Marathons
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2020 on Two Feet
Running is what I do when I want to sift thoughts through my head. A run helps me believe that life is manageable. I ran steadily in 2020 and ended up with 1,280 miles. I walked, too – 614 miles – because walking is a good tool for not only doing errands around town, but also… Continue reading
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Chasing Canted Pavement: Marine Corps Marathon Inaugural 50K
In between World Series games, I lined up for the inaugural edition of the Marine Corps Marathon 50K (MCM50K). As one of the signs I ran past during the run read, it seemed like a good idea six months ago. This was not only the first time Marine Corps had offered a 50K option, it… Continue reading
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Abebe Bikila Half-Marathon: PBP After-Effects and Sub-Two
With my legs and head two weeks away from our great Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) ride, I lined up for the Abebe Bikila Half-Marathon, an out-and-back course along the C&O Canal. I had been running some before we left and definitely ridden a lot of cycling miles in our lead-up to the big dance in France. I… Continue reading
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Furlough Special: Rock ‘n Roll D.C. Marathon
The year kicked off to a strange start in my neck of the woods, leaving me a January with no paycheck and plenty of time. To escape the incessant headlines refresh, I kicked my butt outside most days to burn off some stress and log some miles on two feet. I also had recently received… Continue reading
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Adebe Bikila International Peace Day Marathon
It’s been a glorious summer of riding bikes, but in the interest of change and a chance to exercise everyday pedestrianism, I lined up with a few hundred others to participate in the Adebe Bikila International Peace Day Marathon. With cycling as our overriding summer focus, the time on two feet has been limited, but… Continue reading
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Freedom’s Run Marathon: Do It Yourself Duathlon
An annual tradition continued this year, as I completed my fourth consecutive “Ride to Harpers Ferry from D.C. on Friday, Run Freedom’s Run Marathon on Saturday, and Ride Home from Harpers Ferry on Sunday” do-it-yourself duathlon. If you look at the low running miles in the bank this year, I did not deserve this run,… Continue reading
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Follow Through: D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
If you never disclose your intentions, no one will know whether or not you ever followed through. But if you share them, then the plans are out there, just waiting for the next water cooler conversation. Such was the case for me with Saturday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in D.C. The freezing weekend forecast after a winter full of mild weather set… Continue reading
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Mind Over Matter: the Des Moines Marathon
I spent the latter half of my 20’s living and working in Des Moines, Iowa. These were years of mixed experiences. I secured gainful employment, began living on my own, and gradually grasped the expectations of post-college life and a professional work environment. This was also a time of testing boundaries, and learning through some… Continue reading
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Freedom’s Run Marathon: Finding Flow on the C&O
If you ride or run in D.C., you’ve probably had your share of conversations about the C&O Towpath, a hardpack multi-use and car-free path that starts in Georgetown and extends all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. The C&O: sublime urban escape or an exercise in monotony? Tooth-jarring nightmare or just what the doctor (not your dentist)… Continue reading
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A Non-Runner Runs the D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
Even though it’s been over two decades since I left high school, I still struggle to escape defining my athletic self in terms of physical education (P.E.) classes and (gasp!) high school sports. That definition repeatedly reminds me that I have no right to consider myself an athlete in any sport. I was never picked dead last… Continue reading
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A Marathon DNF: the Mustard’s Off the Hot Dog
After wrapping up the Marine Corps Marathon, I was riding a big post-marathon endorphin high. I’d run three marathons in six weeks, and my body had held up remarkably well. I felt a little tired, but had no notable lingering aches or pains. Continue reading
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A Marine Corps Marathon State of Mind
Sunday, for the fifth time, I joined more than 31,000 other runners in one of the largest running spectacles in the country– the Marine Corps Marathon. Now that I have run multiple editions of this event, I treat it like a 26.2-mile tour and fun run. I don’t worry about time, and this approach helps… Continue reading
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Freedom’s Run Marathon and C&O Bike Overnight
“It’s a privilege to run in the places you’ll be today,” Race Director Mark Cucuzzella said as we lined up at the Freedom’s Run Marathon start, the morning sun popping out over the tree-covered hills behind us. Continue reading
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Abebe Bikila International Peace Marathon: A Break from the Bicycling
All the recent weekend riding has been glorious, but I was craving a break so I signed up for the Abebe Bikila International Peace Marathon. This run is a double out-and-back course along 6.5 miles of the C&O Canal, and the start is about 10 kilometers from my house so practically ideal. Continue reading
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D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon: A Soggy Sign of Spring
Whenever the transition from winter to spring begins to occur, I greet it with incredulity. But how? Less than two weeks ago, the city was coated in snow. Ten days ago, I made a snowman during a snow day run. A UPI photographer even caught me in the act. Continue reading
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Marine Corps Marathon: Celebrating Runners for 26.2 Miles
For 26.2 miles this past Sunday, I was a spec in a mammoth event, one of more than 27,000 people who swarmed the Washington, D.C. area for the opportunity to be part of an annual two-footed tour of the city—the Marine Corps Marathon. For 26.2 miles, people’s cheers and encouragement seeped into my heart, propelling me… Continue reading
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Freedom’s Run Marathon: The Eventure Continues
Run Summary I first participated in Freedom’s Run Marathon in 2009, its inaugural year. I remembered loving the course — the way it rambled around Harpers Ferry, traveled along the C&O, and eventually crawled away from the Shenandoah River into the beautiful, hallowed, and hilly place that is Antietam Battlefield. I even liked the mileage… Continue reading
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Choose Your Own Eventure: C&O Bike Tour to a Marathon
Hello friends. I’ve just returned from a weekend concept ride I’ve been plotting for the past year. It involved a 134-mile mini bike tour from Washington, D.C., out the C&O to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and the Freedom’s Run marathon. I don’t know what I was expecting, but what I ended up with was a satisfying fall… Continue reading
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Delayed Post-Marathon Satisfaction
During and even after running the D.C. Rock ‘n Roll Marathon on Saturday, I felt pretty glum. Frustrated that I had not run faster despite not setting a time goal. Mad at myself for lingering in a low point for five miles during the event. Disappointment despite finishing without injury. Continue reading
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D.C. Rock ‘n Roll Marathon: Run Hard, Brunch Harder*
I generally arrive at the starting line of the D.C. Rock ‘n Roll Marathon with wavering confidence. I love the course, which creatively sews together a scenic 26.2-mile tour through all four quadrants of the city, but spring marathons are generally a challenge for me. Continue reading
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Marine Corps Marathon: From Frustration to Elation
Over my years of living in D.C., I’ve developed a fondness for local events. There are a few reasons why. Continue reading
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The Furlough, Fall Events, and a Marathon Taper
Taking the topic away from coffeeneuring for a moment, I wanted to post some thoughts about three separate, yet interrelated, topics: lions; tigers; and bears. Or really: how I spent my furlough days, the impact of the furlough on the fall event plans, and my marathon taper. It also gives me an opportunity to post… Continue reading
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International Peace Marathon: 26.2 Miles on the C&O Towpath
The alarm sounds at 5:40 a.m. Ugh. I turn over, fumble with my clock, and seriously consider ditching the International Peace Marathon for an extra hour or two of sleep. Having spent the night before carefully preparing a pre-run meal and assembling all my essentials for the day, I reluctantly think sleeping in is not… Continue reading
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Sweet Excess and the Post-Event Blues
Being a creature of habit, I did not take a day off after running last Sunday’s marathon. I stoicly made my way to the gym for a core class. It would be a perfect post-marathon workout, I thought, as it would not involve the legs too much and I could continue steadily on my path… Continue reading
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Comparing a Marathon to Randonneuring
Every once in a while, someone asks me how a marathon compares to randonneuring. Running versus randonneuring was also a recent topic on the “randon” list, one of the main randonneuring listservs. Having just completed a marathon as well as a flèche and a 300K within a month’s timeframe, I thought I’d share my own… Continue reading
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Back on My Two Feet: The Potomac River Run Marathon
After doing the Rock and Roll Half-Marathon in mid-March, which I had originally planned to run as a full, I was eager to see if there might be another opportunity for me to try 26.2 miles in one go. Lucky for me, the Potomac River Run Marathon was scheduled for May 5, a weekend of no… Continue reading
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D.C. Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon: Sometimes Halfway is Far Enough
This past weekend D.C. hosted the Rock & Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon. This event occurs right around St. Patrick’s Day as well as my birthday, and it has an incredibly festive feel. Runners dress in green, wear costumes, put on kilts, and sport an abnormal amount of plaid for a running event. The day… Continue reading
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Running Away from Sandy: 2012 Marine Corps Marathon
Yesterday I lined up with more than 23,500 people to participate in my last big event for 2012: the Marine Corps Marathon. Continue reading
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Run Like You Stole a Pot of Gold: the D.C. Rock and Roll Marathon
This past Saturday I left the bike in the Dining Room Bike Shop, laced up my Montrails, and headed out to participate in the D.C. Rock and Roll Marathon. I like this 26.2-mile course because it stays within the District boundaries and traverses all of its four quadrants. In addition, it is a rolling course… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 