the17thman

Cycling News Round Up

It's been over a week since I posted about cycling and I've been feeling guilty about that.  So here is a bunch of news links to catch up on. 

• Physician convicted in cycling case LINK
• Biking Blog on Thompson Conviction LINK
• ABC 7 Poses Backwards Poll Question While KPCC Takes a Second Try at Bike-Car Conflicts LINK
• Ikea Hack: DIY, Double-Decker Bike Rack  LINK
• Bike-Share: Not Just for French Commies LINK
• LA Cycle Chic Ride: Shopping on Melrose Report  LINK
• Disrespecting the bike lane in Santa Monica Pt 2 LINK
• Monsters on Bikes at Flying Pigeon LA LINK
• Cyclehoop Turns Every Street-Sign Into a Bike Rack LINK
• Let's Get Cultural: Cycling Causes Importance LINK
• Dolls on Bicycles - Lose The Limo  LINK
• Read LACBC’s LA Bike Plan Comments to City LINK
• LIVESTRONG ART AND THE TUBULAR CANVAS LINK
• Reclaimed Wood Bike Rack by Cantilever and Press  LINK
• The Cyclists’ Bill of Rights  LINK

Happy Cycling

Wednesday's Run...A Bit Late

I almost forgot to post this.  Wednesday night I headed over to the Nike store at the Grove to go running with the Run Club.  This was the last training run for tomorrow's Run For Her 5K.  Not that I need to train to run a 5K but running with a group forces me to go faster then I do on my own.  Then again when I run I normally run more then the 5 mile loop.  But these training runs have pace leaders so that forces me to push myself.  In the run three of us headed up the pack of 5 mile runners including our pace leader.  But more importantly about this run was that it was the last training run for the EA Sports Active 5K Challenge.

Basically to sum this challenge up is that when you play EA Sports Active you can either just do various workouts or set up a 30 Day Challenge in which the game mixes up the workouts and creates a calender or workout and rest days.  It's actually sorta fun because new games / workouts are unlocked as you play.  And you get little virtual trophies and what nots.  So the 5K Challenge was to get those who have already done one or two 30 Day Challenges something to do off of the game.  So all over people have been running 5K's virtual and real.  Here is the official info:

So you’ve done the 30 day challenge. You may have completed it a few times at this point. EA SPORTS Active More Workouts is hitting the shelves in mid-November so let’s get ready by taking your journey towards better health and fitness to the next level. It’s time for the EA SPORTS Active 5K Challenge.

There is no specific 5K that we are asking you to participate in. We will have Community Leaders who will be choosing a run in their communities between Oct. 17th and Nov. 15th so you have time to train. Our EA SPORTS Active resident trainer, Gerard, has provided you with a great training program that includes a mix of outdoor runs/walks and workouts using EA SPORTS Active that will help you prepare for the event.

Participating in an event like this is a great way to engage with others in your community and that’s one of the most important things when it comes to Active – achieving a strong sense of community. Participants will receive the benefits of a personal trainer, the opportunity to train with a group and a commemorative gift that recognizes their efforts to get active. Whether your goal is to run your fastest 5K ever or to simply participate and finish the event, this is truly something that anyone can do.

Now have the game and play it every so often.  I use it as a warm up sometimes before going on a run or swim practice.  It's a good way to get the heart rate up and sometimes the workouts can be a big challenge.  So I decided to volunteer to be the LA Community Leader.  So I set up a MeetUp Page and been emailing the various people who have signed up.  I picked the Run For Her 5K as the run as it was at the end of the date for the 5k Challenge.  Which just happens to be 2 days before the new expansion pack called EA Sports Active: More Workouts goes on sale.

So anyways my Wendesday nite run was the 5 mile run and I pushed myself to keep up with the pace leader.

Tomorow I'll run the 5K an be back on a more intense running program.  Well a little more intense.  But I'll be playing EA Sports Active More Workouts as the game is set up with a 6 Week Challenge.  I started my Challenge earlier this week as I had a preview copy of the game and will finish it the week before I leave for my holiday vacation.  I'll talk more about the game this weekend and over the next 6 Weeks!  Here is a video of the Obstacle Course part of a workout.  It's fun!

Disclaimer:  EA Sports provided me a copy of EA Sports Active More Workouts and provided EA Sports Active Tee Shirts For All The 5K Challenge Runners.

Brisk Run

This morning I had planned on waking up early and going on around a 10 mile run.  But I woke up groggy and overslept a bit. It is a chilly day so I could have still ran but I decided not to run the long run today.  I just ran to the gym, lifted weights and ran home.  At the gym I told myself that I'd run a longer run home but alas I didn't.  Breakfast was calling my name.  So I just ran home.  So today I ran 3.51 miles which is about how many I'll run tomorrow at the 5k.  I'll have to push myself Monday to do a long run.  After the Run For Her 5k LINK tomorrow I don't really have any organized runs planned.  Well at least not to Jan 10th.  That is the 13.1 Run in Santa Monica LINK.  Although depending on how I feel I may do the Venice Christmas Run LINK.  That was one of my first 5k/10k's ever so I'd like to do it again.   Running this run usually doesn't happen as I stop running before SPMA Regional's and this run is the week after.  But we will see.  I got plenty of time to think it over.

So far for Novemeber I've run 43.37 miles.  A bit behind October and way behind September.  But I don't really need to start running to get ready for the 13.1 till December.  It'll be interesting since I'll be gone for a week in Florida.  I'm really going to be running on my vacation.  Doh!  But I do have a planned stop at Lucky's Lake LINK.  So can't wait for that.

24 Hour Fitness - How to use the Precor® 966i Treadmill

Ahh...I always wondered what the thingy with the string was for.  I've never seen anyone clip that on before.  And I've seen things strapped on!  And look at those tv's!  Wowser!  I wish my 24 Hour Fitness in Hollywood had those.  I'd never leave!  Other than that the video is hypnotic.  You get to watch this guys legs move.  Oh and the guy could use some meat muscle on his calves.  Just saying

Running To The Gym, Lifting and Running Home

This morning I pulled myself together and ran to the gym.  It's an easy run.  It's just a straight shot on Sunset to the gym.  Sometimes I'm lucky and don't have to stop that much or dodge pedestrians.  Sometimes not so lucky.  I ran on something sticky that just the fun feel odd as I could feel my sneaker getting stuck on the pavement.  Once at the gym I hit the weights.  I was a bit lazy and skipped around.  But at least it's a workout.  Then it was time to run home.  Doh!  I stepped in the sticky stuff again.  I won't be swimming tonight as I have a fun event to go to.  So I guess I'll swim Friday morning.  This weekend will be all about running.  Have a 5k on Sunday and will try to do a long run on Saturday.

Morning Run & Gym Time

Tuesday is gym day and since I ran yesterday I only ran to the gym and back.  It's an easy run on Sunset going east to the 24 Hour Fitness on Sunset and Vine.  It's a smidge longer then the one in WeHo but it's a straight shot of a run and it's bigger with all new equipment. 

The run to the gym wasn't so bad besides the dodging of the kids heading to school.  Once at the gym I was shocked to see that it wasn't all that busy this morning.  I'm going to have to get up early on a regular basis and hit the gym  Then it was time to run home.  Today's total run was 3.35 miles. It seems to vary from run to run which I guess it depends on exactly when and where I start and stop. 

If you use Nike+ go log in and join my challenge!  It's a Holiday Cookie Run Off!  Click the link / widget below.

Monday Run

I skipped swimming this morning.  Mostly cuz' I was tired.  I was going to skip the 6am and hit the 7:15am but at 7am I wasn't feeling it.  So I read some of the paper and ate a piece of chocolate frosted cake that I made the other day.  After a bit I finally got around to at least get on the couch.  But that didn't last long as I decided to go for a run but first a 20+ minute workout on Wii EA Sports Active.  It's actually a good little warm up before I actually run.  Some of the cardio games get your heart rate up.

Then I went for my run.  I sorta had an route mapped out in my head.  I do that before my runs but sometimes change the route as I go.  I headed west on Sunset Blvd and headed north on Beverly to Coldwater.  Coldwater goes up into the hills so I ran just a bit past the park to the piont that the sidewalk ended.  Wasn't about to run up Coldwater on the street.  That was 6 miles into the run so I headed back down.  Slowly I'll someday get to Mullholand Drive.  I figure that is a good goal.  Or better yet run to the Valley.  But then how would I get back and the Valley, do I need a passport for that?  Anways...Stopped at the park to get some water and then ran home.  

Total miles today 11.44 miles.  This run put nudged me up to the Nike+ Level of Blue.  Whatever that means.  I'll be in the Blue Level for the next 900+ miles.  I like the Blue colored graphics better then the previous level of Green so it's all good.  Tomorrow I'll swim and do weights.

Quick Run & Gym Time

This morning I got up and ran to the gym.  Then once at the gym got on the treadmill and ran another 2 miles.  The treadmill run was interval training.  Need to do more of that.  Then I headed upstairs and did some weight training.  Then it was time to run home.  My biggest pet peeve about my gym is that the membership card isn't offered as a key chain like some other gyms and they always ask for a photo id.  Umm...I run to the gym and not all of my shorts have pockets.  So I end up running carrying my wallet.  And since I have to carry my wallet I hafta bring .50 cents to rent a locker so I don't have to keep putting the wallet down and picking it up while I move from weight station to station.  It's almost annoying enough to switch gyms again.  Damn you 24 Hour Fitness.  I could carry my lock with me when I run but whatever.  Just give me a damn key chain membership card that I can toss on the keyring with my keys and I'll be happy.  At least the key chain can be tied to my shoes or tuckedin the key pocket on some of my shorts. 

I was going to do a longer run but I'll run tomorrow which is World Run Day LINK.  Not that it matters but figured I'd run a longer run on such a special day, meh!  Actually I'll just run from home with one key and no gym card or id.  Just a key and my iPod.  I need to step up the running and do at least 10 miles.  Of course tomorrow begins the swim team Sunday afternoon workouts which I'll also go to.  So it'll be a cardio day.  At least now that we have Sunday afternoon practice back I'll be swimming on the weekends again.  Hopefully we will be able to keep this workout next summer and fall like we have in past years but not this one.  Doh!  I miss Sunday afternoon swims in the summertime and I miss my speedo tan lines from those practices.  Oh well maybe next summer.

Oh Yeah!

There is a Simpson's episode entitled "Lemon of Troy" in which Bart is in a Lion Cage area and he opens a door and a Lion roars at him so he closes a door, thinks for a moment then open the same door again with the same results which he then says "Oh Yeah".  I use that expression all the time when I do repetitive dumb things like today when I decided to run on a treadmill at the gym.  After a mile and a half I remembered why I hate running at the gym.  My "Oh Yeah" moment was realizing that it's hot and humid at the gym.  So I stopped at 2 miles.  I'll make up for it this weekend.  I finished off my gym time working on weight training.  Pretty uneventfull.

To The Gym And Back

Another morning and another run to the gym.  After running the 1.7 or so miles to the gym I worked out a bit.  Felt pretty good running well after the first few blocks.  As for the gym I was trying to push myself a bit.  Want to get a bit stronger, not stronger not bigger.  Not that I'll get bigger with my cardio.  As for cardio after my weight training I decided to take a bit of a run.  Nothing too much.  Basically I ran away from the to LaBrea up to Hollywood Blvd to Fairfax down to Sunset to Holloway and backed peddled down Holloway to Santa Monica Blvd.  Around the Holloway/LaCienega stop light the Randy Newman song "I Love LA" came on my iPod.  Perfect timing for a perfect song.  The sun was out I could see the hills and Miracle Mile in the distance.  I sang along for a few blocks along Santa Monica till I got back to La Brea.  Ran up La Breat to Fountain and home. The run home was 6.9 miles making my run mileage for today at 8.69 miles.  Just a tad short of my 9 mile goal.  Oh well I'll make up for it this weekend.