Giant Nutcracker chases a runaway Nut through the 2010 Somerville Jingle Bell Run

Standing almost 9 feet tall, The Nutcracker (TR client Ryan D.) chased a crazy Nut (Co-Owner Maren) along the 3.1 mile Jingle Bell Run through Somerville.

Luckily, the Nut was able to blend in with the 6,200 runners, weaving her way to the finish line before getting cracked open.

You can run, but you can't hide

Ryan, a graphic designer, with a keen eye for developing life-size costumes out of foam and other various materials has successfully participated in the last three Jingle Bell Runs.

Dressed as a Giant Ginger Bread Man (2008) and a Towering Snowman (2009) – Ryan is becoming a local legend at the annual Jingle Bell Run.  Snapping pictures before, during and after the race, The Nutcracker was a hot commodity.  Requests for pictures came from runners, spectators and even families that seek out Ryan for their yearly photo-op.

Say cheese

I am sure Ryan’s wife Kelly (pictured above on the left) is thankful that her hubby creates one heck of a costume that doubles as a fantastic holiday card.

Happy Holidays from The Training Room.

13 Relay: Team TR prepared for the long haul

On Saturday, May 1st at 11:30am The Training Room ultra relay team will begin the 13 Relay, a 200 mile adventure beginning at Squantum Park in Quincy, MA, traveling past beautiful beaches, coastlines and some of the most quintessential New England towns, before hitting the finish line in Provincetown.

Most of the participating teams will consist of 12 members – each running three non-consecutive legs varying in length and difficulty. Each leg of the 13 Relay ranges from 1.7 miles to 10.3 miles; this equates to each teammate running an average of 16.85 miles.

Unlike the 195 teams that consist of 12 runners, Team TR is one of 10 “ultra” teams that consists of six runners, which on average will run 33.71 miles each.

Let’s introduce Team Training Room one last time with the mileage they are each responsible to cover in a 24-hour period.

Marc Blandin (3 legs totaling 36 miles) – his competitive nature drives him to run 100+ road races a year always striving to beat his best time.  An avid cyclist and assistant coach for the New England Chapter of Team Challenge Crohn’s & Colitis, Marc has completed 12 marathons in 5 years and aspires to qualify this coming fall for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Derek Christeler (3 legs totaling 33.8 miles) – cycling instructor at The Training Room, Derek started his quest to become fit after topping the scales in college at 225lbs.  Never participating in organized sports, Derek found his place training for triathlons which has helped him to shed 40-50lbs.  Derek has completed two marathons and numerous triathlons in the past two years.  Derek will be competing in his first Half Ironman this summer, and he hopes to qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon this fall breaking three hours and 10 minutes.

Maren Kravitz (3 legs totaling 37.7 miles) – co-owner of The Training Room, Maren became addicted to endurance events when she realized it helped to release her endless energy and provide a means to concentrate better in all areas of her life.   Focusing her endurance training on cycling and running, Maren has completed 8 marathons in 3 years, qualifying for the Boston Marathon two years in a row.  Maren is hoping to take her endurance training to the next level by participating in her first solo 50 Mile ultra running race this November.

Chris Mullins (3 legs totaling 36.6 miles) – newer to the racing scene, Chris has caught the “runner’s high” participating in his first half-marathon in Hawaii while helping to coach the New England chapter of Team Challenge Crohn’s and Colitis.  Chris quickly moved up to the marathon distance running a solid three hour and 17 minute race at the 2009 Lowell Bay State marathon.  Chris is determined to shed the last few minutes off his marathon time this fall and qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Marisa Nucci (3 legs totaling 32 miles) – youngest member of Team TR, Marisa was a Division One recruited soccer player for Stoneybrook University.  An avid runner and cyclist, she has completed three half marathons with a personal best one hour and 41 minutes at the Chicago Half Marathon in August 2009.  That same year Marisa ran her first full marathon in Hyannis, MA.  Marisa will complete her next full marathon this fall in hopes of running a solid qualifying time for the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Roz Puleo (3 legs totaling 30 miles) – cycling instructor at The Training Room and veteran endurance racer, Roz has won two national championships on the bike (in the mountain bike discipline of Super D, a mass start downhill race in 2007 and 2008).  She also qualified as an elite in the 2004 24-Hour Solo Mountain Bike World Championships and placed 13^th out of 21 women.  Competing at this level means a lot to Roz as she weighed over 200 lbs 13 years ago and was really out of shape. As the last racer to cross the finish line for Team TR, this particular finish line will put a drastic pause to Roz’s endurance racing and active lifestyle – donating a kidney to her father the week after the relay.  Pending a strong recovery, Roz will focus on completing her first Half Ironman this fall.

Team TR will be posting updates to their Facebook page throughout the race at: www.facebook.com/thetrainingroom
RUN HARD!