No Yellow Tights for Me at the Superheroes 5k

My good friends at Capital Road Race here in Sacramento have organized a Superheroes 5k. Here’s their TV ad:

Superheroes and road races can sometimes mix uncomfortably, as I have documented in the past. I will, however, gladly pay the entry fee of anyone who dresses as Arm Fall Off Boy.

If I were to run this race, I would have to rock it old school – and save a lot of money on my costume – by going as The Shadow, The Spirit or The Sandman.

Damn Skippy

Shane Rattenbury is a member of the Australian parliament and an avid triathlete. While out for his morning run, he was attacked by a kangaroo.

The press was all over it, of course, with the Daily Mail even noting that the offending marsupial was 4 feet, 7 inches tall.

That’s some amazing journalism, since Rattenbury said the kangaroo “was last seen hopping off into the distance quite comfortably.” It’s a tough task to track down an individual kangaroo in Canberra, corner it, and then whip out the measuring tape. Especially one this nasty.

The authorities aren’t taking this lying down. Law enforcement officials have organized a special squad of kangaroo police to deal with this burgeoning wave of macropod violence.

Do Not Mess With Aussie Women

Dateline - Warrnambool:

A woman who beat up her partner after he looked at a female jogger has been fined $500.

Nadine May Leslie, 24, of Ocean Grove, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to assault by kicking.

Police alleged that at 11am on January 26 Leslie and her partner were walking in Warrnambool when the man looked at a passing female jogger.

Leslie abused the man, opened a can of drink and poured it over his head and clothing. She then threw 10 cans of UDL into the street, swung a punch at her partner and scratched his neck. Leslie later told police the reason she had attacked her partner was because he had looked at the jogger and she had not taken her medication for three days.

UDL is a weird series of canned drinks featuring hard liquor and soda.

I’m pretty sure this is Nadine’s MySpace page, where she says she’d like to meet “someone who can take a joke and crack one too, a sense of humour is an asset.”

Why Your Dog Has the Munchies

The Journal of Experimental Biology was last heard from telling us that elephants are efficient runners. Now the publication has again made science headlines by revealing that dogs get runner’s high. Ferrets, alas, do not.

The authors state:

This study provides the first evidence that inter-specific variation in neurotransmitter signaling may explain differences in locomotor behavior among mammals. Thus, a neurobiological reward for endurance exercise may explain why humans and other cursorial mammals habitually engage in aerobic exercise despite the higher associated energy costs and injury risks, and why non-cursorial mammals avoid such locomotor behaviors.

The theory is that your body rewards you with endocannabinoids – the same chemicals found in marijuana – after a long run.

I don’t know if I buy this. Since cats are also cursorial, science would have us believe that they would also get runner’s high. Of course, direct observation would tend to refute that hypothesis. I provide the following photo evidence that mammals can produce a lot of endocannabinoids without running.

This 10k Race Is a Cakewalk

The Burgess Hill 10k featured a finish line treat never before seen – a giant running shoe cake!

Pictured with her creation is cake artist Michelle Wibowo, who took 50 hours to put it together “with 25 kg fondant and 9 kg butter cream,” which matches exactly the composition of my mid-section.

As beautiful as it is, the cake met the fate of all cakes. Here’s a shot of how it looked in transition from design to dessert.

Running With Friends Is No Bull

Running with friends used to involve setting up a time, putting on your gear and logging a few miles. Now it just takes pulling out your phone. Social games developer Zynga just released Running With Friends, an endless runner game that involves bulls, barrels, alleys, police barriers and running like mad.

App reviewer CrazyMike has taken a look and likes what he sees.

I expect it’s only a matter of time before some innovative race organizer turns this into a real-life experience, in the tradition of Human Pac-Man.

A Marathon for People Too Busy to Train

Princes Park near Lichfield, England, is believed to be the UK’s smallest park. But size doesn’t have to matter as a big event was held there last week – the world’s shortest marathon.

At only 55 yards long, the race route was a breeze for the 390 competitors, but also the spectators. As you can see from this photo, the entire course is visible from any vantage point.

What, no aid stations?