The research required to run these towns

I really love doing this blog. We travel a lot, and it gives me an excuse to find races in various locales. My husband has also not complained even once when I have, for example, signed up for a race in Chicago with a girlfriend without consulting him first. It is for the blog, after all. Research.

I have a little schedule of races I intend to do. I've signed up for some and am still researching others. We have no problem traveling a little distance to get to a cool race, but we certainly can't do that every weekend. Putting two giant dogs in the kennel isn't cheap. On the current docket are the Capital City River Run in Lansing this coming weekend, the Spartan Sprint 5k in East Lansing in October, the Hot Chocolate 15k in Chicago in November and the Turkey Trot 10k in Detroit on Thanksgiving morning.

Murphy and Izzy Harkins sad at the thought of another weekend at the boarder

I intend to do a long race somewhere in January or February, and this has become quite the project. Where to go? Originally I thought Austin, done. I even declared that Austin was IT on the blog. Then I started researching hotel rooms, plane tickets, race costs. Turns out a trip to Austin would be pricey. Plus I lived an hour from Austin for a few years and have been there 1,000 times. So a sure thing becomes a maybe. Or probably not.

In San Antonio right before I moved from Texas in 2004. Yes, I was blonde. Let's not discuss.

What other races would work in the winter? The inaugural Louisiana Half Marathon in January perhaps? I hear Baton Rouge is lovely that time of year. Seriously - the web boasts tons of things to do in Louisiana's capitol city, and the town appears to be much easier on the wallet.

Then I discovered the second annual Charleston, SC marathon. I have never been to Charleston, and I've heard it is gorgeous. Both of those races seem more interesting than Austin now. But what to do? I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger. I'm leaning Charleston, but really, this is becoming quite the decision.

When we travel to different cities even without a run planned, I'm always scouring websites like my favorite, Running in the USA, to see if there is at least a 5k I can jump into. As we visit Iowa City, Iowa, the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and Morgantown, WV this fall, I'm disappointed there aren't any races on those particular weekends. I do realize this is getting a bit ridiculous.

What I'd LOVE to do are one of those running cruises that go all over the Caribbean with various running stops. My husband tells me that idea is insane. Who wants to snorkel and lay on the beach when you can go for a run in Barbados? Apparently that idea is totally off the table.  

Snorkeling in the Bahamas on my last cruise in 2005. Bo-ring.

Running on our trips has become a must for me. We were able to scope out lots of cool things in Boston by putting on our running shoes and getting an early preview of the town. It's a way to release the stress of travel, work off those extra desserts, and see a new city in a way that I'd never see it otherwise. All this research is totally worth it.