running

  • Hashing Out Old Dhaka

    Hashing Out Old Dhaka

    In my previous post, I shared impressions of Old Dhaka gained from an unscripted walk and a 30-minute ride on one of the small ferries. Recently, however, I had the opportunity to enjoy a completely different kind of tour of Old Dhaka – somehow simultaneously more organized and more disorganized – with the Dhaka Hash…

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  • A Barefoot (?) Ironman South Africa

    I’ve been a runner for about four decades.  I was never especially good at it, but I’ve managed to pull off nearly twenty marathons and uncountable 5k, 10k and other distance races.  About twenty years ago I thought I’d give triathlons a try.  It took a few years to learn how to swim properly, but…

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  • The Hidden Power of Gummy Bears

    I am a clumsy person, unsuited for any sport that involves any sort of stick, ball or other implement.  Running after a ball with a stick would pretty much be a guaranteed serious injury.  My peers in elementary school gym class recognized this well before I did, and could find no better way to convey…

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  • Running Barefoot for Charity in Namibia

    Last weekend, I joined a hundred or so other runners in Windhoek’s northern township, Katutura – which means “place we do not want to live” – to run as many laps as possible for charity.  As I wrote in a previous post, the event was “Namibia Runs for Charity”; and as a barefoot runner since…

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  • World Run Day MasterCard Spoof

    November 7 was this year’s “World Run Day”.  For those who haven’t heard of World Run Day, the organization’s web site states, “It is a day for runners worldwide to join each other, wherever their location, in a celebration of running and charitable giving.”  You can sign up, get a T-shirt and a bib number,…

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  • “Barefoot” Running: What the Services Think

    Although at times I get some strange looks, apparently I’m not the only one in the military trying out Vibram’s “almost barefoot” FiveFingers shoes (see my previous post). The Army Times – and its sister publications – has an article on “who can wear ‘toe shoes’ during unit PT – and who would want to”.…

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  • Barefoot Running (almost)

    This morning I woke up with every muscle below my knee screaming in pain.  Apparently there are lots of tiny muscles I didn’t know I had. Why?  I’ve been hearing about this barefoot running trend, and wanted to give it a shot.  Obviously it’s not a great idea to simply launch on a three- or…

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