With so many exciting Bay Area races just around the corner, what better way to get yourself motivated to sign up/pickup your training than to give you some FUN insight on these events.

Today’s highlighted race: OAKLAND RUNNING FESTIVAL 2012

The rundown: Organized by Corrigan Sports Enterprises, the Oakland Running Festival is a two-day celebration of running that includes a full marathon, half marathon, team relay, 5K, and the Lucky Kids’ Fun Run. Taking place March 24th and 25th, 2012 marks the events’ third consecutive year that the city opens its streets to thousands of runners, walkers, and excited volunteers and townspeople who come out in droves for this one-of-a-kind event.

Fun facts:

*Before 2010, the city of Oakland had not seen a marathon in over 25 years!

*Oakland was selected #5 overall on the New York Times listing of “Places to Visit in 2012″, and was first among USA destinations on that list:travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html. What better way to enjoy it than by RUNNING through it

*One of the main attractions to this race is the weather: The average high temperature for the end of March is 63 degrees and the average low is 50 degrees. PERFECT for a long run!

*Corrigan Sports is the driving force for the innovative creation of the Baltimore and Frederick Running Festivals in Maryland, which have been highly successful for the past 11 years. Their focus is on organizing larger running events within unique small-to-medium sized cities (that often go overlooked). Oakland, like Baltimore, is rich in history and has enjoyed fast and vibrant growth. Both cities are nested within a larger urban hub, which makes for an exciting and affordable visit and an excellent place to run.

*To those member of the Raider nation, the team will be there to cheer you on!

*Lake Merritt (which both full and half marathoners will pass on their way back to downtown Oakland and the finish line) is the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. It’s home to a large population of birds, particularly geese (which are the mascot for the local running club, the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders). Don’t worry, they’re friendly!

For more information about this great East Bay festival, stop into the store and we’ll be happy to share our experiences there. Many ARM runners took part in it last year and had positive feedback. Hopefully this post will inspire you to register and see what FUN is in store for you!

I never thought I’d see the day when I was able to run 26.2 miles without stopping, let alone have to stop myself from signing up for every single marathon that pops up in my news feed. To achieve an athletic performance like that is so motivating, and it gets you thinking : how did I get here, and WHO can I thank because of it?

As a late(ish) twenties female, I can’t help but look back in admiration at all of the coaches who helped me get to where I am today as an athlete, both those who taught me how to dance and others who pushed me to go from half to full marathons in a matter of months.

ARM’s great friend, Miyoko Ohtake, is working with a wonderful nonprofit/public benefit organization called the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (or BAWSI); a corporation with a mission to create programs and partnerships through which women athletes bring health, hope and wholeness to our community. She told us about an awesome workshop being held at Santa Clara University on February 24th called We Coach U. Check out what she has to say about it!

BAWSI works to inspire and mobilize women athletes to become engaged in their communities and works with collegiate athletes to have them volunteer as coaches for the organization’s BAWSI Girls programs, after-school programs that introduce 3rd through 5th graders to exercise and promotes the development of teamwork and life skills like respect and responsibility.

The workshop event that BAWSI is co-hosting is titled WeCoachU and is a full-day professional development and networking seminar that the Alliance of Women Coaches and the NCAA Women Coaches Academy are also hosting and sponsoring. Stanford Director of Women’s Basketball Tara VanDerveer, World Cup soccer player Brandi Chastain, BAWSI CEO Marlene Bjornsrud, and others will be leading the discussions, and it is sure to be an inspiring, informative day that will promote the ongoing success of female coaches. The workshop is open to any woman coach (and aspiring coach!) of any sport of any level, and I hope you might know a few amazing women who would be interested in attending.

If you do know any female coaches (or aspiring coaches) that might be interested in attending, it would be great if you could forward this message to them. 

Don’t hesitate to sign up for this, ladies! It promises to be a truly inspiring workshop for all. Click on the picture of the t-shirt tossing-soccer-champion, Brandi Chastain, to get all the details/register!

Our kickoff started off with some background information about the AHA, why ARM was involved, and the services our store could provide those trying to reach their health goals (including a free gait analysis and shoe recommendations for those participating!).

We then stretched out together, got some great conversations going and finally hit the streets for a group training run. ARM will continue to help our AHA runners during our Tuesday (6pm)and Thursday (7pm) night runs at the store. If you or anyone you know is running in support of the American Heart Association and is looking for some help getting training, join us!

For any questions regarding these runs or for more about our store’s involvement with the American Heart Association, call us at 650-393-5952. A big thank you to the AHS team of coaches for getting us involved in this kickoff and BEST OF LUCK to you and your team!

Our second round of staff suggestions for the week, loving it! We’ll be back next week with some Valentine’s Day ideas for that RACING heart of yours.

Staff member: DAWSON

Product recommendation: BROOKS CADENCE

Dawson says: Brooks recently launched their Pure Project line earlier this year which includes the Pure Cadence. It’s a very lightweight yet stable minimalist approach to the runner transitioning into a minimal shoe. The Pure Cadence (as well as the rest of the shoes in this line) sits at a 4 millimeter drop from heel to toe with just enough cushioning to get you through a half marathon (and maybe even a full for some of you ). There is a band across the mid-foot that attaches to a rigid pad on the outside of the foot to help the over pronator maintain a more neutral foot position. I would also add that the cushioning of the shoe is just soft enough to absorb the impact yet firm enough to feel the ground beneath you. That way you don’t feel like you’re sinking into a sponge! It also allows the runner to focus on form. The toe box is also roomy but not to the point where it becomes sloppy and you slide around in it. The upper material of the shoe is even super lightweight and also very breathable. Even on a calm warm day, my toes can feel even the smallest breeze!

It may have taken Brooks years to develop this line, but they definitely hit the nail on the head with this one. I expect to do all my racing this season in this shoe or the even lighter companion, Pure Cadence, this summer!!

See you out there on the roads!

D- man out aka Dawson. ;D

We asked our oh-so-styling (and smart) A Runner’s Mind staff to share their current FAVORITE product along with why it’s so great/what you should know before buying it.

Staff member: TOMMY

Product Recommended: MIZUNO WAVE ELIXIR 7

Tommy says: The Mizuno Men’s & Women’s Elixir 7 just came in last week and man, what a shoe. Pick it up and the first thing you notice is the weight. Put it on and it’s like there’s nothing on your feet. Yet, each strike propels you faster to the next. This lightweight, stability shoe is great for high mileage training when you want to feel the ground under your feet. (Cool colors too!)

Tune back to our blog Thursday for even MORE staff selection from Dawson!

As winter draws to a close, the running world comes back to life as many of us begin signing up for races, getting back into shape and looking into training programs in preparation for what’s ahead. But then there’s the majority of runners who look at their calendar in dread, psyching ourselves out in what can only be described as fear. Fear of what? This is specific to the individual, whether they’re afraid of returning to the track after taking time off OR are a beginner, hoping to take part in your first race. Fear can be crippling for runners, keeping us from reaching our goals.

We’re breaking down some of the MOST COMMON fears amongst runners, along with tips on how to face them

1. Fear of Losing

Or more specifically, fear of coming in last. The first thing to keep in mind that while you’re spending time training and building up a goal time for the race, there are most likely hundreds (nay, thousands) of others in the same race who won’t do any training and will walk a majority of the distance. So rest assured that the spot for the LAST person is already taken, sorry. As for being afraid that you will finish behind a local competitor or someone you know in the race, going in treating the race as shear competition is bound to leave you disappointed at the finish line.

Face it: Go into the race without a goal time, just run it. Based off of how you’ll do, you’ll feel less hesitation to continue partaking in races, treating it as a way of building yourself/your body up instead of focusing on bringing others down. 

2. Fear of Getting Injured

While running may appear to be the simplest of athletic activities (we were born to run on our own 2 feet naturally, right?), A Runner’s World recently polled that around 66% of runners manage to injure themselves WHILE training for a race. Why? Because they don’t know their limits and ultimately OVERTRAIN. When a person dedicates so much time and effort towards competing in a race, how do they look past the fear that in a matter of a few miles, they could accidentally tweak something, preventing them from running?

Face it: We’re going to go with an article on the 10 Laws of Injury Prevention. Here they are: know your limits, listen to your body, shorten your stride, consider strength training to build your body up in time for that race, RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), run on a level surface, don’t overdo the speed workouts, STRETCH, incorporate cross-training into your workouts, and get the right shoes (at A Runner’s mind

3. Fear of a Lifestyle Change

Let’s face it, deciding on which race you’re going to do and chalking up the money for it is a piece of cake. Making that commitment to change your lifestyle in order to accomodate a training schedule, a proper diet AND keeping up with your work and friendships…it can be overwhelming. You’re not always going to be able to go out for drinks with friends on a Saturday night when you know you have a long run to do Sunday. And if you have a family to take care of, you may have to start waking up pre-5am to fit in that workout.

Face it: The key to not letting the fear of change overcome your ability to train succesfully and commit is simply BALANCE. Training shouldn’t be a death sentence for your social life. Give yourself a personal day each week, take the day off running, and do something that motivates you. Whether it’s going to a museum by yourself or planning a movie night with friends, having a social gathering to look forward to will give you the satisfaction that making some changes to your life in order to accomplish your race goals doesn’t mean you have to compromise on what makes you happy!

4. Fear of Running in Front of Large Crowds

Do you favor running solo on a path without many fellow runners? Do you feel self-conscious when you see others who feel comfortable running in minimal clothing? Or maybe you’re simply uncomfortable with the idea of running with SO many other people that you might get trampled and feel claustrophobic mid-race. Whatever the reason, wanting to run alone doesn’t mean you ARE alone in fearing crowds.

Face it: Before your race, try joining up with a running group or a friend who enjoys hitting the pavement from time to time. Get yourself used to be amongst others and know that even though you’re not the only one in the race, this race is all about YOU. Don’t feel like you’re being rude by simply running alongside a group and plugging in your headphones. Just remember that when race day rolls around, those crowds are going to be what keeps you going for that last stretch of the race (trust us).

5. Fear of The Unkown

As your race day approaches, your head may be spinning while you wish you could foresee what’s going to happen. Common fears include worry about getting a cramp mid-race, not having enough electrolytes and burning out, and facing unexpected course situations due to weather or surface terrain.

Face it: …we hate to say this but GET OVER IT, FRIEND! You can’t be afraid of what you don’t know because, let’s see, you NEVER know what to expect. Instead, EMBRACE the challenge ahead and get excited for taking part in a race without expectations.

Whatever your fear is, A Runner’s mind is here to help you overcome it! Drop by our store or give us a call anytime and we’ll do our best to get you going.

We feel so proud of our store AND our supporters for helping grow as a small business over the past year. With such an incredible ARM family that continues to get better and better each day, what more could we ask for?

Well, there is one guilty dream of ours that came true just recently thanks to Yelp: We got to star in our very own ARM VIDEO!

Towards the beginning of 2011, Yelp teamed up with TurnHere, a film/video production company, reaching out to successful small business owners who’d made a big impression through customer reviews. Thanks to you guys, our store has almost 30 reviews, all 4-5 stars! The Yelp film team tracked us down and hung out with us/filmed us doing work at the store.

We have high hopes that this video will help us to not only share our story (and let everyone who’s never visited our store get a sneak peak of what it’s like) with our running community but to reach out to other runners, running stores and race teams and start talking about what we can do to be what the customer wants in a running shoe store.

We’re so grateful to have so many fabulous reviews in Yelp so don’t forget to share this video with your friends, family, even that couple you see at the track every Tuesday. Spread the word about A Runner’s Mind, yeah!

Runner’s World asked the same question to a few familiar track faces, including Shalane Flanagan and Ryan Hall, eager to learn what fuels these elite runners. Check out the video by clicking the link below!

What the Elites Eat

Upon arrival at the Novotel Hotel, right off the main square, we were given hot coca tea to help with the high altitude. We also had spent a few nights in the Sacred Valley (2,850 meter elevation) so were pretty much acclimated…

…Or we were just too busy whining about our sunburns from the killer mountain bike ride the day before to worry about a little altitude! (almost 12,000 feet!)

See where The North Face store is in Cusco? Modern stores located in 400 year old beautiful buildings!

We went to local markets, the Artisan Market, churches and cathedrals. We had a wonderful dinner then went to the town square to ring in the New Year like the locals. There were fireworks and music and the crowd went crazy with their own firecrackers. (We were told to leave our cameras due to the crazy crowd so we have no photos) After the stroke of midnight, the crowd went crazy and began the traditional “run around the square” to represent good fortune and travel in the coming year. Of course we joined in the fun with these runners from around the world!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough celebrating….we got up early to take a bus, then a train, then another bus to get to Machu Picchu in the afternoon of January 1st, 2012.

Max in front of Huayna Picchu. (Todd will post some photos later of their amazing climb to the top of that the next day.)

Our guide Juan Carlos, of Incan descent, explains to us some of the cultural beliefs. (note the glaciers in background)

After several hours on the mountain, we went back to the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes for an incredibly relaxing evening. April and Jenny enjoyed this hotel with massages in the morning, while Todd, Monte and Max went back to Machu Picchu on the 5:30am bus and were the first to reach the top of Huayna Picchu. Although they were told the walk up the precarious path to the top, from Machu Picchu would take 1.5 hours, it took these runners a mere 28 minutes! They enjoyed the amazing views from the top for 18 minutes alone before the next adventures arrived….all of whom hailed from Northern California!!!! Here Monte and Max are as we check out later that morning to head back to Lima to head home!

Chaski means RUNNER….where else could we eat before boarding the train?

Amazing sights on the train ride back to Cusco…

We had a few hours to kill in Lima before our flight and look what we found!

Never seen this design before!

One more view of the Miraflores area of Lima, then off to the airport.

Travel troubles made 3 of us have to sleep in the Lima Airport but we eventually arrive back to Burlingame!

There is no place like home, but we LOVED Peru and would recommend that you and your running shoes go there for a fantastic vacation!!!!!!! 

Thanks for joining us!

-Team ARM

After trudging through the rain forest we gave our keep-your-feet-dry

Nike Free Shields a rest!

We spent the next few days in the Sacred Valley, staying at Sol y Luna.

The scenery was magnificent, a high altitude valley in the midst of the Andes, surrounded by glaciers! The historic ruins and farms using methods they used in the Inca period were amazing. So much to see, Monte felt he had to run through the ruins!

All the track workouts and runs conditionned us to do okay in the high altitudes.

(3,000 to 3,600 meters high)

The Asics tech-t and DS Trainers held up well in the Andes

We shared the road with the locals, both while hiking AND Mountain biking. They navigate the trails without even breathing hard!

Shameless advertising while enjoying the view of the Sacred Valley.

Peruvian food was great and so healthy! Lots of quinoa, sweet potatoes, fish and lean meat. We will ignore the guinea pig on most menus.

One day we went mountain biking and learned a few things…..you bikers are WARRIORS!!!! Mountain biking down boulders, up muddy streams, etc. is hard!

Jenny and April decided to see the sights via the van after our 2.5 hr. morning ride and before the rugged mountain biking began in ernest. See the glacier in the background?

After some hair raising biking adventures, we relaxed with a game

of Pedro back at Sol y Luna.

Next up…. New Year’s eve in Cusco then New Year’s day in Machu Picchu!