Runner's Almanac - Day 28

I was at Phidippides running store in Encino today to restock on the Bonk Breaker peanut butter and jelly energy bars I have been raving about. Saturdays seem to be theit busiest days at the store - There is always a highly concentrated area of customers trying on shoes, or waiting to try on shoes. I ran into one of the ladies from the Moving Comfort bra clinic from several weeks back today. She had told me about track runs tuesday nights at Birmingham high school that I have been eager to try. Just recently she tripped and fell at a track practice, hurting herself to the point of needing to go to the hospital ( I think she said she had a concussion, but don't remember the specifics). The moral of the story is, no matter what surface, runners, on occasion, fall. So whether it's around in a circle on the track, between tree branch stumps and rocks on the trail, or even along the sand on the beach, watch out! It happens all the time. And for the possibility of cuts and scrapes, carry a few bandaides with you. It is also handy in the event of a painful blister on a long run.

So at Phidippides, I purchased my box of Bonk Breakers (12 in a box plus discount) and learned about a new charity race in Pasadena called Race for the Rescues, benefitting seven non-profit animal animal organizations. The hillarious Jane Lynch from the new tv show "Glee" and the popular film "Best in Show" will be one of the hosts. 5K run/walk at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on October 4.


Check it out!

Runner's Almanac - Day 5

My lunchtime run on Monday created such a welcome jolt of energy in the afternoon, that I decided to do a repeat today. Instead of a treadmill run, however, I trekked around UCLA for a total of just under 3 miles. The interesting aspect of running around campus is that there are few areas of flat terrain with a lot of steep hills and even more going down. There are unexpected areas of dirt and a lovely tree lined run along Veteran that makes the whole lunch run effort worthwhile. The tall branches overhead and cool breezes along various parts of the route brought some respite with each step of working a slight incline.

Tonight was a "women's only" sports-bra clinic geared toward the Moving Comfort line at Phidippides running store in Encino. I initially assumed there would be a short talk on the importance of choosing the correct bra by a Moving Comfort representative. The event was actually more sales-focused, typical for large department stores like Nordstroms who open their doors after hours to select customers to drink champagne and shop with the promise of a gift with purchase or other discount. Although I expected something with more of an educational element, I wasn't disappointed. As a runner, I enjoy being around other runners. What is also special about Phidippides is that the ambiance feels like it's not just a store but a family run operation. The women there who assisted us actually look like hikers and/or runners, as opposed to the younger bunch of salespeople who work at certain other running shops. Don't get me wrong - I shop at places like Frontrunners in Brentwood (got my last 3 shoes there) but feel like the staff at Phidippides don't just sell running equipment, they use it themselves and can comment about it from experience. In March, when I went shopping at Frontrunners after my 5K at the inaugural Pasadena Marathon (which I blogged about here) , I was rather surprised to hear the salesperson, a runner, didn't go to the race that day because it was too far. Really? Pasadena too far for a race? Didn't sound like something an avid runner would say.

The bra clinic ended up being quite interesting (and frustrating at times) but I left with a small assortment of store items and 10% off. This included some sort of peanut butter and jelly snack from Bonk Breaker that I am eager to try out. I always think that peanut butter and jelly is a great pre-run snack, so I'll give my review when I inject the small 250 calorie slice of heaven before a long run.

Happy running!