The Daily Feed: Sites We're Surfing 8/4

Hope as I may that August would run a little slower than June and July, this week has been flying by. Thursday? Already? Time does fly, and always when I'm not expecting it. Maybe that's because I was reading a little too much online when I should have been writing, coaching, swimming, yogaing or cooking (I still have a refrigerator full of farmer's market veggies!). Here's what I've stumbled upon:

• Are FiveFingers so mainstream that the Army needed to ban them? --Gear Junkie
• First day of my hiking trip and I got a blister. I could have used this Core Performance guide to care for it, but now it's filed away for next time.
• Maybe I would have been more gung-ho about traveling to Alaska instead of Banff had I read Skinet's feature about skiing then salmon fishing. I can handle cold weather when I can ski.
• I may have only been a teenager when I last traveled to Italy but if I could go back, I think I'd have to try the cycling y comida option. And hope that the former pro's cycling skills rubbed off on me.
• Popping a pill might not be the best solution for beating your injury. SELF explains why and when to pick up the Advil.
• Take the guesswork out of training for the Men's Health Urbanathlon--if you've got an Equinox near you, you can train with them. Sweet!
• Chris Carmichael read my mind: how to train for climbs when you lack hills.

Photo grabbed from spaceamoeba at flickr.com.

When the Pro Cyclists Ride Colorado...

Who hasn't had dreams or aspirations of being a professional athlete? Certainly not me, and I'm dating myself back to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where I wished I could be like Summer Sanders or Janet Evans. I know, however, that I'll never be even remotely good enough to be at their caliber among the swimming set or the next Lindsey Vonn or Chrissie Wellington (do any of us stand a chance at that?). But that's never to say that I can't train like them...or try.

Riding along that theme comes my latest training mission: surviving the cycling routes of the pros. Well, not exactly. I'm certifiably scared of the Tour de France's cobblestones, descents and gut-wrenching climbs--and that's from watching it on TV. I'll second guess myself on pretty much any terrain involving me and a bike--oh and I'll do the worst thing possible and ride the brake. But yet, I'm still fascinated by the major events among world class cycling that are cropping up on American soil.

First it was the Amgen Tour of California, thanks in part to Vision Quest promoting its camp with a ride on the course and a time trial that you could race from the trainers in Chicago. And now it's the resurrection of an old Colorado mainstay that's being taken to a new level with the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Call it my love and familiarity of Colorado, or blame it on summer when I try to spend significantly more time on my bike, but I'm literally drooling over this event which runs from August 22 to 28 and covers roughly 600 miles of Colorado terrain. It also doesn't help that the top three finishers at last month's Tour de France, Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck, recently joined the field. Makes it a little more exciting, don't you think?

But here's my favorite part. Just like plenty of other professional races, you can sample the race stages before the big dogs come to town. Need suggestions for how to do it? That's exactly what I took a look at for buzz.snow.com when I hunted down some recommended road rides that would burn plenty of calories, get you riding portions that the pros will cover, and offer challenges that will even get chills running up some pros' backs. Maybe not Lance Armstrong since he rides Colorado all the time, but he's retired so he doesn't count. As for me, check out stage 5 and then Rabbit Ears Pass or stage 3's time trial at Vail Pass. Shivering yet?


Photo grabbed from inspiratoblogs.com.

Smoked at the Beach Palooza Finish Line

What do you do after you cross the finish line of a race? There's post-race drinking. Post-race get-me-back-home-as-soon-as-possible. Post-race clothing change. Post-race massage. Post-race refueling--my personal fave, especially after a marathon. But I spotted a new--and unfortunately quite disgusting in my opinion--one over the weekend: post-race smoking.

Seriously? You just ran 3.1 miles, hopped over and through obstacles, trudged through the sand and an arctic pool now turned lukewarm from the heat, and crossed the finish line at the hot-as-Hades Chicago Beach Palooza, and you're going to light a cig? What could be more awful tasting--and worse for the lungs already recovering from the "trauma" of a hot and heated run--than taking a drag?

I don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm not a smoker. Or maybe it's because my out-of-running-shape body could barely handle the cross-country 5K--and hoisting myself up and over some of those obstacles--in the heat. Maybe it's because I was huffing and puffing at the finish line and all I wanted was to gulp all the water I could grab from the volunteer. Or maybe it's because she really wanted to live up to that "freakishly amazing" title on her tank top. Yeah, running with lungs full of tar would be freakish, but maybe not so amazing--or awesome.


Note: I'm only slowly easing back into running but I'm digging these 5Ks where I tote my camera. If I can't run fast or as well as I'd like, at least I can capture some pretty random memories (like this one).

8 Event August: Week 1

What the heck happened July? I swear I couldn't tell you what exactly happened between the Fourth of July and today aside from turning off and dropping out--almost completely--for a little Canadian Rockies hiking. But before the eighth month of the year escapes me as quickly as the sixth and seventh months did, I wanted to attempt start August better than I did June and July. Goal: putting events on the calendar so I don't regret missing a 5K, adventure race, kayak relay or triathlon when I'm curling up under a blanket, yanking on my hat and gloves, and retreating to my favorite comfort foods when the cold hits us all too soon.

Ah, August. The eighth month of the year. The month without a major holiday that we all take a break to celebrate (unless you count weddings like the one I'll be missing this weekend). The month with the number that the Chinese consider lucky--a random bit of trivia drilled into my brain when Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008. Sticking with that eight theme, here are eight events to keep you occupied for the week.

1. Josh Cox runs the Capital. Join the American record holder in the 50K and Michael Wardian, another speedster, at Pacers Logan Circle tonight at 6 p.m. for a Q&A, run and brews. Granted I'd have to hop a plane right now to make that happen--and wish that my legs could handle the distance--but I thought of my D.C. friends and relatives when I found this flyer.
2. Vision Quest and Well Fit ride the Ironman Wisconsin course. Who needs a little pre-race prep on the IM Moo bike course? Sign up for these rides--VQ's there on Saturday and Well Fit's there on Sunday--and you'll get SAG support, refueling stops and plenty of pacers to keep you on target for your race day goals. The sad part? These are the last rides VQ and Well Fit are hosting on the course for the season. Let's just hope W-DOT doesn't tear up a road the night before.
3. Centurion Wisconsin. Not too far from the above rides' starting point, you'll find Centurion cyclists racing Wisconsin's hills on Sunday, Aug. 7. Ride 25 miles (Saturday), ride 50, or ride 100--this course is guaranteed to give you bragging rights among your cycling friends. And some bulging quad muscles. Read more about it in Chicago Athlete's digital issue.
4. CNN's Fit Nation takes on the Nautica New York Triathlon. Six individuals are about to become full-fledged triathletes and compete alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who hosts Sanjay Gupta, MD every Saturday morning on CNN. Whether you've been following their stories or you're new to the fold, you'll want to tune in this weekend for the live coverage. Trust me: conversations with Kas Seerla and Kendrick Henley got me cheering already. Anyone racing?
5. Terrapin 5K. Store a pint of Cherry Garcia in the freezer for a treat after this Grateful Dead-themed running race that Liz called the happiest happy hour Chicago offers. Running, beer, pizza, music, a summer night? Yeah, sounds like a winner to me too, especially when I factor in the tie-dyed race tee.
6. Evergreen Town Race. When don't I have Colorado on my mind? Probably never. So when I stumbled upon this August 7 5K and 10K through the town where my friend lives, my eyes perked up. Plus its description as a fast course leaves me begging to see how that could happen in the Rockies where you're almost always guaranteed some form of altitude training. Or so I thought.
7. The Champions Run. I'm dreaming if I think I could get to Colorado for Sunday (my dad's birthday is Friday and I'll be lucky if I can surprise him, and that's miles from Evergreen). But here's a 5K/10K option that's a little closer to home. With predicted temps cooler the city has seen in weeks--and no rain--it almost seems like you have to skip sleeping in to see how your speedwork is paying off.
8. Ironman Boulder 70.3. It's tough enough to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles. Try doing it at higher elevation, say 5,400-ish feet above sea level, like the competitors who'll be racing this half Ironman. My lungs are already panicking, but good luck to the competitors--I'll be tracking from my computer.

What events are going on in your neighborhood for the week? What's on your race or training calendar for the rest of the month? Help a Midwest-minded girl out. I'll be sharing eight more events next week, and the next, and the next, but share your local happenings in the comments section and you might just see it in a future listing.

Photo grabbed from i-team.forumotion.com.

Fit-Pic: Can't Get Enough of the Beach

 

If I were to have a summer motto, I'd probably choose one to the effect of "you can't spend too much time at the beach." That is, if you come equipped with enough sunscreen, entertainment (or lack of sleep, which suffices in my case), water and snacks--you could easily be out there all day. The only problem is, until this weekend, I actually couldn't spend--or perhaps chose not to spend--any time at the beach. But thanks to our Chicago heat, us beachgoers have been out in full force. Check out this line for Saturday's Beach Palooza at Montrose Beach (stay tuned for a race report, too).

 

And see? The 3,000 or so participants hung out in the fenced off post-race area after finishing the 5K with obstacles that followed a twisty course around Montrose. Finding their friends, playing cornhole (thought I took a picture of that but apparently didn't), listening to cover band tunes, drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade (isn't that a good post-race refresher?)...you get the idea.

Sunday was a different tune: the beach, Oak Street's this time around, was packed. Swimmers, volleyball players, loungers, bikes, coolers, ice cream carts, you name it and it was likely there. This picture might not depict it, but there was a lot happening at the beach. Maybe more sleeping and relaxing than Saturday's scene, but hey, isn't that what Sundays are for?

How did you spend your weekend?