EJN | Level Renner

Thousands Raised for CAF

May. 18 Articles, Get Involved no comments

Pints for Prostheses

On Wednesday night, some local runners hosted a fundraiser benefitting the Challenged Athletes Fund (CAF). There were so many people involved in this great event, some of whom were: Michael and Rebecca Roberston, Thor Kirleis, Lindsay Smith, Meagan Drumm, Emmett Murphy, Lauren Ryba Davides, and EJN. Thor’s wife Heather was responsible for all the great graphic design work (see the banner up above).

According to Michael Robertson, over $3,800 has been raised so far. Between admission ticket sales, raffle tickets and then the silent auction, there were plenty of ways for people to give. The silent auction included items such as Bruins tickets, signed Bruins hockey sticks, entry to the Falmouth Road Race and gift certificates to various stores.

Stephen Currid holds up his prize sheet. He’s the proud owner of a new pair of Skechers.

Through the Level we were able to get prizes from Skechers (shoes) and Fitzgerald PT (AlterG time), along with a special Level prize package (t-shirt, charity promotional opportunity, race entry).

Shane O’Hara made an appearance later, bringing with him some of his Wednesday night Marathon Sports group run crew. It was great to see so many people turn out to help out such a worthy cause. To find out more about the CAF, you can read their response to the Boston bombings here.

We are still accepting donations on our Pints For Prostheses event page, so you can still help make a difference!

Two Big Team USA Additions

May. 17 Articles, Breaking News no comments

Some big news coming up today about two of Level Legion runners who will be representing the USA in a couple of high profile meets this summer.

From Jeannette Faber (BAA):

On Monday a dream of mine came true as I was asked to be a part of the marathon team for this summer’s IAAF World Championship in Moscow. A girl couldn’t ask for better teammates as I’ll make the journey with Dot McMahan and Deena Kastor. Words can’t express how excited I am and eager to dive into the next twelve weeks of intense training. Here we go!

From the WMDP:

A BIG Howl goes out to Wolf Amy Rusiecki for being selected by the USATF to represent the United States of America this summer at the IAU World Trail Championships in Wales on July 6th. We’ll keep you all updated on Amy’s journey as she Respects the Process for the Red, White, and (Powder) Blue.

If you would like to be a supporter of Amy as she represents the USA on the World stage, please contact the Wolfpack.

You may remember Amy from this smash hit video clip:

Amy Rusiecki reppin’ @wmdistproject at the marathon expo. vine.co/v/bF7dju0BPAE

— EJN (@EJN_OnTheLevel) April 13, 2013

How incredible is that? Congrats to both of them on that huge accomplishment. We hope to have more from both of them, both leading up to the race and then after.

Injury Prevention: Footwear & Foot Type

May. 17 Articles, Shoes 2 comments

The Impact of Footwear and Foot Type on Injury Prevention

Guest blog by Matt Phillips, RunnersConnect

footwear “Always Evolve” – one of my favourite valedictions used by esteemed physical therapist and blogger Mike Scott, DPT at the end of posts in his weekly series “Educainment.”

Running has certainly seen some evolution of thought over the last few years, much of it following the publication in May 2009 of Christopher McDougal’s best seller Born To Run, bringing with it bold claims that running barefoot (or wearing something as close as possible to barefoot while protecting you from environmental elements) can strengthen your feet, reduce running injuries, encourage proper running form, and improve performance.

Until then, the only experience many of us had of barefoot running was seeing the South African teenager Zola Budd on our television sets, running barefoot in the women’s 3000 meter race at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Barefoot running

Whilst some runners have praised a transition to barefoot running (along with the typical shift to forefoot striking that barefoot running encourages) as a cure for an injury they were suffering, others have not been so fortunate and have seen it bring the onset of new injury, despite religiously following a slow, progressive transition period.

Clinical tests to date have also produced conflicting results. Barefoot running has been seen to reduce the risk of certain running related injuries, but increase the risk of others. It’s as if what works for some does not necessarily work for others. Sound familiar?

Regardless of personal experience, production of conclusive evidence for the benefits of barefoot running is still an ongoing project.

Minimalistic footwear

The increased profile and interest in barefoot running brought with it demand for less restrictive, less cushioned footwear, with the idea of allowing the foot to move and work in a more natural fashion whilst still providing a certain amount of protection.

As a result, today there is a wide spectrum of minimalistic footwear that, though not as extreme as barefoot style shoes like the Vibram FiveFingers, typically aim to provide less drop (difference between heel height and toe height), less cushioning, a wider toe box (more room for the toes) and more flexibility.

Like barefoot running, conclusive evidence for the benefits of minimalistic footwear is still a work in practice. A 2012 review in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning titled: “Running Barefoot or in Minimalist Shoes: Evidence or Conjecture?” concluded:

“Running barefoot or in minimalist footwear has become a popular trend. Whether this trend is supported by the evidence or conjecture has yet to be determined.”

Traditional footwear

Before any of you take “lack of conclusive evidence” as a reason to dismiss the possible benefits of barefoot running or minimalist shoes, I should point out – and this may come as a shock to you – that there is no evidence either that traditional running shoes can reduce injury or improve running performance.

Yes, you read that right. Though you were maybe told in the sports shop that your cushioned, stability or motion control trainer will help prevent injury, there is no evidence to support it. The problem is, the model that has been used for the last sixty years and more often than not is still used to help you select which trainers suit you is based on, well… not a lot.

Foot types

If you have ever been to a sports shop to buy a pair of running shoes (or have received an “ankle-down” gait analysis), chances are you are familiar with the diagram below, or something very similar. It links three “foot types” (based on the height of the medial arch) with three corresponding types of recommended running shoe:

RC6_FootTypes

The origin of the idea to group feet according to the height of the medial arch is not clear. Ian Griffiths, Director of Sports Podiatry Info Ltd suggests it may stem from a method of assessing footprints devised in 1947 by Colonel Harris and Major Beath as part of an Army foot survey. The first time an image associating medial arch height with shoe type actually appeared in print could have been the 1980 “The Running Shoe Book” by Peter R Cavanagh.

RC6_RunningShoeBook

What we do know is that since 1980, running shoes all over the world have been recommended and sold using the Foot Type model. Selection typically follows an “assessment” (often involving the subject stepping onto a pressure pad or being filmed from the ankle down whilst running) of how much the medial arch drops (referred to in the diagram as “pronation”) or doesn’t drop (“supination”), along with the idea that somewhere in the middle (“neutral”) is normal, healthy and necessary for injury prevention (more on that later).

If the arch of your supporting leg drops “too much”, you are labelled an “overpronator” and assigned a motion-control shoe that will in theory reduce the “overpronation”. If your arch does not drop “enough”, you are said to be an underpronator (or supinator), and assigned a flexible, cushioned shoe to absorb some of the shock thatunderpronator is said to cause.
If you are somewhere in the middle, you are said to have normal pronation and are recommended a “neutral” shoe that in theory provides just the right amount of stability and cushioning. Leaving aside the question of who decides “how much” dropping is normal, it is important at this stage to remind ourselves that both pronation and supination are natural, integral parts of foot biomechanics.

Dr Shawn Allen, Diplomate of American Board of Chiropractic Orthopaedists explains:

“The foot is a biomechanical marvel. 26 bones and 31 joints, working together in concert to provide balance, stability, and locomotion. As we walk or run, the foot is supposed to go through a series of biomechanical changes, so that it can either adapt to the environment or become a rigid lever for propulsion. When these mechanisms fail, problems usually arise. When the heel hits the ground, the arch of the foot is supposed to partially collapse (pronation), so that the foot can adapt to the ground; in this position, it is flexible and “unlocked”. After the weight of the body passes over the foot, the arch is supposed to retract, and the foot becomes more rigid or “locked” (supination), so that you can use it to propel yourself forward. If the foot remains in pronation for too long, or does not supinate correctly, problems will develop over time.”

Problems with assigning shoes according to degree of pronation

So, the running shoe recommendation model is based on the idea that at midstance, just before the full weight of the body passes over the foot, the best position of the subtalar jointis “neutral”, i.e. the foot perpendicular to the horizontal ground.

The argument is that this “neutral” position signifies optimum functioning of the foot, optimum pronation and supination. One problem with this is the fact that the subtalar joint has variable anatomy. In other words, function will vary from person to person, so the ‘optimum’ position to be in will also vary. Ian Griffiths explains:

“Studies have shown that the structural anatomy of the human subtalar joint varies from person to person and it has also been shown that the location of the axis of the joint can and does vary from person to person; this will of course directly influence the magnitude of pronation and supination seen. In light of this sort of evidence it seems odd that there would be an expectation that all individuals could or should function similarly or identically.”

Taking the above into consideration, it should come as no surprise that there is no data or evidence that suggests “neutral” STJ alignment is linked with injury and/or pain free running. One study examined 120 healthy individuals both non weight-bearing and weight-bearing. Not one subject conformed to the criteria of “neutral” alignment.

Is there any evidence that “over-pronation” increases injury?

Almost all studies to date on “over-pronation” have found no evidence that it increases the risk of injury. A 2010 study concluded that the prescription of shoes with elevated cushioned heels and pronation control systems tailored to an individual’s foot type was not evidence based.

Another piece of research suggested the running shoe model was overly simplistic and potentially injurious. In fact, in this research, every ‘overpronated’ runner put into a motion control shoe during a 13 week half marathon training programme reported an injury.

Craig Payne, DipPod MPH, University lecturer and famed Running Research Junkie points out that lack of evidence for linking overpronation to injury may well be down to the methods used to measure pronation:

“The weakness of many of those studies is how they measured “pronation”; for example, some measure calcaneal eversion; some measure navicular drop; some do a footprint analysis; and some use a dynamic 3D kinematic analysis. The problem with that is that someone may be ‘overpronated’ on the measurement of one parameter and not ‘overpronated’ on another parameter.”

A study published this month by Teyhen DS. titled “Impact of Foot Type on Cost of Lower Extremity Injury” set out to determine the relationship between foot type and medical costs associated with lower extremity musculoskeletal injury, using a population of 668 healthy U.S. military healthcare beneficiaries in active military service for at least 18 months of the 31 month study.

It quantified level of pronation using the Foot Posture Index, a measurement of static foot posture that takes into account not one but multiple components that go into “overpronation”, devised by Dr Anthony Redmond, Arthritis Research Campaign Lecturer at the University of Leeds.

Whether static foot posture has much to do with foot posture whilst moving (e.g. running) is a discussion for another day. What the study did show is that of the 336 participants (out of the total 668) who sought medical care for lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, a high percentage (no exact value available at this time) were those who had been listed as “extreme pronated feet” via the Foot Posture Index.

Future research will be needed to help see if degree of pronation via multiple component assessment (e.g. the Foot Posture Index) can be linked to injury. In the meantime, using just one component of “over-pronation” (e.g. medial arch height) to assign suitable footwear will continue to be a game of hit and miss.

Concluding considerations

Is the whole running shoe recommendation model based on misconception?
If it is, what model should be used, if any?
There are certifications out there teaching shop staff how to sell running shoes. What are they based on?
As a result of this debate, some are suggesting that runners should buy trainers based on “comfort” alone. Hard to imagine?

As I see it, just because an injury is present on someone with an “excessive” level of pronation (whatever that is…), it does necessarily mean that the level of pronation is the cause of the injury (correlation vs. causation).

It is imperative to consider and understand the biomechanics of the rest of the body (as well as foot posture) before reaching any conclusions. And even with all of that knowledge, it will still be a daunting task to be able to say “this is the running shoe you need!”

So, what should we base trainer recommendation on? A tricky question that we will consider next week. In the meantime, I am keen to know of your personal experience. What you are currently running in? What made you buy them? Have you managed to reduce injury via a change in footwear? Maybe a change in your footwear has led to an increase in injury? As always, I look forward to your comments!

Happy running!

Matt Phillips is a Run Conditioning Coach, Video Gait Analyst & Sports Massage Therapist with over 20 years experience working within the Health & Fitness Industry. Follow Matt on Twitter. And for more great training, nutrition, maintenance info, check out the RunnersConnect blog.

****UPDATE****

As luck would have it, Colbert interviewed Daniel Lieberman on the subject of barefoot running on last night’s show:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive

Piriformis Syndrome

May. 15 Articles, Maintenance no comments

A Real Pain In The Butt

By Ian Nurse, DC

This past month, as the Boston Marathon training cycle came to a close, more and more runners started coming into my office complaining of the same thing: “So I have this dull ache in my butt! I think it’s my piriformis.” With this sudden spike of a particular injury in mind, I will attempt to answer the following questions: why is everybody talking about the piriformis and where the heck is it?

For such a small muscle, the piriformis seems to get a lot of attention. It does play an important role as a hip stabilizer and an external rotator (bringing your leg out and back), but it doesn’t act alone. There are three other external rotators and stabilizers of the hip that play an equally significant role.

Ian Nurse (BAA, backwards hat) cruises along in the Boston Marathon, courtesy of Scott Mason.

So why does this one little muscle get a whole syndrome named after it? The answer revolves around the piriformis’ proximity to another extremely important structure, the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle and sciatic nerve are close neighbors that even demonstrate various positioning throughout the population. For the majority of the population, the sciatic nerve lies directly beneath the lower edge of the piriformis; others demonstrate a split sciatic nerve lying above and below the piriformis; another small group actually have their sciatic nerves bisect the muscle itself. That said, all four deep external rotators, as well as the gluteus medius muscle, are positioned close enough to the sciatic to cause irritation. Perhaps a more appropriate name might be “deep external rotator syndrome?”

Traditionally, piriformis syndrome is used to describe a condition in which tension within only the piriformis muscle produces entrapment and irritation of sciatic nerve. This entrapment can be caused by numerous soft tissue factors including an excess of scar tissue surrounding the nerve or a muscle imbalance. As the sciatic nerve is one of the largest nerves in the body, comprised of nerve roots from L4-S3, if it becomes entrapped, one can feel a variety of symptoms. Typically, a patient complains of a deep ache in the hip with pain and/or paresthesia (abnormal tingling or sensation) traveling down the back of the thigh and into the calf and foot. Symptoms are often exacerbated when the patient performs squats or stands from a seated position. Clinically, patients notice symptoms more with sitting and during car rides. Repetitive activities such as walking, running, and cycling can become quite uncomfortable as tension over the sciatic builds.

While the positioning of the anatomy plays an important role, there are many avoidable risk factors that contribute to developing this syndrome. As the main hip external rotators are the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, weakness and imbalance within these muscles impede on proper function of the deep hip rotators, thus, causing tension. Wearing improper footwear, running on banked surfaces or slippery surfaces (think of all the snow this past winter) and sitting all day (especially if you have a wallet in your back pocket) are also common causes. Pregnancy, and the resulting relaxation of the pelvic bowl ligaments, is a potential cause, as the deep rotators must now pick up the slack for the ligaments.

As runners, we need to pay attention to the little things within our training that can cause these muscles to get irritated. Replacing your shoes before they become too worn out, avoiding banked surfaces, and strengthening of the hip girdle muscles can make a big difference in avoiding this condition in the first place.

As one can see, while small, these muscles can cause big problems. Thankfully, the most effective form of treatment is a conservative one that involves muscle therapy, stretching, and strengthening. The Myrtle Routine created by Coach Jay Johnson is an important supplement to training that can be performed a few times a week to help avoid any muscle imbalance. In addition, a tennis or lacrosse ball can be a simple and inexpensive means of trigger point therapy helping to break up scar tissue deep in the glute and relax the musculature releasing tension on the sciatic.

While “external rotator syndrome” is, both literally and figuratively, a pain in the butt, when treated correctly, it is not an injury that has to stop you from doing the activities that you love.

This is an excerpt from the latest issue of Level Renner (Issue 14, May/Jun 2013). As always, it’s free, so download it here. Sign up for your free subscription (in the sidebar) and you’ll be alerted each time we publish. Ian Nurse is not only a chiropractor but also a real fast runner. See our Boston Marathon coverage to see how he did.

And The Winner Is…

May. 15 Articles no comments

Last week we posted a contest that would give two lucky winners free entry to the NE Distance Community 5k on May 19th. Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winners:

JP (@penjeff)

Anthony Gonsalves

Congrats to both of them, we’ll see them at the race. If you’re looking to get in a 5k this weekend then you can find more info on it here.

Chia Laguna Half-Marathon Race Recap

May. 14 Articles, Racing no comments

Guest blog by Meagan Nedlo

“That’s the hardest race I’ve ever run of any distance,” said American Meagan Nedlo who finished third in the women’s race in 1:21:02 after walking four times.

View from my morning shakeout.

Yup. This quote, taken from the article linked above, pretty much sums up my experience at the Chia Laguna Half-Marathon. Intellectually, I knew the race would be difficult. I’d ridden a course tour and spoken with quite a few people who warned me of the challenge ahead. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit that a small, stubborn part of me thought: “I’ll show them.” That ‘merican bravado went out the window (or, more accurately, was blown forcefully into the ocean) before the 5k mark. In fact, I remember thinking around 8k that my legs felt more trashed than they’d ever felt at the 8k point of any other race–including an 8k. I honestly questioned my ability to even make it to 10k. Suffice it to say my first international race finish was in jeopardy well before the halfway point.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Race morning, despite not having to toe the starting line (which was located approximately 400 meters from my bed) until 9:30am (“So early!” bemoaned Marcello and the other Italians), I forced myself to put both feet on the floor by 7:00. Thus far, I’d struggled to align my internal clock with the forced time change, so today I wanted to make sure my body was fully awake and ready to go. Within five minutes I was out the door for an easy shakeout jog, solely intended to crack the cobwebs.Already I could tell the conditions were what I’d expected: windy, relatively cool and quite humid. And did I mention windy? After the jog I went to breakfast to grab some water and then headed back to my room just before 8:00. In the courtyard I bumped into Wilson, the Ugandan elite runner. Our exchange went something like this:

Wilson: “Excuse me, do you know what time the race starts?”
Me: “9:30.” Then, jokingly, “So you can probably go back to sleep.”
Wilson, with no irony: “Actually, yes.”

The flags are flying at the finish line! Hoping to find a big, burly Italian man to block the wind for me.

Upon returning to my room I took a hot shower–again, not my standard race morning protocol, but I knew I needed to force my muscles into pliancy–and then busied myself with my normal preparations. Before long it was time to make my way to the starting line on the main road in front of the resort. I was pleasantly surprised to spot Tyler, who had been battling a fever and confined to his bed for the past few days. Originally slated to race the half, I figured he’d either scratch or opt for the 10k. Instead he said he was game to run with me for as long as he could and offered to block the wind on some of the hairiest sections. It was a suggestion I gladly accepted.

Start of the race. Photo credit: Giancarlo Colombo, Chia Laguna Half-Marathon

9:30 came and went, to no surprise. I’ve come to learn that “Italian time”runs on its own matrix. Then, finally, with a flurry of announcements (of which I understood not a word) and the playing of their national anthem, we were off! For the first, mostly flat kilometer, with the wind at our backs and the sun tucked firmly behind a screen of clouds, I felt okay. Tyler matched me stride for stride, but I could tell his breathing was labored. Having barely eaten (or, for that matter, moved) in the past 36 hours, his body was clearly struggling to understand what the hell was going on. By 3k, I could feel him gradually slipping off the pace. Fortunately, however, I’d picked up a new companion, Deborah To n iolo. I’d met Deborah and her husband, fellow half-marathoner Giovanni Ruggiero, earlier in the week and had actually sat next to them at dinner the night before. Giovanni is a former sub-2:10 marathoner and Deborah posted a 2:28 in 2006. Since then, life intervened, and they’d arrived at Chia Laguna with a baby in tow. As Deborah’s first race back, she would just be running the 10k. I knew she would likely pull away as her finish line neared, but I vowed to stay in contact for as long as possible. For the next few kilometers we traded positions, as I powered ahead up the hills and then she charged back into contention on the corresponding downhills. At 5k there was a hairpin turn as the route reversed course, and immediately we were smacked in the face with gale force winds. The next 5k would be some of the most challenging running of my entire life, as I struggled to comprehend the fact that I hadn’t yet completed even 1/4 of the race distance. By 8k Deborah pulled away decisively, and I found myself completely alone and being buffeted around like a dollar store kite.

Cast of characters, the invited runners at yesterday’s press conference: Deborah (#9), Giovanni (#4), Silvia (#14), Wilson (#7), Valeria (#8), Daniele (#1). Not sure who let #12 in.

“I’m going to run 1:25,” I remember thinking incredulously to myself. “No, 1:30.”

And then, it happened. Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot tell a lie: I walked. In the spirit of full disclosure, I walked twice during this uphill stretch. Okay, three times. I am not proud of it, but I feel like I need to put it out there just in case any incriminating photos surface. There were several sections where the grade was so steep, the wind so strong, that I found myself struggling not to hyperventilate. I needed a few seconds to stop, catch my breath, regain my composure and redouble my resolve. I knew if I could just reach the 10k mark at the resort (which was agonizingly close to my own room),everything would be okay. In hindsight, my reasoning process was actually quite humorous. I never once considered dropping out, which is my usual MO when things are going this horribly wrong, but at the same time I didn’t feel particularly guilty about walking, which is a course of action that has never before crossed my mind in the early stages of a race.

Regardless, I pressed on. Passing 10k gave me a much-needed boost, as the crowds were thick and raucous and I heard the announcer saying my name. Also, somehow, improbably, I split roughly 38:10 at the 10k mark. This was the first time I’d looked at my watch since the race started, and I was fearing the worst. Given the fact that I was practically walking (and in several instances, literally walking) up the steepest, windiest sections, I was sure my 10k split would be well over 40 minutes. I had resigned myself to that reality. And yet, somehow, things weren’t quite as horrific as I’d expected. I also spotted Jane Monti near 11k just as I was about to ascend the last brutal hill, who cheered me on and snapped a photo that I will likely burn if I ever see it. Mentally and aerobically I felt better at this point (possibly because I stopped and walked yet again, this time through a water stop), but my legs were trashed, my quads literally quivering as I pounded down the hill just past 11k. Nonetheless, I allowed myself to tentatively consider the possibility of negative splitting the race and finishing under my goal of 1:20. Given that mere minutes earlier I was hoping to simply just finish, this was a marked improvement in the state of affairs.

Okay, I didn’t burn the photo. It’s actually not that bad. Credit: Jane Monti

That being said, I wish I could share some inspiring account of the second half of the race, how I turned on my Maserati turbo engines and rallied to a triumphant finish, but you’ve already seen the result and should know better. To this point I haven’t mentioned the other female half-marathon competitors because, quite simply, we were never in the same race. Valeria, the 2:23 marathoner and Italian national record holder, was clipping along at a pace that put most of the men to shame. Silvia, the Kenyan, was almost five minutes behind her but still several in front of me. And despite my Gallowalking tendencies I didn’t seem to be in danger of being overtaken by whomever was in fourth place. Instead, I fought to maintain contact with the men in my vicinity, particularly from 13k-17k as we ran (yet again) into the wind and (yet again) uphill. We were rewarded with a gradually downhill, wind-aided final 4k, but by that point I simply wasn’t able to capitalize on it. The only thing bolstering my spirits and helping me maintain some semblance of positivity was the support from the other participants. With the course turning back on itself around 16k, this meant that I was passing against a stream of runners coming from the opposite direction. Cheers of “Allez! Allez!” and “Bella!” and “Americana!” and even, from my new buddy Maurizio, “Goooooo, Meagan!” with a vigorous high-five. For a race where I knew virtually no one and didn’t speak a lick of the native language, the support and encouragement I felt was overwhelming. With 2k to go, then 1k, I was practically giddy at the prospect of being done. As I rounded the final bend into the resort and to the slight uphill finish (come on, seriously?) I tried to straighten up and muster a smile as the announcer shouted my name and the crowd cheered. I really didn’t want all the spectators to go home and say, “Boy, did you see that pitiful American girl stumbling toward the finish? She was really dragging ass, huh?”

“Sweet lord, where is the finish line?!” Photo credit: Giancarlo Colombo, Chia Laguna Half-Marathon

I crossed the finish line just as the clock ticked past 1:21, missing my goal time (due in no small part to my ubiquitous walk breaks) but exceedingly, unironically proud of my finish. In fact, though I haven’t raced a half-marathon this slowly in years, I’m actually more pleased with this result than with most of the races I’ve done all spring. Going into the race, everyone warned me that I should expect to add five minutes to whatever I thought my current fitness level to be. Based on the other competitors’ results, I’d say this assessment is pretty accurate. And if that’s the case, then I’m actually in decent shape! Regardless, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete today, and of ultimately not embarrassing my country with a 90 minute finish time. Despite its difficulty, the Chia Laguna Half-Marathon is one of the most beautiful races I’ve ever run and is an experience I’m incredibly fortunate to have been part of. I’m already planning to come back and run–no walking!–again next year, ideally with a marginally better grasp of the Italian language. This trip has truly been a once in a lifetime experience, but I wouldn’t mind turning it into a tradition!

Top 10 women at the awards ceremony. Photo credit: Marco Pilia

Fortunately I remembered to pack the most important post-race recovery items not easily found in Italy: Nuun, peanut butter and Bonk Breaker! Cappuccino optional.

Celebrating at dinner with my new friend and biggest Italian fan, Maurizio!

My post-race treat: a yummy dessert (note the white chocolate spoon) and a glass of wine or six

w/u #1: 10 mins. easy
w/u #2: 15 mins. easy + strides
Target: 21.097k @1:20:xx; top three finish
Actual: 1:21:02, third place female
Results/article
Total: 16-16.5 miles

For more on Meagan’s trip, be sure to check out her blog Green Lightning Running.

Make Tracks For Kids

May. 14 Articles, Get Involved no comments

Connecting for Children and Families will be hosting its 3rd Annual Make Tracks for Kids 5K Race/Walk and Fun Run on June 1, 2013

Join Celebrity Chairman Tony Petrarca, Chief Meteorologist at Channel 12 Eyewitness News, on this USATF certified course that winds through the beautiful campus of Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. All participants will receive a t-shirt and post-event BBQ lunch. There are prizes for the top three men and women finishers, and awards for the top three in each age division.

Proceeds from the race will go to support Connecting for Children and Families (CCF), which is a community-based organization with a mission to improve the quality of family and community life in Woonsocket. Quite a few of the competitors will also be raising money, and if any participant raises $100 or more in donor pledges, the race entry fee is waived. There will be a prize for the individual and team that raises the most money.

Registration is $25 in advance; $30 the day of the event. The Kids 1K Fun Run is $5. Online registration is available at http://ccfcenter.org/special_events.html. For more information, call Lauren Goldenberg at 401-766-338 or email lgoldenberg@ccfcenter.org.

***

Connecting for Children and Families (CCF), located at 46 Hope Street, Woonsocket, is a community-based organization with a mission to improve the quality of family and community life in Woonsocket. CCF offers a wide range of family support initiatives including quality childcare; after-school enrichment; workforce development; parenting education and support; and community safety initiatives.

Once Bitten…

May. 13 Articles 1 comment

Guest blog from Henry Scollard, in a postcard-like presentation style

Greetings from the Cambridge Hospital Emergency Room, Wish You Were Here (Instead of Me).

The mark of the beast…

I chose to sneak a quick run in, when I really should have spent that time getting ready to go out to see my friends.
I saw the couple with the big black dog in front of me, but was oblivious to the fact that they were oblivious to me.
I decided to pass on the left, the same side the dog was on.
I didn’t see any problem with this, despite the fact that this was, is and always will be a BAD IDEA.
I thought that the 2′-0″ of space between the dog and the street sign was more than ample for me to pass through.
I wasn’t fazed a bit when the dog lunged at my thigh, assuming he was sniffing my leg or maybe even giving me a love bump.
I didn’t think he had broken the skin, and so I didn’t ask his mortified owners if his shots were up to date.
I didn’t bother turning back when I noticed, two blocks later, the blood running down my leg.
I took a shower and went out drinking.
I didn’t consider medical treatment until concerned Facebook friends shook some sense into me.
I thanked the Cambridge Hospital cop for his empathy, even though I suspected that the look in his eye said something like “I’ll shoot that thing if you want.”
I wondered why the orderly asked me if I wanted to hurt myself or anybody else.
I did a lot of things that night, and despite knowing better, I did them all wrong.

It wasn’t my first post-workout trip to the Cambridge Hospital Emergency Room, and it most likely will not be my last. Previous visits have seen me:

being restrained by a pair of orderlies while a very large insect was vacuumed out of my throat (it had flown in my open mouth during a run, and refused to budge)
stitched across the chin after successfully converting a minor stumble on the bike path into a major fall
given a full battery of x-rays after a (helmet-less) adventure over the handlebars after being clotheslined by a parking lot chain that I had not seen fit to see. (So bloodied was my face that my neighbor thought it was make-up and seriously asked if I had a part-time gig as a birthday clown.)

I guess you could say I’m an idiot, but at least I’m a lucky idiot, because after all that nonchalance, the worst I have to show is a couple of scars. (Both shaped liked M’s, oddly.) We get too soon old and too late smart, as my grandmother used to say. And there’s nothing but birthdays around the corner. Still, it comforts me to know that the Cambridge Hospital Emergency Room is there for me the next time I try to outrun common sense.

Walking On Fire

May. 13 Articles, Racing 3 comments

“Friends, I normally try to avoid boasting. But when I have material that will surely intimidate possible racing opponents, I like to make it freely known:

“A couple nights ago I walked across hot coals barefoot. Four steps, and I didn’t pussyfoot it either. I walked calmly, like a man. Racing Sleepy Hollow this weekend and I’m calling the New England mountain goats out – I might not be in any kind of shape to race, but I’ll come at you with everything I’ve got.”

- Brandon Newbould, 5/2/13

Brandon ran a 2:25:45 at Boston so it was surprising to see him not only racing again so soon but to be coming out firing like that. Surprising, yes, but also wildly entertaining and the type of stuff we love. A couple of days later I was on the phone with him and after talking about hot coals, he told me what Josh Ferenc had been up to. Josh had blown the doors off the field at the Muddy Moose 14 Miler the previous weekend and it was shaping up to be an epic race at Sleepy Hollow.

Josh ended up winning again at Sleepy Hollow, and two minutes later the chase pack came in (Eric MacKnight, Newbould, Jim Johnson and Todd Callaghan). Not only can these guys run but they can also provide some entertaining material. Here’s a Q&A with Ferenc and Newbould from the days following the race (over email):

How were you feeling going into it?

Josh: I was feeling like a big bag of cuss the whole week leading in, which didn’t do anything helpful for my psyche. I had a nice showing the week before on a 14 mile trail race but wasn’t sure that would translate to a 10k or would make a difference with added competition. I wanted to do well, especially because it is a VT race, and I wanted to live up to the hype of being VT runner of the year by New England Runner mag (not all of the hype is self made). But once I got there I felt scary, like the energies and power of Voltron coming together.

Brandon: I don’t really know, I tried not to think about it. I mean, I wasn’t prepared to race at all, but I was excited to tangle with anyone else dumb enough to put themselves through the mountain series. I’ve never tried to race within a month of a marathon finish before, so this was new territory for me. I took a couple weeks after the race to purify myself with homebrew and saunas, then started running easy through the woods about a week before Sleepy Hollow. The only running I did faster than 8′ pace was some strides mid-week. The marathon training and racing was still fresh in my head even after the break, so I was excited to get into the mountains (where I belong?) for the summer. If I knew what was coming I probably would have experienced more foreboding.

The lead pack charges up the mountain. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Pre-Race: What was the strategy? Was there any particular runner you were especially wary of?

Josh: I was concerned with Jim Johnson because you never know with him. He’ll sandbag you before the race, then be in the mix. Eric MacKnight is also very fast. He won Northfield in a fast time (still not as fast as my average pace… and this course is very similar. Jim proposed leaving Eric home, but I bit the bullet and gave him a ride to the race. Owls kill things and all (99%) are loyal to the brethren of Keene State. Through the grape vine (Jim) I heard Brandon Newbould would be there. He’s always tough and he destroyed my taint at the DHJones 10 miler. He’s from Alaska, so of course he’s tough. He was raised wrestling grizzlies.

Brandon: When I left Alaska to come back East I thought there wouldn’t be any rednecks out here. Then I met Ferenc. I’m comfortable around guys like that, and I thought one way or another that we would have a showdown out there – even though it really looked to me like Ferenc was beaten by Kim Kardashian in a trail race the previous week (look up the results, I’m not lying). Turns out it wasn’t much of a showdown, and I had to deal with a few other guys. I knew Todd Callaghan and JJ would be there. Todd races with the tenacity of a gila monster so I didn’t count him out, and JJ is sort of a wood nymph. That is, he’s a tricky little fella, and he’s dangerous. Mack the Knight showed up race-day, which was financially irresponsible. That struck me as a bold move so I was prepared for a fight with him. Then again he’s my teammate, but then again (again) I knew he would race ferociously. That last part turned out to be downright clairvoyant.

How did the race go?

Josh: I went to the race for two reasons; see some friends and kick some ass. Saw my friends in the parking lot then kicked their asses…haha. It went well but I had to work harder than ever, and I was very fortunate to win. Anytime you can win with tough competition, it means it went well (at the least). I committed to a race plan and executed it nicely. That course favors a runner like me.

Brandon: Have you ever played with porcupines? They have really unexpected range with their tails, that’s why people think they can shoot their quills (they can’t). This race was kind of like messing with a porcupine – I thought I had the upper hand, I was fine, then wham, I got nailed a few times. Mack took it out but I pulled him in on the first climb, then Ferenc got right on my ass and started quietly chanting a mantra. What a creep. I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Maybe it was “es ist ganz einfach,” like the guy in Saving Private Ryan right before he pushes the knife into his opponent. Because then Ferenc sort of gently eased by me (enjoy those pancakes, friend) and I was dead. I like my downhill running fine but it wasn’t there that day. JJ caught me, Todd caught MacKnight, Macknight caught Todd, I caught JJ, Macknight caught me, Gonads & Strife. That was the race up front. Oh, and Ferenc got out of sight on the second climb, turned into the forest and traversed around the mountain back to the course. At least that’s what I figure he did since I don’t know how else the guy put two minutes on all of us.

Ferenc: I love his interpretation of my heavy breathing as a mantra… hahaha. I breath like a fat kid running towards the last Twinkie on Earth (on all my runs). Haha

Post-race: Any lessons learned? What’s next?

Josh: I learned that I’m more fit than I thought I was, Brandon ran a marathon then didn’t leave his couch except to walk on hot coals (which I wish I knew before hand, I wouldn’t have worried as much about him catching me the last mile). The clinking and clanging ain’t change in my pocket but brass balls banging together (glad that sound is back). My race strategy and tactics were almost perfect.

Brandon: I learned that breathing heavily in Vermont is dangerous. After the race we were all hacking like it was an indoor mile in January, then all the next day I was continually alarmed by what I can only describe as vibrantly colored pollen jellyfish coming out of my lungs. I learned that next time Ferenc passes me I should probably trip him, and I learned that this is going to be a great mountain series. JJ ran that race on one leg and still had a good showing, and that precocious youngster MacKnight does not respect his elders. I’m all-in for the mountains this summer and I’m starting to train again now, so this is going to be a lot of fun.

And Christin Doneski reacts to this by just shaking her head and says “boys…”. Okay, I made that last part up, but it seemed like a funny reaction. Had to give her a shout out here since not only was she the first women’s masters runner, but she was the first woman of any age across the line and placed 11th overall. That’s pretty bad ass.

Kirsch on the Mountains

May. 10 Articles no comments

Paul Kirsch is deeply involved in the Mountain/Ultra/Trail (or MUT) running community. Paul serves as both a team manager for the US Mountain Running Team and also the MUT Chair on the USATF-NE board. It’s only natural that we turn to him when looking to get a finger on the pulse of the mountain scene. Road races are all the rage these days, but there’s just something gritty, hard-nosed and olde school about mountain running that the Level finds very appealing. We plan on expanding our scope to cover more of that, and here’s a nice intro to the 2013 mountain running circuit from Paul:

It’s been a tough last month in the running community, especially in New England, where we all know someone who was within 50 or 100 feet of the bomb blast on April 15th. I remember going for a trail run the morning of the 16th with my dogs. What is normally my zen moment of the day, my escape from all that is tough and stressful in the world, had been fouled by the tragic events of the day before. A few heartless people had taken our outlet, our escape and done something that caused us to associate it with sadness and pain and death.

I say all of the above with the perspective of someone who was affected on a minimal level compared to the people who were there in Boston that day. I can only imagine what they are all going through on so many levels.

I’ve continued to have those thoughts all in the back of my head until this past Sunday when I made the early morning drive over to Huntington, VT for the first race in the 2013 USATF New England Mountain Running Circuit. When you live in rural New Hampshire and you drive across NH and VT at 4AM, it’s hard not to be at peace and pretty mellow on the drive. No one is on the road, the scenery is amazing, and you better have a well stocked iPod because Satellite radio only gets reception for about 50% of the time. When I got to Sleepy Hollow Ski and Bike Center in Huntington, I started to see familiar faces and I was reminded again of the amazing feeling of community and all that is right with the world when I am in the midst of my favorite people – the mountain running folks. We come in all shapes, sizes and abilities but we all share a fierce competitive spirit and a good sense of humor, as we voluntarily go up and down mountains for the fun of it. It was the perfect antidote to my feelings of the last 3 weeks.

Leslie O’Dell Beckwith appears to be all smiles at Sleepy Hollow. Courtesy of Scott Mason.

Sleepy Hollow is the perfect way to kick off that beautiful simplicity that is mountain running- a low key race with a focus on a quality course and enough amenities to enjoy it but not so many that the “race” gets lost in the “event” of it all. The race is organized by Kasie Enman and Liz Hollenbach and the GMAA. That’s Kasie Enman as in “2011 World Mountain Running Champion” Kasie Enman, because, in the no-ego world of mountain running, it makes perfect sense that the world champion would follow up her amazing performance in 2011 by organizing a great mountain race for the rest of us.

I look forward to race #2 in the circuit at Wachusett and the rest of the series, surrounded by amazing people, who will remind me throughout the series of the amazing vibe of the mountain running community and everything that is right in the world with runners.

We do have something coming on the Sleepy Hollow race, I swear! Come on Newbould, all eyes are on you. No pressure no pressure no pressure…

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