When you start running, they tell you that the road is free. Well, it is and it isn't. Then there's the stuff besides the road. The shoes, the compression capris, the sports bra which will run you a small fortune in my case. Then there's all the other stuff.
1. Body Glide
Okay, if you're like me, you look at girls in regular running shorts and wonder why they don't chafe. Some of them do use Vaseline, but doesn't Vaseline and sweat sound like a truly disgusting combination? Come on! I first had the need for Body Glide when I did the Wounded Warrior Project 8K in the pouring rain. There was some truly painful arm chafing afterwards.
2. Sweaty Bands
I'm Greek. I have Greek hair and Greek hair problems, like keeping it out of the way and trying to stay cute. Sweaty Bands actually doesn't slip. Is it the velvet? Is it the elastic? Probably. The point is they are awesome.
Lately, I've been rocking this Run San Antonio Sweaty Band. 210 represent! (You would get that if you were from here.) They are also selling some awesome Boston Sweaty Bands. The money goes to support the victims of the marathon bombings. You can also have them make a custom sweaty band. Also, if you were looking to get a Sweaty Band and some race bling, you might try entering my Virtual Run. There are lots of great prizes including Sweaty Bands and it's only $10.
3. Socks
This all depends on your shoes and I'm not going to pretend I have the knowledge to advise you on your shoes. My Brooks Pure Cadence fit tight so I used thin SofSoles. My new Asics GT-2000s are looser so I use Thorlos. They have some nice padding and compression. The point is get real socks.
I'm going to add to this list later. Comment with anything you think must be on it!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Why, Run Disney, why?
Run Disney, why do you do this to me?
In January, they told me about Dumbo. Then Dumbo sold out in like an hour and the half in a day and I had to get a charity spot for the half to get my Coast to Coast. Don't get me wrong, it's a great charity and all, but it was a situation I didn't expect to find myself in. If you want to donate to said wonderful charity you can go here or maybe check out the Virtual Run I'm hosting at the top of this page???
Then Minnie. I love Minnie and would love to have a Minnie 10K medal. Then it had to go and sell out before I got money for it and I decided I would go to Princess and get my revenge on the course.
THEN YOU GO AND ADD A 10K?!?!?!
Now I have to decide whether or not to do the 10K. Do I want a Glass Slipper medal? What does the 10K medal look like? Who will be on it? Would I get to dress as two different Princesses? Is the 5K on Friday? That would be four medals. Three outfits.
I have to say my intense dislike for Tinkerbell is the only think keeping me from the pink Coast to Coast Medal. The character not the race, but you get a medal of the character so... The only reason I can think of for it is that Julia Roberts played her in Hook and she gets on my nerves. Like that movie she did with Clive Owen, what was that?
So many decisions!!!
In January, they told me about Dumbo. Then Dumbo sold out in like an hour and the half in a day and I had to get a charity spot for the half to get my Coast to Coast. Don't get me wrong, it's a great charity and all, but it was a situation I didn't expect to find myself in. If you want to donate to said wonderful charity you can go here or maybe check out the Virtual Run I'm hosting at the top of this page???
Then Minnie. I love Minnie and would love to have a Minnie 10K medal. Then it had to go and sell out before I got money for it and I decided I would go to Princess and get my revenge on the course.
THEN YOU GO AND ADD A 10K?!?!?!
Now I have to decide whether or not to do the 10K. Do I want a Glass Slipper medal? What does the 10K medal look like? Who will be on it? Would I get to dress as two different Princesses? Is the 5K on Friday? That would be four medals. Three outfits.
I have to say my intense dislike for Tinkerbell is the only think keeping me from the pink Coast to Coast Medal. The character not the race, but you get a medal of the character so... The only reason I can think of for it is that Julia Roberts played her in Hook and she gets on my nerves. Like that movie she did with Clive Owen, what was that?
So many decisions!!!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Runners Run: Frank Shorter
I'm starting a new series on the blog called "Runners Run." I intend for it to talk about all levels of runners, as the Doctor says, there's only one requirement, they have to be "amazing." Picture Matt Smith saying that last part, it works better.
Anyway, today, I am going to talk about Frank Shorter and in light of Boston, I think it's a good idea. I read about Frank last summer in Runner's World in anticipation of the Olympics. He is generally credited with starting the distance running boom and won a gold medal in the Marathon in Munich. If you don't know, Munich was marred by a terrorist attack. A group called Black September took nine members of the Israeli Olympic Team hostage. Two of them were killed immediately, the rest died during a botched rescue attempt. It was a black mark for the Olympics, the nation of Germany and the city of Munich, the latter two who were desperate to shake off the specter of the Second World War. Then terrorists came.
One of the consequences of this was that the Olympic Marathon was delayed by a day. The athletes had to wonder if they should race, if they could race, what was the point? I even read that one athlete had worked out his fueling strategy so scientifically that the delay was a disaster for him. This shook the athletes understandably, but Frank Shorter won the gold. What nobody knew for years was that Frank Shorter had grown up with an abusive father. Running had been his solace. Those terrorists couldn't shake him, he had lived in terror his whole life. To endure, to succeed after such abuse, that's pretty amazing to me.
Anyway, today, I am going to talk about Frank Shorter and in light of Boston, I think it's a good idea. I read about Frank last summer in Runner's World in anticipation of the Olympics. He is generally credited with starting the distance running boom and won a gold medal in the Marathon in Munich. If you don't know, Munich was marred by a terrorist attack. A group called Black September took nine members of the Israeli Olympic Team hostage. Two of them were killed immediately, the rest died during a botched rescue attempt. It was a black mark for the Olympics, the nation of Germany and the city of Munich, the latter two who were desperate to shake off the specter of the Second World War. Then terrorists came.
One of the consequences of this was that the Olympic Marathon was delayed by a day. The athletes had to wonder if they should race, if they could race, what was the point? I even read that one athlete had worked out his fueling strategy so scientifically that the delay was a disaster for him. This shook the athletes understandably, but Frank Shorter won the gold. What nobody knew for years was that Frank Shorter had grown up with an abusive father. Running had been his solace. Those terrorists couldn't shake him, he had lived in terror his whole life. To endure, to succeed after such abuse, that's pretty amazing to me.
Monday, April 22, 2013
My First Virtual Run!
As you may know, I am fundraising for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation as part of Team For Life at the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. Lazarex helps cancer patients get to FDA clinical trials and get the treatment that may save their life when they don't have insurance or even transportation to get to the trial. Needless to say, I think this is a great organization and am thrilled to be a part of it.
Now, here comes the fundraising part. I will be hosting a virtual run this Flag Day. I've been participating in virtual races for a while and if you don't know, a virtual race is a fun way to get some bling. You pay and I send you a medal. On the day of the race which might vary according to your schedule, you do your mileage and hang up your race medal! The whole thing is on the honor system, the generally accepted rule is no hanging until you've done your miles. You can do the race anywhere, your neighborhood, your favorite trail, even the treadmill. There is no packet pickup, no course time limit, no waking up at 3 AM and of course, no balloon ladies. Unless of course you want a balloon lady. I don't know why you would, but you should totally get a medal for her. You can do it any time from June 7-17th. If that seems like a long time, remember, it's virtual so it's meant to fit into your schedule! I put two weekends in there, one of them is the same weekend as Father's Day just in case you need some flexibility. Better yet, do the race with Dad!
The best part of this run is that it's designed to be for the whole family to do together. What do I mean by that? You still get a cute Flag Day medal with faux gem border and stars and stripes ribbon, but the more entries you get, the cheaper it is.
Registration Price Breakdown
1 Entry - $10
2 Entries - $19
3 Entries - $27
4 Entries - $34
5 Entries - $40
6 Entries - $45
After 6, additional entries are going to be $5 each. I just can't keep going down to nothing, just in case the Duggars sign up or something, then I would owe them money. If you need more than the seven entries I've set on the payment button, please email me and I'll use Paypal to send you an invoice! In case you're wondering, I would like to go through Paypal because on a fee this small I don't want to have to add $3 in fees and I want to be able to have my employer match the proceeds from the race.
Also, if you would like me to ship internationally, I would prefer that you email me to send you an invoice with an added fee for shipping. Please give me time to check on costs.
What You Get:
Super Cute Flag Medal
Race Bib
Entry into a Random Drawing for FABULOUS PRIZES!!! (Fabulous Prizes TBD & TBA)
Referrals
I want this race to be successful and that depends on getting as many people involved as I can. Tell your friends about this race, if they sign up and email me or tell me on the event Facebook page that you referred them, both of you get an extra entry into the random drawing.
Just so you know that I'm legitimate, you can visit My Lazarex Fundraising Page. If you are not interested in running, but would still like to help, you can donate there!
Now, here comes the fundraising part. I will be hosting a virtual run this Flag Day. I've been participating in virtual races for a while and if you don't know, a virtual race is a fun way to get some bling. You pay and I send you a medal. On the day of the race which might vary according to your schedule, you do your mileage and hang up your race medal! The whole thing is on the honor system, the generally accepted rule is no hanging until you've done your miles. You can do the race anywhere, your neighborhood, your favorite trail, even the treadmill. There is no packet pickup, no course time limit, no waking up at 3 AM and of course, no balloon ladies. Unless of course you want a balloon lady. I don't know why you would, but you should totally get a medal for her. You can do it any time from June 7-17th. If that seems like a long time, remember, it's virtual so it's meant to fit into your schedule! I put two weekends in there, one of them is the same weekend as Father's Day just in case you need some flexibility. Better yet, do the race with Dad!
The best part of this run is that it's designed to be for the whole family to do together. What do I mean by that? You still get a cute Flag Day medal with faux gem border and stars and stripes ribbon, but the more entries you get, the cheaper it is.
Registration Price Breakdown
1 Entry - $10
2 Entries - $19
3 Entries - $27
4 Entries - $34
5 Entries - $40
6 Entries - $45
After 6, additional entries are going to be $5 each. I just can't keep going down to nothing, just in case the Duggars sign up or something, then I would owe them money. If you need more than the seven entries I've set on the payment button, please email me and I'll use Paypal to send you an invoice! In case you're wondering, I would like to go through Paypal because on a fee this small I don't want to have to add $3 in fees and I want to be able to have my employer match the proceeds from the race.
Also, if you would like me to ship internationally, I would prefer that you email me to send you an invoice with an added fee for shipping. Please give me time to check on costs.
What You Get:
Super Cute Flag Medal
Race Bib
Entry into a Random Drawing for FABULOUS PRIZES!!! (Fabulous Prizes TBD & TBA)
Referrals
I want this race to be successful and that depends on getting as many people involved as I can. Tell your friends about this race, if they sign up and email me or tell me on the event Facebook page that you referred them, both of you get an extra entry into the random drawing.
Just so you know that I'm legitimate, you can visit My Lazarex Fundraising Page. If you are not interested in running, but would still like to help, you can donate there!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Boston 4.15.2013
I've tried to let this week sink in so I could say something poignant, but I haven't come up with anything poignant. As I write, suspect number two is hiding in a boat. Well, not really hiding. I don't know where the guy thinks he's going.
Let me start on Monday. Since I've taken up running I have also developed an interest in the sport of running and watching marathons. This is to my brother's dismay as he cannot stand a sport where people just run for two hours. I like it. There's something very tactical about it that I like. It's not enough to be fast because you see a lot of people jump to the lead of a marathon, then they drop off. You need cunning to win a marathon. I've been watching all the marathons offered by DirecTV and even woke up before I had to be at work to watch the London Olympic marathons. Keep in mind I usually have to be at work at 6 or 7. I had Monday off, though, so I could watch Boston in my pajamas while I ate Chick Fil A (That's how you know I'm a real athlete. I'm sure had Kara Goucher not been in the race, it's what she would have done.). So, I watched the elites, the tactics and then I went on with my day: writing, grocery store, catching up on TV. I had just finished watching Call the Midwife when I heard the news about Boston.
What is the Boston Marathon to me? I'll be honest: when I see the Boston qualifying times for my age group, I usually burst out laughing. It works out to about an 8:03 mile. I'm sorry, I would be happy to be as fast as Jerry in Spirit of the Marathon. Ten minute miles you're talking crazy! EIGHT?! EIGHT FREAKING MINUTES?! It's just not happening. My mom has a friend that is a repeat Boston runner, I've tried suggesting that she run Princess with me. My basic plan is that she would run ahead and save my spot in line for pictures until I caught up, then she could go to the next photo op. She's done the JFK 50 Miler, it wouldn't even be hard. I personally think this could work and my contribution to the team could be finding the most interesting cupcakes in Disney World and selecting our costumes. As you can see my prioritization of running related tasks is just one of the reasons I have not yet qualified for Boston.
So, suppose in some reality I did qualify for Boston and run it and finish and then two bombs went off. Or suppose I got stopped five miles from the finish as some people did. Suppose you just ran Boston and lost a limb. It's unimaginable and those guys would have to hope that they got caught by the police and not me. Seriously, you want to deter this, leave this guy alone with the marathoners. Something about what these guys did offends me, really offends me in the most visceral way because they changed the meaning of this race, perhaps all races and I don't even think they had a reason. Jihad isn't a reason. There are no reasons. There are some lame excuses that correspond directly to you being a jackass who blew up an eight year old. I'm convinced there's a special place in Hell for these guys and people like them. I'm not being poignant, but those guys aren't serving a case, either.
Let's have Stephen Colbert do the talking.
Let me start on Monday. Since I've taken up running I have also developed an interest in the sport of running and watching marathons. This is to my brother's dismay as he cannot stand a sport where people just run for two hours. I like it. There's something very tactical about it that I like. It's not enough to be fast because you see a lot of people jump to the lead of a marathon, then they drop off. You need cunning to win a marathon. I've been watching all the marathons offered by DirecTV and even woke up before I had to be at work to watch the London Olympic marathons. Keep in mind I usually have to be at work at 6 or 7. I had Monday off, though, so I could watch Boston in my pajamas while I ate Chick Fil A (That's how you know I'm a real athlete. I'm sure had Kara Goucher not been in the race, it's what she would have done.). So, I watched the elites, the tactics and then I went on with my day: writing, grocery store, catching up on TV. I had just finished watching Call the Midwife when I heard the news about Boston.
What is the Boston Marathon to me? I'll be honest: when I see the Boston qualifying times for my age group, I usually burst out laughing. It works out to about an 8:03 mile. I'm sorry, I would be happy to be as fast as Jerry in Spirit of the Marathon. Ten minute miles you're talking crazy! EIGHT?! EIGHT FREAKING MINUTES?! It's just not happening. My mom has a friend that is a repeat Boston runner, I've tried suggesting that she run Princess with me. My basic plan is that she would run ahead and save my spot in line for pictures until I caught up, then she could go to the next photo op. She's done the JFK 50 Miler, it wouldn't even be hard. I personally think this could work and my contribution to the team could be finding the most interesting cupcakes in Disney World and selecting our costumes. As you can see my prioritization of running related tasks is just one of the reasons I have not yet qualified for Boston.
So, suppose in some reality I did qualify for Boston and run it and finish and then two bombs went off. Or suppose I got stopped five miles from the finish as some people did. Suppose you just ran Boston and lost a limb. It's unimaginable and those guys would have to hope that they got caught by the police and not me. Seriously, you want to deter this, leave this guy alone with the marathoners. Something about what these guys did offends me, really offends me in the most visceral way because they changed the meaning of this race, perhaps all races and I don't even think they had a reason. Jihad isn't a reason. There are no reasons. There are some lame excuses that correspond directly to you being a jackass who blew up an eight year old. I'm convinced there's a special place in Hell for these guys and people like them. I'm not being poignant, but those guys aren't serving a case, either.
Let's have Stephen Colbert do the talking.
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