Congratulations to Monique Rubin of Mo Travels who is the winner of the a bold pace give-a-way!  Monique is also a runner/writer and world traveler.  She is an expat from California that now lives in the Netherlands with her family.  Check out her travel/running blog Mo Travels.  You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. 

 
As runners we all engage in varying amounts of self-talk.  Our inner conversations are amplified in the most defining moments of a race or run and for me sometimes, the only thing that gets me to the finish line.  Cami Ostman’s book Second Wind, One woman’s midlife quest to run seven marathons on seven continents is a wonderful peek at the transcript of her inner dialog including an introduction to both the bitchy and wise parts of herself (yes, we all have these). A depressed Cami takes up running after her divorce and vows to take on seven marathons (actually so many more) on seven continents as her quest to heal.  This cathartic journey is well documented in rich detail through each country.  I enjoyed this book for many reasons.  I share her love for running, travel and the relentless analytical quest for personal growth.  This is a different kind of running book.  There are no tips for better times, training schedules or supplements.  This is about appreciating the journey of training, planning and running a race for the quiet lessons it extends.  As each race presents an opportunity to run down her fears, she becomes more confident and self-aware.  We are introduced to a cast of kind characters who aid her in her travels and offered a feast of cultural insights and natural beauty backdrops.   I was reminded of Eat, Pray, Love and Women Who Run with the Wolves as I was reading.  I am all for the warrior woman and I felt myself cheering her on in each city. 
Running does for many of us, what it did for Cami.  We challenge every ounce of our physical selves and by doing so we are forced to take a long, hard (26.2 mile) look at our inner life.  I am reminded by this book to stand quietly at the start of my next race so I can perhaps hear the voice of my own warrior woman and what she is trying to tell me.  Bravo Cami.

Second Wind was featured in the January issue of Oprah Magazine and noted in the Oprah online book recommendations.

  10 questions for Cami Ostman:

1. Running skirt friend or foe? 
I like the Nuu Muu exercise dress: http://www.nuu-muu.com/home.html – cute, comfy and covers the bum on days when the bum wants covering.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run?  Details please…when, where and with whom?

The sun is shining (rare in my neck of the woods).  It’s 72 degrees and the Dave Matthews Band is playing in my ear. My little Boston Terrier, Fuji, is running beside me on the gravel trail that weaves through our town. We stop at a pond at the three-mile point so Fuji can wade in up to her belly and get a drink and then we continue on to Starbucks so I can get a coffee before we make our way back home.

3. Describe your present state of [running] mind and your goals/races for 2011? Is there a marathon out there that really calls to you now?

I had some plantar fasciitis in my right foot at the beginning of the year, so I’ve been working hard at healing. I put in a lot of time water running and biking. I’m feeling great now! I just did two terrific half marathons: the Happy Girls Run in Bend, OR and the San Juan Island Half Marathon at Friday Harbor, WA. Both were fairly hilly, but I felt good after each and very encouraged. As for the marathon that’s calling me… My husband and I were in Punta Arenas, Chile last March, getting ready to fly to Antarctica. While we were there, we stayed for a few days at a hostel where we met two other Americans from Park City, Utah who were involved in organizing the Park City Marathon – http://www.pcmarathon.com/home1.htm. We promised we’d get to Utah to run the race, and it looks like this year we’ll get there. The course runs mostly on trails and has a downhill finish (my favorite kind). I’ve never been to Utah and look forward to the race and exploring surrounding areas.

4. What one training tool/item/gear can you not live without?  And if the marathon is the metaphor for life, can you recommend a mantra to race with?

I cannot live without Body Glide. For better or worse I have a hefty bosom and in spite of buying the best sports bras, I still chafe. Body Glide is the only thing that totally prevents this and it’s less messy than Vaseline.

My mantra on a hard run (you know – the kind when you feel like you’re dragging a herd of elephants behind you) is “one step at a time.” I say one word with each step. And this is my mantra for life too. I’m a huge fan of being absolutely in the moment—not worrying about when something (a run or a long day at work) is going to be over or dwelling on the past. On some runs I repeat, “Breathe. Breathe.” It’s pretty basic, but we forget to do it sometimes.

5. Many of the marathoners I know (including myself) are obsessed with their training and diet.  There was not much mention of these in your book.  What did/do you use as your guide?

I’m not overly obsessed with my diet. Maybe if I obsessed a little more I’d drop five pounds and run a little faster. I eat mostly what I want in moderation. I do cut back on cheese and wine before a race, and I do try to make sure I eat in a balanced way with plenty of veggies and whole foods—and I don’t eat mammals. As I mentioned in my book, my family struggles with obesity, and I’ve always been grateful I figured out by the time I was twenty that if I exercised and didn’t overeat, I wouldn’t have to follow suit. Still, the older I get and the more I see my body changing, the more careful I’m becoming with what I put into my body.

As for my training, my husband, Bill, sketched out my first training schedule. He does a lot of reading about training and nutrition. I appreciated his attention to detail on that first round of training. When you’re first getting started, you’re just happy you can run from the end of the street to the telephone pole, so I needed all the help I could get.

Later I tried the Galloway system, but found that I lost my train of thought when I walked and that bothered me. My basic schedule now is that Monday, Wednesday, Friday I run 4, 6, and 4 miles respectively (sometimes 5, 7, 5). Then I do a long run on one of the weekend days. I gradually increase the length of the long run each week according to what I’m training for. Lately, I’ve been doing speed work and working on my form with a coach, too.

6. I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Bill.  I think many runners experience that back/front of the pack dynamic at some point and your willingness to let him shine elsewhere in the race stood out for me (and yet another metaphor on relationships). Was he always supportive of you writing this book and documenting your relationship and do you think you would have gone on this quest had you not re-connected with him?

Reconnecting with Bill definitely influenced my taking this direction in life. I think every relationship is mutually influential, and I’m so grateful Bill challenged me to try long distance running! As for whether or not he was into my writing about our personal struggles and shining moments, all I can say is that Bill is one of the most supportive people I’ve ever met. He was always on the side of my writing what was true and meaningful to me, but there were a few times when he said, “Do you really have to tell everyone THAT?” And most of those things I took out—but not all of them.

On the same subject, if I could brag about Bill a little bit: He qualified for the Boston Marathon four times last year! He’s a terrific runner in his age group and I’m incredibly proud of him. We approach running from very different angles and love it for different reasons, but we’ve learned to appreciate each others’ perspectives.

7. I have known many runners who have made it through tough times (divorce, death, illness and even menopause) by “running through it”.  What do you think is it about running that facilitates healing?

Running takes you from “here” to “there” in a very literal way. It requires a person to breathe during times when there is a lot of breath holding. Running engages the whole person, allows for introspection and makes space for processing difficulties. As I wrote about in the book, it offers rich metaphors that lend themselves to insights about how to move forward or find your pace or move through pain. All of this is not to say there aren’t similar healing qualities embedded in other activities, but running is simple. You just put on your shoes and go. The simplicity and basic-ness of it is reassuring.

8. The people that you encounter in each marathon resemble rich characters in great novels in that they act as the catalyst for the protagonist’s epiphany.  From the Australian threesome, to the man in Yellow Coat (savior!), is there one person who had the greatest impact on you?

Well, Mel of the Marathon Maniacs from the Whidbey Island chapter stands out. I was so powerfully impacted by his story. He was running into his seventies with a cracked hip and this amazing, peaceful attitude. I’ve seen him many times since that first encounter. He just keeps going. Almost every time I show up to a marathon in Washington State, he’s there. And he doesn’t care at all how long a race may take him; he just slogs along perfectly content to be running, even if it takes all day.

Since I wrote about Mel, I’ve had other people contact me and tell me that they know him or they’ve run with him at some point during a race and that they’ve been challenged by his steadfast commitment to the sport, too. Then on New Years Eve this last year I volunteered for a race. I was staffing the sign-in table when Mel walked up to pick up his number. I didn’t know if he knew I’d written about him so I said, “Hey Mel, I wrote about you in my book.” He said, “Oh, I have it in the car. Will you sign it for me?” And I thought, OMG my hero wants me to sign a book for him! How awesome is that?!

9. The dominant thread of facing, and then conquering your personal fears through each race experience is inspiring.  Have you received feedback from your readers on how your book has impacted their own running journey?

 
Yes. And that feedback has been one of the most meaningful things in my life. I’ve had people write and tell me that they bought running shoes for the first time in thirty years. Several women have identified with Julie’s story of losing 130 pounds and have told me their own stories of weight loss. And many readers have written to me about their journeys through divorce or losses and how running has kept them sane.

As a family therapist for the past twelve years, I’ve tried to help people through hard times and encourage them to take care of themselves. It’s been incredibly gratifying to be able to achieve that goal through the publishing of the book and through sharing my own foibles.

10. You mention your writing group at the end of the book.  Can you tell us a little more about them, the writing process and how writing played a part in your journey towards healing and becoming the person you wanted to be?  Will you keep writing? A destination marathon travel guide perhaps?

Oh, good plan. I like the idea of a destination marathon guide! I’ll get on top of that ASAP.

In terms of writing, I’ve been a writer all of my life, but most of it has been academic. I’ve kept my creative writing pretty private over the years, but when I started writing about running, things came together. I took a memoir writing class from novelist, Laura Kalpakian. She likes to say that I was the only memoir writer she’d ever met who was writing about something I hadn’t completed yet. I wrote this book AS I did the marathons. The fascinating thing about doing it that way is that all my self-definitions were being constructed more consciously than usual. I would sit down and think, “What did this race teach me? Who taught me that? What is the message I’m supposed to take from this?” While I do that generally in my life, I don’t usually have to figure out how to articulate those lessons to an audience. It was very profound.

My writing group was a small group of women who stayed together after the memoir class was finished, and they were/are like the backbone of my writing practice. They expected me to produce manuscript on a regular basis, and they served as my first audience. I owe a lot to them. There are different kinds of writing. Journaling is very personal and mostly never meant to be read by others; writing for an audience is a different and challenging experience. I would encourage women who are secret creative writers to find a class or group that will make them stretch to share their work.

Extra credit:  We are all readers and I must ask…What are your favorite books and what should we be reading now?

I always have more books going than I can name, but right now I’m reading two in particular. One is by Marshall Ulrich called Running on Empty. I met him at the Boston Marathon Expo when I was there with Bill a couple of months ago. This book is his very personal story of what running has meant to him. He’s an ultra runner and in a totally different league than most of us, but he’s also a very down-to-earth man.

The other book I’m reading is put out by my publisher, Seal Press (books “by women for women”) called My So Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman. Michelle is funny and easy to read, but extremely practical in her advice about how to strike out on your own as a creative professional.

This year so far, I’ve also really appreciated Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and (for the millionth time) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Thank you Cami!

Special thank you to my sister Rachel Allen who contributed questions to this interview.

 Purchase a {perfect Pairings} runner gift set which includes this book and a set of Off and Running notecards from www.remanents.com.  

a bold pace on Facebook

There is a running revolution taking hold and it’s wearing a skirt—a running skirt that is.  Women are making their way to the starting lines of marathons and halfs in record numbers.  They account for almost half (or even more than half) of the field these days.  Olympic runners like Paula Radcliffe, Kara Goucher and Deena Kastor are conquering motherhood and running.  We are all not only paying attention, we are cheering them on.  Running has helped many of us make our way through parenting by offering a dose of endorphins and a long distance friend to hear us out.  Women are trading therapy sessions for a pair of Asics and the open road.  Running carves out “me” time for the price of a pair of running shoes and a race entry.  It has not only become a catalyst for empowering women, but a stress-relieving companion in their quest to do it all.  There is no one lining the streets to cheer you on or give you a medal for motherhood, so why not get one for finishing a race.

Mom’s not only like to run alone, they like to run together and in groups.  They have formed front porch communities and taken them onto the road.  They have conquered personal goals and weathered triumphs, all while running together.  It is therefore not surprising that the release of the book Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving–and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity has been a huge success.  It acts as the manual to the running/motherhood movement and lends a voice to this emerging runner profile.  It answers women/mother specific questions and offers advice not found in other running books.  It’s authors Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea are on to something here.  They have become like the Oprahs of the mother runners.  Through their blog, Facebook Page, and Twitter (Sarah Tweets, Dimity Tweets), they have started a wonderful conversation.  It seems they are listening just as much as they are being heard.  Women relate to them.  They are both real moms, real runners and real people.

10 Questions for Dimity and Sarah:

1.  Running skirt, friend or foe?

Dimity:  Friend. Flatters like nothing else.

SBS:  BFF. I have a mutually exclusive relationship with my running skirts—I haven’t worn shorts in years.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (details please…when, where with whom)?

Dimity:  Santa Fe Dale Ball Trails. 5ish miles. With my dog Dharma, before she started her annoying habit of just stopping cold on the trail behind me and staring at me like I was crazy.

SBS:  The Presidio & Golden Gate Bridge. Ninety minutes on a weekday morning. By myself—with my fond memories of living in San Francisco for eight years. I never stop marveling at the Bay Area’s natural beauty.

3.  Were you a runner or a writer first? How has running changed for you since writing RLAM?  How has writing changed?

Dimity:  Writer. Comes much more naturally me than running ever will. I think a lot more about my running while I’m running now. My mind used to wander; now it’s all about form.

SBS:  I started running in college before graduating to become a professional writer (and editor). Since writing RLAM, I’ve become an even more avid runner—I used to cross-train a lot more, but now I usually run six days/week. Writing still remains my bread-and-butter profession.

4.  Describe your present state of (running/training) mind and your goals/races for 2011?

Dimity:  Starting over (again). Focus will be on triathlons (Olympic, probably) and trail runs. No specific races yet.

SBS:  After three marathons in two years, I’m halving the distance—dropping down to half-marathons this coming year. I like being able to shower and eat brunch after a race—and not limp when I leave the restaurant. I’d like to dust a few seconds off my personal best and drop my time to 1:45.

5.  What one training tools/items/gear can you not live without?

Dimity:  My husband. And at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Ideally, 9, which rarely happens.

SBS:  My iPod nano. Podcasts, live radio, and kick-ass playlists are what keep me going.

6.  What trait do you most value in your training partners?

Dimity:  Being on time.

SBS:  Ditto. And being a witty, engaging storyteller.

7.  Were you surprised by the outpouring response (from women) to Run Like a Mother? Why do you think that is? And now that you have their attention, what lies ahead? Is there a sequel in the works?

Dimity:  Definitely. We sensed a community as we were writing, but to see it materialize has been fulfilling and humbling. Why is that? Motherhood is isolating, women like to connect, runners are really great people. We’re working on the next proposal, and have some more tricks up our arm warmers.

SBS:  Never more than a few days go by without me getting teary-eyed reading comments on our Facebook page or website. We feel so grateful for the love and support of our fans—support not just of us and our book, but of each other and the community. At risk of sounding cheesy, it really reaffirms my faith in humanity.

8.  Sometimes I see your posts/schedules and I think it must be exhausting…what are your strategies/personal guidelines/mantras for doing it all?

Dimity:  It’s easier to do it all when a) I have a partner; and b) I love doing it. Yes, my brain runs dry sometimes, but it’s a good exercise in writing when I don’t necessarily want to. Doing it all? I don’t. You should see my house. My dinner menus. (SBS mocks me for breakfast dinners; nothing wrong with Raisin Bran at 6 p.m. in my book.)

SBS:  I approach the duties same as I do a long run: Chunk.It.Up. Instead of seeing the weeks and months (or miles) stretched ahead of us, I just focus on one blog post, one FB status update. And I couldn’t do it w/o Dimity.

9.  Name one of the most memorable encounter/ moment with runners along this journey?

Dimity:  At a run in Denver, a great woman whose name I can’t remember (sorry!) quoted me back to me. It was the line about how you can only have room for three things in your life at one time. It’s actually Oprah’s line, but I loved that she remembered it.

SBS:  When running friend, fellow mom, and speedy marathoner Megan K. introduced me to a room full of running moms in a coffeehouse in Battle Ground, Washington. I’ve never heard such nice things said about me out loud—and I’ve had two rehearsal dinners and weddings!

10.  If you were not writing about running and fitness you would be writing about….?

Dimity:  I’m actually starting a totally different book about women’s cardiovascular health. But there’s always room for RLAM.

SBS:  I’d ditch writing altogether and become either a landscape architect or a lactation consultant. Flowers, plants, and breastfeeding: a few of the other subjects in life I’m passionate about.

Extra credit:  What are your favorite writers/books of the moment…what should we be reading? Perhaps there is a Run Like a Mother Book Club in your future (now that Oprah is leaving)…

SBS:  Ah, I love fiction, especially classics by Jane Austen, Willa Cather, and Edith Wharton, while Dimity favors non-fiction. But Dim and I both loved Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom. (If you’re ready to go on a classics kick, I highly recommend Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. It was so moving and engaging, I talked back and shouted at the book!)

Dimity:  Truth be told, I don’t have a fave book lately. But just ordered Laura Hillenbrand’s new one and Let’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell and will have them “magically” appear in my Christmas stocking. Looking forward to digging into those.

Run Like a Mother–the Book will make a great gift this holiday for the mother runner in your life.

From the book cover:

“Finding Motivation to get out there when you were up all night with a sick kid. Cajoling a husband who is less than supportive of your mileage.  Running during pregnancy, when you feel like a whale, and running after it, when you still feel like a whale.  Coping when race day and your period coincide.  Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea cover all these (and plenty of other) essential topics through personal essays, helpful advice from hundreds of running mothers, and hilarious anecdotes.  For all overextended mothers, whether beginning runners or seasoned marathoners, Run Like a Mother will inspire even those who got three hours of sleep last night to lace up their shoes.”

Check out their blog for the fabulous 12K’s of the holidays giveaways

About Dimity and Sarah Bowen Shea:  Bio is taken from their blog Run Like a Mother the Book

Dimity McDowell (the one taller than the Transamerica Pyramid)

Lives in: Denver with two kids, two dogs, and one husband.
Wishes: She could go faster without doing speedwork.
Gets fired up by: Annie Lennox (go tall women!); a few select Neil Diamond songs; and the knowledge that a big bowl of Phish Food ice cream awaits at the end of a long run.
Another wish: That she could wave a magic wand and have her left hip/glute/hamstring/knee, an area that has been angry for over three years, reboot.

Sarah Bowen Shea

AKA:  SBS or Champy (you’ll score big if you cheer her on with “Go Champy!” at a race.)
Lives in:  Portland, Oregon, with her hubby and three kiddos.
Gets fired up by:  Britney Spears, Rihanna, and “Glee” songs. (yes, she’s a teen stuck in a Masters-age body.)
Driven nuts when:  People call running shoes “sneakers”.
Favorite Race:  The 197-mile Hood to Coast Relay, which she’s run 9 times, usually on an all-women’s team. (less stinky, usually more roadside dancing, and definitely more laughs.)
Would never be caught dead in:  Running shorts. She -hearts- running skirts.

Contact Dimity and Sarah at: runmother@gmail.com
Tweet with Dimity and Sarah at: @dimityontherun + @sbsontherun

Kara Goucher is a rock star in the running world.  She is beautiful and sweet and tough and strong.  She has become the paradigm for the modern running woman and fast becoming it for the modern running mother.  I am waiting for her to meet me in the lobby of a hotel in NYC and enjoying the surreal feel of the moment…a journey that began months earlier by a simple gesture.   I have sent many of my Remanents running (and otherwise) inspired cards and tees to people I have genuinely admired over the years, and have received some of the most gracious responses.  The one I received from Kara Goucher was just that–a heart felt note and sincere interest in my running and business.  She makes her own cards to inspire her friends.  So I asked her to design one (just for fun) with me for charity and she was in.  Wow.

We live on opposite coasts, but with e-mails and mailings laced with reassurances like “less is more” and “keep it simple” flying back and forth, we very easily find common ground. We go with a Keith Haring-ish drawing by Kara and a Remanents pun (Kara is often described as a world-class runner “with a heart of gold”…she’s that, and BOLD).  It was an effortless collaboration as she picks a shirt style, envelope color and tells a story to inspire on the back.  She’s a designers dream.  Kara chooses MADD [Mother's Against Drunk Driving] as her choice of charity.  Her father was killed by a drunk driver years ago and this will honor his memory.  As a mother of teenagers and a young adult, this one is a cause close to home. (See article on Kara’s family and MADD)

I am really excited to see Kara coming through the front door of the hotel.  She greets me with a warm smile.  She introduces me to her good friend Paula Radcliffe (yes, I am kind freaking out a little to be among these ladies).  They have come from a luncheon and were just discussing the specifics of working out later in the hotel gym.  It could have been any one of the running women I know scheduling their next workout.  I am struck by their “normalness” and by the fact that they are working out the night before a race.  Paula catches the elevator back to her room and Kara and I head off to get the new “Kara-tee for Charity”.   She runs upstairs and returns shortly looking SO adorable with her baby belly and with husband Adam in tow.  LDFs Jane and Jamie have tagged along to help out and are masters at keeping her engaged in conversation while Andrea takes some shots.  Adam is charming and kind.

I get to jump in with Kara for a few of the photos and we head out onto the street in front of the hotel to take a few more.  We are amazed that this incredible couple is still hanging with this forty something crowd.  They are full of genuine excitement for the arrival of their son, a new house and the next part of life.  It was hard to remember that they are world class runners and not just another really nice couple from Oregon trying to give back.

So Kara and I hope you will consider buying one of these cards or one of these tees so we can donate 100% of the proceeds to MADD to honor her father.   They are only available online at Remanents.

Thanks Kara and Adam, you are a great couple and great sports and we know you will make incredible parents.

10 Questions for Kara:

1. Running skirt, friend or foe?

I have to admit this to everyone. I modeled one for a Nike catalog in 2007 and I really liked the skirt. I wore it a lot, even in the Olympic village! I got a lot of compliments on it. But I could never wear it for a hard serious workout, I just couldn’t.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (details please…when, where with whom)

The perfect run would be on a beautiful sunny day in San Moritz. I have been lucky enough to enjoy several days of sunshine on the most amazing trails there. But for a perfect run, my dad would be there. That would be absolutely perfect.

3. What training tools/items/gear can you not live without? Will you use a jogging stroller?

I cannot live without my sports watch. I have never been able to just run and not worry about time. I like to document how far and fast I ran. No matter how fast or slow it was. I’m a bit obsessive about it. I love my sports watch! I doubt I’ll use a jogging stroller. When I run it’s my time, and I’m at “work.” I can’t imagine worrying about pushing my son around during that time.

4. What is your present state of running mind? Goals?

I am in my 7th month of pregnancy so running has taken a very different role for me right now. Instead of running as hard as I can and getting as fit as I can be, I have been able to just enjoy my running for what it is. It is time to reflect, time to see beauty, time to dream. I still have the same goals that I always have. Win a medal in the 2012 Olympics and win a Major Marathon here at home in the United States.

5. I was struck by the bond between you and Paula, what qualities do you value most in a (running) friend?

I value someone who is kind and thoughtful. I admire people who dream big and who hold themselves to high standards. I really appreciate people who are successful but don’t feel threatened by others. Paula is the greatest female distance runner of all time, but she doesn’t hesitate one second to help me out. That is a rare and wonderful quality. And you have to be able to be totally honest with a running friend. I love to talk, talk, and talk! I’ve gotten the closest to people on runs. There is an honesty there, you can share anything with each other.

OK, enough about running…

6. Best card you ever received? Given?

Asking me what is the best card I have ever received is like asking a mother which one is her favorite child. I have always loved cards. I have huge plastic tubs of them in my garage because I always save them. My mother is an amazing stamper and she has made me some of the most beautiful and clever cards, they are truly artwork. One of my closest friends always seems to send me a card at just the right time, when I am stressed or under the weather. Getting a piece of art in the mail is so amazing. To know that someone thought of you, that someone took the time to write it out and address it. That is a wonderful feeling. I am like my mom, but not as talented. I prefer to make a card, but I don’t have the skill she does. I am horrible at remembering birthdays or holidays, but I always send a card when I know one of my friends or family needs a smile. I have even given them to competitors who I see struggling! I just think that a card can lift someone’s spirits. It really can.

7. Why did you want to do a card to benefit MADD?

A few days before my 4th birthday my dad was killed by a drunk driver. It has forever changed the course of my life. MADD is a wonderful organization that helps families deal with the grief of such an event. I am proud to support it.

8. You look so cute in your “Run with a heart of [BOLD]” tee! Describe your personal style:

Why thank you! Because of my job, I spend a lot of time in workout clothes. I would say that I am a bit sporty but with a girlie edge. I love pink, I love hearts, I love all that stuff. I like to feel “cute” even when I workout, so that carries over to my personal style off the track as well.

9. Here is a pop culture quiz:

Favorite magazine to pass the time in an airport? I love Self. All the little tidbits of information, I can’t get enough!

A TV show you watch on a regular basis? How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family. Give them a chance, they are hilarious! I also love So You Think You Can Dance.

Movie you could watch over and over? Notting Hill. I have watched it a hundred times on my treadmill.

Last book you read that you loved? I read a lot and I’ve read a lot of great books. But the two I have loved the most I reread once a year. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby.

What music would we hear in your house on a relaxing evening? I am a total top 40s girl. I like music that makes me feel happy. I listen to a lot of 80s, pop and rock, and a lot of what is current now. My husband is so ashamed! I am a sucker for the radio. I hear it, download it, and listen to it till I can’t stand it anymore.

10. What other things have you been up to (besides designing cards and tees) since you have not been running as much? I hear you are writing a book…what is it about, and more importantly, when is it coming out?

I have been writing a book. It is a book of advice and motivation for women based on my experiences though running. I am not an expert, and I am not a coach. But I have learned a lot along the way that I think can help other women, from beginners to elite, improve and discover the joy of running. It has been such an amazing project. It will be released in April 2011. I have also been going to a lot of of races and expos, just exploring a whole different side to the sport. Being around people who run for so many different reasons, but not because it is their job. It has been such an inspiring time for me. I have loved it.

Extra credit: If I wasn’t a runner I would be …?

Honestly I think that I would have gone on in school to get my PhD to be a Psychologist. I absolutely loved being a Psychology major. I still reach for Psychology Today first when I need something to read at the airport. I am fascinated by how people’s minds work. I would definitely be doing something in the Psychology field.

Kara and Monica

Photos by runner/marathoner Andrea Mihalik

I first came to know of Doreen years ago on the streets of my home town.   LDF Dora and I were on our way to an early 10 mile race at the shore, when we saw Doreen run by us at a stop light.  Dora, who already knew of Doreen, was thrilled to have so easily fulfilled the good luck omen requirement of seeing a “really good runner” before a race (a very good sign that the race would go well).  And indeed it had…that race still holds as my 10 mile PR.    So it is serendipitous that Doreen be the first competitive runner to answer our “10 questions”.

Meet masters runner Doreen McCoubrie… At 48, her name inevitably would appear as the top runner of our age group in many of the local races…and never by marginal minutes, but by huge gaps of time.  She is now training to secure her spot on the starting line of the Olympic trials in the marathon for the second time (she already qualified in 2008).  She is a local hero to us forty somethings in our running community, so I am thrilled that she agreed to answer some of our questions.

Here is an excerpt from a recent Running Times article about Doreen:

“After competing in cross country at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, NJ, McCoubrie went on to Penn State and recorded times of 4:16.9 for 1500m and 9:30.50 for 3,000m, earning All-American honors. She continued running after college and did her first marathon in 1999, a 3:12 in Maui, then broke 3:00 for the first time the following year with a 2:56:56 in Philadelphia. But the real improvement began around 2005, when she recorded 17:46 in the Freihofer’s 5K and 58:41 at Broad Street. “I didn’t really get serious about it until four or five years ago, when the kids were old enough,” explains McCoubrie, the mother of three teenagers. “I started putting in more mileage then.”

Although she recorded her personal best marathon of 2:46:33 at Chicago in 2006, she considers the 2008 Olympic trials in Boston her most memorable running experience.”  (full Running Times article here)

10 Questions for Doreen:

1. Running skirt, friend or foe?

I personally don’t see myself ever wearing one, but I think they look nice.  I just pull out whatever is on top in my drawer and hope it matches a little.  Don’t usually think about what I’m wearing when I run.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (details please…when, where with whom)

My favorite time to run is very early in the morning as soon as its light enough to see a little.  No cars and you feel like you have the neighborhood to yourself.  I live about one mile from Valley Forge National Park and I NEVER get tired of running there it is sooooo nice.  I love to be alone in my head thinking about all different things or nothing at all and having a day when you feel like your run is effortless.

3. What are your running goals at this moment? 2012?

My most immediate goal is the Chicago Marathon and trying to qualify for the Olympic trials.  The standard is 2:46 which would be a PR, so some luck is definitely needed, but its fun to try.  Ironically, I just hurt my calf yesterday so I’m hoping its not serious.  My next goal after that is to try an ultra if my body feels okay and up to it.

4. What training tools/items/gear can you not live without?

The only thing I really worry about is good shoes.  I’m not a gear person, but I did finally get a Garmin and I like it just to keep track of distance.  I pace myself mostly by feel and don’t even keep much of a log, just distances.

5. What trait do you most value in your training partners? Are they men or women or both?

I mostly train alone but that’s more because of scheduling than anything else.  The best training partners just click. You push each other, but don’t race each other.  It just feels very comfortable.  And NO whining!

6. How has running affected you as you age, what if anything do you do differently? Take us through a typical training week in mileage…

The biggest thing is recovery.  It just takes a little longer to recover from hard workouts or minor aches and pains. I’m just careful to be smart about it so little things don’t turn into major injuries.  I don’t really do anything differently, a typical week during marathon training ranges from 80 to 95 miles per week.  I basically train all year round to get to this point as the marathon draws closer.  My training would include tempo runs, long runs of 22+, some track work such as mile repeats, striders to work on leg turnover and marathon pace runs.  I have used Pete Pfitzingers book Advanced Marathoning for the last seven years.  It’s a great book!!

7. How did training for the Olympic trials in the marathon effect your family life? Have any of your children caught the running bug? If so, do you run with them?

I try not to let my training affect my family life. Other than being a little tired I don’t think they notice too much.  They are teenagers now so they are usually still asleep by the time I get done.  Both daughters run track and have even run a couple road races with me.

8. What is your all time favorite pre-race meal?

I almost always eat pasta before a marathon, but anything resembling a carbohydrate!!  And dark chocolate.

9. Describe your favorite all time running moment or specific race?

I have lots of favorite moments, from my college days any race at Penn Relays.  From my master years it would have to be the 2008 Olympic Trials.  Just being in a race with all those women was terrific.

10. How do you keep it together mentally in a tough race? Do you mantra?

In a marathon I try to break it down into smaller pieces and give myself something to look forward to like a gu at mile 12 or seeing family or friends at mile 16.  I try to zone out in the early part of the race and run as comfortably as possible knowing that the end of the race will be hard.. I am periodically making a mental note of how I feel and try to always think of positive thoughts. If I start to think negatively, I’m done.  I also just focus on competing in a race, looking ahead to try to catch someone or run with a group, things like that.

Thank you Doreen for sharing your experience and insights.  We wish you all the best on your quest for the Olympic Trials!

courtesy of www.chrismcdougall.com/blog

Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run has ignited a raucous, ongoing debate in the running (and larger) community about the benefits of barefoot running and the integrity of the running shoe industry.  The book’s influence has extended to our feet; both Monica and I have switched to the lighter Newton’s and I am not automatically replacing mine after 300 miles.

But Born to Run is more than a book about barefoot running.  Christopher McDougall is a storyteller extraordinaire.  The book is a page turner, replete with an adroit portrayal of the Tarahumara of Mexico and incisive characterizations of singular people, such as the awesome Ann Trason and Jenn Shelton.  He brings to life the colorful and robust world of ultra runners, the exhilaration of the Leadville Trail 100 race and the history, lore and physiology of endurance running.

I recently re-read Born to Run via CD.  My husband (a non-runner) and 13 year-old daughter (not particularly interested in adult pursuits) were captivated by the stories.  The Tarahumara and ultra races became dinner table fare. High praise!

What’s more, after reading a few chapters and I felt the urge to get out there—and run long…

10 Questions for Chris McDougall:

1. The Jon Stewart appearance, interviews with major newspapers, the NY Times Best Sellers list, that Jeopardy question…..describe a memorable moment on the best selling author circuit.

Jon Stewart telling me the bottom of my foot felt like a dog’s paw was definitely one for the scrapbooks.  but the wildest had to be when I met Caballo’s old girlfriend after a book signing in seattle.  she gave me a picture of him from 25 years ago that showed him holding a scruffy dog and leaning against an old pickup … and he was doing EXACTLY the same thing last time I saw him.

2. At what moment after the publication of Born to Run did you realize that the book had taken on a life of its own?  Do you think that the book’s release date, in the midst of the economic crisis, contributed to runners’ willingness to embrace the debate about barefoot running?

barefoot running is really just a fraction of what the book is all about. the heart of the story is the message that running can be a total blast, and not just a punishment for pizza. and if people are responding
to the less-is-best revelations about running shoes, that’s probably because we’ve hit critical mass when it comes to injuries and frustration. for decades, we’ve been told that fancy shoes will make running better,
and now it’s clear that we’ve been fooled by a bunch of marketing blather.

3. We both wear Newton’s.  What do you think of them? Are your daughters wearing running shoes?  If so, which type?

i’ve never tried newtons. personally, i feel more comfortable wearing nothing (interpret that any way you like). my kids are just yung’uns, so they crash around in whatever cheapos we can find. during their school’s race for education, we were the only one running barefoot — for about 10 minutes. as soon as the other kids realized they didn’t have to wear shoes, they started chucking them. soon, there was a mountain of discarded sneakers and an army of grinning kids whizzing around the soccer field.

4. Born to Run is about so much more than barefoot running.  What other transferable skills should we take away from the Tarahumara?

my apologies if this sounds unhelpful, but i’d like to avoid trying to distill their culture into self-help tips. Caballo has been down there for 15 years and he’s still getting his arms around things.

5. How has the success of Born to Run shaped your approach to your current project?  Any hint on the subject?  Have you learned anything more about a Born to Run movie?

it’s been a wild week. yesterday, i closed a deal for the next book, and today (literally, four hours ago) i signed the movie contract. i have no clue what happens next with the movie, if anything. as for the book,
believe me — if i tried to describe it, you’d yawn. i still haven’t figured out how to pithily summarize born to run without it sounding weird and nerdy.

6. We are fascinated that women are racing and beating men at the Ultra level.  Are men running these distances slower or are women running them faster?  Does the 100 miler finally level the playing field?  Can you talk about this a little…or write a book about it?

wait, i thought i just did! what i was getting at with the anthropological evidence about ultrarunning is the idea that if humans truly did evolve as persistence hunters (that is, as hunters who ran their quarry to death through heat exhaustion), then it would only make sense that the hunting pack would have to remain a pack — men and women, old and young alike. so it’s not that women get stronger as distances get longer — it’s more that the differences between men and women diminish.

7. What do you think the next big debate in running will be about?

there’s still a lot of life left in this one… Dr. Lieberman, the harvard professor who’s spearheading the best research into barefoot running, is making it clear that we still have a lot to learn about running technique. style had been ignored for too long in favor of sales and marketing, and it’s going to take a while to turn that ship around.

8. It’s been a snowy winter in Pennsylvania…what is the state of your  running?  Are you planning any ultras?  Do you think about writing on the run or is it more of a quieting experience?

i’ve had some great runs. luckily, i live in dairy country, so the roads get plowed pretty snappily so the milk truck can get thru. the second i’ve got a clear path, i’m gone. the best runs of your life are always on a snowy morning when everyone is too afraid to drive. no plans for any races it’s been much more fun being a pacer for friends rather than entering them myself. if you ever want to see a look of pure love on someone’s face, be waiting for them at mile 60 with a bag of M&Ms. you’ll never feel so adored in your life. sure, i think about writing while i run, but i think about everything.

9. What is Jenn Shelton up to these days?  Are runner tourists attempting to visit the Tarahumara?  How do they fare?

Jenn is living in Oregon and tearing up the trails. here’s an update:
http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200907/jenn-shelton-ultramarathon-1.html
Caballo managed to stage his race again this year, and he had a whopping turnout — over 200 Tarahumara runners, and 60-some Americans and other visitors. Caballo said it was a total party.

10. Who are some of your favorite authors and runners?

i’m old school. Emil Zatopek, Nelson Algren, Patricia Highsmith, Marshall Ulrich.

Extra credit: Did you persuade your family to eat chia?  Do you have a favorite recipe?

just soak it and slip it into pancake batter. my kids don’t mind the chia, but the wheat germ and flax seeds really piss them off.

Before you run the New York Marathon, read Liz Robbin’s A Race Like No Other– 26.2 Miles through the streets of New York.  Actually, I think the book should be tucked into every swag bag with the t-shirt and race number.  Runners could fight pre-race jitters in bed the night before engrossed in these captivating stories.  Moreover, they could throw it in with their water and power bars the next morning and pass the dreaded hours of waiting time at the start with Paula Radcliff and Hendrick Ramaala.  Runners would appreciate the many volunteers they were about to pass in a whole new light (who may actually hand them their water).  They would become familiar with the sacrifices of the bold-hearted elite racers like those they will follow through the streets of NY. And how could they not be motivated by reading about the many individuals who overcame heart-wrenching adversity to make it to the starting line?  I would have loved that before I ran in 2008. This book had me at mile one.

We, at a bold pace, have devoured Liz Robbins’ astute and edifying articles about running and other sports in the New York Times and Well Blog. In fact, Liz’s article The Best Marathon Advice You’ll Ever Get (a favorite) will be sent to new marathoner friends in perpetuity. Are you sensing how delighted we are that Liz Robbins’ has agreed to answer our a bold pace questionnaire?

10 Questions for Liz Robbins:

1. Running skirt: friend or foe?

Foe. When I run, I want to wear shorts. When I play tennis, I wear skirts. When I played lacrosse and field hockey, I wore tartan plaid polyester skirts. Enough said.

2. What is your idea of the perfect run (when, where)?

When I covered the N.B.A. for the New York Times, I had my favorite runs on the road.

Venice Beach (not all the way to Santa Monica Pier) – a nice 5-miler watching the ocean

Dallas – Katy Trail (I always seemed to do that run when it was 92 degrees)

Miami – South Beach boardwalk/trail

But, my favorite quick run is in my backyard. A few blocks to Central Park, one loop on the upper bridle path, one loop on the reservoir.

3.  What do you most value in a running friend (or do you prefer music/sweet solitude)?

Encouragement. I run faster with a friend.

4.  What is your present state of running mind? How are those knees…will you ever run the NY Marathon?

My present state of running mind is…incredibly frustrated. I haven’t had a run longer than 30 minutes for months, and I’m spending most of my time on the elliptical right now. My doctor wants me to have arthroscopic surgery. My doctor thinks it’s essential because cartilage is roaming free in my right knee. I knew the pain and the clicking noises were not good signs. Any advice?

5.  Who is your favorite runner to watch (or to cover) and why?

Hendrick Ramaala.

Because he is so genuine and so wise. When I did research for my book, I stayed with him and his family for five days in Johannesburg, and they couldn’t have been more hospitable. Hendrick, the 2004 NYC champion, has time for everyone, young runners, recreational runners, he loves to impart his wisdom. Plus, at age 38, he goes for broke and always thinks he can win. He is an inspiration!

A close second would be Paula Radcliffe. Even though it’s very difficult to watch her as she bobs her head and always looks in pain (since she is), a race is never boring when she is entered.

6.  We think runners are tough (especially women runners!). How do they compare to the basketball players or tennis players you have written about?

TOUGHER! No comparison. Nobody endures as many injuries as women marathoners, namely Deena Kastor and Paula Radcliffe.  And then there’s Grete Waitz.  She is battling cancer with grit and grace.

7.  In an interview you compared running a marathon to writing A Race like No Other. What did you learn about yourself when writing this book?

I learned I could push myself further than I ever thought. I wrote every day for four months straight, with the exception being New Year’s day of 2008. I had a deadline to meet. Since my chapters were each a mile on the course, I tracked my progress as if I were running. And, since all writing is rewriting, I crossed the finish line multiple times!

8.  Who are your favorite writers?

T.C. Boyle, Barbara Kingsolver, Joan Didion

9.  What are you reading these days?

The Women — T.C. Boyle

10.  What is your (life) mantra?

Keep pushing. You can always recover tomorrow.

Extra credit: What is your favorite sport to play? And why does ping-pong come up when your name is mentioned?

I love playing tennis and golf, but the latter is too frustrating for a former high school and collegiate athlete. Since I was a small girl, I have always loved to play ping-pong. The rhythm, the precision, the pace – what a rush!

About Liz (Bio edited from her blog):

“Liz Robbins has been a reporter for the New York Times for the last 10 Years, and a journalist for the last 18 years, since graduating from Cornell with a handy degree in European history. She has interviewed athletes such as LeBron James, Steve Nash, Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, and Paula Radcliffe, and covered major sporting events from the NBA finals to the United States Open to the Olympics. And, of course, the New York City Marathon. Since receiving critical acclaim for her first book, “A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York,” Liz has branched out of the sports department to cover breaking news for The New York Times on the web. She runs in Central Park as much as her tortured knees can endure, and plays virtually every sport, from tennis to golf to ping pong.”

Thank you Liz !!  We can’t wait to read your next book!

Liz has so generously offered to send a signed copy of her wonderful book to the lucky winner of the Facebook giveaway on the “a bold pace” fan page!  Become a fan, make a comment, bring a friend to enter!  (contest ends March 1st)

Six degrees of separation is at play in the running world… Jamie and I run and blog (and read). (1) Maven Jamie (a Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point kind of Maven–always an ear to the ground) lends me a book called Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running and we both are intrigued by the author’s sharp, sardonic wit and approach to running and racing.  We also have teenagers so we move on to her Admissions Confidential.  We love her refreshing look at the daunting process of college admissions and she talks about running. (2) Jamie thinks that Rachel is a hoot on Facebook and in her Running Times’ articles so I friend her because she cracks me up. (3) I think she will appreciate my humor so I send her a Remanents tee and she sends me an idea for one (I love it). (4) I see on Facebook that she is going to the expo for the NY Marathon.  I mention to my LDF Jane (who herself is an avid reader–and running the NY Marathon with her medical school buddy Denise) that if she happens to see the Moeben booth, she can get free arm sleeves if she buys Rachel’s book. (5) Jane meets Rachel and they share a fun “expo moment”–worlds collide! Here they are together, an admired author and a treasured friend. (6) Rachel was kind enough to be the first to answer our A Bold Pace running adaption of the Proust Questionnaire and we are thrilled.

Rachel Toor and LDF Dr. Jane Ierardi

10 Running Questions for Rachel:

1. Running skirt: friend or foe? BFF

2. If you could run with any 3 people (they don’t have to be runners or alive) who would it be? Too overwhelming to answer; too many good people alive and dead to choose from.

3. What traits do you most value in your running friends? Most of all, good conversation not about running; people who can teach stuff and push me to run harder; those who are willing to listen to me whine about being cold.

4. The one running item (gear/sustenance/song) you cannot live without? Running bra. Seriously big ta-tas.

5. Describe your present state of (running) mind? After years of leading marathon pace groups, I’ve rediscovered how much fun it is to do a marathon and not give a hoot about your time. If I want to stop and get Ben and Jerry’s at mile 18, I can. If I want to negative split, I can. If I find someone really interesting to talk with, I’ll run at her pace. I’m in it for the fun and companionship these days.

6. What running superstition do you always heed? A good pre-race poop always helps.

7. Do you mantra? You’re latest? Nope. Maybe if I were a poet, but I’m a nonfiction writer.

8. How many students have you converted to maniacal distance runners? to maniacal writers? My students tend to be smarter and more measured than I. So while some will do marathons, or write prodigiously, they generally live pretty balanced lives. Unlike, um, other maniacal people.

9. What is the chapter of your book you are most likely to read at a book event and why? Depends on if I want to make the audience laugh or cry. For crying times, the one about pacing at Western States or my first unofficial pacing gig at the 2001 NYC marathon. For laughs, I tend to do “Speed Goggles.” I like to read “The Watch” chapter because it’s short and people often comment on the size of my watch.

10. Who are your favorite contemporary writers? Whoever’s written whatever good book I’ve most recently read. I just taught (for the third time) Thomas Lynch’s collection of essays, The Undertaking. (He’s a poet/undertaker in Michigan.) It is one of the most beautiful, profound, and funny books I have ever read, and my students respond to it as if I have given them a gift. Which, in fact, I have.

*Extra credit* Do you still only run with mostly men (because we would all like you to come run with us sometime)?! I run with whomever will have me.. Even after three years in Spokane I have yet to find a regular group, so I mostly run by myself these days. But in recent marathons I’ve hooked up with friends or strangers, and have enjoyed those races as if they were Sunday morning long runs. I like to be invited along by both men and women. Ask me. I’ll be delighted to run with you.

Thanks Rachel, you’re the best.   We are honored to have you as a new LDF!

Rachel Toor’s ambition, on graduating from Yale University, was to work on a dude ranch in Wyoming (never having been to a dude ranch — or to Wyoming). Moving to Missoula, Montana, for an MFA in creative writing is the closest she’s come. After a dozen years as an editor of scholarly books, at Oxford and Duke University Presses, she slid down the ladder of social mobility and did a stint in college admissions, quitting to write Admissions Confidential: An Insider’s Account of the Elite College Selection Process (St. Martin’s, 2001) in an attempt to demystify an arcane and brutalizing rite of passage. Her most recent book is The Pig and I: How I Learned to Love Men (Almost) As Much as I Love My Pets (Penguin, 2005) and the University of Nebraska Press will publish her next book, Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running. Rachel has a monthly column in The Chronicle of Higher Education and writes the “Finishing Kick” essay every other month in Running Times magazine, where she is a Senior Writer. Her work has appeared in The LA Times, Glamour, Reader’s Digest, Marathon&Beyond and a variety of other more academically-oriented publications. She is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the Inland Northwest Center for Writers in Spokane, the graduate writing program of Eastern Washington University.