Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to recap all the running fun I've had this year. I've been doing the Year in Running post for several years now. I've done it in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012, so I'm thankful that Courtney has continued to host it. I write this post for myself, but I hope you enjoy reading it as well. Best Race Experience: By far my favorite race this year was the Ragnar Pennsylvania race. While the race itself had some issues, I had the most amazing team and I discovered that running Ragnar as an ultra is truly the most awesome way to experience Ragnar. I'm currently getting ready to register an ultra team for Ragnar Minnesota this coming summer. Best … [Read more...]
2018 in Bling – not the highest bling year ever
Does this count as bling? No? OK, well having just survived the installation of the new cabinets, etc., it's one of the best rewards I've gotten this year. I still have a lot of painting to do and then I need to refinish the floors, but it's a huge improvement over a week ago. Yes, you read that right. It took one week. But let's talk race bling instead. This year was a bit on the "light" side. I "only" ran 1 marathon, 6 half marathons, an ultra Ragnar, my first timed trail race, and a handful of other random races. I didn't get any new states in 2018, but I did get a new country - New Zealand. Despite being a bit on the light side, I got some pretty cool medals. 2018 half marathon medals... All of my … [Read more...]
When Black Friday takes you down a rabbit hole
On Black Friday, I bought a stove. Not just any stove - a normal sized stove. Which means it did not fit in my kitchen. So, my kitchen is currently completely ripped out, waiting for the new cabinets that will fit around the new stove. As you might imagine, I'm a little bit focused on that right now and if I were to right a "gifts" post as is our current topic, I'd probably write about things like sinks and counter tops. Instead, I'm totally copping out and referring you to the posts I've written in the past. I promise if I survive this renovation, I'll be back focused on running again. As it is, I'll be cramming in one measly mile this evening. Here are my best suggestions for gifts (other than to just go buy everything off of Skirt … [Read more...]
Where should we meet for coffee???
I'm not sure how this month flew by so fast. One minute I was running Marine Corps Marathon. The next we are closing out the month of November. I'm not even sure that I accomplished anything LOL. But since tomorrow is the last Friday of the month and Saturday is the first Saturday of December, I am joining I’m joining Deb and Coco‘s virtual coffee date and throwing a runfession or two for Marcia as well. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I recently decided to do a small renovation on my kitchen. My house was built in 1939 and my stove is from 1962. It's needed work for a while, but I kept finding better things to do with my money (ok maybe not better, but definitely more fun.) I almost got it upgraded a year and a half ago … [Read more...]
So, how’d November treat you?
My November was a nice respite after the craziness that was September and October. Don't get me wrong. I love working for ZOOMA and going to each of the races is a high point of the job, but between my travel schedule, Beer Geek's travel schedule, and the Marine Corps Marathon, I was ready for a quieter month. And since I spent the first half of the month recovering from running a marathon way undertrained, I was happy to have a quiet month. I wasn't even jealous that Beer Geek went to Germany for a week for work and I couldn't go with him. That's not to say I didn't have any thing going on. Some highlights from the month: My parents came to visit and we did a whole bunch of projects on the house that needed doing. After living in … [Read more...]
Black Friday and CyberMonday 2018: Steals and Deals
Welcome to the weekly edition of Tuesdays on the Run. Today's topic is discount codes and Black Friday deals. Lots of stuff running around the internet right now, so definitely do your research before you buy. It's looking like my Black Friday purchase may be a new stove. I've been talking about it for a while, but I actually have someone coming out next Monday to give me a quote on installation. (Old house + 1962 stove = I'm sure this is going to be expensive!) I was considering getting a new Garmin and REI has a great deal on the Fenix watches right now, but with not running an ultra right now, it's moved down the list of priorities. Here are some other good deals you should look out for (links below are affiliate … [Read more...]
Madison, Wisconsin – my favorite city to run in
Madison, Wisconsin is one of my absolute favorite places to run, especially in the summer. It’s a small laid back city with a lot of sights to see. It is also a very fitness friendly town with trails of all types and distances available to the runner and the biker. Add in the lovely weather in the summer and you have a great destination for a runner. It's also where Beer Geek and I plan to retire to eventually. It took me a long time to convince him (umm, close to 20 years...), but he's on board with living there from spring through fall and traveling the rest of the year. Sounds like a great retirement plan to me. 6 more years to go... Here are some of my favorite places to run: Mendota Lakeshore Path - This is one of … [Read more...]
Race Day Mistakes: This is What You Should Not Do
Growing up, one of my favorite books was Berenstain Bears "The Bike Lesson". The whole book is about the father making mistakes when teaching them to ride a bike and then telling them that "This is what you should not do. Let this be a lesson to you." Let me be your Bike Lesson. This is what you should not do... Overdress - yes, it often feels chilly waiting at the start line. And no one wants to get the shivers. But wearing too much can quickly lead to overheating if it's actually warm out or getting sweaty and then freezing if it's not. Most suggest dressing like it's 20* warmer than it is. I have to be careful about that as I tend to run cold. SOLUTION: Throwaway clothes. My personal favorite is a zip up hoody, usually … [Read more...]
Starting the month with a whole lotta coffee
I survived! I knew going into this fall that September and October were going to be insane. They did not disappoint! But it's November now and with Shoo's birthday on Halloween, the craziness ends. Time to take a deep breath and get everything under control. Since I actually have time to take a real coffee break, I'm joining Deb and Coco's virtual coffee date. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I was more sore after the Marine Corps Marathon than I have been after a race in years. Seriously, the lack of a bathroom on our main level darn near killed me. On the bright side, not only did I refuse to walk up and down the stairs to do anything for my kids, I made Shoo be my legs and sent him to get things for me. Thankfully, by … [Read more...]
Marine Corps Marathon 2018 Race Recap
This past Sunday I finished my 5th Marine Corps Marathon. Going in I knew it was going to be a challenging race. Thanks to my heel, I was undertrained. Not only had I not done much in the way of long runs, I had completely lost my strong base that I've had for the last few years. But I wanted this race and I was pretty sure I could finish if my heel cooperated. I admit I was feeling a little bit bitter about the near perfect weather and the fact that I was not in shape to run a PR. But I was given the opportunity to run to honor a fallen soldier and that pretty much led to an instant attitude change. After that, everything else was just the small stuff. Marine Corps Marathon 2018 October 28, 2018 5:39:15 Temp: 48 at the start, low 60s … [Read more...]
Marine Corps Marathon Runfessions
I'm not sitting here counting down the hours until the Marine Corps Marathon. OK, maybe I am. I haven't been this nervous about actually finishing a marathon since my very first MCM in 2008. And then I was nervous because it was my first, not because I was undertrained. This weekend should be... interesting. I mostly have to make my self stick to my goal of doing it slow. If my ego gets in the way and I push at the start, my race is going to suck. So feel free to send me "stick to the plan" vibes. And maybe a few, "hang in there, heel" vibes. I must runfess that the only reason I want to run this year is to get into Runner's Club. I know life is just going to get crazier for the next few years between ZOOMA and the kids getting … [Read more...]
Race views and ZOOMA challenges
Today's topic for Tuesdays on the Run is "Best things seen at a race". I've seen some pretty amusing things: guys running only in thongs, jogglers, dribblers (literally a guy dribbling a basket ball the whole race), awesome costumes, awful costumes, etc. But, despite running with my phone, I pretty much never take pictures and I have the memory of a gnat, so I leave you with this... Moving right along.. Here are our upcoming topics: 10/23 – Standout Post-Race Food 10/30 – Halloween! 11/6 – Racing Mistakes 11/13 – The Best City I Ever Ran In Is… 11/20 – Black Friday And October 16 at 10am EST, ZOOMA opens its winter challenges. You can join us for the Holiday Challenge - a movement and self care challenge for … [Read more...]
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