Things I see on my running journeys: LOVE

I'm going to start posting lovely things I see on my running journeys.
Things I see on my running journeys: LOVE
iPhone photo taken at the end of my 5.2 mile morning run yesterday.

Did you run today?

Me: I ran twice today!
Husband: Three times if you count running through my dreams!

The universal sign of surrender

 Just another Skype conversation that happened today...

• Me: I got a leopard-print neck wrap for my neck and shoulder. Hopefully it helps my neck/shoulder pain if not it matches my snuggy
• Him: Animal print?
• Him: Why?
• Me: Because it was that or zebra...
• Him: Buy another item
• Me: That's all there was
• Him: Animal prints make women look like cougars. 
• Him: They have a subtext of predatory animals. A woman on the prowl
• Him: You aren't prowling.  you've found your victim! (me)
• Him: I surrender!
• Him: See, I’ll lie with my belly exposed, the universal sign of surrender and married men

Dog running buddies

Totally random post. My brother’s Shiba, Riley in 2008 at 12 weeks old eating snow. I just wanted to introduce two running buddies. I run with them whenever I visit my brother or if I take them on vacation.

Riley doesn’t make that good a running partner. He LOVES to run. But when HE wants to. Not when YOU want to. He often prefers to take long walks and to sit atop of large stones, on a bench or at the water’s edge and ponder life.

And then there’s Bagel the Beagle (Riley in the background). She’s the best running buddy EVER! She’ll just keep on going and going and going, kinda like the Energizer Bunny. She doesn't even care to stop for water. Running, eating and playing catch is what she lives for.

Last minute Runners' Christmas Stocking Stuffer ideas

Wowsers! SIX DAYS till Christmas! Have you finished Christmas shopping yet? I sure haven’t! I’ve been been pretty busy with work, baking and attending Christmas social get-togethers and not running enough!

Here’s a list that might help you, if you’re freaking out a bit over gifts for the runner friend in your life. You should be able to find all or most of the items listed below at your local drugstore.

• A bottle of sports drink
• Odour eaters or shoe spray for those stinky shoes you trip over at the front door
• Hair ties, bobby pins, headband 
• Bubble bath
• A tube of Arnica gel for sore muscles. 
• Talking about sore muscles how about a bottle of massage oil so you can massage those sore muscles too!
• A health magazine
• $1 knit gloves 
• A little face towel
• Travel sized shampoo, shower gel & lotion & deodorant
• That deep-cold stuff (I don’t use it but your friend might)
• Little chocolates

Anything else I should add to the list? Hope this helps! 

If all goes well you will get reactions like these little guys!

Two-minute Ab Workout

Do it! Just do it!


Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

When I'm on a good roll, I'll do this two-minute ab workout Monday to Friday.

I'll do this work out at the gym after a good run. For the toe-touches I add a medicine ball that's 8 or 12lbs depending on how I feel. I've also added Russian twists and crazy Ivans with the medicine ball to the routine.

To finish it all I do some stretches and then rolling on the foam roller.

I used to live here

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I can’t believe how fast the years have passed since I left Osaka. I always thought that I would go back. Every now and then I really miss being there and want to go “home”

What made me think of Osaka recently was a get-together for a friend's going-away.

I met him just four or five years ago. I advised my boss at my old design agency to hire him. And that was it, he became part of my agency family. Since then he's had two kids, two dogs and got married. And now he's taking his family back home, to Japan.

I'll miss you Tak!

Maybe I'll run the Osaka marathon one day and keep running all they way up towards Tokyo and come by and see you! ;-)
(I had to post a running picture in here some how - Photo by hitthatswitch on Flickr)

Glico Running Man, Minami, Osaka, Japan, a photo by hitthatswitch on Flickr.