Running

"The next ROC Race will be held at the Historic Del Mar Fairgrounds the weekend of May 19th, 2012. This year we’re excited to add a race on Sunday! Imagine a creative collision between a military style training course and wild and crazy game show inspired obstacles spread throughout a 5K course! The common theme is ridiculous and challenging fun! Obstacles include: • Giant Inflatable Slides • Tube Crawls • Over/Under Jump Walls • Hill Climbs • A Giant Rope Swing • Rope Bridge • Monkey Bars • A Mountain of Tires • Giant Slip 'n' Slide • Hurdles • 8' Jump Walls • Boulder Dodge • Fire Pole Slide • EPIC SURPRISE #1 • EPIC SURPRISE #2" - Anika from Bookmarklet

I am trying really hard to see how this is could be fun. There is a reason I never joined the military. - Anika

"3rd Annual 4-Mile Hill Challenge & Kiddie 1k at the Audubon Center at Debs Park in the heart of Los Angeles. This is a fundraising run/walk event to bring awareness to the unique programs and services offered at the Audubon Center. Proceeds from your registration go towards helping the people at Debs Park continue to support the community by providing conservation activities and habitat protection programs. The race course runs through a 280 acre nature center called Debs Park on rolling dirt fire roads and single track trails." - Anika from Bookmarklet

This is bizarre, they're breaking the race down by gender. Why? It's just a 4-miler. - Anika

"In an age of 2:03 marathons, Sammy Wanjiru's fastest–a 2:05:10 at the 2009 London Marathon–looks paltry. It isn't. Wanjiru ran two of the best, toughest, gutsiest marathons anyone has ever seen. Wanjiru, a 24-year-old Kenyan marathon superstar, died Sunday at his home in Kenya. Sources say he fell from a balcony." - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died after a fall from a second-floor balcony during a domestic dispute involving his wife and another woman, officials said Monday. One police official said the 24-year-old Wanjiru committed suicide, while another said he jumped to stop his wife from leaving the house after she discovered him with another woman. His agent, Federico Rosa,... more... - Anika

It had just started to rain. Know what that meant? FREE SHOWER! *guffaws* - Anika from Bookmarklet

Finally got my finish time: 00:43:04.10 with a pace of 13:54. Faster than my last race, so yay, but that's to be expected since there were no hills and I didn't stop to take pictures. Adrian and I were joking yesterday though, I may be the only person who runs slower than I walk. - Anika

He actually ran UP the hill with it. Amazing. - Anika from Bookmarklet

Thanks, Andrew. I just showed my kids the video. - Anika

"Mirrors are not to be believed. You stand in front of them, knowing that you can't trust yourself as an arbiter of truth, so you turn from side to side, thinking that maybe, if you snap your head around quickly enough, you can actually see yourself as others see you. It never works, of course. You stare and you turn, and you wonder: Am I fat? "If you've ever been fat, you will either be fat for the rest of your life or you will worry about being fat the rest of your life." I came across those words 20 years ago in the play "Fighting International Fat," by Jonathan Reynolds. A pretty obscure place to find the underlying thesis of your waking life, but one doesn't get to choose. That casual observation struck me with the profound power of its obvious truth, much like Kafka's observation, "The meaning of life is that it ends." Kafka did not then add, "...but once you're dead, you won't gain weight." Which I would have found comforting." - Anika from Bookmarklet

"The Active.com Realtime website has now been collecting data for several months. This is the first time we've looked at site usage with respect to a user's location, and it presents the opportunity to do some insightful data analysis. For example, did you know on average San Diegans register for events within 3 weeks of the start date, and they tend not to travel very far. When they do travel they tend to go to Los Angeles. ; But, people from the east coast often travel farther. For example, when registrants from Philadelphia travel for an event, they often go to Salt Lake City." - Anika from Bookmarklet

This is so cool. I noticed that my east coast friends always seemed to travel far for races, whereas the furtherest most of my LA and SD friends would go is the Bay Area or Vegas. There were some people who ran in Hawaii, usually the race coincided with a vacation. - Anika

Also? Ch-ching! If I did this for real (as competition), I could see dropping a lot of cash on gear. - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Long Course 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run Olympic Distance 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10k run (1500 meters/24.8 miles/6.2 miles) Both the half Ironman distance and the Olympic distance triathons will be treated to a beautiful calm swim in Castaic Lake. The Sport Chalet Magic Mountain Man Triathlon will have a “European Style” bike course with epic views of the local mountains. The bike course starts at Castaic Lake and finishes in Santa Clarita with a view of the roller coasters of Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. The run will travel through the streets and bike paths of Santa Clarita. " - Anika from Bookmarklet

Mycroft and I won't mind :) - Soup in a TARDIS

When I was being regular: before. - Spidra Webster

Workout + food is optimally done in this order - eat a light carb snack first (banana, half a glass of milk, etc), exercise for no more than 2 hours, and at that point your metabolism is RARING to go and revving on full steam. In fact it's running so hot, it will burn whatever you put into it much faster than normal. That's good for losing fat especially. If you're like Rah, and want to gain weight, you would do the opposite. - Pete D

"Race Date & Start Time September 19, 2010 7:00 am (Transition area will open at 5:30 a.m. Spots in the transition area are first come first served.) Course Description The water temperature in Long Beach in September is typically in the low 70's. Water conditions are excellent and very safe. There are no waves inside the breakwall where the swim takes place. Wetsuits are allowed. Scenic bike on Shoreline Drive, Queensway Bridge and past the Queen Mary. The bike course is 11 miles in length with 2 loops of the course. Fast run course adjacent to Shoreline Village and the Marina." - Anika from Bookmarklet

Oh, thanks for finding that! I see registration is $135. O.O No need to fundraise. YAY! - Anika

"The fifth annual Lexus Santa Monica 5000 returns on a new weekend in 2010, Sunday, September 12, 2010. We're expecting friendly competition and some family fun. Whether you're a collegiate sprinter or a new mom, this event will challenge everyone. With a start time of 7:30am for the 5k, 7:45am for the 2.7k, and 8:00am for the 10k, it's early, but not too early! And to top it off, Saint John’s Health Center, which provides 24-hour emergency services to the community, will be the beneficiary of the race." - Anika from Bookmarklet

Oh, I completely understand that one. I was training to run the LA Marathon and then fires and injuries sidelined me. I'm totally needing a kick in the rear on getting this goal done. - Anika

"The 30th annual edition of Tucson’s largest and most scenic 10K winds its way through Starr Pass in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains. Run or walk the gorgeous course with beautiful mountain scenery and great views of the Tucson basin, then enjoy incredible post-race burritos courtesy of El Saguarito Mexican Food, complete with Mariachi music, Starbucks coffee, snacks, and other refreshments!" - Anika from Bookmarklet

Well, I screw up my ankle again today, so it looks like running is off the table for a while. :( - Anika

"Running will leave your skin just hanging off you, suggests Allure’s editors. They drop this bombshell in a collection of skin-care tips that otherwise sound perfectly reasonable: Get vitamin D, moisturize, and so on. They raise the red flag on running when they talk about the role of exercise. As The Week summarizes it: High-impact workouts, like running and jumping, might make you sweat, but they also loosen the skin, causing it to sag. Instead, try “low-impact aerobic exercise,” such as spinning. Three thoughts leap to mind. 1. Running “might” make you sweat? If you don’t perspire at least a little bit, you’re doing it wrong. 2. I’ve biked and run and walked and hiked and kayaked and climbed as exercise, and even tried yoga once. But you know, it never occurred to me to try jumping my way to fitness. I should give that a whirl sometime. 3. Spinning, with a capital “S,” is a trademarked form of indoor cycling. So when they mention “spinning,” with a lowercase “s,” I assume Allure... more... - Anika from Bookmarklet

sad is that people listen to this stuff and feel bad about themselves because of it (be nice to see an increase in whirling dervishes, however) - Michael W. May

I'm in Los Angeles and don't mind a little trip. Something in San Diego, the Bay Area... - Anika

Well, it's not in Cali, but the Vancouver Marathon is May 2nd. I'm running the half. - The original Kevin

"What is Scavenger Dash? The Scavenger Dash is a wildly fun urban adventure. Teams of two solve twelve clues, have a wild city adventure and complete fun challenges while discovering the city in a different way. An amazing race on a local level, where anyone can participate. Object: * to have fun! * to have an exciting adventure. * to properly complete all the clues first." - Anika from Bookmarklet

These are actually happening all over the country too. So check the link to see if a nearby city is hosting one. - Anika

Cool! Even my city is hosting a cool event http://ff.im/ecHE4 - Abhishek

As much as I dislike transplanted hipsters who co-opt "Eastside" to describe what is properly the central city, I don't want to cede the central city to the Westside, either. To me and a lot of Angelenos, West L.A. means west of La Cienega, or even west of the 405. - Victor Ganata

HAHA That's very true. WeHo, BH and SM better be kicking in some serious cash. - Anika

"The 25th edition of the race, on March 21, will wind through downtown, pass through West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica and end at the beach. Along the 26.2 miles, runners will pass landmarks including City Hall, the Capitol Records Building, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive and the Santa Monica Pier. "Listen: 26.2 miles is a long way to go on foot," said Russ Pillar, president of the L.A. Marathon. "The easiest way for us to do that is for us to pick a route that inspires." "Everybody's really stoked," said Steve Mackel, 47, a marathon coach from Pasadena who plans to run in the event. "I've never heard people be that excited about a new course as they have about this new L.A. course."" - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Welcome To 13.1® Los Angeles 13.1® Los Angeles is one of the latest craze in themed half-marathons so come ready to experience some of the best. This race is about the run, the fun, the sun, the sights and the experience. It will be truly one of a kind and the most fun running experience of your life! Don't miss out on this inaugural event, register now to insure you will be one of the first to start, finish, and rock 13.1® Los Angeles...Where the Party meets the Pavement!" - Anika from Bookmarklet

Oh maybe I'll do this too... - Anna Lynn M.

"I've coached female runners for more than 15 years. And it seems nearly all of them struggle with the same thing I do: how to squeeze in a run between so many other commitments. As women, we have a tendency to do things for others first and ourselves last. It's a habit that leaves us fatigued, stressed and even unhealthy. But we don't have to let our personal goals suffer because of other obligations. It is possible to balance work, exercise and time with friends and family; it just takes patience and careful planning. To help, follow these eight strategies I've developed to find time for running while maintaining equilibrium in my own busy life." - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Come and run in Jamaica's paradise. Negril is as lovely as Nature created it, and has embraced an event that is so natural, all it takes is your breath away! Join us on a mostly flat out and back course running along the North Coast of the island for the full, half marathon, or 10K." - Anika from Bookmarklet

I need to do this. My calendar has been marked for next year. Dec. 4, 2010. I'm running in Negril. - Anika

"ZOOMA Austin Half Marathon, 5K & 20K Relay March 27-28, 2010 Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa, Bastrop/Austin, TX Saturday, March 27: 7:30 a.m. Half marathon & ZOOMA Austin After-Party Expo The ZOOMA Austin half marathon features a challenging course through the Texas countryside and a fabulous post-race party with mini spa treatments, catered brunch, live music, and shopping. Sunday, March 28: 7:30 a.m. 5K & 20K Relay & ZOOMA Austin Pool Party Gather your girlfriends for the ZOOMA Austin 20K Relay! Register with a team of 2 or 4 people. Each team member runs a 5K leg through the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort property. ZOOMA will pair teams of 2 to make complete 4-person teams. Individuals can register for the 5K race. Celebrate after the race at the ZOOMA Austin Pool Party at the Hyatt Lost Pines pool! Run both races and stay the weekend at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa! Average Race Day Temperature: High 77°F Low 55°F" - Anika from Bookmarklet

Thinking of it, but it's silly. If I go to SXSW, I'd be in Austin, come back to LA for the marathon, then go back to Austin? - Anika

"The Basics of Chi Running ChiRunning focuses on posture, leg swing, the position of the pelvis and a forward lean. It's not a fluffy, hippie theory--it's based on the physics of body mechanics. Here are the basics: Run Tall. Think about this: When you're standing straight, your joints are in alignment and your skeleton is supporting your weight. When you run, you want to keep this alignment so your skeleton continues to be involved. It's common, however, for runners to slump the shoulders or bend at the waist, which then requires the leg muscles to support most of the body weight, instead of the stronger skeleton. By maintaining good posture, you lessen the amount of work your legs have to do and move more efficiently." - Anika from Bookmarklet

Our stretching coach mentioned this on Saturday. I had never heard of Chi Running before. She leads classes in this. - Anika

Thank you, Jared. Can you tell me more. I'm always skeptical of these new things, but I considering how often I've been laid up this year without running, I'm willing to do anything to avoid having to spend 3 weeks in bed again. - Anika

"Positive self-talk makes a significant influence on event performance. Develop at least one positive mantra to use during the race. Some suggestions include: "I'm fit, I'm good, I'm fast." "Every day, in every way, I'm better, stronger, happier." "I'm healthy, I'm happy, I'm light on my feet." Mantras can be performance-oriented or feeling-oriented. When you find your mind wandering into the land of negative self-talk, use one of your mantras to change your mindset." - Anika from Bookmarklet

I'm still trying to get my RSS to feed into Strands, but I've given up on DailyBurn since it doesn't give me the latitude to log my workouts like this. - Anika from Bookmarklet

Agreed - Tracy Benham

"Seven years ago, at the age of 34, Coates was a prisoner in her own 300-pound body. Coates knew her own choices had put her there. She'd deprived her body of exercise and devoured double portions of fast food. "I've always struggled with my weight," says Coates, who stands six feet tall. "When I was young, my grandmother would give me food and candy, so I associated food with the kindness and love that she gave me." Coates attempted to get in shape in 1987 after giving birth to her daughter, Ebonee, and then again in 1997 when she had to pass a physical agility test for her job. But the healthy habits never stuck. Things came to a head in March 2002. Coates's husband, Ron, and Ebonee, then 15, were away at a high school basketball tournament. Coates sat home alone binging on burgers and fries, moribund and miserable. "I had been raising Ebonee to take care of herself, and I realized I wasn't doing the same for myself," Coates says. "I finally got tired of being sick and tired. I decided to take control of my life. I decided to get strong."" - Anika from Bookmarklet

I keep going back to the part where she said she figured out she was a runner. I used to hate running. In high school, we had to run every Monday during PE. Hated it. A lot of it had to do with my lack of proper clothing. But I've found that despite being in pain from my allergies and foot, when I get out there and start running, it's often hard to stop. - Anika

"Tunes for running, jogging, and working out exactly to the beat of your music. The best running music, workout songs, a podcast, playlists and mixes, iMixes, and links to iTunes Music Stores and Amazon/MP3. And we determine the BPMs (beats-per-minute) so you don't have to!" - Anika from Bookmarklet

"The Los Angeles race is now in its ninth year and has expanded yearly. Thousands of runners participate allowing us to contribute towards the education of children – teaching them the truth about drugs and what they do to the body and mind. The Say No To Drugs Race is for all ages and ability levels. The race is organized and produced by Team Against Drugs – basically a small group of people being active about drug education and awareness in our community. Last year there were over 2,000 participants. The race participants and spectators were sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals – this is a popular program with youth groups and police enforcement agencies, which helps educate and empower youth in the the fight against widespread drug use." - Anika from Bookmarklet

The truth about drugs? That sounds more like the normal spiel that "drugs are bad, okay. Don't do drugs". When we will actually start telling the truth about drugs, especially the fact that the "war on drugs" is not working, and it never will. - Robert Felty