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6/9/2018

We are running this challenge like an old fashion road race when a line was drawn on the road and someone yelled out set, go!

Global Running Day (June 6) has already started eight hours ago in Sydney Australia and it just started in Paris.  It will start in nine hours in San Francisco. 

Bob Anderson, founder of My Best Runs always is looking at ways to help inspire people. Just today he came up with the idea of the MBR Global Running Day 500 Challenge. 

It is just a fun event and it is being run like an old fashion road race when the organizer drew a line on the ground and said set, go.  There are no prizes, no money is being raised and any costs is being covered by My Best Runs.  The whole deal is simply to get more people out running within a 36 hour period of time. 

The goal is that at least 100 people will run or run/walk at least 500 miles during the period.  If we get more, all the better.  To be part of this you need to post your mileage on my Facebook page.  (Just click on the title above and it should take you to my FB page.)  

You can tell us about your run, post your time or anything else OR just post your mileage.  The main thing is to get out and get in at least one mile.  Tell your friends...This will be our first My Best Runs Global Run Challenge. 

(06/05/18) Views: 1,171
Bob Anderson

Why did Emil Zatopek gift one of his Olympic Gold Medals to Ron Clarke?

Exactly 64 years ago today on Jun 1, 1954 – Emil Zatopek runs World Record 10,000 meters 28:54.2. This was the first sub-29 minute clocking and his 4th 10k World Record.  

The amazing Czech Rocket won the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and marathon at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland - an unparalleled achievement!  

One of the most beautiful things he did was to secretly give a small box to Australian Ron Clarke with one of his Olympic Gold medals as he thought Ron would have earned a Gold medal if the 1968 Olympics weren't at altitude.

(Photo - Ron Clarke with the gold medal Emil gifted to him.) 

(06/01/18) Views: 956
Gary Cohen

What is the point of runing junk miles? Mixing in some walking is a better solution

I can remember a time when I would never walk during a run.  I would never count any walking mileage in my weekly numbers.  That changed a few years ago and I am thinking maybe I should have changed my thinking on this years before. 

However, the best way to run well is to get in running mileage.  Walking miles is not going to get you through your 10K, half marathon or certainly not a marathon or beyond.  However, there are times when walking is a better option than running. 

I run at least 20 miles per week and currently about 15-25% of that is walking.  Over this past weekend I got in 12 miles.  Today my legs were tired.  For me just to run slowly for a mile (i cover at least one mile everyday) would not have proved anything other than it would not have been fun. 

Running needs to be fun.  My legs needed rest.  So today I started off walking, then I decided to run 25 steps, then I walked, then I ran 50 steps, I walked and then ran 100 steps and so on.  

Even for as long as I have been running I still from time to time need to do something like this.  I finished the mile just under 14 minutes.  I broke a sweat and I got in my "run." 

My legs will be ready to run tomorrow but if not I will do something like what I did today.  Lots of times our body says no (like mine today) but we run anyway and wonder why we get injured. 

I have done it many times over the years.  Running junk miles is not going to make you a better runner.  Next time mix in some walking and see what you think.  It works for me. 

I have been running since 1962 and  I am still racing.  (photo - 70-year-old Bob Anderson after finishing the Paris 20K May 27, 2018, placing second (1:56:24) in his division on a tough course.)      

(06/04/18) Views: 647
Bob Anderson

Race organizer has been found that meets the requirements to produce the Portland Marathon

Portland has turned to a local race organizer in its search for an operator for the city's 2018 marathon. Mayor Wheeler and the Portland Bureau of Transportation say the October 7 marathon will be overseen by the Run With Paula events firm. The firm's leaders, Paula and Dave Harkin, also own the Portland Running Co. The married couple has operated the Hippie Chick and Helvetia half marathons in Washington County.  “I believe our great city deserves an equally great race,” Paula Harkin said. “Fall just would not be the same without a marathon in Portland.” The Portlandathon will include the showcase 26.2-mile event, as well as a half-marathon, the Mayor’s 5-mile race, and a 4-mile river walk. The former Portland Marathon group informed the city in April that it would be canceling the fall race. Earlier that month, the Oregon Department of Justice reached an $865,000 settlement with Les Smith, the Portland Marathon's former race director. The agency's investigation found that Smith had illegally received hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans from the race organization. The race was canceled but the Portland Bureau of Transportation put together an expedited, 7-question application process that attracted several interested event organizers. In the end, only Run With Paula was qualified based on the city's criteria.  Paula and Dave Harmin operates two running retail locations (800 SE Grand Ave. in Portland and 10029 SW Nimbus Ave. in Beaverton).  Dave is a dynamic speaker and coach who inspires hundreds of athletes every year through seminars for a broad range of groups and his work with Portland Fit.  His wife (and co-owner), Paula, is also the race director of Run with Paula Events. They put on four award winning races around the state each year.  Now it will be five races.   (06/02/18) Views: 249

80-year-old Russ Kiernan Running the Dipsea for the 49th time

Mill Valley's Russ Kiernan is a three-time Dipsea champion, a member of the Hall of Fame and now perhaps the race's most recognized and beloved figure.  Kiernan's résumé remains unparalleled. His records of 27 top-ten, 19 top-five and 15 top-three finishes will stand for eons. Safe, forever, is his record of 11 Double Dipsea wins. His fastest Dipsea time was a sensational 51:23, at age 42, in 1980. Ten consecutive years (1999-2008), he recorded an actual running time (in minutes) below his age (in years), a feat only a handful of other runners have ever achieved even once. A unique aspect of Kiernan's Dipsea career is that, unlike other of the race's all-time greats, he was never a nationally top-ranked runner - although he was in the mixed horse riding/trail running discipline of Ride and Tie. "I did well in the Dipsea because I have always been a good and fearless downhiller, rarely got injured, and I trained long and hard on the course," Kiernan says. "And I knew the legal shortcuts!" Kiernan taught in San Francisco public elementary and middle schools for decades. It was at San Miguel Elementary School in the City that he met wife Marilyn, a kindergarten teacher, and they just celebrated their 50th anniversary. They had one child together, Kari, 47, and also raised Heywood Bowser, 46, through foster care. Bowser now has two children at Tamalpais High, with Russ and Marilyn living right across the street. At 80, Kiernan, not unexpectedly, has his share of medical woes. He is losing some vision to glaucoma and making a few wrong turns. He's had bouts with skin cancer. He is having a surgical procedure on his leg just nine days before the Dipsea. But on June 10, Russ will be at the Dipsea start line for a 49th time. You'll recognize him by the loudest cheers.      (06/02/18) Views: 236
Barry Spitz

This group that became 80 runners accepted my 500 mile June 6 Challenge

Yesterday, June 6, was Global Running Day.  A day celebrating running.  It is exciting to have our own day, celebrating what many of us do daily or at least regularly. 

Among other things the day is about inspiring people.  At noon the day before I had just finished doing my daily run-to-lunch few miles. 

I was enjoying an avocado toast and the best ice tea in town before heading back to the office.  Knowing that Global Running Day was the next day, I was thinking that My Best Runs needed to do something.  

I knew there were already a lot of well thought out programs taking place June 6.  I decided, on the spot, that we would do something just for the fun of running.  We would run our challenge like a road race back in the 1970's.  

Since we needed to get the word out quickly, we would use my Facebook account to reach people.  I would record everything by hand.  Making things more interesting,  I was flying down to our MBR/Ujena office in Mexico in the middle of the day Wednesday.  (I would be out of touch for nearly five hours.) 

There would be no entry fee and no prizes.  There would be no official results.  It was all about running.  We would not be raising money for a cause.  Each of us would run on June 6 and log in miles on my FB account. 

Just to see if we could do it, my goal was for our group to run at least 500 miles June 6 and hopefully have 100 participants   Everyone had to post their miles by midnight. 

In the end, 80 people posted 560.12 miles for our My Best Runs Global Running Day 500 Mile Challenge.  We did it.  We showed the world that a group of people can come together (with no notice) from all over the world and run the equivalent distance from San Francisco to San Diego. 

All types of runners from slow to fast joined our challenge.  I am very proud of each and every participant but I would like to mention some of our gang here. 

We had two time Boston Marathon winner (Geoff Smith) post 10.5 miles, Co-owner of Worlds Marathons Malin Andersson from Sweden posted 6.2 miles, Bertrand Newson who heads up a popular bay area running group (2L2Q) posted 8.45 miles and Willie Korir from Kenya posted the most miles with 22.5.  Verity Breen posted the most miles for a female hitting 19 miles and Boston Marathon historian Tom Derderian ran 5 miles.  The youngest female to win Bay To Breakers (age 11) who ran her first marathon at age 5 Mary Etta Britano now 55  posted 10 miles.

Julie who we met at the front desk of our hotel in Paris ran 5 miles, Ram VenKatraman who heads up a major running group in Mumbai, India ran 4.69 miles and super ultra-marathon star Michael Wardian ran 12.5 miles.  Phil Camp who among other things won the 4th annual Marine marathon (1979) posted 8.3 miles.

Roger Wright used to weigh 278 pounds a few years back before he started running marathons logged 13.5 miles and ultra runner since the early 1970's superstar Frank Bozanich ran 9 miles. Joshua Holmes Ultra runner and Run It Fast founder posted 2 miles.

Brent Weigner who has run more marathons in more countries than anyone posted 1.5 miles, and the list goes on and on. 

One common thing about our group of 80 runners is that everyone loves running.  Until our next challenge! Run on...  I ran 6.6 miles which I thought was only fitting.  This was our first Run The World Challenge. 

(06/07/18) Views: 228
Bob Anderson

10-Year-Old Arielle Avina, Becomes Youngest Female To Win A Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series 5K Event

10-year-old Arielle Avina (Murrieta, Cali.) shocked the finish line crowd today (Sunday June 3) as she won the female division at the Synchrony Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego 5K presented by Brooks. With this year’s Boston Marathon Champion, Desiree Linden on hand to support and inspire runners, Avina found an extra gear past other competitors finishing the race in a time of 19:20 as she became the youngest female to ever win a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series 5K event. Baxter Arguinchona from Cardiff, California took home the men’s 5K race with a time of 16:59.  (06/05/18) Views: 215

Perfect day for the World Masters Mountain Running Championships

A picture-perfect day awaited the nearly 400 competitors at the 18th WMRA/WMA World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Zelezniki, Slovenia today.  After several days of afternoon or evening rain storms, the weather held from the first race start at 10:00 a.m. to the awards ceremony later in the day. Even with clouds threatening at the summit of Ratitovec at 1678 meters, which served ast the finish line, the rains never came delighting both spectators and runners.   There were two challenging courses, the long route of 10.8 kilometers with 1184 meters of height difference for men up to 54, and the shorter route of 7.2 kilometers with 869 meters of height difference for the men ages 55-79, and all women (ages 35-79). The terrain included a short stretch on pavement at the start of each race, and then a combination of wide forested path, single track trail, rocky steps, a section to the finish line in a meadow filled with wildflowers and an amazing view. The fastest time of the day on the long course was posted by 50-year-old Miran CVET (SLO) who raced 1:02:22.  The short course top times were from 36-year-old Monica KOLLIGAR (SLO) in 52:04, and Franco TORRESANI (ITA) timed in 47:31. On site were nine members of the local organizing committe for the 2019 event which will be held in Gagliano del Capo, Italy, September 27-29.  (06/03/18) Views: 88

Ethiopia's Defar queen of the 5,000 has sights in the Rock ’n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon

Meseret Defar donated her 2004 Olympic 5,000-meter gold medal to a church museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She was 20 years old when that one was draped around her neck in Athens. Eight years later at the London Games, Defar became the only woman to win two gold medals in the 5,000. That medal is on display in the hallway of her Addis Ababa home. Since 2016, when knee pain prevented her from competing at the Rio de Janeiro Games — “That was the most difficult time for me.” — Defar has focused on marathon training. It has been a difficult transition for one of Ethiopia’s most revered runners. Because of recurring knee injuries, she still has not debuted at 26.2 miles. Come Sunday, when nearly 20,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes take to the streets for the 21st Synchrony Rock ’n’ Roll San Diego Marathon & Half Marathon, Defar will be among them. She’s running the half. If her body cooperates, she hopes to make her marathon debut come fall, likely in Chicago, New York or Berlin.    (06/02/18) Views: 75

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt will go head-to-head in the charity football match this weekend

Mo Farah, who broke the British marathon record in April at the London Marathon, will be part of the England team this Sunday (June 10) at Old Trafford in Manchester, UK.  The Soccer Aid for Unicef football match will face eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt and his World XI team. “When I got the call from Robbie to play for the England team, I immediately said yes,” said 10-time major track gold medalist Farah. “Everyone knows that I’m absolutely mad about football and to top it off, this event is for such a good cause. Helping children around the world make it something I definitely want to support. “My instant ‘yes’ was even easier in the knowledge that I would finally be going head-to-head with my friend Usain Bolt. People have long suggested we should compete against each other, so on Sunday at Old Trafford, you will see us trade our spikes for boots. “Usain has the speed but I have the stamina so we’ll see who comes out on top at the end of 90 mins.” Soccer Aid for Unicef is the original England V Soccer Aid World XI charity match. It was launched and co-founded in 2006 by Unicef UK Ambassador Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes. 100% of all public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef will go towards supporting the vital work protecting children in the UK and globally. (06/07/18) Views: 72