Race #19 took place in Woodstock, CT. I raced down a country road nearby the grounds of the Woodstock Fair where
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Hot Rock Massage
One of the BIG reasons why I am recovering so well after each mile race has been the massage work of Sandra Bello at Body Destinations in Tyngsboro, MA. www.bodydestinations.com. Sandra has introduced me for the first time to the attributes of a hot rock massage. A hot rock massage quickly detoxes my muscles and heats up the area allowing Sandra to get in and do her healing work. She has been professional, dedicated, and resourceful.
Check out this video about the value of a hot rock massage. You might just recover better than ever…
D.A.R.E. Classic (Part 2) – Loudon, NH
One of our feature races on The SmoothToe New England Marathon…One Mile At A Time was the D.A.R.E. Classic in Loudon, NH on the Motor Speedway. It is indeed a special race not only for the unique environment, but also for the charitable cause of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and the camaraderie of the NH Police. One of the wonderful stories at the 5K race was the Sisters of The St. Charles Home (running in full habit) participating with the children they take care of and discussing the benefits of a running program at their Home.
Thanks to Maureen Steer and the rest of the NH Police for putting on an event that continues to educate youth about drug abuse. Check out this video on the D.A.R.E. Classic 2009
Advanced Stretching (Functional Flexibility)
How should you finish any workout for any sport? The answer is Functional Flexibility! This video shows how I finish my day. Check out this video with the 3D Stretching routine. It is the best way for your body to find restoration and recovery. Functional Flexibility is against gravity, free from artificial stability, using multiple joints, multiple muscle groups, with 3 dimensions, and in 10 directions.
With the use gravity, doorways, medicine balls, dumbbells, and tubes, there is elongation without pain. It is the most incredible way to stretch your way to improved flexibility. This is an advanced stretching routine, but one that anyone can do.
Functional Flexibility is mobility and stability training that is done with a specific purpose, and it is done in a three-dimensional and multi-directional way against gravity, so we don’t over stretch and cause instability and tissue damage.
Mobility is how effectively and efficiently our body moves throughout the range of motion.
Stability is how well we can control that mobility and our body in a three-dimensional and in a multi-directional way.
Mobility is how effectively and efficiently our body moves throughout the range of motion.
Stability is how well we can control that mobility and our body in a three-dimensional and in a multi-directional way.
Remember: Too much flexibility will cause instability.
Mental Preparation
One of the great treats at The Beach to Beacon race at the beginning of August was that so many people flew in to Maine to support reaching the half-way point of The SmoothToe New England Marathon…One Mile At A Time. Not only did my title sponsors fly in from Minnesota (Greg Hoscheit – SmoothToe) and North Carolina (John Haigh – Invista), but also one of my One Mile Runner Consultants from Florida, Jacqueline Moore.
Jacqueline has been so supportive of me over the years. She has helped me with my mental preparation for many of my events.
Here is an interview that we did together about the rigors of our event and how we manage the mental side for peak performance.
Race #18 = Border to Border
Race #18 took me to Douglas, MA just outside the birthplace of my mother in nearby Webster. My father grew up in neighboring Dudley, MA, so I sort of knew the region when The Last Mile Racing Company told me where I was racing tonight. It was a hot and humid day in New England, but the course was covered by a canopy of trees in the Douglas State Forest.
I might have been excited to run The Beach to Beacon or The D.A.R.E. Classic on the Loudon Speedway, but Charlie Olbrias, the President of The Last Mile Racing, was pumped up about this course. He found this route that had me starting in Douglas, MA going through Thompson, CT and then finishing in Douglas, MA again. Cool course on a humid evening. I ran my quickest time of the event at 4:40.39.
Here is a couple of photos of Charlie and I showing how this granite stone marks the change of the state line. On one side it is Connecticut and on the other side, it is Massachusetts.
After watching the video of me struggling
Race #16 – D.A.R.E. Classic (Part 1)
Race #16 on The SmoothToe New England Marathon…One Mile At A Time was the D.A.R.E. Classic on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. It was a very special evening as we celebrated the 19th year for this race www.dareclassic.com .
Here is a photo with Charlie Olbrias, from the Last Mile Racing Company, a color guard who performed before the 1 mile race, and Race Director, Maureen Steer who did a fabulous job along with the other NH State Police Officers.
We are going to publish another video this weekend of all the sights, sounds, and stories of this race, but first we will show the video of the one mile race. The rain held off, but not the wind as I struggled on the back stretch. I ran a 4:57.99 with a surge at the finish. I had an old friend, Jim Farrelly, at the wheel of the pace car along with Charlie Olbrias timing
Race #15 – Apple Orchard Mile
Race #15 was The Apple Orchard Mile in Londonderry, NH. We ran past Mack’s Apple Farm where they have done farming in Londonderry since 1732. My family used to go there as kids to buy apples by the bushel. We even had a
Race #14 – Beach to Beacon
Here is a photo from the Beach to Beacon 10K race and below is a video of the first mile.
Race #14 was the prestigious Beach to Beacon 10K. I ran the first mile of the race and it was featured in the Portland Press Herald http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story_pf.php?id=273917&ac=b2b. The Beach to Beacon 10K is a big race with 7,000 runners on the country roads of Cape Elizabeth, ME. The founder of the event, Joan Benoit, was there in attendance greeting runners and showing support for their efforts. I contacted Joan in February of this year about including the Beach to Beacon on The SmoothToe New England Marathon…One MIle At A Time race schedule.