SneakerStories

Skirt Chaser

2008-07-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

The cover story of this month's Runner's World magazine is about the fashion tidal wave that is the running skirt.

I started wearing running skirts before there were running skirts. I'd buy longer, non-white, tennis skirts and train in those. If you catch me wearing one of my older running skirts, I can show the hidden pockets that you're supposed to use to tuck a tennis ball for second serve. Whenever I'd wear a skirt to a race, a few women always asked where to get one. Other people were like, "WTF is she wearing".

Honestly, I don't know if I'd have kept training if I couldn't have found the skirts. I hate my thighs and the skirts make me feel a little bit better about myself. The skirt allowed me to feel girly enough that I wasn't horribly self-conscious.

Whatever gets you out to train is all right with me. All hail the skirt!

Stoking the Metobolic Fire

2008-07-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

The running has really cranked up my metabolism. Consistent, intense cardio work makes your body burn through calories at an amazing rate. Come warm your hands around my metabolic fire.

You know when your metabolism heats up, because you are constantly hungry for healthy things - apples, yogurt, veggies and proteins. Unfortunately, if nothing healthy is available you're hungry enough to tear through whatever crap food is available. That's how people gain weight during marathon training - they're starved.

For the last week or so, I could feel my metobolism kicking it up a notch. This weekend, after the long run, it's really on fire. I'm hungry all the time. My metabolic furnace is so hot that I'm surprised I don't poot smoke.

10 Miles

2008-07-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that there be a beautiful run in San Diego that I'd missed? Today's course was one of the most lovely I've ever run. We started from the city skateboarding park in Ocean Beach (the Hippie Hollow of San Diego) and on through "Dog Beach". Then we went along the coast, out to the end of the pier and on to Sunset Cliffs. I know that I see the coast every week, but this is especially nice coastline - rocky and rugged with great crashing waves and dolphins playing with the surfers.

The course was hilly, but mostly rollers with a few peaks for fun. It was challenging, but not torture. One of the coaches was kind enough to offer to run with me since most of the team is on a taper this week, but I'm going in the opposite direction and needed to increase mileage. I did pretty well hanging with the coach, but she's definitely faster than I am. Also, I faded a lot on mile 8, 9 and 10 while she was able to be more consistent to her pace.

An irritating problem for the final miles was an ouchy friction spot on my inner thigh. I'm out of my favorite running product EVER - Two Toms Sports Shield Liquid. I used to love Body Glide for the prevention of chaffing, but Sport Shield beats it by a mile. With Sports Shield there are no blisters, no chaffing from your sports bra and no upper thigh Chub Rub. Since I didn't have Sports Shield I used something else that was good, but not fantastic. After mile 6, my inner thighs were angry about the friction. Hey, my thighs make me angry when I see them in shorts. I guess we're even.

Overall, more than 10 miles in perfect running weather.

The Technical Term Is Badness

2008-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Three miles in the humidity - including my nemesis the 6th Street hill. Not fun, but done.

AFC Half Marathon Preview Run

2008-07-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight we ran the 6th Street hill that is mile 11-12 the America's Finest City Half Marathon. Considering all the miles I've covered around Balboa Park, it's amazing that I missed the 6th Street climb. It's a bugger even though it's only a mile with about 300 feet of elevation.

There are some real corkers in the middle of the climb - spots where it shoots up quickly. It's not nearly the beatdown that mile 6 of the La Jolla Half Marathon, but still tough. Of course, the hill in AFC comes at the end of the run. Hopefully, the long downhill and flat will give me plenty of easy miles before the long climb toward the finish line.

It was hard, but I made it without stopping. I was "running" pretty slowly in parts. Guess what I'll be doing every Monday between now and August 17?

Calendar Management Skills Fail

2008-07-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

I somehow managed to get behind on my training calendar and I haven't been doing enough running mileage to be fully prepared for San Francisco. Normally, I like to increase my long run by a mile a week. If I follow that plan, I'll have only run 10 miles before San Francisco. That's actually enough to do the race, but I really want to have 12 miles of running under my belt.

That means I need a more aggressive plan than bumping it up by a mile a week. Here's the new long run plan through the AFC Half Marathon in mid-August:
July 12 -9 miles (+2),
July 19 -10.5 miles (+1.5),
July 26 -12 miles (+1.5).
August 3 - 13.1 mile (+1.1). San Francisco Half Marathon
August 9 - 14.5 (+1.4)
August 17 - 13.1 (-1.1) America's Finest City Half Marathon

Of course, this is silliness. I can walk a full marathon. If I can't do the full distance running, I can always fall back on my walking to finish the race.

But I'll be really, really disappointed if I can't run the whole way.

Feldenkrais

2008-07-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

For months, I've been working at home whenever I could because my office is a pain in neck. Literally, working at my office gives me pain and stiffness between my shoulders. If I work in the office for several consecutive days my neck will lock completely. It's very, very annoying. I've tried tons of different office configurations, but I've never gotten the correct ergonomics.

My gym offers weekly Feldenkrais classes which are supposed to do something to help you learn to move more efficiently. Every month I look at the Feldenkrais flyer and wonder about it. You have to sign up for the full month of classes and I just never got around to trying it. This month the classes focus on neck and jaw strain. That was incentive enough to get me in there.

Yesterday I went to the first class which was a lot of laying on a mat and sticking your tongue out on your lower lip. There was also some moving your hand in front of your face and following it with your eyes. If you've ever been to an acting class that covered body awareness, then you know what it was like. My neck did feel better leaving the class, but it didn't last long.

Today I was sitting in my office with my neck hurting and I had a flash of body awareness that my head was hanging forward stretching my neck. The computer monitor was too low. I'd been adjusting the angle of the flat screen, but I didn't know you could also make the whole screen go up on the support arm. After a quick adjustment, my head and neck are in the correct spot and the pain is eased.

Score one for the Feldenkrais method.

Chi Running Update

2008-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm running more consistently these days. I started with 3-2s, that's 3 minutes running to 2 minutes walking. Now I'm up to 5-1s. I can run consistently for about 6-7 miles, after that I want to walk. That feels pretty good considering I didn't run at all until about a month ago.

Ages ago I promised an update on the Chi running technique. The seminar I took was lead by two great instructors Ben from Effortless Running, and Shelli from Joy In Movement. When I can do it, Chi running is really effortless. The problem is I can't consistently manage to do it. Sometimes I'm flailing around and I look like a complete dork. Usually I try to focus on one Chi technique at a time.

The thing is that when I get it, I absolutely know I've got it. My whole body feels aligned to the run and suddenly I'm about 2 minutes per mile faster. When it happens, it's that good - faster, easier. Then the whole thing falls apart and I'm back to my slow, gawky self.

Overall, I'm really satisfied with the Chi running class I took. In fact, I'd like to take a refresher course in a few weeks.

IronGirl

2008-06-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

My favorite race of the year was last weekend, the IronGirl 10K. I did they inaugural event last year and it was fantastic. I liked it so much that I drafted a whole slew of women to do the event with me this year: TNT alumni, friends, and even some Striders.

This year the course started on the Del Mar Race track. The horse track surface is strangely cushioned. It's really soft on your joints, but a bit like running in sand. Either way, it was neat to get to run along the famed horse track. Also, we got to watch ourselves cross the start line on the Jumbo-tron which was cool.

Unfortunately, it was a hot day. I just don't do well in the heat at all. Also, they changed the water station layout from the course map. They moved the water stations to the turn around points which was a bummer, because it effectively meant that there was one less water station on course. I had plenty of hydration mix in my water belt, but some water to pour on me to cool off would have been great. Instead, I got sick just before the water station. Damn heat.

Everyone hates the heat, but other people don't seem to suffer the way I do. I'm going to research how to increase my tolerance of hot weather. Maybe I should be training in warmer conditions.

Other than my bout of heat sickness, it was a fun event. I was happy to collect my medal and see my friends all along the course.

Perfect

2008-06-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Just a lovely, lovely evening.

First, dinner at The Better Half - Apple, Mushroom and Pear Stuffed Quail, Bison Ribs and the Leaning Tower of Beets. Followed by good coffee and bread pudding with candied figs.

Then we took a nice evening walk to Cinema Under the Stars. It was great, wrapped up in our blankets and relaxing in the zero gravity recliners. Steve relaxed too much and fell asleep for a bit during Sorry Wrong Number, but I loved it.

Off to an Annoying Start

2008-06-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Grrr. I went to meet my new running group, the San Diego Striders, at the scheduled time and location. Unfortunately the coach decided to change the starting time to be a half hour earlier. At the team meeting on Wednesday I heard her say she be adjusting the times during the summer to have us running before the heat of the day. What I didn't hear her say is that the hand out she'd just given me listed the wrong time for the first session.

One of the other coaches was there and said I could still run if I wanted. However, the route was a 6 mile out and back along Camino Del Rio Road. It's a boring, ugly road that runs right next to US Highway 8. Who doesn't love running in a cloud of exhaust fumes?

I declined the offer to run there and decided to go run at Balboa Park instead. Luckily a few miles into my run and bumped into my normal training group. They were scheduled for 9 miles and I was only scheduled for 6. I pretty much ran the first 6 and walked the remainder. Also, since I was only planning for 6 miles, I didn't take along any nutrition - by the time I got to the Embarcadero I was already feeling hungry. By the end of the run I was shaky/weak. Lesson learned, always pack something.

We did a challenging course for a short distance - Balboa Park, downtown San Diego, up the Convention Center steps, around the Embarcadero, through Little Italy and the up-up-up the canyon hill back to the Park. Take note San Diego Striders - this is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. There's no need to be running along ugly stretches of highway.

Current Training Log - San Francisco, America Finest City, Big Bear and Long Beach

2008-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

For the next few months I'll be taking a break from Team In Training. I'll be training with the San Diego Stride and with a group of friends that I met through TNT.

Training Log for the San Francisco Half Marathon, America's Finest City Half, Big Bear Half Marathon and Long Beach Half Marathon.

July 20 - July 26
-
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Sunday	3 Miles Easy	2 Miles Easy Walk	Just a relaxing stroll after seeing Mama Mia
Monday	4-6 Miles Hills	3.19 Miles	I was a little sore from Saturday and I got off to a late start. Took yet another go at the 6th St. Hill.
Tuesday	Upper Body Lifting , Feldenkrais	Upper Body Lifting , Feldenkrais	A quick lift, but a good one.
Wednesday	5 Miles	-	-
Thursday	Swim or spin	-	-
Friday	Rest	-	-
Saturday	Run 9 Miles	-	-
-
July 13 - July 19
A good week - a bummer to miss my Tuesday/Thursday, but great job in going to run on my own on Wednesday night after missing my coached session.
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Sunday	3 Miles Easy	Walked a bit	No real exercise and bad eating to boot.
Monday	3-4 Miles Hills	3 Miles	Humidity, I'm not a fan. 6th St hill was a butt-kicker.
Tuesday	Swim or Spin	-	Infuriating, I was actually at the Y when I got an emergency call from the office. GRR.
Wednesday	Run 5 Miles	Run 2.6 Miles	Another "emergency" screwed up my schedule, but I managed to run in the late evening. Better than nothing.
Thursday	Swim or spin	-	Another work "emergency"
Friday	Rest	-	Rest
Saturday	Run 9 Miles	10 Miles	Great run - one of my best.
-
July 6 - July 12
Terrible week in terms of consistency. Both workouts were okay, but it's unacceptable to miss 3 days of workouts. Work was a long grind this week.
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Sunday	3 Miles Easy	Rest	-
Monday	3 Miles Hills	3 Miles Hills	My first attempt at 6th Street hill - wow.
Tuesday	Swim or Spin	Nothing	Must be a lunch workout. We have evening plans.
Wednesday	Run 5 Miles	Nothing	-
Thursday	Swim or spin	Nothing	Must be a lunch workout. We have evening plans.
Friday	Rest	Scheduled Rest	-
Saturday	Run 9 Miles	8.5 Miles
-
June 29 - July 5
Not perfect, but a very, very good week. If I can string together 4 more just like it I'll be ready for San Francisco.
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Sunday	3 Miles Easy	2.5 Miles, Pilates Leg Work	Ran in the heat. Blah
Monday	3 Miles Hills	2 Miles Walk	-
Tuesday	Swim or Spin	Spin	-
Wednesday	Run 4 Miles	4 Miles	Mostly 5-1. Ran by myself since everyone else is faster than I am. I was slow but fine.
Thursday	Swim or spin	Rest	-
Friday	Rest	Rest	-
Saturday	Run 7 Miles	7 Miles	Humid - it was like running in soup. Every run gets a little bit easier.
-
June 22 - June 28
Good week - Consistent
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Sunday	IronGirl 10K	IronGirl 10K	Hot, felt like crap.
Monday	Rest	Rest	-
Tuesday	Swim Conditioning	Swim Conditioning	I love the pool!
Wednesday	Run 3 Miles	3.5 Miles, light swimming	Slow, but I did it.
Thursday	Run 3-4 Miles	Spin Class	-
Friday	Rest	-	-
Saturday	Run 5 Miles	6 Miles	Sometimes I get my Chi going and it's very easy.
-
June 14 - June 21
Bad Week - too hot and too many skipped workouts.
Day	Goal	Actual	Notes
Saturday	Run 6 Miles	9 Mile Run/Walk	Nutrition was off since I planned for 6 and did 9. Either running or the lack of food did a number on my energy for the last few miles.
Sunday	Run 3 Miles (Easy)	2.5 Miles Run	-
Monday	Run 3 Miles	Rest Day	-
Tuesday	Rest	-	-
Wednesday	Run 3 Miles	3 Miles	Yuck. Heat.
Thursday	Run 3-4 Miles	Skipped	-
Friday	Rest	Skipped	-
Saturday	Run 7 Miles	Rest for IronGirl	-

Bonus - Extra Triple Crown

2008-06-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

When I sent in my registration for the San Francisco Half Marathon I got some good news. There's a new Triple Crown - The California Dreamin'.

California Dreamin' Racing Series - The San Francisco Marathon has partnered with Surf City USA Marathon and Long Beach International Marathon to form the California Dreamin' Racing Series. Runners who complete the full or half marathon in all three events in two years will receive a special medal and Racing Series jacket.

The best part is I'm already scheduled to do all three of these events. It's a bonus medal! And did you see the part about a Racing Series jacket? That will rock my sneakers!

I'm such a marathon/medals dork.

Other Than The Dirt, It's As If I Never Left

2008-06-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Our vacation is complete. :(

We wrapped it up with a 10 hour marathon drive home from Eldorado National Forest. That drive was actually not as bad as it sounds. It allowed me to slowly shift gears from vacation-no-phones-no-work-communications mode to real-life mode. Not that I wanted to shift gears, but it had to be done.

Three random notes -

This year our only camping purchases were an air mattress and a coffee percolator. Both were highly valued. Next year, I'm buying a camp shower (stall optional). Grime and I do not belong together. I loved the place where we camped. However, there was a lot of loose dirt at the campsite and our feet were absolutely filthy after a few days of walking around in flip flops and river sandals. My feet were so filthy on the way home that I was almost too ashamed to enter Starbucks for my first Americano in four days. On the trip home when I wasn't driving I was trying to de-grime my tootsies.

Also, the loose dirt did a number on the interior of my truck. We had to reload all the food and coolers into the truck each night to prevent those sneaky bears from snacking on our food. I must make an appointment to get the car interior detailed.

During vacation I did not have any neck pain. That's a big deal because I'd slept in hotel beds, camp cots and air mattresses. I was back at my desk for 15 minutes and BAM - my neck was completely locked. It's not fair.

Tent Camping in Eldorado National Forest

2008-06-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

We're wrapping up our vacation this weekend. ** double frown**

Eldorado is beautiful. It's at a nice elevation, about 5000 ft; therefore, the weather is deliciously crisp. By crisp I mean in the thirties at night. We were grateful for that campfire/bonfire we cranked up last night. Our campsite is right along a stream and a short trail from the lake. Perfection.

Surprisingly, I like tent camping here. When I was a kid my family had a travel trailer and we made it one whole summer before we put in the air conditioner. We aren't "rough it" people.

You may be wondering why I'm on the internet. Steve and the rest of the boys wanted to check their fantasy baseball. My laptop has cellular broadband which to my surprise works in the middle of the forest. If it wasn't for the love of fantasy baseball, the laptop would still be in the truck.

This has been such a fun trip and full of great people and great places. I'm sorry to see our trip end.

Shutting down the laptop and heading out to enjoy the lake.

I Want To Be A Part Of It - New York, New York

2008-06-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

This isn't the email I was hoping to receive from the Race Director of the New York City Marathon.

...Thank you for applying to the ING New York City Marathon 2008. We're sorry to inform you that you were not selected in the random lottery drawing...

I had my heart set on running the New York Marathon this year. I'll apply again next year.

Yosemite National Park

2008-06-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Steve and I decided to leave Tahoe early and go camping at Yosemite National Park for a few days. Actually, Steve decided to go to Yosemite since he knew I was disappointed that we couldn't stop there on the drive to Tahoe. Other than his bike ride in Tahoe, this vacation is relatively unstructured and we can go on side trips if we feel like it. Luckily, it's a bit before the main tourist season. We haven't had much trouble finding accomodations - in fact, we got a heated tent cabin inside Yosemite at Camp Curry.

I'd never been to Yosemite before; it's possible I've never been at a National Park either. If I had to describe Yosemite in one sentence it would be "Honey, stop the car because I need to take a picture of that." It's just so beautiful. I took tons of photos which all fail to capture how amazing Yosemite is.

We spent most of our time in the less inhabited places in the park - Merced Grove and the Tioga Pass meadows areas. There's still some snow left at the higher elevations and that area doesn't have tons of visitors in the spring. It does have lots of deers and bears. It was lovely, peaceful and so amazing. The waterfalls are absolutely amazing now as all of the snow melts and feeds into the falls.

We're off to camp in Eldorado National Forest for a few day - possibly more pics and posts later, but probably not.

Lake Tahoe, AMBBR and SAG

2008-06-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe is absolutely stunning. I love it and I'm incredibly happy to have made the trip.

I was a little worried about the trip, not about Tahoe, but about being there for America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. This was the 100 mile bike ride that I decided not to do. Honestly, I was more than a little worried that I'd be heartbroken and petulant all weekend. It's not my nature to sulk, but then it's also not my nature to be a quitter either.

In fact, I had an absolutely fabulous time the day of the race. My job was to help with SAG - that's either "Support and Gear" or "Sympathy and Gear" depending on your day. First, I met the team at Inspiration Vista above Emerald Bay. It's beautiful there as you can clearly see in the photo. At Vista I took the cold weather gear they needed to ditch. I also snapped team photos and did whatever the riders needed. Then I had a few hours off so I went for a run. (Oh, I ran three times in Tahoe. Chi Running is awesome.) Finally, I wrapped up my day cheering on the cyclists at Spooner Summit. This was toward the end of the ride and after the cyclists had finished a 9 mile climb.

In total, I spent about 7 hours and it was great to be able to help people succeed. I had never done SAG at an event, but I've always always appreciated it. There have been plenty of events where some TNT person called out "GO TEAM" and it gave me the push I needed to reach the finish. Last night at the victory celebration someone said that seeing me at Spooner was like a "Ray of sunlight. All the cheering is great, but when it's someone you know cheering for you it's a big lift." Her taking time to say that made my weekend.

It is a huge lift to see a familiar face along the course. I'll always remember seeing Coach Ellen at mile 19 of my first marathon and seeing Steve cheering at Nike Women's Marathon. I hope I was able to provide some joy to the riders along the course.

Hello From The High Sierras

2008-05-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

The drive to Lake Tahoe from San Diego was nearly perfect. We had the lovely weather and we reached Tahoe just as the sun began to set. California is an incredibly beautiful state. Sometimes people think of California and they think about Los Angeles, San Francisco, traffic and smog. It's so much more that. It's beaches and deserts and forests and redwoods and mountains.

I snapped this somewhere along Highway 395. Instead of taking the slightly shorter trip on the 5, we took the rugged inland route through the mountains and the national forests. We were only a few miles from Yosemite and Sequoia, but I couldn't convince Steve to detour to let me see them. It would have taken hours and we'd have never reached Tahoe. On the way home, we're definitely going to take a quick trip to see Devil's Postpile.

Suddenly, it was 1988

2008-05-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

We went to see The Police Reunion tour last night. Wow, just wow. We hung out on the lawn for a song or two, then migrated to a box for most of the show. Reunion tours can be a dicey proposition, but The Police did it just right. Just the three of them - no additional musicians or back up singers. It was a lean, pure production - very simple stage, simple lighting - with the music just pouring.

I didn't realize it until we got to the venue but Elvis Costello opened the show. I love me some Elvis (Costello and Presley). Elvis did a great set, especially Sting coming out to duet with him on Allison.

As it often happens, one thing is a microcosm for another. Watching the show I couldn't help but note the impact of fitness on the artists.

	Elvis Costello is 53. He looks like this - kind of, well, lumpy.
	Sting is 56 and a long-time proponent of fitness, yoga and healthy diet. He looks like this.

Both Sting and Elvis are looking a bit scruffy with the beard, but check that bicep on Sting. I would not describe him as lumpy unless by lumpy I meant delicious.

Chi Running - Results

2008-05-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

More on Chi Running next time. For now, I went out today and ran a bit more than 2 miles. Two miles sounds paltry since I can easily walk about 15 miles. Normally, I'm a run-a-step, walk-2-steps girl. Today I ran solid with the exception of 1 short hill. My form wasn't great and I was slow, but it was still a good showing for a first time Chi Runner.

These Are The Problems Of Living in Paradise

2008-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's been cool and damp here since Friday morning. It's not something we really deal with in San Diego and everyone has been pretty short-tempered about it.

Steve got us seats to the Padres game Friday night. All Friday afternoon I worried that we'd be rained out; I also worried that we wouldn't get rained out. It's a week before Steve's Century Ride and really did not want him sitting out in the cold wet weather for hours and getting sick. My enjoyment of Rock N Roll Marathon was killed by the fact I had food poisoning days before the event. Sick=dehydrated. Dehydrated=sucky endurance event.

We went and the game was played but we did have a rain delay mid-game. We were nestled into a spot in the ballpark where rain didn't really reach us. I felt a drip every minute or so, but that was it.

The rain delay was interesting nonetheless. The grounds crew pulled the rarely used tarp over the field and everything. The Padres have had 2 rained out home games in the last 25 years. The tarp doesn't even have a logo printed on it. I guess they figured you can't sell advertising on a tarp that gets used in front of spectators once every decade or so. You could tell the ground crew was pretty excited to get to pull out the tarp in front of the fans. This is it boys! This is the moment we've practiced for! This is "The Show". Imagine the disappointment of the grounds keeper who called in sick that night.

The other thing was they were completely unprepared for what music to play during the rain delay. It started with Clint Black's "Like the Rain"and ended two songs later with Milli Vanilli's "Blame It On The Rain". Milli Vanilli was met with confusion and then a collective groan. After that they gave up and put the Dodgers game on the big screen. I think we were all relieved, because I'm pretty sure "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" was next.

But that's San Diego for you. We are completely unprepared for rain - we don't have a logo on our tarp and our rain delay soundtrack is from 1990.

You Call It Crazy, But I Call It Fabulous

2008-05-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

The new bathroom chandelier.

Can She Chi?

2008-05-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

This morning I took my first ever Tai Chi class. I'm not sure what I thought of it. It was sort of like the first time I took yoga 20 years ago. (20 years!) The Tai Chi instructor used a lot of silly names for moves which I'm sure aren't silly if you know what it all means. To someone with no background the pose names seem arbitrary. She calls out the movement White Crane Spreads Its Wings. To me it may as well be Porcupine Eats An Onion Ring or Child Tames a Rutabaga.

What inspired this interest in Tai Chi? This weekend, I'm taking a class in Chi Running. Chi Running is a modified running form that uses the principles of Tai Chi to make running more effortless. Lately, I've really enjoyed running. It's a big change from a year ago, when I found running to be a chore. I thought maybe some formal instruction on running form might be in order.

I don't know how the Chi Running concept came into my world. Last week it was just suddenly there ready for me to explore. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

Why I Broke Up With Lenny & Larry

2008-05-19T20:18:00.001-07:00

I'm doing what I can to stem the tide of obesity that is sweeping this country. Since I'm only one prone-to-chubbiness woman I can't do it alone but I do two things: I keep my own weight in line and I refuse to reward companies that give misleading portion information.

My favorite pre-workout snack is was a Lenny & Larry Muscle Brownie - either in peanut butter or triple chocolate flavor. The brownies are very tasty and a caloric bargain at 170 cals per brownie. Or so I thought. Today, I really looked at the label - serves 2. Are you kidding me? Since when does an individually wrapped snack serve 2? Does a Snickers bar serve 4? Of course it doesn't. It's infuriating when companies fudge on their nutrition labels. It's hard enough to get people to pay attention to healthy eating. We don't need companies making it more difficult.

Would I have bought the brownies if I'd have known that they were 340 calories? No. But I would have happily bought a smaller portion at 200 calories - I'd have even paid the same exorbitant price for the product.

I'm betting other people won't buy them at 340 calories either. These are a popular item at the juice bar at my gym. Before I left, I wrote "340 Calories" on the display box in Sharpie marker.

Lenny & Larry, I'm so over you.