Do you Run Your City?

Ryan, the creator of Run Your City has just rolled out two new and exciting projects. First, he's added a book club which is underway on runyourcity.com. Anyone who has read or is interested in reading “Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes can now jump on RYC and discuss it with other runners.

I'll be honest, I'm probably not going to read this book. And I'm not your typical book club dork. No offense, Ryan, you're awesome and I still think this is a great idea. But at the moment, I just have too many other things going on (not to break out the excuses). But why should that stop any of you runner/book nerds out there from reading away? :)

Besides, why read it when I can just check back and see what everyone else has to say about it. I'm just saying.... :) I'll jump on the next book. Promise! :)

The other exciting addition from the creator of RYC is WikiRun, an encyclopedia for runners. You can reach wikirun through RYC or just at wikirun.com . Wikirun is a collaborative project aimed to bring together running resources into one central location on-line - a living encyclopedia of running. In order to maintain a high level of credibility, all the members are running professionals (pro or college runners, coaches, race coordinators, sports writers, etc.).

Wikirun has just over a hundred articles at the moment, but is in need of more editors.

If you are a running professional and wish to help, email ryan@wikirun.com and he'll hook you up with a username and password.

whoops! I lied, there's one more thing. So, say you're not really interested in reading about ultramarathoner dudes, well, maybe you might just want to talk about the other things that are posted on the RYC discussion boards. Well.... talk talk talk away! :) Let's get some interesting conversations rollin' or some new topics. Really sharing is caring... so, let's see what you have to offer our running community!

HAPPY TRAINING! :)

No Bake - Energy Bar

My Fiancé and I decided to have a little sweet and gooey fun in the kitchen the other day. (oh seriously, get your mind out of the gutter). He recently found a recipe in Liberty Sports Magazine for a no-bake energy bar and wanted to give it a try. I have limited "skills" in the kitch, so a "no-bake" recipe sounded pretty good to me.

We followed this recipe and could hardly wait the two hours while the bars "set" in the fridge. Seriously, you try mixing peanut butter, honey, cocoa, raisins, sunflower seeds, etc.. together with out starting to salavate. Not to mention we're not really the most patient people on the planet. Well, at least I'm not. But in two hours we had tasty - gooey perfection in the form of a home made energy bar.

So, the recipe was quick and painless and if you can control yourself enough not to eat the whole tray at once, the bars pack quite a nice energy boost! We added a few scoops of soy protein powder for some extra kick. You can do all sorts of things with it to make it your own.. so, thanks Phill Etheridge from Liberty Mag for sharing a recipe that he already ripped off from racedaynutrition.com . :) Sharing is caring!

Happy NO baking, ya'll! :)

Super Legit Bogus (or maybe not?)

I was wondering why I hadn't heard anything about Nike's 1/2 Marathon Training- Special Event Runs. You know, those super cool summer EVENT runs that I brag to all my friends about. The events that I look forward to each summer since I've been in NYC (okay, to be fair that's only 2yrs) and that are the key social running events of my ENTIRE SUMMER!!Did that just make me sound super lame. oh, whatever...

Well, it seems as though RUNNYC has pulled the plug on the "Downtown/Midtown/Uptown" events they previous did in order to get runners geared up for the Nike 1/2 Marathon. And I know I'm not in super running shape and technically not supposed to be running on my injured leg, but for these events I would have most certainly made an exeption. They were just so much fun.

Anyway... gossip on the RUNNYC runner rumor mill is that they are doing a special blow out event for the Nike Human 10k race. The event will supposedly have all of the fun things that the former summer events had, but this time with some live music to kick it up a notch. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see when/if we get the official event announcement.

Just remember, you didn't hear it from me. :)

Um... I suppose that's a little hard now that I went and posted it on the internet. whoopsie!

You just never know

I came across the news this morning that yet another tragic incident occurred during an endurance event over the weekend. A Des Moines businessman, Jim Goodman, 46, died during the swim segment of the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa. He signaled for help during his 1500 m swim in Blue Heron Lake, however the "22 lifeguards, five Jet Skis, 12 kayaks and five boats on site at the Hy-Vee Triathlon" were not able to reach him in time. Jim was a mere 150m from the finish of the swim.

Jim's story, similar to the other unfortunate and untimely deaths of endurance athletes we've seen in the news recently, must remind us of a need to take caution when pushing ourselves to our max and also to look out for one another. Stories like this also should make us take a moment to appreciate our own hard work in our lives and give necessary credit to ourselves and to those around us who continue to support and motivate us.

The article indicates that Jim's death was not due to drowning. Further, as reported by his brother, (Jim) "was an avid runner and good swimmer". The article does not specifically indicate the cause of death (as his family and officials still await autopsy results). Jim was the father of three young girls, Natalie, 11; Ellie, 7; and Rubie, 3 and also leaves behind his wife, Lisa.

Is it just me, or has there been an increase in the frequency of such fatal outcomes at endurance events? Is it just the fact that we're simply hearing about it more or are there other similar factors involved here? After doing some googling on the subject, I happened upon this intersting article, "Are Endurance Sports Good for You?", which then led me to this blog, V-Tach which accounts one endurance athlete's struggle to work with his own Acquired Arrhythmia. Both the article and the V-Tach blog are interesting (and relative) in that they explore research relating increased endurance training to the actual deterioration of one's heart. Sounds backwards, right?

Has anyone else read interesting articles/research on this topic? I'd be intersted to hear more about it.

I AM a Runner

There are fewer things I can truly say I AM than those I can say I AM NOT.

I AM a sister, a daughter, a friend, a companion, an advisor, a developer, a motivator, an adventurer, a strong young woman, a compassionate and passionate individual, a "dancing machine" :), an athlete or more specifically, a RUNNER. These are just a few things which I most strongly identify myself as being. These are the things that define my past, present, and with all hope, far future.

There are plenty of things I can firmly say I'm not, such as: a professional athlete, a poet, a fashionista, a hipster, a builder, a banker, a brainiac, & (definitely not) a doctor, ... nor am I a failure, a sissy, a home-body, a quitter, or always right (though painful to admit). And I am not someone who is content with the norm or average. .... And I am definitely not a Yankees fan (I'll explain this one later), but these are just a few things that quickly came to mind.

I started thinking about this after I finished my run today. Yes, I know I was advised to take two weeks off, but seriously?... no, seriously? come on! So, standing in an open field watching the masses of cyclists and runners rollin' on down a near by rec path, I became almost hypnotised by the steady flow of athletes. I started to slide back in to my own deep thoughts of what brings so many of these people out during the mid-day heat. I started to think about how many of them where in pain or also pushing through an injury like me. And why we're all just so crazy. But then this reassuring thought came to me as if through this whole injury debacle I had some how forgotten, I AM a runner. We, as athletes, do this because it's who we are. We do this because it's who we want to be and who we choose to be. We/I identify as "A Runner" and not only am I "a runner" but I'm a damn good runner. This is who I am and how can I let this aspect of who I am go easily? No wonder I'm a basket case the past few weeks, no wonder why I can't keep focused, keep on track... and keep my running shoes off.

The whole thought process made me remember how heated the comments got on this post from earlier this month. As you can see by the direction of the comments/conversation, we know who we are and how we prefer to be viewed and many of us have strong emotional attachments to our identity (as we should). So, of course this whole undiagnosable injury thing would send me into a small identity crisis. To the non-athlete or maybe just non-self aware person, this might sound lame. But I have a feeling that if you read this far, you just might be pickin' up what I'm puttin' down. :)

So, my saga continues and now that I'm back in the city (for a few days), I'm hoping to make some more progress with this whole situation. I still have not set up an appt with another orthopedist, but the goal is to do it tomorrow morning. So far the extra time off over the past (almost) two weeks has not proven to make things better nor has the few days of running made it feel worse. Everything is pretty much the same. So, I guess we'll see...

On a final note, to the man who ran by me and broke me from my glorious epiphany in the park by mumbling what I believe was, "trash" (which I can only imagine was provoked by my Red Sox t-shirt), you can just go take a nice long swim in the gowanus canal.

For goodness sakes, man, it's a T-shirt!! And THIS is why I will never be a Yankee's fan! :)

Second Opinion

FLASH BACK... to a blog post I accidentally left hanging in my "edit post" box for about a week.

It seems as though my use of denial as a defense mechanism has slowly crept into life as a blogger :) I guess I've just been keeping myself busy with other silly distractions so I wouldn't have to talk about the big monkey on my hamstring.


He's scary lookin', ain't he?


Okay, so let me explain...



But first we must time travel back to last week....

Unpublished post from June 10:

Going back to seek a second opinion is something that's been on my mind for the past week. I decided to give everything I had to the treatment I was receiving through my Chiropractic office. I needed to believe the treatment was helping the problem in order to focus on getting everything else back in order. It seemed as though I was finally getting things back on track and sticking on a plan that had me both feeling more confident and fit, but the last week sort of flipped things upside down.



Over the past few weeks it had been giving us both a bit of hope that the most painful "trouble spots" were shifting and that I was back out there running 4-5miles about 3times a week (not pain free, but at least able to get through). However the pain worsened last week and the only thing that I threw in (that was different) was a pool running - workout (which my hammy did not like one bit) and a few yoga classes. I also found myself stretching the area a bit more, which seemed to continue to worsen the soreness and tightness I was feeling. grrr... I'm angry just thinking about it (and yes, i just growled out loud!!)



Yesterday marked my eighth visit to the chiropractor over the past six weeks. When I arrived at the office, I was met with the standard question, "how are things going?". I guess the look off defeat spoke for itself because I really didn't have to say too much before my chiropractor sighed and suggested the one thing that none of us like to hear, "you should take off completely for two weeks". Completely!?!?! Well, my initial thought was my initial thought "what does that mean exactly?". Immediately my mind started to race to.. "well, what other things CAN I do?" Basically, I was told not to do anything for two weeks and to seek a second opinion. During the normal routine of treatment yesterday they also located yet another spot (on my hamstring) which was of concern. The Chiropractors expression of concern and frustration did not help my own similar feelings regarding the matter.

TIME OFF!?!? time off? hmmm????

I would have kept going in to the Chiropractor for treatment, but the "well, keep us posted and contact us if you need anything" comment at the end of my visit made things feel kind of final. I suppose I appreciate the fact that they don't want to waste any more of my time if things are working, but I'm so confused about where to turn next.

June 10 and beyond....

So, on my way home I stopped by Coach Cane's studio for some moral support. Jonathan offered some great suggestions and gave me some hope that the answer to this lingering issue might be found by seeking another opinion. He suggested another Orthopedist who is a runner/triathlete himself. This Doctor was recommended to me in the past so I was already familiar with his name. It seemed like a smart next move and overall I was feeling better about going forward in this direction. Yes, everything was fine... especially after I went home and processed the decision over a few glasses of wine. However, after I actually called the Doctor's office the next day I quickly found out that Doctor#2 doesn't take my insurance. All I could think was, "that's cute" as the nurse (very nonchalantly) informed me that my first consultation would cost $375. Ha! So... knowing that I would be out of town for the next week and a half. I decided to back off again from running or anything that will aggravate the area as I try to figure out my next move.

I can't help from thinking about how many more races I'm going to have to miss this summer/ fall. I know getting this whole issue taking care of is the priority, but unfortunately I ran out of patience back in April.

Training Update

Workout review May 27th - June 3rd (how it went down):
Tuesday May 27th : Swim - 300,200,100 (warm up) 3x200, 3x100, 3x50, 4x50(drills) - total: 1850m
Wednesay May 28th: PM: Run 4.5miles - felt okay.. just weak - Core strenth circuit
Thursday May 29th: AM: Morning wake up 2miles PM: Bike - 7.25 loops PP-Park w/ coach kane- 25miles-ish (with out/back from home)
Friday May 30th: AM: Swim 1600m, PM: Yoga
Saturday May 31: AM: Moving day! - 5miles - hot and sticky morning, but at least I felt stronger! - Core strength circuit
Sunday June 1: BEACH DAY!!!
Monday June 2: Pool Running - 10mins steady warm up, 3x 2min, 3min, 2min pick ups with 1min rest between each. 400m swim to cool down. (wanted to do a swim wkout but pool was PACKED)
Tuesday June 3: 30min run - felt awful. Leg is aching from pool run. wtf!
Wednesday June 4: AM: Yoga, PM: Chiropractor and Bike- only 10miles - leg hurts.. boo!

Plan Ahead:
Thursday June 5: PM: Swim - wkout tbd
Kansas City Here I Come!
Friday June 6: NYC to KCMO - Flight Shake out: 40min run
Saturday June 7: Swim/Run - we'll need to check out the hotel pool. TBD
Sunday June 8: AM: Strength circuit (*new: more on this later) PM: hmmm? Trails? I hear there are a few decent parks near the hotel
Monday June 9: KCMO to NYC - PM: Ride- 20miles - 6laps @ PP
Tuesday June 10: AM: Swim wkout TBD PM: Chiropractor
Wednesay June 11: AM: Run 5miles PM: Yoga
Thursday June 12: AM: Swim wkout TBD PM: NYC to Philly
Friday June 13: Philly to SAV - ohman! here we go!

Bike Geeks and Swim Freaks!

I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of crap about this, but as I continue to explore the "outside" cultures of cyclists and swimmers, I am thoroughly amused by these geek and freak tendencies!


Now, I've met quite a few runner-dorks in my day, but Biker (sorry) Cyclist take things to a whole new level. I think it's because they just have more to obsess over; meaning all the gear. They just have so much more to collect and fuss with and before you know it, their ENTIRE lives are consumed by frames, wheels, pedals, chains, saddles, cranks, you name it..... I'm sure I'll find this "cool" someday, well at least that's my hope but for now I just wondering what becoming a geek will do for my social life. At least, they all seem comfortable in their geeky skin... look they even sell shirts to proclaim their geeky-ness! ;)

But by far worse than any cyclist or runner's obsession with gear and their sport, are swimmers! Sorry folks, but I'm just convinced that too much chlorine exposure to your brain has made you all a bit too cooky. These people have NO idea what's normal or not... and worse, they just don't seem to care. I'm not just talking about the highly competitive triathlete who is working on their swimming. oh no, no, NO.... I'm talking about the crazies who swim for the sole purpose of an excuse to stretch their 20 year old speedos over their their (less than beautiful) bulbous bodies and hit the pool to practice their doggy paddle or aqua-yoga techniques. The people whose true highlight of their pool workout is when they get to walk around in the locker room stark naked forcing most of the other pool goers to maintain constant focus on the floor at all times out of pure fear of going blind or triggering their gage reflex. ugh... this behaviour (unlike the bike geeks obsessions) I just can not justify. Unlike Bike geeks, Pool freaks do not sell t-shirts that promote their cultural pride... oh no, "covering up" is just not their style.

Nope, I lied, here's their shirt....

I think I might start handing these out to all the freaky/naked people at the pool.

"So you wanna be an Olympian?" - Follow up

It's been three months (almost) since I last blogged about Kathryn Bertine, the ESPN writer who is on a cut throat quest for a 2008 Olympic berth. In Kathryn Bertine's current installment, chapter 12, she goes on a mission in both China and Venezuela to fight for a few highly coveted Olympic points. She continues to have her fair share of ups and downs , but still has not lost her determination to represent St. Kitts and Nevis as an Olympic athlete this summer in Beijing.

If you're interested in writing to Kathryn, rumor has it that she's very good at responding to e-mail. Here's where you can send your thoughts, questions or motivational tidbits: ESPNOlympian@aol.com