Why Are You Training For the Human Race?
The better question, really, is why wouldn’t you be training for the Nike+ Human Race? I attended the p-2547 this past Saturday, taking it upon myself to jump into a training routine, and in doing so, realized there is no reason NOT to be doing this!
My Saturday morning started out a little early, but not bad, with a 7:45 a.m. arrival at the Starbucks at W 24th Street and Nueces. As I walked onto the Starbucks porch, there was a table of t-shirts, registration sheets, maps, and a whole plethora of Nike and Nike Human Race items. I joined the group of people who were there, excited and ready to get their training under way. We were then given the option to follow one of three different coaches: the first coach was headed out on a 5 mile run through west Austin, the other was leading a group of 3 mile runners, and the third was taking charge of some serious speed-walkers who were ready to hit the road.
I chose the 3 mile group, and after 3.5 miles and some serious sweating, we were back on the porch, where ice cold water, Starbucks coffee and free Nike Dry Fit t-shirts awaited us. If you don’t like free stuff, this is not your kind of training group! We all took time to hydrate, then first time training attendees like myself were given a $5 Starbucks gift card. I immediately went inside to redeem my tasty prize. Next came a raffle drawing for a product give-away, and third came a Starbucks punch card. This was a great way to kick off my Saturday, and there is nothing to get me motivated like some free stuff!
I also spent some time chatting with the other training run participants, so I thought I’d share what I learned about these Austinites who, just like you, are training for the Nike+ Human Race 10K.
Sim Ngo: She is a serious runner. She has been running for about 10 years, and just this year, she qualified to participate in the Boston Marathon. Wow! Running the Nike+ Human Race has a little bit of different taste for Sim, but she is running this 10K because of the outstanding change of perspective. She is not approaching this as a competitive race, though she’s sure to blast many folks out the water. Rather, she felt like the whole vibe surrounding this race was to be a part of something bigger than herself, and bigger than any one race. She is running this race to be a part of the Human Race, and join with 1 million other runners across the globe.
Philip Chang: Let me say that when I first asked Philip why he was training for the Human Race, he said “I’m not,” but after explaining exactly what the Human Race entails, he couldn’t turn down such an awesome event, and his mind was changed. He is now registered for the race and plans to continue to train with other Austinites to be a part of this incredible day. Philip is an athlete by nature – he’s a cyclist, a soccer player, and a runner. So, when I asked him “what changed your mind”? he had an awesome, one-word response. “Community.” He wanted to be a part of a global community, and once he looked around, thought it was incredible to see how the run was bringing folks together right in his own city. He met 15 other strangers on Saturday morning, all of whom are pushing for the same thing, to run the Nike+ Human Race on 8.31.2008.
Jennifer Simar: Jennifer was chipper at 8:00 a.m., so she immediately caught my attention. After running the 3.5 mile training run with her, I asked her why she was out there doing this, and she answered as a girl after my own heart, “I love Starbucks!” Okay, that’s not her primary reason, but it helps. She’s been running for several years and loves doing it. She had never been a part of a training group before, and when she heard Austin was chosen as one of the 25 cities for the Nike+ Human Race, her interest peaked. She will be just one of the many friendly faces you’ll see on Saturday mornings at Starbucks.
So, on Saturday morning when the weather is beautiful, and you’re wandering around your house looking for a hot cup of coffee, why not reach for your running shoes and meet me at Starbucks at 8:00a? I know you won’t regret it…
See you Saturday!
Megan
My Saturday morning started out a little early, but not bad, with a 7:45 a.m. arrival at the Starbucks at W 24th Street and Nueces. As I walked onto the Starbucks porch, there was a table of t-shirts, registration sheets, maps, and a whole plethora of Nike and Nike Human Race items. I joined the group of people who were there, excited and ready to get their training under way. We were then given the option to follow one of three different coaches: the first coach was headed out on a 5 mile run through west Austin, the other was leading a group of 3 mile runners, and the third was taking charge of some serious speed-walkers who were ready to hit the road.
I chose the 3 mile group, and after 3.5 miles and some serious sweating, we were back on the porch, where ice cold water, Starbucks coffee and free Nike Dry Fit t-shirts awaited us. If you don’t like free stuff, this is not your kind of training group! We all took time to hydrate, then first time training attendees like myself were given a $5 Starbucks gift card. I immediately went inside to redeem my tasty prize. Next came a raffle drawing for a product give-away, and third came a Starbucks punch card. This was a great way to kick off my Saturday, and there is nothing to get me motivated like some free stuff!
I also spent some time chatting with the other training run participants, so I thought I’d share what I learned about these Austinites who, just like you, are training for the Nike+ Human Race 10K.
Sim Ngo: She is a serious runner. She has been running for about 10 years, and just this year, she qualified to participate in the Boston Marathon. Wow! Running the Nike+ Human Race has a little bit of different taste for Sim, but she is running this 10K because of the outstanding change of perspective. She is not approaching this as a competitive race, though she’s sure to blast many folks out the water. Rather, she felt like the whole vibe surrounding this race was to be a part of something bigger than herself, and bigger than any one race. She is running this race to be a part of the Human Race, and join with 1 million other runners across the globe.
Philip Chang: Let me say that when I first asked Philip why he was training for the Human Race, he said “I’m not,” but after explaining exactly what the Human Race entails, he couldn’t turn down such an awesome event, and his mind was changed. He is now registered for the race and plans to continue to train with other Austinites to be a part of this incredible day. Philip is an athlete by nature – he’s a cyclist, a soccer player, and a runner. So, when I asked him “what changed your mind”? he had an awesome, one-word response. “Community.” He wanted to be a part of a global community, and once he looked around, thought it was incredible to see how the run was bringing folks together right in his own city. He met 15 other strangers on Saturday morning, all of whom are pushing for the same thing, to run the Nike+ Human Race on 8.31.2008.
Jennifer Simar: Jennifer was chipper at 8:00 a.m., so she immediately caught my attention. After running the 3.5 mile training run with her, I asked her why she was out there doing this, and she answered as a girl after my own heart, “I love Starbucks!” Okay, that’s not her primary reason, but it helps. She’s been running for several years and loves doing it. She had never been a part of a training group before, and when she heard Austin was chosen as one of the 25 cities for the Nike+ Human Race, her interest peaked. She will be just one of the many friendly faces you’ll see on Saturday mornings at Starbucks.
So, on Saturday morning when the weather is beautiful, and you’re wandering around your house looking for a hot cup of coffee, why not reach for your running shoes and meet me at Starbucks at 8:00a? I know you won’t regret it…
See you Saturday!
Megan
