Run, Karla, Run!

Red Carpet Run in California (Racewire)

Oscar night is almost here! Inspired by the silver screen? Take on one of the many themed movie runs around the U.S., from California to Kansas and beyond.

Want to run your first 10K, half-marathon or more? I rounded up the best races for beginners, from coast to coast.

If you’re a seasoned road warrior at the other end of the spectrum—looking for a bigger challenge—I found 25 all-you-can run festivals where two, three, four and more races in a row are on the menu.

Check out my roundups at Shape.com!

Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz (Olathe Chamber of Commerce)

10 Movie Runs For Fun

I picked 10 movie runs around the U.S. that pay homage to Hollywood, including events inspired by Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Shawshank Redemption, A Christmas Story, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Forrest Gump, and more.

Is your favorite film among them? Find out at Shape.com.

BolderBoulder 10K (BolderBoulder)

The Best 10 Races for Newbie Runners

Looking to tackle your first 5K, half-marathon, or even 26.2? Check out the best courses in America for first-timers. I picked them—including races in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Read the rest of this entry →

Finishing my first 10K. (Photo: brightroom)

Seven years ago to the day, I toed the line in my very first race. My raceiversary reminds me how far I’ve come: from a totally clueless newbie in cotton socks to an intermediate runner with seven marathons under my race belt. Running beginners, take heart.

On April 29, 2007, I remember being incredibly nervous as I readied for my first race ever, with 5,720 other runners lining up in New York City’s Central Park. I’d being running casually for two years already, so I’d run those hills countless times. But I still didn’t know what to expect from a “race.” It was New York Road Runners’ Run as One TGL Classic. I pushed myself as hard as I could and finished the 4-miler in 46:19 at an 11:34 pace.

Seven years later, I’m amazed by how far I’ve come. My 4-mile personal best is 34:38 at an 8:40 pace. I clawed my way from the back of the pack to the middle to the front of the middle. My half-marathon personal best is 19:18 faster than the national median time of 2:19:48 for women.

And I’m still getting faster.

I hear from running beginners a lot. Having started running from scratch after battling a bone tumor in my leg for a decade, I know what it’s like to hit the pavement and be instantly out of breath. But I also know that by sticking with it, I just kept getting better and running just kept getting easier.

So I thought I’d share some cold, hard stats about just how far I’ve come as a runner. Here’s a comparison between my race times from 2007 and now. The moral of the story: If I can do it, anyone can.

My first 1 miler at the Norway Run. (Photo: brightroom)

Inspiration For Running Beginners

My first race, April 29, 2007

4 miles then: 46:19 at 11:34 pace
4 miles now: 34:38 at 8:40 pace

At a 2013 track workout

My first 3-miler/5K, May 22, 2007

3 miles then: 32:17 at 10:45 pace
3 miles now: 23:22 at 7:47 pace

At the 2013 Wild Dog Triathlon

My first 10K, June 9, 2007

6.2 miles then: 1:11:20 at 11:30 pace
6.2 miles now: 54:09 at 8:44 pace

At a 2013 track workout

My first 1-miler, October 6, 2007

1.7 miles then: 16:14 at 9:32 pace
1 mile now: 6:46 at 6:46 pace

At the 2011 Fifth Avenue Mile (I haven’t raced a mile since then!)

Crossing the finish line of my first marathon. (Photo: brightroom)

My first marathon, November 4, 2007

26.2 miles then: 5:54:25 at 13:31 pace
26.2 miles now: 4:28:06 at 10:14 pace

At the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon

U.S. median women: 4:41:38 at 10:45 pace
U.S. median men: 4:16:24 at 9:47 pace
Stats from Running USA
Read the rest of this entry →