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.