Baltimore Women's Classic Race Recap | Wild Things RUN Free

Baltimore Women?s Classic is a huge deal in the Baltimore running community. It is a 5k race dedicated to promoting women?s health & fitness while increasing awareness of women?s health issues. A cause that is near and dear to my heart with my history with ovarian cysts & tumors.

Last year, Zack & I were visiting & apartment hunting the weekend before BWC, and moved about a month after it. I was bummed to miss it (yea I was researching races prior to our move? Most runners do that, right?! :P ) So I was super stoked to get to run the race this year.

True to form, I couldn?t sleep for the life of me on Saturday night. Pre-race jitters will forever haunt me. I have never raced without some sort of way of keeping my time. Even if that meant just iSmoothRun app running on my phone. However, coach J took my watch and made my promise not to cheat with an app? UFFF. He?s trying to train me to listen to my body?. I?m certain this added to the pre-race jitters? I fell asleep finally around 3:30.. Just in time to catch 2.5 hours of sleep before my alarm starting honking at me. (Seriously, I need to change that.)

We were out the door by 7 to head to the Rash Field. It was around 7:40 when I met up with Dianne on the steps and it was already over 80 degrees. It was going to be a scorcher?. Before we knew it we saw everyone making their way over to the starting line? We tried to move as close to the ?front of the middle? as we could?. Ended up in between the 9 minute mile and 10 minute mile pace groups. The start was a lot more spread out than any other race I?ve run. I was able to start really movin? right off the bat.

The course was gorgeous?.The first mile went along the inner harbor. The harbor takes my breath away every time. Zack & I don?t get down there often enough. Typically only for races or baseball games?. heh. It?s unfortunate, because when we were first planning on moving down here, I fell madly in love with the inner harbor area.

The beauty of the course was quickly lost on me? IT WAS HOT Y?ALL.. I hit the first mile marker and still recognized most of the people around me so I knew I was keeping on pace more or less? I felt like crap, pretty much the entire race from that point. I wanted to stop moving for just a second. Just slow down for one minute? But I wouldn?t allow myself to. I knew that any chances of PRing were over if I slowed down for even 30 seconds. I kept repeating in my mind ?I lived in Texas and Florida? I can handle some heat. This is nowhere near as bad as some of the temperatures I?ve dealt with hiking in the hill country?

The first water stop came up during the 2nd mile. I grabbed one & just kept moving. I ended up wearing more than I consumed, but I wasn?t upset about that. It felt amazing?. By the end of mile 2 the sun was in FULL FORCE and pretty much baking us alive. It was getting harder to breathe but I kept pushing through, breathing deep into my stomach. Basically doing yoga breath counts to keep it under control.

It was a bittersweet moment when I hit the 2 mile mark. I was so glad we only had a little over a mile left to go.. But at the exact same time all I could think was ?oh my god that was only 2 miles?!? That third mile was cruel. It was the longest mile of my life! I was so thankful for the last water stop. I grabbed two cups.. Yeah, I was selfish. ;) I pulled back a bit and slowed my pace ever so slightly so I could down the first cup. The second cup, went directly over my head and down my neck. Ohhhhh sweet relief. I refused to walk or slow down any more than I had so I held that pace until we made our way into the finishing chute. Then, out of nowhere my legs just started SPRINTING. That last .1 I was passing girls left & right. I looked up as I was about to cross the finish line and saw my clock time. 30:59!!!!!!!!!!! My arms went straight up and I had a huge grin on my face.

TEN SECOND PR BABY!!!

The finish line swag was the coolest I?ve experienced. (maybe I just haven?t been racing the right ones?) But, for a 5k I was immmmmpressed. We were immediately handed ice cold towels that were soaking in barrels of ice water. Then we were handed a rose!

I was certainly smiling & happy? But I sort of wanted to just lay down and die. I was so miserably hot, and my left calf muscle felt like it had been put through a meat shredder.

After laying in the grass, chugging a bottle of water and munching on a piece of watermelon the size of my face ? I was more or less feeling good as new. I got up and wandered over to meet up with Dianne, Renee and Megan. Let me just take a moment to say ? Dianne is a rockstar!!! Truly. Truly. Truly. She just had her appendix removed 2 weeks ago and still raced & did awesome today.

After chatting it up for quite some time Zack looked like he was about to die of a heat stroke, so we parted ways and headed home. I came home, stripped off my sweaty sports bra, collapsed into bed was out like a LIGHT. 4 hours later I woke up so discombobulated. Did I sleep through the race??!?!! I was in such a half-awake state I panicked that it was a dream and I missed the race. haha. oh exhaustion ;)

All in all, it was an awesome race. It was HOT. It was TOUGH. but I fought my mental demons and PRed. I?m actually really super disappointed that I won?t be here for it next year. We?ll be in the last few weeks before our wedding so we?ll be back home for the summer? It was my favorite 5k so far, even if it was probably the most brutal 5k I?ve ever run.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

adam carolla rick neuheisel rick neuheisel andrea bocelli john hughes panasonic lumix dmc lx5 ucla football

Frankie Grageda: Octomom Boyfriend, Orange Bodybuilder


As you may have heard, Octomom has a new man in Frankie G.

Yes, Nadya Suleman, the woman with 14 kids and has been celibate for 13 years (she has to be the only human being who can claim that), has a boyfriend.

Frankie Grageda, who drops his surname in favor of G because it must sound cooler, is a 23-year-old amateur bodybuilder with Tanning Mom-esque skin.

Clearly, it's a match made in heaven:

Frankie G, Octomom Boyfriend

Video taken by TMZ showed the fitness buff welcoming her home from NYC at LAX airport Sunday. They've been together for two months, apparently.

Frankie admitted to the celeb news site that dating a chick with 14 kids makes for a different experience than he (or anyone else on Earth) is used to.

“It has its moments,” he said. “Obviously she has a lot of kids but it’s wonderful and I enjoy it. She’s a wonderful person, she has a good heart.”

Well, save for the whole Octomom porn thing.

Asked if their 13-year age difference would become an issue, Suleman, who met Frankie G in church, said: “No, I have the mind of an 18-year-old.”

And the financial sense of an 18-month-old.

As for whether they've done the deed, that's unclear. Even when she was married, Suleman said she never liked to be intimate with her husband.

"I can tell you that I never touched him physically. It was a different type of marriage,” she said this spring. “That's all I want to say about it."

"I'm the kind of person who can be with a man for years and never touch him. My mind is not wired that way. I don't need that kind of thing."

"I only had one boyfriend my whole life and I never loved him. I only wanted babies. People need sex, but I don't ... I have zero sexual interest."

These Nadya Suleman photos suggest otherwise.

douglas fir jim boeheim jim boeheim bill of rights toys r us toys r us shame

Lochte vs. Phelps, Part 2 set for US swim trials

Brendan?Hansen smiles as he looks at the time after swimming in the men's 100-meter breaststroke preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Brendan?Hansen smiles as he looks at the time after swimming in the men's 100-meter breaststroke preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Michael Phelps swims in the men's 400-meter individual medley preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/David Phillip)

Ryan Lochte swims in the men's 400-meter individual medley preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Monday, June 25, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/David Phillip)

(AP) ? Ryan Lochte won Round 1 of his showdown with Michael Phelps at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. Phelps won't have to wait long for a second chance to take down his rival.

They'll compete in the 200-meter freestyle preliminaries on Tuesday morning, with the 16 fastest qualifiers advancing to the evening semifinals. Lochte owns the upper hand in that event, having beaten Phelps at last year's world championships in Shanghai.

Any butterflies two of the world's best swimmers may have felt going into the eight-day meet should be gone since both qualified for the London Games on the first night of the trials. Lochte became the first swimmer to make the U.S. team with his win over Phelps in the grueling 400 individual medley on Monday.

"I can sit down and take a deep breath and relax," Lochte said. "I can just do what I love to do and have fun and just race."

It was a three-man race between world champion Lochte, world record holder Phelps, and Tyler Clary, the fourth-fastest swimmer ever in the event. Each of them owned the lead at different points in the race ? Phelps in the butterfly, Clary in the backstroke and Lochte in the breaststroke.

"All three of us were side by side by side and we were neck and neck," Phelps said. "You could hear the excitement of the crowd and that's something that definitely played a pretty big role in giving me a little extra energy the last 150. I was very pleased with that."

Once Lochte took over, he kept on going, building a body-length lead over Phelps and Clary heading into the final 100 meters. He eased up in the closing 20 meters and touched first in 4 minutes, 7.06 seconds. Phelps took second at 4:07.89. Their times were the top two in the world this year.

"That time was not good at all. I know I'm capable of going way faster," Lochte said. "There's definitely a lot of places during that race where I knew I could go faster, I just didn't. I just had to do what I had to do to get my hand on the wall first."

Lochte beat Phelps for the first time ever in the event, snapping a string of nine consecutive losses to his rival in the event dating to 2002.

"It really doesn't say much," Lochte said. "It's a rivalry that we've had for almost eight years now. We've just been switching back and forth. It's hard to say who's the best swimmer because we're both great racers."

Clary came home in third at 4:09.92, a bitter finish for the silver medalist at worlds last year. Phelps didn't swim the event in Shanghai, and since winning it as one of his historic eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics he had sworn he wouldn't compete in it again.

Now he's back, and Clary finds himself the odd man out. Clary didn't speak with reporters after the race.

Lochte is entered in 11 events this week, but he was coy about exactly where he'll turn up.

"We're going to pick and choose what events day-by-day and see how I feel," he said.

Phelps didn't win, but he made a little history of his own, becoming the first American male swimmer to qualify for a fourth Olympics.

"We knew that (losing) was a distinct possibility in this event," his coach, Bob Bowman, said. "I don't think we had any illusions. He knows that he's in the range. He knows he can get better."

Peter Vanderkaay made his third Olympic team by winning the 400 freestyle in 3:47.47. He was joined by training partner Conor Dwyer, who finished second.

Elizabeth Beisel became the first woman to qualify for the U.S. team with an easy victory in the 400 IM. She won in 4:31.74 to earn a berth in her second consecutive games. Caitlin Leverenz grabbed the second spot.

Some big names will hit the pool for the first time in Tuesday's preliminary heats. Missy Franklin, the 17-year-old Colorado swimmer tabbed for stardom in London, competes in the 100 backstroke; Amanda Beard opens her quest to make a fifth Olympic team in the 100 breaststroke; and Janet Evans, making a comeback at 40, goes in the 400 freestyle, although her stronger event is the 800 free.

Beard faces a loaded field in the 100 breast that includes world champion Rebecca Soni, former world record holder Jessica Hardy, and 2000 Olympic champion Megan Jendrick, who gave birth to her first child eight months ago.

On Tuesday night, Brendan Hansen goes for a spot on his third Olympic team in the 100 breaststroke. He flirted with the American record in Monday's semifinals, coming up short with a time of 59.71 seconds ? fourth-fastest in the world this year. The 30-year-old former world champion quit after Beijing but returned to the pool looking to make up for disappointments in the last two Olympics.

"I went out there and hit the first five strokes and I was like, 'I'm gone, later,' and just took off," Hansen said. "You have no idea how hard it is to break a minute."

Eric Shanteau, who competed in Beijing after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, also advanced.

Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympian who failed to qualify for the team four years ago, set an American record in the semifinals of the 100 butterfly. The defending world champion put up the world's fastest time this year of 56.42. Natalie Coughlin, an 11-time Olympic medalist, also made the eight-woman final.

Associated Press

kim jong ill dead wedding crashers next iron chef next iron chef aquamarine iraq war iraq war

State Spending for Weight-Loss Surgery ... - Body Health & Fitness

A Texas Tribune analysis of federal and state health care expenditures shows Medicare spending for weight-loss surgeries for Texas seniors ? including gastric bypass and gastric banding ? grew by nearly 400 percent between 2006 and 2010, to $1.7 million from $340,000. Since 2009, the number of bariatric procedures covered by Medicaid, the state health provider for the disabled and the very poor, has more than doubled. And annual Medicaid spending has jumped to $2.7 million from $290,000 in the last three years, the bulk of which was supplemental payments made to managed care plans.

This state subsidized weight-loss surgery has seen a boom in Hidalgo County along the Texas-Mexico border, where, according to Medicaid records, doctors have been reimbursed for 443 weight-loss surgeries in the last five years, at a cost of more than $340,000. That is dozens more ? and more than twice the cost ? than have been performed in Dallas County, which has nearly 150,000 more people on Medicaid than Hidalgo County.

Border surgeons say that they are simply responding to demand: Their region has the highest rate of Medicaid patients in the state, and patients roll into the medical hubs of McAllen and Edinburg from across southern Texas.

?There is no single diet right now that helps patients lose weight and keep it off,? said Dr. Luis Reyes, a McAllen bariatric surgeon who has filed nearly 300 Medicare and Medicaid claims for weight-loss surgeries over the last six years and earned about $220,000 for them, according to state and federal data. ?Bariatric surgery has been able to help these patients to lose weight, to keep it off and to get rid of their comorbidities, which are very expensive,? he said, referring to medical conditions caused by obesity.

And Medicare and Medicaid officials say Texas? overall numbers track with a state in which nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of teenagers are either obese or overweight. Stephanie Goodman, spokeswoman for Texas? Health and Human Services Commission, said there is a higher incidence of diabetes along the border, ?so that may be why we?re seeing more of these surgeries in that region.?

But state lawmakers, who have set their sights on Medicaid as a way to curb out-of-control health care costs, are troubled by the spending on bariatric surgery. State Senator Jane Nelson, Republican of Flower Mound, who chaired a committee in the 2011 legislative session aimed at cutting Medicaid costs to help close the state?s budget gap, said lawmakers ?need to understand why we are seeing such a prevalence of these surgeries, especially in light of the rampant abuse of the system across the state.?

State Senator Dan Patrick, Republican of Houston, said that in light of The Tribune?s analysis, he asked H.H.S.C.?s inspector general to review the state?s bariatric surgery policy to ?ensure that any opportunities for fraud, waste or abuse are eliminated.?

Covering weight-loss surgery under state and federal health plans is a relatively new concept. Medicare started doing it in 2006; Medicaid covered it only on a case-by-case basis until opening it up in 2009.

While Medicare spending on bariatric surgeries in Texas has marched up steadily, Medicaid has seen a pronounced increase ? the result of the state making supplemental payments to managed care plans, which get paid set premiums and faced unanticipated costs due to the state?s decision to more widely cover weight-loss surgery. Those payments, which at a cost of $23,000 per surgery reached $2.3 million in 2011, ended last year, creating significant cost savings for the state.

Both Medicare and Medicaid require potential bariatric patients to meet what is designed to be a high bar. Patients must have a body mass index of at least 35, which is 210 pounds for someone who is 5-foot-5, and 245 pounds for someone who is 5-foot-10. They must have other comorbidities related to obesity, like sleep apnea and high blood pressure, and must have tried and failed other weight-loss regimens. Medicaid even covers teenagers, though they must have a B.M.I. of at least 40 and go through a special review. (Just four were covered in 2009, compared with 18 in 2011.)

Dr. Ernesto Garza Jr., a McAllen bariatric surgeon, said that as the medical field and patients themselves have become more comfortable with weight-loss surgery, Medicare and Medicaid have followed suit.

While it used to take three to four months for Medicare to approve a surgery, he said, now it takes three to four weeks. Though Medicaid requires evidence that patients have secondary conditions, he said, problems like joint pain, reflux and incontinence can qualify. ?It?s not really hard to find these issues,? Dr. Garza said, adding that 30 to 40 percent of the bariatric surgeries he performs are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, and that his patients live healthier lives post-surgery. ?You just have to ask the right questions.?

State and federal health officials say the financing for weight-loss surgeries has been a good investment. Ms. Goodman, of the Health and Human Services Commission, said that when they are used appropriately, surgeries reduce Medicaid costs.

?That?s because we reduce the number of expensive medications and treatments that are needed for the health conditions associated with obesity,? she said.

Dr. Erik B. Wilson, the medical director for bariatric surgery at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, said that once someone reaches a B.M.I. over 30, the likelihood of that person being able to lose weight and keep it off plummets. Between 18 months and three years after a bariatric surgery, he said, the procedure has paid for itself. ?It?s a concept the public has a hard time getting its arms around,? he said, ?but it really is the best option for a lot of these patients.?

But there are critics who think the surgeries are not the best long-term approach for the state?s obesity problems, or its budget woes.

State Senator Bob Deuell, Republican of Greenville and a family physician, said that when Texas decided to start covering bariatric surgery under Medicaid, health officials assured lawmakers that it would only be used in extreme cases. Dr. Deuell said that it appears that threshold is not hard to meet.

Daniel O?Connor, an associate professor in the University of Houston?s department of health and human performance, said that although weight-loss surgery has clear benefits for individual patients, it is not a sustainable public-health intervention. Mr. O?Connor said the state could reach many more people with less expensive lifestyle interventions, and improve their health enough to save far more dollars than bariatric surgeries do.

?We need to determine what model we should use on a gross level, not a patient-by-patient level,? he said. ?We might be able to make them better enough with nonsurgical interventions that there?s still a significant health care saving to the state.?

eramshaw@texastribune.org

Becca Aaronson contributed reporting.


fred thompson red hook romney tax return the tree of life movie academy award nominees 2012 2012 oscar nominations kyle williams

What Romney's donors heard at this weekend's retreat

ABC News' Arlette Saenz and Shushannah Walshe report:

Mitt Romney's donors attended a golf outing today at the Red Ledges Gold Club in Heber, Utah, but the excitement was really what went on Friday and Saturday at the events and panels. Romney's top donors were treated to panels on specialized policy topics, such as healthcare or the financial services industry, heard speeches from stars of the Republican Party, such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and were granted access to the presidential candidate's senior advisors for information about the inner workings of the campaign. All events were closed to reporters, but ABC News has the rundown of some of what these donors were privileged to hear.

James Baker

One of the first discussions Friday was a lecture from former Secretary of State James Baker III. Rodger Young, a donor from Michigan and New York, described the speech as "positive" in tone and although he said Baker did say the country was in "significant trouble" because of the nation's "debt burden," the state of the world "internationally ? isn't as bad as you think," specifically pointing out that America has "still by far the strongest military."

Baker scolded the Obama administration for "ignoring any type of bi-partisanship," according to Young.

Mitt and Ann Romney Greet Attendees

Friday evening, donors were treated to a lavish reception at Park City's Olympic Park. Attendees watched Olympic hopefuls perform on the ski jump, which was used in the 2002 Olympics, but they also heard from the Romney couple.

Two donors from New Jersey who attended the reception said their highlight was Ann Romney's speech, when she introduced her family and roasted her sons, four of whom attended. Saturday, Sen. John Thune said Ann Romney's speech was "funny" and called Mitt Romney's address "inspirational" in tone that went beyond just thanking the fundraisers, adding that the presumptive GOP nominee described how he wants to lead the country.

Larry Conti, a plus-one attendee from Los Angeles, said Romney mentioned the Brookings Institution study, often cited by Rick Santorum during the primaries. Romney spoke about this study in his speech to the annual Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The study found that marriage, education, and employment all play important roles in keeping people out of poverty.

McCain's Morning Address

To kick off Saturday morning, Sen. John McCain addressed the donors. Young told ABC News that McCain spoke about Iran, saying that "Iran is so much closer to nuclear weaponry than they were at the commencement of the Barack Obama term." McCain, who ran against President Obama in 2008, also discussed the "perceived weakness of the United States" in the world.

Innovation in America Panel

Attendees were then treated to a panel moderated by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who said the president "needs a lot of help in terms of understanding the private sector," according to Young. Two other vice presidential contenders, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, also sat on the panel along with Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, who discussed the "necessity to get people to graduate from our technical colleges." Billionaire financier and Home Depot founder Ken Langone also spoke, and according to Conti, relayed a message for the current administration: "Leave us alone and let us hire people." Conti said Langone told the audience with today's "regulations," he would not be able to start Home Depot.

Media Insight Panel

Karl Rove, founder of American Crossroads and a former Bush strategist, was also on hand. He spoke on a "media insight" panel and on another one examining Romney's path to victory. Rove, dressed in a blue blazer, told reporters his panel was "damn good," before whizzing away on a golf cart.

Attendees said the panel was engaging and humorous, with Rove swearing up a storm and regaling the crowd with funny stories.

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz told reporters both Rove and GOP strategist Mary Matalin were making the crowd howl, telling them about when Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a friend with bird-shot pellets on a hunting trip.

"He was on full display," Chaffetz said of Rove.

It wasn't all joking, though. According to Young and his wife, Rove said, "We had to focus on some particular groups, such as some Republicans that didn't vote in the last election," including focusing on women. It's unclear whether Rove was also soliciting donations as he mingled with attendees over the weekend.

Campaign Debrief

It wasn't just listening to the top leaders and thinkers of the Republican Party. Donors also received a briefing by the Romney senior staff, including campaign manager Matt Rhoades, senior strategist Stuart Stevens, and longtime adviser Beth Myers, who is heading up the vice presidential selection process. They described the campaign's "10 a.m. meeting," according to Chaffetz, who attended.

"I think people were fascinated by that," Chaffetz said. "They spent a good half hour showing them how they would do that, and what they would talk about and how they review the numbers and talk about messaging and develop that into a cohesive message that's not only earned media but also paid media and other types of things. That was really different than I think that most people thought."

Chaffetz added that they went through "the analysis of what's going on in the media, looking at polling, looking at all the different facets."

Condoleezza Eice's Show-Stealing Lunch

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very well received, with almost every donor saying her speech was the highlight of the weekend. She spoke with no notes and received a sustained standing ovation when she was done, according to several attendees.

Charles Cobb, who served as ambassador to Iceland from 1989 to 1992, said Rice was "spectacular" and described her as a "very bright, sophisticated, articulate lady."

Husband-and-wife donors from Los Angeles who did not want to be identified said Rice's message was one of "America needing to take charge."

"We can't stand by and let things happen," the wife said. "If we do, someone else will take that leadership role."

They both described her address as an "impassioned plea" for the country to "stand up and take charge."

Donor Kent Lucken, an international banker in Boston who moved back to his home state of Iowa for six weeks before the caucuses to help Romney, said "she rocked it."

Jeb Bush Rounds Out the Night

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spoke at the final reception, and as donors were leaving to go to private dinners at restaurants and residences around town, one fundraiser from Greenwich, Conn., said Bush told the crowd "the country was only growing at 2 percent when we could be growing at 4 percent. If the country was growing at 4 percent we could add on another country the size of Germany to the United States."

Also Read

trailblazers michael beasley jermaine jones hbo luck dwight howard unc asheville stephen jackson

The Places Worth-visiting In Reading

Are you looking for a visit to the ceremonial county of Berkshire this year? The County of Berkshire which is also known as a Royal County offers just about everything to the tourists exceeding their expectations. It is called Royal County because the royal residence of Windsor Castle is situated in Berkshire. The town of Reading is one of the best locations in the Berkshire County of England. It is situated at a distance of around 64 kilometers from the Central London. The town is full of wonderful attractions and worth visiting places. Aside from attractions and recreational spots, there are many historical places and spots near the town of Reading. Transportation facilities in the town of Reading are found in abundance. Car hire from Reading to London City airport and all other major airports of UK does not require you to get into any kind of trouble.

The transportation firms in Reading offer cheap taxi hire from Reading to London City airport that is sure to fit anyones budget. Aside from cheap transportation, the town is known for its world class educational facilities due to the presence of two big universities. The University of Reading and Thames Valley University are two major universities of UK which are luckily a part of this town. A large number of international students come to study in these two universities every year in search of high quality education. The University of Reading is ranked among the most popular universities of UK and has a great significance around the world as it is also called the best research center in UK. As the students from different races, religions and cultures come to Reading each year for the purpose of higher education, this makes it a town with diverse culture and traditions.

The recreational places and leisure spots in the town include places for all from kids to adults. Rivermead Leisure Complex, Meadway Sports Centre, SportsPark, Highdown Sports Centre, Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Theale Green Recreation Centre, Palmer Park Sports Stadium, Willink Leisure and Lodden Valley are some of the most popular places for entertainment and leisure in the town of Reading. If you are looking to get to the town of Reading for leisure and fun directly from the airport, car hire from London City airport to Reading is available at affordable rates. The popular caf and restaurants in the town include Global Cafe, French restaurant, The Jazz Cafe Live Music and Food venue, Le Parisien Restaurant, Shahi's Kitchen, Parkside International Hotel, Subway, Munchees and many more. The parks in Reading include top of the list Beale Park, Wellington Country Park, Prospect Park, Bucklebury Farm Park, Kings Reach Meadow Association and many more.

CrossCab is one of the leading online cab booking firms providing taxi hire from London City airport to Reading at cost effective prices. They are a highly reputed online cab booking firm based out of Reading Berkshire. CrossCab not only provides cab booking via call but also provides booking services via website and mobile application/site.

sag awards red carpet torrey pines nhl all star game 2012 pollyanna samuel adams snowy owl one for the money

91% Safety Not Guaranteed

All Critics (81) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (7)

"Safety" can't sustain its own offbeat energy. By the end, even Aubrey Plaza would roll her eyes at it.

Neatly, the script embarks on one journey while dangling the possibility of another: the prospect of taking a sudden leap from comic reality into the realm of pure imagination.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is most vibrant and vital at its edges, in the way that the characters interact with each other while waiting for something to happen.

It's brisk and assured and never begs the audience's indulgence. No time is wasted. The movie is, at every moment, either funny or pushing the story forward, or both.

The film is modest but skillful and heartfelt, spiced just so by Plaza and company.

Safety Not Guaranteed casts an enchanting spell from its opening scene.

The superbly-balanced tone of this sweet and sour outsider-romance is the real star of [Trevorrow's] feature debut, though breakout turns by on-the-cusp players Audrey Plaza and Jake M Johnson add to the film's warm and wondrous sense of discovery.

It is an offbeat charmer that is fun and engaging from a storytelling standpoint, but one that also brings a surprisingly rich emotional payoff.

Unlike time travel or jet-setting, "Safety Not Guaranteed" shows that making movies can still be more about the journey than the destination. Whether or not you have first-class tickets.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is eccentric enough to get mistaken for an uplifting fantasy, but it's Plaza who belongs in the penthouse.

Hope is a powerful thing and Safety Not Guaranteed delivers in its tale of longing, deliverance and connection during the here and now.

An intriguing yet erratic effort...

Less of a philosophical argument and more of a character piece driven deep into the heart by Duplass and Plaza.

Have you ever wondered what mumblecore sci-fi would look like? Wonder no more.

Rather than trying to beat Hollywood at its own game of high-tech gadgets and weaponry, director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly achieve a sly mix of the insane and the mundane.

A character-driven piece about regret and true partnership - our basic, primal need for someone to take the journey with us even if safety is not guaranteed.

Aubrey Plaza is the best thing about this iffy mock-sci-fi doohickey.

As a hipster rom-com about people trying to shake off their pasts to make present-day connections, it's pretty satisfying.

A strange, light-hearted bit of quasi-sci-fi, with no small amount of heart.

The material is played mostly for laughs and succeeds in that regard. The undercurrent of lament in Safety Not Guaranteed, though, is what holds the film together.

More Critic Reviews

stephen curry hes just not that into you hes just not that into you texas longhorns texas longhorns francesca woodman kennedy center honors

Michael Jackson Still The King Of Pop Three Years After Death

MJ's continued influence on pop culture has proved that the King of Pop will forever remain in the hearts of music fans.
By Nadeska Alexis


Michael Jackson
Photo:

Music fans the world over can mark June 25, 2009 as one of those eerie days that force them to recall exactly what they were doing in the moments before they heard tragic news. Michael Jackson died that day, at the age of 50, and the world was not ready to see him go.

No entertainer could ever fill the void that MJ left behind, but his memory has not faded in the three years that he's been gone. In the past 12 months alone, we've seen Jackson-inspired productions, heard narratives from celebrities who continually cite him as a key influence, and this summer his face will be plastered on Pepsi cans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his classic album Bad. Keep reading to see a few examples from the past year that prove that Jackson has remained forever in the heart of pop culture.

Conrad Murray manslaughter trial

The public and very messy manslaughter trial for Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray began in late September, and it was an excruciating and drawn-out ordeal for fans who were hoping to find closure after the star's death. After a painstaking six-week trial, which included testimony from 49 witnesses, a jury delivered a guilty verdict on involuntary manslaughter charges for Murray on November 7, and the world let out a collective sigh of relief.

Watch the Throne shout-out

The guilty verdict in Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial was handed down just hours before Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne tour hit Madison Square Garden in New York, and it was clear that the hip-hop Titans were paying attention, just like everyone else. While spitting his lines on the WTT's "Welcome to the Jungle," Jay threw extra emphasis on the line, "Rest in peace to the leader of the Jackson 5," which drew applause from the crowd.

Cirque Du Soleil launches Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour

After a few preliminary shows in Canada, in October Cirque Du Soleil launched Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour in the U.S., dedicating a two-hour production entirely to the fallen legend. The mind-blowing mashup of dance and acrobatics, set to MJ's music, was an immediate hit, and the 65 artists who trained intensely for their performances did not take their responsibilities lightly. When MTV News caught up with one of the dancers backstage, following a performance set to "Danger," he admitted that the entire production was deeply emotional, and that if MJ could see the show, "he would feel such a sense of pride of what he has given us to work with."

Jackson tops fans' hologram wish list

Tupac's hologram appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April set off a firestorm of speculation about which deceased entertainer we could expect to see onstage next. Not surprisingly, MJ was on the tip of many a fan's tongue. LMFAO's Redfoo put MJ's name at the top of his hologram wish list, while a quick poll of fans in the Times Square area found that the masses wholeheartedly agreed."It's a really cliché answer, but in my time I've never seen [Michael Jackson] and it would just be something awesome to watch," one fan told MTV News.

Justin Bieber's "Die in Your Arms" single inspired by MJ

Justin Bieber stopped by MTV's Times Square studio on June 19 for his "Bieber Live" special, during which the 18-year-old superstar performed one of his new singles "Die in Your Arms," and explained that the track was inspired by old MJ footage he viewed during a session with producer Rodney Jerkins. "Before I got in the booth, [Rodney Jerkins] showed me this hour-long video of Michael [Jackson] footage, never been seen before. It's Michael's personality, him in the booth dancing. It's some really special stuff," Bieber recalled. "So me seeing that, going in there and being inspired and working with Rodney, who worked with Michael — it was incredible."

Pepsi 'Live For Now' Campaign

In 1984 Michael Jackson first linked up with Pepsi for a $5 million marketing campaign, and 28 years later the soda giant is teaming up with the Jackson estate to commemorate the 25th anniversary edition of his classic album Bad. The "Live for Now" campaign will find the icon's face plastered on special, limited-edition Pepsi cans this summer. The cans will include special download codes treating fans to Bad remixes.

Rick Ross shouts out MJ on Self Made Vol. 2

From Bieber to Rick Ross, no artist has escaped the influence of Michael Jackson. The Maybach Music Group CEO is unveiling his latest compilation album Self Made Vol. 2 on Tuesday, just one day after the anniversary of Jackson's death, and that fact didn't escape him. Ross begins the LP's intro by telling fans, "If Michael Jackson came alive right now, he'd ask you to smoke one for him. So in his honor [lights up]."

Jackson Brothers launch Unity Tour

Five days before the June 25 anniversary of MJ's death, his four brothers — Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon — launched their Unity Tour. The Jackson brothers revealed that a joint tour has been in the making for years, but admitted that they needed time to heal after losing the most famous member of the Jackson 5. Following Michael's death, all four brothers were featured on the A&E reality series "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," which found them coping with their loss. In April it was rumored that an MJ hologram would make an appearance on the jaunt, but there's been no confirmation that the early reports were true.

Related Photos Related Artists

masters tickets one direction tulsa news scalloped potatoes the ten commandments charlton heston moses