I Run These Towns

I love Chicago . I could not possibly love it more. The first time I visited I asked my husband why we don't live there. I have continued to ask this question each time I visit, and I'm still not entirely sure why we haven't uprooted our lives to move there.  The John Hancock Building in Chicago. Note the green space!  In Michigan we often hear that Michigan's college grads are flocking to Chicago in droves - and it's true. Research shows that millennials (young people between the ages of roughly 25-35) move to someplace cool and THEN look for a job. Chicago's concentration of Michigan college grads shows this to be true. This idea sounds so romantic - take off, wait tables somewhere, look for a job while living in the coolest city ever. It's less romantic when you're 32 and married with a great job, a mortgage and a gaggle of pets. But hey - a girl can dream. Lake Michigan waterfront with downtown Chicago in the background  I visited Chicago...

It's ironic - one would think summer to be the best time to get out and go for a run. I'm here to tell you - that is just not the case. When the humidity hovers at 85 percent at 6 a.m., you can never have a good run. Why do you think most marathons are in the spring and fall? It's way easier to run a race once it's cooler. I, maybe stupidly, am running a half marathon in about 2½ weeks. I don't feel entirely prepared, but hey, it's only 13.1 miles, right? (I keep telling myself that hoping it seems less daunting.) So while my runs have been more sluggish and I've been a little less focused, I've been doing a lot of reading this summer on both cities and running.  I'm STILL trying to figure out what race to do in the fall. At this point I'm leaning toward the Monster Dash in Chicago in October and then running the Austin Half Marathon in February. I lived in Texas for a few years and spent a lot of time in Austin. It's a fantastic city ...

I often hear people either they don't want to exercise while they are on vacation, or that I am crazy for running when I am out of town. I have found vacation runs to be among my favorite. There's nothing quite like the freedom of going to a new city, lacing up my running shoes and exploring.  Last summer we did a road trip in the western U.S. to Montana. There was nothing quite like going for an early run in Des Moines, Iowa. Another of my favorite places to run is while visiting my parents in Morgantown, West Virginia. I wasn't a runner when I was in college there, so I enjoy exploring campus through the eyes of a runner. (For the record - it's hilly). Jumping for joy in front of Iowa's state capitol in Des Moines My husband and I are avid college football fans, and during a college football road trip to State College, PA last year I went for an early run on Penn State's campus. It was over Thanksgiving week, and there was nobody out. I felt like I ha...

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 ...