend request.  I clicked through and there were the familiar pictures of a mature, athletic woman in her running stuff.  But, the next series of pictures from her Instagram had me baffled, I’m thinking, what is that? A baby squirrel? And clicking on them I soon realized that these were pictures of the detailed anatomical nature. 

I mean, I have nothing against you sharing liberally, but I couldn’t friend you.  I was having pictures of our relationship ending with me being held for ransom by the Russian mafia and I decided to head that off at the pass…

Today I’m working and a friend request comes through.  I look at this lady’s profile and it seems kosher so I accept.  (don’t worry this story has nothing to do with baby squirrels) A few minutes later I get a message “Always good to meet fellow runners!”  

I figure I’ll play nice and respond, “Nice to meet you, what are you training for?” 

She says, “I’ve run 3 5k’s and am planning for a 10K.” and goes on to tell me how she’s just started and still has to run walk. I tell her it’s the best part of running to be a new runner starting on the adventure. 

She asks me how long I’ve been running.  I say “A few years…” Then send a picture of my medal rack and marathon quilt and tell her about the podcast.  So welcome to my world Chrissy.  Nice to have you on our adventure. 

…

I know I’ve been saying this for months, but, honestly, my new book on how to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 14 weeks while holding down a full time job and a family is done and edited.  I’m pulling the website together and I really like this one.  

It’s not so much a ‘how to’ as it is my manifesto on racing and training the Boston Marathon.  I did not choose to write it.  It chose to be written.  I really like it.  Patience, I’ll get it up in the next two weeks. 

Finally.  I need your help.  And by help I mean money! For my Team Hoyt campaign for Boston. 

I remember the first time I met Rick and Dick Hoyt.  It was in some 10K or 5 miler somewhere back in the 90’s.  I remember passing them in the race.  Later when I was talking to Dick at a race expo I related that story to him and without missing a beat he said, “Yeah, I remember that race, I had a chest cold or you never would have caught us.”  

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell

And that’s the thing about Dick and Rick.  They didn’t set out to change the world.  They set out to run.  Like we all do.  They did what they could do.  They ran.  They weren’t doing it to put on a big show or to call attention.  They were part of the community up here.  They put in the work.  The qualified for Boston under the original 2:50 standard years ago and the BAA wouldn’t let them run in the race.  But they kept showing up and doing that thing that we as runners do.  They ran.  

This humble man with this simple thing eventually changed the world. 

And I’d like your help to keep Rick and Dick’s legacy going.  I’d like your help to propagate their ripples in our pond.  This is good in our world that we can help.  

Please go to my crowd rise page https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamHoytBoston2015/fundraiser/christopherrussell and help sustain this good in the world.  Twenty bucks folks, that’s a way you can make ripples in our pond. 

And that, my friends is how leadership works.  It’s like radiation.  You radiate as an individual and as a leader.  And what you radiate influences the people who come into contact with you. 

If you cultivate stress and negativity, that’s what you will radiate and that is the pollution you will propagate.  But if you radiate positivity and leadership in your thoughts and actions that will radiate out from you and change the world. 

Let’s change the world. 

And while we’re changing the world, I’ll see you out there. 

Closing comments

http://runrunlive.com/my-books

The RunRunLive 4.0 Podcast Episode 4-303 – Bruce Van Horn - Running and Self-esteem

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4303.mp3]

Link epi4303.mp3

Intro Bumper:

Hello my friends and welcome to 2015.  Who woulda thunk it? We made it.  I can remember sitting in elementary school and thinking how old I’d be when we got to the year 2000, and here we are 15 years later.  

You have once again found yourself with me, Chris, in your ear buds.  Whether you’re out on your frozen roads or the tropical antipodean outback I’m thrilled and honored to be your running-related mental succubus. 

…

Well it’s been a quiet week out here in Independence Kansas along the banks of Spring creek.  As I look out onto the frost covered acreage I can see groups of feral yaks cavorting in the sleet.  Except for those sick ones.  They don’t look so good.  They’re in rough shape with fur falling out in bunches and they walk with a strange stiff-legged lurch.  

I called the local animal control officer out and he should be here shortly.  It’s that government neuro toxin research facility.  I know it is.  

Well the beat up F150 of Dick the animal control officer just pulled into the field.  I think he’s the manager of the local grange too.  He’s out of the truck now, approaching the yaks…

Oh my god! They’re attacking! They’ve got him down! Heavens to murgatroid! They’re eating his brains! They’re Zombie yaks! 

That’s it.  I’ve had enough of the Midwest.  I’m moving back to New England. 

By the way…”Zombie Yaks” would make an awesome name for a punk rock band…

Intro: 

Yeah – how about that running stuff?  Well I’ve dropped into training for Boston.  I’ve had a small set back with going on vacation for a week and coming down with a vicious head cold.  

I’ve got an interesting challenge this year with my heart acting up.  I can train in Zone 2 all day long but Zone 3 and 4 work is dicey.  I’m going to have to figure out how to train with a missing gear while I get this sorted.  

The issue is that the tempo stuff is where my arrhythmia kicks in.  Instead of going from zone 2 into zone 3 and 4 it flips out and goes from zone 2 to max.  But that’s not really what’s happening.  It reads as max HR but what’s really happening is the heart muscles are out of synch and the blood isn’t getting to where it needs to be to support the effort.  It’s the equivalent of a missing gear or a flat spot where I lose power.  

It doesn’t do me any good to tough it out because I’m not getting the benefit training while my heart is working ineffectively.  I talked to coach and we’re working on training on things I can control and are effective.  

Since I have no problem in Zone 2 we’re just going to continue to build a giant base.  Push those weekday runs up into the 1:30 range and the long runs up too.  

The other issue I have is the HR tends to flip when I’m running up hill.  The increased load going up a hill caused the Arrhythmia to kick in.  Again, it doesn’t do me any good to train in that state so I have to figure out how to get my hill strength for Boston without doing hill work.  

What can I control?  I can control my nutrition, I can control my flexibility and I can control my strength and I can control my sleep.  That leads me to my initial plan for Boston, which is build a huge Zone 2 base, get my weight down to race weight, work my flexibility and work my strength.  I’m pretty excited about this experiment.  It’s a challenge.  It’s like fighting with a hand tied behind my back and it will force me to grow. 

If the cardio doctors manage to fix something then I can add on the fine tuning of racing and tempo later in the cycle.  That’s easy and comes quickly if you have the strength, the flexibility and the base.  

Today I have a chat with Bruce Van Horn who is a life coach and marathoner out of Virginia.  At first I wasn’t super attracted to Bruce when I listened to his stuff because it was basic positive thinking and self-esteem stuff delivered in a bit of a Mr. Rodgers narrative, but I warmed to it and I thought it would be valuable to step back and look at some of the basic approaches to get started on the right path.  

I had to get around my own prejudices.  A couple notes that resonated for me are; first ‘the great mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation’ to quote our friend Henry over in Concord.  Bruce is helping the 95% of the people out there who just don’t know where to start and they think that they are the only ones who feel that way.  I also wanted to highlight, secondly something that all of us take for granted, which is the positive correlation between running and self-esteem and self-worth.  

As an added bonus Buddy the old Wonder Dog chimes in in the background a few times. 

In the first section I present a brief piece on how to start running towards something as opposed to running away.  In the second section I’m going to counter balance all the basic self-improvement messaging with some thought on more advanced ideas for those of you who may be looking for the next level. 

I woke up this morning hemorrhaging snot with a full day of work on my plate and thought I might not get this show out, actually was wondering about surviving the day, but here I am and it’s after 6:pm and I’m still going!  I think I just might make my deadline! 

To hell with the head cold and the cold weather (it was minus 8 F yesterday here) and to hell with the zombie yak attacks! 

On with the Show!

Section one - Running Tips

http://runrunlive.com/stop-running-away

Voices of reason – the interviews

Interviewee -> Bruce Van Horn – Life Coach

Bruce Van Horn

www.lifeisamarathon.com

About

Hi. My name is Bruce Van Horn. I appreciate you taking the time to visit my site to learn a little about me.

I am, in order of priority, a Dad, a writer, a coach, an entrepreneur, a speaker, a runner, and a lot of other things as life demands!

My personal motto is: “Life is a marathon, so let’s train for it!”

Most of the inspiration for that motto comes from the 12th chapter of the book of Hebrews, in the Bible. I’m in the race of life for the long run, and training for the ups and downs that will come whether or not I’m ready for them–so I’m trying to be ready!

I’ve had many painful experiences and setbacks in my life, but I’ve also received many unexpected and undeserved blessings.

I’ve learned, along the way, that I cannot control many things about my life, but I can control how I respond to everything. I spent a good portion of my adult life simply reacting from day to day, situation to situation. I know how it feels when just getting through the day is a good day. I’ve also learned that living that way was a choice I was making, not something that was being forced upon me.

I’ve learned a lot about myself in my journey to take back control of my life. I’ve learned that, despite circumstances, I can live passionately and intentionally.

While I am good at many things, I operate in my “sweet-spot” when I’m helping people discover their purpose and passion for life. When I’m coaching people to put the “extra” in their ordinary life and turn it into the extraordinary life they want and are capable of living. Most of my writing is on this topic because it is my passion!

If you would like to work with me or reach out to me for any reason, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to use my Contact Form.

I am also constantly feeding my brain by reading books and blogs, listening to audiobooksand a variety of podcasts.  If you’d like to see what I’ve read recently, visit my Reading List

 

Section two – Life Skills

http://runrunlive.com/advanced-self-improvement-ideas-for-your-new-year

 

Outro

Well my friends we made it.  Episide 4-303 out of the box and into the either.  I’ve got plenty of ideas and lots of life lessons to share.  Let’s keep going, shall we? 

Can I talk anyone into doing audio editing for the interviews?  It’s really quite simple and I can train you.  It just saves me an hour of production time and you get to hear the interviews first! Some are awesome and don’t need any editing, some need a bit more work, but I could use some more volunteers. 

What else have I got cooking?  

Well I need to find a marathon to run before Boston so Boston can be my 50th.  I’ve kicked off my fundraising for Team Hoyt and will be dropping a video on you guys to tell you my plans.  If you can spare $2,260 as a donation now’s the time! Or even something smaller! 

http://youtu.be/GfBxVEGkb8A

I’ve got the MarathonBQ book through the first edit so now I have to figure out how to get that through the birthing canal, sigh…So many good ideas, so little time. 

You know how I got myself sick?  I was going on this vacation over new years and I decided I’d vacation AND keep my other stuff going as well.  This meant I’d stay up until obscene hours celebrating with my family and then get up at 5 to work out and write anyhow. The plan was to nap during the day, because, hey, I was on vacation.  

After 3 days of this I got sick and lost not only all the time I tried to create but also the benefit of a vacation.  Why, because I’m an idiot who can’t relax.  

But I did get one super cool morning run in.  New Year’s Day I rolled out at 5:00AM.  I was staying in the JW Marriott in downtown Miami on Key Biscayne.  I headed out across the causeway and the little drawbridges over to Miami Beach.  

It was super surreal.  The Bay park near the hotel was a scene of carnage.  It was post-apocalyptic with piles of bottles and occasional zombified revelers staggering by.  As I ran down the causeway road towards Miami Beach I’d pass young women leaving houses in party dresses holding their stilettos in their hands, doing the walk of shame – so to speak- and they’d look at me as if I was some sort of alien apparition.  

As I got into South Beach I passed very drunk and very friendly young men who would try to high-five me and miss. I stopped at a park bench to do 5 minutes of breathing meditation and relax my heart.  

I kept going out through to the beach itself which was another zombie-apocalypse scene.  Piles of empty champagne bottles, all kinds of people sleeping in piles on the beach, (and doing other things that weren’t sleeping), and still more people wandering around like zombies in the pre-dawn darkness.  I watched the cruise ships come in to the port all strung with lights. 

The sun rose over my shoulder as I ran back to the hotel, still the first one up.  It was around 10k in each direction.  The kind of surreal vacation adventure that isn’t on any travel company’s itinerary!

So, my Friends, keep doing what you are doing and you will be sure to see me out there. 

 

 

 

Closing comments

RunRunLive 4.0 Episode 4-302 - Roxanne and Paula

 

2014-08-07 17.53.12(Audio: link)

 

 

 

 

 

Link epi4302.mp3

 

 

 

Intro:

 

Hey. How are yah?  Welcome my friends.  To the RunRunLive Podcast.  Episode 4302.  How ya been?  Maybe you’re a new friend?  Maybe you got one of those brand new shiny i-devices for Christmas and you’re just dipping your toe into the podcast world?  By the way I like your nail polish. Matches your eyes.  But, that tattoo must have hurt, no?

 

Anyway, this is Chris your host.  We have been sharing a podcast in and about running and endurance sport for a few years now.  Welcome.  I’m coming to you from the grassy steppes of Independence Kansas where I run a feral yak farm in between professional gigs.

 

The running is challenging out here.  The wind cutting across the plains in the winter is a bit biting, but you get used to it.  And you know the toughest warriors are from the Steppes, the Scythians, the Huns and the Mongols all rode down on ‘civilization’ from the windy grasslands.

 

There’s something going on with the yak herd.  I think it might have something to do with the Government Neuro Toxin research facility a couple miles up Spring Creek.  Some of the yaks don’t look so good.  They look disoriented.  “Disoriented yak” would be a good name for a ska band…

 

…

 

I didn’t make it down to Atlanta for the Jeff Galloway 13.1.  I just couldn’t swing it.  Sounds like Kevin and friends had a fun time.  I’ve been actually getting some decent base building in.  I’m too old to run every day without breaking something.  I’ve stabilized at 4 days a week which seems like the right balance.

 

I worry whether I can get the volume of miles in to race well at the marathon distance at only 4 days a week.  Coach has extended my weekday runs out to 1:20-1:30 which helps.  The good news is that it gets me out long enough to build some base fitness and get the mileage up.  Right now he’s got me doing Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.  That gives me an automatic base in the mid to high 20’s.  Then you lay the Sunday long run on and I can get up into the 40’s.

 

That’s the compromise.  It’s enough to get the fitness I want without pushing me over the edge into injury.  The training impact from that extra 20-30 minutes in my weekly runs really makes a difference.  It’s a challenge when I’m busy, but I feel like I’m building base that will support me in the run up to Boston this spring.

 

GMMy friend Brian and I reprised the Groton Marathon last weekend.  This is a marathon we made up last year to get a December marathon.  The way it works is Brian and I lay out a course around town, invite all the crazy people we know and go run a marathon.  I count it as an official marathon because, my game, my rules.  That’s my 48th marathon.

 

We changed the course this year so it looped through Groton, Ayer, Shirley and a few hundred feet of Harvard Massachusetts.  Part of the fun, and the challenge is to create a course through New England towns that stays off the main roads and isn’t overwhelmingly difficult.

 

It was about 32 degrees with a light snow fall for the whole time.  Pretty good running weather.  There’s no snow on the ground up here and the roads were clear.  We started at 8:00 and got back after noon.

 

We had a dozen or so people join us for some part of the route and we had one person go the distance with us.  A big crew ran the first half with us and cut back.  Another couple of our club friends picked us up at mile 17 and ran us in.  We dropped water and Gatorade every 4-6 miles.

 

iceI’m sorry to report that I didn’t come in first this year.  I had gapped Brian by a good 2-3 minutes after mile 20, but I waited for him at one of our water stops and he got a 2nd wind at mile 24 and took off.  I didn’t have the mental or physical closing speed to chase him down.

 

It was a great run.  It always scares me a little to just show up and run a marathon, but this one was easy. We went super slow and stopped every couple miles to get refreshed.  It ended up having about 1,000 feet of elevation gain, but nothing horrible.  I was able to keep good form and my HR was solidly in zone 2 the whole distance.

 

I did end up getting some strange chaffing.  I got welts on, as Forest Gump would say, ‘My Buttocks’, somehow from the new ASICS tights I was wearing. Never had chaffing there before. It looked like someone took me to the woodshed.

 

How’d you like the first episode of the 100% recycled RunRUnLive 4.0 Podcast?  I’m going to keep tweaking it but I wanted to get it out.  Action is better than inaction and progress is better than perfection.  It’s not supposed to be professional, but it is supposed to have high enough quality content presented in such a way as not to annoy you!

 

In today’s show, which, with any luck should drop on Boxing Day, we will have a piece on how to turn your winter doldrums into an investment in your running.  I also bring you a rousing piece on how to set Big Hairy Ass Goals the right way to transform your life in the life transformation section.

 

The interview is a bit of an experiment.  Back at the end of the summer I had some guest interviews done by some friends of the show.  So today we bring you an interview of Roxanne by Paula.  I haven’t even listened to it yet and I know it’s going to be utterly fabulous.

 

Paula and I go way back to the inception on Twitter where we quickly became virtual friends because of our mutual love of writing and speaking and many things other things.  So, we’ve been virtual friends since Twitter was for cool kids.  Go visit Paula’s blog at www.BigGreenPen.com and consider helping her fundraising efforts for the NYC half she’s got coming up.

 

Roxanne is another one of our long time Twitter friends.  She is one of those stars of our endurance community.  Thankfully, we hear stories like Roxanne’s more each year. She’s a Mom who was seriously overweight, she took her life into her own hands and became a marathoner, an Ironman and transformed into a happier, healthier and better person.

 

I hope you learn as much from these two energetic ladies as I have.

 

That’s it my friends.  Enjoy your holidays and be nice to your family – you only get one shot at that.

 

Before I let you go I’m going to give you a quick tip that I’ve been using to get my writing done.  You know I wrote a new book, right?  Anyhow to get this stuff written I need to hide from distractions like social media while I’m creating.  I’ve developed a very simple trick to do this.  I just set the timer on my iPhone for 30 minutes and commit to writing without distraction until the timer goes off.

 

It’s just like working out.   The hardest part is getting started.  But once you get started it has a momentum of its own.  When something pops up or beeps for my attention I don’t take the bait until the 30 minutes is up.  At 30 minutes I give myself permission for a little bit of wandering, but, frankly by that point I’m neck deep in my topic and don’t want to stop!

 

I’ll compliment this by going into YouTube and spinning up some meditation music.  It helps calm your mind without distraction.

 

Give that a try.  I know this is not a new idea. There are official methodologies and software solutions for this if you want to go down that rabbit hole, but this is a simple solution for a common problem without over-engineering it.

 

Which, you and I could stand more of, no?

 

On with the Show!

 

winter-funSection one - Running Tips

 

http://runrunlive.com/winter-fun

 

Voices of reason – the interviews

 

Interviewee -> Roxanne Camirand

 

Wife, mother of three, elementary school principal, marathoner and now Ironman.  I am 5 feet tall, was once tipping the scale at 225pounds only 8 years ago. I was overweight and sedentary all my life.  Then life happened and I decided that I wanted to be around to see my grandchildren grow up.  So I started by losing some weight through changes in my diet and that triggered a series of events that led me to live an active healthy lifestyle and be a role model for my family and my students. All the choices I made in my life led me to where I am today. I do not regret one of them. As if I would not have been unhealthy and obese, I would have never felt the need to change my life so drastically, which in turn, made me who I am today: a wife, a mom, a marathoner and an ironman.

 

Guest Interviewer -> Paula Kiger

 

Paula is a Fitfluential Ambassador and a Charity Miles All Star. She trains with KR Endurance. She worked for almost twenty years for Florida’s State Child Health Insurance Program. She is currently doing freelance work in the communications industry. Her Twitter bio describes her best: wife of one, mom of two, friend of many.

 

Blog/Site: Perspicacity at www.biggreenpen.com

 

Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/biggreenpen

 

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perspicacity/255384144580651?ref=hl

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/biggreenpen

 

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PaulaKiger/posts

 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/biggreenpen/

 

DailyMile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/paulakiger#ref=tophd

 

Fundraising Site for Team in Training (NYC Half March 3/15/15 -- if there's any way to work this one in I would be super grateful because I have to raise what is for  me a load of $$$$):  http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/halfnyc15/pkiger

 

 

 

Bhags-2015

 

Section two – Life Skills

 

http://runrunlive.com/break-your-frame-in-the-new-year

 

Outro

 

Well, my friends that was fun, right?  It’s different for me to be writing and recording for you at home instead of in a hotel or an airplane!  I hope I don’t lose the fun caustic edge I bring when I’m being chased by stress balls out in the world.  We’ll see.

 

Thanks for listening to the second episode in the 4.0 series.  I went back to my website and fixed the Index page so you can see and download all the audio I’ve ever produced.  The Index is a cool Wordpress plugin.  You just tell it which categories to include and it rounds up all the links and puts them on one page.  It’s an alphabetical sort, which isn’t the best but it’s workable. I suppose I could go out and add some meta-data around guests and topics but, ‘nice to have’ doesn’t usually make it to the top of my list!

 

If you have any suggestions, love, hate or any kind of feedback I would love love love the feedback.  Drop a comment on the website on any of these posts, or shoot me an email or drop a note on the RunRunLive FaceBook page or tweet me at CYKTRUSSELL.

 

Especially if there is some running, racing or training question you’d like me to write on for the show.  I kinda sorta feel like it’s all been discussed but I don’t mind repeating stuff you’re interested in.

 

The big, big, news this week is that I’m not crazy! Well, not totally crazy.  The Cardiologist found a bug in my heart.  They think I have exercise induced arrhythmia.  That’s exactly what I described to them.  Losing power at the end of a workout when I push it.

 

This particular bug, they think is electrical. One of the little electrical conduits in one of my ventricles decide to short out and cause the arrhythmia when I go hard.

 

Oddly I see this as excellent news because it exactly maps to what I’ve been experiencing.  It means I’m not crazy and I do know my machine.  I picked it up as an athlete where they wouldn’t normally.

 

What it is not is a physical abnormality of the heart.  You may hear a lot about ‘athletes’ heart’ where the heart becomes asymmetrically developed – it aint that.  It’s also not a blockage like Dave had.

 

It won’t kill me.  This type of thing isn’t the precursor to a massive heart attack.  It could potentially cause blood pooling a clotting in the ventricle that could lead to stroke if it were to get bad enough or happen chronically.  But the doctor said ‘keep doing what you’re doing, just be smart about it’.

 

How do they treat it?  I’m going to see a specialist in the electro-cardio realm.  They will try to isolate the bad ‘wire’ in the heart muscle and potentially ‘ablate’ it.  Which means cut that wire so it stops doing the funky chicken with my ventricle when I’m training.

 

This week coach has me on a rest week.  He’s such a worrier.  Yeah so I went out and ran 4 hours on the road with my friends, I feel fine!  But I’ll take it.

 

He’s got me doing some bike work and some easy shorter runs.  I set up my old road bike, Fuji-san, on the Trainer out on my porch and put a new cheap tire on the back to take the trainer abuse.  I’ve been watching my way through Marco Polo on Netflix on my trainer rides.  I started watching it because I though the actor was Adrian Greneir from Entourage, but it’s not him, it’s some other pretty boy. I like it.  It’s like a Game of Thrones rip off in Mongolia.  There are naked women and sword fights in every episode.

 

I particularly like the fact that Hollywood is using actual Mongolian and Chinese actors as far as I can tell.  They have a history of just casting any vaguely Asian looking actors and thinking that we don’t know the difference between an ethnic Chinese or a Philippino or a Korean!

 

My new book MarathonBQ is taking shape nicely.  The editing is progressing apace and I should be able to start promoting it in the New Year.  I’ll be asking you folks for help with that.

 

I’ll be setting up my Boston Marathon campaign training plan soon and with that will come my request for financial support for Team Hoyt.  I found out through them that a friend of theirs Dr. Bryan Lyons will be pushing Rick this year.  I’m going to try to get him on for an interview.

 

I’ve got a couple assignments for you.  First thing is to give something healthy to your local food bank. The challenge here is that they only want packaged foods, which by definition narrows your healthy options.

 

Here’s a couple suggestions.  Buy a bunch of dried beans to donate, or some brown rice.  It’s cheap and healthy.  Or some shelf stable Almond Milk.  Or a jar of almond butter.  Think about it.  Something packaged and healthy. There’s no reason we should be forcing the food pantry people to eat crap.

 

Second assignment is more of a suggestion.  You know all your friends are going to be asking you for donations this year.  Create an annual donation budget.  Maybe for you it’s $100 or maybe you’re one of those lucky people who can set aside $10,000.  Then you can decide how many donations you parse that up into.  Maybe it’s 5 donations of $20.  Then you can donate through the year according to your budget.  Takes the stress out of it.

 

You can see all of this stuff written out in the show notes of the podcast.  It’s all on my website (which needs to be refurbished, I know) at www.runrunlive.com.  I do have an email list but all it does it automatically send you a notice and the show notes when the podcast drops, actually the day after it drops.

 

You can reach me at CYKTRUSSELL at Gmail dot com etc. etc.

 

That’s it for me.  Enjoy your holidays.  Don’t forget to smile.  Smiling makes a great gift.

 

I’ll see you out there in the New Year.

 

Closing comments

RunRunLive 4.0

Episode 4-301, Dave McGillivray and Heart Disease in Runners

(Audio: link) [audio:http://www.RunRunLive.com/PodcastEpisodes/epi4301.mp3]

Link epi4301.mp3

Intro Bumper:

Intro: 

Prelude:

When I started the RunRunLive Podcast in July of 1857 it was a different world.  I know it hasn’t been 150 years but it does seem like a long time ago.  Now here we are at the sharp and dangerous blade edge of another season or edition or chapter – whatever you want to call it.  

I chose the meme of running plus living not to show the dichotomy or separation of the two but to highlight the synergy and union of them.  When you combine endurance sports into your life one plus one equals 3.  

Running has opened up worlds for me.  I like to say it has transformed me, but that isn’t quite the right way to put it.  I wasn’t a 300 pound diabetic asthmatic on the edge of physical extinction.  I was a normal, family guy stuck instead in the corporate grindwheel of modern existence.  

Maybe that’s a form of existential extinction. 

Running didn’t so much transform me as it enabled me to realize my own potential.  It snapped the strictures that tied me down and allowed me to transcend.  It broke my frame of reference and allowed my light to leak out into the world in a new way.  

And that, my friends is what I still want to do.  I want you to come see the light.  We live in a time of great epidemic.  I don’t mean Ebola or Aids.  I mean the epidemic of people not believing in themselves, not believing in positive change and not trying because they are constantly being told that they can’t make a difference.  

You can make a difference.  You can make a difference in your own life and in the lives of others by what you do, what you say and how you approach life.  

I can make a difference too, for you, for me and for those tiny humans that I brought into this world. 

Frankly, I don’t care if you run or jog or walk or wriggle like a snake to Elvis love songs.  What concerns me is that you do nothing.  That you think small.  That you feel like you have nothing to give.  That it has all been done.  That you’re not smart enough, not fast enough, not rich enough or not talented enough to make a difference in this world of ours.  What scares me is that you are afraid to try.  

If all you can offer is a smile or a hug then please for God’s sake give it today, give it now, because that is a tremendous gift that is in short supply.  90% of my days go by without either!

What can I give?  What can RunRunLive give?  What small stone can we toss into the shimmering pool of humanity?  What ripples can we make?  

For this version of the Podcast we will continue in mostly the same vein as version 3.  I’ll structure it to fit in to a less-than-one-hour envelope.  I’ll retain the 20+ minute interview with someone who can show us the achievement of honest synergy. 

I’m going to move the running tips segment to the front half of the show and try to make it useful to you.  

Likewise I’ll retain the life skills segment that I think many people like and move that to the back half. 

I’ll keep up the intro and the outro comments.  Not that you care so much about what is going in on my life, but just some context and frame and storytelling to glue it all together.  

I’m not going to drop in any more music, even though I can’t for the life of me understand why some of you apparently hate punk rock and ska…

That’s it, no big changes, just a little shuffling.  

Then why would I pause and take this time to ponder a new format?  This is topic that deserves more ink, but in short, because I believe in the power of introspection.  At some point as we draw into the New Year you should pause for introspection on your life and goals and direction too.  It can ignite an epiphany.  

I reserve the right to change my mind.  I reserve the right to change your mind as well. 

Are you ready to get out there?  

Intro:

Hello, my friends and welcome to the RunRunLive 4.0 podcast.  My name, is Chris, actually Christopher, which, if you want to talk about morphemes, is Greek for Christ Carrier and I’ve missed you.  Seems like ages since we have chatted.  What have I been up to?  There is so much that It’s hard to summarize.  

On the life front I quit my job, left my family and moved to a 50 acre ranch in Pioneer Kansas to raise yaks full time.  It’s a peaceful plot of land amongst the industrial farms straddling Spring Creek.  I got myself 50 head of good breeding yaks.  

The running is good too and I’ve constructed some interesting trails but there aren’t a whole lot of hills.  The professional hit man business was fairly frantic throughout the fall so I spent a lot of time on the road.  Unfortunately, while I was gone the yaks went feral and now I have to be careful because they’ve organized and plot attacks against me when I leave the house. 

It can be startling when you’re lost in the peaceful reverie of a long run and one of those crazed, shaggy-headed beasts comes crashing out of the alfalfa at you.  ‘Yak Attack’ would be a good name for a band.

But – that’s all personal fluff and stuff – you don’t care about that.  

On the running side I’ve just been working on maintaining my base and staying healthy since my 15 minutes of fame at the New York City Marathon.  I tried an experiment a couple weeks ago to see if I could run or more than an hour every day for 7 days straight.  Just to see if I could take the load. 

The runs felt pretty good but my old and angry nemesis the plantar fasciitis flared up by day five and I aborted that flight of fancy.  Kudos to me to be able to set that quest aside and not hurt myself.  I’ve been logging most of my runs in the woods with Buddy the old Wonder Dog.  Including a nice nighttime headlamp run for 1:30 the day after the Thanksgiving snow storm.  I’ve got a good base and I’m not injured. 

We’re going to talk a bit about running in the snow in the first bit of today’s episode. 

Poor Buddy was pretty beat up by that run. He’s definitely slowing down.  He was standing at the top of the stairs looking at them the way I look at them the day after a hard marathon.  He still gets pissed if I don’t take him.  I won’t take him on the road anymore, only the trails, off lease so he can pace himself.  

If the hikers want to yell at me for having him off leash they can bite me.  That dog is 80 years old and still gets after it like a pro.  They should be so lucky when they’re his age. 

The other big adventure I’ve had this fall is around my own advancing decrepitude. 

 I know, it’s all relative, you’re rolling your eyes, here’s this running geek who does back to back marathons in October complaining about fitness and performance. Truth is I haven’t been able to muster a qualifying race since, I think, Boston 2011.  That’s a long time ago.  I’m still; looking for race fitness since taking the 18 months or so off with the plantar fasciitis.  

This fall I’ve taken the time to schedule all my general maintenance and upkeep appointments.  I got a physical, had my bloodwork done and got my eyes checked.  Basically checking the tire pressure and the oil.  Since I’m past the half-century mark my doctor scheduled me for a colonoscopy.  Which is a funny story.  

Meanwhile, I’ve been bugged by my heart rate wigging out on me in long hard efforts so I asked him to set me up with a cardio appointment as well.  Not because anything is overtly wrong, just to make sure.  I don’t want to go out for a run and not come back.  I owe to the yaks.  If the answer is “you’re old” I’m ok with that, I just want to be safe.  Which plays into our interview of Dave McGilivary today about his adventures with heart disease. 

I spent a week ‘prepping’ for the colonoscopy, which is fairly miserable and involves a diet that is antithetical to what I’m used to, then slamming a variety of laxatives in large doses.  They want your colon to be squeaky clean when they go in there with their camera on a stick.  

In the hospital, lying naked on a gurney, waiting for the anesthesiologist, I’m a bit nervous.  My resting heart rate, as you know is normally around 40 beats per minute.  Since I’m nervous I start doing some breathing meditation and it drops to 34-35.  Alarms are going off from the leads they have stuck on me. 

The anesthesiologist does an EKG to make sure I’m not dying.  My heart, they tell me, stops beating for up to 2.5 seconds at a time.  I’m like, ‘yeah, so?’  What do you want it to be?  I can control it by thinking about it.  The colon guy wants to go ahead but the cardiologist on call says ‘no’.  4 days of prep, 3 hours of lying around naked in the hospital with leads stuck on me, and they send me home. 

The irony here is that I was by far the healthiest person in that place.  They’re wheeling in a parade of sick people, but I’m too fucking healthy to get a camera stuck quip my ass.  The world is a crazy place. 

Since then I’ve been to the cardio and had the stress test and echo cardiogram that show there’s nothing wrong with my heart.  I think I have a bit of an arrhythmia in one of my valve when I surge after 40 minutes of running.  That’s what my data shows but they don’t want to see my data.  Their 20 minute stress test was a nice hill workout but hardly long enough to stimulate the symptoms I’m seeing. 

We’ll see what the clowns in this circus think when I go back for my consult before Christmas.  Until that point I’m just going to keep doing what I do.  Every day above ground is sacred.  Every footfall crunching the snow, clutching the ground and driving me forward is a sacred act that I savor. 

On with the show! (feels good to say that again my friends)

Section one - Running tips

Cold and snow running - http://runrunlive.com/snow-ho-ho

Voices of reason – the interviews

Dave McGillivray

Dave McGillivray is a U.S.-based race director, philanthropist, author and athlete. In 1978, he ran across the U.S. to benefit the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.[1] Presently he is race director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and his team at DMSE, Inc. have organized numerous mass participatory fundraising endurance events since he founded it in 1981.

Here are a few of his many career highlights:

In 1978, McGillivray ran across the U.S. from Medford, Oregon to his hometown of Medford, Mass., covering a total distance of 3,452 miles and ending to a standing ovation in Fenway Park. His effort raised thousands of dollars for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Two years later, he ran 1,520 miles from Winter Haven, Fla., to Boston to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, even meeting with President Jimmy Carter at the White House during the run.

In 1982, McGillivray ran the Boston Marathon in 3:14 while blindfolded and being escorted by two guides to raise more than $10,000 for the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Mass.

McGillivray’s many endurance events for charity are legendary, including running 120 miles in 24 hours thru 31 Mass. cities; an 86-story, 1,575-step run up Empire State Building in 13 minutes and 27 seconds; and running, cycling and swimming 1,522 miles thru six New England states while raising $55,000 for the Jimmy Fund.

In 2003, McGillivray created the DMSE Children’s Fitness Foundation to support non-profit organizations that use running to promote physical fitness in children and help solve the epidemic of childhood obesity.

In 2004, McGillivray and a team of veteran marathon runners journeyed across the country following the same path he took in 1978, raising more than $300,000 for five charities benefiting children.

Each year he runs his birthday age in miles, starting when he was 12, and has not missed one yet.  He was born on Aug. 22, 1954 – you can do the math. 

The race director of the Boston Marathon as well as an accomplished runner, McGillivray has run the marathon each year since 1973. For 16 years he ran it with all the other runners and since he began working with the race in 1988 he has run the course afterwards. 

His 2006 book, “The Last Pick”, which he co-wrote with Linda Glass Fechter, chronicles his childhood and career as the last pick for team sports because of his small stature, motivating readers to never underestimate their own ability to set and achieve goals. Order here on Amazon. 

A skilled motivational speaker, McGillivray has displayed his signature ability to engage and inspire listeners to more than 1,600 audiences from corporate executives to high school students.

McGillivray has received numerous awards –  valedictorian at both his high school and college, 2005 Running USA Hall of Champions, 2007 Runner’s World Heroes of Running Award, the 2010 Fleet Feet Lifetime Commitment to Running Award, 2010 Ron Burton Community Service Award, the 2011 Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center's 2011 100 list, and inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2011 and the prestigious "Jimmy Award"  by the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for 30 years of contributing time and expertise to help raise millions for cancer research and treatment. 

McGillivray has logged more than 150,000 miles, most for charity, raising millions for worthy causes.  He’s completed 126 marathons and competed in eight Hawaii Ironman Triathlons. His personal bests?

Marathon: 2:29:58 and for the Ironman: 10:36:42

Section two – Life Skills

Working on the important stuff - http://runrunlive.com/the-efficiency-trap

Outro

And so it goes.  It’s a momentum thing, isn’t it my friends?  If you can start you can keep going and soon repetition becomes habit and habit becomes a body of work.  I have to admit it was hard to get this jump started again – but now that we have it should get easier. 

Just finished the book “Running with the Buffaloes”.  It documents a season of the Colorado University cross country team.  It is the year that Adam Goucher won the NCAA meet beating out Abdi Abdirahman and Bernard Lagat. 

What I found interesting was the training they went through.  These are 20 year old kids, mind you.  They were running 100+ mile weeks, in singles all through the summer leading into the season and held that volume in the 80’s and 90’s right through the season.  As they came into the racing season they layered on a bunch of high quality anaerobic work as well.  

Really shows you what you can get out of your machine if you do the work. On the flip side most of these guys were injured.  Adam made the Olympic trials but ended up having to retire early.  Abdi is still out there and ran the Olympic marathon with Meb in London 2012 – he DNF’ed.  Adam’s wife Kara is still out there too.  She came in 11th to Shalane’s 10th in London.  

It was a good book if you’re a running geek and readable in the sense that it has a real narrative vs just the technical bits. 

I raced the Mill Cities Relay last Sunday with my club and had a great race.  I did a warm up of 2.5 miles at around an 8:05 pace then raced the 9.5 mile leg at a sub 7:30 – which I felt pretty good about.  I don’t race that much anymore so it’s hard to gauge my fitness. 

Next weekend, Dec. 21st Brian and I are putting on the 2nd annual Groton Marathon.  This is a self-supported 26.2 mile run around my home town of Groton Mass.  No big thing just a bunch of us out having a long run and having fun.  You folks are more than welcome to come and run all or part of it with us.  Shoot me note if you’re interested. 

I was going to go down to Atlanta for the Jeff Galloway ½ this weekend but my life is just too busy to pull it off and I’ve been spending too many weekends on the road this fall.  I’m a bit fried.  

I have, believe it or not a cruise coming up in January.  We’ll see how I can navigate that and my training.  I’m going to have to miss my favorite New Year’s Day race – the hangover classic up in Salisbury with its ocean plunge in the Atlantic.  

The ‘How to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 12 weeks’ is in editing.  Thanks for all the inquiries. I’m shooting to get a promotional copy out by the end of the calendar year and you all can help me promote it and then a launch in February.  It’s been fun writing all this down, but challenging as well, because I really don’t have room for more projects in my life! But, I have to follow my own advice and get something done. 

The Groton Marathon will be my 48th marathon.  Currently I’d love to find another race in January or February to be my 49th marathon so I can run Boston this year as my 50th.  It’s got a nice symmetry to it, right?  

As for Boston I got a charity number again and I’ll be running for the Hoyts even though Dick has retired from Boston.  I’m not sure if someone else is going to be pushing Ricky this year or not.  

Those are my plans, as nebulous as they are, for now.  Remember celebrate every day and live in the now because this could very well be as good as it gets.  And I’ll see you out there. 

You can reach me, if you need to, at my website, which is due for an overhall, www.runrunlive.com and on all the social media platforms as cyktrussell.  

Tagline

Chris Russell lives and trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy. Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com. Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com (Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad Runners.

Email me at cyktrussell at mail dot com

Twitter @cyktrussell

All other social media “cyktrussell”