I Run These Towns

I love a good turkey trot . I have done the one in Lansing several times, and I've been really wanting to do the one in Detroit. The last few years we've done Thanksgiving with my family in West Virginia, so as soon as we decided to stay in Michigan this year, I knew I'd do the Detroit Turkey Trot. There's something satisfying about running early on Thanksgiving morning and then gorging on an obscene amount of Thanksgiving treats. Goofing around downtown at the Joe Louis fist statue On Thanksgiving morning I woke up early and left my in-laws' house with my cheering section - my husband and father-in-law.  My husband's family lives just outside of Detroit so it was a short drive in. As soon as we got off the exit we realized how big this race was - traffic was entirely stopped. Thankfully we'd given ourselves plenty of time. Hart Plaza early on a foggy Thanksgiving morning We parked just outside of Joe Louis Arena , home of the Detroit Red Wings h...

I have so much to be thankful for.  I have a wonderful husband, great family, the best friends anyone could ask for, pets who are adorable and a job I love.  In addition to all of that I have running.  Not only does it keep me sane, but I run because I can.  I mean really - who wouldn't be thankful for these faces? This month Runner's World did an issue highlighting its readers. One particular small blurb on a page said that this one person was so thankful for running because someone they knew had cerebral palsy and wasn't able to run. With all the people who are in pain and hurting and unable to run, I am thankful each and every time I lace up my shoes. An aching IT band means I did it.  Sore knees means I was able to hit the pavement. For those who love to run, it becomes a salvation of sorts. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but for me the best days I have are the ones where I make time to run. This Thanksgiving as I am reflecting on what I am thankful for...

It's that time of the year again when I start dropping not so subtle hints to my husband about my Christmas list. Some women want diamonds; others want pearls. I want a pair of plaid arm sleeves and a promise of a race in a sunny locale this winter. I'm totally serious. http://store.runningskirts.com/pr I'll be honest - I don't even entirely understand the purpose of arm sleeves. Why don't I just wear a long-sleeved shirt? Either way they are adorable and I want a pair. Plus Shalane Flanagan wore arm sleeves when she was runner-up in the NYC Marathon in 2010. That alone makes them cool. But I digress. My husband said to me a few years ago that buying me running stuff for holidays is boring. Sure I've got 3 running jackets in various shades of pink, dozens of short- and long-sleeved running tees and several pairs of running gloves. I do not, however, have purple compression socks. I can't think of a good reason for this oversight. http://store.r...

Four weeks doesn't sound like a long time. For example, Christmas is what, five weeks away, and that time will just fly by.  When your passion is running, however, and your doctor tells you that you shouldn't run for four weeks, it feels like an eternity. As someone who loves running and traveling, the last two weekends have been tough. Visiting both Chicago and Iowa City without hitting the pavement made me feel like I was missing something on my trips.  Running in every town we visit has become an integral part of going away. And somehow, in less than six short years, running has become an integral part of who I am. I ran three half marathons in a year and took two years off from long races. Now I can't even imagine taking that kind of break from running. Running keeps me sane, and it is my time to clear my head. Without it I have felt like I've been in a fog this past month. This morning I woke up early, put on my super cute running gear (let's be honest -...

This past weekend my husband and I went with some tailgate friends to Iowa City, Iowa for the  Michigan State/Iowa game. For the first time in a long time (Chicago last weekend excluded) I didn't run while we were on a trip. Unfortunately I'm still on surgery restrictions for a few more days. I brought running clothes and considered breaking doctor's orders, but in the end I held strong and drowned my non-running sorrows in bloody marys. Oh and wine. Iowa City is an interesting little town. Their downtown is cute - it's walkable, with lots of local shops and eateries, and a cool pedestrian mall right through the middle of downtown.  It's a small town (less than 70,000 people), and it's got a great college town vibe. Iowa City does a great job of leveraging its largest anchor institution, the University of Iowa. Like a lot of college towns (my beloved Morgantown, WV included) there's not a whole lot else there. The university is king. Pedestrian mall i...

We've already established how much I love the city of Chicago, and I was determined to run a race there this fall. One of my girlfriends suggested we run the Hot Chocolate 15k , and I was in. This idea was perfect - a girls' weekend in Chicago with a 9 mile run thrown in. The race gear includes a jacket, and the post-race party includes hot chocolate and fondue. Yes, please. Posing at the expo with random person in a costume. I think it's an eagle? Unfortunately my surgery saga prevented me from doing the race. I initially intended to run the 5k, but I am still on running prohibition for another week. This mean I got to be a spectator for the first time ever. My husband is always a faithful and vigilant spectator for my races, so I vowed to do the same for my friend.  Here I am playing the role of spectator before the race Race day was gorgeous. I was infinitely envious that I wasn't running, but even I know my limits. There were thousands of runners in down...

I'm sure it's not surprising that I'm still not thrilled to be sidelined for a few more weeks. It doesn't matter that I certainly don't feel like running, and I realize it's important to listen to my body. It's just the idea that someone is telling me I can't do something. My instinct is to push back and do the opposite. In this case what I'm doing is planning my running schedule for the upcoming few months. It keeps me motivated. My mandatory rest time ends on November 19, just in time for me to jump into the Turkey Trot 5k in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. I love running in Detroit (it's one of my favorite cities), and I am a little disappointed that I will have to run the 5k instead of the 10k. At any rate, I am very excited to join the thousands of runners doing this race. I've wanted to run this race for a number of years, and we've been out of town visiting my family over Thanksgiving the past three years. I am so excited. After r...