January 30th, 2010

What will you do today?

January 26th, 2010

Music Moment: Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop was recently featured in NPR’s Special Series: 50 Great Voices. His music resonates with us here at RWW and his character is one that an ultra-runner has to respect. From NPR: “He’s proved that a voice doesn’t have to charm or seduce someone; it can provoke. A vocal can be dangerous.”  Take a few minutes to turn up the volume and enjoy one of our favorite Iggy tunes above, The Passenger.

There’s an Iggy biopic titled The Passenger set to come out this year. Iggy will be played by Elijah Wood (odd choice in our opinion, sorry Lord of the Rings fans).

We’ll leave you with a classic quote from Iggy, after getting pelted by an angry crowd with glass bottles. “Thank you very much to the person who threw this glass bottle at my head. You’ll have to try again next week.”

January 25th, 2010

Dr. Drew’s Addiction

Dr. Drew is a pop culture icon with younger generations. He is an addiction specialist who’s found fame helping young adults and celebrities with all kinds of afflictions. But what does the man who helps everyone do to help himself? Run is the quick answer. “I definitely get mental health benefits”, Dr. Drew told Runner’s World in their February 2010 issue. Dr. Drew fits in a jog anytime of the day, but never runs too far. While running on a treadmill (not recommended) he will read books or listen to lectures. We were not able to confirm the benefits of drinking whiskey while running with Dr. Drew.

January 24th, 2010

What will you do today?

Rafting in New Zealand

January 23rd, 2010

Humans Capable of Running on Freeways, Study Finds

[F_avg = 2.71 ± 0.15 vs. 2.08 ± 0.07 Wb; F_peak = 4.20 ± 0.24 vs. 3.62 ± 0.24 W_b±sem]

If you’re like us, this formula will leave you scratching your head.  Running isn’t an equation, all we care about is making sure one foot lands in front of the other.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers have found that we are capable of running much faster than was previously thought possible. And they’ve done so using mathematical formulas including the one above.

Usain Bolt achieves 28 mph at maximum sprint.  Imagine sprinting past him at nearly twice his speed, with whiskey in your hand.  According to the study titled “The biological limits to running speed are imposed from the ground up“, the human body is capable of running over 40 mph.  “Our simple projections indicate that muscle contractile speeds that would allow for maximal or near-maximal forces would permit running speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour and conceivably faster,” Bundle says.

The limiting factor today is apparently the way our muscles have developed. We are anxiously awaiting the follow-up paper on how to change our muscles. Usain Bolt, here we come.

The full report is available at: http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/00947.2009v1

January 23rd, 2010

What will you do today?

A great day to enjoy all the fresh powder on the West Coast.

January 22nd, 2010

To Run or Not to Run

I love attention! – Dean Karnazes

When the weather turns ugly outside people need to just say “NO” to the treadmill.  Running is meant to be a communion with nature, but the treadmill just ends up being a disappointment. Occasionally you’ll find fanatics (Dean Karnazes pictured above) who are too obsessed with running to realize the treadmill is just a boring attempt at a fun activity.  So remember, when the weather is bad outside, don’t worry about running, just pour a stiff glass of your finest and enjoy the day off!

January 22nd, 2010

Sleep Talkin’ Man

“Snail fiddling is not an occupation I’d be proud of. You dirty f*cker.”
“Butt cheeks ahoy! There she blows!”
“My bagder’s gonna unleash hell on your ass. Badgertastic!”
“So this is what it feels like to be a gummy bear.”

The words of a whiskey-loving drunk? Nope. They are those of Adam, a mild-mannered Englishmen who likes to talk in his sleep. His wife decided to turn a recorder on before bed which has enabled her to share his late night rants on their blog.  Now they’ve found sudden fame and have been making the rounds on TV.

The guy is a riot.  We’re not sure how his wife could get any sleep when hearing things like, “You can’t be a pirate if you don’t have a beard. I said so. MY boat, MY rules.” or “Monkey power! Straight from the jungle.”  We’ll leave you with our favorite: “Don’t leave the duck there. It’s totally irresponsible.”

January 22nd, 2010

What will you do today?

Traversing through the Smokies.

January 21st, 2010

Bedtime Reminder: Change underwear often

This has been a public service message.