My Running Coach

There are so many reason I love my running coach.
She never misses a run.
She always believes that I (we) can run father and faster than I do.
She refuses to let me ignore my alarm and sleep through a run.
She's able to shame me for walking or taking a water break with just a glance back at me.
She isn't much into the small talk on a run and just lets the miles speak for themselves.
She meets the last mile of any run with as much enthusiasm as the first mile and then looks forward to the next run.
She understands the importance of rest days, too.
She doesn't care if it's raining or cold or windy or hot or anything - if it's a run day, then it's a run day.
She loves barefoot running but doesn't judge me for taking some time to lace up my shoes and ready my playlist.
She understands that the real purpose of running is finding the joy in each step, something she does from the first step out the door.
She has Frito feet and velvet ears.

This is my running coach:

OK, so she's not really a "coach."  But if it weren't for Zooey, I wouldn't be a runner.  She's one of those "high energy" dogs - even at nearly 5 years old - who needs waaaaaaaaay more than a 30-minute walk each day.  Once I discovered how much happier she seemed and how much calmer and (dare I say it?) how much more mellow she behaved after a good run, I knew I had to keep it up.  Thank goodness I love it!

When my alarm goes off at 4:30 on run days, I am barely cognizant of it, much less moving, before Zooey has sprinted across the room to my side of the bed.  If I don't move fast enough for her liking, she starts howling as a backup for that alarm.  My husband loves it when that happens.
I'm under her watchful eye from that point until the leash comes into play.  Have you ever tried to pee with an excited coonhound staring at you?  I have.
On our runs, Zooey has the ability to sniff new bushes and telephone poles, to bark hello at possible new friends (of the 2- and 4-legged varieties), and to get that much needed exercise.  I have the ability to have some me time, to listen to the music *I* want to listen to, and yes, to get that much-needed exercise.

That I credit Zooey with me becoming a runner makes me feel even worse when I have to leave her home on a race day.  Of course, many races are not dog friendly, so I'd be quickly invited to leave if I were to bring her to one of those events.  But those that are dog-friendly, and there are plenty here in Arizona that are, aren't necessarily an environment that will be good for Zooey.  She likes to bark - a lot (coonhounds are a verbal breed) - and that deep, loud chop mouth that I love so much isn't everyone else's cup of tea (just ask my husband how he feels about it at 4:30 AM).  Regardless of the reason she has to stay behind, I hate seeing that "poor, pitiful pup" look she gives me when it becomes apparent that the leash isn't coming out and that I'll be exiting through the garage instead of the front door.

This face very nearly got a steak to assuage my guilt.

Someday, though, I'm hoping to bring her along for a race - with her enthusiasm, she'll surely help me PR!
I'm so grateful that Zooey came into our lives; not only is she quite possibly the best running companion ever, but, like most scent hounds, she also just loves being with her people, making her, in my estimation, the perfect dog for our family.  She can go for ten miles with me (the farthest I've ever taken her) and then flop down to let HRH use her as a pillow during a multi-species nap time on the landing.

All she asks is for two square meals a day, plenty of ear scratches, and the occasional drink from the hose.

Coonhounds are not sprinters, even though they can outrun someone trying to chase them down easily; they were bred to track raccoons and similar quarry over many miles during a hunt.  This makes them ideal running companions.  I can go two miles or ten (maybe more - we haven't tried it yet) with Zooey, and she never lets me down.  Like me, she sometimes needs to stop and rest and maybe have a sip of water, and I must take into account the fact that she's covered in black and tan fur, but still, she never lets me down.  It's my responsibility, then, to make sure that I don't let her down, either.

(If you think a coonhound would be the perfect running companion for you, too, make sure that you research the breed (click here  and here for a start), and please consider adopting a coonhound from a reputable rescue group - and please feel free to ask me for more information)

Do you run with a furry friend?

Fabulous, Fun Fifty!

It's NanaBread's birthday today!  Happy 50th, Jeanne!

Doesn't look a day over 3!

If you don't follow Jeanne on Twitter, you should.  She's a hoot.  I mean, seriously, folks.  Some of her stuff makes me LOL - IRL!

Jeanne's also responsible for herding all the cats who come together for our Theme Weaver recipe weeks and OKMH package exchange.  We'd be lost without her.  She's organized to a tee, which means I can never have her over to my house because I'm basically a walking hot mess.  Unless she wants to come and organize my house.  Then by all means, Jeanne, please.  Come visit.  Today.

Even though we've never met in person, Jeanne has become a close confidante, and I hope that everyone can claim at least one friend just like her.

Now, far be it from this group of blogging friends to let an opportunity for another round of shenanigans and cahoots pass us by, we actioned a birthday party worthy of all the time zones.  I just wish that we could have gotten together to let Jeanne blow out the candles on the cakes!


And speaking of cake, how about a nice big slice of Coca-Cola® cake?

This rich, sweet, moist cake is a Southern staple, and I got the recipe from my husband's step-mom.  It's not a recipe that is healthifiable; it is what it is, but if you're going to bake a special cake for a special birthday (for this is not a "I think I'll bake a cake on Tuesday" type cake), then there really isn't a need to healthify it.
I should also mention that this is the ONLY cake that my husband enjoys.  He has never been much of a sweets person, preferring fruit pies over most other types of desserts, but he will eat this cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if given the opportunity.  It's just that good.


Coca-Cola® Cake

• 2 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c margarine*
• ½ c shortening
• 3 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 c Coca-Cola®*
• ½ c buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs (beaten well)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ c small marshmallows
• ½ c margarine*
• 3 Tbsp cocoa
• 6 Tbsp Coca-Cola®*
• 1 pound box powdered (icing) sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cake:

Mix sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl.  In a pot on stove, heat margarine, shortening, Coca-Cola®, and cocoa until melted.  Pour melted mixture over flour mixture and stir well.  Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, vanilla, and marshmallows.  Mix together well (mixture will be thin).  Pour into a greased and floured 9” x 13” pan.  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Icing:

Heat margarine, cocoa, and Coca-Cola® to a boil, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat.  Stir in powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla.  Pour over hot cake (right into the middle).

This cake is better the next day (don't refrigerate it) to allow the icing to fully soak into the cake.  This is a very rich dessert, and even those with a massive sweet tooth will likely enjoy it more in smaller doses with a large glass of milk.

*A few notes - First, don't use Pepsi®.  It's not the same.  If you're a Pepsi® drinker, I won't judge you for your taste in soda, but go out and get a can of Coca-Cola®.  Second, don't use butter (I KNOW, OK?????).  That being said, traditional margarines scare the bejeebers out of me, so I use Earth Balance®, and it works fine.  You also don't want to use buttermilk subs (like vinegar and milk), although powdered buttermilk does work in a pinch.

Fun fact: while many people (including me) can tend to use the words frosting and icing interchangeably, they are, in fact, different.  Icings are usually thinner than frostings, which are thick and gooey.  This cake's topping is a bit thinner, and when it cools, it hardens just a little, becoming kind of shiny (ooooh, shiny...).  That it's boiled helps categorize this as icing - its consistency is much "runnier" than that of a buttercream frosting.

The more you know...

Now, it's not a real blogger party without lots and lots of other completely calorie-free delicious recipes, so please, grab yourself an aged Manhattan over at Kvetchin' Kitchen (you know, to quench your thirst) and then nosh on a few chips with guacamole from Tenaciously Yours, as well as some cheesy chorizo dip by La Petite Pancake.  The Nutella® turnovers from Wanna Be a Country Cleaver will go well with that drink, too, as will Munching in the Mitten's fig, fontina, and pecan flatbread.
Of course, a birthday party isn't a birthday party without booze ice cream and cake, and we have delivered.  Make room on your plate for an orange cream pie from Comfortably Domestic, mini key lime pies from Climbing Grier Mountain, coconut banana brownie pie by Bakeaholic Mama, a true Texan Dr Pepper cake with cooked flour icing by The Hill Country Cook, some tropical ice cream from The Grom Mom, and Mexican vanilla ice cream cones From My Sweet Heart.
Happy birthday, Jeanne!  I hope that this next year brings you many laughs and margaritas! XOXO
Oh, and don't forget to check back soon; we've got another surprise for our favorite birthday girl that we just can't wait to show off!

Intervals

Hi, I'm Allison, and I'm addicted to trail running.

I started running the trails, as opposed to simply hiking, last fall, and I was immediately smitten.  The euphoria that getting in a workout on the trails is difficult to articulate; it's certainly not easier than my weekday runs along the canal, and there is always the threat of coming across various Arizona wildlife (though rattlesnakes are a more realistic hazard, last weekend I managed to terrify myself imagining being trailed by a mountain lion - I had some badass splits for that time frame).  But it's something that I absolutely cannot get enough of.  I even asked my husband for an annual pass for my birthday so that I can go to any of the Maricopa County parks to get my fix.
Last weekend, our trail at San Tan took us along about a half mile of a very loose, very sandy wash.  Zooey was enthralled with the smells of all the critters that had recently used the wash as a highway, and by the time we got back to an ankle-friendly footing, her nose was absolutely covered in sand.  She might have been ecstatic, but that loose sand were hell on my legs; my calves were on fire, and I had to stop and stretch or walk them out a few times, grumbling about my stupid choice of trail.
Then we reached the top of a hill.

If I hadn't already been out of breath (it was a steep climb, OK?), the view would have taken it away.  This picture just cannot do it justice.  As much as the triple-digit temperatures and the scorpions make me wish that we'd relocate to a more moderate climate, I cannot deny that the Sonoran desert is a strikingly beautiful place.

Go home, cactus; you're drunk.

When I don't look up, my view looks more like this:

There's really nothing cuter than a coonhound rump, but I especially like to bring up the rear in this instance because Zooey just knows the best footing, so I'm happy to follow in her stead if it means that I have a better chance of not tumbling down a rocky cliff.  Her enthusiasm on each incline is pretty darn contagious, too.  She keeps me going when I think I might not be able to crest one more hill or head down into one more wash.  She helps me be the tortoise to the hare of fear.

When I'm on the canal, I like to listen to a playlist set to random.  But when I'm on the trails, I keep things quiet.  Part of that is to make sure that I hear any sounds of impending danger - rattles, growls, mountain bike chains - but it's also so that I can fully take in the sights of the trails.  I have less of a chance to get lost in the music and can instead get lost in my steps, my breathing, and the rhythm of my body working with the earth.  It's grounding.  It's humbling.  And it's addictive.

Photo courtesy Saucony

"I am the Tortoise; Fear is the Hare" - Run for Ryan House Race Recap

This weekend was (finally!) my first race of 2013.  I had wanted to participate in a trail run a month ago, but I wanted my shins to feel better more, so Run for Ryan House was first on the docket.
Ryan House is for children what Hospice of the Valley is for adults.  It offers palliative and end of life care for children, and it also offers respite for families who might just need a bit of a break from the 24-7 requirements of severely ill and special needs children.  It's a wonderful facility that can offer families the quality of care that they need regardless of the situation.  My friend Christie takes advantage of Ryan House's respite opportunities for her daughter Sadie, and Ryan House is also where Lily passed away in December.  While I have had no dealings with it, Ryan House certainly has made an impact on the lives of my friends and, as such, an impact on my heart.  The least I can do is participate in its yearly fundraiser.
The event has a half marathon, an 10K, and a 5K as well as a 1-mile walk (participants can also walk the other distances if they so choose).  Initially, I had hoped to train for the half marathon, but after that overuse business back in December, I knew that I'd need to stick with the 10K.  Christie and Alicia were joined by Sadie and Alicia's son Jacob in the 5K, which they walked (check out a pic of all of us here).
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this year's race was that this race bib was the first I've had that had my name on it.  It's the small things.

757 - I believe I can fly!

The race doesn't permit dogs, so this is the face that I left in the early morning; she knows something about making me feel all sorts of guilty:

Y u no takez mee tooday, Mom?

Fortunately, a kinder sight met me after I parked:

By the time I was at the starting line, the sun was above the hills.

Side note: buying arm warmers, even if I don't use them again until the fall, is the best decision I've made in a long time.  It was chilly at 7:30 when the 10K started, but by mile 4, I would have been too warm for a long-sleeved shirt.
The course was the same as it had been two years ago, starting off flat for like five seconds before The Never-Ending Hill of Horrors.  Two years ago, I had to walk part of the way, not having properly prepared.  This year, now that I've been making the trails part of my weekly routine, my legs were far less rebellious, and I completed the entire race without stopping for a walk.
My shins still hurt a bit into the second mile, but I focused my mind on a few words instead of the discomfort:
"I am the tortoise; fear is the hare."
I'd love to be faster or be able to go farther sooner, but I don't run to beat anyone but myself and my doubts.  While I want to be cautious and smart with my training, if I stopped to walk, it was only because I was afraid of something.  Fear was out front that morning, and I was lagging behind.
"I am the tortoise; fear is the hare."
After a while, I realized that I hadn't felt my shins in a while.  I'd kind of zoned out, but my shins didn't hurt anymore.  Unfortunately, I'd slowed my pace more than I would have liked while I was in that zone, so I picked up the pace from there on out.
I finished with a slower time than I did two years ago, but I finished feeling stronger and better than after that previous race, too, and the knowledge that I didn't stop to walk made the 7 1/2 extra minutes worth it.  Now that I'm a stronger runner, I can refocus on becoming a healthier one again, too.
I mean, heck, I even had the energy to take the most flattering self-portrait ever after I was back in the car:

Shexaaaaaaay!

So.  The Stats:

• Chip time: 1:05:26
• 136th (of women)
• 27th (of age group)
• 242nd (overall)

Next year, I move to the next age group, and I'd love to plan for the half marathon.  I am having some trouble finding a half marathon for later this fall, so it might be my next 13.1.  In the meantime, I'll continue my work on the trails, and yes, I'll make sure that Zooey isn't left at home too much.

One Kitchen, Many Hearts - New Year, New Theme

These last few weeks have been difficult, professionally.  I'm at somewhat of an impasse, and it's not easy to put on a happy face at work when one is at the proverbial crossroads.  It's times like this when even the small acts of friends make the most impact.

In the last few weeks, both Kat and Megan have sent me cards (Kat also sent one to HRH, who was over the moon at getting mail).  To find hand-addressed envelopes among the coupons of things I'd never buy and offers for a better mortgage rate can fill even the darkest of days with some sunshine.

And then I got Mads's package.

It's once again time for a new rotation in the OKMH version of Birchbox, and it could not have come at a better time.

The point of this every-other-monthly package exchange isn't simply to find an excuse to get a present in the mail six times a year.  While that's a nice perk, the seven of us (yes, seven, for Beka is finally finished with her master's degree and can participate in our reindeer games as originally planned) have taken this opportunity to craft boxes that are designed for someone else.  It's about knowing and identifying with someone else and creating a lasting friendship.

Mads packed a box that was Exactly What I Needed.

Safety Inspector Zooey ensures package security
and checks for hot dog contraband

The theme we selected for our February exchange was "winter necessities."  This might be easy for our friends up North, but Mads, Jeanne, and I all live in more mild winter climes, so a package of parkas and mittens wasn't going to cut it.  And Mads nailed it.

I give you Winter Pamper Yourself Because You Deserve It.

The goods:

• Vanilla almond caramel tea
• Fuzzy knee socks
• HOMEMADE bubble bath
• All-natural soap
• Candle (scented with yumminess)
• Adult Capri Sun Wine that I can drink while in the bathtub
• Chocolate (not pictured...they disappeared mysteriously)

It was like The Universe told Mads that I needed a little something to take care of myself, and she heeded that message.  Everything in this box is perfect for me.  I can sip the entire cube a little wine while I sit in a bath full of bubbles, inhaling the scent of a delicious candle, and then, once dried and properly pajamaed, slip on those toasty socks (and I DO get ice cube toes!) and have a little tea as I indulge in Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures or Haunted Collector or Ghost Mine or maybe even (I'm almost ashamed to admit it) Finding Bigfoot.  The perfect mental health break if I ever planned one.

Many thanks, Mads, for sending me a little box with a lot of love!

And, for some other ideas of what you can ship to help ease those winter blues, check out:

• what I sent to Jeanne (Inside NanaBread's Head), or
• what Jeanne sent to Beka (Kvetchin' Kitchen), or
• what Beka sent to Kat (Tenaciousl Yours,) or
• what Kat sent to Megan (Wanna Be a Country Cleaver), or
• what Megan sent to Kirsten (Comfortably Domestic), or
• what Kirsten sent to Mads (La Petite Pancake).

Then, get yourself a USPS "if it fits, it ships" box and send away - you never know when you'll make someone's week.

Pucker Up!

Growing up, one of my major objectives was to see how many marshmallows I could stuff into my mug of hot chocolate without sacrificing any of that delicious drink.  Since my mom tried to keep junk food out of the house, marshmallows were a rare treat anyway, usually reserved for the chilly holiday season, so I hoarded them, often sneaking a few from the bag and right into my maw when she wasn't looking.

The apple doesn't fall far, does it?
She's just more brazen than I was.

When the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was destroyed at the end of Ghostbusters, all I wanted to know is if there was a giant s'more making effort.  The lack of closure here still haunts me.
The first time I ever had Lucky Charms, in college, I was horrified at what qualified as a "marshmallow" and was kind of thankful I'd been ignorant of the horrors within the red box for my entire childhood.
As I've gotten older, I have marshmallows more and more rarely, partly because I have fewer occasions to partake in them, but mostly because I'm less and less enthralled with the mallows that are found at the grocery store.  While surely my taste buds have changed, I can't help but feel that the commercial marshmallows have gone further and further away from that treat the ancient Egyptians made from the marsh-mallow plant sap thousands of years ago (insert nostalgic sigh).
Cornstarch overload aside, I still yearn, each time I treat myself to a cup of cocoa, to fill the top quarter third of my cup with that sweet, gooey confection.
Since I'd been obsessing about marshmallows for a good while, when my group of blogging friends, whom I've affectionately come to call The Theme Weavers (prepare for the parody song soon) decided to see how many sweet confections we could put together in a week, I knew that I needed to try my hand at marshmallows.
The Internet let me know that I had made The Right Decision when, a few weeks ago, Jenni Field, the brilliant and wonderful personality behind Pastry Chef Online, hosted a Google+ hangout (think live webchat) on the art of these lovely candies.  Even though my old laptop kept freezing on me, I saw enough to let marshmallows emerge from the murky shadows of candy-making, giving me the courage to get in the kitchen.

I followed Jenni's recipe and directions (which are at the same time thorough and entertaining) carefully.  I cannot add anything helpful to that recipe, and all the credit of my success is due to my ability to follow Jenni's direction.
I need to point out, however, that I made two minor alterations to suit my needs:

1. Instead of cocoa powder, I added 1 Tbsp finely ground lemon zest into the water and gelatin mixture (whenever I use a lemon, I zest it and then freeze the zest, so I have a large stash that's nice and dry and easy to grind up in the spice grinder).
2. Instead of vanilla extract, I used my homemade lemon extract.

Obviously, I was going for a lemon theme.

After the syrup had reached the proper temperature and all ingredients whipping away (Watson, my KitchenAid, has never worked at full strength before, so it was a big night for both of us), I couldn't help it.  I had to taste.

Whip it good!

Right then I knew.

You guys.
These marshmallows are life changing.  Seriously.  They are going to change everything you ever thought you knew about marshmallows.

Oh, the lemon aroma and flavor is intense, and while I had dreamed of a lemon marshmallow, the citrusy flavor coupled with the marshmallow's texture was a little surprising at first.  But then I had a second third fourth marshmallow, and all was right with the world.  The bright tartness of the lemon balances that sometimes overwhelming sweetness that is The Mallow.

But what about fitting a whole bunch of marshmallows into my cup of cocoa?
The good news is that with these bad boys, I only need one.

While you're still reeling from all the mallow-y goodness, please make sure that you check out all the other amazing sweets made by my friends.  We've got us a sugar fix to please any size sweet tooth.

• Retro Raspberry Divinity - plus a baker's giveaway (Jeanne at Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Red Velvet Marble Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Buttercream Icing (Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic)
• Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies (Beka at Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Mini Meringue Strawberry Pies (Katie at The Hill Country Cook)
• Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti (Madeline at Munching in the Mitten)
• Samoa Crack Dip (Carrie at Bakeaholic Mama)
• Avocado Peppermint Chocolate Mousse (Lauren at Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Cherry Garcia Chocolate Bark (Megan at Wanna Be a Country Cleaver)
• S'Mores on a Stick (Kat at Tenaciously Yours,)
• White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (Mads at La Petite Pancake)
• Mini Chocolate Mousse Pies (Kirsten at Comfortably Domestic)
• Berry Smoothie Ice Cream Pie - plus another giveaway (Anne at From My Sweet Heart) - this post/giveaway will be up Saturday, so stay tuned!

Cakes, cookies, and cremes, oh my!  No matter what kind of sweet makes you cave, we've got it covered.

Running on Empty (A Book Review)

In my attempt to read more books intended for grown ups (instead of those directed at 4-year-olds), I recently signed up for the online book club hosted by Jamie over at Couch to Ironwoman.  I'm not sure I'll be able to get in a book every month, but I'll do my best.
This is my first month participating, the book that Jamie assigned us (yes, I look at it like a school assignment, which, truly, I revel in) was Running on Empty, by ultramarathoner Marshall Ulrich.
I am not an ultramarathoner, as you know.  Heck, I'm not even a marathoner (yet?).  So at the outset, I was a little intimidated.  After all, this book is about Ulrich's 3063-mile trek across the country, from California to New York.
Today I ran 3.06 miles, so... there's the connection?

First, a bit of vital information.

From Ulrich's website, the book is described as:

• Filled with mind-blowing stories from the road and Marshall Ulrich's sensational athletic career, this is an incredible read with a universal message for athletes and non-athletes alike: face the toughest challenges, overcome debilitating setbacks, and find deep fulfillment in something greater than achievement.

Book ISBN: 978-1-58333-490-4 (paperback - $16.00)
Available on e-reader as well (I downloaded a copy for my iPad)

All right, now, what did I gain from reading a book about a man who runs distances I'm not sure I even want to think about?

The aspect of this book that jumped off the page to me was how Ulrich began running.  In the wake of the battle and subsequent passing of his first wife, Jean, to breast cancer, he took up running.  He ran to cope with the pain, and he ran away from that pain, too.  This first chapter, which details their marriage and Jean's decline, tore my heart apart.  I wasn't sure that I was going to get through the rest of the book, to be honest with you.

Because I started running in memory of my dad, who died from complications related to colon cancer.  Running - any distance that I've gone, from one mile to 13.1 - helps me cope with the sadness that I still have, over 13 years later.  Running gives me an outlet, helps offer me time to put things into perspective, and offers me a way to channel that grief into something positive (I try to focus on participating in race events that are charity-related).

Of course, Ulrich's admission that he allowed himself to use running to run away from pain and grief more than a way to balance that pain tore me up, too.  I grieved for the time he didn't spend with his (now adult) children and the marriages that ended in divorce.  While the candid nature of these descriptions was honorable, and hopefully, for Ulrich, cathartic, it frustrated me, too, that he allowed himself to follow that path for so many years.  The main reason I haven't pursued a full marathon is because of the time commitment.  My daughter is still young, and she still depends on me for so much.  And yes, I have a husband who loves his child more than anything, but his job often requires late nights at meetings, so I am often the parent who gets her up in the morning and who puts her to bed at night, with a full time job (two, if we're counting the parenting that I do while I work) in between.  I am not willing to sacrifice the time I have with her at this young age.  God (and joints) willing, there will be time.  Now is not the time.

Now, we English teachers love looking for metaphors in everything.  See that billboard?  It's a metaphor.  See that roadkill?  Metaphor.  Cat puke on your kid's favorite shoes?  Yep, metaphor.  It's like a sickness.  So it was in that vein that I read Ulrich's tale of running across the country.  For me, it really did give a small sampling as to the metaphor that is the human spirit.  Ulrich literally was able to run down Memory Lane.  His family and friends who were able ran parts of the way with him, and he was able to spend other times contemplating his relationships with others (at times coming closer and at others diverging paths).  While I can't imagine running that far in such a short amount of time (I admit that I have ruminated on an Arizona to Washington trek, though), I can see the draw.  The run changed Ulrich, and it's apparent that he had many epiphanies and "a-ha!" moments along the way that allowed him to come out of the trans-con a better parent, husband, and man (not that he was truly horrible before, I need to note; there is just always room for us to improve ourselves, even without running across the country).

That this amelioration was the end result, to me, makes the blisters, the injuries, the fallouts, and everything else worth it.

And the metaphor I can apply to my life?  If Marshall Ulrich can run across the length of the United States (he has actually criss-crossed the country, going west-east and north-south) and come out the other side having made himself better, then any of us can make similar improvements upon ourselves and our souls by dragging ourselves out of bed in the mornings and giving thanks that we can lace up while we do.  And we can do it in spite of injuries, small or large, as long as we are able to deal with them properly, just like we need to deal with the pain that is part of the human experience (we can't know joy if we can't know pain).

Thanks for the read, Jamie!  Next month's book is Chrissie Wellington's A Life Without Limits.  I'm hoping to be able to catch this one, and I'm looking forward to what April and May have in store as well.  In the meantime, I'm hoping to be able to find and watch the documentary Running America, which details Ulrich's transcontinental run.
If you are a reader and a runner and would like to hop aboard this online book club train, click here for all the details and to see what books the group has already read.

• What books have you read about running that have inspired you (and maybe scared you a little, too)?
• What have you learned from reading about running?
• Would you run an ultra-marathon or participate in another feat of athleticism?