Coach Kiprunning 2.0 Nearly Complete

The major SEO update to the Coach Kiprunning website is nearly complete.  The work has been painstaking and long, but in the end, it should be worth it.  Our new SEO settings should result in better search rankings and, we hope, increased web traffic.  We will also be enhancing the site navigation via a fresh breadcrumb installation, and we will also ensure that the appropriate meta images are in place for all manner of social sharing.

This whole project came about due to some unexpected compatibility problems with a move to a new hosting platform.  Once the website was upgraded, it basically crashed (of course), and we had to reset all of the search engine optimization settings just to get it running again.  Once we did that, well, we had to start all over again.

And so here we are.  We're shooting to complete this project in about a week, which means that the new site will be fully functional just after the new year.  Once everything is in place, we will start sharing links to important parts of the site on my Twitter feed and on the official Coach Kiprunning Twitter feed.  Follow us there now and always!

In the meantime, enjoy the last few days of 2019.  I can't believe that we are on the verge of the four-year anniversary of this blog.

Brief Race Recap: Jingle All the Way 5K

It went okay.  Better than okay, by many measures.  This was my first race of any kind--my first workout, truly--in about 18 months.  And even though I would have liked to have run a little faster--I always want to run faster--that pacing was much better than I would have expected.

Things remain tentative, but I do feel like I am, in a manner of speaking, back.

In other Kiprunning news, Wilson Komen has spent a few weeks at his home in Kenya.  He has been chronicling the trip with gorgeous pictures on Instagram.  Check them out.

Coach Kiprunning at Jingle All the Way 5K

There will be more about this soon, but for now, the brief announcement: I will be representing Coach Kiprunning at this coming Sunday's Jingle All the Way 5K.  This will be my first race (of sorts) since my ankle surgery in November 2018.

I suppose a disclaimer is in order for any and all of my medical professionals who might be reading this post: I am not racing this race.  I've merely reached the point in my rehab where it is a good idea to get out and to be around other running enthusiasts.  I'm merely trying to see if I can hold down a pace that's about ten to twenty seconds faster on average than what I have been running during my training.

This is a low-stakes just-for-fun kind of thing, and I am looking forward to it.

More to come!

Coach Kiprunning SEO Update

We're in the process of completing a major SEO upgrade for the Coach Kiprunning website, as the following tweet indicates:

We're doing a major #SEO overhaul on the @kiprunning website. Stuff will look uneven, and the meta descriptions will be incomplete for a bit. We'll get there, though. https://t.co/dsjU5DPlzt

— Joseph P. Fisher (@JosephPFisher1) November 24, 2019

This upgrade is a little overdue, and we are hoping that when it is finished, we'll be able to offer a greatly enhanced user experience.

In the meantime, pardon our dust, as the expression goes.  Lots of things will look uneven, and we know that the various meta things that exist behind the scenes are currently empty.  Do not worry.  We will be filling them in.

Congratulations to Babak Jahromi, Grandma's Half Finisher

Babak Jahromi competed in the 2019 Grandma's Half Marathon, setting a new PR in the process.

Babak continues to push himself toward faster and faster finishing times, but for now, he is happy with this one, and we are happy for him.

Congratulations to Babak and to all of the Grandma's Race Weekend finishers!

Good Luck, Grandma's Race Weekend Racers

The annual Grandma's Weekend Running Festival (I sort of improvised that name) is happening this weekend.  Coach Kiprunning will be participating at the half marathon level, and we wish our participant--and every participant, in every race--the best of luck.  We hope, and we know, that you will do well.

Coach Kiprunners have participated in a variety of the race events held during this weekend over the years.  The last time that the group was represented in Duluth was in 2013, which, incredibly, was six whole years ago.

Most notably, way back in 2009 when Wilson Komen was beginning his coaching career, one of his running partners, Christopher Raabe, won the marathon.  (There's more on that victory on RunWashington, and we encourage you to read the article in its entirety.)

We know this weekend well, and again, we wish every participant much success.

Also, one piece of advice: bring warm clothes for before and after the race.  It can get quite cold up there!

Another Year, Another Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

Wilson Komen competed once again in the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler.  This particular race--April of 2019--was his first race as a US citizen, about which he is very proud.

Thumbs up to all the finishers!

Wilson finished in 57:27 for sixth place in his age group.  Coach Komen runs the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler almost on an annual basis.  Feel very invited to read his reflections on the race and his 2016 race recap.