Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space

"The 41-year-old will run the 42.2-kilometre (26.2-mile) race on the station's treadmill on 16 April and will circle the Earth at least twice during the event, putting her speed relative to Earth far above the other entrants." Story.

Contrasts

I found out yesterday Person A ran 10-12 miles per day during his family vacation in southwest Florida. That's part of his idea of a nice, relaxing week. The Diesel: You have been Activated.

When I observed to Person B last night that her new home would be just three blocks from her office, she said, "Yes, I'm thinking about buying one of those electric carts so won't even have to drive to work." Non-walker: You have been Deactivated.

From Bill Maher's 3/16/07 New Rules:

"New Rule: Don't worry about your kids getting fatter, just because McDonald's is trying to move them from the Quarter-Pounder to a new One-Third-Pounder. It won't work. They're American kids. They don't know a third is bigger than a quarter."

A Day in the Life (Or Why I'm Having a Hard Time Blogging)

6:00 PM MONDAY
Note incredible 70-degree and sunny weather forecast for Tuesday, daydream about cycling, and then inform boss I'm going to be more productive working at home the next day. Pack the laptop.

TUESDAY
3:30 AM: Whining black lab mix puppy with full bladder wakes me. Chance of getting back to sleep: 0%.
3:45 AM: Coffee, coffee, coffee.
4:00-7:00 AM: Work on web site copy for GloboCorp.
7:00-9:30 AM: Kids dressed, fed, hosed down, brushed, played with, delivered.
9:30-11:00 AM; Work on article for GloboCorp.
11:15 AM-12:45 PM: Ride for 1.5 hours on bike trail. Almost take out careless kid. "Stay in your lane, little man!"
12:45-1:00 PM: Drink, snack, respond to Globocorp email, transition to run.
1:00-1:45 PM: Run. First brick of season.
1:45-2:00 PM: First shower of day.
2:00 PM-7:00 PM: Work on article for Globocorp.
7:00-10:00 PM: Dinner and kids.

So I got in two hours of outdoor workouts on a gorgeous spring day, logged 9.5 hours of productive work, and spent plenty of time with kids. Perhaps dressing, commuting, meeting, eating, and sitting in an office is not always necessary?

Deactivating Rocky

Note to self: "Don't try to sneak human growth hormone into Australia." If new performance-enhancing drugs could improve the crap that Hollywood pumps out, I'd be all for it. I don't think the ones they're using are helping.

Sidewalked

With spring being sprung with 65-degree temps, it was time for the first outdoor ride of the season. Activated.

About five miles into the ride, I got my first hostile driver of the season. "Get on the sidewalk," yelled some jackass from his pickup as he passed within a few bike widths. Wow — 1986 called: It wants its material back, I thought. Then I looked to my right and pointed to the sign I was passing at that exact second: "BIKE LANE." Deactivated.

Keeping His Day Job

Karl Dusen, 24, is racing against elite pro runners while working his day job as a financial analyst for AIG in Manhattan. New York Times story.

The Appeal of City Living

With apologies to the gang on "Green Acres," Getting rid of "The House" and moving into a city condo creates all kinds of opportunities for living a simpler, better life. To relate to this ridiculous blog, more time and money for training would be one big benefit. Who wants to cut the grass or rake leaves after a 20-mile Sunday run? Confessions of an Empty-Nester.

Ultra Runners: Beyond the Marathon

STLtoday story on the growing legion of ultra runners.

My experience running 40 miles last year was either that it's not as hard as it might sound or it's something I'm well suited for. But I also know that it wasn't good for my body. I'm not sure I ever fully recovered last summer. Plus that's a long time to run, in training or a race, and I've got other things to do!

Deactivation Rules of Engagement

SFOA Jamie submitted a formal inquiry to JPD on the Activeness "Rules of Deactivation" and this was his response — edited by our legal team but nevertheless intact.

"Deactivation rules are still evolving. However, most Deactivations are of a specific action by a person. Therefore the entire person is usually not Deactivated unless they have no redeeming qualities, which has happened.

"If someone is completely negative or has done something inexcusable, then a permanent Deactivation is allowed. This status must be explicitly stated in any type of Deactivation proclamation.

"A Double-Deactivation can also take place if there are two reasons to Deactivate or if a second or repeat offense has taken place and there was no prior permanent Deactivation on record.

"A third Deactivation of the same person or entity has not yet occurred — probably because permanent Deactivations usually occur at the first or second occurrence."

Super Bowl MVP, for acting as a Sweet 16 party favor: You have been Deactivated.

Permanent Deactivations also go out to any coward who would ever hit a woman and to Ann "I'm so ashamed, I can't stop laughing!" Coulter and, especially, since she can fall back on the unacceptable but widely used "just doing my job" defense, all the American Conservative Union Political Action Conference people in the audience laughing and cheering her on.

Spin Instructor Wins Lottery, Spends $65K on Bikes

Brad Duke: For being smart about your $85 million lottery payout while still buying yourself 17 bikes — along with a used Jetta because it fit your bike rack "really well" —you have been Activated. I'd do it the same way, brother. Fortune story.

YourRunning.com

New site YourRunning.com "features stories, photos, and videos that running enthusiasts post to the site in order to share their adventures with others who love this great sport." Sounds good in concept but the signal-to-noise ratio could be a problem.

Auf Wiedersehen Der Kaiser

PEZ's tribute to Jan Ullrich, who has retired amid doping charges.

A Week in the Life of a Triathlon Champ

What does it take to succeed at an elite level in triathlon? A Reuters writer hung out for a week with 29-year-old Briton Tim Don, world triathlon champion. "Thursday is Don's "Kenyan Day". Three runs, no bike or swim." Story.

Performance Spring

Forget the stupid groundhog (though Groundhog Day is a classic movie). You know it's going to be spring soon when Performance Bike pelts you with 357 emails in a one-month span. I typically would not shop somewhere just for this reason, but I guess I like what they do. And this year they had me at "Free Shipping for Four Days." The usual spring order is a combination of nutrition, cleaning, and miscellaneous clothing products. This year:

DeFeet D-Sock
Accelerade Drink Mix - Lemon Lime, 56 Servings
Clif Bar - 12 Pack Peanut Butter (3)
Pedro's Ice Wax - 4 oz. (2)
Pedro's Orange Peelz Degreaser (2)
Primal Wear Mojo India Pale Ale Jersey

Should get me through the summer. By the time my order arrives, it better be spring.

For now, Performance Bike web site: For forcing me to switch from a Mac to a PC to complete my order, you have been Deactivated.

Visiting on the Run

Running can be the best way to see and get a feel for a new city. “Winding 26.2 miles through sunny San Diego was a great way to understand the city’s relaxed vibe,” said one guy. New York Times story.

Keep Rolling That Rock

I read a Rolling Stone intervew with John Mellencamp and then, a few days later, heard him make the same little pink analogy on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

"'I always do the same thing,' says John Mellencamp, comparing himself to Sisyphus. 'I never get to the top -- I just keep rolling that rock. I get knocked down, I dust myself off and I start over again.'"

Endurance sports feels a little like that - minus the cig.