Blogs

April 28, 2008

Team Hammock enjoyed its first try at the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Saturday morning. The rain cleared in time for the start, and it stayed cool.

We had a blast. We raised a little money, lowered our resting heart rates over the time of training, enjoyed a course-side tent experience (Thanks, Carrie!) and had some fun. We really appreciated our friends who joined us by donating money, running with us or cheering us on.

First of all, thanks to our contributors. You've made great teammates. Thanks to your generosity and to our matches, we are donating $1,600 to four worthy organizations. We will contribute $450 each to the Nashville Adult Literacy Council, Nashville Zoo and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. We've also made a $250 donation to the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee on behalf of the law firm of Salas & Slocum, who graciously allowed us to set up our tent on their parking lot (and only made us sign a one-page waiver).

Hammock had nine walkers and runners make it across the finish line. We may hold the distinction of the longest-travelling half-marathoner of the day. Patrick Ragsdale, who planned to run the full marathon, was nursing a foot injury that was nagging him all week. Patrick made it to 16, then turned back and finished on the half marathon course. If you're counting, that's a 23-mile run. And yes, Patrick is on crutches today.

Check out this Flickr set of our photos from Race Day.

Our Team Hammock race tent was a welcome sight near mile 8 on the course. Those were our handsome red balloons flying over Music Row. Next year, look for the Hammock blimp.

Rex took the time to capture the experience of running in this phenomenal event with his hand-held high-def video camera. Check it out here. More than 30,000 people were registered participants, and it seems like half of Nashville turned out to cheer on the runners. The energy of the whole day makes me proud to have this great an event in my adopted hometown. I've been a participant in other major races around the country. I'm not sure there is a better one than ours.

Stay tuned to other Team Hammock events. I'll blog more about what we're doing next. We're committed to more than just running. We're trying to integrate our work and our passions with our work in utilizing all the tools of social media to reach goals. Let us know how Team Hammock can work for you.

Later: Thanks to Lynne Boyer for shooting some video of the Team Hammock Spirit Squad.

April 25, 2008

If you don't mind getting dizzy watching Rex's random camera-work, you can sense how much fun Team Hammock is having preparing for its first big event in this video from the Country Music Marathon Expo:

April 15, 2008

A week into our fundraising efforts, Team Hammock has raised more than $600 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Adult Literacy Council and the Nashville Zoo. Thank you to our supporters! We will continue to accept donations until the Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon race day on April 26.

We're happy to report the team is injury-free. Patrick R’s training is going so well (he ran 17 miles on Sunday), he announced that he’s ready to run the full marathon. Go, Patrick! Over the weekend Barbara M. ran the first nine miles of the course to avoid any surprises on race day. Her words of wisdom: Be ready for the hills of Battlefield and Belmont. Lena ran 12 miles, Megan P. walked seven miles and Kerri walked 8 miles on Saturday. Jamie squeezed in training of her own during an eight-mile hike (with a not-so-light backpack) through Frozen Head State Park. Despite their training regimens being sidetracked in March, both Rex and Barbara L. —finished eight-mile runs this weekend and are back on track.

This week some members of the team will squeeze in one final long run or walk before they begin to taper down the miles and begin resting up for the big day.

Join us on race day for snacks and to cheer on the runners and walkers at the Team Hammock station at 1611 16th Avenue South. We’ll be there from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m

March 10, 2008

Seven weeks and counting till the Country Music 1/2 marathon and your coach, (that's me) is behind in his training. I suffered a sledding injury to my tailbone on Saturday. I'll be ready but my mileage is a little bit lower than I'd like right now.

My teammates seem to be in full gear. Barbara M. ran 10 miles this weekend. Kerri walked 7.5 miles.

We are finalizing a couple of items about the race day (Saturday, April 26). Number one, we expect to have a Kintera site up shortly so we can raise some money from friends and family, as well as make our own corporate donations. We will make it possible for donors to choose from among several worthy causes when they make a donation. Here's a small advertising note for Kintera. If you've never used Kintera as a part of a not-for-profit raising money, or never seen this easy-to-use technology, you need to check it out.

Also, we are finalizing the location of the Team Hammock hospitality tent. We will have a place to go and spectate, support the runners, eat food, drink coffee and other beverages, and enjoy what has become like another holiday weekend in Nashville. Stand by for the details. I promise this will be the place to be course-side.

There are other races that occur before the 1/2 marathon. A new one that takes place in my neck of the woods, and near Hammock's offices is the Richland Creek Run, a 5-mile run to support Greenways for Nashville, held Saturday, April 5 at 8 a.m.

The race begins outside Cohn Adult Learning Center, also home to the Nashville Adult Literacy Council, an organization that will be one of the beneficiaries of Team Hammock's Country Music 1/2 marathon's fundraising. The race makes its way through Sylvan Park and onto the Richland Creek greenway. Hammock's own Lena Basha serves as a board member for NALC. The Richland Creek Run is a great tune-up for the 1/2 marathon. And, as someone who observes these things, I think they have the best t-shirt of any race around.

Good luck in your training.

March 4, 2008

As I ran past a group of youngsters waiting for the bus in my neighborhood this morning, I heard a child ask, "Why do people run like that?" I wasn't sure if he were talking to me or not, so I waited then called back, "to stay in shape."

I run for a lot of other reasons. I love the runner's high. I love sweating, when I am running. I feel cleansed by it. I run because for so many years, I couldn't run. Although I enjoyed walking and cycling, I just didn't feel as great as I do when I run.

Why do you run?

February 15, 2008

The Country Music Marathon is 10 weeks from tomorrow. Our runners and walkers at Hammock have entered the critical 10 weeks till race day stretch. We have a couple people on and just off IR right now (Barbara L. on, Patrick R. back in the game) and others who are just cranking up their training (yours truly among them). We have plans for our Team Hammock Spirit Station (we'll keep you posted), and the ever-important after-party. I'm checking to see how much Led Zeppelin will charge to play again for the after-party. I think that would be really a cool thing.

As the player/coach for Hammock's Country Music Marathon team (think Will Ferrell in the soon-to-be-released movie Semi-Pro), I thought I'd pass along a couple of tips I've learned from my years of being a running geek. As I am neither a sports trainer, nor a physician, I will stick to general principles and link to real experts.

1. Can I start training now? Yes. With a couple caveats. I would dissuade anyone from starting now and running your first half-marathon, but for joggers and regular runners, the schedule on a couple of the below sites can get you fit enough to run in 10 weeks. Or, just walk it.

Most training regimens for the half marathon are around 16-17 weeks. Marathon Rookie is one I'd heard of, and probably the gold standard for beginners is(Jeff Galloway's) method. There are plenty of others.

I actually googled "10-week 1/2 marathon training" this morning and found a link to a local runner who has a site called Pet Peeving. He has a 10-week schedule that assumes a base of running already, and is focused on him finishing the Country Music Marathon. Ben (he's also a marketing guy who is studying the idea of pet peeves in marketing) we wish you well. His site is based on the principles of Marathon Rookie.

2. Register for the race at http://www.cmmarathon.com. Do it now. This thing is not exactly Hannah Montana ticket popularity, but it's a big deal.

3. Have good enough shoes to train and race in. I like Team Nashville because owners Terry and Robert are serious about running and it reminds me of running stores like Moss Brown and Co. that I grew up with in Georgetown, that emerged in the aftermath of the jogging boom of the 1970s. Talk to them about training. There are places that will x-ray your feet. This gives some people great comfort. I think it's a bit gimmicky. Note about Team Nashville, they don't sell Nikes and some other brands of shoes. They don't talk about Nikes and some other brands of shoes. You can ask them why, but I've never dared. If you aren't in Nashville, find a good store. Stores that have stuff piled everywhere and aren't overly slick are likely a good store. Stores with teenagers that are wearing fake athletic uniforms may not be good at helping you choose shoes.

4. Don't stress out. As important as mileage is rest from running, sleep, good eating. Basically live your life. If you can work up to running 10 miles or running/walking 10 miles before the race by yourself or with a friend, you can finish 13.1 miles with 22,000 other people around you and your friends and neighbors cheering you on.

5. The Country Music Marathon is a first-class event. It's fun to race. It's also fun to watch. I've watched it many times, and am amazed at how great a time it can be. Team Hammock will be as focused on the off-course events as the on-course events.

6. Do some good with it. You can harness your training to raise some money. At Team Hammock, we are assembling an online tool that will allow us to raise some money for causes we support. There are plenty of good ones out there.

7. Don't run through injuries. Seriously. At this stage of your life, Coach isn't going to play you because you're gutting it out. Orthopedic surgery is expensive. Soreness is to be expected. Pain and suffering isn't. It's better to err on the side of being smart. Don't think other people care if you aren't training. If you really get hurt, you're always welcome at the Hammock Spirit Station.

8. Have fun.

January 24, 2008

"Team Hammock" has been a bit of an inside joke at our company for years. When Hammock employees finish 10Ks or half-marathons, or work on Hands On Nashville Day, or participate in the city’s Corporate Spelling Bee (and by participate, I mean dominate other companies with our spelling wizardry), we’ve referred to the participants as doing something on behalf of “Team Hammock.”

Recently, some of the branding whizzes in our shop decided that Team Hammock is worth discussing. Why? Because Team Hammock has tipped from inside joke to unstoppable force. Folks here care passionately about things other than custom media and they want to succeed in those efforts, make a difference, and have fun. What I’ve shared in the previous sentence troubles me (they care about stuff other than work?); however, I’ve read that healthy, balanced, fulfilled people are capable of more and better work.

So, we are chartering Team Hammock to showcase and support our collective passions outside of the work that we do for our clients. The work we do to support our community, the competitions we engage in and the pursuit of happiness (broadly interpreted) will henceforth be beamed out to you in this Team Hammock blog. We promise to hold back the most smug stuff we've got.

Now on to the latest news about Team Hammock. This weekend, Team Hammock’s own Barbara Mathieson, who has volunteered for years at the Zoo, and Laura Creekmore will be participating in the Nashville Zoo’s 5K race/walk.

Billed as the “Wildest Race in Nashville,” Saturday’s run helps raise funds for our incredible zoo to feed its 1,500 animals. As a fan of zoos, I can attest to what a blessing this zoo is for our city. I think when I moved here 13 years ago, the Nashville Zoo consisted of one scurrvied llama and a bear chained to a block of concrete. Since that time, serious money and love has been poured into this gem of a zoo. Best of all, we only rarely have animals escape.

Good luck, Barbara and Laura. Remember that the race goes not to the swiftest…unless you are being run down from behind by an escaped leopard. In that unlikely event, it will probably go to the swiftest.

Hammock Inc. people are always on the run. Train along with us and stay in touch with our community activities here on Team Hammock.