Run DMZ

There’s a great article in The Atlantic about whether e-bikes spur users to higher fitness levels or actually downgrade their expectations. I wrote earlier this summer about how I manage my own e-bike use, which at the moment is purely recreational because I am afraid to leave it unattended, even with a bike lock, to run errands. They are just too hot a commodity in my city.   These lines in that article caught my attention:  An e-bike sure seems like a way to cheat at exercise, even if it really facilitates it. That’s been my experience; the credit my Apple Watch gives me for “outdoor cycling” on my e-bike pales in comparison to the exertion I undertake at home on the Peloton. (Apple has added an e-bike-detection algorithm in this mode, which both underscores the fact that e-biking ain’t biking, and suggests that yes, in fact, it is.)  I noticed the same thing with my Apple Watch on my Sunday morning rides. If I use the pedal assist to get up a big hill, I don’t g...

For my big birthday, my kids gave me an ebike that I ride when I can, which admittedly is not as often as I want. But I’m working out more than before the bike.  My husband gifted me an Apple Watch, having tired of me complaining about my old Fitbits and Garmins that never seemed to motivate me the way this thing does. Sure, there’s a ton of other functionality I use since my watch syncs to my iPhone. But the Fitness app is what gets me going every morning and sometimes well into the evening.  It’s easy to use: Just open the app on the watch; select the type of workout; and it counts down to start times. I haven’t used it long enough for the watch to know my actual calorie burn, but whatever I’m doing is working. Once done, I stop the timer and then wait for my “rings” to update. There are three:  --One recording specific movements that get the heart rate up  --One that logs at least 30 minutes of daily exercise  --One that reminds me to stand every hour  S...

  Just after my mother passed away, I convinced my dad to join us on a hike at  Smith Rock State Park . The volcano-induced spires could be seen from any vantage point in his neighborhood, and yet the closest he’d come to visiting the natural attraction was a late winter drive-by that I also encouraged shortly before my mother’s fateful cancer diagnosis.   The weather was perfect (I mean, just look at that brilliant blue sky!) as we gingerly made our way down “The Chute” to the river basin and crossed a wooden bridge to the most popular trails. We followed the Crooked River to the left and stopped to look up at the rock climbers. Some clung for life to minuscule crevices at improbable angles, while others dangled helplessly from safety ropes until rescued. We kept my rambunctious nephew in line and turned around at the “Snoopy Rock” since we didn’t want to push Dad’s physical capacity. He loved that trip and went back after we left, with plans to keep hiking through the s...

In 2010, social scientists asked some 340,000 people in 72 countries to rate their happiness using a 0 to 10 scale over a series of questions. The charted results of that seminal study resembled a U-curve, indicating people generally were happy in their 20s and 30s and then start to hit rough times in their late 30s/early 40s, reaching a low point in their early 50s before bouncing back up around 55 and beyond. One theory for the mid-life dip is that we realize, to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, we’ve gone from being a man or woman with a future to a man or woman with a past. Certain achievements are cut off—like running a Fortune 500 company after toiling away as a mid-level manager or running a sub-3-hour marathon after decades as a mid-packer. We also start to suffer the unintended consequences of earlier lifestyle choices: having too much house; addictions; divorce or desertion; diabetes from a poor diet; arthritis from too many miles run on roads; etc. By the study...

San Diegans tend to stick close to home on the weekends. Which is why driving down to South Bay to hike Mother Miguel Mountain this morning was a bit of a big deal. There just aren’t that many opportunities for a substantial hike in or around Chula Vista. And the Rock House Trail is probably the most popular and certainly best known. [Do not confuse it with nearby Mt. Miguel, which is no longer accessible.] Until yesterday, I thought we had a local guide. My friend Happy was going to join us and show us the way to get around. But an 8 a.m. plumber visit nixed that plan. That’s when I started doing some digging into where to go and how to get to the rockpile holding up two flags that mark the summit. And here’s where I was reminded to closely examine reviews before drawing assumptions. Most called the trail steep and many recommended hiking shoes and poles, particularly going back down. And everyone seemed to remark about the signage, or lack thereof. But degree of difficult...

My friend Louise, a longtime reader and commenter on this blog, sent along a news item out of Portland on new smart sunglasses to help runners maintain a swift pace. The glasses are embedded with code that tracks your pace and distance, much like a Garmin or other GPS-based watch. But here's the really cool thing: When you start to fall behind, an avatar appears on your right going the pace you originally set. So, you in essence start to race yourself. Genius. And expensive. The startup behind it expected the first version to hit the market around the winter holidays and cost $300 to $500 a pair. And these are sunglasses, which means they may also help keep out harmless sunrays but are more likely to be lost, broken or stolen because they aren't affixed to your wrist when not in use. But this certainly seems to be the wave of the future for runners in search of novel ways to improve running times. Whether this particular tool for training will truly work remains to ...

My friend Tracy was the first to introduce me to an app called MyFitnessPal . It's a free calorie counter, diet and exercise tool to help you lose, maintain or gain weight. Since the start of the year, I've kept a relatively accurate account of how many calories I take in and expend. I say relatively accurate because, like most online calorie counters, the database is primarily self-reported foods and meals with caloric calculations all over the place. A piece of specialty brand sourdough bread, for instance, registers as 110 calories on the package but 300 on MyFitnessPal. And I'm having a hard time believing a couple handfuls of my beloved kumquats cost me as much as a chai tea latte with whole milk. We also tend to cook from scratch at my house, so trying to align our homemade veggie pizza with one in the database produces dubious results. Ditto restaurants. I'm more of a fine dining than fast food consumer, so I have to wing it when I enter those dishes. But MyFitne...

I’m in love with my foam roller. Since I started physical therapy for greater trochanteric bursitis , I’ve been self-massaging with the Trigger Point foam roller I bought from a local running store. It is one of the best $40 investments I may have ever made in my personal health. I realize many runners already are familiar with foam rollers, but I didn’t realize what an important part of my running and rehab arsenal one was until I actually owned one -- and, importantly, used it. Now, each morning and evening I settle in to do my prescribed floor exercises and end with a hip roll session to work out the knots and scar tissue built up from a year’s worth of neglect. The orthopedist warned it would hurt like an SOB, and she wasn't wrong. I also use it to get the kinks out of my back and shoulders after hours sitting in front of a computer. And sometimes I relax at the end of a long day with roller-induced foot massages while watching my current favorite television show, “Revenge.” I’...

After a succession of rainy weekends, I took one look at the blue peeking through the blinds early this morning and immediately threw on a pair of tights, technical shirt, shoes and the brand new Triple Trail Shell I received a week ago from Columbia Sportswear. Field testing winter gear when you live in San Diego is tricky, but the 48 degree air and chosen bike route were perfect to discern the colorful jacket's wind resistance and wickability. When it's warm, you live for the breezes on long downhills and dread the heat generated on the climbs. But when late fall and winter arrives, it's the reverse. The winds tear at your face, ears and limbs as you barrel down steep parts of bike paths; you start longing for a different discomfort from leg churn. Today was different, and I think it's because of this jacket. First: a disclosure. I immediately fell in love with this jacket before I even tried it on or read about the technology to keep you 20% warmer by reflecting back...

I just came across an app that immediately intrigued me because it brings awareness to something way too often overlooked in this country. It's called The Slavery Footprint , and I found out about it this morning courtesy of this post . Living in California, and traveling regularly through the Central Valley where a bulk of everyone's U.S.-bred fruits and nuts are produced, I became keenly aware of how poorly farmhands are treated in this country. I even blogged about it several years ago . Some of us tend to feel morally superior because of the foods and lifestyle choices we make. After taking this "test," perhaps that piety will recede a bit. After you take it, you can share your score if you wish. Personally, I'm embarrassed by mine.

Last night we had the pleasure of joining friends Todd and Christine for a grand pre-opening of the newest Smashburger , now conveniently located in our suburb's "town center." Turns out Christine’s an elite Yelper and scored an invite. They had live entertainment and characteristically great food at this fast casual restaurant (now just feet away from a Golden Spoon … can it get any better? Wait, yes, it can – the food was FREE!) I highly recommend the San Diego Smash. And you must get the Smashfries too, tossed with rosemary and garlic. The grand opening reminded me I was recently introduced to a new online tool called Smashrun (no relation to the burger, I’m sure). It’s still in beta but for those seeking a “fresh start” in logging running miles, it may be just what you need. I asked someone at Smashrun to answer questions for me. Here are Jacklyn's responses as they were emailed: How does this program different from DailyMile and Athlinks, the two biggest playe...

This is not encouraging for anyone who now pays for years and years of pushing hard, especially endurance athletes.

My husband sent me this item about how hackers are compromising iTunes accounts to charge up items. Every iPod-loving runner I know has an iTunes account, so I wanted to pass it along. And, please, stop telling me Apple is secure. Here's proof (again!) that they are just as susceptible to cybercrime as any other company that collects your personal data. Trust no one. Hackers Compromising Some iTunes Accounts

I’m going to guess that as you read this you are also doing something else, like watching TV, listening to music, texting a friend or toggling between computer screens. Am I right? And I bet you call it multitasking because, in practice, you are doing more than one thing at once. But I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and the thing is, unless you are fully focused on reading this post in a distraction-free environment, you aren’t really doing two things at once (listening, watching, reading, writing, etc.). You are trying to make your brain shift between tasks, and if you are like 97% of people , you are not doing it well. Ever since watching the Frontline program Digital Nation last winter, I’ve become fascinated with how our brains react to the enormous amount of data we now must try to absorb daily. In that PBS program, scientists discussed an experiment with Stanford University and M.I.T. students who claimed to be masters at multitasking. But the majority of them, presumabl...

A BBC Health report today explains why people like to use music while exercising and how it can increase performance by as much as 15%. Among other things, it "masks" effort and helps you maintain a quicker pace. Of course, this is with training. Here in the USA, most major races still prohibit running to music for mostly safety and competitive reasons. But if you find you "can't run without my music," this may be why. [I couldn't embed the video, so here's the link .]

A local high school distance runner went for a run yesterday and never came back, prompting an ongoing, substantial search in the Lake Hodges/Rancho Bernardo area today. You can read the latest: Search continues for missing Poway teen As much as I'd like this blog to play a very small role in the search, I also think the circumstances serve as a reminder for all runners who head out alone. Authorities were able to locate the girl's locked car because she left her cell phone in it. It begs the question: Why wasn't she carrying with her on her run? I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again: Anyone, but especially women, should always carry a cell phone when they run. And make sure it's charged and on so the GPS function can locate you if you are abducted or knocked unconsious in an attack or a fall. This is especially critical on trails and parkland because you have unique dangers and may not be found if it isn't a busy area. Also, make sure your cell ph...

It took two bum-busting falls on black ice and a near collision with a skidding car for me to break down and buy a treadmill during our first winter in Cape Cod. It cost about a grand on sale at Sears, and it ended up being used more than I expected in our tricked-out basement. I used it to run at 4 a.m. weekday mornings because it was the only time I had between my crazy Boston commute, only it was so loud it woke everyone sleeping three stories above. During Sunday long runs in January, February and March, it kept me out there when no one else was. I’d tell myself, “I’ll run half outdoors and then finish with the rest on the treadmill.” Then I’d hit the midpoint, with my sweaty hair iced to my face and my Camelback frozen solid, and remember how much I dreaded that machine. I would tell myself I could do another 30 minutes outdoors and then finish inside. And I’d keep at it, until, of course, I’d done the entire run in the bitter cold. When movers were hauling that treadmill out of t...

I'm listening less and less to music these days and more to the spoken contributions of journalists, authors and plain ol' folk on podcasts and the public airwaves. I'm lucky. I have both an iPod with plenty of playlists and my old Rio Cali that has an excellent antennae to pick up radio stations while I run. This morning I was so engrossed in this personal essay from the "This I Believe" series on NPR, that I failed to notice the flashing red lights on the fire engines heading out of a station in front of me. It made me think of home, and it made me think of hard times. It also made the five miles of hills fly by. From NPR. org: The Art of Being a Neighbor P.S. Even though I'm not a big fan of hockey, I gotta give it up for my alma mater, Boston University, for winning last night's come-from-behind, Disney-movie-like national championship victory over Miami (Ohio).

I get the point of this consumer piece: Running ain't cheap. But I question some of the "essentials". I buy my running shoes at a running store, so I'm not aware of what other sports-specific shoes cost. Do tennis players, aerobics enthusiasts, walkers, etc., pay $90 to $180 for shoes? MSN Video: The Cost of Running

Interesting article on Active.com about the growing tension between runners attached to their MP3 players and race officials who increasingly are enforcing a relatively new ban on them. I suspect more races will follow Portland's lead and market themselves as friendly to runners who want, or need, their own music on the course. I was startled by a statistic (perhaps accurate, perhaps hyperbolic) that 60-70% of race fields now contain runners using music as a motivator/tool. That means the vast majority of races include runners tuned in to playlists or podcasts! iPod Conflict Brews in Racing