Birthday Run

Lately it's been hard to get out the door to run. My hip has been acting up since the Turkey Trot and there's been chiropractor drama. As a result I've been in some pain even while just sitting around and walking. That combined with short cold days has made it very difficult for me to run regularly. 

Sometimes when I'm not following a specific program if something goes wrong it becomes too easy to come up with reasons not to run. One day it's the throat. The next day it's the low temps. Then it's a faulty alarm clock. Or the rain. And before I know it, days go by and it gets harder and harder. I find it better to not think about whether to run, but just run.

But to switch that back on sometimes I need a reason to run. Without a race in the calendar, I found that reason in a birthday party brunch run.

It was my birthday yesterday and these lovely ladies helped me start celebrating my birthday right.  

Birthday run, not in our birthday suits.

It was very cold and the loop felt rough. I felt very out of shape and almost can't believe how I managed the Jingle Bell Jog just last weekend. But it was great being out there with some of my favorite running buddies.

The plan started low key and grew naturally. I bumped into Jess while commuting and we both wanted to get together and run on a weekend and the first available weekend was my birthday. Then I met up with Lindsay at the Jingle Bell Jog. Add Jess and we had a party. The four of us hadn't run together since Summer Streets and I was very excited about running with them. Then a couple of days ago Samantha asked Linna and me if we wanted to go for a run that evening. That didn't work, but how about run & brunch?

Brunch not pictured. Gone. There was an amazing sweet potato waffle, though.

People who run in groups used to baffle me. When I started running part of what I loved about it was the simplicity of it. Lace up and go. Whenever, wherever. The idea of running with others and having to coordinate schedules, hurry to meet, wait for someone to show up, seemed like an unnecessary complication. One I most definitely did not want to deal with. I was happy to run alone. 

What I didn't realize then was that running, like so many other things in life, becomes even better when enjoyed with good company.

Thank you for a lovely birthday!

A Runner's birthday

Reporting live from Cartagena de Indias


A great birthday in twelve steps.

1. Have your brother plan his wedding for the day after your birthday in a kick-ass vacation spot.

2. Wake up and have dad make you a Colombian coffee and arepa breakfast.

3. Go for an easy 5 mile run on the beach.

4. Stretch and have breakfast again.

5. Read, rest, nap, receive happy birthday wishes by phone, email, and social media.

6. Lunch by the beach. Catch of the day: red snapper. Six platters please.

8. Mom-made birthday cake with sparkly flares!

7. Nap, rest, read, and receive more birthday congratulations.

8. A cup of fresh Colombian coffee.

9. Total relaxation on the fifth floor with a view of the old city: swimming pool, sauna, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool.

10. Dinner.

11. More cake!

12. Friday night out in the old city. (Still to come)

The only thing that could have made this day even better would've been for friends to join me tonight, but the commute was an ocean and a handful of countries too long for most. Maybe next time.

Happy birthday, Paula Radcliffe!

It's Paula Radcliffe's birthday today, I just found out. She's exactly two years older than me, which means I have a couple of years to become as fast as she is. I'll have a bit of cake while I think about that.

The celebrations started early. One of my clients surprised me with a mini-birthday party. Since I work freelance and I’m not there everyday, I was not expecting any kind of fuss.

My boss and coworkers - Anna and Kevin - had brownies topped with candles for me, and they even sang happy birthday. The blowing out of the candles – all four of them – took about three tries. Not because they were those trick candles that re-light themselves but because in the past week this cold I have has managed to take away almost all my lung capacity.

There were candles, there were brownies, there was champagne, and there was a gift: a Flip video camera (I don’t know yet what I’ll be doing with a video camera, but stay tuned and you’re bound to find out).

But more than that there was warmth. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such lovely people. Not just at work, but here too. Thank you.

And you, Paula Radcliffe, have a lovely birthday too. To read my previous posts featuring Paula Radcliffe, go here and here.