Late to the story, but that's OK

Runner's World's latest issue included a brief on the Seattle runner who successfully who chased down a bike thief.

This happened in June — maybe I even saw/skipped a link to it back then — so the rest of the running world probably already read it.

I'd either been unaware or had forgotten it, so it was a delightful bit of new news to me.

The part that made me literally laugh out loud was the line about the thief asking the marathoner to back off. Really? You're stealing someone's bike, and you think asking the rightful owner to go away will work?

And geez, talk about tipping your hand that you couldn't outlast her ... that is, if she couldn't already tell by your labored breathing.

We can all find amusement in how this bad guy chose to pick on the wrong person and paid for it — but I think what also satisfies us runners is the change in tone of running-related crime stories.

Especially if you're a female runner, all you ever seem to see are lurid stories of assaults on "joggers." (See Mark Remy's blog for excellent facetious coverage of the jogger-versus-runner word choice.)

This time, we're not just passive victims. Thanks, Sarah Tatterson.

Dangers of running in bad weather go beyond the actual conditions

If throwing up wasn't going to stop me from running and keeping my holiday streak alive, then the blizzard conditions that hit Des Moines on Dec. 19-20 weren't going to, either.

My backup plan, if I couldn't manage to run a mile around the apartment complex parking lot, was to run up and down the building's halls, just like the kids upstairs do on occasion. (Though thankfully not when I'm trying to sleep. No judgment here.)

Those two laps around the lot were neither fast nor pretty, but they did happen, and as I drove to work that afternoon I observed that I wasn't the only runner braving the conditions. To counter any middle fingers or angry honks these folks probably received, I waved vigorously at them and gave a thumbs-up — even though I'm sure they couldn't see.

That hunch became less of a suspicion and more of a conviction when I went on Facebook that night. One acquaintance had posted: "I appreciate a good workout/run as much as the next person, but to the 3 people I saw out for a run this morning — relax and take a day off!"; one of his friends had chimed in: "Seriously, if you really want to get an outdoor workout in today, make yourself useful and shovel someone out!"

And I began thinking again of the people I'd passed during my two parking lot laps: scraping off cars, blowing off sidewalks ... glaring at me? I hadn't sensed malevolence, but I sure hadn't wanted to call attention to myself, either.

It reminded me, on a much smaller scale, of Mark Remy's piece in Runner's World's post-NYC Marathon cancellation analysis. I haven't found it online, but the headline sums it up: "Are We Running in a Bubble?" 

The point is that while generally people don't sit around and fume over marathoners' perceived smugness as a group, the resentment is there, simmering — then exploding in such a situation as allowing a race to go through a community demolished by a freak storm — while marathoners themselves receive constant affirmation in their "closed system."

Don't believe it? "Recipe for Resentment: Claims of Running Prowess," posted on The New York Times' Well blog, addresses that same disdain in regards to the (disputed) recent study that running too fast and too long is actually bad for your health.

I wasn't inspired to write this post in order to defend us poor, despised runners. Like Remy, like the other authors of the NYC Marathon piece, like the marathoners who'd registered for the race long before Superstorm Sandy was on the radar, I was just surprised — and yet unsurprised, as a former nonrunner — at the sneers.

Surprised, because I didn't blather on to anyone, in person or online, about how I needed to go running and how this blizzard was really cramping my style. Surprised, because plenty of other people surely did weather-inappropriate "frivolous" things (while not shoveling anyone else out). Surprised, because I waved at cars — and snowblower operators — to indicate that I was moving off to the side to accommodate them, rather than demand all the space for myself.

And a week later, as fresh snow fell lightly, surprised at the disdain because of the smiling, encouraging folks who were doing outdoor chores as I ran past, who waved and apologized for being in the sidewalk. After online hate, it was nice to see real-life nice.

Confession: I break rec path traffic rules

During a generally unremarkable six-miler along the Clive Greenbelt Trail, I heard the following warning from a rider: "On your right."

Nope, this biker wasn't offroading, or perfecting her precision by sharing a lane with me. I had once again broken a cardinal rule of rec path use and failed to stay in the right lane.

I'm a drifter. I can't help it.

Often, I can correct myself, if it's oncoming traffic, and swerve out of the left lane. But when the passer is behind me, I'm figuratively caught with my pants down.

(Figuratively is a key word here, because outdoor runners sometimes must do things that require their pants to be literally down.)

During one of my first Des Moines runs, I had a rather breathless conversation with a friendly older gentleman about this issue. Congenital foot problems, and why I still run despite those problems, aren't something one can generally explain in passing with an elevated heart rate, but I tried.

First of all, my bevy of foot problems are for once not to blame. In this case, my podiatrist in Rockford told me, it's that one of my legs is shorter than the other.

Not at a level where it's visible to laypeople or where it needs surgical/orthotic correction. Just enough to create the wobbly stool effect — which would mean my left leg is the extra-short one, if that's how I'm leaning.

Soon after my latest noob-in-appearance-but-not-mind moment, Mark Remy posted his ticket for running violations. I clicked on the link with much joy, because I love Mark Remy, but with much trepidation, because part of me didn't want to find out what else the veteran runners were hating me for doing.

Good news: Lane violations didn't appear in Remy's post or the comments section. The folks passing me on the right don't seem nearly as irate as drivers who have to pass on the right on the highway (not, um, that I would have ever caused that to happen).

Maybe this infraction isn't as severe as I thought. Or maybe everything else about me just screams rookie and my comrades feel sorry for me.

Regardless, if you're ever the passer in this situation, spare a little sympathy for that person who might be an experienced, but slightly physically deformed, runner.

Web wrap-up: Aug. 13 to 26

I slacked last week (and am a little ahead of myself for this week), but don't worry, this post won't become bloated as a result.

Running Is Funny: The Ultimate Marathon ... Literally. The Pisa Marathon takes place Dec. 16, a few days before the most recent end-of-the-world prediction. Organizers decided to incorporate this into their marketing strategy, making a creepy video urging you to pay to run 26.2 miles during what could be the final week of all of our lives. Watch it, but not too close to bedtime.

CBS: Dog treadmill sales brisk as pets shape up. OK, before anyone gets on a high horse about pampered pets, the article points out that animal shelters can make great use out of these, instead of forcing the poor doggies to go stir-crazy. Also, dogs (and cats) are cute. The end.

Well: How to Make the Dog Days Your Training Partner. Scientists have decided there is indeed some benefit to gritting your teeth and exercising in hot weather: When fall comes around, you'll be mentally tougher for having done so. Physically tougher? Well, at least you'll get used to the heat while you're in it ...

Remy's World: Why Are Runners So ... Inspired by the blogger who checked to see how each state was viewed, Mark Remy used the Google autocomplete search function to see what the Internet thought of runners/joggers/running/jogging.

The results, surprisingly, include many positive questions ("why are runners so ripped?") and, not surprisingly at all, refer to bodily functions that are generally not considered polite. Read and laugh.

Another Mother Runner: Winner of There She Goes Charm Necklace. Bloggers Dimity and SBS asked for what their readers would put on the front of a running pendant, and the winner's idea resonated with me:

"An exclamation point. I did not grow up athletic. I am still amazed and surprised at my ability to run long distances."

Yep, me too. I'd wear it with pride!

Web wrap-up: July 16 to 22

Running Home: 50 Years Later, Little Has Changed. Amby Burfoot writes about knowing his hometown roads so well that he can judge mileage by cracks in the pavement.

It made me think of my own home turf, where I'll measure sprints from a mailbox to a different color pavement, or road signs that signal "start your engines" as well as "aaaaaaand done!" And I'm working on acquiring a few of those around here.

'Chafing': Weird and Wonderful. Mark Remy's book "C is for Chafing," which I can't believe I haven't read, was included among some website's compilation of weird books. You should click the link to see the screen grab of his cover among several far more bizarre-looking works.

I will, however, share his summary of the contents of "C is for Chafing" so that you don't miss it: "illustrations of roadkill and advice on farting during group runs."

Natalie Dee comic. On the same day I posted about the runner's heat index, Natalie Dee posted a comic about people who would disregard said heat index. (Click through, give her some traffic, and also read the small text above the image.)

The two posts were back-to-back in my friend Ashlee's Google Reader account, which makes it even funnier.

Out There: Lace Up Local. We start and end sentimental today (sorry). Susan Lacke joins the "buy local" chorus and sings the praises of her independent running store.

I won't lie and put myself up on a no-chain-stores-for-me pedestal, but I do agree with the thrust of her column: that the community experience of heading to a store where salespeople know, use and enjoy the products they sell ... and where they end up knowing you (right, Runner's Image?) ... can be worth the extra few dollars that a chain or online store might save you.

Web wrap-up: July 9 to 15

The bloggers I follow turned it up several notches last week — one link even got saved for a future standalone post!

I'll try to keep this short to encourage you to check out a post or two (or three ... etc.).

Another Mother Runner: Why I Run (Joan Markwell). Pretty much everything that Joan Markwell listed as reasons why she runs — the exception being "positive role model for my daughters — are ones that I share.

This one, though, I tend to forget, especially now when I'm meeting so many new people and having to talk about my interests:

"A sense of belonging — You are a runner. Repeat after me, 'I am a runner.' It feels nice and other people respect you for that no matter your pace, distance or outfit. Just making the effort makes you part of the club."

Gotta stop trying to qualify my hobby with "but I'm slow," "but I'm not competitive," "but no, I don't do or want to do marathons" or any other "but" statement!

RW Daily: Motivational Poster #28. This picture's 10 words are truly worth a thousand. Have I mentioned that I love Mark Remy?

Running Is Funny: Do Bosses Prefer Moms or Marathoners? Mike stumbles upon the most random and delightful articles. The one he references here is about women in the workplace, and the pertinent section has the author claiming that employers are likely to think of marathon-running employees as more dedicated, disciplined and hardworking than they would of working mothers.

If this is true — which Mike and I both doubt — I know what I'll be stressing in any future job interviews. Though the interviewer will only give me half the credit that I apparently deserve.

Another Mother Runner: Why I Run (Annet Maurer). Annet Maurer's lived all over and has picked up the language(s) everywhere she's been: Dutch (her native tongue), English, French, Swiss-German, Spanish and, she jokes, Australian. Those linguistic adventures — having to jump in and start from scratch — inspired her comparison of running as learning a foreign language; it's the third paragraph in the post, so you don't have to scroll far.

It's such a good analogy. I remember being so righteously outraged that I had to take gym class for most of my school career, thinking how unfair it was that I had to do something so difficult in front of people who found it so easy. (Side note: Who misses being a teenager? Not me.)

Did it ever occur to me, as I whizzed through French class or aced spelling tests, that other people were struggling with it and miserable and embarrassed by my comfort? Yeah, right. If I ever go back in time, one thing I'll be sure to tell my adolescent self is "get over it."

Running Is Funny: Hockey Writer Comes Up With Worst Marathon Analogy Ever. Some hockey writer wanted to make the point that the L.A. Kings' Stanley Cup victory doesn't mean the city will suddenly go hockey crazy and embrace the team (as, I'd like to point out, Chicago does and has for several years before the Stanley Cup win). So he made this statement:

"[It] reminds me of what people think when someone runs his or her first marathon. But contrary to popular belief, it means only that person has the fitness and endurance to run 26.2 miles. It doesn’t mean he or she can have another child, go back to school, change jobs or accomplish anything he or she tries."

One, does anyone truly believe that if s/he runs a marathon, s/he can turn water into wine or cure cancer? (I'd say no.) Two, wouldn't you think that the qualities necessary to train for and complete a marathon would assist someone in achieving the goals this guy rattles off?

But I digress. The point is that another blogger created a list of reasons why this hockey writer has such venom for marathon runners. Read them here.

Runner's Digest: 7.13.12. Olympian Michael Johnson posted an awe- and jealousy-inspiring photo to his Facebook account. Scroll to the bottom of this post to check it out.

Web wrap-up: June 25 to July 1

Running Is Funny: An Army Jogs on Its Stomach. Mike shares the vision of a Pennsylvania man who launched a series of races, called Jog 'n Hog, based on the Krispy Creme Challenge. Each race's eating portion is tailored to the city's particular specialty.

I liked this post because of the regional delicacies it described: pepperoni balls, ice cream and clusters of caramel/nuts/chocolate. And I thought it was worth sharing because of the call for what your city's food item would be.

Des Moines is apparently known for steak de burgo and Graziano's sausage. My former residence, Rockton, would have to feature Dairy Haus ice cream, and my true hometown, Roscoe, would definitely serve up pizza from Pietro's; extending to my home metro area, we could pig out on Edwards Apple Orchard donuts, anything from BeefaRoo or Swedish pancakes.

Now I'm hungry for home.

Another Mother Runner: Time to Talk Dirty. Sarah lists punny slang terms that describe mud race phenomena. I did the Warrior Dash last year, so this sounds pretty familiar as well as accurate. My favorite? "Souv-in-ear – the keepsake dirt you find in your ear three days after the race." For me it wars more like souv-in-toenail, but that's much less catchy.

Well: What Runners Can Learn From Cheetahs/Running Is Funny: Other Things Runners Can Learn From Cheetahs. The New York Times article (first link) is highly scientific and discusses the mechanics of how cheetahs and greyhounds move so fast. What humans can learn from them, it says, is that strong thighs and lighter shoes probably help, but that "there’s no indication" that the critters' lolling tongues boost speed. Michael Jordan probably would beg to differ, and judging from some of my hot-and-hilly runs, I'd say it's at least worth a little psychological boost. That's probably just a child of the three-peat era talking.

Mike's post, the second link, is easier to digest. Lots of pictures of cute cheetahs of all ages and sizes. Also, there are far-more-practical tips from cheetahs: I don't think I'll struggle putting "Cuteness trumps speed" (I've gotten some hollas recently, sunscreen, sweat, grimace and all) and "Recovery days are very important" into practice.

RW Daily: Congrats to Our 1 Millionth 'Avid Runner'!. Mark Remy points out, correctly, that articles never describe "runners" without using the adjective "avid." He explains the distinction:

"Avid runners are people who run and then talk about it, even to people who don't run and don't care. Also, avid runners wear race T-shirts instead of giving them to Goodwill."

Hurray! I'm an avid runner, because I talk about it to people who neither run nor care! Thanks, Mark.

Staring down stairs

Courtesy of Mark Remy at Runner's World's RW Daily blog comes this beauty.

The original post is available here.

Confession: I've never run stairs to work out (only in order to hurry somewhere). A former co-worker told me that he used to run flights of stairs back when he was playing soccer; we shared a grimace at the thought of that.

But I still empathize with this poster ... I just have to break it apart into "running" and "stairs."

I've blogged before and surely will blog again – another day – about how I don't always like running, so today I'll just focus on the second part: stairs.

They shouldn't faze someone who runs and bikes, or so other people will observe when I complain about being short of breath and slightly sweaty at the top of long flights of stairs. (Thanks, guys. Appreciate the support.)

I always cite the collegiate swimmer who told me, when I was that jerk who passively mocked athletes who hated stairs, that one must train for them to get better. It's not just a matter of being in general cardiovascular shape.

If this is true, then I should be a stair master (ha!) before the year's out. My new office is on the fourth floor — the heavily air-conditioned fourth floor, which will quickly bring a warm, exerted body back to arctic temperatures. Plus, I don't have a free parking space, so I have to head outside midshift to take care of my meter.

Two sets of three flights of stairs, five times a week. If this pays off, maybe — just maybe, and only as long as I'm fully insured — I'll try being the man in this picture. Thanks a lot, Mark Remy.

Web wrap-up: June 11 to 17

As you can see from the right side of my page, I keep tabs on several running bloggers who post frequently and engagingly.

Halfway through my Get Running days, I began using their best stuff as launchpads for my own posts. While I expect to continue that, I can't always build off what they've done — sometimes because I can't relate, sometimes because there's nothing more (or more eloquent) to say.

Three of that type of post have cropped up recently, and because I anticipate plenty more to come, I decided to mimic other bloggers and start a post compilation feature. This has nothing to do with the fact that writers experience creative blocks at times, or that sporty folks get sleepy, or that people who work office jobs sometimes become burned out on computer screens after putting in a day's work.

The timing does, however, have a slight relation to the weather forecast. It's not looking good for my running chances today: We're expecting highs in the upper 90s and heat indexes in the mid-100s. Send chilly thoughts my way today and tomorrow, please.

run this amazing day: on recovery. Katie is a triathlete in Alexandria, Va., one who's serious enough to hire coaches and who seems pretty competitive. This post (from June 6, but I read it sometime between June 11 and 17, so it's sneaking in) talks about how she used to cheat on her recovery time — she'd do a workout early Wednesday morning and then another on Thursday night — but eventually got smarter and learned to embrace a full lazy day between workouts.

I generally don't have a problem taking rest days; I just have a problem not feeling guilty about them and not endlessly justifying why I won't be running/biking that day. Last Friday, though, I overcame that: After a 31-mile bike ride Thursday, with a busy Friday planned, there was no doubt in my mind about the wisdom of resting. It felt good. Decisiveness is a rare, but pleasant, feeling for me.

Out There: Race Photos. Susan Lacke isn't the first person to write about ugly race photos (Runner's World's Mark Remy has made a full-fledged meme out of his own), but she turned out a great post about it. My favorite part:

"Perhaps the most outlandish thing about these horrendous race photos? I buy them. Yes ... I actually pay money to have documented proof of my ... er ... attractiveness."

Doug's irunnerbuzz: Not running in the Rockford half and other schtuff: Doug is probably my most devoted fan who's not related to me. I'd hoped to say hello/goodbye to him at the race in his blog post's title, but I never saw him. I learned in this post that he'd made a 12:30 a.m. conditioning-related call to skip the race. Having made a 5:30 a.m. conditioning- and family-issue-related call to skip a race in October 2011, I empathize 100 percent ... and also feel less embarrassed for having done so.