TOMORROW IS THE KICK OFF OF OUR HOT JULY 🇺🇸 "MERICA" 250-Mile Challenge: to RUN 8.06 Every Day 🇺🇸 AND for a majority of us..... HOT is an understatement! Any whoooo...... Happy Birthday “MERICA" Our goal is simple but demanding (EZPZ): All we have to run 8.06 miles every day for 31 days. Complete all 31 days and you’ll finish the month with approximately 250 miles. MASSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT Challenge Parameters 1. Challenge Dates: July 1 – July 31 2. Daily Goal: Run 8.06 miles each day. 3. Monthly Goal: Reach a total of 250 miles by the end of July. 4. Eligible Activities: Running outdoors or on a treadmill. Walking miles do  count! 5. Tracking: Participants should log their miles daily using their preferred fitness app or tracker. Then Post on the ECRC Club Page. 6. Missed Days: If you miss a day, you may make up the mileage on another day as long as your total reaches 250 miles by July 31. 7. Rest & Recovery: Listen to your body. Proper hydration, nutrition, stretching, and recovery are strongly encouraged. 8. Honor System: This challenge is based on honesty and personal accountability. Log only the miles you actually complete. Challenge Motto “One day. One run. 8.06 miles. Repeat.” Why 8.06 Miles? - 8.06 miles × 31 days = 249.86 miles (rounded to 250 miles). - The challenge is designed to build consistency, endurance, and mental toughness throughout the month.

OH that good ole "Warm up" do you even need to do it.... who has time for that anyway. Nothing says elite runner confidence like jumping out of your house , tying your shoes, and immediately trying to run a PR pace as if your body wasn't sitting in a chair 90 seconds ago. But here are a few facts... Research shows that a proper warm-up can increase muscle temperature by 1-2°F, improving muscle elasticity, power output, and efficiency. Research has also shown that a proper warm up program can help prevent in jury 30-40%. Furthermore studies have also found that runners who perform dynamic warm-ups can improve performance by 2-5%. Translation: your body works better when you don't treat it like an old lawnmower that should magically start at full throttle. Why? A good warm-up increases blood flow, gets oxygen moving to working muscles, improves range of motion, and helps your nervous system remember that today's mission is running—not scrolling social media. (But if you are scrolling be sure you include this page :-) Even elite runners spend 15-30 minutes warming up before hard workouts. Meanwhile, some of us (ME) are out here doing one ankle circle and saying, "Yep, that should do it." Me: Guilty... So I'm curious... For today's MONDAY MORNING CONVERSATION... What's your personal warm-up routine before a run? Do you have a detailed pre-run ritual, or are you part of the "first mile IS the warm-up" club? BE honest and share what is your go to....

Ok this is a good one this week. You know those runs... the epic runs that just seem like you crush them with ease, the mind is good and the body is good and you just get to enjoy that high feeling... ( I hope you all have experienced this) SO... for today's Monday Morning conversation. We want to know when was the most recent run that you has this happen? Not your best most epic run even but the most RECENT one... Give us all the good details... the run, the conditions and the feels that it gave! We can't wait to hear them... Really it is why we run! OK answers now GO......

YES we all love the "Would you rather questions" SO here is a good one.... and one that has been top of mind for me as of lately.... Would you rather have to train and or Race in... 1. Higher altitude where that thin air takes your breath away? 2. Humid conditions where you feel like you are drenched in sweat before the run even starts? We want to hear about your best run story that involved one of these conditions. I am sure there are some good ones. SO DON'T HOLD BACK!

Completed my second Standard distance triathlon yesterday, longer bike course quite a few more hills and in a crazy heat wave. Got the nutrition right this time and felt strong all the way through to the finish 💪🏻🩷