Headsweats Blog

Meet our Athlete of the Month – RunKino!

If you haven’t already seen Hideki Kinoshita a.k.a. RunKino at a race, you most likely will in the near future. This marathon runner is all over the place – running races, pacing friends, raising money for charities, offering giveaways to his fans, you name it. And for the month of May, Kino is the FIRST EVER Headsweats Athlete of the Month! Below, he answers our questions on how he became a runner, why racing is such an important part of his life, and what’s in store for him next.

Kino after finishing The North Face Endurance Challenge - Bear Mountain 50K on 5/4/2013 at Bear Mountain, NY. It is one of the most technical and challenging courses in the Northeast. +/- 9,700 ft of elevation change over 31 miles.

1. How long have you been a runner?

I ran my first race in June 2007, but it was a “one and done” type deal. It was a New York Road Runners 4 mile race for the first ever Japan Day in Central Park, but I found it so hard that I did not want to run another one. After cheering for a couple friends at the 2007 NYC Marathon in November, I caught the running bug and joined my first running club and started training for races. That is when I became a “runner.”

2. When & where did you run your first marathon?

I ran my first marathon a year later at the 2008 Yonkers Marathon on 9/21/2008 in Yonkers, NY. It is the second oldest existing marathon. The oldest is Boston. Yonkers is known as a very hilly course used by veterans to train for target fall races like Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia. The cutoff was 5 hours, and I finished in 5:00:15. Luckily, the RD did not cut me off. If I had been cut off and my first marathon was a DNF, who knows how I would have felt? I might have quit after that.

3. What’s the key to your training success?

The key to my training success is to focus on a reason to motivate myself to put on my running shoes and go out the door to run at 7am in the morning or late at night, when I could be sound asleep. My current focus is to improve my marathon PR time so I can BQ and enter the 2014 Boston Marathon, and run it to honor the victims of the bombings.

When I start to make excuses to myself not to run, I just think of four names: Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi, & Sean Collier. When I think of their sacrifice, it puts everything into perspective and I quit making excuses and go out and run. Any pain I feel during races, I try to suck up because I am one of the lucky ones to have survived Boston unscathed. I feel lucky to just be alive. Running is a celebration of life, and I no longer take it for granted. There are so many people who aren’t able to run, so those of us who can are very fortunate.

My good friend Justin Wood and I have kicked off a fundraiser for The Boston Foundation, to help the city out. I am currently training harder than I ever have, typically logging 60 to 100 miles a week, in order to BQ. I recently lowered my marathon PR to 3:15:12 at the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon in Minnesota on 5/11/2013. Here is our fundraising site, in case anyone want to take a look at it: http://www.crowdrise.com/BostonMarathon2014

4. What’s your favorite running gear?

My favorite running gear, from head to toe, is: a Headsweats Supervisor (I own several with various logos on them), Phiten Titanium Necklace, whatever charity jersey I am representing, a SPIbelt to pin my bib onto and carry my gels, 2XU compression shorts, RaceReady Long Distance Shorts for ultras, Phiten X30 Titanium Compression Calf Sleeves, injinji Midweight Mini-Crew Perfomance Toesocks, & inov-8 X-Lite 155 shoes for pavement or Hoka One One Bondi B shoes for trails.

5. What’s the funniest/strangest thing to happen to you at a race?

When I ran the 2012 LA Marathon, I ran a fast first half in 1:36, but then began suffering in the second half, which took me 2:01, finishing the race in 3:37:00. It’s not too shabby of a time, but in the last half mile, I was outkicked in the end by a 20 year old guy wearing a full body Gingerbread Man outfit from the movie Shrek. It was really embarrassing because I am usually the one outkicking people to the finish line. The guy blew past me and I just couldn’t keep up with him. It was a combination of him being fast and me bonking badly. He finished in 3:33:42.

6. What charities do you support?

I have raised close to $70,000 for a number of charities. Aside from The Boston Foundation, which I previously mentioned, I also continue to run and fundraise for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), Back on My Feet (BoMF), and the Mount Sinai Medical Center’s WTC Health Program. To learn more about my fundraising endeavors, please visit my fundraising sites below.

Boston Marathon Relief Fund: http://www.crowdrise.com/BostonMarathon2014
PanCAN Charity Fundraiser: http://tinyurl.com/RunKinoPanCAN
Back on My Feet NYC Fundraiser: http://tinyurl.com/RunKinoBoMFNYC
WTC Health Program Fundraiser: https://philanthropy.mountsinai.org/kino

7. Let us know any races you have completed & upcoming races – are you training others or is it for yourself?

Wow, I just ran my 135th lifetime marathon / ultramarathon, so there are too many races to list. In the past 3 weekends, I ran 4 marathons and a 50K ultra in 5 different states. Besides the BQ goal, I am finishing up a goal to run a sub-4 hour marathon in all 50 states. I have 2 states left and hope to finish them off this weekend at the Colfax Marathon in Denver, CO on 5/19 and then at the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, VT on 5/26. To see my list of sub-4 states, visit: http://www.runkino.com/p/50sub4.html

For my marathon and ultra history, visit: http://www.runkino.com/p/history.html & http://www.marathonmaniacsdb.com/Maniacs/MyMarathons.asp?ManiacId=1382

For my ever evolving upcoming marathon and ultra schedule, visit: http://www.runkino.com/p/schedule.html

I have begun to pace others in races, as a way to pay it forward from the numerous people who have paced me at races in the past like Marco Cheung, Mike Moschitta, Wayne Bailey, Derrick Tsang, Rick Thiounn, Dave Carlsson, and Emily Hansen. Without these caring folks, I would have never achieved my first sub-4 race, my 50th state marathon in Hawaii in a sub-4 time, and 100 miler finishes in Ontario, Canada and in North Carolina. My first official pacing assignment was the 2013 New Jersey Marathon, in which I teamed up with pacer veteran Otto Lam as the 4:00 pacers. I finished in 3:59:58 and he finished in exactly 4:00:00, so if you average our times, it comes out to 3:59:59, which is a perfect pacing job for the 4 hour group. I couldn’t believe it.

I can’t claim to “coach” any individual runner, but I do encourage others to build up their miles with me and join me at marathons and ultras to prepare for goal races and 100 milers. Many of these friends end up qualifying to become fellow Marathon Maniacs. They know who they are, and they (along with their significant others and parents) jokingly continue to call me a “bad influence.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this Q&A! I hope you try out Headsweats brand athletic headwear and see for yourself what a great piece of apparel it is and how it can help you perform to your potential. It sure has helped me over these past few years of distance running.

Sincerely,

Hideki “Kino” Kinoshita

@RunKino on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Posted on May 17, 2013 by admin
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Jack Pilla, Ultra Runner, Endurance Athlete, Running Coach

Jack Pilla shares his photos, stories, advice and tales from his 2013 adventures and the upcoming season.

Jack running through the high Sierra Mountains of Nevada

WHAT TO RUN FOR RACES IN 2013?

Planning for 2013 started out with a number of hopeful races but so many now require runners to register for lotteries to gain entry. It’s become almost impossible to get into all the races that you want. First lottery was held in early December for the Western States 100 Mile in California being run in June. I ran it in 2006 during record heat where temps reached 112 degrees at times. That was early in my ultra running days where I crashed and burned bad but finished. I’ve been trying to get back to redeem myself ever since. But not happening in 2013, another failed lottery attempt. Second lottery was held in mid December for the Hardrock 100 Mile in Colorado being run in July. It’s an incredible 100 mile journey through the high peaks of Colorado. With only about 135 runners allowed, that proved to be hopeless with a thousand plus runners trying to get in. I didn’t even make the waiting list, again. Next up would be the ultimate in endurance and one of my “Dream Races”, the Tor Des Geants in Italy being run in September. This is an awesome race through the Italian Alps stretching some 330 kilometers (208 miles) with 79,000 feet of climbing and 79,000 feet of descending. And this is no stage race. It starts when the gun goes off and finishes when you cross the finish line. Sleeping is optional. The winner last year took 3 plus days to finish. The lottery would be held in mid February. Meanwhile I had some other races to do in January and early February.

EARLY SEASON RACES

While still trying to figure out the plan for 2013 I had already signed up for some early season races. First up was the Bandera 100K race in Bandera, Texas on January 12, 2013. This is just a fun, early season race which I did the year before. Bandera is usually a more desert like climate with lots of cactus plants and dry, loose, gravel type rock. It’s not super technical or mountainous but still a test of one’s abilities. And living in Northern New England, training in the middle of winter is a challenge in itself. But having to train to run in the southern heat adds another element. This year was a little different with moist, humid air, sticky mud yet enough heat to set off some good cramping. Overall, it was a fun time and a good way to escape the winter cold. And the Texans know how to enjoy a running event☺ Just beware of the sotol plant.

The Trails at the Bandera 100K

The Trails at the Bandera 100K

Next up, three weeks later was the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Race in Huntsville, Texas. For this, I traveled down to Texas with a group of local Vermont runners. Last May we had all decided to sign up for this. The Rocky Raccoon course is a loop course with five, 20 mile loops. It makes it easier to plan as you are using the same aid stations for each loop and can conveniently place drop bags with any special provisions. The terrain is gently rolling, nothing too technical but it does have its share of roots. Nothing that bad but you have to be watching or you can catch a foot on one and down you go. On the first 2 loops I went down 6 times but was better for the rest of the race.

Bob and Jack running the Rocky Raccoon 100

The crew from Vermont at the start of the RR 100

As a whole, the finish rate for the race was 67% but for the seven of us in our group from VT running the hundred miles, we had a 100% success rate! Not bad for a group of Northerners☺

THE FINAL LOTTERY

Upon returning from Texas it was time for the draw of the 2013 Tor Des Geants lottery. They allow 660 runners which is larger than most races allow in the states and had about 1400 entries. The lottery was picked and somehow communications were delayed but eventually word came through. ACCEPTED!! Now I had a goal race for 2013 and could start planning for the year.

HOW TO TRAIN FOR A 100 MILE RACE AND ESPECIALLY THE TOR DES GEANTS

Tor Des Geants

The training to get ready for a 100 mile race takes a lot of time, patience and discipline. You want to slowly ramp up the miles to get the body used to the high mileage training. Do it too soon and you’ve missed your peak and worn yourself out. Do it too late and your struggling to get the miles in, can’t taper enough to rest up and come race day you’re exhausted. Typically for me for any 100 mile event I like to crank out 500 miles of good race type terrain training during the last peak training month prior to the event. And leading up to that requires a number of good consecutive 100 mile weeks. But training for the Tor Des Geants will be an experiment in itself as consecutive days of running in the Alps at elevation will be like no other event.

NOW I NEED TO FIND RACES TO PREP FOR THE TDG IN SEPTEMBER!

Now that I knew I had a race in September, it was time to plan ahead. I figured I needed to find as many races as possible along with some good training in the mountains. For races, I found the Don’t Run Boston 50 Mile event located just outside of Boston in the Blue Hills Reservation held on April 14, 2013. It’s all trail on rolling hills and nothing too technical for the most part. This is a low key, unofficial race held by the TARC group. You have the option of running 50 mile or 50k or less if you want. There are no time clocks or chips, just your own watch. And the course isn’t marked. Most of the runners were familiar with the course but for me, I had never been down there before so I knew it might be an orienteering challenge. For the first 15 miles I ran right behind the 2 lead runners who knew the course. Then Anthony yelled back to make sure I took the second left, which I was sure I did. Apparently I missed that turn as I ended up down on some major road. I pulled out my trusty map and I wasn’t even on the map. So back I went only to get lost again and again. And that was my day. At first I was frustrated but then just looked at it as a training run. I did find some aid stations early on for provisions but later on I missed some important ones and not only had to make up my own course but had to ration my fluids as I had 20 ounces of water to last me 2 ½ hours. In the end I ran for 11 ½ hours and probably ran more like a 100k of lost miles with a faded map in hand. The leader finished in just over 8 hours. But still, a good training run. I needed some miles and that I did get.

The Start of the Tarc Don’t Run Boston 50

On a quick note, I headed over to view the Boston Marathon the following day to support two friends who were running it. My original plan was to see them at mile 13 and then take the train in to the finish and wait for their arrival. But I ended up pacing them. I jumped in at mile 13, not sure how far I would go but continued on thinking I could jump on the train at any time but never did. For the last 6 miles of the race my friends were predicted to finish with a race time of 4:09 which is exactly when the first bomb went off. Luckily one of the runners was having some difficulties towards the end and we slowed down. With a half mile to go we were suddenly stopped. Luckily I ran with them instead of going to the finish line. Someone was looking after us that day. And what I saw from the people of Boston was incredible. As we were stopped from running that last half mile and had to stay put for maybe an hour not knowing what was going on, residents came out to help as the stopped runners were getting severely hypothermic from cooling down. Residents and spectators were taking off their clothes and giving them to the shivering runners. Even baby blankets from strollers! Residents were also bringing drinks and snacks. As a former New Yorker, I was proud to be in Boston that day!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR RACES

May 5, 2013 I’ll be running in the North Face 50 Mile Endurance Run at Bear Mtn. in NY. This is a fun, technical course with some good climbing and good rock to navigate over. I figured this would be a great training run for the TDJ.

On May 26, 2013 I’ll be running in the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, VT. This is 25th running of the event and the second largest marathon in New England. I’m the pace team coordinator for the race. As the coordinator I recruit other runners to lead different pace groups based on finish time. If all the pace group leaders show up on race day, I get to run the marathon myself. But if there are any issues, then I may be leading a pace group myself which could be with a 3:15 finish time or a 5:30 finish time or anything in between. Anyway if I get to run it, it will be a nice way to get in some speed work.

On July 20, 2013 I will be crewing and pacing at the Vermont 100 Mile event which will be good for a 30 mile training run into the dark night but I still need to find a 100 mile race sometime in late June or in July. And then I need to find another race in August. End of June there is the Black Hills 100 Mile in South Dakota, another possibility is the Dirty Girls Run Ultras 48 hour race held just north of Toronto in August. It’s held on a 6 mile loop on a trail. Not my favorite way to go with many multiple loops but being a 48 hour race could be good for time out on the trail to get ready for multiple days in Italy. Time will tell on these other races.

FAVORITE TRAINING RUNS

Here in Northern Vermont we are blessed with the Green Mountains and also not too far away are the White Mountains to the East and the Adirondack Mountains to the West. The mountains only go up to elevations of 4395 feet in Vermont to just over 6000 feet on Mount Washington in NH but what they lack in elevation they make up for in technical difficulties and steep climbing. Some of my favorite runs would be the Mansfield Loop in VT which circles around the Chin of Mt. Mansfield. It goes about 26 miles with varying terrain from rocky single track trails to nicely manicured cross country ski trails to ladders and chutes to climb over. There are some awesome views from the Chin which is Vermont’s highest peak.

At the Summit of Mt. Mansfield

Another favorite training run is the Northern Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire which peaks out on top of Mt. Washington. There are many variations of this but the loop I typically run includes 11 peaks along the way with some great climbing and tricky footing for 26 miles or so This year for maximum training I may opt to make it an out an back which is a good challenge. I did that a few years back which caused some difficulties along the way and afterwards. But I think I’m smarter now and can prepare better….I hope. The weather on Mt. Washington can be a challenge in itself and I’ve been caught in lighting storms along the open ridge line sprinting from peak to peak. And other years I’ve ended up with some bad hypothermia too which has landed me in the infirmary for quite a while until I warmed up. It’s always a challenge on Mt. Washington!

Jack and Joe heading up to Mt. Washington

Preparing for the TDG I’ll need to put in a lot of time on hills. For general hill work I have a favorite which is the Toll Road at Stowe. The road itself is about 4 ½ miles up to the visitor center with a vertical gain of about 2600 feet. Add the Chin for another 1 ½ miles and 535 vertical feet of climbing. Then do loops, some days I do two loops, other days 3. And if the climbing doesn’t wear you out, the downhill pounding most certainly will.

The Tor Des Geants will be the ultimate challenge in an area of the world with unbelievable views. I was in Europe for the Ultra Trail De Mont Blanc two years ago and had an incredible experience which is why I am returning to Europe again. No matter what, it will be an adventurous year with training and races. And thanks to Headsweats for supplying me with hats for my summer and winter escapades!

See you in Italy,

Ciao

Posted on May 16, 2013 by admin
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Team Pond Hoppers at the Vienna Marathon

This post was made by Julie Oldfield, Account Manager here at Headsweats. In April, she ventured to Vienna for the Vienna Marathon!

In April, my husband & I traveled to Vienna, Austria for the Vienna Marathon and to meet up with our good friends, a brother/sister duo, who live in London. We try our best to get together every year for a race and some travel time. In 2011, Brett & Amanda made the trip to our side of the pond for the Chicago Marathon, so it was our turn to ‘pond hop’ this year.

The night before…race preparation

The Expo entrance

Julie before the start

Vienna is a beautiful city and the race course took us through all the various neighborhoods, finishing in the historical Heldenplatz plaza. I had decided to only run the half marathon because I wanted to enjoy our vacation after the race. Brett joined me for the half and Amanda completed all 26.2 miles. Unfortunately, my husband Doug wasn’t able to run, due to a fractured rib while riding go karts over Spring Break with our 16 year old son. He ended up being a great cheerleader and was there at the finish line for me.

Table sign in the Team Zone

Amanda finishing the marathon

The next race for Team Pond Hoppers is going to be the Walt Disney Half Marathon in January 2014, and then we are looking at the Barcelona Marathon or Amsterdam Marathon for 2015-2016. Training for the races isn’t so bad when we get to see the world while running them!

Team Pond Hoppers
front row (l-r) Jean, Kirsten, Amanda
back row (l-r) Julie, Brett, Doug
Jean is Brett & Amanda’s mom. Kirsten is Brett’s girlfriend. They were our ‘support crew’!

The day after…let the vacation begin!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by admin
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UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Captures First Podium Sweep of the Season

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team Captures First Podium Sweep of the Season at the 2013 Roswell Criterium, as Luke Keough, Hilton Clarke and Carlos Alzate Take 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place, Respectively

Roswell, GA – Amidst horrible weather conditions on Sunday, April 28th, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team outpaced the field from start to finish on a cold and rainy afternoon in Roswell, Georgia, en route to its first podium sweep of the season. Teammates Luke Keough, Hilton Clarke and Carlos Alzate, took first, second and third place, respectively, making it a clean sweep of the podium in Roswell for the Blue Train.

Now this is quite a Podium – the UnitedHealthcare boys went 1-2-3 in the pouring rain at the Roswell Criterium, the second stop of Speedweek. The Blue Train literally rode on the front from the gun, then rolled up their trademark lead out and delivered Luke first, Hilton second and Carlos third across the finish line!!! Congrats all around.

In his post-race interview with race announcer, Chad Andrews, Luke Keough remarked, “We’ve had a pretty good season so far and after last night (2nd place finish at the Terrapin Twilight Criterium in Athens), we wanted to come back strong. I think we showed that today. We knew it was going to be really wet and slick and we wanted to try and control it today. Everyone on the team rode a great race and I’m glad I was able to do my part and deliver a win for us.”

General Manager and Team Director, Mike Tamayo, added, “The boys were focused and motivated today. The weather was horrible and it was raining hard. It was impressive to watch them ride the front from the first lap to the finish. They worked hard for it, kept it safe, and delivered.”

The win in Roswell marks the sixth win of the season for the Pro Continental squad. The team will continue racing this week in the Southeastern United States for the balance of Speedweek A. The Blue Train will also head to the desert Southwest for the May 1-5 Tour of the Gila in New Mexico.

TEAM UNITEDHEALTHCARE ROSTER FOR 2013 ROSWELL CRITERIUM:

Hilton Clarke (AUS)
Carlos Alzate (COL)
Adrian Hegyvary (USA)
Karl Menzies (AUS)
Luke Keough (USA)
Brad White (USA)
Team Director, Mike Tamayo (USA)

Posted on May 2, 2013 by admin
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Impossible2Possible Adventures to Botswana

Impossible2Possible creates and delivers innovative experiential learning to students of all ages. The mission of impossible2Possible(i2P) is to encourage youth to reach beyond their perceived limits, and to use adventure as a medium to educate, inspire and empower our global community to make positive change in the world. i2P aims to equip today’s youth with the understanding and belief that they have the power to change the world.

Headsweats was happy to help in their mission by supplying them with Hats/Visors. We recently received this thank you note from Bob Cox, Co-Founder of Impossible2possible:

Last year you helped us out with some hats for our Botswana Youth Expedition and the hats were a huge hit with the team! Temperatures were in the 90s and 100s the entire journey and our youth ambassadors averaged over a marathon a day!! Here’s a photo from one of the small communities we ran through.

Coming up this May we are holding our 1st U.S. Youth Expedition. It will take place in Southern Utah in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The team will run a marathon a day for 8 days while learning about paleontology and sharing their experience with thousands of students around the globe.

~ Bob Cox

Co-Founder, Impossible2Possible

For more information on i2P, visit their website, http://impossible2possible.com/home.
Good Luck Impossible2Possible!! You’ve got great things going on!

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin
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Disc Golfing in Africa

Wonder what the ‘Duchess of Disc Golf’ has been up to lately? Continue reading:

It was recently announced that I was awarded ‘Disc Golfer of the Year’ for 2012 in the annual Storky Award ceremony.

 This award was given for my efforts to spread the frisbee gospel in Africa during my 4 month modeling contract in 2012. 

I was lucky enough to open a temporary course, hold 3 clinics, one tournament and donate several baskets and discs to a local school.

 Here are a few pictures during my African travels:

Hello from Capetown!


Watch my personal video series, “Disc Golf in Africa”

 here:

Thank you for your support during the 2013 season!
~ Holly Finley

Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin
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Team Tecnu Training Camp 2013

Team Tecnu training for their first international race of the year, Expedition Africa in May 2013. Enjoy these photos and video:

Team Tecnu Training Camp 2013 April 5-8th, 2013
41 hours of adventure training in 4 days

To give you a taste of their training, watch their video:

Here was the agenda:

FRIDAY (10 hours)
 ~ Early AM trail run in Marin Headlands (2 hours)
 Noon Double Surf Ski Yerba Buena Island+ (6 hours)
 Late PM MTB Oakland Hills (1.5 hours)

SATURDAY (12 hours)
 ~ Early AM MTB from SF (Golden Gate, Headlands, Tam Summit… Tamarancho, Top Secret descent, 680, Pt Reyes) (4 hours)
 Afternoon run Tam, Stinson, Dipsea, Matt Davis, Steep Ravine… (4-6 hours)
 Late afternoon MTB return on roads to SF (2 hours)

SUNDAY (11 hours)
 ~ Early AM MTB from Alameda to Del Valle (3 hours)
 AM Bay Area Orienteering Club Long O Meet (3 hour)
 PM MTB/BART to Alameda (1-2 hours)
 PM Alameda Surf Skis (3 hours)

MONDAY (8 hours)
 ~ Early AM Headlands run (2 hours)
 AM surf skis Angel Island (3 hours)
 PM Skeggs MTB (3 hours)

Tecnu Adventure Racing was 2nd at the 10 hour Rogaine in Spokane, Wa yesterday. Here are a couple of pictures of Garret Bean and Kyle Peter racing:

Garret Bean racing in the Rogaine 2013

Kyle Peter racing in Rogaine 2013

To find out more on Team Tecnu and their 2013 race schedule, visit their website here: http://tecnuadventureracing.com/ and become a fan of them on Facebook.

Posted on April 17, 2013 by admin
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The Final Four are Here

This is it – the final four in the NCAA. Be sure to show your school spirit and TRAIN HARD! 25% off any online purchase when you enter coupon code FINALFOUR at checkout.

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin
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25% Off ANY Online Purchase

Get it while it’s hot! It’s Sweet Sixteen Time – Get your school’s hat & cheer hard!
25% off ANY purchase with coupon code: MATCHUP

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin
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Get to know new Headsweats sponsored athlete: Kino

Meet Hideki Kinoshita – otherwise known as Kino – Headsweats-sponsored athlete and marathon fanatic. Kino has certainly been busy the past couple of months – competing in the Asheville Marathon in North Carolina, the Lower Potomac River Marathon in Maryland, and the LA Marathon.

Kino at the Asheville Marathon

“It’s been 4.5 years since my first marathon, and I’ve now run 125 of them in all 50 states & DC, 26 states & DC into my second round, 7 countries, and 4 continents, including 23 ultramarathons, 6 of which were 100 milers. Just when I complete one goal, a new goal pops into mind. First it was 50 States then Titanium (the highest Marathon Maniacs level), and now it’s the 50sub4 Club (a sub-4 hour marathon in all 50 states), 7 Continents, and Boston Qualifying. The fun never stops.”

RIF #88 Hideki Kinoshita after the Comrades Marathon

Why does Kino enjoy endurance running so much?
“I enjoy being around other runners. Runners tend to share a laid back outlook and be genuinely kind. I immediately noticed this when I started becoming friends with other long distance runners. I have heard other marathoners and ultra runners making the same remarks countless times. I believe that since runners voluntarily put themselves into and endure high pain threshold situations, this allows them to be better able to empathize with others who are less fortunate. From my experience, runners are an overwhelmingly caring and compassionate group of people. Running also makes me a better person.”

STATS
Years Running: 4.5 years (his first marathon was on 2008/09/21)
Favorite Race Distance: The Marathon (26.2mi / 42.2km)
Favorite PR: 2012 Fargo Marathon (Fargo, ND), 3:19:12 (7:36 min/mile)
Favorite Race: Comrades Marathon (56 mi ultra in Durban, South Africa)
Favorite Bling: 50 States Marathon Club – Certified Finisher Plaque

To view his complete profile on Headsweats, click here. This great article on Kino really digs deep – discovering what motivates him to run, his experience, and the different causes he runs for throughout the year.

What’s next for Kino? Connect with him online and through social media:
PanCAN Charity Fundraiser: http://tinyurl.com/runkinopancan
Back on My Feet NYC Fundraiser: http://tinyurl.com/runkinobomfnyc
WTC Health Program Fundraiser: https://philanthropy.mountsinai.org/kino
@RunKino Blog//Twitter/Facebook

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin
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