I Run These Towns

Last weekend I ran a 5k in Portland, Michigan organized as part of the St. Patrick Parish Festival. I did this race last year because one of my friends lives in Portland. It's a nice, small, fun race, and I thought why not - I'll do it again this year. Portland is a small city of about 3,800 people just 25 miles west of Lansing. What many people don't know about Portland natives, however, is they are freakishly fast (at least the ones I know).  My friend Nikki (Portland native) and her friends and family are avid runners. Did I mention they are super fast? Runners at the start of the 5k My previous 5k PR was about 28 minutes and 30(ish) seconds. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I run because I love it, not because I will ever win the race. The St. Pat's 5k is a nice out and back on the river trail. It's shaded for most of the course, and the 58 degree temperature made this a flawless morning for running. When the race started people were just flying...

When I think of the ideal city, it has a vibrant downtown and energetic neighborhoods. There is public transit in addition to having a walkable community. Public art adorns the busy streets. Parks and greenspace are abundant. In my traveling experience few cities embody this ideal quite like San Francisco. It's got everything you'd want in a city, and the mild climate is icing on the cake. The Ferry Building in San Francisco I ran my first half marathon in San Francisco five years ago - the Nike Women's Half Marathon .  This race did everything right and incorporated the city beautifully into the entire course. The race hotel (the Hilton in Union Square ) was right in the heart of the city. Packet pick-up was at Niketown just around the corner, and the race began literally right outside the hotel doors. Convenient packet pick-up in Union Square  The day before the race I had gotten to tour San Francisco a little, and I fell in love with the city. I was excited ...

Almost four years ago I ran the Virginia Beach Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon . This national series of races is advertised as fun with lots of live music and great courses.  I have to admit I was severely disappointed with Virginia Beach. I'm still looking for a fall race, and I've now added Savannah and San Antonio to my list of potential races.  My experience in Virginia Beach, however, makes me not extremely eager to jump into this series again. It was my third half, so I wasn't entirely a race novice.  However this remains my worst half marathon time by about 30 minutes.  First off the timing is brutal - Labor Day weekend in southern Virginia is hot and humid, and this day did not disappoint.  I was extremely disappointed with the course and found it to be tedious and boring. There were many points where there were absolutely zero spectators and it was almost silent. Not exactly what I expected from a "rock 'n roll" race. The website says there is ...

I have always loved the heat and humidity of summer, and I still love it unless I'm running. That is the only time heat and humidity and I don't get along.  Summer races are brutal, and I find that I enter way fewer races in June, July and August. I do intend to do a few races this summer including the Portland Half Marathon in Portland, MI on July 31. Portland is a smaller town just west of Lansing, but it's a mecca for great runners. I am a little intimidated to do this race especially in the summer heat, but it'll be a good challenge. In August I intend to run the Crim 10-miler in Flint, MI. The Crim is supposed to be an excellent race and my schedule has kept me out of it the last few years. I'm looking forward to conquering those hills. September will bring me back to the Capital City River Run in Lansing. I really enjoyed this race last year. Plus the shirt for this year rocks. Let's be honest - that matters. That leaves me missing one more long ...

If you drive 9ish hours from Detroit, you can get to a lot of places – Washington, DC, Nashville, St. Louis. What you may not think about is heading north 9 hours to Houghton in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula . Houghton is a quaint city nestled in the hills at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula. When I talk about what makes great cities – walkability, great downtowns, leveraging anchor institutions – Houghton has done it all right. It makes it worth the drive north to check it out.   I went to Houghton last week for a work trip. Despite arriving around 1 a.m. I still got up early, laced up the shoes and headed out. This is a beautiful city, but it’s cold. Even in May the morning temperature was in the high 30s with a chilly breeze. But the sun was shining and the scenery made me entirely forget about the chill. It was gorgeous. Downtown Houghton  Houghton , a city of about 7,000 people, sits on the Portage Canal. I ran out the door of the hotel and into the heart of down...