I Run These Towns

It's taken nearly three months, but tomorrow I'll be running my first 5k of 2013. I've only done one race this year - the inaugural Portage Half Marathon . I haven't done a 5k since November, and I'm not anticipating a PR. Also let's be honest - my husband's Michigan State Spartans play in the Sweet 16 tonight at 9:45, so I'll be imbibing in adult beverages late into the evening. That generally doesn't bode well for a great 5k time. Tomorrow I'll be running the Irondog 5k in East Lansing. The Irondog Fund helps provide medical care for animals when it would otherwise be financially unfeasible. We took our cat Daisy to MSU Veterinary Hospital last month when she passed away, and her care was amazing. I'm happy to run for this cause that has helped so many animals. Next week we head on our annual Washington, DC pilgrimage where I'll run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. In all of our trips to DC I've never been during peak cherry blosso...

One of the biggest hurdles for new runners is getting to that point where you no longer hate running. It can take a while. It's not easy to enjoy running particularly when you're starting out. It just takes gritting your teeth and getting through it. It does get easier, but the only way is through consistency. Even now, after nearly seven years of running, I have days where I don't like it. I would have to say with honesty that 30 percent of my runs are not that fun. It's the good ones that keep me going through the bad ones. For me, a key to running peacefully is to find places to run that are calming and relaxing. As I'm training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon I need to find hills for training. Lansing is extremely flat, and it's difficult to simulate the conditions I'll find in Pittsburgh. I've discovered the hilliest course in the city is around the Mount Hope Cemetery. It seems odd in a way running on the road around the cemetery. It's a 1...

Merriam-Webster defines success as: a degree or measure of succeeding; a favorable or desired outcome. On the other hand it defines failure as:omission of occurrence or performance; specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action.  Although failing is a part of life, failure is my greatest fear. I know that it's impossible to succeed 100 percent of the time, but that doesn't stop me from setting lofty goals and sometimes not succeeding. Success, I've discovered, is relative. One person's success isn't necessarily the same as another's. But for me, as an overachiever with absurdly high expectations of myself, it's become about redefining events I initially consider failure. One of my life's biggest disappointment sounds silly to even put into writing.  When I was a freshman in college I tried out for cheerleader at West Virginia University. I worked really hard, and I thought my tryout went really well. The team had a 120 pound weight li...

My husband was out of town this weekend, so I spent my alone time as I usually do by eating way too much Chinese food, clearing out the DVR and renting a cheesy chick flick that he would never watch with me. Or at least not without some serious cajoling on my part. I decided to rent I Don't Know How She Does It starring Sarah Jessica Parker, the always adorable Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan. It was incredibly predictable but had a Carrie Bradshawesque voiceover that only SJP can pull off. SJP stars as Kate, a mother of two who works at a high powered investment firm. She's always trying to deal with her perceived shortcomings as a mom that exist because of the demands of her career. She describes herself as a juggler being forced to juggle family, job and everything that comes with both.  I think we all have one of those friends (maybe you are one of those people) who has it all together. There are lists upon lists, trying to cram tasks into every free minute of every...

Okay so I wasn't actually running WITH cheetahs. Just near them. Earlier this week I went to one of my favorite places in the world, Washington DC, to attend the National League of Cities annual conference. It's a time for communities across the country to get together and discuss what we're doing as well as to meet with our congressional delegations. For me it's also a time to get away from Michigan for a few days and run with cheetahs. The conference is held at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in the Woodley Park neighborhood. It's near the National Zoo and the National Cathedral . And it's HILLY. The hills vary in degree, but there are some that are extremely steep. Even worse, however, are the long, slowly climbing hills throughout the neighborhood. The hotel is a mere half a mile from the National Zoo, and as a giant animal lover I love running up the hill to run through the zoo early in the morning when nobody else is there. There aren't a l...

I haven't posted in a while, and I definitely need to get back to it. Life has been crazy - taking the bar exam (my nemesis), overscheduling myself (what else is new), and working a ton.  Last weekend I got some much needed R&R by meeting my sister in Denver for Sisters Weekend 2013.  I went to Denver in 2008 for work but have never spent any time there otherwise. We decided Denver would be a fun spot and met there late on Thursday night. Friday morning I forced myself to get up early and go for a run. I was slated for a 12-mile training run, but with my fatigue and the altitude I only ran about four before calling it a day. When I was in Denver five years ago it was summertime and about 100 degrees. I blamed the heat then for my difficult run. Even though it was cool and perfect running weather, It turns out the altitude was the real challenge. My lungs were on fire! The view from the Colorado Capitol Building. Breathtaking - literally. After my run we headed out ...