January 6 - Brrrr

2010. Is it "twenty-ten" or "two-thousand-ten"?  Either way, a new year is upon us.  Personally, I'm not much of a new year's resolution person, but East Nasty made some resolutions this year!

First, we wanted to create a vision.  It may sound ridiculous for a running group to have a mission statement, but we thought that it would create a good filter through which to make all our decisions.  I encourage you to read "About East Nasty."   You'll notice it's not really a "mission statement" per se,  but I want to highlight the one statement that sums up our vision:

"...we love our neighborhood and strive to be involved in making it a great place to live and run."

East Nashville is already becoming one of the best running neighborhoods, and we are committed to making it better.  And while I hope all of you guys have fun on Wednesdays and Sundays, it's just as important to pass our passion for running along to others.  With that mindset, East Nasty is going to provide several opportunities for you to get involved with the neighborhood this year!

1) KIPP Track Team.  KIPP is a local charter middle school, and is starting a track team.  East Nasty is going to support the team by outfitting their runners.

2) Eastcan.  This organization is one of the best examples of what happens when an individual sees a need in a community and takes action.  This year you will keep seeing the "rescue dog of the week", and we are going to make our dog food drive a yearly event.  And don't you dare go out and buy a dog without talking to Elizabeth first.

3) Water stops.  This year, East Nasty is going to give back to the running community by manning water stops at two races.  And believe me, you don't want to miss an opportunity to hand out  water with the Jones brothers.

4) Tomato Fest 5k.  This is our neighborhood race!  If you do not attend this event Drew Jones will taunt you for life.

5) Girls on the Run.  We would love to find some East Nasties who can become running buddies, or even an assistant coach.  But if you can't do either of those, their culminating race will need runners and/or volunteers.

6) Each Other.   We need each other.  There's no way that we can navigate life without a little help and encouragement from our fellow pilgrims.   Always be ready to lend a hand to the guy running right next to you...even if you just met!

Stay tuned for more details, and we'll see you Wednesday for Run #1.

Mark