strong / 13.1

I stood, shivering, surrounded by men who were taller than me, all of them lean and muscled or at least older, glancing sideways at the tiny chick who’d positioned herself next to them on the starting line. I bent down probably five or six times to retie my shoelaces, a nervous pre-race habit I’ve had […]

leaving

I have always wanted to see the world. I’ve always believed the best way to experience a place is to immerse yourself in it. The best way to understand people (and your own self among others) is to step into their shoes. There is so much beauty, so much culture so much life […]

running in the rain

How do you react when the forecast, prior to your run, predicts rain…? I smile, and wait for the sky to break open. Nothing feels so pure as the challenge weather often poses us. Running in the rain is best when you are emotional, when you want to feel something and you want it […]

running as a form of art

Tell me, if you can- who defines art? Who are the ones who say that art is x, y, z; who educate youth of a certain disposition to critique and analyze art in a certain way? I’ve been in museums all over the world, and seen people place the label of “art” above all sorts […]

why I’m obsessed with the marathon

I love seeing the number 26.2 in bold on bumper stickers, written across T shirts and engraved on rubber bracelets. To be honest, I’m thinking about getting it tattooed on my wrist. It’s a strange number, if you aren’t a runner. A lot of people, when I tell them I’ve run a marathon, ask me […]

why going for a run is the best way to get to know a place

I love the feeling of stepping off a plane into a yet-unexplored part of the world. I love the subtle shift in language, how you start your day surrounded by your mother tongue and gradually, through security lines and long flights, become surrounded by something foreign. It excites the mind. You start to recognize the […]

in search of solitude

You hear a lot about “the loneliness of the long distance runner.” Which makes it sound like a bad thing, but… I crave that solitude. I walked through downtown Seattle recently, unable to run and trying to merge errands with a pleasant walk by the water. It surprised me how quickly I became frustrated […]