National Running Day Tomorrow! (GROUP RUN!)

Click on the image above tomorrow to log your miles and help 

Competitor.com reachits goal of 500,000 miles logged.  

No prize, just for fun.  Hope to see all of you at the group run starting at 

6:15 p.m. on Wednesday!  Meeting in the Fresh Market 

parking lot for 3, 4.5, or 6.2 miles. Stay around after for ICE COLD WATERMELON 

brought to you by your friends at GEAUX RUN!!

To All of Our Veterans....THANK YOU!

From all of us at GEAUX RUN, 

THANK YOU for sacrificing so much so that we can enjoy the lives we have today.

New Running App for the iPhone

Check out iMapMyRUN+, now just $1.99 for a limited time! With iMapMyRUN+, you can control your iPod within the app and capture your favorite training moments with our integrated geo-tag photo ability. You can also stay motivated with voice feedback and live-tracking, and do all of this completely ad-free!

For your summer reading list

Looking for a way to avoid doing those summer time chores?  

Love running so much that when you aren't doing it, 

you want to read about someone else who is?

NPR reviewed three popular books about running. 

Click the image for the full article.

Ultrarunner Podcasts

Here's a cool site to find interviews with some of ultrarunning's elites.  Interesting combination of incredible talent and complete humility.  Ultrarunners are a different breed entirely.  Check it out when you get a chance.

Cross Training Even a Walrus Can Do

No particular purpose for this one, guys.  Just made me laugh.  25 second video.  Worth a watch.

Have a great weekend!

Cajun Coyote Registration is OPEN!!!

Y'all come on down Lewzyanna way 'n grab some miles at Chicot State Park:  Dec

3-4, with 100M Solo & 5 Person Relay, 100K Solo and 20M Solo distances.  Visit

us at http://coyotemoonultras.com/cajun-coyote/  Don' dawdle, y'heah?

CajunDip

New Running Record Set - 257 miles in 48 hours

A huge congratulations to Phil McCarthy for his very impressive run this
weekend (May 13) at 3 Days at the Fair in Augusta NJ.  In the 48 hour race Phil came
in with the intention of shooting for the record and achieved it
impressively.  He started out strong and kept an amazing pace for almost the
entire race.  In speaking with him after the race he said he did lay down
for 5-10 minutes at a time 3 or 4 times over the 48 hours but never went to
sleep.

He ran 300 laps on the .8578 mile loop for a total mileage of 257.34
breaking the old record of 247 miles. (Thanks to Rick McNulty of the UltraList)

“People tell me I’m insane,” Phil said. “I don’t try to change their minds. I just run.”

It's HOT people! Some tips to run safely in the summer.

 I'm sure you've noticed that our cool morning runs are disappearing and being replaced by our friends, Heat and Humidity.  It is possible to run safely through the summer months, it just takes a little caution, and some early wake-up calls. Here is some good advice from marathon guru, Jeff Galloway.  Click here for the full article.

• Slow down early – The later you wait to slow down, the more dramatically you’ll slow down at the end and the longer it will take to recover from the run. Walk breaks, early and often, help you lower the exertion level, which conserves resources for the end and reduces heat buildup.
• Wear lighter garments – Loose-fitting clothes allow heat to escape. Don’t wear cotton clothing. Sweat soaks into cotton, causing it to cling to your skin, increasing heat buildup. Several materials will wick the perspiration away from your skin: Coolmax, polypro, etc. As moisture leaves your skin, you receive a cooling effect, and these types of materials are designed for this.
• Pour water over yourself – Up to 70 percent of the heat you can lose goes out through the top of your head so regularly pour water over your hair (even if, like me, you are hair challenged). Regularly pouring water on a light, polypro (or a similar material) singlet or tank top will keep you cooler.
• Drink cold water – Not only does cold water leave the stomach of a runner quicker than any type of fluid, it produces a slight physiological cooling effect – and an even greater psychological cooling effect. But don’t drink too much either.

Running Jargon

Runners can be a strange bunch, and they sometimes seem to have their own language, using terms like fartlek, LSD, PR, and Clydesdale.  Here's a good spot to figure out what the heck they are talking about:

Click the image for definitions.

Upcoming Marathons (Within Driving Distance)

November 13. 2011

Registration Open

20 week training schedule begins July 1st

December 4, 2011

Registration opens June 1, 2011

20 week training schedule begins July 23rd

January 14, 2012

Early registration (for qualifiers) is open, lottery registration opens June 1st.

20 week training schedule begins August 26th

Inaugural year!

Registration is open.

20 week training schedule begins August 26th

March 4, 2012

Registration is open.

20 week training schedule begins October 15th.

If there is another race close by this fall/spring that you are a fan of, please send me a note at geauxrun@gmail.com, and I will be happy to add it to the list!

Run For A Reason

For those of you planning to run the Mardi Gras Marathon next year, 

here's a great way to do that, 

and do something for others at the same time. 

(Click the image for more information.)

The DetermiNation program is the American Cancer Society’s nation of people of all athletic abilities who are determined to end cancer. This powerful and inspiring movement saves lives by enabling you to dedicate your training and participation in marathons, triathlons, cycling races, and other endurance events to a lifesaving effort to fight a disease that has already taken too many lives. With every step taken and every mile conquered,

you are helping create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.rogram is the American Cancer Society’s nation of people of all athletic abilities who are determined to end cancer. This powerful and inspiring movement saves lives by enabling you to dedicate your training and participation in marathons, triathlons, cycling races, and other endurance events to a lifesaving effort to fight a disease that has already taken too many lives. With every step taken and every mile conquered, you are helping create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Some of our local athletes who competed in IM Texas

Dave Suter

Eric Bernard

Mike Reis

Mark Miller

Wendy Blankenship

Jimmy Bienvenu

John Fell

The Miller Family

Hill Repeats Tuesday!

Time to hit the hills!  CRRC is having a group run in Bendel subdivision 

at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.  

You can make it any distance you want, just be sure to BYOB, 

since the water fountain in the 'hood 

is not working.  Hope to see everyone there!

CajunMan Online Registration Now Open!

Here is the latest update from the CajunMan RD, Rusty Bex:


Good Morning!!

I wanted to announce that the 2011 CajunMan Triathlon has opened up online 
registration today (May 22).  You can go to www.lafayettefitness.org and click on 
the CajunMan Triathlon icon on the left hand side of the page or you can go 
directly to Active.com.

Race Date is September 11, 2011.  The race will continue to be a 1/2 mile swim, 
20 mile bike and a 5k run.  This will be the 15th anniversary of the CajunMan 
Triathlon.  So it will be bigger, better and more fun!!  We have a Field Limit 
of 500 and we have sold out the last 10 years.  So please sign up ASAP - the 
race will sell out quickly.

In addition, if you do not want to use the online process for signing up you can 
always sign up at Smoothe Factory.  The address is 125 Arnould Blvd (between 
Brother's and Jason's Deli).  Phone number is 989-7001.

PLEASE send this email to any and all of your triathlon and endurance friends 
and any running or triathlon clubs you are involved with.

Thanks, take care and good training!!

Team Lafayette Rocked Ironman Texas!

A great group of people from the Lafayette area competed in Ironman Texas yesterday.  While the conditions were tough, humid and HOT, everyone pushed themselves beyond their limits.  Congratulations to all of the first time finishers, what an amazing accomplishment!  Also, big Congrats to John Fell and Jimmy Bienvenue for qualifying for Kona!  A special shout out for my friends (and Geaux Run partners), Donald Cleveland and Mark Miller, for a great race.  (And, thanks to Smitty for being such a great crew chief, as usual - if you ever have to do some slightly stupid endeavor such as this, Smitty is the guy you want working behind the scenes for you.  He has helped all of us reach our ridiculous goals many times.  Danke :)

This was my first chance to go out and cheer for all of our friends who were participating, and I was deeply impressed by the amount of heart and hard work that goes into this endeavor.  Whether you finished in 9 hours or 17, you guys are ALL awesome!  Great job!  Pictures will be up soon.

Edie

Running Injuries - Shin Splints

Many athletes get shin splints -- also called tibial stress syndrome -- at one time or another. Whether you jog daily or just had to sprint to catch a bus one day, you may have shin splints when you feel throbbing and aching in your shins. While they often heal on their own, severe shin splints can ruin your game.

Shin splints aren't really a single medical condition. Instead, they're just a symptom of an underlying problem. They might be caused by:

• Irritated and swollen muscles, often caused by overuse.
• Stress fractures, which are tiny, hairline breaks in the lower leg bones.
• Overpronation or ''flat feet" -- when the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.

Shin splints are very common. They're the cause of 13% of all running injuries. Runners might get them after ramping up their workout intensity, or changing the surface they run on -- like shifting from a dirt path to asphalt. 

Click here for the full article from WebMD.

Gadgets That Reward You For Exercising??



"The S2H Replay watch and S2H Step pedometer work like any rewards program: you rack up points and you get free stuff.Only with these, you don't rack up points by spending more or flying more, you earn them by exercising more! For every 60 minutes you exercise, you get a reward code that you can redeem for a gift certificate to a variety of major retailers, including Best Buy and Sears. The creators, frustrated by child and adult obesity rates, came up with the idea as a way to motivate both kids and adults to exercise more. And what better way than with free stuff?! ($19.95)"

Sweet!  With as much as I run, I can get a tv the size of a truck in about two weeks!

K-Swiss - Very Nice!

Met with the K-Swiss rep yesterday.  We are excited about carrying their line. 

 They have some great shoes - something for everyone!

Trail Races Coming Up!

Date:  June 5th, 2011

   Location:  Bogue Chitto State Park in Franklinton, LA 

5 and 10 mile runs, and a 1 mile walk

Benefiting: STARC, a non-profit serving individuals with disabilities

(Click the image for details)

Louisiana Missions Marathon & Ultra

Location: Eddie D.Jones Park, just outside Shreveport, LA

Time: ‎7:30AM Saturday, November 12th

13.1 miles, 26.2 miles, or 50k

The Missions Marathon and Ultra would make a great training run for those of you planning to join us at Cajun Coyote on December 3rd.  Perfect timing for your last long run before your taper!

Here's a taste of how the Coyotes do it:

We’re going for Round Two… We’re still in recovery mode from Two Moon, but anticipate getting this site ready for registration when May slips into history.  As previously advertised, we’ll have 100M (solo and 5 person relay), 100K and 20M options.  Some basic information must be nailed down first (major cost deltas from last year, clearer sense of logistics, e.g.), then we’ll open the doors to the swarming masses.  Heck, we may even throw some skeeter ‘pellant into goodie bags this year.  Announcement will appear on the UltraList and on Oprah’s FB page (?) when Registration opens.  ’Til then, dream of chitlins…



Watch this site for updates on CC.  Hope to see you guys there - it's gonna be a GREAT time!

Store Update!

Just wanted to keep you guys up to date with what's going on.  Things are rolling now.  We are meeting with shoe reps and getting our lines set and orders placed!  We get into the store on the 15th, and hopefully will be able to knock out all of the set up work quickly and open shortly there after.  I'll keep you posted!  Thanks for all of your support so far.  The interest and enthusiasm has been amazing.  We can't go anywhere without someone asking about the store - I LOVE IT! It is great to have such strong support from the Acadiana running community.   

What we will be carrying...Trigger Point Therapy

Every bone has muscle and fascia that surrounds it, and every joint has a muscle and a tendon that support it. Muscles are designed to create and maintain structural integrity in the body through proper force couples and length tension relationships. Structural integrity of the muscles produces proper biomechanics through intra and inter muscular coordination.

The biomechanical chain reaction, beginning with the foot, can take dysfunction from the lower leg all the way up to the quads, hip, IT band and even the lower back. Trigger Point Performance Therapy addresses biomechanical efficiency within the body from the ground up.

Performance Foot and Lower Leg Kit

The Grid Foam Rollers 

For more information on Trigger Point Therapy, click the company logo at the top of this post.

Good Luck IronMen (and Women)

Good luck to all of you who are heading to Texas this week for the IronMan!  What an amazing feat! 

For those of you not familiar with this particular brand of lunacy, it entails:

2.4 mile swim  (2.4 MILES - holy cow!)

112 mile bike

26.2 mile run (Yep, that's a full marathon. 

But after what they've already done at this point, why the heck not?)

For those of you racing, or if you are going to watch the spectacle

and lend your support, look for the Geaux Run/Precision Bikes tent on the course.

We will be out there cheering on all of our fellow lunatics.

Two lunatics in particular I want to mention are two of the partners in Geaux Run:

Mark Miller, also the owner of Precision Bikes, and...

  Donald "Attorney" Cleveland.

Good luck guys!! Have a GREAT race!

Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.

M.C. Escher

Looking for time on the trails?

Hell's Hills - 10K

Saturday, June 4, 8:30 - 11:30

Lincoln Parish Park, Ruston, La

Lincoln Parish Park has an incredible trail system an is home to many off road races throughout the year.

The terrain is a great mix of single track and wide trails with some gnarly climbs and steep downhills.

The weather will be hot and humid, so be ready.

Click the image above for more details.

 

Olympic Gold Medal Marathoner Dies in Kenya

2008 Olympic Marathon Champ, Sammy Wanjiru, died this morning in Kenya. 

Click here for the full story.

Mark Your Calendars! Group Run!

Wednesday, May 18th, 6:00 p.m.

Cajun Road Runners Club Group Run

Fresh Market parking lot, River Ranch

These group runs are continuing to grow, with a large number of runners of all speeds attending. Regardless of your pace, there should be someone there for you to run with.  There are usually 7 minute/milers all the way to 11 min+/milers. This is a great way to visit with local runners and get your workout done

at the same time!  Join us!

Running on Caffeine?

Yet another reason to love your morning cup of coffee...


"Consider drinking a cup of coffee before your next speed workout: Australian scientists gave fit athletes a 300-milligram dose of caffeine one hour before running five sets of 6 x 20-meter sprints. They found that runners who have caffeine sprint faster than those who don't have caffeine. Researchers think the stimulant enhances reaction time and running speed"

For the full article, click here

Monday Morning Inspiraton...Hopefully

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.

It knows it mush outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up.

It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.

It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or the gazelle,

when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

(But, unless you're a runner, you won't understand.)

Abe Gubegna

Ethiopia, circa 1974

CajunMan Registration Now Open


Here's the latest from Rusty Bex about CajunMan:

You can now register for the 2011 version of the CajunMan Triathlon at Smoothie Factory.  Smoothie Factory is located at 125 Arnould Blvd., Lafayette, LA.  ONLINE REGISTRATION will open up May 22. 

The date of this year's event will be September 11.  Please register EARLY as we have sold out the last 10 years or so!!

Why we use Vespa

Vespa is a nutritional supplement I stumbled across about a year and a half ago.  I now use it for all of my long runs (20 miles or over), and sometimes for runs of 2 hours or so.  I have also used it for 50 and 100 mile races, and have been amazed how well it worked for keeping my energy level even, fighting muscle fatique, and curbing my hunger. 

Most of the people who I have introduced to Vespa have had great results.  Something to consider, especially if you have trouble stomaching gels, or don't like to take in too many calories on a run or bike.

Click the image above for a Q & A session with Peter Defty, ultrarunner and rep for Vespa.

Here's something we don't have to worry about...

Tony Krupicka and Scott Jurek posted some pictures of their trail run last week in Boulder, CO. 

 

Mid-May???  Really??  Give me heat and humidity any day.  Beautiful pictures, though.

Update

2,000 hits on the website in a month and a half!!! WOW!  Thanks for visiting with us, folks.  Trying to keep things here interesting (at least things that I find interesting :).  If you stumble across something that you think other running fools might be interested in, send me a note at geauxrun@gmail.com and I'll put it up.  Or, if there is something you are curious about, send that and I will find info on it for you.  I'm good like that.

Things are rolling on the store.  Meeting with my partners Monday (they also happen to be friends, so this is usually done over adult beverages) to hammer out some more details.  Also meeting with a couple of the guys who may be working at the shop. NO SNOBS ALLOWED, folks.  Promise.

Sooo, keep checking out the site.  I try to put something new up daily to keep you on your toes (whether or not they have nails attached).

Have a great weekend, everyone!

GEAUX RUN