Wharf to Whoopee, McConnell’s 10 OK, & Semana Yes-I-Can-ica

I am dedicating this blog to Brian Dutter, who has been after me for weeks to update my blog, like a tenacious terrier.  Usually he reminds me of this while nipping at my heels during a track workout.  Then he invariably charges past me to finish far ahead of me on every interval.
I apologize to [...]

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Ten Junk Miles

The 10-miler has been a favorite race of mine for several years.  

1.) it’s a distance that suits me;
2.) it has a symmetry to it that I appreciate–out and back, even numbers, mile pace always equal to finishing time (i.e., if you run a 7.5 minute mile pace, you finish in 75 minutes);
3.) it has [...]

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The Red Badge of Toughness

“There are only two rules for this race that are non-negotiable,” announces Jim Kornell, race director, “be safe, and have fun.”
He shouts, “Go!” and we’re off!  Travis Bower, our secret weapon, runs the first leg of our trek up and over the mountains.  Destination:  Nojoqui Falls Park in Solvang, 100K (65 miles) of agony and [...]

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Almost No-Go

I’m writing this from home today.  I took the day off.  You see, while Tamara, Drea and I were having a fabulous time on our pilgrimage to Carlsbad (lots of girlfr’en talk on the way down, delighted with our plushy hotel room, great meal with a wry waiter at a nice Italian joint), the evil [...]

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Mojo, or Slo-Mo?

“You grab Mo, and I’ll grab Jo,” quipped Patty to Paulette and Gail on the “girlfriend run” Sunday.   I had just been accused of pushing the pace a tad too much, and responded by gleefully proclaiming that I had finally got my mojo back.  
Girlfriend runs are not supposed to be fast.  They are [...]

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New Year’s Resolution Renewal: Stay Trim and Fit

Although I’d had a few times in my adult life when I gained an uncomfortable amount of weight–perhaps 10 to 15 pounds, which I quickly lost—I was never even close to being grossly overweight until I reached my late thirties. 
For about five years, from age 35 to 40, I underwent extensive infertility treatment.  I never [...]

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Sacramento: Deja Vu All Over Again

I can be an infuriatingly consistent runner.  In 2004, I ran two marathons within five months, and my finishing times were 22 seconds apart: 3:22:45 and 3:22:23.  If my husband Jeff is planning to watch me race, he always asks me what time—down to the second—I’m going to cross the line.  He’s only partially joking. [...]

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“Yes, We Have No Bananas” (or potatoes, or rice, or pasta)…

How many of you recognize the title to this song?  I confess my own exposure is limited to the charming Hepburn/Bogart duet on the boat in Sabrina. 
As promised, I’m going to describe the carb depletion/load regimen, as I understand it.  It’s torture, and evidence shows that loading without depletion is almost as effective as the [...]

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Update: 5 Days and Counting…

Well, that ridiculous amount of homeopathic and traditional medicine I’ve been using seems to have done the trick.  I can barely tell I have a cold, and I’m sure it’ll be history by Sunday.  Of course, I can’t know for sure which of the remedies worked, or even whether my own body just took care [...]

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7 Days to Sacramento…Dodging the Bullet

As I sit here typing, I have 4 medications or supplements circulating in my body:
1. Zicam
2. Zinc
3. Claritin
4. Flovent (a corticosteroid inhaler)
Five, if you count the glass of red wine I allowed myself to take the edge off my freak-out. I’m running the Sacramento Marathon in a week, I’ve trained really hard for a [...]

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