Bridges Runner

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December 29th, 2009

Fruit smoothie!

[info]shore_turtle
12/29/09 10:47 pm
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ShoreTurtle/~3/4bNV-1xT3m4/

http://www.shoreturtle.com/blog/?p=4210

I took advantage of a day off from work and went for a run this afternoon. Running in daylight during the week is such a novelty. I don’t get up early enough to run before work and it is dark when I get home. It was cold conditions for a run: 21 degrees, 17mph winds with gusts up to 25mph, wind chill 7 degrees. I wore multiple layers and used my Mizuno Breath Thermo tights, long sleeve shirt and socks as my base layers.

My intention was to run an out and back of 4-5 miles. I ran into the wind on the way out. At the turnaround point, I decided to keep running. I combined a couple of routes that I’ve run separately and turned it into an 8 mile run. The cold temperature turned my bottle of Gatorade into a fruit smoothie–which, surprisingly, tasted good.

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maybe i'm getting too old for this

[info]nyflygirl
12/29/09 03:01 pm
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http://nyflygirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/maybe-im-getting-too-old-for-this.html

So since I'm sure everyone was dying to know (ha, not really) yes I did venture out on XMas Eve...guess it beat staying home and watching reruns of Jersey Shore :-P  If you were hoping for any juicy gossip, I'm sorry to disappoint...no running into peeps I knew like the Ex-Boyfriend's frat brother or anything like that :)  So, knowing in advance which venue attracted the "younger" and "older" ends of the spectrum, I decided to go to the one "inbetween."  Which was actually a good move...not too crowded, DJ playing 80s music, open vodka bar for the first hour.  Only talked to 2 guys that nite...first didn't seem too into me, got a playa vibe from the second.  I don't know, I just feel like I've really outgrown this scene...unless I know everybody at the shindig (e.g., the Flyer parties...or hell, even NYRR's club night) I'm not great in this setting...better one on one, methinks.  Plus nursing a killer hangover is not how I wanted to spend my XMas day.  Maybe I just needed one more of these things just to get out of my system, but I think I might skip it next XMas Eve...ask me again in a year though :)  But really, who meets the love of their life at one of these "meet markets"...

So besides that, not really much to tell.  Except what was supposed to be a quiet work week did have to be disrupted by crazy person doing his crazy person thing on a project I'm doing for him.  It's always something with this one!!
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Freakonomics meets Pirates of the Caribbean

[info]freakonomics
12/29/09 05:28 pm
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http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/freakonomics-meets-pirates-of-the-caribbean/

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=23769

That's how the Las Vegas Weekly describes economist Pete Leeson's book The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates. The Invisible Hook is an excellent book by one of the most creative young economists around, Pete Leeson, based off some of his academic papers, including this one that was published in Journal of Political Economy when I was the editor. I have to admit that as an editor I was skeptical when I received a manuscript on pirates from an obscure economist, but the combination of careful research and really interesting insights quickly won me over to Leeson's work.
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Empty office

[info]crazy_bandana
12/29/09 12:43 pm
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CrazyBandana/~3/kLljTglBl4M/empty-office.html

Well...I had forgotten that yesterday was a day where the office was DEAD...

It was rather really nice to just play around in the office and do some work in peace and quiet. Really nice actually.

Mind you today is a rather different story, where some people are back in the office...

Ahh!!! good day in the office this week...I love when it is quiet!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry


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no spring 26.2??? schedule revised.

[info]ironingitout
12/29/09 11:12 am
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http://ironingitout.blogspot.com/2009/12/no-spring-262-schedule-revised.html

yep, 'tis true.

since I only have 5+ months to train for IM #2 AND I need to spend a lot of time in the saddle, coach is recommending no providence marathon (poop).

so, here I come 13.1...and yes, one really sore butt in my future.

revised spring schedule:

24 January- NYRR Manhattan half-marathon
28 February- Snowflake 4-miler
21 March- NYC half-marathon
17 April- Asbury Park half-marathon
26 April- More half-marathon (maybe)
22 May- Harryman or Jerseyman 1/2 iron
6 June- Rev3 70.3 
27 June- Ironman Coeur d'Alene
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Spin class for a non-biking runner?

[info]anarcha posting in [info]runners
12/29/09 10:49 am
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So, good news is that the podiatrist I saw yesterday thinks that my ankle injury (posterior tibial tendonitis) is relatively minor, and I could be running again within 7-10 days.

[he also emphasized that I did the right thing by switching to cross-training immediately, and icing as soon as I noted the injury]

In the meantime, however, I'm determined to maintain my fitness as best I can. The arc-trainer works well for simulating easy runs, but I find it very difficult to get to tempo/interval intensity on it. Thus, I'm considering doing my first ever spin class tomorrow morning (I did a trial 20 minutes on a bike last night to confirm that it didn't aggravate my ankle).

I've never taken a spin class before. So, some basic questions:
-will a pair of old running shoes work for this?
-can I wear regular running shorts? Or do I need to wear my compression shorts?
-anything else I should know?

I'm fully prepared for this class to be a bit frustrating, given that I will have a huge discrepancy between my general aerobic fitness (high) and my cycling-specific fitness (low). Oh, and I hate bikes (just not as much as I am growing to hate the arc-trainer).
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Monkeys to Mars?

[info]freakonomics
12/29/09 07:15 am
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/GpNNb38LShk/

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=23675

We've blogged repeatedly about the fascinating capabilities of monkeys and now it seems our primate cousins may beat us to Mars. Russia's Cosmonautics Academy, which first sent monkeys into orbit in 1983, is in talks with Georgian scientists to prepare monkeys for a simulated Mars mission.


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The waaaaaaaiting TUESDAILIES!

[info]supermanz posting in [info]runners
12/29/09 07:03 am
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Good morning runners! Here's the daily training thread!

Today is going to be a day off. Yesterday's run was pretty stellar and I've got some good running to look forward to for the rest of this week. I WILL mess around with some pull-ups/push-ups/squats at some point. And a nap would be nice.

So what is everyone else up to today, training and otherwise?

Question! What was the best Christmas (or just holiday) present/surprise you've ever received? And what was the greatest surprise you've ever managed to pull off? Deets!



Discuss... and HAPPY RUNNING!
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two months without running

[info]futurebird posting in [info]runners
12/29/09 02:25 am
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It's been about two months since my injury took me out of running. I can walk a bit and I've been pool running --and more recently biking and using the elliptical.  But, I'm starting to have doubts about doing the NYC marathon in 2010. I don't want to run it just to "finish" and I had planned a 2-year build up... now it will be more like a 10 month build up. I know it's possible... but still ... I hope some of my running from the past year (I was up to about 35-40 miles a week before the accident.) will carry over. But, I think I've lost a lot. It has been two months. My body has changed a bit-- I feel pretty soft.

So, I'm just thinking about how I might need to postpone it for a year-- and how I'll make that choice in a few months and not feel bad about it. I hope that I will be able to run it-- but really has anyone taken two months off and only done cross training (I do work with intensity and I get in about 5-6 hours a week.) and come back to running? What was it like?  Do I need to prepare mentally to be a beginner again? I can start over. I have no issue with that. Whatever it is I'll do it. It could take weeks or a years, I'll get there either way.

It's just taking a longtime for my foot to heal. And the new year is coming and I'm still on crutches mostly. It's taking longer than I thought it would.

I read that "A general rule of thumb is that it takes about two weeks of training to come back from every week of no exercise." Am I looking at 4 months to get back to where I was before? That's a long time.
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Last run for 2009

[info]crazy_bandana
12/29/09 12:45 am
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CrazyBandana/~3/aMUiMrByl7M/last-run-for-2009.html

So...I have yet to total my amount of runs, mileage and demographics of 2009...

But I made a deal with my body that I would totally relax and take some time off.

Today's Monday Group run was an exception, where I had to lead the group and make sure that everyone was ok. Granted we had JA there, but it's always good to have two leaders there, granted everyone that shows up is a veteran and knows the route.

It's cold out there and I had thought that I had put on enough clothes...the cold just doesn't get you...it's the wind that really kills you...we waited for the group to formulate...

6:55pm...ok people...seriously? Was it only me and C out tonight? Little by little people start to peep out of the woodwork...T...then D...then the two gals: A and J (regulars) and then JA...small group...

This happens every year when winter rolls around...the group starts to thin out and then when spring rolls around...the groups start to get larger...

This is what stinks about training for Boston though...the hard winter training...only when Spring rolls around, Boston usually brings out the very best...those primed and conditioned during the cold, winter months...

The group run started and did it's regular 6 mile loop...I started out fast, then when I hit battery park city, I started to slow down, did some running drills, felt some twinges and wait for the rest...I wanted to see if JA was bringing in the gals (sometimes they are super fast and sometimes they love taking their time...) So I wanted to stay with them to see if they were alright...once I got word that JA and T were pretty close to them...I sped up to see the speedy gals, D & C...

They must have taken a break or something because I seriously caught up to them. I rounded out the back as we lead up to the straight away and zoomed up...

I loved this part...why?

D takes this part so quickly that it's amazing what she can do...I await as she will soon be able to kick my butt in time and speed...I really love it when the speedy guys come out for this run...but add in the mix of gals? Ooo eye candy!

Ok...fine! She's a great friend and I respect really good gal runners...it makes running fast interesting...ok?

So, the back nine or straight away, she just rips it apart as I go up to her and ask her:

"Do you have anywhere important to go to?"

She replies:

"No...why?"

I reply:

"Oh, because you're going so damn fast!"

Then her reply was asking me:

"Well, do you have anywhere to go to? Cause your speeding up!"

Oh she got me good...as we sped up and left C out there...D was absolutely kicking...seriously, she was moving as I was about 75 to 80 percent of my speed on a training run...boy do I miss that when CD was out here kicking my butt every damn monday group run.

Anyways...group run ended...D was burning sh#t up and I ended up doing a little sprint drills afterwards while waiting for the rest...

All good...last run for the year...well, so I would think...I think I may have this speedwork class tomorrow and coach D on Wednesday on these bridge runner runs...

Oh boy! Guess I am back and in action...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry


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December 28th, 2009

Christmas Weekend Recap and A Lesson Learned

[info]runninglaminato
12/28/09 09:25 pm
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheRunningLaminator/~3/TN7_FW5SJdY/christmas-weekend-recap-and-lesson.html

Is it just me, or does everyone else also feel like the long holiday weekend just flew by this year? I think it took a long time for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year and when I finally did, it's already over! How absurd! There are still presents I haven't unwrapped yet and songs on my Christmas CD that I haven't yet heard. What a shame that I now feel obliged to re-package everything and recycle what I don't want for the next hapless friend who holds a special occasion for gift giving. I'm sure whoever that is will absolutely adore the stain glass picture frame I got from my co-worker more than me.

On the flip side though, I had an absolute blast this past weekend hanging with the extended fam. About twenty of us drove up to New Hampshire to spend the holidays at my cousin's place. There were lots of toys, fun, and games to be had as we traded jokes, laughs and shared stories with each other. About eight of us even found time to hit the slopes for some snowboarding and skiing on Saturday. I had originally intended to videotape my next segment of my Running Video Diary while careening down one of the slopes, but since the visibility was close to zero due to some spontaneous snowfall and I could barely see six inches in front of me much less the surrounding landscape, I had to scrap that little project. Still, I managed to conquer my fears (from a broken clavicle suffered on the slopes 2 years ago), hold my own against the snow, had fun with my cousins and somehow made it through to the end of the day with barely a scratch. Imagine that. I might have just found my sport of choice for cross-training during the off-season!

Although there was not much running to be had this weekend (since all the roads in New Hampshire was covered in ice and snow), I did come to a very important realization about running while rambling about my Honolulu Marathon to my cousins and family members who were interested enough to ask about it. It seemed that although they wanted to everything about the course, the scenery, the weather, the people, and how I felt as I was running that day, no one seemed to care how fast I ran, what my finishing time was, or how my pace compared to other races or marathons that I've run. Although I have to admit that most of the people doing the asking were not hardcore runners or even recreational athletes, I still think that their questions still reflect what generally intrigues others about our running - which is what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste while we're actively engaged in our sport. I sense that what we experience as we're running is far more interesting and noteworthy to others than some fluorescent digits on a clock as we cross the finish line. It is really true, no matter how hard it is for us to believe sometimes, that no one really cares as much about your finish time, how fast you ran your first or last mile or how far or close you came to your PR, except you. I realize that in order to run well and inspire others, you not only have to strive to do your best, but in the process, live in the present and take pride and love what you are doing - no matter what your perceptions of your abilities may be.

I'm thankful my family was able to teach me that even without saying a word. My holiday wish is for everyone out there to gain a fresh perspective, a better perspective on their sport of choice, whether running, cycling, swimming, or whatever. Train hard, yes, but enjoy the ride and share your experiences with others, because whether you realize it or not, what you're doing is making a difference in someone else's life!
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A Post: In Two Parts

[info]lament_phoenix posting in [info]runners
12/28/09 09:30 pm
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First: I recently went out to Utah for vacation with my family. Now, I'm from Iowa, so it took me quite a while to get used to the huge elevation change. And it took me a while to get used to how nice the weather was. Even though it was "really, really cold" by their standards, it was pretty average Iowa temperatures... without the wind! It was so nice.

However, where I was, there was a huge inversion and everything was hazy and smoggy. It was really gross. My dad and I ran 10 miles down a canyon and I could tell when we got back down into the inversion. It was harder to breathe. :/ The air quality was horrible. I feel bad for anyone who lives in a place with stagnant, icky air. :(


Second: MY LEFT KNEE HATES ME! A LOT! Tomorrow, I am finally calling a local doctor to have it looked at, since it has been bothering me since the end of October. Basically, after I run about 4-5.5 miles, my knee starts to get achy/sore like it's swollen below my knee cap. Then it starts to hurt below and above my knee, but will hurt across my kneecap every few minutes. It's really horrible. On my 10 miler on Sunday, I wanted to cry for the last 2.5 miles. It doesn't hurt my pace a lot, but I get stuck in a slower rut than I start out at.

Anyone have any ideas on what could be wrong with it? I am hoping that a doctor can at least tell me what to do to make it feel better, if not what's wrong with it. After the first of the year, my marathon training really picks up. 35-45 miles a week... and I'm struggling with 30-35 right now, but only because of my knee. :(
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What should I focus on now?

[info]somedaypuck posting in [info]runners
12/28/09 08:21 pm
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I'm hoping some of the wonkheads can help me with figuring out what I should be doing to improve my running times; I'm aware of where the discrepancy lies but I don't know what would help me the most.

( For those who care )
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Zensah Blowout Sale

[info]crazy_bandana
12/28/09 05:30 pm
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CrazyBandana/~3/1F_yeV66uZA/zensah-blowout-sale.html


A change of pace in terms of your running pace will give you strength psychologically. Bill Rodgers
Bio-ceramic yarns absorb body energy while Lenpur keeps your feet at the ideal temperature in the cold

Patented knitting technique creates a support zone around the arch and ankle, adjusting to your foot shape to increase comfort and enhance support

Was $29.99
Now $5.00

Use Coupon Code "Ski5" at Checkout


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Monday Mario

[info]roadbunner
12/28/09 03:13 pm
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http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/12/monday-mario_27.html

A few more Mario Christmas photos!!

Mario checking out his Christmas bounty:


Boyfriend got Mario those nut/honey sticks (I call them crack for rabbits) which were of course a bigger hit than the high-fiber, "educational" toys I got Mario. His head is in the way, but in the photo Mario is digging into the seed stick and pretty much ignoring the other new toys. I am rationing the seed sticks so he doesn't turn into a Christmas porker.


I left the wrapping paper strewn about for an extra day so Mario could enjoy ripping and shredding



We made gingerbread cookies and this is the gingerbread Mario I made this year (with the help of a rabbit-shaped cookie cutter to do the hard part!)


I am going to get busy with updating the blog more frequently. I've been keeping in touch with a lot of bloggers on twitter and I think that has made me lazy with actual blog updating. It is hard to write a post about this or that when I've already tweeted about it. But a lot of you aren't on twitter (Why not?!) so I want to keep up the blogging. I owe lots of posts on lots of things and will start chipping away at that soon.

Sidenote: If you're on twitter, I am "RoadBunner" there, too. If your name is not immediately obvious as to who you are, please send me an email to let me know! Right now I have my tweets as private so I need to okay you and as of now I am more or less just okaying the people I am already familiar with. This may change in the future. I am not being snobby, I just want to keep twitter personal and I feel if you have x,000 people to follow it it is hard to keep up with everyone.

Since someone asked, I got the pattern for the knit bunnies from here. It's a nice pattern because the bunny knits up in one piece. I used small needles (size 4) to get the bunnies to come out smaller. I bought another bunny pattern that had a bit more character, but it is a huge pain when the arms, legs, feet, ears, head, and body are all separate pieces. I hate all that finishing work. In fact, that rabbit never even got stitched up!
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

[info]simply_recipes
12/28/09 08:42 am
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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/elise/simplyrecipes/~3/f8UDLl6yoY4/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_brussels_sprouts/

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

If you show up at my father's house with a bagful of fresh brussels sprouts to be cooked, he will howl and complain like a 3-year old confronted with liver and onions. Such then, is the sweet satisfaction of seeing this dyed-in-the-wool brussels sprouts avoider picking these roasted emerald jewels out of the pan and munching on them like candy. Roasted brussels sprouts were my sister Karen's contribution to our Christmas dinner this year. Dead easy to make (Karen usually doesn't bother with trimming the ends), you can roast them right in a cast iron frying pan in the oven. The key to success (according to my sister and I agree with her completely on this) is salt. Salt generously on the way in, more than you might normally salt vegetables. Once out of the oven, taste and salt again if need be.

Continue reading "Roasted Brussels Sprouts" ยป


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tentative spring 2010 schedule

[info]ironingitout
12/28/09 04:57 pm
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http://ironingitout.blogspot.com/2009/12/tentative-spring-2010-schedule.html

I've been meaning to map out my spring 2010 schedule for ages. this afternoon, I finally had a chance to take a tentative stab at the first six months of our new decade...lots going on:

24 January- NYRR Manhattan half-marathon: to get my groove back

21 March- NYC half-marathon: to race/run semi-speedy (not sure I'm ponying up the $ yet)

17 April- Asbury Park half-marathon: to defend my 2009 title! :)

2 May- Providence marathon: to do a 26.2 before IM (marathon #20!)

16 May- 70.3 Florida: to practice, practice, practice

6 June- Rev3 70.3 in Middlebury, CT: to kickoff the IM taper
 
27 June- Ironman Coeur d'Alene: to finish sub-12 hours!!!

revisions might be made, but right now this schedule is feeling "right"...now I just need to kick my training into high gear...bike workout and swim this PM!
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Honey to lose weight?

[info]caricaneba15 posting in [info]runners
12/28/09 02:14 pm
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I'm a Judo girl and before any competition I have to be a certain weight..but I also run. Running makes me sooooooo hungry, and my crazy Japanese coach has suggested that I eat a tea spoon of honey after all of my runs to suppress hunger. Has anyone tried this with success?
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Geoengineering Is in the Air

[info]freakonomics
12/28/09 07:00 pm
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http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/geoengineering-is-in-the-air/

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=23689

Levitt recently wrote about geoengineering going mainstream - i.e., being featured in the M.I.T. Technology Review. That fine publication may not be as "mainstream" for the rest of us as it is for Levitt. But now NBC Nightly News has weighed in on the topic.
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Can Public-Funded Entrepreneurship Work? A Q&A With the Author of Boulevard of Broken Dreams

[info]freakonomics
12/28/09 05:42 pm
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http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/can-public-funded-entrepreneurship-work-a-qa-with-the-author-of-boulevard-of-broken-dreams/

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=23639

In recent months, the U.S. government has taken on a challenging and controversial new role: private sector investor. This development has raised a host of questions about the government's role in the economy and a new book by Josh Lerner, Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Why Public Efforts to Boost Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Have Failed - and What to Do About It, is required reading for anyone hoping to understand the issues.
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