rileduprunner

City of Brotherly Run

American gold medalist Frank Shorter once said that you’re not ready to run another marathon until you’ve forgotten the last one. If the Internet had existed in the 70s, he also would have said that you’re not ready to write your marathon recap blog post until you’re once again able to walk down stairs, soContinue reading “City of Brotherly Run”

Out of My Hands

I’m what you might call the kind of person who likes to be in control. I like to make game plans. I like to set schedules. I like to analyze progress, meet milestones and prepare for every possible outcome so I’m never flying blind. That’s why tapering for a marathon is so gosh darn difficultContinue reading “Out of My Hands”

Ill Will

I’ve run my 20-miler. I’ve finished my final track workout. I’ve bought my train ticket, booked my hotel room and selected my outfit for the Philadelphia marathon. Only one more thing to check off my list before the big morning just 10 days away: catch a debilitating head cold. Check. That’s right, folks. With lessContinue reading “Ill Will”

The Other Side

On Sunday morning, thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets from Staten Island to Central Park for the TCS New York City Marathon. I was one of them. And it wasn’t easy. Temperatures were in the low 40s. Winds gusted to near 45 mph. The day’s events started early, I hadn’t had enough carbsContinue reading “The Other Side”

XX

The number 20 has a lot of positive connotations in my book. It’s the perfect sized bill to stash in your pocket for a long-run emergency. It’s the age after which it’s no longer appropriate to wake up spooning a jar of peanut butter. It’s the number of questions it takes to guess which itemContinue reading “XX”

The Heat Is On

If you looked up to DJ Tanner as much as I did circa 1992, you know that doing something just because everyone else is doing it can never end well. Case in point: you shouldn’t cut school just because everyone else is doing it. You shouldn’t stairmaster until you faint just because everyone else isContinue reading “The Heat Is On”

Bending the Rules

I’m not the most flexible woman in the world. Hello, understatement of the century. Let me rephrase. I’m probably the least flexible woman in the world when you really break it down. The last time I touched my toes, Balki Bartokomous was still on primetime. My range of movement caps out at the Cha ChaContinue reading “Bending the Rules”

Took All the Trees, Put ‘Em in a Tree Museum

As the Counting Crows once crooned to many a nostalgic listener: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” For some people, it’s love. For others, it’s health. For all of us, it’s classic Joni Mitchell songs not actually in need of a 2003 facelift feat. VanessaContinue reading “Took All the Trees, Put ‘Em in a Tree Museum”

Better Half

By most accounts, my weekend was a pretty uneventful one. Friday, I was in bed by 10 p.m. Saturday, I cooked a low-key dinner for my boyfriend. Today, I did a long run, hobbled to the loveseat and vowed never to stand up again. Speaking of which, hey, Ben, can you toss me a seltzerContinue reading “Better Half”

Slim Chance

I recently mentioned to my boyfriend that I was aiming to lose a few pounds to get down to racing weight before the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23. “Well, that’s pretty inevitable, isn’t it?” he said. “How can you train for a marathon and not lose weight? Oh Ben, you beautiful, naïve, sophisticated newborn baby.Continue reading “Slim Chance”