Runners High

Running is one of my favorite things to do. With it comes the thrill of lacing up the flats and going racing, a good track workout, or a difficult long run in the heat and humidity of "The Rouge." Purchasing new shoes ranks up there with one of the great things a runner can experience. Its a fine edge that is hard to describe. There is something about lacing up a good worn in pair of shoes, the comfort, familiarity, and ride dependability.

A new shoe, however, offers a regenerated fresh, springy feel that is lost with an older shoe. I just bought another pair of training shoes. The Brooks Burn is now the ride in which I will be covering miles in for the next 3-5 months. Hopefully I'll cover the next 300 miles (483km) or so before repeating the process. If you ever happen to be in "The Rouge," check out Varsity Sports on Perkins Road. It is a quaint little store and the staff knows what they're talking about, they're friendly, and very reasonably priced, so check it out!

Olympic Sized Sack Lunch
I am clearly behind on my Olympic news, as I found out today. Back in February the NYTimes explored the issue of feeding the US Olympic team this summer in Beijing. I did not pick up this article until GreenDaily brought it to my attention and I just had to pass it along.

The U.S.O.C. will be faced with the gigantic task of feeding the nearly 600 strong delegation from the US for this years summer Olympics. In a trip to explore potential food possibilities for the athletes, a caterer discovered in a Chinese market a half chicken breast that measured 14 inches. The breast contained so many steroids that the committee were fearful of any athlete ingesting it and testing positive for a banned substance. Steroids are not the only worrisome food fear as the past year has attested to. Insecticides, pesticides, and other veterinary substances have been found in alarming rates in fruits, vegetables and meats.

The U.S.O.C. has teamed with Tyson and Kellogg's to ship 25,000 pounds (11,340kg) of lean protein to Beijing to be prepared and served to the American athletes. They are also looking at sources for western style cookware, and my favorite...the importation of standard measuring cups and spoons. Why? Because, we are one of a few countries still measuring in cups, tablespoons, and ounces, aka, the non-metric system. Food, who knew that it would have such an interesting journey for our Olympic athletes!
Cheers