Two important dates:

Sunday, December 13: 1/2 marathon preliminary meeting.

Meet at 9 am at 314 S. 17th street ready to run 4-5 miles.   Then stay around for some breakfast and a talk through the training plans.

Wednesday, December 16: East Nasty Christmas party!

We will have a normal Wednesday night run (Run #10 with a slight shift), and then head over to Stacy Andrick's house (603 N. 16th - at the corner of 16th and Stratton) for our second annual Christmas party.  Everyone is welcome, but please bring something to drink (beer/wine/cider) and/or a dessert.

A little encouragement:

Having trouble getting yourself out the door in this weather?   Remember, the first step is always the hardest but it is the most important.  For more encouragement check out this article from Running Times.

Mark

LP Field

Run #9 takes us down and around LP field.  It's 4.43 miles and incorporates most of the two mile add on loop.   (If you're not feelin' it, you can shorten this run to about 3.7 miles...)  But there are two important East Nasty dates coming up...

December 13: Country Music 1/2 Marathon Training

Every year, the East Nasties train for the 1/2 marathon together.   We run on Wednesdays and Sundays, starting on January 3.    If you are interested, please attend the information meeting/run/breakfast.

Informational Meeting. This Sunday, December 13, 9:00 a.m.  Come prepared to go for a 4-5 mile run.  After the run we'll have some breakfast and talk through the details of the training program.   9:00 a.m. at my house: 314 S. 17th street.

Sundays: In January, all our long runs will start at 9:00 a.m. until we start doing the longer long runs, when we move to 8:00.  The majority of the runs will be from Shelby Park, but we will change locations as the training progresses. (The locations are listed on the Sunday Runs page.)

Thursdays: Chuck Hargrove has graciously offered to lead beginner/intermediate runners through the suggested workouts on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in Shelby Park.  Thanks Chuck!

December 16: East Nasty Christmas Party

Next Wednesday, Stacy Andrick (603 N. 16th Street) will host all the Nasties for our 2nd annual Christmas Party.  Everyone is welcome and here's the plan:

December 16, we will meet and run as usual.  Afterwards, we will head over to Stacy's house.  If Heidi Huerta does not talk to you about bringing an appetizer (you know who you are), you need to bring a dessert and/or some beer and wine.  Hope to see you there!

Mark

Can you believe that it is December 2009?   That's all I have to say about that.

Rick's Market.  Does Rick's market really have the coldest beer in town?  Will it actually rain on a Wednesday night?   Will there be Annie Parson's CD's and East Nasty sweatshirts for sale?  All of these questions and more will be answered this Wednesday on Run #8.

Remember, we run rain or shine, year round.  Don't wimp out because it is cold, just get yourself a hoody and drag your butt out there on Wednesdays!

See you tomorrow!

Mark

Running Stuff This Wednesday.  Run #7.  Check it out below.   Remember, East Nasties run Wednesday nights year round!

1/2 Marathon Training:   Every year since 2004, the East Nasties have trained for the Country Music 1/2 marathon together.  We meet every Sunday morning starting on January 3, and there are training plans for novice, intermediate and advanced runners.  The best part is it's a chance to train with 50+ other Nasties for free!

So, pencil December 13th into your schedule.  That morning there will be the East Nasty 1/2 Marathon Informational Meeting/Run/Pot Luck Brunch.  It will be a chance to get more information and try one of Zach's world famous casseroles!

Odds and Ends.

East Nasty Dave Coleman and his band "The Coal Men" were featured on NPR Mountain Stages.  Check it out!

East Nasty had a crew that did the Bourbon Chase relay race.   Here is a video recap complete with Freddy Jones Band musical accompaniment.

I coach cross country at a local high school, and High School cross country runners have strange senses of humor.  This year's running (no pun intended) joke was "Spagett".  I had no idea what it meant until now...  Yikes...this is even stranger than last year's jokes:  Llamas with Hats and Charlie the Unicorn.

See you on Wednesday.

Mark

Don't be afraid of the dark...or cold.

It actually feels like fall today.   Damp and cool.  So it's time to move the workouts indoors right?  Wrong!   East Nasty runs year round!   While it's definitely harder to get out the door when it's cold, once you're running you'll never notice the brisk air.   So get some reflective gear, grab your East Nasty hoody and join us for Run #6: 4.55 miles down Riverside.

Odds and Ends

1) We will be running next week.   Come join us to proactively burn off those Thanksgiving calories!

2) Bring $30 and grab your hoody.   Better yet, bring $40, grab your hoody and join us at 3 Crow.

3) Do you think that the sophomore slump with high school distance runners is because they are going through a growth spurt?  It's a theory that I am working on...

4) East Nasty will be training for the 1/2 marathon.  Pencil December 13th on your calendar for a run/informational meeting  The training will begin in earnest January 3.

Mark

Yes...the downtown loop is back.  Run #5.

Stuff

1. Remember the Least Nasties (the walkers) will leave at about 6:00.  So be on time if you want to join Amy for the walk!

2. Drew will have some reflective gear from Fleet Feet.  Vest ($20) or blinking light ($8) - cash.

3. For all you new folks...bring a change of clothes and your ID and join us on the 3 Crow patio after the run!  It's a great way to meet a great bunch of folks.  (Insider info: find some guy named Zach, and tell him it is your first time...)

4. The TN state cross country meet was last weekend.  For those of you who may be interested, here are the results.

See you on Wednesday.

Mark

P.S. Visit eastcan.org and adopt yourself a dog!

Why do we change the clocks??

While I can't answer that question, one of the implications of  "falling back" each October is that  it will be dark by 5:30.   So I want to give a couple of important reminders:

1) Wear highly visible clothing and/or lights.

UPDATE:  Over the next couple of weeks, Fleet Feet will be selling reflective vests for $20, and flashing lights for $8.  No need to head down to the store, just bring some cash with you this Wednesday.

2) Exercise caution at intersections.  Drivers around East Nashville are usually pretty pedestrian friendly,  but we need to make sure that drivers see us before we cross a road.  (See reminder #1)

3) Bring money to order Annie Parson's new EP....

What???  Yes!  That's right, East Nasty's own Annie Parsons is a musician!  So not only did Annie win a Pulitzer Prize for the Hugh Mundy ENOW write up*, but she has her own album.  Check out her music here, and then bring cash to buy one.

* This is not true.

Baby we were born to run...

So a friend of mine got me the book "Born to Run" for my birthday, and while I haven't started it yet, here is an article from The New York Times that should peak your interest...Some real interesting thoughts on running...

Run #4

is what we are doing this week.

See you Wednesday.

Mark

East Nasty:

When: 6:00 p.m. Wednesdays

Where: 11th and Holly East Nashville

Happy Halloween

On Wednesday look for the East Nasty jack-o-lantern as we complete Run #3. Remember, it gets darker earlier, so please wear reflective / highly visible apparel.

Speaking of Apparel...

This week we will be taking our final orders for East Nasty hoodys.   You can order either Red with white lettering, or black with gray lettering.  We will have several samples to try on this Wednesday if you are unsure of sizing.  You must order by this Wednesday if you want a sweatshirt.  If you won't be there on Wednesday you need to post a comment before Thursday.

Least Nasty Walkers

Starting this week our walkers will be leaving at 6:00.  Thanks to Amy Burton for leading that group - but if you want to join her, you must be ready to start by 6:00.

See you Wednesday.

Mark

East Nasty is...

What: A neighborhood walking/running group that could only happen on the East Side...

When:  Every Wednesday at 6:00 pm.  Walk starts at 6:00, Run starts a little bit after that.

Where: 11th and Holly - East Nashville.

East Nasty

We are back to Run #2, which is 3.65 miles around the lake in Shelby Park.

Least Nasty

We have a new walking group!  Many of us have friends who don't run - or have a predisposition toward running injuries, but would love to join us for our weekly jaunt through the East Side.  Without necessarily following the route, Amy Burton will lead a walking group every Wednesday night.   Right now, Amy is starting the walk at the same time as the run, soon she will start at 6:00.  Stay tuned and invite your friends!

Hoodys

The East Nasty Hoody is back.  We are going to order Adidas Fleece Hoodys, with a goal of having them in by the second Wednesday in November.  That means the order will be placed by Halloween!  We'll have a size run next week for you to try on, but if you know you want one, and you know the size tell Drew ASAP!

See you tomorrow!

Mark

It is officially Fall, as the weather and leaves are indicating, and recently a few East Nastys have participated in some pretty amazing races. First off there was the Bourbon Chase crew. This group of 12 runners set out early Friday morning on October 9^th, to experience what the website said would be, “a 200 mile trek through the scenic back roads of the Bluegrass countryside and Kentucky Bourbon Trail.” This inaugural relay race went from Clermont to Lexington, through a handful of working distilleries, and from the early morning of Friday through the late afternoon of the Saturday. Each team member was given three different sections of the 200 miles to run, and they would “pass” the race number from person to person. Most of the team did not sleep more than 2 hours throughout the entire adventure, and their efforts paid off, because Team East Nasty took 3^rd in the coed division!

The East Nasty Team consisted of David Canas, Erica Tober, Mary Thom Vandercook, Julie Hackbarth, Stephanie Pepper, Paul Zimmerman-Clayton, Marcia Sorrell, Drew Jones, Kevin Kazlauskas, Carrie Cohen, David Harris, and Scott Ramsden, with Christy Maynard behind the wheel.

Just this last weekend, on October 17^th, two East Nastys participated in the Nashville Ultra Marathon. Chuck “the Golden Child” Hargrove took first place in the 60K (37.28 miles) part of the race, finishing in 6:46:00. Will Arnold, who was completing his first ever 50 mile race, finished 12^th, with a time of 9:13:07.

All of these East Nastys did a great job representing our group and deserve much praise and maybe even a few free beverages at 3 Crow Bar this week.

The Run

This Wednesday, 6:00: back to Run #1 (look at the bottom of the blog for links to all 12 runs).  Run #12 was last week, so we are starting our 12 run sequence over.  This means shorter runs; beginning this week at 3.2 miles.  Remember if you want to run longer, there is a 2-mile add on loop that many people complete after or before the "regular" run.

The Walk

Many folks have been asking for slower runs or walks on Wednesday nights. Walkers and runners of any ability level have always been welcome at East Nasty - but there has never been anything official.  Now we have an East Nasty walk leader: Amy Burton.    So if you are a walker, or if you have a friend who would love to walk - Amy will lead a group through the streets of East Nashville and back to 3 Crow bar starting this Wednesday.  Thanks Amy!

The Hummus?

One of the landmarks of this run is my friend Debbie's house (another landmark is the giant "A" in someone's yard ???)  .  She is a multi-talented woman: a great photographer, cook and blogger.   Just recently, she has started selling her world famous curry hummus for $5!   She is going to bring out a sample this Wednesday, and give us all an opportunity to order some. Thanks Debs!

Races

Lots of races this weekend.  Starting with the Inglewood 5k. The race has issued the East Nasties a challenge: the first three East nasty finishers will receive a $10 gift certifiate from Beyond the Edge.

The Nashville Ultra.

Also on Sunday is the Music City 1/2 Marathon (but...it looks like registration is closed )

See you on Wednesday.  RAIN OR SHINE!!

Mark

Remember bring a sweatshirt, your ID and a couple of bucks to enjoy a beer on the 3 Crow patio!

The Run

It's time.

Route #12.  Nasty.  6 miles.  Many hills.  Nasty hills.

(note:  for those who do not like the full bodied taste of a 6 mile run, "nasty light" will also be offered on Wednesday night.)

East Nasty has 12 runs that we follow sequentially.  Run #1 is the shortest, and run #12, the longest.  This week is run #12: a 6 mile jaunt into some new neighborhoods and up some ridiculous hills.  Don't worry, if you're a new runner or just not feeling it this week, there's a 3.8 mile option.  (Check out the link to "nasty light" above.)  Check out the links to all 12 runs at the bottom of the blog...

Nastier

I am not going to 3 Crow Bar after the run...what??? Are they out of beer???  No they are not.  After the run, we all should be heading over to The Basement to check out former ENOW Hugh Mundy as he opens for a band with a little stand up comedy.  Really?   Yes, really, and it doesn't happen very often, plus it's free!  So join the caravan as we head over to the basement.  (Hugh will probably start up about 8:00 or 8:30ish)

Race for the Cure.  This Saturday, the Race for the Cure will be held in Maryland farms, and they are expecting a huge crowd.   Our own Jill Mongene is the race director and has asked East Nasty to send 20 men down that morning to volunteer.  Let's see if we can exceed that goal!  Click here to volunteer - there is a special spot just for us!

See you on Wednesday.  And don't forget to wear your Swiftwick socks for a chance to win a new pair.

Mark

6:00 pm Wednesdays at 11th and Holly.