Eva Runs Through It

As I am closing in on a personal running milestone, I thought I’d do so research on what other runners are doing out there.  Here’s what I found: Number of miles in a marathon:  26.2 Number of miles in a 50K:  31.07 Number of miles in an Iron Distance Triathlon:  140.6 Percent of US population that has run a marathon:  0.5% Total number of people who finish a marathon annually:  581, 811 Total number of US marathons held annually:  570 Average number of sneakers needed to train for a marathon: 2 Average number of calories burned by a woman running a marathon:  2,880 Average number of miles per week for marathon training: 40 Percentage of Ultra finishes that are 50k, 50M, 100k, or other:  92% Percentage of Ultra finishes that are 100 miles: 8% Female marathon participants:  38% Percentage of women marathoners in my age bracket:  11% Percentage of women at 100 mile races: 26% Oprah time:  4:29 Nu...

I have this hat.  It was one of the first things I ever received from Brooks.  And, it says “Run Happy”. It’s in rough shape, since I’ve worn it to almost every marathon I’ve ever run.   It won’t be long for this world, but, as I put it on this morning, I thought about just how important “running happy” has been for me.  Today would be no exception. Before I left, Nat asked if I’ve run this race before.  I couldn’t remember. We had to go to the wall. “Mom, you’ve ran it TWICE!”.   “Oh!, Now, I remember.  They had clowns at mile 24.  Who puts CLOWNS at mile 24???” I shouldn’t have shared that tidbit.  She used it against me when I asked her to join me and run the 5k. Then she followed with “ Mom, actually, running is not my thing.  How about we take a yoga class from Megan?” It was similar with Noah: Boy:  “Mom, find me a race”. Me:  I’m all over that.  How about Mississauga?  Net downhi...

My brother is not the most patient man, and really wasnt when we were growing up.  I remember standing on the high board, ready to practice my back dive. I was taking a few seconds to get ready and I can still hear him “What are you waiting for?  It’s just going to get harder if you wait. Just GO!” That lesson has carried with me.  I get so frustrated when I hear people say “I start XYZ on Monday”.  Just start. Once you’ve decided to start, you have started: get going.    I dove off that board, at that time, to get my brother off my back.  But, he taught me a lesson: It’s okay to go before you are ready. And, “ready” can make it harder to go. I had the flu last week.   They yucky, can’t move, feel horrible, no food going in, flu.  I also added bronchitis to the mix. I was not training. Actually, I was not doing much of anything except feeling sick and binge watching ‘The Good Doctor’.    And, I had ...

He knew I could do it before I did.  Back in those days, I was trying to do 40 races by the time I turned 40.  It was his idea that the 40th race would be a marathon. I thought he was nuts. But, I did it.   He was so proud of me!  He even asked for my sneakers when I finished the race.  “You are something special Base. You know how to turn the power up to 10!  I just want some of the magic you’ve created to rub off on me” I handed them over. Fast forward a few months, I remember sitting next to him.   We were bickering about where to go to lunch the next day. He wanted Red Robin.   I wanted Banchetti's. Going out to lunch for teachers is a big deal. It doesn’t happen often. Clear as day, I can remember him walking out the door saying, “It doesn’t matter where we eat.  All that matters is who is sitting across from you at the table”. Those were the last words he ever said to me. His name was Robert Harr...

This weekend, I was afforded the luxury of giving back to my sport and sponsor.  Brooks is the title sponsor for the Rock and Roll DC Marathon, and once again, I was invited to represent my niche in the running world.  It is a unique way to see the sport, and an honor for me as an athlete.             The DC Marathon is the only road marathon I run.  And, this trail runner is always shocked at the commercialism at these events.  At many of my trail races, perhaps the race director has a box in the corner of last year’s   swag.  Maybe they have an online store (Russell-your ears should be ringing).   But, at these expos, the commercialism is paramount.  The R&R DC rents out the Armory and every available foot is filled with vendors.   Walking through the expo, I will admit that “kid in a candy store” feeling.  You name it, they have it.   But, on second pass, you realize...

“Tips up.” “Put the rope between your skis.” “When the rope gets tight, stand up and lean back.” That’s how my dad taught me to water ski.  We had this old aluminum fishing boat with a 9 horsepower engine.   My brother would have to sit up in the front, or the nose would rise too far out of the water.  I skied on a pair of adult skis that my dad had cut down.    Eventually, we moved up to a proper motor boat, and real slalom skis, but what did not change was my dad driving the boat.   He spent hours driving us around that lake...taking us through the whip so that we could work on our leans and sprays...and, alternating my brother and I through the slalom course, so that we could turn on a dime.   Rick and I spent countless hours behind that boat.  We were competitive, and we held our own with the Ski Nautique skiers on the lake.  The rest clamored to go tubing.   My dad took the helm for all of us. ...

You don’t get a name like mine accidentally.   My three letters of mispronunciation were passed on to me.  Growing up, I was “Little Eva” to my Aunt’s “Big Eva”.  She was always quick to tell me that she was actually “Just Eva” as her grandmother also shared the name.   As an adult, I giggle, I guess no woman wants to be called “Big Eva”. This past weekend, I ran the Mid-Maryland 50k.   This is a 50k broken down into 5-10k loops.   I decided that I would dedicate this race to Aunt Eva.   Loop 1:   I thought about the quilt that Aunt Eva made for Noah when he was born.  She hand-quilted this beautiful square, that became a favorite for my Boy.  This became the blanket that Noah took EVERYWHERE!  This blanket became so adored, that it took on all of Noah’s experiences.   It got so dirty, it was affectionately referred to as “Skanky the Blankie”.  And, although he does not carry...