All Black Friday Runs Must GO!

Distance: 3.98 miles
Time: 50:36
Pace: 12:34 min/mil
Most Challenging Moment: What a shocker, I got lost
Most Inspiring Moment: Sunrise over the stadium!

I'm in State College, PA right now, visiting with family for Thanksgiving, but neither snow nor black ice nor post-turkey coma could deter me from my regular run. With my alarm set twenty minutes later than usual (thanks, delayed sunrise), I headed out into snowy State College to run on a snowy, deserted Penn State campus. It was so pretty!

Even though I've been to State College easily over a dozen times, I still managed to get lost and had to rely on my GPS to figure out where to go. And even then, I ran past the house and only realized it when I'd hit a dead end. But at least I found the lion!

It also didn't help that my podcast of choice these days is the true-crime nail-biter, Serial. Dave and I listened to, like, the first eight hours on the ride to PA, and I spent my run catching up on the episodes I napped through. Nothing like a detailed, multi-layered investigation to distract from the 26-degree weather.

Back in Boston soon!

A Pre-Thanksgiving Run in the Rain

Distance Run: 4.03 miles
Time: 46:14
Pace: 11:28 min/mi
Most Challenging Moment: Wet sneakers :/
Most Inspiring Moment: I beat yesterday's pace by two minutes!

"How was your run?" Dave asked me, when I got back to Boston.

"Good. The weather was better."

"Oh, was it not raining?"

"No, it was raining."

"Wasn't it cold?"

"Yeah. Forties."

[confused silence from Dave]

It was when I called a run at 6:30 in the morning in the rain less than ten degrees above freezing "good" that I realized I had legitimately lost my mind. At least if the marathon is held on an unseasonably cold day I'll know I can kick the butts of all the pampered runners currently training in 75-degrees-and-sunny Santa Monica.

Although we're both running with ocean views.

Today's run actually wasn't too bad, despite the wet sneakers. I also felt once again the loss of my running partner/towing service, Abby. Monday's pace depressed me so much that I resolved to go faster, which meant that when I wanted to take pictures, I didn't stop.

Leading to this blurry masterpiece:

And this "Wait, is my camera still on?" moment:

Of course, all good things must eventually come to an end. 

Time to buy snow shoes!

Island Hopping

Distance Run: 4.22 miles
Time: 57:18
Pace: 13:35 min/miles
Most Challenging Moment: Running without Abby... into driving rain... that messed up my contacts... so I couldn't see... and eventually got lost
Most Inspiring Moment: WASN'T COLD.

Before Dave and I head off to visit family for Thanksgiving, I decided to take a short trip with Iris to Martha's Vineyard, to see my parents and take advantage of their baby sitting skills so I can get some work done.

I actually really like running on the beach, and I pictured myself jogging along the ocean at sunrise, birds chirping, seals leaping in the ocean, the perfect antidote to city running. And it was beautiful!

...on Sunday, when I slept in.

On Monday, it was wet and so windy that I think the government should look into weaponizing rain.

This run was... not easy.

First, I left my running partner back in Boston, which meant I no longer had Abby's boundless puppy enthusiasm dragging me onward against my will. Also, I decided to start my run by going into the rain, for reasons that seemed logical at the time but now escape me. This meant that I spent the first fifteen minutes with my hat pulled over my eyes, because otherwise I would be immediately blinded by driving rain.



False.

Luckily, no one else was out there, otherwise they would have heard me going "AAACCCCGGGGHHHTTTTT [gasp for breath] AAAAARRRRRRRHHHHH!!!"

The only good thing about running in weather so miserable that it immediately convinced me to buy a waterproof iPhone case and headphones is that it wasn't cold. I mean, waking up this morning to howling wind had me seriously wondering if I would get today's run in or if I would continue to hit the snooze button until Iris was in college. I braced myself as I opened the door, and then...

It was almost... balmy? By the end of the run, I'd taken off my gloves and scarf and probably could have run in long sleeves. Beach weather!

Abby Hits a Wall

Distance Run: 3.75 miles
Time: 40:28
Pace: 10:48 min/mil
Most Challenging Moment: Abby does not want to get out of bed
Most Inspiring Moment: The glorious, never-ending wave of Harvard lacrosse players

It was my hope, having been officially training for three weeks, that these early-morning runs would get easier. Maybe not easier in the "running is still hard" sense, but that I'd at least stop feeling the bone-crushing despair that comes from leaving a warm bed to run in cold weather.

My saving grace, most days, has been Abby, whose default setting is pretty much let's do this. So you can guess how it felt to haul myself out of bed only to see this:

That, right there, is a dog who does not want to go outside. She was so cozy! She was so sleepy! This may have been because the night before, Iris (Official Baby Representative for 2015 Marathon Training) spectacularly broke her amazing sleeping-through-the-night streak with half an hour of solid shrieking. Twice.

"Abby! Go for a run?"

[averted eyes. silence.]

"Run? Run!"

[puppy expression that says "Please. Now you're just embarrassing yourself."]

I seriously wondered if I'd be running solo today, except, of course, that the dog still needs to pee. Luckily, by the time I'd put in my contacts and stared at myself in the mirror, psyching myself up, she'd come around and her little puppy tail was wagging its usual furious pace.

We headed out and had a nice run until we got to Com Ave, where I discovered that Abby apparently has a thing for heavy machinery, because when she spotted this bulldozer(? or mover? loader? Whatever, I'm not a construction worker or three-year-old boy), she lunged after it with all the gusto she usually reserves for squirrels and small yappy dogs.

I'm still not quite sure what she was thinking. Did she want to catch it? Was she scared of it? We ended up racing it to the end of the street, which wasn't so bad, since it was cruising at a speedy 5mph. Then we turned the corner and she seemed genuinely disappointed to leave it behind. Or possibly relieved.

The semi-nice weather meant that there was a crowd out today, and I was bummed to confirm that I am still the slowest person out there, by, like, a lot. I mean, a lot.

Also bumming? Someone stole the name of my boat:

But as I was running home, feeling sorry for myself, what should I pass but wave upon wave of handsome Harvard lacrosse players, blond and chiseled and running in the morning light like some Abercrombie TV ad come gloriously to life. They were cute.

And they kept coming! Every time I thought the last had passed, another crowd of runners would emerge, apple-cheeked embodiments of The American Ideal. I would have taken a picture except some of them are probably ten years younger than I am and I already feel weird just writing the previous paragraph.

We made it home, and I felt once again that post-exercise endorphin rush that makes it all worth while and fills me with all the energy to carry me onward through my day.

Abby went immediately back to bed.

It's Thank-You Friday! (Favorite Donors Friday? Friday-For-You? I'll come up with a better name...) Thank you to my brother- and sister-in-law, Steve and Jenna Toniatti, for your donation! (and for commiserating about running in terrible weather) Thank you also to Charles and Michele Toniatti!

With the holiday season soon upon us, why don't you do something nice for some kids who need it, and throw my CrowdRise account a few bucks? It'll take less than 5 minutes (less than 2 minutes if, unlike me, you don't have to search your whole apartment for your wallet), and then you can stop feeling guilty when you read this blog.

Happy weekend, everyone!

I Add a New Route to My Run, Promptly Get Lost

Distance Run: 5.11 miles
Time: 59:41
Pace: 11:41 min/mil
Most Challenging Moment: Where am I?!?!
Most Inspiring Moment: I know where I am!

The past few runs, I've pretty much gone the same route: down to the Harvard Bridge, hang a right when I get to Cambridge, run along the river for about a mile, turn around, and come back the way I came.

It's a nice run, but I wanted to shake things up a little, so today I decided to first run along the Boston side of the river, cross the Longfellow Bridge, run west on the Cambridge side of the river, and cross the Harvard Bridge home, making a big loop.

It went...okay...

First, the Boston river run is so much prettier than Cambridge, which normally would be a positive except in this case, everyone in the city decided to take their dog for a walk. And in between the dogs going for walks, there were squirrels. And in between the squirrels there were geese. And ducks. And colorful bits of paper.

Basically, it was like a vast wonderland of distraction for Abby, who spent the run lunging in eight separate directions at once, and I was wondering if I'd break an ankle and/or step on her before we reached...

...the Longfellow Bridge!

So pretty! So glowy in the morning light! So impossible to cross!

Right now, the bridge is under construction, which means the pedestrian sidewalk is located in some sort of other dimension. Finding it proved a mental challenge that I was not prepared for at 6:30 in the morning.

Doesn't look suspicious at all...

Getting warmer?

Abby eventually grew unamused by my frequent breaks to take photos/look around in bewilderment.

Hey, there it is!

I figured once I found the bridge, the hard part would be over, but once I got to the other side, it was all detour signs and open construction sites once again. I actually don't have any pictures because I was so confused I had to focus all my mental acumen on trying to figure out where I was. Given the number of times I turned around and retraced my steps, I'm surprised my GPS running tracker didn't start counting a negative pace...

Eventually I made it to the other side and found my way to the Cambridge river run, where Abby promptly discovered this flock of geese and almost ran them into traffic. Keepin' the hits coming.

It was great to run along a route I actually knew, and I think my confidence-fueled speed made up for my confused ramblings. For the first time, I felt really happy while running, and I even managed to smile as we crossed the Harvard Bridge, aka the Arctic Wind Tunnel.

Runner's high? We're getting there.

The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

Distance Run: 3.82 mi
Time: 42:00
Pace: 10:59 min/mil
Most Challenging Moment: Managing the blisters from my new, stylish Frye boots
Most Inspiring Moment: Seeing the old lady with the tiny dogs out there, killin' it

There was a moment, right before my run, when I realized what I was doing made no rational sense. I was in the entranceway of my building, looking out the door at the rain and the cold, and the ancient reptilian part of my brain just said nope. "It is cold and wet outside," it argued. "You do not like being cold or wet. Going outside right now is something a crazy person would do."

Yup, can't really argue with that. It was freezing, and because my running gear is basically two-year-old sneakers and some tights I got for sale at H&M, the best thing I could do to keep warm was layer on a sweatshirt and one of Dave's knit hats. (When I came home, he gently suggested I go shopping for appropriate clothing)

I was miserable, and then I took Abby to her favorite pee spot, and as I was waiting for her to do her stuff (the time it takes her to git it done is inversely proportional to how cold/wet it is), who should jog by but the old lady with the two tiny dogs.

I've seen her before, encouraging her little dogs as she jogs the Southwest Corridor, and today she had a look of grim determination on her face. The kind of look that says "A little rain isn't going to stop me!"

With that bit of inspiration, we were off.

The first few minutes, my running form--spotty at best--could have been set to Benny Hill music. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Maybe that I could outrun the cold? I was scampering down the street like my butt was on fire.

Eventually we settled into a rhythm, only to be immediately thrown off when Abby FREAKED OUT upon seeing the giant gold Christmas ornament outside the Pru. (to be fair, that's gotta be pretty bewildering for a dog)

I also misjudged how deep a puddle by the curb was, thanks to the layer of leaves floating on top. I ended up soaking myself up to my ankles and let out a noise like a cat getting dropped in a bathtub.

My sweatshirt, post run. The wet parts are in red.

But, we made it home, both of us wet and sniffly with another training run under our belts. The first thing I saw was Dave and Iris, snuggly on the couch, identical looks of warm sleepiness on their faces.

Jealous? Very.

Dark and Cold

Distance Run: 3.8 miles
Time: 41:36
Pace: 10:58 mi/min
Most Challenging Moment: Digging deep to find the strength to leave bed
Most Inspiring Moment: I PASSED ANOTHER RUNNER!*

Waking up this morning, this was the cheerful news that greeted me:

I'm sorry...snow??? Snow??? I am not prepared for this.

It didn't help that I'm dealing with the beginnings of a cold. Or that by the time my alarm clock went off at 6:30AM, I'd already been awake for an hour, feeding the baby. Or that we decided to invite Abby up into bed with us for family snuggle time, and so just when I supposed to get out of bed and run in unreasonably cold weather, I was instead sandwiched between a snuggly baby, sleepy husband, and snoring puppy.

I woke up Dave and told him he had to stop hugging Abby so we could run, and all Abby had to hear was the word "run" before she leaped out of his arms and onto the floor, her little stubby tail flying off her butt.

I was really worried I'd get outside and it would be snowing and then I'd have to sit down on the front stoop and cry, but luckily (sort of), it was just really, ridiculously cold.** My tactic for dealing with cold weather is just run faster, which Abby seemed to agree with, so even though all I wanted was to snatch eggnog lattes out of the hands of every bundled commuter I came across, we actually managed to make pretty okay time!

And the best part about running in the cold? Coming home to tea, sweatpants, and a cozy couch.

It's the end of the week, and I want to thank the amazing people who supported me and Team Codman Academy this week! Thank you to my fabulous cousin Eileen, her husband Bill, and her two little munchkins, Sal and Nell, and thank you to my Aunt Joan and Uncle Mike! Your support means a lot to me and helps me get out of bed when all I want to do is burrow under the blankets like a gopher.

And dear reader, I hope you'll consider donating, too! It takes just a few minutes, and the glow of philanthropy will help keep you warm on this cold autumn weekend.


*Yes, she might have been adjusting her iPod at the time and yes, she might have passed me again 20 seconds later, but I'm still counting this as a win.
**When it's February and -12 degrees outside and I'm still waking up at 6:30AM to run, I expect I'll look back on this entry and laugh until I start weeping.

Foggy Morning

Distance Run: 3.83 miles
Time: 41:34
Pace: 10:51
Most Challenging Moment: Abby sets the pace running over the Harvard Bridge; I almost lose a lung
Most Inspiring Moment: MacGyvered my regular bra into a sports bra with a safety pin and some creativity

There's supposed to be a building in this picture

When I woke up this morning, I checked the weather for the day. "Low fog," it said. "Poor visibility."

"Huh," I thought. "I wonder what that means for my run."

What it meant was that Boston's skyline was effectively erased and I felt a little like I was running inside a cloud.

The weather did nothing to stop The Overachievers, though, and now, after watching them for two runs, all I can think is how are they so fast? I'll be moving along at what I think is a decent clip, only to be left in the dust by two guys amiably chatting about advanced physics (I run next to MIT).

The one time I tried talking while running, with my marathon-winning brother-in-law (turns out a brisk warm-up jog for him is a strenuous work out for me), convinced me that you can use oxygen either for running OR talking, but not both. I'm pretty sure everyone who runs at 6AM in Boston is an X-Man.

At least constantly being passed by literally every single runner I came across inspired me to try to pick up my pace, so coming home over the Harvard Bridge I gave Abby free rein to go as fast as she wanted. She usually trots by my side in a sort of fast walk, so when I gave her the go-ahead to run, her response was YES LET'S DOOOO THIS!!! RUN! RUN FASTER! RUUUUN FAAAASTERRRR!!!! She's like the most adorable hard-core trainer in the world.

A photo of the fabled land of Brigadoon

Baby Resistance Training

Iris is just starting to enter that "I would prefer never to be put down, please," phase, which makes exercising a challenge. My current solution? Throw that kid in the Baby Bjorn and do some lunges.

Turns out that lunging down a 20-foot-long hallway with a ten pound baby strapped to your chest is actually a pretty good workout. I get to sweat, and the baby gets to view the world from a slightly bumpier perspective.

After lunges, I get my cardio in by running up and down the stairs inside our apartment. This serves the dual purpose of confusing Abby into thinking we're going to go outside, so she ends up following me down the stairs...and up the stairs...and down the stairs...and then halfway back up the stairs where she pauses with a look of puppy confusion on her little scrunched up face.

Are...are we doin' this?

Another AM run tomorrow, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my resistance weight doesn't wake up in the middle of the night with another stuffy nose!

Running with the Overachievers

Distance Run: 3.94 miles
Time: 44:36

Pace: 11:18 min/mi
Most Challenging Moment: The grim realization that I am very slow
Most Inspiring Moment: Boston! Sunrise! City! Life!

For years, I've wanted to be one of those bright, beautiful people who jump out of bed with the sunrise and spend their day with the glow that can only come from smugly getting your exercise in before breakfast. But the reality of the situation (my bed is warm and comfy, exercise is cold and hard), meant it never happened.

The past week, I've been spoiled. With my mom in town, providing free babysitting to Iris (aka Support Staff: Baby Level), I've been able to take my runs whenever I wanted.

But my mom is back in New Jersey, which means if I want to run, I've got to schedule it for the hours before Dave (Support Staff: Husband Level) goes off to work. And so I have to wake up early.

I was actually so excited to get up early and run that I dreamed about it. This should count as some kind of super-exercise. By the time I got out onto the street, I couldn't wait to start running and officially join the ranks of the Early Morning Exercisers.

Unfortunately, it did not take long for me to realize that I am not yet one of them.

"Why am I going backwards?" I kept wondering, as runner after runner shot past me. Turns out the kind of person who wakes up at six AM to go running is also the kind of person who is really really fast. I was clearly out of my element, as evidenced by the fact that I was taking pictures of the sunrise like it was some kind of rare natural phenomenon.

At least I looked the part enough that an out-of-town runner asked me which way the river was. "Just keep running in that direction!" I said, unhelpfully. I later saw him running toward the Common.

Abby discovers crew; is not impressed, possibly scared

A Very Blustery Day

Distance Run: 1.98 miles
Time: 25:18
Pace: 12:47 min/mi
Most Challenging Moment: WIIIIIND!!!
Most Inspiring Moment: Hit the walk sign both times crossing Mass Ave.

One-legged horticulturalists need not apply

After yesterday's wet run, I thought today would be a breeze, and it was, literally, as in "if I attached a parachute to Abby's halter, I think I could use her to go kite surfing."

This was one of those runs where you felt like you were going into the wind no matter what direction, and we didn't even run along the Harvard Bridge, aka the Portal to Foul Weather, aka the Never-Ending Bridge of Doom.

I kept today's run short so that my marathon-training enthusiasm doesn't burn out either me or my running partner, but Abby, who doesn't understand the concept of pacing yourself, was pretty much I WANT TO RUUUUN!!!! from the second we got out the door.

Still, we did an easy loop around the neighborhood, ending in the park across the street, where I spotted the sign above. True story! Right after I took the picture, one of the local dog walkers came up behind us yelling at Abby to not pee in the garden. "Don't pee in the garden, doggie! No garden pee!" This is the same dog walker who, when she saw me 8 months pregnant walking Abby, told me I would probably get rid of my dog as soon as I had my baby. In both cases, I laughed nervously and ran away.

FUNDRAISING UPDATE!

I'm thrilled to have received the VERY FIRST donation to my fundraising account! Thank you to my generous donors (aka Mom and Dad)! Whoooo will be next???

Tomorrow is a rest day, then it's back to training on Sunday!

The Journey to 26.2 Miles Begins with a Single Run in the Rain

Distance Run: 3.75 miles

Time: 50:23
Pace: 13:26 min/mi
Most challenging moment: Attempted and failed to leap a puddle
Most inspiring moment: Abby sees a flock of geese, does not chase

This is the face of "We could be in bed right now."

My Boston Marathon training regimen has officially begun! Despite the rain, I laced up my sneakers, put on Abby's halter, and filled my pockets with dog treats* to head out and get started.

I was, like, 82% sure I would slip on a wet curb and break my leg, thus ending my marathon dreams before they even started, but we made it back home wet but unharmed. I blame our iceberg pace on Abby's semi-regular pee breaks (we will not rest until we've claimed every patch of grass in Boston!!!).

Also, I forgot that Abby is inexplicably scared of the Charles River (a short list of other things that scared her on this run: plastic bag tied to the promenade railing, some guy in the doorway of the MIT boathouse, random innocent Asian lady).

Keep watching that river, Abby.

One run down, 165 more days of training to go!


*I just have this vision of myself, halfway through the marathon, reaching into a pocket for a protein bar or something and coming out with a handful of Beggin' Strips.

We're Doing This!

“This” meaning the Boston Marathon and “we” meaning me!

Yes, after living in Boston for 4+ years, I’ve decided to run the marathon and raise some money for an excellent cause: the wonderful charter school, Codman Academy! You can check out (and donate to) my fundraising campaign here!

Who am I?

I’m a writer living in Boston’s South End neighborhood. This means I spend my days making up stories in my pajamas, and someone pays me for it. You can find my first novel, Salt& Storm, in bookstores now! I’m also a new mom and a semi-regular runner.

My running partner

Meet Abby! Two years old with an enthusiasm for running only matched by her enthusiasm for squirrels, squeaky toys, and sleeping on the bed. Abby’s been my running partner for a year and a half, and I have yet to tire her out. With her penchant for switching directions abruptly and without warning, she’s going to make sure I’m the most agile runner out there.

My support staff

Dave: husband, father to my child, ran the Boston Marathon twice and the sum total of his advice to me was “Just do it!”

Iris: she’s a baby!