The things I go through in order to give you the most complete information on running; male or female.  When running the SkirtChasers – Raleigh this weekend I thought it would be a perfect time to conduct some research on skirt running so I borrowed a pink skirt from one my a female friends.  Running in a skirt made sense because the race was called SkirtChasers but then when I thought about it, why was I the one wearing a skirt?  I was doing the chasing.  Did I want the men to chase after me?  Of course not, but I did want to get the experience so I can share it with you.  I’m always working.  I also thought maybe I could line up with the women at the start and win $500 first place prize but decided better against starting any controversy.  So I donned a pink skirt and got ready to run a fun 5K.

Although I am a serious runner, I don’t have to take myself seriously.  A fun 5K is not the time to try to attain your PR, it’s all about a good time.  I ran the SkirtChasers to have fun, enjoy the race, and hang out at the great after party.  Honestly, their concept is close to genius.  Women run this race because they like getting free running skirts.  Men like chasing women and attending events that women are at but SkirtChasers takes it one step further; the single men and women wear a sticker to signify their singality (trust me, it’s a word).  How efficient!  However men, if you really want to attract women at this race then wear a skirt.  Preferably pink.  Sometimes exuding confidence just isn’t enough.  At an opportunity like this you have to step up your game a bit and put your confidence out there for everyone to see.  So what did I learn from running in a skirt?  That I’m sexy…well, that and:

You feel less restricted. Although I had bloomers on (I think that’s what they are called) underneath my skirt I honestly did feel less restricted.  My legs were able to make fluid movements without tight shorts restricting them.  I felt like a gazelle.  A fast female gazelle.

You can look pretty while kicking butt. Every male I passed gave me a great boost of confidence.  I could hear them thinking, ‘I can’t believe a guy in a skirt is beating me.’  I assume it is the same feeling for females wearing a skirt passing a male.  I wouldn’t know though, it’s never happened to me.

You don’t lose speed. Even though I was running this race for fun and didn’t keep time for myself I still ran it fast.  Even when running in a skirt I can’t give anything less than my best when I get out on the race course, no matter what I tell myself prior.  The skirt held up fine, not slowing me down one bit.  It may have even helped me run quicker.  Women are always getting unfair advantages.

Make sure you get the right size. When passing some of the females I did see some that had skirts that were too small.  How could I tell?  Well, when they bounced you could see their lower bum.  Trust me fellas, I’m very conflicted giving out this piece of advice but I’m just an honest guy…even when it hurts.

It was cooler. I did really enjoy the breeze it gave, keeping my overall body cooler.  If you feel cooler, you’re going to run cooler.  It’s simple math.

Overall, I suggest women try running in skirts.  And no, I do not plan on wearing running skirts from now on.  Although I did buy some pretty sweet running kilts today!

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!  I have a sister-in-law who is 4 months pregnant and a good friend’s wife who just gave birth to a baby girl.  Both of these women were very active runners, completing marathons and halves, before being pregnant.  I wanted to know how they felt being pregnant effected their running, what their doctors told them about running pregnant, and how difficult it was to not be able to do something that you love such as running.   Here are some tips they gave me to pregnant runners:

1.  Don’t Over Exert: Be very careful when running pregnant not to overexert yourself.  When your pregnant you’re body exerts about 30% more energy than normal when in a rest state, thus you will have less energy when you go running.  Fatigue often sets in after you have exerted yourself so carefully monitor yourself while running.  Be prepared not to perform the same as your non-pregnant levels and try not to push yourself too hard.

2.  Support Your Breasts: I’m a big supporter of breasts; pregnant women should be too.  During pregnancy the breasts become larger and more tender.  Pregnant women should try to wear softer nursing bras or athletic sports bras for the extra support.  Come on guys, be like a bra, support the pregnant women you know!

3.  Short Sprints: Try short sprints instead of running long distances.  This can give you a good cardiovascular work-out while also giving you the need for speed.  Not to mention tracks usually have bathrooms close to them.  Perfect for a pregnant women!

4.  Pile on the Calories: Your not just eating for two, you are eating for a runner and a soon-to-be runner!  Give you and the little runners in your belly the extra calories you two need.

5.  Center of Gravity: Once your body starts changing your center of gravity and balance will change.  Try to run on flat surfaces as much as possible.  Falling will not injury your child but falling is falling; the end result is usually not good.  Unless you are falling in love.  Wait, you’re pregnant.  You should have already fallen in love.  If not, hurry up and do it!  You don’t have much time left!

6.  Maintain: If you are a runner before pregnancy it is fine to continue running as long as you monitor yourself, knowing that you will not be setting new PRs during your pregnancy.  If you didn’t run before being pregnant then this is not the time to start.  Wait until you give birth then you’ll have plenty of time to start running!

I’m not a pregnant runner, but the fact they are doing it, I respect that.  Please add any tips the pregnant runners I know may have missed.  It’s all about spreading information and incresing the population.  We all need all the hands on the farm we can get in an economy like this!

It’s time to start running for someone other than yourself, by running the 2009 Komen Atlanta Race for the Cure.  All funds for this 5K run/walk and 1 mile walk, on May 9th at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, are put toward enabling women to detect breast cancer.  The race is also a celebration of breast cancer survivors and an opportunity to remember those who were lost to this terrible disease.  Run this race and dedicate it to your mother, sister, co-worker, or friend.  You can run for your own life or run for the future.  The Susan G. Komen race series is the world’s largest and most successful education and fund raising event for cancer.  What a fantastic way to help a great cause than by doing something that you love, running.  Anyone can participate, the race FAQs even asks the questions, “What if we are not serious runners?”  Just like seriousrunning.com, all types of runners from serious ones to walkers are encouraged to participate; however, they do ask that walkers line up in the back at the start line.  Here at seriousrunning.com we allow slower runners to line up shoulder to shoulder with elite athletes!  Those with slower Internet connections are asked line up in the back though.  Thank you.

You need to register now so you can start raising money from your supporters.  They have many ways for you to contact your friends and family to support your running and this great cause.  Once you are registered you can go on the Susan B. Komen Race Center to help you get the word out.  Here you can personalize your page, keep your address book, send emails, and track your progress.  You can even let your friends on Facebook know that you are running for this great cause.  They make it easy to ask for donations or sponsors!  Currently the race has achieved 72% of its goal of 1.8 million dollars raised. You have until May 5th to submit your donation so get your good karma now and join the team!

Online registration closes Tuesday May 5th at 5 pm.  If you are a procrastinator then you can register on race day at 6:45 in front of Rosa Mexicano for 35 dollars.  After you register at 6:45 attend the survivor’s breakfast at 7:30, then the 1 mile walk starts at 7:45.  At 8:30 the 5K run/walk starts.  Soon after at 8:45 the Jazzercise and Aerobic Cool-Down starts.  At 8:50 the last person who considers themselves a serious runner crosses the 5K finish line.  At 9:15 the most serious runners get their awards at the awards ceremony.  Also, serious fundraisers will be recognized.  Lastly at 9:40 there will be a survivor recognition ceremony and photos.  This race may sound serious but it is all about having fun and raising money for a great cause.  After all of those festivities hang out at Atlantic Station for the day to enjoy some shopping, good eats, or take in a movie.  Better yet, go bowling and keep your muscles loose!

Also, wish you’re mother a Happy Mother’s Day on race day and be a day early.  Happy Mother’s Day Mom!  I love you!  That’s the best way to get it done without forgetting.

After many different versions of Nike’s Air Pegasus running shoes I decided to see if there was another running shoe out there for me.  I had recently moved which changed the surfaces that I regularly ran on.  I needed to find a new shoe with the same comfort but with a little more stability to prevent injury.  I went to a running shoe store that allowed me to try multiple pairs of shoes, all at the same price, by running about a mile in each pair.  I ended up finding that the Brooks Adrenaline GTS was the best fit for me by far.  I honestly had never tried on a pair of Brooks running shoes before, sticking to my trusty New Balance and Nike brands, but I have to admit, my Brooks shoes have lasted the longest and have given me the least amount of aches and pains from running.  I love them.  Plus, I can tell I’m SO much faster in them.

Brooks Sports, Inc., based in Bothell, Washington and was founded in 1914.  Now it is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.  Berkshire Hathaway is run by Warren Buffet who’s business strategy throughout the years has been to invest in undervalued, quality companies for the long-term.  Based on his investing record, if Warren likes it, the company must be good.  Brooks’ footwear is designed to produce a running shoe that is both comfortable and helps to prevent running-related injuries. From the Brooks website, Brooks Sports mission is to “inspire everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster.”  I guess this is where Kayne West got the idea for his song, “Stronger.”  I thought Puff Daddy was the one that ran a marathon?  Who knows.

At any rate, Brook’s newest innovative gear is the Brooks Trance 8.  Brooks Trance 8 is the first shoe made with a biodegradable midsole which breaks down in landfills 50 times faster than normal running shoes.  Normal running shoes take an average of 1000 years to biodegrade in a landfill in comparison to the Brooks Trance 8 which takes approximately 20 years to biodegrade.  Brooks estimates that by manufacturing this biodegradable shoe alone will account for a decrease our landfills by 30 million pounds in the next 20 years.  If just one type of shoe can account for that much waste, wouldn’t it be great if more products to be made with this innovative material and biodegrade quicker?  Of course, and Brooks Sports, Inc. agrees.  Brooks has made this new product an “open source” innovation, vowing that they will share this new product to any company, including competing shoe manufactures.  Now that’s a commitment to the environment.

After you buy your new pair of running shoes think twice about throwing away your old pair.  Please consider to continue to use them for other purposes or better yet, give them away to someone that needs them more.  Remember, those shoes have a life expentancy of 1000 years!

The Nike Women’s Marathon has been on my race wishlist for a while, but after hearing about how Nike treated the fastest runner of this year’s race I’m not as excited about my entry fees going to Nike.  FitSugar writes about this Cinderella Story of the winner of the race.  The fastest runner, Arien O’Connell, a fifth grade teacher from NYC blew away the competition and didn’t even know it.  She completed the hilly San Francisco marathon in 2:55:11, beating her previous PR time by a whopping 12 minutes.

Unfortunately, O’Connell was not registered as an “elite” runner and did not compete in the elite’s race so originally could not be considered the winner of the race even though she had the fastest time by an 11 minute margin.  O’connell surprised herself at the time she was able to run and never considered herself an elite runner, but shame on Nike for not recognizing this amazing feat because of a technicality in the rules.

Just yesterday Nike issued a press release recognizing their mistake and declaring O’Connell a winner of the Nike Women’s Marathon:

Nike is announcing today that it recognizes Arien O’Connell as a winner in last weekend’s Nike Women’s Marathon completing the full race in 2:55:11. She shattered her previous time and achieved an amazing accomplishment.

Arien will receive the same recognition and prize, including a Tiffany & Co. trophy, the full marathon elite group winner received. Arien was unfortunately not immediately recognized as a race winner because she did not start the race with the elite running group, which is required by USATF standards. Because of their earlier start time, the runners in the elite group had no knowledge of the outstanding race Arien was running and could not adjust their strategies accordingly.

Learning from the unique experience in this year’s race, Nike has decided today to eliminate the elite running group from future Nike Women’s Marathons. Next year, all runners will run in the same group and all will be eligible to win.

Nike has a proven track record of supporting athletes and we’re proud to be able to honor Arien and other athletes who surpass their goals and achieve great accomplishments.

Elite or not, O’Connell and all the other women participants did a great job finishing the women’s marathon.  The finisher’s necklace by Tiffany, massages, and post-race celebration were certainly well deserved.  Keep running ladies, you’re all winners in my book!