Hope everyone had a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, cultural Kwanzaa, beautiful Boxing Day, or exciting Festivus. My wife was too kind to me with all the running-related gifts. Here are a few highlights:GoLite Rush Pack
I think I'll need this for the Canadian Death Race in 2010. It'll allow me to carry a ton of water and food, supplies, plus extra clothes. I plan on using it for local "adventure" runs over the next few months--several hour romps on local trails with no stops for supplies or refreshments--I'll have everything in my new light-weight running pack!
Again, that darn Death Race has me worried. I already have two basic headlamps and two handheld LED flashlights. They've worked for me so far in races up to 100 miles. The Icon is very bright and will last 80 hours even on high power (plus it has an optional rechargeable battery pack--got that too!). I have this feeling I'll be on serious technical terrain and more tired in the Canadian Rockies than I have been at more tame ultras so far. I'll still carry a handheld light and have an extra back-up in my pack. I want to see them Grizzly bears coming at me!
All of my running jackets are getting rather old and have lost most of their water repellency. This stuff brings back that almost-new coating and still keeps the original breathability. I've tried a couple wash-in products, but this spray-on seems to work the best.
I'm always looking for good vegetarian and vegan nutrition books. This one is written by a successful vegan triathlete. Seems to have a lot of good science and personal experience behind it...and the 12-week meal plan & recipes look interesting.
A new book summarizing the research on running and training. Looks good, but not sure anything is new here. Seems well-written and I like the authors' blog called "The Science of Sport."
Read "Born to Run" and you'll understand how this is connected to running.
This is the sort of thing you experiment with when you are "going minimal" with your running. I already have the Vibram FiveFinger shoes and a pair of 3.8oz racing flats (Mizuno Wave Universe 3). Now I'm trying martial arts shoes. They are cheap and have no cushioning, support, or heel rise. Much heavier than I expected, but I'm going to give them a go. Plus, they are the #1 shoe choice for Shaolin monks and masters! Can't wait to see my co-workers eyes when they see me in these shoes. Gotta keep people guessing.
You need to track the days of the year...and a few key trail races. This calendar supports trails in Washington state (and has some beautiful pictures). Lots of national trail races are included on the calendar...even the fantastic local Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run!
A nice variety of balms for sore muscles, dry feet, aching joints, and sunburned skin.
I'll leave out all the fancy beer, coffee, and tea products I received. Those are sorta running-related, but not really. It's been a good holiday and I'm clearly spoiled. With all this new loot, I need to commit to a few tough goals in 2010. I knew there was a catch!
2 comments:
Brendan Brazier (vegan triathlete) spoke at the University YMCA maybe 5-6 years ago. Melissa and I went to the talk. He was very knowledgeable, interesting, and funny. I imagine his books are quite good too.
That would have been a cool talk to attend. He has a good writing style in this book. I trust him since he is a really good athlete...and a vegan. I'm just vegetarian, but trying to "lean toward" veganism. Hope you all had a good holiday.
Post a Comment