I may have looked hard core, but...

I had planned to run an "easy" 8 miles this weekend, since I had not had a chance to run much during the work week; I do my easy runs in West Asheville, where it is fairly flat by the French Broad river. When I woke up on Saturday morning it was raining, so I took my time getting ready; by the time I began my run it was almost 10 am, which is very late for me!

It was overcast at 10, and I never gave any thought to the fact that there was a good chance of rain. Well, I guess I MUST have had a thought or 2 in the back of my mind, because I wore a ball cap and carried my "water resistant" wind breaker. I was just happy it wasn't too sunny, as I hate running in the heat. It began sprinkling around 2.5 miles, and I was thankful for the cool-down; it only lasted a few moments. That was just the beginning...

The skies opened up around mile 4. I was thinking that possibly it would pass quickly as the earlier sprinkles had; what an imagination I have! No such luck. I quickly donned my wind breaker, which was less than helpful, and couldn't resist laughing at the thought of the message on my baseball hat: "hello sunshine!" How ironic. I was soon completely drenched, jacket clinging to me, shorts sticking to my legs, and shoes sloshing. I ran through small puddles in order to dodge the larger ones. Cars passed, splashing water up from the street. I had several honks; whether they were saying "You idiot!", "way to go!", or trying to send a more perverse message, I'm not sure. All I know is that no one stopped to offer a ride...and for that I am grateful. Truly. I wanted to at least run back to my own car, which was parked at mile 5.5. And that I did. I briefly toyed with the idea of continuing with my run (why not; I couldn't get any wetter!), but the small lake in each shoe changed my mind. And thank goodness, because not 10 minutes later the rain began falling even harder...if that were even possible...and I was enjoying my veggie sausage biscuit at West End Bakery instead of running in it!

I like to think of myself as hard core when I end up running in the rain or snow, but the truth is I would not have even gone out if there hadn't been a break in the weather. I was just unfortunate enough to get caught in it! But I am thankful for the workout, and thankful for a sense of humor.

Genius: One, U2

I haven't done a Genius run for a while, so I thought I'd head out with some tunes on a 3-miler this morning while MC was in Atlanta running with Celia.

One, U2
Man on the Moon, R.E.M.
Politik, Coldplay
Are You Gonna Go My Way, Lenny Kravitz
Round Here, Counting Crows
Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Ants Marching, Dave Matthews Band

One is a great running song, as is Round Here.

3 miles, 26:26,  8:48 pace, 78 degrees, 83 percent humidity (at 6 am).

Changing course

Lot's of running, but no blogging for a while. I did come to the conclusion that I will be training for the half-marathon rather than a full marathon in the fall. Just too damn HOT to be logging long runs.

One thing I've done in the past few weeks is trail run while on vacation in Black Mountain. I haven't done much trail running, but I really enjoy being out in the mountains, in and out of the woods, running along streams and cross-country trails.

MC and I ran Catawba Falls, about 3 miles on the first day. It's a short trail near the cottage. We took Jake and Wheeler with us, and they had a blast. Something about running with the dogs off-leash...

I missed a couple of runs with a stomach virus, but got back on the trail -- first with a hike on Black Balsam Knob with MC and Mandy -- and then a couple of runs on the cross-country trails of The Oaks. The first with MC only, then with the dogs on the Fourth of July.

Since then, we've run a few short runs and I did a 6-miler on Saturday back here in Greenville on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

This heat has been oppressive to say the least. It just sucks the will out of you, and I decided a half in the fall and a full in winter/early spring. That way, I can train in the cool and have a better chance of a heat-free marathon! One of my running goals...

Genius: Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks (Live)

Quick 3-mile run today. It sure gets hot early -- and with the humidity, even better! Good Genius run today with a country theme. Love the Chicks...

Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks (Live)
The Lucky One, Alison Krauss & Union Station
On the Road Again, Willie Nelson
Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch
When You Say Nothing At All, Keith Whitley
The Man Comes Around, Johnny Cash
Hey, Good Lookin', Hank Williams
Killin' Kind, Shelby Lynne

3 miles, 27:42, 9:14, 73 degrees

Training begins

Since I last wrote, I've been on the training wagon. Logging 26 miles last week and 21 before. I've had one Genius run, with a funk theme; however, I forgot to write it down.

We've targeted a couple of races to run this fall: The Baltimore Marathon and Half and the Greenville Spinx Marathon and Half. We have folks we can stay with for most of the time in Baltimore, and will get a hotel room on the night before the race so we can be close to the start. I've never been to Baltimore, though I've been to DC dozens of times. I hope we can make that one. If not, it's home for Greenville.

I'm planning on running the marathon, and MC and LC are going to run the half-marathon. At last conversation with Mike, he was unsure which he'd run. Looking forward to a fun race!

Also since the last update, I've obviously changed the style of the blog (a couple of times). I've settled (at least this week) on this running-themed background. I'd put up a rather plain one, and MC told me it was boring so I switched it. Don't know how long it will stay this way, but we'll see.

Genius: Joy, Lucinda Williams

Tough little 3 miles today -- think it was the drink the night before...
Good music mix, though.

Joy, Lucinda Williams
Gypsy Biker, Bruce Springsteen
Little Martha, The Allman Brothers Band
Gimme Shelter, Patti Smith (great cover!)
Country Ghetto, Mofro
The House is Rockin', Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble

3 miles from home, 27:55, 9:18, 70 degrees

Training dilemma; Genius: Fill Her Up, Sting

In training for a marathon, one has to make the ultimate decision: Which training plan to follow. You got your Hal Higdon with novice 1 and 2, intermediate 1 and 2, and advanced 1 and 2,  (and really, if you're past intermediate, do you need anything else?); you got Randy Galloway with run a mile/walk a minute, pain-free marathon; and there's the Furman folks with their FIRST 3-days running a week success stories. What does one do?

I've decided on a hybrid: Primarily Hal Higdon's Intermediate I with some speed work involved. Runner's World has a great article this month on training. It is their annual Runner's World Challenge to prep for a marathon. The online article doesn't have the plan listed like it is in the paper version (I guess there is a reason to subscribe!). On that plan, it looks like I could shoot for a 4:00 marathon, but that seems unrealistic. It is confusing because for the "easy" runs, I should be clocking in at 10:04 a mile -- and I'm consistently running in the 9:20 range. But, I'm gonna train for the 4:30 as I think that is doable.

I've been blessed with heat my first two marathons -- both (Marine Corps on Halloween, and Atlanta ING in late March) with unseasonable temps in the 80s. In the Marine Corps, MC got sick in the middle and LC had to be rushed to the hospital. For the ING, the weekend before was my hottest training run -- at 57 degrees. At the START, it was 68; I knew I was in trouble. I'd vowed never to run a marathon again -- primarily to spare the other runners of my bad karma.

But, here I go again. You are warned, other runners!

Today was an easy 5-mile run, with a very good Genius mix. All are great for running.

Fill Her Up, Sting
When I Look At The World, U2
Candy Everybody Wants, 10,000 Maniac
#34, Dave Matthews Band
Swim, Maddona
She's On Fire, Train
Come Running, Van Morrison
Steve McQueen, Sheryl Crow
Galileo, Indigo Girls (live version)
Sullivan Street, Counting Crows
Mountains O' Things, Tracy Chapman

5 miles from home, 46:13, 9:14 pace, 76 degrees

Still running

It's been a while since I posted, but I'm still at it -- just not running with the ipod as much (actually, I haven't run with tunes since my last post). I'm running mostly with MC, so I like the company!

We are gearing up for a race this fall with our friends LC and Mike. MC will be running a half-marathon and I'm tackling the full. Again. And I swore I wouldn't for the other runners' sake: Each of my two previous marathons have been run in 80+ degrees -- not good for all. I didn't want to expose the other runners to my bad race-day karma, so I'd decided to drop the full.

Well, I'm going back on that promise. If it is over 70 on race day, I'll switch to the half!

I'll keep you posted on the training.

Genius: Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen

Nice 5.5-miler today, the first 1.5 with MC. Started at about 7 a.m. at mid-70s temp. So, it was a little hot. Carried water, which I'll do from now on for any run 5 or more.

I started the Genius after MC and I split at the 1.5 mark. Thought I'd go ol' school today to celebrate my brother-in-law, Doak, visiting here in Green Vegas.

Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
Brown Sugar, Rolling Stones
Ramblin' Man, The Allman Brothers Band
Pinball Wizard, The Who
Train in Vain (Stand By Me), The Clash
After Midnight, Eric Clapton
Daughter, Pearl Jam
When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin
Voodoo Chile, Jimi Hendrix

5.5-miler from home, 49:41, 8:58 pace, mid-70s, partly cloudy

Rockmont anniversary run

This past weekend, MC and I celebrated our 6th anniversary in the Blue Ridge at our cottage in Black Mountain. Had a great trip and squeezed in a run at Camp Rockmont.

We were lucky to have our good friend, Courtney, join us for the run (and a hike) -- and her two dogs, Roxy and Layla, kept Jake and Wheeler running about three times as far as we went. Running with the dogs off-leash is one of our favorite things, and they have a great time diving in the ponds, chasing geese and chasing each other.

The day was overcast, which kept the temps in the cool 60s. There are many roads and trails one can follow, so you can run a different route each time. At least that is what I tell myself; MC says she's been taking me out there for 7 years now and I still don't know my way around!

It is hard to estimate distances, so we generally keep time and guestimate. It makes it a more relaxing run, and being out in that scenery makes for a great time. MC, Courtney and I went about 35 minutes before they decided to walk for a while. I went for another 25 minutes and took a few photos that I'm posting here.

Great time, great run, great friends. It doesn't get any better.

Did it!!!

So I did it. I ran the Bolder Boulder. And I lived to tell the tale.

It was actually a great event. I haven't done a ton of races, but this one was definitely incredibly well organized. They did the start in 80+ waves based on your antipated time. The first group of waves had to be documented and then the rest were on the honor system. Lynn and I ran in one of the sub-70 min waves with a crazy start time of 7:44 and 40 sec am. You can see the signs for the waves in the pic. We were in the GB wave.


After Dr. Oz (yes, THE Dr. Oz) started our wave, we took off for a crazy run. It was a mass of humanity as far as you could see, but there was room to run and maneuver around. Quite a difference from my first 10K where I seriously feared being trampled to death in the first 1K. There were bands and people all along the route. We saw belly dancers, passed a beer stand and a bacon stand (really?) as well as the slip and slide and kiddie pool. It was a party the whole way there. The only thing that really tempted me, though, was the group with the coffee. But they weren't giving any away. Rats.

I lost Lynn early on, but used the Garmin to keep my pace. I didn't want to run out too fast like most people do. It's easy to get caught up with the rest, but I kept myself in check. Although we started early, it was a gorgeous sunny Colorado day. It felt HOT really fast. I started seeking out shade along the route ... But my training had definitely paid off, and I felt pretty good the whole way. The finish was at the CU football stadium (remember Mork and Mindy?) It got pretty crowded at the end as we went from 6 lanes of streets to funneling into the stadium. It was quite a sight and pretty cool to come into thousands of people in the stands!

After the race, we were herded into an area where our timing tags were clipped off our shoes, then given water and gatorade and shuffled into the field house. There were these chutes set up where we went through and got 1) a bottle of water 2) a snack bag 3) a soda and 4) (if you were over 21) a beer. And then into the stands to watch the rest of the finishers and wait for the Memorial Day tribute.

We had friends in another wave so we waited for them. While we waited we saw a group of Marines who had run in formation carrying flags. They got a standing ovation from the crowd. And incredibly, before crossing the finish line, they stopped and did push ups. Very impressive!

A bit later I looked up (our friends started over an hour after we did), and there was our friend, Bob, on the jumbotron entering the stadium. I think they liked his cowboy hat!

We met up with Bob and Andrea a few minutes later and wanted to wait for the tribute. But it was so hot and it was still an hour away, so we finally called it quits. But a great experience.

Now for the 1/2 marathon ...

Play list (didn't use Genius - went with a theme)

The Road Goes on Forever, Robert Earl Keen

Up Around the Bend, CCR

Carefree Highway, Gordon Lightfoot

The Valley Road, Bruce Hornsby

Ready to Run, Dixie Chicks

The Long and Winding Road, Beatles

LA Freeway, Guy Clark

The Road I'm On, 3 Doors Down

Life in the Fast Lane, Eagles

Country Road, James Taylor

Sunday Street, Peter Keane

A Thousand Miles from Nowhere, Dwight Yoakum

Streets of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen

Crossroads, Cream

Going Mobile, the Who

Official results:

Patti Bivona

bib number:GB531

overall place:20031

location:Boulder, CO

division:F48

division place:112 out of 403

gender place:7888 out of 22964

mile 1:00:10:04.43

mile 2:00:10:18.74

mile 300:10:38.86

mile 4:00:10:28.31

mile 5:00:10:11.32

mile 6:00:10:20.73

net time:01:04:15.80

pace:10:20 (based on net time)

So one last picture I wanted to add. I finally got a picture along my training course. It's been tough to get a good one because it's been so cloudy in the mornings and the afternoon sun doesn't make for a good picture. We live directly to the left of where I took this about a quarter mile away. Unfortunately we're on the opposite side of the street from this but the view from the deck is awesome!!!

Genius: Ol' Corn Likker, The Carolina Chocolate Drops

I decided to run off some stress today. As some know, I'm working with a Career Transition Coach, and each week we have a roundtable talk with clients concerning a topic of career transition and networking. Today, we instead heard a screed from a health insurance professional giving absolute misinformation on the recent health care insurance reforms.

Being upset with the malarkey, I decided to run a quick 3-miler from home at around 10:30 a.m. It was cloudy and had just finished raining, so the temp was a nice 67 degrees -- but the humidity was in the 90s!

It was fun doing an unannounced/unplanned run, and I decided to see if I could pick up the pace a little. I selected a bluegrass tune to get the tempo up for me. Had a nice run, and reduced the stress!

Ol' Corn Likker, The Carolina Chocolate Drops
Let It Alone, Old Crow Medicine Show
No One Knows My Name, Gillian Welch
2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten, Lucinda Williams
Shakedown on 9th Street, Ryan Adams
Green and Gray, Nickel Creek
Sodom, South Georgia, Iron & Wine
The Late Greats, Wilco

3 miles from home, 25:10, 8:23 pace, 67 degrees

Early Saturday morning run

MC and I got up early for a Saturday morning (6 a.m.), but you have to if you're going to run a little distance in the summer months. Yes, in Greenville, summer is in full swing. Temp at that time is 71 degrees -- and the sun isn't even up.

Last weekend, the Swamp Rabbit Trail opened for its entire 14-mile length, so on Sunday, we rode our bikes from Furman U. to Downtown Greenville on the newly opened trail. When we arrived downtown, we were surprised to see the Artisphere in full swing. Apparently, Artisphere is one of the top local art shows in the country. It was jammed packed, to say the least. We had to get off the bikes and walk them through the crowds.

Our plan this morning was to go the southern-most portion through downtown to the new trail connector and back. I put in at a church and met MC about a mile up the trail in Cleveland Park. We had a great run, which is hard not to if you like running through downtown parks and trails. The shade was fine throughout and by the time I finished up, the sun was starting to heat up the trail. I guess we started at about 7:30 and ended around 9.

The Swamp Rabbit is a real amenity for Greenville, and has helped to revitalize the downtown area, which 10 years ago was practically vacant and a little dangerous. It is good to see a progressive mindset that looks at long-range planning and how that attracts business while improving the quality of life as well. Around here, there could be such a conservative mindset that spending on parks and recreation would be frowned upon (and there certainly is that element here). But more progressive cities draw businesses and a high-caliber workforce.

7.75 miles on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, 1:13:10, 9.25 pace, 75 degrees
Pictures above were taken on an earlier run.

Genius: The Pretender, Foo Fighters

On Wednesday, I ran 5.25 miles with the following playlist. Very good run; ran with MC the first 3 miles.

The Pretender, Foo Fighters
By the Way, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Smile Like You Mean It, The Killers
On Call, Kings of Leon
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here, Wheezer
Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Smashing Pumpkins
Chocolate, Snow Patrol
DOA, Foo Fighters
Juicebox, The Strokes
The Bucket, Kings of Leon
Are You Gonna Go My Way, Lenny Kravitz
The Sound of Settling, Death Cab For Cutie

5.25 miles from home, don't recall time, pace or temp

New Shoes!!!

I love running in new shoes. The difference between the new shoes and the old ones is so pronounced, and I feel like running is easy! Of course, in a few weeks they'll feel like the old ones, but for now I love them.

I've still been training for the Bolder Boulder, but, like Kyle, just haven't had a lot of time to write. It's 3 weeks from tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty good that I"ll make my goal (under 11 min per mile) but that remains to be seen. Lynn mapped out the course on one of the google map sites, and hallelujah, it's easier than what I've been running! My normal training course has about 450 feet of total elevation gain, and the BB only has about 150 so I'm stoked!

I had to go to Vegas for work this week (ugh - I do NOT like Vegas), and we stayed out at Red Rock Resort - kind of in the middle of nowhere. It's a big place, and I did do some running while I was there. It was 1.3 mi around the perimeter so I circled it a for an hour. Weird story here - as I was leaving, I stopped to get the Garmin GPS working and heard some shouting. I saw this woman in the street very upset and screaming at someone. She was getting more and more upset and started jumping up and down and shaking her fists. She lost her sunglasses and her hairpiece and I was just starting to ask if I could help her when another woman who was also running did the same thing. Immediately, we hear someone tell us to move along and see there are 5 or so security people watching this. So we went on our way. The woman then started to scream that she hated everyone and was going to kill us all. Yikes! So I hurried along and started my run. As I came around the perimeter, I found her lying face down on the sidewalk. I asked her if she needed help but she didn't respond. She was breathing so I decided to go for help - quite frankly I was afraid to startle her as I wasn't sure what she would do. I went to security and told them about it - they said they'd take care of it. Next time around, she was still there in the same position. There was a bus parked on the street, 3 men chatting and two joggers sitting on the wall. I asked if they'd called for help for her and they said "does she need it?" Face down on the sidewalk? Odds are good ... They said they'd call security again and I watched him dial the phone. 3rd time around, she's still there, but at least she was sitting up. Very odd - not sure what was wrong, but not a lot of people seemed to care.

Anyway, that was during the week, and today was the long run. I did actually "Run with Genius" today. Lynn convinced me I was scared of the coyotes for nothing, and I would be fine with the iPod. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to start, but lots of haze over the mountains. It was low 60s and sunny. We started a little later than normal (slept late this morning) so it was a little warmer than I like. There were a lot of runners out, too. I think everyone is training for the BB. Ran a little different course, but offered a spectacular view of the Flatirons and Long's Peak. I need to take the camera next time - that would be an amazing shot. There is still a lot of snow on the peaks as we continue to have spring snow.

So here's the Genius list. It is a long one because we did 7.5 mi and I'm a turtle...


Please Chris Isaak
Blood And Roses The Smithereens
Bitter Tears INXS
Slave To Love Bryan Ferry
Bring Me Some Water Melissa Etheridge
Black & White Sarah McLachlan
Primavera Santana
Forever Blue Chris Isaak
Come Running Van Morrison
The Other Side David Gray
Saved By Zero The Fixx
All The Girls Love Alice Elton John
The Pretender Jackson Browne
Carefree Highway Gordon Lightfoot
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Sarah McLachlan
Speak Of The Devil Chris Isaak
By My Side INXS
Similar Features Melissa Etheridge
All Fired Up Pat Benatar
Waiting In Vain Annie Lennox

Total Distance - 7.5 miles, total time 1hr 25 min, avg pace 11:21 min/mi

Running at Rockmont

I've been slack; still running, but not taking the time to write. I do have a Genius list to post, but forgot to bring the iPod to the Dripolator, where I'm writing this morning. The Dripolator is a local coffee shop in Black Mountain, NC. We have a cottage there, and I've been fortunate to come a little early this week and have this run on Wednesday with Jake and Wheeler. MC will be joining us today.

I pulled into Camp Rockmont around 3:30, where ran for 53 minutes. Don't have any idea how far, but sure it was at least 5 miles. Camp Rockmont is just outside Black Mountain, and is where MC, LC, Mandy, Courtney and Natalie worked during their college summers. They have multiple hiking trails, but I stayed mostly on the dirt and gravel roads and open fields.

The dogs love running out there, and I prefer running in the mountains myself. The weather was perfect (60 degrees, mostly sunny with a nice breeze), and getting away from traffic and letting the dogs lead off leash is always a treat.

And we had the added bonus of running into Hap and John working on some engineering magic before the camp opens for the summer. MC and Mandy are to join us today for another run.

I love to run for its own sake, but the added benefit is I stay in shape to hike. Took the dogs on Thursday for a 7.5-mile hike on the Graybeard trail out at Montreat. It's a great trek through the forest with a great view from the peak.

Wheeler took a slide down a very large slippery rock into a pool at the bottom. While sliding down, he scrambled to get clear, but his efforts resembled something from the Flintstones -- no traction at all. My work was to get him out without getting Jake in the same predicament. Tough to say the least. Jake and I couldn't reach him, so we decided to approach from the back. When we got out of sight, Wheeler started whimpering like a whimperer and climbed out on his own.

He was so excited to be with us, he couldn't settle down, but that is his usual state. He led the way up the summit and back down, with Jake right at my heels. That is, when they weren't splashing into the many streams to take a dip.

They slept well the rest of the day, and I took to a hammock. Great day indeed.

hiatus from writing, but not running...

Wow. It's been a long time since I wrote anything! I apologize. But sometimes life gets in the way. Thanks to Patti for her contributions from out West. Running with Coyotes, you go girl!

Two runs deserve highlighting from the past month: One with our Goddaughter Mattie and her parents, our dear friends Mike and Lucy Clay McGehee. We put Mattie in the Bob and took of with her down the Swamp Rabbit trail downtown, starting at Reedy River Falls Park and going to Cleveland Park and back. Great run and great weather: low 50s, breezy, sunny. Lots of folks out too. A great day.

The second highlight run was in Little Rock, AR, with our nephew, Rome, and his mom and dad on the bike. If you haven't been to LR in a while, it has changed quite a bit. We ran at Two Rivers Park, one of the initiatives Gov. Mike Huckabee instituted when he went on his health kick (dropping 100+ pounds and running a marathon). Also, got to run with Jake and Wheeler off leash, and they were great -- staying with us all the way and not bothering the folks along the way.

Both runs were a little less than 4 miles.

There were more, but I've forgotten them by now... I did record a couple of runs (4.5 miles each) with the Genius, so here it is:

Genius: She Talks to Angels, Black Crowes
(this is 2 runs, but continued Genius list)

She Talks to Angels, Black Crowes
Run-Around, Blues Traveler
Midnight Rider, The Allman Brothers Band
Over the Hills and Far Away, Led Zeppeli n
Pride and Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble
All Apologies, Nirvana
Behind Blue Eyes, The Who
After Midnight, Eric Clapton
Voodoo Chile, Jimi Hendrix
When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin
Taper Jean Girl, Kings of Leon
Here We Go, Dispatch
Twice as Hard, Black Crowes
What You Want, John Butler Trio
Pinball Wizard, The Who
Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen

Windy Day

Did my distance run today. I'm doing 6 miles right now and adding a 1/2 mile per week. Once I get to 10 miles I'll add 1 mile per week. My goal is 14 miles as I plan to do a half marathon in September. Also works out great because the East Boulder Trail where I mainly run is 7 miles long so out and back is 14 miles. Right now I am doing run/walks for the 6 miles with 8 min running and 2 min walking. It was a pretty, sunny day but the wind was so strong! The worst hill I run was straight into the wind. I didn't think I would make it. Lynn, my husband, ran with me, and he's such a sweetheart - he tried to block the wind for me. But I was a little too slow for him and that didn't last long. We were entertained by all the people out flying kites in the wind. There were some pretty cool ones out there.

Pretty tired now, but a good tired. Having a glass of wine before heading into the kitchen to make dinner. Going with grilled lamb and spring veggies. Happy Easter!

Total distance (including walking warm up and cool down): 6.75 miles, 1h 24m, 12:31 pace

And the training begins ...

Today I enter the world of blogging. I've been late to most online forums - why should this be different? Ha. Thank you, Kyle, for inviting me to share my trials and tribulations as I train for the Bolder Boulder.

A disclaimer - I do not run with Genius, as much as I'd like to. I run mainly on trails, and I'm afraid of a coyote sneaking up on me. While it may sound irrational, there are signs posted about coyotes in the area, and I've even run into one on the trail. Completely freaked me out!

I live in Boulder, Colorado and am ashamed to say I have never run the BB (one of the largest 10Ks in the country) in the 4 years I have lived here. I always plan to do it, but then get distracted and before you know it, it's 2 weeks away and I've done nothing to train. So this year, I registered as soon as it opened in order to take that excuse away. We've had a fairly cold winter so the snow didn't fully melt until a few weeks ago. I've just recently come out of hibernation to start my runs, and I am not very fast nor doing a lot of distance yet.

Luckily, I work from home so it's pretty easy to work runs in. Right now, it's too dark in the morning to get much of a run in, so I'm running at lunch. I just put my running clothes on in the morning, and as soon as my last morning call finishes I am out the door. I'm using a modified program for marathon training, and I run a specific time during the week rather than worrying about distance. I do run/walk combos for an hour and each week I am increasing the time of the run portion before walking. I focus on distance on the weekend. More on that on a weekend post. As I said, I'm recently out of hibernation, so runs are 15 min and walks are 2 min.

Today was a great day! It was a perfect temperature - 55 degrees, shorts and t-shirt weather for me - and the trails were dry enough (snow last week kept me on the roads). Call me crazy, but I think I do better at altitude. I was at my sister's in Waco, TX earlier this week and ran while I was there. Not sure if it was the 20 degree diff (75+) or the awful concrete streets, but I was suffering! I thought I was going to sail through it with all those extra red blood cells from Colorado. Not so much ... But today I felt fantastic. I had to hold myself back! No coyotes, but tons of people out with their dogs, bikes, babies, etc. I love Boulder - everyone is outside doing things all the time.

Tonight it's supposed to rain/snow. I hope I can get out tomorrow!

Genius: Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games, Of Montreal

A cold 4-miler on my routine course. Winds up to 25 mph made it interesting. There were four other runners out, so things are picking up. That's rare; usually I don't see any.

Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games, Of Montreal
Free Radicals, The Flaming Lips
Flower, Liz Phair
All is Full of Love, Death Cab for Cutie
Broken Drum, Beck
Real Love, Lucinda Williams
Weapon of Choice, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Undone - The Sweater Song, Wheezer
Quiche Lorraine (Live), The B-52's
McFearless, Kings of Leon

Went with some alternative today, making a good up-tempo run. Flower isn't for the faint of heart; Undone picked it up; and Quiche Lorraine was a perfect push at the end (the live version shows the B-52's a more hard, rather than pop, punk band; this live is much better than the studio). And Lucinda Williams? I guess you can float any genre and she fits right in. Amazing.

4.1 miles, 34:06, 8:19, 45 degrees

Earth Run Saturday!

MC and I ran a cross country 5K on Saturday at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg. The Earth Run was held on the course for the NCAA and Junior Olympics Championships, so the course was great, yet challenging. A killer hill at the end tired many out, but MC had a 5K personal best 30:05! We both passed a lot of stragglers.

This was our second trail run. I prefer it (easier on the joints), but MC says she likes the bounce back from the pavement. Our other experience was with a 24-hour endurance run on a 5K course in Black Mountain. We call it the Diva Run, after MC's running team, the Divas. Hopefully, we'll do it again and get some guys involved. I ran a couple of legs (one with MC and the other with Mandy), but I'd like to do more.

Something about running through the woods is just good for the soul.

5K, 27:41, 8:54 per mile, 50 degrees.

Genius: Six Days on the Road, Steve Earle

I had a meeting canceled this morning, so took the chance to squeeze in 5+ miles before lunch and March Madness (I have Ohio St. winning it all). Just popped out into the neighborhood, and thought I'd like a singer/songwriter mix, so I went with Steve Earle -- but launched it with his cover of "Six Days on the Road." So that wasn't much of a singer/songwritery way of kicking things off. What the hell; it was a good place to start.

Great day to run: a little overcast, with the sun peeking out every now and then. 55 degrees, slight breeze.

Six Days on the Road, Steve Earle
I'm No Stranger to the Rain, Keith Whitley (a very true title for Greenville)
Kaw-Liga, Hank Williams
Sunday Morning Coming Down, Kris Kristofferson
Pineola, Lucinda Williams
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Willie Nelson
Not Forgotten You, Kelly Willis
September When It Comes, Johnny Cash/Roseanne Cash
Soul of a Man, Ollabelle
Angel Band, The Stanley Brothers
Honky Tonkin', Hank Williams
I Lost It, Lucinda Williams

This mix gave me a great rhythm and it showed with a sub 9-minutes per mile pace. Hank's "Honky Tonkin'" give a great beat to finish out a run. If you're not familiar with Kelly Willis, check her out. And Lucinda is just the best.

Adios. Jake and Wheeler are laying out in the sun and I'm tuned into the tournament.

5.4 miles from the house. 48:26. 8:58 per mile. 55 degrees.

Leaving Genius behind...

Well, I went without the iPod on this great afternoon. Sunny, almost 70 degrees, a little breeze, and a scenic trail from downtown Greenville on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Running without the tunes was quite relaxing. You really feel the run without the interruption of the music; got in a great rhythm and was able to have a "mindful" run. Took in the scenery and felt a part of it instead of just running through it. Within the first 2 minutes, saw a Blue Heron on the falls downtown. Lot of turtles; lots of folks walking their dogs, walking hand-in-hand, walking alone. A few runners; one with two dogs, well-behaved. She musta watched Dog Whisperer.

At the end, I went to my truck and got the iPhone to take some pics. Ran into a couple with a Great Dane. I love Great Danes (take heart Jake and Wheeler, I don't love them more than you!).

Couldn't have asked for a better run. Got home, showered, and MC came home from work. She took a wine, and I shook a martini. Heirloom tomatoes, pecorino romano, parmigiano-reggiano and some cheddar, triscuits and wheat thins. Just perfect.

These kind of days (and runs) put a smile on my face...

6-miles on the Swamp Rabbit, 54 minutes (approx), 9 minutes per mile, 69 degrees. Hey, if anyone knows how to put cutlines under the photos, please fill me in.

3 miles with MC

MC and I went 3 miles today around the house. Were thinking of a trip to the Swamp Rabbit, but didn't want to take the time. So we settled on our normal 3-mile out and back. Left Jake and Wheeler at home -- they said they were tired from playing outside all day.

Nice day: 57 degrees, overcast, but a little breezy.

a note about the blogs listed on the side...

I've taken a few days' break from running, so I just wanted to give a shout out to the running blogs linked to in the sidebar here. They're quite varied, to say the least.

52 Beginnings is from a runner in Leesburg, VA, who is running 52 marathons in 52 weeks for a charity that supports South African AIDS orphans. Dana Casanave, the author, was overweight for most of her life -- until she started running in 2006. She's lost 70 lbs. and runs marathons and ultramarathons. Quite inspiring.

 The Happy Runner is a freelance writer and editor who gives running tips and logs her runs, which are usually 5K and 10K, but also the occasional marathon. Lite reading, but fun.

Between the Miles blogs about her training and running. Kara includes video "Runscapes" of her actual runs with narration. She likes Bob Marley.

Saturday Morning Zen features one primary author and posts from quite a few other runners. Lara Robinson combines mindfulness with her trail running. She is a professional writer, so this is a very good read. If you like yoga, zen and the outdoors, you'll like this.

Amy's Training Blog is written by Amy Reinink, a professional journalist. She gives tips and "tricks" to us non-professional runners.  Lots of motivation and cross-training posts.

Be A Good One is written by who is approaching 50. She is in marathon training mode, and Zen and yoga dominate.

Running from Camera is my favorite. It is quite literally a blog of photos of the author/artist running away from the camera. Based in Europe, the author sets his camera timer on 2 seconds, clicks and runs away from the camera. What a great concept...

Back to running tomorrow. MC and I are going to hit the Swamp Rabbit downtown.

Running as a Means of Transportation

I write this on behalf of my husband, Mike, who has embraced our new "in town" living by using his two feet to get places. We live about 6 blocks from my daughter Mattie's school. He is often the afternoon pick up person so he runs with an empty stroller to pick her up...short running shorts and all! They leave from school on either a run(4 miles) or to literally "run" errands. Yesterday the destination was our doctors office to pick up sample medications. He always gets the same response, "Did you run here?" He just smiles and responds, "Of course!" It is quite inspiring. I am trying to figure out how I can run in my business casual clothes to drop Mattie off, which is only 2 blocks from my work, in the morning.

We would love to hear how other runners or "joggers", as I call myself, incorporate running into their daily mundane life activities.

LC and Mike

Genius: Booty Call, G. Love

Booty Call, G. Love
What'cha Know About, Donavon Frankenreiter
No Woman No Cry, Xavier Rudd
Picture of Jesus, Ben Harper
Symbol of My Driveway, Jack Johnson
Bullet and a Target, Citizen Cope
Que' Onda Guero, Beck
To Be Young (Is To Be Sad Is To Be High), Ryan Adams
Heavy Metal Drummer, Wilco
Fishing Song, G. Love

Great day for running; first run in a long time in a tank and shorts. Rather funky, too, with this soundtrack...

4.1 miles from the house, 37:41, 9:11 per mile, 68 degrees.

Genius: Nobody Girl, Ryan Adams

Ran 8.3 miles on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, starting at the Traveler's Rest trail head and running south to Furman. MC ran the first 4.15. Left the dogs at home as we keep them to 3-4 miles at the most. Great day; best day of the 2010 for running yet. Ran the last 4.15 with the tunes going.

Nobody Girl, Ryan Adams
*Hell is Chrome, Wilco
Up All Night, Counting Crows
Free Until They Cut Me Down, Iron & Wine
Simple Twist of Fate, Bob Dylan
*Woman in You, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Burning Photographs, Ryan Adams
Trunk, Kings of Leon

*These two are live versions, from Kicking Television and Live From Mars, respectively. Hell is Chrome live is great to run with; however, Woman in You is much better to run with on the studio version. Just too much live.

8 miles on the Swamp Rabbit (out and back), 1:18:20, 9:26 per mile, 4.15 miles with the Genius list, 50 degrees

Genius: Poison Whiskey, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Ran a 10K today, the first mile with MC and the pups. Early morning, during sunrise. The Genius list is for the last 5 miles after they looped back home.

Poison Whiskey, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Nobody's Fault But Mine, Led Zeppelin
I Shot the Sheriff, Eric Clapton
Twice As Hard, Black Crowes
*War Pigs, Black Sabbath
Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen
On a Plain, Nirvana
Trampled Under Foot, Led Zeppelin
Pistol of Fire, Kings of Leon
Drunken Angel, Lucinda Williams
The Three of Us, Ben Harper

*War Pigs was an anti-Vietnam War song written by Ozzy. In the song, he has the cajones to condemn to hell those responsible for beginning and continuing an unnecessary war. (Pretty interesting to hear Ozzy preaching!) I hadn't heard this in a long, long time, and I laughed out loud thinking how appropriate the song stands today. Found myself thinking of Bush, Darth Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz and Iraq.

10K from my home (this is a hard to follow route as it loops - somewhat), 5-mile time with Genius -- 47:13, 9:26 per mile, 34 degrees

Genius: Steve McQueen, Sheryl Crow

Steve McQueen, Sheryl Crow
American Woman, Lenny Kravitz
In God's Country, U2
Don't Tell Me, Madonna
Rain King, Counting Crows
So Much to Say, Dave Matthews Band
Drink the Water, Jack Johnson
Tangled Up in Blue, Indigo Girls
Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Tracy Chapman
Love is Free, Sheryl Crow
Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz
Private Idaho, B-52's
Ray of Light, Madonna
Ode to Family, The Cranberries
Brand New Day, Sting


5.4 miles run from my house, 48:49 minutes, 9:02 per mile, 40 degrees

Nice sunny day, perfect temperature today.

The first two songs are a great kick-off to any run. The Indigo Girls' cover of "Tangled Up in Blue" is excellent, with a serious timing change in the middle. I had to take care of a stray dog in the beginning of the run, but that took little time -- it did want to run with me, but the traffic was too heavy.

3 miles with MC and the pups!

Great run in the 'hood this morning with MC and Jake and Wheeler. And in a balmy 27 degrees with full sunshine.

Running with the dogs is a real workout -- burning far more calories in a shorter amount of time. And it wears them out, too; today has been quiet as they've sprawled on the floor.

We're planning on registering for either the Run for Thought, a 5K in Greenville on March 13 that benefits The Brain Injury Alliance of South Carolina, or the Milliken Earth Run in Spartanburg on March 20.

Looking toward a marathon in November and many races/training in between.

BTW, we swear by the "What to Wear" form on Runner's World. Never does us wrong.

Genius: Sunday Morning Coming Down, Kris Kristofferson (Thursday)

Sunday Morning Coming Down, Kris Kristofferson
I Ain't Never Satisfied, Steve Earle
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Willie Nelson
Get Right With God, Lucinda Williams
September When It Comes, Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash
Red Dirt Girl, Emmylou Harris
Cold Cold Heart, Hank Williams
Midnight Rider, Gregg Allman
I'm No Stranger to the Rain, Keith Whitley
Cradle of Love, Kelly Willis
Angel Band, The Stanley Brothers
Soul of a Man, Ollabelle
The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning, Willie Nelson
Real Live Bleeding Fingers, Lucinda Williams

5-mile run, 34 degrees, 10 mph wind, sunny

Genius: Let It Die, Foo Fighters (Wednesday)

Let It Die, Foo Fighters
By the Way, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Fans, Kings of Leon
On Top, The Killers
Square One, Coldplay
E-Pro, Beck
Chocolate, Snow Patrol
City of Blinding Lights, U2
DOA, Foo Fighters
Hope, Jack Johnson
There There, Radiohead
Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tonight Tonight, Smashing Pumpkins
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here, Wheezer
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, U2

Genius: Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie (Monday)

Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie
Subterranean Homesick Blues, Bob Dylan
2+2=5, Radiohead
Lost Cause, Beck
Cowgirl in the Sand, Neil Young
Zero, Smashing Pumpkins
The Bucket, Kings of Leon
Rock Lobster, The B-52's
Andy You're a Star, The Killers
Sweet Jane, Cowboy Junkies
All Along the Watchtower, Bob Dylan

4-mile run last week

Genius: La'Hov, part 2 (last week, too)

This continues the previous run's playlist, based on La'Hov:

Perfect World, Liz Phair
My Name is Jonas, Wheezer
I'm a Wheel, Wilco
Slow Night So Long, Kings of Leon
Shuffle Your Feet, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion, The Flaming Lips
Luminol, Ryan Adams
Steadier Footing, Death Cab for Cutie
Missing, Beck
Stratford-On-Guy, Liz Phair
Sit Down Stand Up, Radiohead
Buckets of Rain, Bob Dylan
Pot Kettle Black, Wilco
All We Have is Now, The Flaming Lips
In the Garage, Wheezer

5 miler

Genius: La'Hov, Mates of State (a run last week)

La'Hov, Mates of State
Debate Exposes Doubt, Death Cab for Cutie
Dance of the Seven Veils, Liz Phair
Reservations, Wilco
All is Full of Love, Death Cab for Cutie
In the Morning of the Magicians, The Flaming Lips
Why Do They Leave?, Ryan Adams
End of the Day, Beck
Back Drifts, Radiohead
Expo '86, Death Cab for Cutie

Notes: 4 miles, forgot the temp!