Adventures of the Folding Bike: Denver

The folding bike got some miles in the Rocky Mountain air, including its first night ride.  Enjoy!

Adventures of the Folding Bike: Pittsburgh

In the second installment, I take you to Pittsburgh.  I'm getting better at mounting the camera for more stable shots.  In some of the clips, the camera is mounted to the back of the frame, so you can see the whole bike.  Enjoy!

Adventures of the Folding Bike: London

While I was in London, I bought a cheap folding bike to get around.  I attached a GoPro camera to myself and to the bike and shot some video around town.    Some of the shots look like I'm much closer  to a bus or a canal than I really am, a side effect of the wide angle lens.  The video is also pretty shaky.  I'm still learning how to best mount the camera.

I Didn't Write the Book on Sports Television...

... but my picture is on the cover.

This popped up recently.  It's a new college textbook entitled "Sports on Television: The How and Why Behind What You See".  The picture on the cover was taken in the control room of our Sunday Night Football truck.  I have no idea who took the picture or when it was taken, but I'm sitting there at the switcher.  At a cost of $120 for the hardcover, I don't think I'll be grabbing a copy anytime soon.

Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Recap

It was a beautiful morning for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville.

Even though I missed my goal (3:10) and a Boston qualifier (3:15), I ran 26.2 miles in 3:19:09, and that's a minute faster than I've ever run a marathon before.

I was 94th of 2,080 finishers and 11th of 204 men aged 40-44.

I went out with the 3:10 pace group and I was right on pace until about mile 18, then the wheels came off.  I suspect fueling was a factor and I hit the infamous wall.  I ate Shot Bloks along the way, but I guess it wasn't enough for the pace I was running.

Here is a link to the activity as recorded by my Garmin.  The course included a loop around the beautiful but hilly Iroquois Park.

This was my fifth marathon.  My previous best was the PF Chang's Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon in 2010 where I ran a 3:20:10.  That result was good enough to qualify me for Boston at the time (qualifying standards got tougher the following year).

As miserable as the last 8 miles were, I'm already thinking about my next marathon and about how much I need to eat along the way.

Buying Running Shoes

People who are new to running often ask me for tips.  It begins with the right footwear.  Here are some suggestions for getting the right shoes:

GO TO A RUNNING STORE - Not Foot Locker, Sport Chalet or REI.  Go to a specialy running store like Fleet Feet.  Here are some shops in the Sacramento area:

Fleet Feet Sacramento   Fleet Feet Fair Oaks & Roseville   The Running Zone (Elk Grove)

GET FITTED - Have them measure your foot.  Often running shoes are a different size than you what you wear to work - usually larger, sometimes even a full size.  Width is also important.

Also, they will look at your gait.  Our feet land a little differently and running shoes are made to deal with that.  For example, I overpronate (my foot rolls inward).  My shoes have a harder material on the inside of the sole to arrest the movement and help prevent inury.

CHOOSE YOUR CUSHION - The amount of cushioning is a matter of taste.  Most beginning runners like lots of nice, soft cushion under their feet.  Some more advanced runners eschew this luxury in favor of a lighter shoe.

LOOKS AREN'T ANYTHING - The absolute least important thing about a running shoe is what it looks like.  Get a shoe that's appropriate for your gait and fits your perfectly.  If they happen to make that in your favorite color, great.  Just don't buy a shoe based on looks.

TRY 'EM OUT - While you're at the store, go outside and jog up and down the sidewalk a little.  This is totally acceptable when buying running shoes.  Once you pick a pair, come home and take them for a test run.  If they're not perfect, bring them back.  Runners do this all the time, and running stores enourage it.  They want you to have shoes that fit perfectly.

DON'T WEAR 'EM OUT - Running shoes typically have a lifespan of 350 to 450 miles.  As comfortable as they'll be, you'll want to wear them all the time.  Don't waste those miles at the grocery store.  Only wear your running shoes for running.

PICK UP SOME SOCKS - While you're there, get a couple pair of good running socks.  These are made of a synthetic "wicking" material.  They keep the moisture away from your feet to prevent blisters.  They're more expensive than regular socks, but you'll only need a couple of pair.

Midnight Run

Sticking to a training schedule can be tough when you have an unusual (and occasionally unpredictable) work and travel schedule.  This often leads to less-than-ideal runs, like pre-dawn or before (or after) a long flight.

Recently, though, it lead to one of the most interesting runs of my short running career.  Because of some travel issues, I got into Miami late and had to be at work at 7:30 the next morning for an ESPN NBA game.  16 hours later when I got off work, I still had 10 miles to get in.

Dreading the next 80 minutes, I headed out the door at midnight local time.  I've run at night before and I run before sunrise frequently, but midnight is a different story.  Little did I know my hotel was in a perfect place for such an adventure.  Just a block from my hotel was the Venetian Causeway, which crosses Biscayne Bay and the Venetian Islands before hitting Miami Beach.

My route took me on an beautiful, scenic tour.  The weather was nice, too, 70 degrees with a breeze off the Atlantic.