Ryan Hall's Blog, page 194

2016 Holiday Gear Guide: Women’s Lifestyle

$29, boomrunning.com

Befitting of an Olympic year, this super soft vintage-looking T-shirt celebrates the marathon in red, white and blue. Plus, its scooped neckline and slimming cut is made to better fit a women’s body rather than your average unisex tee.

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Under Armour Releases Smart Running Shoe Line Powered by MapMyRun

 

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Under Armour SpeedForm Gemini 3 RE, $160

The latest iteration in the Gemini family, this neutral shoe made for long runs includes a knit midfoot panel support for great lockdown, UA SpeedForm construction for a precision fit and Charged Cushioning for improved responsiveness and durability.

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Under Armour SpeedForm Europa RE, $160

This lightweight stability shoe incorporates a mesh tongue and toe box to enhance fit and increase ventilation. It also includes UA SpeedForm construction for a precision fit and blown rubber under the heel to help absorb ground contact.

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Under Armour SpeedForm Velociti RE, $140

This incredibly lightweight (7 oz.), shoe made for speed has UA SpeedForm construction for a precision fit, an embedded sock liner for support and seamless comfort, and Charged Cushioning for durability and optimal energy return.

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Under Armour is stepping up their running shoe game and has announced their first line of smart shoes or “connected footwear” called the UA Record Equipped. The line consists of three new Under Armour running shoe styles—SpeedForm Gemini 3 RE, SpeedForm Velociti RE, and SpeedForm Europa RE—that are exclusively powered by MapMyRun and the Under Armour mobile app. It’s also an extension of the brand’s first smart shoe, the UA SpeedForm Gemini 2 RE, released earlier this year.

Each UA Record Equipped shoe has a smart feature within the footwear that extends the tracking capability of MapMyRun by providing detailed workout stats, such as cadence, real-time pace information, and the mileage lifetime of the shoe. However, not only does the feature make live tracking available, it can also measure the wearer’s muscular fatigue level before he or she even gets started by performing the Jump Test. How it works: Once connected to MapMyRun the technology embedded in the shoes will measure and average the air time of a sequence of jumps as an indicator of muscle fatigue. This helps track an athlete’s recovery status over time and provides guidance on how to alter the intensity of a workout.

“We are taking a scientific approach to recovery that is directly utilizing real-time data from your body to determine what level of workout you should execute to guide your training,” said Mike Lee, chief digital officer at Under Armour, in a press release. “We know one of the biggest problems runners face is pushing through pain and fatigue, leading to injury. The Jump Test in MapMyRun is a critical first step for runners and will help avoid the ‘training hangover’ many athletes face by giving them awareness into their ability to perform.”

The entire UA Record Equipped running shoe line will become available for pre-order on Jan. 5, and includes an MVP subscription to MapMyRun with access to training plans, audio coaching, live tracking and advanced analytics.

RELATED: Adidas Debuting Exclusive $333 3D Printed Running Shoes

RELATED: Brooks Unveils ‘Beer Mile’ Hyperion Racing Flat

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Brooks Unveils ‘Beer Mile’ Hyperion Racing Flat

Brooks has unveiled the world's first shoe designed specifically for running the beer mile.

With the cult popularity the beer mile has achieved in recent years, it was only a matter of time before a shoe manufacturer came out with a model specific to running the four-lap, four-beers sometimes gut-wrenching time trial. Well, here it is—the Brooks “Beer Mile” Hyperion.

In advance of the FloTrack Beer Mile World Championships on Dec. 17 in Austin, Texas, Brooks has created a 6.4-oz. customized version of its Hyperion racing flat for professional beer miler Lewis Kent. Yes, that’s right, Kent is a professional beer miler. The former beer mile world-record holder with a PR of 4:47.17, garnered a sponsorship from Brooks in 2015 when the brand realized how much positive attention he was getting.

RELATED: How to Run a Beer Mile

The shoe features a red and white color motif and showcases a red maple leaf on the heel to represent Lewis’ Canadian roots. “Beer Mile” is also inscribed on the tongue and other fun, beer references are used throughout the shoe, including the words “Run Hoppy” on the left shoe and “Live Lager” on the right and sockliners that read “Beer” and “Mile.”

The outsole compound is also formulated for premium wet-dry traction and skid resistance, which Brooks says is “perfect for the beer transition zone where spilled beverages can create hazards.” Furthermore, the brand said in a playful but serious press release on Dec. 14 that the shoe’s perforated stretch-woven upper “not only provides a sock-like fit but also vents and drains in the event of beer spillage.” The shoe will not be sold commercially, but the standard version of the Hyperion retails for $130.

Kent will take on current record holder Corey Bellemare as well as Corey Gallagher, the 2014 champion and 2015 runner up,at the FloTrack Beer Mile World Championships  in Austin. Kent, Bellemare and Gallagher are all Canadian.

RELATED: A New Beer Mile World Record

“The goal is simple: to get out there and go as quick as I can. Drink fast and run hard,” Kent said in the release. “Training has been going exactly as planned. Without a collegiate cross country season this fall I have been able to put in bigger training weeks and avoid over-racing. The Beer Mile World Championships will be an amazing showdown.”

RELATED: Tips for Running a Beer Mile

Legend has it that the beer mile has been around since the early 1900s, but the oldest known records date back to the late 1980s. In recent years, it’s been known as a rite of passage for many college track and cross country teams and an annual event for many running clubs — often contested on a holiday like New Year’s Eve or the Fourth of July. There’s even a website (beermile.com) that tracks rules, results and records. The site has almost 2,000 beer mile events logged and 25,000 individual results.

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The 15-Minute Adaptive Core Routine for Runners (No Gym Required)

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Think about how many thousands of steps you take over the course of a run. Now multiply this number by the number of days a week you run. Now multiply this number by the number of months you run in a year. Not only would you strike the ground an astounding number of times over the course of a run, you would also strike it an astounding number of times over the course of a year.

Each time you strike the ground, you strike it with 2 to 2.5 times your bodyweight. The question is, can your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back effectively support a force such as this? The answer largely depends on the strength of your core (including glutes, abdominals, hips and lower back).

Let’s say your glutes are inhibited (not firing) or weak. And when you strike the ground, this weakness/inhibition causes your upper leg (femur) to collapse inward, taking your knee and foot along with it. Pronation is a natural part of the running gait. But when it’s excessive for your body and is repeated thousands of times over the course of a run, injury is inevitable. When you neglect your core it is like trying to build a structurally sound house without having laid a solid foundation. At some point, it is going to come crashing down.

However, you can build a rock solid core that will fortify you for the demands of running. And you can do it in less than 15 minutes a few times a week. But building your core isn’t about getting on the floor and banging out a set of crunches or planks. Although those exercises help, your whole core must be worked and it must be worked across all planes of motion (sagittal, transverse, and frontal).  The following 15-minute or less adaptive core routine does just that—and you don’t need to go to a gym to do it.

RELATED: 4 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Begin by performing 30 seconds of each exercise and building up to two consecutive minutes of each exercise. Refer to the video for a quick visual how-to on performing each exercise.

Stability Ball Circles

Begin in plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your forearms on a stability ball. Clasp your hands lightly in front of you and tighten your abdominal muscles. Press your forearms into the ball. While keeping the rest of your body steady, draw a circle with your elbows. Complete the desired amount of circles. Switch directions.

Increase the challenge: Perform larger circles.

Stability Ball Hamstring Curls

Lie on your back with your legs outstretched and your feet elevated on a stability ball. Using your glutes, lift your hips so that they are in-line with your ankles. Be sure not to arch your back. While keeping your glutes tight and your body steady, slowly draw your heels towards your butt. Pause for two to three seconds. Roll the ball away from your butt until your legs are outstretched.

Increase the challenge: Perform one-legged stability ball hamstring curls.

Sit and Twists

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. While keeping your back straight, lean back until your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Clasp your hands lightly in front of your chest. Slowly rotate round to the right as far as you can, pause, then rotate to the left as far as you can.

Increase the challenge: Lift your feet off the floor or perform the exercise holding a medicine ball or some other weight.

Burpees

Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Be sure they are just outside your feet. Jump both of your feet back so that you are in plank position. Lower your chest until it touches the floor. Push up to return to plank position. Jump your feet towards your hands. Stand up.

Increase the challenge: After standing up, jump into the air with both hands stretched overhead.

Mountain Climbers

Begin in plank position with your arms extended and your hands wider than shoulder width. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Without lifting your hips, draw one of your knees in towards your chest. As you return to starting position, bring your other knee forward. Your legs should feel like they are skimming the floor. Continue alternating for the desired number of repetitions or time.

Increase the challenge: Increase the speed at which your legs alternate.

Side Plank with Leg Lift

Lie on one side with your legs stacked together and your hand up in the air or on your hips. While squeezing your glutes, raise your hips so that they are in a straight line with your ankles. Your oblique (side) muscles should be tight. While holding steady, raise your leg as high as you can. Pause for 2-3 seconds. Lower your leg slowly until your top foot touches your bottom foot. Repeat.

Increase the challenge: Perform the exercise with your feet on an elevated surface.

Supermans

Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs outstretched While squeezing your lower back, simultaneously raise your arms, legs and chest off the floor. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds. Lower slowly to the start position. Repeat.

Increase the challenge: Perform the challenge while moving legs in and out in a scissor fashion or perform exercises over stability ball.

One of best things about this routine is that you can use your bodyweight, and you can increase or decrease the challenge of each exercise in a variety of ways. Also you can perform this routine anywhere. You can perform it after a run, in the comfort of your home or even at the office if you have a gym or an empty space to slip away to.

RELATED: 11 Plank Exercises that Build Core Strength for Runners

 

About the Author: 

After leaving her home in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, following a devastating hurricane, Lisah discovered running as a way to feel free. Lisah represented the Virgin Islands twice at the World Cross Country Championships. Now she shares her unique approach to running and life through her podcast and website, The Conscious Runner, where she combines mindfulness and sound training principles to help you become a stronger, faster, more injury-resistant runner, and feel fantastic while doing it.

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USATF Olympians Do the Mannequin Challenge at Universal Studios

As part of Universal Orlando Resort and NBC’s second annual #ShareKindness campaign, the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team kicked off the goal to share 1 million positive stories/videos through social media with a mannequin challenge video of their own. Each Olympian—including Allyson Felix, Michelle Carter, Kerron Clement, Shannon Rowbury, Ryan Crouser, Aretha Thurmond and Dan O’Brien—froze into the position of their particular track and field specialty in front of the giant Christmas tree at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., while Minions brought them back to “life.” They’ve also shared their own stories of people who have showed them generosity, as part of the campaign’s theme, available later this week on TODAY.com.

RELATED:  Can You Do as Many Pushups as an Olympic Runner?

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Adidas Debuting Exclusive $333 3D Printed Running Shoes

Adidas is making the new 3D Runner on demand for a limited number of customers who sign up on Dec. 12-13.

Adidas announced on Monday that it will be making 3D technology shoes available to purchase for the first time with a limited edition release this week. The 3D Runner will be available for $333 via adidas Confirmed in New York with sign-ups starting Dec. 12 and reservations opening on Dec. 13. The shoes can be picked up on Dec. 15 at adidas NYC, the brand’s new flagship store. (A limited number of the shoes will also be made available on Dec. 15 in London and Tokyo.)

The 3D Runner shoe features an engineered 3D web structure with dense zones in high force areas and less dense zones in the low force areas, allowing for the optimum level of performance. It also features a 3D printed heel counter, which is integrated into the midsole and avoids the typical process of gluing or stitching. Adidas says benefits include greater elasticity, compliancy and support. The shoe is topped off by a black knitted upper that has been engineered for style, superior fit and performance, the brand says.

“This is just the beginning,” said Mikal Peveto, senior director of adidas’ Future team, in a release. “Creating customized shoes based on an individual’s footprint—including their running style, foot shape, performance needs and personal preferences—is a north star for the industry and adidas is leading with cutting edge innovations.”

Adidas unveiled the 3D Runner in August when a select number of its top athletes—including Team GB heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, USA swimmer Allison Schmitt and Colombian BMX cyclist Mariana Pajon—were gifted pairs.

This comes on the heels of New Balance selling 44 pairs of $400 running shoes that were the first to incorporate its 3D printed midsoles last April. The New Balance Zante Generate, which were sold from the New Balance Experience Store in Boston during the Boston Marathon weekend, were the first of its kind available to consumers. (The brand sold 44 pairs as a nod to New Balance owner and chairman Jim Davis, who bought the company 44 years ago.)

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The Magic of Millinocket: Runners Get Warm Welcome on Cold Maine Weekend

The citizens and business owners of Millinocket, Maine, came out in full force to embrace runners with local flavor—with many welcome signs, logging trucks at the start/finish and even a custom-made fire pit. Photos: Jonathan Beverly

The temperature at the start was 12 degrees with a 13 mph wind making it feel 10 degrees colder, but the mood was festive among the 550 runners dancing around to keep warm on the start line of the Millinocket Marathon and Half in northern Maine on Saturday.

A bonfire crackled nearby and the runners were sheltered by fully-loaded logging trucks that flanked the start and finish line, both donated by locals who came out to support the race.

It isn’t just the mid-winter date and woodsy vibes that makes this event unique: None of the entrants paid a dime to enter. The brainchild of race director Gary Allen from Cranberry Island, Maine, the race was created in 2015 to bring people to the town and region, which recently lost the two large paper mills that had dominated the economy since 1900. The mill closings have resulted in drastic declines in employment opportunities, property values and population.

Last year, with little planning, 52 runners came and ran. This year, the word got out and Allen had to cap registrations at 1,000 in “about two weeks,” with 953 confirmed going into race day. The cold kept some of those away, but the tenfold increase made this year’s race feel like a big event, with cars filling main street and runners everywhere you looked.

In lieu of paying to run the race, participants were encouraged to come, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and spend at least the amount of a typical marathon entry fee in the town. Race administration services were donated by companies and individuals across the state and covered by volunteer help from the community, which embraced the event with open arms. (3C Race Productions of Merrimack, N.H., donated the chip timing and drove six hours each way to time the event.)

While it’s hard to put a total dollar figure on the impact of the race, Allen says every hotel and motel bed in the region was filled and local restaurants were filled. Even if every runner spent as little as $200-$300 on food, lodging, gas and souvenirs, that’s roughly $200,000 to $300,000 that was put into local businesses.

“I think the economy got a huge boost,” Allen said. “We told runners in lieu of an entry fee to spend and they did. We told them to tip to 100 percent! Millinocket has little to share, but they shared everything.

“Honestly I have run a mile or two but have never seen the positive power of running for more good in a place that needed it than this.”

“Welcome runners” signs graced the front of every business, and the townspeople hosted an impressive list of activities over the weekend, including a spaghetti dinner with entertainment from the school music and dance classes, an artisan fair, a short film festival, and two post-race dances. On race day, residents were out in full force, standing in the cold for hours cheering on runners.

Even though every runner seemed to share in the spirit of the cause, it was also a race, and an enjoyable one for many. Paul Collins of Portland crossed the line first in the marathon, clocking 2:45:57 in his first serious attempt at the distance, he reported having run a 3:20 previously. His joy at the victory and PR far overshadowed the icicle hanging off his chin.

“The course was awesome,” Collins said. “Especially when we got on the smooth section coming back down into town with the wind behind us.”

The first half may not have been as fast, but it made up for speed in scenery and challenge. After the start, runners headed out of town, quickly turning onto “The Golden Road” a partially paved, private logging road that heads north for 96 miles to the Canadian border. The race covers the first 6 of those miles in a series of long ascents, with increasingly impressive views of the snow-capped peak of Katahdin, Maine’s highest mountain and the centerpiece of Baxter State Park and the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

After navigating a short, pretty, snow-packed cross road, the field headed back into town on a rolling highway. The finishing mile took runners down Main Street, reflecting both the town’s hardships in the many boarded-up store fronts, and the hopeful future with new store and business openings such as the Design Lab, a graphics design firm. The 112 full marathoners headed back out for a second loop.

Mike Wardian, a runner from Arlington, Va., known for his prolific racing, ventured up for the race and battled the cold by running in a pair of Hoka One One Tor Ultra High WP all-weather hiking boots and finished third in 2:55:25. (That could be some kind of a record for a marathon in hiking boots, by the way.)

Women’s marathon winner Leah Frost, a new Maine resident fresh from a victory in the JFK 50 miler, had a bit more trouble with the weather than Collins. She lost all feeling in one hand during the race and feared frostbite she said. By the dance that evening, however, she had recovered feeling and had a big smile for the event.

Residents seemed to share that smile. They’re too realistic to believe this will change much long-term and know that the town has a long road toward transforming the economy. But, at least for one day, the race filled the town with energy.

“I got emotional when we turned onto Main Street, to see so many cars and people,” said Gwen Coty, who has lived in Millinocket for 40 years and whose husband used to work at the mill. “It felt like how it used to be.”

At a local restaurant the morning after the race, Gary Allen was still buzzing as runners and residents came by to thank him and talk about their experiences.

“The race exceeded all expectations,” Allen said. He’s wildly enthusiastic about next year. The island boy always quick with an aquatic metaphor, during the weekend he repeatedly referenced that all he had done was throw a pebble into a pond and watched the ripples.

“The ripples have become waves,” he said on the morning after. “Surfable waves.”

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Can You Do as Many Pushups as an Olympic Runner?

Through Dec. 18, newly crowned U.S. national club cross country champ and 2016 U.S. Olympian Colleen Quigley is having fans post Instagram videos of themselves doing at least 20 pushups. Quigley will randomly pick one of the pusher-uppers and send them some Nike gear. (See full details at Quigley’s website or follow her on Instagram @steeple_squigs.)

“I spoke to a Girl Scout troop in St. Louis a few weeks ago and they asked me how many pushups I could do,” said Quigley, who competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the Olympics in Rio last summer. “I didn’t know … so of course we had a pushup contest right then and there! You wouldn’t believe how strong these girls were!”

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Photos: Running in Paradise at the 2016 Honolulu Marathon Weekend

On Sunday, the 44th running of the Honolulu Marathon took place in Hawaii. This year about 29,000 runners participated in the race, including another 1,330 in the Kalakaua Merrie Mile on Saturday. As usual, the marathon began at 5 a.m., when it was still dark enough for a firework display to kick off the first wave of runners. As the sun rose, runners made their way along the coastline from the start in Honolulu downtown, past Ala Moana, then Diamond Head, and finally looped back to the finish at the famous tourist destination of Waikiki Beach.

The winner of Sunday’s race, Lawrence Cherono of Kenya, not only claimed first place, but also broke the course record in 2:09:39. The women’s race saw a victory by another Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei, who crossed the finish line in 2:31:11.

With high humidity, yet slightly cooler temperatures than normal, runners were able to enjoy another fast and fun marathon in paradise.

RELATED: 9 Races with an Amazing Ocean View

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2016 Honolulu Marathon

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2016 Kalakaua Merrie Mile

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2016 Kalakaua Merrie Mile

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2016 Kalakaua Merrie Mile

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Marrying Ambitions: A Working Forward Story

For Collin Weyer, it was love from the start line. “We met running a half marathon in Milwaukee,” recalls Collin. “It was my first time doing that distance, and I was with my brother when I noticed a girl running alongside of us.” That runner, a cheery blonde with a stunning smile and personality, made the miles of Collin’s first half marathon fly by. Collin was smitten, but skeptical: “I assumed she had to be taken. I didn’t even have the guts to ask for her number after the race!” But Collin couldn’t get her out of his head. That night, he used race photos and bib numbers to look up her name: Jennifer Hoffman. Collin didn’t want to be presumptuous, so although he was able to find Jennifer on Facebook, he opted to hold off on contacting her too soon after the race. He didn’t have to wait a few days – just a few minutes after finding her on Facebook, Collin received a message from Jennifer. Like Collin, Jennifer had enjoyed their time together on the race course so much that she used race photos and bib numbers to track down Collin. “We met up the next week for a drink,” says Collin with a smile,” and have been together ever since.”

Collin and Jennifer bonded over their shared love of running, waking up early to admire the sunrise during easy recovery runs or push each other during interval workouts. As ambitious, goal-oriented people, they knew how to successfully approach their goals in racing and in life: identify your ambition, make a plan, and keep working forward.

For Collin, there was one ambition in particular: a proposal. He knew without a doubt he wanted to spend the rest of his life running alongside Jennifer. For the next year, Collin dreamed up how he would ask her to marry him:

“Running obviously had to play a part in this proposal,” says Collin. “We met at a half marathon, and Jennifer has a goal of running a half in every state. We were looking up options for races during a road trip, and it just so happened that there was one in Arizona on a Saturday and Denver on Sunday. We decided to knock off two states and two races in one weekend.”

Immediately, Collin contacted the race director of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon to plot his finish line proposal. For the next few months, he checked off the boxes of his plan: buy a ring, notify close friends and family, and train for back-to-back half marathons – all while keeping the proposal a secret from Jennifer.

Thanks to Collin’s thoughtful preparation, the half marathons and the proposal went off without a hitch at the finish line of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon. Jennifer said yes, and the two couldn’t be more excited about their shared ambition to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Running has given us so much,” effuses the newly-engaged Collin. “Sharing common interests and goals brought us together and made our love even stronger.”

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