Don't cha know, Minnesota is great, fer corn sakes!

Downtown Minnie

I've now checked off 13 states on my list of 50.  Lucky number 13?  Well, I did set a new PR.... for my slowest time yet.  Two days later as I write this, I'm still incredibly sore.  And really for no particular reason other than... I think I must simply be tired.   There were some gentle hills (with the exception of a short steep one that was faster to walk up than run), most of the course was in the shade, and the heat wasn't too bad until about mile 21 when the shade disappeared and the temperatures were in the 70s.  Not sure why I was so slow, except for a few times I just felt like walking, so I did.

The Stone Arch Bridge, with science project pools

The course started near Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge which had a deep Jack-Handy-esque message on it; "Think and Wonder."  And this course was great for thinking and wondering.  Really, it was a beautiful course, running along the Mississippi River, past some cool old saw mill ruins, through a forest preserve and through Fort Snelling. Quiet and serene; great for thinking and wondering.  I thought about all the generous people who contributed to my fundraising efforts for Girls on the Run (thank you, I raised $859!!!).  I wondered how a 50-something Indian man develops an affinity for B.o.B., Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine (he was playing music sans headphones from his phone attached to his belt).  I will say for first time runners or if you're someone who thrives on crowd support this course may not be for you.  But if you don't mind some silence and enjoy running through forest trails and along rivers, then I really recommend the Team Ortho Minneapolis Marathon.  They have some areas they could improve upon, like I had no idea when I had passed the halfway point, since they didn't have the mile markers in the dense forest part.  And they could  have passed out full bottles of water at the end of the race rather than handing out those small Dixie cups of water.  I mean, come on, I just ran a marathon, I need more than a couple cups of water!  But overall, I was having a good time while I was out there. 



Ignore that finger that tainted an otherwise cute photo.

I also had the pleasure of visiting fellow RUS runner, Miri, in her hometown of Minneapolis.  Thank you for your hospitality Miri!  And true to crazy RUS runner form, Miri signed up last minute to do the half-marathon when we went to the Expo on Saturday to pick up my race bib. 



Look, I'm in front of the Falls!

Prior to Miri's temporary moment of insanity (I love that she signed up the day before), Miri showed me around her town a bit.  We had a nice lunch al fresco looking at Lake Calhoun, one of the 10,000 lakes.  Who doesn't love a cold beer on a sunny day overlooking a lake?  We visited an area across the river called Saint Anthony Main, which has quaint cobblestone streets, cafes, and some great access to view the Saint Anthony Falls, which my research (Wikipedia) tells me  used to be the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi.  There was also some kind of science lab out there too.  I'm not sure what those mad scientists were growing in all those buckets I saw sitting in pools of water.  I also had a chance to meet Miri's cousin, Karen, who was totally cool, and I was able to see again on the race course handing out water at miles 14 and 18.  She welcomed me with a ice cold hand to the forehead, which felt amazing, of course, and I couldn't help thinking, wow, she sure is a dedicated volunteer to touch my sweaty, salt-crusted forehead.  To carb load, Miri and I had dinner at a place near her house, called McCoy's Public House, which had a deliciously cheesy and customizable mac-n-cheese.  Of course, the portions were way to much for one human being, especially after downing a pail of truffle parmesan tater tots.  Oh, how I love tots!  

Like my sausage?

After the race, she took me to Hell's Kitchen for brunch, a really cool joint in downtown Minneapolis.  Sadly, both of us were feeling less than stellar after the race, so didn't have much of an appetite.  I did, however, manage to try one of their famous bloody marys, which lived up to the hype. I actually think the sodium in that thing might have helped me out a lot.  And I also had some of their homemade peanut butter, yum. 

I enjoyed my relaxing weekend in Minneapolis, well, relaxing except for that pesky marathon. The only annoying thing about the weekend was my flight delay getting home due to a bomb scare at the airport.  Unfortunately, I spent a long hour sitting in a parking garage waiting for the OK from the bomb squad for people to be allowed back inside.  Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to visiting Miri again so we can do a few more fun activities we couldn't cram in this time, like the sculpture garden with the famous Spoon and Cherry sculpture, or maybe kayaking on one of the 10,000 lakes.  And with the sweet low fares on Spirit Airlines from Chicago to Minnie, I might be able to make this happen sooner rather than later! 

Fargo? You Betcha!

Oofdah! I conquered North Dakota! This weekend, I traveled to Fargo with my friends Laird and Heather to take part in Fargo's marathon weekend. 
I chose to run the 10K, as I'm just building up my mileage after a winter break.  Since the 10K started at 7 am, and the marathon started at 8:15, it meant that I had time to run the 10K and then hightail it to an intersection along the marathon course to cheer for Heather and Laird.

The weather was a cool and rainy as I made my way to the start line. Thankfully the rain stopped before the race started! The course wound through the streets of Fargo near the Fargodome. It was nice to see spectators cheering for us even on parts of the course that diverged from the marathon route. Thanks Fargo residents! The finish line was actually inside the Fargodome - it was fun running into the stadium and seeing lots of people sitting in the stands cheering. Now that's a fun way to make every finisher feel like a rock star!

Laird and Heather midway through
Mile 18 and still smiling!

Laird and Heather ran the marathon together, in step, for all 26.2 miles, and had a fantastic 3:50 finish. Way to go! We celebrated our accomplishments with a night out on the town Fargo-style: dinner at Fargo's best restaurant, HoDo, which uses local ingredients to produce food that is "fresh, lively, adventurous and fun." That perfectly describes HoDo's extensive cocktail menu. :)

As always, I am running to support Girls on the Run. I have joined the Fundraising Committee of Girls on the Run Twin Cities, which just wrapped it inaugural season, and I'm the volunteer "director" of the Solemates charity run team, through which runners can raise funds for GOTR TC while training for their favorite races. What better way to lead the Solemates program than by example! So please consider making a donation to GOTR Twin Cities to help us expand our program locations througout the Twin Cities. You can make a donation using this link. If you are a Twin Cities local, we're celebrating our first season with a party and silent auction fundraiser on June 7 called Dollars For Distance. Please consider attending and sharing the invitation with your friends! Tickets can be purchased using the same link.

Also a charity runner, Laird ran Fargo as his 7th marathon of 2012 (!!!) in support of The Alliance for Children's Rights, Activision's Call of Duty Endowment and Children's International. If you would like to make a contribution to any of his charities, you can do so here.

Good old fashioned country ass-whoopin'

Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry

Nashville...  The home of country music.... Music City.... A devil city when it comes to marathons.  About a week ago, Nashville's Country Music Marathon took me over its knee and gave me a serious whoopin' with it's never-ending rolling hills and 80 degree heat on race day.  I guess if you train in an area that has some hills, maybe the course isn't so bad.  But I don't.  I train in Chicago.  It's flat.  So for me, this was one of the hardest courses I've ever run.  The rolling hills really never seemed to stop.  And the heat kept creeping up as the race went on.  But I pushed through, motivated to get my sparkly record-shaped medal, and finished that race, even though it was the slowest race I've run yet.  After I finished, a wave of heat exhaustion nausea hit me, and I spent 4 hours back at my hotel lying in bed, watching a different kind of marathon - "Say Yes to the Dress - Bridesmaids" on TLC.  It sucks you in, trust me.

Despite the pain Nashville's marathon caused me, I discovered that Nashville is a really cool city.  The course was fairly scenic, running through the downtown, Germantown, past Vanderbilt, looping around Shelby Park Golf Course and onto the finish at LP Field, where the Tennessee Titans play.  The city has a vibe that you can't deny, with it's countless live music venues downtown on Broadway Street.  Even arriving at the airport, you see why it's called Music City, with live music playing throughout the terminal, and people picking up their guitars from the baggage carousels.


The Mansion

Slave house

My first stop though was Belle Meade Plantation.  I arrived between guided tours, so while waiting, I wandered around.  There was a gate with a sign that read: No Entrance Without Tickets.  But I discovered you could actually access the grounds another way, so I ended up doing my own self-guided tour (free of charge).  I toured the old slave house, a masouleum, and the mansion.  There were some novelty bits, like face-painting for the kids, and the always popular fill-in-the-head photo op.  Sadly I was traveling alone so had no one to pose with me. But to ease my pain, I ended my tour at the Belle Meade winery.  

Wine this way!



After some wine tasting, I decided to head downtown to check into my hotel. My room wasn't quite ready yet, so I went to the convention center to get my race packet.  In hindsight, that might have been the worst part of the marathon.  I hate those expos. 30,000 people trying to maneuver their way through mazes and booths, to get a bib, a t-shirt and a bag full of endless coupons. Nothing fun about that, but good for picking up a last minute over-priced hoodie when you forgot to pack one!

Immigrant housing in 1872

After some down time, I headed to Germantown for a walking tour, which I downloaded before my departure.  Nerd alert!!Unfortunately, due to some rain, my walking tour became a walking/driving tour.  It's still a quaint area, even in the rain, with it's cobblestone sidewalks, lazy porches and colorful homes.  It was originally a neighborhood populated initially by German immigrants (obvious from the name) and business merchants back in the 1850s to the 1870s. The neighborhood depleted over time, but in the 1980s the residents of Nashville decided to rehab the run down buildings and more shops and restaurants started to open.  I actually had dinner at the Germantown Cafe, which ironically did not specialize in German food or beer.  They still had delicious food, though. The best part was the bread they served.  It took me a moment to place the familiar flavor, then I pegged it... This bread was basically a doughnut, without the sticky sugar icing.  In other words...fried dough.  PERFECT for carb loading the night before a big race!  But the pork tenderloin medallions I had with plum sauce and mashed pototates were also a pretty good part of my pre-race meal.   The bartender, Jason, was friendly and invited me to visit him after the race at his Saturday night place of employment, Paradise Park, which is apparently a trailer park themed bar on Broadway.  I have to admit, I was intrigued.  Unfortunately, I didn't make it there, but I did walk by and it appeared true to form. 

Copyright, http://www.merchantsrestaurant.com

I already mentioned the marathons on Saturday, ones with and without bridesmaids. So after my 4 hour respite, I decided I should eat something.  I ended up at this cool place on Broadway called Merchants.  I was starving so I devoured a plate of deviled eggs, sitting on top of tiny pickles (I love pickles) and fish tacos.  The bartenders all wore suspenders and vintage styled sort of newsie caps. I always prefer to eat at the bar when traveling alone, it's the best place to meet people.  Unfortunately, as a woman...alone...at a bar, you end up being a target to men who are also alone...at the bar.  This guy from New York who ran the half-marathon came over to talk to me, but then awkwardly wouldn't leave when my food came.  I felt sorta like he was there lurking over my shoulder watching me eat... Creeptastic.  But there were some very fun and friendly ladies next to me at the bar who had also run the race and thankfully started talking to me.  The guy finally took the hint and left.  These women were from Atlanta and one of them had even qualified for the Olympic marathon trials. She only did the half-marathon this time but she finished second for the women, although she mentioned the heat had gotten to her too.  Even though she was an Olympic level marathoner, she still gave me so much encouragement and kudos for completing a marathon, albeit a slow one.  Insert warm fuzzies here.




Old timers with banjos. And sequin trimmed hats!

After dinner, it was off the the show that made country music famous... The one, the only... The Grand Ole Opry!   I will admit, even as a non-lover of country music, the Opry was still pretty cool.  Some of it wasn't quite my style, but when the old-timers were playing their fiddles and banjos, it was pretty impressive. And unbeknownst to me, they had square dancers!  Plus the solo clogging champions were making a special appearance there.  One thing I found really strange about the Opry though, is the parking lot.  The speed limit was 24. Not 25 or 30. 24 miles per hour.  How does someone even decide on that?  I wonder if it was a misprint of the signs and they just went with it.

I would love to return to Nashville when I'm not running, and just take some time to enjoy the live music along Broadway.  Sadly, I didn't really get a chance to do that.  Of course, I will remember to pack my "uniform" for Nashville - cowboy boots and a dress or skirt.  Almost every woman I saw was wearing that combination.  I guess I didn't get the memo.  Next time I'll be prepared! 

Darby O'Gill and the Drunk People

That is what that Disney movie would have been called if it was filmed on St. Patrick's Day in Chicago.  I recall watching that movie in my grade school's gymnasium while sucking on a tootsie pop.  I loved that movie. 

So Saturday was St. Patrick's Day and if you've ever been in Chicago on that day, you know the mayhem that goes on in this city.

Emmit's Pub... Irish Pub at 11 a.m.

But just becuase it was a "holiday" doesn't mean I didn't need to get a training run in.  The weather was a gorgeous 80 degrees, so EVERYONE was out.  Even the kayakers were decked out in leprachaun gear.  Every bit of water was green, from the river, to the fountain in Daley Plaza.  People were already spilling out of Irish bars at 11:00 a.m, if not earlier.

It was rough at times maneuvering through the crowds of people downtown to get a glimpse of the ectoplasm green river, and I got pegged with beads by drunks riding round the city in trolleys, but it was still pretty fun. Great people watching.  Although later in the day when I was the one serving up green beer to these people, it suddenly became a lot less fun. 

Fountain in Daley Plaza

The Green Door - Fun if you're not working on St. Pat's

Forecast: 75 and Sunny

75 and Sunny... that was the forecast this past weekend in Minneapolis. Too bad I was in cold, rainy Los Angeles! Yes, it's true. LA's weather on Saturday was rainy, with temps in the low 50s. But, despite the pouring rain, I ran the LA Big 5K with my friend Laird.

This is a pretty accurate description of the run: A light, misty drizzle turns to pouring rain as the announcer says "on your marks, set, go!" Laird says, "there's just one big hill in mile 1 and then it's all downhill from there." That "hill" was like running up Lombard Street in San Francisco.... Of course, with each next hill we hit, Laird would say, "Forgot about this one. This one is the last... OK, maybe there are a few more." Ah well. Did I ever mention I'm an excellent hill runner???


Laird and I are still smiling after the rainy, cold, hilly 5K - we must be dedicated charity runners!

But at least I knew that the run was supporting a good cause. Laird is the co-chair of the charity running team supporting the Alliance for Children's Rights. I got to meet a lot of the Alliance runners and supporters - what a great group! Alliance is an LA-based organization helping the kids who have no representation in the court system with free legal services. We're all lawyers on the RUS team, so we understand how important it is for people in need to have access to free legal services. If you'd like to support Alliance, you can do so here.

And of course, I'm always running to support Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run Twin Cities's inaugural season is underway. We are so thankful for all the support we've already received from our friends, neighbors and local communities. We'll need continuing support in order to grow the program and ensure its success in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but we're off to a good start! If you would like to support our work or read more information about the program, you can do so using this link.

Oh, and if you get our RUS blog updates by email, we encourage you to forward the posts to your friends. We love new readers! To get posts by email, just enter your email address into the "Receive Posts by Email!" box and click "Subscribe". It's that easy! :)

When running becomes your mode of transportation

So I needed to log 18 miles this weekend as part of my training.   But my roommate also had a swim meet in Oak Park (a nearby suburb for you non-Chicagoans) and I had yet to make it to one of her meets.   How could I squeeze both in on a Sunday afternoon?   Then my boyfriend suggests, why don't you just run there? Hmm... an interesting idea.

Pinatas for Everyone!

I mapped it out and it was about 7 miles from my place to the meet, so about 14 miles roundtrip.   But men can be so protective sometimes.   The boyfriend and his friend thought that the route I was going to take was not necessarily safe.   So they convinced me to go a mile north to a safer street, which would actually be a little better since it would add some extra miles.   Plus, I got to run by this cool shop that sold only pinatas.   All kinds of pinatas.   The traditional ones, Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer.  Name a pinata you want, I bet they have it.

By time I reached the high school where the swim meet was, I had apparently gone 9.6 miles.  I'm no math whiz, but I think that adds up to more than 18 miles round trip.   Hmm.. now what?   I decided to go watch the meet and worry about that detail later.   I've never been to a swim meet before, and it was actually pretty interesting to watch; people of all ages, shapes and sizes out there swimming away.   Plus, it was fun to see the roomie in action doing her thing.   I stayed for around an hour to watch a couple of her events, one of in which she beat a girl in a Wonder Woman swimsuit.   I think it's pretty brave to wear a Wonder Woman swimsuit since people might expect you to swim at Wonder Woman speeds.   After that, I had to leave before I was too tempted to just catch a ride home with her.   


Ernie's Birthplace Home

Now I'm back to my dilemma of this pesky extra mile.   I decide I'll just go the same route, and walk that last mile as a cool down.   So I took off running back the way I came.   And lo and behold, I was running past the birthplace home of Ernest Hemingway (which as usual I missed while running that way ealier).   For those of you who are unaware, Ernie grew up in Oak Park and the city continues to pay homage to one of their most famous residents with a Hemingway Museum, and a hotel featuring the Hemingway Bistro.


The Write Inn.... get it?

Again, as usual, like a total space cadet, I was lost in my thoughts and missed my turn on the run home.   So now I'm half a mile north of where I need to be, which means another half mile back south and this 18 mile run has now become a 20 mile run.   Well, I have no choice but to keep running.   I'm trying to do the math of these extra miles in my head to figure out where I'll be when I hit 18 so I can then have my boyfriend come rescue me and drive me those last 2 miles home.   I think it will get me pretty close to the park in the center of Logan Square.   So I call him to come fetch me. Coincidentally, this is the same place we took some photos during the Fitness magazine photo shoot when we first met.   We did some embarrassing running shots there, ones of him shooting us from behind while we looked back over our shoulders.   Total ass shot.   Maybe that's what piqued his interest?  Either way, I'm glad those shots did not make it into the magazine.

While I was waiting for my rescue, a funny exchange occurs between me and some kid.   He comes over to me while I'm stretching and says, "that kid over there in the camoflauge pants wants to know if he can have your number."   I look over at the "kid," turn back to his friend and say to him, "I'm pretty sure I'm too old for your friend."   He then says, "but he's 23."   I respond, "Well, I'm 34."   A brief silence, then he says "Oh" and runs away.   I guess when I was 23, I thought 34 was old too.   But thanks for the ego boost kid!

Harley Helping Hands

Lately my blogs have focused on my training runs.  But I just want to remind everyone (and myself) that we  started the Race Within US for a reason... more than just to travel.  We wanted to help raise money and awareness for some great causes that are near and dear to us.  So I'd like to tell you all about a really amazing charity that was created in honor of my college friend's husband, Kit Harley, who bravely battled brain cancer with his amazing, courageous wife and family at his side. 

Harley Helping Hands' mission is to provide financial assistance and positively impact the lives of those battling brain cancer.   Every year they have a really great fundraiser in the spring.  There is always great food, live music and dancing.  This year I will unfortunately not be able to make it because I'll be running the Country Music Marathon in Nashville the very next morning.  I'm pretty bummed because the venue looks fabulous.  So I'm asking for your support and hoping all of you will all make an effort to attend this really fun event on April 27th, while I'm gearing up to tackle my 11th full marathon.  You can find out more information about Harley Helping Hands and the event by visiting their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/messages/?action=read&tid=id.326771064034522#!/harleyhelpinghands.  Don't forget to click "Like!"

Thanks everyone for your support of this amazing charity and my tired legs! 

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!

Loving the Loop

Remember this from Ferris Bueller's parade scene?

Glimpse of the Gargyoles

The jail everyone "thinks" I work in

The Thompson Center

The Burnham Center

Every time I'm in the Loop, I think of how I miss working there.  Of course, working at 26th and California has it's perks (although I'm still trying to figure them out), but it just doesn't have the same energy as the Chicago Loop.  Although the weekend vibe is much different (and more tourist-y) than it is during the week, I still enjoyed my run down there this weekend. 

I was tempted to stop at the Bergoff for a beer... but I forgot to bring cash and they weren't accepting GU gels as payment.

Here are some pics I took along the way.  As always, the Loop did not disappoint....the wind still blows from every direction. 

No Running in the House!

Field House

Art House

But sometimes it's allowed.... At least running by the house, or several "houses" like I did Saturday morning during a  run though Chicago's historic Humboldt Park.

Past the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance..... Past the Field House that becomes a beach house in the summer....

Boat House

Past the Boat House. Strangely an absence of boats....

To the finish line!

Todd's house

Dog House

Speaking of houses....Don't Bully My Breed has lots of rescued dogs that would love to go from the dog house to your house.  Check out their latest cuties up for adoption on their facebook wall at http://www.facebook.com/dontbullymybreed.  If you can't help out by adopting one of these four-legged friends, then please consider helping offset the cost of caring for them by making a donation. You can do this by visiting www.dontbullymybreed.org.   Any amount large or small is appreciated! 

New discoveries along old routes



I'm so reflective!
Don't laugh....Safety first!



I'm in the middle of training for my next marathon, the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee.  So far, it's been just another winter of splitting my runs between the treadmill (welcome to Snoozeville) and bundling up to brave the cold, despite the mild winter we've had here in Chicago.  Yesterday, I slowly geared up for a 14 mile run outside.  It had snowed a couple of days before and it was a chilly 31 degrees when I started.  Fortunately, the wind was mild.  Well, mild for Chicago.  If you've read any of my prior posts, then you know how I despise the wind. 

Getting ready for a winter run is no simple task.  First, you have to squeeeeze into those running tights.  Then you have to get into that moisture-wicking long sleeve shirt, and make sure it's all tucked into those tighty tights so it doesn't ride up and expose any teeny tiny bit of skin to the elements.  I laced up my Gortex-lined running shoes (which are awesome for slopping through the slushy snow) and filled up my water bottles for my (nerd alert) hydration belt.  I hate wearing those things; they're so uncomfortable.  I put on my warmest running jacket and made sure I had my hand warmers in my pockets in case the gloves weren't enough.  I slid some lip balm over my lips; set my iPod to a good starting tune; pulled on my hat and gloves; put on my sunglasses to keep the wind out of my eyes, and finally set out for a slow run. 



Temple in Chicago;
no incense haze

Temple in Vietnam:
 incense haze

I took a usual route I run during my race training.  As I was running, I was thinking about how, a couple of weeks ago, I had been running on the same street and had for the first time noticed a Buddhist temple I had never noticed before, even though I had run by it dozens of times before.  How had I not seen this, as it's so out of place next to everything else around it??  Of course, by the time I approached it, my mind had wandered somewhere else.  A bit later, I came back to Earth, and thought, "Wait, did I pass that already?"  Indeed I had.  This might explain how I've run by it several times over the past two years and never noticed it.  Yep, I'm a perceptive one.  Of course, if it were more similar to those temples I visited in Vietnam, I would have smelled the incense a mile away and would have noticed a certain fog in the air. 

One of the challenging parts about running in the winter, is running on snow and ice.  It does make for some difficult running since it rarely creates an even surface.  So I've developed blisters in lots of new places as a result of my foot turning and twisting in new fun ways.  Of course, there are fun parts of running in the winter, one of which is coming up behind other people out walking with their hoods up.  Ah....the acoustics of the hood.  It makes it impossible to hear any sounds coming from behind you.  I felt a little bad as I came up to this woman walking her dogs when I completely startled her as I yelled out "on your left" to let her know I was passing.  Of course, the expression on her face was priceless, but I think I might have almost given her heart attack. 

My turn around point was one of the largest cemeteries in the city, Rosehill Cemetery.  I've run that far north only once before, during the summertime, where I stopped to walk the paths while taking a breather.  (Apparently running in the cemetery is frowned upon.)  Maybe it's weird, but I love walking through cemeteries.  They are always quiet and peaceful and I find many of the elaborate gravestones to be incredibly majestic and beautiful.  This time, however, I did not stop to venture inside as it was too cold out, but I did take a minute to snap this shot over the perimeter wall.  Hopefully it captures the peaceful silence that was present, and is rare to find in the city.   

It's hard to find something new and exciting when you run so frequently in the same places.  But every now and then, you open your eyes and notice something you've never seen before.  Or you run a little bit farther than last time, and maybe it's something you've already seen, but now it's winter and you see it in a whole different light. 

Running backwards....remembering 2011.

 If you've been following the blog, then you already know the year 2011 was a busy one for me with 6 races and an amazing trip to Vietnam. 

Camelback Mountain

Jen & Me, matchy matchy,at the finish
line at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium

The year started off with a bang in January with my best marathon time yet in Arizona. Sub 4 hours!  Plus, my good friend Jen was running the half so we got to spend the weekend hanging out and catching up.    



 Only a few weeks after my personal best, I ran again in New Orleans. The Big Easy was not exactly easy, but I still finished with a pretty darn good time and had the chance to enjoy some amazing Lousiana cuisine. (One of my favorite parts about running a marathon is that I don't feel bad about eating whatever I want afterwards).



NOLA Garden District

Pig butt

No rest for the weary... in May I ran another marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I wish I was as winged as all the pigs in the Flying Pig marathon.  It was probably the most painful race for me to date with the rolling hills of Ohio torturing me, but it by far had the best medal.  I mean, it has a pig's butt on the backside! Hard to top that. 

 

After Cincy, I decided it was a great idea to take up tennis.   FYI, this is not a great idea, runners.  I think that it was the cause for some severe knee pain which necessitated a few months of physical therapy. But now I'm as good as new....assuming of course, I keep on doing the PT exercises. Which, of course I haven't since I was cleared by my doc in November.  (shhh...don't tell him!)  Fortunately, I've only a run a few times since November.  Not that I'm proud to admit this, but in my defense I did run 5 marathons and participated in a 200-mile relay all between January and November...so don't judge me.  Seriously, I must have been nuts to do all that in a year.  2012 resolution...be less nuts. 

  

My new Honey Badger friends. Some tried
to make their own pancakes for breakfast. Don't worry, we're still friends.

So after a tennis-filled summer, which I am entirely horrible at, I was onto that 200 mile-relay I just mentioned in Portland, Oregon.  In hindsight, it was a great experience and I now have a few new friends because of it.  During the race though...I wasn't convinced I would ever want to do that again.  It was running up and down all kinds of hills, in the wee hours of the morning, with virtually zero sleep except a few winks here and there in a crowded hotel or van.  Oh, and did I mention that you don't really get to shower either?  I mean, does that sound like fun to any of you?  Didn't think so.  But a few months removed from the fatigue and my own stench, I see that it was an awesome experience that I'm glad I had.  My new friends made it more than worth it!  Can't wait for another race-cation in 2012!  Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be less nuts...        



My sis and niece
cheering me on in Chicago



Then it was the fall... with a marathon on my very own windy city, Chi-Town.  This was the most fun I've had running a marathon so far.  It was nearly my slowest race ever, but I totally didn't care.  The crowd support and that specifically of my friends and family made it the most amazing marathon I've done to date.  I loved, loved, loved it, is all I can say.   



A few weeks after Chicago, I headed south to Savannah, again with my running mate Jen.  Some of you may remember that Jen and I like to match when we run our races. We had matching shirts and headbands in AZ (see above), and once again, had sparkly matching headbands and inadvertently had matching shirts and jackets!  Also along for the trip was my boyfriend Todd, and his friend John, who are both photographers and took some pretty cool shots of race day and our explorations around Savannah. (see my last blog post) : )   Who can complain about some pretty nice weather, great southern food (again my favorite part), and great friends?  Plus this was the third Rock-n-Roll series event for Jen and me, so the awesome Triple Crown "Heavy Medal" from the Rock-n-Roll race series was headed our way.   



Savannah was my last race for 2011.  Shortly after that I split the U.S. for Vietnam with my roommate for some well-deserved time off from exercise for both of us... (she is a uber-dedicated swimmer, does it waaaay more than I run, and is awesome at it!!)  We did take some time one morning during our trip for some exercise. She went for a workout in the ocean while I went for a jog on this amazing beach in Nha Trang.  The whole time, I kept asking myself...am I really running on this amazing beach in Vietnam??  And yep, I actually was.   







Nha Trang beach = amazing.
Somewhere in that water are Genevieve's swim goggles.



Running took me a lot of places last year, literally and figuratively.  Running lead me to new places I've never been before, like the Oregon west coast and the sweet Savannah south.  But it also led me to meet new and incredible people.  It was running with fellow RUS runner, Miri, that got us a blurb in Fitness magazine , which is how I met our amazing photographer who has since become someone very special in my life.  I met all the hysterically fun Honey Badgers on the Hood to Coast adventure.   While I don't plan on running as many races in 2012, I am excited to see where life and that "race within me" will take me this new year.  Where will your inner race lead you this new year?