Adventures in a Penal Colony

I'm going off the beaten path to the steamy jungle discovering all kinds of cool flora and fauna.  Destination:  French Guiana.  Located next to Brazil and the setting for the book/movie Papillon and location of the French space agency where satellites are launched.  The limited extent of what I know about the place.  It will truly be an adventure of discovery. 

Marathon Expo Joy

I've worked so many expos selling activewear and accessories. Finally, I got to experience an expo as a civilian.  Walking around and seeing other booths and businesses, made me evaluate my own expo setup and strategy.  Sometimes we need to look through a different lens.  In my case, it was experiencing the event as a customer and not a vendor.  Very different perspective indeed!  It's fun on both sides and I missed not being a vendor.  Being a vendor and running a marathon the next day isn't usually talked about in training schedules :) 

Run Walk Run = No Pain Marathon

I'm an official believer in Jeff Galloway's run walk marathon plan.  Put it to the test last Saturday and completed the Santa Barbara marathon with a big smile on my face and walking away pain free!  So now I am totally addicted to marathons.  My goal is to enjoy the next marathon as much as the last one!

Cool Crisp Morning Runs in Arm Sleeves

Fall in Seattle has one of the best climates for running.  Cool and crisp, not frigid and frightening.  Of course, it helps that it has been relatively dry so far.  I've been perfecting my layering techniques and I think I've found the combination.  Short sleeve top with arm sleeves through October.  Long sleeve top over arm sleeves starting in November.  Give it a try. 

The joy of long (and slow) runs

For the past several months, I've been training for the Santa Barbara Marathon and will be running next weekend on November 12.  This will be my 2nd marathon.  Ran the Seattle Marathon in 1996 and swore that would be my one and only.  Done--I proved to myself  that I could finish.  Well, never say never.  And this time around I'm running for the pure enjoyment of longer runs.  Don't know if I'll finish this marathon any faster but I know that I will enjoy the moments more.