TheDailyRunner.com

Winter Running Tips

If you're an avid runner -- or are hitting the pavement for an occasional jog -- the onset of winter shouldn't force you to hang up your sneakers for the season.

Try these winter running safety tips from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

• Warm up -- your body will take a little longer to warm up, so begin with a fast-paced walk for at least five minutes before you start to run.
• To help keep you warm, toss your clothes in the dryer for a few minutes before you put them on.
• Run with a shorter stride in the winter to reduce the risk of slipping and falling. Also, stay away from icy patches or packed snow.
• Dress in layers that you can peel off when you get too warm.
• If it gets too cold, run on a treadmill indoors.
• Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids -- before, during and after your run

Marathon Santa's tractor tow pulled over

TRENTO, Italy, Dec 22, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A Santa-bearing sleigh pulled over by Italian police was not being pulled by reindeer, but by a slow-moving tractor, officials said.

Witnesses said the arrival of Santa Claus at the finish line of a Christmas charity marathon Sunday outside the village of Trento was delayed when police pulled over the tractor pulling the sleigh and fined the driver for blocking traffic and not having a road permit, ANSA reported Monday.

About 500 runners dressed as the jolly Christmas elf participated in the race and beat the intended finish line greeting, St. Nick and his sleigh, to the end point, onlookers said.

2008 Holiday Gift Guide

Need a last minute gift idea for a runner?  Check out Runner's World's 2008 Holiday Gift Guide.

Click here to view it

DailyMile.com -- A Great Way to Meet Other Runners

Have you checked out DailyMile.com?  It's a cool new website that allows you to meet other runners.  It operates very much like Twitter, but has some additional features that make communicating fun and easy. 

Check it out here... www.dailymile.com

Here's a link to my profile:  http://www.dailymile.com/people/uvizz

Running Around the Lake

I took this picture a few weeks ago when I was doing a 15 mile run at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City.

If you have some cool pics that you've taken while running, send them to me and I'll post them.

Why runners are like two year olds

This is a fun article from OregonLive.com

Enjoy!

I've been running a lot more on my own lately. Having a specific training plan sometimes doesn't gel with group runs.

That means more time to think about my running.

Lately, it's occurred to me that runners have a lot in common with small children. Here are a few reasons:

1. The obvious reason: We run everywhere.

One a kid learns to walk, there's no slowing them down. Go to any social function that includes kids. Family reunions, for example. Kids run. Everywhere.

2. We talk about many more bodily functions than non-runners.

It's strange to talk about poop to someone you just met. Unless you're two and just learned how to use the toilet. Or unless that someone has joined a group run, you're six miles in and there's no porta-potty in sight. Runners don't look at it as a taboo topic. They look at it as part of running.

3. We make friends quickly.

Remember elementary school? "Let's be friends." "Okay." Similar things happen with runners. "What pace to do plan to run for this 10k? Oh, cool, me too! Can I run with you? Awesome!" I don't have a lot of free time for socializing, therefore running is my social hour as well. 90% of my friends in Oregon are runner friends.

4. We like to talk about the same subject over and over again.

I ran 10.5 miles yesterday morning in the snow. It was lovely. And I've told the story of my run to my mom, on my running club's message board, to my boyfriend, on facebook, and, yes, on the blog here.

So you see, we're a lot like two year olds. And it's awesome.

I've been running a lot more on my own lately. Having a specific training plan sometimes doesn't gel with group runs.

That means more time to think about my running.

Lately, it's occurred to me that runners have a lot in common with small children. Here are a few reasons:

1. The obvious reason: We run everywhere.

One a kid learns to walk, there's no slowing them down. Go to any social function that includes kids. Family reunions, for example. Kids run. Everywhere.

2. We talk about many more bodily functions than non-runners.

It's strange to talk about poop to someone you just met. Unless you're two and just learned how to use the toilet. Or unless that someone has joined a group run, you're six miles in and there's no porta-potty in sight. Runners don't look at it as a taboo topic. They look at it as part of running.

3. We make friends quickly.

Remember elementary school? "Let's be friends." "Okay." Similar things happen with runners. "What pace to do plan to run for this 10k? Oh, cool, me too! Can I run with you? Awesome!" I don't have a lot of free time for socializing, therefore running is my social hour as well. 90% of my friends in Oregon are runner friends.

4. We like to talk about the same subject over and over again.

I ran 10.5 miles yesterday morning in the snow. It was lovely. And I've told the story of my run to my mom, on my running club's message board, to my boyfriend, on facebook, and, yes, on the blog here.

So you see, we're a lot like two year olds. And it's awesome.

Racing Brings Out the Poet in Him

Carl Scharwath gives new meaning to poetry in motion.

About five months ago Scharwath, 55, decided to get serious about competing in 5K -- or 3.1 mile -- races. While training, he realized his other passion -- writing poetry -- came easier when his running shoes hit the pavement.

"It's my time," he said of his running. "It's like meditation to me."

While training, Scharwath said, his ideas come alive. A blank piece of paper with a pen in hand is at times unnerving and he doesn't know what to write, he said. "I almost think I should run with a recorder".

Click here to read the rest of the article