I Run These Towns

Prior to running the Crim 10 miler , I had never been to Flint (despite a profession that requires me to travel to communities across the State of Michigan). Flint is only 45 minutes from Lansing, but other than traveling to Flint's Bishop International Airport (there are fantastic deals from there) I'd never been to the city proper. Celebrating Flint's auto heritage (photo courtesy of the Michigan Municipal League) Flint has an interesting reputation. Michigan's auto manufacturing economy put the state and many cities (including Flint) on the map in the 20th century. As the auto industry has struggled, so has Flint. But in the few years I've been hearing good things about Flint - a revitalized downtown, leveraging an anchor institution ( University of Michigan at Flint ), a motivated city government and grassroots effort to rejuvenate the city . Downtown Flint (photo courtesy of the Michigan Municipal League) The Crim Festival of Races 10 miler provided...

I came across a survey from Runner's World ranking the 25 best running cities in America. (The survey is a little dated - from 2004 - but I'd bet it hasn't changed much.) What struck me was not only are these great places to run, but this list is comprised of great places period. This led me to the obvious conclusion that cities considered good cities for running attract runners and others because they're just good places in general. Just looking at the cities on this list makes my cityphile heart happy. It includes San Francisco at the top followed by San Diego, New York City, Chicago, D.C., Minneapolis, Boulder, Boston, Denver, Portland, Austin, Seattle, Philly, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Anchorage, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Madison, Monterey, and Fort Collins, CO. It's like the dream team of fabulous cities in America.  Central Park, NYC. Ideal for running These are places that have the "it" factor - people ...

If you know me at all you know I'm clearly a fan of running while on vacation. I think it's the most interesting way to see a new place. So when my husband and I booked a week at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico I immediately thought perfect! Running on the beach. A stroll on the beach in Riviera Maya Our vacation in Mexico was fantastic - and I'm quite sure neither the heat nor the sheer amount of pina coladas and mojitos I consumed helped with my runs.  I'm used to drinking a Gatorade and some water after a run, not running back out to the pool and ordering another frozen cocktail. But when in Rome, right? Shortly after arriving - I needed a mojito stat! We ran on the beach alright. But I didn't account for the fact that it's hot in Mexico in August. Even at 7 a.m. the temperature is pretty warm. Regardless that didn't stop me from suiting up and running in the surf.  Also the ocean in Mexico in August feels like a warm bath. It'...

For me the answer to the age old dilemma of is easy: not. In my humble opinion, in the battle between road races and trail runs, the road reigns supreme. I want to like trail runs; I really do. I read about them in Runner's World and see these rave runs on a rocky trail. Every time I think wow, that looks incredible. Then I decide to hit the trail and regret it every step of the way. When I was 11 years old I went running with my sister who was in high school at the time. We lived in the middle of nowhere, and we were running on a hilly, wooded path. At the time she told me that if I intended to run track in high school it was never too early to start running. My love of fitness began at an early age; however, my love of running took a little longer to materialize. I blame that first trail.  My high school track team my senior year -I'm in the front right with my arms crossed. Fierce. Clearly my love of cities is part of who I am. When I run I want to see people an...

Back in June I visited Portland, Michigan for a 5k that turned out to be my 5k PR . I mean you never forget your PR for any race. I figured Portland would be a great place to try for a half marathon PR, so last week I ran in the inaugural Portland Relay for Life Half Marathon . Unfortunately I decided to not really train with my longest run being seven miles three weeks before the race. Details, really. In addition to my, ahem, lackluster training schedule, this has been a HOT summer in Michigan. I am not complaining because I love the hot weather. But it's one thing to sit on the deck with a cool adult beverage and another thing to run 13.1 miles in it.  Michigan's weather also took another interesting turn dumping several inches of rain the week before the race. This meant the original race course along Portland's gorgeous riverfront had to be rerouted the day before. This is a huge challenge for any race, but it was handled expertly. I grew up in a small town (I mean...

I grew up not too far from the East Coast, so when I was growing up we would vacation at the beach on the Atlantic Ocean.  Michiganders spend lots of time at on the shores of the Great Lakes, and I'll be honest, I've never really gotten it. It's not the real ocean. It just didn't make sense. Last week I changed my tune after visiting St. Joseph, Michigan, a charming little beach community on Lake Michigan. It feels like you're in any beach town on the eastern seaboard...it doesn't even feel like you're still in Michigan. I went for a brief run there (it was VERY muggy), and it's a great place for visitors, residents AND runners. Silver Beach in St. Joseph Downtown St. Joe is the quintessential main street. There are a number of great stores, art galleries, restaurants, and ice cream shops (important for summer visiting). We went into a number of stores and admired lots of local wares - paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry and more. My favori...