A rare weekday run in daylight! A treat for sure, but not without a few tricks as well! Packed running clothes this morning planning to try to cut out of work early and run. My phone weather app said "high today-mid 50's". Uh, it turned out to be one of those "upside down" days we get when a cold front moves in and the "high" is actually around 11am and the temps bottom out from there. I also failed to notice the little wispy wind symbol and the wind speeds of 20-30mph. Wooops! So off I go, in… Continue

My legs ache. However, it's nice that for the first time in a while, they ache in the right way. Yesterday involved a ten-mile 'undulating' race around the countryside that was the culmination of a January where I've been paying a lot of attention to my running (cf: 'I'm not a real runner', circa July 2012) and I think it's paying off.

The first couple of weeks of the new year involved me being very careful with my running anyway, after a nagging sort of injury to the side of…

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Or as one runner on today's course named it...the "Ouch-ita Trail"!  30is runners toed the start line at the unoffical Ouachita Switchback Trail Race.  I think it will be official next year and the years to come.  Check out the race page at ouachitaswitchbacks.blogspot.com. Tommy Brennan is an awesome race director.  Today was more bitter than sweet for me.  It has been about 3 months since I've been out there. She is a tough, rugged, but beautiful trail stretching neary 200 miles from…

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I have a bittersweet relationship with this trail...very bitter for the first few go arounds!  (see waaaay back posts!). It is now a very sweet relationship, I have a great deal of respect for her...she has taught me so much about myself.  I see myself, the world, and those around me different because of her lessons.  Saturday I go back to learn more.  17.7 miles of rugged, rooty, technical, steep terrian.  This is the first time I will run with other people out there.  It's weird, it's…

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1 can mixed nuts

1/2-1 can almonds--just cuz I reaaally like them!

handful of dried blueberries

handful of dried chopped dates

handful of dried cranberries and/or raisins

smaller handful of butterscotch chips

smaller handful of dark chocolate chips

smaller handful of m&ms

Mix it all up and add more/less of what you like. Warning...addictive!!

I love winter running. I try and only use the treadmill for speed work. The trick is to be prepared. It has taken me a few years to perfect my layering system. Some of the tricks that I have learned is to start with a wool base layer. I also use hand warmers in my gloves and a mask or buff on my face. When I finish I have a thermos of hot tea and a change of cloths and shoes. I have found that these workouts have helped me mentally and physically during racing. So bring on the weather.

Whirlwind trip from Denver to Leadville back to Denver to Tulsa in less than 24 hrs!  Had a work trip to Denver and couldn't resist the temptation to get to Leadville...to get in the mountains.  I wanted despirately to run some trails around Leadville, but, the trails are typically not runnable this time of year. My hosts in Buena Vista confirmed this, so I resigned myself to running some trails a few thousand feet down in Buena Vista.  After some business in Leadville I hit the coffee shop.…

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I always feel a little high coming to Colorado. Got to run in Denver today with the Mountains in the background saying "come on little girl". I love the feeling of breathing harder, te altitude and magnitude of the mountains reminding me to be humble.

It is a happy new year so far :) I think the last time I wrote a blog, I'd just run my first solo marathon-length run through 'undulating' territory; since then I've been enjoying running shorter distances like a new man (for want of a less clichéd expression). Well, almost entirely since then - the last week or so I've had a bit of a nigging tendon (it feels like) pain just outside and below my left knee so I'm planning to rest up for about another week before getting back…

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Got this recipe from a runner friend who got it from a blog or post somewhere, but they are awesome!



1 cup rolled oats

1/2cup roasted pumpkin seeds

zest of one orange (as much to your taste)

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 pitted dates

1 cup dried coconut

1/4 cup of water



1cup dried coconut



Add ingredients except water and coconut to food processor and process for about a minute until crumbly. Add enough water to make sticky. Roll into… Continue

Hi, I'm 42 and recently returned to running. In the past I only ran to support cardio for martial arts training. I spent a painful year learning to be a hee striker as that was the advice I was given some years ago now I have discovered the "barefoot" community and I'm very excited.



I think though I've started badly as I keep picking up calf tears so I've gone right back to foot and leg drills as suggested by Eric.



I'm looking for a training plan that would prepare me for… Continue