A Case of the Runs

I'm sure many of you have heard of a recent New York Times Magazine article about a seven-minute workout that claims to "prolong endurance." From the article: "...it fulfills the latest mandates for high-intensity effort, which essentially combines a long run and a visit to the weight room into about seven minutes of steady discomfort." You'll need a mat and a sturdy chair for this workout.  I had a wall and staircase near me, which I used instead of a chair.  The seven minutes consists of 12 moves, each done for 30 seconds with a 10-second break.  The break is just long enough to prepare for the next movement.  Along with proper form, you should be aiming for 80% intensity/discomfort. To make things easier, Lifehacker actually made a neat iPhone app for it ( here's a web version). So I tried this workout, six times.  In a row (that's about 42 minutes, maybe a touch more).  I wanted to do one more, but as I may have mentioned on here, I

I recently received a generous amount of samples from PROBAR , featuring some of their newest products. The first were these chews, a USDA Organic energy chew called " BOLT ." BOLT comes with 10 easy-to-digest organic gummies for quick energy; they are high in Vitamin B, caffeinated with organic yerba mate, use all-natural sugars (agave & tapioca), and are flavored with organic acai, pomegranate, and blueberry powders.  They come in at around 90 calories/serving.  I was eating these during the marathon this past weekend (the orange one), and they were very tasty (and portable)!   Up next are these FUEL bars, which are fruity and contain chia seeds for hydration.  These contain around 140 calories each and are good for healthy snacking! Finally, the protein bars: CORE , which is their gluten-free, Non-GMO, vegan protein bar, packs 20g of protein, a chia & flax seed blend, 100% plant-based ingredients.  It comes in four flavors (cookie dough, mint c

EVENT: Mountains 2 Beach Marathon DATE: Sunday, May 26, 2013 LOCATION: Ojai/Ventura, CA RACE BEGAN: 6:10 am FINISH TIME: 04:42:30 The short version: I came in pretty much exactly 20 minutes slower than last year  (the race used to be called "Ojai 2 Ocean" but was renamed this year. The long version: I signed up for this race because "The Ukrainian" wanted to, and I did fairly well last year.  However, after LA Marathon two months ago, I've run a handful of times, maybe five.  One was a 5-miler -- I was tired but consistent.  Then, a 12-miler, which was tough due to heat, and I spent the last two miles feeling like I was needlessly torturing myself.  A week later, I attempted to repeat this 12-miler, but halfway into it, I decided that I was suddenly "done" with running and that there is no reason for me to keep wasting my time and money on something I no longer enjoyed.  "The Ukrainian" and I walked the rest of the way home. Race da

Hi, everyone!  Apologies to anyone who is offended by my lack of posting. ;)  I will admit that my schedule has limited my social media and blogging presence, though I think the deeper cause was that I just didn't have anything interesting to share. I recently was able to review a couple of items from Lucy 's activewear, particularly their "pack n dash" line.  I have heard of the Lucy brand and seen a couple of stores in some malls, but this is my first time seeing their items up close. The "pack n dash" line is for runners and comes with all sorts of interesting features for them -- holes in the front of the tank for easy bib-pinning.  In addition, the tank is adjustable (see the draw-strings) and comes with three pockets in the back (for gels and the like). The capris have three pockets -- one on each thigh (sort of like jeans), and a zippered one in the back.  It also has these sort of belt-like loops that will help keep a belt pack (like an

Ever feel like you're doing yourself a disservice by running with earphones on?  With all the dangers of running outdoors, I don't turn up my headphones too loudly, but I still worry about plugging sound out from my ear(s).  If not for safety, then for the sake of the cilia in my ears... I was sent these headphones to review, which are different in that they don't actually go inside your ear. From their representative: "Instead of traditional headphones that cover the ears and earbuds that nest inside ear canals, AfterShokz’s ultra lightweight and durable wraparound headband stays securely in place during rigorous sweat sessions and is equipped with transducers that rest outside the ears to send sound via little vibrations that travel from the cheekbones to the inner ears (bypassing the eardrums completely). An in-line control box offers complete functionality so users can keep mobile devices safely tucked away during activity—power the unit on/off, adjust