I Run These Towns

I went to college and law school at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. I moved there in 1996 and lived there until 2002. My parents live there now, and after 9 years of living elsewhere, I wonder every time I visit when it will stop feeling like home. Woodburn Hall, the centerpiece of WVU's downtown campus. I really didn't run in college. I was a crazy gym rat and worked out almost every day. I would walk miles on the track on campus and on the trail by the river. But running wasn't really my thing. I even walked a few 5Ks in college (one in 33 minutes...that's some fast walking.) Now that I've been running for nearly six years, I love to run while visiting my parents. Morgantown has so many great places to run - on campus, downtown, on the rail trail along the river. If you're up for challenges, Morgantown's hilly terrain provides lots of them. There have been times where I've gotten to the top of a hill and have to just sta...

It's not a secret that I'm a fan of the Capital City River Run (CCRR). I blogged about last year's race with glowing praise. I don't generally like to repeat a race I've already done because there are so many races, and I can only do so many of them. There is, however, something very nice about picking up my packet and starting a race less than two and a half miles from my house. Michigan Avenue, Downtown Lansing I decided to get to the expo early this year - as soon as it opened. It was not yet crowded, and I was able to check in for the race in less than five minutes. Once again the race had an excellent New Balance long-sleeved technical shirt.  Awesome!  The weather for this year's race was once again perfect - high 40s at the start and in the low 60s by the finish. It was beautiful weather for a 13.1 mile tour through Lansing and East Lansing. Most of the race course was the same as last year highlighting some of the Lansing area's best attract...

I really love doing this blog. We travel a lot, and it gives me an excuse to find races in various locales. My husband has also not complained even once when I have, for example, signed up for a race in Chicago with a girlfriend without consulting him first. It is for the blog, after all. Research. I have a little schedule of races I intend to do. I've signed up for some and am still researching others. We have no problem traveling a little distance to get to a cool race, but we certainly can't do that every weekend. Putting two giant dogs in the kennel isn't cheap. On the current docket are the Capital City River Run in Lansing this coming weekend, the Spartan Sprint 5k in East Lansing in October, the Hot Chocolate 15k in Chicago in November and the Turkey Trot 10k in Detroit on Thanksgiving morning. Murphy and Izzy Harkins sad at the thought of another weekend at the boarder I intend to do a long race somewhere in January or February, and this has become quite t...

I love Boston. I know, I know, I fall in love with lots of cities; it's an occupational hazard. I'm also extremely critical of a lot of cities, and my only criticism of Boston is that I don't live there. After my first visit I am completely, head-over-heels in love. Let's discuss. Boston Public Garden with downtown in the background I've heard great things about Boston, and it did not fail to impress. We stayed at the Boston Park Plaza in an absolutely fantastic location. It was close to the public garden , Boston Common , the Freedom Trail , and fabulous shopping and eateries on Newbury Street . Soon after we arrived we ventured down Newbury Street for late afternoon snacks and cocktails. Delicious.  Outside our hotel Late on our first evening we headed to the North End for delicious Italian food at Bricco . This meal was exquisite. I don't know if I've ever used that word before, but it applies here. We shared a great bottle of wine recommende...

Prior to running the Crim 10 miler , I had never been to Flint (despite a profession that requires me to travel to communities across the State of Michigan). Flint is only 45 minutes from Lansing, but other than traveling to Flint's Bishop International Airport (there are fantastic deals from there) I'd never been to the city proper. Celebrating Flint's auto heritage (photo courtesy of the Michigan Municipal League) Flint has an interesting reputation. Michigan's auto manufacturing economy put the state and many cities (including Flint) on the map in the 20th century. As the auto industry has struggled, so has Flint. But in the few years I've been hearing good things about Flint - a revitalized downtown, leveraging an anchor institution ( University of Michigan at Flint ), a motivated city government and grassroots effort to rejuvenate the city . Downtown Flint (photo courtesy of the Michigan Municipal League) The Crim Festival of Races 10 miler provided...

I came across a survey from Runner's World ranking the 25 best running cities in America. (The survey is a little dated - from 2004 - but I'd bet it hasn't changed much.) What struck me was not only are these great places to run, but this list is comprised of great places period. This led me to the obvious conclusion that cities considered good cities for running attract runners and others because they're just good places in general. Just looking at the cities on this list makes my cityphile heart happy. It includes San Francisco at the top followed by San Diego, New York City, Chicago, D.C., Minneapolis, Boulder, Boston, Denver, Portland, Austin, Seattle, Philly, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Anchorage, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Madison, Monterey, and Fort Collins, CO. It's like the dream team of fabulous cities in America.  Central Park, NYC. Ideal for running These are places that have the "it" factor - people ...

If you know me at all you know I'm clearly a fan of running while on vacation. I think it's the most interesting way to see a new place. So when my husband and I booked a week at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico I immediately thought perfect! Running on the beach. A stroll on the beach in Riviera Maya Our vacation in Mexico was fantastic - and I'm quite sure neither the heat nor the sheer amount of pina coladas and mojitos I consumed helped with my runs.  I'm used to drinking a Gatorade and some water after a run, not running back out to the pool and ordering another frozen cocktail. But when in Rome, right? Shortly after arriving - I needed a mojito stat! We ran on the beach alright. But I didn't account for the fact that it's hot in Mexico in August. Even at 7 a.m. the temperature is pretty warm. Regardless that didn't stop me from suiting up and running in the surf.  Also the ocean in Mexico in August feels like a warm bath. It'...