So.
It's been ... a minute.
By a minute, I mean 15 months.
If my running blog was a running body, it would be screaming right now "I can't do this!" You all know what I am talking about: when you take like, a week off running and then suddenly your body is like "WHAT ARE WE DOING WE HAVE NEVER DONE THIS????"
That's what I feel like writing here. It's been so long since my fingers got to tapping the keyboard (well, for something other than work writing (i.e. teaching and teacher-y writing and research) that even writing these few paragraphs) feels damn hard.
And just like with geting out of your running routine, the longer you stay out, the harder it is. I started falling behind in my writing because of all the normal Working Mom / Modern Adulting things -- a very busy semester, then a cool chance to do a special project with a sabbatical, both of which ate up a lot of my already limited free time.
But then, the longer I stayed off writing, the easier to was to add another reason to STAY away. The world got a lot scarier. I mean, the dude who literally wrote the book On Tyranny is discussing packing his bags and getting out of Dodge, so, you know -- who needs a cheery little body-inclusive-minded blog?
Yes, a big part of why I fell quiet was this ever-simmering anxiety, a sense of hopelessness that bubbled up no matter how many times I turned my radio from NPR to classical music or how many protests or postcards I signed. When masked men are pulling students from my very beloved alma mater into unmarked vans and babies with cancer are whisked away, it just seemed absolutely pointless to put any energy into something that was meant, for me, for fun and frivolity.
Still, one of my avoid-the-news-cause-it's-never-good tactics has been to go back to book-books. You know, the ones made of paper? Even tapping on my Kindle app risks an Apple news alert from my iPad, so they seem safer. My beloved local librarians always have a shelf of staff picks, and they recently had this little tome, Kate and Frida, by Kim Fay, on the shelf. Seeing it was an epsitolary novel set in the 90s -- back when yours truly was also writing actual letter-letters, not tapping on keyboards, I picked it up. Today, finsihing it, there was a line from one friend to the other:
"We don't help someone who's miserable by being miserable -- we only add to the world's misery."
The titual characters are also living in a time of chaos and atrocity, but a big part of their growth is learning to do what they can to fight that dark while still cultivating their own joy, so they have enough to share joy -- as Frida tells Kate "After all, you can't share something you don't have!"
Running brings me joy. Writing brings me joy.
It doesn't put even a tiny dent in the fall of democracy, but it's what I'll share for now.
So, since February 2024, while I did not exercise my writing muscles, I did exercise my running ones, and here's some of what I have been up to:
1. Ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon - May 2024
My first post-partum half, which I began this blog to document, was a smasing success -- a gorge day, and I walked away with a MUCH faster time than I thought I could, mostly as I was having so much fun I did not even check my time.
2. Hit my second San Silvester Vallecana
The last day of the year in Madrid, there is nothing better than a run through the city with thousands of folx as crazy as you. This is like a running party. Even though it is a 10k where the last two to three kilometers are UP A GIANT HILL. So far, both times were such fun, I'm already signed up again.
at the start line; not pictured -- full on DJ!
3. Did my first every Pittsburgh Marathon Relay - May 2025
I never tried the relay before, but my besties G. and E. have run EVERY half in Pittsburgh with me since 2013, and so we decided to tackle this as a team. Never done a marathon relay? Never done Pittsburgh's marathon weekend? SIGN UP NOW. I am telling you, this is the most fun I hever had at a race.
Hamming it up with G.
A perfect handoff with besties running this race for 12 years
My Tiny Overlord even ran HER first race with their cool kids marathon!
4. Rehydrated with ... wine (good idea? bad idea?) at the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon.
Here, I blame N., one of my best running buddies who I met while teaching in Budapest ...and who is SIX years younger so can convince me to do crazy things. Though I did not love the 4:45 wakeup to make a 7 am start line WAY out in Loudoun County, I did love the rolling hills, peaceful view, and super-chill wine tasting (even if, sorry Virginia, I still think you're better at cider/beer than wine!)
Rolling Lo.Co. hills
HYDRATE TO DOMINATE!
5. Signed up for my first full marathon in seven years. GULP!
I used to run a full marathon every fall, and then a half every spring. Marathon training DOES NOT fit into my schedule, especially now that I have added a side hustle to my life (because, you know, helpful if we DO flee to Mr. Every-Body-Run's home country / everyone in the greater DMV is unemployed, thanks to Elon Musk).
But the Marine Corps Marathon is having its 50th anniversary this year. As a running club member (I have run it 6 times, and you get club status after 5), I got early entry offers. I love this race, and can prep for what to expect well because its course is on many regular running routes I take. Will it probably be my slowest marathon? Likely. But, it felt like a great birthday milestone for a race and a great "bucket list" item for me (again, in case we DO pack up those bags for less-scary E.U. shores)
Crazy? Probably a bit. My 'time goal'? Finish and don't die?
So, there's some joy sharing. I hope to have some more full race reviews of all of these, and of course, to share the way I am somehow going to fit marathon training into being a mom, trying to be an activist in these trying times, being a full-time teacher and doing a few emergency-fund side hustles.
But for now, I'll just say, I'm trying to be back at least weekly. Trying to grow some running joy. Trying to share some running joy.
Run on, friends!
