Tuesday, January 20, 2009
CLIF Bar Recall
I think I ate some of these not too long ago, and I recently got a multi-pack for "The Ukrainian" as well. Leave it to me to endanger those closest to me. =/ I warned my gym staff about this and got these wisecrack replies: "Well, I guess you don't want our Clif Bars then" and "I get the whole box to myself. Yum!" *sigh*
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Link: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/clifbar01_09.html
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Running is Not a Snow Sport
Anyway, I had a nice and very patient *dude* who knows his way around the slopes (I'd call him "The Russian," but technically, he's Ukrainian) teach me how to at least keep balance on the board. These pictures were taken from a lift (I'm the white puff). This may look easy, but my calves were getting horribly tight doing this. I wonder if running has made some parts of my leg weak, as I get similar tightening after too much Dance Dance Revolution (DDR).
I think that the next time I get to spend a day out there, I may actually finally get to know what I'm doing. Don't be fooled by the pictures, though. I spent a lot of time on my knees/behind.
This picture below is from an evening full moon snowshoe walk that ended with free cider and dessert. Food was definitely a needed reward after awkwardly walking for an hour in the cold wind, in the dark, with ski poles. I think the guy had to get mine from the kids' area because the longer ones were too unweildy. Yes, I took very cold in this picture. Cold isn't something I am used to anymore living in Southern California.
Fortunately, snowshoeing is a little more intutive to this runner than boarding. It isn't easy (the ground got to be very unstable at times), but I found it good exercise and totally do-able.The moral of this post is, I am definitely more comfortable in some niches than others. However, everything takes some getting used to. I remember the first times running out in the street and how awkward that was, and how scared I felt all the time. Or when I first started going to the weight room, where I was timid but too stubborn to ask for help. The same thing is happening with these snow sports and my bicycle.
By the way, I came back with some minor knee bruises and one painful tailbone, but my wrists were perfect!
I should add that I am trying to update more often with more content, but I'm currently working two jobs along with full-time student-ry and working on my master's thesis. As you can probably guess, getting all the training in is a feat in itself and deserves a medal (like the one I claimed for the marathon I did not run!).
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Photo credit goes to June B.
A Case of the "Haven't Ran a Road Race in many months" Jitters!
Haha..I have my own blog and I really should be posting this there and not here but let's face it, this site gets more traffic. Anyways, I was sitting at work today when I started thinking about my upcoming Surf City Half Marathon on Feb 1. That's just right around the corner. And while I have been sticking to my training schedule, I am feeling nervous as I realized that it's been a few months since I've ran a race. I think my last race was last August and while I've ran enough to know what to expect, it's kinda like learning to ride a bike all over again. I think the thing with this is that when you space out your races, it's hard to gauge your improvements since no one really ever runs as fast during a training run like they do during an actual race.