I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about the Fargo Fitness Challenge. What started out as an offer to come run the Fargo Marathon May 21/22 has blossomed into a movement to get people active and running.

Yes, Fargo is in North Dakota. No, buffalo still don’t roam free. Yes there is electricity. No, the movie Fargo was not actually filmed in Fargo (go figure). Yes, it’s flat. I mean REALLY flat!!!

It all started in November when my good friend Heidi asked if I’d like to come run in one of the Fargo Marathon events with her. She was a runner back in high school and was quite an elite level at one time until being derailed by back surgery (which has prevented her from running) and taking time to start a family. After 10 years, she was ready to give running (and her back) another shot. With my sister already committed to running, I had to finally stop waffling and sign my name to the dotted line.

So now I was running Fargo (my home town) but spiritually, I really needed more. I’ve really been in a slump lately and I needed to stoke the fires. Heidi and I spoke one Saturday and came up with an idea. What if we tried to inspire others to run/walk with us. Not just runners…but friends, family, neighbors, kids and acquaintances who might need a nudge (or push) to get active and back on the healthy track. There’s nothing better than having others there by your side encouraging, helping and challenging you every step of the way.

So that’s where we are friends. In the first week, we already have over 35 people on our Facebook page and another 11 people confirmed participating in one of the weekend events (5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon or Full Marathon). My running spirits couldn’t be higher and those that I’ve spoken to are equally inspired. With around 100 days remaining until the event, I’d like to officially challenge you to join us in Fargo, May 21 and May 22. Click the link below to go to our Facebook page and join the movement. Can’t make it to Fargo? Pass this along and help be a part of something I think is going to be pretty great.

The Fargo Fitness Challenge Facebook Page

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Again, seeing that the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon is my hometown race, I’d like to offer my expertise to those of you who are not very familiar with Las Vegas. My wife and I were discussing the best place for her and my kidz to see me during the marathon route and it got me thinking of the best places for spectators to watch the race. You can also see the official race website locations by clicking here. I’ll break it down by categories:

Don’t want to deal with traffic and cool temperatures.

• Stay at home and watch the race on KLAS TV Channel 8. Last year they did 2 hours live coverage and then did an hour recap later in the day (so participants could watch). I will know the times of coverage early next week and will update my Twitter and Facebook pages with that information. Not a fan or following us in social media yet? Click on the Twitter and Facebook links now.

1/2 Marathon Spectators

• Seeing that the nearly the whole race is being run on the strip provides numerous opportunities to view the race. Your best bet is to find a place on one of the many overhead walkways that span Las Vegas Boulevard. There are sidewalks as well but a view from above should be really cool.
• The most activity will be around Mile 3 between Tropicana and Harmon (near the MGM and Planet Hollywood hotels). There will be a band there and couples will be getting married near here around 7:15 am. This spot will also give you time to hoof it back to the finish line to cheer your favorite runner home.
• Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Boulevard. On the west side of the Strip is Treasure Island (T.I.) and the Fashion Show Mall. Here you can cheer on the 1/2 marathoners return and also bid farewell to the marathoners as they venture west for their epic journey.
• Start/Finish line. From my past experience, there’s nothing like the excitement at the beginning of a race. Fireworks, Air Force fly overs and atmosphere can be thrilling (no only for runners but the spectators as well). It’s also cool to see the sea of humanity in the corrals. I still am in awe every time that there are so many of us!!!

Full Marathon Spectators

• Hands down the best spot this year is on the corner of Rainbow Boulevard and Hacienda Avenue. Black Market Music will be rockin’ the corner and you will have 3 (yes 3) chances to see runners cross this intersection. The route goes west on Hacienda and turns north on Rainbow – does a U Turn back to Hacienda – west on Hacienda where we U Turn again back down to Rainbow and towards the Strip. On the southeast corner of this intersection is Spring Valley Hospital and there will be ample parking available. It also has easy access but you need to approach the intersection from the south. I recommend taking the I-215 and exiting north on Rainbow. After your favorite runner passes you the third time, you can take Russell Road east straight down to Mandalay Bay for the finish. Depending on how fast your runner is you’ll have about 30-40 minutes to make it down – should be plenty of time.
• Any of the other 1/2 marathon sites will work here as well but you’ll have more time to hang out before your runner returns to the finish.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. See you all in a week!!!

RMFR

Even though Sarah Palin was featured in Runner’s World (Aug. 2009) and now the Newsweek cover (Nov. 23, 2009) as a runner – I still don’t really care for her. I will say her approval rating with me went way up from where she was at but let’s say she was way down there. If that wasn’t enough, now there seems to be some controversy regarding the photo in Newsweek.

Regarding the photo, former Governor Palin (on her Facebook page of course) said “The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this ‘news’ magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant.” Two things here:

1. Did she really refer to herself in the 3rd person?
2. Running is irrelevant? Excuse me but just a few months ago you were more than happy to show us all you were a runner.

To be honest, she rose a couple more rungs on my ladder when I first saw the Newsweek cover. My first thought was she decided to give running another shout out in a much larger circulated magazine. It also made me forget a little bit how her speeches grated on me – not so much for their content but just they way she gave them. I did see another quote though where she back tracked and said she still believes exercise is important but a photo of her in running gear should be used for a serious story. Ummm OK.

The controversy does indeed go deeper. It seems that the photos that were used in the original “I’m A Runner” section of Runner’s World were exclusive to Runner’s World for a year. The photos were given to Newsweek by the photographer’s stock agency without Runner’s World knowledge or permission. Click here for the editor’s note.

I would like to now officially name this fiasco “Runner’s Gate”.

RMFR

With the boom of social media, it’s easier now more than ever to keep in touch with what’s going on in running. Like most of you, it drives me nuts when I go to my favorite running blogs only to find there’s nothing new since the last time I visited. This simple solution…subscribe. I subscribe to quite a few blogs and get email updates when new content is posted. There are actually three ways you can do that with One Runner’s Brain:

• Subscribe to this blog. Directly underneath the sponsor ads for TeamAMC and Bonnie’s Country Classic, there is a subscribe form. Simply enter your email address and you will get an email every time new content is posted. Don’t worry about getting hit with a bunch of email marketing from me…I don’t have the time.
• Follow us on Twitter. Ah, yes, the land of tweets. For those of you out there on the social bandwagon, this might be your cup of tea. CLICK HERE to visit our Twitter page. You will also get updates on our posts as well as additional content within our running community.
• Follow us on Facebook. Another option for those of you that like to keep up with your high school sweethearts. CLICK HERE to visit our Facebook page and become a fan. Our blog posts get updated here as well and will be viewable on your wall.

All these links can also be found under the Personal links page on the right navigation bar. See you on the social network!!!

There’s no denying it – we’re in the “social media” age. From Facebook to Twitter and a million blogs in between (present company included), there are more outlets to information than ever before. My advice to you…grab on and hold on tight.

To be honest, it’s just too much. How much information can one runner’s brain actually handle? I don’t want to find out. From now on, I’m going to treat social media as I do talking to my wife – selective listening (just a joke honey – SERIOUSLY – I’m just joking…honey?).

When I first signed up on Twitter, I followed everybody and their mother…yes I did actually follow somebody’s mother. I finally reached my breaking point after reading several posts by Lance Armstrong feeding his kids various types of sandwiches several days in a row. Could the signs have been any clearer?

My Twitter page now reads like a “who’s who” in the running world. That’s what I really want to know about. I DO care what Ryan Hall eats before his 15K training run. I DO want to know that Dean Karnazes ran the LA Marathon and kept running south thru California until he ran the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Marathon (which is later next year and may be on my schedule next year) the following week. You can’t get that anywhere else and you have to admit, it’s good stuff! And the best part is, they’re runners and don’t have the time to post every hour on the hour.

With a little discipline and a reckless abandon to hit the “Don’t Follow” button, you too can lead a sane and informational Twitter life.

I get crap for having a Facebook account. My wife and I constantly discuss how much it drives us nuts getting tons of emails and knowing what are daughter is up to in college. Even though there are negatives, I’ve found it very cool to connect with others. Old high school buddies, college friends and most of all…other fellow runners.

I found a really cool group on Facebook – Marathon Runners – We do 26.2 and have found some really great topics. One of the best discussions in this group is a play on David Letterman’s Top Ten List. As of 03/03/09, that list is at 373 and counting. For those of you who aren’t on Facebook or don’t want to join the group, I wanted to share some of these thoughts from fellow runners. If you’re into running, these will hit close to home.

You know you’re a Marathoner when:

- You really don’t “mind” the smell of icy hot.

- You don’t think twice about a beer at 10:00 am because you just finished a marathon.

- You have more running shoes than most women have dress shoes.

- You’re tired of explaining to people that yes the marathon YOU ran was 26.2 miles, that in fact they all are that far.

- 25 songs on your ipod probably won’t be enough for your normal runs.

- You drop off water bottles on your coarse before a run.

- You take vacations based on where you want to run next.

- It’s not shocking to you to see a good number of people peeing just about anywhere during a race.

- You think it’s perfectly normal to discuss the color of your urine with people that are not doctors nor members of your family.

- You’ve ran more of your local roads than you’ve driven in your car.

- Bloody Nipples are something you earn, not a punk band.

- When you shower after a long run you brace for the water hitting all the chafed areas.

- You know the exact mileage to different places around your neighborhood cause you pass them on your run.

RMFR