May 2017 – Riled Up Runner

With a Ten-Foot Pole

There are few sports that elicit more awe in me than the parallel bars at the summer Olympics. As gymnasts combat gravity to fling themselves around the horizontal poles and through the air, it’s immediately clear how strong and flexible and coordinated they are, and no one would doubt for a second that they’re athletes.Continue reading “With a Ten-Foot Pole”

Surprise! It’s Bike to Work Day

Do you value your safety and personal well-being? No? Well then, have I got a holiday for you: Today’s National Bike to Work Day! Situated smack in the middle of National Bike to Work Month, today’s holiday is meant to raise awareness about the soaring numbers of bike commuters choosing to forgo the carpool orContinue reading “Surprise! It’s Bike to Work Day”

Songs of Good Cheer

News flash: On Saturday morning, I won the Rhinebeck Hudson Valley Half Marathon. Don’t misunderstand me: I didn’t run it or anything. But I stood on my front stoop in the rain, blasted Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind,” called affirmations to every athlete passing by and — most importantly — had the best-looking sidekick thisContinue reading “Songs of Good Cheer”

Well, I’m Soul-ed

I finally did something I said I’d never do. No, I didn’t voluntarily enter a haunted house. No, I didn’t go to Times Square for fun. No, I didn’t fly to Hawaii so these FaceTiming first cousins could finally meet snout-to-snout. No, friends. I did something far more shocking: this morning, I went to SoulCycle.Continue reading “Well, I’m Soul-ed”

Lordy, Lordy: I Did 40

If someone told me they were planning to run a marathon with zero training save for a handful of 5Ks, I’d put the emergency room on speed dial ahead of their inevitable crash and burn. So as I laced up Sunday for New York City’s 40-mile Five Boro Bike Tour — on training literally limitedContinue reading “Lordy, Lordy: I Did 40”

Counter-Intuitive Fitness

A lot of what we now know to be true about fitness and weight loss appears at first counter-intuitive: To lose fat, eat more of it. To look slimmer, gain muscle weight. To feel more awake, exhaust yourself with a workout. And here’s one more: to exercise more frequently, cancel your gym membership. (At least,Continue reading “Counter-Intuitive Fitness”