East Nasty is partnering with the ‘PR Bandits’ this summer who are hosting supported long runs on Saturday mornings. This Saturday, June 20th, starting at 6:30am from River Park off of Concord Road. River Park, which is across from the Brentwood Library, is a great starting location to begin running an out and back on the green way system. This route is decently shaded and supported by bathrooms and drinking fountains along the way. Their are routes for mileage of desire!

http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/334629159

Join the PR Bandits Facebook Group for more info, get run invites, and to link up with other runners. Saturday supported runs will usually begin at 6:30am and be held at various favorite running routes across Nashville. You can also email Brian Johnson at brian.m.johnson@me.com if you have any questions.

For the past 4 years, East Nasty has collected used running shoes and found them a new home. This Saturday we are taking your donations to our favorite cause: Potato to Tomato! We give away hundreds of shoes every year, and many of them go to our Potato to Tomato participants. But we need more shoe donations! Please bring your WASHED shoes to tonight's run - 6pm at 11th & Holly. (Please no trail shoes or shoes that have holes or heavy damage to the soles.) If you can't bring your shoes today, contact Bree Roy (brianna.roy@stryker.com) and she will coordinate with you! Thanks!

Being Good Neighbors: Cross Walks

Dear fellow runners, for twelve weeks we’ll be touching on safety related topics including Complete Streets, Vision Zero, running etiquette, problem intersections, rights and responsibilities of crosswalks, Sharing the Road, visibility, being an Ambassador, what to do if there’s an accident, and underlying them all are the laws and enforcement. Our goal is one of education: to continue making East Nashville a great place to live and to run.

We live In a car dominated city where more than half of the people commute from surrounding counties and many of these drivers may not be aware of laws protecting pedestrians in their rushed day.  For example, in other more pedestrian oriented cities, cars immediately yield to peds entering the crosswalks.  Not so much in Nashville.  But the law states that when a pedestrian enters a marked crosswalk, the car must yield if at all possible. This is an important law that is unknown even to many pedestrians.

Now, "if at all possible" is a gray and dangerous line, and no one wants to get hurt teaching a lesson.  But if we, as pedestrians, don't assert our rights in the crosswalks, we continue the cycle of cars neither understanding the laws nor respecting us as valid users of the streets.   Likewise, it is important that when we are driving, we respect pedestrians as well!   Be patient and show others the respect that we presume.

East Nashville is the most walkable residential neighborhood in the city, so let's continue making it better.  Educate your friends about crosswalks, and cautiously assert your rights as a pedestrian.   Be safe: don't assume the cars will obey the law, and remember they must be able to yield.  Call the police about close calls (862-8600), and report even the smallest accidents.  Call your city councilperson if crosswalks are not being obeyed, and see if they can get more signage.   The law is on our side.

Route #12:  The Nasty

6am and/or 6pm at 11th & Holly. This is our signature run. The other 11 routes have been leading up to this one.  Finish this run, and you become a card-carrying member of East Nasty, (I guess "bumper-sticker carrying member" would be more accurate.)

If you are a last nasty, check the Facebook page, because they will probably leave about 5:30 rather than 5:45 this week.

As you probably know by now, we run each route 4 times per year.   Which means that basically we get to experience each run in each season of the year.   Well, this week we get to experience The Nasty in the heat!    You need to do three things: (1) hydrate all week long.  Don't drink a glass of water on your way to the run and expect to be okay...  (2) Carry water with you if you know the route is going to take more than on hour, and (3) Give a sweaty hug to our friends from Lululemon who will be at the top of Mt. Nasty with water!

East Nasty is partnering this summer with the ‘PR Bandits’ who are hosting supported long runs on Saturday mornings. This Saturday’s run (June 13th) starts at 6:30am at Centennial Park and offers 7.5 and 10 mile options. Meet at Centennial in the new parking lot North of the Parthenon. Starting at Centennial Park, we will navigate our way through the Richland-West End neighborhood to McCabe where we will circle on the Richland Creek Green Way and head back. If you're looking for more mileage, our 10 mile route adds a loop around Vanderbilt.

Route maps: 7.5mi - http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/324870011 10mi - http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/723502877

Join the PR Bandits Facebook Group for more info, get run invites, and to link up with other runners. Saturday supported runs will usually begin at 6:30am and be held at various favorite running routes across Nashville. You can also email Brian Johnson at brian.m.johnson@me.com if you have any questions.

Being Good Neighbors

Dear fellow runners, over the next twelve weeks we'll be touching on safety related topics including Complete Streets, Vision Zero, running etiquette, problem intersections, rights and responsibilities of crosswalks, Sharing the Road, visibility, being an Ambassador, what to do if there's an accident, and underlying them all are the laws and enforcement. Our goal is one of education : for everyone in our neighborhood that is sharing our resources.

TCA 55-8-134 (*1) and Nashville ordinance 12.52.020 (*2) gives some of the laws that protect us as weaker users of the roads. Those provisions often takes much effort to put in place and frustrates many that it may inconvenience.

Most of us are ignorant of our laws until it is too late.   So take a moment to familiarize yourself with the laws (1* and 2*), and think about what puts you into the right or wrong.   In an accident, what would you say in your defense? What would the other party? Were they to blame, were you, could they say it was the intersection? What could we do to keep that from happening in the first place? What kind of behavior should we exhibit to be good citizens here, already in the most walkable neighborhood in the city? Let's think about this and more during the next weeks while raising the bar for East Nashville.

Route #11

6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

During CMA fest we avoid downtown and LP field like the plague - but we would love any festival goers to join us for a run!   So if you know anyone coming into town, pass this along, and let's make everyone feel welcome in our group.

Remember, the Lasty Nasties meet at about 5:45 pm.  (The Lasty Nasties form our walk/run group.  So if you aren't quite up to running 4.4 miles without stopping, you may want to join this group.)

Kids 

It's summer time, you want to run, but you're not sure what to do with the kids.   We can't totally solve that dilemma, but on Wednesday nights the Y can help.    You may have noticed that we meet in front of a yellow house on Wednesday nights.   That building is actually owned by the YMCA, and that's where they run a program called ArtEMBRACE.   You can read more about ArtEMBRACE here, but they also do a lot of other great things in the community.   One of those things is that they offer art lessons for kids on Wednesday nights from 6 till 7:30 for $10.    So if you are trying to find a way to run on Wednesday nights, without leaving your kids in front of the TV, here is an option!

If you want more details, knock on the door Wednesday night or email Leslie Gregg at lgregg@ymcamidtn.org.

Looking for weekend long runs? East Nasty is partnering this summer with the 'PR Bandits' who are hosting supported long runs on Saturday mornings.  Runs will usually begin at 6:30am and be held at various favorite running routes across Nashville. This Saturday's run (June 6th) starts at 6:30am at the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center and is an 8 mile out and back (with additional milage available). Join the PR Bandits Facebook Group for more info, get run invites, and to link up with other runners. You can also email Brian Johnson at brian.m.johnson@me.com if you have any questions.

Being Good Neighbors... Do you have any idea what your privileges and responsibilities are as a pedestrian?   If a tree in your yard is blocking a stop sign at an intersection are you responsible?   Are cars supposed to stop at a marked cross walk even if there isn't a signal?

Nashville is both trying to become a pedestrian friendly city and solve its traffic issues - all while the population is exploding.  This seems to be an impossible task, but I don't think it is, and all of us want both issues to be solved:  we don't want to sit in traffic, and we want to be able to walk around safely in our neighborhoods.  That is why for the next 12 weeks, we have decided that we are going to educate ourselves (and in turn our blog readers) about being responsible drivers and pedestrians.   Our goal is to improve the driving/walking culture of East Nashville through education rather than enforcement.  (Because, yes. Cars legally must stop if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.)

Obviously in a short blog post we cannot exhaustively cover any particular issue, offer legal advice, or really resolve any of these complex issues.   But stay tuned over the summer because the best place to start is by educating ourselves so we can become advocates and examples.

Potato To Tomato 2015

Attention East Nasties!

Our FREE, fabulous and famous Potato to Tomato Couch to 5K program begins soon!  You know all those friends who say,"I could never run"? Here's your chance to prove them wrong.

The informational meeting about our Potato to Tomato program is this Thursday June 4th at 6pm at the Margaret Maddox YMCA.  Encourage your family and friends to come to hear more about the program that would change the way they think about what is possible about them and running.

NEW THIS SUMMER - Running sounds a bit more than they want to tackle? This year we are offering a speed walking group to our program!!!

If you can't make the meeting, or if you want to pass this along to a friend, click here for more information and to register for the program.

Shoes...

For the past 4 years, East Nasty has collected used running shoes and found them a new home.    Please bring your WASHED shoes and place them in designated bins before Wednesday night’s run. Please no trail shoes or shoes that have holes or heavy damage to the soles.   We will also be collecting shoes next week.

Route #10

Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. or Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly.

If you missed this run last time, you certainly missed something.   And that something would be Lenore street.   After the run it's down to NRC for pint night!   This week's pint night will feature injury screenings from Results Physiotherapy!

Potato to Tomato 2015 Nobody really finds distance running on their own.  What I mean is that very few people wake up one day saying, "hey, I want to run long distances..."   Usually we are cajoled into running by a coach, a teacher, a friend or a parent.   Sometimes running was a necessary evil to be a part of a team sport, or to lose weight.    But after a while running gets under your skin as you experience the fitness, the accomplishment and the community that comes along with distance running.    Now it's your turn to be that person who introduces someone to running...

Every year we have a free couch to 5k program to help non-runners become runners.   Our goal race is the East Tomato 5k in August, so we call our program Potato to Tomato.   Our program has been extremely successful because we meet 3 times per week for 8 weeks, and have over 30 volunteer coaches.   The information/registration page is up and active.  (It's a tab at the top of our main page).   Pass the link on to anyway who is looking to add running to their lives, or if you need a group to help you get going again, sign up yourself!   Our first training session is June 13, so don't delay.

Route #9

6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly.   Remember, if you are a Lasty Nasty (a run/walker) you need to be ready to roll by 5:45.   (Check out the Lasty Nasty Facebook page for more details.)

It could be raining, and not only do we run in the rain - we love it!    But be extra diligent about safety on rainy nights.

And here's a wet shoe tip: after running in the rain, take the insoles out and fill your shoes up with newspaper.  Cram as much in as your can.  The next morning, your shoes will be bone dry and the newspaper will be soaking wet.

There are always lots of great reasons to join our weekly runs, but this week there are two additional ones...

Wear Test

Pearl Izumi will be at NRC starting at 5:00 p.m. with shoes for you to try.  (This is by far the best way to try a new pair of shoes: run in them.)   They will have the new N3 and M3 shoes to try.

The Run

6a.m. or 6p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly.

This week's run is the new and improved Rick's Market (coldest beer in town).  Notice that we run up the Lillian greenway.

Post Run Trivia

After the run, head to NRC for trivia.   Winners will received a new pair of shoes, and there will be beverages and snacks for everyone!

Seeing the Mayor in an East Nasty shirt made me think of one thing: our responsibility to be good citizens in our neighborhoods and great advocates for the running community.   This mindset is what I think distinguishes East Nasty from other running groups, and I think it is a mindset that is shared by our mayor.  Community focus is the foundation that this group is built upon, and if that ever goes away, we should just disband!   So what does that mean?   We need volunteers to help with two couch to 5k programs, and after the run this week we're going to give back to the neighborhood that has been so good to us!

1) Alley Clean Up.

After our run tomorrow, everyone needs to get into groups of 2-3, grab some bags and gloves and go pick up trash!  This is one way that East Nasty gives back to our great community.  And all you need to bring is a willing spirit.  We will give you gloves, trash bags, and a map that highlights your section of the neighborhood to clean.   This should only eat into about 15 minutes of our post-run fun!  As you are cleaning, specifically look for empty Gu packets, crushed cups and other things that are often left behind after a marathon.

2) Potato to Tomato Training Program

Each year we offer a free community couch to 5k training program.  The program starts in June and the goal race is the East Tomato 5k, which raises money for the YMCA.  Usually we have around 200 people join this program - which means we need your help!   We could use about 10-15 more volunteers.  If you are willing to be a volunteer coach, please email Susi Willis at susi@eastnastyforlife.com for details.

3)   Calling all East Nasty women!

For the past 3 years East Nasty women have coached residents at The Next Door ( www.thenextdoor.org ) in preparation for the Heroes in Recovery 6k in September. http://heroesinrecovery.com/heroes6k/leipers-fork-tn/     Residents of The Next Door have recently come out of incarceration and are in treatment for addiction and co-occurring disorders. Leading healthy lives through exercise is a HUGE part of their recovery!!  And to see these women set a goal they can't even begin to think attainable and KNOW through our training that they WILL cross that finish line is an experience beyond words for both the women and the coaches.

We will follow a Couch to "6K" training schedule and will train early in the morning!

Training Days and times:

6am Monday

6am Wednesday

8am Saturday

We need a minimum of 3 coaches per day. Committing to one day a week is ideal and a tremendous help!

TRAINING STARTS MONDAY JUNE 1 and ends at the Heroes 6k on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12.

PLEASE consider joining and be a significant part in changing lives through volunteerism.

Contact Heidi Huerta hphuerta@gmail.com with questions or to sign up.

4) Wednesday's route.

Run #7: Little Hollywood.  6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly.

Route #6 Route #6 is a little bit different than it used to be, so take a moment to check out the map, even if you are a long time east nasty...

6 a.m. or 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

Craft Apparel Night

Come to Nashville Running Company at 5 p.m. for a shirt wear test.   Craft makes some amazing stuff - both for cold and hot weather.   The Craft rep will have a variety of styles of shirts to wear, but she has a limited number - so be sure to get there early!

Pint Night

NRC's monthly pint night at the East store will look different this week!  Bring in a toy or other item to benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in order to receive your pint! Click here to read more about their involvement with this cause and how your donations will help the children of Nashville! See you after the 6PM East Nasty run on May 6th!

The marathon has come and gone, but we are really excited about this Wednesday night!   So even if you are taking some time off running to recover, please join us tonight.   Here's the deal: Pre-Run (Shirts)

If you ordered a shirt/singlet and have not yet picked it up, Duane will be at NRC starting at 5. There are a limited supply of women's pink tank tops for sale and a handful of extra yellow shirts and tanks. He will also have a limited supply of beer glasses for sale.  (That's right, we have beer glasses this year!)

The Run (Walking Bridge)

Route #5: The Walking Bridge

6 a.m. or 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.   Announcements start at 6:08 - Lasty Nasties leave at 5:45.

As you are running up Woodland, past East Park, look to your left.   That white building is the Basement East.  More on that below.

Post - Run (Music)

After the run, head down to 917 Woodland Street to the Basement East.   That night, along with drink specials, they will showcase 7 East Nasty-related musical acts all emceed by Drew Jones.   The first act will begin at 8 p.m.  There is parking at the venue, but the Basement East is less than a half mile from our meeting location, so you could walk - or you could park near the venue at 6 p.m. and jog to the run.   Whether you drive or walk - get yourself to the Basement.   I know some of the people who are playing, and we are going to hear some GREAT music.  Really great music.   And it's all free.