Prepping For The CCC10K

With the coming three day weekend, I'm sure you're already on the downhill slide in to holiday mode. However, you've got a little prep to do before the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10K on Saturday morning.

March 2015 Preview

New Orleans has suffered unbearable temperatures since Mardi Gras, with multiple days having highs that don't climb out of the 40's. I'm not complaining, as I much prefer the cold over the summer heat; however, it's been hard for me to get motivated in the new year. After finishing three and a half marathons in January, getting back in to a groove post-recovery has been near impossible. Fortunately, racing in the Crescent City quickly picks up speed as we hop in to spring.

Holiday Half Challenge

Sprinting through the stores the day after Thanksgiving won't be the only challenge facing NOLA runners this holiday season. Yesterday, the New Orleans Track Club and the Smoothie King Big Easy Running Festival announced a partnership between their two signature winter half marathons and introduced the Holiday Half Challenge.

Bling Finalists Revealed

A couple weeks ago, the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & Half Marathon solicited designs from fans for the 2015 finisher medal. As of a few moments ago, they posted the top three finalists to their Facebook page and voting is open for you to decide what the bling will look like on race day, January 25th!

Design Your Bling Contest

The Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon and Half Marathon fall a little early this year, with race date being Sunday, January 25th. For runners, the best part of that day will be crossing the finish line under the shade of City Park and having a volunteer place a hard-earned finisher's medal around their neck. This year, however, race organizers are letting everyone have a say in how that trophy will look.

Halfway to Geaux

With only a couple weeks left in July, we're now 6 months away from Southeast Louisiana's biggest annual races.  To celebrate having "Halfway To Geaux" 'til race day, The Louisiana Marathon and the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & Half Marathon are hosting parties in their respective cities next week. In attendance at both events will be two very special guests!

June 2014 Preview

Rain over the past week has kept temperatures uncharacteristically low in south Louisiana. Fear not, because we'll be creeping in to the 90s before you know it. However, with proper conditioning, tackling the summer heat is easy enough. You'll have to suffer through some slow muggy runs through June, but it'll be worth it when you break the barrier and get accustomed to the summer sizzle. Just be sure to stay hydrated during every workout!

Crescent City Classic 10K: The 2014 Recap

New Orleanians couldn’t have asked for better conditions during the 36th Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10K. On Saturday morning, nearly 25,000 runners made the annual pilgrimage from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to City Park under clear blue skies and temperatures that stayed in the low 60’s. The beautiful spring day in the Big Easy set the scene for fast race times and lots of fun at the post race party.

Typically I like to crank out a race recap the Monday after an event, but this one took some time. There's so much I want to say, since I enjoyed the run and the environment so much. Be sure to comment at the end of this post with your race experiences and feedback!

CCC10K Fast Facts

Last year we saw a major shakeup with the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10K. While it was the second year with a new title sponsor and new race ownership, it was the first year of a brand new course and near-flawless corralling system at the start. For the 2014 installment, things have evolved further. As the race grows, things are changing to make this the best 10K in the south.

Ironman 70.3 NOLA Volunteering

Yesterday I had the pleasure of volunteering with several coworkers at Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. It was awesome to aid athletes with fluids in the third mile of the triathalon's run.

Check out photos from the morning of volunteering by liking the NOLArunner Facebook page HERE.

April 2014 Preview

The excitement for warmer temperatures is boiling over on my social media feeds, as I see friends talking about their first snowballs of the season, staying out in daylight past 5pm, and gearing up for French Quarter Fest and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Much like the other 11 months of the year here in south Louisiana, there's no shortage of fun things to do in April.

Shamrockin' Run 8K: The 2014 Recap

I may have a dad who's a red-head, look great in green, and only measure up with a slight 5'6" stature, but my heritage can't be traced back to the Emerald Isle. Regardless of my ancestry, at last Sunday's Shamrockin' Run 8K through uptown New Orleans, everyone was Irish.

March 2014 Preview

Now that Mardi Gras is behind us, there's nothing on the social calendar, right? Wrong. It's New Orleans, and there's always a festival or parade just around the corner. In the Crescent City, March brings us two weekends of parades to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Soul Fest, Fashion Week, the Crawfish Festival, Hogs for the Cause, and countless other events. Locals will not have to look far to find something to do.

504K: The 2014 Recap

After a January full of 5:30am Sunday morning alarms for marathons, I looked forward to February being a down month in racing. NBA All-Star Weekend was the only thing standing between me, Mardi Gras and guilt free consumption of Popeye's. One thing I didn't consider when making these plans was the addition of the 504k to the local race calendar this past Saturday morning.

Several friends decided to participate, including one who was traveling to the Crescent City for All-Star festivities. I knew I had to get in on the action, especially since the race benefitted the Youth Run NOLA initiative.

First Time Finishers

In the week post Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon, I've been doing my fair share of reading Facebook groups, blogs, tweets and other social media to see how people feel about the completion of their race. I've seen tons of complaints about the weather on race day, but those are always balanced out by positive comments about the adrenaline felt after crossing the finish line.

Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon & Half: The 2014 Recap

As the local saying goes, if you don’t like New Orleans weather, stand still for 10 minutes. It’s bound to change. No one knows that better than those runners who participated in yesterday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon and Half. Less than ideal conditions greeted participants who rolled out of bed to face damp, rainy and humid conditions on race day.

First Timer Tips: RnR NOLA

For many local runners, this Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon and Marathon will be a first endurance race experience. The popularity of the RnR race series attracts athletes of all skill levels looking to take on a new challenge, and many of these runners haven’t tackled a race longer than the Crescent City Classic 10K. That doesn’t mean, however, that they will be any less successful come February 2nd.

If it’s your first time running 13.1, have you been wondering what to expect come race day? As a participant in the first four installments of the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon, I have a few tips that will come in handy before you get to the start line and eventually help you cross the finish:

January 2014 Preview

The New Year kicks off with a new race this weekend and continues with several mainstays on the NOLA running calendar. Traveling outside the parish lines is once again a great idea for those runners who are looking to tackle a new challenge.

November 2013 Preview

I don't remember previous Novembers "falling back" quite as hard. Daylight saving time happened this past weekend, and it hit me like a brick wall. One bright spot is that 6am sunrises have forced me to wake up an hour earlier than usual. Had it not been for a week-long ordeal with a screw in my tire and multiple tires being replaced, I may have been able to get morning workouts done. As I write this post, I'm sitting in a Starbucks waiting for my car to come down off the racks. Hopefully as the weekend approaches, my vehicle isn't the only thing that has better traction.

Jazz Half Marathon & 5K: The 2013 Recap

New Orleans was singing a different tune Saturday morning with the 5th Annual Jazz Half Marathon and 5K. It was a new race date with new race director, all benefitting Children's Hospital New Orleans. Having participated in the first four installments of the race, I had preconceived notions about how the morning would unfold and what was in store for me during my run. While I feel that I was properly prepared, instances like this prove that you have to be ready for whatever race day can throw at you.