May 28, 2008
Reach the Bridge - VOLUNTEER!
Portland's only reversed-timed race is back! Reach the Bridge, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association in Oregon, deviates from the standard race style of everyone starting at the same time and finishing at different times. Instead, you pick your start time (as late as you dare!) and have to race against the clock to cross the Burnside Bridge before it rises 9 am sharp! If you succeed, a rocking after-party awaits you right on the bridge. BUT! - All the fun won't happen without a great crew of volunteers.
Over 100 volunteers are needed to make Reach the Bridge a success. From cheering on participants to hanging banners, volunteers help with a variety of easy, yet important tasks. On the morning of the event, you'll get a free cap, thorough training, and a strong cup of coffee to get you going. So, if you can't actually run the race, come be a part of the festivities and volunteer. And if you are going to try to reach the bridge, recruit some friends or family to be a volunteer and cheer you on along the way!
The event's date is Sunday, June 28. For more info, visit the website.
Posted by orbike at 6:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 23, 2008
Tri-athlete Profile: Allison Parker
Allison chose the Blue Lake Triathlon, June 14, as her first event. Although she hates running, she figures a triathlon would be a great way to compliment her swimming and biking abilities. "I was on the swim team my whole childhood, and, while I have always biked, I definitely got more into it since I moved to Portland." Actually, the Portland bike scene leads to her favorite part about biking - the nods you get from fellow bikers on the road. "It gives you a real feeling of camaraderie."
Allison usually trains about four to six days a week. Because baby Avery is not in daycare, Allison runs with her in a stroller and the dog in tow. She sneaks in biking and swimming right after her husband comes home from work or even takes time off from her job just to make it to the pool. As for race-day, nervous she is not. "I know I won't even come close to winning so I figure I'll do my best and that's good enough. This whole thing was mostly to prove there is time for exercise in my busy life and that I hopefully can keep finding the time even when the race is over."
Posted by orbike at 3:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 15, 2008
Lakamas Lake 10mile/5k Run
If you don't have plans for all the sunshine this weekend has in store, maybe you should give the 4th Annual Lakamas Lake 10mile/5k Run/Walk a shot. The scenic course starts at Camas High and proceeds Northwest around Lakamas Lake, which makes for a serene setting. After running on the tree-lined paved country roads, you'll get on the Lakamas Heritage Trail. This hard-packed dirt trail offers excellent footing and just a few short hills. At this point of your run, you'll be winding right along side Lakamas Lake, offering gorgeous views of Mt. Hood. Head back towards Camas High, and a celebration awaits you full of entertainment, food, and LOTS of vendors. One lucky runner will even win a brand new Nautilus treadmill! For more information, check out the website.
Posted by orbike at 5:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 6, 2008
Sittin' Tall
It's been about a month since I've started at ORrun, which means the time spent at my computer has increased significantly since coming on board. It took just a week for me to realize that when I do sit down to work, I have the same posture as a hunched over 80 year old - no bueno. I started to feel the pain in my lower back not just when working, but pretty much the rest of the day, even while running. So I read up on how to improve my posture and learned that part of the cause could be weak lower-back muscles. Apparently this can lead to poor posture and some not-so-hot runs. Runner's Wold listed 5 exercises to help strengthen this muscle group and in turn, hopefully improve my posture and runs. You can read the same article here. And if all else fails, there's always working while standing up...yeah, right.
Posted by orbike at 6:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Magic Shoes
It was that time of year again this past Saturday - time to buy a new pair of running shoes. We all know the importance of not running in a worn-down pair, but sometimes the old ones can be a little hard to part with. (They're already broken in, right?) So it was off to the store for me. I decided to give Foot Traffic a try and boy, am I glad that I did.
Unfortunately they didn't carry my old type of shoes, but on the bright side, I had an amazing shoe-fitting. To start, the clerk (we shall call her Susie) asked me a bunch of questions about my running habits and injuries. She then had me take off my socks and watched me walk down the "catwalk" - I was a model for about 30 seconds! Susie disappeared to the back and returned with four different possibilities. As I tried on all four, she asked me questions about how they felt and very patiently answered all of my questions. The true test was her watching me give each pair a test run on the treadmill. I narrowed it down to two, ran some more, and then decided on the winner. Keep in mind, Susie was still focusing all her attention on me throughout this process. She then checked me out and I was on my way.
I couldn't wait to go home and try the new shoes out on a longer run. One word - magical. Granted, all that magic came from the shoe company, but I wouldn't have found it without Susie. Moral of the story: if it's time for a new pair of shoes, make sure you find a place that gives you a proper fitting and you too, can find the magic.
Posted by orbike at 1:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack