running - The Fairest Run Of All

Anyone Can Be A Marathoner (Like Ratatouille, Only Running)

September 30, 2022September 30, 20222 Comments

People generally seem impressed when I mention (not that often, I swear) that I’ve run/am running a marathon. For some reason, my kneejerk reaction is to try to downplay it and hype it up all at once. “Oh, it’s really not that hard,” I say. “Anyone can do it,” I say. “It’s a mental game,” I say. “You could run one if you wanted!” As a rule the person insists that they could not – understandably. But I really believe it: anyone can run a marathon. And I don’t even mean it in the pure Ratatouille sense, either; I...

Race Recap! A 5K In The Mile High City

August 26, 2022August 26, 2022Leave a comment

Nobody was more surprised than me that I attended the 2022 Tessitura Network Convention – I went from contracted employee to full time and on a plane to the Mile High City in the blink of an eye. Was I excited to go to Denver for the first time? Yes! But was I more excited for the conference 5K? Duh. THE TESSITURA CONVENTION 5K EXPERIENCE I’ve run the Tessitura 5K before, and can tell you from experience it’s very informal. There are no bib chips, the winner is determined by gun time only, and sometimes the course doesn’t even...

Runner's World is surprised by classical music

Try My Classical Music Running Playlist

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022Leave a comment

The last Runner’s World issue was dedicated to music. Among the many articles on its (tremendous!) importance was a small feature detailing what music the magazine’s subscribers tend to jam to most often on their runs. The editors expressed their surprise by how often Beethoven was cited as a driving force. Me? Not even! People talk about growing up in a Beatles or a Stones family. I grew up in a Classical Music Only family. If my mom was in the car, we listened to classical music. With my dad we occasionally listened to some classic rock, but he...

It’s The Shoe Of The Tiger, It’s The Thrill Of The Run

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022Leave a comment

Hello again! Sorry for that gap in service; I’ve been on a whirlwind tour of Not My Apartment. First I went to North Carolina (where I ran a 5K!), then over to Maryland for some family time in Ocean City. There I turned my niece on to Meet the Robinsons, dragged everyone through a haunted house dark ride (more on both of those later), and convinced my sister-in-law to try a new running shoe. All in all I think I can call my trip a success. Ooh, another thing I did while on the mainland was gather up my...

Race Recap! Freedom 5K

July 4, 2022July 4, 2022Leave a comment

Don’t cry because Coastal Race Productions’ Freedom 5K was a humid, sweaty mess; smile because it happened. For real: the weather report the day before was thunderstorms ALL DAY. The CRP website states that they handle inclement weather by delaying until it’s safe, but if it’s never safe, then what? Luckily, I have no idea, although I can add this harrowing element to the mix: I made the mistake of telling my dad, who had offered to drive me, that cancellation was a possibility. Then I went to bed. At 4:52am, he busted down the door and shouted “WELL?...

Uh, I Forgot How To Run On A Treadmill

June 22, 2022June 22, 20222 Comments

The last time I had used a treadmill? Oh, early March 2020. And gee, can you think why? OH, ONCE I LOVED A TREADMILL There was a time in my life when the treadmill was nearly the ONLY way I ran. Hills? Terrain? Weather? I didn’t know them. All I knew was the inside of a gym and the consistency of the treadmill. Those who claimed to hate the thing, that it made running so much harder, only served to render me befuddled. WHY? You could put on TV, plunk a water bottle down in the cupholder, and begin....

Runner, Hydrate Thyself (Try My Water Hack!)

June 14, 2022June 21, 2022Leave a comment

You’re gonna hate this, but it’s true: drinking more water really will help. Help with what? Oh, everything. This goes double for runners, obviously. When you work out, you sweat, and when you sweat, you lose water, and you have to put that water back if you want to perform at your best and/or not die. During physical activity of some length, sports drinks can be a superior option, but on a whole nothing can replace plain ol’ water. Yet it’s surprisingly hard to drink enough, right? … Right? Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between experiences that are...

Race Schedule: The Next Generation

May 25, 2022May 25, 20222 Comments

I haven’t enumerated my race schedule since October, so I’d say we’re well past due for an update! I mean, not that you can really trust me – the race schedule I plunk down on paper blog post doesn’t always jive with what actually comes to pass. But you’re not above engaging with some wild speculation with me, are you? Still, let’s start with what I do know for sure – a framework to build the speculation around, if you will… OFFICIALLY ON MY RACE SCHEDULE I’m all registered for these! FREEDOM 5K, JULY 2022 – Believe it or...

So Do Compression Socks Do Anything Or What?

May 10, 2022May 10, 2022Leave a comment

I’ve used compression socks before. A couple years ago I won a pair, and then got another as a Christmas present. I was pretty excited about it – after all, compression socks (and calf sleeves) are supposed to improve your running by – hold on, let me check the marketing copy… Ah, yes, there it is: increased vascular efficiency (so, better blood flow) and faster recovery. I’m not here to debate the accuracy of these statements on a macrocosmic scale; my concerns are microcosmic. But before we get into that: if you’re not familiar with this particular piece of...

An Open Letter To runDisney

May 3, 2022May 3, 20222 Comments

The runDisney support contact form only allows like 3 paragraphs before it cuts off, so upon publication of this post I will be sending them a link. I will also tag them on social media in the hopes someone on the runDisney team might read it. I am also interested to hear what my fellow runDisney runners think about the letter below. Has your experience been similar or different from mine? What did I get right? What did I get wrong? Send me your perspective via any channel you wish – comment below, email me at fairestrunofall@gmail.com, or DM/tag...