Rock N Roll: Going for Broke

And by "Going for Broke" I mean that I would go broke trying to run a lot of races in DC. Running is expensive! (But I'll get to that later.) I was ready to pay the $110 to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon, when the race-- sans course map and three months away-- SOLD OUT. This is the first year that the ubiquitous "Rock N Roll" series has visited the District, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I knew that there were about 600 entries left, but I decided to wait until the next day because I procrastinate. When I tried to register the next day, I found out that the number of entries was zero. Well that made my decision easy. I think my procrastination was generated by the fact that the Rock N Roll half marathon was way overpriced and that chaps my ass.

As you can see from the screen cap to the right, the prices for the half marathon were really expensive. I think I ran the Freedom Run Half Marathon for less than $60. Granted it was an hour and a half away, but still. Paying over $75 for a half marathon really is pretty ridiculous, especially when the full marathon is only $15 more. By that logic, the extra 13 miles of race logistics are a little more than $1 more per mile? Makes no sense. And as I stated above, there is no course map, so what people are getting themselves into? The only thing I took away from this experience is that I really need to get into the race directing game.

There are a few other choices I have including the Colonial Half Marathon, which is at the end of February and the GW Birthday Classic 10-K, which is mid February. These races will put me in good position for Boston on 16 April, and I won't go broke either.

Big Deal, News Follows

According to this article, when men exercise there is a protein in our brain that is created known as BDNF, which helps promote a healthy memory. There is high levels of BDNFof those of us who exercise, therefore it's important to exercise in order to retain a healthy memory. As if you already didn't know, right? Therefore, if you want to maintain cognitive health, go move your ass.

New Year, New Shoes

When I went to the Logan Circle Pacers fun run about two months ago, a brand rep from Saucony was there with a trial pair of running shoes if we wanted to give them a spin. I decided I wanted to give the minimalist Kinvara a try and that's what I did. I noticed that I had to shorten my stride with them. I could definitely feel it in the bottom of my feet by the end of the run though.

A few days ago, following Christmas, I decided to give myself the gift of new running shoes. I waited until today (Happy New Year!) to open the package and try them on.

I went for my inaugural 2012 run around the US Capitol with these shoes and I felt great. They were really light. I felt much more focused on my stride and how my feet were hitting the ground. At the end I didn't even feel any pain in the bottom of my feet. I am still suffering from some sort of groin strain. Afterward, I iced, I stretched, and hopefully it will go away or I'll be taking a trip to the sports doc.

I still need to start training plan!