The road rules of tweeting

Anthony Weiner can tell you there are quite a few things you shouldn't do with your mobile phone.

Running and tweeting is not nearly as scandalous, but it can be a little dangerous. You think walking and texting is a challenge. Yes, I've almost run into many a pedestrian who was texting while I was running on the sidewalk.

Texting/tweeting while running is not for everyone. For example:

2009: Back in the day, when Twitter was in a newish stage, we read about that now-famous 'jogger' (what's that) who was tweeting while running, and hit a tree.

2010: Of course, run tweeting has really advanced (er... I guess), like when I decided to send updates while running Boston in 2010. Which leads to one of my favourite tweets ever.

Drinking, running, tweeting.

Love Boston. http://twitpic.com/1gu2gtless than a minute ago via Twitpic Favorite Retweet Replyyumke
yumke

2011: Not to be outdone, a man named Joseph Tame decides to deck himself out in mobile gear to 'run' the Tokyo Marathon. Running is charitable, but you get the point:



A few tips about tweeting while running:

• Sending tweets while running is all well and good, but it's better if you can send pictures. Twitpic works great.
• Video is even better proof. It's shaky though. Keep your phone at chest level or higher. Position your phone over your head for a great view.

• Master the one-hand tweet method.. use your thumb and rely on auto correct.
• Keep your phone at chest height so at least in your field of vision, you can see the road.
• Best to have a case for your phone.. Never know if you break it.
• And try to put the phone away some times, running is fun too. You can tweet about the run later.

Yep, that's me tweeting and racing. Okay, I'm stupid.

National Running Day: Where did they all come from?

Apparently, tomorrow is a day where we all run. Cool. Question is, where did all those runners come from? And why are they running only on one day?

Here I am, getting back on the road after a little holiday from running. What's that? A near traffic jam of cyclists, runners, walkers. Yes, it's my annual, what happened to my trail post where I talk about the fact that I run on that waterfront trail 12 months a year, just about every day.

Even as I was running tonight, I spotted a freaking road race across the street. Hundreds of runners. I didn't even know there was a race. What the heck?

Of the massively exploding running population, my favourite moment came while rounding a corner near kilometre 1, when this muscle bound guy grappling a water bottle came blazing past me. I was already going at a good clip. Something about how he passed made me almost want to gave chase. I just watched him go, and less than 600 metres, he stops and walks.. ah ha.. so I step it up again so that I'm 15 metres behind him when he looks back, picks it up... for another 300 metres.

He stops, I blaze past him, and never look back. As I was rounding a few more corners, I stepped it up while noting the year-long rollerblader going back and forth and the few other winter runners. I wonder if they recognize me.

Nothing much in that story other than the fact that it's actually kinda nice to see so many people take up running. I never remember it being like this even two years ago let alone seven years ago. Running gone mainstream?

On the training schedule, I'll quickly looking at the beginning of the fall training season. Ugh, which means I gotta get it back to the 35 mile week schedule pronto. I've got 11 miles on the week, got to get a 10 miler in very soon. Back to the packed trails.

Um, hello running...

Nice to meet you, running. It's Kenny, that marathoner. Want to get together tomorrow? I dunno, morning, afternoon, can you fit me in? Maybe a 5K run, just for old time's sake.

Sorry, running, kinda had a busy week, one of the craziest and fruitful weeks of my career. Think I had to turn my attention elsewhere.

Haven't seen you much, maybe twice since the marathon 12 days ago? That 2 mile run on Wednesday morning. That was bliss. Tell ya what, I got a few marathons in October. How bout a few miles, reform that habit. We can go long later.

Transitions

I went for a run yesterday, four days after running a what I'll now call my miracle marathon. That calf issue has not been treated. I feel tremendous soreness that made it near impossible to do fluid running at pace. So I just enjoyed the sun, the trails and took it easy. How did I ever make it through an entire marathon with the beginnings of this tight-calf injury.

Wish I had some athletic tape.

Of a marathon of another kind, this week marked the finished line of a great job at my home course. I'm destined for an interesting adventure. As I was clearing my inbox, I found another use for tape to clear two years worth of my 'cloud email'.

So I'm in a period of transition in my work and running life. The end of a training season marks a pause point. I remember my first run of the year on the beach in the Dominican Republic. Seven hundred and sixty seven miles later, after training through dark, snow, winter and early spring, I've had a remarkable spring season. Two marathons, including Boston. A pace bunny assignment. Oh, and did I mention the second marathon.

I'm headed to DC for the weekend, and running and work are really not on the schedule. Running, I've got to nurse the leg back with recovery and ice. Work, I have to clear my head, reset the brain, come up with some ideas, and get ready to tackle that race. It'll be a sprint at first, no marathon there. For running, it'll be a jog before I can run.

Let the marathon debate begin: Mississauga v. Toronto

When it was announced that Toronto and Mississauga would have marathons on the same day, drivers took a collective sigh about what streets to avoid in two neighbouring cities. Meanwhile, runners thought, which one should I choose?

So the big headline out of this mega marathon weekend in the Toronto area?

Positive
50% more runners ran in race this past weekend than in last spring. Hooray for fitness! Running boom is here!

Negative
Mississauga and Toronto suffer drops in attendance. Can we ever build a big-city marathon ever?

The numbers are interesting to look at. For the marathon, 2390 people ran this year in the combined races while last spring, 1711 did Mississauga in 2010. Toronto attracted more racers for the full, half and 5K. I didn't count relays.

In total, year over year, Toronto saw the number of finishers drop 24.3 per cent in 2011, compared with 27.1-per-cent fall for Mississauga. Mississauga is interesting because they offered a deep discount early in the registration window.

Anyways, I take it as an interesting study that's not complete until Ottawa is finished and we see the number of finishers across all distances. But interesting numbers nonetheless.

See my fun (and kinda poorly organized, sorry) Google table below.

The real story will probably emerge when we see the number of finishers for Scotiabank Toronto in October. If that can't get more than a 40% rise (as the marathon distance did get this spring, then we may have run out of steam.. Marathon bust in Toronto?



https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en&hl=en&key=0AuaFqb5xrYiQdFZfd1phbVJmUTFfcHlvT0doR0V3MEE&output=html