I Run These Towns

Try to tell me a West Virginia joke I haven't heard. Go on...I'll wait. It's hilarious; I get it. How do I have shoes? And teeth? And I married someone who isn't my brother? These jokes are so novel! I proudly went to West Virginia University and bleed old gold and blue. No, I've never burned a couch. It's just too easy for you, isn't it?  Last week I finished the J.D. Vance's brilliant book, Hillbilly Elegy . It is an insightful look at hillbilly culture. But before reading it I would vehemently argue that I am not a hillbilly. Despite having a lovely, safe childhood in a town that was idyllic in a lot of ways, I've fought back against where I come from. It's not because I'm not proud of it, but it's because from the time I was a child I thought I was more. Ultimately that's what hillbilly parents (and all parents) want for their children: more than they had. I was raised by two kick ass parents, a coal miner and homemaker, who wor

Life is full of diversions that distract us from what's important. There are thousands of shiny things to divert our attention from the things in life that actually matter. I was like a dog chasing a squirrel in 2016 letting unimportant and negative things take my attention instead of focusing on the important things in my life. That is changing in 2017. Last weekend I went to visit my siblings in Norfolk, Virginia. I love Norfolk , and even 11 years after moving away it still feels more like home than Michigan (a state where I have lived for 11 years, and I only lived in Norfolk for two and a half years).  Visiting my siblings is not about what or how much we do but rather seeing these people I love so much and making sure my son gets much needed quality time with his cousins.  Because toddlers and doughnuts are always a good idea.  We spent the weekend relaxing, visiting the Virginia Aquarium, eating, drinking and just talking. It was perfect. My son loves playing with al

I'd hoped for a different running year in 2016. After my fastest year ever in 2015 I had high expectations, and Crohn's had other plans. My husband bought me some great running gear for my birthday (in August), and I realized this morning that I have not worn one of the shirts yet. I've run that infrequently the last eight months. It's been pretty challenging emotionally, and my clothes are clinging in all the wrong places. Something has to give.  Last year was challenging because it was the first Crohn's flare I'd had in 14 years. I had a lengthy hospital stay in 2014, but it was sort of Crohn's adjacent. I had a hernia repaired (elective surgery.). The hernia was the result of Crohn's scar tissue, and the resulting bowel obstruction was also from scar tissue. The subsequent blood clot was a surprise. But my actual Crohn's disease was in remission, and it allowed me to heal quickly. The past nine months have been a huge struggle with my health.

I like schedules. I mean who doesn't right? Schedules are imperative for a mom of a toddler, but my commitment to the calendar began long before my son was born. I can remember in high school balancing school, cheerleading for fall and winter sports seasons, track season in the spring, plus all the other extracirricular activities in which I was involved. I remember cheering for boys' basketball games on Friday nights, getting home late and getting up early on Saturday to drive an hour one way for tumbling class. I wrote columns in two local newspapers. I was a four-time state FFA champion (in parliamentary procedure, public speaking, extemporaneous speaking and the best - meat judging), and I competed in numerous competitions that didn't result in state titles. My agenda was full. Cheerleading sophomore year 1995 state champion meat judgers. For real. Fast forward to college. In the days before spreadsheets I kept an evolving document that listed the courses I