And on we run

I almost gave up running last year.  After over 30 years of running...with the last 3 plagued by foot injuries...I was convinced it was time to tie up the laces one last time.  I'd grown tired of just slogging along;  I wasn't interested in racing;  I was fed up!

Things got to a low point at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon when I spent the Saturday at the Race Expo talking to runners about their race on Sunday.  I wasn't registered to run on Sunday...not even the 5K...and was totally bummed out.  Speaking with a female racing snob who spoke with disdain about 'slow' runners was the last straw.  On my way home that evening I had decided to quit running once and for all.

Then a funny thing happened.  As I reflected on my running over the years I was drawn back to my early competing years when 10K races were all the rage.  In those years in Toronto, Rock Station, Q107 in conjunction with Coors Light (see, even then Beer and Running were friends) held a series of 10K races in Toronto every summer.  I must have raced in every one of them over a couple of years and had my PR (42 minutes) at an overcast late summer race that ended by the water in downtown Toronto.

It slowly dawned on me that what I really liked to do was run in 10K races.  The current fads are the Ultra's and Half Marathons.  While I've run in a number of Half Marathons, I have zero interest in Ultras.  With one exception:  I've followed Navin's exploits in Ultras including how he added 8 km's to the full marathon distance at Reggae Marathon last December so he could brag that he'd run 50K that morning.  Love his enthusiasm but I'm NOT doing that!!

10K races are the perfect race distance for me.  It takes about an hour now for me to finish...I suppose if I pushed it I could get to 50 minutes but why?  At the hour pace I'm comfortable, get to listen to runners talking as they run and get to take in the sites of the city.  For 2015 I have three 10K's planned:  The Toronto 10K and the Sporting Life 10K in the Spring.  Both run downhill so I have a good opportunity to get close to the 50 minute mark without trying too hard.  And a big finish for the racing year at the 15th Reggae Marathon in Negril, Jamaica in December.

I feel re-energized already.  I'm looking forward to training runs again...heck, I'm looking forward once again to just running.

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

PS:  I got inspiration from my friend Dan Cumming who recently shared his thoughts on the pleasures of running:  What?  It's 2015? already!?

Reaching the $6,000 Runner through Social Media

$6,000+.  That's the approximate amount of money that each runner who travels to a destination marathon event contributes to the local economy (New York Marathon, $340 Million;   Boston Marathon, $176 Million;  London Marathon, $163 Million).  And this trend will continue to grow driven by two things:

1. Growing interest and participation from Female runners who now make up nearly 50% participants at most Marathon Events.  In the USA, Black Girls Run (BGR) is a prominent group of female runners who train and travel to races. 
2. Increased interest in and growth of the Half Marathon event.  (The Half Marathon's Amazing Growth)

Running and Marathon Events that combine full Marathons, Half Marathons and 10K/5K events are driving Sports Tourism globally and are applying Social Media Marketing to increase effectiveness and increase participation.  Runners participating in these destination Running Events love sharing their experiences On Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (the main Social Media platforms).  And it's their 'total experience' that they share:  A great vacation in an appealing destination combined with their race event experience.

How do you get Social Media Marketing working for a Sports Tourism event?  Here are three key things from my experience at Reggae Marathon:

1. Runner experience at the event.  While the location may be a vacation destination, runners are there to run.  Their race experience must be top-notch.  They will be comparing it to other events;  they will talk about it on Social Media.  A positive experience is a key plank of a Social Media Marketing Plan.  For example, at Reggae Marathon a running event I've been going to for a number of years now, the race runs flawlessly:  registration, kit pick up, starts on time, frequent aid stations, chip timing, post race re-hydration and recovery area...these matter.
2. Destination Attractions.  It is a vacation as well so the hotel properties should provide a great vacation experience.  Local attractions that will enhance the overall vacation experience. Again, at Reggae Marathon the 7 miles of white sand beach set the stage for a great beach vacation.  Tours to watch the sunset, local waterfall attraction and Rum producer top off the experience.
3. Sharing the Experience.  Like other tourists and event participants, Runners love Selfies! And they love to share.  Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are currently the Big Three in Social Media marketing.  At Reggae Marathon, the specific hashtag (#reggaemarathon) identifies and tracks all user generated photos, updates, videos across all three simultaneously.  

Mobility is baked into this Social Media Marketing ecosystem wit Smartphones being used to search and research Destinations at the decision making stage.  At the event, Runners use their Smartphones tocapture, record, share and comment on their experience.  While this isn't unique for Runners at Marathon Events, Mobile will play an even more important part in Marketing these events in Social Media for one significant reason:  Runners like to talk about their performance and results and Apps like MapMyRun showing real-time results will become even more important in the social media mix. One prediction for 2015 and beyond that's a reasonably sure bet:  Mobile will become increasingly important to Sports Tourism Social Media Marketing as Cities, Destinations and Race Organizers continue to chase the $6,000 Runner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris M Morales
MarCommTO

chris.morales@bell.net

647 393 3855

Linkedin:  Chris M Morales 

My Year in Running: 2014 Blog Favourites

I had a challenging year running in 2014.  It started on a low note with another foot injury but finished on a high with a nice 10K run at Reggae Marathon.

In an ill-advised attempt to speed up, I re-injured my right foot early in 2014 and had to use my walking cast again.  Winter running in Toronto was also cold. Frigid actually with lots of talk about the Polar Vortex.  Things improved as Spring came and the fabulous running trails that criss-cross Toronto opened up again. And I was back to a good running pace in my first race of the year, a downhill 10K.  Running in 2014 ended on a high note with Reggae Marathon.  I posted a better time than in 2013 and even had enough for an all out sprint at the end.  A challenging year at the start but with a nice finish.  I'm definitely looking forward to 2015.  Here are some of the highlights from 2014:

Running in the Polar Vortex:  Running is supposed to be simple.  T Shirt, shorts, running shoes. Running in the winter means adding layers...running in super frigid temperatures means head to toe coverage.  Here's how I dealt with running during the Polar Vortex 

We runners in Toronto are blessed with some fabulous running trails.  From the Don Valley (and connecting trails in the east) to the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario to mh favourite close to home, the Humber River, we have tremendous choices to stay off the roads.  Here are some of the top trails in Toronto:  Running the Trails in Toronto  

After the second foot injury, I was pretty dejected. I almost stopped running altogether at that point.  Thankfully though I re-discovered the 10K race distance that I had enjoyed so much back in my mid-30's.  I did two 10K's in 2014 starting with the Sporting Life 10K in the Spring in which I ran with two of my sons, Court and Andrew. Loved it!  Sporting Life 10K 



Here's how I truly feel about running:   Cucurri Ergo Sun:  I run therefore I am.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Let the sun shine

15days!  That's how long it was without sunshine in Toronto.  I didn't like it one bit!

Yes I run in the pre-dawn hours so I don't see the sun when I start out on my morning runs.  I look forward to seeing the sunrise though.  That has gone missing these past few weeks with fog, rain and snow.  As I finished my runs I could only look forward to the darkness morphing into grey.

The snow was sympathetic changing into a black slop that mirrored the sky above.  People on the street and drivers in their vehicles stopped smiling.  Commuters pulled their toques down and pushed their collars up in a bid to hide from the dullness.  It was not beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

"Let the sun shine in!" we cried.

Then without warning a strange sight rose over the horizon from the east one morning.  Thankfully I'm am early riser and witnessed it first hand while out running:  A bright yellow glow signaled that the sun was back!  Hallelujah!  Break out the sunglasses...put away the Vitamin D.

S.A.D...Seasonally Adjusted Depression...was over for after just one sight of the sunrise I enjoyed my run that morning.  It re-filled my memory banks. I'm running again with a smile.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy