Run, Karla, Run!

There are lots of runDisney races out there—the Walt Disney World Marathon, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon and many more—and thousands of people who run them. If all those Disney runners are anything like me, I’m guessing they’ve got a few Disney tunes on their iPods to help get them in the mood. What are your favorite Disney songs to run to?

In the spirit of sharing, here are mine. These are the Disney songs that have gotten me into the runDisney spirit, and made me feel like a kid again as I’ve trained for the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Read the rest of this entry →

For all of us who run in New York City, the public green spaces like Central Park, Prospect Park, and the Greenway that rings Manhattan are lifesavers. But on the East Side, from 38th Street to 60th Street, the Greenway still hasn’t become a reality. As an East Sider, I have long lamented this gap and envied the West Side for their continuous esplanades and rec lanes as I’ve literally run rings around the city.

On Tuesday, September 20, we the people have a chance to make our voices heard and help finish the Greenway. New York Road Runners’ President and CEO Mary Wittenberg has written an open letter to New York’s runners to help get the job done. Let’s make our voices heard and finish the Greenway! As runners who log countless miles around the island, we’ll all benefit from this–not just the residents of the East Side.

Dear East Side Runners, You have the opportunity to affect change on the East Side of Manhattan. This Tuesday, September 20, is the final public forum for the East Side Open Space project, which could help runners, especially East Side residents, so I have to tell you about it. Read the rest of this entry →

Schweddy Balls, Ben & Jerry's newest flavor.

It’s official. Someone at National Public Radio is obsessed with Schweddy Balls. And I suspect that person might be a runner.

Back in April 2010, I reported on the ACLI Capital Challenge, an annual road race in Washington, D.C., between members of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, as well as the D.C. media. The event has been lampooning partisan politics since 1981 for a good cause, raising money for Special Olympics District of Columbia. Runners compete in teams, captained by luminaries from their respective branches of government or news agency.

Among the best parts of the competition are the awards for Best Team Name and Worst Team Name. Enter NPR. In 2010, one of their 11 teams won the coveted James B. Kenin Worst Team Name award for Team Schweddy Balls, named for the classic Saturday Night Live skit starring Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon that lampoons, appropriately, NPR. I thought it was pretty funny at the time; they showed their sense of humor by picking a name that both pokes fun at themselves and tangentially relates to running. After all, running does make you sweaty, or Schweddy, as the case may be. Read the rest of this entry →

Wednesday is the third annual National Running Day. Join America’s 43 million runners, lace up your kicks, hit the road, trail or track, and celebrate life as a runner.

Looking for something to do? Check out runningday.org, where you can find or set up a group run, support a charity through running, get tips for beginners and other ways to celebrate. You can also make an “I RUN…” badge with your favorite reason for running, shared on Facebook and Twitter.

According to Running USA, most people run to stay in shape, stay healthy, relieve stress and have fun. Me? I run because I can. For nearly a decade of my life, I lived with a bone tumor that inhibited the movement of my knee. Running was far too painful and something I never dreamed of doing. Now that I can, I run. And I love it. Read the rest of this entry →

Wanjiru breaking the half-marathon world record at The Hague in 2007. Photo by FaceMePLS.

Like everyone else, I was shocked to hear that Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya, the reigning Olympic marathon and World Marathon Majors champion, died Sunday in a fall from a second-floor balcony in his home in Nyahururu, Kenya.

To call it sad is an understatement. He was the bright, shining young star of the sport. That his personal life often fell short of the dazzling man he was on the pavement, and of the hero-worship he inspired, is also sad. Reports of his death have involved more talk of his personal woes than of his running. That his life ended tragically, under questionable and preventable circumstances, and in a manner that only highlighted his humanity is, quite simply, heartbreaking.

But for those of us that did not know him, except as that brazen young kid who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk of a champion, I’d like to remember his legacy as a runner. Read the rest of this entry →

Sammy Wanjiru runs to gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Photo by 正在休渔期.

The reigning Olympic marathon and World Marathon Majors champion, Sammy Wanjiru, died Sunday in a fall from a second-floor balcony in his home in Nyahururu, Kenya in the Rift Valley.

Varying reports have circulated calling his death a suicide and an accident. All accounts center on a dispute between Wanjiru, his wife and another woman.

“The fact of the matter is that Wanjiru committed suicide,” national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said to The Associated Press.

But local police chief Jasper Ombati gave the AP a different interpretation of the events. Read the rest of this entry →

Want to learn more about the diversity of events, races and clubs offered for runners in the New York metropolitan area? Come on down to the JackRabbit NYC Running Show on Saturday, April 23 for a special NYC Running Scene panel presented by NYCRUNS.com and moderated by yours truly.

I’ll be leading a discussion with a collection truly knowledgeable local runners who will talk about the bounty of options New Yorkers have at their feet from Westchester down to Staten Island, including trail running, cross-country races and track events in addition to the many road races NYC offers. They’ll talk about the plethora of choices when it comes to running clubs, and they’ll field all of your burning questions. Read the rest of this entry →

I listen to a lot of music from the ‘80s—a lot—especially when I run.  Since I’m in an ‘80s cover band, The FADES, I’m often learning “new” tunes. Running gives me extra time to drill them into my head.  But more than that, I love the ‘80s as a musical genre (otherwise I wouldn’t be in an ‘80s cover band), and there are many, many, many songs from the ‘80s that are great for running. I even listen to ‘80s tunes that The FADES don’t cover.

So in honor of Running Rocks: NYCRUNS Presents Lady Southpaw and The FADES, an awesome running party this Sunday, March 20 that my band is playing, I thought I’d share my favorite ‘80s running mix. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

Most people who read my blog long enough know that I’m a runner and a rocker. So I’m really happy to announce that my band, The FADES, will be joining runner and rocker extraordinaire Lady Southpaw for a super special show on Sunday, March 20 at 4 pm: Running Rocks! NYCRUNS Presents Lady Southpaw and The Fades!

The FADES are largely comprised of New York Harriers, and those of you on the New York Road Runners race circuit may have seen us perform or sing a national anthem from time to time. We play ’80s covers. Why? Because the ’80s rocked, and if the popularity of the Rock ‘n’ Roll race series proves anything, it’s this: rocking and running just go together. The FADES play the sound track for a million long runs done right and as many nights out. Read the rest of this entry →

Hey New Yorkers! Can’t get enough of the New York running scene? Want a podcast to listen to while you’re running laps around the reservoir? Check out The New York Running Show, a weekly chat about New York running. Run by Joe Garland of Run Westchester fame, the show features a rotating panel of New York runners and bloggers, including yours truly.

Past topics have included a New York City Marathon postmortem, winter running, what a Brooklyn Marathon might look like, the club racing scene, suggestions for NYRR and lots more. Tune in Sundays at 8 p.m. and join the chat room. Or you can listen online anytime or download the show from iTunes.

If you’re a runner in New York City, there’s plenty for you to do this weekend, including a free party, professional runner appearances, free pasta and more:

FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY

What: Gotham to Golden Gate: The San Francisco Marathon™ and Crowdrise™ Partnership Launch Party.

Edward Norton and Robin Quivers, along with runners, athletes, fitness gurus, celebrities, philanthropists, sponsors and marathon fanatics will gather to promote “Worth the Hurt™,” a global campaign to ‘conquer the hurt’ for charitable causes. The San Francisco Marathon is daring New Yorkers to run on their turf and raise money for a good cause.

Join them for drinks, music and other fun. All attendees 21 or over are welcome. Please mention “The SF Marathon” when you arrive. Read the rest of this entry →

With only four days until the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 7, my excitement is ramping up exponentially. So I made a New York City mix—a love note to the city I adore, and love to run. These are my favorite songs about New York. There are lots of standards, some show tunes, rock songs, folk, rap and more. It seems everybody loves to sing about New York.

Happy listening, happy running, and when you’re facing the Queensboro Bridge at mile 15 of the marathon, just remember what Simon and Garfunkel sang in “The 59^th Street Bridge Song” (another name New Yorkers use for the Queensboro): “Life—I love you. All is Groovy!”

If you have a favorite New York City song, list it below! Read the rest of this entry →

Tune into The Marathon Show to listen to a panel of runners, including Karla, discuss the ING New York City Marathon. The show is available for streaming or download on BlogTalkRadio and iTunes.

You know them instantly—those songs that always pump you up on a run, the songs you never skip when they pop up on your iPod, the songs that somehow get you to push just a little harder, even if for only three and a half minutes. I’m talking about power songs.

On Sunday, I subjected myself to almost four hours on an elliptical trainer in lieu of my last 20-mile long run before the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 7. I’m flirting with a knee injury and my doctor told me to play it safe. If not for my iPod and tried and true power songs, I might have gone mad.

So I began to wonder: What are the awesome, amazing power songs other runners turn to when they need an extra boost? Read the rest of this entry →

I’ll be a guest on “The Marathon Show” on Tuesday Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. EST talking about the ING New York City Marathon:

“The NYC Marathon is a monster. We have three NYC 2010 marathoners on the show who have also run it in the past. They’ll talk about the excitement of the start, a personal story about NYC and the spectacular finish, plus the 5K, plus much more. Join Karla Bruning, Magda Cardoso and Kevin Horty as they talk about America’s biggest marathon.”

You can listen live or on demand at BlogTalkRadio or download it free on iTunes. Check it out!