Check Out My Pod Cast

The snow is finally melting away, and I feel like I can recognize my city again. It's been a crazy winter in DC -- and a rare opportunity to get good use out of my Yaktrax! The running has been difficult, interesting, wonderful, and dangerous, especially the other day when I took a bad fall on some black ice. But all in all, as much as I've enjoyed the break from the usual routine, I'm ready for spring! In the meantime, here's a golden oldie: an article I wrote a few years ago for Maraton & Beyond magazine was recently picked for a podcast. Give it a listen at http://www.enduranceplanet.com/marathon-beyond-monday-in-praise-of-small-town-races. But give it a little time; this runs almost a half-hour. And if you get a chance to listen, let me know what you think. Thanks!

Ok, time to confess. I've been feeling a bit guilty. Time was when I'd run in any kind of weather, but this year, as the DC area endures one of the coldest winters in many years, I've started to wimp out. Sure, I've managed to get outside for an occassional run, and I meet up with my weekend Strides For Hope group, but by and large I'm not hitting the trails, roads, and track with the consistency that I used to.
So what am I going to do about this? NOTHING! This is why they call it an "off season." I take my training indoors now many days, give my body a little bit of a break (though not too much) from the heavy training and racing of the spring-through-fall seasons, and just try to enjoy it. Guilt-free.
Believe it or not, I even managed to find the time and energy to build a snowman. Maybe this hasn't been such a bad season after all.

Letter in the New Yorker

Look for my letter in the New Yorker this week, in the magazine or online at www.newyorker.com/magazine/letters/2010/01/04/100104mama_mail2.

You know You're a Runner When . . .

You Know You’re A Runner When . . .
1. You circle the for when MCM, Cherry Blossom 10, and Annapolis 10 race registration opens.
2. You jog in place, staring at your watch, to round up your training run.
3. You favorite coffee shop barrister knows what you order after your Sunday run.
4. You swap ortho, podiatrist, and chiro doc info with friends
5. You like to include DC, MD, and VA all in the same long run.
6. You know your way on the the RCP trails.
7. You can tell what shoes someone is wearing as they run past.
8. You don’t think it’s weird to talk about your urine color.
9. A forecast of a cool cloudy day sounds wonderful to you.
10. You consider sports gel to be a food group.
11. You’ve considered using sports gel on your pancakes
12. You think sweat is sexy.
13. You think shower-time should be earned.
14. You can’t find a T-shirt in your drawer that is blank.
15. You know what to do with a foam roller.
16. You don’t know why your family objects to spending the day at a race expo
17. You knwo what pronation is.
18. You know what a PR and a BQ are.
19. You know what your race split times are for the past 5 years.
20. You don’t think the word "fartlek" is funny.
21. You own more than 3 pairs of running shoes.
22. In most weeks, you put more miles on your runing shoes than on your car.
23. You think an ideal vacation is centered around a race.
24. You think a race is a good place to catch up with friends.
25. You know which pubic water fountains work, and which don’t.
26 You know where the cleanest public bathrooms are.
27. You think "Without Limits" was a great movie.
28. You think hills are great for running.
29. You consider bananas to be the perfect food.
30. You have a towel on your front seat.
31. You keep a drawer full of throw-away-clothes.
32. You can recite the current Marathon world record, who set it, and where.
33. You’ve taken an ice bath.
34. You think garbage bags are the perfect pull-over.
35. You always find safety pins in your gym bag and in your car.
36. You’ve forgotten your anniversary but you know all your PRs.
37. You’ve run in the cold . . . in the snow . . . in the dark . . . and liked it.
38. You think the perfect sandwich is two Fig Newtons with peanut butter in between.

So with 2 feet of snow on the ground here in DC, you'd think this would be the prefect time to put away the running shoes and settle down with a cup of Hot Chocolate -- Wrong! Time to get out the door for some winter adventure. After digging into my closet for rarely-seen gear, I was ready: I had my waterproof socks, trail runners, Yak-Trax, and multiple layers of clothing. And though I was slowed to a crawl at some points as I picked my way through the drifts, I had a great time! And that's my message for the new year: don't let less-than-ideal conditions deter you; treat everything like an adventure and make it all fun. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The first snow of the season hit yesterday, nad I'm a little ashamed to say that I took my workout indoors. I used to run in any kind of weather, but with a bit of a scratchy throat and the Dallas Marathon coming up next weekend, I knew that the smart move would be to hit the gym. Still, our runner's ethic is to get out and train no matter the conditions, and usually, by the end of the run, we're happy we did it. I'll make up for this lapse later! Keep warm & dry everyone.

Twin Cities Marathon

I just now got back from running the Twin Cities Marathon as part of the Clif Bar Pace Team. I was assigned the 3:40 group, and brought them in at 3:39:10. I'd never run this race before, and it certianly lived up to all the wonderful things I heard about it. It passed 4 lakes and cruised along the Mississippi River, lined by lots of green and lots of cheering Minnesotans -- not an ugly spot along the entire 26.2 miles. And we got lucky with the weather; a cool, overcast day sandwiched by rainey days yesterday and predicted for tomorrow. All in all, a great running experience! More races comign up this month -- for me, and maybe for you, too. Let me know what you're up to!