When I first found dailymile I had lost my running buddy to burnout. I had run four marathons and the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim with this guy. We did several runs a week together. I was bummed when he told me he was done for now. Who was I going to share my running obsession with?

I had been using Nike+ around the same time, and was sharing my running there and on twitter. Through interactions with @britishbulldog (Steve Spiers) and @andyo22 (Andy O’Brien) I found out about dailymile. Andy actually was the first person to comment on my workouts. My runs looked faster back then because of the Nike+, It broke my heart when I finally got a Garmin and the pace and distance was more accurate. The nurturing environment of dailymile provided me with virtual friends to talk about running, share my training, and be inspired by other runners workouts. It wasn’t long before I met Steve and Andy in person at the HAT 50k. I have run several races with them since then. They have become real world friends that I stay in touch with over dailymile.

After a while more local runners starting joining up and I found myself having fun meeting and going for runs with them. It was so nice to have a place to talk about my running passion with other people passionate about running. It was the perfect outlet, my non-running friends and my wife benefited from it too. They had already had their fill of my run talk.

My new friends on dailymile were inspiring me to run more miles and to run them faster. After all, I was posting my miles and pace on a near daily basis and getting feedback from multiple people. I was also seeing what they were capable of. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that people were running long miles in the six-minute mile range!

One of these super fast runners is Caleb Masland. Caleb and I were both on the 2010 dailymile team. I noticed in Kathy’s post that she was getting some coaching from Caleb. I decided to see if Caleb could help with my training.

Caleb cheerfully put together a running plan for my New York Marathon. I followed it to the letter with one exception. I had a 20+ mile training run on the schedule the same day as theBaltimore Marathon. I asked Caleb if it would be okay for me to run the marathon as my training run. He said it would be ok, but “save your ‘A’ race for NYC.” I ran Baltimore smooth and easy, it is a tough course so I was surprised at the finish when I saw my time. I had PR’d by 13 minute with a 3:45. Unfortunately I had run under someone else’s bib. My PR would not go down in my books. This made me extra eager to crush my next marathon. Two weeks later I was lining up at the NYC marathon, Caleb gave me my plan for the NYC marathon. I thought, I didn’t try that hard at Baltimore and had a good PR; maybe my problem was that I wasn’t trying hard enough. So, I didn’t follow Caleb’s advice to the “T” in NYC. I paid the price. I went out way to fast and hit the wall at mile 16. The rest of the race was horrible. I finished sub 4, but had the worst marathon experience to date. I ended up in the medical tent at the end of the run. It was bad. I beat myself up good on the bus ride back to Baltimore.

I got a hold of myself and plotted for my next attempt at a new PR. Caleb worked with me again and before I knew it I was at the starting line of the Arizona Rock n’ Roll Marathon. I learned my lesson in NYC, this time I would run with a pace group. I ended up running a 3:38!

After the performance in Arizona I had a insane thought, could I actually shave 18 minutes off and qualify for Boston? I confided in Caleb that I might be interested to see if I could BQ. I expected him to tell me I was getting a little ambitious. Caleb said “yeah, I was thinking that might be a good goal for you.” Now I thought he was crazy.

Caleb was back at it. He sent me a new training plan week by week based on the previous week’s performance. This was the most aggressive training I had ever done. There were a lot of high mileage and speed workouts in the plan. I was still full of doubt. My paces were not adding up to a BQ. Caleb reassured me I was heading in the right direction.

My first real test was at the Baltimore half marathon two weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM.) Your half mary pace should be faster than your marathon pace. I was going as hard as I could and couldn’t finish any better than 1:46 an 8:01 minute mile pace. I thought to myself, there is no way I can run a marathon in the 7s. The one thing I had going for me was, Caleb was coming to MCM to pace me. This was huge. I was worried I might let him down. I had met Caleb only once briefly at the NYC marathon expo. Now he was going to pace me for an entire marathon.

The weekend of the MCM was great. Huge groups of dailymilers were running the race. I had family responsibilities so I missed out on the gigantic dailymile meetup. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get a chance to make more real world connections, but family comes first. I was able to get together with a handful of my online/real world friends, that is always fun.

The night before the race I was nervous. I had worked hard following Caleb’s plan but had a lot of lingering insecurities that I would be able to run the race I wanted. That night I went to dinner with Caleb, Michelle J., Sean B., Steve S., Ally S., Jenny J., and my wife. Side note; Sean, Steve, Ally, and Jenny are on my Ragnar Ultra team, we also ran the Ragnar Del Sol last January together. Caleb made our marathon goal of 3:20 public. I think there was skepticism around the table; I was one of the skeptics. Don’t get me wrong everyone was very supportive, just tentative with their affirmations. After all, 3:20 would be an 18-minute PR. Caleb believed in me when I wasn’t sure.

It was a chilly morning and we were quite cold walking to the start from our hotel. We lined up in the front corral; you could feel the nervous energy pouring off the runners. Then someone came along and lightened the tension. Andy O. in a pair of flannel pajamas! We chatted just long enough to get us close to gun time.

The gun went off and the race started. All I had to do now was follow Caleb’s cadence and he would guide me to the finish. We were running smooth. I felt great. All the little phantom aches and pains I had during the taper vanished. Caleb was giving me updates at the 5k, 10k, half and he said we were right on target. When we got to mile 18 I started to feel some fatigue. I kept repeating the thought, “today is my day – I worked hard – Do whatever it takes” over and over. At mile 20 Caleb asked if I had more to give and if we could pick up the pace. I said this is what I can give, so we held the pace steady. We made it to the 24^th mile, only 2.2 to go. I was stretching it thin at this point. I just gutted these last miles out. The great sound that every marathoner knows and loves is the sound of the crowd at the finish line. I could hear it and a surge of energy came to me, one last bit in the tank to push. I started picking up the pace again reaching deep. Then BOOM! Someone put a big hill about 150 yards from the finish. I blurted out “Oh fuck.” Caleb said “Hang in there you got it.” The hill used up any energy I had left. I was able to get my steady stride back to gut it out to the finish. When I saw the clock I couldn’t believe it. I finished 3:20:26. Caleb had called it on the nose. Amazing.

I still can’t believe I am a 3:20 marathoner. Even more ludicrous, now I want to be a 3:10 marathoner. The whole experience is surreal to me. Through dailymile I have met some truly great people, great people that are now my good friends, coaches, and supporters.  I feel so fortunate to have the virtual friends and real friends in my life. I can’t thank dailymile enough for bringing us all together. Find a way to connect with other athletes on dailymile and let their friendship and your passion for exercise / life to a new level.

The current system doesn't work. People transfer bibs, it happens. We all know it happens. Instead of making it a crime, we could come up with the new way in which to do it above boards. Why does this have to be a battle between race directors and runners? People are not buying up bibs and scalping them. Usually, the reason for someone to give up a bib is life gets in the way, they didn't train properly for the event, or they got injured. So they ask their friends if anyone would like to run under their bib. My thought is… Why not make it legal to transfer your bib? The race directors could even charge a transfer fee. I am sure the team over at active.com could whip together a way to transfer bibs.

I believe we can end running piracy. Race directors let's figure out a better system for transferring bibs. This could create happy runners and happy race directors.

If you have any thoughts or comments on how bib tranfers could work, please enter your ideas below.

Then April came. During some striders at the end of a recovery run, my calves started to tighten severely. I didn't listen to them and before I new it… POW! My right calf locked up and wouldn't release. It was excruciating. I thought someone had shot me in the calf with a rifle. I ended up going to a message therapist for two months and scaling my runs down to slow minimal miles if any at all. Biking became my refuge.

The time off and the message seemed to get me back in a good place. My mileage was getting back to normal. I continued wearing the more minimal footwear. Things went well through the summer.

About a week and half ago I started to feel tight calves again. I got out the stick and the foam roller and things felt tight but all right. Then I went for a 20-mile training run in the Saucony Fastwitch 5. When I finished up my calves were screaming! A day later I did my recovery run and I felt the familiar tightening that happened before. I stopped running immediately this time. A thought occurred to me, last year when I was training for the GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run I trained in Brooks Ghosts. I stayed injury free that whole training cycle and I was putting in the miles. I decided I would go get a pair of Brooks Ghost 4s at lunch. When I tried running in the store I felt no stress on my calf. The very same calf that earlier that same day was ready to blow. Even though the Brooks have an elevated heel to toe ratio (about 30mm) I still manage to strike midfoot in them. So, I don't think that a change in my stride occurs in the Brooks.

I ran in the Brooks that night and my calves felt fine. Did I find a magic bullet? Instantly my legs felt better. The only thing I can think of is that my calves needed a break. The slight difference in the heel drop gave them just enough support. I still did my Thursday track workout in the Saucony Type A4 (4mm drop) and was ok. I went back to using the Brooks for my long run. After 20 miles my legs felt fine. I have to admit at the end of my run those Ghost felt mighty heavy on my feet.

Now I am not giving up my minimal shoes, it just makes me think that maybe I need a mix in my shoe diet. While people are debating which is better and who is right in the great shoe battles that broke out after "Born to Run," I am suggesting they can coexist. I also believe that running shoes are like glasses for vision. Not everyone needs them and those that do need them, need them in varying prescriptions. A person with 20/20 vision will tell you glasses are BS and only make your eyes worse. A person that can run well barefoot will tell you shoes are for dopes. If you need to wear glasses get a cool pair, if you need a traditional trainer run in them with pride. For me, minimal shoes are an "everything in moderation" kinda thing.

I am basing the previous thoughts on my observations alone. I trust Peter Larson (runblogger) to have the science behind my intuition. His thoughts validate my gut reaction to what is going on…

"Minimal shoes are absolutely going to work your calves more. The lower heel-forefoot drop means that the calves will stretch a bit more, and will be working at a little different point on their normal length-tension curve. Combine this with a midfoot-forefoot strike that triggers the stretch-shortening reflex on ground contact, and you see why a lot of people get calf soreness, at least initially, when switching into more minimal shoes. Furthermore, lower heeled shoes require greater eccentric work by the calves (contraction while the muscle is lenghtening), and eccentric muscle contraction is more likely to cause delayed onset muscle soreness.

I think you are right on in your approach – find the mix that works best for you. If mixing the Ghost in allows you to run pain free, I see absolutely no reason not to do it. You could also go for a lighter shoe with a traditional heel lift – maybe something like the Brooks T7 Racer or the NB MR1400. I don't run all of my miles zero drop for the same reason – some days my calves need a break, and 4mm lift is about all I need to ease off a bit. Each individual is going to have a slightly different threshold determined by their anatomy, physiology, past, and present shoe wear. For example, if you spend all day in work shoes with a significant heel lift, ending the day with a run in minimal shoes may not be the best thing to do – your calf and Achilles adjust to the heel lift during the day, and taking it away abruptly can strain things. I now wear zero drop work shoes (Vivobarefoot Aqua) to avoid this issue. It may turn out that going minimal may require a more profound switch in footwear choices, as what you wear all day may be just as, if not more important than what you wear on an hour-long run.

As a tip – you can use a little foam heel wedge under the insole of a more minimal shoe to ease off the calf a bit – Newton is including one with the MV2. You could either cut your own out of a sheet of craft foam, or cut the heel off an old insole. Stick it under the insole of your minimal shoe and you can still reap the benefits of the lighter weight."

At the time my office was only 4 hilly miles away. I had a gym right next to my office which was key for being able to commute. After all, Maryland's summers are super hot and humid. I would never be able to ride in without the aid of a shower to freshen up before heading to the office. I started commuting with a messenger bag from Timbuk2. I could carry clothes and toiletries, but there was no room for my laptop. The other issue with the messenger bag is carrying weight high on my back (wholly sweaty back!) Not being able to carry my laptop eliminated two days from the commuting schedule off the bat. I couldn't ride in on Mondays and Fridays if I wanted my computer over the weekend. To solve the problem, I went to REI and purchased a Topeake bike rack. The Canondale Bad Boy has disc brakes so, I had to make sure I got a rack that had clearance over the brakes. Next, I needed saddle bags. I took my laptop with the laptop bag down to the store and tried slipping the bag into the saddle bags to make sure the set up would work. I ended up buying waterproof Ortleib bags / Panniers. Waterproof and laptops go together GREAT! They have worked out quite well.

Once my bike was set up, I just needed to pack. To avoid forgetting items I loaded up a toiletries bag that had everything I needed. On Monday's I would just zip it up and throw it into one of the Ortleib bags. The rest was easy, pack the clothes and the laptop. I started biking to work in May. Between May and September I bought gas for my car one time. I still have filled up again yet. I drive a 1988 Volkswagen Westy/Vanagon that gets 12 mpg. Not fueling up for that long is crazy. I had no idea when I started commuting I would be able to save that much gas.

Riding to work was so much fun that even after my injury healed, I continued to commute by bike. Even after 14 mile runs before work, I would hop on the bike for the quick commute. The miles really added up, eight miles a day. I also started falling in love with cycling. I ended up, after years of procrastination, buying a real road bike. After commuting all week and doing my running miles, on Sundays I would treat myself to a 30-40 mile ride on my super cool carbon fiber self propelled rocket. The difference between the two bikes is the difference between driving an SUV and a Porsche.

So after a great summer of riding and commuting what did I take away?

1. I saved money and the environment by not fueling up
2. I got some great exercise in that complimented my run training
3. I lost weight and cross trained running muscles
4. It was a great mental break before and after work
5. IT'S FUN!

I recently relocated my office and the commute will at least double, I need to find a shower and I will be good to go.

Get a bike. Get some bags. Get a shower. Get to work.

Call me trendy, but I like to think of it as having an open mind. I’m willing to try most things and when I saw a guest on the Daily Show a few years back, the now infamous Chris McDougall, my interest was piqued. I’m talking about barefoot running. Now it is very difficult to be a true barefoot runner, especially while living in a city like Baltimore, so I like to think of it as natural running since I do wear footwear, most of the time and it is more about a style of running then what is one your feet.

I have always been a runner; I think everyone is a runner, even if you don’t run. I think all people should, if physically capable, be out there running. The human body is made to be in motion and the physical, psychological and emotional benefits are enormous. I always say: unless you get hurt, you always feel better after you run. There are countless reasons to run and countless excuses not to, but excuses come easy and mean nothing. So, if you are going to run, why not run as naturally as possible?

So after I saw the author of Born to Run on the Daily Show (I didn’t read his book until a year after I started running naturally) I started trying to be barefoot as often as possible. I would walk my dogs while barefoot (they are always barefoot without any problems), I was doing P90X at the time and I started doing that barefoot too. It makes total sense when you think about it, the foundation of your body starts in the feet. Can’t have a strong body without strong feet. What I found out early on is the more you are barefoot the less sensitive your feet become. Odd as it sounds but now I find walking on dirt, cement, black top and most surfaces you find in the city as a very enjoyable experience; like a foot message.

It wasn’t an easy transition for me to make as a runner. I had to change my form from heel striker to the natural forefoot strike. It takes time. For me it took about a year to return to natural form. I endured foot pain, muscle pain, tendon pain and a healthy dose of frustration. My advice is to take it slow and listen to your body. I also suggest doing the transition totally bare, that way you get all of the feedback from your body and can adjust things on the go. (Also read up as much as you can on the subject, I’ve read countless blogs and articles and watched tons of video to help me do it) Now I feel like a much more efficient runner. My stride is light and easy and I am pain/injury free except for the occasional over-training. I run mostly on city streets but don’t shy away from trails and rough off-road runs. My longest barefoot run to date is about 9 miles (totally bare). I have 4 pair of minimal footwear I use in my rotation. In my rotation, I use two pair of Vibram FiveFingers, Merrell Trail Glove still use my first pair of VFF KOS I bought while still in the transition phase. They have a couple thousand miles on them, I’m sure. They’ve seen better days; many seams are held together with handy Gorilla superglue and they smell pretty bad. But they are awesome. The longest run I’ve done in them is 18.5 on a converted railroad trail and they are my go-to shoes for hiking and most outdoor adventures. The key to footwear once you are a natural runner is the ability to feel the ground; stretch out your toes and let your natural biomechanics do their thing. These are great for that. I have a second pair of VFF, the Flow, these are nice for winter outdoor running and hiking. I also like the Merrell Trail Glove. Huge toe box and rugged Vibram souls make these a nice addition. They are solid on muddy trails where the VFF I have lack traction. I also use them while riding my bike and to wear at work. Perfect shoe to bring to the office (if casual) if you run home or do lunchtime runs like I do. In all, they are a great utility minimalist shoe for just about any activity. They too can get a little funky, especially without socks in the summer. But all of these can go into the wash or I prefer a little dish soup and the hose. In between cleanings old school Lysol spray can help.

My latest footwear is huaraches made by Barefoot Ted’s company Luna. These are fun and don’t get as many stares as one would imagine. During races the VFFs get more whispers and comments, but the huaraches are a conversation piece. They are basically a 4 mm piece of Vibram rubber cut to size and shape with a 18 inch piece of elastic leather that comes between the inside the big tow, over the foot and around the outside of the heal and back around to the top of the foot. In the hot and humid Baltimore summer I’ve found they work best off road and on the most rugged trails. I feel super confident wearing them and love the super dirty feet I get from an intense run with the dogs tough trails. The simple technology works and they stay put on your feet. They can be loud on the streets producing a clapping sound when you first wear them. Being lighter on your feet, which is the goal, alleviates this. They also can slide around when you are really sweaty. I ran a 10-mile race through Baltimore with the Lunas and it was super hot and humid and next time I may just wear VFFs or go totally bare. They just slipped around a little too much.

My adventures in natural running will continue for as long as I can run. I’m likely to get another pair of VFFs this fall to replace my well-worn KOS. But I don’t think it is necessary to go all in with natural running and wear such minimalist footwear. Once you make the transition to a natural running style you can wear anything you want. But I think once you start running this way and ditch the clunky moon-shoes you will never go back. I never will.

Happy running!

-bobby g
root13design

GORE-TEX® TransRockies™ Run 2010 Dean and Juda

I had a great experience running the TransRockies™ Run last year.  It is the most amazing 115 mile, 6 day event you will ever get to run.  The views from the mountain tops are INSANE!  Check out below to see how you could have the running experience of a life time.

August 21-26 2011

Runners wanted! Visit the official race site to register and for full details.

Are you are a distance runner? Can you handle high elevations? Then you may have what it takes to run with world renowned distance runner, Dean Karnazes.

No, you won’t have to run across the country like Dean, but WL Gore & Associates IS offering a Dream Run, giving two selected runners the opportunity to Run a Day with Dean at the 2011 GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run.

The GORE-TEX® TransRockies Run challenges runners to overcome distance, altitude and a wide variety of trail obstacles. The rewards of the TransRockies Run are just as exceptional: spectacular mountain scenery along the Continental Divide, aspen forests and high alpine meadows; camaraderie created by the unique team multi-day format; and fantastic full-spectrum race support from one of the foremost event organizations in the world.

View the application for details on how to get qualified to Run a Day with Dean.

See complete Terms and Conditions before applying for your chance to Run a Day with Dean.

Check out the new features available to PRO account members.

Need more convincing that the PRO account is a good direction for dailymile?  Runblogger has some "thoughts"

Dailymile blog has  chimed in too read what they have to say.

What makes Charm City Run post worthy?  Let's start from the beginning.  When I started running I had a decent pair of running shoes, some cotton t-shirts, and no friends that were runners.  Even walking into a "running store" felt intimidating.  I wont mention any names but there are specialty running stores in Baltimore that don't make you feel all that welcomed when it comes to the newbie runner, and others that have little expertise or knowledge.

I needed to train for my first marathon and by luck I chose the training program with Mark Dees at Charm City Run.  I was at the store every Saturday for our group long runs and it became the home base for my running universe.  Every week we were greeted by Katie Heyl in the morning and she was always chipper.  Mark would hand out the mileage sheets and the runners in training would get to work.  I loved it there.  Everyone was so positive.  I was trained and well prepared for my first marathon by the Charm City Run team.  If you are looking for training in Maryland check out Charm City Run's programs.  The staff is not only helpful and knowledgeable, they are nice people.  Over the years I have become friends with some of the employees.  I even ran the TransRockies Run with one of the employees (Juda McGannon) after my original partner dropped out.  I see the staff at races and running events all over Maryland.  Charm City Run is part of the Maryland running experience.

I recently read an article about how no company or business cares about you, but a company and or business can empower their employees through culture to care about you.  I believe Josh Levinson (Owner of CCR) has created a caring culture at Charm City Run where the employees seem genuinly interested in your running success.  I was interested in learning more from Josh so I asked him for an interview.

What is your favorite running distance?  5 miles.  This is what I do on an almost daily basis for my mental health.  This time is a gift to me.

Do you have a favorite race?  The New York Marathon.  It is a journey through the history of our country.  Any 5K with my son.

What’s your marathon PR? 3:15 Arizona and Philly

What is your current race day shoe? Brooks Adrenaline or Asics 2160

What is still left on your running bucket list?  Not much.  Half Ironman.  Maybe HAT 50k and certainly Hood to Coast again

How long have you been running an independent running retailer? 9 years

Why or how did you end up interested in owning a Running Store? I was in Austin and I was done playing lacrosse.  I was looking for something to dive into.  That dive was a marathon.  I had been running since I was 10 for mental health peace and fitness.  I had the too-long lacrosse shorts and some real bad apparel.  My wife told me you actual had to train the right way to do one of these things.  She gave me a Marathon Training Program at Run-Tex.  I was familiar with Run-Tex because they put water and Gatorade out on the Towne Lake trail and every race was produced by them.  I fell in love with the place, the life and the community.  On a trip home, running on the NCR, Kara said Baltimore needs a Run-Tex.  We returned to Austin, I asked Paul Carrozza the owner if I could work for free and the rest is history. 

What is the best thing that has come out of being a running retailer?  Relationships.  I really enjoy the young people that have decided to join us on this trip.  I love the customers.  I know their families their kids their hardships and their victories.  Kara and I love raising our kids in such a positive environment.  Lastly, I hope we have made a difference.  We give a lot.  Some notice.  Some don’t.  When Charm City Run is dead and gone I hope some folks will say, “Those guys did some good.”

What is the hardest part of being a store owner?  The hardest part is managing priorities.  I still like working with the customer, checking in product, seeing vendor presentations, developing our young leadership and spending time with my family.  I need to work on developing the young leadership more and staying out of their way.   

How has being in the “business” changed your views on running in general?  Now that I am in the business I think that I am far more in tuned to people’s personal goals and triumphs and to play a part in their success is pretty powerful.  I think what is most surprising is how much my views haven’t changed, and they are reinforced by our customers every day.  When you run you feel better.  You are a better worker, a better father, a better mother and a better wife and husband.  These are facts that seem irrefutable.

Now that you have been running Charm City Run for 9 years, would you have changed anything or even gone into the same business if were to do it all over again?  There are always little things that you wish you would have done better.  I would not have changed a thing.  I jump out of bed every morning.  What I could not have done any better, was the people we hired.  They are fine human beings.

What has been the nuttiest trend to go through running since you started?  Vibram Five Fingers and minimalist running.  This was the first cultural revolution in running specialty.  It has had enormous influence on the industry and it has changed the development cycle of all manufacturers.

How do you decide what merchandise to carry in the store?  With footwear you are ordering the styles that have done well and the next evolution of those shoes.  With the minimalist movement, the number of skus has increased significantly.  We think about what customer would want this?  When would we get into this conversation?  Then we make some color choices.  With apparel, we defer to our female leaders a lot.  They are much better at predicting fashion trends.  Accessories, we are determining value to the customer and when a customer would use it.

Any advice for companies that want to get merchandise into an independent running retailer store?  Be willing to give of your time and product.  If you are out there hustling and volunteering, you will have a much better shot.  Too many vendors focus on technical specifics.  If you cannot translate it to a customer in 30 seconds, it is dead.  Get the product out on the street.  Give it to influencers and enthusiasts.  Do what you say you are going to do.

How many people do you think Charm City Run has trained for full Marathons to date?  1,000 +

Have you ever banned anyone from the store?  I have not.  It is a free country and as long as people are reasonable, there is no reason why they cannot come in.  Most of our customers are terrific.  There are always a few that don’t want to “win”.  No matter what we do they will be miserable.  Unfortunately, we do not have the power to help them and we wish them good luck somewhere else.

Why did you decide to contribute to 1% For The Planet & Back on My Feet?  I am proud of our community initiative and I believe we are second to none in this respect.  Back on My Feet quite simply demonstrates the power of running.  Running creates discipline, health, positive thinking and confidence.  Back on My Feet has proved this and they are local.  It hits everything that we care about.  1% speaks to who we are as a family both Charm City Run and my family.  My ten year old is a serious environmental advocate and he has asked me questions that I cannot answer about why we are knowingly destroying our environment.  I need to be able to say to him that we did our part.  Furthermore it is local.  It is an international organization where you can contribute all locally.  Lastly it is not a fair fight.  The corporations that pollute have a bottomless pit of money to influence decision makers.  That is not fair.  Our customers care, we care and they have enables us to step up.

How many races does CCR put on in a year? We manage and time 70 races.  Talk about good people.  Dave Cooley and then Kelly Dees is tough to beat.

What makes Baltimore a great place to be in the running business?  Loyalty.  I have spoken with numerous people that move away and then come back and it is because of community.  This community is second-to-none, just ask the Back on My Feet folks.  The Charm City has the best most energetic volunteer base in the nation.  The climate is also good and there are good places to run, but community trumps all of that.

Print this coupon to get 15% off your next purchase at any of the four Charm City Run stores

I wanted to love my new Nike Sports Watch GPS, I really did.  But after logging over 50 miles on it, I don’t.  I mean it’s ok, a solid C+(after the late May 2011 firmware update Ben rates the watch B+)… but it needs work to compete with the Garmin GPS watches that dominate the market. 

I’d been looking for a GPS watch for some time, but had been hesitant to pull the trigger on the expensive Garmin 405 because of several negative reviews I’d read. So when Nike paired with Tom-Tom to make a GPS watch that was only 60% the cost of a new Garmin ($200 vs. $350), I figured it was worth a shot.   

First, the pros.  The watch looks awesome coming out of the box.  The packaging is sleek and the set-up is a piece of cake, a trick Nike must’ve learned from its partnership with Apple.  The watch feels great- it’s lightweight, has a low profile, and the adjustable strap will fit any user.  The look is stylish and simplistic. 

The screen has huge, easy to read numbers that show your lap time, and a smaller inset that keeps track of either distance, calories burned, elapsed time, or instant pace.  After my first two runs, the watch quickly picked up the GPS signals and was ready to go in about 30 seconds.  The GPS accuracy has been pretty much spot on, and this includes road, trail, and even Cancun beach running.  For additional accuracy you can connect the watch to a Nike+ foot pod sensor (included) that fits in a specialized inset of Nike shoes or can be tied into the laces of any conventional shoe.  If the GPS signal fails, the foot pod will supposedly take over pace and distance tracking until the satellites catch back up, although I have not tested this feature. 

Following your run, the watch strap has a nifty USB connector built into the clasp that connects directly to your computer to upload your workout data.  The Nike site gives you all the relevant specs, like pace and elevation changes that you can easily track over the course, and it draws a pretty cool heat map that demonstrates when and where you cranked up the pace.    

Now, the cons – and unfortunately these are significant. Like most runners, I don’t need a ton of specs during my run, but I do want easy access to distance, time, overall pace, and lap splits.  Unfortunately, the Sports Watch only gives you distance, time, and instantaneous pace – which jumps all over the place and is basically useless.  To be fair, after each lap is completed (I set mine to lap every mile) the watch does beep at you and pops up the pace of that lap for a few seconds – but if you miss it (which many of us will, because we listen to music when we run), you cannot access your past splits.  There is also no average pace display option.  In my opinion, the lack of access to any relevant pace data during your run is a significant flaw that drops the value of the watch.  This needs to be addressed, optimally by a firmware update ASAP.*     

A second issue is the lack of any stopwatch/timer functionality.  I was hoping to use the watch at the gym to keep track of times during circuit training.  But with no stopwatch, and no seconds display, the watch is restricted only to use when running and biking.  I mean every digital watch should have a basic stopwatch, right??

Nike also claims that you can touch the display screen at any time to turn on the backlight (a cool feature for night running) or to mark a lap.  Unfortunately, after a month of perfecting my technique, I can still only get the “touch” screen to respond about 50% of the time I hit it.  C’mon now, you partner with the people who make freakin iPhones, and I can’t get a decent touch screen?

My final gripe is a pet peeve with the Nike+ site where you review your workouts.  Although I’ve told it to remember me about 26 times, it still asks me if I live in America, speak English, and what’s my bloody password each time I log in.  This only takes an extra 15 seconds each time, but in a world of instantaneous gratification that is way too long.   Too glitchy for me. 

So in conclusion, I like my Nike Sports Watch GPS – but I don’t love it.  If Nike fixed a few minor, but significant, features, it would certainly be worth the $200 price tag – but right now I’m a little irritated.  Should I drop $350 on a new Garmin 600 series?  I don’t think so, my watch works fine.  I just want Nike to make it work how it should because right now it’s not living up to its potential.

* note – a couple days after this review Nike released a firmware update that added average pace as one of the readouts available during your run – this is a significant improvement to the watch, kudos to Nike for rapidly responding to the initial product reviews

About the author: Ben Prosser, is a 28 yr. old biomedical researcher at University of Maryland School of Medicine where he studies cardiac physiology otherwise known as heart research or nerd things.  Ben loves everything health and fitness related – he is a huge proponent of functional training, speed workouts, and running races that cause him physical pain and injury (he once broke his leg while running the Baltimore Marathon).  Ben thrives off motivating his friends and family to exercise with him and live healthy lifestyles!  He lives in Mt. Washington with his smart, hot and humble wife, Erin (who may have written this bio) and his old and smelly Boston Terrier, Bubba.  Follow Ben's training on dailymile

The Arrival

While on the plane traveling from Baltimore to Boston, there were people sitting all around me getting ready for the event.  People were all a buzz with excitement, one runner was talking about how even though it was their third time running the event the thrill of running this event was still amazing.  I overheard another runnerthat had run the Boston Marathon 20 times and this would be their tenth year in a row.  What an incredible streek.  I admit, I thought that was nice but didn’t get why would they want to run the same race over and over.  Let's face it Boston is an expensive race to participate in.  Most people travel far and wide to run the hallowed ground that is Boston, airfare isn't cheap.  Add in hotel, food, and don't forget about the money you will spend at the expo.  After getting off the plane, before I met up with my family at the airport, I see is a sign “Mile 26.2”, so cool!  What an entrance to Boston.

The Pickup and Meet-up

The day before the race headed to the convention center to pick up my bib and meet up with some other dailymile people.  Driving into the city to the expo I saw so many people preparing to support the runners, stores with signs and light posts holding flags etc.   When I arrived at the convention center and there were already a few dailymile members at the expo, I was able to see Brian A., Ann B. , Leslie M. , Carol B. , Tony B., Chris S., Caleb K.

It was great to meet people face to face that I connect with all the time on dailymile.  All of us were jazzed with anticipation for our runs.  After I picked up my bib and gear, I headed outside to see the finish area of the race downtown.  There were so many people posing and getting shots of the city before the race day. You had the feeling they were trying to capture this moment as a manifestation of all their hard work.  This is running Mecca.

The Big Day

Just like any morning, heading to the race my nerves were a little tense.  I got on the bus and began the journey to the start of the race.  Ross J. from MN (who I never met before except through dailymile) got on the bus too, we formally intriduced ourselves and chatted away, what a great way to start the day.   As we ventured through the starting area we met up with a few other dailymilers, Charlie P. , Lisa R.

Over all the feeling of the pre-race was more relaxed than I had expected.  After a couple of hours hanging out, right before the race I spotted Steve S., Peter L. & Andy O.  All of us headed to the start in our separate corrals. The excite and the energy was growing.

My heart was pumping and I could feel the crowd getting electrified, some runners were there to race hard and others were more relaxed (I was on the relaxed side.)  Since this race has been run over 100 years, the start felt like something special, something almost holy.  20 miles outside the city of Boston, we were ready to begin.  It took about three minutes to actually get to the starting line of the race after the gun went off.

Overall, the race was continuous rolling hills.  There are a few key highlights and landmarks to make note of.  Each of the eight towns you run through has a unique sign.  I loved looking at the ground and seeing a miler marker in the road itself.  Running through Wellesley, the cheers from the school got louder and louder, it must have been a half mile past the main cheering section and the cheering was still loud.  When you make it “Heart Break Hill” the half mile incline gets the best of anyone.

The Finish

After mile 19 my legs were feeling rough, I kept trying to keep the pace going.  Every time I saw and heard the crowd I sucked up their energy to keep pushing forward.  At Mile 24-25 I hear “I know you” and I got to see my new friend Ross again.  We got to run the last two miles cheering and taunting the crowd.    It really made the end of the race just perfect.  

The Change

Before Boston I thought about this being like any other race, I was excited but was relaxed about what to expect.  Between meeting so many people, spending time with my family and seeing what it means for a city to embrace a race I took away 3 valuable lessons.

1. It is amazing the friendships you make at a race.
2. When a city and the people embrace a race, it becomes so much more than just a race.
3. There is only one Boston Marathon!

I hope many others get to experience this one day, it is a truly great memory.

About the Author

Brodie W:  I just run, I run a lot!  I am a high mileage runner that runs over 170 miles per month and averages sub 8 min mile pace on the road.  I have tried many shoes and limit my shoes to motion control/stability options which support my extreme pronation issue with my flat arch and I require custom orthotics.  I don’t have issues with weight maintaining around 170 lb.   Over all, I am a heel to inner roll foot striker but my arches collapse when I run.  I have been a long distance runner for over 11 years and have completed 6 marathons, 1 ultra, 1 Olympic triathlon, and many other shorter races.