February...

February...Ugh. So we have entered that bleak motivation-draining month of February...

Have you ever noticed how excitement for the new year lasts about a month, and as we enter the second cold month of the year - we begin to get a little sick of running, cold rainy weather, scraping the frost off our cars and having to bundle up every time we go out the door.  If you google "Why February Sucks" you will get about 20,000,000 other reasons why this month is no fun.  In fact, there is a "February Sucks" facebook group that I would join if I was actually on facebook...

To combat this, the East Nasties will be moving the next three Sunday runs to Percy Warner Park!   Many of the groups will run on the trails, others will go on the roads - but either way the trees block much of the wind and weather, making Percy Warner a great place for winter training during the worst month of the year.

Sunday morning, 9 a.m.  meet at the end of Belle Meade blvd at the base of the stone stairs.

Barefoot Running

If you have yet to see a pair of Vibram 5 Finger "shoes" you soon will.  Barefoot running has occupied much of the running community's time and attention as of late.   Personally, I have had my runners do barefoot drills on the grass for years - and we go for 20-30 minute SLOW jogs barefoot in the grass.  But, I have been less convinced that it is a good idea on asphalt.   (In fact one of my best runners ran 60+ miles a week in puma h-Street shoes....and ended up with achilles surgery...Sorry Nick!)

I have no answers, but I did come across a Harvard web site dedicated to the science behind barefoot running.   Educate yourself at this web site and then dive into the conversation!

See you on Sunday!

Mark