Sick

I'd hoped the preschool germs could be kept at bay until Thanksgiving at least, but no luck. Yesterday afternoon I got smacked by the rapid onset of a cold. I admit that I find it even worse when I get sick and Henry stays healthy because I still have to shuffle around and remain somewhat conscious to play trucks, read books, and prevent him from deciding now would be a good time to learn how to operate the snowblower (our baby proofing has been shoddy). I missed the NOVA Marathon special last night because I went to bed at 8, only to be awake with a fever until 1:30 am. Since having Lyme, I also am kept awake with paranoia that a cold isn't really a cold, because the symptoms are so similar (aches, fever, chills), but even though I have no congestion, I had a sore throat and no migraine, so I think I'm okay. Still, I checked for rashes today.

My general regimen for treating a cold is to drink copious amounts of Emergen-C, alternating with Coldeeze, which actually worked the last time I had the signs of a cold. I think I started my torture by vitamins too late yesterday, though, because it doesn't seem to have stopped the cold in its tracks like the last time.

Coincidentally, I read a meta-analysis of studies that showed that taking Vitamin C seems to work to prevent colds, but not when you start taking it after the cold has already developed. Most research shows that vitamin C doesn't help you if you wait until after onset to take it, but one large study found that patients who took 8,000 mg on the first day of symptoms got better faster. I took about 5,000 mg yesterday afternoon, which might explain why the cold seems to have eased up today--but not totally disappeared.

Another study found that marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers (who are regularly exposed to extreme cold and/or physical exertion) got sick 50 percent less often when they took vitamin C as a preventive measure. The study indicated that vitamin C seems to work for people who expose their bodies to lots of physical stress, such as distance runners, especially if they're training outside in winter. Importantly, the study states that these results are only generalizable to marathon runners and not those who exercise in less taxing ways. Also important to remember, the cold-bashing effects of vitamin C on these athletes are only effective if used as a prevention, not a response to a cold that's already assaulted your sinuses.

The study can be read online if you're interested. Stay healthy.

"Don't Sit on Your Friends"

That's what I had to tell Henry before school today, after he got in trouble with his teachers yesterday for his "personal space issues." Add that to the list of things I never thought I'd say.

More related to running, tonight NOVA is premiering its documentary about a group of ordinary people training for the 2007 Boston Marathon under the guidance of Uta Pippig. I hadn't wanted to watch it after my own marathon disappointment, but my curiosity might win out.

Jumping for Joy

On this happy, happy Monday, I want to celebrate Brian's budding photography career, with his shot of a runner at the 2006 Tufts 10k for Women. It was selected as Photo of the Week on the Complete Running Network website. I think this image captures how most of New England feels today.

Who Would You Run With?

One's mind goes to interesting places on a run alone. Over the course of my marathon training last winter, I wrote a children's book in my mind (looking for an illustrator) and mentally renovated our house from top to bottom. I also wrote a lot of imaginary nasty letters to people who have slighted me over the years (that activity is particularly good for recharging your energy with adrenaline when you're feeling droopy after a dozen miles or so). Today, I was thinking about who I would run a marathon with, if I could choose anyone on earth (okay fine, living or dead). I could be corny and choose my husband or my dad, but that's boring since I've already run with them, and while I love them dearly, I think I can do better. I could go with a big timer like Uta Pippig, but I'd just feel lame as she jogged tiny baby steps in circles around me as I huffed up a hill. I don't think Bruce Springsteen and the entire E Street Band would be able to run with their instruments, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg might trip over her robe and hurt herself, thus leaving the Supreme Court in an even worse situation than it's already in. So, I go with a comedian, which leaves me to choose between Steve Carell and Will Farrell. I choose Will, who is a normal runner and can make me cry with laughter so he could distract me from my IT band. Plus he's already run Boston once, so he could go the distance. As long as he doesn't go Old School and run naked. Shivers.

Who'd you run with?

Oh, Happy Day

A reporter on NPR actually used the word "thumping" to describe last night's game. Rainy, cold, but it's a beautiful day in New England.

Joggling

Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia set a new world record for the marathon in Berlin this September, winning the race in 2:04:26 (about 30 seconds faster than the prior record, held by Kenyan Paul Tergat). That's really fast. That's less time than we've waited for some pizzas to be delivered.

Impressive Haile, but can you joggle? Michael Kapral of Canada just set a new world record for joggling a marathon: running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon while juggling three beanbags (and chewing gum). In 2:50:09. Sure, but can he do it running backwards? Kapral is a senior editor for a Toronto firm that is actually based in Westford, MA where I live. He took the record from a "laughter researcher" who works at Harvard. (This just gets nuttier by the second.) His running has a serious and philanthropic side, though: Kapral runs to raise money for childhood cancer research through the Sick Kids Foundation charity, A Run For Liane.

Run Lola Run

The Complete Running Network recently posted a call for bloggers to write about the running movies that really get them going, so I'm going to offer a movie that might be my favorite movie overall, not just my favorite running movie. Right now, my husband is probably trying to figure out where one sees Colin Firth running in Pride and Prejudice. If Colin Firth did any running in that movie, it might just be my favorite movie of all time, but alas, Jane Austen was not one for strides and fartleks, so P&P is out of the running, so to speak. I digress.

My husband might also lobby for the scene where the Dude runs from nihilists wielding giant scissors in The Big Lebowski, which is his favorite movie (I love him anyway), but one running scene does not a running movie make. If we could choose a movie based on one scene, I might suggest Grease for the scene when Danny joins the track team.

No, my favorite movie is Run Lola Run. It is one of few movies in which you see a woman in a lead role kicking ass--and not as a masked superhero in leather. According to the New Yorker, Lola is a "ferociously willful punk girl with pink hair" and 20 minutes to come up with some serious money to save her boyfriend from a gangster. You can imagine how much running she must do to dash around Berlin to find the cash, but the existential subplot is as inspirational as her sprinting, which puts Tom Cruise in The Firm to shame (as does the acting of Franka Potente.)

Each character Lola encounters makes decisions that the filmmakers reveal in terms of their consequences on fast-forward, showing how the smallest moments in our lives can have large scale outcomes for ourselves and others. The film Sliding Doors attempted to convey a similar message, but it lacked the subtlety of this German sprint. Lola's run is a practical necessity for her to save her boyfriend, but it is also a metaphor for the ways that we move through daily life without considering the impact of our decisions. The film inspires me to run passionately, but more importantly, it inspires me to conduct my life with passion, deliberation, and contemplation.

Does Baking Count as Cross-Training?

There are some days when obligation or responsibility simply trump the compulsion or desire to run. On many of those days, I can justify whatever I've put off as cross-training, such as vacuuming, raking, or organizing the basement. Today instead of a run on one of the last truly warm days of the year, I needed to bake a birthday cake, and I'm fairly certain that it's not one of those activities you'd see listed in Shape magazine with a quantification of its surprising calorie-burning capabilities, like laughing or doing laundry. Oh, well. I'd rather bake and eat a chocolate cake with my kid any day. Happy third birthday, Henry!

Log Transfer

I finally joined the rest of you who are logging your running on Cool Running, instead of posting my mileage, shoes, weather, etc. on my blog. You can view my training stats on my log, which I've marked as visible to anyone who uses member name of KristinaPinto and my sharing password of "dfmc." With this password, you can view my log but not change it. That way, Brian can't post a long run for me on a Friday to get out of schlepping Henry to dance class on Saturday morning while I do a group run with the DFMC team. "But, sweetie, don't you remember running 15 miles yesterday? It's right there on your log."

So while my log won't be posted on the blog anymore, I will be able to do nifty things like automatically calculate the mileage on my shoes and my average pace for the week. If you haven't visited Cool Running to create your own log for running, biking, or walking yet, I recommend it as a way to chart your hard work. The site has other resources as well that are fun to explore, say if you've put your child in a time out and need to kill a few minutes. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Peak: View From My Run

Mileage: 4
Conditions: 58 degrees, sunny, humid
Quality: 3
Knee pain: low
Shoes: Mizuno

Birthday Sox

The last time the Sox were in this kind of pennant predicament, I was nine months pregnant. In 2004, the collective stress over being schooled by the Yankees in straight games raised my blood pressure high enough to have my ob-gyn test me for preeclampsia. When that test came back positive, I was induced within 12 hours, and Henry was born 13 hours after that. I'm glad we decided against naming him "Damon," since that traitor sold out to New York. We watched little of the remainder of the 2004 ALCS and none of the World Series, since Henry was waking us up six times a night and we slept any chance we got. Still, I felt guilty that I didn't shed a tear when he was born, but wept immediately when I watched the replay of Boston finally winning the World Series.

And here we are three years later, tense and tired over the Indians-Sox match-up and Henry's upcoming third birthday. We decided to join the rising movement of families taking a stand against out-of-control kids' birthday parties after two years of exhausting party planning. Though Henry did mention a "party with my friends" a few days ago, he also asked if we would just take him to a car dealership for his birthday so he could walk around all the cars. (He has a bit of a vehicle obsession and likes to remind us almost daily that he's "still into hubcaps.") I feel a bit guilty for not planning a party with other kids for him, but the excess and stress make us all a bit cranky, so we're giving this a try. If you're interested in the thinking behind this movement of parents who are saying "no" to crazy kid parties, click on the link above.

Seeing as I did all the work three years ago (with a little help from pitocin and an angel of an anesthesiologist), I was kind of hoping to get a nice run in by myself on Monday. The gift of solitude and peace is what most mothers like me want, I would guess, and a good run would be a really nice response to the me of three years ago who thought, "I will never run again because I will never sleep again." In the end, I think childbirth and child-rearing have actually made me a better runner. Although I had an epidural and the types of pain in a marathon and in labor are vastly different, knowing the pain of the latter has helped me cope with the pain of the former. And the patience needed for the methodical and arduous long-distance run have helped me in many moments of difficult mothering, not to mention baseball playoff viewing. C'mon boys, let's get it done.

Mileage: 4
Conditions: 65 degrees, sunny, humid
Quality: 5
Shoes: Mizuno
Knee pain: none

Bay State Marathon: Henry the Bandit

We took Henry to watch the Bay State Marathon on Sunday, which was running through Chelmsford, less than 10 miles from our house. The weather was great for the race--crisp and dry--if a little breezy. Henry loved being a pacer for the participants, many of whom cheered for him as they ran by. They also seemed to like my fuzzy hat.

Click on the image below for a video of Henry's efforts, which did not go unappreciated by the runners.

Click To Play

And here's the leader as he passed us:



This was his second time past our location (this race goes twice around the same loop), and his lead was much greater than the first time he went by.

Today's mileage: 4
Conditions: 50 degrees, dry, sunny
Quality: 4
Shoes: Mizuno
Knee pain: none

DFMC 2007 in the House

Last year's DFMC team raised a whopping $4.28 million, the runners learned this week. This is a record for the Challenge, and it feels great to know that all of the money goes to research and improving treatment. Gold stars all around.

Mileage: 5.25
Conditions: 60 degrees, sunny, dry
Quality: 3
Shoes: Mizuno
Knee pain: none

Pics from the Applefest Half

What Not to Wear for Nipple Chafing

Thanks to all for support re. my toe and my toddler. One of them I drained, and the other drained me. Both are making gradual progress, though the toe seems to be responding more quickly to my interventions. It's very difficult to find boarding preschools; apparently it's called "foster care." (Kidding, folks.)

While recovering from the day in a quiet moment of magazine reading, I saw an ad for the group The Breast Form Fund (BFF), a Massachusetts organization founded in 1994 that is dedicated to assisting post-mastectomy low-income women with breast prostheses and mastectomy bras. To raise money for their cause, they hold what I will call a "bralteration" contest for artists and craftspeople to design creative and clever bra-art. BFF holds an auction and gala to "reveal" the winning projects that will appear in a calendar they sell. Called Show Us Your Bra, the contest's past creations have used materials such as tea strainers, horseshoes, Coke cans, and ketchup and mustard bottles. Click the link above to view these wild (and totally impractical) works of art. The contest is closed for the 2008 calendar, which goes on sale October 15 through their web site, and they will probably be accepting creations for the 2009 calendar next fall. Now I know what I can do with those two DFMC cheering cones I got last year.

1-2-3 Magic

We are enduring some hair-raising tantrums from Henry these days and are trying a new strategy: 1-2-3 Magic. So far, counting him to a 3-minute break after bad behavior (whining, arguing, etc.) has worked very well--for catalyzing a kicking, thrashing, screaming fit of insanity. He won't stay in his room for his "break" and instead yanks on my clothes and stomps his feet to get me to respond during my own "no talking/no emotion" period. (This gets back to running, trust me.) I'm so glad we don't share walls with neighbors anymore. I was actually hoping the magic would be that I could disappear into thin air and find myself at a spa (or a bar). No such luck.

Yesterday's afternoon of "magic" resulted in several rounds of foot stomping that inadvertently landed on my infected toe a half dozen times. By last night, my toe resembled a radish. I drained it again (sterilized the needle this time) and it had improved by this morning's first tantrum. I was even able to get some shoes on to do the Arc Trainer at the gym so I could blow off the steam that's inflated my mental state. The very small optimistic part of me says the tantrums made it all possible.

The cherub's coming home from preschool soon, at which point it might just be time for Mama Needs 1-2-3 Drinks.

Blistered

My blood-blistered toes are bordering on infection, and I can't believe I've actually spent two sleepless nights from toe pain! I also can't believe that I can't work out because I have two sore toes. Seems a bit silly, like having an injured belly button. Henry's enjoying bringing me band aids (Care Bears), though, and my knee could probably use a few days rest anyway. Guess a pedicure isn't in my near future. Glad sandal season is over because no one wants to see my feet, but unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting my feet into any other shoes comfortably. I'm hobbling not from muscle aches, but from throbbing toes.

I always get blood blisters from running double-digit distances. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong, if anything, or how I can prevent this in the future?

One more unrelated thing: Go Sox!!!!

Going to My Happy Place

There was rain. The number pickup was chaos. Seven thousand women competed for porta-potties in the last few minutes before the race. And still, it was as great as a race gets. I love the Tufts 10k: the camaraderie and support are obvious the entire time. Two kind women each donated a safety pin to me when I realized I didn't have any with only a few minutes to spare. The streets were lined with fathers pushing strollers while supporting their wives and MIT men hoping for eye candy but cheering respectfully the whole time. The course has a couple hairpin turns that allow runners to see the leaders as they fly by, and once you make the turns yourself, you see the determined women running strongly at slower paces. It's one of the few races where the slower runners cheer for their faster peers as they go by, and I'm not just talking about hollers for the Deena Kastors moving at a seemingly superhuman pace. It's the kind of scene where you experience awe for the stars and equal admiration for the women who take three times as long to finish. I am inspired by the speed demons, and I'm inspired by the runners who pound it out in the rain for hours. Running races is great that way. I find myself equally exhilarated by both ends of the spectrum.

I knew Brian and Henry would be in the Public Garden for the duration of the race, so I wasn't expecting to see many familiar faces along the course. When I got to mile 6, I was thrilled to see my friend Ty, who'd run a spectacular race at the BAA half yesterday. Giddy as a preschool kid who sees her parents from the stage of her first play, I yelled, "Ty, Ty!" I was past him before he could realize who the kooky girl was calling his name from the home stretch of the race. I sprinted the last .2 miles, thinking about how silly it is for a runner to cheer for a spectator, but it's the kind of race where a person can be seized by the moment and the impulse to do such a thing. Then I got to shake the hand of Joan Benoit Samuelson, who was greeting the finishers and forgot all about the lapse in my race mentality.

Although more disorganized than in the past (construction on Boston Common and the rain were probably to blame), the stampede of women in the Tufts race calls me back. I intended to take it easy after doing a half on Saturday, but I was fueled by the spirit of the day and PRed at 49'20", and that felt great. I sacrificed two toenails this weekend but met the challenge of two races in three days, totaling 19.3 miles in 50 hours. I'm not bragging (I actually don't think what I did was that outrageous); I'm just proud of this new accomplishment. And I'm very, very sore.

Mileage: 6.2
Conditions: 60 degrees, rain, breezy
Quality: 5
Shoes: Mizuno
Knee pain: low

The Hollis Half

As you might suspect, I drove off to Hollis yesterday morning feeling a bit like a sourpuss. Mostly, it was because I had a stomach ache and because Henry woke up at 5 am and wouldn't go back to bed. But, the online firestorm from my blog also had something to do with my crankiness and seeing a bumper sticker in the parking lot that read "Jogging is For Nancy Boys" didn't help my mood. "Where the hell am I?" I thought. Sweetheart, you're not in Cambridge anymore.

The race volunteers were all very friendly, and I thanked each one I spoke to (I try to make a point of doing that at races). The heat was miserable, though, and because I forgot to have a snack between my 6 am breakfast and the 10 am start, I was starving by mile 6. I rationed my jelly beans to get me through, but I was flagging for the last third of the race. I was a tad peeved to have wait 45 seconds for water at the first stop, which I think prevented me from a PR, but I don't harp on it. My poor running companion (who I shall now call iTodd because he was a marvelous substitute for my music) hauled my ass for a while and tolerated my bad juju (at one point I even complained that my water cup was too full) until I told him to go on at mile 10.

I did the final 3 miles alone and hated the sun-drenched final uphill stretch. My good cheer returned when I passed Brian and Henry in their car, sitting in a line of traffic. They saw me, too, and Brian shook the DFMC rah-rah stick out the car window for me. It was a great moment of serendipity that helped run me the last mile and a half or so. Hearing several people shout "Go Dana-Farber! They do good work!" in response to my DFMC singlet was uplifting, too. I'm so proud to be associated with that group that I like to wear the singlet when I can, and people's recognition of their work is a great boost.

The post-race scene was bliss, compared to the hot, humid, and hilly race. I particularly appreciated the volunteers to remove our chips (a nice touch) and retie our shoes. The food was also varied, plentiful, and much appreciated by my hungry stomach.

Will I run this one again? Probably not. I still stand by my perception of the emails sent to runners, no matter what the intention was. The volunteers were very nice, but I didn't feel encouraged by those email messages, regardless of whether or not I agree with the iPod rule. I'll probably tend toward Paul Collyer's races. Paul has the same rules, but he communicates them with "serious playfulness" if you get the oxymoron. The race director at Hollis is probably a swell guy, but I went to the race with more anxiety than usual because of those messages. I have enough anxiety, so I'll find a race that doesn't increase it. Others might (and obviously) feel differently about iPods, the Hollis race, and the race director. Cheers to them, and they're welcome to have my spot in next year's race, which always has a wait list, so they must be doing something right.

Tomorrow completes my We Shall OverRun weekend. I'm sore, but I look forward to the camaraderie and the fun atmosphere of the all-women Tufts 10k at noon. Here's to the ladies who lunch (on the run).

Epilogue
I only saw two runners with iPods yesterday, which is very unusual for a race. Usually there are more people with them than without. I overheard one person saying she had been warned of a "spotter" by another runner, so she had to put it away for a few minutes. Not much else to say on the matter.

Mileage: 13.1
Conditions: 80 degrees, humid, sunny
Quality: 3
Shoes: Mizuno
Knee pain: low

A Few Notes on My Blog Style

Some notes to clear up any confusion:

1. I have strong opinions with which many might disagree (if I didn't have strong opinions, would my blog be interesting at all?), but I use hyperbole all the time in an attempt to be light-hearted and funny, no matter how angry or upset I am about a topic. Words like "gestapo" and "fascist" should not indicate that there are literally black-shirted thugs on the sidelines. If you have a question about whether or not I'm being snarky or hyperbolic, I probably am.

2. My blog is meant to be a companion to my fundraising efforts for Dana-Farber. As such, it is not meant to be a forum for verbal violence, competitiveness, or hostility of any kind. I hope those who have such comments to leave will start their own blogs where they can express their opinions and choose to speak their beliefs here in a considerate, albeit honest, way. I want your opinions, but I do not want aggression. Aggression is never light-hearted in my opinion. I do not censor comments, but I hope my readers will be mindful of what they write. If I feel you are not commenting in the spirit of this blog, I will ask you not to write again. This is not censorship, and I hope you can see why.

3. As you probably know, I ask everyone for donations (not yet gotten to the mailman, but his time will come). If I ask you for a donation, I in no way imply that you do not give your time or money to cancer organizations in other contexts. If you give money to another Dana-Farber runner's fundraising, great! I'm not competing with the others on the DFMC team. Dana-Farber does not hold a 5k race with Sloan-Kettering to see who's better; if you donate to them, great! I'm simply asking you to consider giving whatever amount you choose to my fundraising, because that is the commitment I made for myself when I signed up for the team. This is an avocation for me that I take seriously, and I work hard on everything I do (okay, not vacuuming or toilet cleaning, but you get my point).

So, read my blog with the lightness in which I write. Donate money to Dana-Farber if you want to, and I hope you will. Peace to all. Run on.

iRun: Your Race Song Playlist

Here are a few of the songs I'm listening to now for training and races:

1. Chori Chori Gori Se (Udit Narayan, on The Guru Soundtrack)
2. Cocaine Blues (Johnny Cash)
3. Big Wheel (Tori Amos)
4. Footloose (Kenny Loggins)
5. Gone, Gone, Gone (Robert Plant and Allison Kraus)
6. LDN (Lily Allen)
7. South Australia (The Pogues)
8. Dashboard (Modest Mouse)
9. Better Than (John Butler Trio)
10. Ramrod (Bruce Springsteen)

Thanks, Shelley Aikins!

What a nice random act of kindness to see your donation. Dana-Farber and I appreciate your generosity.

2007 Sponsors

As my 2008 fundraising gets going, I'd like to take a moment to once again thank the generous donations of my 2007 sponsors:

• Brian and Henry Sawyer
  
• Catherine Bowman (In memory of Charlotte Dodds Dunham)
  
• Michael Nakkula (In honor of Sandra Fraley)
  
• Paul Gerhardt
  
• Michele Filshie
  
• Nan Barber (In honor of Theresa Lewis)
  
• Nan Barber (In honor of Edward Spargo)
  
• The Kobus Family
  
• Jean Burke
  
• Mary and Bruce Pinto (In honor of Shirley Russell)
  
• Joe & Jen
  
• Holly Kuzdzal (In memory of Dr. Scharples)
  
• Barb and Buz Sawyer
  
• E. Schorpp (In memory of Miriam Schorpp)
  
• The Slavinsky Family
  
• Robert Booker
  
• The Munichiello Family (In memory of Carlo Ferrini and Polly Cashman)
  
• Cynthia Sandler (In memory of Nancy Garment)
  
• Lesley Schorpp
  
• Nancy Baker (In honor of Crystal L. Baker)
  
• Jessica Zucker (In memory of Goldie Zucker)
  
• Peter Meyers
  
• Charley Ann Rhoads
  
• Hugh Robinson
  
• Andrew Oram
  
• Justin Ritzinger
  
• William O'Donnell (In memory of William O'Donnell, Sr.)
  
• Theodora A. Heathcote
  
• Patricia Staats (In honor of Becky Cantwell)
  
• Olivia Heathcote
  
• Kathryn K. Aberman
  
• Homer and Shirley Sawyer
  
• Jim and Karen Corbett
  
• Anne, Bob, and Leslie Flagg
  
• The Seaton Family
  
• Eleanor Drago-Severson
  
• The Walsh Family
  
• Sarah Pinto
  
• Sally and Peter Kulis
  
• Nick Robinson
  
• Tom and Gretchen Haertsch (In honor of Leo and Dolores Haertsch)
  
• Angela de Lara
  
• James Adams
  
• George Dixon
  
• John Heathcote
  
• Modhumita Roy
  
• Wendy Newsham
  
• Dalto-Swan Family (in honor of Ruth Swanson)
  
• Mallow Robinson
  
• Westford Children's Learning Center
  
• Indra Salon and Spa
  
• Anne Apigian
  
• Anonymous
  
• Seana Moran

Thanks for helping me meet my goal of $7,500 by last year's race. Here's hoping we can repeat that success this year.

iPod Runners Unite

I often get nervous before a race, even when I'm certain the distance won't be a problem, and my anxiety usually sets in the day before and keeps me awake all night. I'm now used to running long distances on 2-3 hours sleep, in fact.

I'm already tense about Saturday's race, though. I'm hoping it's a fun day, but I'm worried the organizers will make it hard to have a good time. Most races explicitly state a rule prohibiting iPods, but you'll still see lots of runners with them on race day anyway. The prohibition is related to the liability of insuring a race in which many people wear headphones, and apparently the USATF recently voted to refuse insurance to any race that allows iPods because "Participants wearing headphones are less aware of their surroundings," according to a USATF spokesperson. As a result, some race directors appear to be more serious about the rule against iPods.

I always wear my iPod regardless of the race's policy against them, because I don't run races that aren't on closed courses (no traffic) and I consider myself responsible for my own body and safety. I'm not superstitious (much) but I feel like my iPod is nearly as essential as having proper shoes. However, the organizers for the half-marathon I'm running this weekend seem especially fascist about the policy and have announced disqualification for any runner with an iPod. The language they use implies that not only is it a safety issue, iPods offer an unfair advantage to runners. I'm not sure of the logic of this, since I'm fairly certain that no runner with an iPod has ever won an event of this distance. iPods are not steroids--if they were, maybe my knee wouldn't hurt anymore. The race organizers seem to have scared participants enough that people are asking if they can bring their hydration packs (fuel belts, camelbaks, etc.). The director has assured us that this is okay, but it sounds like I'm not the only person in a panic over what constitutes an unfair advantage. Can I bring my jelly beans? Can my husband cheer for me, or would this provide too much of a boost? Certainly it's more of a boost than my iPod gives.

Moreover, while the 10k I plan to run on Monday also officially disallows iPods, they have not used threatening, hostile language or made me feel like I'll be placed in a penalty box for using one. Same goes for the BAA with the marathon.

So, long story short, I don't know if I should stage a "run-in" and wear my iPod surreptitiously or comply and hope for the best in terms of my mental state. The remnants of my adolescent rebellious streak (ask my mother) have me listening to Springsteen's new version of "We Shall Overcome" as I cross the start. If I get disqualified, can I take off my bib and my chip and still finish the distance? I don't care about my apple-shaped medal (not much, anyway) or even my time. Maybe I should have signed up for the BAA half on Sunday instead. I'll let you know if I land myself in the town jail for iPod useage.

Mileage: 4
Conditions: 65 degrees, humid, sunny
Quality: 5
Knee pain: none
Shoes: Mizuno

Pink Ribbon Madness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and if you've followed my blog since its start, you know that my primary cause is breast cancer (particularly in young women) because my grandmother died from it. It's hard not to know that this month is dedicated to this strain of the disease. I think breast cancer is the new black, or the new knitting, or the new pilates. It seems we're awash in pink ribbons and products splashed with them as a marketing ploy. It's distressing that breast cancer is a) being exploited to sell everything from granola bars to paper towels; b) a "draw" for consumers because so many women have been afflicted by it that they are now a large enough audience to rival the soccer moms responsible for electing Bill Clinton; c) hip--diseases should be eradicated, not trendy. The pennies that go to breast cancer causes from the sales of umbrellas, bathrobes, and cell phone cases (good thing cell phones don't cause cancer, or this would be more tragic than tacky) frankly turn this illness into a commodity in an ironic use of capitalism in the name of doing good. While "pink ribbon" organizations such as Feel Your Boobies and the Susan G. Komen Foundation are fantastic, the attention to this illness by oddities like pink ribbon bagels at Panera seem to me to be transparent exploitation. When I read "a portion of the proceeds," a pale pink flag immediately goes up in my head. I'm just waiting for Virginia Slims to slap a pink ribbon on a box of cigarettes.

If you're buying the bathrobe to support breast cancer awareness, why not give the $50 straight to Dana-Farber (say, through my fundraising page), where 100 percent of your money will benefit research and treatment, as opposed to the 1 percent that's typical of the ribbonized products? If you still need a bathrobe, I can guarantee you'll find a cheaper one at Target.

That segue takes me to my fundraising page, which is now up and ready for the flood of donations from my blog readers. Please pass by the pink electric mixer from KitchenAid and instead donate to Dana-Farber.

Don't Tell My PT

I have a small confession to make, which hopefully won't get back to my physical therapist or my orthopedist. I registered for the Tufts 10k on Monday, which wouldn't really be that big a deal, except that I'm running a half-marathon on Saturday and my ITB isn't 100% yet. I couldn't not sign up, though. It's a fun all-women race with a great atmosphere and schwag and Henry will get to do a Fun Run wearing a red nose. Could there be a better photo op? Besides, I'll be able to wear my half-marathon shirt to run Tufts, and there's a mark of pride in sporting a shirt from a half-marathon dated two days prior to a 10k. I won't wear my apple-shaped medal, though. That would just be tacky.

Mileage: 4
Conditions: treadmill
Quality: 4
Shoes: Asics 2120
Knee pain: low