Hi, my name is Brett, and I'm officially addicted to Running.

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I have been training for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon that Zappos is sponsoring. It wasn't actually my idea, and I was a hard sell on doing it. But, after all these weeks, I am running in upwards of 7 miles at a time....that is not normal for me, or anyone in my immediate bloodline. But, I'm sold. I love it. I now have a form of stress relief. I sleep like a normal human being, and I even started lifting weights. (again, not normal for anyone in the Brett family, going back generations)

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I want to know WHY YOU RUN? Check out the video below:

Record a short clip telling us what makes you get out there every day, and set it as a reply to this video...."I run because"............

We want to hear about it, yo!

People get bored very easily. That is a fact that is about as certain as death and taxes. Think about the high school kid who falls asleep during a forty-minute lecture on the Italian Renaissance or the security guard who drifts off during the graveyard shift. When a person experiences something that spans a long period of time and offers no alterations or adjustments, there exists no possible way for a legitimate focus to occur. As a result, body and mind change course, looking to either rest from exhaustion or re-stimulate itself with something else.

Training for triathlon is no different. While following a detailed, structured workout schedule will give you the format to stay consistent, doing the same routine day after day will result in two situations: a serious loss of mental motivation and a seemingly unbreakable physical plateau.

Mentally, when you continually change your patterns, the brain stays sharp, as it constantly has a new goal to reach. You provide the stimulus your brain requires to keep your body moving in a manner that permits progress. For example, using a swim workout based on stroke count one day, always working to lengthen the body's reach to reduce the number of strokes it takes to cover a given distance, and the next day swimming against the clock, a place where strokes are less important and time rules, provides you with a different set of challenges. Your brain avoids the patternization that generates boredom and fatigue.

Likewise, physically, if you can repeatedly alter your goals, you can keep your body from reaching those plateaus that stunt growth. Confusing the muscles, making them work similar groups in a variety of ways, dodges the monotony of identical workouts. For example, running an endless string of treadmill workouts will never produce the long-range results you need. Instead, get outside and hit the trails or do a track workout. Try plyometrics or Kenpo. Mix in multiple variations that will strengthen the muscles while keeping them fresh and stimulated.

Overall, you will be a happier triathlete if you mix it up. Failing to do so will not only hurt your performance, but also it will take away the pure joy associated with the sport. Keep yourself mentally and physically excited and vary those workouts as much as possible.

Hey there! I'm still working on racking miles up, and last week was a good one.
Monday-3 miles
Tuesday-4 miles
Wednesday-7miles!!!!

It was hard, but I finally arrived at the halfway mark for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. Below is a video of the afterthoughts and one tired country boy. And his dog.

Hello there, runners!

We are well into October, and the Dec. 6 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon is sprinting towards us at a fast and crazy pace! I have decided, at the advisement of the Zappos Running Team, that I just do the half. The thought that I should run this powerfully and next year do the full. I agreed, and now I have my mind set on completing the Half at a good time and still have enough energy to have a beer and listen to some rock and roll afterward!

This week I am at the goal of 7 miles. I'm not moving along at the pace that I really wanted; I've been flat-lined at 5 miles, and I am going to break it!

Brooks, Asics, New Balance and Saucony have all helped me along with some gear, and it is much appreciated. The only thing I had to run in before this was a plaid moo-moo and wooden clogs I fashioned out of a tree in the forest near my house. (Picture that.....yes...yes....frightening, I know.)

But this week, I came across the finest piece of running gear known to man. (at least this man)

Behold:

Playlists for Brett's Running This Week:
-Robert Palmer-Sneaking Sally Through the Alley (obsessed with this album)
-JEM-Finally Woken
-Old Crow Medicine Show-Tennessee Pusher

Sign up here for the Half or the Full Marathon!

OK, OK, I know that I promised to limit the Forrest Gump references. I'll keep that mind...but I do know what love is. Oops....sorry, sorry, it's a habit, it's a habit.

I've received some cool running shoes from our Vendors and Merchandising Department since my training for the marathon began, and this week was no exception. Rockport, a fine brand that Zappos is proud to work with, sent me a pair of Dressports Abraim dress shoes, and they challenged me to put them on for a little run. Rockport says that this shoe is as comfortable as an athletic shoe, and I wanted to see for myself.

Many Zapponians that are planning to run the 13 mile Half for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon are training hard and have their eyes on Dec. 6. We all have different reasons for wanting to run the Half Marathon, and today we profile some of the brave souls who have decided to boogie on to the finish line. I introduce some of our Half-ers in the fine video below, produced by our own Jason C..

For Those About to Run, We Salute You!

Ani DiFranco reference in the title of this blog? Anyone? Anyone?

Hey there, Brett here. I've learned a lot during this training for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, and I sure would like to share a bit of it with you.

1. Know your limits. If your knees are swollen, ice them and take the night off. If you're feeling dehydrated, don't run until you're feeling like you're up to it. If you feel like your ankles or knees are getting weak, or you have any real pain going on, get it checked out, or, at the least, take a break for a day or two till you're not feeling like your legs are going to go out. I know you get that feeling of guilt if you don't get out there and run everyday, but getting injured and being forced to sit out for a month would really be the icing on that Guilt-Cake.

2. Diet does matter. I have always thought that I could eat whatever I wanted, as long as I was exercising. I would, more or less, have a big bowl of grease for at least one meal a day. I'm not saying that you can't have a nice fast-food treat every now and again, it's just that onion rings for breakfast probably isn't the best way to train for a marathon. So, if you're trying to train for a marathon and the only vegetables that you have are deep fried and come in a little cardboard container, things might be a little easier for you if you limit that to about once a week.

3. Keep trying to improve a little every run, but don't kill yourself. It doesn't have to be a mile increase every run, but try to go just a little farther, or run your distance in a little quicker time. In my experience, just getting in a minute or so quicker than the night before makes me really anticipate beating that time the next day. It's motivating, and this is coming from someone who two months ago was unmotivatable.

So, keep getting out there and training; Dec. 6 is just around the corner...let's keep rocking and rolling, ya'll!

Sign up for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon here!

Playlist for the Week:
Gov't Mule: Banks of the Deep End Volume 1
Jay-Z: The Black Album
Scene Unseen Movie Podcasts

The training continues, after a few days of healing. The blister issue was explained to me quite well by our in-house expert on running. Chris P. told me, "Dude, you have to stop running until these heal. Seriously."

I listened to him. (As you may have noticed, if you've been following this, I'm not a big fan of..you know....listening to advice, of any kind. But I'm trying Ringo, I'm trying real hard.

So, I took 5 days off from running and just lifted and hit the elliptical about 20 minutes a day. I had a great deal of back issues when I began training, and at the advice of our in-house life coach, Dr. Vik, I visited a chiropractor. He helped me out the most by saying that my posture is real, real bad and that I need to work on the muscles in my back, otherwise the problems would persist. I actually listened to something for a change, and man, it's working like a charm, yo! And for the first time in my life, I don't have the posture of someone living in the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Below is a little video of my cool-down ritual every night. Take a gander, if you please.


My playlist for the last week has been:

• The Black Crowes-Before the Frost
• Chris Thile-How to Build a Woman From the Ground
• My Morning Jacket-Songs: Ohia-EP

Get out there and sign up for the marathon, Zappos!

My marathon training continues on, and today, I take you on a run through Henderson, NV, the home of the Zappos Headquarters!





(Yes, that title is a Yonder Mountain String Band reference!)

I must say, it's getting easier. I'm topping out at 5 miles with a little walking in there, but I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. Gotta start somewhere, right? Just 3 weeks ago, the idea of running 3 miles was a disturbing and frightening idea that filled me with terror. Now, it's just what I do 5 days a week, and I actually don't really feel good unless I do it.

On the advice from our running experts on the athletic team, Chris P. and Kelly B., I have avoided blisters for about a week. Trust me, everyone, it's better to avoid cotton socks and get some good shoes before you do some real damage to those important items that are your feet.

This is what I'm running in:
The Asics Gel Nimbus 11 and the New Balance MR 1063; these are some killer shoes, my friends. Whatever you do, don't just go start training for a marathon in whatever you have buried in your closet from when you were younger and more energetic. I paid the price, yo! Blisters-a-plenty. It's worth it to get the right shoes to spare yourself the pain in the long Run. (Pun possibly intended.)

Also, Socks, Socks, Socks! Again, say it with me; Socks, Socks, Socks! Here are some double layer Wrightsock socks that have an Inner Layer of 70% CoolMax®, 30 % Nylon, and an Outer Layer of 72% CoolMax®, 24% Nylon, 4% Lycra® And, behold, the Wigwam Ultimax.

We have a lot of Zapponians that are deciding they want to take on the half or full marathon, and it's making my day to hear that. This is going to be a lot of work, ya'll, but let's keep on chooglin', we have many weeks yet to train.

Boogie on, I say!

Playlists for this Week:
-The Band-Remasters
-My Morning Jacket-Evil Urges
-The Raconteurs-Consolers of the Lonely
-James Brown.....YOWWWWW!

Oh, dear, blisters are no fun, kids. I've found myself with two big ones since the start of my running. But I've gotten through it with the help of our resident Zappos running experts.

In the video below, Chris P. tells us of a few ways in which we can avoid blisters when running or hiking, and ways to deal with them when we inevitably get them.

Brett's second week of training for the marathon went a little strange after the arrival of an evil blister. Watch and see...we warn you, this is graphic!

What's a gait test you ask? Well it's a test to see how you plant your heel when you run i.e. does it roll to the right, left or does it stay neutral. According to our gait analysis expert, Chris P., Brett has a very neutral gait — which apparently is the envy of all gaits — and with this information, Chris is able to to order the best possible running shoes for Brett's running style.

So, there you have it. Blindly buying running shoes, especially if you're preparing for a marathon, isn't the best way to go about it. Get your gait looked at before you buy your next pair of running shoes, you'll be glad you did.

Monday night was sort of a milestone for me: I ran 3 miles. Given, some of it, I did have to walk. I'm still getting winded every time I end up on a big incline, but I made it nonetheless. I know that 26 or 13 mile runs are a ways off from this, but it's a start, and I'm not discouraged! One thing that I find that motivates me: Air Drums.

I have been playing Air Drums since the age of 5, and I've found that if I listen to some killer music and jam along with it, sometimes even beating on my chest when the time is right, really motivates me to kick it on down the road a little quicker. If you give me a good Bo Diddley beat, I'll run from here to Texas!

Although the art of the air drums can make a run go fast and be the inspirado needed for a mental and physical *kickstart to your heart, there are a few guidelines to follow.

1. Avoid tree limbs. When you run into them with your face/head/body, that's no good.
2. People passing in automobiles are going to be under the assumption that you're mentally ill. And they are just going to have to get past that.

So, Day 4 is tonight, I'm going for 3 miles again, with little or no walking.

Playlist for Day 3:

• Creative Screenwriting Podcast: (500) Days of Summer
• Van Morrison (Astral Weeks)
• More Ben Harper....can't get enough of this Relentless 7 album!

Sunday was Day 2 for Brett's training for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon. He's sore..and sweaty...and his knees are swollen. And he's wondering if this is normal?

Playlist for Sunday:
Allman Brothers Band
Derek Trucks Band (Best slide guitar player in the business!)