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.