Dear Athlete!
 

It's summer and it FEELS like summer! Running with my 5:30AM group from my house with the 50+ degree weather requires no hat, no gloves, no tights, no jacket...just the basics!

Speaking of the group, they were a bit surprised to see Lineth Chepkurui (yes, the women's champ at Bolder Boulder!) smiling and sitting in my kitchen ready to run with them the week prior to Memorial Day! I've never seen so many guys bravely trying to hang on to her for the first two miles before she politely dropped all of them but John Korir and Peter Tanui (and my dog Wesley who believes he is from Eldoret, Kenya). You just never know who might show up!

The day after announcing the Danskin Triathlon, I ran around Town Lake in Austin (a great loop as long as you avoid the crowds...reminds me of Denver's Washington Park in popularity!) and it was 95 and humid at 8AM...but who's complaining?

This month's topics are easy and fun (nope, no requests for you to contribute to one of my causes but many thanks to those that did last month helping LLS.org to raise over $240K at the Man & Woman of the Year Gala!): 

• Mizuno Road to the Olympic Trails (meet our local rising distance running stars and go meet them at the local running stores)

  The Mizuno Road to the The Olympic Trials - Patrick Rizzo

• Mile High Amazing Race this weekend  (OK, I'm on the Board for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and this is one of their really fun annual events!). It's a snap to put a team together and the weather looks to be ideal (as compared to 2010). Here's a video link for last year's event that hints on what is in store for you without the rain!
• Every year since 1994 two of my buddies, Paul Samaris and Jeff Galloway take a group to Athens, Greece (I went a few years ago and had an incredible time!) to run the Athens Marathon! Personally I think this is one of those "bucket list" items! Here's the plus: if you sign up for one of the packages BEFORE JUNE 30TH and mention you learned about it through BKB, Paul will donate $100 to your favorite charity or purchase a $100 gift card for you to use. There are brochures at all the running stores and at the BKB Upcoming Events table or call him at 303-755-2888!
• USATF 2011 Grand Prix! One of our June events, the Stadium Stampede will offer prize money to the top open and masters athletes. You do need to be a 2011 USATF Colorado cardholder! This is another way our emerging elite athletes get valuable support in our local community thanks to St Joseph Hospital Foundation. 

We're involved in so many runs and walks in Colorado this month, I wish you could do all of them! Visit our web site, click on to the various links in this letter or pick up a form in any Boulder Running Company or Runners Roost!

Finally, people are always asking me for advice about training. I give it but it might be better to ask my friend, Hal Higdon. Whether it's motivation or training advice, he's got wonderful answers and is the author of the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide plus tweets regularly on Twitter.com. You can follow him @higdonmarathon.

Next month I'm going to share some new information about a new heart rate monitor created by Sally Edwards (here's a sneak peek link).

Hope to see you in Vail for the annual retreat with Jeff Galloway in 10 days!