As a Georgia girl, I certainly enjoy my share of country music. One song that always sticks in my mind is by Aaron Tippin who sings, “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” Released in 1991, it became an anthem for Gulf War soldiers who were looking for purpose and meaning during a mission…

It’s that time of year when various running groups assemble in anticipation of all the great spring and summer races in the area. I’m a huge fan of running groups and love cheering them on no matter what the race is or who is leading the…

While I am temporarily and partially paralyzed following my first 50K race, I might as well use the time to share my race report from the Bear Chase 50K in Morrison, Colorado. First off, I highly recommend this course to those looking for a first ultra-distance race. The course was tough at times, but forgiving in other areas and the laps allowed…

This year marks the fifth 200-mile relay team I have organized in the last six years. Typically funded by our generous supporters at the Schriever Air Force Base Fitness Center, we’ve only had to take one year off due to last year’s budget cuts, which was actually a blessing in disguise because the organization of such an event can sometimes be very frustrating and…

I recently decided to run my first ultramarathon, which I’ve referred to as “only a 50K” because there are options much longer than that, to which I haven’t been lured yet, even on a careless whim. I blame this endeavor partly on the fact that I’ve spent too much time around some very good, accomplished ultrarunners so that somehow it doesn’t…

Many years ago, I read The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield and although I couldn’t now tell you many of the book’s details, I did take away one part that suggests that sometimes people that seem randomly placed in your life actually have a much larger purpose from which you should learn. I’ve seen that truth played out many times in my life,…

Every year, I say I can’t run the Garden Ten Miler race any worse – and then I do. Now, mind you, I have probably had slower times than I did today. However, I just didn’t run WELL. I was mostly an angry runner with short bursts of elation only when encountering some friendly faces along the way. I simply woke up with no motivation, possibly due to the dreary weather, but mostly due to a lack of any real training, my usual poor hydration efforts, and pure…

After finishing my first Pikes Peak Roadrunners Fall Series in many years, I have to say that I feel renewed, fit and happy. Sure, I finished in 52^nd place overall and only 9 of 14 in my age group, but I was graciously allowed to infiltrate a winning team, consisting of three of the most dominant women runners I’ve ever met.  Plus, there is the simple contagious camaraderie of the series itself and a true joy found only in the unique, sharing suffering of this challenging trail…

So, the best I can say is that I finally completed the Pikes Peak Ascent and my very first Triple Crown of Running series. Certainly not my best times or efforts, but I had tons of fun along the way and met some incredible athletes and human beings in the process. I suppose that is the thread that keeps me in the running community, despite the fact that life has a way of pulling me in the opposite direction at times.  It is the experience as a whole that keeps me lacing up my shoes, rather…

As a side note to a recent family vacation, I spontaneously decided to run the Beaver Creek Half Marathon.  Not necessarily because I love races, but because I realized that in one week I’m expected to complete the Pikes Peak Ascent and my training runs have fallen grotesquely short on both distance and difficulty.  This race boasted one of the most beautiful courses in the Endurance Race Series at an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet and a total of 1,400 feet of climbing. On a whim, I…

Well, I finally broke down and revisited the Manitou Incline – the approximate 2,000 foot climb in just under a mile of hellacious wooden steps.  It wasn’t pretty or quick, but it got done. Several people from my civilian workplace have been hiking there every Tuesday morning for a couple of months, but my contracting job doesn’t allow me enough hours off in order to take part in the endeavor.  Since I am on military orders this week at the Air Force Academy, I…

It's been two weeks since the Sailin' Shoes 10K race and with a raging wildfire, evacuation drama and my 41st birthday party in between, I just now got around to checking the official results. I was already aware that my 9-year-old son placed third in his age group due to his obsession and diligence in poring over the fresh, white sheets posted on the wall near the finish line. However, what I didn't expect was that my 11-year-old daughter, Ali, with whom I had run and encouraged along the…

The first weekend after the devastating Black Forest Fire, my husband and I decided to drive into the heart of the trees to visit a local favorite, the R&R Coffee Café.  We already knew they have great coffee and food, but some of the recent proceeds would go to benefit some of the residents who had lost their homes, so it was the first neighborhood visit on our list.

As we drove into the trees, we tried to brace ourselves for the destruction, but seeing the damage firsthand was a…

One of my favorite quotes is the one by Fred Rogers, who said “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.’”

This was widely circulated during the Boston bombings, but I’ve found also entirely appropriate for the Black Forest Fire. I’ve always known I have some pretty amazing friends and a great support system, but experiencing the massive tidal wave of affection and concern…

I’m going to guess that we’ve set a new precedent in teamwork for this year’s Triple Crown Runners.  As I sit typing my Black Forest Fire (BFF) Refugee blog in my RV, parked in the backyard of my teammate, Jon “JT” Teisher, I can’t help but be grateful for all the crazy twists that brought me to this place.

It might be an oversimplification to say that running got me here, but not entirely untrue.  Without running, I likely would never have met my husband, Andy, our team sponsor, Tim…

My relationship with running is a tumultuous one. Similar to couples you see that don’t seem quite right together, who argue all the time, and when you’re sure their bond is going to implode at any moment, they seem to still hang on year after year.  The reason is simple.  It’s because what you don’t see are those quiet, private moments they share that somehow generates the power and desire to keep it all together.  It is deep, it is personal and it comes from places of the heart where only…

I’ve always loved words. Even before I discovered the addicting game of Words with Friends on my iPhone, I’ve appreciated the power, pattern and freedom of language.  Probably from the day I first learned to speak them and certainly to the day I learned to write, words have always been of particular interest to me.  It is no accident that I chose Public Relations as my college major. The art of constructing words to appropriately convey thoughts and evoke emotions is a love that I have known…

     I joined a swim team in third grade, the Schofield Barracks Sharks, while my dad was stationed in Hawaii. I most often swam freestyle quite successfully at all my swim meets, with the exception that I refused to dive off the platform. I would either jump or belly flop into the pool, regain my form and then swim to victory, despite my rather peculiar and ineffective start. My non-existent diving skill was certainly not due to lack of effort on my coach's part as he would even keep me…

     Since Colorado Springs has finally warmed up enough for my liking, I am bravely abandoning my trusty treadmill this week and venturing outside to prepare for the Triple Crown of Running races.  Of course, I use the term "races" very loosely since my general goal is to keep a pace that doesn't make me breathe too hard or sweat too much.  In essence, I am too comfortable to be accurately "racing," but it sounds good anyhow to non-running strangers that don't know the difference. Of…