Free and Natural Running from Nike

The latest Nike ad probably won’t air on a tv near you. Nike has launched their new Free family of running shoes, which are as light and nonrestrictive as running barefoot, with a short video introducing the Bear Butte Running Camp. Several world class runners participate in the fun. Hattip to Brandfreak.

Southern Village 5K

Photo by John Rees using Chris Slydel’s camera

Today I ran in the Southern Village 5K. It was very hilly 3.1 mile race. The weather was perfect for running. 50 degrees, overcast and no wind. I had one goal for the race, and that was to complete it without stopping. I met that goal.

I ran the race pretty slowly (about 41:30), since I really was not in shape to run a 5K. I used the race as an excuse to run this weekend, as I am training for the Krispy Kreme Challenge. The race was through a residential neighborhood and there were occasional spectators along the route. Since I was in the back of the race, generally running alone, I was able to interact with the fans. I asked several people to take my number and finish the race for me. One small boy asked me why I was running so slow. I told him that some people run fast, and today I was running slow.

UPDATE: According to the race results, I finished 208th out of 226 finishers, and 35th out of 37 finishers in my age bracket.

For a video wrap-up, go to 4 Miles and 12 Donuts, my video blog that the training for the race.

First Donut Training Video Posted

Here is my first donut training video from my Krispy Kreme Challenge Training video blog called 4 Miles and 12 Donuts. It was recorded from an undisclosed location with the help of my capable assistant. Check out the details and statistics over there, and subscribe so you don’t miss any of the training fun.

4 Miles and 12 Donuts Episode 3 from Jeff Cohen on Vimeo.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

I started a video blog that will track my progress as I train for the Krispy Kreme Challenge in February 2009. I am in better shape to eat 12 donuts than I am to run 4 miles, so I will focus my training on running rather than eating donuts.

Krispy Kreme Training Blog Episode 1 from Jeff Cohen on Vimeo.

Here’s a link to my video training blog called 4 Miles and 12 Donuts. I am especially proud of the donut in the address bar. Subscribe while you are there to automagically receive video updates on my progress.

Inspiring Women

This past weekend I volunteered to help with the Ramblin Rose woman’s triathlon. I have friend who is a biker, and he told me they were looking for volunteers. As I am always looking for things to do, I signed up to help. It turned out that he was going out of town that weekend, so I was on my own.

A few days before the race I received an email stating that I needed to be there at EXACTLY 6 am. And, yes, it did have exactly in all caps. Whoa, that’s a bit early on a Sunday morning, but I could manage. I arrived at the appointed time and went to volunteer check-in. The coffee wasn’t there yet. ARRGH! The coffee finally came, but no cups. Double ARRGH! Okay, I was finally checked-in, got some coffee and was ready.

My first assignment was to work in the transition area. This is where the women put their bikes and set up all their stuff. The way the race works is they first line up at the pool for the swim. After the swim, they get their bike and biking gear and hit the road for the ride. They finish the ride, drop off their bike in the transition area, change shoes and head out for a run. The logistics of a wet bathing suit underneath a variety of exercise clothes is the most difficult part of the race.

I have never participated in a triathlon, but I have been in running races. I was always thankful for the volunteers, but was curious why they did it. Why don’t they run I thought. Now I know. Sometimes people just like to help out. And you get a pretty big emotional boost cheering people on who are participating. I signed up to volunteer without knowing anyone in the race. It turned out I saw 4 friends of mine competing.

Anyway, I reported to the transition area in the cold, dark early morning. I didn’t have much to contribute in the way of triathlon or setup knowledge, but I greeted participants and made them feel welcome. I tried to answer questions, or find someone who knew the answers. Sometimes I would refer to the way others were doing things. Eventually, I found something I was qualified to do. I took a picture of a mom with her daughter. The girl was 10 and she was pretty funny. I had to take the picture about 4 times so I could get one with their eyes open. It seems that lots of digital snapshot cameras have strange delays that make it hard for people to know when the picture is actually captured.

At 7:30 I left the transition area and headed to my spot on the bike course. I was standing on the corner of Old Chapel Hill Road and Pope Road (near the Durham Chapel Hill border). My job, along with another volunteer, was to direct the riders to turn right and to provide encouragement. I could look forward to the next 2-3 hours of “Turn right. Great job! Keep it up!” We were supported by a Durham County Deputy Sheriff who directed the traffic at the intersection.

As this was a short triathlon (250 yard pool swim, 9 mi bike, and 2 mi run), there was a wide variety of participants. It certainly showed with our interaction on the bike course. We got several questions from the women up front how far they had to go, was this the halfway point (we didn’t really know). Many of these women did not need encouragement, but they were very appreciative of our volunteering. Overall, we got lots of thank yous from riders.

But it was the women further back in the race that needed cheering on. For many of them it seemed to be their first triathlon, and they didn’t really know what to expect. It was our job to push them on. Give them the mental boost they needed to keep going.

After the last biker passed, I drove back to the finish line of the running race to watch some of the later finishers come in. This was truly inspiring. These women set out to accomplish something when they signed up several months ago. They wanted to complete a triathlon. With all the training behind them, here they were at the end of the race. And you could see the pride in their faces as they crossed the finish line. They had done it. They could add completed a triathlon to their list. Now onto the next goal.