This Post is Way Overdue!

Gosh, it has been a long time since my last post. I took a two month break from running to "reset" and, along with that, ended up breaking from blogging. But I have a lot of great things on the horizon that I want to share with you....

I have a few races on the calendar this Spring. First up, as I'm getting back into the higher mileage races, I'm starting by running the LA Big 5K with my friend Laird, in Los Angeles, California. After that, I'll be training for the Fargo Half Marathon, in Fargo, North Dakota, where I'll be (sort of) running alongside fellow RUSer Kristine. I say "sort of" because Kristine will be running the full marathon - go Kristine! Laird and my friend Heather will be running in Fargo, too, so it will be a fun "Race-cation" with a great group of friends. I can't wait!

On another note, I'm so excited to announce that the first season of Girls on the Run Twin Cities is this Spring. The season starts mid-March and culminates on May 19 with the GOTR girls running their first 5K during the Be the One Run at Lake Harriet. Unfortunately, it's the same day as the Fargo Marathon and Half Marathon, so I'll miss out on the GOTR season ending fun. But, if you are interested in volunteering with GOTR, we will need Run Buddies to accompany the girls on their 5K adventure. I was a Run Buddy (and a Coach) in NY, and it's an incredibly memorable way to volunteer your time. Plus, it is a good workout!

As some of you know, I've been involved in Girls on the Run since volunteering as a Coach with the Girls on the Run Manhattan chapter. I was bummed when I moved to Minneapolis and discovered there was no local chapter to volunteer for... and then thrilled when I heard that a group of amazing, dedicated women were working to start up a Twin Cities chapter. I signed up for the Fundraising Committee immediately and have been pitching in as much as possible to make sure that GOTR Twin Cities has a successful lauch to carry it into future seasons. If you would like to make a donation to our local chapter, your donation - in any amount - will be so appreciated, and will go a long way to making sure that GOTR Twin Cities grows and thrives here. Donations can be made here by clicking on the "Donate" button.

I'll share a fun, little anecdote about how amazing this program really is in the way it encourages young girls to believe in themselves as they strive to reach their goals. In November, my friend Bethany and I signed up for the Rails to Trails Half Marathon in Norwalk, Wisconsin. But, having made the trip to Norwalk with Bethany's 11 year old daughter, Gillian, we decided to run the 5K instead - so that we could run with Gillian in her very first 5K. As we were running, Gillian admitted feeling tired and unsure that she could finish without walking most of the way. The GOTR Coach in me kicked in, and I repeated to her the best of the curriculum that we teach during the 12-week season. Mainly, Bethany and I assured her that she could do it, with short walk breaks during the distance "between this tree and that one there." At some point, I said, "Hey, I'll bet you get a medal at the Finish Line!" Whoo, did Gillian take off! Bethany and I couldn't keep up on the last stretch of the course! And guess what, she did get a medal - 2nd Place in her age group! What an amazing experience!