Dream Big, Run Hard

     So, very soon I will have a book published and available in every bookstore and online.  Now comes the hard part: Promotion and marketing.  I have been shooting a series of short videos correlating with each destination featured in my Cape Cod travel guide entitled In My Footsteps.  There are 89 places in all which makes it quite an undertaking.  Once each video is shot and edited they will be sporadically released and shared on YouTube as a viral marketing campaign.  This is probably good enough to drive tons of visitors to my book and my website equaling sales.  However, any of you who know me know that 'good enough' is rarely ever good enough.
     I began to think of other innovative ways to get the word out about my book.  It wasn't long until my other passion gave me the answer.  Running. Yes, running became the solution for promotion.  What better way to showcase a Cape Cod travel guide than by running the entirety of the Cape, passing by most of the places featured in the book?  Coming up with the idea was easy, actually putting it into action is obviously harder.  After using MapMyRun to create a route I now know that the total mileage will be 165, not something I can even feasibly do in a week.  I am aiming for 2 weeks, meaning close to 12 miles a day everyday for 2 weeks.  That seems more doable despite being like running half marathons for 14 straight days.
     Another potential drawback is that it is the peak of summer with the heat index on the Cape now routinely in the mid-90's.  Yes, there are probably health risks, but my book is coming out now, not in December and one must strike while the iron is hot, right?  I can safely assume that 99.99% of people would hear this idea and shoot it down without hesitation, and honestly I don't blame them.  This is not a normal promotional campaign but I am thinking outside the box.
     Once the plans are finalized I can start sharing them and publicity will follow. How often does someone attempt to run the entirety of Cape Cod anyway?  I don't need to run 7min miles for this, all I want is to do all 165 miles in the allotted time and in reasonably good shape.  So am I crazy? Or is this brilliant?  Or maybe a little of both?  I'm a runner, normal thoughts don't cross my mind often.  I will keep everyone posted on my Cape Cod run and my book release as more info comes around.

Yes I plan on doing this by choice.

7 - June 10, 2010

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 10, 2010

1.       After hearing him on WEEI yesterday I can honestly say that Charles Barkley is the funniest man in sports.  I could listen to him talk all day.

2.      An old couple went to the supermarket today, the woman got out and went inside.  The car alarm started going off and the old man did not know what to do so he sat in the passenger seat with his fingers in his ears.  I immediately knew that was going in here.

3.      Does anybody know where that Fiber One salesman is from?  British accent and Middle Eastern?  Also why is he never mad that people are opening the boxes and eating the cereal in the supermarket? 

4.      The ‘that’s a low price’ guy from Staples needs to get smacked.

5.      Sometimes great things come from where you’d least expect, it means you should look everywhere for your happiness, not just in the safe places you know.

6.      The best way to find out the truth about something is to ask.  Yeah, I know, real deep insight, but I am notorious for jumping to conclusions in my own head.  Usually right, but not always.

7.      I believe that Stephen Strasburg is about to take baseball on a wild ride.  14 K’s in his debut?  Are you kidding?  Pirates or not the kid is money, could Washington be a playoff team in the next few years?  I think so.

8.      My nephew Landon decided to run out through the backyard right after his bath.  Literally had to catch him before he dove in the mud, I made a great save though, good uncle I am.

9.      Landon also just beat the hell out of me, jumping on my back and grinding my face into the rug, he’s 2 now, imagine when he’s a teen?  He’ll be using me as a backpack.

10.  My niece Emma was online looking for YouTube, what she found was YouPorn, absolutely classic we laughed, she was mad.

11.  Sending my thoughts and prayers to 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, attempting to be the youngest person to sail around the world alone she is feared lost at sea off the coast of Morocco.

12.  Tonight is Game 4, Celtics/Lakers.  Got no gut feeling on this, just hope that the C’s can tie it all up!

Quote of the Day: “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Song of the Day:  Never Give You Up – Raphael Saadiq

Photo of the Day:  Fort Phoenix State Park, Fairhaven, Mass.