Here's the official release!
Runners Have a New, Citizen Media Based Home in YourRunning.com
Latest online community from the Enthusiast Group:
Simon Martin is enthusiast-in-chief, Brad Feld blogs on marathoning
Boulder, Colorado (PRWeb) November 20, 2006 -- Runners, from world-class athletes to passionate enthusiasts, have stories to tell, photos to share and videos to show off, without waiting for a professional journalist to decide if it's publishable: YourRunning.com.
The Boulder, Colorado-based Enthusiast Group has debuted the new YourRunning.com online community where runners can share their stories, advice, news, photos, videos and product reviews. This is the third online sports site opened by the company; the others are
YourClimbing.com and YourMTB.com, communities for climbing and mountain biking enthusiasts, respectively.
YourRunning.com, which has been opened to public use during its beta period, is based on the concept of "citizen media" -- which simply means that runners themselves are the authors of much of the content on the site.
"Sports enthusiasts have compelling stories and images to share, but they typically are under-covered by traditional media," says Steve Outing, founder and publisher of YourRunning.com and the Enthusiast Group. "It's nearly always the stars of any sport who get media attention. But everyday athletes and sports participants deserve coverage, too. They should have a media outlet of their own. That's what YourRunning.com and other Enthusiast Group sites are about."
YourRunning.com isn't all user-submitted content, however. Serving as head cheerleader -- encouraging and helping runners share their stories and images and offering expert advice -- is
Enthusiast-in-Chief Simon Martin, a Boulder, Colorado-based runner and journalist who regularly tops his age class. Martin is currently working with Olympic running coach Bobby McGee to attempt a run on the mile record for over-50 runners.
Martin writes a blog on YourRunning.com about his running life ("Simon Martin's Run Time"), produces a podcast about running, shoots photos and video, and answers questions in an Ask Simon forum.
"I'm excited to be a part of the new YourRunning.com community," he says. "The site makes it so easy for runners to talk, to share training ideas, epic stories, pictures, videos, start their own blogs.... I don't think there's ever been anything like it. In races and training we're often out there suffering -- I mean having enormous fun -- on our own, but it's other people who have
helped me get the most out of my running. I'm really looking forward to being part of a new network of like-minded enthusiasts."
Also with a regular presence on the site is Brad Feld, a well-known venture capitalist and enthusiastic marathoner who is working toward a personal goal of running 50 marathons by the time he turns 50. Feld, who is ranked as the most-linked running blogger by Technorati.com,
has started a regular blog for YourRunning.com.
YourRunning.com is about audience participation and interaction.
Every piece of content posted to the site allows visitors and users to comment and discuss, and they can share anything they wish, as long as it's on the topic of running. They can ask questions and get expert answers from Martin as well as get advice from other YourRunning.com
users. "This is not like your traditional running magazine or website," says Outing, who is a well known interactive media expert and columnist. "This is about runners sharing their passions with each other. It's two-way dialog, not traditional one-way, we-tell-you-how publishing."
The site routinely runs contests and promotions, rewarding the best inspiration tales, photos and videos, for example, with running-related prizes provided by sponsors. Use of the site is
completely free to its users.
* About the Enthusiast Group
The Boulder, Colorado-based company was founded in early 2006 by Outing and Derek Scruggs, an experienced Internet entrepreneur, with the goal of creating a network of citizen-media-based websites serving adventure and participant sports. YourRunning.com, YourClimbing.com and YourMTB.com are the first sites published by the company to open to the public. Sites covering additional adventure and participant sports are planned for roll-out later this year and early in 2007, and the company is seeking athlete editors. See
http://www.enthusiastgroup.com/were_looking_for_top_athlete_editors
The Enthusiast Group is funded by a group of 11 investors, including Omidyar Network (a mission-based investment group founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar), DB Medialab (the new-media arm of Norwegian national newspaper Dagbladet), and Brad Feld.
Tuesday, November 21
Monday, November 20
Join me at YourRunning.com
Yes, it's been a bit quiet here lately. I'm going to keep addding to this blog, but I'm also now online at a new running website www.Your Running.com
The new site has just gone live. Although it LOOKS like an ordinary website, it isn't. The guys behind it are really into what they call "citizen media", and their mission is to do high-tech-made-easy so that non-computer geeks like us can blog, post in forums, comment, share pictures, videos and even audio clips really easily -- and to do all that without having to go through a filter of so-called experts.
Come and join in -- and make sure you leave a comment at least!
Saturday, November 11
Join the quest for a sub-5 mile
We're starting next week. An assessment day on November 18 kicks off a 45-week program that will take a small group of Masters runners from easy base training all the way to a peak of speed and power (now think positive, guys) just in time for the Pearl Street Mile in Boulder on August 16, 2007.
The program written by world-class coach Bobby McGee is designed for the "Beauties and Beasts" of Boulder -- that is, women over 40 and men over 50 -- but there's no reson why it shouldn't work for other ages... and to a certain extent for other speeds! So if you are, say, a 35-year-old who wants to break 6 minutes for the mile, then you can sign up with the rest of us.
As we launch this project, we've discovered that there are lots of people -- even those who are NOT from the glorious land of Bannister, Coe, Ovett and Cram -- who agree that there's something special about Mile racing. So Bobby has decided to open the program to folks in other parts. Of course, you won't benefit from his personal supervision, but you'll know what to do, and you can share progress and find out what the core group is doing via the Internet and email.
* Contact: Marci in Boulder at 1-303 946 3087; email bobbymcgee.admin@comcast.net
For details of The Pearl Street Mile, our main target race, see the Boulder Race Series website >here.
The program written by world-class coach Bobby McGee is designed for the "Beauties and Beasts" of Boulder -- that is, women over 40 and men over 50 -- but there's no reson why it shouldn't work for other ages... and to a certain extent for other speeds! So if you are, say, a 35-year-old who wants to break 6 minutes for the mile, then you can sign up with the rest of us.
As we launch this project, we've discovered that there are lots of people -- even those who are NOT from the glorious land of Bannister, Coe, Ovett and Cram -- who agree that there's something special about Mile racing. So Bobby has decided to open the program to folks in other parts. Of course, you won't benefit from his personal supervision, but you'll know what to do, and you can share progress and find out what the core group is doing via the Internet and email.
* Contact: Marci in Boulder at 1-303 946 3087; email bobbymcgee.admin@comcast.net
For details of The Pearl Street Mile, our main target race, see the Boulder Race Series website >here.
Sunday, November 5
Armstrong breaks 3 hours: 'hardest physical thing I've ever done'
Seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong achieved his goal of finishing the New York marathon in under three hours.
BBC news reported: "Armstrong, who was paced for most of the race by greats Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit Samuelson, recorded two hours 59 minutes 37 seconds.
'It was amazing', the 35-year-old said. 'It would have been three and a half hours without them'."
'That was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I've ever done', he said.
'In 20 years of pro sports, endurance sports, from triathlons to cycling, all the Tours, even the worst days in the Tours, nothing was as hard as that, and nothing left me feeling the way I feel now in terms of just sheer fatigue and soreness.
'I wanted to break three hours, but if you told me, you know, with three miles to go, you're going to do 3:05, I didn't care. I wouldn't have cared.'
As far as predictions went I was close, but Armstrong's finishing burst got him home with more time to spare than I thought -- 21 seconds faster than the 2:59:58 I had him down for.
BBC news reported: "Armstrong, who was paced for most of the race by greats Alberto Salazar and Joan Benoit Samuelson, recorded two hours 59 minutes 37 seconds.
'It was amazing', the 35-year-old said. 'It would have been three and a half hours without them'."
'That was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I've ever done', he said.
'In 20 years of pro sports, endurance sports, from triathlons to cycling, all the Tours, even the worst days in the Tours, nothing was as hard as that, and nothing left me feeling the way I feel now in terms of just sheer fatigue and soreness.
'I wanted to break three hours, but if you told me, you know, with three miles to go, you're going to do 3:05, I didn't care. I wouldn't have cared.'
As far as predictions went I was close, but Armstrong's finishing burst got him home with more time to spare than I thought -- 21 seconds faster than the 2:59:58 I had him down for.
Wednesday, November 1
Breaking the 5 minute mile 'barrier'
Go sub-5 and stun your age-group!
Announcing a unique opportunity for
Masters athletes to crack the 5-minute mile.
Be a part of Olympic coach Bobby McGee’s
new Magic Miling program designed to take a select group of committed runners under the 5-minute “barrier” by August next year.
We’re starting this month.
Come and explore your possibilities at an information and sign-up session with Bobby on Thursday November 9.
* 7pm-8.30pm, at Sequel Venture Partners, 4430 Arapahoe Ave, Suite 220, Boulder.
SE corner of Foothills and Arapahoe – the office park is called View Point. Lots of parking. Contact: Marci at 303 946 3087; bobbymcgee.admin@comcast.net
Announcing a unique opportunity for
Masters athletes to crack the 5-minute mile.
Be a part of Olympic coach Bobby McGee’s
new Magic Miling program designed to take a select group of committed runners under the 5-minute “barrier” by August next year.
We’re starting this month.
Come and explore your possibilities at an information and sign-up session with Bobby on Thursday November 9.
* 7pm-8.30pm, at Sequel Venture Partners, 4430 Arapahoe Ave, Suite 220, Boulder.
SE corner of Foothills and Arapahoe – the office park is called View Point. Lots of parking. Contact: Marci at 303 946 3087; bobbymcgee.admin@comcast.net
What will Lance do in the New York marathon?
Have you placed your bets in the Runner's World contest?
I have him down for 2:59:58.
Yes, he's 30lb heavier than a Paul Tergat and yes, his joints aren't used to the pounding, but this guy has got a very strong mind and a killer competitive instinct.
If Armstrong is way outside 3 hours then may decide to just have fun and run to finish without doing too much damage to himself. But if he gets within reach of a sub-3-hour run, I'm betting he will go for it.
I have him down for 2:59:58.
Yes, he's 30lb heavier than a Paul Tergat and yes, his joints aren't used to the pounding, but this guy has got a very strong mind and a killer competitive instinct.
If Armstrong is way outside 3 hours then may decide to just have fun and run to finish without doing too much damage to himself. But if he gets within reach of a sub-3-hour run, I'm betting he will go for it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
