Link Farm: May 9 – Ride to Hopkinton Edition

Hassan Haydar is running the Boston Marathon course once a week for 26 weeks.  He started on Patriots Day and has run the course every Sunday since then.  The plan calls for 9 min/mile runs (4 hour marathons) every Sunday into October.  Everyone is welcome to join him.

I’m going this Sunday (May 13th).  If you’re interested in a ride out to Hopkinton from the Arlington area, let me know.

Does this sound fun?:

“I, (state your name), promise to do dumb things, have fun and laugh while running. I will always remember that I am an Idiot and never take myself or any event too seriously. I refuse to take the easy path. Ever. If I “DNF” it will be because I have NOTHING left to give or I’m dead.”

Then join the Idiots Running Club.  Our motto: “ti no trid emos bur”.

The $249 Pear. You download your desired training plan to the digital player, then run with the included heart rate monitor while a coach guides you through your routine and yaps at you if you spend too much time out of the desired heart rate zone.  If you want to play music, the only option is to snap on an iPod Shuffle (not included).

It looks cool, and a cool gadget, no matter how unnecessary, always sucks me in.

George Whitney is a 93-year-old retired veterinarian who lives in Vermont.  Depending on how you feel about his blog, he’s someone you might describe as an opinionated eccentric or an old crank.

George started running when he was 80, and running is one of the many things George feels strongly about.  He’s published a book, “Come Jog with Me”, to tell you the many reasons you should run too, no matter how old you are.  You can read a sample at Google Books or order a copy from his publishing service (iUniverse) or Amazon and most other online bookstores.  The paper editions are overpriced, but the ebook is only $3.99.

Link Farm: May 4 – Happy “International Day Against DRM” edition

Today’s links are totally DRM-free, as are my books.  Prove it for yourself!

My friend Brian Talon is running Western States, his first 100-miler, to benefit Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, “a leading provider of innovative lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS and their support partners”.  Brian’s wife Jen was recently diagnosed with MS, so this cause is personal for them.  If you can, why not kick in a few bucks and help Brian reach (or surpass) his fundraising goal today?

The Big Sur Marathon is one of the most popular destination marathons in the country, which means they attract a lot of slow runners.  They’ve figured out a way to get the slowest runners off the course sooner – have them run a 21-mile “non-competitive timed fitness event” instead.  Whatever you think of the idea, it did let them collect an extra 1000 entry fees.

Science is catching up with my book: running, like drinking, is healthiest when done in moderation.  But less exciting.

Finally, butt-floss for runners!

Link Farm: April 26 – Hockey Shouldn’t Go Into June Anyhow Edition

Army Sgt. Aaron Catlin beat over 400 runners in a BAA-sanctioned “shadow” Boston Marathon at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on April 14th.  Despite what the narrator says in the video below, the marathon was  run over the official distance of 26.2 miles.

The CO at Bagram must be a runner, as they’ve also shadowed the Air Force Marathon for the past three years.

The Olympics take in billions of dollars.  All those annoying ads aren’t going anywhere.  Why shouldn’t the athletes get a cut of the pie?

Paul Gentry’s site has pictures of a multitude of marathon medals.  I’d love a medal from the “Too Slow for Boston” Marathon, but the race takes too long.

Running barefoot like ancient man isn’t enough for some people.  Kenichi Ito tries to devolve further and run like a chimpanzee.

Link Farm: April 21 – Nice Day for Yardwork Edition

Sure it was a little warm on Patriot’s Day this year, but that’s no reason to overreact.

Here’s the scoop on how many people might defer their Boston Marathon entry to 2013.  It’s fewer than you might think – way to suck it up, runners!

McSweeney’s has a message for that person who stares at you just because the soundtrack to your run is AWESOME!

…and here’s a handy tip for everyone with seasonal allergies!

Link Farm: April 13 Triskaidekaphobia Edition

As the anxiety rises along with the temperature forecast for Monday:

For some reason, the Boston Globe has a lot of running articles this week.  This one starts out perfectly echoing how I feel about running Boston (or other races), but by the end I almost wish the writer would give up his number to someone who needs it more.

On the other hand, this Runner’s World motivational poster gets it right!

Amby Burfoot and David Powell “debate” whether fast times at the Boston Marathon should qualify as records.  It’s not a real debate, since they both agree that the status quo is correct.  For the other side of the argument, you’ll have to read the May/June Level Renner (sign up now for your FREE! subscription and have it delivered to your inbox).

Finally, Chris Cooper deals with the important question: What Would Jesus Run?

Link Farm: April 11 – Hot Wind Out of Hopkinton edition

While we’re hoping the warmer forcasts for Monday are just hot air, here are a few links:

Let’s call this one “Greedy idiots sue Vibram“.  If this case wins, a lot of shoe companies owe me a lot of money.

The New York Road Runners will re-evaluate their plan to use an age-graded calculator set qualifying times for the 2013 New Your Marathon.  It’s not “fair” to women.  Stay tuned, both for the NYRR changes and my May article on “fairness” in marathons…

The Boston Globe reports that some charity runners are having a hard time meeting their donation targets.  Here’s how the requirements and amounts collected have evolved over time.  And because I can, here’s another link to my Globe article on the first charity marathon (with bonus pictures!).

… and just because, here are this year’s four new Dodger Dogs.  Time for a trip to LA.  Remember, if you run hard enough, it’s all fuel for the fire.

Link Farm: April 3

Fetching the runner’s high – your dog gets a buzz from exercise too.

And “cursorial” is my new word-of-the-day.

Fellow SRR member Frank Georges recently crossed the 20,000 mile mark, and took the opportunity to muse upon injury, aging, and perseverance.  I hit 20K back in 2008, but it took me longer to get there (I had a head start).

In 1926, deliveryman Johnny Miles set a marathon world record of 2 hours, 25 minutes and 40 seconds on a pair of off-the-shelf, $1 casual canvas shoes.  The MetroWest Daily News shares this fact along with some other interesting historical tidbits while explaining how changing shoe technology has changed the marathon.

Facebook buddy Chris Nicholas is out there RIGHT NOW running cross-country from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, pushing all his gear in a baby jogger.  He’s doing it to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.  Visit Chris’ web site to track his progress and kick in a little cash.

…and Mike Wardian and I both ran in the MDI Marathon last year.  He did a little better than I did, winning the race in 2:32:36.  I interviewed him a few weeks ago, and here’s what he had to say about the course:

Link Farm: Boston Marathon Charity Edition

Every year, I find that I have a lot of friends who are running the Boston Marathon for a charity.  They run because they like running, but they also like that running gives them an opportunity to help others.

Today’s Link Farm celebrates some of the charity runners I know.  Why not pick one (or more) and donate some money today?

Boston Marathon Charity Runners

Julia Gaynor	Lung Cancer Alliance
Ariel Nathanson	Crittenton Women’s Union
Barbara Grandberg	American Liver Foundation
Andrew Scholte	National Organization for Rare Disorders
Lindsay Silverman	Back On My Feet
Andrew Fintzel	Christmas in the City
Lynda Banzi	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Rosa Evora	MassGeneral Hospital
Joshua Grzegorzewski	Back On My Feet
Jim Sparks	American Liver Foundation
Axel Christensen	Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation
Kate Maul	Children’s Hospital Boston
Tim Maul	Children’s Hospital Boston
Heather Hagerty	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Ann Rowley	Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America
Robin Travers	Melanoma Foundation of New England
Karla Zevallos	Faulkner Hospital Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Centre

(If I missed you, leave your name and link in the comments!)

Link farm: March 28, 2012

My friend Blaine Moore is doing this thing for Camp Sunshine in Maine this month where he runs 1 mile on the first day, 2 miles on day two… well. you get the idea.  Day 31 is Saturday, and he’s inviting you all to Camp Sunshine to join in for all or part of the month’s final 31 mile run.  Feel free to donate whether or not you can make it to Maine.

On Facebook, there’s a new group trying to get Roger Bannister chosen to light the Olympic Torch in London later this year.  Bannister is a true sporting legend and icon, the first man ever to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.  Like and share!

In the ongoing discussion of running form inspired by the book “Born to Run”, this quote from Dana Reid encapsulates my feelings perfectly: “Think more about where your foot is landing and less about which part of your foot lands first.”  Read more at Competitor.

And finally, from the “Look at Me” department, last weekend’s video of interviews from the Boston Marathon course in Newton was picked up by the Runner’s World/Running Times Marathon blog.

Put a new face on it

I’ve updated my home page.  Let me know what you think!