A Case of the Runs

I'm sure that if you've ever declared that you're running a marathon, someone has brought up the possibility that you might never make it to the end. And by that, they mean that you won't just hop on one of those clean-up trucks with your head hanging low -- they mean in a stretcher or body bag. Yes, Phillipedes died on his 20-mile sprint long ago (the "marathon" as we know it is 26.2 miles due to logistical arbitrariness that happened much later). At least three people have died as a result of the Los Angeles Marathon, all of heart attacks. Some people have died in shorter races, such as the Bay to Breakers (8 miles?). And in that same case, some die young, athletic, and otherwise healthy. Go to the doctor before trying to run a marathon. Even the cheesiest of workout videos tell you to see a doctor before beginning a fitness program. They might be able to detect a heart problem, or they might clear you only to find that you will over/underhydrate and s...

If you've ever tried putting your bare foot in a closed-toe shoe, especially a running shoe, you probably know the importance of wearing socks. Even after my second half-marathon, I was still wearing your everyday multipack socks, but due to paranoia and blisters, those days are gone. [Well, almost. I rotate a pair from a multipack, but it is super thick.) The first "special" pack came from Wal-Mart, a 2-pack of Dr. Scholl's. I guess the purpose of these is to protect from blisters and minimize odor. The first thing I noticed when wearing them was the extra tightness/support. When running, I do notice less of that "I have wet crumbly cotton in my shoes" feeling, though after 10 or so miles, I get that anyway. I am still rotating the two pairs and t hink they are just fine. Another pair I have is from A Snail's Pace. This was a Christmas gift, in case you're wondering. Anyway, these socks are slightly tighter than the Scholl's, a bit thicker, and...

As another preparation for the hot summer that is about to drown us all, here's another article regarding heat relief, or should I say the lack thereof, for distance runners. ------ Drinking Fluids Doesn't Cool Runners Study Sees No Link Between Runners' Body Temperature and Hydration By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Medical News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD May 10, 2007 – Drinking fluids during a race doesn't keep long-distance runners cool, a study set in the steamy Singapore Army Half-Marathon shows. Runners are often encouraged to drink lots of water during a long-distance race. Data from earlier studies have questioned that strategy. Proof has been elusive, however, as it's hard to measure runners' body temperature while they are racing. To solve that problem, Christopher Byrne, PhD, and colleagues at Singapore's Center for Human Performance had soldiers swallow heat sensors before running the 2003 half-marathon. The sensors, about three-quarters of an inc...

I have a small collection of Aquaphor samples that I obtained at various pre-race expos. I never bothered with them because I could have sworn that this stuff was meant for babies' diaper rashes. But getting past that, I only need lip balm when the humidity is really low, and before I started running, I never knew what chafing was. First, a chafing occurs when your skin rubs up against something many times, even other parts of the skin (leaving you with two chafed areas). From my experience, I know when I'm chafing just when the area becomes raw. Often, there are streaks of red in the area, and very rarely, a miniscule amount of bleeding. It hurts when sweat, sunscreen, wind, or anything else hits it. And don't get me started on the post-run shower. The chafing improves on its own over time (a phenonmenon I like to call the "chafing callous"). After low mileage for the past two months, I started chafing when I kicked it up again recently. To protect myself, I fin...

I could not make it through a 10k session yesterday without emptying bladder, in spite of what I said in the previous entry. I guess I'll just keep working at that; a tolerance will surely come in time, just as my muscles readjusted to the increased mileage and toenails to the abuse of pounding. So that I don't make it sound like running is not a good thing for the body... WHY DO I RUN? 'TAIN'T NO MYSTERY-- WANNA HAVE A GOOD MEDICAL HISTORY, DOCTOR TOLD ME RUNNIN IS GREAT-- HELPS THEM BLOOD CELLS CIRCULATE, GREAT FOR THE LUNGS, GREAT FOR THE TICKER, CAN'T NOTHIN' GETCHA IN BETTER SHAPE QUICKER, FEELS SO HEALTHY, FEELS SO SWEET, PUMPIN MY ARMS AND FLAPPIN' MY FEET, MOLDIN' MY MUSCLES, FIRMIN' MY FORM, PANTIN' LIKE A PACK MULE, SWEATIN' UP A STORM, KEEPS ME YOUTHFUL, KEEPS ME LOOSE, TIGHTENS MY TUMMY AND SHRINKS MY CABOOSE, BEATS BEIN' LAZY-- WHY DO I RUN? MAYBE I'M CRAZY! ~ Ed Cummingham: http://www.fdlrc.com/nov01.html#Why

I almost moved this blog to WordPress until I realized how many strings were attached, so to speak. Anyway, it is my hope that I can drive more traffic to this blog so that in addition to all the other things I write about, I can make Public Service Announcements (PSAs) like this one: Don't run on empty. If you've ever heard the Diana Fox song "Running on Empty" while doing your tenth mile, you probably thought about your heavy legs or some other "wall" that you have to push through. However, I'm not talking about energy reserves... I'm talking about pee. It makes sense to relieve yourself before a run. After all, who wants to think about the port-a-potty on top of everything else a runner has to worry about? But unless you really need to, refrain. Or, get some liquid in you soon after. Hematuria is the medical term for having blood in the urine. It can be caused by many things, including scary things like kidney disease, stones, etc. One less harmf...

One of the things that Santa dropped into my stocking this year was none ot her than a small pack of Icy Hot patches (not the "back" ones pictured here). As the commercials say, it's icy to get rid of the pain and hot to melt it away (or something like that). It was good timing, as January/February were heavy training months for me, and there was bound to be a time when I needed them, regardless of my natural hardiness. That time came after my 20-miler. The outer side of my left foot felt bruised for some reason, so I was cutting the patches in half and putting them at my outer arch during/after runs so that I could keep going at such a critical time. The smell is not as bad as some Asian variations of the patch (like Salonpas, which I will review one day once I've tried it), but it might also mean that it is less effective. I didn't think I got any more than some temporary relief (a few minutes), probably because it didn't stick too well to that area. So if I...

All this time, I've been using my good-ol' double-knot to keep my laces secure while run ning. That is somewhat of an upgrade from the single-knot that I've been using since I learned to tie shoes. But after having runs that were slightly more/less pleasant due to lacing, which varied day by day, it clicked that maybe a different style would change the way shoes fit. Upon looking at lacing sites, I found a variation I could try without undoing all of my laces. My lazy self decided to give this one a shot, since the description actually said it was for running shoes. So I only had to undo one eyelet on each side as shown. Then, I started off on my run. What did I notice? Of course, I didn't feel like some miracle had just happened and running suddenly became more like flying. Rather, I noticed less heel slippage without my shoe being too tight. Interesting what a little change can do. I think I will relace all my running shoes this way, and even some of my non-running on...

I've been meaning to post this as the weather in Southern California approached 100 degrees this week. Just reading the first sentence of the article below, I already feel better knowing that I'm not weird when I complain about the heat even in seemingly "overcast" conditions. Anyway, enjoy... and stay cool. ------ Hot Weather Running Posted Monday, 5 June, 2006 First, the bad news: When the temperature rises about 55 degrees F (10 degrees C), you’re going to run more slowly and feel worse than you will at lower temperatures. But by gradually preparing yourself for increased temperatures and taking action from the beginning of hot weather runs, you’ll get a welcome dose of the good news. You’ll learn how to hydrate yourself, what to wear, and when and how much your body can take in hot weather, all of which will help you recover faster and run better than others of your ability on hot days. While even the most heat-adapted runners won’t run as fast on hot days as they...

Some @#$%& in the gym yesterday was using the elliptical half-@$$edly right behind me while I was running, and she was coughing and sputtering all over the place. I think I'm paying for it now, but I tend to fight off most colds before they ever become a real "cold." Once, when I felt a cold coming on, I decided to run the 16-miler I had scheduled for the day. It went fine... no coughing, sneezing, or anything besides a slight burn when I breathed too deeply. Plus, I had sequestered myself to a corner of the gym. I think it was a wise choice not to skip the run. And if I don't feel any worse, I am going to do my scheduled run today. If it escalates, then I am not going to make some poor attempt at a workout and infect everyone else. I hate to sound like an all-or-nothing person, but if you're too sick to pull yourself together for even the elliptical (not that I'm dissing the elliptical because it is good cross training), you shouldn't be working out a...

Everytime I hear a song with the word "run" in it, I get a sudden spurt of energy. I wonder what would happen if I smooshed all of those into a song, but that would probably involve lots of cutting/splicing mp3 files on Adobe. Plus, I'm sure someone could do a far better job than I can. For now, I will list all the songs I have listened to that mention the sacred word in the chorus. Feel free to comment, so I can add more... (* = submissions by others) ------ "The One" - Backstreet Boys "Runaround" - Blues Traveler* "Water Runs Dry" - Boyz II Men "Sometimes" - Britney Spears "Run to You" - Bryan Adams* "Run It!" - Chris Brown "If You're not the One" - Daniel Bedingfield "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" - Phil Collins/Deborah Cox "Running on Empty" - Diana Fox "You Can't Hide, You Can't Run" - Dilated Peoples "Run Rabbit Run" - Eminem* "Es...

Normally, any hair tie I use is broken within a few uses. This one, which can be seen worn around my wrist very often, has lasted for at least a year. I found this on the floor on the way to campus to go to class and afterwards do a training run for my first half-marathon. I had forgotten to bring one and was agonizing about it as I was walking to class. Since then, I've worn it during nearly all training runs and at the LA Marathon and Long Beach half. This has just the right elasticity to keep my hair in place, but not too tight where I feel like an onion. I guess that's all you can really say about a hair tie, right? EDIT: In July 2007, it snapped one day while tying my hair. I was SO disappointed...

About halfway through training for the marathon, I graduated from college and had to move my runs indoors. Likewise, the high mileage was exhausting, so I needed some motivation. Then came our law department with their fundraising for the Public Counsel , which offers free legal services for the battered and those who otherwise can't afford it. I personally prefer health-based groups, but since this was a company thing, I joined, raising over $100 (goal was $250, but oh well). Above is the shirt I received. We were encouraged to wear it during the race, but the heat it would generate would have parched me. A few weeks later, we had a celebratory luncheon, where I received this cute bobble-head trophy for getting the fastest female time (out of 2) in the company. Also pictured on my work desk is a license plate frame I got in the Run for Justice goodie bag. It says "I'd Rather be Running." Unfortunately, I don't get to drive my car much, and my dad would not ...

Since I am not running in Nikes, I have to use this pouch to attach the senor to my shoelaces. Purchased at Amazon . It is extremely light, waterproof, and fits securely and is straight on the top of my shoelaces. Placing these flat and securely on your shoe is utterly important, less your mileage/pace will register slightly off. All in all, I'm very happy with being able to run in my usual shoes while using the sensor.

Check out my new toy!! Now I will never have to worry about whether I am running enough when I am not on a treadmill. This thing will tell me when I've gone a certain distance and my pace. Plus, I can log all the miles on the Nike website. Purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods because I had a gift certificate. Anyway, I had to run a few laps on the treadmill to calibrate it. I was nervous, because it was registering that I was running twice as fast as I was (which would be nice, if I could actually run that fast). But after all that, I did some test laps and found it pretty darn accurate. It would probably be moreso if I calibrate it on a track, which I plan to do the next time I'm at one. I took it outside -- I felt like a marionette whose strings were just cut -- and did a mile (I was a bit tired because this was supposed to be a rest day, but oh well). When I finished, they gave me my stats (pace, calories, time, miles), and Paula Radcliffe congratulated me for running my...