Worth Reading

* Dogs get high, too, but ferrets don’t.

* 10 biggest running mistakes

* Does it seem like it takes longer to recover the older you get? Um, it does. Here’s why.

* For the ladies: Jezebel: If You Must Think About your Weight, Here Are 10 Things to Think About  Warning: there are plenty of f-bombs in this article, but this is probably the greatest thing I’ve read in…well, ever. I’m at that stage where I’m pissed off about this situation we’ve all bought into. I’m sick of women’s magazines and fitness magazines and women’s expos that are full of ways for us to fix ourselves — lose weight, fix your hair, get the whitest teeth, cook better….f@#$ you, I’m fine the way I am.  READ THIS. PRINT IT OUT. GET MAD.

Video of the Week

Hmmm….now this treadmill workout could possibly hold my interest:

Ultra funny

For all my ultra-running friends.  (This is a JOKE…though, you have to admit….it’s funny because most of it is true, right?). LOL.

T-Shirt of the Week

Available here for $19.97.

Have you always wanted to learn the pose method of running? Perhaps you’ve tried to teach yourself?

If you have absolutely no idea what I’m taking about, read this. If you don’t have time for that, watch this:

OK…..now that were all up to speed, the good news…..drumroll, please…..

You can learn it right here in Erie. Erie runners and trainers Julie Robinson and Sean Donachy have formed a business called RunErie to teach local runners how to improve their form, which will result in better race times and — most importantly — fewer injuries! Yay!

They’ve already taught two classes and they are offering another on Saturday, May 25 at 8 a.m.  CrossFit FBO at 1311 Chestnut Street. Cost is $10 and space is limited.  Details here. Contact them on Facebook or call 450-7786 for more info or to RSVP.

Chi vs. Pose Method

You may have heard of Chi running before, too. It similar, but there are some differences as well. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about Chi running versus Pose method, but, if you don’t have time for that, here’s the short version:

“Pose running puts more demand on the legs, using muscle control to maintain proper positioning. ChiRunning teaches that the leg below the knee should be relaxed, taxing the muscle very little. The primary focus of ChiRunners is core strength and the belief that energy can be redirected from the trunk to the extremities. Another key difference is that pose running uses a short stride while ChiRunning extends the stride, again to alleviate the effort on leg muscles.

Probably the most distinguishing characteristic between these two approaches is that pose running is primarily focused on the physiological elements of running. ChiRunning on the other hand, is steeped in Eastern philosophies that, while may be perfectly valid, Western runners may have trouble applying.”

 Worth Reading

*Big Brother Fitbit Flex is watching tracking you. If you’re looking to get a handle on exactly how much exercise you’re getting every day and are considering strapping on a fitness tracker (think those armband things you wear that meausure your activities, calorie burn, sleep, etc.), word has it the new Fitbit Flex is the cream of the current crop.

* Should you eat before a morning workout? Probably.

* Too busy to train for a marathon? Here’s one that anyone…and I do mean anyone…can finish.

* The real cause of muscle cramps (it’s not what you might think) and how to avoid them. (I can vouch for this…learned it the hard way)

Video of the Week

Leave it to SNL to do the best parody commercials ever. This New Balance commercial is hysterical:

T-shirt of the Week

In honor of tonight’s final episode of The Office, the classic Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For the Cure race T-shirt:

Available here for $16.95.

Harborcreek Township is offering a free runners clinic again this year and it starts next Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Harborcreek Community Park. It runs for 6 consecutive weeks. The goal is to train runners to run the Harborcreek Youth Services Fahey/Ferko Run on June 29th.

“Not only will Sandie offer weekly running tips, but will also pass on information including stretching, nutrition, setting goals, choosing correct equipment, and additional training options for the more advanced runner. In addition to all the knowledge you will gain from Sandie, the location of the clinic offers you many routes and surfaces to run on — from the 7/10 mile paved trail around Community Park to wooded trails that connect into the park. Participants should plan to gather near the Firman Road concession stand and picnic pavilion, using the Firman Road parking lot.

It’s free to participate and you can sign up the first night (or any night). Here’s a Q&A I did with Sandie about the clinic last year.

Need some inspiration? This Harborcreek blogger attended Sandie’s clinic last summer and started running (she had not run prior to attending the clinic) and she just completed her first half marathon!  Read all about it here.

You can do it. You are so much stronger than you can possible imagine.

Go!  DO IT. Try it. It can will change your life.

“Will you beat the pig? Or will the pig beat you?” That’s the question Jog ‘n Hoggers will be asking themselves when they line up at the starting line this year.

Here’s how it works: A designated “Pace Pig” will jog alongside runners. Once the pig reaches the eating area, he will hang out for 15 minutes, pose for pictures, and do whatever else Pace Pigs do. Once his 15 minutes are up, he will run back to the finish line.

So the question is…Will you beat the pig? Or will the pig beat you?

Cute video on the Hog Blog here.

OK, I don’t know what is cooler (coolest? most cool?) about this — that a local gym cares enough to want to make difference, that this class is on the beach, or that it will totally help you train for the Beast on the Bay.

Here’s the deal: Eric Taylor from Best Fitness in Erie said the gym wants to help Erie get healthier and, they are putting their money and muscle where their mouth is.

You may remember that last year Best Fitness offered a free one-month membership to everyone and anyone. FREE. To, hopefully, encourage people to develop the exercise habit.

They also sponsored  Weigh-In Erie, the weight-loss challenge that finished up last month. Read an inspirational story about the contest winner here.

NOW….they are offering a free P90X class on Monday nights at Beach No. 1. It’s a HITT class — high intensity interval training — that includes things like jumping, push ups, squats, running on the sand.

But, don’t be intimidated by the name or the exercises, Eric is quick to point out that the nice thing is that these workouts are adaptable to ANY fitness level. This class is designed for anyone from uber-fit to just getting off the couch.  Note, however,that you must be at least 16 to participate in the class.

Class starts at 5:30 p.m. at Beach No. 1 (meet on the sand) and lasts about an hour. Workouts take place on the sand and using whatever else is around (perhaps jumping over driftwood, etc.).

The class started last week, so it’s going on right now through the end of the summer.  This is a “drop in” thing, you don’t have to commit to be there every week or anything (you do have to get there a bit early to sign a waiver though).

By the way — this would be PERFECT training for those who are doing the Beast on the Bay run…or any “adventure run” and…HIT workouts are GREAT cross-training for runners, in general.

How awesome is that?

Couch to 5K program coming!

WAIT….LADIES…it get better! Eric and Best Fitness are planning to offer a free (free, free, free) Couch to 5K program for the community and they’ll train women to run the Her Times 5K!  Eric is still working on the details, but they expect to kick the program off in July and will likely be meeting on Saturdays at the peninsula. He’s hiring a trainer to teach this course, so he’s actually paying for it (you’re not) and it’s just because he (and Best Fitness) want Erie to get healthier!

Eric & Best Fitness have a few other things in the works, too, including a Community Health Fair with the River of Life team and a Zumbathon at the Bayfront Convention Center on August 8.

Speaking of 5K training….

Harborcreek Township is offering their free learn-to-run program with Sandie Sweet again this summer, too. It starts in a couple weeks. Details to come soon!

Interested in shepherding the next generation of runners to the start line? Check this out:

Highmark is offering Running 101 again this year, and we’re looking for coaches and assistant coaches to help new runners train for and run their first 5K.

Training starts Monday, July 8 and the goal is to run The QUAD Games 5K on Saturday, September 14.

As a coach or assistant coach, you’ll work with a group of individuals for one hour, one evening each week for 10 weeks at a designated community site in or around Erie. The registration link below will take you to a site that outlines what days and times are needed for each community site.

We’ll provide step-by-step training curriculum, which includes information about general race preparation, physical activity progression, basic nutrition and motivation. No prior coaching experience is required, but you must meet the following criteria to be a coach:

• * Hold a health-related degree, OR hold an active fitness certification (Certified Personal Trainer/Group Exercise Instructor)
• * Be CPR-certified or are willing to be certified
• * Have previously run a 5K, at a minimum
• * Jog or run for personal physical fitness

To be an assistant coach, you must have:

• * Previously participated in a 5K, at a minimum
• * Regularly/occasionally run or jog for personal physical fitness
• * CPR certified or willing to be certified

At the end of the program, you will receive a special thank you gift: a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Interested?  Email running101@highmark.com

As you may or may not know, Penn State Behrend, in Harborcreek, has a brand-new track-and-field facility.  This Saturday, April 27, the college is hosting its very first track meet ever!  Local rivals Mercyhurst University and Gannon University will be coming to compete, so it’s sure to be a meet worth watching.

Admission is free, and there’s plenty of room around the track to sit (on grass, so bring a blanket) and watch all the action.  All the details here.

These student athletes are just amazing and, as a runner, I find it fascinating to watch how quickly they can tear up 400 meters. It looks effortless!

I work at Penn State Behrend now and, as part of my 3-day-a-week marathon training plan, I’m doing speed work.  The first week I had to do track work, I emailed Behrend’s track coach — Greg Cooper — and asked if the team would be on the track that night and, if they were, if he’d mind if I used a lane.

“No problem, it will show the kids that running is a lifelong activity!” he said.

So…I lingered at my desk for awhile and took my time getting up to the track in hopes the kids might be done.  No such luck, they were still finishing up their workout.

Let’s just say I felt like a trundling warthog among lithe gazelles.  I promptly changed my Monday night track workouts to later in the evening.

Regarding the track

BTW, friends, I’ve hesitated to put this out here in writing less someone spoil it all for us, but…the track is open for public use when it is not being used by the college. This means, you’re welcome to go there and do your own speed work.

But…I beg of you…clean up after yourself, be respectful of the facilities, and please chastise anyone else who is not.  I once saw a couple up there who were letting their child ride their little bike on the track (Um…don’t do that)…and don’t bring your dog.

DO bring a water bottle though…cause there are no water fountains. There are porta potties nearby.

To get to the track, park in the main Erie lot (stop at Police Services & get a guest parking pass if it’s daytime), take the paved trail in the far left corner of the lot that has a sign out front that says “Behrend Fields.” Walk up about a 1/4 mile and the track is on your left, set up on a hill…and it is fantastic.

Worth Reading

* Do you feel like you’re faster in the dark? Here’s why.

* A Penn State Behrend alumna shares her 2013 Boston Marathon story.

* New York Times: A Moment from the Boston Marathon. Through audio, stories & photos, this interactive feature highlights as many people as the NYT could track down from one famous finish line photo.  Stunning piece of modern journalism.

* Just can’t lose that extra weight? Maybe it’s all in your head: 10 psychological hurdles keeping you from losing weight and how to overcome them.

Fun stuff

* Test your Running IQ (Um….I failed)

* 10 ‘Healthy’ foods that are actually bad for you — a hilarious take by The Onion on the classic fitness magazine story.

T-shirt of the Week

Available here in various styles for $20+

Ewwww…..that smell.

If you’ve run at Presque Isle State Park or spent any time around Lake Erie lately, you know what I’m talking about right? Dead fish. Ugh.

It’s actually a natural die 0ff of gizzard shad, the preferred food of large-mouth bass. And the park is working on cleaning them up. Here’s the park’s official statement on the smelly situation:

A gizzard shad die off has occurred in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie this winter. This natural die-off included predominantly juvenile gizzard shad and some larger sized adult fish were also affected that over-winter in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. These winter die-offs are not unusual and are related to temperature stresses. When visiting shoreline areas along Presque Isle State Park, visitors may experience areas of heavy fish kill. Park crews are working to clean all swimming beaches on Presque Isle on the lake side, and public boat launches and heavily used access areas along the Presque Isle Bay side of the park. General advice is that the public and their pets should avoid contact with these dead fish along the shoreline. Expect mild nuisance odor conditions in the area as the fish decay. Conditions will improve as fish are cleaned up and decay through natural processes entering into the summer months.

Photo by Brian Berchtold