Friday Five - new information

Guys, it's been a bit of a tough week just catching up after being out of town last week.  I haven't put up a blog post since Monday :( But I can't skip the Friday Five with Cynthia, Courtney, Mar, and tons of other great bloggers!  You should definitely check it out. And I hope to get back to a normal blogging schedule next week.

This week's theme is "new" so I thought I'd share some new to me tidbits from around the internet this week.

1.  The big news that I kept seeing is that Running is good for you, which I think we all knew!  As little as 5-10 minutes a day may reduce the risk of death from heart disease.  I would have assumed that more is better, but that still needs to be studied.  "Some studies have found a link between running greater distances, such as more than 5 miles (8 km) a day and a decreased risk of heart problems, compared to running less than 2 miles (3.2 km) a day, so more studies are needed to determine if there is an optimum distance for running, the researchers said."

2.  The grand canyon is considering banning runners and other "adventure sports."   "That overcrowding is forcing the park to address some of the problems the runners bring with them.

And many park users think those problems are plentiful. Tales abound of exhausted runners and fastpackers—at some point on the speed continuum, the line between the two blurs—collapsing at the doorstep of Phantom Ranch or vomiting in the campgrounds. In their desperation and delirium, they cut to the front of water lines, clog trails and picnic areas by lying down, and leave things behind them. Rangers and more experienced visitors have to attend to struggling crossers and drive them the long way back around the canyon if they can’t make the return journey. These are not runners deliberately doing anything wrong; these are simply runs gone awry. But in the daily grind of overwhelming volume, these small transgressions become too much for the canyon to endure."

3.  The Better Business Bureau is warning caution about fun runs. They provide the following steps as things that can help protect consumers.

• Check the organization's Better Business Bureau rating.
• Contact the venue to make sure the event is scheduled to be held there.
• Read the fine print, especially about refunds.
• Pay with a credit card so that you can dispute charges if necessary.
• If the race says it has a charitable component, check with the charity to make sure it's legitimate and that it has a relationship with the event.

4.  A team of 90+ year old runners have set 3 new records.  Go them! "The team of 90-plus-year-olds is the oldest to run relays, which made them automatic world record holders after they crossed the finish line."

5. I keep hearing about Stand Up Paddle Boarding and want to try it.  There's a place in Georgetown that does it but I'm not sure I'm willing to fall in the Potomac.  Here was a cool article about SUP that came up in one of the travel blogs I read. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'm looking forward to some relaxation time, the farmer's market, a concert, and some running (of course).