Thinking of all you guys today...

I was out on my run this morning (Longest run since I was injured in June BTW).  Anyway, this song came onto my iPod and for some reason it made me think of EVERYONE in the 'Collective' and I had the hugest grin on my face.  Thank you all for making me smile today.

Noah and the Whale - 5 years time

(Sorry tried to imbed it, but youtube won't let me). :/

Hidden secrets of 'The Run Smiley Collective'

I did an interview with Caity from RunBarefootGirl a couple of weeks ago.  We talked about some serious stuff - sorry about that, but we also talked about 'The Run Smiley Collective" and how this all started.  This is the "Run Smiley" story straight from the "horses mouth" as it were.  Although I am not a horse, just thought I would clarify that!

She has just edited it and here it is.  

I apologise for the slurping and swallowing noises, *cough* note to self - don't drink coffee as you are talking on the phone.

*blush*

Run Barefoot Girl interview

Essential packing guide to running in NYC - might not be what you are expecting.

[Also posted on http://barefootkatiek.blogspot.com/]


I am getting ready.  I'm preparing. I am organising, what is essentially the biggest party I have been to in years.  

We aren't talking about a party involving vomiting kids and piñata's; although I am sure there may be vomiting happening somewhere.  We are talking about lots of... well society would call us 'Kooks' and frankly society thinks we are a little bit strange.  That's okay, we are a bit, but now we have become organised and we are hitting New York City in droves.

On September 25th hundreds of barefoot and minimalist runners will be converging onto Governors Island in New York City and in a big snub to the mainstream shoe industry we are running; defying the norm. Okay, snubbing the shoe industry is our secondary goal.  Our primary goal is to inflict our drunken kookiness on as many unsuspecting New Yorkers as possible.  Fine, I have let our secret mission 'out of the bag' as it were.  It's not really a secret anymore.  Who am I kidding? No-one reads this blog.

Mwwwhahahahaha... New York will not know what hit it!

So I am planning.  What do I take?  My aim is to go as minimalist as possible.  I only want to take carry on luggage, so everything has to fit in a carry-on case. I have to take the bare-est essentials. So what does a 'Kook' need to for a drunken rampage on NYC?  Oh I will be running too; I keep forgetting that bit.

Here is my must-have list:

iPod 64gb.  This is going to be my main gadget workhorse. I love this thing.  I will be able to link up to do web-cams with my family when I am away, I will be able to watch TV, listen to music, check my email, update Facebook, you name it.  It's small enough that I can throw it into my purse and no-one is any wiser until I whip it out and take very embarrassing photo's of people doing very strange things.  Some of them I may even know!  

Yoga pants.  It's a sign of middle-age, but I beginning to really love these.  They are the new "tracksuit fat-pant" leggings of the 21st century.  They are warm, comfortable and hide everything.  The don't crease and the fold into small spaces. Yet, they can look smart if placed with a smart-top, t-shirt or sport top. I will be taking 3 pairs - all the same colour. I am a bit like a man like that.  Yes, I know "Yoga Pants" are the reason why Vancouver came 3rd in the "worst dressed city in the world",  (Jersey shore came 10th - so this is a true achievement), but I don't care.  Stretch spandex/luon is my new friend.

Freebie shirts.  I have been given a few freebie shirts over the last few months.  Have to show my swag catching abilities right?  So my BRU, BRS and Luna shirt are making the trip. I also have a couple of Run Smiley shirts and a zapshirt.   I may have to trim which ones I take.  This isn't a fashion show, apparently (??) My "Hobby Jogga" hoodie will also have pride of place - It`s a statement of attitude not a piece of clothing!

Minimalist running Shoes - yep I am taking some shoes.  I am thinking of wearing my Merrell Barefoot Mary-Janes as they are vaguely smart and comfortable.  For running I am thinking of stripy injini socks and my 4mm Invisible Shoes.  My theme for the run, is hobo/wicked witch of the west, mixed in with prima ballerina - more on that one later.  Yeah, the mental images are a bit scary huh? May also take my Luna Originals if I have room. I can then mix in a bit of roman centurion look into the mix. (We all know "Centurions are cool")

Ta-Ta Tamers.  The ultimate running bra.  Yes, I know the sign of good form is "no boob-wobble", but with a cup-size rivalling a "Venti" order of coffee at Starbucks, I need all the help I can get.  TMI'ing a little there. Again, you are getting some fantastic mental imagery here.

TU-TU's. I admit I am cheating here.  I couldn't get the TU-TU's made and shipped to Canada in time.  These aren't going in my hand luggage, although I will have figure out a way to bring them back without being detained at the airports as a security risk.  They are being shipped to NYC directly.  This is the ballerina part of my costume.  Luckily I won't be the only ones wearing them; should give our "kookie" ambience some credence.

Tweed jacket.  I will be wearing this on the plane.  Okay, so I am going for a hobo/wicked witch/ballerina/Dr. Who look.  Yeah, I am not helping with this mental imagery here.  I am going to have to take photo's.  If I get the bow-tie my outfit will be complete.  Oh so tempted. I am also tempted to take my straw stetson hat.  Like Centurions, "stetson's are cool"

An additional empty bag. Although my personal shopping time is limited, I am hoping to snag some goodies at the expo. Free would be nice, but the credit card will have to be with me for security reasons.  I also have very little will-power.  I wonder if that will work as an excuse when Hubby opens the credit card statement next month?  I also have to find a smurf'.  Really, CAPCOM really has a lot to answer for when they made 'Smurfsville'.  Disney didn't help with the movie either.  I now have a 6 year old that believes New York is completely covered in Smurfs.  Forget running as a goal, if I don't come back with a smurf the next 6 months of my life won`t be worth living.  (Although I do like Caity's idea of claiming that "Smurfs don't have a passport and were detained by immigration". That is my back-up plan!)

As you can see, there is not one mention of a Garmin watch, black lycra tights, supportive running shoes or body-glide. Not the usual suitcase for a trip to a running race.  However, an accurate reflection of my attitude I think.  Yeah, Merrell are never going to ask me back are they? *Big Grin*

My (abbreviated) Story

I was born a BFR. I was a BFR until I was about 1.5 yrs. old.

In HS, I ran XC, but not BF. I was on JV. I was slow. I always wanted to run a 26.2.

Then I got married. Then we had kids. We raised them. I still wanted to do a 26.2.

I had dreams of a BQ someday. So I got a GF305 with a HRM to monitor my MHR, log my LSDs, and PRs. I studied the BQTs for my AG. I XT'ed. I worked to increase my VO2Max. I started a BLOG.

But every time I ran 10K or more, I got injured. ITBS in one leg. PF in the other foot. Always DOMS. Lots of RICE. Had my first DNF due to a hamstring pull.

Then I read "BTR". Then I became a MR. Bought 3 pair VFF, and huarches. No more ITBS, or PF, or even DOMS!

But I did TMTS, got TOPF. But ignored it. Ran 5K race. SFX, 2nd Metatarsal. 3 months off.

Then I became a BFR again, 50 years after the first time. I didn't do TMTS. After 1 yr. I can run at least 18K BF with no pain. Happy BFR.

Then I learned about Run:) I joined the RSC. Happy, :)ly BFR. BQ? Who cares.

The End (for now).

In a Runner's Head

A three-way conversation in my head during a run early this week:

walking through the lobby of the gym...

Me: This should be fun. It's not as hot as last week.

through the revolving door and down the steps in lower Manhattan...

Me: Ugh, its still humid.
Smiley Angel: Oh come on, this'll be fun anyway. Just take it easy. Enjoy the morning! You're bound to see something interesting or beautiful.
Me: You're right. I'll make this a SSS. Short, Slow, Sweet.
The "Other Angel": Yeah right. Every time you say that you end up turning it into negative splits at tempo speeds. But nothing wrong with that. Who cares?
Me: No, I have a big meeting later today so I really should take it easy and slow.

reaching to push start on my Garmin...

The "Other Angel": Good job, let's get to it!
Smiley Angel: Now what would your friends in the Collective think? You should have left that thing home today.
Me: I'm not going to look at it during the run. I just want to log the miles. You know, the 10% rule and all.
Smiley Angel: Uh huh.... Well, why don't you make an effort to really sense your surroundings. Try to notice things you've never seen here before. Maybe strike up a conversation with someone.
The "Other Angel": Yeah, I'm sure there are plenty of friendly people out here this morning.... NOT

past the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, entering Battery Park. Around the corner and then headed North along the path. Passing some older men with about a dozen fishing poles in the Hudson River...

Me: I wonder if they know that there was a fire at the sewage treatment plant a couple miles upriver and the water is off limits.
Smiley Angel: Smile and say hi!
Me: "Good morning guys"
Fishermen: (something about no zapatos, not directed at me)
The "Other Angel": I bet they catch a lot of fish today. The fish probably want to get OUT of the water.

settling into an easy pace...

Me: OK, check out the form. Light steps. Midfoot. Think Groucho. Is the cadence fast enough? Probably not. OK, shorter strides. Don't lean forward you dope.
The "Other Angel": Yeah, you dope. You're not breathing correctly either. Where's the 3-2 pattern? No, that's 2-2. Slow it down. Concentrate.
Smiley Angel: Look at all the runners out this morning. Probably because of the cooler weather and it's Monday. The Monday guilt after the weekend festivities. Make sure you say hi. Smile. Be friendly.
The "Other Angel": Friendly? Ha! These are New Yorkers!

a 20-something guy in $250 shoes glides by at about 5:50 pace...

Me: He's flying. Half my age and probably half my pace.

Smiley Angel: Yeah, so? You should have said hello.

The "Other Angel": LOL. By the time he heard you he would have been too far ahead for you to hear a response!

across the plaza next to the World Financial Center... passing a group of middle-aged women runners...

Me: "good morning ladies"
Smiley Angel: Good job!
One lady: "morning"
Other ladies, quietly to each other: "no shoes... crazy... I could never.... in NYC?"

2 mile mark, approaching a decision point.....

Me: Should I keep going up the West side? Or run out onto the new recreation pier and then turn back? 5-6 miles or just a little over 4?

Smiley Angel: The pier. You could stop there for a minute or two and check out the view of the river and NJ. It's a great day for it.

The "Other Angel": yeah, and drop your heart rate and end up with fewer miles than you had planned for the week. Really?

turning out onto the pier....

Me: Someday I need to come over here and spend my lunch just lounging.

Smiley Angel: That's the spirit!

reaching the end of the pier where a few people are doing Tai Chi. Standing at the railing...

Me: Blue skies. Great skyline. I'm loving life.

The "Other Angel": yeah, and sewage in the river, and a crappy economy. Come on, get your butt in gear.

Smiley Angel: Remember to bring your camera next time.

headed back at a medium pace... I notice a runner with Vibram Five Fingers running the other way

Me: "Hey, love the Vibrams!"

Other runner:

Me: Guess he had his MP3 up too loud.

The "Other Angel": Or he's just a New Yorker

past the little area where the million dollar yachts are parked, then further South, through the plaza, and then shaded "boardwalk", as a senior lady runner approaches going the other way...

Me: smiling, "good morning"

Lady Runner: "morning, hey that's really cool! keep it up!"

Me: I guess she was talking about my bare feet.

Smiley Angel: or your smile

The "Other Angel": or your pace or your Garmin

past Fort Clinton and the launching point for the Statue of Liberty tour boats.... then past the war memorial...

Me: there is so much history here...

Smiley Angel: so much to be thankful for and be proud of

The "Other Angel": Really?

rounding the final corner..... waving to the (former marine) guard at the gate to the Coast Guard station...

Me: "Semper Fi"

Guard: "How far today?"

Me: "only about 4"

Guard: "In this heat? Good job!"

Me: "Have a good day"

Smiley Angel: "That a boy!"

Me: Don't forget the Garmin. (Reaching to hit the stop button)

Smiley Angel: "You didn't even look at it once. Maybe you don't need it."

The "Other Angel": "Oh come on. He'll upload the data as soon as he gets to the office."

Smiley Angel: "At least he ditched the tunes"

walking past the Ferry Terminal, dozens of people looking at my feet as I cross the street and reach the entrance to the gym.

Me: (smiling at the clerk at the desk) good morning!

Clerk: "barefoot again?"

Me: yep

through the doorway into the locker room....

Me: I'm so glad I run

Smiley Angel: me too

The "Other Angel": me too

Happy Trails to ME! Recap of Northern Ohio XTERRA Trail Series 8K Chapin Forest

[The Run Smiley Collective Administrators Note: This post was forwarded to us from Jennifer Caccamo.  Who managed to find fun in the longest race she has run for a while.  Her blog can be found here: http://diaperderby.blogspot.com/]




Sunday I ran in the longest race that I have done in years! I ran in the Northern Ohio XTERRA Trail Series 8K in Chapin Forest.

I have to admit going into the race I had butterflies. I was worried about being able to complete the course. I haven't done much high mileage training. My longest run prior to this was 5.5 miles about a week ago.I was also worried about the hills. I struggled with gentle rolling hills in Rocky River which were nothing compared to what I would be facing at this race.

This was my first time to the Chapin Forest. The park was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The rolling hills made for amazing views everywhere I turned. The weather was absolutely perfect, low 70's and no-humidity!

Parking was easy. We were able to get a spot that was literally feet from the start/finish line. The registration process was quick and the staff was super friendly. I also liked the people that were at this event. There were a number of fellow Grunt Girls there. It was nice to talk to them as they were a very calming presence for me. I am going to try to get out to more of the group training events.

My family and I also had a nice chat with another runner who was inquiring about my Vibram Five Fingers. He told me that he runs barefoot! I was so excited as there are not too may barefoot runners in this area. It was nice to talk to someone in person that actually gets barefoot/minimalist running.

The race was awesome! The first mile was a bit hilly and muddy. I admit I did speed walk up a couple of the super steep spots. However I was quickly able to regroup and get running again. I laughed when I got to a muddy spot where the trail got very narrow.  A guy came up from behind to pass me and said, "those things (referring to my shoes-Vibram Five Fingers) aren't made for the mud."

Well I beg to disagree :). The Vibrams stayed on even in the spots where the mud was very thick. I also felt like I had more traction wearing these versus regular shoes. I was very pleased with how they performed.

As I started making my way toward the third mile, I felt super strong. My legs felt great. My new Yurbuds headphones were actually staying in place and the tunes from my iPOD were keeping me pumped up. There is nothing like running to, "Welcome to the jungle" by Guns N' Roses.

The course also had me reminiscing about my high school and college cross country days. Running on that course made me feel like I was a kid again. Getting a little bit muddy was so much fun!  I had an amazing time.

At about 3.5 miles I ate my Chocolate Outrage Gu packet.

I only had about half of the packet because I could tell my stomach was a little bit out of sorts. The GU provided me a huge mid-race energy boost. By the time I got to the fifth mile I wasn't nearly as fatigued as I anticipated. I even was able to pass 4 people I had been trailing for the whole race.

I looked down at my Garmin and noticed the finish was really close. When I emerged out of the woods my husband was there with our boys in Bob. My husband knew how badly I wanted to hit a certain time in this race. He shouted to me, "look at the clock." I did and about started to cry. I was under 60 minutes! He then let our oldest out of the stroller and he helped run me into the finish. My final time was 59:48. I have kept that time in my Garmin since Sunday. Just a little proud of myself. I set a goal and hit it! OH YEA!

The post race festivities were wonderful. There were plenty of good things to eat and drink. I was SUPER excited to see a Muscle Milkrefreshment station there. I became a fan of Muscle Milk after the LULA 5K. This time I got their chocolate flavor.

As you can tell, I love all things chocolate! Like the strawberry flavor the chocolate was very refreshing.

I would highly recommend this race series to everyone. I will definitely be signing up for more races in the series soon.

Joyfully, Not a Joiner

[The Run Smiley Collective Administrators Note:  This post was sent to us from Ren.  Her blog can be found here:  http://runningthedarkside.blogspot.com/]

After hitting the wall this weekend, I have been crawling over the internet for some inspiration. I discovered that the Barefoot Runners Society has a Norwegian chapter whose introduction is in English, no doubt as a means to further serve its apparent purpose:

"You are also special. You are a tougher breed of barefooter*."

In my head, what follows next is a Tarzan yell and chest beating.



I haven't switched to minimalist shoes and barefoot beach runs to prove what a bad ass I am. I gave birth.

Twice.

I am already a bad ass.

I run because I enjoy it. I enjoy running barefoot on the beach. But I enjoy running the lake trails without having to worry about cuts or infections or breaking my gritted teeth while struggling over stretches of sharp gravel.

Pete Larson has written a great plea for moderation in regard to the barefoot/minimalist debate. What puzzles me is how often the question of speed comes up in the shoe/no shoe debate. I could certainly jump higher with spring-loaded shoes. It doesn't mean my body wasn't designed to jump at all. We are designed to jump and run - and to do a million other physical activities. None to the exclusion of others, so compromise is part of the evolutionary equation. We aren't gazelle.

I have always thought it was amusing that some swimmers shave the hair off their bodies to glide through the water better. It helps them win races, I suppose. It makes them better swimmers. They move faster. But it doesn't make them better at swimming.

I am not a competitive runner. I think there is a difference between being a better runner and running better.

When I am looking for inspiration I need to hit the restart button. Why did I start running again in the first place?

Also from Larson's Runblogger, where he shows how his son joyfully runs with the technique he strives for:



The less I think about it, the more I enjoy it. Mindful running isn't about my technique.

How the marathon fits into this?

... Well... the less I think about it, the more I enjoy it.
(*update: I was walking around the lake today after my swim, and thinking about the horrible swans - how they are the only thing I have to fear here in Norway. No venomous spiders or snakes. No polar bears or alligators. The only thing barefoot runners in Norway need to watch out for is stinging nettle and rutting elk. Talk about a lot of bravado for nothing.)

Kitty's Funny (what number are we at now?)

I found this in some rambling, looking at the internet instead of working kind of way.  For some reason it made me laugh.

You have been asking for them...

Krista (zapmamak) our design guru has managed to create us a shirt store.

Here are a few designs.. I am sure there will be more later on!

Go to The Run Smiley store to check out the shirts.  The designs shown here, do not do the shirts and Krista's designs justice.

As for the Fortress, Chicken, Bees and Beer.. well  it's our little in-house "drunken-fuelled" joke; but it's reflects where the "Collective" would chose to be if they were given a choice!

EDIT - Just saw there was an EGGS shirt too.  If you want to know why Eggs are related to the "Collective" (apart from the chickens and the fortress), then check out this earlier post!

The Positive Exchange makes a come-back

[This post was submitted by Davethenakedrunner.  I was going to let him post it, but as we are all out enjoying the weather this weekend, the blog was feeling lonely, so I posted it on his behalf.  Hope he doesn't mind.  Now I am off to RUN SMILEY and check the Sun isn't just a good special effect for a movie.  This is Vancouver after all - Kate Kift, a.k.a kittyk]

I refer to the mutual acknowledgement of one runner by another as a 'positive exchange'. This can range from a nod or SMILE, to a holler, high-five, hug or fully blown discussion.

Recently I decided to make an effort to instigate more of these positive exchanges while runnning, with the aim of improving enjoyment and strengthening the social connection with other runners. 

This led me to write a blog article which you can read here

My advice for putting this into practice is to aim for at least 5 positive exchanges, where possible, on every run. 

I like to think that if every runner used this strategy the world would be a friendlier and better place. 

And the best thing? 

Offering a greeting or a SMILE is contagious. So start today and pretty soon everyone will be doing it!

My First Smiley Race

Last week, as I made preparations to run my first barefoot 10K, I coincidentally followed the formation of the Run Smiley Collective.

I’m 52, and have been running since high school. Running, with the exception of a few years when my kids were young, has always been part of my life. Why? Well, not because I’m fast. I never made the varsity cross country team. JV was my lot. Maybe to lose weight? Hardly. When I run more I tend to eat more, continuing to carry around about 5-7 pounds more than I’d like. For health reasons? Well, yes, but there are plenty of other activities I enjoy that keep me fit. For camaraderie? Nope, I almost always run alone, although I do enjoy the spectacle of organized races.

In short, I don’t think I’ve ever really completely answered that question for myself. Why DO I run?

So last week I did all the things I normally do before a race. Watched what I ate. Drank extra fluids. Gentle stretches. Tried to get enough sleep. Reviewed the race website about the course, the anticipated weather, parking access, etc. I charged up my Garmin GPS watch. I went on Saturday to pick up my number and t-shirt. I reviewed my previous 10K times. I got out two rubber bands to put around my ankle to hold the D-Tag timing chip (two in case one broke). My 10K PR was about 5 years ago. Since I was running this one barefoot I didn’t have any illusions that I’d come close to the PR, but hey, you never know…….

But as the race came closer, and I read and re-read the Run Smiley posts, I began to see this race, and perhaps all future races, and runs for that matter, differently.

I am generally a very happy, contented person. But it often doesn’t show on the outside. My parents used to tell (over and over again….) a story about taking me to an amusement park when I was little. After I rode the roller coaster they said I looked sad and asked me why I didn’t like it. I deadpanned back that I loved it, and rode it many more times that day, loving it each time.

For whatever reason, I’m not a smiley person. But as I thought about the Collective, I realized that running is one of the things in my life that I really should smile about. There are very few other activities I enjoy as much. It’s hard to find the right words. It’s fun. It’s exhilarating. It’s freeing. It makes me feel more alive. It reduces stress. It’s cheap (especially now that I run barefoot). The list goes on and on.

And most importantly, all of those things are true, whether I’m doing 6 miles at 9 minute pace, or a Sunday afternoon LSD at 11 minute pace, or ¼ mile repeats at 7 minute pace. It also doesn’t matter whether I’m running near my home in Jersey or in Lower Manhattan during lunch. And it doesn’t matter whether I’m the only person for miles or I’m one of 4,000 runners in race.

So like the other members of the Collective, I came to realize in a new way that racing, numbers, PRs, and the like are not bad in and of themselves, but they pale in comparison to the pure joy of just simply putting a smile on your face and moving down the road. Or trail. Or track. Or even, gasp, the dreadmill.

So when the gun went off Monday morning and I crossed the starting line you can bet there was a smile on my face. And while I’m sure that smile wasn’t there the whole 6.2 miles, I was certainly smiling on the inside the whole way, and when I finished, a full four minutes slower than my PR. I enjoyed this race perhaps more than any other. I laughed when a volunteer at a water station saw me and joked: “no shoes, no service”. I slowed to chat briefly with a wheelchair athlete that had been sidelined by a flat tire. I chatted with other runners that asked me about my unshod feet. And I even noticed a spectator that I hadn’t seen in about 10 years and said hello with a big smile, twice (once per loop). During most races I don’t even notice the spectators at all.

While I was running the race one thought that crossed my mind was that members of the Collective should be called something. I thought of two candidate terms:

“Smilers” - Get it? Mile? With an S and rs? Oh never mind….

“Funners” - I know, pretty cheesy. But true.

Anyway, as a member of the Run Smiley Alliance I will do my best to be a worthy ambassador to the running world. I’ll do it with the best outside smile I can find and always with an inner joy regardless of the situation. I'll report back here and on my blog Downtown Runner.

Who Are "The Run Smiley Collective"?

The Run Smiley Collective are a  group of bloggers (mainly from the barefoot/minimalist running community).   Our aim is to enlighten the running community that the new "cool" in running is not numbers but enjoying the journey our legs can take us. Our current members/authors are as follows:

• Krista Cavender, a.k.a zapmamak
• Robin Robinson, a.k.a Norm Deplume
• Katie Kift, a.k.a. KittyK (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Angela Holtz, a.k.a. Angie Bee (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Vanessa Rodriguez, a.k.a VanessaRuns
• Patrick Sweeney, a.k.a. Bourbonfeet
• Christian Peterson, a.k.a The Maple Grove Barefoot Guy (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Doug Robertson, a.k.a Dirtbag (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Jesse Scott, a.k.a Jesse (Hobby Jogga's)
• Ryan Hansard, a.k.a Fun Running Ryan (Hobby Jogga's)
• Swami Kahn
• Robert Shackelford, a.k.a. shacky
• Nora Mancuso, a.k.a Ti-living… together WAS Mammarunsbarefoot
• Lou Rantin
• Shelly Robillard, a.k.a. ShellBel (Hobby Jogga's)
• Jason Robillard a.k.a. Last Place Jason (Barefoot Running University) (Barefoot Runners Society)(Hobby Jogga's)
• Shelley Viggiano, a.k.a ShelleyV (Mind the Ducks 12 hour Ultra RD)
• Chris Van dyke, a.k.a The Urban Trail Runner
• TJ Gerken, a.k.a. Barefoot TJ, (President of the Barefoot Runners Society)
• Neil Zeller, a.k.a Barefoot Neil
• Bob Redding, a.k.a. the Downtown runner
• Dave Robertson, a.k.a. Dave the Naked runner.
• jennifer packer, a.k.a Jen
• Larry Gibbons, a.k.a Barefoot Larry (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Katie Button-Swenson (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Stephanie Rose, a.k.a. 1972Roses
• Lava Runner, a.k.a Scott Scooter Schneider

So as NOT to cheese them off.  These are people who we are hoping to be part of the collective but they haven't accepted their blogger invite yet!   *points fingers in a "don't blame me" kind of way*

N.B If those below HAVEN'T received their invites OR, the invite doesn't work, please contact runsmiley@gmail.com.  Blogger seems to be a little temperamental.

• Nat Wolfe (Barefoot Runners Society)
• Janine Schwab (Barefoot Runners Society)

First a History lesson

Krista wrote a post about how "The Run Smiley Collective" came about and what we stand for.  Pretty much sums up the last week or two.  Yep, that's how long we have been about, frightening huh? - seems longer I know.  Also gives you an insight into the kind of people we are. Please don't run away, we aren't that scary honest!

Don't worry, there won't be a spot quiz, although there maybe random references in later posts.  Treat it like the first book in a trilogy; without it, not much will make sense.

The Run Smiley Collective - Come Join the Fun!

A few more logo's to spread around.

So for all of those who wanted a Run Smiley "button" to place on their blog/website, Krista has created this for us.

Feel free to use and place on your site to promote us.  The tag is perfect and represents us perfectly, however it doesn't mention fortress, bee's, beer, organic veg and foot crushed wine.  No mention of 7-of-9 or the finger fairies.  Where are the purple/pink/sparkly haired "My little Ponies"?

Lost?  Yeah, that was just SOME of the topics the "Run Smiley" collective have discussing over the last 4 days.  I think you are getting the idea of what we get up to when we aren't running.

Fellow Smileys Video

Hello peeps! Another Smiley sighting video.

Memorable quotes:

"I don't think it matters what you wear or don't wear on your feet. It's all about form and having fun and running in joy. If you're running in joy with nothing on your feet, great. If you're wearing army boots, that's great." - Caballo Blanco

"Whatever makes people happy." - Patrick Sweeney




(Direct link HERE)

Enjoy! Run :)

Vanessa
www.vanessaruns.com

Our new Logo

So this isn't QUITE about running and smiling, however, I have had a huge grin on my face since seeing the artwork Krista Cavender (or Zapmamak) made for us.

This blog is a collective -a collaboration- which essentially means there is no-one in charge. In setting up this blog I have only made 2 editorial decisions.

The first was to invite bloggers I knew who share the "Run Smiley" ideology to come and post.  (The list will be growing so watch this space).

The second was to chose the logo.  Initially, I was going to put the logo out for a vote, but after seeing Krista's logo, I had a dream.  Literally, I DID have a dream.  I dreamt of her logo and something to do with Eggs.  I wish I could remember more, because that sounds like a kick-ass dream, however I do remember I was laughing so much I woke up.  After that, I knew, that Krista's logo had to stay.  If it made me laugh and smile whilst I was unconscious, then I knew it was right for this blog.

Some of the logo's are below.  I hope you agree. I also hope to see them dotted on various interweb pages in the near future.

I hope you indulge my whims.  If you don't, then please take it up with management.  Oh wait, there isn't any.. Hehehehe; how sweet is my plan?