Midwestern Pride

I've now been a midwesterner for 9 months! I'm having so much fun exploring the new scenery around me.

On Sunday, I joined Kristine and Mark in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon. Unlike Kristine and Mark, though, I turned the Chicago Marathon into a Chicago (Half) Marathon. A half marathon was more in line with my training level at this time. I decided to run the first half of the course because my Chicago-based friends told me it was the more scenic half. And boy was it! The crowds were so enthusiastic and there were a lot of interesting performers along the course keeping us runners entertained.

I ran my 13 miles with my friend Katie. Katie and I were co-coaches at Girls on the Run Manhattan. Like me, Katie moved across the country for a new job this year and also decided to turn the Marathon into a Half due to constraints on her training while starting a new job in a new city. But we're GOTR coaches at heart and wanted to exemplify the lessons we taught our girls - keep active and reach your goal as best you can. At the end of our run, we had gotten in a 13.1 mile workout and had a great time catching up on our lives (we hadn't seen each other in almost a year!) and taking in the scenes of downtown Chicago. We're each looking forward to our next fitness goal!

And speaking of GOTR, I've added a new link to the Charities section of this website. In addition to supporting GOTR through my SoleMates fundraising page, I've added a link to the GOTR Twin Cities general fundraising page. For two cities as cosmopolitan and fitness-friendly as Minneapolis and St. Paul, it's about time GOTR had a presence here! I've joined a committe to start up a chapter of GOTR that will serve girls in the Twin Cities. If you'd like to help with the start up effort, please consider making a donation to the start up funds or email gotrtwincities@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer to help out. I think we can make a big difference in the lives of many girls here in the Twin Cities and I'm excited to be a part of that effort!

Finally, I've temporarily removed the American Cancer Society funraising page link. When I have a new page link, I'll repost it. In the meantime, if you'd like to support ACS, leave a comment here and I'd be happy to connect you with some amazing people who are working hard to raise funds for this amazing organization. This month is Pink Month (National Cancer Awareness Month) so it's a great time to support organizations that fund resarch and patient support projects.

If you're in the Twin Cities at any time, join me for a run!