The Armchair Athlete

Man's Best Running Friend

2008-02-13T14:29:00.004-05:00

After having watched the Westminster Dog Show on television for the past two days , I revisit my domestic fantasy of having a four-legged companion to trot around with me during my runs. Of the many varieties of herding, sporting, and hunting breeds to choose from, which canine makes the best running partner?

I personally have a few favorites that seem to be game for a few miles around the park, but I also have to consider the fact that we live in an apartment, which may limit my options. Some breeds I've considered have been:

Rhodesian Ridgeback: Handsome dog, athletic, and low shedding. Bred to hunt lions, pretty badass.

Austrailian Cattledog: Smaller and compact, but athletic and bred to herd cattle. Being the Max Max dog is also cool.

Greyhound: the second fastest four legged animal on the planet, next to the cheetah. Athletic, but also very lazy and a bit of a couch potato, kinda like me.

Shiba Inu: Also compact and athletic, described as a "big dog in a small dog's body."

DogBreedinfo.com has a good comprehensive list of traditionally good "jogging dogs," and exploring online has turned up some interesting discussions. The forums on Runner's World and Breeder Retriever have many stories of breeds that, while supposedly bred for hunting or working, end up being lazy bums. I guess like humans, it comes down to the individual doggie.

The best alternative is probably to head to a local shelter and adopt a mutt, not only for the good of the animal, but pure breeds seem to have hip displaysia problems.

Here's a good article on choosing a running dog, as well as keeping it healthy during your runs.

In the end, I'll probably have to be content with my stout grey cat.

Your Weight or Your Fate?

2008-02-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I missed this one, but evidently there's a new show on Discovery called Fit to Live. The premise being, are you in good enough shape to save your own ass?

The show's host, Dr. Pamela Peeke, is the author of a book of the same name. Her theory, one with which I agree, is that fitness shouldn't be all show and no go. Conditioning should be practical and functional - can you save yourself from a burning building, pull yourself from a wrecked car, escape a flash flood, or outrun zombies (ok, that last one is mine.)

The show is abit like "Fear Factor" combined with "The Biggest Loser", where reality contestants try to complete fitness challenges that contain a variety of obstacles within a preset time limit.

The show originally aired in January, but rebroadcasts this weekend, February 9th, at 5 pm. I already read how the contestants fared, but I won't give away the ending.

Check out the Discovery show's web site here.

Image from the Simpson's episode, "Survival of the Fattest."

Deadly Diet Cola

2008-02-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Think you're doing your body a favor by chugging a diet soda instead of regular? Think again. According to a recent paper, that Splenda'd soft drink may be as harmful to your metabolic state as fried foods, red meat, and white flour.

Researchers found a correlation between ingestion of diet soda with "metabolic syndrome" - a deadly collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.

In their research, they discovered some pretty shocking percentages. One third of the study group who ate the most fried food increased their risk for metabolic syndrome by 24% compared to the third who ate the least. The risk for those who drank one can of diet soda a day was 34% higher than those who drank none. Given a choice between the fries and the coke, give me the fries any day.

According to one of the researchers, the direct association has not been pinpointed. It could be a chemical in the cola itself, or may have to do with the lifestyle of cola drinkers in general. In either case, it sounds like we're all better off being one of those "non-cola" people.

Check out the article in the Times here.

Rat Tales

2008-02-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year, the year of the Rat. Although not the most appealing of the chinese zodiac signs to Westerners, the rat, like all of the astrological animals, has many positive traits.

According to the wiki, people born in the year of the rat "are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking." They have great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power.

They also, however, have some poor traits. "Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises."

There's a fable told to kids about why the Rat is the first sign in the chinese zodiac and the Cat is not represented at all. Back when big Buddha was organizing the animal signs, he told them all to show up the next morning to get assigned on the calendar. The cat told his buddy, the rat, about this, and the rat said that he would wake him in the morning and they would go together. But the rat never did wake the nap-luvin' cat. So the rat ended up first on the zodiac, and the feline was left out, ending their friendship for eternity and cementing the hostility between cat and rat.

I was looking for famous athletes born in the year of the Rat, but it seems most of the celebrity rodents are of the thespian/political bent:

Alan Alda, Kenneth Branagh, Marlon Brando, George HW Bush, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Dennis Hopper, Jeremy Irons, Gene Kelly, Richard Nixon, Sean Penn, William Shakespeare, George Washington

Getting Strong Now

2008-02-04T14:07:00.000-05:00

The home town is celebrating big time after last night's game, so I don't feel the need add my two raving cents about Big Blue. I will, however, post my favorite commercial from the game.

I'm such a sucker for Bill Conti's work, particularly the somber piano opening:

< Clydesdale Training - Budweiser

iTunes users voted the song #9 on the top 10 "Powersong" list. The others are:

Eye of the Tiger
Pump It
Here It Goes Again
Lose Yourself
'Till I Collapse
SexyBack
Stronger
Remember The Name
Gonna Fly Now
Move Along

Interestingly, I also fall into the "Clydesdale" class of athletes a.k.a stocky runners. A Clydesdale runner is a male 200 lbs and over. Women over 145 lbs are referred to as "Athenas" or "Fillys". Both sound a hell of a lot better than "fat."

NFL - Not For Long

2008-02-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

For most of the country, this weekend is all about the pigskin. And for those who put their guts on the line this Sunday and carry off the Lombardi, there's plenty of glory. But what happens after the roars fade, the locker rooms clear, and a player hangs up the cleats? Unfortunately, the story is often one of sorrow rather than sunsets.

It has been said that playing in a full regular NFL season is the equivalent of being in high-speed head-on automobile collision once a week for 16 weeks. Years later, the injuries suffered on the field wreak havoc on the older players. In an article in Men's Journal last year, the magazine profiled not only some of the broken men who's playing days have long ended, but also the horrendous treatment they have received by the NFL Players Association.

I remember when I was a teenager hearing stories about how players like Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, and Deacon Jones needed help from their wives to get out of bed in the morning. This was a time when the players were smaller, slower, and less powerful. The article outlines some of the drastic differences in today's professional football athlete:

Twenty years ago, when linemen weighed 280, it was common for them to play on into their 30s. Now offensive tackles average 320, and a typical career lasts three and a half seasons, or just half a season more than the minimum to qualify for a pension. Nor does playing longer secure one's finances during old age. Full pension payouts start at 55, which is around the time the average former player dies, two decades sooner than non-players.

It's a sad and infuriating story, and the NFLPA doesn't come off looking like the organization it should. The individual stories of players are particularly brutal, especially one of Brian DeMarco, a former monster on the field - 6'7", 320 pounds who could bench 500 and squat 900:

DeMarco is half-sitting and half-lying on a couch in a house kept dim during the day. Even lamp light can crease his eyes and trigger the cluster migraines that send him back to bed in the middle of the afternoon. Since May, when he stopped taking pain meds cold turkey, he has lived in the kind of crackling, bone-on-bone agony that might best be called electric. Ask him where it hurts and he lets out a breath: "Man, ask me where it doesn't; that's quicker."

Something to keep in mind when your kids start taking up sports.

Read the full Men's Journal article here.

This...Is....Dharma!

2008-01-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

Watching the Lost finale recap last night, I realized which wardrobe set the costume designers raided to get Jack's beard.

Tonight, we dine....on MANGOES!

The Lost season opener starts tonight at 8pm. Workout like Leonidas here.

Five Boro Bike Tour 2008: Registration Opens

2008-01-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

It seems very early, but I received an email from the Bike New York folks letting me know that registration for the Five Boro Bike Tour is currently open. In years past, I remember registering in March or April for the May ride, but perhaps it's become so popular that they're starting the process earlier in the year.

The route itself looks unchanged from previous years, which is a good thing, as it seems that they've finally figured out a path that minimizes the bottlenecks I experienced when I first rode the tour 3-4 years ago. That was a ride that saw at least two endos and one guy getting CPR, fun for the whole family!

Registration fees cost $43 if you sign up before March 28th, and $55 afterwards. The Tour rides out on Sunday, May 4th

Register for the Commerce Bank Five Boro Bike Tour here.

White Reign

2008-01-30T20:24:00.000-05:00

After a disappointing Slopestyle performance due to a broken board literally seconds before starting his run, the slope ninja came back with a vengeance in the half pipe this weekend. The wind and weather were vicious, causing riders to slip and slide all over the place. Shaun, however, was undeterred.

After throwing down a winning second run of 93, complete with the requisite twin 1080's, Mr. White went for broke on his gimme third run and stuck the first ever X Games competition 1260, and scored an astounding 96.66

Missed the run? So did I (damn you Tivo.) But thank the maker for Youtube:

Check out this cool slideshow of some more superpipe highlights here.

Talk To Me, Johnny

2008-01-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

After a 20-year exile, the man who taught us that tough guys do wear headbands and mullets is back, and beefier than ever.

Rambo, the fourth, and seemingly final (unless Stallone wants to ravage a retirement community next) film in the First Blood franchise, opened this past weekend. At 61 years old, it's pretty amazing that Sly still has it in him to don the Action Man garb. He did it with last year's well-received Rocky Balboa, and now with his other iconic career character, JR.

Instead of the slick, muscular physique Stallone developed for the earlier films, this time he went for an ox-like body, gaining 41 pounds. For this film he weighed 209 lbs; comparatively, he weighed 168 for Rambo II.

He did, however, have some pharmaceutical assistance. In a Time magazine article, Stallone admits the use of prescription testosterone as well has human growth hormone (HgH.) Not only does he admit it, he practically waves the syringe banner like Rambo does the Stars and Stripes. "Testosterone to me is so important for a sense of well-being when you get older. Everyone over 40 years old would be wise to investigate it because it increases the quality of your life,” Stallone says. “Mark my words. In 10 years it will be over the counter.”

Here's looking forward to 2018, when I can have a 7% body fat and no one will rib me about my headband.

Check out the full Time article here.

Free Motivation (Sweat Not Included)

2008-01-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

One of the fitness items I put in my own stocking his holiday season was the Nike+ Running Module. To complement the module, Nike has released a series of workouts on iTunes, featuring personal trainers and athletes talking you through several sessions of intervals, hills, and treadmill workouts.

One of the more unique workouts is from Ok Go, the band that is best known for the choreographed treadmill video for their song "Here It Goes Again." I guess that's the hook to involve the group in one of the treadmill workout sessions.

When I purchased the Nike+, I signed up for the newsletter as well. Looks like you all get to benefit from that today, as Nike sent, along with their newsletter, a link to download a copy of the 30 minute Ok Go! treadmill workout. Pretty nice offer, as the workout typically costs around 12 bucks. Although I have to say that I would have been pissed if I bought the damn thing, as I have purchased a couple of the other workouts already.

Use this link if you already have iTunes installed.

If you're one of the three people who don't have iTunes installed, following these directions:

Download iTunes for Mac or Windows, free of charge at www.iTunes.com.
Open iTunes and click iTunes Store.
Click Redeem.
Enter the code below. Your download will start immediately. Enjoy, courtesy of the Armchair Athlete. DOWNLOAD CODE: K9Y73P69HXNA

I'll also be posting my review for the Nike+ in a few days.

The Badathlon

2008-01-21T21:07:00.001-05:00

Beijing's got the Olympics in 2008, but HomeStarRunner's got the Strong Badathlon:

Survival of the Quizzest

2008-01-17T11:25:00.000-05:00

I love online quizzes, particularly those of the "Would You Survive?" variety. They give my ego the dose of reality it sometimes needs, and show that I would probably last about 36 hours in the woods, my last words probably being "Hmmm, that didn't taste so good."

Here are two quizzes to test your survival mettle. The fancier, easier one is from Discovery Channel's I Shouldn't Be Alive. Click here and see if your skills match up to Bear Grylls, when he's not sleeping in hotels in between filming, that is.

The slightly tougher one is from Field and Stream, which I've posted previously when that CNET writer died in the woods. Generally, F&S is much more hardcore as it appeals to the hunting set. This quiz is particularly appropriate given the time of year, as it focuses on outdoor winter survival. Here's a sample question:

Why is a wristwatch an important piece of cold-weather gear?
A. It can help you start a fire by focusing sunlight with the crystal
B. It can help you calculate the remaining hours of daylight
C. It can serve as a makeshift compass should your magnetic compass freeze up

So if you find yourself flailing in subzero temperature water after breaking through the ice, don't say "I should've taken that quiz on AA's blog....."

Check out the Field and Stream Quiz here.

And if you want to see your survival rate during a zombie apocalypse, click on the Risk Calculator tab at this link.

Scary Alli

2008-01-16T15:23:00.001-05:00

New Year's resolutions are in full swing, and judging from the uptick in sweaty bodies I see at the gym, a popular one seems to be the common, yet ambiguous, resolution: "Lose Weight." Knowing this, fitness clubs, ab-ercizers, and diet pills are throwing plenty of cash at television media this month.

One commercial I'm seeing over and over again is for Alli, the new weight loss supplement. There was a frenzy about this pill when it was released last year, the hook for it being that it is the first FDA approved weight-loss pill, and the over-the-counter version of the prescription drug, Xenical. It works by blocking 25% of the fat that you eat, and promises to help with a moderate level of weight loss.

The downside however, is being discussed fervently on Alli online forums. This MSNBC article details the explosive repercussions of not obeying the rule of ingesting less than 42 grams of fat a day while on the drug. In short, make sure you have a change of pants ready. One poster who didn't know how to obey the drug or the 'TMI' rule typed, “I’ve pooped my pants 3 times today, and sorry to get descriptive but it even leaked onto the couch at one point!” Thanks for sharing, friendo!

Thinking about it more, however, I'm not sure if this is the worst side effect in the world. If I knew that eating that double-chocolate oreo brownie was going to cause me to leave a snail trail to my cubicle, I sure as hell would be anal about what I ate (rimshot!) (Forgive the double pun.)

I'm sure there's a segment of the population that would not be deterred from cheating. I've heard of people who undergo gastric bypass surgery, only to grind up cheeseburgers into shakes and drink them down. For those hardcore eaters, alittle brown derby in the shorts isn't going to stop their Big Mac attacks.

Check out the full Alli side effects article here.

Paging Doctor Sub4

2008-01-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

You're a runner; a swimmer; a mountain biker. Should your doctor be one as well? That's the question an article in the NY Times seeks to answer. Are the needs of athletic people, both physical and psychological, so specific that it would be beneficial to have a doctor that understands these needs as a participant as well?

The short answer seems to be, "We don't know." At least in scientific terms, there have been no formal studies to suggest that athletic individuals benefit more from having a doctor who understands the physical lifestyle of these patients.

Anecdotally, however, it seems that athletic individuals would be better off with a physician who isn't a couch potato with a pack-a-day habit. Dr. William Kraus, a cardiologist who runs 35 miles a week, said athletic doctors are less likely to take the easy way out and tell an active person who is injured or ill to stop exercising. Dr. Paul Thompson, a 60-year-old marathon runner who finished second in his age group in the Chicago Marathon last year, said he often gives different advice to athletes than to more sedentary patients.

Personally, I know I would feel more comfortable with a physician who understands where I am coming from as an armchair athlete. I'm no Laird Hamilton, but I would like my doctor to work with me instead of saying something like "running kills your knees, stop doing that."

When I busted my hamstring, I felt reassurred when I saw that my consulting doctor was the team physician for the New York Rangers. That is, until I saw the article where he operated on the wrong knee of a patient.

Check out the NY Times article here.

Photo by Filip Kwiatkowski for The New York Times

Revenge of the Blade Runner

2008-01-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, aka: The Fastest Man on No Legs, vowed today to challenge any ruling by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) to bar him from competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Pistorius plans to be the first disabled athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. The IAAF's ruling, scheduled to be delivered next week, will determine whether or not Pistorius acheives an unfair advantage from his carbon fiber "cheetah feet" prosthetic legs. In other words, is Oscar more human than human.

Pistorius was born without fibulas and had his legs amputated at 11 years of age. He only began running competitively four years ago to treat a rugby injury, and currently holds world records for the 100, 200, and 400 meters races at the Paralympic Games.

The NY Times created an amazing graphic last year showing exactly how Oscar's prosthetics work, and how his running differs from a non-disabled athlete.

And what does he look like in action? Check it out:

You know how you play that game as a kid, the "What would you rather lose: your eyesight, hearing, an arm, or a leg" game? My first thought about losing my legs is, "Man, it would be a real bummer not to be able to run anymore."

Seeing how Oscar motors, at least I know I've got alternatives.

Update: The IAAF has ruled that Pistorious is ineligible to compete in Olympic qualifying events. In an article in today's NY Times, the body ruled that Oscar's "Cheetah" blade prosthetics do provide a biomechanical advantage over typical human physiology. Peter Brueggemann, a professor at the German Sport University, tested Oscar for two days last year for the IAAF, and has determined that "the mechanical advantage of the blade in relation to the healthy ankle joint of an able-bodied athlete is higher than 30 percent.”

The ruling is a disappointment, but not much of a surprise to Oscar or his agent Peet Van Zyl. Van Zyl says they will appeal, but has admitted that "(Oscar) still wants to be an Olympian, but it’s not looking like it’ll be Beijing...We’ll see if we can’t get him in London in 2012."

Godspeed, Sir Edmund

2008-01-11T13:30:00.001-05:00

The world mourns the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man, along with his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to summit Everest on May 29, 1953.

Hillary was a small and shy child growing up, and only first recognized his climbing ability at age 16 on a school trip to Mount Ruapehu. Edmund saw that while his backpacking mates were winded and exhausted, his pipes could handle the climb.

In that original expedition team to Everest, Hillary and Norgay almost weren't the team to make the summit. The first pair to try was Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans on May 26th, but had to turn back 330 feet from the top after Evans' oxygen system failed. Hillary and Norgay were then allowed to make the attempt, and reached the summit at 11:30 am on May 29th.

The pair stood on the summit for about 15 minutes. Ironically, there are no pictures of Hillary on the summit, because Tenzing did not know how to operate the camera. Edmund was kind enough to take Tenzing's picture:

To date, more than 3000 people have summited Everest, but the badassness of Hillary and Norgay's original summit cannot be ignored. No fixed rope setups at the Hillary Step. No aluminum ladders for the Khumbu Icefall. No fleeces, nor GPS. Just two dudes and a couple of ice axes.

In addition to his climbing career, Hillary became a tremendous philanthropist and devoted his life to helping the Nepalese Sherpa people. In 1960, he founded the Himalayan Trust, dedicated to building schools and hospitals in the remote regions of the Himalayans.

So long Sir Ed. You can ditch that safety rope now.

Manhattan Half Marathon: January 27th

2008-01-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

How quickly a year passes. This time last year, I was blogging about my hopes to run the 2007 NY Grand Prix. Now, we're three weeks away from the start of the 2008 cycle. Since I lightened up on posting through the last half of '07, I didn't have a chance to update on how my ambitions plans went to close up the five halfs.

The good news is I finished. There isn't any bad news. Evidently I will be getting a patch in the mail. Goody. I was damn pleased that I actually set out and finished what I started, but it certainly wasn't a cake walk.

The second to last race, Queens, was murderous. Of all five boroughs, this race was by far the most difficult. First, getting up at 5am just to get to the race was no picnic. Second, the course was brutal. Who knew Queens was filled with such hills? My legs started cramping up terribly at mile 11, and I had to walk most of the rest of the race. This was the first humiliating time I've ever had to stop and walk during a race due to cramping. I attribute it to the hills and some undertraining, so I'll know better this year.

The final race in Staten Island was a nice way to finish up the Prix. Fairly flat, and nice views of the water, but a windy race due to the proximity to the shoreline. As you can see from the Brightroom snapshot, I did my best impression of Lance in the final meters, the asian/slow/fat version.

In the end, here's how I netted out on times:

Race - Time - Pace
Staten Island - 2:17:09 - 10:28/mile
Queens - 2:30:57 - 11:31/mile
Brooklyn - 2:14:23 - 10:15/mile
Bronx - 2:09:46 - 9:54/mile
Manhattan - 2:17:07 - 10:28/mile

Ironically, I finished exactly where I started, which is quite disappointing. I was hoping by the final race I would be closer to 9:00/mile, which is still a far cry from my PR of 8:21 and frankly seems an eternity ago, but was only four years.

The positive note is that I have no pain from my hamstring injury any longer, and refuse to use that as a crutch in 2008. Which is good, since the start of the Prix is roughly three weeks away.

And here we go again. Register for the Manhattan Half Marathon here.

Run All The Way Holmes

2007-12-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite aspects of the NY Marathon, if I can’t run it, is checking the results afterwards and finding the celebrities who decided to give the 26.2 a shot.

Last year, the talk of the run was Mr. Armstrong. This year, good old Lance decided to give it another shot, albeit a little better prepared, and without cameras following his every step. Without the pressure of the cameras and by incorporating long runs into his training, Lance bested his 2006 time by a huge 12 minutes, 53 seconds, coming in at 2:46:43.

The buzz of the race this year, however, was Mrs. Cruise. Sneaking under the radar with no pre-race hoopla, people began to catch her in the race. Her first marathon, Katie clocked in at 5:29:58.

Tom and Suri were at the finish to greet the sweaty mom.

Finally, New York Ranger fans would recognize the next finisher. Mike Richter, former goaltender for the blueshirts and the 2002 Silver medal winning Team USA, finished in a respectable 3:54:34. Not bad for a 41-year old with wrecked knees. This was the first marathon for Richter, but in July he completed the Lake Placid Ironman, finishing in 12:49:10.

I delayed this post because I was waiting for Brightroom, the marathon photographers, to finish uploading pictures of the participants. Interestingly, of the three runners featured here, Richter is the only one with pictures available. The only reason I can surmise is that the public relations folks don't want to have potentially embarrassing photos of their clients available for all to see. But hell, nothing can be worse than what you find on thesuperficial.

The Few. The Proud. The Triathlete

2007-10-09T14:54:00.000-04:00

The Navy SEALs, one of the most elite of the special forces units in the military, is undertaking a new recruiting strategy. Instead of looking for the big, hulking, linebacker "Hollywood" SEAL, the Navy is looking to a niche market - the extreme and endurance athlete.

Outside Magazine details this new strategy, called the SEAL Athlete, by following the members to events like the Kona Ironman, where SEAL Mitch Hall was sponsored by the Navy to compete. Other recruiting stops include adventure races, 12-hour bike relays, and the Winter X Games.

It's an interesting strategy. The SEALs certainly don't have any shortage of applicants, but many of them end up washing out, particularly the aforementioned no-necked type. The average operator is 5'10" and 175 lbs. The theory behind this recruiting program is that the perfect candidate is one who can go balls out for a long period of time, and is indifferent to pain and physical discomfort. Sounds like an adventure racer to me.

The other reason the SEALs need to look for better recruits is simple - more warfighting. Given the engagements Afghanistan and Iraq, the Defense Department wants to add 500 more SEALs to their ranks by 2011. And make no mistake, they will see action - virtually every SEAL who's been active since 2001 has seen at least two deployments to war zones.

So far, it looks like the strategy is working - February graduated the first full class of SEALs in 20 years. If they're recruiting at Winter X Games, let's hope these recruits are able to pass the drug test.

Check out the full Outside Magazine article here.

Marathon Meltdown

2007-10-08T15:11:00.000-04:00

Looks like it was a rough ride for the 24,933 runners who managed to finish the Chicago LaSalle Marathon this weekend. With sweltering humidity and temps topping 88 degrees, this year's race was a hard slogging war of attrition, with the city ultimately throwing in the towel and closing the race down 3.5 hours into the start.

Kudos to those runners who actually started the race, as the heat kept 10,000 of the 45,000 registrants from showing up to begin with, and the race shutdown kept another 10,000 runners from finishing. I must say, if I were a runner like Sally Chappell, who didn't get water for the first seven miles, and, at mile 18, was told to stop running because the race was closed, I'd be mighty pissed. It sounds like a wild run, though, with shouts of "Runner down! Runner down!" filling the air along the route.

It reminds me of the brutal Manhattan Half Marathon that used to be run in the middle of August. One year they made the runners hit the big Central Park Hill not once, or twice, but three times, all in 90 degree heat. Just like Chicago, people were literally dropping like flies. It does seem alittle strange, however, that the race organizers were not better prepared for the heat. Granted, the race temperature broke the previous record of 84 degrees in 1979, but temperature is one of the conditions that you can see coming, and should be able to prep for days in advance.

One tragedy at the event was the death of 35-year old police officer Chad Schieber, who collapsed during the race. Although it was suspected that the heat and humidity felled the officer, it looks like Scheiber suffered from a heart condition that caused his death.

Read more about the race, Schieber and runners "not looking so good" at the Chicago Sun-Times article here.

Welcome To The Rock

2007-09-06T09:24:00.001-04:00

Here's an interesting race I just learned about. It seems like they pulled this together at the last minute, or Nike just wanted to keep the field small. Like the annual run up the Empire State Building, Nike is sponsoring the Zoom To The Top, a climb up 1,261 stairs to the top of the SNL building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Registration starts today at 4:00, and I imagine it will fill up quickly. The ESB run is filled by lottery only, so I'm glad to see that this race is a first come/first run deal. In comparison to the Empire, the Rock is slightly smaller, with 315 fewer stairs. But hey, maybe you'll see Alec Baldwin.

Register for the race here starting at 4pm. And for those of you who want to prep for it, here's a previous post on the growing stair running phenomenon.

Crocodile Dundon't

2007-08-17T14:33:00.001-04:00

What do you do if crocodiles chase you up a tree? You stay there. For a week. At least that's what pathetic-excuse-for-an-Aussie David George did after being thrown from his horse and stalked by the crocs for seven nights.

George set off from his horse to "start burning scrub", whatever the hell that means, when he was thrown and laid unconscious for hours. When he awoke and tried to ride out, he landed smack dab into a crocodile nest.

“That spooked me," George said. "There were some monstrous tracks and the big ones are never far from the nest. I couldn’t go back, it was too far and too dangerous, so I headed to the nearest high ground and stayed there, hoping someone would come and find me before the crocs did.” He climbed into a tree and tied himself to a branch with rope, and built a resting platform where he camped for the week.

After his food ran out and attempts at signaling aircraft failed, George wrote a farewell note to his son: "Surrounded by crocs and snakes. See choppers every day, flying too low — can pass a footy to them, blind p*****. Love you, my son.” What a poet.

On the eighth day he was found by the Austrailian Army. His horse, on the other hand, seemed to fare ok around the reptiles, as he stayed nearby until the day before George was found. He then wandered home and assumedly shook his head in disgust at his owner.

Check out the full story here.

Discovery's End

2007-08-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

Just two short years after Armstrong's recordbreaking seventh Tour win, and a few weeks after Alberto Contador took the yellow jersey for Discovery Channel, the team announced that it would disband, crushed under the weight of finding a new sponsor as well as the seemingly endless allegations of doping that infect the sport.

It's a true testimony to how troubled the pro cycling world is right now when the team that has won eight of the last nine Tour de France races can't get sponsorship dollars to stay alive. The shuttering of Team Discovery also closes the only elite pro cycling team based in the United States. "It's a sad day for cycling. Certainly a sad day for American cycling," Armstrong said.

The doping within cycling has truly left a wake of cyclists' bodies in its path. In this year's Tour alone, several cyclists were tossed due to failed drug tests, including the Tour leader at one point Michael Rasmussen. Recently on NPR, David Walsh, a sports journalist and author of From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France, talked about just how pervasive doping is within pro cycling. Walsh basically says that if you're a pro cyclist who plans to place high, then you really have no choice.

Walsh also makes a point that it really isn't the cyclists fault. Sponsors want their teams to win, that's why they pay 'em. And before EPO was detectable and banned, if cyclists didn't take it to enhance their performance, they may as well have looked for another job.

It's clear that in pro cycling today, the spandex chickens are coming home to roost. It may take a few years, but hopefully this wake-up call will slowly clean up the sport.

Check out the NPR interview with David Walsh here.

Road Rules

2007-08-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

Years ago in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, I saw two buddies yucking it up in front of the magazine rack. I inched closer to eavesdrop, and overheard their mocking of publications, one of which was Walking Magazine. "Walking," one of them sneered. "You've been doing it your whole life, now spend five bucks to read how to do it."

In my early running years, I approached the idea of a "running class" with the same disdain as those guys towards that magazine. "I'm not running competitively, so what's to know? Get out there and move," was my attitude. That arrogance is now gone, for myself as well as a growing population of recreational runners.

The NY Times featured an article about the growing population of running hobbyists who participate in 'running technique camps'. Most of whom participate not only to improve their form, but also to make sure they'll still be able to run decades from now. According to the article, 60 to 65 percent of all runners are injured each year in five "hot spots": the knee, the calf and shin, the iliotibial band (or I-band), the Achilles tendon and the foot. I've seen injuries end or stifle the running of many friends, including my younger brother. It can be a real war of attrition with your body, and getting any kind of edge to keep your body from breaking down is, in my opinion, worth the cost.

There are two popular "techniques" discussed in the article: Chirunning and the Pose Method. Both have a similar philosophy - your form should be one of "controlled falling", not upright and stiff. Both are interesting theories, but also have their detractors, who say that if you're not hurt or experience pain when running, you shouldn't "fix what's not broke." Some even call these methods "gimmicky."

To quote Dr. Jason Friedman, a physician and running coach who founded the Shawangunk Running Camp last year, “You can lose sight of what’s great about the sport — which is that it’s simple. There’s no substitute for hard work and just getting out and doing the miles.”

Check out the Times article on running form here.

Skinny Money

2007-08-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

The Comic-Con conference is the perfect stage for the movie studios to push their wares to the geek squads. Jon Favreau took the opportunity to not only get the buzz going for his upcoming comic flick, Iron Man, but also to show off the old Jon, circa 1996 Swingers.

It's good to see Jon back to his old self. He was starting to literally look like he ate Vince Vaughn, as can be seen in this older post alittle more than a year and a half ago.

That said, Iron Man is looking like it will kick serious ass. First off, casting Robert Downey as the troubled alkie billionaire Tony Stark is a stroke of genius. Let's hope Jonny doesn't spend all that back-end gross percentage money on fried calamari.

Human Weapon: I'm Gettin' Too Old For This Sh...

2007-08-08T23:01:00.001-04:00

What do you call two white dudes traipsing across Asia and getting their asses handed to them by martial arts masters? Quality television.

The History Channel launched a new series in July called Human Weapon, where an MMA fighter and former NFL player go travelling the globe exploring different martial arts. Each episode culminates in a fight between one of the hosts and a combatant from the style explored in the episode. Sprinkled throughout the show are animations of techniques the hosts are learning, like this cute little number:

The styles and masters they're showcasing have been pretty cool. They feature the old stand-bys of kung fu and karate, but they also explore more esoteric styles like Escrima, Pankration, and Silat. When profiling Escrima, they actually went into the jungles of the Phillipines and trained with grandmaster Leo Gaje, who is the mack daddy godfather of the style.

The finale fights you have to take with a grain of salt, but it's still fun seeing one of the hosts get knocked around and hanging on for dear life.

Human Weapon airs on the History Channel Fridays at 10pm.

Yao and Ye: No Consonants Necessary

2007-08-07T17:48:00.001-04:00

It's nice to see that even though he's a basketball uberstar and future Hall of Famer, Yao's not beyond the cheesy wedding studio photos.

Ming married his long-time gal, fellow baller Ye Li, who is 6'2". I imagine their child's nickname will not be "Tiny."

Surprisingly, the wedding banquet was not a mob scene - the 100 reporters stationed outside the Shangri-La hotel actually outnumbered the 70 wedding guests. I guess the couple isn't really hurting for red envelopes.

Yao's a courteous fellow, not only did the reporters get wedding candy, but they also received a compact disk of their studio shots. How soon until the first disk shows up on Ebay China?

Check out the AP article here.

Tri As You Might

2007-08-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

The New York City Triathlon was a few weeks ago, but I still wanted to post this great graphic the NY Times created for the race, tracking not only the route, but a play-by-play from Emma Snowsill, defending champion, of each leg of the course.

Like most people, if I were to ever attempt this race, the swim gives me the most trepidation, particularly in Hudson waters. Evidently the current can be quite strong. I read that in a previous year, starters had to hold onto a rope prior to the start to prevent from being pulled away quickly by the currents. Plus, I'm sure there's a fair share of Coney Island Whitefish to avoid.

Check out the Times graphic on the NYC Triathlon here.

Jake's Big Break

2007-08-04T18:38:00.000-04:00

It wouldn't be the X Games without some gnarly crashes, but this one would even make Brian Deegan cringe. In the Big Air competition, pro skateboarder Jake Brown landed a sweet 720, and then made like Icarus and came crashing to earth, more than four stories from the ground.

Words don't do it justice, so here you go:

UPDATE: As you can see, the ESPN suits have gotten to Youtube, as the video above has been pulled. Luckily, Portuguese television isn't as litigious. Obrigado my jujitsu brethren!

Big Air competitions are the craziest things to watch, like Danny Way's jump over the Great Wall, you just get the feeling that human beings weren't meant to go that fast on a tiny plank with wheels, wearing little more than board shorts.

Brown's a lucky bug. Not only did he walk away from the crash, he suffered fairly minor injuries, considering: a minor fractured vertebrae and wrist, and a bruised liver.

A typical pro, Jake says he'll be back on the board next week.

And while you're sweltering in the heat, cool down with the Top 5 Gnarliest Winter X Games Wipeouts.

Rack 'Em Up

2007-08-02T12:20:00.000-04:00

I admit it, I love gear. What I don't love is having enough space for all of it. Even with twice as much space in our new apartment, it always feels like I'm jamming camelbaks, helmets, and assorted paraphenalia into one closet or another. Although I don't think I have as much of a problem as Miss Midwesterly.

The positive thing is that designers are slowly realizing that there is a convergence of people who both enjoy multisport activity and would also rather not have their home look like a triathlete's pawn shop.

The NY Times highlighted several "organizational systems" for gear, focusing primarily on bike storage solutions, as they are the most common cluttering items in a New York apartment. For you Midcentury Modern types, check out the Oak Freestand on the left, made from handfinished American Oak, fancy schmancy. For you more frugal/single ride types, there's the Solo bike hook. Now, what to do with the snowboards?

Check out the Times storage slideshow here.

Fit or Fat? In Cycling, Who Cares?

2007-08-01T11:33:00.000-04:00

You've definitely seen it. In the park, on the street, in the countryside - a cyclist completely decked out like Lance climbing the l'Alpe d'Huez. Tights, shoes, jersey: the whole package. The only difference being the extra meat under the chinstrap and the spare radial around the rider's waist. I know I've spied riders like that and thought to myself "Wannabe. Probably couldn't even make it through the Tour de Bronx." Evidently, I was wrong.

In a recent article in the Times, exercise physiologists have seen that the perception of fit in other sports - rail-thin runners, muscular boxers, and svelte swimmers - does not hold true for cyclists. It turns out, cycling is much more forgiving in body type and age. To quote Dr. Michael Berry, an exercise doc at Wake Forest, “I quickly learned that when I was riding with someone with a 36-inch waist, I could be looking at the back of their waist when they rode away from me.”

Call it the Cycling Paradox. What turns out to be more important than bodyfat level is your weight-to-strength ratio and your cadence. I've seen this exemplified to a certain extent in running as well. I'll run by someone who's 30 lbs overweight at the start of a race, only to have her leave me in the dust shortly thereafter and never look back. Conversely, I've seen fitbodies dejectedly walking along the side of the road minutes from the end.

Lest you think, however, that you can down Ring Dings to your heart's content and still win a Tour stage, think again. When asked how much faster a pro rider would climb the same 15 percent grade hill a "serious recreational cyclist" climbs, Andy Hampsten, former pro, replied, "About twice as fast as the fastest in our recreational riding group." There's your dose of reality for ya, folks.

Check out the full Times article here.

Man Bites Dog

2007-07-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

Yes. I know. It's been a while since I've updated. I could say it's been due to work, apartment, personal yadda-blahblah. But to be honest, I've just been lazy. What can you expect from an armchair athlete. There have been a bunch of stories about which I've wanted to post, but for some reason, the motivation wasn't there.

Well, here's a story that's finally gotten me to type. Michael Vick. Football guy. Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Three-time Pro-Bowler. Alleged Fighting Dog Breeder.

This story is a couple of weeks old already, so that's not the reason I'm posting about it. The reason is this interesting article from Yahoo! Sports about the racial divide visible outside of the Richmond courthouse where Vick entered his "Not Guilty" plea. Supporters of Vick - African American. Crucifiers of Vick - White. Is this media race-baiting? Perhaps, but as the reporter says, "I also know what I saw and heard."

As an animal lover, I'll admit that I have joined the ranks of the court of public opinion, having already deemed Vick guilty regardless of what our judicial system says. Taking a step back from the emotion of this case, I can understand the point of those who say "Do not convict a man before he's had his day in court."

What flummoxes me is that regardless of the case or the situation, people seem to trot out the "Innocent Until Proven Guilty" platitude if the accused represents their race. And you have to wonder, if this were Drew Bledsoe or Tom Brady accused, would he have the same group of supporters waving signs for him? Maybe, maybe not.

Putting aside the race issue, this dog-fighting subculture is a truly bizarre one. I heard on the Fair Game Podcast that dogfighting is a billion dollar a year industry. Yes, that's billion with a "B." If it were up to be, it would be man/dog fighting, with the owners representing the humanoid side of that battle - naked, with a hamburger tied to their junk.

Check out the Yahoo! Sports article here.

In Space, Noone Can See You Sweat

2007-04-06T15:26:00.000-04:00

If there was ever an excuse to miss a marathon, "I'll be travelling for business, about a jillion miles away" is probably the best.

But despite having to be "away" for work, Suni Williams is still going to run the Boston Marathon on April 16th, albeit on a treadmill and held down by bungee cords, so that she doesn't, um, float away.

Suni qualified for Boston by running a 3:29:57 in Houston before she realized that she would be ejected into deep space and working on the ISS - the International Space Station. Regardless, being the relentless runner that she is, Suni's gonna give it all she's got up in the stars.

In the end, it'll probably be good for her, as astronauts need to keep physically active in space, as they lose muscle and bone density on long missions from lack of use in a microgravity environment.

Somehow, I doubt Heartbreak Hill will be as rough on her as her Earthbound colleagues.

Check out a full article about Suni's Space Run here.

Coupon Alert: Sierra Trading Post

2007-04-06T12:05:00.000-04:00

STP typically has some pretty incredible deals off on gear to begin with, but I thought this particular coupon was pretty sweet - 30% off on orders over $100.

You do have to deal with a lot of unavailable sizes and colors, but there are some cool items to be found:

- Burton AK Vest for $70 (although only Orange color in large)
- Adventure Medical Kit, Hunter for $35 (also in Orange to match your vest)
- Oakley Gascan Sunglasses for $60 (so you look all Hollywood and shite)
- GSI Outdoors Camp Wok for $22 (for when you have a hankerin' for Venison Fried Rice)

Better move quick, though, because the discount only lasts until Sunday. Click here to get to the catalog with discount activated.

Ultimate Pride

2007-04-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

I find stories for this blog in a lot of different places - newspapers, magazines, the Internet. I found this story in the crapper.

I'm always amazed by guys who bring things to read with them into the bathroom. Maybe I'm being too polite, but I'm not exactly comfortable having coworkers know I'm about to go for a crunch. I do, however, appreciate those who leave the reading materials behind - this particular treasure being about mixed martial arts.

Last week, the UFC decided to buy its overseas competition, Pride Fighting Championships. In a reported 65 million dollar deal, the two largest mixed martial arts organizations will be one. There's always been alot of trash talk between fans of UFC and fans of Pride - "Pride fighters are tougher. No UFC fighters are tougher!" Blah, blah, blah. All I know is a few years ago, Dana White and his partners bought the UFC for a bargain basement 2 million, not too shabby a business venture.

Either way, it'll be nice to see the International flavor Pride will bring to the North American Centric UFC. The Japanese fighters are particularly interesting to watch. Here's a little sampling of the fighting quality coming from across the Pacific:

On a similar note, tonight is the season five premiere of the MMA Reality Show, The Ultimate Fighter. This season focuses on the new UFC Lightweight division, which may be hit or miss. You won't see the big, brawling knockouts from heavier fighters, but it may be a scrappy series.

Catch the season premiere tonight on Spike.

Park City White-Out

2007-04-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

Hallelujah! The snow gods were kind and gave us 10 inches of fresh powder in Park City! I didn't realize how lucky this was until I spoke to some of the locals, who said that the previous three weeks were pretty hurtin' in snowfall terms.

We arrived back at midnight on Friday, and for the rest of the weekend, my body decided to boycott all activity that required more exertion than lifting a beer bottle. Although I boarded only four of the seven days we were there, the three days-in-a-row/First Tracks-to-Final Run really did a number on the body. Riding over mogul-y bowls and through trees was also tough on the bones.

Park City was a huge mountain to explore, and there was a great variety of trails and runs to traverse. More than enough for the entire trip, but we also hit Brighton on one of the days, which is a smaller mountain, but just as fun. I'm mostly a Blue trail rider, but explored the Blacks and Bowls with my more intrepid friends, which is where I got my ass kicked. Thankfully, the hamstring hung in there without much of a twinge.

And I did learn a thing or two:

Don't - Rub the inside of your Oakley goggles to try to get rid of that one, annoying, tiny water droplet. You'll immediately smear your lens, permanently. Oakley includes a bright red warning flyer alerting you to this fact when you buy your goggles, but having not ridden in the past year and a half, I forgot. Oopsie, there goes $70 bucks.

Do - Use curbside check-in. When we were flying out of New York, we checked our bags curbside, and even though we had to tip the handler, the bags were not weighed, and we weren't hit with a weight fee. On our way back, we used regular check-in, and both our bags were hit with a $25 overweight fee (which was whittled down to one bag thanks to some quick, creative repacking by my wife.) I don't know if we just got lucky on our way out, but it seems that curbside check-in doesn't have a scale. Duly noted.

Celebrity Sighting - Jason Alexander. As we were waiting in the car outside Blockbuster, the wife says "Oh, man, lookit this guy, he looks like George Constanza." Turns out, it was George Constanza. Evidently, Alexander has a place out in Park City. I was so tempted to yell out my window, "Hey Jay, it's cold out, watch the shrinkage!" I'm sure he's never heard that one before, nope.

Nike Half Marathon 2007: August 5th

2007-03-28T21:16:00.000-04:00

After a full day of riding, I settled in with an apres-board microbrew, opened my email, and said, "Crap!" Why? Because I realized the Nike NYC Half Marathon registration opened this morning. Last year, this race literally sold out in hours. I frantically clicked the link, filled in the registration, and got in! It was then I realized that I didn't gain entry to the race, but into the lottery for the race.

It looks like due to the popularity of last year's race, Nike is accepting entrants via a lottery system, similar to the NY Marathon. I hate lotteries. Entry should be dictated by the attentiveness of the runner and the broadband connection of choice. The lottery upside - NY Road Runners' servers aren't bombarded like they were last year, causing the site to go down. The downside, the fact that we all have to wait until May to find out if we're running in August.

I have to admit, this is a great race. The Nike Half Marathon gives runners the feeling of running the NY Marathon, as the latter half of the race is run through the streets of New York.
Plus, you get some decent swag, par for the course for a Nike event.

Register for the Nike NYC Half Marathon lottery here.

Remote Blogging from Park City

2007-03-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

This week, I'll be blogging from Park City, Utah, home to the Sundance Film Festival, and some mighty fine snowboarding. Mighty fine, that is, if it would snow.

We arrived on Saturday to 60 degree temperatures, making me feel more like taking on some gnarly singletrack than black diamond runs. Although warm and abit slushy, the conditions here are still infinitely better than anything in the Catskills, so given the choice, I'll take the mashed potato runs for now. Plus, my first day was spent testing out whether sixteen months has been enough recovery time for my wrecked hamstring. So far, so good.

The forecast is for a dumping on Tuesday Night, so hopefully the snow gods will show us some love in 48 hours.

In the meantime, I'm catching up on back issues of Men's Journal, Best Life, GQ and the like. Here are a couple of tips that I found useful:

Be wary of early morning powerlifting - Testosterone peaks in the AM, unfortunately, so does your risk of messing up your back. During sleep, the cartilage between your vertibrae fill with fluid, so by the morning these disks are like ripe seedless Thompsons. Just a few heavy squats and deadlifts can cause these to pop. The advice is to wait a couple of hours before launching into the heavy lifts, and make sure to get those warmup lifts done.

Watch the Vitamin C overload - I wish I read this tip before I downed three C tablets after my day on the slopes. Most people think that overdosing on the C will help your muscles recover superfast - like, Wolverinefast. Turns out the opposite is true. According to a study in the British Journal of Medicine, men who took 1000 mg of vitamin C before and after a long run took several days longer recover as those who didn't take the supplement. The best dose - stick to 500 mg to reduce post-workout soreness.

Todd's Time Out

2007-03-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

I try not to post items as mundane as a hockey fight, but I just couldn't resist this one. First of all, because it's the Rangers. Second, the backstory prior to the fight is interesting. Third, hockey fights typically end with one of the guys turtling or clumsily slipping to the ice, whereas this one's a stone cold knockout, complete with twitching fingers.

The last time the Rangers and the Flyers, already a vicious rivalry, played each other, Todd Fedoruk of the Flyers was a complete madman on the ice, clobbering everyone within reach. Evidently, Colton Orr looked at the clock, and saw that it was Payback Time.

Twelve seconds into the game, Colton gave Todd a little love tap, and asked him to dance...

Classic. It reminds me of the fights in EA Sports NHL series, where the loser would simply fall flat to the ice. I would think to myself "Eh, noone falls like that after a fight." Clearly, I was wrong.

Although Todd's known as an "enforcer"-type, he may want to look for a another role to play. Fedoruk has metal plates in both cheeks from previous encounters, and was knocked out cold earlier this season as well. Did someone say "Back Office"?

As an addendum, here's Sports Illustrated's Guide to Infamous Hockey Hits.

Fit For A King

2007-03-18T15:25:00.000-04:00

I caught the latest gladiator hack n' slash flick, 300, last weekend. Although it's received mixed reviews for a lack of depth and character development, it was perfect escapism for me. Give me swords, ninjas, and some macho glowering, and I'm there. Plus, it was an incredibly faithful interpretation of Frank Miller's graphic novel, but not so much so that it was conspicuous and awkward, like Sin City. Check out a great film-to-graphic novel comparison of the film here.

The other thing you notice when you watch this movie - the actors put in there gym time. I gather you become highly motivated when your costume is comprised of a cape, helmet, and leather thong.

When I did a search to find out how the actors got into such kickass shape, I found this great video and article from Men's Journal on precisely how Gerry Butler and crew got abs of Spartan steel. It seems that the trainers follow a Crossfit-type of workout philosophy, incorporating superintense 20 minute workouts that combine weights, interval sprints, and calisthenics, all with a "functional fitness" type attitude. This strategy clearly paired well with the actors, as they not only had to look coverboy fit, but also be able to weather the Sword, Shield, and Spear combat techniques they had to learn.

The upside, the training worked, as you can see from the multiple six packs visible in the film. The downside - overtraining. If you watch the video, you'll hear Gerry say that after going hardcore for six months, he completely stopped training for a year, clapping his hands together as if to say, "That's enough, where's the pub?"

Additionally, there's a series of video podcasts available on Itunes promoting the film. One of the podcasts specifically focusing on the actor's training, which I've uploaded to Youtube for your viewing pleasure below. Check out the pain:

Leto Lite N' Fit

2007-03-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

I guess you could call it "Pulling a DeNiro", in honor one of the first actors to immerse himself in a role by immersing himself in Haagen Daaz. Throughout Hollywood recent history, a number of actors have done yo-yo diet job to prepare for a particular film. The latest being Jared Leto, who tubbed up to portray Mark David Chapman, the killer of John Lennon.

With his body metamorphosis, Leto joins the ranks of Christian Bale, Matt Damon, and more recently Daniel Radcliffe to undergo serious physique renovation for their art. His transformation back to his normally skinny freakish self is pretty amazing - the "after" pics were taken only six months later. Methamphetamine, anyone?

Walk Down To Electra Avenue

2007-03-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

It looks like GNC is broadening it's Celebrity Meet N' Greets to include the "Horndog" demographic. This week only, you lucky bucks can meet the one and only Ex-Mrs. Rodman/Ex-Mrs. Navarro.

Ms. Electra's looking to fill that critical celebrity diet-pill endorsement void left by A.N.S. You, too, can learn how she manages to eat all those Taco Bell Grande Stuffed Burritos and still slink into a size -2.

For those truly intrepid fans, you probably can run to all the locations tomorrow and actually see her not one or two, but three times in one day. Just don't try to hug her if you're covered in sweat. In fact, don't try to hug her at all, she hates you.

Here's the Divine Ms. E's Agenda:

Tuesday, March, 6 2007
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
GNC WEST 57TH STREET
28 WEST 57TH STREET

Tuesday, March, 6 2007
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
GNC LEXINGTON AVENUE
466 LEXINGTON AVENUE/45 ST

Tuesday, March, 6 2007
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
GNC ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA

NeverQuest

2007-03-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

What better way to ring in the Year of the Pig than a marathon seven-day gaming session? That’s what one 26-year old, 330 pound Chinese dude thought as he spent the entire week-long Lunar New Year break tapping away on a keyboard. Alas, even this minimal amount of physical activity was too much for his body, as on the 7th day, he rested. Permanently.

Evidently with all the businesses shut down during the holiday, there are few entertainment alternatives available. To quote Xu Yan, a teacher and most likely pasty-faced geek, “There are only two options. TV or computer. What else can I do in the holiday as all markets, KTV and cafeterias are shut down?" One word for you, Xu: "xiao jie"

There are several interesting points about this story. First, there was actually a 330 lb Chinese man. I thought America had the lock on the morbidly obese. It’s heartwarming to know that Western influences are making their way back to my motherland.

Second, they always talk about American’s being the laziest, most media-obsessed on the planet. Every “Death by Gaming” story I've read has involved the Far East, whether they be Taiwan, Korea, or China. Them's some lonely asians out there.

I went into one of these Internet cafe's when I was in China. It was one of the most depressing places I’ve ever seen, and I only stood in the entrance. It was located in a basement, dark, seedy, and stinking of smoke, like a 42nd Street Peep Show circa 1981.

If this is how a majority of young Asian men are spending their waking hours, I’m smelling a cross-over Dateline in the works – “to catch_a predator: Beijing”:

dajeejee: Nihao
xiaonainais: nihao
dajeejee: ni ji shui?
xiaonainais: shiwu shui
dajeejee: Hao bong oh!

Check out the full story here.

American Britney X

2007-02-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not one for following the tabloids, but I do visit thesuperficial more often than I'd like to admit. After seeing the latest Spears pics, the frist thing that jumped into my mind - Ed Norton.

A match made in heaven....

Wrestler - 3, God - 0

2007-02-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Some people are just damn lucky to be alive. One of these people is Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner. Gardner made his wrestling bones by beating the previously unbeaten Alexander Karelin at the 2000 Olympics to win gold. Previous to his loss, Karelin had been undefeated in 13 years and had not given up a point in six years. Although Gardner didn’t repeat his gold medal performance at the 2004 Olympics, he did walk away with the bronze – not bad considering the fact that he had one less toe.

In 2002 while snowmobiling in Wyoming, Gardner’s mobile became stranded, and he was forced to spend a night out in 15-below temperature wearing only a few layers of clothing. Despite suffering hypothermia and frostbite on both feet, Gardner lost only one toe, and recovered fully.

Then he was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle in 2004.

This brings us to last Sunday, where Gardner and two other men survived when their small plane crashed into Lake Powell in Utah. The three men spent more than an hour swimming in 44 degree water, and then spent the night wet and shelterless before being rescued. Typically, the human body begins suffering hypothermia after swimming for 30 minutes in 50-degree water.

So, Rulon is just one lucky bastard. Or unlucky, depending how you look at it. Or someone who should just avoid all forms of motorized transport.

V-Day Vengeance

2007-02-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

Instead of being taken to the cleaners on another pseudo-holiday for Valentine's, I decided to fly solo this year, and make the meal at home. After research and feedback from fellow Chowhounders, here's the original menu:

Mixed Field Greens with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Butter Poached Lobster with Avocado on Frisee

Rack of Herbed Lamb with Garlic Yukon Gold Mash

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Veuve Cliquot

After all was said and done, here's my list of learnings for you who endeavor to do the same:

DON'T:

- Wait to order from FreshDirect. I thought I'd have time to leave it to a day or two before. I didn't. The V-Day crush and the bad weather caused all the slots to be snapped up quick. Luckily, the local supermarket had all that I needed. Next time, set up the order a week in advance.

- Wait until the day of to get lobsters. I went the day before to pick up the lobsters, seeing a nice tankful. The fish monger said "You making these for V-Day? They'll die. Come back tomorrow." I came back tomorrow. The tank was empty. The monger said "You're too late." Thanks Sherlock, I guess I'll take the scallops.

DO:

- Bring your meat to room temperature. If you take it from the fridge to the roasting pan, it'll take much longer to cook, and won't cook evenly. Let it sit for an hour at least on the counter.

- Melt chocolate in the microwave. Forget that stovetop, double-boiler nonsense. My microwave even has a "chocolate melting" setting, but it did need more time than the setting thought.

- Take pictures. At least of what comes out good. I wish I had gotten pics of the dessert. The appetizer, not so much.

You can find the recipe for the rack of lamb here - thanks to Gordon Ramsay.

Another Half Bites The Dust

2007-02-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if I should be furious that the RoadRunner's Club moved some of the Grand Prix races to the dead middle of winter, or grateful that I won't be running them in the blistering heat of summer, where they were traditionally staged. Regardless, I'm finished with the two half marathons that take place in sub-30 temps.

The Bronx Half was last Sunday, and I was particularly pleased with this performance. As you all who've been following my rehab from injury have read, it's been a tough road back. At least at this race I was able to hit a personal recovery milestone - a sub 10 min/mile pace. Pre-injury, this goal would have been a joke. Now, it's one little victory on the road back.

I also realized the reason I wasn't able reach that goal in the previous two Half's - sheer laziness. Just three weeks ago, I ran the Manhattan half at a 10:29/mile. I also stopped for water breaks almost every three miles. I realized that it wasn't because I needed water, it was that my lazy ass wanted to stop and stroll. All those water stops added up, so for the Bronx I changed strategy.

I only stopped for water breaks at mile seven and mile 10, and when I did stop, I sucked it down fast and started running immediately - not the "sip and walk" technique from my past two races. This shaved off seven minutes on the total time! Incredible. I feel like wearing one of those wieght loss buttons, which would instead read "I lost seven minutes, ask me how!"

Lesson learned - if you're gonna run a race, run it. Next up, the Brooklyn Half in April, Hello Coney Island and warm temps!

Bauer Power

2007-02-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for cool gear. I'm an even bigger sucker for gear that I see carried by cool muthas on television. Yep, call me a wanna-be, poseur, whatever you like - guilty as charged.

Evidently, I'm not alone. Uncrate pulled together a list of all the trinkets carried by everyone's favorite CTU torturer, Jack Bauer. You too can recreate your favorite 24 scenes with his special ops watch ($450), pocket scope monocular ($30), and gear bag - the famed "Jack Sack" ($17).

Uncrate even included the cool Halo automatic knife that I've featured previously on the Athlete. All the better to torture information out of you, m'dear.

Be sure to have comments at the ready, like "We haven't got time!" and "Dammit!"

The Knives Are Out

2007-01-31T17:48:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, I've been abit distracted from my blogging activity for many reasons - one of them being Bravo's Top Chef. I happened to catch the series premiere on a lark, then caught last season's marathon, and I was hooked.

I won't even go into this season and its contestants, as I've already read a much more eloquent rundown of them all, by a much more famous food writer - Anthony Bourdain, of Kitchen Confidential fame. Whether you've been following the show or not, Tony's descriptions are amusing, in his snarky, New Yorkish way. Check out the write-up here.

The show finale is tonight, and I'm abit indifferent in picking a winner. I'm just anxious to check out more of the drama and the pretty food. Watching these guys create food makes me realize that I'm as much of an armchair cook as an armchair athlete - decent in my own little world, but would never make it to the pros.

Another more interesting online component of the show is last year's Top Chef winner - New York's own Harold Deiterle, who blogs after each episode. Typically, TV show blogs are pretty anemic, with the blogger providing little to no insight into the show itself. Harold is an exception. He lays into the contestants, the bad guest chef judges, and the pathetic in-show product placement. Good to see a relatively uncensored view, particularly on the show's own website.

Check out Harold's Top Chef blog here.

Aces High

2007-01-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

When watching a movie is described as "...being smacked in the face for a hundred minutes with a raw sirloin steak," I know I'm in AA territory. That descriptor was used by A.O Scott in his review of Smoking Aces, the new testosterone-fueled flick by Joe Carnahan.

Good adrenaline flicks are in short supply these days - and ones that are done well are even more rare. I can't remember the last action film that had me captivated enough to even want to see again, much less buy the dvd - which is probably why I'm anxiously awaiting the season premiere of The Shield. The premise to Smoking Aces? Teams of hitmen converge on a million dollar target - hilarity ensues. That's enough for me.

Although it hasn't gotten the best reviews, I'll probably put my cash down for this Carnahan's film. I've been waiting to see his next project for ages, as he seemed to have the right blend of writing, cinematic skill, and action to create something interesting in the genre. This is his first flick in four years, after a nice sophomore effort in Narc.

The first effort where I noticed Carnahan, though, was in the BMW flick he directed, called Ticker. If you haven't seen it before, check out the goodness:

Four To Go...

2007-01-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

Amazingly, I was able to motivate myself enough to run outside in January. Typically during the Winter, my running shoes wouldn't see the light of day until the first buds of Spring. But having been diligent enough to keep up some decent mileage on the treadmill such that I was able to complete the Manhattan Half Marathon last weekend. That was the good news.

The bad news is that I ran even slower than the Nike Half Marathon, where I was a blistering 10:19/mile. At the Manhattan, I crawled at a 10:28 pace. The first four miles I was cruising at a nice 9min/mile pace, but halfway through I started to break down. I caught a second wind at around mile 10, and was able to pick up the pace abit, but I was still hoping to keep a 10min/mile throughout the race.

This is utterly depressing. I'm going to chalk it up to any number of excuses - the cold, lack of training, my headphones conking out at Mile Six, but I may start to seek some professional coaching help. I printed out my Race History from the Road Runner's Club, and oh how the mighty have fallen. By the end of the series of five Halfs throughout the city, I'd love to be tracking at a 9min pace.

Next up, the Bronx Half Marathon in two weeks. Register here.

Leave The Towels Where You Found Them

2007-01-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

Looks like having a groaning lunkhead at your gym is the least of your problems if you work out in Manhattan. The Post reports that a group of janitors have filed suit with Equinox gyms, charging that they allowed the place to become one big Caligularian fluid-fest, with the janitors as the mop-up crew.

The suit specifically claims that the men were "exposed to in appropriate, lewd, embarrassing and humiliating sexual behavior and activities occurring in the showers, saunas, steam and [men's] locker rooms", specifically at the posh Columbus Circle, TriBeCa, East 63rd Street, Wall Street, and Greenwich Avenue locations.

Now, although I work out at a Manhattan gym, it's primarily used by my office, so I'm sure there's minimal, if any, of that type of activity there. I have heard from friends who go to gyms in the city that they do occassionally run into some "interesting encounters" when opening sauna doors.

So, here's a tip - if you see a towel on the floor, don't play good samaritan and pick it up. It may walk over to the bin on its own.

Read the full Post article here.

Grand Prix Fixe

2007-01-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've emerged from my holiday slumber, and realized I'm jiggly. I, like most armchair athlete's, am notoriously slothlike during the winter months. This year, however, I'm trying for something abit different - actually keeping in shape during the winter months.

I know, however, that "keeping in shape" is much too ambiguous a goal for me to actually make good on it ("Hey look, I can use the same belt loop as I did in November, pretty good!") So I've decided to plot it to some actual events in 2007.

One of the things I've always wanted to accomplish is running the Grand Prix series of the New York Road Runner's Club. The Grand Prix is a half marathon in every borough of the city throughout the year. My problem was that the first one in Manhattan kicks off in January, a time typically when the most running I've done is from the cold bathroom floor to my bedroom rug.

This year, I'm giving it a shot. The first race is January 21st - not too far off. Am I ready for it now? Too much holiday fruitcake says "No." Will I be ready for it on the 20th? Time will tell. Four more will follow the rest of the year in each borough, and finishers of the entire series receive some sort of goody. Hopefully by series end I'll be able to tell you all what it is.

Register for the Manhattan Grand Prix Half Marathon here.

Hurtin' for Certain

2006-12-22T13:12:00.000-05:00

I remember when the rumors came out about the new Balboa movie, and like 99% of the population, I had to ask, "Why?"

But regardless of how the whole movie fares, there's always one part of every Rocky movie that gives me goosebumps. The training scene.

Each of them are good in their own way:

Rocky 1 - The original
Rocky 2 - Catching the chicken
Rocky 3 - Balboa mimicking Apollo Creed's footwork
Rocky 4 - Training in the barn

Unfortunately, I don't remember a good one for Rocky V - maybe it was the scene where Tommy Gunn gets AIDS.

The new Rocky doesn't dissappoint either, at least from the brief scene floating on the 'nets. I remember as a fat kid, getting motivated to exercise by the training scenes in these movies. Then, two minutes later, I would remember that there are Pringles in the kitchen.

Running With The Devil

2006-12-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Word of advice - before lumbering through those 26.2 miles, get a check-up. After years of no reported deaths in marathon races, this year has been particularly grim. At least six people have died this year during or after their races. Although still a relatively small number compared to the 382,000 people who completed marathons in 2005, it begs the question - is your heart at more risk in distance running?

That's what a study at Mass General was tryiing to find out. In a Times article, the results of their study show that 60% of study participants show an elevated level of troponin in the blood, a marker for heart trauma, and 40% had levels high enough to indicate heart muscle breakdown. Here's the kicker - the group that showed the highest troponin levels ran 35 miles or less during training (I think I averaged about 30/week) and in the days following, abnormalities showed in the heart as if "their hearts have appeared to have been stunned."

So what's it all mean? If you're pushing 40 (the heart attack victims were in the early 40s and 50s) get that ticker checked out before you're at the starting line, and turn up the weekly mileage during training.

I don't think any runner worth his salt-stained Dri-fit would stop based on this new research. To quote one of those who collapsed during the Marine Corps Marathon this year, "“You know the worst thing about almost dying? That I didn’t finish.”

Check out the full Times article here.

Coupon Alert: Altrec.com

2006-12-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

Like all of you I'm sure, I've been deluged both online and off with catalogs, discounts and coupons for the holiday season. This one, however, caught my eye for several reasons. One, it's a kickass 20% off. Two, you can apply them to items already on sale, and three, they throw in free shipping for orders over $45.

Altrec is a pretty cool niche outdoors site that carries alot of select hardcore manufacturers. They do have some of the old standards like North Face, Camelbak, and Solomon, but they also carry kickass brands like Mountain Hardwear, Arc'teryx, and Outdoor Research.

Move on it though, the coupon runs out on Monday, December 11th.

Fight To Survive

2006-12-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

The death of James Kim is tragic for many reasons, but one of the most gripping for me is the fact that the family was not out on a camping trip, or a hunting trip, or a wilderness hike. They were driving home, and took a wrong turn. It shows that in rough country, regardless of how safe you may think you are, things can get ugly real fast. If this doesn't prompt you into getting a gearbag together in your car before a roadtrip, I don't know what does. It's not about being paranoid, it's about being prepared.

And how prepared are you should you find yourself in a world of hurt? One of the best resources for basic outdoorsmanship skills is Field and Stream Magazine. Regardless of how you feel about its focus on hunting and guns, it provides a wealth of information for the armchair outdoorsmen in all of us. Currently on their site, they have a Wilderness Survival Quiz, as well as a DIY Project section, which includes building a survival kit inside an Altoids tin.

My favorite section, however, is their Outdoor Skills section. They're currently running a "13 Primary Survival Skills" article that is worth printing and throwing in that gearbag. Basically, it comes down to three elements - building a fire, building a shelter, catching food. The third element of that set is the trickiest, as Survivorman has shown. I'd rather rely on my box of Powerbars, which are great because they're not only calorically dense, but they won't freeze and crumble like other chocolate-covered bars.

Check out the survival skills article here.

Kim Is Missing

2006-12-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

With our first blast of winter storms last week comes our first survival story of the season. James Kim, senior editor at CNET, and his family were on holiday in the Pacific Northwest when they missed a turnoff. They ended up on a twisty mountain road that is used by whitewater rafters during the summer, but with the snowfall, becomes impassable during winter.

Missing since November 25th, the wife and two children were rescued on Monday, but James left the family two days earlier in an attempt to find rescue teams. So far, searchers have turned up a pair of Kim's pants, which he may have left as a marker, or took off while suffering from hypothermia, where your body mistakenly thinks it is too warm.

As this story updates hour by hour, I'll fill you in. CNET is keeping track of the story pretty closely. The latest news is that 18 care packages will be dropped in strategic areas for Kim. Items in the packages will include a bright orange sweatshirt, sweat pants, a large wool blanket, socks, gloves, waterproof bib overalls, three half-hour flares, a flashlight, a handwarmer, a MRE (meal ready to eat) and a personal letter from the family.

FINAL UPDATE: Unfortunately, this is not a happy ending. James' body has been found in a ravine, only a half mile from where his wife and daughters were rescued. Searchers report that the terrain Kim covered spanned eight miles of rugged, steep ground, and were amazed that he was able to do so, particularly after eight days in the vehicle with minimal food. CNET has a tribute on their site now, with an emotional statement by the Executive Editor.

This story gets me thinking about the stash of goods I keep in my car in case of emergency. There are plenty of prefab "survival kits" available, but you can pull together one on your own cheaply and customized to your needs - baby food I don't need:

1 - Windup Flashlight, like this one without the radio.
1 - Gerber Folding Shovel
1 - 100 ft of climbing rope
1 - Adventure Medical First Aid Kit
1 - Box of PowerBars
1 - Blue tarp
1 - Knife and Leatherman
2 - Space Blankets
3 - Chemlite Glowsticks
1 - Whistle, gloves, hat and waterproof matches

The rope is clumsy and large, so that goes in and out of the Jeep, but the rest fits in a small backpack. The other item I'd want to add is a portable battery charger if I were venturing into snowbound territory. Water is another smart idea, but leaving it in the freezing cold trunk is not.

Just Stalk It

2006-12-01T17:14:00.000-05:00

Looking to stalk that runner crush of yours? Get them a sport kit this holiday. Evidently, there's a flaw in the technology of the running fob that enables someone to track the location of anyone who is wearing the gizmo. They don't even need to have it turned on, or running for that matter. In fact, you can stash the fob in their purse/bookbag and you can googlemap their location. Nike and iPod have not made a comment regarding the flaw.

I say make lemons into lemonade, and tape it to your pooch's dog collar. Instant Lojack for man's best friend.

Watch the video on CNN of technonerds cracking the flaw here.

No Reservations

2006-11-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

One thing to remember when you're having a meal in China - keep an open mind. After 15 days traveling through six cities, my culinary palate has been pushed to its limit, but there were things that even I didn't have the stones to swallow.

Let's start with the Beijing staple - roast duck. Now, I've had plenty of NY Peking Duck, most of it from Chinatown's Peking Duck House, but none of the original stuff before, so my primary goal this trip was to taste the real thing. By the end of the trip, I had my fill of the bird, having eaten it three different times. What's the difference between the imposter and the original? The Beijing ducks are roasted over an open fruitwood fire, which smokes and perfumes the bird in a way the New York ducks don't achieve. They also seem to be abit less meaty than the US version, and abit more fatty, which I found surprising, and didn't enjoy as much as the NY version. In the end, I wouldn't say that the Beijing ducks are "better", but they are definitely richer and deeper in flavor.

Here's a list of a few other interesting morsels that I was surprised I enjoyed:

donkey meat - surprisingly mild, moist and tasty, but I did feel like backkicking my chair afterwards
deboned duck feet - I've had duck feet before, but not deboned, which makes it much easier and more pleasant to eat - very chewy and cartilagy
roasted shrimp heads - these were great, nice and crispy, with a bit of creaminess from the shrimp brains. The chef courteously removed the eyes and the tendrils.

There were however, some things I couldn't eat, namely the bugs. In both open air markets and restaurants, we saw scorpions, grasshoppers, and larvae pods available for consumption. The scorpions I saw were impaled on a stick, their pincers still flailing. Now, I was actually looking forward to the idea of snacking on insects, but once I was faced with a bug kebab, I just couldn't do it. It wasn't so much the sight of the buggers, but the smell that was emanating from the market - a funky, sour smell that came not from the roasted insects, but other meat that was cooking alongside the crawlies.

The sign above was taken in a hutong in Beijing, which as you can see, caters to the tourists. 20 Yuan is about $2.50

Lastly, thanks to the divine Miss M. for taking over editorial duties while I was away, you gotta love that gear list!

one last post from Miss Midwesterly...

2006-11-27T09:08:00.000-05:00

...and it's a doozy!

Just before the Thanksgiving holidays, just before yours truly went and ate herself into a full-on coma, she received a plea from the good editors at Outside magazine. It seems they're looking to highlight a few good men and women who have been quietly tearing up the athletic world. Yep, Outside is looking to give great unsponsored athletes their due.

What does that mean to you Armchair Athlete readers? It means that you should write to Miss Midwesterly at yishunwrites (at) gmail (dot) com if you know one of these unsponsored quiet types. The full request is below, but the brief parameters are such:

**No sponsored athletes. It's fine if they get a box of socks or whatever from a small New England company, but if they're consistently and actively making money from the sponsor, that's a no go.

**No professional athletes, in any way: You can't send in a world-class skiier who's also a mountain guide for a living.

**"My boyfriend ran a marathon" isn't what we're looking for here. More like, "Our team captain has two small children, is VP at a major international shipping agency, gets up at three every morning to train before work and taking the kids to school, captained our adventure racing team to thirteen podium finishes this year, and ran three ultra marathons from May through September, finishing in the top quarter of the field each time."

**No former pros.

**Feel free to pass this request on.

**For now, there is no deadline to this. As always, the sooner the better.

Miss Midwesterly may ask AA for permission to post one of her nominees here so you have some idea of how she's going to approach it. Until then, here's the actual e-mail from Outside.

Good luck--and so long. It's been loads of fun.

Fondly,
Your Miss Midwesterly
----------------------------------------
Know a hard-core unsponsored athlete? Tell us about them.

We're scouting for everyday badasses -- the most inspiring and talented adventure athletes in the Outside world who happen to live next door or work in the cubicle next to you. These are everyday people -- climbers, skiers, skaters, surfers, kayakers, runners, snowboarders, cyclists, endurance hikers, triathletes, etc.-- who are different in one very big way: In their free time, they can hang with the best in the world at whatever they do. We're looking for people who don't issue press releases to highlight how amazing they are, who don't get wads of sponsorship cash, and can who still blow our minds. But we need your help to find them.

Here's how to nominate someone you know:

1) Know who we're looking for: We're looking for world-class athletes, adventurers, or expeditioners, who are performing near the highest levels of their sport. We aren't looking for people with major sponsors or who appear in advertisements (though we won't turn down someone just because some company gave them a case of free socks one day). We also can't include people who make a living at their sport - say, a mountain guide who also happens to be a badass alpinist -- or anyone who used to be a pro at their sport.

2) Give us the beta: We need to know a) Why we should profile your badass friend and what makes them amazing. Be as specific as possible (competitions won, first ascents/descents, records set, big expeditions they've been part of, pro athletes who can vouch for how good they are, etc.). b) Give us a sense of who the person is, especially what they do for a living and where
they live, what makes them unique, and anything else interesting about them (overcame a serious handicap, used to work as a janitor, etc.) c) Contact information for your nominee.

3) Send an email with all of that info. If we choose to feature your nominee, you get a free one-year subscription to Outside. And your friend can sign it for you.

Thanks for your help. And please pass this on...

Lunk Alert

2006-11-20T12:08:00.000-05:00

My aeons-old Webster's dictionary defines "lunkhead" as "A stupid person; DOLT." At Dover, NH-based Planet Fitness joints all over the nation, however, a lunkhead is simply a "lunk" (I think this is what they meant), and a "lunk" is someone who drops weights, grunts, or perhaps wears a do-rag or bandanna while working out.

Al Argibay found out that PF considers him a lunk recently when he was forcibly escorted--by the local fuzz, no less--from his Wappingers Falls branch of PF for grunting. (Read the whole story here.)

I won't go into the lunkheadedness of making up a word--"lunk" isn't even in my dictionary--when a perfectly good one already exists, but I will protest against parts of this policy here.

Look, anyone who's ever lifted will tell you that you sometimes need a little extra oomph to get through your last sst. Swearing helps, too, but no one's going to do that at a gym. Frankly, I think grunting quite acceptable at a gym. And, anyway, much preferable to swearing, talking on a cell phone, or dropping weights, all of which I've seen happen at a gym.

Everything I've listed above is covered under PF's Lunk Policy, but PF adds an additional wrinkle to its etiquette fabric: it has something called a "lunk alarm," which is an enormous siren that goes off when a lunk is sighted and reported.

This reminds me vaguely of something Brownies used to do to each other whenever we caught someone with their elbows on the table during mealtimes. Someone would stand up and point at the offender and say, "Elbows! Elbows!" and then we'd all sing this little ditty, to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It":

Get your elbows off the table, [offending name here]!
Get your elbows off the table, [offending name here]!
I have seen you do it twice, and it isn't very nice,
Get your elbows off the table [offending name here]!

And then we'd make the offending Brownie walk around with a huge scarlet E on her chest for the rest of the trip or dinner.

No, I'm kidding. About that last part, anyway.

Can someone please find me my gigantic red L? The one with the matching bandanna? I'd like to go to my local gym, and I think I should be prepared.

Taking Inventory

2006-11-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

At present tally, in the home of Miss Midwesterly, her live-in boyfriend, and the ARFE dog**, there is the following equipment:
(6) bicycles
(1) enormous 26"-wheeled scooter
(!) Xootr scooter (unaccounted for)
(2) pairs in-line skates
(1) pair OFF-ROAD in-line skates
(1) pair skis
(1) snowboard
(3) pairs snowshoes
(2) climbing racks
(google) carabiners
(4) compasses
(2) folding knives
(3) Suunto watches
(3) H.I.D. bike lights
(5) headlamps
(2) regular halogen bike lights
(4) paddles
(2) lifejackets
(1) doggie lifejacket
(1) 18-foot 2-person sea kayak
(1) doggie backpack
(8) Camelbak brand bladders
(1) Platypus brand bladder
(google) hydration packs, various sizes
(3) frame packs
(5) pairs of mountain biking shoes
(3) pairs of road biking shoes
(1) set (4) doggie traction booties
(1) spare set of mountain biking rims
(5) bike helmets
(1) climbing helmet
(2) pairs rock-climbing shoes
(1) shock-proof, waterproof digital camera
All of which makes me wonder how on earth these people are managing their lives.

Mid-western gripe of the day: I am too far away to do anything effective about the fact that Shea Stadium is being re-named Citi Field. Argh!

Your Miss Midwesterly

**

Right, Left, and Third-coast surfing

2006-11-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Times had a terrific article on surfing in it.
In fact, it had two. What was that I said earlier about some sports acquiring the popularity of, say, a Starbucks?
At any rate, I, for one, am happy to see surfing gain a foothold on the news in the Times. It's such a terrific, colorful sport, and anyway, the ocean and its health is an ecological issue that wants for more attention from the sporting groups that take advantage of it.
Enter the Surfrider foundation. Years ago I wrote an article about their environmental concern with another popular surfing area down in New Jersey that was about to be overrun with industrial waste. Now, it seems, they're in the lighthouse-moving business. At the heart of the most recent issue, you'll find those stalwarts of bad environmental engineering, the Army Corps of Engineers (yes, yes, the same people partially responsible for the Manhattan Project, those fabulously efficient Katrina levees, and the same folks who earned a solid grade of "F" from the League of Conservation Voters in 1998), who want to build a retaining wall around the Montauk lighthouse, to keep it from falling into the ocean. Surfrider contends it'll ruin the break and the terrific surfing around the Alamo, a popular spot for waves just around the lighthouse.
Well. I don't know about either of those claims. Walls are ugly, but Surfrider's answer: moving the lighthouse back 800 feet--is extremely costly.
Anyway, this post is not about that. This post is about a guy I know here who learned to surf not in California, not in Hawaii, not even in New Jersey, where I learned to surf, but in Maine.
Yes, that Maine. How cool is that? Fortunately for us Third-Coasters, Paul D'Amat0 has moved to Chicago, where he's teaching at Columbia College, and he's now surfing the great waves of the Great Lakes.
He's doing so right now, in fact. In a drysuit and booties. It's 37 degrees out there, and while it's marginally warmer in the waters of Lake Michigan, well, honey, I don't have a drysuit yet. So I'm not about to get out there in my swanky 5mm Ironman wetsuit to try this.
But Paul's promised me that sometime soon he'll find a place that rents drysuits and surfboards, and we's gonna go catch ourselves some fine waves.
I'll keep you posted.
Midwestern gripe of the day: Too cold and windy for a jog this morning. Also, no apartment rules stating that hardware floors must be covered by rugs or carpeting, so as to dampen noise of two enormously fat dogs with long toenails running about upstairs.

i must have caught a bug...

2006-11-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

...and it must be the running bug.

I mean, I've always been "a runner," meaning that it's kind of my default activity, but I'm nowhere near the runner I used to be. I used to log 8-minute miles and go eight miles at a stretch without blinking, and I used to run to work (and that was nine miles).

But I'm nowhere close to that now. Now, three times a week, Abby and I slog along at about a nine-and-a-half, ten-minute pace, and I think that might have to do with the fact that there's nothing interesting here to see.

So. I've booked myself a trip back to New York for the weekend of December 8-11, and I've also booked myself a race.

Is that weird? I don't think so, really. I mean, it's been a long time since I've actually run a road race, and it should be fun. I'm hoping I'll get a few friends to do it with me. And, in fact, I've never ever run a New York Road Runner's club race...the only race I've ever done in Central Park was the a biathlon, and I don't mean the shooting kind.

I've snowshoed, bouldered, scootered, climbed the trees, and even observed the luna moths in Central Park--but I've never run a road race.

So perhaps this is just my comeuppance.

Or maybe I just have weird ideas of what a vacation should be. But--let's put it this way. A 6.2 mile race should take me about an hour. Race starts at 9:30. So...look, at most, counting getting there, running the race, and showering afterwards, it's 2 hours out of my day.
Big whoopdeedoo. And I've got the whole day left afterwards to undo whatever exercise I've done that morning with a fine bowl of whole-milk cafe con leche at some Cuban cafe for brunch. :)

Now that's the way to vacation--n'est-ce pas?

Midwestern gripe of the day: Flatlands mean lots of space for wicked, cruel stormwinds that sweep around buildings, through alleys, and right smack into two enormous helium-filled mylar balloons shaped like a "3" and a "5" that yours truly was trying to get from car to bar for a birthday party this past weekend. Aside from almost losing a finger to tightening balloon strings, well, there is the little matter of lightning and how it likes metallic materials like...mylar.

Oh, I didn't get struck or anything--but it was scary enough to warrant a nice stiff Maker's Mark upon finally making it to the bar.

t minus 10..9..8..7..t6!

2006-11-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

I've been playing with my swank Suunto t6.
It's an awesome tool that eliminates, among other things, the need to actually go to the Gmaps pedometer that Rog posted earlier to chart out how far I've run (bonus Mid-Western Gripe of the Day for you: no sure way to measure how many blocks per mile), it also calculates for me what my speed is and puts that all in one neat chart so that I can check out how that correlates with my average heart rate.
Here's what happened on yesterday's 4-and-change-mile jaunt with my pal and upstairs neighbor Ms. Abi-ma-gail:

You can see that my heartrate, which is the top section of the graph, gradually climbs steadily over the course of the workout. It looks pretty steady, but it's not exactly where I want it to be--I'm up near 180 by the end of our run, which is pretty alarming for such a slow-tempo run (about a 10-minute mile pace).

My speed (the lower third of the graph) needs a lot of work, too--you can see that it's not very steady at all. The dips are where we stopped for major intersections/traffic lights.

Pros of this great tool? All of the above, plus, the thing is a lot smaller than the usual wrist top computers that are out there, which makes wearing it as a woman that much more plausible, as opposed to this entry from Polar, the AXN:

Yes, yes, it made me look uber-hip. But it caught on everything I wore and was, in general, a pain in the butt. The Suunto is a much better fit. Plus--it's totally intuitive. It's got five buttons, and one of them is a de facto "escape" key that either brings you right back to the time function or allows you to connect to your peripherals (the foot "POD," which measures distance and speed; your HR belt, which comes with the watch when you buy it; or your bike POD, which connects to your rear axel and allows you to measure your energy and distance output that way) right away.

The buttons aren't of the ilk that depress everytime the cuff of your coat bumps them, either, which means I won't suddenly confuse myself with being on EST when I'm still living CST.

The only real gripes I have about this tool is the fact that everything comes separately. Suunto's got an option now that they're calling the "dualthlon pack" where you get the foot pod, the bike pod, and the actual t6 itself in one package, which is a fairly good option--it takes a lot of the hassle out of things, particularly as a lot of the stores here in the midwest aren't stocking all of these components in one place.

When asked why not, I got an answer that will lead me handily into the true Midwest Gripe of the Day: there's no altitude here, so they don't think people will use the t6.

Which is just crazy talk. Why, you can plainly see from the middle third of my graph above that there's a whole whopping 20 feet of "elevation" in a neat 4-mile run. Sigh.

Fondly,
Your Miss Midwesterly

Bicycle Built for Nine Million Readers

2006-11-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

Today's New York Times Thursday Styles section revisits something they've already written about: high-end bicycles.

Here's how you know when a sport is about to take off like Starbucks in a area that's being "gentrified": you get two articles, about the exact same subject, in a half-year period. In this case, the Times can't seem to let go of the fact that yes, some people would spend anywhere between seven and ten thousand dollars for a bicycle.

My boy bought himself a custom-made titanium Moots in May, actually (yeah, right about the time that first article about this very same topic came out), and it's not something we really even blinked at. Part of the reason it was so expensive has to do with the fact that shipping the thing to races and bicycling venues became ridiculously expensive: did you know that it can cost up to $100 each way for you to fly your two-wheeled companion? So he sprang for a coupler, which allows his bike to come apart in the middle of the frame so he can pack it into a case the size of a regular suitcase. Fab. And well worth the effort.

As for my favorite newspaper, and the fact that it's both repetitive and behind the times? I offer this gentle chiding:

Dear Editors,

People paying an arm and a leg for things is nothing new. This is a fact that should be obvious to you, who regularly take advertising for offerings from J.P. Tod's, Manolo Blahnik, PINK, and Corcoran Real Estate. So why the "Golly gee, check these freaks out" tone?

More importantly, I'd like to note that this most recent article, which does, to be fair, note that "rich people like to buy cool things," especially in Manhattan, pays no attention to the fact that those of us who live on shoestring budgets will pony up for a nice piece of equipment. Not all people who buy cool things are rich, is what I'm getting at, and frankly, rich people buying toys that they'll be bored of in two weeks flat is nothing new, either.

You get what you pay for in a nice bike. And that guy who owns the custom bike shop that you mention? Yeah, the one that will serve you Courvoisier while you talk about your riding habits? Man, you can keep your Wall Street, closing-a-five-million-dollar-deal-after-I-get-my-bike-fitted clients. I'll take my grease-monkey, I-just-trued-my-own-wheels pals any day of the week. I've been to the stores you mention in your article--the ones you praise for their cleanliness, sharp design lines, and "customer service" (sip espresso while you shop! Have a balloon of Penfold's while I tell you about this bike!") and I gotta tell you: Neatness and organization in a bike shop is one thing. But sheer stupid snobbery is quite another.

I mean, for Pete's sake: It's a bike shop. Not Bungalow 8.

Finally, you're missing out on the real story. High-end delicate roadbikes are an easy target. The real challenge comes when you purchase a $10,000 mountain bike, which you will then take out onto the hill and beat the crap out of.

With utmost respect,

Your Miss Midwesterly

Ahem.

I leave you with the Midwestern Gripe of the Day:

I had to leave a lot behind when I left New York, over a year ago. I left behind sharp dressers, great art collections, big hills. a tight adventure-racing community. Here, everything seems...softer. Less hard-core.

Not so with some things. Witness the disaster that is my skin upon exiting last weekend's Orienteering meet.

Hello? Is anyone listening? When I said I wanted to take it all with me, I did not mean the briars and other prickly things that sprout all over the northeast woods.

'Til tomorrow, then.

Armchair Athlete Guest Editor

2006-11-09T00:18:00.000-05:00

Yep, I know I'm just back after a month hiatus, but I'm off again. Back to the motherland, cruising through Beijing and Shanghai, but I'm not going to leave you all hanging.

Instead, you'll have a guest editor in my absence. Yi Shun Lai, dedicated outdoors athlete and founder of the Adventure Racers for the Environment (ARFE) adventure racing team, will be taking over blogging duties while I'm away.

Yi Shun's originally from the New York area, but now makes her home in the Windy City, so you'll get some Midwest flavor in her posts. One of my distinct memories of Yi Shun is running alongside her in the inaugural High Rock Challenge in 2001. I noticed that she was tethered to her race partner when I passed her, and I thought to myself, "hardcore."

Shortly thereafter, she and her partner passed me again, and I proceeded to hallucinate, pass out, vomit, and ended up in the hospital for three days with rhabdomyolosis. I was much more armchair than athlete at that point in my life.

Be nice to her, and see y'all after Thanksgiving.

Shock The Monkey

2006-11-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

The picture above has been making the health rounds. It shows two rhesus monkeys roughly the same age. As you can see, the one on the left seems to be aging abit more gracefully than the one on the right. The difference between the two? Mr. Dignity on the left is on a "calorie-restricted diet", eating about half the calories of the slovenly primate on the right. An article in the NY Times states that this is proof that living on a calorie-restriction can do wonders for your health, as long as you still ingest the proper amount of vitamins and nutrients.

The monkeypic is pretty powerful, but it almost looks like those "Before/After" makeover shots - I bet some handler went in and ruffled up the fur of Mr. Saggy on the right just before they snapped the photo.

The article goes on to discuss the advantages seen in a calorie-restricted diet. In other animals, it has shown not only to extend life, but also prevent disease, and resistance to oxidation, heat and even radiation.

As compelling as this picture may be, the human picture wasn't as powerful:

This is Mike. Mike is 36, and has been on a calorie restricted diet for six years. He is 6', 135 pounds, and eats about 2000 calories a day. Mike is in the best health of his life. Mike also looks like a stiff wind would knock him out cold.

Given a choice, I think I would rather eat alittle more and look like the old ape at age 80 than Mike at age 36.

The article also discuss that as beneficial to other animals calorie restriction may be, in humans, it's "doomed to fail."

To quote Dr. Jay Phelan, evolutionary biologist, "“Have you ever tried to go without food for a day?” Dr. Phelan asked. “I did it once, because I was curious about what the mice in my lab experienced, and I couldn’t even function at the end of the day.”

Read the full article here.

Gear Of The Year Party

2006-11-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you in the New York area, Men's Journal just sent out their "Gear of the Year" party invite. I attended this last year, and although the gear presented was abit limited, there was free booze and a swag bag, so that made it mostly worth it. Plus, it's held at the Explorer's Club, which is a cool place to check out - lots of taxidermy and old skis on the walls.

The RSVP's get snapped up quickly, so be sure to call tout suite if you want to get on the list.

Marathon Celebreality

2006-11-06T13:19:00.000-05:00

Although Mr. Armstrong got all the publicity for this year's marathon, there were plenty of other current and former celebs plodding along the great 26.2. Due to my diligent sleuthing (read: Google), here are some other Knowns who ran yesterday, and their respective times:

Kim Alexis (above, left) - former supermodel and current wife of ex-Ranger Ron Duguay. First Marathon. Finish Time: 4:37.

Bobby Flay - Iron Chef America, owner of Mesa Grill, Bolo, and Bar Americaine in NYC. 2nd NYC Marathon. Finish Time: 4:10, almost identical to his 2002 marathon run. Flay has said his goal is to "run a sub4 some time while I'm in my 40's." Flay is 41.

Ed Viesturs - Mountaineer extraordinaire, first American to climb all 14 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. First Marathon. Finish Time: 3:15.

Tom Cavanagh - Actor, star of "Ed." First Marathon. Finish Time: 3:29.

Adam Graves - Former NY Ranger, part of the 94 Stanley Cup-winning team. First Marathon. Finish Time: 4:27.

Dean Karnazes - Ultramarathoner. First NYC Marathon. Finish Time: 3:00. Dean's accomplishment warrants a whole separate post, but his NYC debut marks the 50th, yes, fiftieth, marathon he has run in as many days. You read that right. Not only is he the fastest of this group (not including Lance), but leading up to Sunday's 26.2, he ran a total of 1283.8 miles over 49 days.

There were a few other celebs that said they were running, but are nowhere to be found in the database, including Hell's Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsay and former NY Ranger goalie Mike Richter. Maybe both bowed out because they felt there were already too many chefs and hockey players running this year.

And here's how not to end a race:

The Lance-Cam!

2006-11-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

One of the cooler features NBC has created for Armstrong's marathon appearance is the "Lance-Cam", a camera following Lance during his race, which you can watch right now at this link.

He's looking nice and perky right now at mile six, but from what I've read, Armstrong's longest run was one 16-miler, during which he developed shin splints. During the pre-race coverage, Lance had a poignant quote, "I've never felt so old as I have during my marathon training."

It'll be fun to watch the Cam at mile 20, once Big Yellow slams into the Wall.

Check out the Lance Cam here.

UPDATE: Sub3!

Lance finishes in about 30 seconds under three hours, reaching his announced goal of running a Sub 3. Shin splints plagued him throughout, and he clearly looked like he was pushing it in the final miles. He still looked pretty good, albeit spent, at the end.

There's a great post interview from Lance about his race experience. One sentence sums it up: “Even after experiencing one of the hardest days of the Tour, nothing has ever left me feeling this bad.” He went on to say that it was the "hardest physical thing I've ever done." Pretty amazing words for the 7-Time Tour winner, but I'm sure alot of it has to do with the incessant pounding and shin splints, which he didn't experience on the bike.

Check out the full interview here.

Hallelujah

2006-11-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

Thank God. It's been some time since my last update, much to the chagrin of you all. Although there were several different reasons for my summer disappearance, the primary one was my month of real estate hell.

I decided to outpace the bursting real estate bubble, sell my apartment and purchase a new one. For any of you thinking about doing the same in a three month period, I would suggest that you avoid it if at all possible. The dual transaction stress knocked me for a loop on so many levels, I've stopped counting my derailed plans - this blog being one of them, the DC Marathon being another.

What a royal pain in the ass. At the start, it seemed like it would be fairly smooth sailing - after the first week on the market, I had three offers on the place. Sure enough, four days after accepting the offer, the buyer backed out, which we discovered when he failed to show up for the scheduled inspection. When we went back to the other two offers, both also backed out. Welcome to New York Real Estate. The buyers we finally found were also so paranoid about every aspect of the apartment, I kept waiting for that call informing me that they were dropping out of the deal.

Buying the new apartment was a whole other stress bomb. It was basically playing "Beat the Clock" in closing on the new place, since we needed the money from the sale to fund the purchase. At one point in my life, I was carrying three mortgages - my old place, my new place, and the bridge loan I needed to finance my new purchase.

Finally, all three deals are complete, and now we're settling in and I'm decorating like a Queer Eye. Hopefully this means that I'll be back to form on the blog, for at least a week until I'm off to China later this week.

Thanks for hanging in. Marathon Sunday posts to follow!

In Chubbiness or in Health...

2006-09-22T14:22:00.000-04:00

After some work travel, I'm finally catching up with some posts. Here's an article that appeared in the Times a couple of weeks ago that raised the question - Do fitness buffs mind if they're partners are lazy bums? The final answer - yes.

The article examines whether people who make working out and exercise a big part of their off-hours gravitate to other like-minded folks, and whether couples with different exercise habits can get along.

You gotta love the quotes sprinkled through the piece. Describing one thirty-something whose wife rollerblades and lifts,

"Mr. Sacks, 35, an entrepreneur who is helping to start BizSanDiego magazine, agreed that he should exercise to get his mind off work, but he said he prefers to unwind watching “Road Rules.”

Man, at least pick a decent show to veg out with. The wife and I were also watching this show where the husband said to the wife "I wish you were more physically active." (Translation: move that keister!)

Ultimately, I think the article got it right - there's no way you're gonna "force" someone to exercise more - be it a spouse, girl/boyfriend, or relative - ya gotta want it yourself.

Check out the full article here.

Gotham Born Killers

2006-09-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

Did you always dream of a career as an assassin-for-hire, but couldn't resist the temptations of PowerPoint decks and Flavia machine coffee? 150 like-minded New Yorkers will get to live out their suppressed-shot fantasy for three weeks when StreetWars starts on Monday.

The rules are pretty simple. Get the dossiere on your target. Kill. As far as weapons are concerned, you'll have to keep the garrote and switchblade at home. Only water-based weapons - balloons, handguns, and "supersoakers" are allowed. I noticed they said "water-based" weapons, but they didn't say it had to be filled with water. Heh.

I remember participating in something similar in college, and there was all this talk about "Oh, Roger's gonna go balls-out. Roger's gonna climb in through windows..." I lasted about 10 minutes after the opening bell. Can't say it was all my fault, there was some conspiracy amongst my floormates, but hey, all's fair. Can't say I wasn't completely pissed and ready to tear my killer's head off though.

This is the third year of StreetWars in New York, and I'm amazed that they can keep the lunatic fringe out of the event. This is directly addressed in one of the questions in the FAQ: What is your process for screening out overzealous freaks? Damn straight. I would also give anything to know where they will be handing out the dossieres, since they encourage disguise-wearing to hide your identity. I would go dressed like this.

Although registration is closed, keep track of the butcher's bill on the StreetWars blog.

Oakley's Asian Persuasion

2006-09-14T12:55:00.000-04:00

My buddy DJ Volitans brought this to my attention last night, and I didn't know if I should be flattered or offended. Oakley, in its infinite R&D wisdom, has released a modification to its popular Half Jacket sunglasses suitable for the Asian face.

It seems that Oakley has determined that the skeletal structure of the Asian skull makes it such that a special version of the Half Jackets needed to be developed, catering to the percentage asians that desire comfortable lenses, but still want to look like a badass operator.

As you can imagine, the Asian PC crowd is rattling its sabers. I haven't actually heard much in the mainstream news about this issue, but DJ V did forward me some message board chats, drawing parallels if other products developed "racially-specific versions." Chapstick - African fit, and so forth.

The interesting thing about this is, I have first hand experience with the issue Oakley is trying to solve. I actually owned a pair of Half Jackets for years, and liked them. But I did experience a problem each time I ran with them. Every time I would reach the strenuous hill in Prospect Park, my Half Jackets would fog up. I finally determined that it was partially due to the shape of my face, which is probably flatter than a typical Caucasian face. The lenses would in effect, almost seal around my eyes, causing the fogging. I actually wrote about this previously on the blog as well.

So, should I be offended or flattered by Oakley's decision to modify its products based on race, particularly since I experienced problems with the original version that Oakley hopes to remedy?

For now, I'll stick with my North Face lenses and be done with it.

9/11

2006-09-11T13:22:00.000-04:00

My apologies for the lack of blogging. Not only have I been completely preoccupied with a new apartment, but as 9/11 approaches every year, I find myself in a bit of a funk up until that day. It's hard to explain, and not exactly tangible, but as the anniversary draws closer, I feel dreary and maudlin. Then on 9/12, things seem to brighten up again.

I was reviewing my own blog to see if I posted anything last year on 9/11, and I didn't, purposely ignoring the anniversary, I gather.

I was at work at 8:30 that day at my offices at 3 NY Plaza, about seven blocks from the Towers. The office was still pretty empty, when my coworker turned to me and said "A plane hit the World Trade Center!" The first thought that came to me was "Geez, some drunk, rich bastard slammed his Cessna into the Tower." Things were still abit unclear as to what exactly was happening for a short while. I even recall pulling up Ebay's site, and some sick freaks were already selling souvenirs like "Paper from WTC Crash", I shit you not. Then the 2nd plane hit, and all hell broke loose.

I'll always remember that no communications systems worked except AOL Instant Messenger. My roommate at the time was still at home, and she was on my computer, relaying what she was seeing on CNN. When she told me the South Tower just fell, I didn't believe her. I asked her "Are you sure?" as if she would lie about something like that - then my offices, which were encased in glass, turned black as midnight.

It was then we realized that being surrounded by glass may not be the best idea, so we headed down to an internal conference room. Although perhaps safer, it was horribly claustrophobic. And with no more internet, we felt completely helpless and hopeless. Then came the rumors. "A plane hit the White House!" "The Pentagon has been hit!" "There are two more planes on the way!" It was nightmarish.

Finally, when the Towers were in ruins and the dust began to settle, I made the trek back over the Manhattan bridge back to Brooklyn. There was a collective sense of shock in all the pedestrians making their way back into the borough, but also a friendliness and kindness among the crowd. I passed Methodist hospital, where people were lined up to donate blood that would never be used for rescue.

I finally made it home, and debated throwing out my shoes, which were covered in pulverized concrete and soot.

People often talk about how they were before 9/11, and how they are now. Although my life did not significantly change pre and post tragedy, I feel like a different person. A better person. A person who realizes that life can be determined by deciding to walk North as opposed to East.

And that life is way too short to not catch some gnarly powder, shred up singletrack, or feel that luscious surge of post-race endorphins every chance I get.

Nike Half Marathon - The Revenge

2006-08-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

The good news, I was able to finish the Nike Half Marathon without needing to stop and walk. The bad news, I was slow as hell. As I posted before, I was hoping to average a 10m/mile pace. I averaged 10:19m/mile. I could blame it on the rain, but honestly the weather helped more than hurt my efforts. If the weather wasn't cool as it was, and if the course wasn't as forgiving as it was, I would have been in for a tough time. Luckily, both were merciful.

Given that I've dumped all over Nike more than once on this blog, I'm humble enough to applaud them for putting on a kickass race. The course was awesome - one tough Central Park loop, then smooth and flat for the remaining 7.1 miles. It was also tremendously exhilarating to run through Times Square again - harkening back to the same feelings I felt during the full NY Marathon, but not having to endure an additional 13.1 miles of pain.

Once again, Nike proves itself to be the king of race swag. In addition to the customized shirts I wrote about, Nike gave each of us a medal at the end, which will go into my cherished "box o' running crap.'

This was a big race for me. I truly was skeptical that I would be able to gut it through the entire race, given my horrible training and the fact that it's my comeback race after the injury. Running is as much of a mental game as it is physical, and finishing this race gave me a huge mental boost, making me believe that with abit more training and prep, I can get back to my old race times.

Now it's a matter of getting back to 8:14.

Run Like Hell

2006-08-25T20:26:00.000-04:00

I'm running my first road race since my hamstring accident almost a year ago, and go figure, I pick a half marathon. For the first time in my years of running, I'm nervous about a road race. I didn't have this anxiety before the full marathon, mostly because I knew I was well prepared. My running schedule this year, however, has been sporadic at best, and I've come nowhere near the 13.1 distance that I'll be slogging through on Sunday.

My hope is to maintain a 10m/mile pace - a minute off my time last year of 9m/mile, and an eternity away from my PR of 8:21/mile. Dammit! I'm debating after this race on getting some professional coaching to get me back to my pre-injury form. I'll probably get left in the dust by my friend John, who I wrangled into running this race with me, and was at least 90 seconds in front of me for our Sunday 3.3 miler.

In preparation for Sunday, here's my plan:

- No alcohol for the next three days
- Higher carb meals - it's all about the couscous
- No spicy foods - Thai peppers can kill your stomach on race day
- 1-2 Powerbars for breakfast on race morning
- 4-6 Gel packs throughout the race

The course itself should be a fun one - it's the 6-mile loop in Central Park, then makes its way through the streets of New York.

I picked up the swag bag tonight as well. Not too bad, your standard coupons and booklets, plus a decent Nike dri-fit. One of the cooler stands at the pickup was the "Personalize Your Shirt" station: Nike will allow you to personalize your race shirt with any 15 character phrase you like. The station did say that "Profanity And Inappropriate Language is Not Allowed." I imagine any reference to sweatshops is frowned upon.

I'll be recapping on Monday.

Go Take A Powder

2006-08-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

You would think that with all the food I jam into my maw, I would be getting the sufficient amount of protein each day. After doing a quick analysis, it turns out I'm not. By the end of the day, I was probably getting about 50-60 grams of protien, most of that coming from dinner. What I should be getting is about 150-170 gms, if you go by the 1gm/1lb of body weight (as you can see, I'm not counting my jigglefat.) Granted, the 1gm/1lb may be alot, as this ratio is mostly used by athletes and bodybuilders who train a least an hour a day. I do notice, however, that when I up my protein intake, my recovery time decreases, particularly after those horrible long runs.

The real question is, how does one get all this protein into the system? 150 grams of protein is equivalent to eight 4oz. chicken breasts. Since my stomach and my wallet can't handle that much bird, it makes sense to hit the protein powder circuit. This is where the confusion begins.

Whey, casein or soy? With carbs or no carbs? Tastes like crap/Doesn't taste like crap? So many choices. Men's Journal helps to decipher the choices with a protein powder overview.

I've written about my love for the Labrada protein bars previously, so I'd be tempted to give the powder a shot. I have also heard that a combo powder of whey/casein is the best, as it combines the fast absorption of whey with the slower burn of casein.

Taste is a whole other issue. I've probably tossed an acre's worth of powder in the trash during my lifetime because I just couldn't force it down. One tip I follow - don't pick the strawberry flavor. At best, it tastes like Pepto. At worst, it reminds me of the powder my grade school janitor used when someone upchucked his Nilla wafers.

Check out the Men's Journal Powder review here.

The Video Dojo

2006-08-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

Someone at the Times has decided to write articles that appeal to a very small demographic, aka me. I find it hilarious that they've written quite a few articles on survival schools, ultimate fighting, and zombies for chrissakes.

The latest - streetfighting videos. In the Sunday Times, they covered proliferation of self defense videos with titles like "Anatomy of a Street Fight", "Barbaric Biting", and "Brutal Head Bustin Secrets." Along with the growth in popularity of Ultimate Fighting in the past 4-5 years, this industry has also exploded. You'll see the advertising sprinkled throughout your typical male magazines with advertising copy that reads "Learn What The KGB, CIA, Delta Force, and FEMA Don't Want You To Know About Taking A Man Down!"

It's a hilarious evolution of the old Charles Atlas "Don't get sand kicked in your face" ad technique, as it seems most of the consumers of these vids are mild mannered, regular schmoes who want to be "ready for anything." Even if anything never happens, especially when you're sitting in your TV room six nights a week.

As much as I was into the Paladin Press library of survival/anarchy, I knew well enough to steer clear of these videos for several reasons. One, I didn't have the money; two, I knew it was a bunch of hype. As the Times points out:

...despite the promise of exotic fighting methods from around the world, most street fighting videos boil down to the same handful of moves: foot stomps, larynx jabs, eye flicks, crushing elbow blasts, shin kicks and head butts, which are delivered ruthlessly upon a thuggish looking cast of soon-to-be vanquished aggressors.

That's not to say they aren't effective. Give me a well placed thumb in the eye over a spinning roundhouse any day.

Check out the full article here.

Quick Inside Man Change

2006-08-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

I caught Inside Man on DVD this weekend. Although I thought it was a nice, crisp heist flick, I couldn't help being reminded of one of my other favorite heist pictures, Quick Change. On some of the DVD extras, Spike talks about homages to other films of the genre, the most obvious being Dog Day Afternoon. For those of you who know the Murray film though, the similarities are obvious.

Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who noticed this. NPR made this observation as well when Inside Man first was released. The coolest thing is that they recognize Quick Change as the underrated masterpiece it is.

Check out the NPR clip here. Bluftone.

It's Hard Out There For An MMA Pimp

2006-08-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks to alot of 18-34 males, another season of the Ultimate Fighter is upon us. This season's abit different from the previous. Instead of a group of new, untested fighters UF4 is featuring a group of journeymen martial artists that have made the MMA rounds, but never quite made it to a title shot. Included in this group is Shonie Carter, the self proclaimed MMA Pimp, who came dressed for the occasion on the first show. Not only the pimp of the group, but at age 34, also the old man.

It should be an interesting season - although you lose part of the learning experience from the other seasons, there's more of a sense of urgency with these fighters. For most of them, this is their final shot at making a real name for themselves or eeking by and hustling fights here and there. The training sessions were good as usual, filled with box jumps and ball pushups.

Prior to the season opener, Spike also showed Ultimate Fight Night Live. The highlight of the night, UF 1's Diego Sanchez' fight against Karo Parisyan. Here's a nice little howdyado from the fight:

Offroad Geek Squad

2006-08-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

Here's a tip for the makers of Segway: if you're looking to appeal to the outdoor sect, don't model it with a chubby nerd in a bowler helmet.

Segway just announced a new version their famed scooter, the X2. I'm assuming the X stands for "Xtreme Adventure", or "Xtremely Embarrassing." The monster truck version of the original Segway, this version has huge, knobby tires, sturdier fenders, and travels a max speed of 12 miles per hour - faster than I can run, but slower than I can ride. Regardless, you'll probably beat everyone because they'll be doubled over from laughter.

In actuality, the X2 version mods look pretty cool, but that picture above is painful - the look in the model's eyes shows you that even he thinks he looks ridiculous. I'm not sure that can be helped, though, as every person I've seen on one - celebrity, civilian, or law enforcement - looks like he should have a slide rule in his back pocket.

More on the X2 here.

For That Deep Down Body Burst

2006-08-10T14:23:00.000-04:00

Another reminder that we live in some f'd up times. A major terror plot was foiled today involving Islamic Radicals smuggling explosives onto planes, and planning to detonate these devices as they approached the US from Britain.

Evidently, the explosives were composed of a gel-like substance (read: napalm) combined with a British energy drink. The detonators were supposedly crafted from an MP3 player. Currently, noone is allowed to carry on any luggage onto flights from Heathrow to the US. There's going to be a run on those hotel soaps and shampoos.

How this factors in to those 11 missing Egyptian students, time will tell. How this factors into my own travels next week for business, time will also tell, but I know one thing - leave the napalm at home.

UPDATE: It looks like they've caught six of the 11 students, none of whom are connected to the British plot, but ABCNews has revealed some pretty detailed information about the explosives that were to be used:

The suspected terror plotters arrested in Britain had planned to conceal their liquid or gel explosives inside a modified sports beverage drink container and trigger the device with the flash from a disposable camera. ...The plotters planned to leave the top of the bottle sealed and filled with the original beverage but add a false bottom, filled with a liquid or gel explosive. The terrorists planned to dye the explosive mixture red to match the sports drink sealed in the top half of the container. This, they thought, would ensure that they would be able to pass through security -- even if they were asked to unseal and drink the beverage.

Men's Health Urbanathlon - October 1st

2006-08-09T10:48:00.000-04:00

Registration opens today for the first annual Men's Health NY Urbanathlon - an eclectic mix of running, obstacle courses, stair climbing, and a rope wall at locations around the city. Looks like a pretty fun event, and with a entrant cap of only 1000 people, it should be a frenetic event to try to register.

The total course will be 10 miles, so it's not for your couch potato sect. Plus, the various events sound both exhilarating and daunting:

- Urban Agility Course in Central Park
- Run Along the Hudson River
- The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Challenge
- POWERade OPTION™ Obstacle Course at Chelsea Piers
- Stair Climb at a 7 World Trade Center
- Rope Wall at Pier 54

I'm tempted to register, but I'm also fearful that I'll run out of gas during one of the events and have to humiliatingly drop out. As long as I don't fall off the rope wall, I'll be fine. You can also register as a relay team of three, so you don't have to endure the pain completely on your own.

Registration opens at 12pm ET. Register at this link.

Here's To You, Mr. Robinson

2006-08-08T22:07:00.000-04:00

Score one for the older guys. At the Summer X Games this past weekend, Kevin Robinson won the inaugural BMX Big Air event. It was his second gold of the games, his first coming from Friday's BMX Best Vert Trick when he landed the sports first "double flair." Yeah, I had to look up all these terms too.

The LA Times interviewed Kevin about his diet and workout routine, and surprisingly, the guy is pretty disciplined. This is probably the biggest misconception of X Games athletes - that they're all ganga-smokin, laid-back slackers. Kevin lifts weights six days a week, rides 2-3 hours a day and doesn't drink. He also limits his carbs after 5pm at night.

Like many X Gamers, he's broken quite a few bones. 17, to be exact. In Kevin's words:

I have broken my ankle, my leg, my wrist and my pelvis. I have shattered my pelvis twice. That is the worst.

Check out the full interview here.

And just so you can be in the know, here's the double flair:

New York State of Marathon Mind

2006-08-08T10:50:00.000-04:00

It's reassurring to know that a marathon has the potential to kick anyone's ass, even someone who runs 140 miles a week. An article in the NY Times details the training regimen of Deena Kastor, Olympic bronze medalist and winner of the London Marathon this past April. Deena divulges alittle psych trick she uses during her marathons:

“I break it up into eight sections because there are eight water-bottle stops,” she said. Each time she passes a water station, grabbing her bottle and gulping down her drink, she counts down how many stations are left. It helps with the mental stress of a marathon, she said. Even for her, someone who routinely runs 20 to 24 miles as part of her training, marathons are hard. Every time, there are miles when she thinks she simply cannot continue, Kastor said. “I have to convince myself, ‘This is going to pass,’ ” she said.

But unlike mere mortals, Kastor has crazy genetics. Her heart is a normal size, unlike Lance Armstrong, who's got a bowling ball in his chest. However, her VO2 max, an indicator of endurance, is twice that of a normal woman her age. It's so high that David Martin, an exercise physiologist at Georgia State University, that it would rank “with the highest that have ever been measured.”

Genetics only go so far in a crowd of elites, so Kastor also trains like a madwoman. The article details her regimen in surprising detail:

- Morning warmup: One-mile jog.
- Tuesday morning, fast one-mile repeats
- Wednesday morning, two-hour run
- Thursday morning, two-mile repeats
- Friday morning, “an easy 10 to 12 miles.”
- Every evening, four to six miles.

Check out the full article here.

AA: Weekend Steroid Edition

2006-08-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

The rabbit died. It's not looking so good for Floyd now, as the B-sample test came back as a positive, confirming that Landis has failed a drug test on the Tour. As a result, Floyd will probably be stripped of the title, which will be awarded to the runner up, Oscar Pereiro of Spain.

It's been a very ugly 2006 Tour. Not since 1998 when the entire Festina team was disqualified after drugs and doping supplies were found in their car has the Tour been stained so heavily with the scent of drugs.

Landis continues to tow the party line and deny any use of banned substances. Unfortunately, his team, Phonak, doesn't have his back. Within an hour of the results, the Phonak PR machine was rolling. According to a statement on its website:

Landis will be dismissed without notice for violating the team’s internal Code of Ethics. Landis will continue to have legal options to contest the findings. However, this will be his personal affair and the Phonak team will no longer be involved in that.

Ouch.

This is going to be a tough road for Landis, but it looks like he'll go the way of Tyler Hamilton, unfortunately. At least he'll have some time to recover from hip surgery. Like, forever.

Freak Fitness - August 5th

2006-08-04T11:54:00.000-04:00

Not feeling much like exercising in the NY heat? Go watch someone else do it this weekend. And not just any old schmoe, but Paddy Doyle, the "World's Fittest Man" who'll be attempting to set his 133rd fitness record on Saturday, August 5th at Gleason's Gym.

Here are just a handful of Paddy's records:

- 7,860 nonstop pushups
- 470 burpees in 15 minutes (one per 1.9 seconds)
- fighting 10 different "world kumite karate" boxers in a nonstop 110-round fight, winning 60 rounds and losing only 47.

That last one is abit suspect, cause as any watcher of the UFC knows, any fighter worth his salt can knock out an opponent with a single, well-placed punch on the button.

On Saturday, Paddy will be trying to set records in five events in five hours: Step-ups on a 12" bench while carrying a 40 lb. pack, treadmill distance carrying a 40 lb. pack, stationary cycle distance with no resistance, 10meter shuttle runs carrying two 20 lb. weights, standing 30 lb. chest presses.

If that isn't enough excitement for you, the Great Throwdini will also be in attendance! What more could you possibly ask for on a Saturday morning?

Festivities start at 9am, click here for Gleason's address.

Thanks to Thrillist for this tip.

Pitching A Tent

2006-08-03T21:17:00.000-04:00

It had to happen - America's obsession with "bigger is better" has translated into the camping industry. Camping as an activity is increasing in popularity over the past few years for several reasons - it's simple and cheap. But most want to transfer the comforts of home to the outdoors, thus the advent of the McTent - as the NY Times as coined the term in a recent article.

These are shelters that aren't for the fastpacking or backpacking type - these are 10-20 pound behemoths that have amenities like indoor lighting, vestibules for wet gear storage, and more room than your average Manhattan studio.

Although these types of tents are specifically targeted to the "Car Camp" crowd, of which I'm a member, even I see these monstrosities as excessive. My own tent, a simple 2-person model from EMS, is just large enough not to feel claustrophobic, but small enough to set up by myself if need be. It's bad enough that the hardcore crowd snicker at the drivethrough campers, so you may as well truly try to "rough it" as much as you can tolerate.

Regardless, the Times did a nice review of some of these higher end tents, one of the more interesting being the Eureka featured above, which contains a solar unit that illuminates the tent in the evening. Nice idea, but according to the reviewers, the light isn't strong enough for reading, which is the whole point of having any light inside your tent beyond a penlight.

Check out the McTent review here.

Spit Take

2006-07-31T20:21:00.000-04:00

I had to give a presentation today. As it was fairly last minute, supposed to be given by a VP, and in front of a group of 50, I think I did pretty well. Public speaking has never been a big deal for me, as long as I'm prepped and can work from a script, as I'm a terrible ad-libber. One thing annoyed me though, the spit takes.

I'm sure other people have experienced this, as I've seen it in action, although primarily on stage. You're on a roll, going through your speech or your deck, and in the process, you notice a tiny fleck of spittle launch from your mouth in a graceful arc toward your audience. Hopefully, you're standing far enough away that there are none that receive the benefit of your uncontrolled globule.

Now, if this occurs during a one on one meeting, I typically apologize and move on, as the launched globule is so clearly obvious. But in a presentation, I was torn. I thought to myself, "Noone really saw that, given the distance. I'll just move along." But then, paranoia set in. "Did that manager just laugh at me? Cripes, did I just do it again? Maybe I should take a drink of water...No, fool! That'll make it worse!"

In the end, I moved along, and figured if it was a real issue, I'd see it in the feedback forms. "Unwarranted expectorant should be controlled."

Fat Cyclist

2006-07-28T16:16:00.000-04:00

I rarely pitch other athletic blogs on the AA, mostly because I'm an arrogant bastard and think alot of them are crap. Fat Cyclist isn't one of them. Here are three reasons why:

- Cool logo with the word "Fat" in the title.

- He gives away bikes and stuff.

- Clearly a better writer than me.

Case in point, here's his description of why armchair athletes, fatties, and slow people race:

Why Do Slow People Race?
Saturday, I was one of the slow people. Which means I had time to think long and hard about why people who have no chance of winning or even finishing in the top half, race at all. Are we trying to build character? Are we amassing stories to tell our grandchildren? Is it because we feel the need to be punished? All of those are partially correct, but the main answer is: slow people race hoping that this day we will magically turn into fast people.
But we don’t.

On a separate, but related, cycling note, some AA readers have been clamoring for me to comment on Landis' A-sample positive test for Testosterone. I'm purposely waiting until the B-sample comes back to see if they tear that yellow jersey right off his back, or Floyd's still sitting pretty. Time will shortly tell. Right now, he's only guilty of wearing an ugly hat at his press conference.

Check out Fat Cyclist here.

Beating The Heat

2006-07-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

It's hot. Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot. And it ain't the dry heat, so in this heat and humidity, the only direction I feel like running is towards the bar for a gin and tonic. I've been plodding my way on the gym treadmill trying to get some miles in, while my buddy JDH nearly passed out from the heat during a 5am run. It could be worse, though. Instead of six miles, you could be running 26, which is precisely what runners will have to do for the World Championships in Osaka in 2007 and the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

So what is the optimal running temperature, and how do you deal when it's not? According to a great article in the Times, 54 degrees provides the best temperature for a fast marathon, and every seven degrees above that contributes an extra minute plus to your best time. Running in the heat and humidity is always brutal, and the article details two ways to beat it - one is pretty commonplace, the other isn't. Moderate your food intake, and glycerin load.

Let's focus on the wierd one. When it's humid out, your sweat doesn't evaporate easily, so your body sweats even more, forcing you to lose more fluid. You can bank some of that water by using glycerin loading. According to the article, the technique "exploits the unusual properties of glycerin, a thick, gooey sugar alcohol that is sold in drugstores as a lubricant. Each molecule of glycerin absorbs three molecules of water. During a race, the body uses the glycerin for energy. And every time the body metabolizes a molecule of glycerin, “it unleashes three molecules of water."

Now when I think of glycerin, I think of two things - soap and suppositories. Neither of which I want to put in my mouth. But if it's as hot for the NY Half Marathon as it is now, I'll try anything to keep from being roadkill. Glycerin loading is suggested for distances of Half Marathons or more, so maybe I'll give it a try during a long run.

Check out the full Times article on glycerin loading here.

The Loneliness of the Long Business Runner

2006-07-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

I don't do a heckuva lot of business travel, but when I do, I try to use the opportunity to get in as much gym time as I can. I almost enjoy training on the road more than at home, as the distractions are at a minimum (one can only watch so much hotel porn.) One of the hassles though is making sure I remember to pack all my gear - did I remember my nonchafing shorts, I hope I packed that dri-fit, etc.

Puma has devised a cool system that can help the weary road warrior keep his gym gear together, in one place, ready to go. Called the Train Away, it's specifically marketed to athletes who find themselves training on the road more often than at home. The system combines a windbreaker that contains pockets to store your shorts, top, and sneakers, which all ties up into a neat little bundle. One excellent little feature is a slot on their sneakers where you can actually store your hotel keycard - now that's clever. I don't think it's enough to make me trade in my Sauconys, but if you're not a heavy mileage runner, these dogs will probably do you fine.

Puma's micro-site for the system is pretty cool. Not only does it have videos demonstrating the system, but they've also teamed up with SoundWalk and produced some mp3's for indoor and outdoor running in Berlin, London, New York, and Paris. The New York version features Zoe Cassavettes (?) and running coach Toby Tanser, and highlights the Reservoir Run in Central Park. The catch? You only get the code for the downloads if you buy the Train Away, or you pay ten bucks for each city. I think I'll stick to my Gladiator soundtrack.

Puma's also partnered with the W hotels to provide some more swag for its guests. Plus, if you stay at W New York, they'll loan you an Ipod Shuffle preloaded with the New York guide. I gather that they're not too concerned with people running off with the Ipods - if you're paying $500 a night for the W, you probably won't sweat the dinky Shuffle. But you never know, I've known people who steal hotel toilet paper.

Check out the Train Away site here.

Gritty Boy Floyd

2006-07-24T19:18:00.000-04:00

So, how soon until I see Phonak jerseys zipping by me in the Park? American Floyd Landis rode with champagne on the Champs on Sunday, picking up where Lance left off and making himself only the third American to win the Tour de France.

As I mentioned before, America loves a winner, but adores a champion who overcomes the seemingly insurmountable odds and fights through the pain to win. Landis achieved both in this Tour. Many had counted him out when he dropped to 11th place and eight minutes off the leader after stage 16. Floyd battled back to slash the deficit and eventually regain the lead. Impressive, most impressive.

Even more impressive when considering the fact that Floyd has the hip of an 80-year old woman. A few weeks ago before the start of the Tour, the NY Times Magazine featured an article on Landis and his nagging hip injury. It's quite amazing that Floyd is even walking, much less riding. To quote the article, the ball of Landis’s hip "has withered and collapsed, resulting in bone that his doctors liken to a chunk of rotten wood, a sunbaked desert and a half-melted scoop of ice cream." Ew. Cycling's nonimpact nature and Landis' high tolerance for pain is the only way he has survived the decimation of his bones. Floyd will probably undergo hip replacement surgery now that the Tour is over, which means that his career will be up in the air. He probably realized this, which contributed to his tenacious drive this season.

There's an unbelievable quote from Dr. David Chao, Landis' orthopedic surgeon as well as team physician for the San Diego Chargers. "This is the hip of a guy who, if he were just a weekend warrior, would have problems with everyday living. But to be a top athlete? Where a 1 percent performance loss is a big deal? No way.”

Remind me to think of that every time I bitch about my sore hamstring.

It Ain't Over Till It's Over

2006-07-20T12:22:00.000-04:00

The official Rocky Balboa trailer has been released, and like a rainbow trout, I'm hooked. I can be pretty cynical and snarky about movies, but there's just something about hearing that theme song again that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a big fan of the first three in the series, particularly III, even though it has alot of 80s cheese, but the last two just lost me - too much flag waving, Reaganism and bad acting.

I like the fact that they're directly addressing Rocky's age in this one, and how ludicrous the situation is, but making the best of it. You also gotta love the ESPN virtual boxing incorporated into the film - I imagine that's used to hook the younger sect. At first I wasn't impressed with Balboa's opponent in this one, but thinking about it more, it makes sense. Not only is Tarver a real boxer, but he feels like a real opponent, not like some caricature of one like Mr. T or Drago.

Plus, I love seeing Duke back, he's one of the coolest supporting actors in the series.

Sly's gonna get my money, come December.

Murder by Mountain

2006-07-19T12:30:00.000-04:00

Part of the enjoyment for armchair athletes in participating in cycling and running events is the ability to perform along the same routes as those of the pros. As much as you like football and play with your mates, you most likely won't ever toss the pigskin at Giants Stadium in front of 30,000. As a runner you can plod along the same course, on the same day, with the same cheering crowd as Meb Keflezighi. As a cyclist, you can pedal along the same routes as Lance, Floyd, and Tyler.

But what happens when ordinary joes meet the same race challenges that the pros face? A hilarious article in Slate chronicles one such experience when Andrew Tillin rides in the Étape du Tour, which mimics Stage 15 of the Tour de France - a 119 mile route that finishes with a climb up the L'Alpe d'Huez. As much as the TV announcers try to describe what the pros are experiencing during this stage, Tillin puts it succinctly. L'Alpe d'Huez will kill you.

From Andrew's description, this is an event made for armchair athletes - 7,500 30-40 somethings donning tight spandex and straddling expensive rides. His description of said athletes once they hit the mountain is amusing and eye-opening:

There's carnage everywhere. Some riders are sitting in the melted snow runoff that comes cascading down the mountain. Others have their heads between their legs. One is puking. Another cries and gets consolation from a spectator-turned-psychotherapist. "You can still finish!" I hear her say as I creep by.

You can't blame the riders too much - these are regular guys, and this is not a regular mountain. As Tillin notes, "the climb up L'Alpe is so steep that Tour de France organizers don't rate its difficulty—these 10, 11, and 12 percent gradients are 'beyond classification'."

It's humbling when you realize that even though you don that Discovery jersey, throw on the Special Forces backpack, or slip on those compression tights, your heart is not the size of a honeydew melon.

Still, it's fun to pretend.

Check out the full Slate article here.

Summer Snow Cone

2006-07-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

As you baste in your own sweat in the 100 degree heat, contemplate that dudes are still ripping down lines and nailing Mctwists in the halfpipe at Mount Hood, Oregon. Along with Whistler in Canada, Mount Hood is the only other place in North America that has year-round skiing and boarding, and has been a destination for pros like Danny Kass and Gretchen Bleiler during the summer months for more than a decade.

The NY Times featured an article about the Hood, and the summer boarding activities going on this month. It's become a more formal event, with sponsorships and tournaments and the like, but it still has a chilled out summer vibe, with barbecues and suntanning interspersed with the riding. There are also a couple of summer camps, Windells and High Cascade, that host more than 2,000 participants combined each during these months, including 200 riders from Japan.

The temperatures can rise above the 70 degree mark during the summer at Mount Hood, which means it's all about the t-shirts as you're taking your lines. I have yet to board in such warm weather, but there have been times when a hoodie was all I needed, which is immensely refreshing compared to the burrito-bundling you normally have to endure.

Think 'cool' and check out the Times article on Mt. Hood here.