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My first race ever, the one that got me hooked, was my local Turkey Trot in Prospect Park. I've run it every year since even when I couldn't run it and, I know I say this about every race, it's my favorite race of the year. 2011 - My first race. I had been running for about four months. I did a one week "taper" leading up to the race because that's a thing that runners do before a race, right? I wore cotton yoga pants and a new thermal Craft shirt I had bought for the occasion because it was in the 50's and that's cold, right? They messed up the chip timing for the race and had me as 1st Female. I emailed them after I saw that and told them that there was no way that was possible, my time was forty something minutes (this was before my first Garmin and I didn't notice the time because I was still infatuated with the fact that I could run for five whole miles without stopping and that was good enough for me) They apologized and changed my time to 40:00. I was thinking more like 45:00-49:00 but I let it go. 2012 - I already had decided that I kind of wanted to earn that 40:00 someday but I don't remember this race at all. PPTC says I finished in 46:00. 2013 - I had just run my first marathon and I was having an amazing year. I really went for it in this one. I ran it in 43:07. After the traditional post race brunch with mom, I ran my entry for a muskratty thing but it wasn't called muskrat it was something about penguins. 2014 - I had just run my only 50 miler. My legs were perpetually dead. I figured I'd run this one to finish and next year I'd really go for that 40:00. I think my sister and BIL did this one too. Or maybe that was the year before and this year was the year with the penguins? Things like this make me miss the old Loop but that's a'whole'nother bloop. 2015 - I walked it on a ruptured plantar fascia and damaged PTT only I didn't know that's what the problem was just yet. My mom walked it with me. She had wanted to do it ever since my first one. We DFL'd it together. In fact, we had to hustle because they were literally about to unplug the mat as we crossed. 1:35:20 It's okay, next year I'd be back at it, right? 2016 - I was fresh off Philly! My first half back since all the foot stuff happened. I couldn't believe that I was running again! I couldn't believe I had run Philly! I was having the best few months! Oh yeah, I was in a walking boot due to giving myself a stress reaction and I walked it, boot and all, with two of my nephews and my sister. 1:19:17 This year I am coming off arguably the best running year I've ever had. I discovered that speedwork makes you faster! Who knew? But I'm also in the middle of a planned off season and haven't done anything remotely fast in over a month. And I have a terrible cold. I know that this isn't my year to chase down that 40:00 but if I'm feeling much better I may try to shave off some time. If not, my BRB Sarah is running it so I may hang back with her or my nephew and sister Sarah (yes, I have a plethora of Sarahs and Saras in my life) are run/walking it so I may hang with them. Either way, I can no wait to line up on Thursday. I can't wait to get another PPTC Turkey Trot medal to add to the collection and I can't wait to see what this race is going to look like when I'm looking at it from 2018. Happy Thanksgiving, Loop.

Hi there friend, why the long face? Are you feeling a little down? Unhappy with your job? Having financial troubles? The news cycle making you want to gouge your eyes out and self immolate? We’ve all been there. Today’s world is full of stress and fear and depressing goings on every single day; it’s easy to feel hopeless. Luckily, you don’t have to face the challenges of living in this world alone. There’s a group of people just like you, fighting their way through life one day at a time. How do they do it, you ask? Well, allow me introduce you to the Church of the Hungover Angry Run(TM). What is the Church of the Hungover Angry Run(TM) you ask? Well I’m glad you, uumm... asked. As a frequent congregant, I’m happy to tell you all about our community and how it’s helped me hang on for dear life as I struggle to survive the insanity we call “the human experience”. The Church is made up of people, just like you and me!, who spend each day on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Most of us try to deal with the crippling anxiety in a healthy way, by going to therapy or exercising or prescription pharmaceuticals with dangerous side effects or some other wholesome and healthy activity. But too often we fail, and end up trying to escape our painful realities through non-prescription pharmaceuticals with dangerous side effects and alcohol. We wake up with a dry mouth, pounding head, and swollen sense of shame. You know that shame, don’t you friend? That’s where the Church of the Hungover Angry Run(TM) comes in. We take that self loathing, anxiety, and anger at the world and pound it out on the pavement. I know what you’re thinking, “But Brother Gonzo, it hurts to think, how am I possibly going to run???” Hahahaha, well Jimmy, I didn’t say it was going to be easy. But I will say that through the suffering, you will find redemption. Lace up those shoes, wipe that smeared mascara off your cheeks (you too guys), pop some ibuprofen, and drag yourself out the door. You will hurt, your sweat will smell like a fraternity basement, and you will probably vomit. Several times. But those disgusting eliminations and discharges will carry with them all the poisons rotting your body and soul. All the anger, all the fear and anxiety, all the stress and shame will pass from you as you focus on finding a hedge or alleyway no one is watching to have a violent emergency bathroom break. You will be expelling pure evil from your pores and other bodily orifices, and when you finish, you will say to yourself “If I can survive a 3 mile run puking in every unattended trash can I pass, I can surely survive whatever bullshit this world can throw at me today!” That, my brothers and sisters, is the power of the Church of the Hungover Angry Run(TM). Now, while you’re welcome to attend services with us, in order to become a full member there are several sacraments in which congregants must partake. These involve embarking on a hungover, angry run after the following life events: Ending of a romantic relationship Waking up and realizing you drunk-dialed an ex Waking up and realizing you drunk booty called an ex A work happy hour where you awkwardly hit on a coworker’s/boss’ wife/girlfriend Quitting/being fired from a job An existential “What am I doing with my life” crisis Your child telling you how much they hate you Watching cable news for too long Attending an Irish wake Like many Churches, we observe several High Holy days. These celebrate instances when times of great stress and occasions for binge drinking intersect, and the likelihood of spending a teary booze-soaked Uber ride praying you get home before the pitcher of sangria comes back up is highest. Those are the times we need the Church the most, and the times when the Church is there for us. Our High Holy days are: January 1 (The Feast of the Failed Resolution) - services commemorate the passing of another year devoid of accomplishment and remembering unfulfilled goals for personal growth and development March 18 (The Feast of Green Dye No 3) - to seek atonement for the shallow misappropriation of another culture’s rich traditions May 6 (Día de Sentirse Como Los Muertos) - also to seek atonement for the shallow misappropriation of another culture’s rich traditions Thanksgiving (All Ex’ Day) - a day of trying to figure out what unresolved issues led you to hook up with your high school/college ex while back in your hometown on Thanksgiving Eve There are also special services, some on set days and some to be attended as needed by the congregant. These include: February 15 (Lonely Hearts Day) - a day of contemplation on why the coworker, friend, or relative with the crippling social awkwardness/offensive body odor/lack of gainful employment/excessive body hair has a romantic life partner and you don’t. This service can also be held on the day after a wedding in which you sat at the singles table. Family Day - can be celebrated after any large family gathering. Includes time for reflection on uncomfortable family discussions around: Why certain conservative/liberal family members accuse you of being a communist/terrorist/fascist Why you’re not married When you’re having children The usefulness of your college degree in your current profession and how the student loans can’t be helping the fact you're not married or childless Why that cousin with the basket weaving degree makes more than you with your PhD in mechanical engineering Failure of Humanity Day - a day of mourning and reflection after the latest horrific and tragic preventable loss of life in favor of politics and money Like any Church, we also have our sacred scriptures. These include: Born to Run Once a Runner What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Daniels’ Running Formula The Joy of Mixology The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas Unlike most Churches, however, we don’t have hymns or sing much. Singing and hangovers rarely mix, after all. And lastly, what would a Church be without the breaking of bread together as a congregation? Our traditional communal meal consists of bagel sandwiches and bloody marys, however each local congregation may choose an equally appropriate meal consistent with local traditions. I hope you found this informative, and look forward to seeing you at our next service! They start every morning promptly at 6am 7am 8am 8:30am 8:45am ugh fuck it we’ll be calling in sick to work and going at 9:15am. Welcome to the Church of the Hungover Angry Run(TM)!

Hello Loopland! Its been a hot minute since I've written a bloop and with the recent location change I figured it was good time to come back and say hello! A lot has happened in my world since the last time I visited Loopville (although I've been lurking about reading and have certainly kept up with some of you via Facebook land). I stopped blooping because life got busy and of course there were the Loop issues... ahem... but mostly I just didn't have time to write. I'm not sure my life is really any less busy at this point, but it is definitely different, and in many ways, better. While every day is full to the brim, I'm spending my time doing more things I love and less things that I don't love. I never stopped running, although for the last few years I had slowed down and shortened my distance while finishing up my Doctoral work. This year, and I realize I can actually say this year as its almost over already, has been a year of resurfacing for me. As a musician, I reached a place where my body, especially my spine after a car accident a couple years ago, and mind were healthy enough to return to the high volume of performing and teaching that I desire and need for my career to move forward. As a climber, I found time to go on adventures, push my limits and teach others the sport. I also found moments of peace and healing that I desperately needed at the tops of some pretty amazing climbs. As a runner, I returned - FINALLY - to the marathon after a 3 year hiatus from the distance, it feels good to have logged 2 fulls this year including one at high elevation (Houston and Salt Lake City). So the three physical elements of my life seem to be balancing together well and have left me feeling healthy and growing towards more daily fulfillment. While I spent much of 2016 in a place of deep depression, anxiety, and frustration, I found a lot of healing as I focused on training for the Houston Marathon, and I started 2017 feeling happier, stronger, and healthier than I have felt in a lot of years. Not to say that training for the marathon was some kind of magical quick fix to my struggles - it was not - but the training gave me time to focus on myself and sort through a lot of stuff that needed sorting through. (Its amazing what can happen over the course of 60 mile training weeks). 2017 has been a good year so far - and with 2 months to go, I'm hoping to wrap up a few more big projects and close the door on some anxieties that have lingered for far too long. I am also looking forward to finishing the year the same way I started it - Running! At the moment I am recovering from the biggest, most fulfilling, awesome event I have ever trained for and completed - CHILD BIRTH! I gave birth to my sweet little girl on October 11th (6lbs 6.7oz, 18inches). I will post a full "Race/Training Report" soon, as I view this year so far as my Baby Marathon training and race. It has truly been a journey, and one that I am excited to share with others - especially other Runner Moms. I was asked many times over the spring and summer "what are you training for" or "oh are you training for the KC Marathon" (as that is the race that many of my peers around here were training for all summer) and my answer was always the same - "no, not really training for anything, I'm going to be a little busy around the KC Marathon, my baby is due that week" By the time I hit my halfway point in the pregnancy I realized I really was training for something. In fact, I was training for what would very likely be the hardest "Marathon" I have ever done. Thanks for reading; I'm excited to be back in this community, and writing again! GiniaQ

There's not much to this blog, but this letter. Whenever I have a fight with running, I find this picture of a letter written by a local boy in Minnesota to a RD of one of my favorite Spring Races called Zumbro. I'm hoping that you, too, can find some joy in the youngsters joy of trail running, and perhaps find a little motivation when times are down that when you are running, you have an opportunity to be young at heart.

I went to bed Sunday night with visions of a great week of running and getting to the gym in my head. This would be the week I transitioned to taking Monday as a rest day and slipping a short run in Sunday after church instead of my traditional nap. But Monday night this happened: And because I can’t just carve a plain ol’ jackolantern, I was up till 11:00 pm meticulously carving the first line of Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue in D minor into my pumpkin. Tuesday morning, I just couldn’t. Blame it on the pumpkin, or the wine, or the late night. What was I thinking? Tuesday this happened: When my alarm went off Wednesday morning, I seriously contemplated running after choir practice. I certainly didn’t want to get out of bed. Why am I so tired? When BF came by with his boys and asked how my morning went, I told him “meh” and that no matter what, I had to run after choir or I wouldn’t be getting the runs (and mileage) in that I planned for the week. On the way home after choir last night I spotted this: This house was once the Presbyterian parsonage. More recently owned by the wife of the man who’s retirement made it possible for me to have my current job. I texted him a picture of the house and told him it missed them so much it decided to up and leave. Someone has purchased the house and a plot of land to move it to in Coupeville. Last night, after weeks of prep work, the big move happened. The guys told me it would begin its journey down to the water at 10:00pm. (why go through such an expense is beyond me, but it is a very cool house.) Snapped some pictures and continued my run. Must have left my Garmin on after my last run because it was dead before I even left the house. Mileage? I’ll check later. I am reluctant to bring Beau for runs because with his less than stellar leash manners I’m sure will spell injury over time, (I know. I’m not the greatest dog owner) I brought him last night because night runs give me more hebejeebies than morning runs and I figured I’ve been at this for a few months and am probably strong enough to keep good form. Glad I brought him ‘cause he did great. Maybe I’m able to run just fast enough that he doesn’t feel I’m slowing him down any more. Instead of heading straight home after seeing the house all ready to go, I jagged across Midway and ran down to Ely. Tell me loop, how does one pronounce Ely? The locals have an unexpected pronunciation which makes me feel a little nutty because I AM a local but apparently don’t say it right. Decided to run up hwy 20 till it meets Midway again. Then a disturbing feeling told me that…. Who thought zippers on sports bras were a good idea? I desperately need some new gear. My initial attempt to rescue the southbound zipper was too late. It continued down as I stopped running… and a feeling of sudden freedom told me it had come entirely undone. Ack! Night time but sporadic traffic on a well lit road. I told Beau it looked like we were walking from there. Bummer ‘cause I knew I was about a mile from home and really didn’t intend to be out longer than 40 minutes. I started to cut through the dark patch of trees where the farmers market is held every summer and decided I had enough “privacy” to fix my wardrobe malfunction. Why do I even have this stupid bra? Oh, right. Because without leaving the island the options at Big5 are: A: no fasteners at all, so you have to wrestle yourself in and out of the darn thing and nearly dislocate a shoulder post workout not to mention the time I nearly had to call for help from the fitting room because I thought I was stuck. B: Zipper fronted idiocity. Maybe I should just go on Amazon or visit the Enell website and order something better ‘cause having to stop mid-run to re-secure the girls is beyond ridiculous. Wardrobe *ahem* fixed, I picked up the pace again and ran the rest of the way including ALL THE WAY UP THE HILL FROM MIDWAY TO O’LEARY LIKE IT WAS ALMOST NOTHING! The night run was actually pretty nice. Beau appreciated the outing. I hope to wake up and run Friday, but maybe my body has decided it just doesn’t want to get up in the morning. I’m turning into a night owl? Who knows. As I drank my water and video-chatted with BF, I told him about the house moving at 10:00. Looked at the time 9:50. Heard the kids still awake because they didn’t have to get up in the morning for parent teacher conferences. Told them to load up in the car. I wouldn’t tell them what we were doing. They wanted a hint. “How did my favorite house get here?” “It came on a boat” Mookie replied. This house was moved here from Seattle by Mr. Patton when they were putting in I-5. Slotted for demolition, he bought it and a few others super cheap and had them shipped to Whidbey on barges. If I won the lottery, this would be my forever after home. They were all confused. Why was my house being moved again? “It’s not.” We arrived at the playhouse parking lot just in time to catch this: Mookie said it was just like the movie "UP" minus the balloons. Night runs aren’t so bad.

I love you but I need a break. We’ve been spending an awful lot of time together over the last few months and I find myself drained and in need of some Elizabeth time. I don’t want you to think that this has anything to do with you or with our relationship. I still love you and I’m still going to take you to that big event this weekend just like I promised. It’s just that after that, I need some time on my own. If I’m being honest, it feels like back in 2015. We had gone through our longest race ever together and I think after that we started up again too quickly. Do you remember that? Around January and February? It felt like we were just going through the motions. We were so used to being together that we didn’t notice how much we were smothering each other. Then, early March, we almost broke up. I was hurting and the quack chiropractor told me you were no good for me. That you’d ruin my hip. I spent weeks in therapy over it. That got me nowhere until the ortho told me that the chiro was just dead wrong. I know. I know. I was wrong for listening to someone who spoke so ill of you without speaking to you about it. But do you remember how it felt, being together after that? We were so happy. So fast. Every run was a joy. It felt like our first time all over again. Like we were a couple of teens in puppy love. And then, you pushed too much and I got hurt again. Was the PF to get me back for listening to the chiro? I guess it doesn’t matter now so long as we both learn from our past. No relationship is perfect. We’ve both done things we regret. So, what I guess I’m saying is that I want to avoid hurting each other in the future the way we did in the past. I think after NY, I’m going to just chill by myself. Maybe see the gym again. We’ll still hang but no formal events for a bit. Then, when we’re both ready, we’ll be so much better for it. Us. Our relationship. I know it might be hard but believe me, I’m doing this for us. Love, Me

Or rather, the smells while running. Not of running. During my long run on Saturday—14 miles with the last 4 at MPish—my mind wandered to a gazillion different topics. One of those was thinking about the weird and awful odors that I’ve come across while running. This thread was sparked, almost literally, from running next to someone smoking a cigarette while waiting at a bus station. Am I the only runner who holds my breath when running next to a smoker? Save me from the cloud of lung cancer! And also, it sometimes triggers a coughing attack for me. But what else is terrible to inhale while pushing the pace? Obviously, running makes me smell not so fresh but I don’t usually notice it unless I’m on a treadmill or when I’m back home stretching. And I usually run alone so no stinky running buddies. I’m talking about things you run past that make you gag a little. In mostly no particular order, this is my top 10 of foulness: Cigarette/cigar smoke Garbage trucks—I have an uncanny knack for choosing the same Saturday morning route as one of the local trucks. No matter which street I turn on, there’s the truck again with it’s irradiating stench strangling me. Ever run by the truck that empties out porto-potties? When it’s in the process of doing the emptying? Not good. Fast food restaurants first thing in the morning (think frying grease smells). This can be ok after my run though Living in San Diego, I run by many different breweries. When the bigger ones are brewing, you can smell the batch from about half mile away. Depending on the variety, this could be a delicious or obnoxious odor. DH would disagree with me here but Green Flash’s hoppy brews are not so pleasant. Fresh mulch—this may be related to allergies but it’s overpowering and makes my flight/fight response kick in Certain plants—specifically jasmine, which causes a chain reaction of instant sneezing. I’m sure the smell is just fine but when it’s always linked to an adverse reaction, my brain says “bad plant!” Landfills. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, you could be fine or in for some hurt. Smoke/ash in the air. Luckily, even though the high is 102 today with like 2% humidity, my part of CA has only had small fires this year. But running when there are bigger ones? Awful and dangerous. Dead animals. Usually cats or opossums on the road. Sometimes dead birds. I feel like other animals take care of the remains pretty efficiently ‘round these parts so the offending smell is only present for one or two runs. Except skunk. Which lasts seemingly forever. While on a few different trips this summer, I also encountered sewer drains in a big city which were gross and also some stagnant small ponds that were gag-worthy. And the worst that I’ve encountered? About a year ago, I ran through a few streets just off of a normal route. The houses were a bit dumpy and run-down but whatever. All of a sudden, the smell from one house almost knocked me to the ground. [Embarrassingly, I used to watch Hoarders on TV. And I would always be thankful that my TV didn’t have smell-o-vision when they’d go through the homes. I also have a cat so I know what cat urine smells like.] HOWEVER, I swear this house that I ran past either was an active animal Hoarder situation or was in the process of being cleaned out. Either way, the intense cat-pee smell made me stop and dry heave/retch into the bushes. I could barely stop the gagging enough to slowly keep walking to get away from the house. I have never run down that street again. What else have you got?

So this year has been filled with starts and stops... Run 3 or 4 days in a week and then nada for two or three weeks. I just could never get back into that groove. Sure there were some injuries I guess, but a few years ago I would have run through most of that. Some of it was new aches and pains that come with a 50 year old body I suppose, but also I found myself 20 pounds heavier than I was after my last marathon (Chicago '14) and I needed to get back in running shape to really start enjoying running again. September was a month of travel for work, and I decided to not just pack my running gear but actually use it on these trips. On a week long trip to Germany I ran 4 days along the Isar river in Munich, (which is totally freakin awesome btw), and then two days along the Rhine in Cologne (which is totally OSOM btw also!). The weather and scenery were incredible, and since I didn't pack my Garmin I just really enjoyed the running. It would be a way too long bloop but if you get the chance to go to either of those cities, do not forget your running shoes. A week later I was in Las Vegas for a trade show and ran on the strip three mornings, also semi-naked... It was again great running weather and surprisingly a pretty good place to run (a lot of stairs to get over intersections right downtown though). Anyway, I got my legs back into semi-decent running shape and lost a few pounds... it's really amazing how much better and stronger I felt after just a couple of weeks back running 4-5 days/week... And then I got an email or something from Dave pointing me to this "new Loop" site, which seemed like some kind of message from God or something to keep running... There was Bangle, Speet, NavEng, CompulsiveRunner, Dean, Stew, Peg, Tomato, Kate, Col, Corc, TO, Word, Shaunp, CClement, Raz.... and many more of the Loopsters I remembered pulling me through 4 years of struggling and training up through Boston (was it really 5 years ago?). So This week I've been keeping at it, seeing the most incredibly red sun-rises over the lake, and really getting lost again in running. Lastly, I knew what I really needed to do to keep myself from back-sliding again, enter a race. So this morning I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15k next Sunday. It's one of my favorite races, (and even though my 8 miles this morning kinda sucked to be honest), I'm hoping that this time I'll be able to keep getting out there even when the those aches creep up or the weather isn't so nice... To give a different answer when people ask me "Doing much running lately?" And I'm thinking about Chicago in '18. It's a new AG, after all... Happy Running all!

It was unseasonably warm yesterday. It was also breezy. Running in and out of the sun was nice. I was very warm until I was cool. Don't worry I didn't stay cool. I'm still a dork.

I prefer the word autumn over fall. I'm odd that way. I'm odd in lots of ways. Go figure. Autumn running conditions in northern Michigan can be dicey and moody. One day it may be a nice day and the next is horizontal rain and wind and in the 40's. Well, not this year! It's been one glorious day after another with incredible colors and blue sunny skies. I guess it's our "dessert before dinner" because they are predicting a LOT of snow for us this winter. We'll go from glorious color to solid white soon I'm sure. I decided to run at lunch time today since it's Sunday and I had a full plate of things to do this morning. I ran to the Black River and back and got my total weekly miles over 20. 18 running miles and 2 walking miles. That's the most mileage of any kind in quite a while. I remember so many reasons why I love running. I'm glad I'm back at it but don't plan on doing any racing except maybe the local Turkey Trot if I can squeeze it into my budget. The sunrises have been equally stunning.... The temps are crazy though!! Mid 70's in late October? When I was a kid, our Halloween costumes always had to fit over our snow pants, winter jacket and boots. This was today for my run.... that was a bit WARM for me actually but I soaked it in knowing that our high in 48 hours will be 50F and in a week they are predicting our first snow. I have loved taking pictures of the amazing colors this year... take this one for instance.. it's sumac and the reds they can display are fantastic! This group was on the side of the road right near my grandma's house. She's pushing 94 now and still lives at home on her own and drives during the day. Lastly... the house update..... No good news so far. The sellers have a full price cash offer waiting behind mine and right now the sellers don't want to extend my purchase contract because the mortgage company is slower than molasses in January and if my contract expires, the other buyers move into action. That means they can sell the house for more money since my bank won't be ready before the contract expires and the back up offer is for full price, another $5K over the purchase offer they accepted from me. Unless the sellers have an ounce of ethics and honor, the house will be sold to the other buyers despite all that I have done to have the house move-in ready. My bank can't close until at least the 30th or 31st and my purchase contract expires on the 27th. Yes, this is heart breaking but there are worse things in the world. I'll keep you posted. They may still agree to have me buy the house and pass up an extra $5K from the other buyer. In the meantime, my mom seems to really enjoy having me living in their basement! And so does their dog, Blue. He's a hound dog.

I cannot say that I’m always the most eloquent of writers. I cannot say that I’m much of anything a lot of the time, but when it’s just me and the path that lay ahead, I become a runner. In Minnesota, we usually receive good running weather for about 3 weeks of the year. When those weeks come, you take advantage and lace up the running shoes and enjoy the adventure. We’re having one of those weeks currently. It’s no surprise as the leaves are starting to change from the deep green of summer to yellows, oranges, reds and even purples before they turn to their dying colors of brown. I took my time at lunch today on my familiar 1.8-mile lunch loop. It usually is a 1.5-mile jaunt to the little nature preserve that is Wood Lake Nature Reserve. Since it is in Minnesota, you can be guaranteed that there’s a lake within 15 minutes of you in any direction. I take this path because it’s mostly unpaved. It takes you out of the city even though if you look to your right, you are exactly directly in the center. 20171011_114636.mp4 Today, as I was running I enjoyed some music. I don’t always wear headphones on my runs, but I find that it fuels my running and my sense to keep moving. When times are tough during very long runs, I could switch on the iPod and find a jam, a rhythm or even a lyric that can keep me moving. I don’t have much to report except that I’m edging closer to that 100-mile registration date. My heart is beating harder just in anticipation of the sign up. My brain is telling me that I’m crazy for even attempting such a fool-hearted goal. My heart is telling me that I’ve trained healthy for three years and now is the time. My brain is telling me that I’m chasing pipe dreams. My stomach is telling me to eat all the food. My heart is strong. My brain is prepared. My stomach is just a gluttonous pig. So, as I ran today for my 293rd day straight, I smiled. Today was a beautiful day to run much like every day. With the Autumn colors starting, I, too, am reminded that I can change. I will change every day’s goals to ensure that I make these huge goals that I set for myself. I only hope that I can see the beauty of those changes every day that I train. Run strong and never give up!

Hi all, It has been a long year for me. My Menieres got the upper hand till I saw my specialist. He put me on a strong diuretic ,and I didn't want to push my luck running till I got everything straight. May was a stressful month for my dad and younger brother. Older brother committed a crime, and he fled. He was on local news every night that week. He was caught,and is waiting to be taken to a secure treatment facility. I spent a lot of time helping Dad around the house when I wasn't working. I didn't even ride the good bike on the trail that I liked. Had an Aunt that was diagnose with 3 different cancers. So life was keeping me busy. Now the feel good part of bloop. When I saw specialist in July, he reviewed my diary that I kept for him. Diuretics helped. YEAH. we briefly talked about a hearing implant,and he wanted me to think about it. I schedule an appointment for the first week in August,and I met the criteria set for by the company.I told them October 16 was a good date. So long story short. Paperwork,work paperwork,and insuranceall were filed. Everything cam together on October 12. I had to make a big payment up front since insurance company refused to pay. Ok that was taken care of. I am getting a hearing implant for my right ear. This implant is a step below a cochlear implant. They put a magnet on the inside of eardrum and hook it up to the bones of the ear. The surgery is Monday at 7 am. This has potential to helping me in other ways to,but I will keep expectation low. Am I excited? YES. Nervous? Yes I think I am still human. The doctor doing this surgery is the only one in Ohio that does this implant. I don't get the receiver for 4-6 week. This will allow everything to heal. I can ride my bike trainer after a week. I will wait for doctor to ok the running. I am ready. This can be a lifechanger for me. I will Post updates from time to time on facebook. If I am hurting,there won't be much said. Keep the positive thoughts and prayers there. One final note. It was great following you all this year. The PRs, BQS, ect... still made things exciting. The best run still belongs to nike and the athletes that tried to break the 2 hour mark. I watched the whole thing. I would do it in a heart beat if they though they had the athletes to pull it off. Take care all. Run Hard. Run Fun. Applesauce

TWSS. I got home from work yesterday just as my two youngest children were arriving home from school. I had time to squeeze in a short run before fixing them something to eat before their soccer obligations. My son had a game and my youngest daughter had practice. I told my kids that I was going for a short run and that "dinner would be served when I returned." My run felt sort of labored and I seemed to be breathing harder than normal. I ASSume that it's because I was running with more effort than normal. You know the whole "assume" saying. Since running is based on effort (you can only run as fast as you can run) and I don't wear a watch I'll just go with the harder effort theory. I had time after my run to fix some food and have a small bite to eat. My oldest daughter drove her sister to practice and I drove my son to his game. I got to the soccer complex and realized that I'd left my chair in the other car (fwp). That was the longest hour and a half I've experienced in a while outside of a Friday afternoon at work. My knees were very tired, stiff and sore at the end of the game. I know people who love to be constantly doing stuff and going from place to place all day, every day but I don't like that at all. I'm a big fan of #relaxation. I survived and managed to have energy enough to drink a #beer before going to bed. P.S.: Pumpkin pie P.P.S.: Today's asshats were the parents at the soccer game that yell all game at the kids, the plays, the refs, the coaches. It's AYSO folks, relax.

Woke Late. Ran Anyway. Because it never feels good to give in to the excuses. Running an hour late means more traffic. Lots. And the drivers don’t expect to see a runner, or anyone on the sidewalk that they should try not to run over. Stupid driver. Three deer crossing Midway. I was really sure the third one was going to be hit by the 411 Island Transit. Flashed my flashlight at him. Probably wasn’t necessary. He probably saw the deer. Probably thought I was trying to flag him down instead of waiting for at the bus stop. Stupid runner. The deer, all three of them crossed safely. Got caught at the signal on Midway and Whidbey. I hate that signal. It takes forever and with all the traffic I couldn’t just ignore it. Not one to run in place, at least I got to stretch out my calves during the first mile. Did I mention I ran the uphill direction? Something about mixing up the direction so that the bank of the road isn't always on one side. Yeah. Had to take a walk break the block before Regatta and a few more the rest of the way home. The people coming out of Navy housing are generally aware of runners no matter what ‘o-dark-thirty time you are running. A buck crossing the road at the church on Regatta. The Navy parents coming out of the CDC (Child development center) are in a hurry. Ninja runner with reflective blinky lights glares at mini-van mom, but remains invisible to Ms. Inahurry Lateformashift. It was light enough when I reached the dark stretch of Regatta for me to leave the flashlight off. Time? Slower than Tuesday. I honestly haven't looked. With permission I announce some amazing wonderful and utterly joyous news: My BA runner sister GiniaQ had her first baby yesterday!!!! I’m sad that she’s in Kansas and I am on Whidbey but she has a super awesome hubby and baby girl is absolutely perfect. I’ve not said anything until now because I wasn’t sure if my sis would be hopping back into the loop. She ran through all her pregnancy. I wasn’t a runner before my children, but my sister went into this pregnancy marathon-fit. No kidding, she ran a marathon at the beginning of her pregnancy and seriously went for a run just this past weekend at 39 weeks. Yeah. She’s kinda my hero.

The disadvantage of coming of age in the early ‘70s is that there was no such thing as a professional runner. We were amateurs, every one of us. Now, I know what you’re thinking: But seriously, AB, were you actually good enough to run professionally? And of course, that question is completely beside the point. Back then, Steve Prefontaine was tending bar in Eugene, Oregon, when he wasn’t breaking every American record. And as for me, I was…well, never mind. But those days are long gone, and consequently, a great injustice is being rectified. That’s right: I’ve turned pro. It all started with the good people at Brooks, who launched a clever publicity stunt an ambitious talent search a few months back. Brooks offered corporate sponsorship and the cash that comes with it if I allowed them to lure me away from my life of amateurism. And no, of course it wasn’t just a way of getting me onto their e-mail list. The beauty of it is that I’ve been a Brooks loyalist ever since their Ghost shoe was only at #4 and my feet swore they would never slide into anything else. I’ve worn every model number since then, including a Ghost 7 “Kaleidoscope” limited edition that nearly caused seizures at the Boston Marathon starting line. So no, I’m not a corporate sellout. I’m the real deal, following both my heart and my paycheck to a whole new life. And speaking of that paycheck, it came with this spiffy contract confirming my status as a duly compensated runner for Team Brooks. Sure, the teller at the bank smirked a little when he cashed the accompanying check, but there it was. And it didn’t bounce, either. Now it was up to me to live the life of a pro, and represent the Brooks organization properly. The Instagram pages of other professionals showed me the way. First, you have to post a lot of food shots to show that you’re eating healthy, non-processed meals and making them in interesting ways. Since I’ve been a few pounds over my optimum weight, I swore off my usual bagels in favor of chia-studded oatmeal to go with my poached eggs, fruit, and black coffee for breakfast. Pumpkin pancakes? Those will have to wait for special occasions and pre-race carb-loading binges. And speaking of pumpkin pancakes, if I want to make my mark as a pro I really need to publish my own cookbook. I once stole a spinach-and-watermelon salad recipe from a restaurant in Hood River, Oregon, and I already know I make better roasted brussels sprouts than Shalane Flanagan, so why not? I’ve also learned that the difference between pros like us and mere amateurs is lots of core and strength training, all of which have to be documented in pictures. So here I am fulfilling my planking obligation. Planks suck, but those days of taking the easy road are over now. Of course, being a professional also means periodic training retreats to high elevations. The irony here is that, now that I’ve turned pro, I can no longer afford Atombuddy’s Deluxe High Altitude Training Center, my go-to destination from years past. It seems the dollar (or in this case, a dollar) doesn’t go as far as it used to. But you also have to post shots of local training locations that are either blissful or badass, depending on your mood. So here’s Gladiator Hill, a merciless climb on the route between the Rose Bowl and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. New gear? It’s all part of the lifestyle. Unfortunately, I still had to pay $119.99 for my shiny new Ghost 10’s at the local running store. But their awesome midfoot support caresses my high arches in such a loving way that I could really use another pair for proper shoe rotation (hint, hint). I’ve also noticed that the other pros wear colorful socks. So instead of my usual, boring white Balegas, I decided to embrace my inner fashionista and purchase a pair of…gray Balegas. Balega people, I’m still waiting to hear from you. With all of that said and done, there was nothing left to do but race. Unfortunately, a lengthy, nagging piriformis inflammation has kept me from doing much of that. But I’ve noticed that my fellow professionals always seem to be injured, or rehabbing an injury, or on the verge of getting an injury, so I guess that puts me in good company. Now I may lack cool pictures of myself on an Eliiptigo or Alter-G, or pool running, or getting a bunch of wicked-looking electrodes stuck onto my lower body parts, because I don’t have access to any of those things. Most of my treatment consists of boring everyday stuff like ice packs and ibuprofen. But I do have the very photogenic resistance-band crabwalk. This exercise strengthens the glutes, taking pressure off the piriformis. It also never fails to get a laugh from Mrs. AB, which is definitely worth something. Even at half strength, with mileage remaining stubbornly below 30 per week, the lure of competition has become too strong to resist. This is due, in part, to a pair of colleagues. Since the beginning of the school year I’ve been doing a long-term assignment, subbing for an 8th grade Language Arts teacher on medical leave. Two math teachers at our school—amateurs both—had been training for the Long Beach Half Marathon and frequently asking me for advice. And that’s what we pros do: give our time generously to those who look up to us. Now I know what you’re thinking: If you’re such a professional, AB, what are you doing with a regular job? Well, ever since a realtor, Sarah Vaughn, qualified for the U.S. team at the World Championships, real jobs are all the rage. Besides, it keeps me humble. So once I managed to get my long run back up to 10 miles, I gave in and registered for Long Beach myself, in order to show up those teachers show solidarity with my fellow runners. The race was last weekend. On Saturday, I headed down to the expo early, because I had to make a personal appearance for you-know-who. And on Sunday, I had to make a decision: do I strut my stuff with the elites, or lay low and blend in with the amateurs? Well, considering the poor quality of my race fitness, my complete lack of speedwork, and a piriformis that screams, “Mayday!” when I so much as drop down to tempo pace, I chose the latter. In fact, due to a last-minute port-a-potty stop, I got caught in such a bottleneck entering the corral that I had to start in Wave 2. Not that it mattered: given my recent workout paces, I figured a 1:55—that’s over 14 minutes slower than my 2014 PR—was the best I could hope for. And that’s pretty much how it played out. I settled into an 8:45 pace early, and managed to hold it consistently even when it got tough in the last three miles. My final time was 1:54:42, because I pushed it hard at the end to stay below that 1:55. I waited around in the beer garden afterwards, listening to the band and hoping to spot my teaching friends. But it’s a big race, and it’s easy to miss connections. I later found out that they ran a 2:03 and a 2:10, so I retained bragging rights at Muscatel Middle School. My piriformis hurt near the end of the race, but not enough to stop me. Now I’m sitting on ice a lot, drinking Bloody Marys and debating whether to ask for a cortisone shot. After all, nobody said that being a pro would be easy.

Earlier this week, the kids said they wanted to run with me today. I planned to take my 3-4 miles to the track. When my BF’s oldest son expressed interest, his little brother jumped on board as well. This morning the girls backed out. They wanted to play with the toys ex brought over yesterday. 3 weeks since Bobby’s birthday party, two missed weekends and he drops by in the middle of my piano lesson to bring them presents but can’t afford a place to live or his other obligations He left at the end of the lesson and I asked him to not drop by before 5:00 on Tuesdays and Fridays because I’m teaching and its distracting to the students. So the girls bailed while I headed to the track with this guy: His Dad went for some coffee before bringing Bob and Beau. Flash ran two laps before sitting down with tired legs. When his brother and Dad showed up, he ran another two laps while BaBob ran three+ with the zigs and zags forward and backward. He raced the speedy pink lady. Waited for me and tried to play tag. Both boys did a great job staying out of the inner lanes. There was an old man walking the track who got a kick out of the boys. As BaBob stopped to chat with him, I heard the old man speak tagalog to BaBob who doesn’t talk yet. I shook my head and chuckled. Everyone thinks he's asian. BF took them home when I was just finishing up three miles. Flash: 1 mile Bob: ¾ mile One lap into my fourth mile with Pink Lady continuing lapping me, then running the track in the opposite direction and switching again, my phone rang. The kids. Bean had cut herself when taking out the trash because there had been broken glass in there :-/ Shoot. Ok. I’m coming home. Then I remembered BF had just left. Was he going to his place or mine? I called. He needed to return my dog. Can you check on Bean please? Thankyou. At almost 3.5 miles the phone rang again. She’s ok, but I should pick up some of those bandaids that pull the skin together ‘cause it’s a little deep. Oh boy. Accept I don’t run with cash. Quick stop at home the find the cut is barely ¼” long on her thigh and really not anything to worry over. I went for the bandaids anyway. I had started coughing. What the heck? Partway to the store the sneezing started and my eye felt like it was doing that thing it does when every few years I have this random allergic reaction to who-knows-what. Awesome. No tissues in the car. Even better. I used my ear cover and when I got to the parking lot found the cloth napkin I knew was floating around in the back seat. Bandaids, tissues, go home to take some Benedryl. No Benedryl. Agh! Should have picked some up while I was there. Ask BF to run to the store for Benedryl as my left eyelid continued to swell. This happens from time to time. I thought I had narrowed it down to MSG which I rarely ever have… but now I can say with confidence that I haven’t had anything with MSG. Before the reaction: I ate a wasa cracker with goat cheese and a cup of coffee with a little soy milk. Then I ran for 45 minutes, came home and everything started ??? Maybe the Pledge I sprayed on the table so BaBob could dust? That also doesn’t make sense. No clue. Lessons learned today: 1) When I start increasing my Saturday distance, have an adult on call to help with unexpected situations should the kids need assistance while I’m an hour away on foot. -Or- do several 2-3 mile loops for long runs so that I’m never more than 5 minutes from home. 2) 3.5 miles on a track is redundant, but the lack of hills feels good. Had it not been for the kids, I would have finished 4 miles. 3) My medicine cabinet needs refills. I still don’t know what I’m allergic to but it’ll be ok ‘cause I won’t have another one for at least another year. I haven’t looked, but it feels like my left eye is almost back to normal. The benedryl says it’s naptime. Happy running all.

Hello All! I have to confess, I’ve been a lurker for YEARS (probably somewhere around 2012), and enjoyed every minute of reading about the ups and downs of your running adventures. I lack confidence in my writing ability and meeting new people, but I thought with the new format, I would try to come out of the creepy lurking shadows and at least let you all know that I exist. I was quite crushed when I read that RW was removing the loop, and I’m not much of a “Facebooker,” so that wasn’t going to be an option for me even if I introduced myself before the end. I tried to read a few other blogs about running, but nothing was nearly as interesting as the Loop, and, of course, I felt like I knew all of you…even if none of you had any clue I was reading. I just want to THANK YOU all for the great reading and the motivation over the years, and for driving my desire to get back on the training train treadmill these past couple of months. I found this page by lurking my way over to Dave Shultz’s blog, in an attempt to find any information about PEGLEG’s BQ quest, and it worked! I was hoping and praying for her with every attempt. When I finally found my way over to this forum, and read her race report, tears of joy were streaming down my face! CONGRATULATIONS PEG!!!!! This complete stranger is so happy for you! Now, since I feel like I know so much about all of you, here’s a little information about me: I ran a couple of 5 and 10Ks back in my teenage years while playing a lot of soccer, and I decided that without any additional training, I would run a half marathon. Not the smartest thing I’ve done (not the dumbest either). I managed to finish with minimal walking (ahh to be young), and an EXTREMELY painful week of muscle soreness. However, I was hooked and decided that I would run that race every year. I tortured myself similarly by not training for the next few years. Then, towards the end of college, I decided recreational running was fun, and that year, my time dropped dramatically and the week of pain never occurred. At the time, I was utterly amazed at what a little training could do. The following year, I trained a little more seriously and ran several other races. It was a very emotional run when I first clocked a mile under 8 minutes in the middle of an 8K! With two miles left in the race, let’s just say I learned that crying and breathing at the same time is difficult. I completed my first marathon in 2006, and have since completed 13 more, qualifying for Boston at the 2009 Flying Pig. Unfortunately, at the time, I wasn’t interested in running Boston. I now regret that decision. I fell off the structured training wagon for several years until two months ago because other life is sometimes more important. It feels amazing to be following a training plan again and I hope to set some PRs in the future (and maybe work on getting that BQ again - maybe)! Right now, my A goal is for a 10K under 45 minutes at a race on 11/4/17 <--- I figured putting a goal out there will give me something to blog about in the future. I know it’s blasphemy to some, but now that it is dark at all the times I’m at home, I am an almost 100% gym treadmill runner. I am completely ok with the brain zone-out for an hour or two. It just makes it hard to guess at where you really stand in terms of outdoor speed during training. Since I have had difficulty finding information on this, I'm going to try to include my training treadmill paces, and resulting outdoor race pace, in an attempt to help others that may be looking for this info. I’m sure that’s more than you all care to read and thank you to anyone that read this far! I hope to add to this wonderful community, and like some others in the past have said, I am sure it will be nice to have a place I can geek-out about training and running since it’s just not my DH’s thing. He's a good sport about it, but i can tell he isn't really interested in the amount of detail I want to discuss. P.S. – To all the other lurkers that have made it over here... HI!

Well, that was embarrassing. I signed onto the new Loop on Saturday night, shortly after enjoying one adult beverage. It was fairly simple. Just fill in all the fields, upload a picture, press enter -- then OMG -- I SPELLED MY FREAKING SCREEN NAME WRONG. COMPLUSIVE? Really? You, the English major, the writer, the proofreader can't put the letters in the right order? What the hell is wrong with you? Determined to fix things before anyone noticed, I started toggling and googling like a madwoman. But in the end it became clear that only the administrator could solve the problem. It took a couple of days before I could connect with Cliff, but he came through and now I can stop loathing myself. (The last time I was this embarrassed about a spelling error was in 7th grade when I was about to be crowned the school champion, but took my eye off the prize just long enough to get robbed by my 5th grade brother. On an incredibly simple word. I swear the judge said "eightieth" not "eighth." Still cringing from that one). Anyway, a brief running recap. Injured in March, had to abandon Boston training. Resumed in May or so. Back to about 25 mpw. No speedwork, just easy miles. Used my downtime to get a little more compulsive about strength training. Pretty consistent now, thanks to a small group in Loopville, some of whom just killed their fall marathons. Really inspired by last weekend's marathoners and ultramarathoners. Googling spring marathons now, but not sure my body can handle it. Seeing a new massage therapist who's working on my terrible posture (which is probably a key contributor to my injuries). Had to wear full tights, mittens, earband and two layers on top this morning. Not ready for that. Planning to "race" a double (5K +10K) with Chris (NC Athlete) in November. There will be pie afterwards. Having a ton of fun encouraging a friend who's running her first-ever half marathon in November. She's 56 (just a kid ) - and never believed she could do something like this. It's such a kick to be there when she hits new milestones. That's about it for now. One last thank you to Cliff (if he's reading this) for helping me put my world back in order.

I've been severely lacking in miles in September as I dealt with the stress of the house purchase and then having to pack up my life and move to my parents until I actually close on the house or the deal goes dead and I have to find a new rental. No idea why I always give running the short end of the stick when I'm stressed because it's probably what I need most. I plan to get back to it tonight after my work day wraps up. I'm at our State capitol office this week and next week for special meetings but I stay at the same hotel I always do and have a great running path behind the hotel. I've been averaging about 6-8 miles or less per week for 6-8 weeks and my body is looking like I'm sitting on the couch eating buckets of ice cream. Was awake from 2-4 am this morning and finally gave up and read some of my library book. I woke feeling like I was suffocating. It's only a hit and miss on that feeling now. It's been a month or more since I felt like that in the middle of the night. Flash backs to my near drowning in July. I'm surprised at how many people think nearly drowning because you're trapped under an overturned canoe in deep water with strong river current is funny and that after 3 months it's o.k. to joke with me about it. Too soon for that. Waking up feeling like you can't breathe in the dark means my brain just doesn't find it funny. The conservation officers in my state office want me to talk to kids in their boating safety classes about the importance of wearing life jackets while kayaking and canoeing because of my experience. We lose a lot of people in drowning incidences in Michigan each summer because people aren't required to wear life jackets in kayaks, canoes and float tubes. It must be with you but you don't have to wear it. Had I not had mine on, I wouldn't be typing this. Please put your life jacket on. I'm an experienced canoe and kayak paddler and this still happened. 2 years ago an expert canoeist drown on the river I nearly did because of exactly what happened to me. Flip over, canoe flips on top of you, current sucks the canoe down with water and you can't get out from under it. It's just you in the dark water frantically trying to get out from under it. **shudder** Thanks for letting me "talk" about it here - it helps. I'm glad fall is on the way for some wonderful miles to get my conditioning up to par before x-c ski season! Soon, I'll be saying this and I'm ready.. it's been way too humid! Plus, I'm nearly as padded as the person in that picture..

The Marshall University Marathon is my home course. I've run the half multiple times, hosted the very first ever official Loopfest (we called that one Loopsterfest) in my home, and I'm on the marathon planning committee. Last year I couldn't run because I had had my ankle surgery three weeks prior, but I dragged a folding chair and the official Loop cowbell to the side of the 5K and cheered on TO, who had dropped in to run it, then I drove to a spot along the marathon course and cheered on various friends running it. I just knew I would be running Marshall again this year. That is not to be, because of continuing injury problems, but this year I have one current student and one former student running the half, and one former student running the 5K. So I will be up early with my stadium chair and the official Loop cowbell to cheer them on. Speaking of proud, Marshall is well known for its programs for autistic students. Parents from all over send their kids here to get intensive help in succeeding at college. A few years back we had an autistic student in the music department. He was a good guy, quite smart, but with many struggles, self-discipline being a big one. His guitar teacher was tireless in working with him and staying in touch with his mentors in the autism program. At one point, the student, I'll call him J, didn't show up for a few days, so the guitar teacher went to his dorm room, where he found wall to wall Doritos - J was just hanging out gorging. But he got back on track, and graduated on schedule. Since then he has moved back near his family in New York, but he has a job and an apartment of his own. In the past couple of years he has started running - the man with self-discipline problems - and last week he PRed at a half - 1:41:xx. Run happy, my friends!

Howdy Loopsters!!! Wow, this is so easy! Thanks Dave for getting this going. You da best! So let's see. I did my first 100k last month. Woodstock. Everything that could go right did go right. It was so easy and I stayed positive the whole time! Weird! Anyways, I took a few weeks off, then ran a few, then had eyeball surgery last Friday. I just ran my first post-op run. It was kinda hard! On my run I saw the two neighborhood zebras that make appearances at a little horsey paddock once in a while. They must be babysitting. Zebrasitting? I didnt have my phone, so since there are no pics, it might not have happened. My next race is rnr Savannah Marathon in November with some local RBs. Heress a pic of my pirate eye. Arrrrr! I don't have to weear the patch but it helps once in a while. I can't wait to actually read some bloops again!

I’ll do the best I can to not drone on forever. 1. Decided to run a marathon For the first time. 2. Signed up for Wineglass in Corning where all the awesomeness recently took place. 3. Trained through a 15 miler in spring 4. Realized I’m insane, I hate racing, always have hated racing, hate any mile over 13, planned to drop to the half at Wineglass, can’t drop down - half is full, decided I’d still go and cheer, I’m good at cheering. 5. Find house of my dreams, proceed to purchase it, issues complicated things, things get expensive, closing delayed, plan to close on race weekend, closing delayed to October 12, ran out of money, cancelled out of race completely. 6. Wallow in self pity and cry over not seeing friends and celebrating their awesomeness. Life goes on. Other stuff: Started Crossfit in May of this year and love it more than I’d ever imagine. I run 3-4 days a week in addition to Crossfit and I’ve never in my life has this level of positive feeling about my body and how great it is. If you’ve met me you know I’m not a dainty framed woman. I’m built to be strong and powerful but never thought I should because I was raised to think skinny is optimal even if you’re frail and sickly. Screw that. I can power through hills and distances like never before. I’m still a slower runner but that’s my build. I’d rather be slower and powerful than starving myself to be someone else’s image of what a runner looks like to them. This winter I hope to get many miles under my x-c skis since I have excellent trails just 10 minutes from my new house. And I’m growing my natural curls out... never embraced my waves and curls in my hair before. Thats the Cliff Notes version!

Well hello there new Loop. MK here. I was a regular around the old Loop parts oohhh 5+ years ago... but that was seriously a lifetime ago. I'm sure I'm more likely an unfamiliar face nowadays than a familiar one, but I'm hoping to get back at it. Although, as much as I'd like to contribute more often, I will probably be sticking more so to a lurker status, as running has taken a huge backseat to life. Right now, this is my current status: He won't let me put him down, but I'm learning he's totally fine with me typing while holding him. #MomLife, am I right? Anyways, this little man is Crosby. He's my second. I also have a spunky 21-month old, Finley. I didn't know it at the time, but Finley was actually with me during my last Loop meet-up. That was back in May 2015 during the mitten challenge (I did not do the mitten challenge, just one half marathon. I was mostly just along for the ride). That was also my last race. I discovered early on that I carry my babies low, making pregnant running not so much fun for me. I was able to CrossFit through my pregnancy with Finley, but after she was born, we quickly learned that parenthood is busy! I did try to do some stroller miles from time to time, but 8 months after Finley was born, I became pregnant with Crosby (because everyone told us how easy 2 under 2 was ). Once again, running pregnant was a bit difficult on my hips, and besides I was getting a workout chasing Miss Fin around (she began walking at 9 months, so we had our hands full!) During my pregnancy with Crosby, I was committed to start running again once he was born. I missed my active lifestyle and I really wanted to get back into races. But life had different plans for us. Crosby was born the end of May. The labor was hilariously perfect, and my gosh this boy was scrumptious. But little man was born with no T-cells and no NK cells. We found this out 6 days after he was born and he's been in the hospital ever since. His official diagnosis is Severe Combined Immunodeficiency or SCID. This basically means he was born with no immune system (think bubble boy), and it would be too dangerous for him to be out in the world, so instead he's been tucked away in his safe, hepa-filtered, sterile hospital room. I could write a novel about the past 4 months, but I'll spare you the details. The big news is that last week Crosby received a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Now, we wait. We'll find out if the transplant is successful in about 100 days. He's been doing really well, he's so strong, and I'm optimistic that these beautiful donated cells are going to grow. If successful, we should be able to bring little man home in January. I'm looking forward to his second welcome home. During Crosby's time at the hospital we are expected to have someone with him 24/7, so between balancing hospital life/home life/work life/parenthood, running has been pretty nonexistent. I have gone a mile or two here and there, and despite being seriously out of shape, it felt amazing to just get back out there. So I'm going to try my darnedest to sneak it nuggets of time and hit the road every now and again (I mentally need it). If so, I'll try and bloop about it (do we still say "bloop"?). If not, I'll continue to lurk and comment (I do have a lot of time for that while little man sleeps and this platform really does make it so easy! Nice job Dave!). Anyways, I just wanted to pop in and say hi and give you an update on me - although, I do apologize for my messy life dump (I hope it wasn't too much). I've missed the Loop and I'm hoping to be able to catch up with/get to know you all. Cheers, MK

Hey also just a note saying I'm here... I'm still running, although slowly. Hoping to get back to racing in 2018. I'll try to check in more often on the new Loop - - Thanks Dave for all you do!

Quick note to say I’m here, I’m running, and I’m hopefully settled into my new house the weekend of October 14th. I’ll try to get a full update posted before then but no promises. All my stuff is in boxes at my parents home and I’m living in their basement till I close on the new house on the 12th. They live well off the beaten path so staying connected is hit and miss. Thanks to everyone for getting this new site rolling! New house picture included in this post. 😎 Brenda