Run DMZ

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

Getting Down With Gravity

2009-07-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

I love when someone offers a different perspective on something fundamental. Take this morning after we ran around the perimeter of Coronado, when we got a lesson in running mechanics and gait from a chiropractor and acupuncturist who is part of our training group.

Dawn explained how it is the Kenyans run so differently, and maybe why. Running is often their only form of transportation between villages, so it makes sense that they would instinctively focus on fuel and form efficiency to not only continue, but to do so quickly.

She told us that to prevent injuries, most of us likely need to change the way we run to take better advantage of gravity and to ensure we are using major muscles most effectively. This involves running at a slight angle (but not bending forward) to free up movement in the hips and hamstrings. We should also rotate our upper body slightly, rather than keep our shoulders rigid as many of us do.

Now here’s the part that really stuck with me: If you find you are continually suffering from problems with your knees, calves, ankles or feet (like plantar fasciatis), it likely is because your running form is not allowing you to use your major muscles – glutes, quads and part of your hamstrings – in the best manner. If these muscles aren’t accurately engaged, it puts unnecessary stress on the minor muscles and that, dear friends, results in pushback in the form of pain.

So simple, isn't it?

And, while I’m on the subject of our running group, I want to note another member who is heading to the All-Stars Baseball Game next week as an "All Star Among Us." Congratulations, Richard! It couldn’t have happened to a nicer – and more deserving – guy.

When Sleep Eludes You

2009-07-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

One option is to quietly head downstairs, turn on your laptop, brew some tea and soon discover a great article in the Wall Street Journal -- written by one of your former students.

Slow Economy, Faster Marathons

Americans might be poorer, but they certainly aren’t slower. With the economy in the doldrums, more people are discovering that without those 12-hour workdays, they’re able to pursue fitness goals like never before. Marathons, triathlons and road races are filling up in record time.

Some evidence suggests that laid-off marathon runners are actually helping push up the level of competition within their age groups. Olympic-level competition could even go up because more elite athletes coming out of college are opting to pursue their athletic goals rather than look for work in a dismal job market.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

Numb3rs

2009-07-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow provides a unique situation that I must tell you about today since it'll be Wordless Wednesday. That afternoon, for one second, the day will officially read:

12:34:56 7/8/9

That's all.

Today I Blame on Jellyfish

2009-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended the Chinese wedding banquet of our friend Peter and his bride, Sarita. It was a wonderful reception and we were treated to an eight-course traditional Chinese feast – no General Tso’s Chicken or pot stickers for this bunch.

Despite feeling rundown earlier in the day, I was ready for a culinary adventure and gratefully lapped up the fish soup and then tangled with some jellyfish – not easy with chop sticks, I’ll have you know. My favorite was the fried squid, Peking duck sandwiches and bok choy covered with some viscous sauce of unknown origin.

The evening ended just as a nearby fireworks show began, and we left the restaurant with a prized centerpiece and images of everyone dancing the night away. Eight hours later, I was struggling with digestive issues on a usually easy 4-mile run, but I’ll gladly take it because last night was so worth it.

Thank you, Peter and Sarita, for letting us be a part of your very special day.

5 on the 4th

2009-07-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a 5.5-mile run around Lake Murray in East County. There was a lot more activity than usual for that hour of the day due to everyone setting up for a 4th of July festival and people already getting dibs on prime park real estate.

I really struggled on this one. Maybe because I hadn’t run since Monday. Maybe because I ate an extra extra helping of my homemade onion rings last night. Maybe because I’m on the cusp of that time of the month. Maybe because I wore a flimsy white technical shirt and not-so-supportive sports bra. Maybe because I had to stop four times to use the facilities. Maybe because I didn’t sleep well.

Then again, maybe I just had a lousy run.

I'd heard about this woman marathoner who ran down a rapist last week. I'm not sure I'd have the strength to do the same, especially on days like today.

San Diego Union-Tribune: Woman didn't hesitate to run after attacker

Happy Independence Day, everyone!!

Top EcoFriendly Energy Bars

2009-07-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

A hat tip to my friend Annie in Elizabeth City, N.C., who sent me a link to a Sierra Club taste test on energy bars. In case you're wondering which were deemed the best tasting and best for the environment, here are the top five:

1. LUNA White Chocolate Macadamia
$1.39 | lunabar.com
"Luna bars, marketed to women by the makers of Clif Bars, are 70 percent organic."

2. OLYMPIC GRANOLA Almond Chocolate Trail Bar
$2.99 | olympicgranola.com
"Olympic Granola's corn-syrup-free bars are made of non-genetically-modified ingredients that are grown without chemical sprays."

3. ONE LUCKY DUCK Chewy Almond Crunch Bar
$6.50 | oneluckyduck.com
"Handmade in small batches, this pricey bar is from a company that sells only raw, vegan, organic products."

4. CLIF BAR Cool Mint Chocolate
$1.39 | clifbar.com
"Clif Bars are 70 percent organic, and the company engages in many sustainable actions, including diverting most of its waste and using biodiesel for its fleet."

5. HONEY STINGER Peanut Butter 'n Honey
$1.49 | honeystinger.com
"Honey Stinger is 100 percent wind powered, and employees get time-off credit for carpooling, bicycling, or walking to work. The company recycles all paper, glass, and metal and maintains a community vegetable garden outside of its building."

For the others that made the list, plus more details on each of the top five, you can go to The Green Life: The Taste of Power.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T04:37:00.001-07:00

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Rats

2009-06-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Some mornings I’m reminded that a mountain lion is known to roam the bike path near my office. On my bicycle ride into work this morning, I figured out why I sometimes feel more vulnerable: bunnies. When they are all over the bike path, I figure I am safe because rabbit is far tastier – and readily available – than heavy-breathing human.

Now, mountain lion are most active at dawn and dusk, and dawn just happens to be when I’m in the neighborhood. This morning, I started to notice there weren’t any bunnies (or fellow humans) for a considerable stretch of bike path. Then, in a heavily wooded section, I saw a large rat in the middle of the path. It was mortally wounded, but not quite dead yet. I would like to have said I then scanned for paw prints and big cat scat, but instead I hauled ass out of there -- just in case I interrupted something's breakfast.

From 6 to 60

2009-06-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

First week of bike commuting is in the books. I went from a long ride of 6 miles last week to three daily rides of 20 miles this week. And I still feel terrific.

My gmap of the route is shorter by .7 miles because I had to use the manual function; it’s exactly 10 miles from garage to garage in real life. As you can see from the elevation, the ride in is a breeze compared to the ride home, where I climb, and then climb more and more. By the eighth mile, I’m firmly locked in a granny gear. As I crest the last long hill, my legs always shake as I catch my breath, wipe my brow and then try to make a sharp right around a street pole without falling into speeding traffic. Once I didn’t make it but had the wherewithal to fall on the sidewalk instead of the street.

That is, until today.

I shaved five minutes off both ways and kept it in a much higher gear. I even negotiated that tricky turn. I am rather amazed at how quickly I've improved, just like everyone said I would. I was so happy that I celebrated with ~~two~~ three beers tonight. Then I remembered I’m running downtown with my training group at 6:30 in the morning. Time to sober up and sleep it off after another Michael Jackson tribute or two.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

My Last Dry Run

2009-06-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

This Father’s Day I woke early to test both me and Penelope before I officially start my bike commute to work tomorrow morning. I needed to get a sense of how long it takes to get to the office, shower, dress, etc. The short answer: longer than I thought.

That’s fine, though, because something pretty wonderful happened. On the way back, it’s almost all uphill in some variation and I made it the entire way without one stop or even a major pep talk on the hardest of the climbs.

I arrived back at the house an hour and half later soaked and saddle sore but otherwise pumped to do it again in the morning, weighed down by a 15-pound backpack and something besides last night’s generous pour of sauvignon blanc in my belly.

Someday this is going to seem so easy. Just not Monday.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Coit In the Act

2009-06-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

Read this blog long enough (or look at the travelogs in the sidebar) and you’ll discover one of my favorite cities to visit is San Francisco. In all my trips, one of the few things I’d never done was visit Coit Tower. It’s an iconic landmark that, it turns out, isn’t as easy to find on foot as you might think.

We were actually heading to another tourist attraction – the crookedest street on Lombard – when a local recommended we instead climb up to Coit Tower for a view. The unmarked stairs, he said, were just around the corner. True enough. The climb would include a lot more sets of steep stairs often bisected by homes and roads, but it was totally worth it just to experience an urban hike like none other.

This is not for the weak of knees or tender of foot. We had one of each in our trio, but once you get to a certain point, ‘tis better to just keep moving upward and onward. At least I believe that's what my husband and sister were thinking since no one had a spare breath to talk.

The succession of stairs move through the flower-festooned historic Telegraph Hill neighborhood. Blessed with cool temperatures and bright blue skies, we sometimes stopped to take in a lovely hillside garden and mural or to determine if we were still on the official route or someone’s private property. Unlike a lot of tourist spots, this one lacked any signage with directions.

Bolstered by the brisk bay breeze behind us, we continued to climb until we finally reached a leafy park and came upon the base of the tower – and a parking lot. With cars and tour buses and not just limping pedestrians massaging their quads and calves. Who knew.

It costs $5 to take an old elevator up to the top and back down. There are no other options to the top if you want to take in the view, snap some photos and pretend you’re one of the snipers in an old Dirty Harry movie.

Oh, and here’s that view of crooked Lombard Street.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Photo of the St. Louis arch by my daughter, Elise.

The Kind of Calls I Like to Receive

2009-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

The nurse called today to give me the results of my lab work (at least the blood work).

She read me the data and then said she rarely gives women my age cholesterol levels that good. She asked my secret and all I could think to say was, "Kumquats." I've been eating them by the fistful for weeks. And it sounded much better than beer and pizza, which had been my last meal prior to fasting for the test.

So, my pulse and blood pressure are that of a 17-year-old.

And my blood is itself in tip-top shape.

Now to get my outsides to match my insides.

Just Passing Through

2009-06-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

While our out-of-town company's still asleep and the blueberry muffins are in the oven, I wanted to let you know that I did my first group run of the season yesterday. Just a little under 2.5 miles in about 25 minutes. I've lost a lot more aerobic capacity than even leg strength, but it felt great to be out there again. My doctor on Thursday said she now suspects I tore my achilles -- not a great big tear, but enough of one to hinder me for months. It is improving, so the long rest did help. I'm next heading to an ankle specialist, but first she wants to see if a month of riding in lieu of most of my runs shows improvement.

That'll make these Saturday morning outings with 75 of my closest friends even more exceptional.

Yesterday I spent six hours walking around the Zoo; today it's showing everyone around La Jolla. I love it when I have a great excuse to go out and play.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Weigh In On Races

2009-06-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

I started running marathons before the Internet took hold in households, so I didn't have the good fortune to read race reviews from a wide range of runners before deciding which to do. I just had recommendations from my small network of running friends -- told in person or on the phone since email wasn't around yet.

Now, of course, there are numerous sites that allow you to weigh in on a race, one of the newest being Racevine. I found out about the site from Twitter and immediately signed up to provide my own take on some of my favorite races. Right now the startup is focused on marathons, half marathons and triathlons -- makes sense since runners also devote the most resources in these endurance events. But I'm excited to hear the site's management plans soon to broaden the critics' corner to include shorter distances since that's where I'm currently channeling my training.

Sometimes after a big race, I'll do a blog search to see what people had to say about it. It's nice to now have one source to corral all those opinions and experiences about what went right, and wrong. Check it out and help spread the word, by both reviewing races and letting people know about the site once you do.

Pink Is The New Green

2009-05-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

She’s pink, but not pink-pink. I always thought I’d be attracted to blues or greens or reds, but I liked her the minute I set eyes on her.

She’s a Diamondback hybrid, more on the road than comfort side, I’m told, though her wheels are good for the dirt trails closest to my house. The guy who sold her to me, Ian, says she’s good with klutzes like me.

I woke before everyone today to take her for a test ride, and I was the one tested. Within minutes my heart was racing and sweat was forming on my brow, no matter which settings I chose. I made it midway up the first hill before I had to dismount and walk the rest of the way. It happened again on the return, which ended up, oh, 14 miles shorter than intended.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

I now understand the bond between [wo]man and bike. In our case, we’re both heavy lightweights who need each other to make this work. Speaking of work, I’m obviously going to have to build up to commuting to mine.

I like it though. I like the minor accomplishment when I crest a long incline still sitting in the saddle. I like the terrifying exhilaration of speeding downhill. I like that I’m going to be sore tomorrow, but for a change it’s a good sore.

I’m naming her Penelope.

It All Changes From Here

2009-05-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is my last Saturday morning at home for the next six months, give or take a week. Next Saturday is the first run of the 4th Annual Half Mad or Whatever Marathon Training Program.

Given it’s already the midyear, and the first half of the year hasn’t gone as planned runningwise, I’m going to treat it as a fresh start. Not another false start.

What I’m doing differently:

1. Buying a hybrid bike this weekend (yes, finally!) to commute and to hit the canyon trails some evenings.
2. Signing up for a hatha yoga class that meets Tuesday evenings. This precludes me from joining the track club for speedwork, but in my current state I can’t do sprints or hill repeats for awhile anyway.
3. Signing up for a Sunday morning yoga/Pilates combo class. I decided on this instead of a spin class because I’m finally recognizing I need a kinder, gentler regime to avoid being sidelined so much.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy a bike after breakfast and then get the house ready for out-of-town company.

Hey, Don't I Know You?

2009-05-29T10:05:00.001-07:00

What does it say that I know every person in this article, which is all about the back of the pack crowd and their different marathon experience? There’s:

Michael, Irene’s husband;

John Cross, an octogenarian I’ve welcomed home in many races;

Chuck, Louise’s old training partner (old as in former, Chuck, not agewise);

Erin, who I’ve shared a run with and who is part of our core SDTC half marathon training program;

and Sue, who I just spoke to on the phone the other day.

I hope they and everyone running this Sunday are greeted by cool weather, great music and a spectacular group of spectators. I’ll be thinking of you.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

Advice To Sleep On

2009-05-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Many of us have trouble falling and staying asleep these days, so it's no wonder that articles on sleep are popping up all over the place. This morning's local newspaper has one such item on the issue that I thought was worth passing on, particularly since sleep is as important as nutrition and fitness to runners.

Here's an excerpt that might prove useful:

"Although we spend one-third of our lives sleeping, many of us don't do it very well. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says about one in five adults fails to get the necessary seven to eight hours a night, and the economic downturn is making things worse.

The trick to catching this elusive bedfellow is learning how to let it come to us.

1. You can't fall asleep.
Don't stay in bed. It turns your sanctuary into a torture chamber and actually decreases your sleep drive, says Zee. Instead, practice good “sleep hygiene” by reducing your caffeine intake, exercising (but not too close to bedtime) and avoiding stimulating activities, such as TV and computer use. Resist the urge to knock yourself out with wine, because alcohol prevents deep sleep. If anxiety is keeping you up, keep the lights dim, get out of bed and listen to music, talk radio or an audiobook with your eyes closed. Go back to bed when you feel drowsy.

2. You wake up in the middle of the night.
Don't turn on the light. This “tells the brain it's morning and it stops producing melatonin,” sleep expert Michael Breus said. Don't go to the bathroom simply because you're awake. Instead, he said, distract your monkey mind by counting backward from 300 by 3s – that requires more calculation than counting sheep. If you wake up within an hour of the time you're supposed to get up, then just get up, Breus said. “If you stay in bed longer than 30 or 40 minutes, your body could push you back into a deep sleep,” he said.

3. Your bladder wakes you up.
Don't drink liquids after 8:30 p.m. If you're worried you might be thirsty in the middle of the night, put a small cup of water near your bed so you don't have to get up. You probably won't need it, said Breus, the author of “Beauty Sleep” (Plume, $15). If you're male and feel pressure on your bladder, have your prostate checked."