Tag Archives: good cause

52 Weeks, 52 Runs. No. 3: The power of chowder

Posted on January 19, 2012 | 5 comments

I was miffed when Old Man Winter decided to drop by last weekend. I mean, can’t he schedule his visits for mid-week, when I haven’t committed to being outdoors for 45 minutes in tights and no jacket? With a cold.

Had the Run for Your Lunch 5.5K in Middleboro, MA, not been for such a fantastic cause (and had I not publicly declared my intention to run 52 races this year), I may have decided to sit this one out. But, despite protestations by my nose, I was happy to run in support of the new All Are Welcome Community Kitchen and Bakery, which is dedicated to providing access to nutritious meals to those who need them.

And it could have been worse. We could have been in New Hampshire.

Run for Your Lunch 5.5K

Running assassin!

Mask and you
shall receive

I have learned many lessons over the past month or so about dressing for winter runs. But until this particular day, I had not experienced the genius that is the running balaclava.

Hubby was kind enough to hand his over when he saw my formerly red nose turning blue at the start of the run, and I was happy to accept this multi-talented piece of fabric. Not only does it take your running ensemble to new levels of absurdity (see left), it also conceals any and all instances of tomato-face. And after the run, you can go rob a bank or two if you feel so inclined.

OK fine, it also functions as a hat and a neck warmer, although trying to manipulate it between these states as you are running a blistering 10:50 mile pace is somewhat challenging (I believe I looked as though I had hair-ears at one point. Not ear hairs, but ears made of hair).

Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in 52 Weeks, 52 Runs, Fitness, Humor, Running

Tagged , , ,

My 2012 challenge: 52 Weeks, 52 Runs

Posted on December 28, 2011 | 41 comments

I didn’t have a goal in mind when I started running. I didn’t even have running in mind when I started running. My first 5K was undertaken less out of a noble urge to test my physical limits and get fit than a desire to not be stuck in a Virginia hotel room while Hubby ran with cows.

But six months later and I am hooked. It still has less to do with getting fit than it probably should (my gym visitation of late is testament to that), and my motivation can often be summed up in two words: T-shirts and beer. But over the past few months, Hubby and I have pounded the pavement more weekends than not, which has made me happy. And sweaty. And sometimes grouchy. But mostly happy.

Brooks Spring Into Shape Series Parramatta Park

What my weekends will look like from now on (minus the eucalyptus trees). This is from the Spring Into Shape series in Australia in November.

Which brings us to 2012 …

Continue reading →

41 Comments

Posted in 52 Weeks, 52 Runs, Fitness, Running, Sports

Tagged , , , ,

Feet accompli: Miss Santa Holiday 5K

Posted on December 14, 2011 | 8 comments

We took another trip to Crazytown last weekend and registered to run two 5Ks. Both were a blast, although thankfully only one of them required me to wear facial hair and oversized novelty felt pants. The other, a decidedly more serious affair (despite the presence of a number of saucy Miss Santas), was the occasion of a major milestone for me: I RAN THE WHOLE WAY!

Miss Santa Holiday 5K

Runners gather along the Charles River in Boston for the Holiday 5K.

This is huge. In my previous life, I couldn’t even run up the street without wheezing like an old man and stopping to catch my breath. And while I still wheeze like an old man, and often need to take my asthma puffer during a run, being able to do a 5K without pausing is something I never thought I would accomplish. Ever. (Granted, until six months ago, I hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about running.)

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running

Tagged , , , ,

There with bells on! Jolly Jaunt 5K, Boston

Posted on December 3, 2011 | 1 comment

I turned up to the Jolly Jaunt 5K in Boston wearing a pink beanie. This may have been a mistake. In a sea of festive red and green, I stood out like, well, someone wearing a pink beanie.

Jolly Jaunt 5K

The red green show. (One for the Canadians.)

While it may have appeared as though I didn’t get the message about the dress code, my headgear had more to do with the fact that I didn’t fancy riding the train alone looking like an elf (this 5K was a solo affair, as Hubby was off Guarding). I assume the woman who turned up as a Christmas tree didn’t have to subject herself to the indignities of public transport. Or maybe she just has more balls. (Balls, get it? She’s a Christmas tree! Oh dear.)

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running

Tagged , , , ,

Running with the dogs: Cause 4 Paws 5K

Posted on October 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Running with the dogs: Cause 4 Paws 5K
Cute dog

OK, fine, it's not a photo of the run. But I imagine this is what my lump of a dog may have looked like if he had finished the Cause 4 Paws 5K. And been in Quincy, MA, instead of Sydney, Australia. Still – cute, yes?

My running education has come to a brief halt while I’m in Sydney. There are nowhere near as many events here as I would have thought, which is surprising given Aussies’ tendency to spend as much time outdoors as they can, wearing as little as possible.

So it’s been left to Hubby to carry the running torch in chilly Massachusetts, and a fine job he has been doing. This past weekend, he signed up for the Cause 4 Paws 5K to benefit the Quincy Animal Shelter. I was disappointed at not being able to participate in this one. Not only did it feature many, many puppies, but it was flat! Allow me to reiterate: Puppies! And flat!

You can read about it here. There’s even a video (discerning readers will be able to spot Hubby on the far left in his extra-special running leggings; I can sense a future post on that topic).

Continue reading →

Comments Off on Running with the dogs: Cause 4 Paws 5K

Posted in Fitness, Running, Sports

Tagged , , , ,