The Soundtrack of a Marathon

Whether or not to listen to music while running can be a hot debate in the running community, but when I started running several years ago, I never even questioned it. It was just a given that I would. Seriously: Music was as integral a part of my early running experiences as shoes were. About 90% of the reason I started running in the first place was to have an excuse to buy a new iPod Nano, complete with Nike+ iPod kit. My husband's first running-related gift to me was a mix of running songs from the iTunes store. I loved picking out new tunes and podcasts, making playlists, and developing deeply held opinions on the best headphones.... More

Warm Ups and Cool Downs – We Should Do Them!

There are two important changes that most of us should try to incorporate into our running regime as soon as possible: a proper warm up and cool down For years, coaches told their teams that stretching and loosening up prior to a race would improve performance, yet almost all recent research has shown that this recommendation is simply not ... More

Finding Strength Through Marathons

Recently I have been dealing with life’s adversities.  At such a time, one’s immediate reaction is to whine and complain, “why me?” I look at life positively and say, “why not me?” Many things in life are beyond your control, but running is one within your grasp. The hours you put in will show up on your race day results. The ... More

7 Wonderful and Little-Known Benefits of Running

So you’ve made it to The SF Marathon blog page -- a hearty congratulations to you! You must already know that running is a wonderful, magical, superhuman barrel of fun, right? You plan your weekends around going to bed early and racing the sunrise to the highest points within 20 miles of your house, right? At a moments notice, you can name ... More

It’s Just Running

It’s just running … Yes, I said it! It’s just running. This coming from someone who is nearing 500 days of a running streak, someone who runs 34 miles on a Monday morning just because, a person who wakes up to get out and run the track, someone who drives for hours just to run with friends that are often times longer than the time ... More

A Few Tips Before You Run Your First Big Race

Practice during your long rung, simulate the race as much as possible. Wear the outfit you plan on racing in so you can see if it causes chafing. Don't wear the race shirt you get at the Expo unless you know the fit and know it won't bother you. Try out your new shoes and socks, believe it or not, socks can make a HUGE difference! ... More

Finding Myself Through Running

As I write my second installment for The SF Marathon blog, an article was published recently in The New York Times entitled Running as Therapy.   In summary, the author writes about how distance running helped her through some of the most difficult experiences. The article is something that I can totally relate to. Besides struggling with ... More

The Agony and the Ecstasy of The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon

This July, I’ll be running The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon for the third year in a row. The race was my first road marathon in 2012, and I’ve yet to pound the pavement for 26.2 miles in a different city […] More