In November 2018 I ran my second marathon. It was both my second marathon ever and my second marathon in 14 days - just two weeks after Marine Corps Marathon. In my defense, I hadn’t actually intended to run two marathons so close together. I had planned on doing the RDC full marathon as my original target race when I signed up with Fleet Feet’s speed series training program since the race registration was included in my training group sign-up. But then I had the opportunity to get a (legit) bib transfer for Marine Corps Marathon. A bunch of my runner friends were going to MCM and I had major race FOMO so I jumped at the opportunity. That race went well and I felt pretty good; I knew I wanted to run another marathon, but I wasn’t sure when exactly. How long did I need to rest? How much time did my legs need to recover so I could walk comfortably, much less run? I knew I had Run RDC coming up and I thought I might drop to the half marathon but, well, I forgot. (Okay, actually I didn’t forget. I just procrastinated too long and then realized in horror the deadline had passed for swapping distances, oh no!!)
“Well,” I said resignedly, “That decides it. I guess I’m running a marathon this weekend!”
Race celebrates 10th anniversary and I run the race for the second time for a major 8K PR!
The 10th annual Running of the Bulls 8K in downtown Durham was this past weekend and this was my second time running the race! I took a new approach this year and actually decided to train. (Well, I’m training for a few other crazy races, but fortunately it means I was trained up for an 8K!) I crushed my last race time for this course! Read more for the full race report.
Tenth year of Doughman in Durham featured a guest appearance of the Carbdashians as they ran, biked, and "swam" in fun-loving food-eating race
I don't remember the last time I did so much running and eating at the same time.
On Saturday morning I raced Doughman, a relay "quadrathlon" self-powered culinary tour of Durham. Heather, Jill, Lauren and I were the "Carbdashians." We went for completely over-the-top outfits: hot pink shirts that said "Keeping up with the Carbdashians" and a graphic I made, sparkle skirts, bling, exaggeratedly bad contour make-up, and wigs.
Durham team relay offers running, biking, "swimming," and plenty of great local food to raise money for Durham Bike Co-Op nonprofit
Do you have money left over from your tax refund even after being bombarded by spring charity fundraisers? Do you like bikes, the Bull City, or ludicrous athletic achievements? If you answered "yes," "no," or "maybe" to any or all of the above then please consider donating to my team's Doughman fundraiser! What's Doughman? It's a team race and culinary tour of Durham with running, biking, and "swimming" relay legs. Each leg also includes chowing down on some food from a local esteemed Durham restaurant. Think Krispy Kreme Challenge but cooler because it's in Durham, is a relay triathlon (ish), and has good food (oh snap!). ("Wait," you might ask, "how does one swim in Durham?!" I'm glad you asked! Apparently it will include a slip'n'slide or kiddie pool. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what I'm signed up for, but oh well, I'm already signed up for it!)
A list of trails and greenways to tackle in spring 2018
My friend Kelly (an excellent mentor captain for Fleet Feet running group, Fresh Air Fitness coach and organizer, the awesome gift organizer for Duke Children's Hospital, and the founder of First Pages) is doing something epic this summer: she's running the Bryce Canyon ultra-marathon. She's tackling the 50K course, a rough trail race covering 31 miles in the national park. I am super excited for her and a little envious - I have such a love for running and for hiking, so combining the two and doing trail running just makes sense, so I eagerly volunteered to accompany her on some trail runs. To help her train we've come up with a bucket list of local trails to run.
1 mile. 4 cookies. 4 glasses of milk.
Well, I have officially blown my running streak. The goal was to run a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, but something about the Holiday Mile did me in. The concept is simple: 1 mile, 4 cookies, 4 glasses of milk. You start the race by gobbling down a glass of milk and a cookie, and then you run a quarter mile. Stop, eat a cook and drink a glass of milk, run a quarter mile, repeat until the mile is done. The holiday mile will either make you or break you...and it definitely broke me!
Exploring strange places in the gloom of autumn
It was a foggy day in October and we were exploring. There were some abandoned places McCrae had noticed on some recent drives around the area that invited us out on a dreary weekend morning for an adventure. We first drove out to Chatham County to the Haw River, finding some small access point hidden off the highway - one of those gravel lots you might see and have some passing curiosity from the road as it flashes past your car window, but that you never actually stop and explore. It led down to a long wide dam next to the highway bridge over the river, all silt and rocks and rushing water and rusted cans and graffiti.
Boston Marathon documentary opens up discussion of potential marathon training
At some point this weekend while working through the piles of periodicals that I've amassed throughout my house over the past year I got restless. "I might go on a run. Did I do my long run yesterday? Or was it the day before? I don't know, but I think I'll go on a run." And so, forgetting that I'd run seven miles on Saturday morning, on Sunday afternoon I went for a little run. And I kept going for six miles. I suppose when you get to the point that six or seven mile runs don't really feel much like long runs anymore then it might be time to consider the full marathon.
