I followed resident JNL runner Abi to document the race process at this year’s Flanders 5k.
Pinning the bib
Jog New London Blog
Flanders 5K – May 1, 2011
May 2nd, 2011Persistence Hunting Tested by Modern Day Marathoners
April 25th, 2011
Can a group of marathoners run down a pronghorn?
OutsideOnline.com posted a really interesting article detailing what happens when you put the theory of persistence hunting (when groups of people capture and kill herd animals by running them to exhaustion) to the test today. Nine elite marathoners gathered together in New Mexico to see if they could run down a pronghorn.
From the article:
Through the binoculars I see them: nine tiny men in bright jerseys running in formation across the vast short-grass prairie of eastern New Mexico. They’re chasing a tawny pronghorn antelope through the crackling stalks of late summer’s fading wild sunflowers. The buck weighs about 130 pounds, like the men racing after it, but that’s about the only thing they have in common.
The pronghorn is the second-fastest animal on earth, while the men are merely elite marathon runners who are trying to verify a theory about human evolution. Some scientists believe that our ancestors evolved into endurance athletes in order to hunt quadrupeds by running them to exhaustion. If the theory holds up, the antelope I’m watching will eventually tire and the men will catch it. Then they’ll have to decide whether to kill it for food or let it go.
TED Talk: Christopher McDougall
February 3rd, 2011In this TED Talk, Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run.
NOVA’s Marathon Challenge
December 1st, 2010NOVA’s Marathon Challenge premiered on PBS around the time I ran my marathon in 2007. It is a very interesting documentary/experiment about taking a group of completely sedentary individuals and transforming them into marathoners. I just noticed it’s available for free streaming. Below is the first segment, but the entire film is available on the PBS website.
Watch the full episode. See more NOVA.
Book Review: Born to Run
November 28th, 2010
If you love running (or hate it!), Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall is a must-read.
Taking us deep into the hills of northern Mexico to examine the reclusive Tarahumara Indian tribe (the Running People), high into the Colorado Rockies for the Leadville 100-mile Trail Race, and into the Kalahari where the bushmen practice persistence hunting (running down herds of animals to exhaustion), the book reveals a long history of running, while delving into the lives of some of the greatest endurance runners of all time.
It’ll make you want to get out the door and start running!
Mind Games by Casey Neistat
November 17th, 2010Local film-maker Casey Neistat was commissioned by Nike to make a film while training for the New York Marathon. The short film explores the mind games runners play with themselves.
World Run Day on November 7
November 3rd, 2010
World Run Day, an international annual event that promotes running and its health benefits as well as charitable giving, will occur this year on November 7.
To participate, people are encouraged to run their own course that day either individually or in groups and to donate to charities. You can also register on their website, runday.com and get a t-shirt and bib for the event.
Harvest-Themed Races
October 6th, 2010It’s that time of year- the leaves are turning and the air feels crisp. It’s time for harvest-themed running races. In the month of October, there are several races based around seasonal fall produce.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
- Cornucopia Fest EWB 5K Run (Storrs, CT)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
- Ridgefield Chamber Pumpkin Run: A 5K Fall Road Race (Ridgefield, CT)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
- Great Pumpkin Classic – 4 Mile Run, 2 Mile Walk, Kids’ Fun Run (Trumbull, CT)
- Run for the Pumpkins 5K Race (Westerly, RI)
- Apple Harvest Festival Road Races – 5K, 1K Youth Race, and Kidz Fun Run (Glastonbury, CT)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
- 5K Pumpkin Run & Kids Fun Run (Higganum, CT)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
- Kent Pumpkin Run – 5 Mile Race (+ 1/2 Mile and 1 Mile Free Kids Fun Run) (Kent, CT)
For more information about these races, as well as a full list of races, see our Race page.
Trail Running Route: Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
September 29th, 2010On Halloween, I’ll be running a 10-mile trail race in Framingham, MA, the Busa Bushwhack Trail Race. To prepare, I’ve been trying to integrate some sort of trail running each week. In previous weeks, I ran at Bluff Point and the Colchester Spur. But I wanted to try something a little different this week.
The 400-acre Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve houses several trails full of roots, rocks, fallen trees, and other varied terrain. As I ran today, it felt like more of an agility drill; I was forced to keep my feet fast and light. I careened down hills, chugged up hills, whipped around corners, all the while trying to dodge little obstacles along the path. I twisted my ankle several times and nearly fell on my face, and despite all this extra effort I was putting in, I don’t think my pace was particularly fast. But it was fun. Trail running definitely provides a refreshing alternative to road running: I had to stay focused the whole time so I didn’t trip, I was surrounded by pretty scenery and a fresh woodsy scent, and I ran in total peace- no cars beeping at me, no people catcalling- in fact, I only encountered a squirrel the whole time I was out.
If you’re interested in trying out Oswegatchie Nature Preserve on your next run, visit: www.oswhills.org. You can download a trail map here. I’m not sure about the exact mileage, but I think if you ran the outermost loop (red to blue trails), it would be about 3 miles. Parking is available at Veterans Field in Niantic.
Free Admission
May 22nd, 2010If you’re like us, you enjoy a nice run through a state park. There is less traffic, less noise, and more scenery. I know what you’re thinking though, why spend twenty bucks to park for a run that lasts a half hour? Well, this weekend you don’t have to worry about it. State parks in Connecticut have free admission all this weekend, so get out there a run.
