Update: Move a Million Miles

Reid, blogging at Life Strides, is trying to collect a group of blogging runners who would report their miles as a group in support of Ryan Hall (no money involved). If interested, click on over to his blog, Life Strides, and leave a comment.

We also need a lot more runners to sign up for the campaign. The current stats are below but expecting to get 5 miles per day (35 miles per week) from each runner is unrealistic since the current average miles per day per participant is less than 1. Consider clicking on the banner above and joining this effort.

CURRENT MOVE A MILLION MILES STATISTICS:

Total Miles Moved: 201,096
Total Current Participants: 1628
Average Miles per Day per Current Participant: 0.85
Top Group: BBHS Track Team, 8,828 mi.
Total Miles Remaining: 798,904
Number of Days Remaining: 90
Average Miles Remaining per Day: 8,877
Necessary Miles per Day per Current Participant: 5

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Move a Million Miles

I am impressed with Ryan Hall both as a runner and as a person. When I came across the Move a Million Miles project, I knew I had to publicize it here.

Support Ryan Hall’s quest for Olympic Marathon Gold. Join me in supporting Big Bear Lake running hero Ryan Hall's quest for 2008 Olympic Marathon gold. The Lighthouse Project challenges you to help Move a Million Miles before Ryan’s Olympic Marathon this summer in Beijing, China. Through shared pride and support for Ryan, this spirit initiative encourages an engaged and active lifestyle, as well as demonstrates the benefits of integrity, commitment and involvement to our youth.

It's simple to participate. Go to the site, click the "Report Your Miles" tab, and enter your information. Use the same identifying information each week so that your miles accumulate.

I had the best long run in over a month. I ran 11.5 today in 1:34.06.8 (8:08 mpm). Then, we spent the rest of the day at Colonial Williamsburg. Good day.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Did You See It?

I went to see Spirit of the Marathon last night. Except for having to pay $10.00 for the movie (I did get a free bag of popcorn) and going by myself, I'm glad I went. It was an interesting experience being in a theater full of runners watching a movie about running. Well, at least, based on comments and laughter at all the right spots, I assume most of the folks there were runners. Everybody groaned right along with the runners who were profiled.

The movie profiled 6 runners who were preparing to run the 2005 Chicago Marathon. The crowd shots of the marathon itself were something. They aren't unique but vividly showed the size of the running crowd.

PROFILED RUNNERS:

Gerald, 65 years old, gives me hope. At almost 54, though I know I'm not as fast as I was at 16, I'm in far better aerobic shape than I was then. But, I do sometimes wonder how long I can continue running.

Ryan was really intent on qualifying for Boston. I loved his comment to the effect of not having a runner's body. And, his demonstration, on a treadmill, of the difference between an "average" runner's pace and an elite runner's pace was effective.

Leah started running again to help her get her life back together. Though I haven't had the problems she faced, I do think running has helped me keep my sanity in a stressful, every-changing job.

Lori likes running by herself. I enjoy running with others occasionally and there have been times when I really wished for a running partner. But, for the most part, running is my "I-time".

Then there are the professionals. Deena Kastor came across as focused, intense but very down-to-earth. We all hurt with her when she talked about the injury that kept her out of running for several months. Then her race to the finish of the Chicago marathon was great.

I've saved Daniel Njenga for last. Daniel took me "home". Having lived in Kenya for 18 1/2 years, I was instantly transported when he started speaking in that unique accent that is so typical of central Kenyan English speakers. I wanted to shout, "Ndiyo! Sema." Then, when they showed him walking around and running in the Nyahururu area of central Kenya, I could almost smell the smells and feel the mud clinging to my shoes. I don't know, specifically, if Nyahururu has been hit by the violence in Kenya during the last 3 weeks, but it is so typical of those areas. That left me with mixed emotions -- glad to be seeing what felt like home but sad over the plight of so many innocent people who lives have been devastated by the killing and burning that's gone on. Previous blogs on Kenya situation:

Runner's High
Update on Kenya
In the Midst of Chaos and Suffering
Kenya Relief Work
And God Sighed
...and Sighed Again

The movie will be screened again on 21 February 2008 in several locations. Even at $10, I recommend it to runners.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Spirit of the Marathon

This Thursday (24 January) is the release of the documentary, Spirit of the Marathon. I plan to see it at the Short Pump Regal theaters. The write-ups look good.

Started an 11 week training program for the Richmond 10K. It was bitter cold (11°) and I wasn't sure I had the gear for that. So, I went to the YMCA and hit the treadmill, set it at 6.7 mph and ran 5.18 miles (I did the last half mile or so at 8 mph just to get the lead out), the longest I've run continuously on a treadmill.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond