prepare to be crushed by AARS!

So just a warning to any other running peeps considering the 5 person relay at the Detroit Marathon on Oct 23rd - the AA Road Scholars are officially signed up and therefore officially a force to be reckoned! Granted 40% of us are injured and at least 20% of us cannot muster up the motivation to run alone (apoz and...?), but still, we've got plenty o' time to prepare! Other races on the "To Run" list include The Crim and maybe something in late July...

No taxation without representation!

A few of us just returned from beantown after attending a conference. We are all now way up to date on the latest and greatest research in our field. We're so ahead of the curve that we decided the last few sessions of the conference were optional. Thus, we headed out to conduct our own primary field research on "Differential pricing strategies among retail outlets in the greater Boston area: the effect of competition." We were on a mission for clothing since shopping in Ann Arbor is futile for anything outside of crafts. As an added incentive, clothing in Boston (as well as Philly and the entire state of Delware) is a non-taxable item!

After scouring a few retail venues, we made our way to the "basement." No, not Filene's basement but the basement of City Sports Boston. The basement is more than just a sale - it's like tripping and falling into a well of ridiculously inexpensive athletic attire. The good stuff too - Hind, Brooks, Adidas, Nike, Patagonia, North Face, etc. Running shorts and t-shirts were $8 and running pants $10. I ended up leaving with an armful of new running clothes for $5o and apoz and t-bone did well, too. And no taxes! I seriously spent at least that much on two pairs of short at Running Fit during their "sale" last month. It's not clear if the basement exists in other City Sports stores (Philly, NYC, DC, Providence) but it's definitely a must-see if you're ever in Boston.

T-bone asked if proper running attire really makes a difference and I answered emphatically, "yes!" Particularly in extreme weather conditions, it really does keep you cooler or warmer which makes running a bit more enjoyable. Plus, even if the run isn't going well at least you look good doing it. And isn't that what's really important?

run smart, not fast

So I was asking myself, if it has been almost a week since I ran, am I even *allowed* to post? But peer pressure was escalating, so here I am. We had a nice little run on the p-loop today (p-loop the path, not the blogger). It was hot. Ecshelto (I like to call her eZshelto), p-loop and I were all feeling kinda wimpy but we pressed on. The p-loop was covered in goose poop (again, the path not the person- this could get confusing!). We gps'ed the course, now we are waiting for our tech guy Strandvej to make us some cool pictures of our elevation and pace.

I think I changed my moniker (handle? username? What are those called nowadays?) to km to be a bit more incognito like the rest of the ladies. I usually use momtosofie but I figure that isn't as sexy as some of the other ladies names. Not that km is any sexier, but it allows me to drop the whole milf image that momtosofie might convey. ;)

I am thinking of things to post and making myself chuckle. Like, "hey, didn't I run past you the other day?" heh heh.

Intervals, Schmintervals...

We groan when it comes to interval training. It just sucks. But Coach Poz is adament that it improves our running times and well, she's right, and a new study seems to confirm it. The lead researcher states,

... interval training is not just for elite athletes. Studies have shown that the elderly, and even people with coronary artery disease, can benefit from a properly supervised interval training program.

We're certainly not elite athletes, could be considered by some as elderly, and if people with CAD can do it then, hell, I guess we've run out of excuses.

(btw - the weather is perfect for running today - anne arbor and i had a great run this morning. yeehaw.)

coos bay here we come!

1st things 1st - big shout out to p-loop and her mad website skillz for getting this going - thanks p!

check this out - a little race commemorating our #1 man. no, not jared leto, but the REAL pre. a 10k in sept in oregon. i can think of worse things...like 88% humidity and 80+ degrees in june for the aa-dexter 10k. blech.

as y'all know, i'll be running away from aa this week but will look forward to running w/ k & p on the esplanade around the charles nice and early on sun...or we could just go for breakfast and look at all the sorry saps who are out running. and good luck on your race this weekend, anne job (LOVE that moniker!).

Up and Running

Welcome to the Ann Arbor Road Scholars blog!

We'll be up and running soon!

In the mean time, be inspired. If I'm 95 and can pee by myself, much less run, I'll be happy.