Blogs

2nd 5k in the Works

In March of 2016, I made a life-altering decision.  I made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery that July, in between the school years, so that I could have a healthier life.

 

In June of 2017, I celebrated the year anniversary of that decision, when, at almost 200 pounds lighter, I signed up for my first 5k.  I had been running up to that point, and had gotten my 5k time down under an hour.  I was excited to actually put that result on paper.  My official time:  52:18.  I was so ecstatic that I was so validated.

5 Tips to Get Your Co-Workers Running

Let’s face it. Many of us have jobs which require us to sit for hours on end, with little opportunity for exercise. This is the perfect reason to get yourself — and your co-workers — out of the cubicles and on to the road!

These 5 tips will show you how to start and maintain a running club with your co-workers. Of course, these same principles can be applied to people at church, school, or anywhere else large groups of peers gather to sit for long periods.

 

Let's Talk Time

Many people don’t realize that February is National Time Management Month. Clearly, the intent is to raise awareness for improving how best to handle your personal or work responsibilities. But it seems like a good opportunity to talk about the importance of accurate race timing management.

 

It’s Your Name On The Line

Make Small Steps to a Better You

As we cross the finish line of another year, it’s important to look ahead at the new year to come and to set some goals — whether that means improvements in your personal life, professional development, or even just hitting new marks in your training and endurance.

I personally put a lot of stock in what leadership guru Robin Sharma has to say about the matter: “Greatness begins beyond your comfort zone.”

Road Rules You Can Use

Road Rules You Can Use

A big part of the joy we derive from running can be found in the fresh air, change of scenery and the variation of challenge levels afforded by taking our hobby to the great outdoors. I’d pick a trip through the hills (or even the city) over a treadmill any day of the week. But it behooves us to remember some simple safety tips to keep from running into trouble. Many of these appear to be common sense, but they’re worth repeating here.

Dress For Success

If the Shoe Fits - Buy It

As we trot into October, cooler weather may entice new or inexperienced joggers to hit the trails. Thus, I thought it would be beneficial to highlight the most important part of any runner’s arsenal: good quality running shoes. Skimp on shoes and you could develop injuries such as blisters, abrasions, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or knee and foot pain that will leave you debilitated, disheartened, and defeated on the side of the road. Beyond that, the right pair of trainers can improve endurance and efficiency, so it pays to do your homework and invest in a good pair.

Timing vs Scoring

In the world of race timing, there are two different aspects involved that most never think about.  One is timing the participant, but the other is the actual scoring.  Both are important to cross country in order to get the individual and team scores.  In our last blog, we talked about the different technologies used for timing a race.  This time we’ll talk about the actual scoring and what has to happen in order to produce accurate results.

It's All Magic

Have you ever wondered how chip timing works?  Most people don’t know or care as long as they get a time.  Sadly, many timers don’t even understand it except to turn it on and hope it all works.  Understanding the technology though can help explain issues when things don’t work so well.  It’s like understanding why a cell phone doesn’t work in the country or inside a steel structure.

Cross Country 2018

Cross Country season is almost here!  Like you, this is one of our favorite times of year. We love the camaradie, the team work, and the competition of cross country.  Unlike any other sport, cross country really shows us how you can have a great event with intense competion, yet also show how competitors can also be friends.  It's a fun and exciting sport that has something for everyone.

Leaderboard

We're excited to announce a new feature to our growing arsenal of tools.  This will interest any of you that like to see how well you perform against other athletes.  The new feature is a Leaderboard that we're introducing on a monthly basis based on geographic areas.  For any area that we operate in, we will have a monthly leaderboard based on the times of all Athlete Guild timed races.  As a participant, there is nothing for you to do to participate except to run a race that we are involved with.  Your times will automatically be incorporated into the mont