annecreates

Sometimes the Universe Knows You Need a Running Partner

A partner makes long-run days so much better! Beep… beep… beep… My alarm rudely awakened me at 7:00AM. My body protested, as this is normally my day to sleep in. “It’s Saturday,” my brain told me. “Why did you wake me up so early?” I had people counting on me to show up to run,Continue reading “Sometimes the Universe Knows You Need a Running Partner”

There’s No Need to Fear the Red Pen

A great editor is a gift Think back to your very first editor. Mine was my mom. Before my teachers read my papers, my mom would look them over, correcting grammatical errors and also spelling. Yes, unfortunately, I’m so old that spell check wasn’t yet a thing. We did it old school. Sometimes we wentContinue reading “There’s No Need to Fear the Red Pen”

Blessed Are Those Who Can Choose their Long Run Day

I was cursed with running in the cold rain My first clue that this weekend’s long run would be terrible appeared during our monthly board meeting for the Richmond Road Runners Club. We had a race scheduled for Sunday, my long run day, and the race directors expressed their dismay about the weather forecast. “What?”Continue reading “Blessed Are Those Who Can Choose their Long Run Day”

“Not Bad, for a Girl”

A tale of two English teachers My 9th-grade Advanced English class was an exercise in humility. My teacher, Mr. Hespinhide, was one of those bitter, older men who delighted in making his students miserable. Or at least afraid of him. He had grey, unruly hair, an equally unkempt beard, and a foul attitude. I thinkContinue reading ““Not Bad, for a Girl””

My Bed Has Been Taken Over by Aliens

Maybe I should have never let them in to begin with, but it’s too late now Seriously. How did this happen? Ok. So the aliens are actually animals. My animals, at that. My precious fur babies. I didn’t even want a dog. I’ve always had cats. But then my husband insisted I would grow toContinue reading “My Bed Has Been Taken Over by Aliens”

What Does it Mean to Run Mindfully?

How to utilize your time on your feet in a meditative way Mindfulness, a type of meditation, has been a hot topic lately. It’s no wonder. We all are trying to survive a seemingly never-ending pandemic, deal with an uncertain future beyond our control, and manage everyday anxieties. With all the extra worry on ourContinue reading “What Does it Mean to Run Mindfully?”

What I Learned from Dry January

Resetting my relationship with alcohol I had pegged this as a goal months ago. The last time I tried to do Dry January, I only lasted 10 days. I was a miserable failure. I was determined to complete my goal this time. Even though I had extenuating circumstances that arose after making this promise toContinue reading “What I Learned from Dry January”

I’ve Been Streaking, and It’s Been Great!

Sharing my thoughts about my January run streak. Ah, January. The new year, with a fresh beginning and hopefully with a few aspirational goals to motivate. With the month almost over, I’m taking some time to reflect on my new year’s journey thus far. Personally, I chose to do a run streak for the monthContinue reading “I’ve Been Streaking, and It’s Been Great!”

I Broke Down and Cried on my 10 Mile Run Yesterday

Sometimes runs are necessarily cathartic. I’d kind of been dreading this run: the first double-digit run of my first ever spring marathon training cycle. I’m used to training for a fall marathon, leading a very organized team of runners with a very prominent non-profit and with lots of support. This run was lonely. I wasContinue reading “I Broke Down and Cried on my 10 Mile Run Yesterday”

What’s Your Running Mantra?

Positive self-talk matters in fitness. It’s January. That means gyms are packed with everyone super motivated to pursue new years’ resolutions and streets are a bit more crowded than usual with runners and walkers alike. If you are new to your fitness journey, sometimes it’s challenging to feel like you even belong in these spaces. Continue reading “What’s Your Running Mantra?”