Sunrise over Alexandria

Hello World!

I often see things early in the morning, things so beautiful that I think, a ha!, this is it, today's blog inspiration. Often, the day gets away from me and I think ok, tomorrow, and then I forget. But not today. This picture isn't what I saw this morning -- I took it months ago -- but the lighting is similar, dark foreground with the sunrise in back.

This morning was my running day 'off' so I took my Vikram yoga class at Down Dog in Georgetown and sweated way more than I thought was ever possible but loved every moment of it. A new high, or low depending on your perspective, with sweat actually making it inside my nose as I was in the Down Dog position. Anyway, this yoga brings me back to center and focuses my attention inward, at the moment, the right now, when I'm usually all over the place thinking three steps ahead.

As I was driving back over the Key Bridge about 7:45 this morning with the light still behind the monuments, the crew boats were leaving their tracks in the water. 110 South, Boundry Channel Drive towards 395 South ... that is when I saw the helicopter hovering just feet off the ground. Just there, hovering, beside the Pentagon. The helicopter black, in silhouette, with the sun rising in the background. Chills.

Okay, so to change the subject here. I made print! The Alexandria Times published an article about me and the RunningBrooke Fund. Two page feature, yea!

Good luck to all runners at the Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday! You all trained hard and you are ready. Get prepared to achieve great things. Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke

why doesn't this sweat smell?

Hello World!

How can it be that you're in a crowded, 95 degree+ room and it doesn't smell? That is what I've been thinking about today. I've sweated a lot over the years and I know the funk and how bad it can be. But this isn't, really. I mean, we sweat until it runs into your ears and drips off the end of your nose. The towel and everything on your body is like it just came out of the washer. And it is awesome!

Is this the same idea as the white clay walled sauna of the Korean place in Annandale? My hairdresser was telling me about it just the other day as I was getting my natural blond put back in... Same thing, sweat all around and no smell...

Everyone look for me in the sport section of Wednesday's Alexandria Times -- I think that it is this Wednesday, anyway. RunningBrooke is being featured. And get this! I signed up for a Twitter account today and someone had already taken RunningBrooke as a user name!! I had to become RunnerBrooke. So bogus. Maybe when I figure out how to use it, I'll find out that RunningBrooke is me and I just don't remember signing up. It is possible, really...
Cheers and it was a great day for a run!
RunningBrooke (the real one)

Bonus Points to anyone who can figure out why the StellaDot photos keep showing up on my latest posts.

I was next to the Baked Goods

Hello World-

We're now on our 5th day of rain... It's now confirmed that I would need a lot more caffeine if I lived in the Pacific North West! Already love my Starbucks and understand how they got their start there...

I didn't want to post a picture involving rain so I dug up these photos from the Masters Track Tournament last March. I ran two events, the 3000 -- that is the action photo -- and the mile. This was my first indoor track event -- lots of fun and an honor to run the mile with Alissa Harvey! She only lapped me once...

Yesterday, I went to the neighborhood fall festival to promote and talk about RunningBrooke. I went out with my RunningBrooke banner and world map marking my upcoming races and a bowl of candy to entice people to my table. I got the kids with some free candy who then brought their parents over. My biggest fans were the teenage boys who thought what I was doing as 'totally sick!'

Some people didn't care. Some people would read my sign, get a glazed look, and go towards the cupcakes. But most people thought it was unbelievable and amazing. I talked until hoarse. I showed travel pictures. I pointed to places on the map. Most asked 'how many have you done so far?' and stated 'I didn't know there was a marathon in Antarctica!'

I may have gotten a sponsor and I definitely got some good advice.

Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke

Steamtown PR and Stella Dot Report with the JFK 50 on my mind...

Hello World!

Look how crazy happy we look after 26.2 miles :) Sharon and I both had great runs with a 4 min. PR for me (3:09:12) and a 3:05 for Sharon. I know that she'll be, once again, breaking that 3 hour barrier. I'm so proud... We had that giddy elation for the rest of the day and talked, non-stop, on that 4 and 1/2 hour trip home eating Subway sandwiches and Peppermint Patties. We had lots of stares as we fell out the car gas up and lunch up. You could see them wonder who were these people with the funny walk! It is strange but once again, I couldn't sleep the night after a marathon and she said the same thing happens to her...

I had my first run today, an easy 6 miler. I took Monday off, did Hot Yoga Tuesday and swam yesterday... Feeling good!

Backtracking a bit, as far as the exercise induced asthma, it effected me some about mile 18 where I had a few, very rough miles and I had to use my rescue inhaler. It took me sometime to realize that I was losing that much speed -- I had a little mind mush by that time --but finally, I realized what was going on, took the inhaler and got it back together to finish strongly!

The Stella Dot party was a huge success with $1000- raised. Thanks to Karen W. -- the fabulous Stella Dot Rep. -- and thanks friends far and near for supporting me and the women and children of Alexandria!

More to come later on things other than my numbers :) ...

The rest of the photos are -- from top to bottom --the Radisson Hotel in Scranton, converted from the old train station, me, George B. 'the coach' and Sharon, George C. and his wife Zieta at our pre-race, carbo-loading dinner, and the one that makes me smile the most, me and Sharon. We have many more to run together, my friend :)

Cheers and it was a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke

Stella Dot and RunningBrooke

A friend of mine who just completed her first triathalon -- go Karen! -- approached me with a great idea. She brings her Stella and Dot jewelry collection -- as seen in People, In Style, Oprah, Lucky, Rachel Ray Every Day, and worn on Paris Hilton and others celebrities -- over to my house for an in-home trunk show, with ALL of the proceeds going to the RunningBrooke Fund! So generous!

So here is the scoop: Tuesday, 10/13 9:30-11:30 at my house, 2413 King Street, Alexandria

• It's easy to get holiday gifts for family, friends or maybe yourself
• You may order online
• Great price points!

Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run...
www.stelladot.com/sites/karenwhite/hc-login

Montreal: Eat, walk, sleep, repeat...

Hello World!

Chris and I were in Montreal last week for a little R&R -- okay, I was the only one who got that -- but, we had a great time while together. Today's title pretty much sums up what we did, minus the running on the treadmill, which is forgettable.

Anyway, this photograph is taken from the hilltop of their main park overlooking the city. You can see the St. Lawrence River snaking in the background. This park was designed by the same landscape designer as New York's Central Park, Somebody Olmstead. The park was good but not as impressive nor as beautiful as Central Park. Sorry if I've just offended someone!

The following are some thoughts in no particular order or of particular importance, just things I noticed:

1. Everyone smokes!
2. The French/French Decedents know how to eat. We ate and we ate well... Corse after corse, followed by not just a dessert but a PRE dessert. Who ever heard about that? I had no problem eating my way through it all, however.
3. HUGE underground shopping center. So many city blocks that I couldn't count on the map. I stepped inside for about five minutes and then I was out of there! Crystal City here we come.
4. Interesting zoning laws with strip clubs and 'movie' houses in nice shopping and business districts.
5. Celine Dion (sp) was married there in their Notre Dame Church/Cathedral. That building was quite impressive with its ornate architecture and Gothic decoration.
6. Has a China Town like every other city.
7. They are still gardening with what we would consider summer plants even with near-freezing --felt like it, anyway -- temperatures. We would have pulled everything up and out and only had the mum and pansy thing instead.

Okay, so that is it. Onto the most important thing, the RUNNING UPDATE!

1. Feeling great on the countdown to Steamtown. Six days and counting... The track numbers have been pretty good and the tempo run on the hotel (Montreal) treadmill was not too painful.
2. Rest and eat. Rest and eat. It sounds easy but it isn't. Going from 75 miles a week, in peak training, down to around 40 -- or less, maybe a lot less if coach tells me so -- this week makes me feel fat and lazy. Maybe I'll rearrange the kitchen cabinets and put finally put shelf liners in. See what less running does? Shelf liners, really?!
3. Did I mention that I signed up for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on December 5th?
4. Big hug to Sharon who gave me HOMEMADE chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate and all. Great way to start the day...
5. Still working on February and March marathons... January is the Goofy Challenge and April is the London Marathon.
6. Congratulations to my friends who are back from the Twin Cities Marathon with times from way under 3 hours to just over 3. I hope Sharon and I have the same success :)
7. Jewelry show benefitting RunningBrooke at my house on October 13th, 9:30-11:30. Seriously cute things. Check it out: http://www.stelladot.com/sites/karenwhite

That is it for now. Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke

the compression sock and the jewelry show

Hello World-

Just a short post here to tout these awesome -- new to me -- compression socks. My calves were always so achy, so the running store extraordinaire -- Pacers in Old Town, Alexandria -- sold these to me today. I actually bought three pair because they feel so good! I may wear them all day to embarrass the kids. I may never take them off...

We had our long run Sunday morning in the remnants of Saturday nights deluge. It misted the entire run and even after 16 miles, I still wasn't awake. No mojo there, but got the last long run in before Steamtown with the second half of the run at race pace. No we really start to taper with only 42 miles this week...

Still planning and doing the running thing but got distracted on the fall garden this morning. Also trying to figure out how much longer I'm going to keep my tomatoes in the ground. They are so ugly that it takes every fiber not to rip them out. When I go out there I hope that no new tomatoes are on the vine but they just keep coming. This one plant is 2 feet taller than me, no kidding!

My friend Karen W. approached me with an idea to co-host a jewelry show here at the house and she would donate all the proceeds to RunningBrooke. Thanks Karen! The jewelry is really cute. Here's the link www.stelladot.com I'll let ya'll know when the party is.

Cheers and it is a beautiful day for a run!

RunningBrooke