Every once in a while you stumble on something so sublime that it seems to make the world a just a little bit better.
I have watched this video at least ten times, and each time I find it puts me in a good mood. I’m not certain why, but maybe it’s because this hits that sweet-spot of being ridiculous and beautiful all at the same time. It is comedy without cruelty.
The woman runner, Veronica Torr, is clearly a gifted athlete, and clearly a great sport.
Enjoy!
I’m guessing that a lot of people are going to come to town this weekend to run in the American River 50. It is, after all, one of the largest ultra races in the country.
I asked some locals where they’d recommend eating dinner before the big race and came up with a short list.
Maria G. says that if you like Italian, you should try Michelangelo‘s or Lucca (both midtown). If you like sushi, she recommends Mikuni (midtown) or Taro (Arden Fair Mall) . For Thai, she likes Thai Basil. “They are reliably good in their specialty,” she says. She also recommend making reservations for Michelangelo’s though. The night before CIM (the California International Marathon) it is usually packed with runners.
Allyson T. likes Miyagi Sushi (near Sac State) before big races. “Good proteins, not too much carbs and healthy fats,” she says. “And a little sake helps you sleep better!”
Andrew A. recommends the Loving Hut (Stockton Blvd, just south of downtown), saying “Great flavor, good combo of protein and carbs, not too heavy.” They are also one of few vegan restaurants in Sacramento. They are definitely the only restaurant in town with Supreme Master Television!
By now, I think we can all agree that exercise is key to good health and aging well. If you’re reading this website, I’ll assume that you’re a runner. As runners, we all face motivation that ebbs and flows. We have training days that are hard. Mornings that are cold and dark. Workouts where we’re the only one that shows up.
Some days our muscles are still sore from the prior day’s workout.
There are days we feel fat, hungry, cranky, lazy, and sleepy. Some days our shoes hurt our feet. Some days our feet just hurt. Some days everything hurts.
This coming July, Sacramento will be hosting the Masters World Athletics Championships (AKA Masters Track and Field World Championships).
If you had a chance to watch or run in last year’s Masters National Championships you know what a great event this should be.
While it may seem a bit early for me to be writing about a July event, registration closes on April 24. You can register online now, and event management says that more than 900 athletes had already registered as of March 23rd.
For track and field, a masters athlete is anyone over 35. There are events from the 100 meters to the marathon, plus the field events, and the venues will be centered around California State University Sacramento.
The trail is clear from the 3.o mile mark (behind Cal Expo) to Beals Point
The rivers (American and Sacramento) are both steadily dropping, but we are sad to report that Discovery Park is still under water.
The USGS is predicting the Sacramento River will drop below 19-feet at the I Street bridge by Sunday afternoon. This is the point that Discovery Park begins to drain out, but it can often take a few more days to clear out enough to be usable.
The County is generally pretty quick about cleaning the trail of debris when the water recedes, but it all still takes time. With luck, by next weekend (April 16th) it may be ready to go.
As of a day ago, it was reported that there was still water on the trail for about a mile from Discovery Park, and again 2.75 miles from Discovery (under US 160). There was also water reported on the trail on the South side of the river near Howe Avenue.
Running may protect that knee
As you know by now, I am always happy to write about scientific studies that support my existing bias.
Here is more science finding that, regardless of what my mother believes, running is actually beneficial to your knees.
Money quote:
In one study, Swedish researchers found that exercise, including jogging, may even be beneficial. Felson describes how researchers took one group of people at risk of osteoarthritis and had them engage in exercise, including jogging. The other group didn’t exercise. After imaging the joints of the participants in both study groups, they found that the biochemistry of cartilage actually appeared to improve in those participants who were running. Felson says that suggests that “running is actually healthy for the joint.”
All the gates open at Nimbus Dam. Photo by John Blue (click to see a high-res version)
Is the parkway still flooded?
Discovery Park is still quite flooded, and will likely be so at least through this weekend.
The parkway near Discovery Park is generally taking on water when the river at the I street bridge is at 19-feet or higher. The USGS is predicting the river to be at over 21-feet through this weekend.
The tough part is that even after the river is below 19-feet, it takes another couple of days for the water to drain out of the park.
The good news is that the parkway is now clear and dry at the 20.5 mile mark and the detour signs are gone.
This just in from the Lake Sonoma 50 Race Director:
Due to flooding and unsafe stream crossings, the 4th Annual Lake Sonoma 50, scheduled for Saturday, April 2, has been cancelled.
Registered entrants were sent an email yesterday afternoon, announcing the cancellation and offering a partial refund, priority entry into next year’s race, and a few spots in next weekend’s AR 50.
The stream crossing at Warm Springs Creek (mile 12 and 38) is currently at least 8 feet deep and about 80 yards across with a swift current in the middle.
On Friday at the Standford Invitational, Sac State Hornet freshman Reesey Byers, of Santa Rosa, ran his first collegiate 5000 meters, and broke a long-standing school record in the process.
In an early heat, Byers ran comfortably in the middle of the chase pack for much of the race, breaking away late to chase down the leaders and the school record.
“Reesey ran a very smart race, running with control early on, and then really being aggressive in the latter stages, which is the proper way to run high level races like Stanford Invitational,” said Hornets Coach Scott Abbott. “What most impressed me was how he handled himself in the final 400 meters. He made a strong move with about a mile to go to catch the leaders, and then ended up backsliding a little in the final kilometer and looked like he may have been dead in the water heading into the final lap. But, he dug deep and ran with a lot of heart over the last lap and competed very hard, and that ended up being the difference between a good race and what turned out to be a great race.”
Byers’ 14:19.o1 finish time eclipsed Noel Hitchcock’s record 14:22.90 set in 1971. Byers is the first Sacramento State runner to break 4:30 on the 5K since Darrin Slade ran a 14:28.00 in 1989.
It looks like the Hornet men are gearing up for a good track season, as sophomore Daniel Mitchell, of Carmichael, ran a 31-second personal best 14:41.79 in the same meet.
It looks like Lance Armstrong has finally decided to take this running thing seriously and hire a coach.
And, I guess if you are Lance Armstrong and you want a running coach, you can get trained by Alberto Salazar.
Lance’s goal for the marathon? He wants to run 2:50 to 2:55–in an Ironman Triathlon.
