No Snow In Central Park & the NYRR Outrageous Fees: Pass The Word To Mary Wittenberg: Make the races FREE!

I was reading about a woman named Lisa Tolley, director of North Carolina's Office of Environmental Education, which serves as a clearinghouse for the states 185 environmental education centers. Well they have programs they're bringing to the public to get the public up and outside...she says, "You get cabin fever being shut up indoors all winter. Get out. Get some fresh air." I'm agree - and North Carolina has what looks like a pretty cool program, a 4-mile run through the woods - stopping along the way to enjoy several points of interest. They call it the "anti-Run" - since they run for a bit - stop & observe the environment, then continue on running to another point of interest. Why doesn't the New York Road Runners (NYRR) have such a program? Okay, the NYRR do some great things, but c'mon y'all - they gross over $100 million a year and are a non-profit - they're supposed to do lots of great things. If you read this blog you know it only takes me a nano-second to break off into the NYRR on matters Ted Corbitt. I'm going to be racing again in March - and I looked at the online registration....wow. Okay - as a member and well ahead of time it will cost me $15 to register - however I see the "Same Day Registration" is now $35 for non-members? You know I can't stand barriers of exclusion and I can't believe that - that's outrageous and "dumb". Paying $35 for a bib & t-shirt for a 4 miler in Central Park? (that you can run on the same route with the runners as a bandit anyway?). It's ridiculous for the $100M NYRR organization with volunteers galore who've already raked in $75,000 - $85,000 on registration fees for that very event already - to now want to charge a walk up non-member $35. Sure, there might be some "out-of-towners" walking up same day, but ya know.....Same Day Registration people might very will be people that live in NY, NJ, or CT. - relatively local people. Who knows what inspires someone to want to officially participate on a last minute's notice in a NYRR race in Central Park- they just might be strolling by for crissakes! - if the NYRR were on the ball & smart?....same day registration for people that live within a short commute would be FREE! Make'em show an I.D., 50 mile radius or whatever....that's right, entirely free of any cost whatsoever! The NYRRs put on a great show - the policy should be anyone is allowed, welcomed, and encouraged to a one-time totally free same day registration entry to a NYRR race. If a local tax paying and subsidizing citizen of the NYRR is so moved to put a "toe in the water".... let'em have a 1 time race free for goodness sake...That's a win-win, there's a very good chance after the experience you've hooked a life long membership paying & race fee paying customer! And if they live in NJ or CT? Who cares, have mercy for them since they live in NJ or CT and let'em run free just the same! This $35 same day registration fee is a ridiculous barrier to entry, a dis-incentive - that really makes no sense in context. Someone contact Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of the NYRR, she can take my suggestion and run with it (and she's a damn good runner - y'all know she won the Marine Corp Marathon back in the day....). And oh yes....while you contact Mary, let her know the NYRR should have some runs within the incredible Central Park that function like those in North Carolina "anti-runs". Yes I know all about City Running Tours But they're a rip off in my opinion....they want $60 per person for a running tour loop of Central Park - no shit. The best places in Central Park are off the loop anway, the North Woods, the Ramble, etc....There's so much to see in Central Park....it's incredible. I had a great 7 miler there this morning...it's Winter...no snow...nontheless beautiful with today's all blue skies. Those photos above is what it looked like today. With no snow on the ground to marvel at - in my runs I am looking to the branches of the trees and appreciating the beauty therein. Have a great day!

Running into the British: The Loons & The Cool

It's 47F in Central Park! Woo hoo - going to clock 7 strong miles in about 10 minutes - but first, my blog entry dedication to the U.K. Last Sunday 5,000 people converged on a 150-acre area of countryside in South Staffordshire where they spent anything between 57 minutes and five hours running through turbulent streams and ludicrously uneven woodland areas, up precipitous mud hills and down nettle-festooned slopes, tackling obstacles with names such as Tyre Torture and Fiery Holes (ahhh yes, there we have a runner on the course in that photo on the left). This year, only 3,000 managed to finish the course. The 1997 race saw seven people break their legs, and in 2001, 700 people developed hypothermia. This is why participants were encouraged to take out personal insurance and sign health-risk waivers. Normally here's where I say, "White people are crazy". However I will refrain as there is a very sane British woman in the UK, Julia Armstrong, there on the right below, that's about to release her book called, "Running to Learn" billed as the compelling story of Julia, an international marathon runner – her struggle to reach peak performance, her battle with an eating disorder and the challenges of her personal relationships. Her words about the book? "Running to Learn is my first book, due to be published in April 2008. The publication date has been chosen to coincide with this year’s London Marathon – which I will be running, 26 years after my first marathon. So: 26 years, 26 miles, and, of course, the book is 26 chapters long. Running to Learn tells the story of my life so far, offering guidance and insights into my work and my approach to life, with running an ever-present theme. I have run all my life and I have come face to face with myself at every turn of my running journey. Running has kept me on track when I have faltered and stumbled on my own life journey. I have learnt that by staying in each step the journey unfolds and carries me to new adventures and to always seek progress and growth. I wrote this book for me, and to offer guidance for you, as we are all connected and can support one another as we run our own race – take new steps, go off course and find our way back.. She keeps a blog too! A blurb form the book? “We ran along the coast road, one step in front of the other, it should have been simple. ‘We’re running fast,’ I said to Angie after about six miles had passed. ‘We’re on 2:32 pace.’ It felt good, comfortable, easy. I was the fittest I had ever been in my life, but at the core of me I had huge tension. I didn’t really believe that my dreams would come true, not at the deepest level, the level that counts when they are about to be realised. The next 20 miles held in its hands the chance of my salvation, the fork at which my life would go in one direction or the other. The desire for peace inside, to know once and for all that I was okay was so desperate within me, and I saw this race as the path towards freedom from the pain and destruction I had imposed upon myself". Wow - now that's pretty cool!....and that kind of actually got my blood racing a bit....the crazy Brits running through fire pits above? No thanks - this woman Julia Armstrong? I'm good with her! Have a wonderful day!

Cold Weather Running, Jackets, Stinky Gear & Why You Must Wash Your Clothes IMMEDIATELY - Bacteria Growth!

Clocked a sweet 7 miler this morning in Central Park, gorgeous day, fantastic run - lots of runners in the park early, 6:30am. It was cold at 31F but there was no wind, and warmer than yesterdays 28F w/a Windchill bringing it to 21F - but I felt great today - largely because I wore some of my fly Sugoi gear. That's right - you just feel better running in cold weather in great technical gear. Of course the secret to comfort in cold weather is in layering (a base layer underneath a mid-weight covering) = insulation. The base layers main function: wicking perspiration off the skin. I don't own any Under Armour but it's a popular base layer - I've heard & and read, "the wind carries your body heat away 20 percent to 25 percent faster than still air". To combat that effect you need a great running jacket. The whole idea is to create a microenvironment to protect your body core and keep the wind from carrying your body heat away. My favorite running jacket is my Sugoi Defiant, that jacket on the right. That jacket is freaking awesome with every technical featurer you can imagine to enable you to run dry feeling light & warm - it's actually more common in cycling applications - but great for running. But back to the base layer - you cannot wear cotton and have to get base layer with moisture-wicking properties. The downside this? many athletes -- and those who love them -- often discover an unpleasant feature of these microfiber moisture wicking garments: They smell bad. Last Spring I blogged about the various detergents for running gear here. Well Reed Albergotti of the Wall St. Journal wrote about these materials and fabrics we runners wear - he said, "sales of synthetic "base layers," as retailers call long underwear these days [under armor and the like], have helped pump up sales of athletic apparel 11% to an estimated $15.2 billion in 2007, far outpacing growth of apparel overall, according to market-research company NPD Group. But few can deny that these garments, in action, are like Petri dishes, incubating odor-causing bacteria. And they often hold on to the bacteria through a wash cycle, leaving some of it to bloom again, when the next workout begins. Outdoor apparel makers began addressing the problem back in the 1990s. Among the earliest was Polartec, of Lawrence, Mass., which in 1991 began spraying synthetic-fiber underwear with Tryclosan, an ingredient that has been used in antibacterial soap. More recently, Polartec and others have introduced fabrics treated with silver, whose bacteria-killing properties have given it wide use it medical and military markets. But makers of consumer textiles and apparel have begun looking beyond metal for odor-fighting tools, partly because of environmental concerns over metal-treated fabrics. Specifically, environmentalists worry that silver runoff during manufacturing and household laundry cycles will contaminate groundwater. Others worry that widespread use of antimicrobial fabrics will encourage super-resistant germ strains. A new generation of fabric treatments make use of organic-based sources. Some rely on activated carbon, which traps odor during wear and releases it during a wash. Closely held Cocona, of Boulder, Colo., uses carbon derived from coconut shells for its Cocona odor-resisting fabric. Merrell, a unit of Wolverine World Wide, is using Cocona for some of its new line of Sonic base layers for men and women launching in 2008 at prices ranging from $35 to $65. Arc'teryx Equipment, a Vancouver climbing-gear company, lines the inside of some of its base layers with fabric containing carbon from bamboo charcoal. Crab shells are a source of chitosan, a substance derived from crustacean shells that companies including Patagonia, of Ventura, Calif., are using in antiodor fabrics. Last year, Patagonia introduced odor-controlling base layers made of Capilene fabric, using chitosan-based "Gladiodor" technology. Patagonia's Capilene 3 leggings for women, for use in cold weather, sell for $44 at patagonia.com. Some textile makers promote their treatments as if they eliminate all bacteria permanently. "No bacteria. No Smell. Hooray for Technology," Milliken says on the Visa Endurance Web site."That is impossible" says Gang Sun, a textile researcher at the University of California, Davis. He says the new fabrics can't completely eliminate odor; the best they can do is limit the range in which odor travels. As technology improves, the bubble of odor around clothes shrinks. Some of the new treatments lose their effectiveness over time. Patagonia says its crab-shell treatment is good for 50 washes. Cocona and Arc'teryx say theirs last indefinitely. Moisture-wicking microfibers are quick-drying and lightweight, meaning they tend to be better than older synthetics at controlling undesirable scents because bacteria have less time to multiply. Still, for outdoor winter workouts, many athletes prefer wearing many light layers, a practice that encourages extra perspiration and bacterial growth. And once a Lycra or nylon item acquires a strong smell, there may be no turning back. Some people think washing clothes in hot water and detergent immediately after working out is just as effective as the new treatments at killing bacteria and eliminating smell. "Just don't throw it in the hamper," says Kay Obendorf, a textile chemist at Cornell University. The sooner clothes are washed, the better, because bacteria begins to multiply after a few hours. [END]. Damn, I must have bacteria galore as my running gear doesn't get washed for a week sometimes, Oh well.... That Jacket above on the left in blue is the Sugoi Firewall - women's version, now available at Eastbay for $90 (down from $150). Above on the right is Asics Ultimate Jacket - $90 down from $160, again at Eastbay. A must buy no matter who you are? The Nike Thermal Running Glove: Nike Thermal Running Gloves are made with an insulted fleece fabric that holds in body heat to help keep you warm on cold days. Key pocket provides easy access and secure storage. Reflective pattern adds enhanced visibility. 98% polyester/2% spandex. Imported. Use Coupon Code EMEB8JFF to get 20% off a $100 purchase or Code LKS18JAN to get 15% off any purchase. So think about it...that Asics Ultimate Jacket is available in Men's & Women's in every size - $90, what you do is buy it, these gloves, and then to get you over $100 - you buy that Nike Reflective Vest on the left - which you need anyway - for $2.99! At the end of the day your bill is $113, they'll take off $20 - you're looking at $93 + shipping of about $10 - at the end of the day you've got one of the best running jackets available for all conditions - a awesome pair of running gloves - and a reflective vest which you need any way - all for basically $100! Wow! Now my personal opinion? That Sugoi Firewall Jacket is better than the Asics Jacket - that's right. A description? -> Designed for technical protection against extreme winter conditions, FireWall and FireWall GT are Sugoi’s premiere Softshell winter fabrics. With 4-way stretch for wind cheating form fit comfort, the 3-ply laminate used in FireWall and FireWall GT protects against wind, rain and cold. At the heart of FireWall’s performance is a unique microporous wind and waterproof stretch membrane. It is sandwiched between a tenacious and highly protective Nylon outer face and a lofted Polyester inner surface which traps dry air for added warmth and disperses moisture. The three layers are tied together with a dot matrix breathable hydrophilic glue which enhances the functionality of each layer. This combination works in harmony to provide the ultimate solution of the widest variety of fall and winter elements. FireWall is used in Custom sublimation and our RS line, FireWall GT is used in both our Run and Bike lines. FireWall is a breathable 3 layer 4-way stretch barrier that protects from the wind, rain and cold. The microporous laminate is sandwiched in a durable water resist outer face and a lofted airflow textured inside surface for increased moisture and warmth dispersement.  I run in various Sugoi garments (weathers shirts & jackets - they make awesome stuff). Take it from me - if you don't hit your racing goals & targets - don't sweat it - as long as you're looking good out there with fly gear - that's hot! Now's a great time to buy Winter gear for the remaining seaon & next year - a lot is now being marked down and closed out to make way for Spring gear - that's who the racket works.... Have a great day!

Fictional & Online Coaches = Total Waste!

I had a nice crisp cold 5 miler this morning - going to try and do a double and clock 9 tonight. Okay, Julie Deardorff in the Chicago Tribune wrote a interesting piece about the use of "ficitonal coaches". She noted a recent Stanford study found that these computer-generated phone calls do have some value: They can be an effective, low-cost way to get older, inactive adults exercising. Even though most study participants thought they would hate them, the automated calls worked almost as well as calls from a real person, a finding that surprised researchers and should have alarmed fitness trainers. It is, perhaps, a sign of the times that people are more comfortable with a computer voice than a real person who can listen and thoughtfully respond. Technology doesn't just help us disconnect our brains from our bodies during workouts; it allows us to cut ourselves off from others. For many beginners, establishing an exercise routine can be a daunting, intimidating and even emotional experience. The researchers found that some people prefer working with a computer because they don't have to worry about letting anyone down. Those lacking confidence generally did better overall when they didn't have to talk to a human. And the calls are an inexpensive public health tool. "In a world running short on caregivers, we're going to see far more technology being used to get people to exercise, to eat right and simply get out," said Joe Coughlin, director of the Age Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The drawback, he said, is that the technology isn't good enough to detect nuance or to give someone the warm feeling that comes when someone who cares is on the other end of the line. [END] Damn, has it come to this? Sounds like a wake up call at a hotel - pretty unemotional sterile stuff if you ask me - There are running systems like this out there - don't use'em y'all. Even the real human services - I am assuming you all know there are lots of Online Personal Running Coaches? I know of at least 3 dozen people/companies in the business of selling Online Running Coach services. Don't do it runners - it's a waste relative to your options. I will say this - perhaps the best out there is Hansons Distance Project followed up by Greg McMillan - McMillan Running Company. McMillan Running : they're personal online coaching program is $125/month - ridiculously expensive in my opinion. Hanson-Distance Project is awesome and they're $100/month ( again overpriced in my opinion - and I am a follower of Hanson Training methodology). But there are lots of online personal running coaches charging $50 - $150 / month - again, this for the person that's looking to hear a voice, an actual human voice give them feedback after examining their data/running - but again - total waste! Why do I feel it's a waste? People are great - and there are lot of experienced runners out there in online communities, qualified seasoned runners who will give you feedback, function as a sounding board, entirely free - It's the power of community. I know, I used to participate actively in some of these forums and learned a ton about running. For example, the best place to establish an online running log, with an assortment of great online tools and community? RunningAhead is the answer - it's great & free, do check it out. CoolRunning is awesome - a totally free resource and the forums and communities are robust - you can narrowcast and dial in on the forums and groups that "fit you" - where you are as a runner no problem. I also blogged about the online social communities Sweat365 & Athlinks. My point is I don't feel anyone needs to resort to a commercial private online running coach at the price of $100 or whatever / month when there are so many supportive, informative great resources freely available to all of us. The qualified guidance is out there! Free! Interact with a group online - it often leads to local meet-ups, etc. - speaking of which - you all know about Meetup right? Heck, I see the Brooklyn Running Meetup Group has 313 Members. Wow! Find people to meet up with and run! Have a great day!

Exercising Judgement: The Psychology of Fitness

Had a nice 6 miler in Central Park - going to clock about 9 today as I root on friends in today's Manhattan 1/2 Marathon. The cover of this month's Observer caught my eye - Read a great article by Ian Herbet, the Observer is the Association for Psychological Science's publication, the article titled "Exercising Judgement: The Psychology of Fitness". I want to excerpt it: [Start] It’s only been a few weeks since you made that New Year’s resolution to exercise more, but already you’re finding reasons to skip days — maybe even weeks. You know all the benefits of a healthy lifestyle: In addition to the weight loss, which would obviously be nice, exercise has been linked to reduced depressive symptoms and reduced risk for heart disease. Yet the temptation of sitting on the couch and watching TV instead of going for a short jog is just too great. The Best Intentions Preferring to be sedentary is not necessarily an innate human trait. In fact, most children are actually quite active, and people generally stay active all the way through high school. But many of them stop being active when they reach college. McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) psychologist Steven Bray noticed this trend and decided to look at what was stopping students from continuing physical activity during the transition to college. He tracked 127 students and found that most students in their first year of college do, in fact, participate in significantly less exercise than they did the year before. Bray found that about a third of college students were active in high school and continued to stay active throughout their first year of college. Another third was active in high school but was no longer active after going to college. And the final third is made up of people who were inactive in high school, the majority of which stay inactive. But why do some freshmen manage to stay fit while others quickly put on the “freshman 15”? Bray found that students’ sense of power in life — self-efficacy, in psychological jargon — is closely related to their level of physical activity. Their inability to cope with the environmental and social changes they face at college was a big reason why many stopped exercising. Many students, for example, are athletes in high school but are not talented enough to play on college sports teams. Not only do they lose out on the vigorous exercise of playing sports, but they often lose their motivation to train, Bray says, which is why he argues that universities can help their students adapt by providing more intramural and club sport opportunities. For many, this change to a sedentary lifestyle then becomes something that persists through the rest of college and even into adulthood. And it’s not just college. This rule applies to many of life’s transitions — moving into the workforce, switching jobs or moving, getting married, having kids. In each of these moments, there is a chance for people to give up on exercise, possibly for good. Controlling Interests Once you have set your goals for implementing your exercise, it is easier to keep a certain exercise part of your routine. Then, you must be able to motivate yourself even on the days when you’re feeling tired or bored or distracted. That’s called self-control. APS Fellow Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has spent his career looking at self-control and decision making, and he has found that self-control is not an unlimited resource — the more you use your self-control, the more difficult it becomes to control your actions. So if you spend all day trying to avoid the Snickers in the vending machine or trying not to say anything mean to your devilish child, you might not have the same stamina you normally would when you get home for an evening run. “Stamina counts as a measure of self-control,” Baumeister writes, “because it involves resisting fatigue and overriding the urge to quit.” Baumeister relates the idea of self-control to a muscle that becomes more exhausted the more you use it, and his studies “all pointed toward the conclusion that the first self-control task consumed and depleted some kind of psychological resource that was therefore less available to help performance on the second self-control task. A recent study by University of Kentucky psychologists Suzanne Segerstrom and Lise Solberg Nes supports this idea that controlling your emotions is hard work. “People are aware that they are sometimes vulnerable to saying the wrong thing, eating the wrong thing, or doing the wrong thing, but they may be unaware of their own self-regulatory capacity at any given time,” Segerstrom and Solberg Nes write. Just Do What? Once you’re off the couch, you have to figure out how to exercise to best meet your goals. That’s what Thomas Plante has been working on for more than 20 years. Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, has looked at the psychological benefits of exercise in men and women. He focuses on keeping the exercise constant — 20 minutes at about 70 percent of the participants’ maximum heart rate — and then he measures people’s mood. He has found that environment changes the type of psychological benefits one gets. Exercising indoors and alone is calming for many exercisers. However, if the goal of exercising is to feel energized, then participants are better off exercising outdoors and with friends. Many people look to personal trainers, not just to make exercise more fun but also to help them stay motivated. But this valuable exercise tool can also have unintended consequences. Christopher Shields, a psychology professor at Acadia University in Canada, looked at people in group exercise classes and found that those with high proxy-efficacy (i.e. those who relied heavily on someone else to help them exercise) have low self-confidence when it comes to exercising on their own. This is an old psychological principle that goes back to Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, but it has real-life implications. It is insignificant if the people using the trainers have the ability to continue exercising with a trainer indefinitely. But if that is not possible, relying on a trainer can cause regular exercisers to lapse into a routine of indolence when the help disappears. Something to Think About Though it’s true that we are always looking for more ways to get people to exercise, Harvard professor and APS Fellow and Charter Member Ellen Langer says it’s possible that some people are already getting more exercise than they realize. The surgeon general recommends at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three times a week. “People are mindless with respect to most other exertion,” Langer says. “People see themselves when they’re eating. They don’t pay attention to the amount of calories burned standing there and stirring. … I think this study reveals that we potentially have far more control over our psychological and physical functioning than most of us realize.” [END] Click on one of the links above to check out the article in its entirety - pass it along to a friend. Well I'm off to Central Park - have a terrific day!

Crazy People in Black & White: One Runner Loses His Toes, The Other His Life

A mere 15,000 years ago during the Ice Age, much of North America lay under a huge glacier. Mammoths, saber tooth cats and cave lions roamed the earth! Some of the best evidence of this glacier is found in Wisconsin such as the state’s many lakes, river valleys, gently rolling hills, and ridges. The nearly 1,200 mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail, established in 1980, traces the glacier's edge. With that foundation, A 27 year old Iowa Trailrunner was one of only two competitors to make it past the halfway point of the 64-mile Frozen Otter Ultra Trek race that started at noon Saturday. He spent nearly 17 hours on the Ice Age Trail in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest. At one point, the temperature dropped to nearly 15 below zero. Sunday he was declared the victor for covering the longest distance: 49 miles. He plowed through several inches of snow in running shoes, one pair of wool socks and a pair of waterproof socks. "I thought my toes were OK" and went to Iowa University Hospital and clinics in Iowa City, where doctors plan to remove his big toe and the one next to it from his right foot. Yup - that above is a photo of the guy's toes that will be amputated. The 2 operative words here? Frozen & Ice Age: Need I say anymore? Yeah - like you're just going to romp in the woods, the lands of wooly mammoths....unscathed? Black folks have a saying, it goes like this, "White people are crazy". White people are not alone now.....I used to live in Kenya ya know - as I mentioned last month, former Olympic runner Lucas Sang was hacked to death there and a week ago in the fray of the Kenyan political violence marathon runner Wesley Ngetich (there on the left), winner of the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in '05 and '07 was killed with a poison arrow. A F%@#'ing poison arrow? What kind of shit is that? Who in the hell even knows how to make a poison arrow these days outside of Papau New Guinea? Now those N______ are real crazy! I lived there, I'm Black, I can say it. If the world was fair those crazy poison arrow shooting tribal fanatic zealots in Kenya would be placed back in time to let's say 15,000 years ago - and placed on the Ice Age Trail right in front of angry wooly mammoth - a poison arrow ain't gonna save'em. Have a terrific day!

Running into a Designed-For-A-Woman Training Shoe

Woke up and hit Central park at about 6:30 am, 21F with a windchill bringing it to single digits....actually did not seem too windy at all - crisp cold morning run of 6 miles. Ok, I'm pretty much a shoe snob - meaning - I do not believe a decent shoe is made with a MSRP of under $80 - that's the threshold point (flats not included - I'm talking trainers). But I always buy the models that have been discontinued at discount 6 months after they've been out - well my girlfriend wanted to go running with me - however she had no proper shoes - she's not ran in 10+ years so she's a returning runner. What first shoe did I get her? A shoe by a company I previously have felt does not know too much about making running shoes - Reebok. But I have an open mind - willing to give them a shot - take another look, and that's what I did. I was heavily influenced by that video above - if you're a woman runner or a guy who knows a woman runner, check it out. I wanted her to have a great fitting first experience more than anything with a shoe that had decent cushion - just something comfortable to get reacquainted with the running endeavor. The Reebok Premier Hatana - which you can geat at Eastbay in every size for $49 (off from $85)! They sold me on the unique design for a woman's foot, fit engineering, & the flexible forefoot. Returning to running can strike as a drag for example if a shoe has a protracted break-in period - this shoe I am hoping does not - she's clocked 2 3 mile runs in the shoe - is all smiles & a happy camper. I am surprised more shoe companies don't integrate features/engineering consistent with the tendencies of a woman's foot relative to a man's. For example she weighs 108 .lbs and I bet it's a lot tougher to break a shoe in when you're that light - hence the flexible forefoot in the initial design seems wise - just an opinion. By the way, Eastbay is having an awesome Asics sale & closeout on a number of shoes. For those curious about flats - that shoe on the left is the Adidas AdiStar Competition - that shoe sold for $100, now $49 at Eastbay - if you're curious about flats - that price can't be beat for a very "proper" flat! Have a great day!

Running into the Cost of a Timing System: SAI & ChampionChip

I had an awesome 9 miler this morning in Central Park - it's going to be a gorgeous crisp cold day in NYC! It's 2 weeks before Tampa's Gasparilla Distance Classic, and Tampa race officials are buzzing over a thorny problem: The ultranew timing system they hoped would track every 5-kilometer, 15-kilometer and marathon runner along Bayshore Boulevard had a terrible breakdown when used a month ago in Hawaii, I blogged about it here. Well Richard Mullins of the Tampa Tribune wrote, "That new system places disposable wireless tags on each runner, similar to tags that Wal-Mart uses to track inventory across the nation. But the breakdown in Hawaii left some runners there with incorrect race times and thousands of other runners with no finish times at all. With that breakdown in mind, Tampa race organizers say they are pondering whether they should pull the plug on the new system, made by Michigan-based SAI Timing, and return to a more commonly used but more cumbersome system called ChampionChip. They plan to decide Friday. Race organizers know they have a high-stakes decision on their hands. More than 17,000 runners are expected for the races - many of whom use the run to qualify for bigger marathons in places such as Boston [zzzzzzzzzzzzzz, lol]. "I feel confident we'll be OK, and I'm willing to take the risk with SAI," said Susan C. Harmeling, executive director of the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association Inc., producer of the race. "The good news is that either way, we will have a system in place." ChampionChip systems have been in use for decades, and the company is considered the de facto standard, used in hundreds of marathons, including Boston, New York and Tokyo. However, it comes with drawbacks, Harmeling said. There's more work for organizers to match up runners with specific chips. Some runners keep their own chip from race to race, so organizers have to hand-register those chips individually. And most importantly, after the race, runners must stop after the finish line, bend over and remove their tags. That can be a major burden for dazed runners with seized muscles. The chips cost several dollars apiece, so if runners forget to return the chip, that creates an extra expense for the race. At some races, organizers set up hundreds of chairs and foot rests for runners, where volunteers must remove the chips by hand. Add up all the little costs, and the overall tab can skyrocket, Harmeling said. Some newer ChampionChip systems offer disposable chips, though they are less widely used. SAI, the new timing vendor Harmeling hopes to hire, sought to solve those problems. Its system uses disposable electronic tags runners peel off the "bib" pinned to their shirts. Runners then slip a shoelace through a hole in the tag, which looks like a flexible mailing label. Inside the tag is a tiny transmitter that triggers the overall timing system. Since the tags are disposable, runners can simply walk away at the end of the race. SAI Is More Expensive A full SAI system would probably cost about $75,000 to run the races, Harmeling said, compared with about $45,000 for the older ChampionChip system. The SAI system, while more pricey, would save money in other areas, such as runner bib printing and other materials, she said. In either case, runners' registration fees would not change, she said. The Las Vegas marathon used SAI for its Dec. 2 race to time 16,000 runners. "It worked fine," said Terry Collier, executive race director of the Las Vegas Marathon. He expects to use the system when he organizes the July 2 Los Angeles Marathon with an expected 25,000 runners. "We were planning to use SAI, then the Honolulu marathon came," said Steven Karpas, director of marketing for the Houston marathon Jan. 13. Karpas said they think the SAI technology will work in future races, but "our event was so soon after Honolulu that we could not risk having issues at our race." For now, she says there is enough time to change plans and switch back to ChampionChip. Still, she expects SAI will eventually become the standard in the race world. [END] Many may not know it but the Chevron Houston Marathon ran a couple of weeks ago canceled their plans to use the SAI system last minute after the Honolulu disaster and went back to Championchip. I am sure locally here in NYC we will be migrating to the the SAI system in time - however my question in all this? This race in Tampa has a 5K, 15K, & Marathon with race fees ranging it looks like $40 - $85 or so for the Marathon - which I imagine will have the largest number of entries. They said 17,000 runners - lets say the average entry fee is $60 (across the different distances, strikes as conservative to me to say $60), well 17,000 x $60 = $1,020,000. Well if the timing system cost $45,000 with ChampionChip, where the F@&# does the money go? That's what I want to know - I'm in the wrong line of work, that's what I take from this story, I should for real have the Harlem 26.2 Classic and have y'all running loops from the Apollo Theater to the Lenox Lounge up and down, back and forth on 125th St. for 26.2 miles - I'll even dress up like Harlem legend Cab Calloway, say "Hi-Dee-Ho and just stack the money! The course will be flat, fast - and the Boston Marathon Officials love me, they'll surely grant my race as a qualifier! Have a great day!

ASICS = Anima Sana In Corpore Sano: The State of the Running Shoe Business

Well I read and article by Eric Newman in Brandweek that looking for growth in the casual runners market, Asics has tagged its new campaign, “Sound Mind, Sound Body.” The effort plays up the sports shoes company’s founding philosophy in a series of TV, print, out-of-home and online executions that break this month. Asics is an acrostic for the Latin “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” which translates to “Sound mind in a sound body,” (for those of you who didn’t study ancient languages or attend Catholic school). The reason for the focus on lifestyle messaging is that the performance running market, where Asics ranks behind Nike and New Balance, has slowed and many of the major players are looking to the casual running consumers to fuel sales growth. “[It’s] a new direction for us as a brand,” Gary Slayton, vp-marketing at Asics America, Irvine, Calif., said in a statement. “By revisiting the foundation on which the company was founded, we’re standing for something bigger and more important than just an activity—it’s a way of life.” Print will appear in category and lifestyle magazines, including InStyle and Runner’s World. Creative juxtaposes human models against soft-colored backgrounds and graphics with mathematical tag lines. One features a runner stretching his quadriceps against a blue background with stadium-light graphics. Tag: “(Sound Mind) x (Sound Body) + Darkness = Enlightenment.” Another features a runner from the waist up stretching his back against a light green background and industrial city skyline. Tag: “(Sound Mind) x (Sound Body) + A Hard Rain = Baptism.” “A revitalized ad message, in America at least, makes sense for Asics right now,” said John Shanley, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, New York. “In the U.S. market, they have a strong position in the performance running category, particularly in running specialty [retail] stores . . . Unfortunately those independent retailers in that space are not a growing segment. Every brand, not just Asics, is trying to figure out a way of being able to capture a piece of what is really a shrinking market.” According to Shanley, the performance running category has been soft for the past year and a half, with particularly acute declines in the women’s end of the business. He added that Nike’s aggressive push of its Bowerman running shoes, bolstered by the athletic giant’s large marketing budget, has “obviously put some pressure on New Balance and Asics and Saucony, who aggressively compete in that area.” [END]. When I spoke about NYC's "Super Runners NOT Shop" here, one of the commenting people not pleased with my blog entry simply said, "Lance, you're an ass", not an original stream of thought - but a funny one that got me to laugh - I apprecaited it! Believe it or not I get hate mail - every now and then - and this is the subject that generates it - the racket that the retail running shoe market is, especially the retail brick and mortar business model the second you step in a store - it's leveraged against you - and Runner's World and the magazines are all in it together - they can't speak truth to it because they are a co-conspirator in the chain - part of it - they will not bite the hand that feeds them. I spent the 70's, & 80's, & most of the 90's suffering having to deal with that old world retail model. Today? I will never again buy a pair of shoes retail brick & mortar. Right now you can go to Eastbay.com (owned by Footlocker by the way) and use Coupon Code EMEB8JFF to get $20 off any order of $100 or more. What's that mean? I can go to Super Runner's Shop and buy that awesome shoe on the left, the Asics Kayano 13 for $135 + $11 in tax or $146, or I can order it on Eastbay for $109 - $20 or 89 + $7 shipping, $96 total, no tax and in 3 business days it arrives. Yes, in my world the $50 I save is significant to me, the time I save even more! That in a nutshell is a real world example, a clear illustration of only 1 of the reasons I don't go to places like Super Runner's Shop. I can list 10, but I'll ride with the $50 thank you. Anyway - have a fantastic day!

Running for Something Bigger Than The U.S. Olympic Trials: Two Women

Twice I've blogged about double amputee Oscar Pistorius (aka BLADE RUNNER) & his declined efforts to be allowed to compete in the Olympics - last year I volunteered at the NYRR Hope & Possibility 5 Mile race - and saw that runner below, Amy Palmiero-Winters cruise the race at a 7:15 pace. I see last week John Hanc wrote for Newsday about her and the Olympic Committee's decision to indeed allow her to compete in the US Olmpic Trials - should she qualify. About the news double amputee sprinter Pistorius had been banned from Olympic competition Amy said, "I'm mad, I'm really mad," said Palmiero-Winters, who will try to run an Olympic Trials Marathon-Qualifying long-distance run. That, physical therapist Phil Kreuter of Sea Cliff said, may be the most important distinction between the two. "Someone like Oscar puts on his legs, warms up, sprints for 45 seconds, and then takes the legs off," Kreuter said, "as opposed to Amy, who is running pretty much nonstop for three and a half hours." Over that long period of time, fluid loss throualifying time in Sarasota, Fla., March 2. "You work so hard, and something like this wipes it all away." The ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations, announced Monday, determined that Pistorius' carbon-fiber prosthetics give him a "clear competitive advantage" against other 400-meter runners. But it applies only to the South African sprinter. "The ruling on Oscar Pistorius would not affect Amy's ability to compete in the trials," said Jill Geer, spokeswoman for USA Track and Field, the governing body of the sport in this country. Recognizing the differences between these two athletes is critical, said prosthetist Erik Schaffer of A Step Ahead in Hicksville, who designed and built the marathon runner's prosthesis. Pistorius "is a double amputee," he said. "You get a much more symmetrical gait when you're dealing with two feet, as opposed to one." Although both runners use feet manufactured by the Icelandic company Ossur, the design and settings of their artificial legs and the feet reflect the difference in their events -- one a middle-distance sprint, the other augh sweating can affect the prosthetic fit, he says, which would certainly negate the greater energy return in the shorter distances that, according to an independent study, was the basis of the Pistorius ruling. Winters-Palmiero was happy to hear that USA Track and Field would not bar her from the April 20 Olympic Trials Marathon should she run the 2-hour, 47-minute qualifying time needed. "I'm glad they stand behind me," said the single mother of two children, whose left leg was amputated after a 1994 motorcycle accident. Still, she sees the ruling as a setback for all physically challenged athletes.[END]. Amy Winters-Palmeiro has a very cool website - I would encourage you to check it out! Now let me share with you something I read about another marathoner - you might have caught an article about her in Runner's World - that woman on the left & below - who has inded qualified for the US Olympics Trials in April - she's Emily Levin, a nationally ranked runner from Maine. Lee Evans of the Lincoln County (ME) News wrote, "Normally that (Olympic Trials) would be the biggest challenge in her life. In November, however, her four year-old daughter, Madeline, was diagnosed with leukemia. Thus began a two-year commitment to treatment. "It's the hardest thing I've ever done," says Levan, 34, who has trained for and run in several marathons, and was the first American woman across the finish line in the 2005 Boston Marathon. Called TwoTrials, referring to both Olympic Trials and medical trials, Levan has put up a website, twotrials.org, to rally support for her cause. If Maddie (daughter) had to have leukemia, Levan says she and her husband, Brad Johnson, are fortunate that the child has the one with the better prognosis. Long term survival, following the two or three year treatment period, is 85 to 90 percent. Levan says Maddie has been involved in her own care from the start. "We told her she has cancer," says Levan. "We want to know how she's thinking and feeling." The marathoner mother says she sees her daughter as hardy and coping well. She is "resilient," says Levan, adding "kids this age don't carry a lot of baggage." Levan says she asked Maddie about her sense of her life a few days ago. "I asked her, 'Do you ever have a bad day?' and she said, 'No.'" Both Levan's nursing and marathon training have served her, she says. The nursing experience helps her "understand the procedures, medications and knowing what questions to ask," and marathon work helps her understand what is necessary to achieve a long-term goal. "You tackle it on a daily basis, taking baby-steps toward a big goal." Her daughter's medical regime in some ways reflects the work necessary to achieve athletic goals. "Marathon training itself is a kind of marathon," she says. And the next few years' rounds of chemo and medication mirror the long haul of becoming a marathon runner, she says. [END]. TwoTrials is a terrific site as well - check it out! If you read this blog daily - it's no mistake this blog entry once again reinforces a theme I've been speaking to - daily - of how it's not an even playing field for all of us - and I've been placing that theme within the construct of the institution of exclusion, the Boston Marathon. Have a wonderful day!

CBS Special News Report!

One of the coolest cats in the world - U2's Bono, who as a teen in Dublin was deeply affected by the violent unrest in Northern Ireland -- and yearned for a call for peace of the kind once promoted by the Rev. Dr. King - and this is seen in his '84 hit "Pride (In the Name of Love). "We [in Ireland] despaired for the lack of vision of the kind Dr. King gave to people in the South" - "When Dr. King spoke about having a dream, he wasn't just talking about an American dream. It can be an African dream, an Irish dream," - Bono. I rip on the BAA [Boston Marathon] because for many due to no fault of their own - certainly not effort - it's an impossible dream. The BAA prides itself on "separating". If you qualified and have raced it in the past or have it targeted for the future - that's beautiful. But it's no less beautiful than any other race, of any other distance, any where. The key words in this blog & on this day being: vision, dream, separating, race, target. It's gorgeous in NYC this morning - I will get up and run through Harlem to Central Park - I will start and finish my run where I live - across the street from Harlem Hospital where in 1958 Dr. King was rushed and doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a steel letter opener - a half mile into my run I will pass 125th St. and look up the block to Blumstein's Department store - the place where 50 years ago a mentally-unstable woman stabbed & nearly killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Have a wonderful day!

The Sun That Rises Twice

Had a nice 7 miler yesterday in Central Park - tons of runners - running clubs etc. the running boom is as strong as ever - I've never seen so many Winter runners as I am seeing this year in NYC - Wow. It's a beautiful morning and I am heading out for a solid 9 miles - however check this above Nike Commercial - got me motivated - that's a big guy to be out in the middle of nowhere with no water bottle & that Nike fabric is amazing - you gonna tell me that big Brotha ain't showing no underarm sweat? - okay -it's a commercial let it be - however they goofed up one part of the commercial - the runners is on a straight road - one direction - going forward - and in viewing the entire commercial - it's clear to me it's covering the elapsing of progressive time - with a single standing shot to sell the Nike clothing I suppose....in the first nano second of the commercial the it's about 9am - the sun rising to the back of the runner and casting a shadow well ahead of the runner - note at 12 seconds into the commercial - the sun is at a position where it's producing a shadow just behind the runner - kind of looks like 1pm or 2pm or so, yet later, going forward in time - at 14 seconds the runner's shadow is well in front....ahead of him again - (as if time went backwards as the sun is to his back and rising again...appearing to be back to 10am or thereabouts again) - there are no more shots suggesting a earlier point in the runners journey - the commercial strikes as a "progression of his journey" - they just accidentally slipped in a segment that's a disconnect with the progression implied in the commercial - kind of like how Hillary is a disconnect with progression and we're about to go backwards in time and have another Clinton in Office since 20 years of Bush Clinton isn't enough - we need 24 years. Have a great day!

The Cat's Meow Katt Williams Style

Live your life baby because life is short – that means enjoy your life because it can end in an instant - so run and see if it doesn’t help the quality of your life – I think it will, and I don’t give a damn how slow, clunky, or awkwardly you run – I don’t care if you got a limp, drag a foot, or hyperventilate like Darth Vader when you’re breathing – just get out and run – and enjoy it when you do it – enjoy the hell out of it because life is short – and I don’t care where you run – I run in Harlem where on Lenox Ave. I get lots of endearing shout-outs and Harlem love from the streets….but I also get the haters yelling, “homo”, “fag”, I hear it all – I ain’t sweatin’ these haters….the haters?..don’t you know it’s their job to hate? That’s what they do…hate - so ladies – if you got men hollering at you when you’re running - don’t even sweat those losers – it’s a losers job to lose – and they’re doing it well – and just know you’re winning and keep it movin’ baby – you’re lookin’ good too - they can’t help but holler – and enjoy the hell out of your run – because life is short….so when you run you’ve got to know you are it – the cat’s meow - too cool for words baby – I do – oh hell yes – if you catch me during a morning run in Central Park? I might have crusty sleepies in my eyes and my hair ain’t combed but don’t tell me my legs don’t look good when you know they do! Aaiight? The Cat’s Meow – that’s right – stop waiting for someone to validate or affirm you – validate and affirm your own damn self – that’s what I do – every damn run. Love is where you find it and often where you least likely expected. Well running and feeling like a champion is the same damn thing…your little 5 mile training run might be more exhilarating than anything you've known before - you don't know till you go out and do it - so do it - and this is why I don’t like the Boston Marathon. When you see a runner you don’t know their story. Running is a very common practice and or therapy for healing, recovery, or empowerment from any one of the myriad of life debilitating circumstances that can befall a person, be they physical, psychological, emotional, whatever. It’s common to learn a runner is a survivor from something (addiction, abuse, trauma, etc). I’m a little light and curly but I’m as Black as they come – and Black folks are sensitive to rules of exclusion, being told people are not qualified – catch my drift? We know life is not always fair and that it’s not an even playing field. I see runners every day that are survivors – we all do whether we are cognizant of it or not. I see some that are visible – the stroke survivor running with a limp, scrape, or twitch. The Boston Marathon is in institution of exclusion with premise and foundation that assumes the running endeavor is an even playing field for all, and we all have an equal chance. Well that’s inconsistent with reality – we don’t. For lots of runners – due to no fault of their own – they have no chance at reaching the qualifying times of the Boston Marathon. They lost in God’s genetic lottery or are giving their best effort as a survivor of something. This is why though I’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon numerous times – to hell with the Boston Marathon – unlike what BAA Official Jack Fleming said, I don’t need to have Boston in my marathoning career – To hell with Boston if you want to get real about it – it reminds me of one of the many 100+ year old institutions (schools, country clubs, etc.) where exclusion of people (women, Jews, etc.) was the accepted practice. If you’ve never had anything happen to you and your life has been perfect – you may not even be able to relate to where I’m coming from. The damn race only has prestige because we (society) give it to them – well I don’t – that’s right – the Boston Marathon is no more significant or relevant to me than Arizona’s Apache Junction Lost Dutchman Marathon or any one of my damn training runs – because every time I run I am living my life - this thing can be short – I'm enjoying my runs – I ain’t waiting for any institution to validate and or affirm me, my worthiness, I’m grateful I can run, and every time I run - I know I’m a champion – regardless of how I run – don't say I'm not...and I suggest you too be the Cat’s Meow…sometimes you need to be ego tripping as there may be a reason why. Have a Great Day ! Preach Nikki!

The Demised & Fading Marathon: BOSTON

I had nice morning runs all week - Perhaps I am gradually ramping into a serious training regime - we'll see. Well well well....Lance has decided to run the Boston Marathon...not me, Armstrong...the bike rider whose friends call him a real son-of-a-bitch of a human. People got upset with me with that Blog Entry, check it if you've never read it. What did Boston Marathon Officials say yesterday?, "For him to qualify in New York and then to take that time and apply it to Boston says a lot about what Boston means to the sport of marathoning," said Jack Fleming, a spokesman for the Boston Athletic Association. "It's tough to call your marathon career complete without running Boston." No jack, Lance is just using your event to fund raise - that's all and yours is the language of desperation...wherein you are telling me how to think and perceive your event, as if it's an upward progression from the NYC Marathon - give me a break! I can enter your event right now too - not interested, your event's significance is fading in the world of marathoning and I will have no problem calling my marathon career complete without ever running Boston. The Boston spokesman is mustering an argument, a line of reason to attach relevance and significance to a marathon on the demise: Boston. What "Boston" means to the sport of marathoning? You know what it means Jack? It means a backseat to New York, London, Chicago, Berlin, right now, today.... and in less than a decade it will be behind Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Beijing, & Tokyo. I'm not the first person to assert this - it's been said all over the place like over on Let's Run. Let's be clear, I am not a sole and or lone voice in declaring this - I just can illustrate this in a undeniable context. Non-runners ask me all the time if I am running Boston - runners never ask me that question - the public has bought into the manufactured mythology of Boston hook, line, and sinker - whereas the best runners in the world really don't give a rat's ass about Boston. The Spring Marathon of choice is Flora London - not Boston - by a long shot! On the Men's side in '07 in choosing the London Marathon over Boston?.... 4 of the 7 fastest marathoners of all-time: World Record Holder Paul Tergat, London Course Record Holder Khalid Khannouchi, two time Olympian and 10K World Champion Haile Gebreselassie and defending champion Felix Limo, chose London over Boston along with the SuperStars of Marathoning like Martin Lel, Abderrahim Goumri, Jaouad Gharib, Hendrick Ramaala, Stephano Baldini, Meb Keflezighi, and we saw the spectacular debut of American, Ryan Hall (US) 2:08:24 in London. Pretty much no men elite runners were interested in Boston, why? answer that Jack.....and I am talking about the American elite too! The Boston Marathon had 2 elite runners, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot & Benjamin Maiyo. Cheruiyot won with no real competition. The talent on his level was at London. (For non-runners - marathoners can race a single marathon per season due to how physically demanding marathoning is at the level they run- in the Spring they have to choose London or Boston). American marathoners don't even place "Boston" on some grand not to be denied pedestal. American stars like Brian Sell, Alan Culpepper and Clint Verran did not run a Spring Marathon and instead focused on the 2008 US Olympic Time Trials that ran this past Fall. Now that's odd and not at all necessary or justifiably excusing them from Boston, after all, Ryan Hall who kicked everybody's ass at the US Olympic Trails ran London that Spring - he could have ran Boston, he chose not to - and it would be perfectly suitable and fine for a runner to run a Spring Marathon, as Ryan Hall and many others did, and then race in the Olympic Trials. A runner like Alan Culpepper?...he's a professional Nike Runner - the Boston Marathon would be paying him an appearance fee to show up and Nike too would love to have him their - yet he passed on Boston. This is how the Boston Marathon is placed in it's true perspective - fading & declining interest....in looking at the Men's field of London compared to its own - the disparity of talent is gross and extreme - something Jack Fleming cannot spin or explain without conceding Boston's gradual demise. Now others place the demise of Boston in all sorts of other constructs - I've just offered mine - no, Boston is not some "must do" event for me. The Spring Marathons that interest me - a regular weekend warrior runner are 1) Big Sur in Carmel, CA (above on the right), 2) Flora London, and 3) Two Oceans in Cape Town (that photo above on the left is Two Oceans). Hey, did you hear SuperStar Paula Radcliffe is racing again this Spring - final race before Bejing..? Yep...take a guess where, (pssst - it ain't Boston!). Have a great day!

"People Watching" Runners in New York City's Central Park

A long time running friend of mine is "Ozzie Gontang", that's him on the left, he's a Psychologist/Running Guru - studies human behavior - he was telling me about a study a number of years ago on the question, "do watched runners run faster". He said, "People sitting on a grassy hill overlooking a running path sat watching runners and also sat with their backs to the runners. I can't remember all process of the experiment, however I believe that they were timed before they came into view of the people sitting on the hill. When they knew they were being watched they sped up. When the observers had their backs to the runners, they maintained the same speed". - Ozzie Gontang. Ph.D. -Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975. I'm probably guilty of that, and you? The New York Times once said "people watching" is to New York City as to what vista-gazing is to the Grand Canyon, you haven’t really been if you haven’t done it. Even when I am in my focused training runs in Central Park I'm people watching all the time - checking other runners - and I suppose we all harbor and "inner flirt", no? Especially in New York City and is it fair to say in Central Park whilst running? I think so! Gaby Wood once wrote in NY Magazine about us New York people watchers, " They know you’re looking, and they’re looking right back. A recent poll found that while only 2 percent of women worldwide said they thought of themselves as beautiful, 90 percent of women in the U.S. said their looks were average or better. There are only two possible explanations: either Americans are more narcissistic (or possibly just more honest) than the rest of the world—or that poll was conducted in New York City. [Funny stuff] Most New Yorkers, if pressed, would concede that they love living in a city where they are surrounded by so many stunning faces and stylish ways—even if that fact causes us, on occasion, to run home screaming, spasmodic wrecks of inferiority and anxiety. We take pride in the city’s human splendor. It is one of our attractions, like skyscrapers and good restaurants and intelligent talk.We are a city of émigrés, living in a “gorgeous mosaic.” That includes not just ethnic differences, but also idiosyncrasies—in New York, we admire the odd, the off-kilter, the interesting design of a face.[END] I would concur with that general stream of thought - if you run Central Park in the mornings you'll note a regular runner - a man that's perhaps in his late 70's or so - he runs with the most peculiar twitch - has a professorial look to himself - likely a stroke survivor - he's a familiar face on my running route, and a most interesting noticeable, frazzled, yet handsome older face - a person I indeed "watch". That photo above was taken at last year's New York Road Runner Annual Awards Night Ball - it is me & a woman I've ran with in Central Park hundreds of times. Running with her in this people watching crazed city - Central Park was always an adventure - people like watching her - and depending on how she would style her look?....they would think she was that woman on the left - Angelina Jolie. Not infrequently on our runs she would stop to use the ladies room and people would come up to me and simply say, "Are you her bodyguard"? - not just tourist - regular New Yorkers - people watching can be a lot of fun - wondering what the story is behind the regular runners we see - at least my mind drifts off in that stream of thought from time to time - and there's no better place to people watch runners than Central Park - which is where I am off to right now! Have a great day!

Katie Holmes & Dave Letterman : NYC Marathon Conspiracy? [Traced & Pieced Together in Comments]

Okay, I've been asked about this topic and have always dismissed it as silly - Katie Holmes ran the NYC Marathon - no question - but the conspiracy stays alive - thanks to people who comment here like Spa Ha Runner. Last night she was on Letterman - video above - and she talks about the NYC Marathon. Here we are months later and this thing won't die, due to that appearance last night - today LA Gossip Tabloid Defamer with their headline today of " Katie Holmes Still Claiming To Have Run New York City Marathon, But We Still Have Our Doubts. Defamer says, "Ever since we called shenanigans on Katie Holmes' involvement in the New York City Marathon just over two weeks ago, conspiracy theorists have come out of the woodwork at a rate not seen since Ollie Stone introduced a nation to the ravings of Jim Garrison. As other news organizations started to poke around the highly sensitive hot button issue of marathon integrity, they found the story was a tough nut to crack. Even our nation's most dignified and respected journalistic outlet, US Weekly, was forced to mysteriously removed a blog post that dared to investigate Katie's alleged involvement in the upcoming Boston Marathon. Just when we thought the trail had gone cold, our cause reached its zenith last night when Katie Holmes appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman and addressed the issue that has kept millions of earth humans on the edge of their seats. A few important things to note. One, Dave really went easy on her. He never really addressed the burgeoning conspiracy movement, but that's probably just because he's classier than we are. Still, we think he should've mixed in a probing question like "So, how is it that you were able to wear heels later that night?" Come on Dave, these are the reasons we watch you over Leno. Two, Joey Potter (whose tragic haircut looks like a bad approximation of Natalie Portman's bob in The Professional), would like to have us believe that she decided to run the marathon in August! That gave her 90 days to get into marathon shape. Hmmm, sounds fishy and Dave seems to agree ("Did you go through the full regimen? The 20 mile runs?"). Katie just nods. Three, we find out that the Kanye West's "Stronger" provided the necessary inspirado for Kate to (allegedly) complete the last six miles of the marathon. We know that Kanye is Tom Cruise endorsed, but why not just go with the "Mission: Impossible" theme? [END]. Ordinarily I would not give this topic any attention - however many NYC Marathoners read this blog - perhaps you know something I don't. The only thing I am suspect of is when Dave Letterman ask her if she was fully trained and if she did her long runs, 18 & 20 milers - she replies, "I Did" and nods. Not sure I buy that. I've seen pictures of her on the Marathon route in 1 section, and at the end of the race - yes, I would think she would have been photo'ed a lot more than she was. However I still believe she completed the entire course - now can we put this to bed? Have a great day!

Move Over MOMA! Harlem 26.2 Does The Art of the "Mash Up"

Heading out for a solid 6 miles in Central Park - however before I do - let me share with your the "creative aberrations" of KAORI, a former Swarthmore College student [correction - Professor] who wrote, "Joggers are everywhere. I see joggers in the suburb. I see joggers in the city. They jog in the park, on the beach, and on crowded sidewalks. In New York I watch joggers on the East River promenade. Joggers are serious people, serious in jogging at any rate. But they don't look happy. Maybe they are happy but can't look happy because they are straining so hard jogging. Maybe it's impossible to jog and smile at the same time. Tension and relaxation don't mix. Sitting on a bench in Central Park and on the East River promenade, I watch joggers jog. There are men and women. Some are young, others are old, and many are somewhere between -- neither young nor old. There are fat joggers and lean joggers. They may be trim and muscular, slim and bony, or big and flabby. There are smooth legs and hairy legs, thick thighs and small hips, massive necks and slim shoulders. Some are half-naked; others are almost naked; still others are nearly totally covered. Joggers move each in its own particular manner. They strut, hop, prance, trudge, plod, or dawdle. One goes racing, another keeps a healthy pace. Here is one who can barely walk, pumping, pushing, panting; here is another who goes whipping by -- too fast. Some don't jog but insist on fast walking, the body stiff like a robot and the face totally frozen. There are confident joggers, and there are floundering stragglers who shouldn't be jogging, breathing so heavily. There are heavy gaits, and there are light skipping steps. This one sways more than jogs; that one is stiff as a statue, cool and fresh. There are joggers who drink water from a bottle while jogging. Many run alone, but some go in pairs. There is occasionally a whole flock together. Arms swing and ponytails fly; the body sways and flesh bounces up and down; sweat glistens on the chest and drips from the brow. There are T-shirts and sweat shirts, tank tops and sports bras, bike shorts and gym pants. There are joggers who do a double duty, walking a dog or two or having one run with the runner. Some dogs run on a leash, others go free. There are joggers on wheel chair, and there are cyclists who are too impatient to jog. There are joggers with jogging strollers, a baby in it bouncing up and down. One day, a group of seven young mothers, each with a baby in a carriage, went skipping by joyously led by an enthusiastic jogging instructor. They are all so serious. Obviously, it's all work and no pleasure. As I watch these joggers, I can't help asking myself. Are joggers healthy because they jog? Or do they jog because they are not but want to be because they wouldn't be if they didn't jog? If we relied less on the ever-dominating time- and labor-saving devices in our everyday life, we don't have to spend hours jogging everyday, do we? Why not take the stairs instead of the elevator? Why not walk instead of driving the car? I don't jog. I only walk. But I don't walk for exercise. I walk all over the place when I am in New York. I say in jest that I enjoy streetwalking, covering block after block. So, I exercise without trying. It's all relaxation and no tension. I enjoy watching joggers jog, however. [END] The painting is the work of Barry Humphries and it's called, "Jogger, Central Park" Barry has said, "For me painting has always been a form of meditation; a joyous contemplation of the world." Sounds like running for me.... This blog entry? It's called a "mash-up", taking two art forms and....well mashing them up with the hope that the 2 people with the real talent(s) works go together - have a wonderful day!

The Perfect Sports - Running Bra

Had a nice 5 miler this morning in Central Park - it's going to be a gorgeous day in NYC! It's pretty hard for me to think of something I've never touched on before on this blog - but this morning when I read about some research I thought, "now that is something I've never touched on for my readers - especially the women". Whether women are said to be flat-chested or big busted, ordinary bras fall short when it comes to supporting bouncing breasts, a new study claims - so I've learned. The study also found that during exercise, women's breasts bounce more than previously estimated, moving a vertical distance of up to around eight inches compared with a past maximum measurement of six inches. Breasts move far more than ordinary bras are designed to cope with, according to this study by scientist Dr Joanna Scurr. (Dr Joanna Scurr, in red, with one of the 70 women in her study. The woman has eight sensors placed on her body – on her shoulders, collarbone, nipples and hips. As she runs the sensors reveal her breasts move in a figure of eight pattern once the movement of the body is eliminated. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Portsmouth). It is estimated that more than 50 percent of women experience breast pain when exercising. Dr Scurr’s latest study also found that breasts move as much during slow jogging as they do at maximum sprint speed. She said: “This makes wearing a sports bra as important if you jog slowly as if you sprint.” Dr Scurr is working with major bra manufacturers in Britain and globally who are vying to design a bra which can lessen movement in all three dimensions and reduce much of the pain many women suffer when exercising. But pain is not linked to the size of a woman’s breasts. An A-cup woman could be prevented from doing sport just as much as a woman with double FF-cup size. Breasts have very limited natural support and can hurt for three main reasons: tenderness during the menstrual cycle; permanent breast pain, and exercise-related pain due to stretching of the breast tissue. “Studies have shown that medication to reduce breast pain was only successful for 54 percent of women, but they had to put up with side effects of the medication, whereas sports bras were shown to be successful at reducing breast pain for 80 percent of women, with no side effects at all." Dr Scurr’s study disproves the previously held belief that compression bras are better for reducing movement in small breasted women and encapsulation bras better for larger breasted women. She found instead that encapsulation bars are better at reducing breast movement in women of all cup sizes. She said the big question is why we know so little about the movement of breasts “Sports science has always been dominated by men and for them, studying breasts is seen as slightly laughable. For women, though, it’s completely credible – they can see the benefits. [End} and I hope some women benefited from this entry - though I know zip-o-la about Sports Bras - but the Bra Diva does! And of course Runner's World has their Sports Bra Reivew online. And Paige Waehner of About.com listed her Top 10 Sports Bra (with commentary) as follows, 1. Hind Womens Motion Sensor Bra This sports bra is great for curvy women looking for support without the feeling of being tied up in a straightjacket. The criss-cross staps provide comfortable support and the fabric is breathable so sweat is wicked away from your body. 2. Zip Front Sports Bra This is another good one for full-figured women, with molded cups that, like the Hinds bra, provides support without smushing you. My other favorite feature is the zip-front, which allows you to take it off without pulling it over your head.3. Moving Comfort Womens Grace Bra This lovely bra is not only perfect for small-breasted women, it's also the first sports bra designed for women who've had breast cancer. It's soft, comfy and lightweight and it also has a zip-front which makes it easy to take off. The CoolMax lining doubles as pocket for a prosthesis. 4. Speedo Underwire Sports Bra Someone emailed me recently and told me I HAD to recommend this bra to women who may need a little extra support, but don't want to feel like they're in a straight jacket. As she said, "I wear a 34DD and have had 2 kids...I wear it all the time...It was comfy enough to even wear when pregnant." 5. Champion Friction Free Sports Bra I like Champion sports bras more for lower impact activities and this is one of my favorites because it's seamless and, therefore, there's no chafing. 6. Adidas Women's Response Bra I've had this bra for going on 4 years and I still love it. It's supportive, it doesn't chafe, it's flattering and it's perfect for high or low-impact activities. This bra is probably best for small to medium-chested women, or for curvy women involved in low-impact exercise. 7. ASICS Harmony Seamless Sport Top I haven't worn this top...yet, but I've ordered one simply because I love the fabric and it looks like a flattering fit. I love the coverage and imagine this bra would be great for lower impact activities like shopping and looking good. 8. Patagonia Womens Hotline Sport Top This top is just cute. I normally don't buy sports bras just because of the cute factor, but this little halter caught my eye because of the flattering straps and cut. This top is perfect for yoga or Pilates, but I wouldn't wear it for high impact activites. 9. Danskin Tank Top This is another great top for yoga, Pilates or other low-impact activities. It's comfortable, flattering and the inner bra provides support without restriction 10. Nike Tank This is another favorite of mine, a long tank that gives great coverage and support, wicks away sweat and looks great all at the same time. I also love the color. [END] Hope this blog entry informs the women readers a bit - I learned a lot - and one thing is that these bras can be expensive - but there are enough links and resources included here for a woman to find that perfect bra - at least that's the hope - have a terrific day !

Running into John & Bill in Central Park

Sunday was a gorgeous day to be out and about in New York City - no excuse not to get in some decent miles - which I did at a brisk pace - 8 miles at about 7:30 min/mile or there abouts - the park was filled with runners runners - saw lots of friends - ran a mile with my racing mentor - the guy I initially started this silly blog talking about - that guy on the left - John Samsel. He's getting ready for the 5th Ave. 1 mile race in that photo. John might be the greatest runner in the New York Road Runner club - all he does is win - all the time - his age group. He's 20 years older than me but he can still very much kick my ass at any given race, any distance - John and I are pretty much "twin" runners - meaning we're usually within seconds of each other in every race, every distance, and have been for years. To what measure are we so tightly linked in pace over distance? In the '06 NYC Marathon - we had different starting points in the race - I never saw John on the course, he never saw me - but at the finish as I crossed I looked across (they have 3 different finish lines all paralledl) John and I saw each other - took the finishing photo together - after running 26.2 miles I finished the race 10 seconds ahead of him - that's how precisely linked our running game is. I see he raced in the 5 miler race in Central Park on Saturday and clocked a 6:27 min/mil pace - not bad for Winter racing, he was probably running at 85% -90% at best. Another friend I ran into is that guy on the right - Bill Perkins - He's Harlem's State Senator these days - Bill's a serious runner - if you see him in Central Park - Bill's not doing 1 loop, no - this guy generally does 18 mile runs - 3 loops of the park. I mentioned Bill last week on my blog and another friend and reader of Harlem 26.2 emailed me personally and kind of ripped on Bill politically - which struck me as misplaced - their basis/foundation. Bill Perkins is Harlem's only decent (thinking & intelligent) politician - the rest are Charles Rangel lackeys top to bottom that only do as Rangel instructs - not Bill, he's the only contrary voice to the Rangel political machine. When Bill saw me Sunday he gave me the runner courtesy nod and said one word, "Obama". Yup - that's how Bill rolls, Harlem's only politician to stand squarely for Obama while all the others are incapable and literally not allowed to make an independent decision - Rangel says "Hillary" so they rest fall in line. Most of the U.S. had "evolved" - there are independent voices and you will hear and see contrary speech, etc. Not Harlem. Harlem politically is one of the last parts of the U.S. where a "political machine" controls everything - a collective "one thought", something that's never healthy - Bill's a lone voice. Both of these guys are terrific people - if you see them in Central Park running - say hey to them! Have a wonderful Monday!

Running into the Eco-Runner

Eco-running is the combination of recreational running in which the runner collects the litter that is found along the path travelled. I've seen a few people actually do this in Central Park - three or four times - With Eco-Running its principals are this: While you are out running, collect the trash that you find along the pathways, roads and trails. Stay on the move if possible -- Try to maintain your running motion while bending down to pick up the trash. I've heard of this and the founder of this movement, a young runner out of Milwaukee named Sam Huber, that's him on the left below - carrying the bag full of trash - and not just any bag - he only carries bio-degradable bags (Bio Bags like those on the right). I for one, love this idea. It's so easy to keep a plastic bag with you. Sure, if you're training for a race, maybe it's not the best training method, but if you're just running to run, why not pick up some trash? Sounds simple enough, no? A simple and wonderful idea that 27-year old Sam Huber has founded. He runs on trails, streets, beaches, wherever he can. Sam came to the realization that running 60-90 miles a week in preparation for his next marathon or event could be considered self-indulgent - I know, I've done it & will do it again, however he decided that he could use that time to also give back to the environment that so often inspired his activities and presto, the "eco-running" movement was born. Again, sounds logical - however only problem is I don't run with latex protective gloves on, disease and germs spread wonderfully via hand/fingers touching your skin, I might want to later in the run wipe my brow with my hands, and then instantly I've transferred the germs from my hand to my face...bacteria, viruses, protozoans, fungi,...who knows what's on the litter on the ground in Central Park...furthermore the fact is we men touch our penis when urinating - what if I need to pee on my run?..... instantly the germs have now traveled to my penis - lovely - I now have germs on my face and penis - all from trying to do a good deed for the environment? I don't know if that's a trade off I'm willing to make - in all honesty. I made it to 44 years old without an STD, do you think I'm going to blow it now by picking up some germ laden piece of wrapper debris laying on the ground in Central Park?...and have to explain away this rash on my lip or penis? Think about it, would you let your toddler, a young child, pick up some random litter on the ground with no pharmaceutical protection whatsoever? Of course not - Sorry, I am not that ecologically benevolent. You can't just have emotionally heart warming immediate reactions to these things, on first blush it sounds great....however you have to think full circle on this stuff...Until there is a latex glove designed for runners? I will not be picking up trash on the ground in Central Park, if that makes me a horrible person....fine. I am a horrible person that's healthy with no disease or germs on his hands, face, and penis. I can live with that. There's a reason the professionals that do pick up litter in Central Park are wearing gloves and sometimes face mask! I would rather pay more taxes and let a trained professional pick up the trash coupled with fining those who litter hundreds of dollars! Have a great day!

Alicia Shay & Getting Back on Track

I hope to clock about 20 miles over this weekend + several series of hill repeats - I need to condition and then work on speed - have to decide if I am going to race in the 1.7 or 4 miler on March 9. I basically have 2 months to train for this event which should be sufficient, heck my last NYC Marathon training program was 5 weeks + taper - I just need to diet, focus, and get back on track. Speaking of getting back on track I was reading where Jeff Metcalfe of the Arizona Republic interviewed Alicia Shay the 25 year old widow of Olympic hopeful Ryan Shay who collapsed and died at the US Olympic Trials in Central Park. That's a photo of the two taken in '07. Alicia is an Olympic hopeful herself and has been a national ranked 10K runner - former collegiate superstar when she was at Standford University - that's her below on the left running in the 2007 USATF 20K Championship Road Race in New Haven, CT, she won clocking a 1:06:56. She said, "One thing that Ryan (husband who died) really imprinted on my life, he never chose the easy road if that wasn't the right decision to make," Alicia said. "He would do difficult things if that's what should be done. "Right now, every day when I wake up, I feel two very clear options in front of me. One is to curl up in a ball and give in to my grief and let it consume me. That would be very easy to do. The more difficult thing is to be able to get out there, go about my day and continue to love people like they have loved me. Something in me fights back every time I want to give up." "When something like this happens, you're stripped down to the core. What remains is what you believe, what's at your foundation. At a time where I should be angry at God and angry that this happened . . . I'm in awe with the love of God and how he has carried me. I'll get to the point where I feel like I can't breathe, and every time God picks me up. He just keeps meeting me right at the point of my need. That's something you can't learn in Sunday school." She started a training cycle this week with a tentative plan of beginning her racing season at the Gate River Run (U.S. 15K Championships), March 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Olympic Track Trials are June 27-July 6 in Eugene, Ore., with the women's 10,000 final on opening night. Last year she was testing the waters and it felt good to be running again. Then the competitive instinct takes over, that mode she had at Stanford. Now this is totally different. Ryan was a real special athlete who maximized the talent he had. She's taken a lot of that drive and wants to honor that in him." Alicia went through something like this in 2000 when high school boyfriend Wayne Chaney, a cross country runner, died of a rare form of cancer. Her mother, Sally, almost died of an aneurysm when Alicia was a freshman at Stanford."More so now than ever, I have a firm resolve of what I want to do running-wise," she said. "Ryan had very high expectations for me and my ability. I still carry those expectations and that belief he had in me. That's the thing God has put in front of me right now, that I have the ability to run. I'm going to continue to do that until I can't, and it's time to move on with my life." All the best to Alicia - and anyone faced with having to get back on track! Have a great day!

Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Though I am not crazy about Nike - I gotta admit it - they sure know how to bring on an ad campaign - I was in Mid-town (Manhattan) yesterday, looked up and saw a huge billboard declaring, "Yesterday you said tomorrow,'' Damn, I felt pretty guilty alright. The idea actually goes way back to the legendary Bill Bowerman - that guy on the left with Pre (Steve Prefontaine), the University of Oregon track coach who co-founded Nike with his sometime student Phil Knight in the 1960s. He famously said, "If you have a body, you're an athlete.'' I then learned about it and saw the above commercial Barbara Lippert of Adweek summed up the new Nike ad campaign best, she said, "Brilliantly shot by Academy Award-winning director and documentarian Errol Morris, "No Excuses'' makes you feel great, bad, guilty, lucky and encouraged, all at once. Certainly, it's got a familiar set-up for Nike: an athlete shooting baskets on an empty court. We're curious as to who he is, though. At first, I thought the guy must be an NBA or NFL star who will soon be much more famous, because this man delivers his lines like a poet. He offers a litany of excuses: "I have a headache ... shin splints ... homework." "It's too dark ... too cold ... too dangerous ... not in my genes." "My dog is sick." "I ate too much for breakfast." "I'm bloated." "I got a case of the Mondays" (Tuesdays, Wednesdays). My personal fave: "My blister hurts." It's a delicious operetta, the way this dude runs through the drill on a beautifully lit court—"I'm distracted." "It will make me smell bad.''—while pounding away on the court with two basketballs. I never wanted it to end by the time he offers up the final excuse, "My feet hurt.'' Then the camera pulls back and reveals that he has no use of his legs. The powerful athlete is actually sitting in a wheelchair. He's Matt Scott, a member of the U.S. Paralympics basketball team, and he just radiates all that's right and upbeat. Obviously, the tone here is a delicate, nuanced thing that's hard to achieve, but it's done perfectly: He's not upset. He's not feeling sorry for himself, and he's certainly not preachy. There's also a subtle visual tie-in to the shock of the message: In the end, Scott deposits the two basketballs on the floor, in front of him, and leaves, which reinforces the absence of his legs. If there were ever a time to feel ridiculous for making excuses, this is it. [END] Okay - time to start getting serious again - Sunday, March 9 - Central Park, Colon Cancer Challenge races! New York, 4-Mile Run: 9:00 a.m., 15K: 10:15 a.m. 1.7-Mile Remembrance & Prevention Walk: 10:15 a.m. 3 distances from which to choose, 1.7 mile, 4 miler or the 15K (9.3 miles). I am most advantaged at the shorter distance since I am built far more like a sprinter than a distance runner - I'm thinking I could race the 1.7 miler with the goal of going sub 10:00 or at a 5:50 mile/min pace - which could get me third place in my age group. However I see men 45 - 49 in the 4 miler last year...top 3?... 6:02, 6:20, & 6:22. That surprised me - not as fast as I suspected - I can run a 6:15 min/mile pace on Central Parks 4- mile course with my eyes closed, I've done it several times. Wow, I even have a shot at medaling in the 15K - I see the 3rd place runner ran a 6:36. 5 years ago in the NYRR Al Gordon 15K I ran a 6:35 - I am a better / faster /smarter runner today, I can go 6:30 min/mile @ 15k. On the cause - despite its high incidence, colorectal cancer is one of the most detectable and, if found early enough, most treatable forms of cancer. Over 90% of those diagnosed while the cancer is still localized survive more than five years. Currently, however, only 37% of colorectal cancers are detected while still localized. It's Treatable. Learn about Screening Methods, and Guidelines. With no further delay though it's raining outside - I have to clock my morning 6 miles in Central Park - have a great day!

Why I Don't Go To Running Shops

Anthony Schoettl of the Indianapolis Business Journal profiled a specialty running shop and wrote (excerpted), "Riding the wave of the post-1990s running boom, Kennedy—along with his business partner Ashley Johnson (photo below on the left) —have grown The Running Co. from a single boutique store tucked along the Monon Trail in Broad Ripple (Central Indiana) into the dominant player in Indiana’s specialty running market. Kennedy and Johnson—himself a former collegiate All-American runner—now have four stores, and the most recent expansion is their boldest yet, pitting them against mall giants Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Finish Line and Foot Locker for supremacy among south-side runners and walkers. The pair opened a store at Greenwood Park Mall in December. “There’s a huge potential market currently being served by store’s like Dick’s, Kohl’s and DSW. We think our Greenwood Park Mall store allows us to speak to that market,” Kennedy said. Specialty running stores rarely locate at malls, which charge about 20-percent more in rent than smaller strip malls. During the first week, Kennedy said, the Greenwood store’s sales are double the projections. As in any specialty business, customer service is a critical ingredient if the stores are to continue to succeed, the partners and others in the industry said. The three established stores are profitable, Kennedy said, with year-over-year sales up 19 percent in 2007. In 2006, sales were up 25 percent, and each year before that sales increased more than 30 percent. Kennedy and Johnson wouldn’t reveal sales figures. About 68 percent of the company’s sales are shoes, with the remainder coming from apparel and accessories. Though The Running Co. has expanded quickly, sporting-goods experts said growth in this specialty market isn’t easy. “With service being so critical, finding the right personnel to man these stores is key,” said Long, who sold his retail business in the mid-1980s, and now runs a company that trains runners and walkers. “To work in a store like this, you have to be a lot mor

e than just a shoe clerk.” The Running Co. has 26 employees, and Kennedy said the screening process is intensive. One tactic Kennedy and Johnson use is hiring knowledgeable long-time customers. “We don’t hire teen-agers,” Kennedy said. “That’s not the perception we want to have. We demand a certain experience level.” The Running Co. plans to add another 10 or so employees this year, including a person to handle marketing full-time. Another employee may be added soon to handle purchasing. Staffing stores with knowledgeable employees isn’t the only ingredient in good customer service. Another key to the company’s success, Kennedy said, is offering services not available elsewhere. The Running Co., for example, partners with St. Vincent Sports Medicine and uses a treadmill and video camera to offer analysis of a person’s running mechanics. Kennedy and Johnson don’t see themselves growing at the expense of other specialty running stores. “We think there’s a large potential customer base that goes beyond what is traditionally thought of as serious runners or walkers,” Kennedy said. “Lots of people never race, so they don’t consider themselves serious runners or walkers, but they are.” Industry trends indicate now might be the time to bet on The Running Co.’s success. According to Washington D.C.-based Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, U.S. participation in running and walking is growing nearly 10 percent a year. There are now 37.9 million U.S. runners and joggers. That’s up by about 10 million from the original running boom of the early 1980s, according to the SGMA. There are another 42.2 million fitness walkers. There are more Americans running and walking for fitness than there are playing basketball, baseball and football combined, the SGMA reports. There were 400,000 Americans who finished a 26.2-mile marathon in 2006, up from 100,000 in 2000, according to Marathonguide.com. Though Kennedy and Johnson have pedigrees that bode well for the operation’s success, it was a marathon effort to win over some industry insiders. Running shoe and apparel makers such as New Balance and Asics were notable holdouts, refusing to allow The Running Co. to carry their products when the Broad Ripple store opened. The Running Co. now carries every major running brand and stocks 60 models of shoes. [END]. Okay - these specialty shops have their place I suppose - as many people need and value guidance in this whole process of getting a shoe. However that ain't me - I can't stand these shops - I don't want to kick a mom and pop running shop like the one profiled here - but I am always honest with my readers and hold nothing back. These shops are bullshit. (1) I went to the website of this company above? They don't even publish the brands or models of shoes they carry. What's that all about? Look, I was not price shopping, I was just curious as I can spot a decent running shop very easily by what they stock. I don't expect these shops to be price competitive with online e-tailers - but I do expect them to publish the brands they carry...wanted to see if they even had a single Brooks or Mizuno shoe, etc for example. And lets be honest, boasting about carrying "60 models of shoes" is nothing to be proud of. Sorry, it's not, I call that a very narrow and limited choice in fact and what I can't stand about these shops and that's item (2) They sell you what's in stock, period. That might not be the best shoe for you. These places are in the business of pushing their inventory, that's it. I can easily name half a dozen online e-tailers, each of which carry 300+ models of running shoes. Selecting a shoe is not that hard y'all. Okay - (3) "Comparing yourselves to Starbucks and Nordys"? I have not been inside a Mall since the 80's. I remember Christmas shopping @ Nordy's and when I asked the sales person the price of a garment, they would tell me, "the value is $200" or whatever. Nothing ever had a "price", every damn thing has a "value", they would specifically always speak in that language, "value" - which is total bullshit and doing nothing but blowing smoke up my ass. Give me a break, do they still do that there? When you tell me your model is Nordys & Starbucks, you're telling me you're out to charge Top Dollar, a price exceeding all others supported by the illusion of an "experience". Sorry, I don't need to have my ass tickled with a feather.....I know Starbucks is F#@%'ing me when they charge for $4.50 for coffee, that's different, it's a drug, I have an addiction - and when you need a fix, you need a fix. No, I am not this place's customer, I know too much about shoes, I buy so many pairs that I have to be frugal about this. Even if you don't know jack shit about a shoes...whaddaya do? You buy the Levi 501 shoe, you buy the Toyota Camry shoe, the Honda Accord shoe, the #1 leading and most popular shoe in America. That's called a "starting point" where you can adjust accordingly. Hell there's a damn good chance that shoe is going to be a decent shoe for you and I contest there is just as good of a chance that shoe, the #1 most popular shoe, is going to serve you just as decently if not more than the shoe selected by some sales person who's goal is to sell you what they have in inventory at top dollar come hell or high water. From this starting point you can adjust accordingly - meaning the #1 most popular shoe is a "currency" to communicate from. From this starting point you can reference toe box comfort, arch, heel, cushion, etc. in conversation with a online shoe sales person from Roadrunnersports, Holabird Sports, etc. any one of the half a dozen or so major online companies that stock 300+ models at great prices. Example? Right now, today, you can go to Footlocker's online store called Eastbay where you can buy that shoe on the left, the Asics 2120 for $59, the #1 most popular running shoe in America, (all sizes in stock in Mens .....ladies - simply install a sports foot insert/insole or the like to snug-up a Men's shoe for your possibly more narrow foot - you'll be fine - perhaps that's even a good thing for you to try!....and some of y'all ladies got big feet anyway, a man's shoe will be no problem, lol). Visit Runner'sWorld to see some reviews, this is the #1 Running Shoe in America, Asics most popular model that many still sell for $90+. Plus Eastbay is doing $20 off $100 or more purchase,...you can buy 2 pairs of this excellent shoe & with shipping included spend about $110. This is as close of a "can't miss shoe" as you can get, blindly. Don't like it? send it back - no problem. With the savings join a local running club, use the savings to enter some races, etc. There are lots of online communities where you can go and talk running shoes - seek advice and opinions from people that don't have a vested interest - from the Asics 2110 or 2120 you can communicate any aspect of a shoe's character and the other person is on the same page - look, the mom and pops have their place - I just don't like 'em, trust 'em, or think much of them - and the main purpose they claim to serve (providing a supportive relationship, etc.) can be deriveda better, with someone not holding a vested interest, elsewhere. Have a great day!

Running into a Fairy Tale

Had a nice 5 miler yesterday in the 60+F weather of NYC - wow - loved it....the only downside is that it showed me I am carrying about 6 - 7 .lbs too much! I could feel the weight on my torso and legs. I have got to start seriously training again - I don't feel bad for being soft about this running thing as of late. Real world? You can only ramp up to race 2 or 3 times a year, assuming you're out to peak. I used to run 30+ races a year with the New York Road Runners - all well, none spectacularly. I'm now into quality, not quantity. When I show up to race - I am out to kick some ass - and that's exactly what I'd like to do to Bill Clinton....kick his ass. Why? I could not believe watching CNN when I saw video of Bill Clinton complaining about the media being easy on Obama and summing up Obama's campaigning saying.... "Give me a break".... "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." Bill Clinton, Mr. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" Clinton? That same motherf___er in that photo on the left above getting another blow job from another dog? The same motherf__er that said, "it depends on what the meaning of the word is, is". Does anyone live in a bigger "Glass House" than this motherf___er?....yeah, that motherf___er right there, Bill Clinton....and he's "throwin' stones"? The "fairy tale" is that Clinton has an office in Harlem - please. Oh, I know exactly where his so called office is, I know who cut the deal, I know the woman that designed it, I know people that work in it, I've ran into Clinton on 125th street.....once. Which is pretty good since he's actually only been to "his office in Harlem" 4 times in 6 years maybe? That's the fairy tale, the fairy tale is that they (the Clintons) are still married - they don't consummate shit - some people have the posture of voting for anybody but Hillary? Well Bill would rather fuck anybody but Hillary.... hey, if their marriage of convenience works for them - okay - fine. But without going pro or con Hillary or Obama....let's get one thing clear - you see that photo on the right - that's some real shit...a real fairy tale...the Clintons are hard to top and have some distinguishing cred....it's just all on paper...lord knows it ain't in the bed - they ain't fucking y'all, they have a tacit deal & agreement (everybody knows they have no intimacy - or authentic personal rapport) - sorry, the Obama cred is just as solid on paper (and off paper...they're fucking....enough said....they blow the Clintons away with an authenticity the Clintons will never know). - There is no photo of the Clintons anywhere close to that photo on the right....ask yourself why - and have a great day!

The "Anti-Gym": Trainers Throw Cup Cakes & "Moo" While You're Handcuffed To a Treadmill

In NYC on Monday it was 60F! in January! If this is global-warming - love it! Too bad I was too busy working to go for a run - that was very upsetting for me...damn. Today it's supposed to hit 65F! Wow - with no further delay I'm writing this silly blog entry and going for a run - half naked of course, today I will do a morning and evening for for sure! Have you heard of the "Anti-Gym" this thing is the talk of the town in Colorado and they're expanding! Aimme Heckle of Denver's Daily Camera wrote,-- ....."If you slack off too much, personal trainers will chuck Hostess Cup Cakes at you and "moo" at you. Sometimes they shoot you with Nerf darts or handcuff you to the treadmill. They do random car searches, too. While members work out, trainers scour the cars with flashlights on a hunt for junk food. If you fail your random urine analyses -- checking for excessive sugar, not drugs or alcohol -- the latter two are cool -- you can get blackballed from the club altogether. Welcome to the Anti-Gym. Here, excuses are not only prohibited, but they're also punishable. This is the home of slogans such as "Too chubby; never find a hubby," and such a blunt ridicule toward physically inactive people that it's gotten the Anti-Gym itself blackballed from advertising spots and media outlets. The Anti-Gym is also the home of the Ravish Room, a co-ed sauna only open to people with a specific body fat percentage or lower (11 percent for men, 16 percent for women). Another of the Anti-Gym's tactics: results, guaranteed in 30 days or money back. No contracts. You pay as you go. So far, Karolchyk(owner) says all of his members met their 30-day goals. He says personal trainers aim for an 85 percent client retention rate, a standard set by the International Health, Spa and Resort Association. The Anti-Gym's rate is 94 percent. Trainers must make it through the Anti-Gym's own certification process. About 10 percent of the trainers who try succeed, Karolchyk says. Karolchyk intensely screens members in a three-step process to weed out people who aren't dedicated and might give his club a bad name. He says he turns most people away. "You'll never be skinny if you have thin skin," Karolchyk says. "It adds energy. It keeps people on their toes to work hard the whole workout. There's the 'Kumbaya' Richard Simmons, who makes large women feel better. We make you smaller." Not that the club is only models and athletes, which is one of the biggest misconceptions, Karolchyk says. In fact, about 25 percent of members want to lose 10 to 30 pounds, and an additional 15 percent want to lose more than 50 pounds. Some members say they were surprised by how many overweight people are members, in light of the gym's commercials and complementary blog, www.nochubbies.com, "where physical and mental fatness is not welcome." This gym is going nation-wide - that's right - perhaps to your town. Have a great day!

Running with a Healthy Attitude, a Social Network & Mental Stimulation

That on the right is South African Philip Rabinowitz who made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest 100-year-old to run 100 meters, clocking 28.7 seconds. Wow. I came across a nice article by Dorothy Brooks of the Cox News Service who wrote experts who study the mental and physical attributes of people who have long and healthy lives say the glass-is half-full sort of attitude is common. “What we have learned from centenarians (100+ year old people) is that it is not so important how much stress a person has in their life, it is how they manage it that is important,” explains Dr. Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study and a geriatrician at Boston Medical Center. He says many centenarians have personalities that are conducive to managing stress well. “Instead of internalizing stuff that is stressful, they seem to be able to let it go,” he says. Scientists around the world are profoundly interested in how people age. In Atlanta, more than 20 research projects are under way as part of Emory University’s Predictive Health Initiative, a new model of health care established in 2005 that focuses on health maintenance rather than treatment of disease. For instance, Emory researchers are studying healthy people to see if they can figure out what is right rather than what is wrong with them. “These are people, spanning the decades from age 20 to 70, who are selected because they are very healthy,” says Dr. Ken Brigham, director of the Predictive Health Initiative. “And then we are taking a lot of biochemical measurements and measurements of cell functions, to try and define what is special about these people that allows them to remain healthy into older age.” Many ongoing studies suggest that aging is influenced by more than just in diet and exercise. Attitude, social networks and mental stimulation also seem to play a role. Researchers say that people who live independently well into their 80 s, 90 s and beyond tend to have many friends and acquaintances, and maintaining these relationships is important to them. “People who are in a social network live longer and are more satisfied with their lives,” says Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, and author of The Longevity Bible: The 8 Essential Strategies for Keeping Your Mind Sharp and Your Body Young (Hyperion ). Even a simple 10-minute conversation with another person every day is enough to provide some benefit, according to some studies, Small says. Passion is another common attribute. “When you ask centenarians what is important, they will tell you that having a cause that gets them up in the morning is very important,” Perls says. “You’ve got to stay active. Physical activity is very important, but I think mental activity is, too,” he says. “I am geared up. I have to be doing something all the while.” A single passion can deliver multiple benefits. That’s what running has done for Charlie Gregory, 73, of Marietta, Ga. In October, he completed his goal of running a marathon in all 50 states, and now he wants to do it again. Running benefits his heart and helps relieve stress, but it is also a source of social connections. Small emphasizes that you don’t have to be a marathon runner to benefit from exercise. You can take a walk every night with your spouse or a friend. “Our finding is that exceptional longevity runs very strongly in families, but remember thatfamilies have a lot in common besides just genes,” says Perls: They pass along habits and a way of looking at the world. [END]. C'mon y'all - everybody knows some older folks - share the love. I consider running to be my personal therapy where I decompress, de-stress, and am able to discern clarity on personal and professional matters - mentally & physically explore and ultimately derive solutions. However old you are - consider joining a local Running or Walking Organization or Club - just think in one fell swoop it can benefit & encompass your attitude, social network, & mental stimulation! It's great to know that running just might keep me mentally & physically fit in my senior years! Have a great day!

Running in Sub Zero Weather? My Incredible Shrinking Penis

It's getting warmer in NYC - which is good because last week when I ran 5 miles in -1F. The way I did it? Dumb. My upper body was fine - my lower body? A single male athletic supporter under Mizuno full length running tights. I froze my balls off, damn near literally. You gotta understand there are no cremasteric muscles in the penis (those are the muscles that cover the testis - your balls - and they raise and lower the scrotum in order to regulate the temperature of the testis and promote spermatogenesis - hence when the testicles become too cold, they risk damage, so instead of diverting the energy to increasing the bloodflow to the penis, the penis shrinks as your balls recoil & tighten up closer to the main pelvic region/bodywhich is reliably 98.6degrees). After my run at home I disrobed and saw my penis shrunk to a micro proportion, in fact the last time I recognized my dick to be this small?...can you say "recess" & "Boy Scout"? Penis size depends entirely on blood flow. Since blood flow is reduced in cold environments the penis is more restricted in colder weather so it tends to shrink. Okay, there's shrinking but this shit was ridiculous. I was seriously concerned about my dick y'all - so I had to investigate this more - place it under the lens to know what the hell was going on because my dick was also quite numb. I went over to a serious men's health site called altpenis.com, where you can read and discuss the use, abuse, care and maintenance of the penis. My dick is pretty important to me and I was getting a bit scared to be honest - as even after being home for a few minutes - I had what I could only describe as a case of "dormant dick", small, lifeless, & numb. Altpenis is a great site...definitely worth checking out! As suggested I cupped my hands around my scrotum and dick to warm things up I suppose - but after a few minutes...Spring had yet to arrive to my dormant dick. I was out running for only 40 minutes in that -1F weather too.... damn! Then I wondered...have I got dick frostbite? Oh my God!....is my dick frostbitten? Oh crap - so I had to read up on frostbite injuries and learned about 10 percent of all cases involve the ears, nose, cheeks, or penis. The first symptoms of frostbite are a feeling of cold and numbness and pain in the affected body part (that's me). The skin then begins to turn white or yellowish. I was still in pain & numb 6 - 7 minutes after getting home from my run but at least my dick (thank God) had not turned White or Yellow (no offense to Caucasians and Asians) - it was still that deep golden bronze color that means so much to me.... hoo-ray! Oh yes - the color of my dick is very important to me y'all - you see I am a Black Man and another Black Man I know said it best in his book " Hung": A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men in America by Scott Poulson-Bryant. “The place: Providence, Rhode Island. The time, Spring 1986, my sophomore year in college (Brown University)… I’m a little new to this, this meeting a strange girl and getting some. I’m also new to sex with white girls. We’re done, and we’re lying there, she reaches down and says, ‘I thought you’d be bigger than you are, because you’re black.’ I didn’t know what to say to her. I felt this sudden explosion of self-doubt partly because I didn’t measure up to expectations. This was the beginning of an education for me, an education in the twisted ways in which race and sex rage through American culture. Through all the lessons I’d learned up to then, there had never been an intersection of race and sex before I’d laid down with the white chick at Brown. Somehow, I figured out that even if I didn’t have the huge black penis of her fantasy, it was more a matter of its color than its size. The discovery that I could be affected by someone else’s devotion to culturally prescribed mythology- this was my sexual revolution". —Excerpted from Chapter 1 and speaking to pervasive belief that Black men (me) are prodigiously endowed presents a conundrum for the contemporary black male (me again), who is simultaneously drawn to - and repelled by- this notion (me one more time). I took my tiny yet nonetheless still bronze dick to the shower - and prayed. After about 15 minutes of showering I noticed a gradual return to normalcy of the size of my dick - once constricted blood vessels were thawing and by 20 minutes into the shower the pain and numbness had gone away, blood and oxygen had returned, my dick was thawed and alive (again). I've learned my lesson, I will never go out in bitterly cold weather again without protection! You see I solved a running conundrum for a man, "how does a man train, go for a good long run when it's bitterly cold outside without having his dick go all frozen Vienna sausage? Presto! Attention Male Runners and any Female Runners who care about a Male Runner and his dick.....I have found one of the greatest inventions in the world, the "Penis Warmer" (or cock sock, call it whatcha want). These are incredible, they basically are like thermals for your dick. So now when it's bitter cold, I simply put on a Penis Warmer to stay toasty - problem solved! But I must warn you, the downside in wearing these is they tend to create a somewhat pronounced crotch, a larger bulge in your running shorts or running tights than usual: Objects do appear larger, believe me I know, I went running the other day with one of these things on my penis and received more than the usual number of warm greeting smiles (as I crossed paths with other runners). The added attention is a burden I will have to accept I suppose - I'm man enough to deal with it. Have a great day!

Running into Social Networks for Marathoners: Sweat365 & Athlinks

I'm about to clock a hard 9 miles in Central Park on this gorgeous crisp NYC morning. However before I do, Myspace, LinkedIn, Facebook, Bebo, it goes on and on....social network communities. Let me tell you about a newly launched social networking community that just might appeal and work for you, it's called Sweat365, a new social network for everyday athletes that just officially launched its online fitness community. Sweat365 provides a blogging platform with integrated fitness tracking tools, training information, training plans, race and event calendars and community forums. They say they created this community as a practical, easy-to-use tool to help people achieve their fitness goals as historically, at the beginning of the new year millions of people resolve to lose weight and get in shape, only to discover that keeping this commitment seems to get harder over time. The founders characterize themeselves as two former couch potatoes, now devoted to being healthy and fit, and decided to create an innovative environment that helps motivate and inspire people to change their lives for the better, through the support and encouragement of their peers. I looked into the founders past, they're 2 smart high tech millionaires planning on making another ton of money - I ain't mad at 'ya - I'm just sayin'....it's business - and yes I am promoting you for the potential benefit of my readers. Sweat365 allows everyday athletes to learn from and inspire each other as they work toward their individual fitness goals. Membership in the community is free and provides personal blogs that give users a chance to discuss their training experiences and accomplishments. The Web site allows members to track their workouts with personal publishing tools and provides graphical feedback on their fitness progress. The online community provides members with the opportunity to interact with and learn from athletes all over the globe, as well as find training partners with similar goals. I checked it out, seems okay - I placed a link on their site to Harlem 26.2 - but that's it for me. On my blog I don't get into training detail and all that and- plus I talk a lot of social commentary about running, sex, politics, New York City, Harlem, etc. But Sweat365 might work for you - however note it competes with a site I've mentioned before: Athlinks. Athlinks is the site that blew me away - just click to it, I've never registered with them or anything but you can put in my name in their Search Athletes: Lancelot Smith and bam - click on my name and there is a listing of all my New York Road Runner races & results, ain't that a blip! And ya know what, if you're a runner and have raced, you can do the same thing probably with your name! If the concept of one of these communities appealed to me I'd go w/Athlinks or Sweat365. However to be fair some other runner social networking sites are "FastLoop" & "Ontri" (triathletes). All these sites ultimately have to pay for the cost of its massive data center aggregation by advertising. I am sure Sweat365 is about building up a large user count with the assumption that the cost will be recouped by selling advertisement down the line. It works for MySpace. The more users/readers/viewers that are drawn to a site/blog/MySpace profile, the more flashing blinking banner and sidebar advertisements. For example, a few communities are starting to offer premium features for a subscription fee - LinkedIn is one such community producer. Others make money by offering customization services around their free products . And in a few cases, the entire business model is to create a community that generates enough interest (aka, traffic) to allow the owners to flip the company to Yahoo or Google for a couple of million dollars. Social networking is an advertiser’s dream come true, because registered users willingly fill out a profile that tells the advertiser who to send which ad. Most social network services will utilize a blend of business models, including advertising, subscriptions, and ecommerce. So remember, if you sign up for these sites - keep in mind the trade off, your privacy & info, and there is no reason to disclose factual info on any aspect of the forms you fill out in signing up. Have a great day!

Running into a Presidential Race on Nov. 2, '08. The NYC Marathon

Can't believe I ran 5 miles in -1F weather yesterday...but I did. I actually saw about a dozen others in Central Park in the morning doing the same thing - going out this morning in a balmy 20F for a 5 miler. On a tragic note.....near a high altitude marathon training center, Olympic Kenyan runner Lucas Sang, was hacked to death and his body burnt while walking home in the western town of Eldoret, (Kenya) the town where violence flared to its worst when around 50 people were burned alive in a church. That man on the right, World Marathon Champion Luke Kibet was also attacked by a mob but managed to survive a machete attack - though wounded. Other top Kenyan athletes remain at risk at a high altitude training center located in Iten, near the epicentre of the violence. The facility is run by World Half Marathon Champion and record holder, Lorna Kiplagat, now a Dutch citizen, and her husband Pieter Langerhorst. Due to its high altitude of about 2,400 feet above sea level, Iten is seen as the ideal training venue for distance runners and on any given morning, up to 500 world class athletes can be seen going about their morning runs along with foreigners who have pitched camp in this Rift Valley town. Click to Read Full Story. Glad our (U.S.) politics aren't quite as barbaric. Do you all remember my blog entry from last year titled, "Running Into a Republican that's Bearable"? If you recall I said if you must vote Republican, please please please vote for Mike Huckabee. This was at a time when Guiliani was all the rage, then Romney, etc. and I was giving Huckabee some "Runner Love" since he's a decent human (unlike those other 2 creeps) and runs marathons, there he is on the left in a race in fact. The country needs to de-tox from these Republican years - but I will give Huckabee some points - are you all aware he's schedule to race in the NYC Marathon on Nov. 2, 2008? Yup - it's true - it's on his schedule - heck when he last ran it in '06, Mary Wittenberg, President & CEO of the New York Road Runners flew down to Little Rock, AR (where he's the Gov.) and presented him with his race bib - he's got an open invite and he's telling people he's running - now get this - the presidential election is 2 days after the NYC Marathon on Nov. 4. I am not voting for Huckabee - however having said that - can you imagine if Huckabee is the Republican candidate - and 2 days before the '08 election this guy is running in the NYC Marathon? Regardless of your political preference, you gotta admit that's a pretty impressive last minute campaign swing. That would tip the scales for a whole lotta Independent voters. Hillary can forget it - people just don't like her - she can't even get the women's vote in Iowa - I'm not saying they hate her but she's simply not well liked (by too many women and independents - the swing you need to be elected). By the way, every Black politician in Harlem is for Hillary & not Obama, but since every last one of them is ignorant or dumb (most are both) starting with the living fossil, dinosaur Charles Rangel, that's nothing to be proud of. I'm good with John Edwards - that's more "Runner Love" - he's clocked 5 marathons - runs up until recently 30 - 40 mile / week runner - his Marathon PR is 3:30, Edwards can too show up in that '08 NYC Marathon and kick Huckabee's ass all over the course....(that on the right is Huckabee at the finish in the '06 NYC Marathon with a 5:33 time on the clock). Don't think Obama is a slam dunk vote for me y'all....did you read my John Edwards v. Barak Obama blog entry? I'm very torn and that blog entry tells why. The smartest person on the campaign trail? Michelle Obama (Barak's wife) - that's who should really be running for President. If any of you have a direct line with Obama - pass the word, if he is the Democratic candidate - it's going to look pretty damn bad - down right inexcusable when with a Kenyan father, on the Sunday before the election he's kissing babies and making speeches while the older still chubby White guy Huckabee is running 26.2 miles in the NYC Marathon. Obama needs to balance to scales to avert this possible embarrassment. Think about it, if you're undecided going into that final weekend - the Marathon feat of Huckabee looks good...just might tip the scales! I'm not proud to say it but since a man can get sex just by being a marathon runner - he can certainly get a vote. Makes sense to me. Obama insiders - hedge your bets, have Barak contact me - I'll be his running mate - I'll train him, I'll even pace him in the race and I will not let him be shown up or outperformed by Huckabee. Have a great day!

My New Year's Resolution: To Run Safer

Had a decent 4.5 miler yesterday morning, it was too dark and cold to try and run last night - even this morning, it's -1F with the WindChill Factor, but at least it's bright and sunny, I will take my Californian ass and venture out in this seriously cold weather. I had 1 New Year's Resolution: To Stop Running in the Street. If you read this blog you know I am anti-iPod & anti street running, anywhere, for any reason - and I say that having ran NYC streets right up through last week - it's crazy, I've blogged about it forever, every single day runners are hit by cars in America. Not a pretty or fun subject, not fun reading, no one likes to hear or consume bad news - however I feel it's only real when you understand no one reading this blog is so alert, experienced, or safe of a runner to where it can't happen to them. Let me share with you a 2 piece story of the whole and full picture of a person like you and me, jogging in the street, and then suddenly, in an instant, her life is forever changed. Cynthia Hubert of the Sacramento / Modesto Bee wrote a 2 piece story (part 1, part 2) -- I have excerpted it however you can click those links to read the whole story - which would be good because you are taken into the entire ordeal including how family and loved ones are impacted. [start] "In the thin light of early morning, her running shoes pound a familiar route. Suddenly, a sickening thump. The smashing of glass. The screeching of brakes. She lies silent and bleeding, crumpled near a dark Saturn with a shattered windshield. She is in her 20s, slightly built, her long, dark hair tied in a ponytail. An orange and white Sony Walkman is attached to her left arm. Her shiny right shoe is marked with a scuff and a small hole. The driver of the Saturn leaps from his car, and other people spill into the street. The owner of Taylor's Market, who has just arrived to take fish and vegetable deliveries, rushes inside and calls 911. Someone from a neighborhood dry cleaner runs out with a blanket and covers the injured jogger. She opens her eyes for a moment, struggles to stand, but slumps down again. Strangers crouch beside her, talking softly. Minutes pass and sirens slice through the din of traffic. Paramedics swarm. It is Friday, July 6, 6:34 a.m. In the back of an ambulance, an "unidentified Asian female" is on her way to the UC Davis Medical Center. [later at the hospital] Dr. Kia Shahlaie's patient is spiraling downward. She is lying on a gurney in the CT scan room, eyes closed, a breathing tube in her throat, an angry incision scissoring across the back of her head and curling around her left ear. Shahlaie stares at the colorful images of his patient's head that have just appeared on the computer. To the young neurosurgeon, they look ominous. The bright splotches on the left side of her brain show that she is bleeding again. It's yet another disheartening development for a woman who, after dodging death this morning, endured two major brain surgeries. Can she survive a third one? Shahlaie wonders. Her first head scan, taken minutes after her arrival, showed a large bruise over the left side of her skull. This subdural hematoma was creating pressure so intense that it was pushing the patient's brain to the right. She needed surgery right away or she had no chance. Hovering above his patient along with five other specialists, Shahlaie cut out a small portion of the patient's skull to expose the left side of her brain. It looked swollen and dark, nothing like the beautiful, shimmery surface of a healthy one. Shahlaie suctioned out the clot, temporarily covered the opening in her head with a sterile film and skin from her scalp, and sent her to the recovery room. About two hours later, he was called into action again. Tests showed that the pressure inside the injured jogger's head was shooting up again. This time, the problem was on the right side. So the surgical team cut into her skull again and suctioned out another clot. Now it is late afternoon, less than an hour after the second operation was completed, and the patient is in trouble again. Shahlaie is torn. What would be riskier, he asks himself -- taking her back into surgery for the third time in 10 hours, or trying to manage the situation with medication and careful monitoring? Surgery No. 3 is particularly tricky. The woman's brain is grossly swollen. Shahlaie decides that he must remove a small portion of the severely damaged left frontal lobe. It's a risky move that may save her but could affect her life forever. He must carefully avoid certain areas of the brain or she could lose her vision or her ability to speak or walk. Shahlaie suctions the clots on the left side and carves out a damaged, golf ball-sized section of her brain. His marathon day of surgery ends at about 8:30, and he leaves the operating room exhausted. The next morning, he learns that the patient is one of the hospital's own. According to her parents, who arrived in the wee hours after her third surgery, her name is Cathy Liu. She is 25 years old, a first-year internal medicine resident at UC Davis, a woman who since the age of 8 has talked about being a doctor. Cathy, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, was a high school valedic- torian and a star undergraduate microbiology student at UC Davis. Her medical degree is from Emory University in Atlanta, and she's already had two research papers published in a prestigious scientific journal. She has run a marathon and traveled all over the world. She is witty and kind, a clotheshorse and shoe aficionado who throws back her head dramatically when she laughs. Cathy Liu, M.D., has just begun her medical career, and now the doctor is a patient. Cathy's parents have been keeping vigil at the medical center since the accident a month earlier that sent their older daughter's head crashing through a car windshield. They believe that her survival is something of a miracle. After three surgeries on her brain, doctors were cautious in their predictions about her recovery. But on her seventh day in the hospital, Cathy turned a corner, thanks to the perseverance of her neurosurgeons and the innovative use of technology. It was an aggressive and unusual approach to the problem, but it worked. After the vessels relaxed and the brain's oxygen level was restored, Cathy's prospects were much better. The doctors slowly brought her out of her induced coma, and she began blinking her eyes. Since then, Cathy has hit a few milestones since she was out jogging and hit by a car on Freeport Boulevard. By the time she arrived at the UC Davis emergency room as an un- identified "Jane Doe," she was comatose and bleeding inside her skull. The left side of her brain was seriously damaged, and she endured three major brain surgeries. Cathy spent nearly three months in the hospital. Her mother and her father temporarily abandoned their lives in Chico and moved into a nearby apartment. Now Cathy, the former marathon runner and soccer player, the world traveler, is learning everything all over again. Because the left side of Cathy's brain was seriously damaged, the right side of her body is weak. She appears to comprehend most everything she sees, hears and reads, but she struggles to process complicated ideas and express her thoughts in full sentences. Every day, she labors through hours of supervised therapy. She uses squeeze balls and weights to strengthen the muscles and tendons on her right side. She practices writing and eating and answering e-mail with her left hand. She is learning how to use appliances without hurting herself, to cross streets safely, to phone 911 when she is in trouble. Once a math and chemistry whiz, she is working simple equations and word puzzles. Once an accom- plished cook, she gets step-by-step instructions from her occupational therapist, Cheryl McClure. "It's so hard to see her struggle to walk, to say a few words," Pam Liu (Mother) says as they stroll down sidewalks dampened by a morning shower. "It's not fair. It's just not fair." Cathy recalls the first couple of weeks of her residency, when she began each day with a jog along Freeport Boulevard. She remembers the fireworks that she and her boyfriend Brian Gallucci watched at Cal Expo on the Fourth of July. After that, she draws a blank. (click the links above to read the full unexcerpted story). Of course everyone wants the best for this person's recovery, however what I don't like is how the Running Industry (the magazines, the associations, clubs, marathon race directors) don't like to address this reality of what happens to many of us daily. It strikes with me as irresponsible to speak to this incident and then not devote any discussion, zero, none on the topic of: (1) running in the street including crossing intersections, and (2) running impaired of one of your senses - ipod/walkman running. It's not about establishing Cathy Liu has a measure of culpability or responsibility of increasing her risk exposure, it's about exploring how this happened including contributing factors and speaking to it. Why? To avert another person of possibly having it happen to them. There is someone out there who could possibly avoid such an unfortunate incident by learning of the risk factors and exposures that come with certain activities. If you don't speak to it now? Then when? It's never a good or pleasant time to address risk, it's not sexy, it's not fun, it's not uplifting to speak to the hazards of this running thing - so though this story is so wonderfully and comprehensively profiled by the writer, it's incomplete as key aspects of the story are unaddressed in whole. Cathy Liu's mother crying, "it's not fair" is emotional - but if we're going to be real, terrible & unfair things happen to people every day - that's not news. The idea is to limit your risk exposure to an acceptable level (for you) - running in the street, even crossing it with a Sony Walkman exceeds that level for me. When you read as much about running as I do, you notice common patterns - and one very much in place is to not speak to the runner's letting their guard down and increasing their risk exposure. It's very common to learn a runner is a high achieving person - we all know this. When a runner is hit by a car, and you explore how it occurred including the runner's complicity...people don't want to address it, write to it, or even speak to it. There is something about that, the runner increasing their risk exposure, that people do not like speaking to. I suspect because it's something not congruent with everything else about that person, the "story" of that person. Hence it's not spoken to or addressed just like in the article I have profiled here. These are missed opportunities to educate and inform future and current runners. It's very common for runners to be hit on the street by vehicles just prior to dawn and just after sundown - often the runners are wearing low visibility dark colors. Drivers have eye and awareness adjustment changes/patterns at these points in the day - they're not at their best judgement - runners should know this. How quiet are cars today? The Hybrid (electronic) vehicles are so silent on the street the Blind cannot hear them and there has actually been a movement to force these vehicle emit some audible sound when on the street for the hearing impaired who rely on their ears to have a sense of vehicle location. Runner - Vehicle accidents are not about fault - who gives a damn if it was the drivers fault - we're talking about not having your life end, or forever change, in an instant! (that could have possible had a lower risk level leading up to it - i.e. not being impaired via a iPod). I am trying to save the next Cathy Liu from happening by campaigning against running with ipod-like devices in the street. Be safe in your run & have a great day.

Mother & Daughter: Shared Inspiration Complete the NYC Marathon

Hey to all my readers! I am back for 2008 and getting ready to go for a short 4.5 mile run this morning - I expect to do it tonight again and get back on 2-a-day training, lose about 7 .lbs, and as you all know, I am out to win a NYRR award in the Spring. Welcome back to Harlem 26.2 - I've learned I have readers from all over the world - and in case you've not been paying attention, Harlem 2008 is not the place you just might think it is - which is partially what this blog is all about - altering perceptions of Harlem. That cover of Harlem World Magazine on the right is more of what Harlem '08 is all about. Stylin' & keepin' it pushin' on a NYC level as hard as any other neighborhood of Manhattan - why we even run in Harlem, Marathons - that's what I and many people in Harlem do. I try and promote and encourage everyone to run - for whatever reason my regular readers always note I tend to talk a lot about women runners - no agenda there - it's just that women tend to be the stronger, more enduring & athletic sex - plain and simple - it's true.....and to that end let me start of '08 by sharing an inspiring story out of the Knoxville News (TN) by writer Kristi L. Nelson about a place many of my readers have been - there below, the finish line of the New York City Marathon. Regardless of your level of runner, this is a story that is great for someone you know, a friend, a co-worker, a daughter, a brother, sister, or son, everyone out there knows someone who will have a great start to 2008 by reading this - please yourself and pass it along, thanks! In that photo below are 2 women, a mother and daughter, Amira Harb, left, and her mother, Helen Harb, right, cross the finish line at the ING New York City Marathon Nov. 4. Kristi L. Nelson wrote, "after seeing Amira, who now lives in New York, run the marathon in 2006, Helen, never a runner, became determined to finish it herself. It was seeing daughter Amira cross the finish line of the ING New York City Marathon in 2006 that inspired Helen Harb, 53, to make her own run. Harb — who at the 2006 race jogged alongside her daughter for the last four miles in heels while carrying a coat and purse — called just being at that marathon to cheer on her daughter “an amazing experience.” “She jokingly said, ‘Mom, you’ve got to run it with me next year,’ ” said Harb, executive director of the National Kidney Foundation of East Tennessee. “I said, ‘Yeah, right!’ ” Harb, knowing she couldn’t run fast enough to qualify for a slot in the race, on a lark put her name in a lottery for open spots. When she checked the marathon’s Web site in January, she got a shock. “I realized, ‘Oh, no! They drew my name! Now I really have to do this thing!’ ” she said. The problem? Harb wasn’t a runner. She’d never run even a short race. And the marathon is 26.2 miles. Daughter Amira, 33, had run during her college years for stress relief and took up running again recently with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training in memory of an uncle who died of cancer. Amira lives in New York City, where she is director of leadership development for Campus Crusade for Christ. She was available for phone support but not as a running partner for her mom. So Harb simply took off on her own, running in the mornings near her house. “In my simplistic mind, I thought, ‘Hey, if I can walk, I can run,’ ” she said. “Well, I didn’t realize there’s more to running than just walking faster!” Things like stretching, drinking plenty of water, wearing appropriate clothing and footwear, and pacing oneself. Harb found out the hard way how little she knew when she ended up with extremely painful shin splints. She went to see her family doctor. “I told him I was trying to run, trying to do a marathon,” Harb said. “He said, ‘Why are you doing this, at your age?’ I said, ‘Well, why not at my age?’ He just kind of laughed at me. “Basically, when he said that, I figured I can do it, and I will do this!” Her doctor wasn’t the only one wondering what was driving Harb. Family members, friends and co-workers all asked questions. “Nobody really understood why she wanted to accomplish this and do it to excellence,” said Amira, whom Harb called her “most helpful critic and most ardent supporter.” “My mother doesn’t do anything halfway.” Harb ultimately found plenty of support: from husband Al, owner of Harby’s Pizza, who rubbed her sore shins; son Sharif, who lined her up for sessions with his friend Michael Moore, a personal trainer; her own mother and aunt, who went to New York to watch her run; and friends and co-workers, including kidney dialysis patients, who she said were “motivators” and “inspiration.” Harb has been with the Kidney Foundation for 15 years, the last seven as director. During spring, Harb started training with Moore, owner of Fitness Focus. Moore gave her instructions on proper running techniques, exercises to strengthen her core, and moral support: He ran or walked with her once a week. “Another problem I had was time — there’s just not enough hours in the day, when you’re working 50-60 hours a week, to train properly,” Harb said. She settled into a routine. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she trained in the morning, going into work late and working into the evening hours. Wednesday evenings, she did yoga. On Saturdays she trained with Moore, and Sundays and Mondays were for resting and recuperating. “There were many times I almost gave it up,” Harb said. “I would cry because my shins were hurting me, or I would cry because it’s just emotionally draining” to train. She also missed husband Al’s pizza. “It was hard to stay away from that pizza!” she said, laughing. But she kept her sight on the goal. “I didn’t want to not cross that finish line,” Harb said. “I didn’t care what my time was.” After 11 months of hard work, Harb realized her goal at the Nov. 4, 2007, New York City Marathon, placing at No. 977 out of more than 3,900 runners in the 50-54 age group. Amira took two hours longer than the previous year to finish so that she could cross the finish line with her mother. Both were in tears. “I could have crawled across the finish line,” Amira said. “Just to cross it with her meant everything to me.” When Harb crossed the finish line, a volunteer hung a medal around her neck, hugged her, and told her, “Congratulations! You did it!” “I couldn’t stop hugging her,” Harb said. “I cried like a little baby.” Amira said she was proud but not surprised that her determined mother accomplished what she’d set out to do. Throughout Amira’s life, both of her parents have been role models “in every sense of the word,” she said. “I’ve watched her do things all my life where she’s kind of going against the odds,” Amira said. For all the joy the experience brought her, Harb doesn’t plan to run another marathon. “I just wanted to prove that I could do it,” she said, “and I did do it. It’s something I can mark off my life to-do list and move on.” So what’s next? Maybe horseback riding, she said; “I love horses.” Or maybe something else. “There’s all kinds of challenges in this great big world,” Harb said. [END]. Isn't that beautiful on so many levels? You gotta share that story with someone! This is exactly how I want to start '08 and Happy Birthday to that Harlem Runner above on the right - that's really what she looks like too - that's SpaHa Runner and it's her Birthday! I hope you all have a great day and remember, nothing is impossible!