I Run These Towns

In January I posted a blog that this year I would seize the day, run faster, and push my own limits. I am happy to declare that I exceeded each of these resolutions in ways that I couldn't have imagined when I wrote them. In a lengthy cocktail-filled brunch earlier this year with dear friends we proclaimed 2014 a year of celebration. In 2014 I ran faster than I ever have, I pushed my own limits, and I fell in love over and over again. Before writing this blog I started thinking that I hadn't traveled very often this year. It turns out that isn't true. I rang in 2014 in Los Angeles and visited Chicago , Louisville , Washington, DC (four times), Buffalo , Montreal , Quebec City , West Virginia (four times), Atlanta and Norfolk, VA throughout the year. I got to play a small part in some place based projects for work, and I fell in love repeatedly while doing it. I fell in love with Michigan cities like Marquette (where I traveled three times this year), Holland, Midlan...

When I was a little girl I used to wake early before the rest of my family and just sit quietly in front of the Christmas tree. It is one of my favorite holiday memories, and every year I promise myself that I'll slow down and recapture that magic. Every year I fail miserably. This year, however, is the year that has changed. This year, as I promised I would be, I am reflective and content. I haven't been for a run in over a week, and we don't have our next vacation planned (things that generally drive me crazy), but I feel sated nonetheless. We moved into our new house in June, and it's a gorgeous 1884 Victorian. I felt a large responsibility to decorate the house appropriately for the holidays, and I think we've done it justice. In honor of my relaxed attitude this holiday season, I present you holiday decorations that I think have at least in some way contributed. Our smallest tree in the entry These deer (from Target) are my FAV new decoration this s...

Earlier this week I talked about some of my favorite running things, and it got me thinking about my favorite city things. The key to what makes all cities great is walkability. The foundation for a great community is being able to walk safely across the streets and on sidewalks and destinations to visit. Washington Square in Downtown Lansing is pretty walkable. It's one lane in each direction, has lots of well marked crosswalks, and has angled parking. It could teach pretty much every other street in Downtown Lansing a valuable lesson. Many of the other one-way, five lane streets in our downtown are just absurd. Yes I'm talking to you Grand Avenue, Capitol Avenue, Pine Street and Walnut Street. Santa would land his sleigh on Capitol Avenue at basically any point in the day and hand out toys. There's not enough traffic to sustain that insanely wide street, and that needs to be changed. I should NOT be able to do this easily in Downtown Lansing. And please don't...

Every year my husband tells me he doesn't want to get me running gear for Christmas. He finds it annoying that it's really all I want, and then he tries to be creative and buys me something else that I don't really use. When he does this I think if he'd just bought me running stuff like I wanted we wouldn't have this issue. So to make it, ahem, easier for my husband, I'm compiling a list of a few of my favorite (running) things. Compression leg sleeves are the best. I LOVE them. They are the perfect running accessory for most of the year when pants are really too hot, but shorts are really too cold. Also they look adorable. I have one pair of Zensah leg sleeves that are yellow, and they are fabulous. I'm thinking I need at least one more pair...maybe two. Pink? Purple? Both? Running tights are where it's at. I live in Michigan, and it's cold here a lot of the year. Running tights are very expensive, and that makes them the best gift. Right no...

I have an extremely active imagination. It even transcends into the world of dreams. I have very vivid dreams and almost always remember them. Last week, for example, I dreamed that I was sitting in a group of friends (maybe 6 or 7 of us), and Taylor Swift was with us. I dreamed that she was whining about how kids were mean to her, and I said, "So now are you just like 'What's up, bitches? I'm Taylor Swift!'" And in my dream she started crying, said I was mean to her friends and ran away. Then I woke up with that wretched "Shake it Off" song in my head. It was a nightmare the rest of the day. Running is the best way to deal with my active imagination. You won't believe the number of imaginary confrontations I've had (both work and personal) while running. I've come up with brilliant ideas and dismissed silly ones. Running is where my best thinking happens. I've written legislative testimony and dozens of these blogs. I insist on run...

I'd never done (or heard of) a turkey trot before I moved to Michigan. My first was in 2008 when I ran the Lansing Turkeyman Trot. I ran that race in 31:56, nearly 8 minutes slower than I ran the Harbor Lights 5k a few weeks ago. It turns out I've gotten a touch faster over the years.  With a young Murphy after the 2008 Lansing Turkey Trot I ran the Detroit Turkey Trot a few years ago in 2011. It was my first race post abdominal surgery.  That race is almost unmanageably colossal. I'm glad I ran it, but I'm happy to never run it again. There were 20,000 people running the 5k and 10k. It was relatively organized, but it was really just too much. In Detroit after the Detroit Turkey Trot in 2011 In 2012 and 2013 we ran the inaugural and the second annual Morgantown Running Turkey Trot . The one in 2012 was my husband's first 5k, so that race has a special place in my heart. I was sad to not be doing it for the third consecutive year. We stayed in Michiga...