Posts Tagged ‘running links’

The Carnival of Running #65

Welcome to the 65th edition of The Carnival of Running!

In honor of the first annual Global Warming, My Ass! 6.66 Mile Run (which I will be running on Sunday), here is a group of kindred spirits pretending it’s summer on the track:

LetsRun.com wants you to know they’ve figured out how to use iTunes. And I can’t think of a less-desired use of technology than the Adidas miCoach, which verbally nags you while you run. Yippee!

On the other hand, screaming back at your miCoach might help you with a common running problem: boredom.

Deciding which running accessories you need is getting more complicated every day. Here’s one article telling you what you can’t do without, and another telling you what you can do without.

Now it’s time for this week’s Running Photos You Don’t Want to See. First up is the errant snot rocket…

…followed by Andrew Hall running a trail race in a lime-green mankini…

Yikes.

The University of Iowa Nearly Naked Mile didn’t show anywhere near as much skin.

And one coach has a slightly creepy way to tell if young male runners are serious about the sport.

I have the perfect rebuttal to all these lectures about the need to cross-train. I. Don’t. Want. To.

A columnist for the Hong Kong Standard describes marathon running this way: “This bizarre Western craze has four stages: 1) You run. 2) You have a heart attack. 3) You die and are buried. 4) You get this really cool medal bearing the word ‘failed.’”

But a columnist in New Zealand found peace with running after first thinking it was “marginally less fun than waterboarding.”

Awesome Old Dude of the Week is 53-year-old Gary Allen, who has run sub-three-hour marathons in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 00s, and last Saturday did it in the 10s with a 2:51:03 at the Snickers Marathon in Albany, Georgia.

I made the mistake of thinking the Boston Herald’s The Inside Track was about track. No, it’s a gossip column, but it managed a bit of a crossover by interviewing Valerie Bertinelli about her upcoming Boston Marathon run.

This week’s linky love goes out to triathletes Rock Star Tri and Fish, Bike, Run, from someone who thinks a peloton is a Japanese anime villain.

That’s all for this week, friends. Thirty-three years ago today, scientists discovered rings around Uranus. This is the one day each year you are allowed to snicker. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #64

Welcome to the 64th edition of The Carnival of Running!

The Olympics ended on Sunday, but that is hardly the pinnacle of human athletic achievement. For my money, it’s the Burrito Mile, which, as you may have guessed, involves eating a burrito then running a mile. The entire event was recorded, of course, but most of the videos are reaaaalllly long, so I’ve posted this one of the reading of the rules:

The men’s record is 6:15.7, while the women’s record is 7:21.7. But these records pale in comparison to the one set by Greg Wagner. He ran the 4×8urrito Relay by himself in an amazing 51:12. The relay usually consists of four runners, the first of whom consumes a one-pound burrito, then takes a second burrito as a baton and runs 800 meters, passing it to the second runner, who consumes it and repeats the pattern. Wagner not only ran the race alone, but ate all four burritos himself. He turned down a complimentary fifth burrito as a prize.

If you can stomach it, you can watch Wagner’s entire race, including the tension-filled eating of the fourth burrito (and subsequent yak).

Headline of the Week goes to this press release.

The Guernsey Hash House Harriers put on a Mud ‘n’ Fun Run, which included some participants in “fancy dress.”

Yet another vertical race, this time in Omaha, and the Orange County Register profiles a stair racer.

It appears the best master runners were late to the sport of running. There’s hope for me yet. Even better, it helps if you expect the worst. And if the worst happens, you can always sue.

If you don’t know anything about the amazing Ed Whitlock, this Running Times interview has it all.

I remember how rough my first half-marathon was, but at least I wasn’t passed by a turkey and a chef.

If you have any women readers at all, you can’t go wrong with a story about running bras. Here’s the latest review of the Shock Absorber Run Bra. I guess if you have wings, you might as well have shock absorbers, too. And what about undies?

In this week’s celebrity running news, New Orleans mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu ran a 2:14 in his first half-marathon, while the world’s most famous athlete took a break from running around to run around.

This week’s linky love goes out to Badger Runner and Run Bitches Run, who regales us with tales of the world’s worst yoga class. Check them out!

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

The Carnival of Running #63 – Pancake Edition

Welcome to the 63rd edition of The Carnival of Running!

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday – these are all names for the day prior to Ash Wednesday, which begins the Christian tradition of Lent. Lent is the 40-day period before Easter during which Christians display penitence and self-denial. So Shrove Tuesday is a last hurrah.

It is only natural that the food item signifying decadent indulgence throughout the centuries is the pancake. And what better way to celebrate those pillows of fluffy goodness than with a foot race. This story tells the tale of how the tradition began. There are so many Pancake Day races it was difficult to sift through the videos and choose just one – but this one was the only video to feature the Pan Cam! Enjoy.

A couple of pancake races departed from the norm this year. One story hit the world news wires. The city officials of St. Albans declared the wet weather unsafe for running and disqualified three teams for running instead of walking. The city has been universally ridiculed.

In Olney, the BBC wanted one of its children’s TV hosts to run in the pancake race, and the organizers relented. Residents were outraged because the host is male, and only women have been allowed to run the race for 565 years. Despite the controversy, participants seemed to have a good time.

There is also a friendly competition between the Olney race and the race in Liberal, Kansas. The Liberal winner has beaten the Olney winner 35 out of 60 races.

Other British towns didn’t have quite so much drama. The Portland event featured a match race between ministers and mariners. In Burton, the Supa Dupa Uba Boys successfully defended their title. Scarborough takes its pancake race seriously, altering the rules this year because too many runners would quickly flip their flapjack three times then sprint to the finish. “We think we had a fairer race which was more about skill than speed,” said the town manager.

The Dursley race returned after a hiatus caused by the previous organizers, the local Chamber of Trade, going out of business. The Northallerton race returned after a 20-year absence. The newspaper story about the Sherborne race was about the 100th to notice how everyone had a “flipping good time.” The story about the Hitchin race was headlined, “Runners Flip Out.” The winning team in the Swindon race was awarded a golden frying pan.

The Trowbridge race had a 102-year-old participant. Pirates won the Windsor & Eton race and rugby league mascots (below) headlined the Glasshoughton race.

There were dozens more, but all this typing is making me hungry for some flapjacks. And I don’t mean this guy.

This week’s linky love goes out to Books and Quilts, which, as you might guess, is about more than running. Like blueberry pancakes, for example.

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

The Carnival of Running #62

Welcome to the 62nd edition of The Carnival of Running!

The video is more than 9 minutes long, but it’s worth hearing elite marathoners Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and Peter Gilmore give practical marathon advice:

For a slightly different perspective, check out Jay Kumar’s diary of his 20-mile training run.

The Myrtle Beach Marathon was canceled due to weather, prompting a robust hammering from The Loose Moose, but those who ran the distance anyway received medals at the finish line.

Hearty souls in DC ventured out for Cupid’s Undie Run, and Rachel Levitin gives us a view behind the undies. A college journalism major is inspired to use the bully pulpit to call for an undie run.

Runners in Des Moines took the opposite route, opting for the Red Flannel Run.

If the weather is bumming you out, well, you could have tried the Marathon Bahamas or the Great Aloha Run, where winner Sergio Reyes doubled down and asked his girlfriend to marry him. She said yes.

A couple of carnivals ago, we told you about Princess Beatrice of York and her plan to become the first member of the British royal family to run a marathon. She’ll be running as part of a 32-runner “caterpillar” in an effort to set the record for the most runners to start and finish a marathon at the same time. She will be joined by Sir Richard Branson’s son and daughter, who noted, “It really will be a challenge. Already in training we are experiencing minor problems and are particularly worried about the loo stops on the day, especially with 32 of us tied together.”

We all complain about marathon photos, but here’s one photographer who has managed to turn enough good ones into an exhibition.

The entire running population is aging, but do you think you’ll be running marathons into your eighties? Meet the Sullivans.

If you find it impossible to do a long run without your tunes, at least be aware of the volume. Your ears will thank you.

This week’s linky love goes out to The Longest Run and Happy Texans, which beats the pants off Grouchy Oklahomans.

That’s all for this week, friends. It’s the birthday of Paris Hilton and Denise Richards, which is a twofer of vacuity. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #61

Welcome to the 61st edition of The Carnival of Running!

Racing upstairs has a long tradition, but it only recently has been organized into a competitive series. The most famous event is, of course, the Empire State Building Run-Up:

Thomas Dold won his fifth consecutive race up 86 floors with a time of 10:16. Melissa Moon was the women’s winner in 13:13, but if you prefer the everyman story, there’s Andy Martin’s race report in the New York Times.

There are nine races in the Vertical World Circuit, and the Empire State race was quickly followed by a race up the 38 floors of the Swiss Re Tower in London, otherwise known as The Gherkin. Runners were serenaded during the race by the London Gay Men’s Chorus.

This was the week of contrarian running tips. We’ve got one article that says “everything you’ve been taught about lactic acid is wrong,” another that claims slowing your pace to cover marathon distance may not be a good idea, another that questions the emphasis on overpronation, and one that suggests you might run faster if you ran less.

Run Oregon is giving away a prize for post-run recipes. Deadline is February 28.

Think it’s too cold to run? Try a marathon in Greenland at -18 degrees Celsius.

Our salute to old dudes continues with a tribute to Yoshihisa Hosaka, who ran a 2:38:12 marathon at age 61. But my hero is 53-year-old Thomas Okazaki, who finally qualified for Boston by running a 3:32:20 in his 95th marathon. That’s perseverance.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has its own running blog, called Runners High, and now features a blog-within-a-blog called Vowing to Run, written by a married couple who will blog about running as a couple.

Interesting stat: About one of every four people who register for the London Marathon never make it to the starting line.

This week’s linky love goes out to Sheesh, wherein you will find the world’s only running blog reference to punctuated equilibrium.

That’s all for this week, friends. With the new version of The Wolfman opening Friday, it’s appropriate to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the original Wolfman, Lon Chaney Jr. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #60

Welcome to the 60th edition of The Carnival of Running!

If you missed the Millrose Games on ESPN2, here’s Bernard Lagat winning his 8th Wanamaker Mile with a convincing kick:

That’s a great achievement, but I wonder if it surpasses that of Nolan Shaheed, who ran a world record 4:57.06 mile – at age 60.

You might experience performance anxiety, but how about Stacy Schwartz, whose half-marathon was followed by a matinee performance in a musical, the same day? That’s nothing compared to Adam Goucher, who has a deadline of late April to impregnate his wife, Kara. If he fails, she will resume marathon training. Do you realize how many running jokes I could place here?

In race organizing news, the Big Sur Half Marathon received gold certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for being so eco-friendly. I’ve run that race twice, and I was more impressed with the beer and minestrone soup. Toronto has two major marathons, but the traffic problems induced the city to attempt to merge them. Honda signed on as the title sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon, while the Sacramento Cowtown Marathon will ditch the marathon distance, and needs a new name for the half-marathon because of the spoilsports in Fort Worth. So they’re having a naming contest! See the rules here. You’ve got until February 17. The winner receives a lifetime entry.

Princess Beatrice of York is being headlined as the first member of the British royal family to attempt a marathon. I loved the photo that accompanied this story. It was captioned, “Princess Beatrice and her long-term boyfriend Dave Clark leave Nobu restaurant at 1.30 am.”

Her long-term boyfriend seems to be a disarticulated arm, which I guess some women might prefer.

Beatrice will run the London Marathon, probably because registration for the Krispy Kreme Challenge is already closed. Doughnut veteran Laura Eynon has some important tips for those who received entries, such as, “You can’t let the doughnuts see you get afraid.”

Chances are now very good that participants in the World Record Kilt Run in Perth, Ontario, will in fact set a world record. As of last week, 815 runners were registered, which would smash the previous record of 200. The first 500 registrants received a free kilt, and they’ll be able to get their faces painted like Braveheart, too.

If you haven’t already, read this San Francisco Chronicle article about a vast study that finds more mileage is mo’ better.

Here’s an interesting idea. The folks at WearYourNumber.com imprint your bib number directly onto a racing singlet or tech shirt. No more safety pins!

Anyone can give you running advice. Christine Luff gives you porta-potty advice.

This week’s linky love goes out to Looking for Serendipity and Sesa in Stride, where it’s a circus. A flea circus.

That’s all for this week, friends. Today is The Day the Music Died. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!

The Carnival of Running #59

Welcome to the 59th edition of The Carnival of Running!

This week’s video comes to us courtesy of My Running Shorts:

A new study suggests human beings may be physically capable of running up to 40 miles per hour. This will come in handy after the zombie apocalypse.

Haile Gebrselassie won the Dubai Marathon but failed to set the world record he was shooting for. However, he showed he was in top form for the No Excuses 5k. “I was watching TV and I slipped into an awkward position which meant I had to sleep in a different way,” Gebrselassie explained after the race.

Excuses are still better than cheating. Thirty runners in the Xiamen International Marathon were found to have cheated in a variety of ways – using ringers, riding in vehicles, and having faster runners carry multiple timing chips. Apparently if you’re a high school student and you run a sub-2:34 marathon, you get extra points on your university entrance exams. Too bad it doesn’t work in reverse – high scores on exams reducing your marathon time.

Even elites can make rookie mistakes. Leonard Mucheru ran the first half of the Tiberias Marathon in a blistering 1:01:42, which was ahead of the 1:02:05 Gebrselassie ran in setting the marathon world record in September 2008. Unfortunately Mucheru soon fell apart, finishing 11th with a time of 2:18:55.

At 98, Fauja Singh thinks he has one more marathon left in him.

Mike Buss set a new world record for distance run in seven consecutive days on a treadmill: an astounding 517.3 miles.

Kelly Johnson gives us something long overdue – the finer points of track etiquette.

Rodale is expanding its Runner’s World Challenge training program to include four marathons. Be warned, however, that the e-mail coaching can quickly morph into e-mail coaxing.

Runner’s World also told us to ignore the Rainforest Action Network incident at the Houston Marathon expo, but the activists managed to get into the picture anyway.

Does size matter? Then you might want to try the Little Rock Marathon for the world’s largest finisher’s medal.

Running performance and optimal weight are tricky to correlate. Sam McManis examines the benefits and pitfalls.

Quote of the week belongs to an unidentified participant in the Australia Day fun run in Darwin:

“It’s got to be beer o’clock somewhere in the world,” said one of the participants, blotched in green and yellow zinc, wearing his thongs and blue singlet.

I believe “thongs” in this context mean “flip flops.” I hope.

This week’s linky love goes out to Rookie Runner and Barefoot Brandon. Learn how running is like playing the piano. For me, it’s more like carrying a piano.

That’s all for this week, friends. Today marks the anniversary of the first flight of the P-38, one of the coolest looking aircraft ever built. Submit your posts to carnival@runningisfunny.com. Until next time, run away!