A Dream Inspires - Worldwide Festival of Races

Here's a video created by @SteveChopper taking us through the half marathon course for the Dream Inspires team running 2009 Worldwide Festival of Races in Oxford UK on October 11.

He did a fantastic job with the video and I welcome you to sit back and enjoy the architecture and the excellent route. I'm really looking forward to this run and to meeting other UK runners and podcasters!

I am embedding the video here, but just in case you cant see it, here's a link to his blog.

Run Yank Run 016: Richmond Pt.2

Here's Part 2 of last week's Sunday long run in Richmond park. It was supposed to be an 11-miler, but the run in the park was longer than expected and it ended up 12.

Great run, thanks for hanging in there for part 2!

After that run I got a nasty cold and wasnt able to run all week, AGAIN. Ugh. Well, I know my body can handle the mileage of a half marathon, I just am not putting in the miles I need for fitness, etc.

There's always tomorrow and next week...

Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Featured Song:

"She's Like A British Car" by The Thromboes

Intro/Outro:

"You Start It" by The Monikers

Download Episode 16

Run Yank Run 015: Richmond Pt.1

Well, the long-winded episodes just keep on rolling, with this one hitting 45 minutes. Actually, I cut this one in half - there's lots more of this recording session to come in episode 16!

But let's live in the here and now, shall we? In this episode I take you on my Sunday 11 mile long run to and through Richmond Park. This place is simply amazing! I took a few photos:

It was a fantastic run and I will definitely be going there again. So as I wrote above I recorded WAY more than I could fit into a single episode, so stay tuned for Part 2 in Episode 16!

Thanks everyone for listening, and keep running!

Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Featured Song:

"Island of Misfit Toys" by A Shrunken Ship Irony

Intro/Outro:

"You Start It" by The Monikers

Download Episode 15

Twitter Spam

So SORRY! I guess I am now a twitter spammer.

I switched from Twiike to GWagon and in the process GoWagon tried to send a run update to twitter for every run I have done since 1996!

How embarrasing. Twitter shut me down for an hour. I am more concerned with all the noise I put out there to my twitter friends.

Run Yank Run 014: Long Run

This episode sets the record for the longest Run Yank Run episode to date - 51 minutes of riveting non-stop action!

All of this witty and insightful banter takes place on a 10.5 mile training run through the hills of Decatur and Tucker, Georgia early on a Sunday morning. This was the longest run I have completed since running the ING marathon in March of 2008, so I feel I have turned a corner and am now starting to be a distance runner again!

Pleased to report that other than general muscle soreness, I didn't have any problems with knees, shins, ankles, or anything else, so I think the slow-and-steady buildups of miles and the unnaturally restrained approach is paying off.

During my rest break at mile 6 I was roped into a very strange conversation with a gentleman who just walked up and started talking to me outside the gas station where I was sipping on my Powerade. I chopped this very long conversation down to a few key interactions, since he chatted me up for almost five minutes and covered our families, work history, pet preferences, and exercise habits.

He was actually very friendly and an upbeat person, but I was gasping, sweaty, and "in the zone" so I hope I wasn't being too standoffish!

This was my last run in the US - we are now back in Blighty and it feels great to be home. I will be recording our homecoming episode with highlights of the trip and some impressions on being back.

Thanks everyone for listening, and keep running!

Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Featured Song:

"I Got The Creeps" by Big John Bates

Intro/Outro:

"You Start It" by The Monikers

Download Episode 14

Run Yank Run 013: Costa Rica

This episode was recorded mostly during a very noisy and hilly run in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I was there to visit our office there and to give a presentation on innovation and the merging of technology and creativity (link to photos of the event).

The people in our office were incredible and I had a great time visiting friends and meeting new people I had heard about but never had the chance to meet in person.

I actually went for two runs while I was in CR, but the second run was just as noisy as the first and since this one ends up being about 30 minutes, I will probably create a second episode for that second CR run...

Some lessons on running in Costa Rica:

1. Use the sidewalks
2. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way
3. Most people started driving around 5 years ago or so
4. Dump trucks and diesel vehicles abound - wear a bandana or smog mask
5. the scenery is worth it all
6. the people make it doubly worth it

Now I am in Mobile, Alabama in the US on vacation with my family staying at my father in law's house. We are all sporting beach tans and having a good time.

Hope all are well!

Intro Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Featured Song:

Guitar from a street musician in Costa Rica

Intro/Outro:

"You Start It" by The Monikers

Download Episode 13

Run Yank Run 012: Hot Stuff

Hi everybody, I am finally uploading Episode 12 of Run Yank Run. This one has been a beast to produce - I attempted recordings 4 different times and had to abandon and start over each time. Either the ipod got wet and stopped working, recorded garbage, or whatever.

The big story for this episode is the fact that we are in the US now. The kids did SO well on the flight over and I'm very proud of them. It is strange being back - everything is so very familiar and yet different!

I am making my way through all kinds of junky comfort food that I had been thinking about since our move to the UK. It's a gross list of fast food and junk food and I know I'm not doing myself any favors, but dagnabit it sure tasted good. I am on a food holiday.

On the training front I am sticking acceptably close to my training schedule and even managed to complete the running frequency goal I set in Nike+ (although I had to sneak a few extra/aternate runs in there to make it).

My first longer run was last Sunday morning - I went out early before it got hot and ran 7.5 miles. It felt fantastic and my legs had plenty of reserves. It was humid though and occasionally rained on me, but I didnt care - it was great to get out there and pound some good ole Atlanta hills.

I had to delay this week's long run to Monday for various reasons and after a frantic freeway drive to catch up to my wife and kids to retrieve my passport as they left on their road trip, I only had a 3:00 pm window to run. It was 90 degrees.

My ipod started malfunctioning again - remote button got wet from sweat and starting randomly pausing/resuming Nike+. Add to that I was getting seriously overheated so I cut the run short at 6 miles instead of the 8 I was supposed to do.

Whatever - I got out there and I ran despite the odds, so I'm happy.

I am writing these show notes in the Dallas airport on the way to Costa Rica and plan to record some there as well. I don't want to get podcasters block and plan on releasing episode 13 in short order, just to get the pace of production back up.

Music from the Podsafe Music Network

Featured Song:

"Front Porch" by Pariah Beat

Intro/Outro:

"You Start It" by The Monikers

Download Episode 12