Too busy to blog

Three days until the marathon, and things have been too crazy to enter new posts. So as I say goodbye, I can share the quote that adorns the May page of my Runner's World calendar: "any day that I'm too busy to run is a day that I'm too busy."

Good luck to all the runners on Saturday, thank you to the hundreds of volunteers helping with this event. And thanks for reading.

Days are counting down

Those of us working to put on the NC Marathon don't exactly appreciate that counter that ticks off time every time you open the Web page, ncmarathon.org. We're less than two weeks from the race, and it feels like we've got too much still to pull together in too little time. Somehow, though, these things always seem to gel in the last bit of time, after the panic.

We are up to close to 850 marathoners and half-marathoners and some 600 in the family 5k. Happily, volunteer registrations are starting to roll in, too -- it takes a lot of people to help runners comfortably start, finish, and celebrate an event like this.

Bid to run with Joan!

It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to run with a former Olympic marathon gold medalist, Boston Marathon record-setter, and thirty-year phenom in the sport of distance running. Go to ebay.com and bid on a run and catered lunch with Joan Benoit Samuelson, our featured guest for the NC Marathon:

"Run and lunch with Joan Benoit Samuelson for charity" is the item name. We're taking the top 10 bids, beginning at the recession-bargain rate of $35. 

We'll meet at noon on Friday, May 1, at the Piedmont Environmental Center, High Point, for an easy jog and then a catered lunch. Stay and tour the gardens with Joan, weather permitting.

All proceeds go to Foster Friends of NC, the nonprofit that is organizing the marathon, half-marathon, and 5k. Foster Friends works to improve the lives of Guilford County children in foster care by filling requests for such things as camp tuition, yearbooks, martial arts classes, and prom dresses.

Great mother's day gift for your favorite running mom. Great incentive gift for your employee who's training for the marathon.

Want to run the course a bit?

We've had a request from a registered runner who wants a way to run part of the NC Marathon course in these last few weeks before the race. Anyone else interested? 

For those of you who live just outside High Point -- Greensboro, Kernersville, Winston, etc. -- it'd be a nice way to get a little more familiar with where you're headed on race day.

Write in and let us know of your interest, and whether you could run on a Tuesday or Thursday night, and how far you'd want to run (we're thinking anywhere from 5 to 9 or so miles).

Sneak Preview #1: Waiting For You at the Finish

Sure, Cincinnati has its flying pig. But how many races offer such a cool finishers' medal?! We're celebrating High Point, our host city, and its claim to fame as the furniture capital of the world. 

     This sneak-preview post is especially for my friend Neal, whose newcomer's zeal for running, races, and medals is refreshing. He couldn't stand the wait until May 2. 

     But for my friend Rick, who has been running as long as I have and takes a, well, more weathered approach to all this, be assured that the runner's T-shirt design is a much more serious design, none of this quirky running furniture stuff. We saved that for the volunteers' T-shirts. 

     Which are free, by the way, in exchange for you giving us your Saturday morning to help out along the course and at the finish area. Write if you can help out: lwatts@ncmarathon.org

Save yourself $10 or more

To all fellow procrastinators out there, all you folks who intend to run the NC Marathon or half but haven't actually gotten around to registering: April 2 is the first date that the entry fee jumps up. So jump from here to http://www.ncmarathon.org or http://www.active.com and sign up. You'll save yourself the higher fee and make friends for yourself here at race headquarters, where we'll be able to plan better for food, amenities and other good stuff because we'll have a good idea of numbers.

Then, when you're feeling good about taking care of a task and saving a little money, you can go finish up those tax forms you've been avoiding. The clock keeps ticking.

You going my pace?

This week's poll asks about which goal time you'd like help reaching if we can offer pacers on the NC Marathon course. And if you choose "other," be sure to write in that pace as a comment here.

Your vote matters, you know. Last week's poll about post-race food received the most responses of any poll yet. Go figure: runners and food. The winner was pizza, followed closely by subs, then NC barbecue. We'll see what we can cook up. Pun totally intended.

Junk miles, city miles, and hills

Those of us who have been running for a while (OK for twenty-five years in my case) know exactly what those articles about being in a runner's rut are talking about. There's comfort in the familiar, so we establish weekly routines and keep to them -- our mileage, our routes, even the direction we run the route.

But all that comfortable time on the road isn't doing us as much good as it should be. I just read a great description of the condition by a trainer in Runner's World: Those familiar miles at our same old pace are like highway driving. Our body gets efficient at doing them and then it doesn't require so much fuel. What we need is some in-town driving, some stopping and starting, to rev up the engine and shake up the muscles.

Dena just led me on some city mileage today. She's training for the NC Marathon and doing it right. She's run lots of her longer runs on forgiving trails, she goes to yoga classes to stay flexible, even started some resistance work with a trainer. And on Mondays she runs hills. I joined her because, well, I'm just a sucker for a good time.

Actually, I enjoyed the workout. We ran an easy mile or so, then sprinted (in my case, approximated a sprint) a hill, maybe 100 yards long that starts out easy but churns your gut as you reach the top. Then we turned right around, jogged back, and repeated ourselves, six times total before jogging the mile back to our cars.

It was like speed work but without that hamster in a cage feeling you can get circling a track. We could see the top, then enjoy the slow jog back. And I'm pretty sure my engine had to restart itself a time or two. Inefficiency never felt so good.

Your vote counts

The newest poll is very important as our race committee makes  a decision about food to serve after the race. Vote on the options you see, or add another preference as a comment to this post. We need your feedback.

Results are in, Part 3

In honor of our respondents' choices from the last poll, I think I should go get a massage this week.... Four out of five of you say a masseuse is your first choice as a health practitioner.

NC Marathon People #1: Slade Lewis

Slade Lewis was an occasional runner, doing a few miles here and there, when he worked on the sidelines last year at the first NC Marathon. He'd been helping to organize the event for six months as a member of the race committee, but he'd never considered running a marathon himself.   "I didn't see myself as marathon material," says Lewis, a Greensboro resident.

   That notion changed as he watched the runners go by. All kinds of people run 26.2 m

iles, he realized, not just lightweight, super-fit people. I could do this, he thought.

   Lewis and two close friends -- Frieda Menzer and her husband, Rob MacArthur -- agreed to train for the Marine Corps marathon in Washington, DC, in October. They ra

n long runs together on the weekends and did their own runs during the week. "I ran on the treadmill, ran Hamilton Lakes, the greenway, places around Greensboro I'd never seen before," Lewis says. 

   The marathon itself? "We stayed in Pentagon City and made a weekend out of it," he says. "I was surprised how emotional it all was, running through the capital, and lots of people were running in memory of someone [who'd been killed 

in the war]."

   Lewis, 42, finished in 4:45:02, slower than his goal of 4:30 but emotionally, mentally, and physically satisfying.

   "I like knowing you can train your body to do something like that without blowing an artery or something. The whole race I kept waiting for something to blow."

   MacArthur, Menzer and Lewis (in photo, from left to right, at the Iwo Jima Memorial) plan to repeat the Marine Corps again this fall.  That's after Lewis helps pull off the second annual NC Marathon. As chair of promotions and marketing for the event, he's done everything from gather corporate sponsors to order t-shirts and medals and place advertising. That work, on top of his full-time job as a health insurance consultant and his family, including his wife and young daughter Anna, doesn't leave a lot of time for running. But in some ways, his busy schedule makes the runs more important. 

   "My typical run now is five to seven miles, where it used to be one to three," he says. "I like the solitude, the alone time.

   "Running is definitely part of my exercise regime now. I can't say that I love it, but I can find enjoyment. And it's opened up my eyes to a new culture."

    

Good time for a little yoga

If you are training for the full marathon and getting into longer runs now AND you haven't tried yoga, get yourself to a studio.

   Whether or not you've tried yoga, you've certainly heard the buzz lately. As a former teacher of mine -- hey Cheryl at Family Yoga, I miss you -- used to tell me, yoga is the perfect antidote to distance running. Cheryl used to look for me in class ("where's my runner? this is for you") whenever we did positions that worked the hips, hamstrings, and glutes. Running, as she put it, makes you strong but tightens and shortens your muscles. Yoga stretches them, lengthens them.

    One great warm-up: Cheryl would bring a bag of tennis balls so we could sit first on one cheek, then the other, and roll around on the little ball. It got right to the spot where your overworked hamstring connects to the glute, or butt, muscles. My left one chronically tightens up on any run longer than six miles, and sitting on that ball gets right to the trouble and massages the knotted up stuff.

    Iliotibial band trouble, anyone? Cheryl nursed me through my worst bout of ITB. The pain is in the knee, but the trouble starts in tight hip flexors, which runners desperately need to stretch.

   Yoga rookies may be intimidated to walk into a class where everyone -- typically a bunch of way-too flexible women -- seems to know what they're doing. Try to catch the teacher before the class starts, let her or him know that you're a runner and new to yoga, and then he or she will fully expect you to struggle a bit and suspect your hamstrings are tight. The teacher can often suggest modifications as you start out. The great part, as I can attest, is that with some regular practice, maybe even just once a week, those "damn dog" stretches will start to feel like good "down dogs." Happy training.

If at first you don't succeed...

It's been fun to hear from middle-aged peers who are almost as new to blogging as I am. Mostly what I've heard is along the lines of, "I tried to leave a comment but I couldn't."

     For reasons I can't fathom, I usually have to hit "post comment" twice before my comments are accepted; sometimes the same thing for posting on this blog. I think of it as a safety mechanism -- "are you SURE you want to put this out there for anyone to read?"

    So if you're trying to leave your own insights here and you get a fail message the first time, please try, try again.

Stalling, Part 2

Let's see. It's 15 degrees out there this morning. I just walked my older dog, who slid like crazy on the patches where yesterday's melting snow is now slippery ice. Like the county school system, my Tuesday running partner called off on account of the cold and ice. But I haven't run since Saturday, the sun is up, and I've been in this house for days it seems.

    It's scary how quickly I've lost my tough Ohio blood. A day like this would have been routine in Wooster with Pam, Patrice, and Beverly. We'd be grateful there was sun instead of gray skies, grateful that the wind isn't howling. I'd still be scared of the ice patches, but I'd force myself to be brave and try to keep up with them so I wouldn't miss any of the conversation.

   OK, here I go. Dena just inspired me -- if she can venture out, all the way up there in Madison (I think that's where she lives -- a far piece from Greensboro), I can go. I'll dig around to find my winter-weight tights that haven't seen much action in North Carolina, pull on my heavier mittens.

   It's weird to think that in two short months, the NC Marathon will be here, and it could be a hot day. There, that's a thought to ponder as I head out the door. Be careful out there!

Tribute to a tiny athlete

I don't want to write about running today. Bear with me. Yesterday I lost B.J., our beagle-jack russell mix.  His death was a bizarre finish to a three-week saga, ever since a neighboring pit bull attacked him. We thought he had recovered fine from the wounds, but he died in his sleep sometime yesterday afternoon.

    Like my husband says, B.J. was a pain in the neck. He barked too much, probably trying to compensate for his small stature. He was obsessively motivated by food, leaping or scampering wildly for it, never mind who might be in his way. But even Bob loved how B.J. embodied a dog's finest trait: he lived in, and loved, the here and now. Always eager for whatever came his way. Walks, runs, treats, car rides. Laying down wherever sunlight pooled on soft carpet. Shoving his wet little nose under my arm so I had to hug him. And most Saturdays, his trip to Disney Land: a hike in the woods, where he would triple our mileage by darting in and out of the underbrush, on the trail of a rabbit or anything else that smelled interesting. That's when my lapdog turned hunter, all instinct and muscle. He was an endurance athlete -- I never saw him tire, which is why watching him recover slowly from his attack wounds was so gut-wrenching.

    The house feels far too quiet this morning. I keep sensing the ghost of B.J., coming from under the table to put his paws on my leg, or turning the corner into the kitchen because I've opened the refrigerator door. 

    Our elder statesman, Chandler, sleeps on the couch; he's the dog we keep expecting to be pass away soon. I love Chandler for his wisdom and his calm, his devotion and his distinguished looks. But I loved B.J. for his energy, his enthusiasm, and our mutual fondness for the tactile. He loved to be held; I loved holding him. 

    I'd come home from my long runs on Saturday mornings, put on a dry shirt, heat up a cup of coffee, and scoop BJ up into my lap. He'd keep me warm and lick the salt off my face; I'd hug him hard.

Beyond running

We were talking today among some of the race committee about the idea of adding, in the future, a second day of events around cycling -- as many marathons are doing. So you could make a weekend out of a run one day, ride the next, and choose from distances like 100 miles, 60, and 25.

    I love bicycle touring -- not riding fast so much as riding far. It seems more of us are taking to the sport, with the whole range of abilities that running offers -- from the slow Sunday drivers to the speedsters.

   So this week's poll asks if, and how, you cross train.

   By the way, this is no wimpy crowd. The majority of responders say you get yourself through a hard long run with tough self talk. Man. I was of the find-any-distraction-I-can segment, as in telling my running partners to tell me their life stories, beginning with preschool, and let me just pant alongside you.

Go ahead, please chime in

Thanks to Erin, my 20-something blogging mentor, I've learned I can turn off that annoying word identification feature that some of you have told me kept you from posting comments here.

A handful of times I wrote witty, insightful (of course) comments on Erin's blog, but Blogger then asked me to identify a word that wasn't there, and all was lost. 

That's all fixed now, on her blog and this one. So write a note, share your thoughts, ask questions.

What's on your watch?

I'm sure there's a word for this -- maybe my son's high school math teacher knows it -- but you know when numbers repeat themselves? Whatever you call it, I have an uncanny knack for looking at the clock when it says 10:10, 5:55, that kind of thing. With a pathetic memory that just keeps getting worse, the only reason I can tell you my Boston qualifying time, at the 1999 Cleveland marathon, is because it was 3:33.

I am as proud of that accomplishment as if it were a gold medal -- it's my only significant athletic achievement, and a nice balance to so much of my life spent sitting at a desk. Here's one of the great things about the sport of long-distance running: my best marathon time, my p.r. in runner jargon, is more than an hour off Joan Benoit's long-time world record of 2:21:21 (do I need to point out why I can remember that time?). Between the elite athletes up front and the back-of-the-packers is such a vast range of ability, hours of difference. Any of us except those who break the winner's tape should be humbled by that. This is a sport where you compete against yourself more than anyone else. 

That's kind of freeing, seems to me. You set goals for yourself, and no matter how many hundreds of people finish ahead of you, if you hit your goal time, you're a winner.

Results are in #2

Ah, so many kindred spirits out there. The majority of folks who voted on the poll about afternoon energy dips said that coffee/soda and whining are how you respond to that dragging feeling. Chocolate and naps came next; exercise not so much. Just how I'd respond.

Next up -- when you're out on a long run and it's getting hard, what keeps you going? Votes, please.

I wish I could add space for write-in votes. Comments are always welcome, of course, to any and all postings here.

Joanie's coming!!

For weeks I've been bursting with this news, but we had to nail down some details. Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first women's Olympic marathon gold medalist and one of the best long-distance women runners ever, will speak at the carbo-load dinner Friday night before the NC Marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. And I feel like a kid about it -- how many times do you get to meet one of your all-time heroes? 

My awe for Joan goes back three decades. I was a New Englander then, like her. She won her first Boston Marathon in 1979 as a senior at Bowdoin College. She wore a Bowdoin singlet and a Boston Red Sox hat backwards, nothing high-tech about her, yet she set a course record that year. She won Boston again in 1983, setting a world record of 2:22:43. Her Chicago victory of 2:21:21 stood as the world record for 17 years

Among her many victories, the one that best illustrates Samuelson's grit is winning the Olympic marathon trials just three weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. The story that best captures her character? After winning the gold medal in 1984, in a decisive victory over Grete Waitz, she told reporters she was excited to get back home to Maine -- because it was blueberry season and she wanted to get picking.

These days, as I face the realities of middle age, what I love about Joan is that she's still at it, which is remarkable for anyone, male or female, at the elite level of the sport. Last year, at age 50, she ran in the Olympic marathon trials and beat her personal goal of 2:50, setting an American record for women 50-54.

Be sure to join us at the pasta dinner May 1. Visit ncmarathon.org for dinner tickets and other ways to see Joan during race week. Hope I don't elbow you out of the way too badly.

Stalling

You know mapmyrun.com, right? Jan knows it -- she's course chairman for the NC Marathon, and she has spent many hours plotting that little green arrow to come up with the marathon, half-marathon, and 5k courses. They look great, though, and should be posted on ncmarathon.org soon.

The site is a great tool, especially if you find yourself in a new city and want to figure out mileage for a nice loop. 

So I'm home, not traveling, just sitting here playing on the site. My M-W-F running partner's been out west skiing, and I'm trying to get myself out the door. As a stalling tactic, I decided to confirm the mileage of one of my neighborhood loops. Nope, hasn't changed since last time I checked three months ago. Guess it's time to get out there...

Runner's story #3: Canuck from the North

Another contribution, this one from Phil, also a Saturday morning Country Park BlueLiner. Keep 'em coming!

"I'm a Canadian and I love hockey. For 30 years it was my passion. Running had one purpose: to get in shape for hockey. In high school I won the freshmen race but was not invited to run track. Oh, to be rejected. I changed schools in 12th grade, and once again outran others in gym class. Coach Tom Graham, bless his soul, asked me to run in the regional cross-country finals in a week. No training, just go. I finished third overall and qualified for the Ontario finals. That started my running more than 40 years ago, with that nugget of encouragement from Tom.

   Over the next 15 years I'd start running and quit about 20 times, and smoke cigars. but one cold November day in Erie, PA, in 1987, I ran about .75 miles and walked home. The next morning I ran 4 miles, and built up to 10 in a month, under 70 minutes. I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon in 1988 and was hooked; I ran my first Boston in 1990, and cried.

  I look back over 50,000 miles and 37 marathons, including 13 Bostons, and more than 100 10ks in under 40 minutes. But more important are the folks I've met and places I've met them. Runners are a special breed, whether it's a jabbering Scottish runner in Edinburgh, and Australian banker in Tokyo, or the Blueliners in Greensboro. What I love most about running is there are no facades, you are who you are, $100 shoes don't make you any faster."

  

Results are in!

Thanks to the 24 visitors to this blog who shared your preference for running company (again, apologies to the canines who didn't get listed as an option.) The winner is, hands-down, running with friends, 79 percent of you would choose that.

Next up: the afternoon duldrums. If we were three years old, our moms would MAKE us take a nap. Now that we're responsible adults, how do you handle an afternoon energy dip? Note that you can choose multiple responses. As in, drink coffee, eat chocolate, AND whine to those around you. Just as one example, I'm not saying that's what I do necessarily.

Maybe run with books on our heads?

Something I've been feeling intuitively just got reinforced by a little training tip on my Runner's World calendar: If you keep your torso upright while running, your shoulders back, you'll engage your abs. And believe me, my abs need all the engaging they can get.

But it also reminds me of something I read once, advice from a coach to a young runner about when he or she got tired in high school cross-country races. "Lean back," the coach said, "like there is a big pillow behind you." What in effect happens is your posture straightens up instead of slouching forward. Somehow this helps with fatigue -- try it.

Age keeps pulling my shoulders forward, rounding me over. I look in the mirror and, when I feel like I'm pulling my shoulders back to an extreme, I'm actually just upright. Please tell me I'm not the only one experiencing this? 

Another runner's story: Leaving colitis in the dust

This posting comes from Thad, another Saturday morning running pal as well as a blogging mentor (check out ncrunnerdude.blogspot.com):

The reasons I run are multi-fold, but I guess the main reason is for motivation and my health. Those two kind of go hand-in-hand for me. I started running in college just for the fun of it. I'd never done anything athletic in my life. I was one of those fat kids in the plaid ToughSkins. Remember me? My biggest accomplishment was eating a twin-pack of Lays potato chips in one sitting. My brother was the sports star in the family: football, baseball, basketball, tennis. 

    All I ever saw was team sports. It wasn't until my first 10K -- the 1984 Great Raleigh Road Race -- that I discovered you could participate in a sport as an individual. I learned that I loved competing with myself and trying to better my time with each race. That first race was slow, by the way: 1:06. But it got me started in the world of running.

   I never ran anything longer than a 10K until 1997, when I ran my first marathon, New York City. It was a great experience, and I was hooked on long-distance running. 

   In 2001 I had a setback. Doctors diagnosed me with ulcerative colitis. After I got my first episode under control, I was sort of depressed and didn't run. I gained a little weight and felt like crap (no pun intended). Then, in the summer of 2002, another setback involved surgery, a week in the hospital, and a month out of work. But this time I had a different attitude. I was so grateful to get out of the hospital and join the living again.

  I decided that I wasn't going to let UC rule my life. It was early fall 2002 and I decided to run the 2003 Country Music Marathon in March. About the same time I took a friend, Rick, up on his invitation to run with his pals on Saturday mornings. That first run, it was just me and Rick, and all I'd gotten up to was 6 miles. Rick's usual Saturday run was 11 miles. Rick said, "oh, if you can do 6, you can do 11. No problem." I ran the route and hurt like hell the next day, but I'll be forever grateful to Rick for his invite and for him pushing me to do that first 11.

   I've been running with that group (the BlueLiners) for more than 6 years now and watched the group grow. I've discovered that I need a yearly goal of at least one marathon to train and run. Oddly enough, the running (and my medication) seem to keep UC at bay. I still have episodes , but not as frequent or as bad. Of 13 marathons, I've had to back out of only 3 due to UC-related problems. Not too bad!"

Forgot about our best friends!

One reader/runner/pal, writing from the frozen tundra in New London, Connecticut, pointed out that I omitted an important category in the "who do you like to run with" poll: the loyal pooch. As a great fan of dogs and all that their fine company means, I'm horrified.

I can't go back and change the poll, but I'll make it up to Chandler, BJ, and all good running dogs out there some how, some way. 

Dog bones often do the trick.

Defying middle-age mediocrity: One woman's story

Here's a powerful "why I run" statement from one of my Saturday morning running pals, Kelly. When I first met her last year, three years after she started running, I thought Kelly was about 12 years younger than she is -- thanks to running.

"Without running, I would still be an overweight, unmotivated and unhappy woman, stuck in a rut. Running has given me the courage and confidence to change my life.

   As I covered up the real me with the disguise of a suburban, overweight mom, I conformed to the age-appropriate stereotype. Judgement from my husband and self-inflicted guilt prevented me from doing things for myself. As I turned 38, I realized I needed to change. My desire to lose weight finally propelled me to start moving again. The time to get healthy and strong was overdue. So I took up running. I ran off the pounds, 35 of them. I ran away from baggy t-shirts and a mediocre middle-age image. I ran full force toward a new, happy me.

   It was difficult at first. I struggled to finish three miles. I was impatient and trying to run too fast. But I stuck with it. When I found a comfortable pace and patience, I ran farther. And my confidence increased. I'd hear, "I saw you running today! You look great!" and "What are you training for?" as I shopped in the grocery. So I set a goal: a half marathon. I didn't stop to wonder if I could do it.

   I joined a training group through a local running store. We met weekly and followed a half-marathon schedule. I found a runner's community and was delighted by how friendly, supportive, and encouraging these people were. I learned to put guilt aside. I became dedicated, almost obsessed with running. I'd finally found a true passion, one that was all my own, a way to feel happy independent of anyone else. 

    As I neared the half-marathon finish line, I saw my dad and sons beaming. My boys ran across the finish line with me. I did it! For the first time in my life I proved to myself that I could do something big. The accomplishment was a turning point. I found the courage to change other areas of my life.

   Running gives me strength that I draw on for many things, not just to run miles. I say, "If I can run a half-marathon, I can do anything!" I've become a healthy role model for my kids. With determination and sweat, I've shown myself that I can get where I want to be by simply moving one leg at a time. Like a good friend told me, 'Just keep picking them up and putting them down and you'll make it.'"

Through rain, wind, dark of night...and snow

I'm so impressed with a few hardy souls who have shown up on recent Tuesday nights at the YWCA High Point for training runs. Dawn, Chevy, and Ashley, you are three tough cookies.

For three weeks we've been cursed with terrible weather -- wind and cold the first night, cold drizzle the next week (actually, everyone bagged that one) and then, last night, a cold whipping wind that turned into a whiteout of snow showers our last half mile back. (Sorry you had to work Chevy, you would have loved it.)

If you're tough enough, come join us at 6 pm in front of the YWCA, 112 Gatewood Avenue (thanks, Heidi Majors, for the facilities). Following the training schedules posted at ncmarathon.org, we'll be up to 5-6 miles next week. Robin Lindsay and I are running with anyone who wants to train for the NC Marathon, half marathon, or just run with company. 

That's the thing. As I told Robin last night as we were getting back in our cars, big fat snowflakes dusting us like feathers: You drag yourself out  in the cold and dusk, but you get going, learn a little about a new acquaintance, and before you know it you're really glad you came out to run. 

Running companions do that for me. You? Weigh in on the poll on this page; I'm curious what other people think.

Unplugged: The Case for Racing MP3-Free

Two runners wrote to us today to ask if we would reconsider our rule against running any of the three NC Marathon events -- full and half marathon and 5k -- with headphones and music players.

On the surface, the answer is easy: it's too dangerous. If you're blasting Springsteen's "Born to Run" to get you through mile 18, you may miss the runner behind you warning you that she's passing you, and so one of you may trip. Or you may miss a volunteer giving you directions on the course, an emergency vehicle needing to pass, or any number of safety concerns.

But the quiet secret is that few races, including ours, have people stationed along the course to police this rule. We're hardly going to hand you a cup of Gatorade with one hand and swipe away your iPod with the other.

The rule comes from the USA Track and Field folks, the sport's governing body. And as one of the runners noted today, the USATF recently amended its rule, allowing race directors to choose whether or not to allow headphones and devices. Why the change? Specifically, administrators said, because the rule is so difficult to enforce.

I claim to be a purist about this matter, telling people that I'm entertained enough by the great outdoors and the conversation with my running companions that I don't "need" tunes. I smirk at people (OK, mostly my husband) who can't start their run until they fuss with dials, buttons, cords, and the velcro that holds the thing to their arms. The truth is, though, I'm afraid to try it -- I have a feeling I'd love running to music, especially in a race. I remember how cool it was to hear all the live bands along the course at the Nashville marathon. The music lifted my mood, sometimes as if it was literally pulling me up a hill. So, kind of like horseback riding and skiing, I've avoided something I think I'd really fall for.

If you were race director and the safety and running experience of all your registered participants were up to you, how would you rule on this?

More important, what's on YOUR playlist?

Why do you run?

If running, especially distance running, has helped you make a fresh start or given you new perspective, write and tell me about it. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing runners' stories about why it is they choose to put one foot in front of the other and log all those miles.

Don't be shy. The great thing about this sport is that, no matter how different we may seem on the surface, deep down we have a lot in common. I've learned that over and over again, every time I share a run with someone new.

The power of fresh starts

It's been about a month since the City of High Point, NC, offered to host the second annual NC Marathon at very little cost to the organizers. Thinking of all the ingredients that have come together since then, all the incredible people who have stepped forward to add something to the event or lend a hand, it's worth taking a minute to appreciate it all.

In one month's time, we now have courses for the marathon, half-marathon, and family 5k. We have offers of time from hundreds of new volunteers. We have a new sponsor hotel and expo host. And we have an increasingly exciting slate of events for race week.

High Point's offer was one that we, the race committee, couldn't refuse after Greensboro civic leaders quoted several figures for security costs that were well beyond our budget. Still, Melissa Fourrier, our race director, fretted about the decision. Fourrier is also executive director of the nonprofit Foster Friends of NC. She dreamed up the marathon as a fundraiser for Foster Friends, and she staged a nearly seamless event in Greensboro last year despite little experience with running and race management. She wasn't looking to move the event and start some aspects from scratch. But now that we have....

Twice a year, High Point hosts some 80,000 buyers and other home furnishings professionals for about 10 days of showing new lines, schmoozing and networking, and hearing best practices. All this takes place downtown, based around the dramatic, glass-fronted Showplace building. Between Showplace and the equally impressive International Home Furnishings Center is an enormous plaza, some of it offering cover from sun or rain with artsy roofing. In other words, an ideal place to gather thousands of people to start a race, finish a race, and celebrate afterward.

There's a lot more good stuff in the works, can't wait to tell you more -- stay tuned.