Tripping The Kenyans

Okay, so this may be the biggest (and punniest) stretch I’ve ever done for a blog post title. But bear with me, it works. Or at least I think it does.  Check out the definition:

Sally Forth (verb)-  to set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner.

Edition 49 of the Peachtree.

And I’m using it in reference to the Peachtree Road Race, which is held annually on July 4th in Atlanta and features 60,000 runners (the world’s largest 10K). And there’s a lot of hype (aka energy) surrounding this race each year.

So “sally forth” on July 4th… hence Sally (on the) Fourth. Get it? Bueller? Bueller?

Fine, whatever. It’s too hot and humid out to argue. And it made me smile, so it’s good by me.

Anyway this past Wednesday, I took part once again in Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race 10K. This was the 12th or 13th time (I kind of like not knowing for sure) I have run the race since 1994 and the sixth time in the last eight years. It is one of my favorite yearly running traditions. Read the rest of this entry →

My love affair with summer running continues.

And almost none of these people ran the 10K.

Last Monday I laced up my shoes for a race with Run Social Atlanta… The Monday Night Brewing 10K. Now “Monday Night Brewing” may sound familiar to you because back in December I was scheduled to do the Monday Night Brewing 10-Miler.  But that event was snowed out.

Cut to six months later and snow was not a factor in this race. Actually, I would have given various body parts for some snow (or a snowcone) because at race time the temperature was a very steamy 87 degrees. Now couple that with high humidity (it had rained just a few hours earlier) and you get conditions that approximate running on the surface of the sun. Read the rest of this entry →

‘Tis the Running Season!

Happy Gloabal Running Day to all of my fellow pavement pounders!

Yup, June 6th is that special day each year where we decorate our shoe trees and gather together to sing holiday running songs all while sipping warm Gu packets. And remember, if Meb sees his shadow during his maintenance run today that means six more weeks of blisters. Or something like that.

I woke up this morning to show my support for this non-Hallmark supported holiday (I was at the card store the other day and they had bupkus). And how did I express my love of running?

I went for a swim.

Now before you think I’m thumbing my nose at the holiday or actively rebelling against the sport that has given me some much joy (and bling), let me ‘splain. Read the rest of this entry →

Fun times.

A few weeks ago I posted about the end of legacy status (see “Lost Legacy”) and in the article, I mentioned instances where races themselves, such as the Hollywood Half Marathon, had ended their run (pardon the pun).

Well, it seems another race I know has joined the list. It was recently announced that 2017 was the final running of the REVEL Canyon City Marathon/Half Marathon. As an ambassador for the REVEL race series and a three-time runner of the half marathon at Canyon City, I am understandably sad to see the end of this course. And Canyon City holds a special place in my heart (which I’ll explain in a bit).

So let me take just a minute to reminisce fondly about Canyon City. Read the rest of this entry →

Pick a season… any season.

I remember in grade school being taught that there were four seasons: spring, summer, winter, and fall. And I certainly remember that spring is supposed to be sandwiched between chilly winter and steamy summer. It’s a very nice time of year. So with that in mind, I have to ask…

What the hell happened to spring this year?

After 20 years of living in Los Angeles, I just faced my first Atlanta winter. And I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of cold weather running. I really don’t like running in long pants or tights, nor do I enjoy wearing layers (I get way too sweaty).

So while I was clomping on the treadmill at the gym when it was too cold outside or when I ventured outside bundled up like a running Nanook of the North, I was secretly longing for spring… when I could shed my balaclava (I learned that word this winter), toss off my thermal gloves and enjoy a nice run in shorts and a short-sleeved tech shirt. Read the rest of this entry →

Ready to run a 5K

My first 5K? Really?

Yeah, that kinda surprised me too.

Since I started distance running back in 2009 I’ve completed approximately 100 races of varying distances, but never once I had I signed up for a 5K. Why you may ask? Really it was for two reasons.

For starters, when I first began training for distance running, my main focus was to increase the length of my runs. As a result, I was quickly running between 8-10 miles during a training session and then even longer. 5K (3.13 miles) was really more of a warm-up distance than anything else.

I was typically running more than 5K even on weekday maintenance runs. And weekends were always my long runs, so it didn’t seem to make “training” sense to swap out those long distance runs for a short run. Read the rest of this entry →

A “Legacy Runner” is someone who has run a race every year of its existence. For example, The Los Angeles Marathon had its inaugural race back in 1986. And 32 years later there are about 150 people that have run the race each and every year without fail. My running hat is off to them.

Now some races have stretched the legacy runner definition to include people who have run a race for a certain number of years in a row. Technically, they’re referred to as “streakers”… not the naked kind… but if you run a race time and time again for numerous years, you’re a true pavement pounder and we’ll let it slide. Read the rest of this entry →

That’d be me last week.

We all get a little air-headed at times. Forgetting why you walked into a room. Blanking on meeting up with your friend. Not remembering where the heck you left your keys or wallet or glasses or phone or etc…

Whenever we get busy or distracted or sleep-deprived (or a combination) we can momentarily become related to the absent-minded professor. And this condition also applies to running and races.

People may laugh at our pre-race runner’s OCD where we lay out all of our clothing and gear in one tight pile (even pinning the bib to our shirts ahead of time) and double, triple and even quadruple checking to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything. And sure we are admittedly a bit crazy, but there is a method to our madness. It’s partially to make sure we don’t have a “whoops” moment where we show up at a race missing a crucial piece of gear. Read the rest of this entry →

Sweet running wear.

One of the unexpected benefits of being a regular runner/racer, is I’ve amassed a second wardrobe, separate and apart from my regular clothing. Brands like Levi, Lucky and Calvin Klein must now fight for closet space with Nike, Mizuno, Brooks, Asics and New Balance. And judging by sheer numbers, I think my running clothing is winning the great Wardrobe War. And the greatest combatant in this conflict: The race tech T-shirt.

Thanks to having completed over 100 races (of varying distances) I have more than enough race tech shirts to clothe a small country. Some race shirts are really cool, some are just functional. Some are bland and some are flat out “fugly.” They come in every color known to Crayola and some that I don’t think you’d even find in the 64-box (with the built-in sharpener). One color, two colors, color stripes, color gradients, short sleeve, long sleeve, sleeveless, crew neck, V-neck, loose fit, athletic fit, tight fit, some designed not to fit anyone, male sex, unisex, insects (gotcha), finisher’s shirts, series shirts, bonus shirts, freebie shirts and seemingly countless other variations. Read the rest of this entry →

Bib and Bling!

Last Sunday felt a bit weird for me for two reasons.

Reason 1: For the past 6 years straight (and 8 times over the last 9 years) I ran the Los Angeles Marathon with my T2 (Team to End AIDS) charity group during the 3rd weekend in March. It’s a truly wonderful race and was the linchpin in my annual race line-up.

But this year I wasn’t in Los Angeles come mid-March. I’m calling Atlanta home now. Instead, I was lacing up my shoes to run my first Publix Georgia Half Marathon. Read the rest of this entry →

Man vs. Car: the car always wins.

Perhaps the wisest thing one of my running coaches ever told me was: “The rules of physics always trump the laws of man.”

He was specifically applying this adage to the rule: Pedestrians have the right of way over cars. Of course, knowing you’re in the right offers little consolation if you get hit by a car… even one that’s totally in the wrong.

Now don’t worry. I didn’t get hit by a car. Mostly anyway. Read the rest of this entry →

Shooting for a 10…

I’ve read numerous articles about how quickly you start to lose your cardio conditioning when you’re not working out. It’s kind of scary how you can start to regress if you’re inactive for as little as two weeks.

Now, if you’re suffering from a serious injury or certain kinds of illnesses, working out is simply out of the equation. You need to rest and recover or you can make things even worse.

As for me, I’ve been nursing this nasty cough for two weeks (since the Hot Chocolate 15K on Feb. 4th). Just read my prior post (“Hackety Hack”) if you want more of the deets. I’m cranky when I miss a regularly scheduled workout… and being on the sideline for over a week was really making me bonkers. Read the rest of this entry →