I am also running in the Cincinnati "Flying Pig" Marathon this weekend. Unfortunately, the charity I wanted to raise money for through RUS went kaplooey. Yep. Jamal Place. I've worked with Jamal Place on and off for years. For 18 years JP was a foster home for troubled boys on the near westside of Chicago. By every measure, JP was a success. But those successes were never enough to keep it properly funded so JP always struggled to make ends meet. Nevertheless, the incomparable Ann Deuel, JP's founder, always found a way to keep the doors open and a roof over the boys' heads. Every dollar donated was warmly appreciated and put to good use. But the state's budget crisis resulted in even deeper cuts to JP's funding and it was forced to close last month. It's an incredibly sad and frustrating situation for all.

I don't want to run in Cincy charity-less so I'm encouraging everyone I know to donate to Hospitals for Humanity, which Kristine discusses in her post below. I've had some contact with their staff recently and they are a dedicated and motivated group helping literally thousands of people around the world receive life-saving health care. I know times are tough and money is tight, but if you can hold off a month on getting that new iPhone, Northface jacket or botox, how about a donation to HFH so they can help those really in need? Any amount you can donate would be awesome!

Finally, I'm not looking to set a new PR this weekend. My running the last couple of months has been bad and slow. I tried to train through a cold which made it worse and last weeks longer. I haven't put in nearly the amount of time and miles necessary to run well this weekend. My goal is to finish and have fun.

Flying Pigs and Traveling Hospitals

I'm getting ready to take on Marathon #8 in Ohio this weekend, the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing some runners dressed up as pigs, although I won't be joining them in these festivities. A curly tail has never been a good look for me.

I realize that while I've been building momentum in my motiviation to run more races (I've got 3 more scheduled this fall), one of the more important reasons for doing all these races, to raise money and awareness for some great charities, has been losing steam. So I want to take this opportunity to let you all know the great things that one of these charities, Hospitals for Humanity has been up to.

I spoke recently with the CEO and founder, Segun Ajayi, about what HFH has been up too. They finished off 2010 with monthly trips to Haiti and have shifted their focus to Nigeria for 2011. They have already completed a medical mission in Nigeria just last month in March, and plan to return with missions in August and December. Also on the calendar are missions to the Phillipines in June and Jamaica in September. Part of their missions, in addition to treating those in need, is to assist with education and training of the health care providers in those areas as well as educating the people on preventative care. And these missions seem to be working. With the help of local officials, one of the cities in Nigeria they had previously visited saw a drop in patients from 20,000 to 3,000! This means that more people are getting care from their local providers and are not relying on these medical missions as their source of health care. To me, those numbers are amazing.

One of their latest initiatives is to raise funds for the purchase of mobile healthcare vans. These would, in essence, be mobile clinics that would travel to various parts of Africa providing specialized care, such as OB/gyn, pediatrics, opthalmalogy and some vans would even have surgical suites to do minor surgeries on site. The plan is to purchase three of these vans to start, and they range in cost from $80,000 to $100,000. As you can see with these hefty price tags, this won't happen without help from people like us.

In additon to these great missions and intiatives, they have created a specialized department, the Special Medical Services Department, to focus on individual cases that cannot be addressed by these medical missions. For example, they are currently working with the mother of a small girl in Africa who is in need of a hearing aid. HFH is partnering with a hearing aid company to provide the girl, and others, with these much needed devices and also have plans to send personnel over to fit and adjust the hearing aids. They are also working with Atlanta Medical Center to get a man in east Africa much needed open heart surgery and have found a surgeon who is willing to do the surgery for a fraction of the cost. But they can't accomplish these things without your donations!

Please visit my updated link on the HFH website to make a donation and/or to post some encouraging words for me and the rest of the Race Within US team! www.hospitalsforhumanity.org/index.php/the-race-within-us/

Thanks again for all your support! Look for my all-about-pigs blog post next week!

Minnesota, Here I Am!

Last week, I had a great run with my friend Betty at the 4 mile Run for the Parks in Central Park, NY. Betty even earned herself a new, faster bib with the New York Road Runners. Way to go, Betty!

This week, I signed up for my very first Minnesota road race, the Y Run 5K at Lake Calhoun (pictured left). Lake Calhoun is about a mile from my apartment and I have been running there frequently since moving to Minneapolis. I was excited for the chance to race around the lake with fellow road runners!

The event included a 5K and a 10K, but I made my Minnesotan road race debut in the 5K. Though the weather was near freezing and windy, I had a great run, finishing in 25:51 - 50th place out of 350 and 3rd in my age group (though no age group awards were given). It was a motivating start to my mid-western running schedule! Next up, I'm running a 10K this coming weekend in Rochester, Minnesota and I'll be looking for a local half marathon to run after that. Anyone want to join me?

Comfort Route

This weekend I'm heading back to New York from Minnesota. The last time I was in NY, six weeks ago, I had a fantastic run through Queens with my friend and run buddy, Betty.

Since then, the snow in Minneapolis melted and I've found my groove for local running. In the past few weeks, I have run the trails around several of Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes... maybe one day I'll conquer all of them! I discovered some local run clubs to train with. And I have spent an afternoon running aimlessly, exploring, getting lost, and ultimately finding my way home.

But this weekend I'm excited to be back in NY running the 4 mile Run for the Parks in Central Park. I have missed running in Central Park with the New York Road Runners! It always inspired me that on any given weekend that the NYRR hosts a run, I'd be at the start line with 5,000 other early-rising runners. I've run so many races in Central Park, I know the hills and flats and turns and transverses by memory. For those of you who are less familiar with running in Central Park, NYC, this map is available for download on the park's website. If you care to get out at 8am Sunday morning for a nice 4 mile loop of the park, give me a shout out while we're on the course!

Hello Midwest!

I moved to the Midwest. Yes, it's true! In January, I packed up my NYC apartment, traded my Subway Metrocard for a Subaru Forester, and moved 1,200 miles to the suburbs of Minneapolis. I started a new job, moved into a new apartment, and started learning my way around a new city.

And you know what has been the most daunting for me through all of this newness? Not knowing where to run! I mean, I've learned about certain popular run routes, mostly paths around local lakes, but I haven't been able to get comfortable with running solo through suburban streets or on trails meandering around a lake. I'm used to running on urban sidewalks or in parks that are always populated with other runners and where aid services, if needed, are within steps. That's not necessarily the case in my new neighborhood... not if I want to get out for the distance that I usually cover on my evening and weekend runs.

I'm signed up for the Office Max Hood to Coast, a 197-mile relay in Portland, Oregon in August, along with RUSers Kristine and Mark, as well as the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. I could use all the support and motivation I can get while I train in my new city for these races, and others that I'll add into the calendar in the coming months. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know about my involvement with Girls on the Run. I've also added a new charity to our charity section on the upper right box of this blog - the American Cancer Society. The ACS is a charity partner of the Hood to Coast and I'm raising money for it in honor of my Aunt Susie, who was a tireless advocate and fundraiser for ACS until she sadly lost her battle with cancer. Though partnering with the Hood to Coast ACS DetermiNation fundraising program is just the start to many years to come in supporting ACS, I hope my efforts help even a fraction as much as Aunt Susie's did. So if you haven't yet, and would like to, please give your support to one or both of my favorite nonprofit organizations as a charitable way to cheer me on!

And, if you know any runners in the Minneapolis area, please let me know!

Nice and easy in the Big Easy

Well, that is what I intended to do after running hard in Arizona, but looks like I ended up running my second fastest race yet. Maybe it was keeping pace with this random guy for at least 5 or 6 miles, maybe more. We ran together for this entire time, without either of us saying a word to each other. If one if us got behind at an aide station we just caught up with the other. We seemed to have an unspoken mutual understanding to run together. We didn't speak until he decided to slow down and said "Excuse me, thanks for the pace." I said the same and continued on my way. I saw him later, as we were running in the opposite direction of the other runners, and he was walking. Poor guy....I guess I wore him out. I did lose steam at the end as the last 4 miles were directly into the wind. Nothing like a little wind resistance when your legs feel like jello. But somehow I finished with a time of 4:10:30.

The course was pretty scenic and also flat, although many of the streets were fairly uneven which made the run a little painful on the ankles. We ran through the Garden District, which has amazing, huge homes. The course also went through the Warehouse District and a tiny bit of the French Quarter. It took me through Audubon Park, where I felt like I was running through a tunnel of Spanish moss at times. I tried to take a photo, but I apparently didn't slow down enough because it ended up being a blur. The course ended by running along Lake Pontchartrain and finishing in the enormous City Park. I will say the crowd support was lacking a bit compared to some other races I've done, but over all, a fun race. If you're ever in NOLA during February, sign up for this one. Plus the medal is glittery and hangs on Mardi Gras beads.

Now for the travel part. I didn't do too much site seeing as I had been to NOLA 2 years prior. I arrived the day before the race and basically just wandered around the Central Business District and the French Quarter. I had lunch at Pierre Maspero's at the recommendation of my friend Mary. I ordered the Cochon de Lait Po'boy, which was pork tenderloin stuffed with garlic and jalapeno. It was freaking delicious. I did some more wandering around after lunch and walked past this place with a pretty cool garden which was surrounded by a brick wall. But I noticed there was an entrance open on the side via some driveway, and wandered in. I think it may have been someone's private garden, but I went in anyway. No one chased me out, so that was good. By the way, if anyone knows what all the broken shards of glass on the top of brick fences is all about, please clue me in.

I had dinner pre-race night at a place called Bouche. It had a nice vibe and a wine cellar area which looked cool, but I just sat at the bar. The food was decent, but the gnocchi I ordered was a little mushy. I was later joined at the bar by a sugar-daddy-type guy named Earl, and his friend who I'll call Lou because I can't remember his name and he looks like a Lou. Lou was a former bail bondsman (and he looked like it; he was huge!) but now owns an Italian clothing store. Earl did most of the talking until a friend of his who appeared even younger than me arrived and then Lou moved down next to me. I think he felt compelled to make conversation for some reason, so we had some strained conversation while both pretending to be interested in the Bulls vs. Hornets game on t.v. He eventually left to go back to the clothing store and shortly after that the young girl left, upon which Earl tried to convince me to stay and have a drink with him. Sorry, Earl, but I play second choice to no man, not even to a potential sugar daddy! I told him I had an early morning and needed to get going but he gave me his card so I could call him after the race since he planned on going to the park to hear the bands. Sure thing Earl.

The weather on Sunday was perfect so post race I stopped for lunch at Pink Berry (yes I consider frozen yogurt lunch) and walked to the river front to sit and eat it in the sun. I did spend most of my afternoon in my hotel room relaxing since my legs and back were pretty sore. Sadly, my hotel's jacuzzi was closed for cleaning so I had to settle for a hot shower. I had an early dinner at a great place in the French Quarter called Sylvain, and had this awesome shaved Brussels sprout salad with pecorino cheese, hazelnuts, apples and white balsamic dressing, followed by some braised beef cheeks on a bed of pureed potatoes. I selected the beef cheeks on the recommendation of the waitress, and they nearly melted in my mouth. I decided to have a drink at the bar after dinner and was lucky enough to observe the unique drink-shaking skilz of P.J. the bartender/mixologist. Apparently he is obsessed with sports medicine and has shunned the traditional shaking method as it puts too much strain on the shoulder and elbows . I wish I could put into words a description of this, but I'll just say it nearly involved the shaking of all of P.J.'s body. After that, I headed back to my hotel to watch the Grammy's, which made me just want to kill Justin Beiber (obviously) . I decided I was still hungry, since I hadn't eaten much (just Pink Berry and 1 meal) so I ordered basically a $20 miniature pizza from room service. The woman who brought it told me that if I didn't want to pay so much, I could just walk down to the restaurant next time and order it. I told her, that would be great, but it would involve me having to walk downstairs, and isn't the point of room service to not leave your room? If I hadn't burned so many calories that day, I might have felt like a fat ass ordering a pizza after I already had dinner, but I didn't care. Judge me if you must, but I will not be ashamed!

But I'll admit I'm feeling the effects today of having run 2 marathons in a month, running them both pretty hard, for me at least. Time to rest for a few weeks before I start up again to take on the Flying Pig Marathon May 1st in Cincinnati, OH.

So far I've got 7 states checked off the list. I only hope that one of the main reasons I started doing this, to raise awareness and money from some great charities, is being accomplished. My legs hurt too much for it not to. So please don't forget to visit the Don't Bully My Breed website to make a donation, http://dontbullymybreed.chipin.com/50-state-marathon, or Hospitals for Humanity to make a contribution or just find out about the great things they are accomplishing.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support everyone! I plan on covering a lot of miles in 2011!

Arizona...downhill from here?

Arizona, a state of gorgeous sunsets, warm winters, and flat, fast race courses. This race was a lot of fun, mainly because I finally reached my goal of finishing a marathon under 4 hours. 3:59:15 was my official time! Jen also had a personal best in the half-marathon, and blew her initial 3 hour goal out of the water, finishing in 2:39:51. Awesome job Jen! We are attributing our success to our matching cute Lululemon shirts, $5 Wal-Mart sunglasses and head bands (made by Jen.) Or maybe it was my good luck hoodie, a $5 Miley Cyrus pink one from Wal-Mart, purchased the night before (along with our awesome sporty sunglasses), which kept me warm both before and after the race. (Anyone ever go to Wal-Mart on a Saturday night? Well, don't)

Of course it didn't hurt that the course was flat as Kate Hudson's chest. And maybe it didn't hurt that I had been training like Rocky in the dead of winter like he did in the one where he beats that Russian guy. Funny how much faster you can run when you're not slipping on snow and ice. But now Jen and I both face the question of whether our finish times go downhill from here when we run courses that maybe aren't so flat.

Not probably one of the most scenic courses, but this one still wasn't too bad. Although, from comparing notes with Jen, I think the marathon course was probably more scenic than the 1/2 marathon course. The marathon course took us by Camelback Mountain, and through the Old Town area of Scottsdale. Both courses started downtown Phoenix and ended up on ASU's campus in Tempe. This being a Rock-n-Roll series marathon, there were several bands along the route, and it seems that every high school cheerleading or spirit squad came out to cheer the runners along, all dressed to various themes of course. One of my favorites were the rocked out Appetite for Destruction girls. Over all, it was well organized, with lots of aid stations, and there were very few spots on the course that were void of spectators. Even the homeless people were cheering us on (and picking up discarded t-shirts and sweatshirts).

And of course, the weather conditions were absolutely perfect. Remind me again why I live in Chicago? This race also had a pretty cool medal, with a sparkly cactus and everything. Although it doesn't top the great card I got from Mackenzie, who came out with her mom and brother Jack to congratulate me on my finish. (Sorry Nicole I didn't get to spend more than a few minutes with you! Thank you SO much for coming out, though, you're awesome!) Jen and I are trying to complete 3 Rock-n-Roll marathons this year, so we can be in the "Heavy Medal Club" and score ourselves a Triple Crown medal. I'm already signed up for the Rock-n-Roll New Orleans marathon next month, I think Jen's shooting for San Diego in June, and we both are hoping to do the Rock-n-Roll in Savannah, GA in November. That medal is all but ours!

To be honest, though, I'm not sure how I ended up doing so well. I skipped a 20 mile run during my training, I haven't been running fast, and I feel like my motivation to train has been minimal this winter. But, to get a little sentimental here... For those of you who are close to me, you know that over the past year, my self-esteem and confidence have taken a few hits. Maybe one of the things that keeps me running is that when I finish a race or a long run, I can feel good about myself for accomplishing that, despite what other crap is going on in my life. I remember at one point of this race seeing a sign made by some cute cheerleading squad, among the other "You Rock" and "Go Runners" signs; one that simply said, "You are amazing." It made me think to myself, "You know, I am amazing." So forget all those other factors that have me doubting myself. I can finish this race, and darn it, I will finish it under 4 hours, no matter how much it hurts. So what if my legs are tired? I can sit down when I'm done, and the sooner I'm done, the sooner I can sit down!

And sit down I did. Jen and I enjoyed a nice soak in the hot tub at the resort where her mom works. Thank you Jane and your employer for all your hospitality! I hope Murphy has recovered from being terrorized by the 3 little monsters, Dean, Kash and Kaya. Yes, Dean joined me for this trip as well. He had a chance to run outside in the warm sun with his sister Kaya and her adopted brother Kash! He is still tired from all the activity!

So, with Arizona done, I've only got 44 more to go. 44...wait a minute, that sounds like a lot. What have I gotten myself into?

Old Man Winter....

Oh how I hate thee...let me count the ways. I've had my fill of long winter runs. But in theory, don't they sound nice? A quiet run, with snow softly falling, and that winter silence except for the sound of your feet crunching on the snow and ice. In reality, it's windy, slippery, and that falling snow eventually soaks you to the bone. The winter weather has deterred me from only one long weekend run so far, which was last weekend when the "feels like" temperature was 2 degrees. Sorry, I just can't do that. But I've been pretty impressed with myself that I've actually been out there in snow, several inches deep, trying to stay in training mode for my next couple of races. Of course, I do not train and suffer in silence. I complain about it every chance I get! Like now, for example.

So tomorrow, I hope to take on my last long winter run before the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in Phoenix, AZ next Sunday. And boy am I excited to run in the sun...a high of 71 race day! I'm going to be that crazy person in Arizona who's sitting by the pool, while the locals are wearing sweaters and wool coats. I can't wait! (If you want to track me, sign up at www.competitorwireless.com for text messages updates.)

But after that, it's back to running in the snow since I have to keep up the ole' endurance for my next race in New Orleans on Feb. 13th. Summer can't come soon enough. Of course then, I'll complain about how hot it is. ; )

To remind you all why I'm doing this, it's to raise awareness for some great charities, Don't Bully My Breed and Hospitals for Humanity. DBMB is in need of donations to help shelter those dogs that have been rescued from the cold. And HFH has a full year of medical missions to help those around the world that don't get the most basic medical care. Please join the Don't Bully My Breed page on facebook to keep up to date on what great things they are doing for our four-legged friends, and check out the RUS page on www.hospitalsforhumanity.org.

Thanks and Happy 2011!

This seemed like a good idea....

when it was summer. But this idea to run a marathon in every state, which requires you to run and train in the winter, might not have been such a good one. What were we thinking? I went for a 13 mile run Saturday, and for those of you in the Chicago area, you know it was a winter wonderland. It was snowing the entire time I was out there. And while I was warm for the majority of the run, two hours in snow fall can only result in eventually being incredibly wet and cold. I think this was the first time I may have had snow and ice actually collect on my eyelashes. Unfortunately, I think this may have resulted in me coming down with a horrible sore throat. Gee, I'm really looking forward to more and longer runs out in the snow and ice! Only 6 weeks until my next race in Arizona, though, so taking the winter off doesn't seem like much of an option. So please make my frozen fingers and eyelashes mean something, and take a few moments to make those 2010 tax-deductible donations to Don't Bully My Breed, at http://thegreenvillethree.chipin.com/50-state-marathon, or Hospitals for Humanity, at http://hospitalsforhumanity.org/index.php/the-race-within-us/. Thanks and happy holidays to our blog followers!

Alaska....I mean Indiana

Sorry, I got confused on where I ran my latest marathon. For a couple of reasons, the first being the chilly temperatures and snow I got to enjoy and the second being the very politically conservative signs and billboards I saw in that area. I now know that "Hell is Real" thanks to a very welcoming billboard along I-65.

The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon started bright (and by bright I mean it was still dark) and early at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning. It was a chilly 27 degrees when the start gun went off. You know what that means, right? Lots of men in tights. Yikes! I tried to bundle up as much as I could, but the chill remained through most of the race, although it did get up to the 40s and was sunny once the sun decided to come up. Despite that, the course was great and surprisingly scenic, starting near the Indianapolis capital building, running past the stadium where the Colts play, through some historic district that had some very quaint houses, and through Butler University's campus. It was family weekend at Butler where my colleague's daughter attends, so right around mile 17, she, her sister and her daughter were waiting to cheer me on. It's always nice to see an unexpected friendly face when you're tired and cold! Thanks Linda! And another friendly face was waiting for me at the finish. My friend Chris was there with his buddy Titus (a rambunctious German Shepard puppy who I saw video proof of running on a treadmill) to cheer me on those last few blocks. Thanks to Chris and Titus!

Of course, after finishing, I was sweaty and accordingly twice as cold. It took me a good 20 minutes sitting in the car with the heat on full blast to recover feeling in my hands. Not my favorite part of this race. No personal bests for me this race, although I had hoped for that since it was a flat and fast course. It was my second fastest though, and I'm not going to beat myself up too much since I just ran in Maine 3 weeks prior. Plus, I was apparently well hydrated since I stopped 3 times to use the port-o-potties in the first half. Darn you bladder! I will say that the race was very well organized, with LOTS of water stations and bathroom areas. And the people of Indianapolis were very supportive and cheering the runners on for most of the course. This race also has a 1/2 marathon option and a 5K if you don't want to take on a full marathon. I would give this race two frozen thumbs up!

Next up, Arizona on January 16th. It better not snow.....

4 Hours and 7 Minutes for SoleMates

On Sunday, Mark and I each ran the ING New York City Marathon. I don't want to speak for him, so I'll leave it to him to share his experience with the event... but I would like to take some time to share my own.

The NYC Marathon course runs through all five boroughs of New York City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Race day started with the journey to Staten Island. I walked to the subway before sunrise and arrived at Manhattan's Staten Island Ferry Terminal as the sun was rising, around 6:30 am. On Marathon morning, the Ferry takes the vast majority of the 43,000+ runners to Staten Island (others travel by bus, car, or happen to live in Staten Island). Runners then wait until their assigned start time (there are three "Waves" that start 30 minutes apart) in color coded Start Villages determined by your color assignment. I was assigned to Orange Wave 2. While traveling from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to my Start Village, I met a lot of runners from other cities and countries. I am looking forward to catching up with some of my new friends soon!

While the comaraderie in Staten Island was wonderful, the outside temperature was not - it was COLD! When I finally lined up at the start line with my fellow Orange Wave 2 runners, my toes were numb. I hoped that they would warm up during the first two miles, and thankfully, they did. I should note that the NYC Marathon has several notorious hills on the course, the first one being the Verazzano Bridge that spans the first mile and 1/2 of the course. What a way to start!

After you cross the bridge into Brooklyn, you remain in the borough for about the next ten miles. But, wow, Brooklynites make sure you have all the support you could want. People line nearly the entire Brooklyn stretch of the course cheering, holding up signs, and handing out water, fruit and snacks between aid stations.

In Queens (miles 13 - 16), I got to see my parents and aunt cheering me on. That energized me into the mile-long Queensboro Bridge. The Queensboro Bridge is another notorious hill, as well as the longest stretch of course that is nearly devoid of any spectators, which gives it a quiet, eerie feeling that finally gives way to a cavernous roar when you exit the bridge onto Manhattan's First Avenue where crowds tend to be so thick the police set up barriers to hold them back. In fact, the crowds were so large I unfortunately did not see many friends and family cheering for me (thanks for being out there anyway!).

My friend Betty met me near mile 18 and ran with me through the Bronx and upper Manhattan until we reached the entrance to Central Park between Mile 23 and 24. Thanks for keeping me company through the those late, tough miles, Betty!

Betty took this photo of me somewhere around Mile 22... somehow, I'm still smiling!

When I finally hit the final mile at the south end of Central Park, I knew I would finish with a personal best time by far. I crossed the finish line in 4:07:24, more than 21 minutes faster than when I ran the marathon last year. I was so excited! And I have raised nearly $2,000 (just $81 shy) for Girls on the Run SoleMates during my training for Sunday's big run. Thanks to all who donated!

If you're in New York, I'm having a post-marathon celebration at Katwalk Bar on West 35th Street. I'll be guest bartending from 7 - 10 pm and Katwalk will donate money to GOTR for every drink I make. So if you've ever had a desire to order me around, come buy a drink or two or more and socialize with fellow runners and supporters!

Three RUS Runners & Two Races Next Week!

Next weekend the RUS team members will be very busy covering 78.6 miles of road to raise awareness and support for Hospitals for Humanity, Don't Bully My Breed, Girls on the Run, and Jamal Place.

Kristine, fresh off her amazing run at the Mount Desert Island Marathon in Bar Harbor, Maine (read about it here), will be running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on Saturday, November 6 as her Indiana race. As always, she is running to support Don't Bully My Breed, which you can donate to here, in addition to Hospitals for Humanity.

The next day, Sunday, November 7, Mark and I will run the ING New York City Marathon. The NYC Marathon course passes through all five boroughs of New York City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan, with the famous finish line on the west side of Manhattan's Central Park. This will be Mark's debut in the NYC Marathon. As for me, this will be my second appearance in the event, having run it last year for the first time. Last year, I was nervous about covering 26.2 miles for the first time ever. But the crowd of 2 million spectators, as well as the 40,000 fellow runners, helped fuel my determination to get across the finish line.

This year, I'm running as part of the Girls on the Run charity run team, SoleMates. If you haven't yet and would like to support GOTR SoleMates with a donation in support of my run in the NYC Marathon, you can do so here.

Mark is running the NYC Marathon in support of Jamal Place. If you would like to recognize his marathon run with a donation to Jamal Place, you can do so using this link.

Most Scenic = Most Hilly

Well, Miri was right, the Mount Desert Island (MDI) Marathon was incredibly scenic, as you can see by some of the attached photos, which don't do the course justice. It was also incredibly hilly. Phew, am I glad that's over. Miles 22-25ish seemed to be all uphill (which is after 22 miles of rolling hills) but fortunately the last 1.5 miles were downhill. I felt like I should have been saying"weeeee!!!" but let's be honest, it still hurt.

So to make this also a bit of a travel blog...I started by flying into Boston Wednesday with my travel companion, Dean, hopped in our rental car and we were off to Maine. Our first stop (aside from the Visitors Station in New Hampshire for Dean to make a pit stop) was Kennebunkport, ME. (I hear the Bush's have a place there). We walked on a nice quiet beach where Dean of course tried to get every sea gull he saw. We then had lunch at the alleged tourist trap The Clam Shack. It was truly a shack, and I attempted to have the clam chowder, which ironically they were out of. Apparently it was a chowder kind of day. Instead we had some fried haddock which was still delicious. After wandering a bit, we hit the road and headed to our hotel in Portland, ME, the Inn at St. John's. The self-proclaimed description of European charm was accurate, and I was lucky enough to have my own, attached bathroom. Uphill from the Inn was Portland's Historic District, which we wandered through and I was amazed by how gorgeous the houses were. I felt like I was walking in the New England edition of Better Homes & Gardens. Dean was equally amazed by the historic squirrels. After some down time, I had dinner at a place called Fore Street. Seated next to me at the bar was a woman named Aimee, who became increasingly drunk, but also increasingly friendly. Neither of us were overly hungry so we shared the bartender's recommendation of spit-roasted wild boar. It was beyond amazing, and if you are ever in Portland, you MUST eat at this place, and order the boar if you can.

After Portland, Dean and I made our way north on Hwy 1. (We avoided interstates the entire way to Bar Harbor.) We did some walking through Winslow State Park, also beautiful. I'm pretty sure Maine is the epitome of all that is autumn. We also did some shopping at the outlet stores in Freeport, ME where my niece was the benefactor of our trip there. We had some lunch at Jameson Tavern which has been dubbed "the Birthplace of Maine." It was built in 1779 and originally run as a tavern in 1801. After Freeport, we headed to our next stop, Rockland, Maine. We stayed at the Old Granite Inn where Zach, the owner's spaniel, greeted us at the porch. Also a touch of European charm, but without the attached bathroom. I had my own, but it was down the hall. Fortunately they provided robes, as I was not prepared for a streak from bathroom to bedroom. I found two things people must do in Rockland based on some local business; ship building and quilt making. Those crazy Rocklanders. I tried to have dinner at a place recommended and visited by Anthony Bourdain, but when I walked to where it was supposed to be, there really wasn't anything there. So I ended up eating sushi, which was still good. I ended my night with some wine at Lily's bistro, and although I did not eat there, the food looked and smelled delicious.

I was greeted Friday morning by 40mph winds and rain coming off the sea, winds so strong that it made it difficult to open the door to get in or out of the Granite Inn. I believe locals refer to this as a Nor'easter. I had hoped to stop in Camden on my way north, but the rain detered me from that. So I headed onto Bar Harbor to the race expo, as I had some shopping to do. I noticed while in Rockland, that I had, in fact packed two different running shoes. Not 2 different pairs, but 2 different shoes. A right and a left shoe, fortunately, but different still. I hoped the expo would have some good discounts on my brand of shoes, which they did and I bought a new pair for Sunday's race. The rain had let up a bit, so after lunch, Dean and I headed to Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island. I tried to get some scenic pics from a rocky, cliff area, but instead fell flat on my arse on the wet rock, just as a huge swell from a wave came splashing up in the air. I decided to not pursue this venture further and returned to my car to drive the scenic Park Loop Rd. We did get out again and tried some super easy hiking on the Jordan Pond Nature Trail, although Dean declined to go very far into the woods because he was either cold or sensed "danger." It was a little creepy out there since there really seemed to no one else around, and we were in the middle of a dense evergreen forest. Peaceful, yet creepy if you let your imagination go.

Friday night, I had my first taste of Maine lobster, and had the Lazyman's Lobster at Rupunini. It was appropriately sitting in a pool of garlic butter and was delicious. I also enjoyed some local Bar Harbor brews, the Real Ale and the Loggers Lager (try to say that, it's harder than you think). Saturday, it was still a bit rainy, but I decided to try some more trails in Acadia. We walked one called Wonderland, and it really was. You start out in evergreens, then it changes to small, bright fiery red bushes and moss covered rocks, and ends with it opening to a rocky beach. It was awesome. We did another trail, called Ship Harbor which did a loop around, and was also a mix of mossy, evergreen forests and rocky cliffs on the sea side. We ended our outdoor activities at the Bass Harbor Lighthouse which I really expected to be bigger. For some reason I pictured that one in the movie, Pete's Dragon, but it was still cool, as I don't think I've ever seen a lighthouse other than in pictures. Satuday night I had dinner at a place called Havana's which was recommended by Aimee in Portland. The Obama's also had date night there this summer. It was worth the recommendation, if only to be served by a bartender with a long white beard.

Sunday, the big day. My plan was to just run it nice and easy, since I knew it was hilly. I finished in 4 hours, 20 minutes and 23 seconds. I think I may have done a negative split, but I'm not really certain. I didn't wear any timing device, other than my race chip, which shows you how concerned I was about running this race fast. It was about 10:14 a.m. when I hit the halfway point, the race starting around 8:00 a.m. So maybe. I can't adequately describe the course and how beautiful it was. I recommend this race, and they do have a relay option available if you don't want to do a full marathon. Although, if you're someone who needs a lot of crowd support the whole course, maybe not a race for you. Much of it is quiet, and serene, running through the forest and coast line. It was really incredible though, and I'm so glad I did it.

I replenished my burned calories with some local mussels and beer at McKay's Public House, and met a few other runners there, as they were offering $1 Guiness to marathoners. The bartender thought that an Australian man and I who both sat down at the bar at the same time were there together. I asked if he was going to take care of the bill, and he said as long as I kept him laughing he would. Well, apparently I'm not that funny, because I paid my own bill. ; )

So, my nutshell. Traveling alone gives you a chance to meet new interesting people, since you're forced to talk to others, unless you don't mind looking crazy talking to yourself. It also gives you lots of time to do whatever you want, and think a whole heck of a lot. After 5 days with myself, I'm pretty much tired of thinking and pretty much tired of myself. I'm glad to be back to my friends, family, and everyday distractions. Dean is glad to be back to his routine of all-day napping.

Thanks for reading!

The Most Scenic Route

I am quite jealous of Kristine right now. She's in Bar Harbor, Maine getting ready to run the Mount Desert Island Marathon. If you are wondering why I am jealous of her running 26.2 miles on Sunday, it's because I will be running a 20 mile training run tomorrow - but my run will be in Queens, NY. Kristine's run through Maine will be infinitely more scenic and tranquil. In fact, the Mount Desert Island Marathon was named by Runners World Magazine as the Most Scenic and Best Overall Marathon event in the country. I hope to run it next year! In the meantime, Kristine will have the company of her well-trained running buddy - her dog Dino. Let's all wish Kristine and Dino a good run!

A view of the Mount Desert Island Marathon course, above left. This isn't Kristine and Dino, below, but if someone brings a camera along on Sunday, they'd look like a bit like this on the course.

Divas on the Run!

On Sunday morning, I ran the Divas Half Marathon in Eisenhower Park, Long Island. It turned out to be a pretty cold morning, barely 50 degrees, so there were a lot of Divas, myself included, huddling up with groups of friends, warming up along the sidewalks leading up to the startline, or staying in their warm cars until very close to race time. Despite the cold (what a quick transition from summer to fall running!), the course was a good one, mostly flat, that stretched through Eisenhower Park, as well as some of the surrounding roads in the town of Uniondale.

The 5K set off first. There were 310 finishers crossing the finish line smiling. The Half Marathon started next, with just over 2,800 finishers (including 2 - yes 2 - men). As always, I was running to support Girls on the Run SoleMates. The Divas Half Marathon allowed entrants to personalize their race bib with their name or personal message. In honor of my participation with Girls on the Run, I had my race bib proclaim that I am a "Diva on the Run"!

Before Sunday, my Personal Record (PR) for the half marathon had been 1:59:41. I set that PR in August at the Madison Mini Marathon in Madison, Wisconsin, which you might have read about here. My goal Sunday morning had been to achieve a PR around the 1:57 mark. When I started out, the first mile felt okay, but I didn't have that "yeah, this is my day!" feeling. Staying optimistic, I pushed myself through miles 4 and 5, which felt difficult because we were running into a strong, cold headwind. After that, my nerves about hitting a PR fell away. I felt great - and confident that I could do it. And boy, did I! I crossed the finish line in 1:51:42, dropping 8 minutes off my previous PR. You can bet I celebrated like a Diva at the post-race party! Special thanks to my Diva friend Shari Klarfeld, who ran 1:37:34 and quickly exited the finish area to wait along the last stretch of course to cheer me through the finish. Seeing Shari and her husband, Guy, cheering for me through the finish area gave me a little boost of energy to kick in across the finish line feeling strong.

At the finish line, Shari and I of course had to show off our Diva accessories - a "bling medal" with faux diamond and a Diva tiara (we passed on the feather boas that were also on offer)...

Calling all Divas!

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published this article about men who enter women's road races, in some cases to finish closer to or at the front of the pack, in some cases to run with a female loved one, and in other cases to try to get a date somewhere along the course.

This coming weekend is the Divas Half Marathon on Long Island, New York, which features a half marathon and a 5K race. It is part of the Women's National Running Series that encourages women to celebrate their strengths, both on the road and in life. The Divas Half Marathon does not forbid men from entering it's events, but deeply discourages men from entering the half marathon. This day will be all about the women! Their mantra? "You know who you are: you are beautiful, strong, inspiring, and you can do anything you set your mind to do."

The Women's Running Series, and races like the Divas Half Marathon, remind me of how important programs like Girls on the Run are to the development of self-confidence, self-respect, and a sense of ambition in young girls. In fact, that mantra from the Women's National Running Series is very similar to the overarching lesson we teach the girls who participate in Girls on the Run. The fall season of GOTR starts this week, and I can't wait to start showing my girls that they are capable of meeting whatever goals they set for themselves, regardless of the pressures or obstacles they face.

As a tribute to the new GOTR coaching season, I'll be running in the Divas Half Marathon on Sunday morning wearing a race bib proclaiming that I'm a "Diva on the Run". (And as always, I'm running to support the GOTR programs through my participation in SoleMates.) There's still time to sign up, if you'd like to run with me! Or just come and cheer for me and the other 5,000 amazing women entrants as we take to the streets of Long Island to show off how proud we are to be both women and runners.

Fall is off and running - Almost!

On Monday, September 27 - one week from today - my fellow coaches and I will be kicking off the first coaching session for the Girls on the Run fall season at Harlem Village Academy of Leadership, a charter school in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. We'll be meeting with the GOTR participants twice a week to coach them through running workouts and lessons on healthy lifestyles, self respect and respect for others, teamwork, and community values.

As you may know from prior posts, I'm also running on the GOTR SoleMates charity team. I've already raised nearly $1,500! But, of course, every bit helps towards ensuring that the GOTR program is able to reach as many young girls as possible without having to turn any away. If you haven't yet supported GOTR and would like to, you can do so using this link.

Here are some photos from the spring season's 5K fun run and season-ending party. Enjoy! And stay tuned for updates about our season in the coming weeks!

Guilt-free....almost

Ok, so I finished my 20 mile run, heading south on Chicago's lake front path for a bit of a change. I accidentally ended up running 20.4 because I couldn't see the street sign where I planned on turning around from the lakefront path because of the Chicago Half Marathon that was going on at the same time. Oops!

I will admit it may have not been such a great idea to run down past Solider Field since it was the Bears' opener yesterday (Bears win!) and the smell of tailgaters cooking made it really hard to not stop and beg them for a hot dog or burger. (Note to self, eat before running 3+ hours). Not to worry, though! I made up for it afterward by engaging in what many refer to as "Sunday Funday" with my roommate and friends. I did reward myself by eating some poutine fries from a place called the Rocking Horse. If you're unfamiliar with them, basically, as you can see from the photo, they are fries covered in cheese and gravy. I'm pretty sure I ended up adding back on every calorie I burned and then some. If you've ever had them, while you feel disgusting after you eat them, you know it is completely worth ever bit of food-guilt. But after working hard running those 20 miles, I ate them guilt-free. Well, almost.

Tough as Manicured Nails

Yesterday, I ran the Fitness Mind, Body + Spirit Games 4-mile women's run in Central Park. The event featured a 4-mile men's race, 4-mile women's race and kids' races for kids of all ages. We had beautiful weather in NY yesterday - sunny, but not too hot - a perfect day for a road race!

Rocco DiSpirito kicked us off with a pep talk about the importance of fitting fitness into his, and our, daily routines. Until he spoke, I had no idea that he competes in triathlons! We also got to hear great words of motivation from my friend, Queens run buddy, and Fitness Editor-in-chief Betty Wong Ortiz: no matter what our fitness goals are, we should strive to achieve them fearlessly, but we should also never forget to have fun along the way. And she also reminded us that "sweat is sexy!" Oh yeah! We were all ready to work up a sexy sweat racing through the roads of Central Park!


Rocco and Betty, left, ready to welcome us across the finish line! (This photo and others from the event are available at New York Road Runners)

Taking advantage of the fantastic conditions in the park and the energy through the crowd of women around me (the men ran their race separately an hour before us), I had an awesome run - my fastest race in years. Finishing 4 miles in 31:34, I averaged 7:53 per mile. I could barely believe it when I saw the results, but I also knew I had run a fast run. How exciting!

My next race will be October 3 in Eisenhower Park, Long Island, NY. It's the Divas Half Marathon and 5K. I'm looking forward to tackling that course for a new personal best in the half marathon. Come cheer me on! Or, show off your inner Diva by running the half marathon or 5K, too! (The half marathon is open only to women; the 5K is co-ed.)

After the Divas Half Marathon, my next race will be my official New York event for Race Within US: the ING New York City Marathon.
Me, right, proudly showing off my first-time accomplishment at the finish line of the 2009 NYC Marathon. I can't wait to take on the course as a seasoned second-timer!

At this very moment, the Timex Countdown clock on the marathon website says we're just 55 days, 18 hours, 15 minutes and 51, 50, 49... seconds away from the start line! RUSer Mark is coming in town to run, too, as is my friend Heather, who chose NYC as her first ever long distance road race. Way to go, Heather! As a Girls on the Run SoleMates team member, you'll find me on the course in support of the programs of GOTR. I'll also have already kicked off the fall season of GOTR coaching by then, so I hope to show the girls I'll be coaching that it is possible to achieve a significant fitness goal with some dedication, training and enthusiasm. The support you've all given me while I strive to reach my goals is truly appreciated! And if you would like to support GOTR's work, they would so appreciate the assistance as well!

Wendy Whiner takes on 20 miles.

Ok, it's been a while since I've posted something here on the blog, so I'm taking this urge to whine as an opportunity. : ) So I'm supposed to run 20 miles this Sunday in preparation for my next marathon in Bar Harbor, Maine on October 17, 2010. But I don't wanna! I wish I were looking forward to it more than I am, but to be honest, I'm a little bored with the scenery around here. I do love the lakefront, which covering 20 miles allows me to run through lots of neighborhoods, like Logan Square, Roscoe Village, Uptown, Ravenswood as well as hit the lakefront path for several miles. But after running 17 and 18 mile runs in the past few weeks, I just want to run somewhere different. I cannot wait to run in Maine though, where everything will be beautiful, scenic and most importantly, different! I hear the foliage is great in October. (And I will be accompanied by my favorite running partner, my dog Dean. I hope there are lots of squirrels to entertain him!)

I keep reminding myself that I'm doing this for a good cause, i.e. to raise money for Hospitals for Humanity and Don't Bully my Breed. However, I need your help in actually raising those funds! HFH is still taking monthly trips to Haiti to help those who are left without medical care due to January's earthquake. And DBMB is always in need of donations to help provide food and vet care to the sweet dogs that just can't seem to find permanent homes. Every little bit helps, even if you can only donate $5. Please check out the links to make your donation.

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement! Also, if anyone is interested in joining me in Indianapolis, I've registered for the Monumental Marathon in Indy on November 6th. There is also a 1/2 marathon and 5K option to suit all levels of runners. I hate to travel alone!