Going on hiatus ... but back soon

A heads-up: Sadly, I've gotta take some time away from blogging -- my unpaid weeklong furlough (stupid recession) starts at 12 a.m. Sunday and runs through the following Saturday (Aug. 15); during that time, I can't do any work for the Observer or a trap door opens underneath me and I'm never seen or heard from again.

So ... I'll be back in action Sunday, Aug. 16.

Not quite done yet, though. I hope to get a blog entry up after the BluePoints 5K tomorrow morning. And I leave you on this Friday afternoon with two tidbits:

1. You can save a few bucks at your favorite running store during the Sales Tax Holiday that runs all weekend. Most shoes and clothing items under $100 qualify, and some running-related items (gear, accessories, i.e. stuff you wouldn't wear to the grocery store) less than $50 also is tax-free.

2. If you're looking for a small-town race next weekend (Saturday, Aug. 15), one option is the second annual Tomato Trot, heading out from Unity Presbyterian Church in Woodleaf (near Salisbury) at 8 a.m. The run takes place "out in the country, and runners will be running past tomato fields, cows and a farm," says race director Mallory Hodge. There will also be a Fun Run after the 5K. The run kicks off the all-day Tomato Festival, which features entertainment, food (including tomato sandwiches), a kids zone, a yard sale, a silent auction, a parade, and a "Tomato Queen" contest. Cost is $20 before race day and $25 on race day. Runners will receive a red dri-fit shirt and a coupon for a free lunch if they decide to stay for the festival. Click here to register. For questions or more info, e-mail Hodge at Christchic16@hotmail.com.

Happy running this weekend.

Running BluePoints? Read this NOW

From Ashleigh Lawrence of Run For Your Life:

"With the development of the construction on Mint Street throughout this week, [RFYL], [the Panthers], and the police did a final evaluation of the area today -- and after discussing some options, they decided the best option would be to run the course backwards and not change the actual route.

"This option allows minimal course change for runners that have run the course before and those that have trained on it and are therefore familiar with the streets. It will also decrease the bottleneck effect that would have occurred if the course was run in the original direction."

This is a very, very good call on the part of the organizers, because at present, it looks like a bomb went off at Church and Stonewall overnight. Here's a photo I snapped with my iPhone while pausing at that intersection on my way into the Observer around 8:30:


How does a reversal of the course affect things? Well, there's now a decent climb in the first half-mile, but then it's downhill for the next mile on Morehead. Then you've got about 1.4 miles of slow ascent, with some flats mixed in. Final 0.2 or so includes a fairly swift dropoff after crossing Church before leveling off around the left turn back onto Mint.

See ya out there. Good luck with that PR. And keep an eye out for potholes and other surprises in the final half-mile near that construction.

Run BluePoints 5K just for the hill of it

If you're running the Carolina Panthers' BluePoints 5K uptown this Saturday morning, a piece of advice: Don't go out too fast.

I ran the course last Friday. After a little riser on Stonewall in the first 400 meters, it's all downhill for the next mile and a half or so. Then you turn right onto Morehead ... and for about nine-tenths of a mile, you'll be climbing. The "best" part: Right before you crest (on the bridge-crossing over South Boulevard), you'll hit a final steep patch that I heard a friend refer to earlier today as "the wall."

Fortunately, the last half-mile is mostly flat or downhill. But the point is, don't burn too hot too fast -- or you'll be sucking oxygen alongside others who are crashing on the march up Morehead Street in Mile 3.

Current forecast shows that it'll be about 72 degrees and mostly cloudy when the gun goes off in front of Bank of America Stadium at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. In other words, warm and muggy.

Anyway, here are a few other tidbits about the event worth passing along, thanks to Dana Thomas of the Panthers:

• Typically, the BluePoints 5K draws about 1,200 to 1,300 runners.

• The start and finish is on Mint Street by the East Gate. All race activities take place outside the stadium, but the venue does open to the public at 9:30 a.m. for FanFest. The event includes contests, entertainment and a team practice from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Despite what Stonewall between Church and Tryon looks like at the moment (that is, a complete mess -- thanks to the Duke Tower water main project), Thomas assured me that "at least two lanes" will be open for runners and the course will not need to be altered.

• Runners and their families are likely to see official Panthers mascot Sir Purr and members of the TopCat cheerleading squad out and about; the awards ceremony will be hosted by Mick Mixon (a.k.a. "The Voice of the Panthers").

• Race sponsors are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C., the Dairy Association, Aquafina, Gatorade, Carolinas Medical Center, Russell Athletic, Wendy’s, 107.9 the LINK, and WBT Radio. Each will either contribute to the goody bag or provide something at the finish.

• All participants are advised to park in the Mint Street Parking Deck for $5.

You can register for $20 online (here) through Thursday or at a Run For Your Life store through Friday; on race day, the cost for the 5K is $30. (Further race details can be found here.)

I'll be out there trying to PR. That's sub-21:39, for those keeping score at home. The key for me will be -- wait a minute, the key for me is the same as the key for you! Say it with me now: Don't go out too fast.

See y'all there.

Run For's the name, motivation's the game

The name of the company, at first, can seem a little awkward.

Run For.

Yet there it is, emblazoned on the front of blue shirts, grey shirts, white shirts, pink, green, indigo and red shirts: Run For. Oh, and it's on hats, too.

The question, of course, is "Run For" ... what, exactly? But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Since founding the company in January, Tara Setzer, 33, has been selling men's and women's "Run For" gear, which includes an extensive line of moisture-wicking performance shirts and American Apparel tri-blend tees.

The Charlotte native (who now lives in the Lake Norman area) also moderates online forums and blogs at RunForWhat.com, described as a "global social networking community" where "runners can share their story, race photos, ask questions, answer questions, connect with other runners, read inspirational stories, profiles."

Setzer, who started running after college to get in shape and is now an avid runner, created Run For out of love and dedication to her father, a sufferer of Alzheimer's Disease.

"Running really helped me ... deal with my Dad’s illness. I was so happy to challenge myself and dedicate my runs to him," she recalls in a press release. "I literally wanted to write it across my chest ... . That’s when I realized that many others do the same thing every day: They use running as a way to gain strength physically and mentally."

What Setzer wants her company and its brand to do, she says, is challenge runners to recognize and celebrate what they run for. "I've created that through the shirts and my online community -- where runners can share, celebrate and inspire others -- supports the shirts."

Eventually, the stay-at-home mom of two young children plans to give a portion of profits to Alzheimer's research, and hopes to organize a Run For race that benefits and creates awareness of the disease.

The shirts ($20-$23 apiece for most) themselves are remarkably comfy. The cotton blends are lightweight and ultrasoft, and -- if the one I have is indicative of the whole collection -- they have a much more tailored fit than your typical blocky, cheapie 5K freebie. (She also sells 100% polyester tech tees.)

On the back of each shirt is the slogan "What Do You Run For," along with the URL for the site. On the front? Simply, Run For. But like I suggested at the top, the obvious question is "Run For" ... what, exactly?

If you want to spell it out, you can special-order custom shirts with a name printed underneath the Run For logo. But Setzer says there are two reasons for the simple two-word moniker:

"1. Everyone runs for a reason, and everyone's reason is valuable. The fact we all run for a reason is what ties the running community together and makes us extraordinary. We have a passion and motivation to put our body through an enduring challenge that not all people have or can understand.

"2. Running is a lifelong sport, and what you run for can change. Why I started running 13 years ago is not what I run for today. For me, it started as a form of exercise, but most days it ends up being my support system and what I lean on to get me through the day. Run For is a celebration of what you run for and the motivation that moves you."

Adds Setzer: "Half the fun of the Run For shirts is it can intrigue people and become the topic of conversation."

To join the Run For community and browse Setzer's line of running gear, click over to www.runforwhat.com.

Crowders' 10K takes the scenic route

While I wait to hear back from the race director of the BluePoints 5K -- the big race set for uptown this weekend -- here's some info on the more-rugged (and far-less-crowded) Assault on Crowders Mountain 10K Trail Race, courtesy of Active.com:

What: The rare opportunity to run a Crowders Mountain trail race, and it's limited to the first 75 registrants. Crowders Mountain State Park -- with its rock outcroppings and magnificent scenery -- provides the perfect setting for a challenging inaugural event. This challenging trail course is an out-and-back with rolling changes in topography.

When: 8 a.m. Saturday.

Where: Crowders Mountain State Park, 522 Park Office Lane. Start and finish is at the Linwood Road access. The gate will not be open until 7 a.m., so please plan accordingly. Parking at the Crowders Mountain Linwood Access lot is limited, so carpool if possible.

Course details: Participants will start near the parking area and run the Backside Trail to the Crowders Trail, where they will cross Sparrow Springs Road/Freedom Mill Road and continue on Crowders Trail to the Visitors Center. At that point, runners will turn around and head back to the start.

How much: $55 until 9 a.m. Friday. There will be no race-day registration.

Swag: Event-branded, Dry-fit, full-color, short-sleeved T-shirts.

Beneficiary: A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Crowders Mountain for direct support of conservation, preservation, and improvement of Crowders Mountain State Park resources.

Details: Click here. Registration page: Click here.

My marathon training: Week 3

Week 3: Rest on Sunday; 3 easy miles on Monday; 6 miles of hills on Tuesday; rest on Wednesday; 5 miles with a handful of pickups on Thursday; 5.25 easy miles on Friday; 2.75 very easy miles on Saturday. Total: 22 miles.

So, I finally deviated from the plan! Yup, the OCD streak has ended.

I did the prescribed work on Monday (at an 8:53 pace) and Tuesday (8:39 pace), then spiced things up a bit on Thursday: Instead of a straightforward "easy" run, I added some short pickups and wound up averaging 8:21 -- including a sprint at the end that put Mile 5 at 7:57.

Got back on track Friday, as I met a friend uptown to run a little more than 5 miles, including the Blue Points 5K course. (More on that race, scheduled for this Saturday, to come later this week.) We were right around 8:45 for the workout.

But this weekend I focused on what I wanted to do and not on what the plan had me down for.

I usually do my long runs on Saturday morning; instead, I woke up before 6 a.m. (UGH) to meet some friends at the Lake Norman YMCA for its second-to-last open water swim of the triathlon season. (Click here for details on Saturday's finale.) While we were waiting for our wave's scheduled start, we ran just short of 3 miles at a gotta-love-it 9:24 pace.

That pushed my long run to Sunday morning (which'll get credited to next week's mileage total, meaning this week's looks unusually low and next week's will seem awfully high). And for the second weekend-day in a row, I was up before 6 a.m. Double ugh.

Now, as a morning runner, I've been rising and trying to shine for a while now. I'm not gonna lie and say it's necessarily always fun or easy to get out of bed before dawn to pound pavement, particularly on a Saturday or a Sunday morning. But I'm used to it. So used to it that more often than not, I'm up before my alarm goes off. Saturday morning: My alarm was set for 5:40; I was stirring by 5:30. Sunday morning: Alarm was set for 5:20; I got up at 5:15.

This kind of extreme wake-up call is going to start becoming more and more common as I get deeper into my training, as longer midweek runs force me out of bed earlier so I can get them in before work.

Problem is, I'm not really going to bed any earlier. And I need to. I know it. Six hours of sleep a night, over the long haul ... it just isn't enough. Now, I'm not an elite athlete, but this quote -- from a column on the Runner's World Web site earlier this year -- could apply to any of us:

"Traditionally, elite athletes dedicate numerous hours to daily practice, strength training, and conditioning as well as work closely with nutritionists in hopes of optimizing their athletic performance. However, very little, if any, attention is focused on an athlete's sleeping patterns and habits," said Cheri Mah, a Stanford researcher who authored a study that found getting extra sleep over an extended period of time boosts athletic performance.

According to various experts, we need at least seven -- and preferably more than eight -- hours of sleep a night to be at our best. This isn't outlined in the Bart Yasso 16-week marathon-training program I'm following right now. But maybe it should be.

Thoughts or advice regarding my training? Want to share stories about how your own plan is going? Fire away!

Help me help my readers!

Weekend race report going up later today (hopefully). In the meantime, please post comments if you can help either of these guys:

I was wondering if you know of any "over 50" running clubs in the Charlotte area. I live in south Charlotte (Ballantyne area) and enjoy running at McMullen Creek. I'd be interested in joining up with other runners, preferably in my general age category (I'm 54). I'd appreciate any tips you may have on this. --L.C.

* * *

I'm looking for hills to run hill repeats on in Charlotte. Anyone have some good ones? Preferably 200 to 800 meters long and on grass or trail surfaces would be ideal. --A.L.

Ideas?