New Year, New Goals

Next week as you walk in to your gym, you'll be greeted with a seasonal flock tackling their New Year's resolution. Rest assured that as January and February progress, the crowds will abate and you'll be able to fit back in to that Body Pump or spin class much easier. In the meantime, I suggest expanding your routine outside for a change of pace (pun intended).

TUNESday: "Chocolate" by The 1975

TUNESday is a moving target for me these days. Wanting to find time to publish all the items I want to share in addition to this weekly feature is causing me to bend my posting schedule. My friend Katherine warned me that a weekly feature could be taxing with my unpredictable work hours this time of year, but I'm not giving up on TUNESday just yet. I do love my music and it's what gets me through run after run.

Shop NOLA, Run NOLA

I'm pretty fortunate that I don't have a ton of people that I need to shop for during the holidays. The few people that I do exchange gifts with are easy to shop for, and I completed those purchases in mid November. For those of you who aren't as fortunate or as foresighted as I, here's your opportunity to check a few more names off that shopping list in the final days before Christmas, plus support local businesses in the metro New Orleans area.

Ole Man River Half Marathon: The 2013 Recap

I find it funny that of the multiple bodies of water that the Ole Man River Half Marathon and 5K touches, none of them are the Mighty Mississippi. However, the H20 that concerned me most leading up to this past Saturday’s race didn’t come in the form of a lake or bayou, but instead from above.

Baton Rouge Beach Marathon: The 2013 Recap

On Friday last week, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Coincidentally, the reason for the scurrying was prep for my participation in the 20th Anniversary of the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon put on by the Running Chicken Track Club.

TUNESday: "Pompeii" by Bastille

I'm a day late with this week's TUNESday selection, but I thought the unveiling of medals for the 2014 Spring distance racing season in Louisiana was much more pressing news. I also thought that this song selection was good enough to warrant its own post.

2014 Medal Reveals

With everything going on during the holidays, and other festivities the past several weeks, I feel like I've been out of touch on social media. I'm also waking up to 40+ retail emails spamming me every morning. In the flurry of all these messages, I missed some very important announcements from upcoming local races.
Today, I present the one place to see all the medals from upcoming marathons and halves in the South Louisiana / Mississippi area!

MS Gulf Coast Marathon & Half: The 2013 Recap

For many, the weekend after Thanksgiving is a time for recovery. Some have to purge from the gluttony they enjoyed the Thursday prior. Others recover by bringing family to the airport to send them far and away. For runners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the recovery needed doesn't start until mid-day Saturday. That's when the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K have concluded.

NOAC Turkey Day Race: The 2013 Recap

The New Orleans Athletic Club's Turkey Day Race is annually one of those events that you attend where you see people you've never seen before at any race throughout the year. Participants show up in droves, spilling out of cars in the neighborhoods of Mid City, walking to Tad Gormley Stadium, and lining up at the start line greeting family and friends as they start their holiday.

Special Edition TUNESday: "Shake It" by Metrostation

Last week in my December preview, I alluded to the fact that this Saturday's Baton Rouge Beach Marathon is a special race. In December of 2008, this race was my first full marathon. I was under trained, but determined to finish. That I did, and have been running 26.2 ever since.

December 2013 Preview

The busy holiday season sees a drastic drop-off in the numbers of races in the Crescent City; however, the few races that are taking place are some of my favorites. Trust me when I tell you that upcoming events give ample reason to pull out long-sleeved tech shirts, ear warmers, throwaway sweatshirts, and ChapStick. For the love of everything that is holy in running, don't forget the ChapStick.

TUNESday: "Neon Lights" by Demi Lovato

I'm just over a month out from my fifth Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend; however, this runDisney race isn't going to be like any in the past. Sure, I've done the Goofy Challenge 4 times. Yeah, I did the Dumbo Double Dare this past September. But come January, I've decided to embrace my sometimes dwarf-like appearance. The Dopey Challenge is the newest event added to the roster of Marathon Weekend, and I'll participate by running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon on subsequent days.

TUNESday: "Collide" by Jake Miller

Social media never ceases to amaze me. I'm sure many of you go to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like to see what's going on in politics, entertainment, sports, and amongst your inner circle of friends. The only way to escape is to completely unplug, and let's face it, there's little chance of that happening.

Middendorf's Manchac 10 Miler: The 2013 Recap

Going to a concert the night before a race is never a good idea. The show never starts on time, you're going to be on your feet for hours, and you won't get home until well after your goal bedtime. Being the rebel that I am, making bad decisions the night before a race is always my idea of fun. As a result, my tickets for Friday night's Rihanna concert did not go unused.

Busy Weekend Ahead

The weekend sure did sneak up on me. A really busy work schedule has kept me at the office more hours than I'd care to admit, but that's the nature of this time of year. Fortunately, the weekend has a bunch of events that I'm really excited about, including a few races that I didn't include in my November preview.

TUNESday: "We Found Love" by Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

This week's TUNESday music feature is a day late, but I'm begging for forgiveness. November has been a month of non-stop action, and while it constantly interrupts my routine, I'm not going to complain that the end of it is nowhere in sight.

One of the best things about living in NOLA is that there's always something going on and things to do. Among my favorite events that come to the city are the concerts that often route their tours through here. Recent announcements and venue re-openings have the winter and spring concert calendars heating up.

Crescent City Fall Classic 5K: The 2013 Recap

While I stand by my assertion that the Crescent City Fall Classic 5K is not just any other 3.1 mile race, I have to atone for other statements I erroneously made. Saying that it is the more mature counterpart to the Spring 10K race of the same name was more than a little off-base.

Crescent City Fall Classic 5K Preview

This Saturday is the Crescent City Fall Classic 5K in City Park. I'm not sure if you're aware of its importance on the New Orleans race calendar. The results of this race impact the training of runners for the next six months. It gives them motivation and goals for the NOLA racing crown jewel in spring, The Crescent City Classic 10K.

November 2013 Preview

I don't remember previous Novembers "falling back" quite as hard. Daylight saving time happened this past weekend, and it hit me like a brick wall. One bright spot is that 6am sunrises have forced me to wake up an hour earlier than usual. Had it not been for a week-long ordeal with a screw in my tire and multiple tires being replaced, I may have been able to get morning workouts done. As I write this post, I'm sitting in a Starbucks waiting for my car to come down off the racks. Hopefully as the weekend approaches, my vehicle isn't the only thing that has better traction.

TUNESday: "Can't Hold Us" covered by Pentatonix

I haven't been able to claim any musical talent since my high school marching band days, and even then I had to invest hours to obtain the level of mediocre. I believe the gift of music is something you're born with, and that I still have it on layaway somewhere.

Lakefront Classic 10K: The 2013 Recap

My candy coma from Halloween was motivation to get me to the 3rd annual Lakefront Classic 10K and 1 miler on Saturday morning. This 10K put on by the New Orleans Track Club was the perfect distance for me to tackle after a really difficult and event filled week.

NYC Marathon - A Year Later

A year ago this weekend, I was in New York City for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. It was intended to be my first Big Apple race and Abby's first ever 26.2. It goes without saying that nothing happened as planned. In the year since, I haven't talked much about those events; however, with the 2013 ING New York City Marathon happening on Sunday, I know it's time for me get my thoughts on paper and move on.

TUNESday: "The Fox" by Ylvis

Its a huge week in NOLA with tons of events going down. My posting is more erratic than normal thanks to work obligations, so you're going to have to bear with me as I muddle through the week. Regularly scheduled programming will resume soon, I promise!

Spartan Sprint Mississippi: The 2013 Recap

Rainy Saturday mornings are typically an excuse to skip a run, sleep in, and possibly eat comfort foods that help combat the bad weather doldrums. This past Saturday was rainy, but no self indulgence was allowed. Instead, I was up at 5am to road trip with Anne to the Spartan Race / Spartan Sprint just outside Kiln, Mississippi.

TUNESday: "Timber" by Pitbull feat. Ke$ha

The thought of writing a specific blog admitting to guilty pleasures has crossed my mind on multiple occasions. Seeing as how this space is my digital "Running Confessional," it's only fitting that I share with you the little things that make me happy. Not having time to spend the rest of my day atoning for all I have to confess, I'll keep it limited to just one indulgence.

Gulf Coast Half Marathon: The 2013 Recap

Redemption. That's what I was seeking at Sunday morning's Gulf Coast Half Marathon. Cooler temperatures and a smooth course were going to give me opportunity to slash my time from the previous week's lackluster half marathon results; however, not knowing how my legs would hold up had me toeing the start line with minor trepidation.

Running In The Headlines

I really enjoy seeing the culture of the running community collide with my everyday life, and in the last week and a half I've seen more head-on cultural collisions than I can ever remember.

Warrior Dash Louisiana: The 2013 Recap

After running the Jazz Half on Saturday morning, my day was far from complete. Anne, in all her wisdom, had run the 5K in the morning and decided she would do the Warrior Dash that afternoon. Masochistic with a touch of crazy, that's the type of people I'm friends with. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

TUNESday: "End of the World" by Hunter Hunted

The return of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes has once again found me in Starbucks regularly, especially on weekends when I need that extra motiviation to drag myself out of bed. As a result, I'm back to using the trusty app to purchase my caffeinated beverage of choice. It really is convenient, if not too convenient.

Jazz Half Marathon & 5K: The 2013 Recap

New Orleans was singing a different tune Saturday morning with the 5th Annual Jazz Half Marathon and 5K. It was a new race date with new race director, all benefitting Children's Hospital New Orleans. Having participated in the first four installments of the race, I had preconceived notions about how the morning would unfold and what was in store for me during my run. While I feel that I was properly prepared, instances like this prove that you have to be ready for whatever race day can throw at you.

ADVISORY: Jazz Half Heat Warning

When the date for the 2013 Jazz Half Marathon and 5K was announced nearly a year ago, I was excited about the earlier date that wouldn't conflict with other Halloween happenings in the Crescent City. I expressed some concern to my friends about the weather, but was convinced that we would have an early onset fall that would keep us cool for the race. Apparently that wishful thinking isn't coming true.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Earlier in October I posted a preview for the month with a list of upcoming races that will be happening in the greater New Orleans area. It was mostly comprised of races in which I plan on participating; however, there were two on there that will not see a registration form with my name.

TUNESday: "Let Me Go" by Gary Barlow

I've started a new routine for the month of October. I'm insisting that I wake up early every morning to get a run in before heading to work. Its proving to be less difficult than I thought, but that is mostly thanks to the great weather we're currently having in NOLA. When I know I'm walking out to clear skies and temps in the mid 70's, there isn't much keeping me indoors.

Gettin' Jazzed

This Saturday morning, October 12th, downtown New Orleans will be overrun with participants in the fifth annual Jazz Half Marathon and 5K. Race time is 7am, but preparation for runners started months ago with training and hard work that has gotten them to this point.

What's In a Name?

The New York City Marathon announced a new presenting partner this week. Tata Consultancy Services will now be a premiere partner of the New York Road Runners and will take over as the title sponsor of the biggest marathon in the country. Welcome to the decade of the TCS New York City Marathon!

The Chi Town Shuffle

Chicago is a city known for its incredible pizza, modern skyline, historic baseball teams, and Oprah. It's also the home of one of the biggest marathons in the world, The Bank of America Chicago Marathon. I've completed the race three times (2009, 2010, 2011), and have come up with  the following list of things runners can expect during the 2013 race in just over a week.

TUNESday: "Counting Stars" by One Republic

This week's TUNESday comes from Katherine over at "Katherine Swims." She's been telling me how desperate she is for new running music now that she's back in training mode for The Half at The Louisiana Marathon in January. Her playlist is getting some much needed attention, so she's full of suggestions.

Tipitina's Rhythm & Blues 5K: The 2013 Recap

I find that motivation is lacking when I decide to participate in evening races, especially during the summer months when there is lingering heat from the day. Morning races avoid the temptation of forgoing the start line for dinner or otherwise more appealing nighttime social activities. However, next year when the New Orleans Track Club’s Tipitina’s Rhythm and Blues 5K rolls around, I won’t have any issue getting excited about taking part.

October 2013 Preview

I've literally talked about the cooler weather that October brings non-stop since mid-August. We've had a couple tastes of 70 degree temperatures, and I figure if I keep talking about them that I'll wish more similar days into existence. Let's all do a "cool weather dance" to see if we can convince mother nature to be more benevolent.

TUNESday: "Wake Me Up" by Avicii

This week's TUNESday selection is actually a request, which I love. A coworker who has an eclectic taste in music much like mine thought this would be a good song for running, so she emailed me the link last week with the suggestion.

Falling In To Fall

You didn't need to step outside or watch the evening news to find out what the weather was like in the Crescent City over the weekend. After a night of torrential downpours followed by miserable wetness for the first half of the weekend, fall arrived on Sunday with cooler and dryer temperatures. It was a change that people welcomed repeatedly on social media with post after post about the break from heat and humidity.

The Perfect Fit

Shoe shopping is a right of passage for anyone who's decided to take up the sport of running. I couldn't count the number of times I've been asked what shoes I wear to run, or where I go to buy them. The answer isn't cookie cutter easy, but getting the answer that is best for you is pretty simple.

TUNESday: "This is What it Feels Like" by Armin van Buuren

Sometimes I don't even know where my inspiration for a TUNESday selection comes from. Today as I began writing this post, I remembered that I tagged a song over the weekend on the Shazam app. I initially couldn't remember where I was when I tagged the song, and I couldn't hum the chorus to save my life. I just knew there was a musical surprise waiting for me on my phone.

Ochsner Twilight Run 5K: The 2013 Recap

Race schedules never shake out quite like I plan. I have a personal running calendar for the fall and winter, and didn't have anything on the agenda until later in September. That changed last week when a coworker and friend conspired against me. They decided to run the Ochsner Twilight Run 5K on Friday night at Elmwood Fitness Center in Harahan. Not wanting to miss out, I decided to join them.

Disneyland Half Wrap Up

At long last, my blogging from the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon has come to a close. It was a whirlwind weekend with great friends and lots of fun.

The runDisney(land) Diet

A major concern  leading up to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend was how I would properly fuel before, during and after the races that made up the Dumbo Double Dare challenge. Each hotel at the Florida resort has multiple food service areas, plus there is a plethora of restaurants in each of the parks. Getting nutrition with a variety of offerings is easy in Florida, and the selections have gotten exponentially better year after year.

Disneyland Half Marathon: The 2013 Recap

The Disneyland Half Marathon weekend culminated on Sunday morning with a 13.1 mile run through the theme parks and on the streets of Anaheim. Being on my feet non-stop for the two days prior left me pretty blistered and tired, but I woke up easily to get the half completed.

TUNESday: "MANiCURE" by Lady Gaga

This week marks the third album release from Lady Gaga. Before you say anything about how you feel about her music or her antics (both seem to be equally polarizing), you may want to check out the ARTPOP album.

Saints Back to Football 5K: The 2013 Recap

While I was on my west coast adventure running the Disneyland Half Marathon and 10K over the Labor Day weekend, there was an exciting event happening back home in New Orleans. The New Orleans Saints Back to Football 5K took over downtown NOLA with more than 5,000 runners celebrating the kickoff of the 2014 NFL season.

Disneyland 10K: The 2013 Recap

It's been a week since I started my Disneyland Half Marathon weekend adventure, and I've been blowing through blogs and recaps like a mad man trying to get everything on paper while it's still fresh. Now that I'm to the point of an actual race recap, I have no concern about being able to pen something that can show you what an awesome time I had in Anaheim.