JTV Running Group

In recent news the JTV running team competed in the Knoxville Autumnfest 8k over Thanksgiving week, which was a cross country scoring event. The team consisted of Bob Adams(1), Brad Adams(3), Wayne Lambert(9), Robin Auerbach(10), Radu Stoica(14) and Paul Becker(23). They snatched up 2nd place in the corporate division securing a 3rd place corporate division season overall finish. The race marked the end of the KTC racing series, but the thirst to race will be tested again at the Calhoun's 10 miler in 2009. Nice job team and I can't until next season.

The Belgian waffle breakfast and great volunteer support made the event a blast! The race course had it's share of up hills, but those inclines where partnered with some nice flat to downhill spots on the course. The Adams brothers (Bob & Brad) anchored the team with sub one hour times, they've got skills. Wayne and Radu had the support of their family that day, in fact you'll see Radu's daughter Cristina in the Corporate Division 3rd place photo. The word on the street is that Radu chants "Cristina, Cristina" when he crosses the finish line or maybe that was Paula Radcliffe that did that with her daughter Isla. I'll have to double check my facts. ;)

Nice work team on a well run race and winning third in the Corporate Division!

The JTV Running Team had 5 members at the Columbus Marathon, Robin, Wayne, Brad, Bob and Jose. The multi-minute PR's was the trend with Robin running a 14 minute PR (4:01), Wayne qualified for Boston with a new PR (3:59), and Jose ran a 7 minute PR (3:16). Brad qualified for Boston again with a 3:06, and Bob helped the third place overall female runner past the fourth runner in the last mile.

Nice work team!

I'm sure the Ultra Marathoners of the group are familiar with David Goggins. If your not, it's a must to watch.

Read about Radu's journey at the New River Trail 50k!
A lot harder than any anticipation or what I've encountered in training, 18 miles of tough pain, right foot injury at mile 14 (where I had the stress fracture in summer, followed by quad cramps a few miles later, never had that before), stomach/hydration, lower back, everything seemed to fall apart. I bonked and I was done. Nevertheless, I finished my first 50k (+some) within the 7 hour limit, 6:47. Plenty of time to spare!! :-))

It's only you that can create such a special, extremely intense experience for yourself. I've never been so deep in my life. Highs and lows are very surprising, it's like a research project, studying your own self. Like Dean Karnazes says in his last book, it's not masochism, and I would add it's not narcissism either. I'll just say that I feel humble.

I just have a weak mind that I have to deal with. :-) I seem to perform better in training than in races. Too much training invested in one race, I would guess.

This time the mental crash came the night before the event. We were behind the schedule going to bed, as I've been all week, and I needed to prepare my fluids bottles that I would pick up from my wonderful wife (my best crew and supporter) along the way. I should say first that I was going into this convinced that I will religiously replicate what worked in training. Right! Like my hurried, stressed-out brain would allow that... So, there comes the "ultra-smart" idea of having a higher concentration of electrolytes / energy drink in my fluids. "My body will need that extra sugar since I'm going such a long way" came my senile thought. Usually in training I used 50% ice in my fluids. That night the water content went down to 25-35%, which was the first falling domino piece. Funny, my wife actually took pictures of me doing the deed.

The race started cool. I started slow and controlled, I was having a great time, chatting with Chris Redman that did a 50 miler (Iron Mountain) just a week before this 50k. I would periodically review my GPS and slow down our pace. Great time, happy to be there, enjoying nature, good company, and the nice running conditions. Chris went ahead as I was refilling my bottles at mile 7, but I kept seeing him, as we were going at more or less the same pace. I actually caught up with him a couple of times, at mile 10 and at the mile 12 aid station. Also, I even passed a couple of other runners during these miles.

For the first 12 miles, I was happy to keep pushing sugar and caffeine without any problem. The second "bright" idea of the day being that I should have my caffeine GUs early in the day, to "wake up", leaving the non-caffeine GUs for lunch time. Plus, I was getting more caffeine than usual from the higher concentration of my energy drink. Plus, in my morning ritual I had my coffee with Red Bull, as I didn't have orange juice available. I know, it sounds weird, I'm not going into the too much info zone of why I'm doing that. I'll just say it worked in training.

My body wasn't holding water very well, due to the extra caffeine as I later realized. I was thirsty and drinking, and also stopping too often.

Due to the extra sugar, I was beginning to feel nauseous soon after the mile 12 aid station. At mile 14, my right foot cracks, the same pain I've been fighting at the beginning of the summer (suspected stress fracture). As I'm modifying my stride, the plantar fascia tightens and starts cramping, followed by a new pain on the interior side (as I was pushing more on my big toe instead of the middle toes). A few miles later, my right quads start cramping bad towards the IT band, stopped, stretched, cramping ended, but the pain was still there.

All the slopes are so slow, that all the time I feel like I'm running on flat, but my GPS indicates 9500 feet elevation gain and 9500 feel elevation loss over the course of 31.7 miles covered (which is probably wrong). I would have preferred a more rolling terrain to get different muscles working, and get something out of my downhill effortless speed. Nevertheless, I believe this was the perfect setting for anybody doing his/her first 50k, and I'm very thankful to Annette (the race director) for creating such an awesome event.

Meanwhile, I told my wife to get my reserve pair of shoes ready, so at mile 20, I switched to my road shoes (that had a heel cup, and felt tighter, offering more support). I didn't really need the trail shoes for this terrain. My overall moving pace was around 12 min/mile, but I had stops of about 25 minutes for all these reasons. As I was leaving that aid station, it was the only moment where I thought about quitting. My wife was brief in her vision: So you've run 20 for nothing? Keep going, I don't care about your pace. And I did just that. I owe her finishing this race as well, I was getting happier every time, just by seeing her.

As I was now avoiding sugar and caffeine, drinking just water (I also had a soy sauce packet) for longer periods, eating from my sandwich (white bagel, soy sauce, peanut butter, ham, and baby swiss) I did get a second wind. Very weak though, compared with what I experienced in training, and it lasted for only 3 miles. And my pace was still being affected by the frequent stops (as the lack of electrolytes was now creeping on me). I kept promising myself not to run for a few months after the race, to lure myself closer to the finish. Doing another 50k, or even a marathon, was totally out of the question at that point.

Then, with 4-5 miles to go I stopped sweating. I kept drinking what I had with me, but not nearly enough to deal with my thirst. The fluids somehow refused to stay with me, I was really dehydrated. I was wondering, was the lack of sweating due to my slow pace, or due to dehydration? Temperature in the 70s, sunny all the time, normally I would sweat even without moving. I remembered then a survival TV show saying that lack of sweating means real trouble. Taking my info from survival shows didn't seem like a good sign. I was feeling the lowest of physical lows in my life.

Psychologically, I was still happy to be there and cruising. I was closing on another runner in trouble, trying to pull away from a few runners that entered the last aid station as I was leaving. Compared with all of them, I had a relatively strong finish. I did consider going slower to the finish, together with the guy I caught up with, but I decided to just keep doing my best given circumstances. What a message, as he finished after the 7 hour cut-off.

The last 2 miles were 100% without any shade, hot, sick, I couldn't drink anything anymore. I couldn't stop myself from feeling furious about all the unnecessary suffering due to such a rookie mistake. Also, I was worried about any training restrictions that my injuries will impose. At an improbable time, my passion for running was coming back! I was running/walking cold but my soul felt warm as I saw Chris 1 mile away from the finish line. He finished some 40 minutes before me and came back to reel me in. I was once again relieved to let go of some demons, he patiently explained what's coming up. As I saw the finish line, amazing, magical energy surged in me. I was ready to run at 6 min/mile for the rest of the way (closing on another participant). Nothing hurt anymore, nothing. Then I looked back and stopped, walking as I was waiting for Chris, I really wanted to have him in my finishing pictures.

That's it. I am thankful to many-many people for the supportive environment and inspiration leading my Clydesdale body to the end of a 50k (+ some, I think it was more like 32 miles). Since you're reading this, there is a fair chance you are one of these people!

Bob Adams had a spectacular race at the Murfreesboro Half Marathon finishing in 1:18:10! He also grabbed up 8th place overall and 1st in his age group. This the second year of the half marathon and it's getting great buzz! It's only about 3 hours away from Knoxville!

Well done Bob!

http://www.themiddlehalf.com/

The Virgina race is nearly upon Radu and Chris Redman, it's only days until they'll have their chance to test their limits and love of trail running. Wish them well as they travel to Virginia. Good luck boys!

http://ncnr.org/nrt50k.html

The JTV team was represented by the fast and brave ones! Brad Adams, Bob Adams and Chris Redman endured the trails of Big South Fork with Bob finishing 4th overall, Brad finishing 9th overall. They've won the respect of the rest of the JTV team.

Nice work guys!

OVERALL
4 Bob Adams 1:55:40 | 6:37
9 Brad Adams 2:11:26 | 7:31
121 Christopher Redman 3:27:09 | 11:51

MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29
1 1:55:40 Bob Adams

MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34
1 2:11:26 Brad Adams

See full results at KTC.org/results

Congratulations are in order for the spirited athlete that will run, bike, swim and run again all in one day. Radu is committed to meeting his triathlon goal with the support of his family and friends. He finished third in the Trail Running Grand Prix Series open division with a total of 198 points. Radu has issued a challenge to other runners to compete next year, Bob Adams has vowed to "steal the show" next year.

Also, it is noteworthy to mention that Vlado Barun placed 12th with only running three of the seven races. Nice job!

You can see the full results here: http://www.ktc.org/TTT_GP08.htm

The official JTV trophy case is a reality!
You can see the running trophies in the Annex building directly in front of the Human Resources desk.

Paula Radcliffe, Cathrine Ndereba, Mizuki Noguchi, Zhou Chunxiu and Deena Kastor are ones to watch. Make sure to clear your schedule for the Women's marathon this coming Sunday at 7:30am.

You can read more about the top contenders by clicking here.

Women's 1500m Final


Men's 1500m Final

The team won 2nd place in the Corporate Division on the hills rich course!

We finished with Bob placing 11th overall, Brad winning his age group, Robin placing 3rd in her group, Will placing 3rd in his group, Jose placing 2nd in his group and the BIG ONE Ramish PR with a 1:07:23! Travis and his Uncle Tony had a solid showing at Carter Mill too, it was nice to see them out there.

After the race some of us cooled off in the pool and did some back-flips too. Special thanks go to Will for running this event with such a short notice.

Let's take Mill House in November!

Hills are on the menu at Carter Mill, but with a sweet 1/2 mile downhill near the finish. The team has their sights on Carter Mill. Let's do it for Wayne and Radu!

The JTV running team will put their running passion to the test at the Pilot Fireball 5k on Neyland Dr. in Knoxville. Good luck!

If your looking for a stroll in the park or relaxing day at the beach, you won't get that at Torture Tuesday. What you will get is SPEED! Track workout is held every Tuesday at 6:00am at the Farragut Track.

Runnersworld has an interesting article on how to knock off 12 to 15 minutes off your marathon time. This might help those wanting to reach a goal this coming fall. See the bulleted list of 12 things you can do to get faster times or visit It's About Time Article to read the full article.


1. Add some fast stuff. - save 2 minutes

2. Look for good weather. - save 2 minutes

3. Find a pacer. - save 2 minutes

4. Hire a coach. - save 1 1/2 minutes

5. Add more long runs. - save 1 1/2 minutes

6. Be course-conscious. - save 1 1/2 minutes

7. Replenish on the run. - 1 minute

8. Make recovery a priority. - save 1 minute

9. Stay far from the maddening crowd. - save 1 minute

10. Think positively. - save 1/2 minute

11. Eat breakfast. - save 1/2 minute

12. Stick close to home. - save 1/2 minute

Total time you'll save: 15 minutes

This is the award JTV won at the Expo 10k in the Corporate Division.

Overall race day was bearable with temps in the 60s and the course was kind with few hills. Thanks for everyone who came out today, we did it as a team. Also, congrats to Mary and Alison for placing 2nd in the Mother/Daughter category and to Brad and Reed for placing 3rd in their age group!

Official JTV Expo Team 2008:
Brad Adams, Bob Adams, Robin Auerbach, Alison Haugh, Reed Haugh, Wayne Lambert, Mary Regan, Radu Stoica, José Salas

You can find the official race results at www.ktc.org/results

Did someone say "Fireball"?

The Tennessee Sports Medicine EXPO 10K/5k is one of Knoxville oldest running races with large support of the community. The course takes you through scenic downtown Knoxville finishing in Market Square. The race is on Saturday, May 24 starting at 8:00am. If you are a Jewelry Television employee or family member and would like to join the JTV Expo Team make sure to list yourself as part of Jewelry Television team when you register or contact contact team captains Brad Adams or Wayne Lambert for more information.

Official JTV Expo Team 2008:
Brad Adams, Bob Adams, Robin Auerbach, Alison Haugh, Reed Haugh, Wayne Lambert, Mary Regan, Radu Stoica

Visit the KTC Tennessee Sports Medicine Expo page to sign-up.

Whether you are a former track athlete yearning to compete again or a casual runner looking for social running partners, Jewelry Television has a running team that fits your lifestyle and members who can help you reach your goals. Employee’s spouses, children, parents and siblings are also encouraged to run as well and can compete with the team at Knoxville Track Club races.

Current JTV team members range from top-level Knoxville Track Club athletes, runners who are training for ½ and full marathons, to casual runners who enjoy exercising and the social aspect of the group. The team members meet and run several times a week (current meeting spots are at Runner’s Market in Farragut Monday’s at 5:30 p.m., the Farragut Track Tuesday mornings 6 a.m. and Tuesday evenings 6 p.m. and at Fleet Feet, Turkey Creek Thursday’s at 6 p.m.).