I remember when I first started running many people questioned why I wanted to do something they thought was a waste of time. From their perspective a marathoner runs for hours and hours and the only reward they receive at the end is a piece of medal on some ribbon, a banana or bagel, and … Continue reading Why We Run
Marathons
Remembering the First Women’s Olympic Marathon
Watching the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio has made me remember the 1984 Summer Olympics. There were a number of iconic moments during the 1984 Games. I wrote about them back in the early days of the Funatical Runner. This blog post puts me in the mood for the next two Sundays … Continue reading Remembering the First Women’s Olympic Marathon
One in A Million
You might think that every marathon is the same. Same race, just different place. I can tell you from my experience that they are not. This past weekend I ran my twelfth marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon. It was very different than any other I have run. Someone said the London Marathon is … Continue reading One in A Million
World Records
A year ago we lost our beloved dog, Dillon, at the age of 6 1/2 years to hemangiosarcoma, a very nasty cancer. The weekend after he died, I decided to enter a 5K to help get my mind off losing him. Surprisingly, I got 2nd place in my age group. First place was awarded a pie (for … Continue reading World Records
The Most Feared Person in a Marathon
In general, the atmosphere at a marathon or half marathon is lively and full of fun. At the start, there is music playing and runners giddy with excitement and anticipation. I remember crossing the start line in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, dancing and running to “Uptown Funk”. It isn’t easy to dance and … Continue reading The Most Feared Person in a Marathon
Don’t Count Me Out
I was looking at my racing statistics recently on athlinks.com and was amazed at what I have achieved. I have raced over 1,100 miles in nearly 100 races (5Ks and up to marathon distances) - all since I started running just 9 years ago, in November, 2006. I remember back then it seem inconceivable that … Continue reading Don’t Count Me Out
7x7x7
When I was a child, my mother read poems to me before I went to bed. One of my favorites was a poem called “The Animal Store” by Rachel Field. It was one that was easy for me to memorize. When I got older (and the cost of animals increased with inflation), I changed the … Continue reading 7x7x7
Goals: To Have or Not to Have
I use to tell people to be careful setting goals because they could kill you. Goals can become the monkey on your back that drives you to do things maybe you shouldn’t be doing. I would classify myself as being very goal oriented. Having a to-do list and checking things off gives me a sense … Continue reading Goals: To Have or Not to Have
The Marine Corps Marathon
I usually tell people that there are 3 kinds of marathons (perhaps a bit oversimplified). First, there are the runDisney races where you run through the various theme parks at Disneyland and DisneyWorld. Those races are extremely popular with runners who love anything Disney and will even run dressed up as Disney characters. When I … Continue reading The Marine Corps Marathon
Berlin Marathon – Take Two
Last year I was planning to run the Berlin Marathon. My goal was to get a PR (personal record). I worked for months with a personal coach with that goal driving me. Then three weeks before the race I fell during a 20-mile training run, breaking my arm in four places. I also broke … Continue reading Berlin Marathon – Take Two
Adventures of a Funatical Runner 