DG Challenge Week 1 - Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is tallying up their miles for 2012. Personally, this was a big jump in miles for myself--but that wasn't too difficult for me since 2010 was a "rebuilding year", and most of 2011 was spent away from home.

I'm eagerly awaiting making even more progress in 2013 including our group challenge!

While this is officially week 1 of the DG Challenge, this week's course won't be announced until Wednesday at our 6:30pm group run at Runners Grove.

Feel free to join our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DGChallenge2013

Even if you don't have a Facebook account you can still view the page and keep up with additional news and commentary.

Overall progress will be tracked online at: http://russfoster.com/dg_challenge_2013/

Right now, it only contains an outline of the village limits--we'll start adding courses as they are announced.

I've been getting a few questions; so it's time to assemble a FAQ. Here we go:

1) How many miles of roads are there?

Officially, DG maintains 311 miles of roads with in the village limits. But this doesn't include a large section of unincorporated DG on the west side and several miles of county and state maintained roadways for an additional 49 miles. That's a total of 360 miles of roads--a mile a day with a short week of vacation.

2) Do I have to run them all?

Our primary goal is to get out and see new parts of the village. If you've done that at all we'll consider this a success. There are several of us who have committed to running them all, but you're free to set your own goal.

3) Do I have to run with the group.

No. Many runs will originate from the center of town and will be great for Monday/Wednesday group runs starting at Runners Grove. But most courses will require driving/biking/running to some location. Any time after the course is announced you can run the map at your own time/pace.

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That's all for now.

Have a safe and happy New Year! See you on the flip side...

-r

Challenge on!

Remember, next Wednesday we kick off our 2013 Challenge! We'll have an entirely new route for our 6:30pm run at Runners Grove.

The weekly routes will be sent via this email list, and posted on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DGChallenge2013 so you can run it on your own time if you can't make it on the groups runs.

-r

DG Challenge 2013 - the news you've been waiting for!

I know most people are still focusing on getting through the Holiday season right now, but it's not to early to think about New Year's resolutions. You may have heard the news, and now for some additional information!

Doug Vlasik and myself have been brainstorming for a short while about expanding our running horizons. Inspired by a mans attempt to run every Chicago neighborhood, we began exploring new routes within the Downers Grove border (which includes Doug's infamous attempt to run the traditional Wednesday route backwards), it didn't take long to realize we live in great town that offers many sites to see--we just need to get out there and view it.

There is approximately 360 miles of roads within the village border.  The challenge for 2013 is run them all!

360 miles of roadway is about 7 new miles of uncharted roads each week. The catch is, that's 7 miles of previously un-runned roads...which likely means 8.5 miles of running including doubling back and looping around.

So here's how this is going to work:

• Each week, we will pick a course that will range from 5-10 miles in distance.
• The course will be announced at the beginning of the week via this email list. It will include a link to the map that you can print and a GPX file which you can download to your GPS/smartphone device if you're the geek type.
• You are free to run the course at a time that is convenient for you. However, we encourage group runs as much as possible.
• Some courses will originate from Runners Grove and can be used for Monday/Wednesday night group runs. But many courses will require driving to a location. Some weeks we will try to organize a Saturday or Sunday meetup.
• Some weeks we may publish two routes.
• We'll keep track of progress on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DGChallenge2013
• Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 -- this is our official kick-off run. To be held at Runners Grove during our regular 6:30pm Wednesday group run.

What's the goal?

• Get out and see the village. Notice something you haven't before.
• Have fun.
• Come up with more excuses to run.

What's in it for me?

• Comradery
• More excuses to run.
• Learning something new about Downers Grove
• An exclusive black-tie event at the end of year for all participants (or maybe some fish tacos at Another Round)

What's next?

• Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 -- this is our official kick-off run. To be held at Runners Grove during our regular 6:30pm Wednesday group run.
• More details to follow.
• We reserve the right to alter the rules and the process as we see fit. As a matter of fact, I can guarantee we will alter the rules and process at least once.
• Join us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/DGChallenge2013

Best race promo video ever

Mud runs have become increasingly popular. Most focusing on ever increasing levels of intensity. Glad to see someone has put the fun back in "fun run".  5k Foam Fest.  Rolling in to a town near you.

A Michigan dentist’s improbable transformation. (or how I learned to cheat at running marathons)

I hate to spoil the ending, but this paragraph sums up one mans quest to beat the system.

The marathon, no matter where it takes place, remains, as ever, a solitary pursuit in which every runner ultimately competes against himself or herself. Whatever drove Kip Litton was an entirely different battle with himself, one that quite possibly escaped his understanding. One thing, though, he grasped perfectly. Like the most dazzling of magicians or the most artful of art forgers, by withholding the secret of how the illusion worked he retained a power uniquely his own: the spoils of his humiliation, perhaps, but a knowledge that no one was about to take away. 

 Read the entire story at The New Yorker original article

A tribute to Mo Farah for being a true Olympic Legend

A well done tribune to Mo Farah!

http://mofarahrunningawayfromthings.tumblr.com/

Will Run for Chocolate RV

Will Run for Chocolate RV
Originally uploaded by GroovyGuru

Always a good to see a familiar face on the road.

All Men Can’t Jump

Why nearly every sport except long-distance running is fundamentally absurd.

By David Stipp

At first glance the annual Man vs. Horse Marathon, set for June 9 in Wales, seems like a joke sport brought to us by the same brilliant minds behind dwarf tossing and gravy wrestling. It was, after all, the product of a pints-fueled debate in a Welsh pub, and for years its official starter was rock musician Screaming Lord Sutch, founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. But the jokiness is misleading: When viewed through science’s clarifying lens, the funny marathon is one of the few sports that isn’t a joke.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/06/long_distance_running_and_evolution_why_humans_can_outrun_horses_but_can_t_jump_higher_than_cats_.html

Marathon winner disqualified because he didn’t sign up for race

Scott Downard was stripped of his title in this last weekend's Cowtown Marathon because of paperwork, or, more specifically, a lack of paperwork.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/marathon-winner-disqualified-because-didn-t-sign-race-014434559.html