I Run These Towns

We accomplished a LOT this year. A lot of running, a lot of traveling, and all of this with two busy jobs. I ran eight 5ks, four 10ks, one 15k, one 10-miler, two half marathons and 15 miles of a full marathon before it got called for the heat. In addition we traveled to West Virginia (7 times), Pensacola, FL, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Green Bay, Chicago, Traverse City, MI, Boyne Highlands, MI, Maine (via a road trip), State College, PA, Mackinac Island, MI and Norfolk, VA. Later this week I'll head to Tyler, Texas to see my bestie rounding out a year that in retrospect I can't believe we managed to stay sane. After one of my 5ks. I feel as exhausted as I look in this photo. All of this challenge and business has almost succeeded in taking my mind off our nearly 10-month wait to adopt a child. I do know, however, that we need to travel as much as possible now before we have little ones. I don't plan to stop traveling, but I know it'll be a bigger challenge. ...

Santa and I are BFF. And by Santa, I mean my husband. This wonderful man hates buying me running stuff, and yet I always get lots of it for holidays AND he indulges me on all my race trips. My Santa kind of rocks. I have three big races coming up in the spring - the Winter Blast Half Marathon, the Cherry Blossom 10-miler and the Pittsburgh Marathon. My trip stocking runneth over. Now I am wondering what Santa will bring me to wear in those races.  It goes without saying that I will wear West Virginia gear in the Pittsburgh Marathon. I have three pairs of WV shorts and WVU tech pants, so I need a cute top to wear with. I am partial to the Under Armour shirts I'd gotten on some of our trips, but I can't find a WVU one like it. Maybe Santa will have more luck. I have dozens of tech shirts, so I'm always looking for cute bottoms. I've been coveting a colorful Brooks skort for a while. I also love Running Skirts gear. My coveted Brooks skort But in addition to ju...

I wouldn't consider our life isn't exactly "normal". Maybe nobody actually has a normal life, but ours is consistently crazy busy. I sometimes look ahead through my calendar and wonder how we'll do it all. But even with the insanity that is our life, the last six weeks or so have just been insane. Insane, unmanageable, and absolutely exhausting. It was extremely ambitious to go out of town four weekends in a row. It's a lame duck session year for the Michigan legislature, and that meant very long days and nights at work for both of us. We even had to board our dogs at one point because we didn't think we'd be able to get home and let them out. At the end of last week, after two straight weeks of working constantly and feeling tons of stress, the legislature adjourned for the year. That means a month or so of legislature-less bliss. Except we didn't really think about timing when we scheduled our annual Christmas party the same weekend...so after ...

I admit it - I'm in a running rut. I like to pretend like that never happens to me, but it's happening now. It's been crazy at work, and my miles are WAY down. Last week I got up early to run one morning, and it was raining. Usually I just run in the rain anyway, but I though heck with it. I'm not training for anything right now, so I can do some cross training instead. On Saturday I set off to run 6 miles in the snow and ran half that. I wasn't tired, I wasn't injured. I just wasn't motivated. This happens to me sometimes particularly in the winter, but this is the worst rut I've had in a while. I started running in 2006, and after three half marathons in less than a year I took about two years off from running. My IT band problems were significant and not healing, and I wasn't motivated. In the four years since that significant rut I've run another seven half marathons, two marathons, and dozens of 5k and 10k races.  I need to figure out wher...

In college I did two of my foreign language requirements in the form of a study abroad program in Bamberg, Germany. At the age of 19 my German became quite fluent, and I also pushed the boundaries of my European legal drinking status. In the process I fell in love with the history and sense of community of cities in Europe - the small, cobblestone streets; the vibrant downtowns; the walkability; the public transit. I took a public bus for the first time in my entire life in Bamburg (they don't have them in Hundred, WV). There's something about European cities that is so intimate and familiar. I didn't realize at that time I was discovering my love of place and community. When my husband and I visited Stockholm in 2009, more than ten years after my first trip to Europe, I was advocating for communities and knew exactly what I was looking for in a place. Like the cities I'd been to in Germany, Stockholm was also rich in history, walkable cobblestone streets, and green s...

This morning I got up early and ran a hard, fast run. My legs were throbbing, my chest was burning, and it felt amazing. Had I known how stressful this day was going to be, I would've done a few more miles. I don't know how people who don't run or work out deal with stress - it's the best way to get ready for a stressful day. My job can be stressful, and we're in that legislative lame duck session time when days are long, tempers are short and without squeezing in a run I fear I may murder someone. It's the time when I am trying to make heads or tails or 1,000 different legislative issues, and someone (generally me) is taking a shot across the bow. It's a time where everyone is punchy, adversarial, and we're all a little short with one another. It's this time of year that running is even more critical. It gives me time to reflect on the trials I've had in my life, and to think bring it, lame duck. Hit me with your best shot. I deal daily with...

In college, back in 1998, I walked my first 5k. I walked it in 33 minutes (yes WALKED not ran), and I was booking it. I won first among walkers,and I won a gift certificate to Garfield's Restaurant in Morgantown, WV. Totally worth it. I didn't run my first 5k for another 8 years, until 2006, but doing that first race takes commitment, courage, and a little bit of insanity. Last week, on Thanksgiving, my husband and I ran the Inaugural Morgantown Running Turkey Trot. It was his first 5k, and I was bursting with pride and emotion. It's no secret that I love a good turkey trot, and I was thrilled for Morgantown's inaugural event. With my husband before the race We picked up our packets at the WVU track. Instead of t-shirts they gave us wicking socks. As a race veteran I was thrilled to have something other than another cotton t-shirt I'd never wear again, but as a race novice my husband was disappointed to not have a t-shirt. I totally get it. The race start...

I live a blessed life, and I don't forget it even for a minute. It can be stressful, it's often hectic, and it's filled with so many blessings that I feel overwhelmed sometimes just to think of them all. It's important that on Thanksgiving I reflect on the many blessings in my life. I am so thankful for my incredible husband. I recently did a blog post about how fantastic he is, and I won't elaborate too much lest his ego become uncontrollable. I couldn't ask for a better partner in my life. He's my biggest supporter, my best friend, and my great love.  He humors me in things I find important like a photo shoot for our Christmas card. That's the kind of partner we all need. A photo from our Christmas card shoot. I'm grateful for my parents who have always worked so hard to ensure that I have so my opportunities.  They've supported me through all of the tough things in my life - including the worst Crohns has to offer - without batting an...

Sometimes running sucks. And by sometimes, I mean a lot of the time. I would estimate that maybe 25-30% of the time running actually feels good, and the rest of the time I finish and gripe about how terrible that run was. I will say, however, that once the run is over I never regret having done it - even if it was a bad run. Running is hard. There's no magic formula to make you faster or better. You just have to keep running. Period. When I started running six years ago I was in pretty good shape, but I had never run more than two consecutive miles in my life. The only way I was able to build on my mileage was to do it. You have to log the miles over and over again. There is no shortcut. Some days I finish running and my knee hurts, my hip hurts, I'm tired. Some days I can't get motivated because it's cold, it's rainy, or I just don't feel like it. I think it's okay to take a break, and I try not to beat up on myself. But the only way to be able to run i...

After I graduated from law school I lived in Norfolk, Virginia for a couple of years. To me that time in my life represents my first real time as a grown up - my first real job, my first apartment alone, the first time I spent an appreciable amount of money on dry cleaning.  It was there that I realized my true mission in life was to work with cities as I worked for the city's inspiring mayor. It's been nearly seven years since I moved to Michigan, and I have lived here more than twice as long as I lived in Virginia. Regardless, every time I go to Norfolk I feel a since of nostalgia for the time I spent there. I feel nostalgic and yet so proud of the continued revitalization of the city.  Two of my siblings still live there, and we headed down this past weekend to meet our new nephew and visit our family. When I lived in Virginia I wasn't a runner. I spent a lot of time power walking and riding bikes with my sister, but it never occurred to me to pick up the pace and st...

I've had people tell me before that I should run for office, but I have a thing that day...gouging my own eyes out. Running for office would never be my thing, and as politics has become so vitriol it's difficult to even deal with it as a spectator. Yesterday's elections held a lot of promise. Here in Michigan a number of constitutional amendments failed, and there were other election results I consider both good and bad. But politics, like the tide, are always changing. As soon as one gets too invested in any one person or issue it's on to the next. I'm thinking we need to ensure we have runners in office. Presidents G.W. Bush and Clinton were runners, and I'm convinced it's necessary to keep you sane.  Yesterday I had a particularly stressful day, and I immediately went for a run when I got home. Every bad day and every crisis is more manageable after a run. Bill Clinton, Nicolas Sarkozy, Al Gore, David Cameron, Tony Blair... all runners who've...

The New York City Marathon is like the Super Bowl of distance running. Nearly 50,000 runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators converge on the Big Apple for the big event.  For competitive runners it's one of THE races to win. For amateurs like myself, it's the holy grail of marathons. I'm fortunate to have registered last year as one of the last classes who will get automatic entry after three unsuccessful lottery attempts.  To me the New York Marathon represents everything that is right about running - the crowds, the support, the pageantry. I can't wait for my shot. Thankfully I didn't get in this year. As Hurricane Sandy has ravaged NYC, the fate of the NYC Marathon hangs in balance. The New York Road Runners have committed to holding the race as scheduled on Sunday, but it's going to be a challenge for a city recovering from a devastating storm. Crazy flooding in New York's Financial District The NYC Marathon starts on Staten Island and r...

Before this weekend's 10k I was talking to another runner in the crowd who lives in downtown Plymouth, Michigan. She walked to the race and was raving about living downtown. She was telling me she's a teacher, and she grades her papers in the Panera Bread just down the street from her house. This conversation affirmed to me that this is what people want - living and working in a community they love. Earlier this year I ran the Shamrock 'n Roll 10k in Plymouth, Michigan and loved the race. I decided to head back to Plymouth last weekend for an encore in the Wicked 10k. In March I raved about the organization of the race, but this time I was less impressed. For starters I was running a little behind which is very unusual for me. Usually I'm an hour early for a race forcing us to wander around and find something to do. There is a random shooter along I-96 between Detroit and Lansing, and I found myself paranoid about taking I-96. Granted I've taken it a dozen tim...

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.” - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations I haven't read Great Expectations since college, and this blog probably doesn't follow that quote...but who can't use some Dickens to brighten up their day? The other day I was talking to a friend and saying that I haven't been running as much this year as I have in previous years. I was complaining about my lack of motivation and how I just haven't been doing enough. Except three half marathons and training for a full marathon (and 15 miles of that race), and a mile a day run streak for six weeks and a 5k series...and then I realized how ridiculous I sounded. I have extraordinarily high expectations of myself. Are they unreachable? Sometimes. But that doesn't stop me...

This is going to sound crazy, but I love running up hills. Lansing doesn't have a lot of them, but I find hill running to be my favorite running challenge. I love driving to Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing to run the loop around the cemetery - it's the hilliest route I've found in the area. My first half marathon was in San Francisco, and I ran the Knoxville, TN half - another very hilly race. I don't often get to run hilly routes, but heading home to West Virginia is a guaranteed way to get my hill running fix. UT's hilly campus where I ran the Knoxville Half in 2011 My husband and I headed to WV last weekend for the West Virginia/Kansas State game. (Let's not discuss the game - I'd prefer to pretend it didn't happen). On Saturday morning my husband, who is training for his first 5k, and I headed out for a run. There is a flat river trail in Morgantown, but I didn't feel like taking the time to drive there. We headed out into the neighborhoods a...

My first half marathon, the Nike Women's Half, was in October of 2006. My now husband and I had been dating about eight months. I decided to start running and do a race in an expensive, far away city in an election year (we were both political staffers at the time) just weeks before the election. I told him repeatedly that it wasn't necessary that he come cheer me on. But when I crossed the finish line limping from IT band pain, I felt sad and alone knowing there was nobody there waiting for me. At the end of my second half in Traverse City, Michigan, he was there taking photos and hugging me at the end. It was a completely different way to finish a race. In the six years I've been running my husband has only missed a few races, and he's always there as my own personal paparrazo. When I was finishing the Detroit Marathon he was able to run faster than I was and meet me at the finish. I look for him at the end of every race, and it's knowing that I will see him tha...

It's election season, and there is nothing I hate more than election ads. Thank God for DVR so I can fast forward through most of them. But sometimes it's unavoidable like during a live sporting event, and it seriously makes my blood boil. Luckily (sarcasm intended) in Michigan this year we have six, count them six, ballot proposals, five of which amend our Constitution. It's a hot mess. What makes me crazy about all of them is that none of these are aiming at what will ACTUALLY bring Michigan back and make it a better place to live, work, play, visit, raise a family.  We're completely missing the boat, and there's a significant disconnect between political rhetoric and what people actually want. And economic data shows that people are moving to vibrant communities. Period.  It's ultimately not tax structure and regulatory environment that are driving the nation's economy. To quote my boss, Dan Gilmartin, in his book The Economics of Place : The Value of B...

I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut in terms of running new towns. Sure, I did the Playmakers Race Series , but those races were all pretty close to home. We did go to Pensacola and Green Bay this year, but it seems like it's been a while. I'm itching for a new challenge. I want to do a race in every state, so there are a number of possibilities for races even relatively close to home. But I want to run in an inspiring city. I left Green Bay disappointed that I didn't get to finish the race, but also very disappointed with the City of Green Bay. I've been scouring running websites trying to find a spring race that will take us to a fun and challenging city. It turns out the answer has been right under my nose all along. Sad face after the Green Bay Marathon was canceled My hometown of Hundred, WV is only 77 miles from Pittsburgh, PA. When I was a kid it was intimidating to head to a "big city" so we didn't spend a lot of time there. In coll...

This summer I decided instead of focusing on long races I'd instead run the Playmakers Race Series . I ran six 5ks and a ten-miler over the course of the summer as part of the series in addition to one other 5k, 10k and a half marathon that weren't part of the race series.  Celebrating my final 5k of the series While running a 5k is a different challenge than a longer race, I found consistent racing to be demanding. My 5k PR of 26:00 (set in June of 2011) remains unbroken although I came close several times. On Sunday I ran my final race of the series, and it was a fantastic summer. I started the series in May at the Mason State Bank 5k . This was a Friday evening race on a warm day, and I posted one of my best times of the series at 26:33.   In June I ran the Capitol Bancorp 5k in downtown Lansing in a time of 27:19. Still a solid effort on a very warm and sunny day, but a little further from where I wanted to be. I start going in the right direction the following ...

Last year I downloaded the book Skinny Bitch to my Kindle. I'd heard about it and thought it seemed interesting, and interesting it was. Granted I took much of it and thought it was unrealistic for my life, but there were some things that stuck with me. I've been known to have a *bit* of a diet soda addiction. At its worst about a year ago I was drinking 5-6 cans of Diet Pepsi a day. Every day. It was out of control. One of the things they discuss in the book is how artificial sweeteners turn into formaldehyde in your body. That's just gross. So last November I gave up diet soda cold turkey for about 6 months. Then I realized that I used diet soda as a calorie free snack. I was drinking lots of water, WAY more than before, but I was also drinking coffee and tea at alarming rates. Now I indulge in maybe a few diet sodas a week, but it's a tremendous improvement. For the record one of their other suggestions is to give up coffee, which is less of a skinny bitch m...

Two years ago I missed the first race I'd ever signed up for. It was the Playmakers Autumn Classic, and my IT band injury kept me from racing if I was to finish the Detroit Marathon a few weeks later. I don't make it a habit of missing races, and I've only missed a couple since then due to injury or Crohn's. This past weekend I missed a race because I just needed a break. I know I have often said I live my life at 100 percent , and despite my claims that I know my limits let me be honest - I generally don't. I push. And push. And push. The last six weeks have been exceptionally busy for us. Not necessarily because we've been traveling any more, but more emotionally taxing. I've never been the kind of person who brings work home on a regular basis, and it's coming home with me almost every night. I LOVE my job, but until I get into the swing of all of this new challenge, it's going to be a bit of an adjustment. Two weekends ago we went home to We...

I often have people ask me how I stay motivated, and to be honest - it's not easy. There it is - the secret is out. While I want all of you to think I'm super human, I'm not. Great, there goes my rep.  The secret to being motivated is...well I don't know what it is. I do know, however, that it takes hard work. It takes pushing yourself. And some days, even for me, it just isn't happening. One of the ways I am motivated is by being public about my running and even about my health struggles. It helps keep me motivated to know that  other people are following what I'm up to. Before my Crohn's issue a few weeks ago, I was in a super motivated streak. I was working out, both running and cross training, 5-6 days a week. I was feeling great physically and emotionally. Everything was running smoothly. After my overnight hospital stay I took a week off running, and it's been slow going in the two weeks since I started working out again. In the last few weeks ...

Last weekend was our first chance to enjoy the inaugural season of our West Virginia football tickets, and it came at a perfect time. It's been a busy few weeks at work and at home, and I was really looking forward to a weekend away.  One of the perks of being in Morgantown, WV is that my phone doesn't sync e-mails or connect to the internet, and it's freeing to be a little disconnected.   Morgantown, taken from Mountaineer Field I usually take Fridays off from running, but I ran Friday morning before we left so I could take the weekend off. It's been almost three weeks since my partial bowel obstruction, and I'm still feeling a little sluggish while I'm running. I've been running low mileage, but it's been rough going. I'm hoping this week I can get back into it, but first I needed a weekend of recharging. It was nice to be in Morgantown and be able to sleep in a little bit despite the fact that I was sleeping in a twin bed in the guest room...

We've long established as part of this blog that I have issues knowing when to slow down and knowing my limits. I get it - I'm viciously stubborn and extremely motivated. It's quite the combination. But last weekend I did it - recognized my limits and switched to the 5k of the Capital City River Run here in Lansing instead of running the half for the third straight year. On Saturday I made my way down to the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing to pick up my packet. I work in downtown Lansing maybe half a mile from the Lansing Center, so I'm really familiar with downtown. But on packet pick-up day all of the available parking nearby is marked "event parking" and it's a total cluster getting down there and finding someplace to park. The expo is not one of my favorites. It seems disjointed and really loud. My husband asked if I wanted to look around, and I just didn't. I just want to get out of there. The race, on the other hand, I've always loved...