Being Good Neighbors

Dear fellow runners, over the next twelve weeks we'll be touching on safety related topics including Complete Streets, Vision Zero, running etiquette, problem intersections, rights and responsibilities of crosswalks, Sharing the Road, visibility, being an Ambassador, what to do if there's an accident, and underlying them all are the laws and enforcement. Our goal is one of education : for everyone in our neighborhood that is sharing our resources.

TCA 55-8-134 (*1) and Nashville ordinance 12.52.020 (*2) gives some of the laws that protect us as weaker users of the roads. Those provisions often takes much effort to put in place and frustrates many that it may inconvenience.

Most of us are ignorant of our laws until it is too late.   So take a moment to familiarize yourself with the laws (1* and 2*), and think about what puts you into the right or wrong.   In an accident, what would you say in your defense? What would the other party? Were they to blame, were you, could they say it was the intersection? What could we do to keep that from happening in the first place? What kind of behavior should we exhibit to be good citizens here, already in the most walkable neighborhood in the city? Let's think about this and more during the next weeks while raising the bar for East Nashville.

Route #11

6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

During CMA fest we avoid downtown and LP field like the plague - but we would love any festival goers to join us for a run!   So if you know anyone coming into town, pass this along, and let's make everyone feel welcome in our group.

Remember, the Lasty Nasties meet at about 5:45 pm.  (The Lasty Nasties form our walk/run group.  So if you aren't quite up to running 4.4 miles without stopping, you may want to join this group.)

Kids 

It's summer time, you want to run, but you're not sure what to do with the kids.   We can't totally solve that dilemma, but on Wednesday nights the Y can help.    You may have noticed that we meet in front of a yellow house on Wednesday nights.   That building is actually owned by the YMCA, and that's where they run a program called ArtEMBRACE.   You can read more about ArtEMBRACE here, but they also do a lot of other great things in the community.   One of those things is that they offer art lessons for kids on Wednesday nights from 6 till 7:30 for $10.    So if you are trying to find a way to run on Wednesday nights, without leaving your kids in front of the TV, here is an option!

If you want more details, knock on the door Wednesday night or email Leslie Gregg at lgregg@ymcamidtn.org.

Looking for weekend long runs? East Nasty is partnering this summer with the 'PR Bandits' who are hosting supported long runs on Saturday mornings.  Runs will usually begin at 6:30am and be held at various favorite running routes across Nashville. This Saturday's run (June 6th) starts at 6:30am at the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center and is an 8 mile out and back (with additional milage available). Join the PR Bandits Facebook Group for more info, get run invites, and to link up with other runners. You can also email Brian Johnson at brian.m.johnson@me.com if you have any questions.

 

Tonight (Thursday) is our information meeting about the 2015 Potato to Tomato training.   It will begin at 6 p.m. in the teen center at the Margaret Maddox YMCA is East Nashville.   If you can't make the meeting, you can read about and register for the program here.   It's free!   All it costs you is a little bit of sweat and perhaps a few of those unnecessary pounds!   Please pass this along to anyone who wants to be a runner - but struggles to make it happen.   We welcome all ability levels.  In fact, this year we are going to have a speed walking group for those who just cannot run.

Being Good Neighbors... Do you have any idea what your privileges and responsibilities are as a pedestrian?   If a tree in your yard is blocking a stop sign at an intersection are you responsible?   Are cars supposed to stop at a marked cross walk even if there isn't a signal?

Nashville is both trying to become a pedestrian friendly city and solve its traffic issues - all while the population is exploding.  This seems to be an impossible task, but I don't think it is, and all of us want both issues to be solved:  we don't want to sit in traffic, and we want to be able to walk around safely in our neighborhoods.  That is why for the next 12 weeks, we have decided that we are going to educate ourselves (and in turn our blog readers) about being responsible drivers and pedestrians.   Our goal is to improve the driving/walking culture of East Nashville through education rather than enforcement.  (Because, yes. Cars legally must stop if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk.)

Obviously in a short blog post we cannot exhaustively cover any particular issue, offer legal advice, or really resolve any of these complex issues.   But stay tuned over the summer because the best place to start is by educating ourselves so we can become advocates and examples.

Potato To Tomato 2015

Attention East Nasties!

Our FREE, fabulous and famous Potato to Tomato Couch to 5K program begins soon!  You know all those friends who say,"I could never run"? Here's your chance to prove them wrong.

The informational meeting about our Potato to Tomato program is this Thursday June 4th at 6pm at the Margaret Maddox YMCA.  Encourage your family and friends to come to hear more about the program that would change the way they think about what is possible about them and running.

NEW THIS SUMMER - Running sounds a bit more than they want to tackle? This year we are offering a speed walking group to our program!!!

If you can't make the meeting, or if you want to pass this along to a friend, click here for more information and to register for the program.

Shoes...

For the past 4 years, East Nasty has collected used running shoes and found them a new home.    Please bring your WASHED shoes and place them in designated bins before Wednesday night’s run. Please no trail shoes or shoes that have holes or heavy damage to the soles.   We will also be collecting shoes next week.

Route #10

Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. or Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly.

If you missed this run last time, you certainly missed something.   And that something would be Lenore street.   After the run it's down to NRC for pint night!   This week's pint night will feature injury screenings from Results Physiotherapy!

Potato to Tomato 2015 Nobody really finds distance running on their own.  What I mean is that very few people wake up one day saying, "hey, I want to run long distances..."   Usually we are cajoled into running by a coach, a teacher, a friend or a parent.   Sometimes running was a necessary evil to be a part of a team sport, or to lose weight.    But after a while running gets under your skin as you experience the fitness, the accomplishment and the community that comes along with distance running.    Now it's your turn to be that person who introduces someone to running...

Every year we have a free couch to 5k program to help non-runners become runners.   Our goal race is the East Tomato 5k in August, so we call our program Potato to Tomato.   Our program has been extremely successful because we meet 3 times per week for 8 weeks, and have over 30 volunteer coaches.   The information/registration page is up and active.  (It's a tab at the top of our main page).   Pass the link on to anyway who is looking to add running to their lives, or if you need a group to help you get going again, sign up yourself!   Our first training session is June 13, so don't delay.

Route #9

6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly.   Remember, if you are a Lasty Nasty (a run/walker) you need to be ready to roll by 5:45.   (Check out the Lasty Nasty Facebook page for more details.)

It could be raining, and not only do we run in the rain - we love it!    But be extra diligent about safety on rainy nights.

And here's a wet shoe tip: after running in the rain, take the insoles out and fill your shoes up with newspaper.  Cram as much in as your can.  The next morning, your shoes will be bone dry and the newspaper will be soaking wet.

There are always lots of great reasons to join our weekly runs, but this week there are two additional ones...

Wear Test

Pearl Izumi will be at NRC starting at 5:00 p.m. with shoes for you to try.  (This is by far the best way to try a new pair of shoes: run in them.)   They will have the new N3 and M3 shoes to try.

The Run

6a.m. or 6p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly.

This week's run is the new and improved Rick's Market (coldest beer in town).  Notice that we run up the Lillian greenway.

Post Run Trivia

After the run, head to NRC for trivia.   Winners will received a new pair of shoes, and there will be beverages and snacks for everyone!

Seeing the Mayor in an East Nasty shirt made me think of one thing: our responsibility to be good citizens in our neighborhoods and great advocates for the running community.   This mindset is what I think distinguishes East Nasty from other running groups, and I think it is a mindset that is shared by our mayor.  Community focus is the foundation that this group is built upon, and if that ever goes away, we should just disband!   So what does that mean?   We need volunteers to help with two couch to 5k programs, and after the run this week we're going to give back to the neighborhood that has been so good to us!

1) Alley Clean Up.

After our run tomorrow, everyone needs to get into groups of 2-3, grab some bags and gloves and go pick up trash!  This is one way that East Nasty gives back to our great community.  And all you need to bring is a willing spirit.  We will give you gloves, trash bags, and a map that highlights your section of the neighborhood to clean.   This should only eat into about 15 minutes of our post-run fun!  As you are cleaning, specifically look for empty Gu packets, crushed cups and other things that are often left behind after a marathon.

2) Potato to Tomato Training Program

Each year we offer a free community couch to 5k training program.  The program starts in June and the goal race is the East Tomato 5k, which raises money for the YMCA.  Usually we have around 200 people join this program - which means we need your help!   We could use about 10-15 more volunteers.  If you are willing to be a volunteer coach, please email Susi Willis at susi@eastnastyforlife.com for details.

3)   Calling all East Nasty women!

For the past 3 years East Nasty women have coached residents at The Next Door ( www.thenextdoor.org ) in preparation for the Heroes in Recovery 6k in September. http://heroesinrecovery.com/heroes6k/leipers-fork-tn/     Residents of The Next Door have recently come out of incarceration and are in treatment for addiction and co-occurring disorders. Leading healthy lives through exercise is a HUGE part of their recovery!!  And to see these women set a goal they can't even begin to think attainable and KNOW through our training that they WILL cross that finish line is an experience beyond words for both the women and the coaches.

We will follow a Couch to "6K" training schedule and will train early in the morning!

Training Days and times:

6am Monday

6am Wednesday

8am Saturday

We need a minimum of 3 coaches per day. Committing to one day a week is ideal and a tremendous help!

TRAINING STARTS MONDAY JUNE 1 and ends at the Heroes 6k on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12.

PLEASE consider joining and be a significant part in changing lives through volunteerism.

Contact Heidi Huerta hphuerta@gmail.com with questions or to sign up.

4) Wednesday's route.

Run #7: Little Hollywood.  6 am or 6 pm at the corner of 11th and Holly.

Route #6 Route #6 is a little bit different than it used to be, so take a moment to check out the map, even if you are a long time east nasty...

6 a.m. or 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

Craft Apparel Night

Come to Nashville Running Company at 5 p.m. for a shirt wear test.   Craft makes some amazing stuff - both for cold and hot weather.   The Craft rep will have a variety of styles of shirts to wear, but she has a limited number - so be sure to get there early!

Pint Night

NRC's monthly pint night at the East store will look different this week!  Bring in a toy or other item to benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in order to receive your pint! Click here to read more about their involvement with this cause and how your donations will help the children of Nashville! See you after the 6PM East Nasty run on May 6th!

The marathon has come and gone, but we are really excited about this Wednesday night!   So even if you are taking some time off running to recover, please join us tonight.   Here's the deal: Pre-Run (Shirts)

If you ordered a shirt/singlet and have not yet picked it up, Duane will be at NRC starting at 5. There are a limited supply of women's pink tank tops for sale and a handful of extra yellow shirts and tanks. He will also have a limited supply of beer glasses for sale.  (That's right, we have beer glasses this year!)

The Run (Walking Bridge)

Route #5: The Walking Bridge

6 a.m. or 6 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.   Announcements start at 6:08 - Lasty Nasties leave at 5:45.

As you are running up Woodland, past East Park, look to your left.   That white building is the Basement East.  More on that below.

Post - Run (Music)

After the run, head down to 917 Woodland Street to the Basement East.   That night, along with drink specials, they will showcase 7 East Nasty-related musical acts all emceed by Drew Jones.   The first act will begin at 8 p.m.  There is parking at the venue, but the Basement East is less than a half mile from our meeting location, so you could walk - or you could park near the venue at 6 p.m. and jog to the run.   Whether you drive or walk - get yourself to the Basement.   I know some of the people who are playing, and we are going to hear some GREAT music.  Really great music.   And it's all free.

Congratulations to all the runners, and supporters.   I hope that you had a successful day - and if not - it's still a great thing to wake up and go for a run! Now takes your naps and join us tonight at the 11th (or so) annual East Nasty Post-Race Party.  It's a great way to learn what your friends look like without running clothes...

Details:

When: 6 - 10 pm  Tonight!

Where: The East Pavilion (1006 Fatherland 37206)

Who: Everybody - whether you ran or cheered or slept in.

What:  Edley's, Yazoo and good friends.   (Last year the food went fast, so get there early to enjoy the BBQ!)

Why: Because you earned it!

See you tonight!

There is a lot of great stuff going on over the next 8 days.. Wednesday, April 22 Route #4 and Newton Wear Test.

Show up at 5:00 at NRC if you want to try out a pair of Newtons for the run.  (Yes.  A "wear test" means that you can actually take a pair of shoes out for a run without having to purchase them!)  Our run starts at 6:00 p.m. at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

Thursday, April 23 - Final Thursday night workout for 2015

It's not really a workout since these workouts are geared to prepare runners for the country music marathon...but we will meet one last time at 6 p.m. for an easy 3 mile run.

Saturday, April 25 - Post-Race Party

Each year East Nasty hosts two celebrations: a Christmas Party, and a post- country music marathon party.  Even if you don't run the race this Saturday, plan on joining in the celebration!   Here are the details:

Where: The Pavillion East - 1006 Fatherland Street (about a block from where we meet on Wednesdays...)

When: 6 - 10 p.m. on Saturday night

What: Edley's BBQ, Yazoo beer, and a great time with your fellow East Nasties!

Who: Anyone.

Wednesday, April 29 - Route #5 and East Nasty night at the Basement East

There is a new live music venue in East Nashville.  It’s called the Basement East or more affectionately “ the Beast “.  The Beast will be opening it’s doors in late April and will have their first “ new faces “ night on Wednesday April, 29^th.   Mike Grimes the owner of Grimey’s records and the original basement off of 8^th avenue in Nashville is allowing East Nasty to take over the that opening night.  The event will start at 8:00 and there will be drink specials for all East Nasties. Here is the cool part: Grimey wants all the musical artist that perform that night to be East Nasties or at least have some East Nasty roots. He is ideally looking for 8 artist or groups to perform a 15 – 20 minute set. Grimey will handle all the logistics and who is performing when.

The night will also be hosted by our very own Drew Jones who is no stranger to a microphone.

Whether you are a solo artist, in a band, brand new to the music scene or been around for a while – we need and would love to see you on stage performing.  It should be a great night to check out some of our nasties on stage showing off their musical talent.

Please spread the word and let’s fill the first new faces night on the east side with all East Nasties.

If you would like to perform that night, please email Mike Grimes directly at: Mike@slowbar.com

If you are a musician, know a musician or just like music, take a moment to read below... But first, this week's run: Route #3

6 p.m. (or 6 a.m.) at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville.

Did you know that we have a group that meets at 6 a.m.?   This is a great option for people who have trouble running in the afternoon.

Also this week is a Mizuno wear test.   It is by far the best way to try out a new brand.  Stop by Nashville Running Company at 5 p.m., wear a pair of Mizunos for the run, and bring them back afterwards.  It's that easy.

East Nasty Night at The Basement East!

Calling all East Nasty Musical Artist ---

We need you and or you and your band.

There is a new live music venue in East Nashville.  It's called the Basement East or more affectionately “ the Beast “.  The Beast will be opening it’s doors in late April and will have their first “ new faces “ night on Wednesday April, 29^th.   Mike Grimes the owner of Grimey’s records and the original basement off of 8^th avenue in Nashville is allowing East Nasty to take over the that opening night.  The event will start at 8:00 and there will be drink specials for all East Nasties. Here is the cool part: Grimey wants all the musical artist that perform that night to be East Nasties or at least have some East Nasty roots. He is ideally looking for 8 artist or groups to perform a 15 – 20 minute set. Grimey will handle all the logistics and who is performing when.

The night will also be hosted by our very own Drew Jones who is no stranger to a microphone.

Whether you are a solo artist, in a band, brand new to the music scene or been around for a while – we need and would love to see you on stage performing.  It should be a great night to check out some of our nasties on stage showing off their musical talent.

Please spread the word and let’s fill the first new faces night on the east side with all East Nasties.

If this interests you please email Mike Grimes directly at: Mike@slowbar.com

Toyota

For those of you who are not running the half-marathon, but would love to be out there, Competitor group contacted me with a unique way to be a part of the race, and get a free entry to another RockNRoll event.

Toyota is looking for 4 individuals to run back-and-forth on a certain part of the course dressed in Toyota apparel, passing out items that will help participants be refreshed. They might be handing out GU, Gatorade, wipes, water, etc. They might also carry a mister like the attached to spray on runners. We are still building out the whole idea but are looking for volunteers. We will incentivize these volunteers with a free entry into a future rock 'n’ roll race (Las Vegas excluded) and we will also incentivize them with something from Toyota yet to be determined.

If this piques your interest, email Catharine Ryun at cryun@competitorgroup.com.

USED SHOES NEEDED!

EN needs your gently used running shoes and we need them ASAP. Please bring your WASHED shoes and place them in designated bins before this Wednesday nights run. (Please no trail shoes or shoes that have holes or heavy damage to the soles.). These shoes will be used by local middle and high school runners, and while anything we give them will be appreciated, we want their running careers to start off injury free and with excitement! If you're not yet ready to give up a pair of shoes, no worries, we will collect again next month before the Couch to 5k program. (Shoes sizes especially needed: W5.5, W8, W8.5, M8-M14). Thanks! And FYI, as a club, we have successfully given away more than 500 shoes over the years and over 60YTD already! Great job Nasties!

ENFL

Mark