Maybe it's just because I have no sense of humor, but I've never worn a costume to run a road race. There will be the occasional over-achiever that shows up to a 10K or half marathon wearing a tutu or seasonal costume, but there are nearly always at least a handful of runners who show up to a 5k wearing a tutu and bobbly headband. These are the folks who take the term "fun run" literally, so I guess that makes sense. I've worn a green shirt to a St. Patrick's day 5k, and a blue tank a running … [Read more...]
Excuses are Like Tennis Shoes…
I heard the heater kick on as I lay in bed this morning trying to get up the gumption to get up for a run. Checking my phone confirmed my fears: 32 degrees. Now, for you Northern folks who endure sub-freezing HIGH temperatures during the winter, please don't judge me. I choose to live in the South because I am a cold weather wuss. Not a fan of cold. Or snow. Or frost. Or seeing my breath while I trot through my neighborhood on a late November morning. The past year has been one of a lot of … [Read more...]
We Don’t Stop Living
I've never run a marathon. I would venture to guess that most Americans haven't, either. But today, more than 23,000 people started running the Boston Marathon. Only about half of them actually finished. Not because they gave up, but because there is evil in the world. I do run an occasional 5K. Sometimes my kids come with me. As we watched coverage of today's tragedy at the Boston Marathon, Demolition Man asked, "Mom, can we never go to a race again? Even though I was pretty sure of the … [Read more...]
Making the Time
Because my 8 year old is struggling so severely in school, I've been doing a lot of research on learning styles. In doing so, I've come across some interesting information about biological clocks. Not THAT biological clock. The internal clock we each have that determines at what time during the day we perform at our best. As usual, when I'm struggling to understand my tweedles, I end up learning just as much about myself as I do about them. Demolition Man is a morning person, just like my Dad. … [Read more...]
Wipe Away the Tears, and Run
I don't want to work out today. Yeah, it's overcast and cool. It's been raining for two days. But it's more than that-- I'm heartbroken. My Cuddle Bug is 6 years old. In fact, he's just two days younger than one of the sweet babies killed in Friday's massacre in Newtown, CT. I was sitting with my Cuddle Bug, having lunch with him in his school cafeteria, when the AP bulletin came over my phone. I continued to monitor the reports throughout the afternoon. There was no way to comprehend … [Read more...]
So, You Wanna Be A Runner, Huh? (part 3)
I'm so glad I found this picture, because it's from 2001. I ran H2C in 1999 and 2000. Thank you, http://www.davidjamie.com/2001/hoodtocoast.html, from whom I stole this. (Wait! Did you first read Part 1 and Part 2?) I hobbled across the finish line at Hood-to-Coast, with the help of my co-worker, Doug, some 30 hours or so after we had started our journey. We stood, posing for pictures. We received finisher medals. Someone had rented a beach house, and I hobbled to the house for some … [Read more...]
The Show Shoulda Gone On
I'm not a marathon runner. I aspire to try a half-marathon, but I have yet to even work my way up to a 10K. Still, I'm incredibly disappointed in Mayor Bloomberg's decision to cow-tow to pressure to cancel the iconic New York City Marathon. The REASON I've never attempted to run even a half-marathon, is that it is a LOT of work. And it takes a LOT of time. Not just the 12 hours it would take me to actually run the dang thing. But the hours and hours of running, the diet-tweaking, the … [Read more...]
If You Want to be a Runner, then BE a RUNNER.
My collection of 2012 racing bibs... so far. "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John Bingham I have always loved the treadmill. I felt like I had a lot more control over my workout. And seriously? Running on roads is for "real" runners. I am so NOT a "real" runner-- I'm just a wannabe. Even as I've completed 5 different 5K races so far this year, I still didn't feel like I could actually call myself a runner. I see those "real" runners, … [Read more...]