Running, phones, brownies
Brownies in the oven. Mmmmm! The house smells of chocolate.
Lately, I've been reading about running. I haven't *been* running because of the impact on my back - 20 minutes and I feel like I took 5 steps backwards in terms of physical therapy. This thing is still healing and any impact is impeding that. But a colleague lent me a book she bought about running barefoot and the Tarahumara, an indigenous people of Mexico who are particularly famous for their skill at long-distance running. I'm not sure I'll ever want to run any real significant distance (I'll probably never run a marathon...but maybe one day...), but the whole idea is really interesting. For years I've wondered why I have to have arch support in my shoes, why I have to buy particular shoes for running, particular shoes for hiking, particular shoes for [insert sport here](not that I'm a crazy sports person), when it seemed to me that the arch was there for a reason. And lo, it is! Some people at Harvard have set up a whole webpage on their research about it. There are some particularly interesting slow motion videos of the shockwave that rides up the leg whether wearing running shoes or not, and whether the heel strikes the ground first or the ball of the foot first. I was thinking that perhaps I should give this a try (not barefoot at the gym - I'd get Spoken To) and run ball-of-foot-striking-first to see if it made a difference.
HOLY COW, did it ever. Firstly, I felt no impact in my lower back at all. My thighs weren't killing me, and I felt like I could go faster. It felt...easier. More efficient. But also, because my legs are not used to this method, I could only run for about 7 or 8 minutes. My calves are still pretty sore, so this is definitely something to work up to.
I've always loved the idea of running. It seems like such a human thing to do. Here we are, up on two legs, and most of us in this country barely walk anymore. It seems a shame not to use what we were born with. To run, to feel the wind whip through my hair, to feel my feet skim the ground, to move quickly under my own power seems like it would be the best thing in the world. It seems natural to me. And then there's runner's high, which is just marvelous. It's good for you in so many ways. To be able to look back and say "I ran five miles yesterday" just seems so appealing. Romantic, probably. So, I'm going to give this running thing another shot.
Also, this research totally vindicates me and my little thin-soled tennis shoes I've loved for years. And some of those cheapy little flats you see around now. Oh, and I've found a couple of sources for learning how to build your own shoes - flats seems like the easiest of all to make.
In other news, I stopped by Costco last night to see about some sort of egg-beating contraption since I was planning to bake something marvelous (not just brownies) and forgot to bring my hand-mixer with me and maybe I should get another one to leave at my dad's for weekend-baking purposes. I stood in front of the KitchenAid mixer for about 10 minutes before I realized that if I couldn't make a decision right then and there, then I didn't need it now. I'm still thinking. Any ideas from anyone who has one? Are they truly marvelous? Will I love it and bake more often? Will it make baking time shorter and the whole process more efficient?
While I was there, I also looked into cell phones, because it's becoming increasingly clear that I need one. I also need one with longer minute usage than the TracFone I've got. I mean, I love the TracFone - it does exactly what I want. But I'm forever having to put more minutes on it in order to give me more time to use those minutes. The deal with the phone plan I looked at at Costco is this: if I put $100 worth of minutes on, they're good for one year. And, when the year comes close to its end, all I need to do is put the minimum amount on (I think it's $10) and that makes the whole remaining amount good for another whole year. Plus, I can have a much snazzier phone that doesn't dial while in my bag. And, it's red. :D Of course, I covet the Droid and the iPhone, but I just can't justify the cost. I just don't have that many friends.
Oooo, brownies are out. Time to get over to dancing_crow's house for supper. And dessert.
Lately, I've been reading about running. I haven't *been* running because of the impact on my back - 20 minutes and I feel like I took 5 steps backwards in terms of physical therapy. This thing is still healing and any impact is impeding that. But a colleague lent me a book she bought about running barefoot and the Tarahumara, an indigenous people of Mexico who are particularly famous for their skill at long-distance running. I'm not sure I'll ever want to run any real significant distance (I'll probably never run a marathon...but maybe one day...), but the whole idea is really interesting. For years I've wondered why I have to have arch support in my shoes, why I have to buy particular shoes for running, particular shoes for hiking, particular shoes for [insert sport here](not that I'm a crazy sports person), when it seemed to me that the arch was there for a reason. And lo, it is! Some people at Harvard have set up a whole webpage on their research about it. There are some particularly interesting slow motion videos of the shockwave that rides up the leg whether wearing running shoes or not, and whether the heel strikes the ground first or the ball of the foot first. I was thinking that perhaps I should give this a try (not barefoot at the gym - I'd get Spoken To) and run ball-of-foot-striking-first to see if it made a difference.
HOLY COW, did it ever. Firstly, I felt no impact in my lower back at all. My thighs weren't killing me, and I felt like I could go faster. It felt...easier. More efficient. But also, because my legs are not used to this method, I could only run for about 7 or 8 minutes. My calves are still pretty sore, so this is definitely something to work up to.
I've always loved the idea of running. It seems like such a human thing to do. Here we are, up on two legs, and most of us in this country barely walk anymore. It seems a shame not to use what we were born with. To run, to feel the wind whip through my hair, to feel my feet skim the ground, to move quickly under my own power seems like it would be the best thing in the world. It seems natural to me. And then there's runner's high, which is just marvelous. It's good for you in so many ways. To be able to look back and say "I ran five miles yesterday" just seems so appealing. Romantic, probably. So, I'm going to give this running thing another shot.
Also, this research totally vindicates me and my little thin-soled tennis shoes I've loved for years. And some of those cheapy little flats you see around now. Oh, and I've found a couple of sources for learning how to build your own shoes - flats seems like the easiest of all to make.
In other news, I stopped by Costco last night to see about some sort of egg-beating contraption since I was planning to bake something marvelous (not just brownies) and forgot to bring my hand-mixer with me and maybe I should get another one to leave at my dad's for weekend-baking purposes. I stood in front of the KitchenAid mixer for about 10 minutes before I realized that if I couldn't make a decision right then and there, then I didn't need it now. I'm still thinking. Any ideas from anyone who has one? Are they truly marvelous? Will I love it and bake more often? Will it make baking time shorter and the whole process more efficient?
While I was there, I also looked into cell phones, because it's becoming increasingly clear that I need one. I also need one with longer minute usage than the TracFone I've got. I mean, I love the TracFone - it does exactly what I want. But I'm forever having to put more minutes on it in order to give me more time to use those minutes. The deal with the phone plan I looked at at Costco is this: if I put $100 worth of minutes on, they're good for one year. And, when the year comes close to its end, all I need to do is put the minimum amount on (I think it's $10) and that makes the whole remaining amount good for another whole year. Plus, I can have a much snazzier phone that doesn't dial while in my bag. And, it's red. :D Of course, I covet the Droid and the iPhone, but I just can't justify the cost. I just don't have that many friends.
Oooo, brownies are out. Time to get over to dancing_crow's house for supper. And dessert.