p.s. Have you ever lost the LOVE?

An email from Jacqui, Aussie Scott’s childhood neighbor:

Hi Scott,
I’ve been dreading this email, trying to hold off in hope that my motivation and fire in the belly will have come back already. I haven’t enjoyed running for a while now, probably six months. Every run is a chore and it’s making me grumpy and stressed from the pressure I have been putting on myself to perform at a higher level than I’m able.

Even the 30-40 minute runs have felt like a long hard slog. I have been trying to use outside sources like yourself and my friends, entering races, watching Ironman etc. to try get the spark back, but that just has to come from within. As soon as I said I was taking a break I felt a massive weight off my shoulders. I am still having a couple of trots a week but no more than 20 minutes tops.

I am hoping I will rediscover the love real soon and can be motivated and WANT to run, and compete and flog myself day in and day out because I know I do love that feeling. At the moment, though, I don’t. I know there is a sub-3:00 waiting for me at some stage. Yes I may overthink things way too much and  have a screw or two loose, but what runner doesnt? I also know that when I love running, all of this stops!

Thanks for your understanding Scott.

PS. Have you ever lost the LOVE?

————————–
A response from Aussie Scott

Hey Jacqui,

I love your email! I respect honesty even when the news may be hard for you to put on paper. Don’t sweat it, you will be back, I feel it!

Let me give you the long story of my marriage to the sport of running. It’s definitely a LOVE/HATE relationship but we are still together after 15yrs!

Yes, I have lost AND FOUND the love for running many times. Once I started competing at a national level after four happy, successful years at Oklahoma State, I wasn’t the same runner. I had lost my team, I was on my own and I was living and training under Tommy Paton, my high school coach who got me to a second place finish at the National X-Championships. I knew he could help me get the results. But this time I was married, had bills to pay and running was only a stress reliever for me; it was hard to maintain 140km weeks. I started running halves, and after about 6 months I finished as the 5th Aussie at the National Championships at the Gold Coast Half Marathon in 66:03.

Tommy and I decided I would train to race the marathon. Seven months after that decision I was selected to represent Australia at the Hong Kong Marathon as part of the Greatest Race on Earth (Four Marathons in Four Countries in Four months, with four 2nd tier national athletes selected from each country). I ran a disappointing 2:27 after expecting that I would break 2:20 on my first attempt (how many people have made that mistake of thinking they will nail their first marathon)! I should have known better, but found myself with the lead Kenyans at the half way point – big mistake! After the race I lost all motivation and the lost the “love” for running. I jogged for about 3 months with no planned workouts or long runs, just looking to get the love back. I didn’t find it!

So I quit running, I quit Tommy, I found a full-time career-based job and basically told everyone that I was done competing and done with being coached. Little did I know that my love/hate relationship with running took a turn in a good direction, I starting “jogging” without the stress of letting others and myself down, just going out and doing whatever, whenever.

Of course I was too competitive with myself to do nothing. During this time I had met some great people who were big on adventure racing, so I got myself a mountain bike, a K1 racing kayak and a Surf Ski and starting training.

The adventure racing was all about finding something different to compete at. I brought in a few good results, but overall the people I trained with were so superior at cycling and ocean kayaking that my running didn’t make up the difference and overall I wasn’t competitive. But, most importantly, I was enjoying running and getting motivated to do something bigger.

I starting competing in my local Geelong team and noticed I hadn’t lost much speed, so I decided to started coaching myself and run a marathon or two before the love died again. After two years of no serious running, training or racing I ran 2:29 for second place at the 2009 Great Ocean Road Marathon. Because I was the first local guy I got a free trip to Japan to represent Geelong, and eight months later I ran 2:27 there and was happy with the result. I was enjoying running!

After Japan, I started build a plan to break 2:20 at the National Championships. I ran 2:23 at the next Great Ocean Road Marathon. I was 100% excited about running again, the National Marathon Championships were still five months away and I was ready to race tomorrow.

Mark Tucker talked me into racing a marathon in Sydney three months later, for cash prizes as the course was hilly and ran on a footpath along a highway. At this point I wish I’d had a coach to talk me out of it, but I was fit and wanting to compete! A pack of six Kenyans showed up, but 3 of them dropped out at the halfway point as two other Aussies and myself were feeling good and they assumed they couldn’t beat us and would finished out the prize money spots. Anyway, as the pace picked up I got dropped and really had to grind to finish in the last cash spot,which was just enough to pay for my trip. I was dumb, upset with myself and now only three months from the National Champs,

After rebounding with a half marathon, I got excited about Nationals and believed I was in shape to get my time. I ended up running a strong race but couldn’t hang with the leaders;  I had to settle for 2:20:37, finishing as the fourth Aussie. I was happy considering that I hadn’t been smart about coaching myself; I had progressed and was happy with running so it was good.

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you and hope that you find something that helps you reignite your passion and love of live!

-Scott Rantall————————

Aussie Scott coaches PR like an Aussie, an ongoing training group in Cedar Park for various levels of runners hoping to improve in the marathon, half marathon, 10k, or 5k.

There is no 90 day challenge…the challenge is life.

by Andria Nichols

If I had a nickle for every quick weightloss shake, pill, plan, book, or promise I have run across, I would have spent far less money on quick weightloss shakes, pills, plans, or promises. You all know what I’m talking about, I see them daily in my Facebook news feed. The horrid before pics of “Sally,” wearing her stretchy cotton shorts, her ill fitting t-shirt, and standard long, frizzy, disheveled hair. Flash forward 2 months into Sally’s new shake, diet pill, awesome book recommended by Dr. Oz, and she is suddenly 50lbs slimmer, has gotten a grasp on fashion, and obviously a trip to the salon. How can we not be sold on Sally’s amazing transformation? How can we not be sold that purchasing this same magical product will give us the exact same results? I mean, as people, we are into instant gratification: Drop weight quickly with as little work and diet change as possible. Will these shakes, pill, and plans work? Possibly–but the minute we go back to our standard shake-less, pill-less, book-less lives, well, we quickly go back to our “before” pics…bad hair and all.

I have fallen for these amazing weight loss adventures many, MANY times over the last 14 years. I have fasted, juiced, pill popped, and choked down many protein shakes. I revel in the 2-3 months of weightloss success until reality slaps me in the face (or bank account) and I am stopped mid weight loss. I have low carbed myself straight to South Beach, rocked my 90 day Body by Vi challenge, slurped down green tea by the gallons, and in the end, failed miserably. It wasn’t until I grasped the concept of eating properly and exercising that I finally starting seeing and maintaining my results. Granted, it has taken me more than 90 days to start looking more like an after picture and my hair probably still needs work.

The truth is, there is no “quick fix” to weight loss, at least not a healthy quick fix. Of course we all want to see “Biggest Loser” numbers, but, we don’t have a Jillian Michaels chasing us around some fatty ranch. We are left to our own devices and forced to hold ourselves accountable. This brings me to joining a running group when I started losing steam at the gym. I needed others to push me to that next level and after a quick stop at Rogue Running, a local running shop, I was told I needed to “get off the ‘mill and start hitting the streets.” Twenty minutes and $35 later, I was signed up for my first Intro class. I was totally stoked and petrified on my first day of class-especially since it was combined with tall, svelte, hard-bodied runners in their super cute running gear (they were in the marathon groups). I nervously stood in a corner awaiting instruction: “Run 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back…Welcome!” Easy enough, right? Well, the problem with “the ‘mill” is the lack of curves, hills, and outdoor elements–I was used to doing an easy 30 minutes in climate controlled surroundings at the gym, but hitting that 35 degree outdoor cold and the first hill, I kinda wanted to die.

Every “quick fix” in me wanted to quit…isn’t there a magic pill that will make me faster, leaner, able to wear tight compression shorts and just a sports bra? So after my first month, I decided to sign up for the group again, then I signed up for the Basic Training group a month later. It has now been 4 months and I have gone from chubby newbie to less chubby intermediate runner. I went from “10 minutes out and 10 minutes back” to completing a 10 mile race and winning 2nd place in my age division at a recreational 5K last weekend. I have learned that there is nothing like the pride of pushing yourself through the “I can’t” to the “I just did.” There isn’t a shake, pill, or diet book in the world that will make you feel the same way. Sure, I could slurp down those damn protein shakes and probably lose some inches, but, it’s not going to get me through the half marathon I signed up for in July.

Whenever I feel discouraged I look back at old pictures. I remember my first obstacle race in November of 2012, I remember being one of the bigger girls there, I remember the bruises and tears shed as I got over each different challenge, and I remember wanting to collapse when I crossed the finish line. I did the exact same race again in March–30lbs lighter, a lot more training under my belt, and a hell of a lot more determination. The bruises were far fewer and the beer at the end was far more satisfying.

I don’t consider my eating habits a “diet,” rather, a life change. As much as I would love to grab a burger, I know that’s my gateway drug back into crappy eating habits and stretchy pants. I love being able to walk into the Gap and NOT reaching towards the back of the rack for my size–I’m more towards the middle now. I know that hard work and determination has gotten me almost 80lbs thinner and under 200lbs for the first time in over 10 years. I know that even on my worst day, I can proudly say I have done this on my own, nothing magic has happened. I can also say, other than the cost of my running group, I haven’t had to pay hundreds of dollars to drink my meals or starve myself with diet pills. Sure, my after picture isn’t quite there, but, it’s a hell of a lot closer than it was 3 months ago.

Those of you on a similar mission, here’s my advice: keep going, you’re going to hit highs and lows, you’re going to plateau, you’re going to get pissed off, you’re going to feel discouraged, and you’re going to want to give up from time to time–don’t. Find your nitch, whether it’s yoga, zumba, running, walking, pilates, or crossfit. Learn how your body works and what it loves, stick with it…give it a month, then give it another month. Keep moving forward because you can’t give up. It’s so tempting to try the next big diet fad, I have to resist constantly (I’m only human). The rewards to this life is endless–from smaller clothes to adventures in healthy culinary experiments. I have gone from a meat loving, carb loading, cupcake eating chubster, to a veggie munching, fruit ingesting, gluten free cupcake eating fluffster. I have given up Monday nights in front of the tv and willingly traded them in to have my butt kicked in a Rogue core class. I have stashed the size 24 jeans to the back of my closet and easily zipped up a pair of size 12 rockstar capris. I started my new life in July 2012 and haven’t looked back, even when it got really really hard.

My goal with this entire blog to is to not only chronicle my voyage, but to share with others that there is hope. You can go from the brink of health despair to health success and you can do it with grace (or look like a cracked out porpoise, which I often resemble). When you cross those mini finish lines in life, they will be far more satisfying than that awful shake, trust me.

Andria trains with coach Jimmie Vaughn at Rogue Running in Cedar Park. Read more about her journey here.

You Got It!

by coach Jimmie Vaughn

As coaches, we all have that little thing that keeps us running and we hope it infects our runners. For me, I approach many aspects of life in a particular way, and running is no different.  I look to keep everything challenging, playful, fun, and most of all, something I can win.  Of course, you can’t win everything unless your only competitor is yourself and you set realistic goals.  Once you start aiming at targets too far in the distance, the avenue will close for road work. 

Bergman + sweatband

Last December I was challenged to write one blog per month. May began, and I was out of ideas. Typing words became more difficult than Marc Bergman going on a run without a sweatband. I honestly had no idea what to write about until I received an email from one of my runners.  Maybe I just got a “Get out of Jail Free” card.

This particular runner struggled with “new runner” pains for several months, and it almost sank my battleship because no matter what help I offered, she still was struggling.  I could tell she had the drive to be a runner; we just had to overcome a few obstacles in order to make running less of a chore.  I have to give her credit, because she more than stuck with it and has continued to run when many would have thrown in the towel.  I’m always proud of my runners, but the ones who overcome the larger obstacles make me the most proud.  And to date, I have not had a runner more determined than this gal.  Maybe it’s because she met some great friends in her group, or maybe her coach had her diggin’ deep…let’s go the friend route.

After 19 months of coaching and never having been in these type of waters, this particular runner emailed me and stated, “From the end of March until now, I’ve seen a lot of improvement, and I mean night and day! I was miserable in January and February when I first started but I’m so happy I stuck with it. Now it’s almost like a game, I want to see how much faster I can get every week.”

When I read that she saw running as a “game”, I actually blurted out “Sonufa*&%$@! Someone finally GOT IT!” Finally I got someone to view running as I do.  When running becomes a game, all the work becomes effortless.  It no longer is a chore, a job, or part of a program that you have to go through the motions with.  It has become a realistic target with a realistic bull’s-eye.  It becomes something you want to do, and something you miss when you can’t.

Patty, at a time when I questioned my coaching, I THANK YOU.

Treat everything in life as a game that you WILL win, and you will!

Austin Duathletes to host blood drive

The Austin Duathletes are partnering with The Blood Center of Central Texas in the coming weeks to honor the Boston Marathon victims.  Please join us.

In honor of the victims and our friends and family who ran the Boston Marathon this past Monday, April 15th, 2013 on “Patriots Day,” we are asking for the Austin Community to donate  blood over the coming weeks to give back to those in  need.  You don’t have to be a runner to be a helper!

“We are all shocked at the idea of such a horrible deed on such a day that is meant to be a celebration of achieving a goal” We are calling out to all our fellow Austinites to donate blood.
“We are runners, spectators, and volunteers. Everyone in Austin was affected by the Boston marathon tragedy in one shape or form.  We may not be able to run to the aid of the victims in Boston, but we can donate our blood to people who need it.”   Alicia Hawley – VP of the Austin Duathletes

The Blood Center of Central Texas is establishing an account for donors to credit their blood donations toward the Boston Marathon tragedy. Any donor that visits one of our fixed sites or mobile drives over the coming weeks and wishes to credit their donation to victims of the Boston tragedy should mention the C225 Austin All In For Boston Blood Drive group code at the time of registration.

Join us:  Starting Saturday, April 20, 2013
Where: All Blood Center of Central Texas Fixed Site and Mobile Locations (See website www.inyourhands.org for locations/hours.)

We’d like to encourage you all to make your  http://inyourhandsonline.org/donor/auth/signin appointment online.

TEXAS STARS Support the blood drive too!
For making a blood donation over the next few weeks the Texas Stars would like to reward you with a complimentary ticket voucher that is good for two free tickets to any first round home game for the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs.   The playoffs will begin within the next few weeks.  Please check TexasStarsHockey.com for the playoff schedule when it is determined.  Playoff vouchers will be on a first come first serve basis.
Texas Stars vouchers will be given to donors April 20 through April 25 at the Blood Center Of Central Texas fixed site donor centers ONLY.  (Vouchers not available on mobile drives)

*While supplies last*

Video about the Blood and Tissue Center of Texas needing blood to help others:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCOjg9_gk9Q&feature=youtu.be

Related article ” Just Keep Running” that discusses how the runnners kept running to the Boston Area Hospitals to donate blood to the victims.

http://www.psmag.com/culture/just-keep-running-55353/

New Balance 1210: Ultra awesome!

by Erik Stanley

The New Balance 1210 (aka Leadville) busted in this year as an ultra trail shoe ready to toe the dirt line next to the Brooks Cascadia. With a smooth transition, 8mm offset, and 10.4 oz on the Rogue scale  (size 9), I really like this shoe.

The 1210 was designed for ultra running, and named after the Leadville 100 mile trail race. It was created by NB after testing and measuring how runners’ feet respond to Leadville itself. New Balance increased the volume of the upper to allow for foot swelling over longer distances. It also offers a slightly denser foam on the inner heel to provide some stability for tired feet, while the tongue is fairly protective and keeps the laces from adding pressure to the top of your foot.

Over the past few weeks I have spent a lot of time in this shoe as I rebuild my mileage. I logged 75 miles last week, with most of my runs on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Bull Creek here in Austin,TX.

One run that stands out is my new Wednesday adventure run from the 360 access, The Hump-day Hump Run. This is a run open to the world! We meet at Taco Deli (Spyglass) and run 75 minutes (give or take a few miles) at 7:15 am on the Greenbelt. There are no trail markers or restrictions to where we go: we run, we talk, we eat tacos.

This past Wednesday we headed through the “Sweet 16″ where the trail crosses the creek 16 times within a few miles. This was the morning after more than 2″ of rain, so we were having fun! The shoe has a ton of room, and some would say it feels too wide. Being the “Leadville” I would say there is adequate space for 100 miles of foot-swelling mountain running. The shoe did drain really well, even with the multiple creek crossings.

As a lighter “ultra shoe”, I still don’t consider this a minimal running shoe. 8 mm offset is less than the Cascadia for sure, but she still has some girth. The Vibram tread is pretty grippy, as I found on some of the steeper sections, and I didn’t have to be overly cautious. Even on the wet limestone it stuck better than other trail shoes! The tread on the heel is reversed to keep you from slipping while braking on the downhills.There is some rock protection, but I still feel sharper rocks poke through a bit. For the most part, this provides enough protection for me.

I did pick up quite a bit of mud, as the trail was a fresh, soggy mix of mud and clay. No shoe could have kept the mud from sticking! I had to stop and tie my shoe a few times; it’ll take some knot experimentation to find out what works best to keep these laces tied.

I’d been dealing with pain and mild swelling on the top of my right foot since Cactus Rose, and the tongue on the 1210 does a solid job keeping off the pressure on that area. It’s not a fluffy pillow, but more like a Tempur-pedic pad that evenly distributes any pressure.

We hit Travis Country and ran the road for a mile or so, which was fine – I didn’t slip or have any problems on the asphalt. We ended up hitting a few creek crossings on the way back from Rattle Snake, and I had one more shoelace tie to take care of before finishing at Taco Deli.

All in all, the 1210 is a great shoe that everyone should consider as their next trail purchase!

(Next week. You be there. Hump Day Hump Run from Taco Deli. 75min at 7:15am. Come explore!)

———————–

Erik Stanley coaches The Off Rogues, a Rogue Running trail training group that is currently preparing for the Rogue Trail Series 30K!

Best New Shoes of 2013

by Chris McClung

Mizuno Wave Rider 16 – Best Update

Mizuno’s Wave Rider has been a favorite of runners since its first version. The shoe has a firm but smooth ride with a forgiving upper that keeps your foot in place while still fitting a wide variety of feet.  Version 15 of the shoe was its best iteration yet, until Mizuno topped itself with this latest iteration. Version 16 has the same midsole and outsole that everyone loves (from Version 15), but the shoe now has an all-new upper that weighs a full ounce lighter than the previous version. The shoe dipped under 10 ounces, which puts it on par with many lightweight shoes that have much less cushioning. By using new materials and making small changes such as reducing the size of the logo on the in-step, Mizuno dropped the weight of the shoe without compromising the cushioning or feel of the shoe under foot. And, if you can cut a full ounce from each step without changing anything else, why wouldn’t you?!?

 

Brooks Launch – Best Return from the Dead

The Launch has been the best-kept secret in specialty running since its introduction three years ago. It was so good, in fact, that Brooks made only color changes to the original design until they famously announced that it was being dropped from its line, with plans to end production in December of 2012. With the announcement, message boards and blogs exploded in uproar as many Launch lovers (read: fanatics) screamed for its return. Brooks finally heard their cries, announcing in December that the Launch would return with throwback colors this month.

The shoe is elegant in its simplicity. Its midsole is void of many of the “technologies” that mark the signature designs of other more-marketed shoes, but the simplicity is what makes it great. It is lightweight at only 9.1 ounces, but with a cushioned feel that can support any type of runner. And, the ride is so smooth that your heel to toe transition in this shoe makes your stride nearly effortless at any pace. Long live the Launch!

 

Adidas Energy Boost – Best New Innovation

 

The Boost just debuted in February and, with it, Adidas is getting more attention in the running shoe category than it has in a decade. The signature component of this shoe is a newly designed midsole material that, according to lab tests from independent sources, has the most energy return of any midsole material ever placed in a shoe. The material is also reported to be highly durable and resistant to the effects of temperature that can wreak havoc on traditional foams, making it a great pick to combat the Texas heat. Putting it on, the shoe has a plush step-in feel, and when running, it can only be described as abnormally bouncy. The bounce feels strange at first but, after the initial shock-value fades, makes you feel like you can run forever in it. The upper is snug, flexible and fits a wider variety of feet than most other Adidas models with a more-narrow fit. Also, look out for two additional versions of the shoe coming later this year, the AdiStar Boost and Adios Boost, debuting in August and October, respectively.

 

New Balance 1400 – Best New Twist

The New Balance 1400, like the Brooks Launch, is known for its elegant simplicity, with a pure-foam midsole and no added bells and whistles. The shoe debuted last year to rave reviews. At 7.1 ounces, it is considered a “marathon racing shoe,” but the level of cushioning in the shoe feels more like 9-10 ounces, thanks to its innovative RevLite foam from New Balance that weighs 33% less than traditional foams. The high cushioning-to-weight ratio makes it extremely versatile to be used as a training shoe by some or as a racing flat by others. In June, New Balance will release a version of this shoe with a new competition-style upper that is also used in their super-light track spikes. This twist will drop another ounce from the shoe with no change to how the shoe feels under foot, permanently re-defining what it means to have lightweight cushioning. This, my friends, is not your father’s New Balance.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara – Most Anticipated Debut

In July, Mizuno is dropping the popular Wave Precision from its line, the original lightweight trainer, and replacing it with the all-new Wave Sayonara. Though the decision seems like a big gamble, it is a calculated risk forced in part by the changes to the Wave Rider mentioned above. With the Wave Rider now at 9.9 ounces, the Wave Precision was too similar at 9.5 ounces, so Mizuno is giving it an overhaul with a new name in the Sayonara. At Rogue, we can’t wait. Though we have not been able to try it yet, the Sayonara is reported to be over an ounce lighter than the Precision, with a more responsive ride and faster feel, all while maintaining similar levels of cushioning. If the fit is as good as the current Precision, which has the best-fitting upper on the wall, then these changes could be a recipe for our new favorite shoe. Hello to the Sayonara, good-bye to your running group friends after you lace on these new shoes this summer!

 See the published version of this article on page 12 of Naturally Fit Magazine!

Rogue Expeditions: The Moroccan Kick-off!

by Allison Macsas

22 runners. 8 days. Morocco.  Spearheaded by two people with a total of 15 days experience in the country.  Risky? Maybe so, but that’s how great things begin.

The back story:

In March 2012, my boyfriend Gabe and I took a two week vacation to Morocco, where we traveled around largely on our own. We knew that we’d need a guide to take us into the Sahara, but had no real basis for choosing one – we figured we’d head to the last village and ask around. Many villages away from the Sahara, heading into a guesthouse, we crossed paths with a man coming out, who asked if we’d like to visit the desert. Our independent nature and tout exhaustion led to an immediate “no thanks,” but something caused us to go back and talk with him. His name was Hamid, and we took an instant liking to him and what he had to offer.

We decided to mull over the proposed trip during dinner, and ultimately decided to go – we’d probably never be back in Morocco, and the extra expense would be worth it! It was nearly 10pm at this point, and we realized that we needed to let him know it was a go. Gabe headed across the plaza to a telephone kiosk to make the call, but couldn’t figure out how to dial the number correctly. He came back looking defeated, and we wrote offthe trip.

Ten minutes later, Hamid showed up at our table. The call HAD connected, so he called back the operator, found out that a foreigner had been trying to call, had her point out the direction that Gabe had gone and, lo and behold, he found us! We departed at 8am the next morning.

Taken the night that the Rogue Expeditions idea was created!

We spent a total of three days with Hamid, mostly at his family’s camp in the Sahara. On the second night, under the most amazing star scape we’d ever seen, we asked Hamid about other trips that he offered. He told us about a French client who returns every year with a group of runners. Instantly I blurted out that I “have a lot of runners!” and would come back with some. As the night wore on, Gabe and I got more and more excited about the prospect, and finally had Hamid convinced that we might be serious about it.

Several weeks later I brought the topic up at a training meeting and was told to go for it! I began by putting together an itinerary together with Hamid via email, nailed down his pricing, created a snazzy brochure, held an info session and voila! 20 people were signed up on the first day of registration. Gatherings were held, flights were purchased, packing lists created. Before we knew it, March rolled around…

—————–

Rogue has arrived!

Gabe and I arrived in Marrakech a day before the group to meet with Hamid, settle money matters and get our feet on the ground ahead of everyone else. The group arrived on Saturday afternoon – with all of their bags! – and settled in for a good night sleep.

Over the next seven days, we covered over 1000 miles of central Morocco, with vastly different landscapes and experiences each day. Regardless, we quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm and routine as we traveled and ran throughout the country.

Hamid explains our route

The guide: Hamid Bassadok is a 28 year old from M’Hamid, the “last village” before the Sahara. He began helping his uncle with a guiding service as a teenager, and these days runs the show. He is incredibly well-connected within Morocco, has an incredible amount of knowledge about the history, people and landscapes and, despite nothing more than a high school education, speaks more than six languages. He took all 22 of us to his family home where we were greeted with a huge range of snacks, endless cups of tea and turbans for our desert trip – incredible hospitality by any standards, but especially for a family that, by American standards, is quite poor.

Hamid worked non-stop all week to ensure that everyone was as happy and comfortable as possible.

Rogue 1 leads the way!

Our rock star drivers. The man at the bottom-middle joined us for the final run, in that outfit. 10 miles!

The transport: We had five Land Cruisers, four for people and one for food, wine and equipment. Each vehicle was numbered, and most people claimed allegiance to the car of their choice. Each driver was a trusted friend of Hamid’s, and each owned their own vehicle. Most of the drivers couldn’t speak much English, but that didn’t impede their ability to be unbelievable navigators (one driver told us that they were all born with NPS – Nomad Positioning Systems) and fantastic run supporters – more on that in a moment.

Breakfast in the Dades Gorge

Hungry we were not.

The food: So much food! Breakfasts involved a variety of fresh breads, butter, cheese, local jams (think fig & orange), honey, eggs, hot coffee and hand-squeezed (literally) OJ, right off the tree.

Lunches were more snacking affairs due to our running schedule – we’d have bread, dates, fruit, nuts & figs beforehand, then the same with the addition of fresh veggies and grilled meat afterward.

Dinners were HUGE and generally involved a lentil soup, some sort of tagine (could be lamb, chicken or beef, slow cooked in the traditional way with lots of veggies and herbs), a couscous full of veggies, kefta (meatballs), plenty of just-baked bread and fruit to finish it all off. We ate family-style each night, and the quantity of food seemed to increase each day as they noticed that we continued to eat whenever food was brought out. Devon made an early mistake of asking if there was more chicken – five heaping plates were soon presented! We ate very well, with the added bonus of everything coming from local oasis gardens (even the wheat for the bread), which are 100% organic.

Doooown we go!

Chuck picks up running buddies – Maria and Fatima – along the way

Devon: 7 marathons in 7 days!!

No maps needed!

Troy and Yvette

The running: As with the food…so much running! Excitement was high, the weather was beautiful and every day featured landscapes completely different from the day before – needless to say, lots of mileage ensued. Each day we’d arrive at the ‘departure area,’ where Yousef, our cook (he is actually a chef at a 5 star hotel), would have a changing tent and our big spread of snacks waiting for us. From there, we’d begin the run with a loud “Yellah!” which means “let’s go!” in Berber.

The terrain was completely different every day. We ran uphill, downhill, in the mountains, through villages, along palm oases, through Saharan sand and across a dry lake bed. There was little to no traffic to contend with, and wildlife was no concern, as the donkeys and camels weren’t too impressed with us. It was sometimes chilly, sometimes hot, sometimes windy, but always beautiful, open and free.

With 22 people we had a wide range of abilities, and most everyone had others to run with. The drivers would serve as a support team, and what a team they were! With one bringing up the front and another bringing up the rear, the three vehicles in between would patrol the course, ensuring that our water bottles were full, any turns well-marked and that we werewell-informed of the loosely-accurate remaining distance (just 2k left!).

Once you were ready to stop running, a vehicle would soon be by with a spot for you inside where you would ride for a bit, cheering on those who were still running and snapping photos. Once enough people were done for the day, we’d go on to the guesthouse where food and usually a swimming pool awaited.

 

 

 

 

The pools were sometimes a better alternative

The Plague & cold showers: It wasn’t all perfect, of course. Gabe and I came prepared with plenty of diarrhea medicine, but stomach issues thankfully never surfaced. Instead, a chest cold spread throughout the group and nearly everyone spent at least one day with a loud cough and overwhelming desire to sleep. Luckily, most people got over it quickly and on with the fun. It was a clear reminder that sharing your water bottle isn’t always a gesture of goodwill!

Additionally, I didn’t do the best job of forewarning people that in developing countries, hot showers are a rare, rare luxury. Though all of our hotels technically had one in each room, there is only so much water to go around in a small village and once it’s out, it’s out. We learned to take turns to let the tanks refill, wash quickly and fully appreciate the times that hot water spilled forth!

Ait Benhaddou

A gift from the pottery co-op!

Pre-run snack spread

The sights: While this was first and foremost a running trip, the travel element was just as important. Beyond the stunning views from the cars, the run routes and the hotels, there was much to see. We toured the Kasbah in Ait Benhaddou, where Gladiator and other films were made, visited both a pottery and a women’s rug cooperative where we got to see the processes and buy wares directly from those who made them, played in giant Saharan sand dunes, saw firsthand what drought can do to a massive lake and of course had plenty of opportunities to wander through markets and load up on scarves.

Everyone!

Dune rolling

The group: This group bonded! We explored together, we ate meals together, we ran together and we got The Plague together. We shared countless bottles of wine, lots of laughs and, though the final count is still being tallied, logged well over 1300 miles of running in some of the most beautiful and challenging places we’d ever been. Though the trip has been over for more than a week, our group Facebook page is lively and photos & inside jokes continue to flood my newsfeed. A post-trip party is already planned, and a care package to send back to Hamid is in the works. Despite a severe lack of campfire song skills, this group rocked.

I still have a hard time believing that this all came together, but Gabe and I both agree that it was a huge success and that Rogue Expeditions has a bright future. The chance to combine running with a travel adventure and to be able to share it with a group of Rogues is a dream come true, and we can’t wait to make it bigger and better each year.

Rogue Expeditions is just getting started, and spots for Morocco 2014 will be open soon. In the meantime, we have a smaller-scale Tahoe trip happening in July (one day left to sign up!) Stay tuned, and come explore with us!

(My full set of photos can be seen here)

Riff Raff and the Texas Independence Relay

Team RiffRaff had a fantastic time this weekend as they ran “The Texas Independence Relay” (TIR) 200 miles from Gonzales, Texas to LaPorte, Texas.  RiffRaff AKA “PR with Panther” did no other than set PR’s. First it was the groups first time to attend the event that is a PR in and of itself.  But what the crew did was survive on little to no sleep and run as fast as their feet could.

The start:

In true Riff Raff fashion, the gang shows up in a nice white van and a Texas Edition Suburban. The ever charismatic Fifi received the gift of a megaphone (way to go Blade). To the gang’s surprise, Fifi was a complete natural and even announced that Van 2 was full of single ladies. Riff Raff had arrived

Before embarking on the 200 mile adventure, Charlie Deuces found FREE sausage wraps, which consisted of a sausage link wrapped in a tortilla. To fuel up for his leg, he indulged in 3 sausage wraps while the gang was preparing to start. Meanwhile, LWT and Blade found some nice cowboys with mullets to flirt with at the starting line. The race started with a cannon exploding and the entire Riff Raff crew started the first mile together. After the first mile, Padre took off on his 4 mile adventure.

While Padre ran the first leg, the Riff Raff gang returned to the vans to go to the next leg. Thanks to Fifi’s megaphone skills, two phone numbers of eligible bachelors were tagged in purple on the side of the Van 2! Nice work team!

The Team Captain “Little White Tail” “LWT” (AKA Meredith Cohen), lit the cannon and our song “Truckin” played loud over the speakers and we yelled “Come and Take It” with our flag held high and we were off with the Largest Texas flag behind us.  The other groups like the Moms in TUTUs and the Mullets watched as we took off.

We were on our way to adventure.  We saw all kinds of historical markers and met lots of people.  The team was in  high spirits. At the exchange we slapped a slap bracelet on to the next person and the race was on, back roads of gravel and through bayous and over highways we traveled 200 miles to the memorial in La Porte.

We ran into the Roguettes,  a fantastic group of ladies that were down a few men (rather women), but they carried on as all Rogue athletes do, head high and with a job to do and they got it done.  What a great group!

We ran through the night on  highways with flashlights and the aid of our teams support. The wind was high and the temperature dropped significantly. As we came into Houston (obvious that they must not have drought issues, we were pelted by 32 mph winds and sprinklers).  People were losing their minds, but we gathered up our wits and got our jobs done.  We ran on! into the bayous through trails and wound our way through the neighborhoods of Houston and then through the Memorial of Sam Houston and we were closing in on the Memorial and the  finish.  We followed our troops through all the legs cheering them on and tagging all the other cars with RiffRaff.  

The Team Captains
Little White Tail
Fifi
Blade

The Team
VAN 1:
Little White Tail- Meredith Cohen
Fifi
Blade
Erica
Peaches
Chuck
Aaron- Driver

VAN2:
TopShelf
Sassy
RiffRiff
Padre
Charlie Deuces
Green Shoes
Nighthawk: DRIVER/Runner

 

Texas Independence Relay is Texas’ most exhilarating group race. Click here to join them next year! 

What a Marathon Month for RiffRaff!

The Austin Marathon for team RIFFRAFF was an outstanding day.  Some of the group signed up for their first marathon ever on Friday on a whim and some trained for many weeks and months for the big day.

The team hit the streets bright eyed and bushy tailed and the results showed that this team can hold true to their coaches motto “PR WITH PANTHER”.   The weekend started off with a pasta feast at the 8 year old traditional Pope’s table at Bucca De Beppo.  Stories were shared and hugs were given.  Saturday night a few of the team chalked the streets for RiffRaff and their fellow ROGUES.

Sunday came and the weather was perfect.  Cold start and sunny finish.  Little bit of a headwind as you head down south.

Coach Panther was the leader of our band of runners pacing the 3:25 group and keeping to a perfect pace the entire way.

–Sassy, who PR’d her marathon and qualified for Boston. She shaved several minutes and placed 9th in her age division with 3:29:53.
–Blade, who PR’d her marathon, as well.
–Trey,ran his FIRST ever marathon yesterday, in 4:20.  He looked really good at mile 26.
–Fifi, who PR’d her half marathon.
–Moonie, who flew in from London, UK and had his “non-3M” PR (yes, I count that as a PR).
–Joe, who ran the half with his son!
–Julie used it as training for Boston and her way crazy goal of several marathons back to back.
–Gina ran as an active spectator
–Tori ran her second marathon in 3 months.

Next weekend were all doing Cowtown so, there should be even more great things ahead.  GO RIFFRAFF!!!

Rogues run Austin: Race results!

Another Austin Marathon & Half Marathon is behind us, and what a day it was! The energy was electric, the weather was perfect and Rogues were well-trained, mentally prepared and READY. PRs abounded and smiles were everywhere, both on and off the course. Below are results and recaps from a number of our coaches – we will update this as coaches send in their reports, but feel free to add your own results in the comments!

Coach Peri Kowal, Austin Marathon group

North Rogues made a fine showing on Sunday, and also in multiple full and half marathons over the last few months!

In the Austin full, showing strong effort and almost beating a long ago PR, Moya Griffin. In the multiple-marathons-in-last-90-days category: Jeff Hufford, Carlos Sanchez,  Lou Clark, Keitha & Rasty Goodwin (also did Disney double),  & Lori Wilson. Making top 9 in their age group were Angie McDermott & Michelle Reed.

Fine efforts despite obstacles were Lucy Flores & Eva Montes. Pushing through the pain were John McCarty, Daniel Hernandez, Monika Sunholz, David Meyer (whose cute kids -and their signs – made Pam LeBlanc’s Fit City page), Anita Sandhu, and first time marathoner Kent Vickery!

And in the half, another strong showing by Willa Kempf (ran Houston full last month), Kimberly Mathieson & Farren Smith (also ran Disney full) and by two who have run multiple races in the last 2 months , Scott Webster & Juan Salazar.

Can’t forget Lauren Clark with a fine performance at Houston last month, and Nick Walker and Kate Noren who also ran the Disney double!

Another great fun year for the north Rogues! So honored to be their coach!

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Coach Chris McClung, Austin Marathon group

Full Marathoners:

Sarah Benedict: 4:56

Rusty Cloyes: 4:58

Justin Craycraft: 3:25 (1st marathon)

Erin Finn: 4:36 (1st marathon)

Hayden Gilbert: 3:31 (PR)

Kailey Gursoy: 3:33 (1st marathon, BQ, and 1st in 0-19 age group)

Joe Jarosek: 3:46 (1st marathon)

Ben Kettle: 3:54 (PR)

Michelle Krejci: 4:11

Melissa Mixon: 4:15 (1st marathon)

Bekah Powell: 3:19 (PR and BQ)

Amanda Reichel: 4:42

Ann Riopel: 4:09 (PR)

Lindsey Ripley: 4:05 (1st marathon)

Caitlin Rogozinski: 4:39 (1st marathon)

Amanda Russell: 4:32 (1st marathon)

Deidre Skrudland: 3:29 (PR and BQ)

Carey Workman: 4:29 (PR)

Half Marathoners:

Amanda Ferrier: 2:32

Kerry Gierisch: 1:57

Lisa Mays: 2:11

Heidi Munin: 2:50 (10 min Austin Half PR)

Valarie Neidig: 1:57

Jessica Neufeld: 1:41 (PR)

Anne Speck: 2:14

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Coach Larry Bright, Austin Half & Full M group
Congratulations to the South Austin Team for kicking butt on the Austin Course yesterday!

Stacy completed her first marathon at a time of 4:16:37 and looked just as relaxed at mile 25.5 up San Jac as she did all training season.

Jennifer who also looked as relaxed as ever, smiling and chatting up San Jac broke 2hrs with a 1:55:23

Krista ran too fast and I missed her after my finish as she completed the half at 1:52:18.

Lisa also completed the Half with a 2:42:13 as she works through a few nagging issues.

It was also good to see Richard out on the course and supporting the runners.

Well done by all!

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Coach Jenn Howard Brown, Austin Half M group

Inspired performances . . . the Jenn & Tonics crew rocked the Austin Marathon & Half Marathon with 2 first-time marathoners, 2 first-time half-marathoners, 3 PRs & 1 Distance Challenge finisher!

Jayke Valverde, 4:00:51 (First Marathon)
Van Fitzgerald, 3:30:34 (First Marathon)
Alissa Perez, 2:17:04
Andrew Perez, 1:59:44 (PR by 20 min.!)
Ashley ‘Ristuccia’ Sorvillo, 2:48:52
Caitlin Helman, 2:25:43 (First HM)
Charlotte Reyer, 2:40:29 (Distance Challenge finisher)
Conney Bisson, 2:11:24 (First HM)
Mindy Le Jeune, 2:39:40
Marisa Mach, 2:20:37 (PR by 2 min.!)
Sarah Stanton Johnson, 2:19:20
Sonia Trevino David, 2:24:13 (PR by 9 min.!)
Tim Davis, 2:11:23

Special mention of 2 of my best running buddies who kicked butt today:
Paul Escobedo, 3:46:58 (marathon PR by 6+ min.!)
Heidi Munin, 2:50:50 (10 min. faster than last yr’s Aus. HM)

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Coach Nedra Bray, Austin Half M group

Team Las Maquinas results

Austin Anderson   1:47:32 – 1st Half
Brian Rutledge  2:23:00 – 1st Half
Chad Cosper  2:20:10 – PR
Eduardo Pedroza    1:48:17
Erin Tsukamoto   1:55:50
Jenn Kiggins   1:58:58
Josh Elliott   1:36:39
Maria Resendiz   2:05:48
Monica McAlister   2:03:49
Patrick O’Brien   2:19:32 – 1st Half
Robert Johnson   1:58:15
Shawnell Anderson   1:56:43 – 1st Half
Sonja Rutledge   2:17:06 – 1st Half
Taryn Weiss   1:48:53- PR
Thomas Curry   1:59:08 – PR

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Coach Liz Freeman, Austin Half group

Liz’s Half Marathon Crew results, including a couple who raced the same weekend but different races:

Anna Vander Broek – 2:15 – 1st Half

Brad Johnson – 1:45:46 – 1st Half

David Isquick – 1:55:07

Debbie Danford – 2:22:47

Dylan Dobecki – 2:19:36  (St. Pete Rock n’ Roll Half)

Erica Chapman – 2:24:43 – 1st Half

Erin Osenbaugh – 2:38:39 – PR by 11 minutes

Hau Phan – 2:12:06 – PR by 7 minutes

Leah Leeds – 1:59:20 – first Half under 2 hours

Mark Whitesides – 2:09:04

Paul Cronin – 1:57:45 – PR

Sarah Walton – 2:24:48

Shannon Wiggen – 1:56:13 – PR by 6 minutes  (Breast Cancer Half)

Tom Small – 1:46:08 – placed 5th in his division

Windy Hardaway – 2:15:41

Coach Scott Carden (Austin Half group)

Carri Carswell: 2:11:09

Margaret Darby: 2:48:14

John Gravell: 1:55:10

Steve Hamilton: 2:02:30

Amy Medrano: 2:09:13

Ame Petry: 2:07:01

Jayson Rapaport: 2:03:58

Cindy Gravell: 1:55:10

Tori Wicken: 1:55:22

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Coach Marilyn Faulkner, Austin Half group

Madhavi Reese:  2:00:06 – PR

Amanda Anderson:  1:57:38 – PR

Emily Young:  Ran the half as a motivator for her sister!

Cameron Siewert:  2:05:04 – PR

Jaideep Dastidar: Had a PR of 2:38:39 on the course and kept HMGP or above the entire time!

Marilyn Faulkner: 1:48:27 – PR on Austin course, ran with her mom for her mom’s first ever half!

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Coach Kim Wrinkle, Team Rogue Cedar Park

Carl de Leon (3:40:46) and Jimmie Vaughan (3:41:42) both PRed. Congratulations!

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Coach Jeff Knight, Team Rogue ADC

Impressive results by Team Rogue Austin Distance Challenge, coached by Jeff Knight, aka el Jefe. The Austin Distance Challenge is the cumulative results of runners completing the IBM 10k, Run For Water 10-miler, Decker Challenge, 3M Half Marathon, Rogue 10k/30k, and the Austin Marathon/Half Marathon. Christine Egli won the Female Masters division by over 50 minutes and Julie Stansberry won the F40-44 division by a landslide 65 minutes. Mark Enstone placed 3rd in the full-track M45-49 and Larry Bright won the half-track M45-49 by 7 minutes. Congrats Team Rogue ADC!

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Coach Carolyn Mangold, Spring Marathon group

Congrats to all of you who raced this weekend, taking on the tough hometown Austin course.   You all have trained hard, some of you for a really long time, as many of you started last summer.   Special thanks to all the NSR’s (Northside Runaways) who came out to cheer them on.  We all know how meaningful it is to see a friendly face, especially wearing a Cat in the Hat!

Congrats to all:

·         To our first time marathoners:  Dave, Steven and Tori.  All 3 persevered and finished strong, even looking great up that San Jac hill, despite the mental challenges along the 26.2 miles.  Good job to Tori for running a negative split race for her first marathon.  Woo hoo!

·         To newcomer Matt, whose intent was to run the marathon as an easy run, but finished within 10 min of a PR!

·         To our Half marathoners who Pr’d:  Adusha, Kenneth and Z!    Once again, new and faster paces for Z to run at the Wed workouts.

·         To our Half marathoners, long distance veterans now, having run multiple half marathons:  Doug, Kit , Missy, Patsy, Sheryl, Thomas and MyHong.  Kit ran Austin faster than her time trial predicted, even with extra mileage she added Sunday to make this her long run for the week.

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Coach Allison Macsas, Spring Marathon group

Though our group is focused upon later races and are still in the thick of training, we had some incredible performances!

Manny Macias quietly went and entered himself into the actual marathon, and ran 3:35, a 38 MINUTE PR!

Robert Nathan raced the half and PR’ed with a 1:42, just a month after his great Houston performance!

Andria Chaney PRed by 4 minutes in the half, finishing with a great 2:13!

Debbie Allen ran a super-strong 2:11 as a ‘fun run’ and Priscilla Macias also ran a solid 2:27.

Mandy Deen officially returned from her post-Dallas injury with a 26:32 in the Paramount 5K.

Adam Mathews survived the fastest post-injury ramp up ever to fulfill his 4:10 pacing duties, and assistant coach Devon Kiernan paced Marathon High kids to a life-changing first marathon in 5:15.

Awesome, everyone!

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Again, congrats to everyone who ran and thank you to all of our coaches! We are proud to call you Rogue!