More Than Miles

Where the pigeons and seagulls meet

2005-05-01T20:59:00.000-04:00

I was in Santa Monica, California this week on conference and stayed at a hotel right near the Santa Monica Pier. I had a beautiful view of the beach and the pier.

The conference organizers put together a party the night before the event and a run/walk at 6:15 the first morning of the conference. The high attendance for the party led to low turnout for the run the next morning. There were between ten to fifteen folks who showed up.

I ended up running with a couple of other guys, one from Adobe Systems and the other from Northwestern Mutual. We were the lead group. I think we were each setting a pace faster than the three of us were used to. We ran out to the Venice Pier and back. It was a fun run that went for about 5.5 miles and lasted about 45 minutes.

That was Thursday. On Saturday, before I flew home, I ran the same route again. I think there were more people out this time because it was a little later in the morning, and Saturday is probably a little busier.

I went by Muscle Beach. A bunch of movies have been filmed there, including, "White Men Can't Jump".

I saw surfers, but not that much surf. There were lots of runners, walkers, cyclists, roller bladers, and people with dogs. The city runs right up against the beach, so it has a flavor of both; very good people watching.

BTW, if you check out the Santa Monica Pier and Muscle Beach links, they're to a site called the California Coastal Records Project, which consists of over 12,000 photos from the Oregon to Mexico borders. Ken Adelman, who put the site together was sued by Barbra Streisand for the photograph of her home. Adelman not only won, but received over $150,000 in legal fees. You can read about it here: http://www.californiacoastline.org/streisand/lawsuit.html

Uh oh...New Food Pyramid May Be Difficult to Scale

2005-04-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

You may have heard the recent announcement on the revision of the food pyramid. For those of you who follow the government pronouncements on healthy eating, you will probably remember that the last time it was revised the government took a lot of flak for bending to the food lobby.

This time it's different. Now the pyramid is tailored to your age, gender and activity level, and...they put it online! That's good, right? The feds are keeping up with the times and meeting the public on their own turf. Maybe.

It would be easy to be hypercritical and point out that even if everyone had access to the internet, it's just not convenient for people to figure out what it all means. While there's certainly some truth to it, the fact is that we don't know how it will be communicated to the public. It's not really a pyramid either, though they're still calling it that, so that doesn't make it any easier.

The new food pyramid isn't going to directly help those who need it. If you're reading this, it's likely that you've been thinking about what you eat for awhile too, and thus it won't significantly change the way you eat.

If you really need help with your diet, this may not be the place to start. Seems like the only way this is going get legs is if agribusiness and the food industry get behind it and support it. They have to make it part of the vernacular. Don't laugh. I wouldn't bet on it either, but it could happen. It wasn't uncommon to see the pyramid on the side of some food boxes.

Come on KGF, Kellogg's and ADM fire up the PR departments!

For what it's worth: www.foodpyramid.gov

Fox 2 News Detroit on Pope Watch

2005-04-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

I was out running this morning and as with many of my routes, this one took me by the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church--Shrine for short.

This morning, the Fox 2 News was camped out in front of the entrance asking the parishioners as they went in about their feelings about the Pope John Paul II's condition.

I wish the Holy Father well and peace from the press. I know they're camped out around the Vatican City too.

In case you weren't familiar with it, this is the Shrine.

Follow Up to Dean Karnazes' 300 Mile Attempt

2005-03-30T18:15:00.000-05:00

You can read an excerpt from Dean Karnazes' book and hear the interview here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4566124

Jon, of the Chocolate Running fame, pointed out that Karnazes said, "he would have finished if his race was flat like Reed's." I think that no matter how you look at it, that was a unsportsmanlike comment.

I respect Reed for running 300 miles without sleep. I admire her for owning the world record, female division, at the midsummer 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, a 30-hour run through Death Valley. Karnazes is great in his own way, but Reed is on top in my book.

So, on a slightly different topic, here is a story that Kevin Kling did on running in Grandma's Marathon in Minnesota. The story was broadcast nearly ten years ago, but still every bit as funny: http://www.npr.org/ramarchives/nc6J1101-7.ram

Ultra Marathons on NPR - Wednesday Morning, March 30

2005-03-29T18:02:00.000-05:00

I just heard a promo for a story on NPR's Morning Edition about ultramarathoners. It sounded like they interviewed Dean Karnazes, the ultramarathoner that ran 262 without stopping. Karnazes was featured in a recent Runner's World magazine. His plan is to run 300 miles without stopping.

Don't ask me what, "without stopping", means.

Looks like Pam Reed beat him to it. Yesterday, Reed ran the 300 miles without sleep. I know what without sleep is.

Check out Morning Edition tomorrow morning (3/30/05).
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3
If you click on this before, or after, tomorrow you won't see the right show.

Learning About MS In My Sleep

2005-03-22T08:10:00.000-05:00

I woke up Sunday morning at 4:45 and thought about going running. I thought better and turned on the radio to the local NPR station. While drifting in and out of sleep, catching bits and pieces of Terry Gross, Elvis Mitchell (former Detroit boy) and the Motley Fools, I seem to remember something about Multiple Sclerosis.

After going back to the program grid online, I discovered that a program called, The Infinite Mind had covered an hour’s worth of the topic of MS.

As the fog of sleep may keep me from remembering the details of the program, the miracle of the Internet couldn’t hold back my education. I’ll be first to admit, I didn’t know much about the subject.

The show was great for giving a good overview of the MS, what is known, and what isn’t. There were a variety of guest experts and people with MS.

The host of The Infinite Mind, Dr. Peter Kramer, asked many of the people on the show how they felt when they learned that they had MS. I wasn’t prepared for the range of responses; in many cases, it was relief. It turns out that not knowing what’s wrong, having people think you’re crazy, and not having it be a worse prognosis were the alternatives.

The show ended with a commentary by Zoe Koplowitz, author of Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place. Zoe was diagnosed with MS in 1973 and basically did her best to live with it for the next fifteen years.

It wasn’t until the late 1980’s, when she had a near-death experience that caused her to change the way she was living her life. Between 1988 and 2002 she’s completed 16 marathons, all in last place, and averaging 28 hours each. I won’t belabor the details. Needless to say, for those of us whose only issue is the magnetic attraction with the couch, Zoe’s is a very humbling story.

So, I did go running in the afternoon.

You can read more about MS, and listen to the show here: http://www.lcmedia.com/mind366.htm

Streets Trips Software from Microsoft

2005-03-20T18:45:00.000-05:00

Streets Trips Software from Microsoft

I use Microsoft MapPoint to calculate the distance for my runs. It works really well most of the time. It's especially helpful when I'm out of town. I've been using it for about four years.

MapPoint is a little on the expensive side. I think it's a little over $200. I didn't have to pay for it as my brother gave me a copy of it.

You can do the same thing with another Microsoft product called Streets & Trips. It's much less expensive and does all the same things as MapPoint, except for map your own data (e.g., sales by zip code).

Still Running - Some New Scenery

2005-03-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping to my basic running schedule, which is to run every other morning, the same route and adding about 10% per week. I came home late from work on Wednesday night knowing full well that I'd have trouble getting up the next morning to run, so I suited up and started running at 10:55pm.

The police made a stop at a residence as I was running by. I'm just glad they weren't interested in me. I can't afford any more tickets.

Every time I run by this box, I try to figure out why they'd put it next to a public sidewalk. It doesn't seem to be connected to anything.

The Run
Same as before, cold and slippery.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	3.2		28	30	08:54

That got me through to Saturday morning. I help out with a Boy Scout troop that was camping at D-A Boy Scout Camp, about an hour drive north of Detroit. Saturday morning I got up before most of the rest of the campers and ran to Wilder Road which runs north and south along the east side of the camp.

I was reminded that Royal Oak is too flat, and that hills can be work if you're not used to them. Between the snow, hills and extra miles, I got a good workout.

I was hoping to see some wildlife, but the only evidence of wildlife that I encountered was the sound of a woodpecker.

Coming back into camp.

The Run
We had about four inches of fresh snow, but it wasn't slippery at all. I think it was in the high teens, but I don't know for sure.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	3.7		33	55	09:10

Got Up Later, Still Ran

2005-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Geeze, I was thinking it was supposed to get warmer!

As I was running, I was thinking that if there was some way to record the feeling that you get part of the way through the run, when you're happy that you went out and were wondering why it was such a struggle to get out of bed, and then plug it into the alarm clock for the next morning. Yeah, well.

The Run

Does it look cold? It was about 15°. All the melted snow turned into Zamboni’s finest. I ran a lot in the road this morning.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	3.2		27	57	08:44

Time For A Plan

2005-03-06T15:24:00.000-05:00

I've been running consistently for a little more than a week and the motivation to keep going seems to be there. Now I need to put together a plan. My first stop is to David Hays' site for the Running Log spreadsheet. It was originally developed by Dead Runner Alan Rube and modified by David. It requires very little Excel skills.

From there, I'll check the running programs on Jeff Galloway, Hal Higdon, and Runner's World.

I've also got a bunch of books, including: Better Runs, Marathon The Ultimate Training Guide, Run Fast, Galloway's Book On Running, and Marathon: You Can Do It. If it doesn't say marathon, then it's more applicable to all running.

If you're looking for a fun read about running, check out, Why We Run: A Natural History by Bernd Heinrich. Heinrich is a biologist, world-record ultra marathoner, who tells a story that is part autobiography and part study of nature's runners. Some of the science in the middle is a little dry, but skimmable. The parts about Heinrich are very entertaining. And if you're not careful, you may learn something.
The Run
I got out this morning somewhere around 7:00. It was a beautiful morning and nice to not be running in the dark. There was more treacherous ice due to the melt yesterday. Happily it was warmer--28°. I added some distance and it felt good!

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	3.2		27	39	08:38

Runner's World Rave Runs

2005-03-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

Did you see the Rave Run photo in the April issue of Runner's World? As soon as I saw it, I knew where it was. It's a beautiful stretch of beach along the Torrey Pines State Reserve, near San Diego. A running friend and I were there several years ago for work. We got up and ran down that beach. I think in all, there were three of us on the beach that morning. Very memorable.

That's why I like the Rave Run photo every month. It reminds me of some cool places I've had a chance to run, like Rome, San Francisco and Vancouver to name a few.

I was running by the CN Tower in Toronto when a bunch of people, including police, were looking up toward the top of the tower. When I asked a bystander what was going on, he said it was those crazy Greenpeace people. Sure enough, if you squinted enough, you could see them unfurling a banner protesting George W. Bush's environmental policies.

While on a business trip to New York (September 10, 2000) I stayed in the financial district and ran from the World Trade Center up through Rockefeller park north to 13th Street. I turned around somewhere near there and ran all the way back down past the WTC, down to Battery Park and back up. It turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime run.

Running along the Charles in Boston, by the monuments in Washington D.C. and running after Rocky up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is what keeps running exciting for me.

So, what are your most memorable runs?

More Reasons To Get Out The Door

2005-03-04T07:05:00.000-05:00

In of itself, running is an egocentric activity. Blogging about running is, well…

But, we runners know that outward appearances are not what they seem. Most of us enjoy the camaraderie of both a casual neighborhood run and an organized event. The runners that I know not only like to run together, they discuss it regularly and trade tips, they celebrate together, they invite their friends and families to the runs.

Beyond the social aspect of running, there is a high degree of altruism amongst runners. Most runs that I’ve been in raise money for good causes. This year’s big run is no different.

The Detroit Free Press / Flagstar Bank Marathon is aligned many worthy groups:

Think Detroit
St. Jude Heroes
Marathon Mission of Michigan
The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis
Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Michigan
Girls on the Run for Southeast Michigan
Team In Training (TNT) - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Run for the Children - National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter

So, a few days after I signed up for the marathon, I find out that people at work are forming team for National Multiple Sclerosis Society. A lot of my coworkers are going to run on a relay team, a half marathon, or even the full marathon. MB, you’d better get going.

There are many benefits of being involved in a program like this. Sure it’s fun and it’s another motivator to get you out the door. Beyond that, it’s a great way of feeling good about what you’re doing, while you’re feeling good about what you’re doing.

It’s a good time to start a team. Check out their site: www.nmssmi.org

The Run
It was clear and colder today (19°). I carried my camera today. I should have turned off the flash. The first two tries I got nice shots of street lights. The third shot needed something to hold me still.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	2.8		25	39	09:09

Art this time. Less jiggly next time.

Solitary Runner

2005-03-02T06:57:00.000-05:00

So, I run because I like to run.

With that said, I have to work a lot on the motivation to get myself out in front of the house. The motivation comes in many ways. Some times it’s as simple as saying to myself, “Get your running clothes on and get outside. If you don’t run after that, it wasn’t meant to be.”

That works a lot of the time.

For the longer-term motivation, I sign up for runs and let the possibility of an officially-sanction, bought-and-paid-for, miserable experience deter me from just sitting on the couch. Runs are so much better when you train for them.

I got out this morning. I’m not varying my route yet, so it’s the same 2.8 miles right now. The surprise of the morning is that when I rounded the corner onto a long stretch, there was a fellow runner rounding the just ahead of me. He was coming from the north, and I from the south.

I thought, great, someone to talk to for a few minutes. First, I had to catch up with him. That took a little doing. We are still on ice and snow after all, and I’m still trying to get into shape. I lengthened my stride and slowly closed the gap. About halfway up the road, I was close enough for him to hear my footsteps. He looked back.

Now, I know that it can be a little unsettling to be running by yourself, in the dark, at 5:45 in the morning and figure out that there’s someone behind you. I’m already into runner’s high by now, and I always try to be friendly to people when I’m out running, so I shouted out my normal, “Good morning!” to him.

That’s when he did something I wasn’t prepared for—he kicked it into gear and pulled away.

I was prepared to make the best of it. I figured with the extra effort that I had put in, I would improve my time again.

Nope. But I’m not going to waste this runner’s high—I was running a fartlek!

The run
Colder today (20°), but clear and no wind. Still a little rough going where people have walked in the snow and it's refrozen. Sometimes I run in the street to avoid it.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	2.8		26	8	09:20

2005-03-01T20:04:00.000-05:00

Beautiful morning. Too bad I let the weather reports keep me from running.

2005-02-28T07:11:00.000-05:00

This is the first time that I’ve gotten up to run before work since before the marathon in October. That’s progress. I’m looking forward to spring so that I don’t have to wear so much. It pays to get ready the night before.

The extra time it takes to get dressed is amazing. I wore two synthetic tops, tights, pants and a warm-up top. In addition to that, I had a hat, headband, facemask, socks, shoes, heart-rate monitor, belt with phone, reflector vest and reflector bands for my ankles. I made it out!

I ran the same route as I did Saturday. Same ice, though less traffic, so I could run on the road a little more. It was dark, but we have a lot of street lights.

And I shaved about 20 seconds off of the run. I wasn’t going for speed, but it’s nice to see improvement, even if I wasn’t asking for it.

The Run

It was 25° and very dark! Still slippery.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	2.8		25	34	09:07

Day One, Run One

2005-02-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

Not actually my first run of the year. Probably my fourth or fifth, but my first since signing up for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon. I'm most committed to running when I have a run looming on the horizon. My hope is that keeping track of it here will help motivate me too.

Last year (2004), I trained and ran in the Marine Corps Marathon. That was my first marathon and I can say that I'm glad I did it. Washington DC is a great place to run. There's so much to see. Plus, it was on Halloween, warm (possibly a little too warm) and many of the 16,000+ runners were in costume. It made the Kermit-the-Frog guy look kinda normal.

My regrets with the MCM is that I didn't start training earlier and that I wasn't more consistent earlier.

My concerns are always with injury and a flare up of iliotibial band syndrome. Last year to combat it, I tried a yoga DVD called, Yoga for Athletes. I really found it helpful because I'm pretty bad about stretching. Normally I used to stretch for about two minutes before I left for the run. The yoga DVD helped a lot because it stretched me for 20 minutes to an hour every couple of days. At minimum, I was injury free.

I was able to run longer and longer without any IT-band problems. The place where I ran into problems was surfaces that sloped to the right. It's only my right knee that causes problems.

The Run
It was 27° and very sunny. There were some slippery spots, but I stayed off my ass. It wasn't a fast run, but it's a start.

Location	Miles	Hours	Minutes	Seconds	Pace
Royal Oak, MI	2.8		25	57	09:16