2 Days to Race Day

I have picked up my Nike Plus tshirt from Niketown today.  I have my bib number.  I have my map of the course.  I have my training and I have my willpower.

Bring it on.

(photos to come later this weekend)

Isn’t He Charming?

I am one for doubt and skepticism in politics, but man this guy is good. Thanks, Obama for a well-delivered traditional speech.  How do you think Obama did last night?

Obama is Taking on Intense Risks with Potential New Job

Running the country isn’t easy, but plenty of people seem to think Barack Obama is ready for it. The question is, will Obama live to accept this responsibility? Every minority that I’ve spoken to has brought up the obvious – do people really think no attempts for Barack’s life will happen?

Well, it’s already started and for whatever reason – strategic or stupid – the media is trying to brush it under the rug. The Guardian.co.uk reported on three men and one woman that have been arrested in Colorado for plotting a possible attempt on Obama’s life during his acceptance speech Thursday night.

“One of the suspects, 32-year-old Nathan Johnson, told the local CBS station in Denver that his associates Tharin Gartrell, 28, and Shawn Robert Adolf, 32, were discussing a plot to kill Obama.

‘He don’t belong in political office. Blacks don’t belong in political office,’ Johnson told the TV station late yesterday. ‘He ought to be shot.’ …Fox News reported that the three arrested male suspects may have ties to white supremacist organisations and the Sons of Silence motorcycle gang.”

(read full Guardian article here)

Meanwhile, leave to the Associated Press to bring up a good point – why haven’t we heard about this?

“[U.S. Atty. Troy] Eid said the talk didn’t meet the legal standard to file charges for threatening a presidential candidate. 

‘The law recognizes a difference between a true threat — that’s one that can be carried out — and the reported racist rants of drug abusers,” Eid said at a news conference.”

I think he’s  right. I would think if an attempt on Obama’s life was seriously going to happen, it wouldn’t be as obvious.  These guys were probably just blowing off some racist steam.  Let’s hope they weren’t a distraction for those with better planning.

Meanwhile, march on, Obama, march on. I know he already thought of this possibility before deciding to run.

(read full AP article here) 

4 Days to Race Day

It’s almost here! My day to run 6.2 miles (10K) with thousands of people around the world! I still haven’t been able to do a full six yet, but today I ran about 5 miles (with a liiiiiittle bit of walking at the end, just to make sure i wasn’t overexerting) so I think I can do it.  Now it’s taper time. I plan on running a mile or two on Friday. My main focus on Saturday will be to drink lots and lots of water. Sunday is the day where I prove to myself and to the course on Randall’s Island that I can run six miles. 

Now for those of you in the City, here’s some info if you feel like going to the race and cheering me and the other runners on:

WHEN IS THE RACE?
Sunday, August 31, 2008, 6:00PM

WHERE IS THE RACE?
Randall’s Island

IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE?
Yes, there is public transportation available.

Subway/Bus:
From Manhattan: Take the 4, 5 or 6 train or Metro-North to 125th St., then transfer upstairs to the X80 Express Bus (NW corner of 125th St. and Lexington Ave.), which runs nonstop to Randall’s Island. A $5 round-trip fare is collected en route to the Island. If you transfer from the subway or bus with your Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, only $3 is deducted. Paper Bus Transfers and dollar bills are not accepted.

COMPANION TICKETS

On August 1, 2008, individuals registered for the Nike+ Human Race 10K can buy up to 2 companion tickets to the post-race All-American Rejects concert on Randall’s Island. Each ticket costs $20.

To purchase these companion tickets, please click The All-American Rejects Tickets and enter the following code: HUMANRACE.

A Solid Speech

Just for Laughs

Thanks to Patrick Moberg for drawing what comes into his brain!

Eco-Fatigue

I read this great article on AdAge by Jennifer Maxwell-Muir called “How to Avoid Eco-Fatigue” where I thought she brought up a great topic and a good solid reaction to it. Maxwell-Muir has noticed the same things I have. Although the “be green” hype has had positive influences since it’s raising awareness about a lot of environmental issues, I have noticed that many companies are just slapping on the words “eco-friendly” every which way. So what to do if you’re truly a green company, like Patagonia – who seems to almost downplay what they do to make way for the future of our earth? Read below for Maxwell-Muir’s advice:

7 Tips to Avoid Eco-Fatigue

1. Be remarkable. You can make the “greenest” product on the planet, but unless it solves a significant consumer problem, works or tastes better than anything in the market and offers a good value in ratio to price, consumers won’t buy it.

2. Be green because it’s something you value, not as a marketing gimmick. Can coal really market the industry as being green and clean? What is Kermit the Frog doing with the Ford Escape? People smell falsehoods, and you go from bad to worse.

3. Don’t be bashful. A lot of truly “green” companies are afraid to speak up because it feels too self-righteous. Consumers actually appreciate your efforts, no matter the size, as long as they’re earnest and a step in the right direction. The amplification of your message can increase with your commitments.

4. Make it fun and engaging. Green doesn’t have to be staid. The average consumer doesn’t even know that the “hip” home cleaning products (is that an oxymoron?) made by Method are even green. And that’s entirely the point. This fast-growing brand wants consumers to love its product first — because they’re well-designed, smell beautiful and work well. They’re also planet friendly. Method’s attitude is: Why wouldn’t they be?

5. Partner with an established nonprofit. When Kettle Foods wanted to add a cause element to its new Backyard Barbecue flavor, it immediately thought of wildlife habitat protection because it’s something it does in its own backyard. To inspire consumers to apply the same principles at home, Kettle partnered with a respected nonprofit, the National Wildlife Foundation. Then it encouraged people to get involved by creating their own backyard wildlife habitats. Who wouldn’t want a bag of free chips as thanks for attracting local birds?

6. Invite consumers to join you. A flushable diaper doesn’t sound like a product that would inspire a cult following, but gDiapers realized early on that its core consumers were a vocal bunch. So gDiaper empowered them. By creating gMums and gDads, the company arms independent, trusted “spokespeople” with free product and the tools they need to spread the word. Doesn’t get much better than that.

7. Move beyond green. Green is a fad. Sustainability is continual improvement. If you’re only looking at energy consumption, you’re just scratching the tip of the iceberg. Businesses that endorse a “triple-bottom-line” approach — Organic Valley Farms, New Belgium and Clif Bar, to name a few — also address their affect on society in their communities. Environment is the third leg of the stool, but without the other two, you wouldn’t have a place to sit.

Yoga to the People

I’ve officially found a yoga place. NYC is full of studios convinced that yoga should cost exorbitant amounts of money, which makes it hard for an entry-level gal like myself to afford the luxuries of yoga. Enter Yoga to the People.

The name implies all that it is: a studio trying to bring it back to those who need it most – the people. This studio follows the vinyasa practice, is clean, takes up several rooms to allow more people in, and is entirely donation-based. Although the classes are large and people try to squeeze in, it’s entirely worth it if you cannot afford to pay $15 – $20 every time you want to get some yoga in your life. For a while, I wasn’t sure whether or not it was worth the crosstown trek for me. Now I know it definitely is.

Engraving Project Part 1

So G and I got in our heads one day to experiment with engravings.  We chose a flask as our surface.  The main message was to be a Winston Churchill quote: “I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” After settling on a theme, I got to drawing the initial sketches. My inspirations were all those college doodles I would do and Si Scott – one of my favorite designers right now.  My idea was to incorporate my drawing style with the element of water/liquids.  So I wrote out the quote in the middle of a way too big page and began drawing.  Below are the two phases of the water drop idea.  Next step: scan the drawing and clean up the design using Illustrator or PhotoShop… then, it’s flask-buying and engraving time!

M.I.A.

Just a quick explanation.  I have barely been writing this week.  At work (I work in search advertising) I got assigned a new account: IKEA! Although I’m super excited, it’s taken over my life (I’m surprised I have a weekend this weekend).

Implications: No time to blog, no time to eat (I have forgotten to eat lunch), no time to run.  Oh boy.  I need some sleep.