Two world majors in 8 weeks. The two hardest to get into. Tokyo and London. Across the Pacific and across the Atlantic. What a wild ride. I’ve now completed 4 of the World Major marathons. Boston (twice), Chicago, Tokyo, and London. The London marathon was such a fun experience. The…
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If Taylor can go through her eras, then so can we. I’m happy to say that we are now done with our Growth Era. Our new location in the Centennial Center is stunning. We’ve been in the Centennial Center since 2019, but when as our lease was coming up in 2026 we decided to look…
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I hit the lottery. Twice. The Tokyo Marathon is the hardest of the 6 world majors to get into. The London Marathon is the 2nd hardest. In the space of 8 weeks I get to run both. Tokyo is behind me now, and London is ahead of me. All I can say is, what an…
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I don’t want to write this blog. I’ve been avoiding writing this blog for several months now. I can’t put it aside any longer. It’s time to say goodbye. In 2016 I started teaching at Shadow Ridge High School. In one of the meetings before the school year started I overheard somebody saying that a…
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Red Rock Running Company is a staple in the Las Vegas community, providing high-quality running shoes, gear, and expert advice to athletes and fitness enthusiasts since 2004. From navigating early business struggles and fierce competition to evolving with changing market demands, the journey of Red Rock Running Company has been shaped by persistence, passion, and…
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On a bright day five sophomore girls from Shadow Ridge High School ran past their expectations in the 4A Mountain Region Championship Race to finish 3rd, qualifying for the state meet in Reno. Back then there was no 5A division. Las Vegas was cut in half along Sahara, with schools North of Sahara being in…
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I’m Mark from Red Rock Running Company. You’ve heard me say it a bunch of times, but today you get to read about my story. I hope you’ll join me on this journey and learn more about why the All Humans Welcome 5k on November 10th is such a unique opportunity. I grew up here in…
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You’ve probably heard of Simon Sinek, he’s the guy who goes around telling you to “Start with why.” His TED talk from 2009 has racked up over 65 million views. If you haven’t seen it, you can view it by clicking here. He’s written several books, and I’m currently reading “Start with Why.” The premise…
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I don’t have a business degree. I’m a teacher by trade. When I bought Red Rock Running Company in 2018 it’s safe to say I had no idea what I was doing. In an effort to be the best we possibly could, I attended every conference available to me in this industry. At these conferences…
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I started timing races back in 2022. Race timing seemed like a natural progression of our business at the time. There is a lot that goes into race timing, you have to buy the equipment, you have to get the permits, you have to mark the course. The list goes on and on. I’m still…
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Nobody has ever mistaken me for a Trail Runner. The running world seems to be made of two groups of people, road runners and trail runners. The groups don’t seem to mix that often. People who love trails are rarely on the roads, and people who run roads are rarely on the trails. Of course,…
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Summer came early to Las Vegas this week. We broke some heat records and every time I turn on the news or open a website the only thing I see is how hot it is outside. Here’s the thing, I know this. I live here. I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life. Newsflash, it…
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You never know where life will take you. When my kids were little I would read them the Dr. Suess book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” Life has taken lots of turns for me since then, but Dr. Suess was right, “Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all…
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or, Do As I Say, Not As I Do Disclaimer: there’s some talk about weight in this blog. Please understand that what follows is simply my perspective on how my own weight affected how I ran. It is not meant to body shame anybody. If you are happy with your weight, then I am happy…
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For this desert boy, there’s no better time of year for running than fall. We have suffered through the dog days of summer, running early in the morning to beat the heat. As the temperature starts to drop with highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s, the weather is perfect to get some…
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A blog post where I name 25 songs related to summer for the soundtrack in your head. You’re welcome in advance. Welcome to Summertime(1) in Las Vegas. We go through this every year, but we seem to have a short memory. This Summer(2) we were fortunate enough to have a very mild June. The mercury didn’t hit triple…
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by Britney O’Connell Motivation What is motivation? A quick google search will give you many motivational quotes: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken” “It’s not about failure or success but the courage to continue.” Motivation is defined by the drive to achieve. Let’s go on a journey. You are walking in a damp forest, the…
Read more Britney O’Connell Sunsets in the desert are brilliant!! Have you witnessed one lately? Sleep. What is it like for you to get a great night’s sleep? It is a pleasure and privilege to get the recommended 7-8 hours of quality sleep nightly. (Athletes may need around 8-10 hours). Random sleep facts: The Guinness book of…
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by Michael Rivarde You ever wonder if you’ve made the wrong decisions in life? Deep question, I know. It’s one of the questions that I ask myself when I’m running. I’m not talking about things like, what you had for lunch or that one outfit that you wore for your 8th grade yearbook picture. I…
Read more Britney O’Connell Ahh Rest and Relaxation What comes to mind for you when you think of rest and relaxation? Palm trees, smelling the ocean breeze or walking through a dense forest hearing the birds. What’s your favorite way to recover from an intense workout? Perhaps Yin yoga or a jetted hot tub. Resting…
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I don’t know where I’m going But I sure know where I’ve been Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday And I’ve made up my mind I ain’t wasting no more time Here I go again, here I go again Whitesnake It’s safe to say that my opinion of the Boston Marathon has changed…
Read more Britney O’Connell Optimize Healthy Habits Spring marks a season of new beginnings. Starting with the buds on the trees and the flower blossoms on shrubs, bees are buzzing, and hummingbirds are off to the races. Being in the health and wellness field I often get asked where to start? And, at times, all the information…
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In late January of 2018 I got an email that went out to everybody on the Red Rock Running Company customer email list. It said that the current owner was selling the business and asked if anybody in the community would be interested in purchasing. I deleted the email. At the time I was not…
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On February 8, 2009 I ran my first marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. My good buddy John and I had run a couple of half marathons at that point, and it was time to take the next big step and do a full. I can’t say much about the race except that I finished it.…
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The Running Event (TRE) is the largest trade show in the Run Specialty industry. Each year, thousands of Run Specialty store owners and leaders descend on Austin, Texas for a four day event that includes educational content, a trade show, and networking opportunities. It is an exhausting four days but there is always so much…
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It’s been a strange 18 months. The Fall of 2021 was filled with hope for the Shadow Ridge Womens Cross Country Team. The ladies were racking up win after win, and doing it in convincing style. We had a solid team with 4 seniors in the starting 7 (5 originally, but 1 went down to…
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In May of 1999 I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Math Education from the University of Southern California. It was a pretty awesome and memorable day. The Southern California sun was shining and everybody was in a great mood. Graduation speakers at the general graduation included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Madeleine Albright, and Rosa…
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On March 1, 2018 I became a small business owner. I knew absolutely nothing about running a business. My training has been entirely in education. I thought owning a small business would be easy, that I’d get to sell shoes and go for a run with all my new friends. And while that part was…
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Sometimes it’s very hard to keep things in perspective. My first marathon had a time around 4 hours and 20 minutes. My second marathon was around 4 hours and 50 minutes. I have run 29 marathons now. Well, run and walked, because there was a lot of walking involved many of those marathons. I remember…
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Thirteen years ago my buddy John and I ran our first marathon. I was 31 years old. I had just gotten into running maybe a year before. John had talked me into doing a half marathon. I had 2 half marathons under my belt, I think, by the time we did our first marathon. I…
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You won’t find somebody more passionate about running then our very own Michael Higgins. If you come into the Centennial location on a Saturday then chances are you’ve been helped by Michael. He’s been with Red Rock Running Company longer than I have, having worked for the previous owner as well. He is genuinely excited…
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I’m pretty sure I’ve used the word Weltanschauung in this blog before. It’s one of my favorite words. German in origin, Weltanschauung basically means Worldview. But that’s an over-simplification. If you ask experts about Weltanschauung, or Google it, you’ll get a few different definitions. To me, Weltanschauung is the sum of one’s life experiences that…
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Today I laced up my shoes and went on a run, just like I have done the previous 1,824 days in a row. What makes up a 5 year run streak? Well, 365 times 5 equals 1,825. But there’s been a leap year in there, and technically my run streak started 5 years ago on…
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A Surf City Marathon Tale by Mark Jimenez What does it take to run a successful marathon? You’d think I’d know the answer to that by now. The wall in my classroom is a testament to all the marathons, half marathons, and triathlons I’ve done. My marathon training in and of itself has gone through…
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We live in a desert. The desert is hot. Those are simple statements and probably something that we learn even before we get to Kindergarten. In Las Vegas, we have the privilege of being in the Mojave desert, which is the smallest and driest of the four American deserts. Sometimes called the High Desert because…
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Running is a metaphor for life. If there is a better activity that teaches you life’s lessons, I’m not aware of it. Running doesn’t lie to you, you get out what you put in. Running will reward you for hard work. Running will not reward you for being lazy. Running won’t believe the lies you…
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When I took over Red Rock Running Company a little over three years ago, the goal was always to help grow a strong running community in Las Vegas. One of the ways that happened was through the store runs. The RRRC store runs have been an amazing success. Paces + Pints in Henderson is a…
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Four years ago I left Arizona after a failed Ironman attempt. I had a bit of an injury that didn’t hurt me at all when I ran, but it hurt like the dickens when I rode my bike. I got about 80 miles into my bike ride that day and called it quits. It was…
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When many people think of folate aka folic acid they may think, “Oh that’s just a prenatal vitamin for pregnant women.” Well, that is only partially true. Folic acid is required for the formation of red blood cells, synthesis and repair of DNA, and cell differentiation. For these reasons it is essential in preventing neural…
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It happened today. I look forward to it every year, although I’m never quite sure when it will happen. After months of running in the heat with salt and sweat pouring out of my body, today was something different. Today there was magic and change in the air. I ran 7 beautiful miles and smiled…
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Let’s start with a few questions: – Do you feel there are certain foods that should be “off limits” for you? Perhaps you feel there are entire food groups (such as carbohydrates, bread, sweets, etc.) that you cannot/should not ever eat? – Do you worry about your weight constantly, suffer from poor self-image, and feel…
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To say that 2020 has kept me on my toes would be an understatement. Everything has been a whirlwind since March. School was cancelled on March 13, and then just a few days later, on St. Patrick’s Day, the Governor shut everything down. I’ll never forget the fear of that day. I was left wondering…
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I am sure most people have heard this recommendation: drink eight, 8 oz glasses of water per day. While it may be a convenient line to remember, unfortunately it will not leave you adequately hydrated. Additionally, your hydration needs are increased living in a hot, dry climate like Las Vegas and even higher if you…
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No food is “good” or bad”. When we use these words to describe foods, our brains assign negative and positive values to them. It is similar to how we view the hero in a movie as “good” and the villain as “bad.” Approaching food in this way can result in some fairly unhealthy perspectives. For…
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Are You Getting Enough Protein? by Ann Gilligan It’s a well-known fact runners love carbs – bagels, pasta, donuts and carbo-loading before big races. Indeed carbohydrates are an important part of pre-workout nutrition, and necessary fuel during runs that exceed 60 min. However, runners often do not get enough protein. Protein repairs the muscle fibers…
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Hello RRRC Community! We are so excited to have this opportunity to spread our knowledge to you via this blog. We hope to turn it into a series and potentially field questions and select topics based on specific issues you may be facing as you strive to stay active during these crazy times. We will…
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I’ve been lucky enough to witness the highs and lows of running lately. Running is a curious thing, it can make one man weep, and make another man sing. Yes, I just borrowed some lyrics from the legendary Huey Lewis. Pardon me while I go on, making one small change to the lyrics. You don’t…
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On Sunday, February 2, I ran the Surf City Marathon for the 11th time in a row. As I finished the race I grabbed my medal and walked to a fence that was about waist high. I crossed my arms on the fence and put my head in my arms and started to cry. I…
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The problem with running every day is that when injuries pop up, healing can be problematic. I’ve actually been very lucky for the last 1,000+ days to not have any injuries at all pop up. It would seem, however, that my luck has run out. Two Sunday’s ago I had a great long run. I’m…
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