When my wife first presented this book to me a couple of weeks ago, I had mixed emotions. I had heard all the hype. Christopher McDougall wrote a book preaching about running barefoot…yada, yada, yada. The great debate on whether the running shoe industry is ruining those it caters to. That humans were natural runners and the foot should be left alone. In all honesty, I’m tired of this subject and didn’t know if I really wanted to read about it…AGAIN!!!

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Born to Run ranks right up there with one of the best running books I’ve read. What Christopher McDougall has done is craft one of the greatest race accounts I’ve come across (before this book Duel in the Sun had no contest). He had me hooked from the first sentence.

“For days, I’d been searching Mexico’s Sierra Madre for the phantom known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse.”

White Horse? It’s a person? What in the world is going on?

From there, a wild running story is crafted. Set in an exotic location with a crazy cast of characters I never would have imagined the story that awaited. I couldn’t wait to dig in and get my hands around his experience that not only clued me in on some of running’s history but also of those who were responsible for carving it.

The Tarahumara Indian’s of Mexico’s Copper Canyons, Caballo Blanco (aka Michael Hickman, aka Micah True), Scott Jurek, Jenn Shelton, Billy Barnett, Luis Escobar and “Barefoot Ted”. As soon as I was done reading the book, I spend a couple of hours reading up on these runners and all their accomplishments. It’s quite a resumé and outside of Scott, you’d have a hard time recalling any of these great runner’s unless you were an Ultra geek.

Besides spinning a great tale, Christopher McDougall did something pretty ingenious. The aforementioned “running debate” was snuck in as part of the story. The best way I can describe it as commercials to the story. He didn’t come out and preach for 5-10 chapters but wove the research and medical opinions so they flowed with the story. Not only did it soften the blow of the topic for me but it actually got me doing a little preaching myself. There was a longer segment toward the back of the book where I thought it was a little long but maybe it just seemed that way because I wanted to get back to the “Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.”

To give you the Cliff Notes version of this book wouldn’t do the story justice. Please do yourself a favor and go grab a copy from your nearest library or bookstore.

Before reading this book, I had already started converting over to minimalist running by ditching the clunky shows and going for a trimmed down version (Nike Free). After reading this book, I’m ready to start incorporating barefoot running into my training schedule.

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If you’re looking for some technical help with technology consulting services and business development solutions, look no further than Boodel Consulting a.k.a. Lunchbox. These guys will do you right everytime!!!

This song has nothing to do with this post (except for they first line of lyrics) but this is easily my favorite song to run to. If you want to check it out, visit my running compadre Benji over at the two42 Bookstore (top album on the right) or search Central Worship: Live from Las Vegas (2007) on iTunes.

After the Fargo Half Marathon, I decided to join the so-called “running revolution” and start running naturally. I’d had enough injuries during the first half of this year to last me a lifetime and I figured something had to change. Step number one…my running stride.

While not wanting to go gung ho barefoot, I was all ready to try minimalistic running and ditch my corrective over pronating, extra cushioning running shoes for something simpler. Enter the Nike Free. We’ve all see the print ads with the toe touching the heel but there’s much more to this uber flexible shoe than the theatrics. This shoe is all about feel. Not until my first run in these shoes did I realize how sheltered my feet were from the road. I could now actually feel where my foot was striking the pavement and adjust my stride accordingly.

Shortening my stride and landing on my forefoot has done wonders. Not only have I been injury/pain free since mid May but my pace has quickened naturally with little effort. I used to be a comfortable 9:30/mi runner. Now, I have PRs running around like sugar plums in my dreams now that 8:30/mi have become commonplace on my easy runs. The only thing that stands in my way is sustainability over longer distances (which are no coming easier).

The flexibility and limited cushioning of the Nike Free have opened a whole new world that I am quickly adapting to. While I understand that these shoes will not give me the 400 miles my bulkier shoes gave me, the lower cost provides me the option of having multiple pairs to train in. You wouldn’t think the slight weight change would make a difference but the lightweight shoes definitely make a difference – especially over the longer distances.

With the good, there’s always the bad (in this case the bad’s aren’t that bad). First, the laces suck. I’ve never had to double knot laces until I encountered these laces. They’re slick and short – neither a good thing. This has been easily remedied by purchasing better laces. The second thing is that the flexibility of the soles allows rocks to wedge their way in quite easily. You won’t find me taking these on the trails anytime soon.

I haven’t been this excited over running shoes in a long time. I love all the color options and can’t wait to get into a pair of lime green’s!!! Next time your at your local running store, put on a pair and give them a spin.

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Los Angeles, CA June 22, 2010 – The 13.1 Marathon® - Los Angeles will return to the city’s most popular training grounds along the Santa Monica Bay for an unforgettable race experience. Amidst ocean views participants will enjoy a Hollywood themed half marathon and Karhu 5K celebrating the best of Los Angeles.

Both first-timer friendly and perfect for marathoners in training, 13.1® – Los Angeles will offer a scenic and festive run along a closed course with fully supported aid stations, live entertainment, and medals for all finishers. Participants and spectators are encouraged to wear costumes and enjoy a race “Where the Party Meets the Pavement”.

“The inaugural 13.1 LA was a tremendous success and we were thrilled with the enthusiasm and support we received from the local community”, stated Greg Laird, Founder and CEO of US Road Sports & Entertainment Group. “We look forward to bringing the only stand alone national half marathon series back to Los Angeles and growing this event into one of Southern California’s premier road races.”

13.1 Marathon® – Los Angeles will take place on Sunday, January 16, 2011 beginning at 7:13am at Santa Monica Beach located at Ocean Park Blvd and Neilson Way. The walker-friendly course will remain open for 3 hours and 30 minutes, a 16 minute/mile pace.

This year’s Racers are invited to join the official benefiting charity, Team World Vision to raise funds for clean water projects in Kenya and Malawi while training with local team groups. There is no fundraising minimum and team members will enjoy a Pre-Race Team Dinner, Pep Rally on race morning, and Post-Race Celebration Cookout. For more information on Team World Vision please visit www.worldvision.org

Registration is currently open. Early registration for 13.1® – Los Angeles is $65 until August 27, 2010.  The regular registration fee of $80 will apply from August 28, 2010 to January 9, 2011. Week of registration will be $100.

Karhu 5K early registration is $18 through August 27, 2010.  From August 28, 2010 to January 9, 2011 registration is $20. Week of registration will be $25.

To register and for more information on 13.1® – Los Angeles visit www.131losangeles.com.

It’s been forever since I’ve written anything and there’s good reason. I’m actually taking my own advice and have gotten involved with a local non-profit here in Las Vegas called Junior Athletics (new website coming soon). The goal of the organization is to inspire today’s youth to strive for excellence in nutrition, physical fitness, community service and life.

Thru sports “bootcamps” in soccer and basketball, kids are being taught the basics of health at early age in the attempt to affect their lives positively as they grow older. If you’re in the Las Vegas area and would like to check out one of our bootcamps, send me an email at eric@onerunnersbrain.com and I’ll send you a flyer.

With my new role as Vice President of Marketing and Communications, more of my free time will be spent working with my kids and the organization. Please be patient as I try to find my NEW stride handling these extra responsibilities.

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For a smaller city race, Fargo knows how to put a race together. With the Fargodome serving as a staging area for all the race participants, the nearing inclement weather wasn’t a problem pre-race. Thousands of runners were allowed full access to stretch, warm up and dress accordingly with the safe confines of the North Dakota State Bison football field (as a huge fan, this was pretty cool).

I do have to admit that this was the first race I’ve ever participated in where the shorter distances went out first. The 10K starting things off, followed by the half and then full marathons. Each course was a little different but I have to imagine that the faster marathoners had to have run into some slower half marathoner traffic that probably wasn’t welcome.

Anyway, just as the 10K set off, a light rain started. With temperatures in the high 50º’s/low 60º’s, the start was a little cold. Knowing that after the first mile that I’d warm up, it didn’t change into my long sleeve shirt – and I’m glad I didn’t. The rain was awesome once we got started. Besides the pools of water that were stepped in I would have been grateful if we would have had it with us the whole way. High temperatures were initially predicted and this was just what the doctor ordered!!!

With over 6,000 half marathoners, the start wasn’t bad as I thought it was going to be. There were no timing corrals but everything was orderly and my sister and I only need about 2 1/2 minutes to cross the starting line. While neither of us was expecting to really put any real speed into the day, it was obvious after a mile and a half that I was feeling really good. My sister coming off a cold and hampered training, had told me from the onset that if I wanted to go…GO!!! In other words…Run Mother F’er Run!!! So after 1 1/2 miles, I stepped up my pace to around 8:00/mi. to see what would happen.

If you’ve never been to Fargo, it’s really quite quaint. I never really realized it growing up there but the older established neighborhoods with their circa 1940′s architecture and tree canopied streets makes for a great race route. Winding thru north Fargo streets, the half marathon route found it’s way to the 1st avenue bridge that leads across the Red River over to Moorhead, Minnesota. The bridge isn’t that steep so it made for a fairly scenic point in the race. At least the Red wasn’t flooding the route this year…but the rain was. After making a loop thru Moorhead we exited onto the Main Ave. Bridge (that’s a painting of it on the medal). I hadn’t been on that bridge since the 9/11 memorial and it really is eye pleasing. I actually read the pillars as I passed.

As we continued south, we started entering my “neck of the woods.” I grew up on these same streets and many of our family and friends lived/used to live on these same streets. South 8th and 9th Streets were easily the highlight of my race. While I was fairly zoned in, the amount of people that lined these streets was awesome. Even in the trying weather, thousands turned out cheering on the runners, young and old alike. These two streets are completed canopied with trees. It’s like looking down the nave of an immense church that stretches for as long as the eye can see.

My family staked their roots in downtown Fargo (where the route passed twice). My dad, always in character, had his duck call (yes duck call) in full force. If that wasn’t enough to help me target them, having my 6′-9″ cousin as a landmark was the nail in the coffin. Sorry, but your not going to miss “Big Dave.”

By the time I passed them for the final time around mile 10, my pace was starting to take it’s toll. I had my training interrupted by a late injury and didn’t get to pace out a longer run at 8:30/mi. With only 3 miles left and a 2 minute cushion to set a PR, I knew I’d have to gut this one out. I walked the water station and crest of a hill and then pulled on the boot straps for my final push.

The crowds around the Fargodome for the finish were great. You literally ran thru a 1/4 mile of people 5 deep on either side. Of course my family had found their way to the dome and were positioned right at the turn towards the entrance to the finish. Words of encouragement? Heck no!!! There was my dad yelling at me to get my ass moving!!! By now, I was 2 1/2 minutes under my 2 hour PR. While I knew that, they had no idea.

Entering the Fargodome for the finish was exhilarating. All of those runners and family members before me had filled the stands and it seemed to be one consistent roar from the crowds. With another gear now in place, I looked towards the finish to see the official time reading 1:59:42. There’s something to be said for a clock because there was no way I was going to let that clock hit 2 hours before I crossed the finish line.

Now I don’t know if the dome interfered with my Garmin or if some supernatural thing happened that overcast morning in Fargo but I took off. I know I’ve never run that fast in my life but I nearly hit 15 m.p.h. on that home stretch and crossed the finish line at exactly 1:59:59. If you look at the photo closely below, I’m actually cheering (freakin’ dork). I’ve honestly never had that look on my face crossing a finish line…EVER!!!

My chip time was 1:57:25. A PR by over 3 minutes. Go Far…Go Fast…Go Fargo!!!

I may be a little biased and I’d love to hear from other runners what they thought of the race but this was by far my best race experience (with running thru Angel Stadium a close second). While it’s quite a ways to travel for a race, I’m pretty confident that this will become an annual race for my family and I. Next time though it will be the full marathon for sure!!!

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Disney is also allowing runners to help pick out the medal for next year is well. Click here to vote for which one you like to see hanging around your neck.

It’s been over a week now and I’ve had time to reflect on what happened. Being able to run (and walk) with my parents, sister and grandmother was one of my coolest running experiences to date.

After flying, driving and running to get to Fargo for the 5K I figured the worst was past me and could finally look forward to actually running a race. The weather was great for a Friday evening and the atmosphere was electric. The organizers of the Fargo Marathon rescheduled the 5K so more people could attend the race. Attend they did!!! Looking at the starting corral, I’d say the organizers were a little overwhelmed with over 5,000 runners cramming into the street. Organized, it was not.

We settled in towards the back of the masses. If it weren’t for my father aimlessly wondering off (he’s 64 and it happens a lot), we may have been able to leave some of the walkers behind us. It didn’t take long for everybody to get going but the amount of people you had to navigate around was crazy. I wanted my dad to be able to settle into his pace but half the time was spent trying to open holes and create a way through. The crazy part was that all the way to the finish, it was the same. The crowds never let up!!!

For my sister and I, running with our parents was special. Our dad, once a fellow running maniac, worked with a trainer to overcome his many ailments to run this race. Our mother as well had trained but physically didn’t have as many obstacles to overcome. We finally settled into 12 minute miles and crossed in just over 36 minutes. I had told them from the beginning that we could walk if they needed to if anything came up and was actually amazed that they ran the whole thing!!!

Once we finished and hugs were dispersed, my mother and I went back out on the course to find my 84 year old grandmother. Upon hearing that the family was participating in the 5K, she immediately signed up. In my eyes, she’s always been a physical specimen. Despite her age, she’s always been active in golf and tennis. When she used to winter in Arizona, she had to join leagues with women 10-20 years younger than herself for some “competition.” We found her about a 3/4 mile from the finish walking with her friends. The entire time walking with her, the phrase that kept coming up was “Ya know…I can walk faster.” Crossing the finish line the second time (which screwed up my timing chip) we were met by the rest of our friends and family and my niece and nephew joined up with us on the course.

I know it’s not much of a “Race Review” but this wasn’t about the race run on this day. This race was the effort put in by us all for that one day we could all run together as one. I’m hoping to make this a yearly journey but if we don’t get to run again ever…I know we’ve had our moment in the sun!!!

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Our flights left early Friday morning from three separate airports. While all were short in length, the anticipation of flying to a marathon destination made minutes turn into hours. Upon landing, the connecting flight to Fargo had to be found. Finding the departure board was the first thing on all our minds and being runners, the distance would between gates could easily be reached, no matter the time constraints. Scanning the sea of on time flights, fate would have it that the flight to Fargo was not just delayed…but canceled.

On any other day, this would be considered an inconvenience but today, it was as disaster. With the 5K scheduled for later that evening, every attempt was going to be made to toe the line when the gun sounded. Nothing was going to keep these three strangers from making their destination…no matter what.

Separately, we all made it to the now canceled gate and eventually the United (yes I’m calling you out) Customer Service counter. As fate would have it, we all ended up at the smaller counter and not the mile long line we would encounter on the way to our eventual destination. The funny thing about being a runner is we can sniff each other out. Whether its the physique, the apparel or even the reading material, we know who we are. While standing in line, we found each other and instantly started formalizing a rudimentary plan. OK, to be honest, we didn’t have a plan – we winged it. While the agent proceeded to tell us we were booked on the first flight out Saturday morning, the wheels set into motion.

Us: “Can you get us to Grand Forks, ND.”
Them: “No available seats.”
Us: “How about Bismarck, ND.”
Them: “Not until later tonight and there might not be seats available.”
Us: “Minneapolis then Fargo!!!”
Them: “There are no seats available to Fargo from any city today.”

By this time, we started joining forces and racked our brains to come up with a city we could fly into and then drive to Fargo in time for the evening’s race.

Us: “Sioux Falls, SD.”
Them: “Oh, well yes, we have plenty of seats to Sioux Falls.”

Before the agent could even finish saying “yes” we had already slammed our tickets on the counter and had her book us seats immediately. Once we had the third member of “Team Fate” on the flight, we began to figure out how in the world we were going to traverse the 250 miles to Fargo. As luck would have it (there was a lot of luck flowing that Friday), one member of our running trio had enough points to reserve a car in Sioux Falls and it would be waiting for us when we arrived.

So here we were. Three runners who never knew the others existed being brought together by a higher power to share a running story that will not soon be forgotten.

Eric Selvig from Las Vegas – a running brain flying to his hometown to run with his family and looking to refuel his spiritual tank.

Dan Harbeke from South Jordan, Utah – a PR Director for Union Pacific going back home to run in his third Fargo Marathon.

Jeff Schiller from Nampa, Idaho – a CPA with his legs set on running marathons in 50 states (Fargo would be his 27th) who had the best line of the trip. “If you can’t get me there today, send me home.”

Not seated together on the flight to Sioux Falls, we still really had no idea who each other were but that was about to change. The 3 1/2 hour drive to Fargo could have been 30 minutes and I don’t think any of us would have known the difference. For as bad as the day looked when we all arrived in Denver, the drive was one for the running books.

We shared a common bond – running – and each had a story to tell (or ten). For every story and factoid there was another just as interesting around the bend. There were no awkward silences. We talked over each other and bit our tongues waiting for our turn to chime in. It was the most intense conversation I think I’ve ever been involved in. Jeff and Dan knew the same people. Dan and I shared home town experiences. We quizzed Jeff about Boston, New York and his goal of 50 states. Running strides, shoes and motivations. Diets, clothes and weather conditions. What we shared wasn’t personal (in fact I had to do some searching write this story), but it was a passion for running that can be found on the streets, trails and races all around the world. It’s the bond of the runner that turns complete strangers into comrades. Our paths may not cross again but I consider them both friends.

God works in mysterious ways. I can’t speak for the others but my soul needed a lift and it was provided to me tenfold. I never could have planned this to happen but thank God it did.

Our paths did cross once more after the weekend was over. I saw Jeff on the late local news being interviewed after the race and happened to be on the same flight with Dan on Sunday, flying back to Denver…where this wonderful journey all began.

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My fellow running bloggers, Brian and Jason at Team Flash have been training for the Comrades Marathon now for over a year. With less than 2 weeks remaining and hundreds of miles under their belts, the goal is within reach. If you get a chance, head over to the Team Flash site and wish them well.