Miscellaneous

I’ll be traveling and taking time off running for awhile. Enjoy your weekend!

I bought this kick butt kayak today! I can’t wait to take it out on some lakes and rivers. It’s small enough to lug around and cheap enough to not break the bank while still being a good entry kayak.

If I run today it won’t be far. I plan on doing some canoeing complete with a cooler and snacks. It should be fun!

Is running the cheapest sport you can compete in? To run you really don’t need much more than a pair of running shoes, some gym shorts, and a shirt. That’s all you really need. Compare that to other sports:

Baseball: You’ve got to have a bat and glove, cleats, and a baseball jersey along with a place to play which should be cheap or free.

Football: This one is pretty cheap. You can buy a football and maybe some pads. If it’s full contact you need pads and a helmet.

Triatheletes: This is easily one of the most expensive sports to participate in. You need a bike (keep that in good condition with tubes, lube, new brakes, new chains, a pump, etc), you’ll need a helmet, you will need a wet suit, you will need running shoes, and you’ll need the biking/running clothes. Plus to train you have to have a pool. Add that to the massive amount of time to train for three sports! To compete, which is what it’s about, you generally have to pay a good deal to race and possibly travel.

Soccer: Most people join a league which will cost a little. Then you’ll need soccer clothes, a ball, a pump, cleats, and some travel to play maybe?

I’m leaving out plenty of other sports that people do. Biking and swimming can sort of be pulled out of the triathelete column. Of course, the difference is that you don’t have to compete to do it. Kayaking and watersports also require a huge investment.

There are certain conversations that I find aren’t worth debating in public or private with other runners. It either turns into a major argument resulting in an ugly bitter scene with both sides taking the conversation far more serious than the subject warrants or it’s a group of like minded confidants who pat each other on the back for seeing it the same way. Either way it isn’t worth the frustration of trying to argue the merits. Here are just a few:

25. If ultrarunners aren’t as athletic as marathon runners.
24. If marathon runners aren’t as athletic as short distance runners.
23. If short distance runners aren’t as athletic as sprinters.
22. If trail running or road running are superior to the other.
21. If a 50K is really an ultra.
20. If a 50 mile is really an ultra.
19. If running destroys joints.
18. If headphones should be banned from races.
17. If west coast endurance athletes are better than east coast.
16. If running a freezing temperature ultra in the mountains or running Badwater is more difficult.
15. If you didn’t get into the Western States.
14. If you did get into the Western States.
13. If the 2 no’s you go policy is fair concerning the Western States.
12. If the Barkley Marathon is where it’s actually at.
11. If ultras have become too mainstream.
10. If real endurance athletes have moved to adventure races.
9. If ultras are too mainstream because of Dean Karnazes.
8. If Dean Karnazes is overrated.
7. How many ultras Dean Karnazes has won.
6. If (fill in the blank) is better than Dean Karnazes.
5. If the next generation of endurance athletes are going to flip the endurance running world.
4. If Lance Armstrong only did better than you because he had Alberto Salazar, Hicham El Guerrouj and Joan Benoit Samuelson by his side.
3. Why so many celebs are running marathons.
2. How long it’ll be before celebs are trying an ultra.
1. Why so many people are running marathons.

I’m sure the list will grow in the future, but now you know a few topics to bring up if you want to get a group of runners irascible.

I think that some of what attracts me to distance running is the same things that I like about work. The coworkers that I respect the most realize how important it is to really care about what you are doing. You might not be the best at it (at least not today…) but you will do your best job because you love what you are doing, you see why it’s important, and you want to achieve your own goals.

That’s how I am at both work and in running. I know that I might not win the race, but I’m going to take it seriously. I approach every race with the proper amount of awe and respect. Just what is the proper amount? I think that depends on the race. There are certainly some races that are meant more as fun events while there are others that are very serious indeed. I try to know my race before I go and run it.

I also know that I’m not going to win the race. With that in mind, I know that I should finish the race feeling proud of what I have done. Maybe I didn’t win it but I did a good job.

There are a lot of similarities between my philosophy on running and my philosophy on work. I hope it’s that way for other runners too.

Should races and the USATF ban iPods? I don’t have much of a stake in the debate, because I rarely run USA Track & Field (USATF) certified courses, but I don’t think wearing an iPod — or other electronics device — in a race is that big of a deal.

1st the USATF has argued that it’s for safety and insurance reasons. This is a facially bogus claim. Insurance could be handled with a simple assumption of the risk clause or closing the course (like Portland Marathon has done) or both. With assumption of the risk it just has to be made clear that the decision of wearing an iPod lies with the runner and they accept the responsibility of any of the consequences (i.e. harm) that comes from it.

The other part of this that is bogus is that there are other devices that cause just as many safety issues. Perhaps we should ban people from carrying Gu and other energy aids? Many people focus their attention on those when they are simultaneously running and trying to open the gu.  Clearly, on an open course, that is a potentially dangerous thing.

Of course I’m not advocating to ban this. I think it’s up to a runner to decide and to change the safety of the course for themselves.

2nd. It has been argued that iPods give an unnatural advantage. This is also ludicrious. Until the USATF bans energy gels, pace setting watches, GPS watches, pacers, splits, and other devices that might not be available from the race to each racer — it’s just a red herring. Courses want to encourage people to run and will allow certain devices that do assist in getting a better time if you know how to use them.

So do I think iPods should be banned in USATF races? No. I think it’s a stupid decision from the USATF. It’s just one of many that make me not want to run races certified by it.

Not long after the Discovery team disbanded, T-Mobile has pulled it’s sponsorship of it’s team. Road cycling has taken quite a few hits both domestically and abroad. It’s a little sad but not entirely unexpected.

I had to take the day off running on Monday. I woke up Sunday night and had a bit of a bug upsetting my stomach. My hope is that this illness, which has passed, won’t affect my race this weekend. I’m running a 50K this weekend. It’s my next to last race in 07. My final one will be in the middle of November and it’s a 24 hour run.

Here’s for a healthy run to the finish.

It’s getting to be the time where people start coming down with a few more illnesses. I often wonder whether it’ll be best for me to relax or to exercise and burn off some bad calories. That’s Fit has a couple of good suggestions to help you make your personal decision:

If you feel sick above the neck then run as long as you can breath. On the other hand, if you feel the sickness below the neck or you have a fever or both then you should just relax.

That’s easy enough.

It’s weird that something that can at once be so beautiful can also be so terrifying. I think most humans love fire — assuming it’s controlled. When you see something like what’s happening in California, it’s quite chilling. I know there are plenty of fellow runners in that area — my thoughts are certainly with you.

Don’t worry about the shock headlines. The key to running is to always be smart. Is this advice that I always follow? No. But you shouldn’t be scared by events like what occurred at the Chicago Marathon.

Some days it might be too hot for you to run outside. If it is, don’t run outside. There isn’t any obligation to run. Your heart is impacted more with increased temperatures. Listen to what your body says and stop when you are over exerting yourself.

Most terrible injuries, or deaths, seem to occur when someone isn’t listening to what their body is telling them. If you aren’t a professional, you have no obligation to push yourself past your limit. Running is a fun, safe form of exercise if done properly.

Vacation is over and I’m back at home!

I’m about to change the theme of this blog — basically the layout. I like the present design but there are a few minor limitations. I am still contemplating it but don’t be surprised if it looks like it did way back when.

While it’s currently 92 degrees outside, the days have gotten a lot better for running here in Texas. I don’t like the heat but a lot of the humidity is gone. Also, we’re seeing some nice lows in the morning and later in the evening. Just look at how pretty our skies are.

When I’m not running you can find me being lazy in front of the tv. Maybe even more than watching shows, I like to read what people have to say about them in magazines, newspapers, or online. One place that I check out daily is TV Squad.

I’m really, really sad to see that one of their writers, Adam Finley, died at the young age of 30 this past week. Not only because he was young, but I hate seeing someone get killed while riding a bike. It’s a tragedy that could be avoided by having drivers who are a little more conscientious about sharing the road with two wheeled pedestrians.

I was trying to think of some of my favorite tv shows right now where there are runners. I know that in this past season of How I Met Your Mother they are going to run the NYC Marathon — it ended up being Barney who ran it without many complications until after the run when he couldn’t walk to get off the subway.

What are your favorites?

This weekend and next, I do believe, is when NBC is going to air some of the Osaka Track and Field World Championships. If you join me in watching you’ll get to see a couple fantastic distance runners — Bernard Lagat and Alan Webb. They are both fantastic runners in their distances and should be quite the force for the American team in China at the Olympics.

Why do running and beer go together in such a refreshing way? Most people have seen the Michelob Ultra ads where they drink a beer after the run. A lot of marathon runners know that at the end of a marathon there is typically plenty of beer to  be drunk. It does taste nice after a run. Why?

Active.com has an article about how pollution affects people who exercise outdoors and it’s not good. The positive is for mountain bikers and trail runners: “Still, virtually every expert interviewed said that people should not stop exercising outdoors. Rather, they suggested that exercisers should keep their distance from exhaust-spewing cars and check air- quality forecasts before venturing out.”

Last week I was in trial as co-counsel. This week I am handling a trial all on my own. There wasn’t even any time to really breath. I’ll try to update the site if I run but few guarantees until Wednesday or Thursday.

Aside from the typical rolled ankle, the only thing that regularly upsets me about trail running is all the cobwebs I have to break. I don’t like pulling sticky webs off my clothes, face, arms, legs, etc.

Every now and then I pull out my iPod to take with me on my run. I never enjoy it, yet I still get the urge to run with music. Why?

A year ago I was running roads most of the time. I really wasn’t able to run more than 2 or 3 miles in a shot. I forced myself to run miserable long runs in the range of 8 to 12 miles, but I never enjoyed it. The only thing that made these runs bearable was my music.

If I ran without music I had to endure the noise of the city. There were cars whizzing by with thumping bass, parents yelling out of their front door to their kids,  and the sound of my feet pounding pavement. Even though the running was peaceful, the benefits of that were outweighed by the external stresses surrounding me. Music helped to keep that incessant buzz away.

Now that I run out on trails I don’t need music. The noise around me helps to supplement the peace that running brings. I hear birds chirping; insects buzzing; deer bounding; rabbits and armadillos foraging; and the sound of leaves, pine needles, and occasional water below me.

Why ruin nature with noise that I can hear all day?

Today is a great day for a long run because it’s the longest day of the year. Go out there and catch the sun if you haven’t already.

I knew that it was bound to happen…

Welcome to my blog and the world of running. My name is Curtis and I’d consider myself a hobby runner who just enjoys the thrill of running. I am not a professional runner but I enjoy everything from road running to trail running. My preference is towards longer ultramarathon races but I enjoy everything from 5k’s to ultras. The information posted in this blog should provide a valuable resource to anyone from an avid runner to a newbie in the sport.