The Anti-Running Runner

My First Big Sports Injury Have you ever been injured? Me, too. Back in 6th Grade during gymnastics, one of my attempts at a full twist left me with a broken thumb after a bad landing. And it hurt. (I'm in the third row far right) With a cast and a promise of healing within six weeks (and learning to write left-handed in school), I discovered that I was ready to move on to other sports. Gymnastics was fun, but I wanted to do track and volleyball (which meant quitting gym), so the time of reflection helped firm up my decision. It's one I've never regretted. Centralia High School Track Freshman Year 4X100 Relay (Me, Molly Parker, Sarah Hahn, April Schilt) St. Pete High School Varsity Volleyball Senior Year (me front and center) I've had no major injuries since then. Little things here and there, but I've always bounced back pretty quickly. That time I ran into sliding glass door and most likely broke my nose stands out because it was really...

The Running Girls A New Novelette Now Available Two girls with nothing in common except the 500-Mile Summer of '89 Challenge BUY NOW Autography Signed eBook Edition Amazon Kindle Edition Clara is an average student and below-average athlete. With some inspiration from her cross country coach, Clara decides to take on a summer running challenge: complete 500 miles in three months. The problem? Her parents don't want her jogging all those miles alone, but Clara doesn't want to run with the girl they suggest. Joan is weird, and something seems to be mentally wrong with her. Except none of Clara's other friends run. Will she complete the challenge, or does being stuck with Joan mean she's destined to fail? Book Signing Hosted by St. Pete Running Company RSVP ON FACEBOOK When: Friday, 9/23/16 from 6-8 PM Where: St. Pete Running Company 6986 22nd Ave N, St. Pete, FL 33710 I'll be signing and personalizing copies of  Th...

The Running Girls Novelette Launch Date 9/17/16 What's the story about? Here's the tagline: Two girls with nothing in common except the 500-Mile Summer of '89 Challenge. Clara is an average student and below-average athlete. With some inspiration from her cross country coach, Clara decides to take on a summer running challenge: complete 500 miles in three months. The problem? Her parents don't want her jogging all those miles alone, but Clara doesn't want to run with the girl they suggest. Joan is weird, and something seems to be mentally wrong with her. Except none of Clara's other friends run. Will she complete the challenge, or does being stuck with Joan mean she's destined to fail? Where did this story originate? A couple of weeks ago, my running partner, Terry, and I had just conquered a six-mile run through Clearwater that included the Sand Key bridge. Needless to say, we felt strong and fabulous. On the drive home, my phon...

SPRR Beach Series 5K An Award For Me? "What?!" That was my reaction when I heard my name announced for the 2nd Place Female Age 30-34. At the first 5K race in the St. Pete Road Runners Beach Series  on June 24th, I accepted the award: a most welcome St. Pete Running Company Gift Card. (Yes, I work there, and YES I cashed that thing in!) I was totally shocked, not only because my time was not quite what I'd hoped for, but because the race had been so challenging (read: running ON the beach). The LAST thing I expected was that elusive Age Group award! My dear friend, Sydney, took a video of me finishing the race. It's no joke. I really expected to turn at least 50 before the running crowds filtered enough for me to earn any Age Group awards. The closest I've ever gotten is 4th place in my age group at a smaller race where no awards beyond top three overall finishers were given. More and more people are running than ever. Especially women. And...