With spring here and summer just around the corner the racing season is almost here.  The race calendar is filling up with all many distances to choose from.

Are you looking to PR (personal record) this year?

Do you have a favorite?

Congratulations to MaDonna!

Your “Winter Wonderland” photo was voted the favorite.

Winter Wonderland Running

Wear your new Running Wall shirt proud!

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos and voted. It was tough deciding on just one with so many great entries. Have fun discovering new running places this year and don’t forget to camera.

-John

The Results are in…

Congratulations MaDonna!

Winter Wonderland was voted the favorite!

The running photos have been submitted and the results are in.  “Winter Wonderland” won with a close 2nd place by “Hickory Hills Park, Iowa City”. Below are all the photo entries with captions.  Click on the photos to see a larger size.

View all the entries below

Hurry and get your photos submitted!

Time is “running” out.  Only about a week remaining to submit your running photos and your chance to win a FREE Technical Running Wall Shirt.  The shirt is made by Brooks and designed by Running Wall’s team of artists.  They thought of everything, even the ideal location of the logo to avoid nip rubbing!

Take a Sneak Peak of the prize below:

How to enter:

• Just submit any photo you took while running (you don’t have to be in it).
• In just 1 week, the photos will be displayed on Running Wall and everyone will vote for their favorite photo.
• The photo with the with the most votes wins!

To Submit Your Winning Photo, Click Here

Need some photo ideas? Try capturing a local trail.  You can also get someone else to take your picture while running your favorite route.  Nature always makes a good background, whether it’s leaves, snow or hills.  The ideas are endless and creativity counts!

via normanack

Last weekend, I had one of those terrible workouts where anything sounded better than running.  I was scheduled to do a long run on the treadmill dreadmill, but only made it 6 miles before I couldn’t take anymore.

If you have ever experienced this, here are some tricks to beat the boredom.

• Run during your favorite TV show or sporting event.  One of my favorite ways to get in an interval workout is to run fast during the commercials and slow down during the show.  Take any prime time sitcom and you’ll end up with 5-6 great intervals in 30 minutes.
• Take weight lifting breaks.   For example, after warming up, rotate running one mile with lifting two muscle groups.  I ended up doing 3 rotations of running and lifting before I was exhausted.  The lifting kept me interested during the run, forcing me to focus on recovering.
• Lastly, change up your songs or listen to an audio book.  At one point, I was singing the next song before it even starting playing because I had heard the play list so often.  (Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance” come to mind?)  Nothing freshens up a training run like new music.

Do you have any other tricks for overcoming the dreadmill?

Yak Trax Pro

This past week, I had a chance to run in the Snow Shuffle in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  True to it’s name, the race route was covered in snow and ice.  The turnout was great considering the bitter cold temperatures.  If you are new to the sport of running, you might be wondering how in the world can people run with snow and ice.  Or better yer, WHY would people run with snow and ice.

Well, I hear ya.  Until recently, I thought those people were crazy and some still are!  But, as it turns out, there are tricks to the trade.  Most participants at the race were sporting Yak Trax or some version of them.  Here is the description from the website:

Yaktrax have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design, unlike other products on the market.

The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomed to on dry surfaces. Walk or run as you normally would and experience stability on ice and snow like you have never felt before.

Homemade Snow Spikes

Another option is to make your own snow spikes.  I experimented with this and found the results to be impressive.  Basically, you take an old pair or running shoes and screw in 8-10 sheet metal screws in the bottom, thick part of the shoe.  (Tip – use 1/2” or shorter screws!)  From my first test run on snow/ ice covered sidewalks, I can tell they will do the trick.  The only modification I still need to do is add a couple more screws by the toe area.  It was still hard to push off and especially going up hill.  The downhills worked great…even on totally ice covered paths.  (Just watch out for your floor at home when putting them on!)

John's Rave Run

Submit a running photo and you’ll have a chance to win a free racing shirt!

Have you ever seen the cool photos in Runner’s World Magazine called Rave Run?  If not, they are scenic photos of places readers have run before.  I love looking at them, but Runner’s World never picks my photo.

So we are going to have our own contest at Running Wall.  It’s simple.  Just submit any photo you took while running (you don’t have to be in it) and then we’ll pick a winner!  In fairness for everyone, we will make the contest a popular vote, or everyone will pick their favorite photo.

For your efforts, we will give out a new Running Wall Racing Shirt to the winner.  Valued at $100 (to me, anyway) the shirt is moisture resistant and cut to fit like that old “Bon Jovi” T-shirt in your closet.

That’s right. Submit a running photo and you’ll have a chance to win a free racing shirt!

Need some photo ideas? Try capturing a local trail (like my rave run).  You can also get someone else to take your picture while running your favorite route.  Nature always makes a good background, whether it’s leaves, snow or hills.  The ideas are endless and creativity counts!

Contest details:

• One photo per person, so make it a good one
• Photos will be displayed once we have a handful of entries
• One winner will be chosen by popular vote
• Yes, the Running Wall Racing Shirt is cool, I guarantee you’ll love the comfort
• Adding a caption to the photo may help your odds of winning
• Good Luck and Enjoy your Run!

To join the contest and a chance to win a free racing shirt, simply fill out the form below…

If you are having trouble with the form below, you can always email your photo to john@runningwall.com

Hey Race Directors – Make Your Life Easier!

Race directors can now take advantage of FREE race registration. That’s right, you can list your race on Running Wall for free and include registration at no cost to you.

Why add your race to Running Wall?

• Your race will always be located at the same web address each year.
• Your race can be updated whenever you want, just email me.
• You can link to your website, your past race results, or entry forms.  You name it and we’ll link to it.
• You can upload your logos and pictures.  A sure way to attract new runners to your race is by showing an example of past races.
• Your race is seen by thousands of unique runners each month and is sent to runners in the Running Wall Race Report email.
• If your race does not have a website, contact me and I would love to help you out.
• All of this at no cost to you!
• Click here to submit your race today.

Why add Running Wall’s FREE Online Registration?

• You will have access to view, download and print all of your registered runners.
• You will be able to view how many runners are registered, each runners information (what distance, t-shirt size, email address) along with how much money you have brought in.
• You can even see who went through most of the registration process but didn’t complete payment!
• No longer will you have to take hundreds of checks to the bank, or worry about bad/ bounced checks or collect the entry fee.  We will do it for you.
• You will have a low processing fee because we keep it simple.  No fancy software.  No outside advertising.  Just easy an easy to use registration form and lots of races.
• Your runners will love you because you are saving them money.
• Click here to add FREE online registration to your race today.

How do I make my race stand out?

• You can now take advantage and make your race a Featured Race.
• Not only will your race be listed on the home page, it will also be highlighted and sent to runners in the Running Wall Race Report email.
• Get your race noticed today! To make your race a Featured Race, email me at anytime.

Why do runners use hydration belts?  Well, Sarah, a runner from Cedar Rapids, Iowa says it perfectly.  “The belts allowed me to achieve my mileage goals.  I simply could not run, 16, 18 and 20 miles with out it.”

Running in the Midwest during the late fall through the early spring means carrying your own water if you plan on re-hydrating.  The luxury of having water fountains along our favorite trails are no longer when the temperature drops.  They have to be turned off leaving us to fend for ourselves.  Over the last few weeks, I have been testing different styles of hydration belts.  For your really long runs, check out hydration backpacks reviewed to see which is the best fit for you.  And now for the comparisons…

Camelbak - Delaney Race

Camelbak makes many different styles of hydration belts and I had the opportunity to try the “Delaney Race” Model.  The belt consists of a 24 oz. water bottle, two (2) 5 oz. gel flasks (front side) and a front zipper pocket.  I really liked the feel of the belt when I first put it on.  The soft, cushioned back felt comfortable even with just a light weight shirt on.  The adjustable straps took awhile to get just right but after I found the sweet spot, I was ready to head outside to give it a try.  My planned route for the day included a 6 mile loop around the city and through the hills of the local college.  I also took my dog, Tucker, along  for the workout.  Since we were only going 6 miles, I used the smaller 5 oz. flask to carry water for him  (don’t worry, I washed it when I got home).  Immediately into the run, I was able to get a good feel of how the belt was going work out.  I loved it.  For carrying that amount of water, keys, etc it felt extremely comfortable.  There were a couple of details that really impressed me.  First, the easy to use “twist top” was a big plus.  On traditional water bottles, you have to pull up on the top to open. Camelbak, instead, uses a twist method which I really like.  Second, the water bottle holster has an adjustable cord that keeps the bottle strapped tight to the belt while making it easy to take in and out.  It took some practice, but I was able to get the technique of drinking on the run down.  Taking the bottle in and out of the holster was very easy after getting accustom to the motion.  Oh, and Tucker also appreciated the drink of water from the flask halfway through out run.

Nathan - Trailmix

Next, I tried the Nathan – Trailmix series belt, which features two (2) 10 oz. flasks, a zippered pocket, and two (2) front stretch cords.  The belt is designed with minimal amounts of material and coolness in mind.  It is comfortable and extremely light weight, making it good for races.  The flasks are easy to remove on the run and have a top capable of being open/ closed with your teeth making one hand hydration possible.  Although, I didn’t need the stretch cords for carrying a shirt, it is nice to know I have the option.  The small zipper pocket was perfect for my keys and a couple gels packets.  Overall, the belt was comfortable and I would prefer it for racing.  For mid-distance to longer runs the 20 oz. capacity might be too little and the comfort wears out over 40 minutes along with the water supply.  Overall, Nathan, created a great niche product for racing.

Fuel Belt 4 Bottle

Fuelbelt also offers a hydration belt solution.  Unfortunately, the only fuel belt I had available to try was too small for my waist.  This leads to a big disadvantage of purchasing a belt for multiple users.  The Camelbak has the option of adjusting to many sizes vs. the individual sizes (S-XL) of the Fuel Belt.  However, they are easier to adjust with a larger Velcro strap instead of the adjustable clips, but it does no good when the adjustment allowed is very small.  If you are the only runner in your household, or if you plan to keep your waist line the same size over the years, the fuel belt may be an option for you.

Overall, the hydration belts were fun to try out.  I was really pleased with the Camelbak belt for the water capacity, comfort level and ample storage.  As Sarah put it, “…the belt did take some getting used to.  It was somewhat cumbersome on my first run, but easier to use on subsequent runs.”

I have to agree.  As a runner, I am very particular about my gear and wearing a hydration belt is a big change.   Ultimately, a change for the better, because I am able run longer and train harder.

Over the last couple of weeks I have had a chance to compare a couple different Hydration Backpacks. It was my first time using a backpack running and I thought it might be really annoying.  Surprisingly, they are not that bad and after a while I hardly noticed I was carrying 2 liters of water.

High Sierra - Soaker

First I tried the High Sierra – Soaker.  It holds about 2 Liters of water, which is plenty for longer runs.  I went about 18 miles and had some left and was well hydrated on a sunny day around 60 degrees.  I was really impressed with the drinking tube.  It is insulated and stays put on the shoulder strap.  There’s nothing worse than a tube bouncing around hitting you in the chest with every step.  The hands free bite valve was hard to open, which defeated the purpose of having it hands free.  I was also pleasantly surprised with all the storage the pack provided.  The front pocket is roomy for a lot of supplies, along with an outside mesh pocket.  A cool feature was the slit in the top of the pack to run headphones out so you can stash your music player inside the bag.  The downside to this feature is you have a hole in the top of the bag in which rain can penetrate.  Probably the best design aspect is the tuck away mesh flap at the bottom that clips to the top of the pack.  When untucked and clipped it can be used to carry a helmet or large sweatshirt.  There is also a small reflector loop at the bottom which you could attached a blinking tail light for night running.  Overall the pack felt alright to carry and the sloshing water sound was drowned out by my music.  I really liked the drinking tube and how it stayed put along with the fold away mesh flap.  For your money, it’s a nice pack.

Camelbak - Octane XCT

On my next long run of 20 miles, I strapped on the CamelBak – Octane ‘Race’ backpack.  The one I tried is also a reflective yellow color which would be great for night and dusk/ dawn running.  Immediately after putting on the pack and getting the straps adjusted, I could tell this one was going to be lighter on the shoulders and overall more comfortable.  It holds the same amount of water, 2 liters, and has the same drinking tube.  Unlike the High Sierra, this tube is uncovered and had a tendency to bounce around.  I would occasionally have to push the extra tube into the pack but it would work it’s way out after awhile.  The drinking valve was easier to use and the sloshing was less with the Camelbak.  A huge difference between the two models is the ability to take out the water reservoir.  According to CamelBak’s website, ” No other hydration company places as much of an emphasis on keeping your reservoir clean as we do” and it shows.  After a couple uses my guess is an unclean reservoir will cause the water to taste a little weird, not to mention unsafe.  The ability to remove the reservoir and clean is a huge plus in my book.  The CamelBak also has lots of storage and I love the side pockets vs the larger back pocket.  During my run I had to take off the High Sierra backpack to pull out a GU but with the side pockets, I was able to leave it on and just unzip the pocket.  They are also a great place for a music player.  The adjustable bungee cord would be good for carrying extra clothes.  Another major difference was the dual straps around the body.  Not only does the Octane Race have the waist strap it also has a chest strap with loop to hold the drinking tube.  After a couple miles with both packs, I could tell the CamelBak was moving around less than the High Sierra.

Overall, I really like the Octane Race pack.  I definitely prefer it over the High Sierra.  The only downfall is the tendency for the drinking tube to bounce around.  It would also be cool it they added an insulated layer around the tube.