Run Lazy

When Separation Is a Good Thing

I'm on vacation in the Pacific Northwest (specifically Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver), and I have much to blog about, but I'll start with this. In Vancouver, which is beautiful and one of my new favorite places, they have a system for many of the trails where they keep bikers and walkers/runners on separate paths, to the delight of everyone. No life-threatening close calls! Thank you, Canada. I

Take Care of the Girls, Please

As I drive around my neighborhood, I often see people running on the sidewalks and trails. I can’t help doing a bit of inexpert gait analysis—“he’d run easier if he didn’t swing his arms across his body,” or “she’s working against herself by leaning back when she runs instead of slightly forward”—as well as some silent rooting for the slow runners I see, my tribe!

But the one thing that makes me want to actually stop and advise people for their own good is women running with insufficiently supportive sports bras. As an overly blessed woman myself, I wince when I see them pass by, knowing the damage they’re doing to connective tissue that will result in the infamous breasts hanging down to their knees when they’re 70. As reported on MSNBC, “The momentum created by intense bouncing can stretch the breast's connective tissues, causing sagging and pain for many women.”

I think there are several reasons women wear unsupportive running bras:

· some women don’t know that there are bras strong enough to support them adequately

· some women don’t want to spend the money and stick with $9.99 compression bras from Target

· some women honestly haven’t thought about it and don’t realize how important it is.

If you think any of these women may be you, get yourself to your local running shop (a real running shop—Sports Authority doesn’t count) and get a female salesperson to help you find a bra that keeps movement to a minimum. Try them on in the dressing room and jump up and down in them to see how much support you get. If there are no good running stores in your area or you’re just a more private person, order several styles online and just keep the one(s) that fit and work best. Title 9 and Athleta have excellent sports bra selections, and discounted versions can be found on Sierra Trading Post’s and Campmor's websites.

If your budget is tight, just buy one or two good bras. It’s an investment in your health! It’s the same argument I make for spending the money on the right shoes for you—your eventual medical bills or horror at what you’ve done to your body will cost much more than buying the right bra or shoe preventatively.

Night of the Running Undead

 

As my frequent mention of zombies in this blog has already created the impression that I am pro-zombie (at least, pro-comedic zombie movies; I'm not as into the serious scary ones), this has to be the best race idea ever:

In Alexandria, Virginia, crazy folks of all ages can compete for glory in trying to escape zombie hordes! The zombies wear red glow necklaces, and they chase runners wearing blue glow necklaces. If you're caught, the zombie claims your blue necklace as a trophy and you get a red necklace and a new mission--track down the remaining "human" runners and claim your own trophies. Prizes will be given to the fastest humans who survive the predations of the undead as well as the running corpses who collect the most blue necklaces. Is it just me or does it sound like more fun to be a zombie in this scenario?

This is being sponsored by a local parkour gym, and rumor has it that traceurs tend to excel at this sort of thing, unsurprisingly. 

So this Saturday evening (August 14, 2010), if you find yourself in Old Town Alexandria, watch out for zombies!

Pound-ing the Pavement

Courtesy Dr.DeNo/Flickr.com 

Another thing I was up to while I was on my blogging hiatus was losing some weight. As of this writing I’m down 35 pounds since March, largely through clean eating (giving up white sugar, white flour, and processed foods) inspired by some stomach problems I’ve had for years.

While this has been delightful in a downsized clothing sense—I slipped (if “slipped” can include jumping up and down a few times in the dressing room while people outside wondered if I was mental) into a pair of size 6 jeans this week after wearing 14s for the past few years—it has had a noticeable impact on my running.

Over the years I’ve read several different numbers regarding the effect of extra weight on running, from 6 pounds extra impact on your feet for every one extra pound you carry at the high end to simply double your total body weight every time your foot strikes the ground.

By whatever measure, I’ve significantly lightened my load and it’s showing in increased energy, fewer bad runs, and a completely foreign to me impulse to speed up. (Never fear, speeding up for me means running an 11- to 12-minute mile—I’m still contentedly in the ranks of the slow folks.) I’ve even stopped bailing on runs for the most part, much to the chagrin of my running compadres.

I never really time myself so I have no idea how fast or slow I’m running these days, but I feel great and look forward to the next run, and that’s all that matters.