A witness

After signing up for the race last Saturday, I had an hour and a half to kill before the start. With it being so close to home, there were a number of friends and acquaintances to chat with. I often bump into D. at races. She congratulated me on my second place finish in the half marathon. I told her I didn’t know how I had done it. She said, “I know how, you prayed before the race.” She went on to say that she had seen me and G. with our heads bowed just before the start of the race. We hadn’t prayed for a great finish, just a safe run.

You never know who is watching.

Gotta run…

One World Run

You might remember that Brother was organizing a 5K run last weekend. Since I had a 9K race that same day, I decided the last 5K would count as my One World Run (coinciding exactly with race time in Paducah, morning for them, afternoon for us). I wore my Project Aids Orphan running shirt for the race. Husband was signed up too. He ran our regular 8K route, the first 5 for the One World Run.

Gotta run…

A travers Prilly

Since the starting line was only a kilometer away, I rode my bike down to today’s 9K. We did five 1.8K laps. The leaders lapped me less than half way through. Then near the finish I started lapping the stragglers. J.-L., who lives across the street from us, asked if I wanted a ride back down to the awards ceremony this evening. I said thanks, but I would pass (I was a bit shook up after a car cut me off on my way home and I fell off my bike). J.-L. rung our doorbell later. He had brought me my fourth place prize (a plant, a Christmas CD, a bottle of lotion). I wonder if he had to tell them my sob story about getting hit by a car so they would hand over the goods.

Gotta run…

Green, green

Runner’s World devoted almost 20 pages of its November issue to environmental issues. Check out How to Be a Greener Runner for a list of good, better, and best ways to leave a greener runner’s footprint. I'm happy to say I already do (and have pretty much always done) 8 out of 10 in the "best" category.

Gotta run...

Blue, blue

With two blue toenails (you don't really want to see a picture), reminders of last month’s half marathon, I’m glad to have the roomy shoes I bought on a sweltering August afternoon when my feet were swollen.

Gotta run…

Smart marketing

Some race organizers around here have wised up over the past few years. They realized they were not getting much publicity by handing out cotton t-shirts, so instead they started giving away quality running shirts with the race logo stamped on them (yet not covered with sponsors' logos). Now at races many of the runners are advertising for other events, and lots and lots of people are wearing the same running shirts.

Gotta run…

Identity

I ran into a neighbor at the store whose daughter was in Son 2’s class years ago. The mom is a Nordic walker and we pass each other in the woods from time to time. She told me their family refers to me as "la maman qui court" (the mom who runs). I’m ok with that.

Gotta run…

Trophée du Talent 2008

The Trophée du Talent is a 12K race organized by the University of Lausanne Sports Association. No frills, but it’s free! About 100 people were signed up in advance for Saturday’s race and almost 200 more signed up the morning of. Most looked pretty competitive. We ran all up and down the woods just north of town. A beautiful course that almost seemed short after the half marathon! For the first time in months Husband ran too, in spite of his injured ankle, it was after all a free race.

Gotta run…

A few of my favorite things

Two of my favorite things about this season are a run through the woods with all the beautiful changing leaves, followed by raclette shared with as many people as we can fit around the table. Can’t really beat that.

Gotta run…

Way to keep your cool

An alert reader sent me the following story:

An Arizona jogger ran a mile with a rabid fox clamped to her arm and then drove herself to a hospital, local news outlets report.

The unidentified runner told Yavapai County Sheriff's deputies she was on a trail near Prescott on Monday when the animal attacked her foot. She grabbed the fox by the neck but it bit her arm and clamped down. Wanting the animal tested for rabies, she ran a mile back to her car, pried the fox loose, wrapped in a sweatshirt and tossed it into her truck before driving to a hospital.

The fox bit an animal-control officer removing it from the trunk. The animal tested positive for rabies.

The jogger and the officer are receiving a series of vaccinations.

Gotta run...

Prize

I received my second place prize in the mail today.


Gotta run...

Cabin fever (or: The rains came down and the floods went up)

Before we left for a 3 day teen retreat where I was to cook, we heard that there were 8 inches of snow on the ground at the retreat center. So I packed the new Under Armor Sister bought me, ice cleats that slip over my shoes (like chains on tires), and even my snow shoes. A wetsuit would have been more appropriate! The snow was beautiful when we arrived, but then it started raining. Hard. Few of us ever stepped outside at all (except the men who dug a trench to channel the water away from the building) . At least I got to spend time with Daughter and B., good friend and fellow runner.

Gotta run…

p.s. the retreat center stood firm