Tim VanOrden’s Running Raw Update – May 11th, 2011

Tim VanOrden’s Running Raw Update – May 11th, 2011

A big hello to all my friends and supporters of the Running Raw Project!

In This Update:

• A Championship Summer
• Upcoming Talk Schedule
• The Race Report
• The Training Log

A Championship Summer:
Another year has ticked by and I’m beginning my 43rd lap around the Sun. With a solid year of training and racing behind me, I’m entering into the 2011 USA Trail Running Championship Series in the best shape of my life. In the past few weeks, I’ve set two new lifetime PR’s and the season is just beginning. On May 14th, I’ll be attempting to defend my championship title at the U.S. 15k Trail Championships in Spokane, WA. This is the first of 7 U.S championship events that I’ll be competing in this Summer. If all goes well, I hope to have a few more championship titles to prove that an athlete on a plant based diet can hold their own with the big boys.

I’ll be setting up talks to coincide with these championship races. The first series of talks in the Pacific Northwest is listed below.

Here is my schedule:

• Thursday May 12th – Presentation at Catch A Healthy Habit – Fairfield, CT (You must RSVP for this event)
• Saturday May 14th – U.S. 15k Trail Running Championships – Spokane, WA
• Sunday May 15th  – Presentation at The Cascades Neighborhood Center – Seattle, WA
• Monday May 16th – Presentation at Radiant Lives – Abbotsford, BC
• Tuesday May 17th – Presentation at Archie Browning Sports Center – Victoria, BC

I hope to see you at some of my upcoming events!

Please be sure to RSVP to reserve a seat.

The Race Report

• WMAC/Dion Snowshoe Race Series Champion
The largest snowshoe race series in the world ended in late March and I somehow ended up winning the overall championship. Snowshoeing has become my favorite sport. It’s not just the challenge of running up mountains in the snow and freezing temps, but it’s the people that these events attract – They are the salt of the earth. They are unphased by the elements. They turn hardship into a cause for celebration. If you live in the Northeast, I highly recommend that you come out to a race and experience this extraordinary community for yourself.

• Bennington Monument Stair Climb
On May 21st I’ll be competing in the most unique stair climb race in the U.S. – Right here in my hometown of Bennington, VT. Athletes from around the country will be coming out to run up the 438 stairs of the historic Bennington Battle Monument. But before I can toe the starting line I need to raise $100 for the American Lung Association. A simple $3 to $5 donation would help me easily reach this mark and also help a good cause. Please send your donation to donate@runningraw.com through paypal and write “American Lung Association” or “ALA” on the transaction. Thank you for your continued support!

Here are my videos of this event:
2009 Race – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjgrzyfkTQQ
Race Promo Video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu-O1N1aXMg&feature=related

The Training Log:
Run (through the) forest, run! Bennington continues to surprise me with it’s ever expanding abundance of great running trails. In the past few months I have discovered at least 30 miles of new trails in the area (new to me that is). I believe that variety is the key to long term training success. If you are always training on the same route, it can become stale. But when you have many options to choose from it keeps training fresh and exciting. The past few months have been very exciting for me as I’ve begun to increase my mileage to the highest level it’s ever been. As of this writing, I’ve run 412 miles in the past 30 days and my legs feel great. There are several factors that have helped me to safely reach this level of training: Diet, trails, audiobooks, foam roller, ice packs, cross training, Tabata leg press, and lots of sleep.

As the Summer progresses, I hope to keep my mileage in the 95 to 100 miles per week range and add more strength training to the mix. Not only does the addition of strength training make you faster and a better hill climber, but it also makes you more injury resistant.

Here’s my latest week of training:  http://runningraw.com/blog/?p=827

Paying it Back and Forward:
Please support my sponsors Larabar, Dion Snowshoes, Nutiva, Garmin, and West Coast Labels.

Your Support:
Your donations help more than you can imagine. Even very small contributions help to pay for event registrations, travel, etc.! Thank you in advance for your support. Your generosity allows me to do what I do and hopefully touch lives in the process. You can make your donation through http://paypal.com to the address donate@runningraw.com. No amount is too little, and every dollar is greatly appreciated.

In Conclusion:
If you’re excited about Running Raw and would like to be a part of the team, please get in touch. I’m always looking for new contributors, technical help, sponsorship and enthusiastic athletes to help make this project all it can be.

Please pass this newsletter along to anyone that you think might be interested in this journey. If you have any suggestions on how to make runningraw.com better, please pass them along.

With love and gratitude

Tim VanOrden