Run, Karla, Run!

Runners storm Times Square at the NYC Half. (Credit: Courtesy of NYRR)

Reminder: The 2014 TCS New York City Marathon application closes today, Tuesday, March 18, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. If you want to apply for the random draw, visit tcsnycmarathon.org before then. The drawing will take place Wednesday, March 26.

The 2014 NYC Half on Sunday, March 16 was the race’s biggest year yet with 20,750 finishers, its first professional wheelchair race and a newly enhanced course. I was on the scene with NYRR’s On The Run at the NYC Half.

2014 NYC Half Champions Sally Kipyego and Geoffrey Mutai. (Photo: PhotoRun/NYRR)

Two-time defending New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya took home the title in the men’s race. Half-marathon debutante Sally Kipyego, also of Kenya, set an event record on her way to win the women’s race.

The race was not without drama, starting with a chilly 31-degree temp and 18 mph winds. Then Great Britain’s Mo Farah, a favorite to battle Mutai for the win, fell before the 10K mark. He rallied to finish in second place, but as the top three men gathered to take a photo right after the finish, Farah passed out.

In my finisher’s blanket warming up.

I was standing by to interview the top three men, and watched the whole thing unfold. Medics rushed to his side, trying to revive and warm him. I was wearing a long, down coat between stints on camera. So I handed my coat to the folks tending to Farah. A few others did the same. When Farah finally came to, the medic put my coat on him as they took him to the medical tent. So the crew gave me a finisher’s heat sheet to keep me warm for the next few hours until my coat made its way back to me.

But rather than tell you all about the race, I’ll let you watch.

Here is the professional race recap, a follow-up on all the runners we profiled earlier in the week, a profile of winner Sally Kipyego, and the inspiring story of Jessica Mar, who went from 268 lbs. to 128 lbs and a 1:50 half-marathon in just two years. Watch and enjoy!

On The Run at 2014 NYC Half Professional Race Recap

On The Run at 2014 NYC Half Runner Stories

Women’s Winner Sally Kipyego

Jessica Mar’s 13.1 Miles To Health

Double Olympic and World Champion Mo Farah. (Photo: NYRR On The Run)

Today we’ve got four more running videos from On The Run at NYC Half 2014: A former Marine who continues to serve his country and three of the top pros to watch on Sunday. Each one is about two to three minutes long, so watch and enjoy! And be sure to check out our recap of the race on Sunday evening.

Brian Gallagher

Former Marine Brian Gallagher has raised over $60,000 for wounded veteran organizations. Now he’s running the NYC Half for Hope For The Warriors.

Mo Farah

Mo Farah is at the top of the sport. The double Olympic and World Champion is back to regain his 2011 title at the NYC Half on his way to his first marathon in London in April.

Molly Huddle

American record holder Molly Huddle is making her half-marathon debut at the NYC Half.

Amanda McGrory

Paralympian Amanda McGrory leads the field for the first profession wheelchair race at the NYC Half.

You can find every episode of On The Run online at ontherun.nyrr.org and and youtube.com/nyrrvideo. Watch the NYC Half 2014 marathon on Sunday, March 16 live in the New York City metropolitan area on ABC-TV from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EDT. You can also watch the race at 7online.com from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. EDT, or WatchABC on mobile devices from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EDT. WatchESPN subscribers can also watch the race from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

For more On The Run at NYC Half 2014 videos check out:

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity & Black Roses

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

At the NYC Half Expo

NYC Half!

So many more running videos to share from my week working On The Run at NYC Half. Each one is about two to three minutes long, so watch and enjoy!

Battling Through More Than a Run

Teacher Mike Anderson and guidance counselor Dana Ash joined forces when one of their students was diagnosed with brain cancer.

She’ll Be Running With Me

Regina Romain is running her first half-marathon in memory of her swim coach, Lauren Beam, who lost her battle with colon cancer at the age of 34.

Work Hard and Play Hard with Black Roses NYC

Black Roses is one of New York City’s “running crews.” We joined them for a track workout in the East Village under the cloak of darkness.

Inside the 2014 NYC Half Expo

Enter to win your dream run, pick up race bibs, running gear and more.

For more videos from the NYC Half, check out:

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

Mike Cassidy cross the 2013 New York City Marathon Finish with Meb Keflezighi. (Photo: NYRR On The Run)

Mike Cassidy

Mike Cassidy is one of New York City’s top local elite runners. I’ve had the chance to interview the Staten Island native three times now: after he won the 2013 Staten Island Half, after he finished the 2013 New York City Marathon hand-in-hand with Meb Keflezighi, and now in preparation for the NYC Half.  He qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a 2:18 marathon, and yet he’s just a regular guy going to graduate school while training hard.

Among the many things that impress me about Mike is that he has an amazing outlook on running and on life. If you haven’t read his LetsRun.com essay, “The Time of My Life,” you should. Now he puts it into words, and what the marathon moment meant to him, for On The Run.

Goodwill

Goodwill Industries is best known for its retail stores, as name checked by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in the mega-hit “Thrift Shop.” But the non-profit uses the proceeds from those stores to spread a whole lot of good will, including at the NYC Half.

Goodwill will collect discarded clothing at the start of the race, which will then be sold at Goodwill stores throughout the New York metro areas. Every 91 cents the organization collects goes to fund their job creation programs, including finding workers to stuff the 23,000 NYC Half finisher recovery bags and staff fluid stations along the course. It was really incredible to visit the Goodwill warehouse and see just how much they do. This is just a tiny glimpse.

Here are more videos from On The Run at the NYC Half!

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity & Black Roses

Here are the On The Run at NYC Half episodes so far!

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity Runners & Black Roses NYC

We’re back! I’ve been filming with NYRR On The Run since Monday for the 2014 NYC Half marathon which takes place Sunday, March 16. We’ve got a week full of stories about professional athletes, charity runners and lots more. Instead of 30-minute episodes, we’re releasing each story as a stand-alone video. So the best way to catch them all is to subscribe to NYRR’s YouTube Channel. I’ll post them all here on RunKarlaRun.com, as well.

With Knox Robinson of Black Roses NYC (Photo: nyrr_ontherun Instagram)

It’s been an awesome week so far. I’ve been to Goodwill Industries’ New York headquarters in Queens where they’re assembling goodie bags for runners after the finish; Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan with local elite runner Mike Cassidy who finished the 2013 New York City Marathon hand in hand with Meb Keflezighi; on the High Line park on Manhattan’s West Side with Fred’s Team runner Regina Romain; out to a middle school in New Jersey where teacher Mike Anderson and guidance counselor Dana Ash are running in honor of one of their students; and to the East Village in Manhattan where the Black Roses running crew trains under the cloak of night.

I’ll also be heading to the expo, catching up with a few other runners and covering the course on race day to capture all the action. My co-host Carrie Tollefson will also be chatting with pros like Mo Farah, Molly Huddle, and Sally Kipyego. And we’ll bring you a recap of the entire event after the race. Read the rest of this entry →

The Paris Marathon (Photo: Valentin/Wikimedia Commons)

I’ve bemoaned the lack of running coverage on TV many times. There’s obviously an audience for it if even a fraction of the 16 million Americans who finished a road race in 2013 enjoy watching running. I’m one of them. I watch running on TV and the Web. Heck, I even host a show about running for New York Road Runners.

Thankfully, in addition to “NYRR On The Run,” there’s Universal Sports. The Olympic and endurance sports network is running a “Marathon-A-Thon” in April. What does this mean? Lots of marathons are going to be on TV.

The 2013 London Marathon (Photo: Chmee2/Wikimedia Commons)

It’s the second year they’re programming a month of marathons. Maybe if we all watch them, they’ll keep doing it. No more relying on unreliable Web streams that inevitable crash because so many of us are trying to load them at the same time. Wouldn’t that be nice?

It all starts Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. Eastern with the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon. Yay! Viewers will finally get to see the much-glorified “Stadium to Sea” course that takes 25,000 runners from Dodger Stadium to the beach in Santa Monica. The ASICS LA Marathon is on my personal bucket list, so I’m excited to see it’s finally getting some national coverage.

But the real Marathon-A-Thon begins in the wee hours of Sunday, April 6 with the Paris Marathon. It continues with the London and Rotterdam Marathons on April 13 and finishes with live coverage of the 2014 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. Four marathons on TV in the space of 16 days? That’s the equivalent of a marathon every four days! I’m breathless just thinking about.

Plus, Universal Sports will air encore presentations of those and other marathons from around the world every Monday in April from 8 PM to 2 AM Eastern. Read the rest of this entry →

The view from my room at the Karl Schranz Hotel. (Photo: Cara Morgan)

Sparkling snow, pine tree tunnels and glimpses of blue sky awaited me on the Verwall Trail in Sankt Anton am Arlberg, Austria. St. Anton is known around the world for its lively apres ski scene. But I was delighted to discover that the town is home to a large network of walking and cross-country skiing trails that snake through its corner of the Austrian Alps in the state of Tyrol.

I was staying at the Karl Schranz Hotel, a lovely inn owned by the famous Austrian Apline skier. If I’d never heard of Schranz before I reached Austria, townsfolk made certain I left knowing of his World Championship titles. But I’m no Alpine skier. So I was excited to see what else the Austrian Alps had to offer.

But I cursed silently to myself when I discovered that I’d forgotten to pack my Yaktrax, traction devices that slip onto shoes for running on snow and ice. But that wasn’t going to stop me from getting in at least one trail run in this winter wonderland. Luckily, there was a trail close to my hotel.

About a quarter of a mile up a steep road was the beginning of the Verwall Trail that winds through Verwall Valley. I knew I’d found the trailhead when I found this sign: Loipen und Winterwanderwege, which translates ski trails and winter trails.

The trailhead sign. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The loipen or cross-country ski trails, with their own magnificent entrance, ran beside the walking and running trails. Read the rest of this entry →

Chef Mickey and Minnie greeted runners at the finish of Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon on Nov. 9, 2013. (Photo: runDisney)

Registration for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend from November 8-9 at Walt Disney World in Florida opens Tuesday, March 4 at 12 p.m. EST.

It’s no secret that the Wine and Dine Half Marathon is my favorite half marathon. I ran the 2013 race as part of a press trip sponsored by New Balance and runDisney. In 2011, the event was my first runDisney race and where my husband proposed. So it will always be a sentimental favorite.

But that’s not the only reason I love this race. Marriage proposals aside, it has the best post-race party I’ve ever been to, at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

The Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon starts at 10 p.m. outside the ESPN Wine World of Sports Complex and takes runners through Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, past Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, and finally to the finish at Epcot.

Once there, runners can party until 4 a.m. with Epcot all to themselves. Admission to the Finish Line party is included in race registration, along with a $10 Disney gift card and a complimentary beer, wine or soda at the finish.

My husband and me with the real Aladdin and Jasmine. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Friends and family can also buy tickets to the Finish Line Party, where select Epcot attractions like Test Track and Soarin’ remain open into the wee hours. The party also includes all the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival kiosks, live bands, DJs, and meet and greets with Disney characters. My husband and I got a photo with Aladdin and Jasmine while we were dressed as Aladdin and Jasmine at the 2013 race. In 2011, we photographed ourselves around the world. Read the rest of this entry →

Jerusalem Half Marathoners run through the old city. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90-Israel Tourism/Flickr)

I’ll come straight out with it: the wheels have fallen off my Jerusalem Half Marathon training.

In just three weeks I’ll be at the starting line of the race as part of a press trip sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with El Al Airlines.

I’ve already told you why the race is especially meaningful to me and laid out my Jerusalem Half Marathon training plan.

But I had yet to decide if I would use the race as a sub-2 hour half-marathon personal record attempt or a training run for a PR attempt later in the spring.

This is how I felt after the Newport Liberty Half Marathon. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Well, I’ve decided.

While the runs I’ve been doing indicate that I am in or near PR shape, I haven’t put in the mileage I’d like to. Rather than have another crash and burn attempt, like my run at the DirectEdge Newport Liberty Half Marathon in the fall, I’d rather keep training, get my mileage up and use the race as a hilly, long run. Then I’ll target another race in April or early May as my big PR attempt.

This is all mainly coming out of my recent trip to Switzerland and Austria. (Posts to come!)

1)   It took me longer to get over jet lag than I would have liked. It was a 6-hour time difference and took me four full days to adjust to the point where I didn’t want to take a nap every moment of every day. Jerusalem is a 7-hour time difference and I’ll have been there for three days before I toe the line. I don’t want to get my heart set on a PR when my body will likely be dazed and confused. Unfortunately, I’m just one of those people who needs lots of sleep.

This trail through the Apls proved slippery for running without traction. (Photo: RunKarlaRun)

2)   I meant to run every day on my trip. I really did. But I forgot to pack my Yaktrax. Crucial mistake. In the Austrian ski town of Sankt Anton am Arlberg, where I spent most of the trip, the roads weren’t even remotely safe for running—no shoulder, no sidewalk, steep inclines covered in ice, blind turns, and ski buses speeding by.

Trails abounded, but they were covered in packed snow and ice. I went for one run on a gorgeous trail intended precisely for walking and running, but it was so icy it took me 80 minutes to cover 4.5 miles. After nearly wiping out three times, I realized baby steps were the only way I’d get through the run.

But I cross-trained galore throwing in curling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and swimming at my hotel pool.

3)   I came home from the trip with a mystery pain under the ball of my left foot. I don’t notice it at all while walking. But it was bad enough that I curtailed my first run at home after just a mile and hopped on the bike instead. I did three more runs of increasing mileage, but still felt the pain lurking, especially on the road more so than the treadmill. I’m guessing I bruised a bone or something. I’ve been babying it in case it’s something more serious. Read the rest of this entry →

Runners dressed as Captain America. (Photo: runDisey)

UPDATE: The Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend sold out in under 2 hours. If you still want to run the 5K or half-marathon, you can through charity and tour groups. Read about it at Run Disney’s Avengers Half Marathon For Charity.

Fanboys and fangirls, get your super hero costumes ready! runDisney announced today the Inaugural Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland slated for November 14-16.

In case you live under a rock, the Avengers are a Marvel Comics super hero team that includes Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Iron Man, among others. The Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend themed around the Marvel universe will include a Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Races, Health & Fitness Expo, Pasta Party, and, of course, super hero themed entertainment and characters.

“runDisney races are a natural fit because our comic book Super Heroes embody many of the same brand attributes as runDisney, such as heroism and intensity with a heavy dose of fun,” said Dan Buckley, president of TV, Publishing and Brand Management for Marvel Entertainment. “This race weekend will have a very distinct atmosphere that will appeal to comic book fans and runDisney fans.”

It’s the fall Disneyland half-marathon runDisney fans have been waiting for. Read the rest of this entry →

The 2007 Marine Corps Marathon (Photo: U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Monica McCoy)

If you want to run the 2014 Marine Corps marathon in Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C., on October 26, now’s your chance throw your running shoe in the ring. Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon lottery opened Sunday, February 23 at 12 p.m. EST. The lottery will be open through Saturday, March 15 at noon EDT.

Runners ages 14 and older can register to enter the random draw any time in that 21-day period. Unlike years past, it is not first come, first served. Registrants will be notified via e-mail of the lottery’s results on March 19.

Registration is $110. There is no fee to enter the lottery. Runners will only be charged if they get a spot in the race. Read the rest of this entry →

Beauty and the Beast

If Disney characters were runners, what kind of runners would they be?

The Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend of races kicked off today with the Cinderella Royal Family 5K, and continues Saturday with the inaugural Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday. Not to be forgotten is the first ever Glass Slipper Challenge, where runners complete both the 10K and half-marathon. Talk about medal envy; I’ve got it bad. You know I love me some Cinderella.

So in honor of the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I thought I’d share another installment of my runDisney Running Profiles.

Previous installments have looked at Sleeping Beauty as the runner who needs some rest and recovery, Alice in Wonderland as the newbie runner who has fallen down the running rabbit hole, and Cinderella as the hard working back-of-the-pack runner.

But who better to spur runners on this Princess Half Marathon weekend than Disney’s best cheerleader, Belle?

Belle

Beauty & the Beast: The Coach and the Runner

Great coaches—in running and in life—are the people who bring out the best in us. They cheer us from the sidelines, encourage us when we’re down, expect more of us when we give them less, and help us show the world, and ourselves, just how great we really can be. Never is that more apparent than when watching the Olympics.

In the Disney universe, the greatest coach of them all is Belle from Beauty & the Beast. And the Beast is a quintessential runner.

If I had to pick one Disney character to coach me, Belle would be my top pick. Read the rest of this entry →

The 2014 runDisney New Balance collection.

I attended the 2013 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend as part of a press trip sponsored by New Balance and runDisney, where they gave runners a first glimpse of the new New Balance Disney shoes. I’ve subsequently gotten a lot of questions about how to buy them. Here’s the scoop on how to get your hands on them at the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend.

First, the New Balance Disney shoes are only available at runDisney race expos. Unfortunately, they are not sold online. Though I’m sure some enterprising individuals will hawk them for obscene amounts of money on eBay, as happened last year, or offer their services as virtual personal shoppers.

But New Balance is now offering runners with bibs at the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend a way to register early to buy the shoes before all those non-runners, who are merely trying to capitalize on the craze.

2014 890v4 Cinderella Women’s Shoe (Photo: runDisney)

How To Buy New Balance Disney Shoes For Runners With Bibs

Starting at 6 a.m. each day of Disney’s Fit For a Princess Expo from Thursday, February 20 through Saturday, February 22 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, runners can visit www.nbvirtualqueue.com to enter their bib number and sign up early for a reservation at the New Balance expo booth. There, they can try on and purchase the New Balance Disney shoes.

Runners can reserve one style in a specific size ahead of time, and can buy three additional pairs in any style and size from the non-reserved inventory. Once registered, New Balance will send you a confirmation text with your group number, confirmation number, return time and requested style and size.

The men’s shoes come in sizes 7-14. The women’s shoes are available in sizes 5.5-12. Read the rest of this entry →

After a swim at the Holy Cross Monastery in 2007 (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

In just four weeks I’ll be on my way to the Jerusalem Half Marathon.

I thought this would be the perfect time to share an essay I wrote back in August 2007 called “I’ve Got Peace Like a River.” I was one month into training for my first marathon—the New York City Marathon—and at the end of a religion reporting fellowship. I’d spent the previous eight months immersing myself in the world of belief, traveling to India and across the U.S. to uncover stories of faith.

Near the end of the fellowship, my colleagues and I went on retreat at an Anglican monastery that observes complete silence for 12 hours every day, from 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. It was a unique experience to play Scrabble in silence and eat breakfast at communal tables in quietude.

But it gave me a chance for reflection; I think that was the point. In the stillness, I found that running, rowing, and swimming—the exercise of my life—have been the conduits of my own spirituality.

I’ve Got Peace Like a River

A tree on the Hudson River. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Floating. The sun stares down, turning the inside of my eyelids red. The water feels warm, but a cold current tickles my fingers, rolling over them in tiny waves. My arms above my head, my toes pointed, I stretch as long as I can, tensing all my muscles, then relaxing. Little splashes of water wash over my face as the wake of a boat crosses the river toward me.

I float downstream. I am all alone. Just me and my river.

The Hudson runs past my home in Manhattan. But here, at the Holy Cross Monastery in upstate New York, it’s a retreat. A retreat from my work-a-day world into the inner sanctum of my own being. Read the rest of this entry →

The Queen of Hearts and I “heart” you. (Photo: MarathonFoto.com)

Happy Valentine’s Day! The Queen of Hearts wants you to know you’re loved. She really does, even if her face doesn’t show it.

Hope you’ve got a run planned with someone you love—whether it’s a friend, family member, partner, furry friend or someone else close to your heart. You’re all close to mine.

Love,
Karla

P.S. If you want to read more love stories, here’s the story of how my husband and I fell in love through running: When Running And Love Collide

And how we stay in love: Sweat Together: A Valentine’s Day Ode To Running Love

And here’s all about how much I love my dog: Happy Birthday, Cinderella! My Favorite Running Gal

And all about falling in love with running…again: Falling In Love With Running…All Over Again

So much to love!