Run, Karla, Run!

Photo by Phil Hospod

With 34 days down, my Runner’s World Holiday Running Streak officially rocked around the Christmas tree. Forget laughing all the way, I’m running all the way, logging at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. I’ve made it through two of the big three holidays I celebrate: Thanksgiving and Christmas (with a little Hanukkah thrown in for my Jewish family and friends). There’s just one more holiday and five days to go. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo courtesy of runDisney

Yesterday runDisney unveiled a new race weekend for 2012. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend will debut in September 2012 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida. The race is a re-imagination of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K last run in 2009.

The main event of the weekend is a nighttime 10-mile race, scheduled for Sept. 29. The course will run through the set of Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, past Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat and finish near The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In true Disney fashion, the race will culminate in a villain-themed post-race party with live music, characters—including your favorite Disney villains, of course—and exclusive access to attractions like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Star Tours and Toy Story Mania. Read the rest of this entry →

Karla runs on a trail in the snow. Photo by Phil Hospod.

When I accepted the challenge of the Runner’s World holiday running streak—running at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day—I sincerely thought I’d have a slim chance of making it very far. But after three weeks, my streak is still alive. Not only that, it’s alive and well, and has started to change how I think about running. Read the rest of this entry →

With less than two weeks until Christmas and seven days until the start of Hanukkah, it’s time to get cracking on gifts if you haven’t already. Wondering what to get for the runner in your life? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Simple Hydration Water Bottle

For the runner who likes to have a lot of tools in their tool belt, why not get them something innovative and new? Simple Hydration doesn’t just represent a new generation of water bottles. It reinvents the water bottle. Just hook it into your waistband and go. It really couldn’t be any simpler. The wide mouth is a godsend for cleaning or popping in ice cubes. And its slim, flat profile sits more comfortably in hand than any other water bottle I’ve run with. Simple Hydration represents real progress in design. For runners who hate hydration belts and hand-helds, or simply want another option, Simple Hydration is the perfect solution. $19.99. Read the rest of this entry →

Karla and Cinderella run in the snow. Photo by Phil Hospod.

It was a cold and snowy Thanksgiving morning in rural Quebec, where I spent my holiday. The night before, a snowstorm blanketed the farmland around me, and a haze of flurries continued to drift down. It was white as far as the eye could see from the hilltop where I was perched. But I had to do it. I had to go for a run.

I’d pledged to run at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day as part of the Runner’s World Holiday Running Streak. A little Canadian snow wasn’t going to stop me. Now two weeks in, my streak is still going strong.

I can’t believe I’ve made it this far. This streak represents the most days I’ve ever run consecutively, my previous record being a measly—and more normal—six days in a row. It’s been a smooth ride for the most part, but there have been a few close calls. Like the night I ran home from dinner—at 10 p.m. and in street clothes with steak and creamed spinach jiggling in my stomach—because I had completely forgotten to run earlier in the day. Whoops! But I was determined to keep the streak alive, so I did what must be done. Read the rest of this entry →