Posts Tagged ‘running links’

The Carnival of Running #83

Welcome to the 83rd edition of The Carnival of Running!

I mentioned the Weetabix marathon ad a few weeks ago, but now I can embed it:

Lots and lots of tech stories this week.

An Australian scientist developed a system that allows you to talk and interact with a running partner. Big deal, you say? Well, your running partner can be on a different continent.

Microsoft developed a similar Wii-style running game you can play with a partner, but learned not to demonstrate it with models who can’t follow directions and who probably haven’t eaten a carb since age 7.

With the publishing industry in the doldrums, you have to hand it to Runner’s World for pushing the envelope with digital content. The iPad edition has several interactive features with bells and whistles, but isn’t too good for rolling up and killing that spider on your wall.

Runner’s World is also partnering with Starbucks to provide content for the coffee giant’s new wifi network. Along with its usual articles and video, the magazine will also let users “create their own maps, running routes and biking routes with Starbucks stores identified as pit stops.” Runner’s World has a similar content arrangement with the Microsoft Network.

Greg Decent of the Vail Daily worries that technology is detracting from the joy of minimalist running. Others worry that running technology might also inadvertently compromise your safety.

On the other hand, putting on a pair of shoes and running isn’t as minimalist as it used to be. The latest cushioning material from Brooks required the services of the PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers company. For what? For this:

“PolyOne GLS developed a custom alloy described as a non-linearly viscous material, a SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) block copolymer-based material that includes proprietary additives. The material’s resiliency is a function of the level of impact to the material.”

Brooks applied for patent protection for this stuff, whatever it is. The running shoe business is highly competitive, to state the obvious. Even though Vibram Five Fingers has a shoe unlike those of the traditional companies, it has its own problems with knock-offs.

Participants in the Red Dress Run wore red dresses, but I’m disappointed to see that participants in the Robin Hood Race in Nottingham don’t mention wearing green tights and feathered caps.

Where can I get in on a deal like this? Run a reasonably fast mile-and-a-half, get two days off work.

Old Lady of the Week is Regina Joyce, who won the Humpy’s Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, at age 53.

This week’s linky love goes out to FitBunny (great trail photos) and to MsRitz of Team Πικέρμι.

That’s all for this week, friends. Today marks the 100th anniversary of FTD. I called 1-800-FLOWERS to send them a bouquet. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #82

Welcome to the 82nd edition of The Carnival of Running!

Forget the Diamond League. We have the Doughnut League:

If doughnuts aren’t your thing, next year you can sign up for the New Day 5k, which features Girl Scout cookies for everyone. Wash them down with coconut water. If you don’t want sweets, try the Beer Mile or a cool, creamy Bushwacker. If your culinary tastes are even more sophisticated, too bad, because the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon is sold out. And National Running Day is all right, but next Monday is National Rum Day!

The new TNT series Rizzoli & Isles will broadcast an episode titled “Born to Run.” The synopsis reads, “A shooter targets runners at the Boston Marathon. Jane and Maura must conduct their investigation in secret to avoid a panic and catch the killer before another shooting.” It is due to air on August 23. And you thought Heartbreak Hill was dangerous.

We told you about the Icebreaker Indoor Marathon way back in Carnival #14, but now it’s a Boston qualifier.

Old Lady of the Week is Merlene Ottey, who at age 50 ran on the Slovenia women’s 4×100 meter relay team at the European Championships.

Athletes sacrifice a lot for their sport, but sometimes their loved ones have to sacrifice, too.

It may be a little early to think about Christmas, but on December 4 the Rancho Mirage Great Santa Run aims to beat the world record of 8,864 running Santas. In North Pole, Alaska, they already ran the Santa Claus Half Marathon. Why hold the event in August? Have you ever been to North Pole, Alaska, in December?

This week’s linky love goes out to Fearless. Inspirational and fun. Check it out. And congratulations to Shut Up and Run! for receiving newspaper coverage of her blog.

That’s all for this week, friends. On this day in history, the first participants arrived for the Alcatraz Triathlon. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #81

Welcome to the 81st edition of The Carnival of Running!

If you are considering the Western States 100 Mile Run, be aware that the mileage isn’t the only challenge.

I’ve run 10ks with people I was pretty sure were Visigoths, but never one with Roman soldiers.

Now why didn’t I think of this name? The Runnning Joke (the extra ‘n’ is on purpose).

Sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have – like running at sea level.

You won’t find too many race reports that complain of “a disappointing lack of yaks.”

Are race bandits raised by wolves? Maybe, but at least they ran the whole distance.

I’m not going to running camp unless there are panty raids.

Gemma Johnson didn’t make it to the Sumo Run, so she’s running it alone.

The new Walt Disney World Marathon medal is revealed!

It was a small field, but it’s still unusual when a 46-year-old and a 50-year-old win the same race.

The next technological advance: a timing tag in your race bib.

Are you a book editor? Rodale, publisher of Runner’s World and Bicycling, has an opening.

Garmin is sponsoring a four-mile team challenge for British office workers.

This week’s linky love goes out to MomsHomeRun – the dragon slayer!

That’s all for this week, friends. Happy Birthday, Mary Decker Slaney! Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #80

Welcome to the 80th edition of The Carnival of Running!

There are marathons, there are ultramarathons, and then there is the ultimate endurance event – the Running of the Brides.

If your toes were trod upon, you could have entered the Runners Pedicure giveaway, but I posted it too late, so you’ll have to settle for reading about the winners.

I’ve got more gadgets than I need, but if you’re spying out running apps, check out these reviews of runtastic, Couch to 5k and SmartCoach.

This appears to be the prime time of the year for mud runs. We’ve got them in the Midwest, West and Northeast. I don’t understand the appeal, but I guess spectating is OK.

Once you’re that muddy, there’s nothing to do but run in the rain.

This week’s linky love goes out to Run, Karla, Run! – writer and all-around Renaissance woman. Despite the sorry state of the newspaper industry, there do seem to be a lot of running reporter blogs starting up. One would like to know what should be on her summer marathon running reading list.

Reporters are also participating in triathlons, but at least this one survived.

That’s all for this week, friends. Happy Peruvian Independence Day! Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #79

Welcome to the 79th edition of The Carnival of Running!

Usain Bolt has been pretty busy, what with putting on reggae shows and all, but he is still unmatched on the track.

Speaking of Bolt, he won’t appear in next month’s Aviva London Grand Prix because of Britain’s tax laws. In September, he plans a trip Down Under, where he will spend some time with the sheilas. “Oh, yeah, man, definitely. I’ve heard a lot about them. I like to go out and enjoy myself when I have the time,” he said. That should fire up Lava.

We’ve had enough of the barefoot vs. shoe battle, but how about this? A study of Marine recruits divided them into two groups. One group received running shoes to compensate for their individual pronation patterns. The other group received stability shoes, regardless of their pronation. At the end of 12 weeks of training, there was little difference in injuries.

Brenda Kinch won her age group in the London Marathon after it was discovered the original first-place woman was actually a male ringer.

If you find yourself in Tokyo and want to run the popular route around the Imperial Palace, you can make use of the “Run Pit” for a fee. The facility provides lockers and showers for runners.

I could have used this on my last trip to Walt Disney World – a review of good places to run while on resort property.

In celebrity running news, baseball’s All-Star Game was also the venue for a 5k race to benefit cancer research. The race was hosted by Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels and actress Gabrielle Union, but participants also included former baseball stars like Rod Carew and Paul Molitor.

You might find Running Dialogue‘s column on marathon gear interesting, but you’ll probably be distracted by the utter cuteness of Ben the dog.

Week #78 Old Dude of the Week winner Jack Denness successfully completed the Badwater ultramarathon, but he’s a kid compared to 94-year-old 5k runner Evelyn Tripp.

If you can stop running for five minutes, take the running obsession quiz.

This week’s linky love goes out to Strength Running. I hope he forgives me if I start a competing site: Weak-Ass Running.

That’s all for this week, friends. It’s Hemingway’s birthday, so go out and get hammered! Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #78

Welcome to the 78th edition of The Carnival of Running!

This week’s video answers the question, “Would quicksand make the triple jump more fun to watch?”

When you’re injured, you start reading articles like “I don’t miss running until someone tells me I can’t run,” “What Can I Do for Exercise If I Can’t Walk Or Run,” and “The errors of our running ways.” You also start looking at “From Runner to Triathlete.”

There’s nothing like a good dose of cadmium and arsenic after a run. It’s enough to make you poop on someone’s private property.

Whoa, that’s too many downers for one carnival! The accomplishments of Amy Palmiero-Winters and Old Dude of the Week Jack Denness should cheer us up.

Running a normal race may be going out of style. These days you can run to a pub, run in a red dress, or high heels, run with your pants over your shorts, or run 5,649 laps around the same city block in New York.

This week’s linky love goes out to Pooch to 5k – everything you need to know about keeping your dog from dogging it.

That’s all for this week, friends. Oh my God. Romeo is 60. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #77

Welcome to the 77th edition of The Carnival of Running!

Our featured video is Flotrack’s Kick of the Week. Watch Emily Lipari (sixth with about 250 meters to go) blow past the other high school milers to win going away.

Competitor also has some great videos at RunCenter, including this one about how Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan hate each other, but they don’t allow embedding, so they miss out on being featured regularly in the Carnival. I know, it’s their loss.

The Kalamazoo Klassic was in danger of cancellation when a thunderstorm blew a tree across the race route, but city officials cleared it away in time. And no one used the occasion to ask, “Where the f*** are your shoes?”

Trees are only one of the hazards of road racing these days. But it does make more sense to stick to the sidewalk while training.

The British press wants you to know that actress Renee Zellweger has “very muscly runner’s legs,” but I thought this photo of her running through Paris was a better shot.

At Running Is Funny, we embrace the frivolous and trivial, but how do you make an article out of “Can Runners Get Pedicures?” (Answer: Yes.)

The Carnival has occasionally featured the Old Dude of the Week, so it’s only fitting and proper that we flip it over and feature the Young Lady of the Week. This week’s honoree is 13-year-old Alana Hadley, who finished 33rd overall (first in age group) in the New York Mini 10k with a time of 37:31.

Since this is a carnival, it makes sense to highlight the Brooks Run Happy Cavalcade of Curiosities, which debuted at the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. If you go to RunHappy.com and give them your e-mail address, you get a daily chance to spin the wheel for prizes. As promotions go, it isn’t in the same league as Burger King’s SubservientChicken.com.

This week’s linky love goes out to Georgia Snail. Check it out!

That’s all for this week, friends. Happy Birthday, Joss Whedon! Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!