"We're gonna get there, get there, back to the beginning..." - Mat Kearney
Route #1
Congrats to everyone of you that crushed The Nasty last week and earned your sticker! We hope you've been proudly displaying it! This we week we start our 12 run cycle all over again with Route #1. 6am and 6pm at the corner of 11th & Holly. Temps are starting to cool off and these first few weeks are some of our easier runs - which means it's a great time to invite a friend. And since we are back to the beginning, this a great opportunity to give everyone a reminder about how these runs work...
How It Works
We meet every Wednesday, year round, for a run at 6pm (and also at 6am). The 6pm evening run is is our ‘main event’ and the best way to get plugged into the group. Rain or shine, hot or cold – we run. There is nothing to sign up to participate, no email list to join – just show up. We meet at the corner of 11th and Holly in East Nashville. We have 12 different runs (each one 3-6 miles) that we follow sequentially each week. There are usually some 100+ runners on any given Wednesday evening, the morning group is smaller.
More about how it works…
- Wednesday morning – Check the blog for any updates and changes, and reacquaint yourself with that week’s route. Print out the route if you think you might get lost.
- 5:45 (sometimes a little earlier) – The Lasty Nasties start their run/walk. The Lasties are our walk/run group that starts before the main group. If you typically run slower than 12 minutes per mile you should consider joining this group. Here is their Facebook page.
- As you are arriving, the big map of the route for that night should be hanging on the porch of the yellow house.
- 6:07 – We begin announcements which should take only about a minute or two. Please pay attention!
- 6:10 – Greet someone new, make a new friend, and prepare for your run.
- 6:11 (ish) – We don’t just start running en masse. We leave in groups by pace, and someone will be starting those group from fastest to slowest – starting with under 7:30 pace, and going in 30 second increments (7:30 – 8:00, 8:00 – 8:30, etc…), with a short gap between groups. This helps with breaking our group up to better let traffic through. So, please, join a group, don't just take off on your own. The last group is 10 minutes per mile and over.
- Safety is priority number one! We encourage you to run as hard as you want, but this is not a race. So, (1) run on the sidewalk as much as possible, staying to the far left running against traffic when necessary to be in the street, (2) wear something that creates or reflects light, (3) cross the street ONLY at intersections (NEVER in the middle of the road!!) and be careful, don’t assume cars are going to stop, and (4) stop if one of your fellow runners needs help. We are a large group and we want to be considerate of our East Nashville neighbors and community – and most importantly, we need to be safe. If we police ourselves, then we don’t have to worry about issues with the city.
- There is nothing permanent scheduled for after the run, but bring a change of clothes (or not) – and head over to 3 Crow Bar (2 for 1 on Wednessdays!) or one of the other local establishments for a drink and/or some dinner. Sometime we will have special events after the run (Pint Nights, hot dog nights, popsicles, etc - keep an eye on this blog for news about when those may happen)
Parking: It's getting more and more difficult to navigate traffic and parking in the 5 Points area with all the growth. You can find street parking in and around 5 Points, but be mindful of fire hydrants and street corners (30 feet minimum distance per the city), No Parking signs, construction areas, and blocking in other cars. Do not park behind the YCAP building, the YCAP gym, or in the church lot in the alley. Both buildings host groups that meet on Wednesday evenings and we need to be respectful of their property and access to their vehicles. Always lock your vehicle and hide your valuables – don’t be an easy ticket or target.
See you Wednesday! ENFL!
We need cup cleaning volunteers! Including tonight! Please sign up on the Google doc. Big shout out to Grant England who has volunteered THREE times this quarter. Who's got next?
Summer is winding down, but it's still hot. Here's an 
