Thank You, Bill
It took a random sighting on a dear friend's blog to prompt me to post before tomorrow's day of reckoning. That's when I'll get the final verdict on my foot injury after already receiving two other, confusing opinions. This time it's a sports medicine specialist with great credentials who is outside my HMO network.
But back to folks who are within my network -- of friends, that is. A former colleague recently launched a very personal blog about his battle with OCD, and gave me a nice mention in a post on his work history. I know runners like to joke about their OCD-like tendencies with training, but after you read Bill's posts, you'll realize it's nothing to kid about -- and if you recognize yourself in what he says, please consider professional help.
The OCD Diaries
And speaking of Web sites, I wanted to note two running-related ones that vendors recently brought to my attention.
The Clymb. This is a members-only price club on athletic gear that at the moment is being very generous with membership. Here's what Kevin at The Clymb had to say about the site: "We've created a private sale network for an amazing array of outdoor, bike and ski/snow brands. Our deal is you accept our free invitation to join and we give you insider prices, usually 50-70% off retail, on gear from one of our partner brands. We'll have a new brand each week, and the product will be available for 3 days or until it is sold out." I've gone in and found the pricing is really good on top-notch gear; right now it's for snowboarders but in two more days, who knows what will be featured. If you're interested in more, you can check out The Clymb's inspirational blog or, to receive an invite, contact me or Kevin.
AudioFuel. This site has a UK email address, but I swear the coach's accent in the piece I listened to ("On the Beach") was Aussie or Kiwi. Anyway, this one is pretty cool if you like to work out to music. Specially designed audio downloads of varying lengths include electronica-like music and, at least in some instances, coaching instructions as you run. You can check out a free sample here. I also listened to some of the samples in their library. I can't run, ride or row at the moment, so if you do check out the site, let us know what you think.
But back to folks who are within my network -- of friends, that is. A former colleague recently launched a very personal blog about his battle with OCD, and gave me a nice mention in a post on his work history. I know runners like to joke about their OCD-like tendencies with training, but after you read Bill's posts, you'll realize it's nothing to kid about -- and if you recognize yourself in what he says, please consider professional help.
The OCD Diaries
And speaking of Web sites, I wanted to note two running-related ones that vendors recently brought to my attention.
The Clymb. This is a members-only price club on athletic gear that at the moment is being very generous with membership. Here's what Kevin at The Clymb had to say about the site: "We've created a private sale network for an amazing array of outdoor, bike and ski/snow brands. Our deal is you accept our free invitation to join and we give you insider prices, usually 50-70% off retail, on gear from one of our partner brands. We'll have a new brand each week, and the product will be available for 3 days or until it is sold out." I've gone in and found the pricing is really good on top-notch gear; right now it's for snowboarders but in two more days, who knows what will be featured. If you're interested in more, you can check out The Clymb's inspirational blog or, to receive an invite, contact me or Kevin.
AudioFuel. This site has a UK email address, but I swear the coach's accent in the piece I listened to ("On the Beach") was Aussie or Kiwi. Anyway, this one is pretty cool if you like to work out to music. Specially designed audio downloads of varying lengths include electronica-like music and, at least in some instances, coaching instructions as you run. You can check out a free sample here. I also listened to some of the samples in their library. I can't run, ride or row at the moment, so if you do check out the site, let us know what you think.
