Races!

We've talked about doing a couple races this semester. Here's the info for the ones we're looking at. Note that the early bird deadline for the Blacksburg Classic is tomorrow. 


2/27/2011 - Blacksburg Classic
1 pm  10 mi, 5k Blacksburg, VA $20 until Feb 1, then $25
http://civic.bev.net/striders/classic_2011.html


3/19/2011 Montvale 
9am  5 & 10 mi        Bedford, VA         $25- $35
http://www.mountainjunkies.net/Montvale.html


4/9/2011 Mill Mountain Mayhem
9am  10k                Roanoke          $25-30
http://www.mountainjunkies.net/Mill_Mountain.htm


4/9/2011 Komen Race for the Cure
5k                          Roanoke           $30
http://www.komenroanoke.org/komen-race-for-the-cure/


4/30/2011 7 am Park to Park Half marathon
7am         Stuarts Draft/ Waynesboro $49 - March 18 ; $59 - April 15 ; $69 - April 16- race day
http://www.waynesboro.va.us/pr-parktopark.php

Running this week

Hi Friends!
Can you even believe how beautiful this day was?!  I obviously cannot.  Unfortunately it probably won't be as beautiful tomorrow, but we will be running at 5:30pm on the Huckleberry anyway.  Can't wait to see you all :)

Have a marvelous Monday!

Candice

Cold Weather Attire

Hi Runners!
I am so excited to write my very first engage blog :)  I wanted to take a few minutes to address a major concern for many of us: the cold.  In case you haven't left the couch or your snuggie for a couple months, you probably realize that it is basically frigid in Blacksburg.  Well take heart, my fellow runners, there is a way to run outdoors and not die of hypothermia.  I am going to give you some tips from head to toe that work for me.  Please feel free to comment back with your own suggestions.

Head:  For me once it gets to the low 30s or 20s it is nice to have a fleece headband to protect the ears.  Others prefer a tight stocking hat.  Additionally, many runners start breaking this out around 45 degrees.

Upper body:  For the temperature it has been this week and last week, I like to wear a dry-fit or technical long-sleeve shirt.  Then I wear either a track jacket or cotton long-sleeve shirt over that.  Today I even broke out a light fleece vest over that because sometimes my middle just really needs another layer.

The dry-fit shirt on bottom is great because it wicks/ pulls moisture (aka sweat) away from your body.  This keeps you from getting too hot in the summer.  In the winter it can keep you warmer because the sweat doesn’t start to freeze or get cold on your body.  Sometimes even in cold temps cotton can get really hot if it is the base layer.

Also, gloves are a great addition.  I usually shed them mid-run, but they make the beginning way more pleasant especially with the wind.

Lower body:  There is lots of room to play around with this one so I’ll just give my personal preference, but it probably doesn’t matter all that much as long as you are comfortable.  Recently I have become the biggest fan of tight, moisture wicking pants.  SO NERDY to me, yet SO AWESOME.  I’m going to be really open and tell you why- no chub rub from a saggy, droopy pants.  If you don’t know what I’m saying let’s talk in person.  The legs just glide so much smoother, and my muscles feel nimble.  Runners high all the way.
Foot wear:  For me this has stayed the same.  I know some people will wear wool socks.  I think that’s a little overboard, but if you disagree feel free to rebuke me.

That’s almost all for now.  I have to share the single best piece of running attire advice I have ever received.  My fiancé Alex’s dad told me this, and it hasn’t failed me yet.  He said: if you are warm at the start, you are over-dressed.  This is seemingly simple, but oh boy is it true.
See you all Wednesday!  Looking forward to putting same names to faces J

Candice

Schedule

Hello fellow runners!  
I also wanted to post our tentative schedule for the week of January 23rd. 


Monday - meet at 5:30 at the Huckleberry Trail entrance ready to run.
Wednesday - meet at 5:30 at the entrance to War Memorial Gym. We're working out details on reserving a room for bible study. We'll go for a short run around campus afterward. 
Friday - meet at 5:30 at the Huckleberry Trail entrance ready to run. 


I'm working on getting an interactive calendar posted to the blog. That way you won't have to search posts to find weekly schedules. If anyone is technically savvy and up for a challenge please let me know.

Welcome!

You found us. We're really excited about this upcoming semester. We have a lot of ideas about how we can use running to fuel our In, Out, and Up relationships. At this point we don't have plans set in stone. Our intention is to let the group members shape what this engage group will be. We hope you'll join us on this journey. 

This blog will serve as a sort of home base, so please bookmark it. We'll post current discussions, scheduled runs, and upcoming events here. Till next time.