Full article here." ... The best thing a marathoner can do to delay the onset of discomfort is begin properly, by warming up with a hot bowl of chili and stretching out on the couch."
Bryce underscored the importance of carbo-loading and regular hydration, saying, "I don't want to be like that guy who passed out during the Happy Days marathon because he hadn't been drinking enough Mountain Dew."
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
I'd probably do a Buffy marathon. Maybe Twin Peaks or The Sopranos. Or Father Ted. I'd definitely do Father Ted.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Bill Maher on Intelligent Design
New Rule: You don't have to teach both sides of a debate, if one side is a load of crap.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
What makes a runner?
I was thinking about this today as I read this article.
I was a bookworm child and rarely went outside. When I did, it was often just to wander about by myself and make up stories. But I was shortsighted and physically uncoordinated, and if they'd had any teams at all, I would have been picked last.
Even now, in my extremely middle thirties and when I have two functioning feet, I don't think of myself as a runner. I'm someone who runs - not terribly fast or terribly well. I just run the way I do most things: clumsily but with enthusiasm. (Exception: I knit pretty well and very fast. But that's it.)
But I love it. The few races I've run, I've loved the simplicity of it: it's you and your body, pushing towards the finish.
I live vicariously through other runners' blogs. As I'm not running, I've got little to talk about, so I read instead. I really miss running in the mornings right now. When I got my injury, I assumed I would just lapse and soon enough lose interest. But instead I think obsessively about getting back on the road.
This makes me hope that, just maybe, I'm a runner.
Time will tell.
I was a bookworm child and rarely went outside. When I did, it was often just to wander about by myself and make up stories. But I was shortsighted and physically uncoordinated, and if they'd had any teams at all, I would have been picked last.
Even now, in my extremely middle thirties and when I have two functioning feet, I don't think of myself as a runner. I'm someone who runs - not terribly fast or terribly well. I just run the way I do most things: clumsily but with enthusiasm. (Exception: I knit pretty well and very fast. But that's it.)
But I love it. The few races I've run, I've loved the simplicity of it: it's you and your body, pushing towards the finish.
I live vicariously through other runners' blogs. As I'm not running, I've got little to talk about, so I read instead. I really miss running in the mornings right now. When I got my injury, I assumed I would just lapse and soon enough lose interest. But instead I think obsessively about getting back on the road.
This makes me hope that, just maybe, I'm a runner.
Time will tell.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Endurance exercise can cause loss of iron and anaemia
Most athletes are far less aware of the fact that iron is one of the most difficult minerals to absorb, and that they are especially vulnerable to iron depletion through training-induced losses, especially if their event involves endurance training. To make matters worse, the latest ways of measuring iron indicate that that it is perfectly possible to have a healthy blood Hb count while simultaneously suffering from depleted levels of tissue iron. And, if that weren’t enough, new research published this spring has demonstrated this tissue iron depletion impairs the ability of the body to adapt to endurance training.Full article here.
Luckily, Guinness is a good source of iron.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
This guy is totally inspiring
In February 2004 (18 months ago), Stephen Johnson, 50, was overweight with a cholesterol level of 270 and blood pressure reading of 150 plus over 100 plus. The treadmill bored him, but when he was persuaded to try training for a 5K, he lost 40 pounds in the first month.He recently competed in the Pennsylvania State Senior Games, where he won the 1,500-meter race with a time of five minutes, six seconds.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
The Vegas marathon gets a little bizarre ...
A CEO Marathon event will be run in conjunction with the New Las Vegas Marathon on December 4, 2005, on a marathon course that, for the first time, will run the world famous Las Vegas Strip. The race will start and finish at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center, and the Four Seasons Hotel (which is attached to Mandalay Bay) will serve as the CEO marathon host hotel.
The CEO Marathon Competition will be open to any CEO or Company President (min. annual gross revenue of $5 million US), with awards to the top three in four categories: Female, Male over 50, 40 – 49, and under 40. The top finishers will be ranked vs. other CEOs racing at subsequent CEO Marathon events throughout the world.
Wonder if any of them are bloggers. Full article here. Will be interesting to see - not long now, folks! And Scott is making great progress with the RBF t-shirts. I'm excited.
In other news, the Rundown is up. I love Naomi's site.
Finally, thank you all sosososososo much for your good wishes on my last post. I've had a few requests for the proposal / courtship story - best told over a cocktail in the Mandalay Bay in December. Thank you again - it really does mean a lot to me, and to the tall fella.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Naomi could probably help out here but the rest of us would be caught like a deer trapped by, well, a lion
Three lions showed up as unexpected guests while a marathon race was underway in South Africa's famed Kruger National Park, forcing runners to stop until the animals left the road, local media reported on Tuesday.
Elephants were also an issue:
The elephants left the village before the race started, but the athletes had to run around heaps of dung, the newspaper said.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
In Which The Avoidance of Laundry Leads to the Sniffing of Shorts
I tell you this with an odd mixture of glee (it's fast! it's efficient!) and embarrassment (I'm not certain if it's gross or not. Something tells me it might be, but I can't pinpoint the exact source of the actual potential grossness.)
Lisa Lisa, a character in Po Bronson's novel Bombadiers (Catch-22 based in San Francisco's financial district) can run four miles in 28 minutes, and when she gets home, she showers in her running clothes, then swishes them around to rinse out the soap.
I thought of this a few weeks ago when it looked like I was drowning under a pile of sweaty Cool-Max, and tried it out.
Washing your clothes in the shower rocks. Go and do it right after your next run. Seriously. Here's what happens: You wash them while you wear them, then rinse them under the shower. If you wear tech fabrics, they dry really really fast. They seem to get really clean: I was initially skeptical until I smelled them the next day (yes, I sniffed my shorts. Shut up.) and was greeted with nothing more offensive than Irish Breeze. (Shut up!) And - this is anecdotal, but it kinda makes sense - handwashing in the shower seemed to restore all the original wicking properties that tend to disappear after multiple machine washings and dryings.
Lisa Lisa, a character in Po Bronson's novel Bombadiers (Catch-22 based in San Francisco's financial district) can run four miles in 28 minutes, and when she gets home, she showers in her running clothes, then swishes them around to rinse out the soap.
I thought of this a few weeks ago when it looked like I was drowning under a pile of sweaty Cool-Max, and tried it out.
Washing your clothes in the shower rocks. Go and do it right after your next run. Seriously. Here's what happens: You wash them while you wear them, then rinse them under the shower. If you wear tech fabrics, they dry really really fast. They seem to get really clean: I was initially skeptical until I smelled them the next day (yes, I sniffed my shorts. Shut up.) and was greeted with nothing more offensive than Irish Breeze. (Shut up!) And - this is anecdotal, but it kinda makes sense - handwashing in the shower seemed to restore all the original wicking properties that tend to disappear after multiple machine washings and dryings.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
Hornet Juice Secret to Success for Olympic Winners
The women's marathon winner at the Sydney Olympics has revealed the
secret of her success --- she drank the stomach juices of giant, killer hornets
that fly 100km a day at up to 25 km/hour. Naoko Takahashi, from Japan, consumed
the hornet juice during training and the ace itself after scientists discovered
that it had astonishing powers to boost human stamina.
Man, I'm all over it. It's worth scrolling to read the testimonials.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Because I just can't write enough about my feet.
Monday I went to a podiatrist at Virginia Mason in Seattle. Well! I just can't say enough about VM: Pilar Almy was just the coolest thing ever. I reeled off the list of variables I thought might have caused the injury: increased mileage, new shoes ... and finally, changing my gait to land on the midsection / ball of the foot. Because of Chi Running, I explained. "Ouch-chi running," she said.
I love puns.
She sent me off for a bone scan, and I'm just back.
First thing this morning I went in and received an injection of a radioactive tracer fluid. It was a little disturbing to see the syringe arrive in a thick metal safety
container, but the technician explained that it was to protect her: it isn't highly radioactive, but she's exposed to it all day, every day. Then I lay on the bed and she taped my feet together, not an experience I've had without at least a bottle of wine beforehand. I had to lie still for five minutes at a time while she photographed the soft tissue. I didn't see any of those pictures.
Then I was sent home to work and wait while the tracer fluid settled in my bones. The scan works because the fluid settles in the part of the bone that is growing most: the injury site. I had to drink 8 ounces of water every 30 minutes, and pee every 15. Apparently. Then I came back for the interesting part.
I love Yuri and Luke, the guys who do the scanning in VM. "Hm," said Yuri, looking at the images on the computer, "that foot is going to have to come off." "He's my Obi-Wan," said Luke, taping my feet together. Turns out Yuri is a serious runner himself. "You've been putting in the miles," he said, pointing out the areas on my shin bones where the bones were getting stronger. "Plus, you've had shin splints." I said no, I'd had no trouble. "Uh-uh," he said, pointing at the screen, "I can see them there."
The stress fracture showed up as a very distinct pink dot, indicating a high concentration of the tracer fluid. Interestingly, there were some other pink areas around the front of each ankle. I haven't been experiencing pain there, so it's kind of sobering to see evidence of even minor injury. "Stay off concrete," Yuri warned.
Okay.
On Monday I go back to the podiatrist. I'm gonna take Jeff's advice and hit the gym hard. I'm wondering whether to knit while on the stationary bike.
I love puns.
She sent me off for a bone scan, and I'm just back.
First thing this morning I went in and received an injection of a radioactive tracer fluid. It was a little disturbing to see the syringe arrive in a thick metal safety
container, but the technician explained that it was to protect her: it isn't highly radioactive, but she's exposed to it all day, every day. Then I lay on the bed and she taped my feet together, not an experience I've had without at least a bottle of wine beforehand. I had to lie still for five minutes at a time while she photographed the soft tissue. I didn't see any of those pictures.Then I was sent home to work and wait while the tracer fluid settled in my bones. The scan works because the fluid settles in the part of the bone that is growing most: the injury site. I had to drink 8 ounces of water every 30 minutes, and pee every 15. Apparently. Then I came back for the interesting part.
I love Yuri and Luke, the guys who do the scanning in VM. "Hm," said Yuri, looking at the images on the computer, "that foot is going to have to come off." "He's my Obi-Wan," said Luke, taping my feet together. Turns out Yuri is a serious runner himself. "You've been putting in the miles," he said, pointing out the areas on my shin bones where the bones were getting stronger. "Plus, you've had shin splints." I said no, I'd had no trouble. "Uh-uh," he said, pointing at the screen, "I can see them there."
The stress fracture showed up as a very distinct pink dot, indicating a high concentration of the tracer fluid. Interestingly, there were some other pink areas around the front of each ankle. I haven't been experiencing pain there, so it's kind of sobering to see evidence of even minor injury. "Stay off concrete," Yuri warned.
Okay.
On Monday I go back to the podiatrist. I'm gonna take Jeff's advice and hit the gym hard. I'm wondering whether to knit while on the stationary bike.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
For many people, I'm nothing but a disappointment.
I'm looking at you, person who got here by Googling "porno race".
Monday, August 01, 2005
It's the Rundown, and it's here all week.
Sometimes you have a dream week, run, or race, and it’s what you hoped it would be. Dianna and Annalisa are officially triathletes – what a inspiring day, even for those of us who thrash in the water like a drunk drowning. Dark O’Clock set a goal and kicked its ass. Dawn ran a relay and even shared her socks. BD did a personal best on the 5K.
Sometimes, though, you hit the wall. Sometimes during the race, sometimes before or after.
Maybe it’s a race that turns out harder than we expected. It might be something you’ve lived with your whole life, like Brooklyn, but refuse to be beaten by. Injury takes its toll: Mark tells how he endured pain for years before finding a treatment that works and keeps him on the road, shoes or no shoes. In a thoughtful post, April-Anne shares a hard long-run day and the reasons why a runner might fall out of form. Chocolate Runner did the smart thing with his foot pain and lived to run another day. Stephanie’s run the numbers, figured the odds, and is going to run her marathon after all, no matter how many hours on the elliptical it takes. Nic’s recovered from a stress fracture, and ready to tackle the San Francisco women’s marathon in October, hangover or no hangover (Nic is my kind of runner). After a few great races, Sarah is doing what it takes to get herself back on the road and feeling good, and all our best wishes go to her.
When it gets hard, Alison finds encouragement with running partners, in a post that shows how sometimes it takes the presence of another person to make us hit the road. Chelle gets through her race even when stung by bees!
It’s at times like this that I’m thankful for the Running Blog Family. A few years ago, if you were injured and your partner or lover or friends or family weren’t runners, you could have been on your own, without access to people who truly understood your pain, your struggle, or your goals. Now we have this huge worldwide family of talented runners who understand, help, and encourage. Thanks to The Miracle That Is Technology ™, this is a fantastic time to be a runner.
Sometimes, though, you hit the wall. Sometimes during the race, sometimes before or after.
Maybe it’s a race that turns out harder than we expected. It might be something you’ve lived with your whole life, like Brooklyn, but refuse to be beaten by. Injury takes its toll: Mark tells how he endured pain for years before finding a treatment that works and keeps him on the road, shoes or no shoes. In a thoughtful post, April-Anne shares a hard long-run day and the reasons why a runner might fall out of form. Chocolate Runner did the smart thing with his foot pain and lived to run another day. Stephanie’s run the numbers, figured the odds, and is going to run her marathon after all, no matter how many hours on the elliptical it takes. Nic’s recovered from a stress fracture, and ready to tackle the San Francisco women’s marathon in October, hangover or no hangover (Nic is my kind of runner). After a few great races, Sarah is doing what it takes to get herself back on the road and feeling good, and all our best wishes go to her.
When it gets hard, Alison finds encouragement with running partners, in a post that shows how sometimes it takes the presence of another person to make us hit the road. Chelle gets through her race even when stung by bees!
It’s at times like this that I’m thankful for the Running Blog Family. A few years ago, if you were injured and your partner or lover or friends or family weren’t runners, you could have been on your own, without access to people who truly understood your pain, your struggle, or your goals. Now we have this huge worldwide family of talented runners who understand, help, and encourage. Thanks to The Miracle That Is Technology ™, this is a fantastic time to be a runner.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Stephanie tagged me, so here goes...
I like Stephanie's blog.
Q: What are you training for now? (Oh! The timing!)
A: The Las Vegas Marathon (December) and the Royal Victoria Half Marathon (October). If those don't work out, the Connemara Marathon in March, in Ireland. Plus, if I can't do Vegas, I still have an entry for the Seattle marathon, which I might just change to a half.
Q: If you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?
Um, I'm not. I should be, but I'm not. AIDS research, poverty relief. Science education for girls. Actually science education for everybody.
Q: What is the furthest distance you've run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?
A: 10 miles. If I stick to my schedule, I should do three 2o-milers.
Q:What is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)
A: So far I've only tried Road Runner Sports own brand vanilla. It has the texture you'd expect to get if you blended a selection of body fluids with a bunch of sugar. I'm open to something new.
Q: How many days a week do you run?
A: Five, all being well. My natural instinct is to do everything to excess. If five days is good, why, seven must be even better. Three miles are good? Watch me do five! See last couple entries for information on how that all turned out. :-)
Q: Are you injured in any way right now? If so,what are you doing about it?
A: Why, yes, I am! My therapy so far consists of bitching on the Internet and wearing a big ol boot. I have a podiatrist appt on Tuesday.
Q:What is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don't count) you can't run without?
A: Running bra. Bandanna on warm days: I sweat so much that putting sunscreen on my forehead blinds me when it melts. Plus I think it makes me look like a pirate.
Q: Do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? If so, tell us!
A: My boyfriend gave me a lovely necklace for my birthday. In one way it's too fancy to run with, but it's light and when I'm tired it makes me feel good to put my hand to my throat and touch it.
Q: Share one thing about yourself we don't know.
My first job involved copyediting Doctor Who books and soft porn. Not as glamorous as it sounds.
Now I tag Jeff, Sarah, dark o'clock, and Trisha.
Q: What are you training for now? (Oh! The timing!)
A: The Las Vegas Marathon (December) and the Royal Victoria Half Marathon (October). If those don't work out, the Connemara Marathon in March, in Ireland. Plus, if I can't do Vegas, I still have an entry for the Seattle marathon, which I might just change to a half.
Q: If you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?
Um, I'm not. I should be, but I'm not. AIDS research, poverty relief. Science education for girls. Actually science education for everybody.
Q: What is the furthest distance you've run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?
A: 10 miles. If I stick to my schedule, I should do three 2o-milers.
Q:What is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)
A: So far I've only tried Road Runner Sports own brand vanilla. It has the texture you'd expect to get if you blended a selection of body fluids with a bunch of sugar. I'm open to something new.
Q: How many days a week do you run?
A: Five, all being well. My natural instinct is to do everything to excess. If five days is good, why, seven must be even better. Three miles are good? Watch me do five! See last couple entries for information on how that all turned out. :-)
Q: Are you injured in any way right now? If so,what are you doing about it?
A: Why, yes, I am! My therapy so far consists of bitching on the Internet and wearing a big ol boot. I have a podiatrist appt on Tuesday.
Q:What is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don't count) you can't run without?
A: Running bra. Bandanna on warm days: I sweat so much that putting sunscreen on my forehead blinds me when it melts. Plus I think it makes me look like a pirate.
Q: Do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? If so, tell us!
A: My boyfriend gave me a lovely necklace for my birthday. In one way it's too fancy to run with, but it's light and when I'm tired it makes me feel good to put my hand to my throat and touch it.
Q: Share one thing about yourself we don't know.
My first job involved copyediting Doctor Who books and soft porn. Not as glamorous as it sounds.
Now I tag Jeff, Sarah, dark o'clock, and Trisha.
Don't want to get all The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow on your ass, but you know, things aren't so bad
I'm feeling so much better today. First, I have a stylish orthopaedic boot, which I anticipate being a pleasure to bring through airport security tomorrow - especially flying to D.C. - and secondly, I'm really encouraged and boosted by thoughtful e-mails and comments that have made a huge difference to my mood. They really did help. Thank you so much (and thank you to P for putting up w/ the histrionics).
And anyway, I did a bit of research. Sometimes you're only off for around three weeks - even five will probably put me in the ballpark for a long slow Vegas run (not that I was expecting a fast one). And if that doesn't happen - why, I've just registered for the Connemara Marathon! Twenty-six and a bit miles through the some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and another opportunity to go home (and in March! When the west of Ireland is at its most magical!). Not a bad alternative, and an extra four months to train, so I might even do a better time.
And anyway, I did a bit of research. Sometimes you're only off for around three weeks - even five will probably put me in the ballpark for a long slow Vegas run (not that I was expecting a fast one). And if that doesn't happen - why, I've just registered for the Connemara Marathon! Twenty-six and a bit miles through the some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and another opportunity to go home (and in March! When the west of Ireland is at its most magical!). Not a bad alternative, and an extra four months to train, so I might even do a better time.
Plus, off to D.C. tomorrow. When I get back, I'll be hosting the Rundown. You know the drill - got some interesting posts or news or race reports? Bring it!
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
So it goes. I guess.
Thank you for the good wishes on the foot. I appreciate it a lot.
It looks like I have a stress fracture in my foot. The pain increased a lot today, and my foot was swelling over my shoe like bread in a loaf pan, so I decided to see a doctor, which involved much fussing over the internet on account of the fact that I've never gotten around to getting a primary care physician and needed to find someone in a hurry.
I have to see a podiatrist to confirm - apparently these things don't always show up on x-rays - but for now, I have to stay off the foot as much as possible. It can take 6-10 weeks of healing before you can run again. So Vegas might well be out for me this year.
I had no idea just how much I love running, and love the progress I've been making; I had no idea how important running this marathon is to me, or how much I love connecting with fellow runners on the Web, until I sat this afternoon watching fat salty tears fall beside my foot on the x-ray mat.
"Your foot must hurt a lot," the technician said sympathetically.
I'm lucky that I rarely stay down for long, and I'm sure that in a day or so I'll be feeling positive again - plus there's a chance that the podiatrist might have a different view - but I have to admit it: I'm feeling pretty low right now.
Smoove out.
It looks like I have a stress fracture in my foot. The pain increased a lot today, and my foot was swelling over my shoe like bread in a loaf pan, so I decided to see a doctor, which involved much fussing over the internet on account of the fact that I've never gotten around to getting a primary care physician and needed to find someone in a hurry.
I have to see a podiatrist to confirm - apparently these things don't always show up on x-rays - but for now, I have to stay off the foot as much as possible. It can take 6-10 weeks of healing before you can run again. So Vegas might well be out for me this year.
I had no idea just how much I love running, and love the progress I've been making; I had no idea how important running this marathon is to me, or how much I love connecting with fellow runners on the Web, until I sat this afternoon watching fat salty tears fall beside my foot on the x-ray mat.
"Your foot must hurt a lot," the technician said sympathetically.
I'm lucky that I rarely stay down for long, and I'm sure that in a day or so I'll be feeling positive again - plus there's a chance that the podiatrist might have a different view - but I have to admit it: I'm feeling pretty low right now.
Smoove out.
god DAMN it, my foot hurts
So this morning I pretty much had to limp home from the Fremont Bridge: my left foot hurts like hell when I put weight on it. What can be the cause? Hard to say. Mileage has gone up, but by a reasonable amount; new shoes seemed to be fine after their first long run. The pain is at the ball of the foot, right under the toes - it hurts when I flex. This better not be anything scary. So I'm gonna bite the bullet and rest tomorrow, and longer if necessary. One friend has already had to cancel his marathon plans because of injury. It sounds heartbreaking. Better to take a couple days off now.
But in other news - on Friday I'm of f to DC to see my oldest and dearest friend before her baby arrives and our landscape is changed (and improved!) forever. I'm so excited that if I didn't have a painful foot I'd be dancing down the corridors.
But in other news - on Friday I'm of f to DC to see my oldest and dearest friend before her baby arrives and our landscape is changed (and improved!) forever. I'm so excited that if I didn't have a painful foot I'd be dancing down the corridors.
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