Great Half-Marathon Times

Joe is a non-competitive running club. We don't judge people based on time, endurance or gear. We generally don't like those people. However, I must brag just a bit about "my" runners. They kicked concrete last sunday in the NYC Half-Marathon.

Before I reveal their names and times, let me preface by telling you that a) I have run this two times before, and b) it was so hard and unpleasant I vowed there would be no repeat performance.

And now, the names:

Mary Thorne, running an 8:13 pace, came in at 1:47:31

Chris Gwiliam, running an 8:10 pace, came in at 1:46:51..(by the way, his first half-marathon.)

Simon Bird, running an 8:50 pace, came in at 1:55:37

Amazing!

Now back to being non-competitive, non-gear-heady runners...

Nike NY Half Marathon

Good luck to our friends and Team Joe runners for tomorrow's Nike NY Half Marathon:

Chris G - running his first half marathon. Lets hope it's the start of a long future of running half marathons!

and our seasoned runners: Mary, Simon and Alice.

Remember - run hard or go home!!

Coffee + Running = Love and Better Running

Okay, the Coffee and Love thing may be b.s, although I met my fiance while running in the coffee house team...but, for those of you who missed this article last year, click on the link to read about how coffee (caffeine, really), improves your workout.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=caffeine&st=cse

Here's a small snippet:

"Exercise physiologists have studied caffeine’s effects in nearly every iteration: Does it help sprinters? Marathon runners? Cyclists? Rowers? Swimmers? Athletes whose sports involve stopping and starting like tennis players? The answers are yes and yes and yes and yes".

I know some people are wary about drinking coffee before a run. Maybe they will need to "use the bathroom", or have stomach cramps. My advice to them, drink some coffee early enough to digest and have to "use the bathroom" before your run. Anyone who runs races, especially long ones, knows that you must "expell" before the race starts. Once you've done a couple dozen races, you will no longer be squeamish about talking or reading about expelling. I apologize to those who haven't gotten to that point and are squeamish now, reading this...

The point is this: get the benefits of the caffeine AND the quick expellation (Not a word, I know), and then have the Best Run Of Your Life. Especially when I am offering it you free at the Team Joe runs (no pun intended) every weekend.

Cheers

Heaven Is NYC Today!

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I love this weather. It's currently 63 degrees and sunny. It hardly gets better for running weather. I went today and yesterday, and will try to run every single nice day. Based on the forecast, my next day of rest will be next Monday.

I may have to break out my running shorts tomorrow. I hope people will forgive my pasty swarthy skin tone and all the black and blue spots on my legs: I tend to walk into furniture.

This weather makes me sign up for too many races. So far, I am in for the Scotland 10K April 3rd, The Healthy Kidney 10K May 15th, and the Brooklyn Half May 22nd.

I know, I know....I promised last year that I would NEVER ever run the Brooklyn half again. I also said it the year before when I ran it. I guess I am an oath breaker....

oh well..

Scotland 10K

Now that we have our first Scotswoman to call our own on Team Joe, Mrs. Laura Gwilliam, we will proudly will be running the Scotland 10K April 2nd!

http://www.nyrr.org/races/2010/r0403x00.asp

We actually ran it last year and I think the year before, but now we ARE Scottish, sort of!

The Scottish people are a great people. They have added so much to the world. Some of my favorites are Scotch whiskey, especially Balvenie, Haggis, men wearing kilts, and bag pipes.

More about Scotland's great history if you click on the Wiki link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland