Many runners will drop the phrase “born to run” when describing their love of the sport. However, it seems that some people were truly made more specifically for that purpose. When a little boy starts giving up morning cartoons at age 5 to go run with his daddy, it seems arguable that maybe he really was born with it.

Jeremiah Herrman and his son Brayden have shared the love of running for most of Brayden’s young life. Brayden is 7 and has had a hefty running career already. Jeremiah is a runner and triathlete and explained how Brayden began his love of running by simply attending races to watch his dad. Afterward he’d imitate dad at home.

“He showed interest by playing at home like a runner. ‘Watch me dad, see how fast I am?!’ We encouraged him. ‘Yes B, you’re so fast! Show us again!’ He would zoom across the yard with his little uncoordinated legs pumping as fast as possible,” said Herrman.

Brayden participated in small tot races beginning at the age of three. These short runs weren’t enough to satisfy the little runner building on the inside though. “By five, I would come home from a long training run to find him waiting for me at the door in his running garb, and we would run a half to full mile cool down together,” said Herrman.
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A new vibe is taking place in the running world. If you haven’t yet noticed, running is getting more colorful, even a little dirtier. Mud runs, obstacle runs, color runs, and now the latest, a glow run, are changing the landscape of foot races. The first series of Glow Run 5Ks are set to take place this summer in the heart of the plains.

Steve Blew is the race director for the Glow Run 5K. He refers to these races as his “baby.” Currently the Glow Run is scheduled to take place in three locations, Kansas City, Wichita, and Omaha. The races take place at night and are being billed as a one-of-a-kind experience. The course is described as an event that will light up the night with things like a sixty foot black light tunnel, laser light shows, and runners who are encouraged to wear as many glow items as they can handle.

Sounds fun, and totally different. Blew explained how he crafted this idea. He referred to many of his friends being into the new trend of Day Glow parties, parties where only black lights are used and glowing paint is splashed all around while a DJ keeps everyone dancing. Apparently the parties become one giant glowing mob. So honestly put, Blew gave his friends the credit for inspiring him.

“The idea came from a group of my freaky friends who are into glow parties.”
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Apparently people like to get muddy. Well, they like to get muddy if they get a medal for it, at least. Adventure racing has exploded in the past few years. People are rising from the couch and willing to get in their cardio more than ever. The Warrior Dash is one of the fastest growing adventure race events in the world.

The Warrior Dash is an extreme 5K race with obstacles. The first event took place in July 2009 in Joliet, IL. Those first 2,000 participants took on the first ever obstacle laden race course and spread the word. That word spread like wildfire! In 2011, more than 33 Warrior Dashes took place across the globe with more than 700,000 participants. This year the organization anticipates hosting 65 worldwide events and welcoming more than 1,000,000 racers.

So what is the draw? What are the people coming to the events for? Each event is a 5K course with at least 12 obstacles along the way. Each event has different obstacles, but some of the favorites include jumping over fire, crawling through mud with barbed wire, navigating the capsized catamaran, or making it through a scrap yard of rusted wreckage. New Warrior Dash obstacles are created all the time to ensure no single event is like the other.
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Yesterday Jimmy Fallon more or less announced he’s going to take on a 5K. We love this news! For new runners, it’s an excellent goal to set for yourself. Those 3.1 miles aren’t extreme and are completely manageable. He’s doing it the right way and seeking out a little training guidance. He asked Twitter which app he should use and the unanimous vote was for Couch to 5K, our choice, too.

Jimmy already tweeted that he might give up. We think that’s nonsense. So, to keep him motivated, we’ve come up with a The Roots playlist. He might be able to slow jam his way through the news, but he’s going to need some bumping beats to carry him through a 5K.

The best runners have a little support from their friends, and what better support than music from your very own house band?

Jimmy, load up your iPod with these songs* from The Roots:
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Most people get up and run first thing in the morning. Comedian Jimmy Fallon tweeted about it. The first tweet from his @JimmyFallon account this morning was asking his more than 5.3 million followers which app he could use to start running a 5K.

“Any good ‘learn to run a 5k’ apps out there that you guys like? Theres a bunch, but which one is good?”

It sounds like the late night talk show host wants get up from behind the desk and move a bit more. Maybe the visit from President Obama, aka the Preezy of the United Steezy, inspired him to go after the PALA, the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. He has already worked out with Michelle Obama. Or maybe he’s setting us up for an awesome bit on the show. We tweeted out a request to find out what his motivation is, but haven’t yet heard back.

App suggestions of course poured in, as did one message to skip the app altogether. @FatTonysMacbook suggested, “You could always just…run,” to which Fallon replied, “nah… too easy.”

Nothing worth having ever came easy, Jimmy!
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