Extra, Extra, Run All About It!! The Week in Running: 6/07-6/14

Dear readers, let's take a look back at the week in running:

* As reported on Duniyalive.com on June 7th, in an effort to raise funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Cybex will release a pink colored version of their 750T treadmill which will be sold to health clubs, hotels and spas, corporate gyms and other exercise facilities around the country. Cybex has agreed to donate 10 cents for every mile logged on any pink 750T treadmill throughout the month of October. “We are committed to raising funds and awareness on the benefits of exercise, particularly as it relates to improving long-term survival for those who have been treated for breast cancer,” states Joan Carter, Cybex executive director and founder of the Cybex Pink Ribbon Run. While my problems with my building's gym's Cybex 445T treadmill are well documented, I have to applaud Cybex for their efforts in fighting this all too familiar disease.

As reported on Deadline.com on June 8th, Peter Scott, head of agriculture & farming at the agricultural Oatridge college near Broxburn, and his staff are hoping a treadmill will stop horses from being....well, horses. After a wet winter, Oatridge's 35 horses were let loose on the college's estate to graze and ended up stampeding over much of the prime farmland which rendered it useless. Scott's solution? An equine treadmill. Acknowledging that horses need to be exercised no matter what the outside temperature may be, Scott and his bosses purchased an equine treadmill enabling them to, "put them into the walker, flip a switch and give them a controlled amount of exercise". With the treadmill predicted to be operational in the next few days, the horse trainers believe that, "With a selection of speeds from walking to galloping, the trainers can choose to exercise the animals as much as they need". The article made no mention of whether there will be hay and grass placed on sections of the treadmill's belt.

As profiled in the Los Angeles Times on June 10th, 33-year old Los Gantos resident Tim Borland like to run....a lot. In 2007, Borland ran 63 marathons in 63 days, a feat made into the movie, Feat. Feat also follows Borland as he "ran 14,000 miles in 29 states (and part of Canada) to raise awareness for ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare childhood disease with which a friend's daughter had been
diagnosed. For this A-T CureTour, Borland ran while pushing a stroller
either occupied by a child wtih A-T or a with sign bearing the name of a child who had died from the disease". Crediting his success to a combination of being passionate about his causes, his religious faith, expert training and good genes, Borland is currently planning to run 143 marathons in 143 days to draw attention to the plight of the world's 143 million orphans. With difficulty running 3 marathons in 1 calendar year, I have to say how impressed I am about Borland's running abilities. With the ability to run that many miles in that few of days, Borland may never need to travel in a car or an airplane again!

* As reported on People.com on June 10th, Sherri Shepherd, co-host of The View, is trying to change her view in a bathing suit. Preparing to pose in a bathing suit on August 6th's episode of The View, Shepherd has hired trainer Don Scott to help slim her down. In addition to dieting, Scott has put Shepherd on an intense workout regimen including running on a treadmill which, as Shepherd is not shy to admit, she is not a big fan of, ""He's got me doing 4.5 on an 11 incline! What kind of mess is that?" While we will have to wait to see how effective Scott's plan is, hopefully, as August 6th comes nearer and nearer, Shepherd will change her VIEW on running!

* As reported on Bloomberg.com on June 12th, it seems that one man's recession is another man's....un-recession. Since receiving billions of dollars in a taxpayer bailout, American International Group (or, as most people know it, AIG) has had to reduce many of its extravagant costs that led to a running course towards bankruptcy. Among those things? Their inability to sponsor Karl Dunsen or any of the other runners who took place in last week's JPMorgan Corporate Challenge in New York's Central Park. With Dunsen, the winner of the last three Corporate Challenges, sitting on the sidelines,JPMorgan's Sean Swift was able to win his firm's namesake race in 17:45. After cooling off for about 15 minutes, Swift, instead of reveling in the victory with friends, text-messaged Dusen and wrote, "Thanks for not running this year. Maybe now I'll get a bonus." While Swift and Dunsen are friends and run together several times a week, Swift's jab at Dunsen has the smell of corporate tomfoolery all-over-again!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Weekend's Marathons

Saturday, June 20th
Grandma's Marathon (Duluth, MN)
ConocoPhillips Mayor's Marathon (Anchorage, AK)
Niagara Ultra 50K, Full And Half Marathons (Niagara On The Lake, ON)

Sunday, June 21st
Johnny Miles Marathon (New Glasgow, NS)
Manitoba Marathon (Winnipeg, MB)