We are past the Ides of March people, but Saint Patrick’s Day is going to be on the same night we run, so there are a couple of things that you need to know. 1-      There is going to be a pub crawl at 5 Points in East Nashville tomorrow night. This means that parking may be bad, and definitely that 3 Crow Bar is going to be absolutely packed out with people by the time we finish running. We will discuss alternative options Wednesday night before the run on what our post-game will look like.

2-      Wednesday night’s run is # 11 , the Church Run of East Nasty. We are doing it to honor St. Patrick for banishing all the snakes out of Ireland (look it up!), and because we ran #10 last week. It is a great run for new runners as well, because you can cut off your run at 2 miles. There should be a pretty big group this week because of the time change and because the weather is supposed to be nice!

3-      We are compiling video footage for a special project on what East Nasty means to you. So come ready to say a couple of sentences of why you enjoy running with our little community.

4-      You should probably wear green.

Join us at the East Nasty water stop tomorrow morning! Water Stop

Thanks to all who came out to rock it! And way to go all you runners who tore up the course!

Sunday Morning Training.

We are moving to Centennial Park.  The runs will still begin at 9 a.m. but for the next three weeks we will be running portions of the 1/2 marathon course.  This week we are running the first 8 1/2 miles.  Now of course the 1/2 marathon does not finish in Centennial Park, so after you pass Belmont you need to work your way through Vanderbilt back to the park.  Check out the map here.

Hey East Nasties, would you like the chance to train for the Country Music 1/2 Marathon while raising money to fight hunger and create a more sustainable food system? Manna-Food Security Partners (Manna-FSP) is a non-profit that works to end hunger and build a healthy, just and sustainable food system. Each day, we are working in Nashville to address the root causes of hunger and food-insecurity. Come train with us!!!We are offering runners who train with Manna-FSP a regimen, a fun team to run with (the "Farm to Fork to Finish Line" team), some swag and a pre-race carbo-loading dinner. There is no cost, but we do ask runners to help us by getting your friends, co-workers and/or family members to sponsor you. And in return, you get the team, the swag, a lot of pasta and the knowledge that you are supporting an organization that promotes healthy food options for all Nashvillians.

Please visit foodsecuritypartners.org and mannanashville.org for more information on our work. To join Farm to Fork to Finish Line, please email Miriam Leibowitz at miriam@foodsecuritypartners.org.

Thanks ahead of time!

Brian Zralek

This week is a busy one for East Nasty...

Wednesday Stuff

Run #10.  It might be raining, but it's going to be close to 60 degrees, so I'll take it!  For you new runners, click on the map on the side panel to get acquainted with the route.  Only 2 more runs until #12..."nasty" - get excited!

Remember to keep checking off your Lightning-100 64 mile club.  Bring it with you on April 7.

By the way, for you folks that are still lost in East Nashville, just remember that we start and finish at 11th and Holly.  We try to make sure no one gets left behind, but if you are running and feeling a little bit turned around, just remember: sooner or later you need to end up at that intersection.  And...the streets are numbered consecutively, starting with 1st by the river, and ending with 20th by Shelby Park.   Maybe that will help a little...

Finally, we are really close to patio time at 3 Crow.   Start bringing a change of clothes and some cash!

Saturday

Tom King (or as Andy Moss says "Don King") 1/2 Marathon.  You have two choices:

1) Run in the 1/2 marathon or 5k wearing your East Nasty shirt.  (Iron ons are okay if you don't have a shirt)

or

2) Be at the East Nasty/Fleet Feet water stop at 9:00 a.m.  One main goal of East Nasty is to give back to our community.  Helping at this water stop is a good way to give back to East Nashville and the running community at large.  Besides it's a blast!  The water stop is located on Davidson under the interstate. Pretty much at 5th and Davidson.  See Drew tomorrow night for more details, or just show up Saturday at 9:00!

Sunday

Our Sunday 1/2 marathon training runs are moving to the CMM course for the next 3 weeks.  We will be starting/finishing in Centennial Park.  This week is 9, 10 or 11 miles.  We will run the first 8ish miles of the course, then cut over Blakemore, turn right on Natchez Trace (right by the Vanderbilt Track) and end back in Centennial.   Advanced runners will then add 2 loops of Centennial to finish with a little over 11.  We will start at 9 a.m.

Odds and Ends

As a coach I get all sorts of emails from companies...mostly propaganda.  But this one was interesting, especially for you anti-corn syrup types.

mark

1/2 Marathon Training - Sunday 9 a.m. Shelby Bottoms By far the most important thing you can do to prepare for a 1/2 marathon is to run long distances.  You can do tons of speed work, lots of yoga, running drills, hard 3 mile runs etc... but if you never do any long runs you are going to have a disappointing 1/2 marathon experience.  (In fact, if you check the training plan, both the intermediate and advanced runners will run more than 13 miles at least once before race day.)

If there was a close second to long runs in order of importance, it would be the long steady state tempo run.  Meaning that you run for 5-10 miles at a medium hard effort (88-90% max heart rate).  This is what we are doing this week.  Take your 3 mile time trial from last week (or a recent 5k race); add 35 seconds per mile.  That is your goal pace for this week's run.  For example, Zach ran 20:49 last week for 3 miles.  That equates to about 6:56 per mile.  So this week he will run about 7:30 pace.

So determine your pace, and after a 1-2 mile warm-up, you will run 4,5,or 6 miles at this pace, and end with a 1-2 mile cool down.  Side note: I understand that the greenway does not simulate the 1/2 marathon course very well, but we do these runs at Shelby because every quarter mile is marked on the path, and it's easy to keep a nice steady effort level.

The best water stop ever...

East Nasty and Fleet Feet are going to be responsible for the 12 mile water stop for the Tom King 1/2 marathon on March 12 ..er.. I mean March 13th.  Thanks to the Jones Brothers, this could be the best water stop in the history of mankind.   The water stop is located on Davidson under the Interstate, and the lead runners should be getting there at about 9:30.

More details coming this week...right now all you need to know is:  1) if you are running Tom King, wear your East Nasty gear and prepare to be overwhelmed or 2) be at the water stop  if you are not running and help support the Nasties!

See you on Sunday!

Mark

Couple of reminders... #1) Keep filling out your Lightning 100 64 mile cards.  I'm sure some of you are already finished!  If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask someone tomorrow night.

#2) First East Nasty fielded a team for the Bourbon Chase Relay, and now a bunch of nasties are heading to the warrior dash.  If you are interested, email Hunter Lane (mlane52@yahoo.com), looks pretty darn fun.

#3) Thursday night workouts.  Don't forget to join Chuck for some great training on Thursday nights.  Wednesdays are fun, Thursdays make you fast!  6 p.m. Shelby Park.

#4) The Sipper Club.

See you tomorrow for Run #9.

Sunday, February 28 9 a.m.  Shelby Park Our long runs turn back to Shelby Bottoms.  This Sunday is our second 3-mile time trial giving us a reassessment of our fitness, and another training benchmark. Provided it doesn't snow again, we will take our 3 mile time trial, add 35 seconds per mile, and then do a tempo run at that pace next week.

We will all run 3 miles straight out the greenway, then 3 miles straight back in for our TT.  (Note:  this is not how you warm up for a 5k.)  Add 1-3 miles on to cool down, then join us for brunch!

Shirts

Sunday will be the very last day to order East Nasty CMM 1/2 Shirts.

See you on Sunday.

Mark

Shirts! Drew will be taking order tomorrow and Sunday.  Then that's it!  This year's shirt will be a charcoal grey short sleeve nike dry fit.  East Nasty on the front (of course) and CMM 2010 on the back.  We are looking at about $15 per shirt.  Drew has a size run of shirts for you to try if you are unsure of your size...

KIPP

The KIPP track team is going strong with former ENOW's Stoner, Jenny Dew and Jay Tift helping out with the coaching duties.  But KIPP Academy's academics is getting some local press as well.  NPR did a story on charter school teachers and interviewed KIPP's 5th grade English teacher, Mindie Norman.  Check out the interview here.

The Sipper Club

As I have gotten older, happy hours are much more appealing.  Remember when you wouldn't even go out and meet your friends until 10:00??  Now 10 p.m. is a good 45 minutes past my bedtime, so grabbing a drink with friends at say...6 is much more my speed.  Luckily Noell and Lanie have just the club for folks like me...  The Sipper Club.  Check out their website often, because as the weather gets better, it will become a patio-hopping happy hour.  Right now it will happen exclusively at smoke free establishments!

Run #8

Rick's Market...coldest beer in town.

Mark

No time to blog, get your butt outside.  Right now.  Today is the most beautiful day of 2010. Tomorrow morning, 9 a.m. at Percy Warner Park.

Mark

The first annual East Nasty Karaoke night. No explanation needed...just directions.

Where:  Hugh Mundy's place.  1921 19th Avenue South.

When: Friday, February 18.  8:00.  (This gives you folks from the Melrose a chance to get all warmed up...)

Who:  Any and all East Nasties.  Come join the fun, and see what your fellow runners look like in regular clothes!

P.S.  Just like at Robert's Western Wear, there will be a tip jar.  But all the money goes to the KIPP track team.

BYOB and bring a friend.  See you there!

MG 64 So Lightning 100 has teamed up with MG 64 for a new contest... Someone from L100 will be at the runs on Wednesdays to sign you up if you are interested. Read below:

Join Lightning 100 and Team Green Adventures' 64 Mile Club: Run 64 miles 
before the Country Music Marathon & Half-Marathon and you are eligible 
to win prizes. Register to be a 64 Mile Club member by coming over to 
the Three Crow Bar after every East Nasty run Wednesday nights. All 
participants receive a free 64 Mile Club American Apparel t-shirt and a 
64 Mile Club card to log your miles. Simply log your miles then bring 
your completed card to our Kick-off prize Party Friday, April 9 at 
Buffalo Wild Wings, Nashville West, from 6-9pm to win some fantastic 
prizes including free entries into the Country Music Marathon & 
Half-Marathon, gift certificates to outfitters, concert tickets, and 
much more! All participants (21 years & older) are eligible for prizes 
no matter how many miles are logged. For more details, email 
TeamGreen@wrlt.com

T-shirts

Over the next two weeks we will be ordering the 2010 East Nasty 1/2 marathon shirts!  Drew found us a fantastic deal, so we will be getting nike dry fit shirts for about $15 a piece.  The shirts will be ordered on March 1, so you have until then to place your order!   Drew will have shirts available to try on for the next two weeks...so no excuses if you miss the cut off!

Run #7

We've been having a lot of newcomers...two things:

If you are new, bring a change of clothes, some $$$, and join us at 3 Crow for a post-run beverage.  Who knows, maybe you'll be hosting a Sunday morning brunch before you know it...

For you long-timers, find someone who looks lost and make sure that they are welcome!

See you tomorrow.

Mark

Sunday February 14.  9 a.m. Percy Warner Park Tomorrow our Sunday run will once again be at Percy Warner park.  If you came last week, I'm sure you noticed the vast difference in the terrain between PWP and Shelby Park.  Hill running is important not just because the 1/2 marathon course is hilly, but it develops running specific strength (sorry gym rats, but doing squats doesn't do much to make you a better runner), and it helps improve your running mechanics.  There are lots of different types of hill workouts, but just adding rolling hills to your long runs is a great way to start.  For those of you who are new to rolling terrain, here are the two main hill running tips:

1) Slow Down.  When you hit a hill you want to try and maintain the same effort level, not the same pace.  You don't want every hill to be an anaerobic effort. Keeping your effort level constant, you will be able to get right back on pace when you hit the top of the hill.  (By the way, this is the best way to race as well - keep your effort level steady and adjust your pace when you hit hills.)

2) Short quick steps.  Short steps will help conserve energy when you are going up the hill, and it will reduce impact when you are going down the hill.   This is especially true the steeper the hill gets. Not to mention that when you are running trails, short steps help your footing as well.

Helpful cold, wet weather non-running tips.

1) Take off wet clothes as soon as possible.  You especially need to have a dry layer next to your skin.  So throw a change of clothes into your car for Sundays and Wednesdays.

2) Have a plastic bag for your shoes.  This is just so your car doesn't get muddy.  But remember to take your shoes out of the bag when you get home!

3) Have something to eat and drink right after you run.  It is important to get fluids and calories into you body as soon as possible after you run.  Try to get 200-400 calories into you body within 30 minutes of finishing your run.  Then stuff your face at brunch 90 minutes later!

See you tomorrow!

Mark