More on Beyond the Epic Run

Here's a clip from Dean Karnazes, about Beyond the Epic Run:

Pain Like you Could Never Imagine

And I thought losing my toenails was bad. Here is what Serge and Nicole Roetheli endured in their run around the world.

Beyond the Epic Run

This is a must see movie for any runner:

In February, 2000, a couple left home in Switzerland to run around the world...alone. A small crowd of friends and family gathered in the morning hours in the shadows of the Matterhorn in Sion , Switzerland . They were there to send Serge and Nicole Roehteli off with great fanfare to begin what would be an epic journey. With Nicole as his sole crew support, following him on a motorcycle towing a small trailer, Serge was setting off to run over 25,000 miles, on six continents and through 37 countries.

Serge ran more than 25,000 miles over five years with Nicole behind him. They traveled through 37 counties on six continents. While they were running through Africa , they both caught Malaria and almost died, but Serge and Nicole kept on truckin'. It's an amazing story of an athlete --and a loving wife's--physical and mental strength. They risked everything for this experience. Very inspiring for anyone trying to overcome any challenge or who just has a passion for the sport!

Quotables

"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts."
~ Steve Prefontaine
5-30-1975

Cross Country in 2014 Winter Olympics?

I just found this article from "Inside the Games." Let's keep our fingers crossed that it actually happens!

Cross country running could be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics after the International Association of Athletics Federations supported its introduction.

A proposal first suggested six month ago by Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Paul Tergat - three of the greatest distance runners in history - is fast gathering momentum.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have now officially backed the plan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said that they will investigate it closely after the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Gebrselassie, Bekele and Tergat - who between them have won five Olympic gold medals, 16 World Cross-Country titles and own every world record between 5,000 metres and the marathon - wrote to Jacques Rogge, the President of the IOC, last September asking him to consider their proposal.

Lamine Diack, the President of the IAAF, said: "The IOC have now written to us to ask our advice and we have told them that we are in favor of it. "We are prepared to organise cross country in the Winter Olympics." "It would be a good move for our sport."

The IAAF failed in an attempt last year to get the IOC to include cross-country on the program for the Winter Games. The IOC replied that it was not possible because the Winter Olympic program must be practiced on “snow or ice”.

But Diack has said that they are happy for the event to be held on snow if it would mean it could be included in the Olympics when they are staged in Sochi. Diack, who is also a member of the IOC, is hoping that next year's World Cross Country Championships, which were today awarded to Bydgoszcz in Poland, will help the sport's cause. He said: "It will be very cold in Bydgoszcz - no more than three degrees and possibly snowing. "People will see that these great runners can still stage a magnificent spectacle in such conditions."

Cross-country was dropped from the Olympics after the 1924 Games in Paris when 23 of the 38 starters failed to finish due to the extreme heat and poisonous fumes from a nearby energy plant.

The advantage of having the sport in the Winter Olympics is that it would give the African countries, like Kenya and Ethiopia, the opportunity to win a medal at an event they currently rarely make an impression in.

But the traditional winter sports are not expected to back the proposal when it is formally discussed next year.

How to Run Stronger

Here's a great video clip for those of you who are looking for ways to become a stronger runner. I will be sure to use some of these to prepare for my next big race!

I'm Back Now

Have you ever had those days when life just gets in the way? Well, as you may have noticed, I have been away for awhile. So it hasn't just been days, in this case, it has actually been weeks.

The frustrating part of it all, is that these are the times in my life when running could be so impactful. The times when I need it most, however, it gets pushed to the back burner because every other area of my life is in overload.

I wish I truly understood how to live a balanced life. What would that look like? How would my days be different? I know one thing for certain, running would not be the last thing I would think about doing. It would be the thing that would enable me to get through the other areas of my day.

With that life lesson learned, I hate to say it, but I am not going to be able to run that half marathon. Two weeks off has put me out of the running, so to speak. However, I know there are more races to come.

It is a great reminder -- just because life does get in the way, we can always find another race to run and another day to compete.

Off the Beaten Path

Once in awhile, I try to run without a time or destination in mind. I leave my watch at home, grab a water bottle and head out the door. I have discovered so many interesting things on these runs. I have met new neighbors, found new trails and discovered new running challenges.

Sometimes, after I complete my run, I hop in my car and find out just how far I went. I am always surprised by how good a ten mile run can feel when I am not pressuring myself to perform. I find these runs bring me back to the real reason I like to run. Sure it is important to keep in shape and running helps settle my brain, but it is also one of the best ways I know to connect with the world around me.

Perhaps your running is getting boring or maybe you find yourself running the same course all the time. Consider taking a trip off the beaten path. There is a world of wonders out there to discover!