Miami's happy hour
West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale had one heck of a happy hour, now it's Miami's time, time for more than 20,000 workers to ditch their high heels, ties and Blackberrys and slip into running gear for a 3.1 mile jaunt around the city. On your mark, get set, let's go!
What: The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run-Miami, a 5K event open to employees of corporations, government agencies and financial institutions that put teams together and walk or run as a group.
Participants: More than 20,000.
Registered companies: 525
Three largest teams: Baptist Health, 2,300 employees; Norwegian Cruise Line, 793 employees; and Assurant, 511 employees.
When: Thursday, May 1, 6:45 p.m.
Where: Bayfront Plaza, 305 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.
Race day registration: $40 per person.
Beneficiary: The South Florida Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
More info: 305-666-RACE (7223) or www.mercedesbenzcorporaterun.com
Posted by Desonta Holder at 04:49 PM on April 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The most frightening thing I've ever encountered on a run was a long black snake basking on the sidewalk. As soon as it heard me coming it slithered into the bushes. The snake incident was scarier than another run when a guy looked both ways and then stopped me and asked if I had the time, even though I was not wearing a watch. I was heavily into martial arts then, so I was prepared for anything. His sixth sense must have kicked in because he scurried away when I shifted to a defensive mode. These are good reasons why you should carry a cell phone when you're running. You could get attacked by a human, bitten by a dangerous creature or hit by a car. And if you like to run in the middle of nowhere, a phone with a navigation system would come in handy. The question is, where do you put it? Put it in your pocket and it'll get wet and die. Put it in a fanny pack and, um, who wears a fanny pack any more? One solution is the Hold-a-Phone, which comes in four styles, flip and bar. It holds your phone and attaches to your wrist for easy access. Even with the Hold-a-Phone, you could still face danger, but you can also dial 911. More info: 
The USTA is launching its Adult Flex Leagues program in Miami, giving adult players of all levels the chance to join a league where they can schedule their own matches on their own time at courts of their choosing. Registration is open open at 
I admit I never stretch. I used to stretch daily when I was a karate student. Maybe if I started stretching again I'd lower my risk of running injuries. I say "maybe" because evidence that a pre-exercise stretch keeps injury rates lower is inconclusive, The Washington Post reports. But stretching has been proven to increase flexibility, and that's a good thing. The USA Track & Field is sponsoring a study to try to isolate the effect of pre-run stretching and is looking for volunteers to participate. The goal, according to Alan Roth, one of the project's coordinators, is to enlist several thousand regular runners to keep tabs on their activity for three months. Participants must run at least 10 miles a week and be at least 13 years old. Half will be asked to do a series of assigned stretches before their runs, and half will be asked not to stretch at all before their workout.
