Running Sock Pickle

Help request--> Any vegan runners out there have any micro-runner sock recommendations? I am trying to find an animal-free replacement for what I consider to be the Perfect Sock: the SmartWool Micro Crew Runners. I blew through a pair of Balega micros in the race today, which was no loss as they had no cushioning and slid down my heels after the first mile and a half. Thorlos don't fit the shape of my feet.... and I haven't had much luck with anything that has an "ankle", though most things without one tend to work their way off my heels as the Balegas did...! Who knew socks could get so complicated? All I want is an ultra-microthin running sock with a crew ankle that doesn't move, that hugs my foot and has some cushion without adding any bulk or layers, and breathes completely (ie retains no or little moisture) and prevents chafing and blisters -- is that so hard to ask? SmartWool should just start making all their socks out of hemp or bamboo or flax or soy or all of the above and leave the sheep of the world alone (which, hey, would really BE "Smart"!), and then I wouldn't have to stop buying the Perfect Sock...! Alternative suggestions, anyone?

Pacifica Goes Long(ish)

So I'd been thinking this past week that I could more than likely run past the 21k PCTR race in Pacifica I'd signed up for today, and that I would aim for completing the 30k course (an extra loop of the 9k portion of the 21k course). Well, when I turned up at registration this morning, turns out I must have been thinking along those lines a few months ago when I registered -- I was already on the 30k list! Which was great, absolutely no wiggle room to back out after that!

It was a glorious run on an amazingly beautiful course; I had no idea the area around Pacifica looks like that back in the hills. Most of the trails were lush with ferns, berry thickets, forget-me-nots, eucalyptus groves, and many varieties of thick, broad-leafed jungley-type plants. The weather was perfect; coastal fog and mist, cool and a bit breezy but not chilly. It was like running in Hawai'i with air conditioning. Plenty of elevation (that I may be fondly remembering in detail tomorrow) which made for some fun climbs and even better speedy descents -- love running downhill!

I run alone pretty much any other time but racing so it was such a wonderful change to hear the conversations and footfalls and passings of other runners. Between the sanctuary of the open space and the companionability of fellow trail-heads, I had no desire to break out music of any kind as I now usually do when I run. By the last 9k lap, though, with a slight twinge in my knee and my feet balking at the latest sock trial (see 2nd post for today), I was ready to let little Kermit pace me to the finish... and I have to say as awesome as it was to commune with the sounds of nature and of conversation with fellow runners for the first 2/3rds of the race, it was an equally incredible if different experience to be moving through such stunningly beautiful surroundings listening to music of peace, social justice, and human potential.

I felt on top of it with minimal training, did not need any "sugar boost" from gels or sports drinks to make it through as I used to, and I bounced back more quickly afterwards; ever since I went completely raw I have found that my body is more resilient in every direction, it's just too cool. The power lifting at the gym and all the deeper work and inversions we've been doing in yoga lately can't have hurt either...! And it finally happened, I ate my first trail -- every trail runner I know has taken a tumble at some point, I've been wondering when my time would come and now I can safely say it's over and done with. Happened about halfway through the course, and I must say I'm proud of the fall: with all the core-stength training I've been doing, I was strong and stable enough to save it from being a bad one, and was able to pick right up, laugh it off and keep on tearing madly down the hill. All in all, it was a great start to the running season as my first run-event of the year. Thanks Wendell and Sarah for another great personal-achievement race in a beautiful place :)

>> update 7/4: results. as usual, smack in the middle, not stellar but not too bad, especially since i haven't been training on trails much. ah well, maybe that 7 minute mile will come around next year...

Race Calendar

I've added a calendar of my upcoming races to the right-hand column of the blog. Aside from letting you friends and extended family know what I'm up to, this can also be seen as a suggestion: come out and join me on a course! For those of you who run, many of the races on the calendar are with Pacific Coast Trail Runners, whose "races" are non-competitive and held in some of the greatest spots around central California. Most of their events have a range of distances, my calendar only lists the one I've signed up for so if those aren't your speed, follow the links to learn more and get the full list of course options for each event. For those who tri or want to, I plan to add more Sprints to my roster for the fall, a great way to get into the sport or take a breather from longer races.

On the calendar for October is PCTR's 24-hour race in San Francisco. Unlike last year, I plan to keep all body parts functioning optimally so that I can actually run the whole thing this year! I'll be shooting for 100k...did I just say that out loud....? To all friends who live in or around the Bay Area (or friends visiting from afar), if any of you would be up for coming out and doing a few laps (or more) with me, I would be most grateful for the company and the pacing!

Three Jennys, One Voice

I migrated up to my second living room tonight, the ever-wonderful Freight & Salvage, to hear the the most excellent melodically vocal and multi-disciplined female folk group The Wailin' Jennys. From Winipeg, Manitoba, they're not often in the States and rarely venture south, so to have them so close and in such an intimate, accessible venue as the Freight was simply awesome. Their harmonies are unlike anything I've ever heard before; their voices blend together into a liquid, flowing and perfect expression of complementary notes. To hear them live was a great gift, and what makes them all the more incredible is how deeply and completely they enjoy what they do -- they love music, they love to sing, and they do it from their hearts and completely pour their souls into it. Gorgeous. And then I got to chat with them afterwards -- more Freight magic. It was great to hear more from Nicky about songcrafting, touring, and we digressed into discussions of the geography of Montana, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba... Yay for venues that allow you to connect with the artists who share their craft! Anyway, I highly recommend seeing them perform, and becoming acquainted with their music if you're not already.

Summer School

The anthropology course I'll be taking has me doing backflips for summer quarter to hurry up and start: Foothiil's Anth 50:'Medical Anthropology', taught by the same stellar professor as I studied under for 'Peoples of Africa'. Here's the course description:

"This course is an introduction to medical anthropology, the study of health and disease within the context of culture. Students will learn about the various research interests of medical anthropologists through readings, lectures, discussions, assignments, and a term paper. Specific topics will include: medical systems found in different cultures; defining health and disease; defining "normal" and "abnormal;" cultural beliefs and practices regarding the life cycle; cultural beliefs and practices influencing nutrition; the health consequences of cultural contact, development, and particular political, economic, and social systems; Western biomedicine as an ethnomedicine; and finally the meaning and experience of illness including patient-healer interactions."

Superb. And utterly fascinating. Far more thought about medicine than goes into most science-based medical classes, and as an added bonus I knock off another GE credit towards my transfer to nursing school. Brilliant!

Here's the reading list for anyone interested in the subject:

Death Without Weeping by Scheper-Hughes, Nancy.
1992. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520075374

Elusive Embryo.by Becker, Gay.
2000. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520224310

Endangered Species by Harper, Janice
2002.Carolina Academic Press. ISBN: 0890892385

Medicine and Culture by Payer, Lynn
1996. Owl Books. ISBN: 9780805048030

Pathologies of Power by Farmer, Paul
2003 University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520243269

Culture of Our Discontent by Small, Meredith F.
2006 Joseph Henry Press. ISBN: 9780309100663

Good Illustration