Hello East Nasty - Am I the only one who thought today was Monday all day long ? Tomorrow we are running route #6 which is called "riverside" as we run up the big hill to the left and out of shelby park all the way up to Riverside. Please review the route as we will need some NEW pacers out there tomorrow. Trail runs on Sunday are still going strong - we will be meeting at the stone gates in front of percy warner park at 7:00 am again this Sunday. Please see Hunter Lane with any questions you may have about the trails.

Thought of the week  - STAY OUT OFF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Last Wednesday night there were tons of people running 3 or 4 people across the road. There were also runners running out into the middle of the road in front of oncoming traffic. QUIT DISREGARDING THE RULES OF THE ROAD. We are in a situation where if people keep doing these things then East Nasty may be no more. Run on the sidewalk or pick a side of the road and stay there. Thanks so much

What's up East Nasty ? We had a great turnout for the potato to tomato 5k training on Monday night. It is not too late to recommend a friend to join the group. There was a good amount of east nasties out there helping out with the group but they could always use more so come out and join the group and help encourage some beginners to keep moving. Now onto this week's run - we will be running run #4 and this run has a few tricky intersections so as always try to remember to run on the sidewalk or side of the road and always stop to let cars go first.  Please take a look at the route and try to remember it ........ YOU may be asked to be a pace leader.

Upcoming events 

This Saturday June 25th our friends down the hill at the Green Wagon general store are hosting a summer block party from noon - 10:00. There will be local music, local food, local beer and local vendors. If you are looking for a social event this weekend then you are now in the know about what is going on in East Nashville. Check out the link here.

East Tomato 5k race

This year the race will be on Saturday, August 13th @ 7:30 am. This is the homecoming race for East Nasty and chances are over 1000 will be running in the race this year. It is still 2 months away but we want to help make this race a big event as it takes place on our turf. Look here for more information on this race as it gets closer.

Sunday Trail Runs

Our summer trail runs are in full swing - they will meet at 7am, under the stone gates at Percy Warner Park this Sunday.

Thought of the week

Are you a fair weather runner ? I would say that we pretty much get to experience it all here in middle Tennessee. It gets cold here, it storms here on a regular basis, and it definitely gets hot.  Well just in case you did not already know this - God seems to smile on East Nasty. In over 3 years of our existence we have never had to cancel a run due to weather. Now there have been a few times when we had to delay the start a little and there are also some runs that taken place in the rain - but they are rare. Take last week for example - it stormed off and on all day long but right around 5:45 the clouds cleared and it was dry for the next 2 hours. Why do I mention this ?  Well for no reason except letting you know that rain or shine, hot or cold, light or dark -- we will be out there at 6:00 pm getting our run on and you should be there too!!!!

That is all ---- see you tomorrow then ....... East Nasty For Life !!!!!

DREW

For those of us that live in East Nashville, Monday night brought one serious storm!  It came and went in no time at all, but did a crazy amount of damage....You can read all about it and see some pictures here. This means that tomorrow we are going to have to be a little more careful as we run.   There are lots of trees that fell on the sidewalks.  So I'll use this opportunity to remind everybody that we need to follow the rules of the road.  Which means stay on the sidewalk as much as possible,  and never ever run more than 2 wide if you must run in the street.  Wednesday night it is going to be more important than normal that we stay on the sidewalk as much as possible and stay to the side of the road if the sidewalk is impassable.   Our route is Benji, but remember it has been changed a bit.  Check out the route here.

Remember, we also have a couple of other projects in the near future: June 4th the Rebuild Together Nashville house project, The Summer Trial series (more information here) and the Potato to Tomato 5K program (which can be read about here.)

As the summer gets into full swing more newbies might be trying out East Nasty for the first time. So be sure to greet them with a smile and tell them about all we do. And then after the introductions are over, EXPLAIN THE RULES OF RUNNING ON THE ROAD!!!

See you Wednesday

Hello East Nasty -- This will probably shock everyone out there but guess what ? The weather is scheduled to be total crap tomorrow. Well go figure. Two Sundays in a row now we have had the sun shining and the temperature around 50. Then in the blink of an eye, Wednesday is here and its down to the low 20's with snow expected. Make up your mind already mother nature. Well like I said last week - even though the weather is rough outside we will press on. We will be there tomorrow night ready to tackle route #6 at 6:00 PM so come join us if you can.  

The Green Wagon

One thing that I love about East Nashville is the community feel, even within the business community.   Well, the Green Wagon is a local store that once a week, has chosen to give 5% of their proceeds to a local non-profit.  And East Nasty is one of their chosen non-profits!  Read below:

The Green Wagon is a general store which features all natural and sustainable products, 70% of which are made in Tennessee and all are made in the United States. Our vision for the East Nashville Sustainable Community Days is to draw attention and support for non-profits which are helping bring East Nashville toward a sustainable future. East Nasty represents personal/physical sustainability, helping people live healthier, more active lives. East Nashville Cooperative Ministries represents food security in the community, ensuring that everyone has access to quality, healthy food. The Martha O'Bryan Center represents community support and strengthening, providing education and opportunity people living in Cayce Homes, which holds the most extreme poverty and highest crime rate in our community. And finally, Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms represents a healthy outdoor environment in which to spend quality time and learn about the natural world. We want to show that sustainability is about more than just tree-hugging (not that there's anything wrong with that!), it's about improving the quality of life for EVERYONE. Community Days will be held every Wednesday. We'll be rotating through our core four non-profits every month. At the end of the day 5% of total sales will be given to the designated non-profit for that day.

So, the 2nd Wednesday of the month, East Nasty will receive 5% of the total sales for that day!  Johnny and Tara Shields (the owners) want to have all of the nasties over after a run once the weather turns...  But if you have a chance, check out their store.  They are located across the street from Red Door East in an old residential house.

Thought of the Week:

Seeing as how I work in the running shoe industry I get a lot of the same questions asked on a daily basis. The one I get the most when I am out in the running community is " Hey, look at my shoes, do you think it's time for me to get some new ones?  Well the answer is pretty much always yes. People normally hold off a little too long to get new running shoes. That and the fact that running shoe companies on purpose make shoes with materials that don't last long means that if you are asking .. then yes - you need new shoes.  Speaking of shoes, if over your years of running you have  been able to find a particular name brand and model that works for you then here is some advice: stick with that shoe.  You have solved a big piece of the puzzle when you find a good shoe for your foot.  Now of course shoe companies are going to continue to update those models and change them a little each year but the function and fit of the shoe will always remain the same. Why do shoe companies update shoes every year? .. that's right - to make more money. It's the same reason they make shoes that only last about 6 months or about 400 miles .. to make more money.  Here is another pretty easy thing to remember about running shoes, if the shoes you are running in ever celebrate their 1 year birthday .. its time for them to be replaced.  Running is a very simple, and often times a cheap sport but, don't go cheap when it comes to shoes as they are a pretty important piece of equipment.

See you soon nasties ----- ENFL

DREW

ENFL  !!!! That's right - I am starting off the blog with that wonderful chant this week.  For those of you who may have been living under a rock for the past 2 years - those four letters are short for East Nasty For Life.  East Nasty continues to grow each week in both numbers and clout.  Now I may be a little biased but in my opinion East Nasty is the best running group in the continental U.S. and over the next couple of weeks and months you are going to see some proof.  There will be more time for that down the road though. For now lets focus on the present.  Tomorrow we will be running route #5 which takes us into downtown Nashville for a bit and it is a favorite route of many of the nasties.  So please plan on joining us for a run tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. rain or shine.

KIPP donations

We are still collecting clothes for the KIPP track team.  They are looking mainly for clothes the kids can wear during practice. Any clothes that you have for running outside and are willing to donate please bring with you tomorrow night.  They will take anything they can get - shirts, shorts, pants, gloves, socks, sports bras, etc ... - This a great time to clean out your closet anyway so get to it and donate some clothes you never wear anymore.  And yes they are taking cotton clothing as well.

Speed Sessions

Would you like to improve your speed or become a more efficient runner?  Well if you can run 2 mies without stopping then this is just the thing for you.  Fleet Feet Sports has both winter and summer speed session programs.  Starting February 15th, winter speed sessions will begin.  Speed sessions are coached by THE Mark Miller and yours truly, Drew Jones.  Speed sessions last for 10 weeks and consist of interval workouts every Tuesday morning and evening.  Fleet Feet speed sessions has become very popular over the years.  Winter speed sessions are more geared towards those training for a half or full marathon.  However, speed sessions is open to all runners of all levels.  As Mark and I tell people each year, if you come out to speed sessions and do 10 weeks of interval training, it is pretty much impossible to not be a faster runner at the end.  You can sign up for Fleet Feet winter speed sessions at www.fleetfeetnashville.com Please feel free to contact Mark or myself with any questions you may have about speed sessions.

Thought of the week

To go along with last week's thought, which was try to run slower sometimes, my thought this week is this.  Make sure your running is filled with variety.  Runs can be slow, long, short, fast, flat, hilly, roads, trails, or even the occasional treadmill.  Our bodies are very smart.  If you do all your runs at the same place and at the same pace, your fitness level will plateau very quickly.  One of the best things we can do for our bodies as runners is mix it up.  The more our body is guessing, the more fitness gains we can make.  There are many east nasties that run fast every Wednesday.  There are also east nasties that run slow and easy each week.  Our routes change from week to week.  Changing our pace and effort levels we run at each week is a good idea.  In other words, try to change up your running like JP Cowan changes his blazers... plenty of options :-)

See everyone tomorrow night -

Drew

Are you ready for your universe to be tilted?  And not just in a “previously on Lost” kind of way, but in a “you mean to tell me the Konami code works on Facebook?” kind of way… pure awesomeness. Well then, my little duckies.  Mark your calendars – next week will mark the triumphant return of Annie’s East Nasty of the Week profiles!

Why did they disappear in the first place?  Because Annie is a lazy bones, and has been running one time since the half-marathon.  She went 3 miles, and quit halfway up the last hill.  Instead, her evenings have been filled with things like going to the Belcourt by herself, and watching documentaries about the Amish on her laptop, and learning how to cook something called pork butt.

But never fear - Mark Miller has staged an intervention, and is pulling her back into the East Nasty fold.  She does not promise that she can still run more than a mile, and she reserves the right to skip out on nights when the temperature rises above 85 degrees.  To you Fasty Nasties, she says, “Fly - fly like those geese who followed Anna Paquin and Jeff Daniels in their homemade airplanes in the live-action Disney family feature, ‘Fly Away Home,’” and she will bring up the rear.

Not to be confused with pork butt.

So lift up your heads.  Look to the horizon.  Like a phoenix from the ashes, or Jesus from the tomb, or the sun in the east, or Chris Brown’s hand to Rihanna, the ENOW will rise again.

(All this to say… Annie - who, yes, wrote this - will be back next week, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting soul.)