Running Gadget Resources to Help You Get Motivated

What does it take to get you on on a run besides motivation? Some runners love to be pimped out in the latest high-tech clothing–the kind that wicks the sweat off you and makes you feel light as air. Others just want to make sure they have enough water to make it to the next pit stop. There is a breed of runner (the serious and geeky kind) that love a good gadget when they see one. From watches and pedometers to heart rate monitors and running packs. Here’s a list of resources for the latest in running technology:

Watches: The latest crop of running watches include GPS devices, timers and stopwatches, calories burned counters, and computer upload/download capabilities. Go to runningwatches.org for a look at what’s available.

Pedometers: Is it still true that if you walk a certain number of steps per day, you are guaranteed to lose weight? Find out with some of the high tech pedometers that the Pedometers USA website sells. Models from Omron, Yamacs, Accusplit, Garmin and others lea the best sellers list and come in a variety of price ranges.

Heart Rate Monitors: The Engadget website lists the WearLink + as a top pick. The device is a collaboration between Polar and Nike. The Polar FT7 just came out this Spring and is listed on Amazon.com. The Garmin FR60 Women’s heart rate monitor is touted on the Competitive Cyclist blog.

Running packs:  The fanny pack is back if you’re running far from home and need a convenient place to store your stuff. Check out these beauties at the runningwarehouse website.

Of course, if these high tech gadgets can’t get you off the couch, there are books and videos to put you in the mood as well.

What is your preferred gadget? Show us at the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay on September 4.  Registration is open.

Run, Walk, Bike or Polka–Your Choice September 18.

There is so much to do at Snowbird Mountain Resort this Fall.  If you run, walk, bike or polka, Join the Sports-Am team on Saturday, September 18 for the annual Hidden Peak Challenge, Widow Maker Mountain Bike Hill Climb or Snowbird’s Annual Oktoberfest. Go to the Sports-Am web site for details on the sporting events. Look what Snowbird has planned for Oktoberfest that same weekend:

Snowbird, Utah – Snowbird’s annual Oktoberfest celebrates its 38th anniversary this year with eight weekends of fun beginning Saturday, Aug. 21. More than 50,000 visitors are expected to enjoy one of Utah’s largest festivals, which includes live music, dancing, authentic German food and children’s activities at Snowbird every Saturday, Sunday and Labor Day through Oct. 10.

Oktoberfest features live musical performances each day in the Snowbird Event Center tent from acts including The Bavarians and Salzburger Echo. Visitors will find art for all tastes at “Der Marktplatz,” where more than 35 local and regional artists display and sell handmade arts and crafts. Oktoberfest food includes bratwurst, sauerkraut, apple strudel, pretzels and Bavarian roasted almonds. Local Utah breweries will also be featured.

Admission to Oktoberfest is free. Hours are noon to 6 p.m.

Special Oktoberfest entertainment and activities for children include Shan the Juggler/Magician, Dale the Yo-Yo Man, face painting, caricature artists, and more. Visitors can also catch the Alp Horns on Hidden Peak throughout Oktoberfest. A Tram pass is $18/day or $12 for a single ride with discounts for children, seniors and with Oktoberfest meal purchases.

In addition, Snowbird will also be offering a variety of summer activities for all ages. The Tram, Peruvian Express Chairlift and Tunnel will be open for scenic rides throughout Oktoberfest. Other activities include the new Ropes Course and Monkey Motion, four-station climbing wall, ZipRider, Alpine Slide, Bungy Trampoline, Kid’s Inflatables, Mechanical Bull, horseback and ATV tours, mountain biking and scooters, and lots of hiking options. All-day activity passes are $39 for adults, $25 for children under 75 lbs.

Special room rates are also available for all runners and bikers. Just mention the Hill Climb and the Widow Maker when making your reservations.  Register for the races online at Sports-Am.

Packet Pick-up is Now Open for the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Corporate Relay

Packet Pick-up (bibs, chips and some other surprises) are available to those race participants that registered before August 17, 2010.  If you registered after August 17, wait 5 business days (after August 17) before you go in to pick up your packet.  This year all packets will be available at the Salt Lake Running Company, 2454 So. 700 East in Salt Lake City.  You should receive an email with your bib number.  You will need that number to pick-up your packet. You can go to the Salt Lake Running Company any time during store hours 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed on Sundays.

Registration is still open for the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay.Go to the Sports-Am web site and register today.  See you Saturday, September 4 on race day.

The Benefits of Running Barefoot

For shoe-wearing runners, the idea of running without foot coverings is hard to fathom. There is an entire body of research on the subject making claims that “barefoot running is healthier for feet and reduces risk of chronic injuries, notably repetitive stress injuries due to the impact of heel striking in padded running shoes, in addition to other purported benefits” and “people who run barefoot or with minimal shoes – as people have done for millions of years – often land on their feet in a way that avoids a jarring impact. That’s very different from most shoe-clad runners, who crash down on their heels with every bound.”

Besides a reduction in stress injuries, some research claims that running barefoot or with thin-soled shoes is actually painless.  According to the WebMD site, “Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world’s hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain.” If the health and comfort benefits aren’t enough to sway you to try barefoot running, the Vibrant FiveFingers shoes that look like gloves for your feet may cause you to throw your high priced trainers in the trash.

For runners looking for a variety of running experiences, barefoot running could be a challenging practice to begin.  At the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay, we don’t have any barefoot runners that we know of but we are an equal opportunity race.  Join us Saturday, September 4, with or without shoes.

Five Ways for Companies to Take Advantage of Relay Teams

This Labor Day weekend (Saturday, September 4, 2010) Sports-Am will present the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay.  A growing segment of the race is the relay component involving three person teams (each runner runs approximately 3.75 miles). While relays are great exercise for the participants and a little less strenuous than running a full half marathon, they can also benefit corporate groups. Here are five ways that companies can use relay teams to build espirit de corps, foster healthy competition between departments, and create great content for the public relations team:

• Field teams from different departments and have them compete against one another. The winning relay team can claim bragging rights for the entire year.

• Put runners and walkers from new work groups together so they can get to know each other better before starting the next new project.

• Field several teams from the same company and have them wear company t-shirts. Running builds relationships but it’s also a healthy stress reducer.

• Schedule a special Post-race event. After all the runners have completed the course, have them stop by the nearest pub or ice cream shop to share stories and compare times.

• Have senior management run as a relay team and tie the activity into corporate messaging and public relations. Running is green, sustainable, and a great metaphor for businesses trying to “stay in it for the long haul.”

If your company wants to explore the agony and the ecstasy of corporate relays, register for the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay today.

Come for the Race. Stay for the Night

We are pleased to again have the Marriott University Park as a sponsor of the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay.  Even if you’re not running in the race, take advantage of a weekend offer of $89 plus tax per night including parking and breakfast.  The hotel has a beautiful indoor swimming pool that is great for the kids. Stay Friday night and join us for the Saturday race or run on Saturday and stay at the Marriott on Saturday night. Here’s information on the race and how to make reservations to stay overnight online or by phone:

Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay 2010

To register for the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Relay, visit the Sports-Am website.

Need Some Training Before the Salt Lake Half Marathon? Salt Lake Running Company Will Get You in Shape

Our friends at the Salt Lake Running Company will hold “Teaser Runs” on August 14, and August 28 to help runners get ready for the Salt Lake Half Marathon (and other races). Here are the details:

All Teaser runs are free to the public.

2010 Teaser Run Dates:
August 14, 2010 16-18 miles
August 28, 2010 18-20 miles
September 11 , 2010 20-22 miles
Starting point is the big parking lot on north side of 5400 S @ 1070 W, aka Walden Park (overflow parking lot and west side of river at the dog park).

Recommended start window is 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and there is no mass start. Adjust your starting time to fit your schedule.

There are no cups at aid stations on the course (NO LITTER POLICY!). You may bring your own water bottle or cup to carry with you.

General Teaser Info:

Distances are designed for those training to finish the race. All courses are out and back.

All runs are open to all abilities. Runners are encouraged to make individual distance adjustments.

There will be no sag wagons! Runners are responsible to get themselves back to the starting point.

Runs happen rain or shine.

Runs will be aided with water at aid stations and will be self-serve (NO CUPS)

Carry your own water bottle and gel. Dispose of any trash responsibly.

Aid will remain on the course until 10:30 a.m. for 16-18 milers, until 11:00 a.m. for 18-20 milers, and until 11:30 a.m. for 20-22 milers. Adjust your starting time accordingly.

Carpools to the starting point are highly recommended.

A SLRC staff member will be at the starting point to answer any questions.

Why She Runs: A Super Hot Chica in Training Runs, Blogs, Loses, and Wins

It all started during college. Vanessa Richins enrolled in a program at Brigham Young University called “Y Be Fit.” The course was offered for students and non-students. It involved a battery of fitness tests and three months of weekly counseling to talk about goals. After the course was over, Richins read the book “You Don’t Have to be Thin to Win,” the story of a woman’s journey to lose weight by running and the wheels started turning in her own head.

Richins started running four years ago in the 5K segment of the annual Rex Lee Run for charity in Provo, Utah. She came in just under an hour although her goal, she says, “was just to finish and prove I could do it.” Last year she competed in her first half marathon. “It was wild, fun, 13.1 miles of loveliness,” she jokes. At 242 pounds it was a challenge.

To keep herself motivated and stay on task, Richins blogs about her running and weight loss at Super Hot Chica in Training. As a horticulturist and blogger about all things plantlike (Tomato Casual, Urban Garden Casual, Trees and Shrubs at About.com), she has experience chronicling her passions.

“The blog is a way to keep me accountable. The more public I make [my goal] the more I have to do it. I want to inspire people. I want to tell people they don’t have to be a ‘Skinny Minnie’ to do it. I write about it as I go along. I include recipes I might like, tell people about good programs to get started, and how to gradually build up to do a 5K,” Richins explains.

Richins’ goal is to lose 131 pounds. Her highest weight ever was 262 pounds and she wants to be able to say, “I’m half the girl I used to be,” she quips. Before it’s all over, she plans to do a marathon, triathlon, and write a book about her journey. And although she’s already a super hot chica in training, she will continue running and “pushing herself to do more,” she adds. The more she runs, the more she loses, and the more she wins.

Deja Vu All Over Again: Salt Lake Half Marathon and Corporate Relay Video from 2009

As we gear up for the Salt Lake Half Marathon and Corporate Relay, September 4, 2010, we can look back at last year with the video footage we captured. We’re are nearly a year older and wiser for this year and have some wonderful things planned (costumes anyone?).  Check out where we were almost a year ago…

Registration for this year is open.  Go to sports-am.com to sign up.  Get your company relay teams together or run alone.

Crack of Dawn Run a Winner: Pics and more

Although it was an ung_dly hour, almost 200 runners braved the darkness at Olympus Hills Shopping Center and ran or walked like the wind from a mile past Log Haven restaurant (up Millcreek Canyon) to the Einstein’s Bagels parking lot at Olympus Hills Shopping Center. Several of the restaurants and merchants were right there at the finish line with us including Dan’s Grocery Store and Kobe Sushi (serving breakfast sushi rolls to all of the runners).

New this year, fitness guru Angela Martindale of Transform (located in the Olympus Hills Shopping Center), led an invigorating pre-run stretch with the sun rising over the Wasatch mountains behind us. The weather was stunning and so was Angela’s workout.

Angela Martindale of Transform (Salt Lake City)

Crack of Dawn Pre-Run Stretch

After the race finished, there was so much love in that parking lot.  Check out these friends and couples full of adrenaline and getting some Java (and love) after the race.

Happiness is good friends, coffee, and the Crack of Dawn Race

Loving the fresh air and fun after the Crack of Dawn Run

Romance is in the air after the Crack of Dawn Run

Couples that run together and have fun together participate in the Crack of Dawn Run (Salt Lake City) in Millcreek Canyon.

That wraps it up for the first ever Crack of Dawn Run.  Visit us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates on the running scene in Salt Lake City.