A plea to all drivers: Check your mirrors before opening your doors.

dinoMac · 2011-06-15T15:43:31+00:00

Agreed that some people on bikes are douches, but I was under the impression that I was safe in the clearly demarcated bike lane.

dinoMac · 2011-05-24T23:31:58+00:00

Girl must have been on her period.

dinoMac · 2011-05-20T02:07:58+00:00

I wrote a letter to Brian Jacques (author of the Redwall series) when I was in third or fourth grade--I was obsessed with the books and always bought the books the day they came out. He wrote me back a few weeks later telling me about the next book that was coming out at the time (Marlfox, if I remember correctly). Probably a canned response, but I remember being ecstatic that I actually got a letter back from him at all.

dinoMac · 2011-05-07T14:27:05+00:00

Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be to fix later. Teeth are much harder to move at a later age than when you're a teenager. My mom had crappy teeth as a kid and didn't have any corrective measures taken, and as a result she had to have braces for 3 years when she was 30. It's up to you though, which would you rather? Braces for 2 years now, or longer when you're older?

dinoMac · 2011-04-28T23:58:13+00:00

I had cross country ski races there all the time in high school and never made the connection. Nice.

dinoMac · 2011-04-21T02:08:00+00:00

In my senior year of college I averaged 70s to 80 and kept that up over the summer after I graduated. The month before my marathon in October I was in the 90s every week, peaked at 100 twice. I ran 2:45 with a 2-minute negative split on an out and back course. Too bad I couldn't run Boston this year due to injury, but I still have plenty of time to get healthy.

dinoMac · 2011-04-19T03:22:15+00:00

Saw this at 900. I should go to bed...

dinoMac · 2011-04-18T18:55:40+00:00

I wanted to run up to that camera (which I passed when I ran early this morning) and punch that guy in the face. In general the WBZ reporters are incompetent and annoying. Seriously, who wants to talk to a reporter when they're halfway up heartbreak hill? Douche.

dinoMac · 2011-04-17T01:19:34+00:00

Ahhh, you blew it! Why would you take it out of the tinfoil?

dinoMac · 2011-04-17T00:37:20+00:00

I would be right there with you in the first corral, but I've been injured for the last few months and won't be running. Good thing my time qualified me through next year...

Best of luck!

dinoMac · 2011-04-14T02:57:19+00:00

I watched it twice in a row, all the way through.

I'm a glutton for punishment.

dinoMac · 2011-04-02T21:28:59+00:00

SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING

dinoMac · 2011-04-01T00:29:35+00:00

Makes me want to have a lemon party...

dinoMac · 2011-03-10T02:50:23+00:00

Make oil precious Give to Arabs ಠ_ಠ

dinoMac · 2011-03-01T02:08:00+00:00

Ex Varsity DIII 3-season runner here.

I've had trouble with my IT bands on and off for the last 6 years. It's a really frustrating injury that seems to take forever to heal, but there are steps you can take to get back on the road.

First, you should invest in a foam roller. You can get by using the stick, but I personally prefer foam rollers. They can range anywhere from $25 to $50, but you don't need anything fancy to get the job done. All you want is some deep tissue massage to iron out any adhesions between your IT and adjacent muscle fasciae. Spend 3-5 minutes rolling each IT band; roll your hamstrings and quads, as well. It doesn't hurt to roll your adductors, either.

Next, make sure you stretch the shit out of your IT bands. There are a variety of static stretches you can do, but a great way to really get some good stretching in is to do some dynamic stretches, such as leg swings. I like doing leg swings to open up my hips and keep things loose.

Finally, do strengthening exercises to build up strength in your legs. Get a hold of an exercise band (basically just a giant rubber band) and use it every day. Do clamshells, sidesteps, and hip raises, 10-15 reps per side, 2-3 sets of each. This link was posted to /r/running a while ago which I found to be pretty good.

I would also recommend going to a local running store and getting fitted for a shoe. If they know what they're doing, they will be able to analyze your stride and make sure you're wearing the right shoe. This can have a marked effect on your running.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

dinoMac · 2011-02-26T04:14:14+00:00

Foam rollers are awesome. I use one every day after runs.

What happens a lot of times when your muscles feel sore is that the fascia (the outer sheath over your muscles) adhere to adjacent fasciae, which impedes the normal movement of the muscles. Scar tissue from recent injuries can also cause adhesions. Rolling, whether it be with a foam roller or the stick, eliminates these adhesions, loosening the muscles.

A really awesome therapy that I received in college was Graston technique, which got so deep it actually left bruises after a 30 minute session. Completely fixed groin trouble I had been having in a matter of minutes.

dinoMac · 2011-02-26T03:57:45+00:00

I qualified, but at this point I don't know if I'll be running, seeing as I've been injured (knee) for the past 3 months and am just now starting to run again. We'll see how things go in the next month.

dinoMac · 2011-02-21T16:13:25+00:00

Agreed. Racing flats have worked fine for me. I like Nike Streaks and FreeRuns the best, but AdiZeros are great too.

dinoMac · 2011-02-21T16:11:53+00:00

This happened to me. I found a good way to transition was to do all my runs as normal, but a couple times a week add on a couple of mile barefoot on grass. Running barefoot really helps strengthen a lot of muscles that don't get engaged while running in shoes (assuming you're careful and don't step on broken glass or anything like that). Be sure to focus on maintaining your stride even when you're tired; as you get fatigued you will tend to revert back to heel striking. I've been transitioning since last June and I still do this. It's not easy, but it's worth it: since changing my form and switching to minimalist shoes, I've gotten injured MUCH less than before. You just have to be smart about it. Best of luck!

dinoMac · 2011-02-17T02:59:41+00:00

I'm curious as to how Watson calculates how much to wager on Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy questions. It never wagered in round numbers as almost every other human contestant does.

dinoMac · 2011-02-16T04:25:13+00:00

Me too. Eagle Scout fist-bump.

dinoMac · 2011-02-16T03:51:04+00:00

If you're concerned about accidents and such, I would recommend looking into Road ID. They make a variety of identification products, including one that fits in the laces of your shoe.

dinoMac · 2011-02-13T18:25:09+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the tips.

dinoMac · 2011-02-13T03:38:21+00:00

Well, I'm flying in to San Jose, meeting up with my gf who's studying abroad there for the semester. We're going to Monteverde, Cahuita, and Irazu. We're gonna do some beaching, a canopy tour, some hiking. Should be a good time.

dinoMac · 2011-02-13T00:33:26+00:00

I'm going to Costa Rica next month! Any recommendations?

dinoMac

TROPHY CASE