Category Archives: Sports

Shirts so good

Posted on March 11, 2012 | 29 comments

When I started running, the shirts were great motivators. Never having participated in a sport of any kind, I was thrilled at every race to get a new tee proclaiming my new-found athleticism (or at least proclaiming that I pre-registered and made it to the pick-up point without getting lost).

More than 20 runs later, the shirts still give me joy, although they may have been replaced by beer as my primary motivating factor. Many of them are too big on me, and the majority will never see the outdoors again, but each symbolizes a run conquered and a challenge met. I’ll eventually donate them, but for now, they take pride of place on my shelf, and here …

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Posted in Fitness, Running, Sports, The shirt collection

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The vicious circle: Smuttynose Palooza Indoor Half-Marathon

Posted on January 17, 2012 | 8 comments

First, a disclaimer. I did not run the Smuttynose Palooza Indoor Half-Marathon. I would like to say it’s because I had the lurgy and was feeling … as though I had just run the Smuttynose Palooza Indoor Half-Marathon. But really it was because there is absolutely no way I could possibly manage that distance this early in my running career. (For now, it’s 5K all the way.)

Attentive readers will note that I had originally planned to do the outdoor Cabin Fever 5K, which was part of the aforementioned Palooza, but illness coupled with the early-morning insanity of that locationally challenged prospect – it was in Middle of Nowhere, N.H., otherwise known as Milford – kept me under the covers. Did I mention this past weekend was appropriate only for polar bears and snowbunnies?

The Milford Dome in New Hampshire

The capacious Hampshire Dome in Milford, N.H.

Hubby, however, did run the 13.1. And it was such a cool event that I couldn’t resist giving it a mention. Anything that’s called a Palooza and is sponsored by a beer company deserves at least that. (It was part of the fabulous Will Run for Beer series. And yes, while Hubby ran, I sampled. Order was restored.)

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Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running, Sports

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The playlist’s the thing: My running musical experiment

Posted on January 13, 2012 | 22 comments

Last weekend’s run contained a downhill stretch of happiness that propelled me to a record time. But after the race, I wondered if my music didn’t also have something to do with it. I had tossed aside my faithful playlist (unchanged since July) and instead listened to one of those hits compilations that I am publicly ashamed to own but secretly love. (Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.)

Finish line

The finish line on Boston Common from December's Jolly Jaunt 5K. Just coz.

I hadn’t played this Record of Shame before, so each track was a fun surprise, which I am sure inspired me to keep going, and go faster. It made me think about music and its relationship to running.

Expert types say the best tunes to play on the run are those whose beats per minute (BPM) match your mile pace. To test the theory in my world, I decided to put together a quick BPM-savvy list based on a small portion of my iTunes library.

According to jogfm.com, my ideal BPM is 135-150 (based on a 10-11ish pace). Using that website, plus a combination of the free BPM analyzer from MixMeister (crashes a lot and can’t handle large volumes, but hey, it’s free) and an app called Easy 5K With Jeff Galloway, which has a function that analyzes songs (more on the app in another post), I came up with a bunch of tracks that are allegedly the ideal tempo for my pace but for the most part are not songs I would have necessarily chosen to run to.

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Posted in Fitness, Running, Sports

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My 2012 challenge: 52 Weeks, 52 Runs

Posted on December 28, 2011 | 41 comments

I didn’t have a goal in mind when I started running. I didn’t even have running in mind when I started running. My first 5K was undertaken less out of a noble urge to test my physical limits and get fit than a desire to not be stuck in a Virginia hotel room while Hubby ran with cows.

But six months later and I am hooked. It still has less to do with getting fit than it probably should (my gym visitation of late is testament to that), and my motivation can often be summed up in two words: T-shirts and beer. But over the past few months, Hubby and I have pounded the pavement more weekends than not, which has made me happy. And sweaty. And sometimes grouchy. But mostly happy.

Brooks Spring Into Shape Series Parramatta Park

What my weekends will look like from now on (minus the eucalyptus trees). This is from the Spring Into Shape series in Australia in November.

Which brings us to 2012 …

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Posted in 52 Weeks, 52 Runs, Fitness, Running, Sports

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Mamma Chia: Can I resist ya?

Posted on November 17, 2011 | 5 comments

Mamma Chia Rasperry PassionUntil recently, my only exposure to chia was in the form of those hairy Pets that were big in the ’90s (they also now come in the form of a chia George Washington and a chia Abraham Lincoln, which is just wrong).

But I learned via Hubby, who brought home a packet of chia seeds and implored me to make a pudding out of them (I haven’t yet), that chia is known as “the running food.” As lore has it, the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas could run all day  powered by these tiny seeds.

To test the theory, I warily consented to try Mamma Chia (also procured by Hubby, who seems to be on the payroll of Big Chia). This “vitality beverage” – which is apparently loaded with omega-3, antioxidants and other healthful ingredients du jour – claims to be “fun for your mouth – great for your body.” I was dubious.

However, as Australia is the world’s biggest producer of chia, I decided to give Mamma Chia a go – in the interests of national pride, of course.

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Posted in Fitness, Reviews, Running, Sports

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