New Running Series in Lincoln

I have always been impressed by the Lincoln running community.  Participation is great and races are well done and enthusiastically attended by family and friends.  Lots of credit for this, of course, goes to the Lincoln Track Club, which has for decades put on a wonderful series of races throughout the year.

The community now has another group promoting and putting on races.  The Born and Raced in Nebraska (BRIN) running series is a welcome addition to the local running community.

Check out their website and calendar of upcoming races.

http://www.bornandracedne.com/

State Farm Run

The State Farm Run looked like another great success.  This was actually the first year that I have not run the race since I moved to Lincoln.  This is also the first year that I have 3 kids at home, though!

This was a long run weekend for me, and I was finishing my 16 miles on the Mopac trail as runners were starting to warm up for the race.  I was a little sad that I wasn't going to run the race, but that quickly disappeared as I walked in my house and saw my boys dressed up as Ironman and the Incredible Hulk, begging me to take them to the Children's Museum.  I took a hot shower, popped some ibuprofen, and took my superheroes to the museum.

Results from the race can be found online.

http://www.lincolnrun.org/news/results-state-farm-run

One of Life's Simple Pleasures

One of the things that has always attracted me to running, and one of the things that keeps me doing it, is how simple it is.  Virtually anybody can do it, virtually anywhere, and it doesn't require any expensive or technical gear to do it.

I was reminded of this as I was doing my morning jog on the trail near my house when I saw a middle age/older man running in blue jeans, a hooded sweatshirt, and a basic pair of running shoes.  He jogged very slowly, smiled, and waved and said hello to everybody as they passed.

Thank you, strange runner, in the age of GPS watches, technical shirts, and $200 running shoes for reminding us how simple a pleasure running can be.

State Farm Run this Weekend

The 2014 Lincoln Track Club race season kicks off this Saturday with the 16th annual State Farm Run.  This is a great race to test your readiness if you are training for the full or half marathons in May.  While the weather the last few years has been wet and/or very cold for the event, conditions look to be ideal this weekend.

There is still time to register.

http://www.lincolnrun.org/races/statefarm

Travel Tip for Runners

I spent the last weekend in San Antonio, cheering for Nebraska and Creighton.  Sadly, neither team was able to advance out of the region.  At least I was able to continue my training while I was there with some help from the San Antonio Road Runners.

It can be a challenge continuing high milage training while traveling.  Fortunately, the internet and social media has made it a lot easier.  I don't like to run where there is a lot of traffic.  The San Antonio Road Runners webpage has compiled a nice list of favorite running places in and around the city.  With the help of google maps, I was able to find a remote park with runner friendly trails near my in-laws house in North San Antonio.

Keep this tip in mind next time you are on the road!