I know a lot of parents have to decide who gets to run with us on Wednesday night, now we have a solution... Have you ever wondered what that yellow house is at the corner of 11th and Holly where we meet?  Well, it is owned by the YMCA, and from there they run a program called ArtEmbrace.   They promote art education to elementary and middle school students, especially at schools where those programs have been dropped.  Well, they are excited to offer art classes for East Nasty children on Wednesday nights!   Here are the details:

Where: The Yellow House

What:  Art skills/projects for children taught by various local artists

When: Wednesdays 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Who: Kids age 5 and up

How much: $15 (this goes to pay the artist and for supplies...)

We are going to try this for 8 weeks starting this Wednesday, June 20.  If there is enough interest, it may be a permanent offering, and the price could be reduced..

If you are interested, you need to call or email Leslie Gregg.  She can answer any questions and may be able to work with kids that are younger than 5.  Also, space is limited, so you will need to reserve a spot.

Leslie Gregg - lgregg@ymcamidtn.org.  Or 615.256.9622 ext 72555.

The Nasty

This Wednesday is our signature Run: #12: The Nasty.  It's 6 miles and 6 hills of glory.  (There is also a shorter 3.8 mile route if you're not quite ready for the full glory). At the completion of the full Nasty run, you will receive our coveted bumper sticker (or the new 'helmet' sticker!) to verify your accomplishment.

As always, we meet at 6 p.m. at 11th and Holly - and be sure to check out the map.  If you know the route, join Lanie Brooks in volunteering to be a route leader!

Our morning run (5:50 a.m. at the same location) will be running The Nasty as well.  For the truly sadistic, there is a group that is going to run it twice: in the morning and the afternoon! Double Nasty!

Karhu Shoes

The shoe manufacturer Karhu will be at the afternoon run tomorrow with some test shoes if you care to try them out!

From Lee at NRC:

The shoe brand Karhu will be at the run on June 13. They'll arrive at 5:15pm with some test shoes for people to wear on the run. Sizes are limited but they'll have certain sizes in the Men's and Women's Flow and Fast. Come check them out!

Potato to Tomato

Starting next week, I will be leaving you guys in the capable hands of Drew Jones as the 2012 Potato to Tomato begins!  In fact, I'm not the only one who will be gone, we have 30+ East Nasty regulars who have volunteered to help out.  Of course, that doesn't mean that they won't see you at 3 Crow post run, but I want to thank them for being willing to give of their time to help other reach their   The 2012 Potato to Tomato runners will be joining us in early August for a Wednesday night run, look for them then!

See you tomorrow.

Mark

Shoe Drive

June 6th is our second shoe drive of the year.  Please take a moment tonight to clean up any old running shoes that you have, and bring them to tomorrow evening's run.

Couch to 5k

Thursday is our informational meeting for the 2012 Potato to Tomato training program.  It will take place at the Margaret Maddox YMCA at 6:30 p.m.   This meeting is not mandatory, but it is extremely helpful.  If you can't make the meeting, just show up at Shelby Park (outside the nature center) at 6 p.m. on June 18 ready for the first run.

For all you regular Wednesday runners - make an effort to invite one person to join us this year!  Most of us have a story about how running has changed our lives - so let's pass it forward!   Click here for more information.

Calling All Sponsors

For several years now I have had a vision to have a one-mile race in Nashville, and finally it's going to happen!  On Thursday, August 16 Nashville will finally get a road mile.   There will be 7 races, culminating with elite men's and elite women's races.  Right now we are looking for some sponsors.  If you or your company would be interested in sponsoring this race, please let me know.  Email me at mark@eastnastyforlife.com.

Wednesday Run - Evening AND Morning editions!

"These go to 11..."

This week's Wednesday run is Route #11: Churches.  It's a figure 8 course, so take a moment to check out the map. Also, Wednesday June 6th is National Running Day!

The evening run meets at 6pm at 11th & Holly. The morning version meets at 5:50am at the same place.

After the run it's Pint Night at Nashville Running Company in 5 Points. You can also "preview this weekend's Trunk Sale with 30-40% off Spring and Winter gear."

Mark

Couch to 5k

We are quickly approaching 100 participants in our couch to 5k.  This is incredibly exciting, but we have noticed one issue with our on line sign up: signing up multiple family members.   Each participant must have a unique email address to sign up.  This makes it impossible to sign up more than one person per email address.  We're working to correct this issue, but right now, if you need to sign up multiple people on one email address, go ahead and sign up one person, and we'll take care of the others at the meeting on June 7th.  Click here for more information.

Shoe Drive, June 6th!

June 6th is our second shoe drive of 2012, so we need you to bring any and all old pairs of shoes to the Wednesday night run.  (If you would be willing to clean them up first, that would be extremely helpful.) We’ll take any pairs of shoes that have life left in them, and pass them along to a runner in need!

Morning Running

From now on, Amanda Tungett will be leading Wednesday morning versions of the East Nasty run starting at 5:50 a.m.  They will start at the normal place and will run the same course as our afternoon group.   This is a great way to get out of the heat and/or get in a good run if you are a couch to 5k coach.

This week’s run

This week we are crossing Eastland to run Benji route #10.  As always, we need route leaders, so please take a moment to look over the map.  Also, please check out the volunteer sheet for cup cleaning.

Really fast people

From Lee at NRC:

Come meet Picky Bars Co-Founder and 2:29 Marathoner, Stephanie Rothstein, and grab a beer or wine this Friday at Nashville Running Co from 4-7pm! Steph will be talking about the gluten and dairy free Picky Bars and NRC will be providing samples to try out. Following NRC's event on Friday, please cheer Steph and all of the other athletes on at the Music City Distance Carnival on Saturday night at Vanderbilt.

Couch to 5k

We have had a great response from coaches, so now it is time to start getting our participants signed up.  Send this link to anyone who has struggled to start / stick with an exercise program.  Or if that person is you, click on our Potato to Tomato page and sign up!   This video should be a great way to start a conversation or to get yourself motivated.  If you are worried about not being able to finish, ask around.  Our Potato to Tomato program has been successful hundreds of times over! (We've had 400+ p2t "alumni", many of who run with us on Wednesday nights...)

The Potato to Tomato program starts on June 18th, but first please attend our informational meeting at the Margaret Maddox YMCA on June 7th at 6:30 p.m.   Thanks to Duane and Annie Parsons, we actually have on-line sign ups this year.  (finally...)   Check out all the information here.

Calling all shoes!

Part of our vision is to make running accessible to everyone, regardless of finances.  One way we do that, is to collect gently used running shoes and give them away to people in our community.  We've given away hundreds of pairs of shoes.   Last year, we gave shoes to about 30 potato to tomato participants, and we assume that we'll need at least that many pairs this year.   That's where you come in.  On June 6th, we want you to bring any and all old pairs of shoes to the Wednesday night run.  (If you would be willing to clean them up first, that would be extremely helpful.) We'll take any pairs of shoes that have life left in them, and pass them along to a runner in need!

Morning Running

Starting on May 30th, Amanda Tungett will be leading Wednesday morning versions of the East Nasty run starting at 5:50 a.m.  They will be completing the same course as our afternoon run.   This is a great way to get out of the heat and/or get in a good run if you are a couch to 5k coach.

This week's run

This week we are running round LP field (Run #9).  For those of you who are familiar with this run, we've made a slight change.  Instead of crossing Gallatin, we are going to run straight up Woodland back to 5 points, so you may have to add extra mileage.

See you tomorrow.

Mark

Couch to 5k

Part of our mission statement at East Nasty is to make running accessible to everybody in our neighborhood.  One way that this mission manifests itself is in our free couch to 5k training every summer.  (We call it "Potato to Tomato")    The details for this year's program are outlined here, but we need coaches.

Last year we had around 250 participants, so we would love to have 20-25 + coaches.    We meet on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from June 18 until the race on August 11, and are looking for coaches who can make at least 2/3 of the training sessions, and are willing to pace their group during the Tomato Fest 5k race.  If you are interested in becoming a coach please email Mark at millema6@hotmail.com.

Wednesday, May 16

This week we are back to Rick's Market...Coldest Beer in Town.  Take a moment to check out the route, and be sure to volunteer to be a leader!

Only a quick few things to share this week...

Wednesday Night Run

We are running Route #7: Little Hollywood this week. A nice easy 3.2 miles through a fun part of the neighborhood. As usual, we meet at 6pm at 11th & Holly.

Last week was a great start to our new streamlined process. Let's keep that momentum going! Please help us continue to get things moving along on Wednesday nights - find your pace group before the annoucements begin, or better yet, volunteer to be a pace group leader. It's easy and we need volunteers each and every week. All you have to do is: 1) learn the route, and 2) run approximately at the pace you select. A little slower is fine, faster is not. The purpose is more about keeping people from getting lost, not to maintain the strictest pace.

Again, here is the plan for Wednesday nights:

1.  We are going to shorten announcements, and have them start right at 6:10.  Which mean you guys need to read the blog!

2. All 3 sub-8 minute pace groups will leave at the same time.  We will still have three pace leaders, but all three groups will leave at once.

3. We will have all the pace leaders up front right at 6, so people can line up in their groups BEFORE the announcements.  This step REALLY requires your help.  Over the last couple of months the real bottle neck to getting the run started has been finding pace leader volunteers. We need you to come to us and volunteer. Look for the person with the pace signs, and go grab one.

Summer Couch-to-5K

We're still ironing out plans for our Summer Couch-to-5K program - look for details soon. Also, new shirts for summer are on the horizon.

Weeekend Runs

While there are currently no 'official' East Nasty runs on the weekend, there are lots smaller groups of people who have been making their own plans. Ask around on Wednesday nights and find one if you want to run on the weekends, or check our Facebook page. If you are hosting a run on the weekends (or any other time), please feel free to post it in the comments below or on our Facebook page and invite others along.

See you tonight! - Duane

Wednesday Night Run

The half-marathon is over, but we keep on running!  This week's run is Route #6: Riverside and everyone should take it nice and slow! 6pm at 11th & Holly.

Puma

This week Puma will be visiting Nashville Running Company, and they are willing to bring some shoes for us to take our for a test drive (run).  If you are interested in trying on a pair of Pumas, come to our normal meeting spot at 5:30.

Being Good Neighbors

Races create a lot of trash. Gu packets, used cups, powerbar wrappers, etc.  This week after the run, please hang around for 15 minutes for a post-marathon street clean-up. We have garbage bags, gloves, and maps. All you need is a willingness to make our neighborhood a better place.

Also, we need volunteers to help wash the cups. Sign up here. We need someone this week!

Speeding Things Up

East Nasty is committed to make Wednesday nights a great experience. We are actively trying to streamline our processes, and have created a post-marathon goal of having everyone running before 6:18 every week.  Here is our plan, but to make this a reality we need everyone's help:

1.  We are going to shorten announcements, and have them start right at 6:10.  Which mean you guys need to read the blog!

2. All 3 sub-8 minute pace groups will leave at the same time.  We will still have three pace leaders, but all three groups will leave at once.

3. We will have all the pace leaders up front right at 6, so people can line up in their groups BEFORE the announcements.  This step REALLY requires your help.  Over the last couple of months the real bottle neck to getting the run started has been finding pace leader volunteers. We need you to come to us and volunteer. Look for the person with the pace signs, and go grab one.

See you Wednesday! -Mark

Wednesday, April 25

We are going to head over the walking bridge again this week as we complete Run #5: Walking bridge.  Check out the map, it's an easy route. Even Q can is going to lead a group this week!

Note: Check out the blog on Friday as there will be more details about race day...

Post Race Party

After the race on April 28th, the Competitor group has some sort of concert thing going on,  but we would like to invite you to the real post-race gathering…

The East Nasty Post Country Music Half (and Full!) Marathon Bash

Everyone is welcome, even if you didn’t run. We start early (5 p.m) with grilling out, and end late with DJ Zach Barnett. The link above gives details (for example the address) and provides a place for you to sign up to bring something!

Being Good Neighbors

iPods are a running necessity for some people, but may not be the safest thing to be wearing during a run. I completely understand that listening to Guns and Roses helps make the runs go by easier, but it can also make you less aware of your surroundings, and can potentially be dangerous. So if you are going to listen, be careful - and maybe you can leave the iPod behind and talk to the person running beside you!

Thursday Night Workout

Great job guys! Our last workout is a well deserved easy one. This week we just need to run 2-3 one mile repeats at goal pace - NO FASTER! - with a good 2 or 3 minutes rest between each one.  As always, 6 p.m. on Thursday at 11th and Holly.

Shirts

If you haven't picked up your shirt yet, this is the week! We will have them after the run on Wednesday, or you can pick it up at NRC anytime they are open this week. We have a VERY limited number of extra shirts (pretty much just one in each size) that we will be selling this Wednesday after the run for $33 - first come, first served!

- Mark

The Route

This week: Run #3: Musica Out & Back.  This is our one run that is out and back, which means that you can run almost any distance.  The run takes us down Boscobel, across the pedestrian bridge, up Demonbreun to the round-about (if you want to go that far) and back.    The entire run is about 6.5 miles.  Across the pedestrian bridge and back is about 4 miles if you want a shorter option.  Down to 3 Crow and back is about 200 meters if you want a really short option...

The Party

After the race on April 28th, the Competitor group has some sort of concert thing going on,  but we would like to invite you to the real post-race gathering...

The East Nasty Post Country Music Half (and Full!) Marathon Bash

Everyone is welcome, even if you didn't run.  We start early (5 p.m) with grilling out, and end late with DJ Zach Barnett.   The link above gives details and provides a place for you to sign up to bring something!  (You need to bring your own grill-able item...)

Newtons and neutral running

If you haven't heard of barefoot, neutral or minimalist running you haven't been listening.  There had been a movement away from heavy bulky shoes, toward lighter flexible shoes.  Well, if you are interested in learning more about these topics or getting acquainted with these types of shoes, a representative from the Newton Running Company is going to be at our run tomorrow night.

If you want to talk neutral running, or learn more about their shoes, head over to NRC at 5 p.m. before the run.  Or you can catch him at 3 Crow post-run.

Bring Good Neighbors

Twice a year East Nasty does a alley clean up, and this year we are going to do one on the first Wednesday post-marathon.  That means that on May 2, after the run plan on sticking around for about 20 minutes to help clean up five points.  We will provide garbage bags, gloves, and we'll tell you where to go.  All we need you to do if grab a couple of friends and clean up for about 15 minutes.

Thursday Workouts

Back to the track.  This week everyone is doing 3 one mile repeats, with a three minute break between each one.    These repeats should be done at your tempo pace, or a little bit faster.

See you tonight.

Mark

Wednesday run is Route #4

This week we are doing the old switcheroo. We are going to run Route #4: Big Shelby Loop this week (4.31 miles), and come back to Route #3 next week.  Why?  Because run #3 takes us downtown, at just about the same time that the Predators' fans will be getting to the arena.  So to avoid mass chaos, (and having a hockey fan/runner brawl - we all know how that will turn out...) we're making the change. So check out the map - we're heading back into Shelby Park. As always we meet at 6 p.m. at 11th and Holly

Being Good Neighbors

Learn the route and volunteer.  Managing 200 people on a run each week is not rocket science, but it does require help.  And we need your help.  Even though East Nasty is a labor of love for us, Drew and I are tired of having to beg people to be run leaders.  We need you guys to step up!   There are people who have been running with us for years who always have an excuse not to lead - stop it. We need to take the burden off those folks who seem to lead the run every week.

And read the blog for cryin' out loud.

Thursday workouts

Thursday, 6 p.m.  Meet at 11th and Holly.  This week we will be heading back to the track for some quicker repeats.

Advanced/Intermediate/Novice: 5 x 1000 (@ 5k pace) 3/4 or 5 minute jog between each one.

Alternate workout (if you don't want to go to a track): 4-5 x 5 minutes fast / 5 minute jog

The Green Wagon & '5 Points 2nd Saturday'

Here is a message from The Green Wagon:

"For the next '5 Points 2nd Saturday' we'll be drinking the beer we brewed at our Craft Beer Week Homebrew Kickoff, we'll feature local artist, Hunter Mize (see his work on the current cover of The City Paper but imagine it with east neighborhoods!), and we'll be donating 10% of sales to East Nasty Running Club! Don't miss it!"

Sweet!  Environmentally friendly products, craft beer, art... - sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday.

1/2 Marathon Weekend

One of the best days of the year for East Nasty is the day of the Country Music Marathon.  April 28th this year. We run in the morning, meet up after the race to celebrate, and then get together that night for the real celebration.  Thanks to Andy & Heidi for offering to host the post-race party this year at 'Camp MossyWilson'.  It will be on Saturday night, April 28 from 5 till ???   We're going to need your help, so stay tuned for more details and what you can do to help.

Shirts

If you didnt pick up your shirt last week you can pick it up after the run this Wednesday.

See you Wednesday! - Mark

The Route

This week we are running into Shelby Park: Route #2.  Be sure to check out the map.

Being good neighbors...

These "being good neighbors" segments have become a weekly portion of these posting.  This is because we all need to be reminded that we have to behave differently because there are 250 of us.   So please take these reminders to heart, and apply them to your running...

This week I want to talk about before we run... Bottom line, as we are gathering at 6 o'clock stay out of the road!   Everything will go smoother if we just stay on the sidewalk.  I know that it is crowded, and we are working on some ways to streamline the process.   But milling around all over the place is not only unsafe - it slows the traffic down which slows everything down.

Pint Night at Nashville Running Company

Wednesday is the NRC monthly East Nasty pint night.  This week, 110% compression gear is going to be doing some demos at the store.  So head over to the store for a mobile "ice bath" and a beer post run!

Shirts Are In

The shirts that were ordered will be available tomorrow!  Remember, unless you specified differently, you'll have to pick up your shirt.  We'll have them on Wednesdays and Sundays from here on out.  Tonight we will be handing them out at NRC after the run. Thanks to the East Nasty design crew for putting together a great shirt this year!

Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run, one of the organizations that we are proud to support, is looking for volunteers to help at the Girls On The Run 'Practice 5K' on Thursday, April 12 from 3-5 pm. They need people to help with water stops, timing and course direction. Easy stuff! If you can help GOTR, contact Erin Taylor (ehb.taylor@gmail.com).  Also, registration is open for the Girls On The Run 5K in Shelby on May 5th (www.gotr5k.com). Anyone can run the 5K - not just girls.

See you tonight! - Mark