Our race shirts for the Celtic Solstice 5 miler on Saturday! It will be my first post-knee surgery race - almost 6 months to the day. I can’t wait to get back out there and do what I love best: run in the early morning, on a new route, with a buddy. This time I’m fortunate to not just be running with 3,000 other athletes, but also with my super sweet boyfriend. He skipped a bachelor party to join me! Now that’s love :D

I start a new job tomorrow! Same company, different position and location. I’m extremely excited to start a new venture, while remaining true to helping people become happier and healthier.

It was sad saying goodbye to my former colleagues, of course, and all of my clients, but surprisingly, what struck me as just as upsetting to leave was the running path near my old office. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. And the soft, smooth running path was perfect for my injured knee to work its way back into shape. It’s funny how places can work their way into your life as much as personalities. I took one last jog in my little park before saying goodbye. Now it’s time to meet new colleagues, new clients, and find a new perfect little path to become a part of my life.

You should try trail running. Seriously. With fall approaching we’ll soon see the oppressive heat of the summer give way to the cool days of September and October. There’s no better way to enjoy this reprieve from the heat, appreciate the amazing colors of the season, and work off the last of the poolside margaritas than by trail running. Plus, it’s a better workout than the treadmill or the street…take a look at this article from Shape Magazine about what you need to do to transition from hard surfaces, to the calorie burning twists and turns of uneven terrain:

There’s nothing like a run on the Brooklyn Bridge. It doesn’t even have to be on a gorgeous day like you always see pictured with the bright blue sky. I’ve run it in the snow, ice, rain, sun, and every single time is awesome in it’s own way.

Have you trained for a race before? If you have, especially for a long one, and you use generally the same route for your long training runs, you know what kind of relationship you form with that route. And I use relationship in the full sense of the word - once those runs get up over 6 miles you’re looking at an hour plus out on the road.

Hopefully most of those runs are great. You’re light on your feet, the weather is beautiful, and you feel like you could go forever. But inevitably the bad run happens: you ate/drank too much the night before; your new shirt starts chaffing you; it rains/sleets/snows while you’re 10 miles from home; you have to use the bathroom RIGHT NOW; or you just plain feel like crap and never hit your stride. Even those runs, maybe especially those runs, tie you to your route even more so than the good days, because you’ve survived something.

All your friends are in bed sleeping late on a Saturday morning, but you got up, got dressed, and hit the streets. It may not have been pretty, but you ran 20 miles around Manhattan before they even open their eyes. Maybe it’s a little elitist, but that fact alone gives me a smug satisfaction as I limp throughout the rest of my day.

Obviously there are other benefits too. I mean, I haven’t done a training run over the Brooklyn Bridge in 13 months, but seeing this picture today brought a smile to my face and a flood of warm feelings. To give just one example, one particular snowy memory came back that I hadn’t thought of in a long time. There had been a massive snow storm the night before, so I put on my best bank robbing outfit, which also doubled as my warmest cold weather gear, and when I made it to the riverfront, only one narrow path had been shoveled. It was still thick with ice under a slick layer of snow and I had to train my pace to land firm enough to be stable and not land me on my ass…although it took a few spills to learn that. It. Was. Gorgeous. I was completely alone, which is crazy in NYC, you’re NEVER alone in that city, even the homeless people had found shelter for that day. The snow was fresh enough it was still white and hadn’t been muddied up yet, the river was a steel gray, and the sky was this deep winter blue. Sure, eventually the cold broke through my Under Armour and I started to freeze from the toes up and a biting sleet started to fall and sting my eyes. But despite all that and the slow going I felt strong and had one of those runs where you can tell your training is paying off. And yeah, I’ll admit it, I had the smugness too. Later, when everyone recounted what they’d done while snowed in that day - movie marathons, drinking marathons, sleeping marathons - it felt pretty good to say, “oh, I just ran 18 miles into Brooklyn and back.”

Top life experience that I used to have at least once, if not twice a week in my past life: running across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise or sunset (not on a weekend, though, if you actually want to have room to move without bumping into tourists every two steps of the way!).

Next running route! Who’s coming with me?

landscapelifescape:

Hare Tor, Dartmoor, UK

Down From Hare by Alex37

I’m completely obsessed with trail running, lately, and while Northern Virginia has some amazing routes, I think this is the perfect place to take my obsession abroad…

landscapelifescape:

Landmannalaugar, Iceland

To Walk Alone by Dee-T

Murphy in front of the water fall at Scott’s Run - a mere 15 minutes from my house! I love my life.

Living in Northern Virginia I have so many awesome places to get out into nature, but as a small female, it’s not always the brightest idea to go off into the middle of the woods alone. I’m so new here I haven’t met anyone to go off into the woods with me yet (if you know anyone, send them my way!), plus I watch way too much of that Animal Planet show “I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” so I’m hyper aware of every cliche I do. Like this morning when I told my sister-in-law I was going to Great Falls, and then changed my mind at the last minute to go to Scott’s Run, but didn’t tell anyone. The voice-over played as I watched the re-enactment in my head, “and that small twist of fate led the young girl into the deep, dark woods where even once it was discovered she was missing, they had no idea to look for her a mere mile down the road from where she said she would be…”

Enter Murphy. He’s handsome, tons of fun, sets a great running pace, and is always super excited to see me. Needless to say I’m in love. We explored Scott’s Run for almost two hours this morning! I jogged while he kept a brisk pace in front of me, leaping over logs, splashing through creeks, I was in heaven. He’s the best dog and lives right across the street from me so we can go play whenever I want. His owners don’t mind a bit! He’s the next best thing to a boyfriend…possibly even better, it’s a close call.

Are you allowed to run through vineyards? If so, I’m going on a running tour of vineyards in the South of France. At the end of each run I’m going to lounge on a terrace sipping wine and nibbling cheese, and if a hot French waiter wants to serve me, I’d be okay with that too. 

Thank you for the photo:

landscapelifescape:

Un ete dans les vignes II by ChristineAmat

I meet a lot of people who say they hate to run. And I get that, I really do. You get sweaty and tired and no one, absolutely no one, looks good doing it. But I have to ask one follow up question, “are you running only on treadmills?” If so, before you give up running for good, try to run outside a few times. Find a nice trail, like the one pictured here, and go early in the morning when it’s nice and cool and not too crowded. It’s such a special time of day to be awake, before you’re joined by the noise of the rest of the world. Plus you’re not staring at your sweaty self in the gym mirror or the gross person grunting next to you. There’s scenery and fresh air to distract you from that fact that you’re actually exercising. Give it a try, and if you still hate it, then okay, you’re just not a runner. But now have you tried cycling….

I recently moved from the cement playground of New York City, to Vienna, Virginia - a suburb of Washington, D.C. I went for a run through Wolftrap, the National Park that abuts my new neighborhood and couldn’t believe my ears…NOTHING! Not a sound, other than nature of course. I kid you not, there was a real live babbling brook. I swear to you birds were tweeting and squirrels were frolicking. Not pigeons trying to poop on my head (happened) or rats running across my path (ditto). I felt like a very athletic Snow White. I think I could get used to this.

postcollegerunnergirl:

Andy Bernard: I’ve walked two marathons. I’m pretty sure I can handle a 5k. The key is drafting - eliminate wind resistance.

film-grain:

(by nuzzaci)

Anyone up for a trail run?