The Greatest Run in the Free World

Across this great nation, many cities can boast legendary running trails: the famous Lakeshore Trail in downtown Chicago. The Town Lake trails in Austin, Texas. The hundreds of miles of coastline along the coast of California.

Last week I had the opportunity to travel east, where I discovered that my list of this year's top "40" running excursions would not be complete without a journey back to where it all began for our nation – Washington, D.C.

With all of its majestic monuments, our nation’s capital offers the best scenic runs for Americans from 1 to 92.  Hands down (or, feet down…) my favourite running path has got to be along the National Mall.  It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful piece of real estate in the World.  All told, the National Mall stretches 1.9 miles. The perfect distance for a run.

It’s also a perfect place to reflect on history.

The National Mall is anchored on one end by the Lincoln Memorial, honoring one of the greatest Presidents of all time who freed slaves and changed the world.  At the other end is the United States Capitol, where the very laws that hold our nation together are crafted daily. Both landmarks are aptly overseen by the Washington Monument, a 555-foot tall marble obelisk honoring our nation's first President, George Washington.

Although the building of the National Mall took nearly 100 years from conception to completion, it is truly timeless and as relevant today as ever. It is often the site for some of this nation's most controversial events.

In 1963, the National Mall was the site for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during which Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  It was also the site for the Vietnam War Moratorium Rally in 1969 – the largest event ever held on the National Mall (an event which was re-created digitally for the movie “Forrest Gump.”)  It is where Pope John Paul II presided over one of the world’s largest Mass services in 1979, despite an appellate court protest by atheists that the service be stopped. And in 2008, it was the first time the National Mall was left open during an Inauguration (much to mixed reviews and much-needed repairs which followed).

While politics often swirl furiously about in this city – whose Party is better, whose pick for President was better, and perhaps among global visitors, whose country is more superior – there is no denying the answer after you visit the National Mall.  If you are lucky enough to be one of the 24 million visitors to the National Mall each year then you, too, will see with your own eyes why Washington, D.C. remains the greatest run in the free world.

Run, Drink and Be Merry

I love a good race.

But combine running with drinking?  That’s a match made in Heaven for an Irish girl.

That festive combination is precisely why I headed over to the 27th Annual “Runnin’ of the Green” 7K Race in Denver last weekend, where the green beer was flowing and the running shoes were goin’.

The race serves as the city’s first run of the Spring season and is a great opportunity for runners to dust off the cobwebs. It's the first real chance to test your fitness, gauge where you’re at, and come out of hibernation from winter (sometimes a scary proposition!).  No doubt this is where “beer” entered the scene, some sort of incentive dreamed up by a smart race organizer. Bribes… the Irish are good that way.

Legend has it that they once served beer during the race -- you know, like a Rock n' Roll Marathon but instead of a band at every mile marker, you grab a pint -- a habit which I’m sure was cut short by their legal counsel. But no matter, the end reward was well worth the effort as runners were treated to free beer, Irish music (cue the fiddle and bagpipes) and all the runners’ schwag your $47 registration fee could buy. And, it was all for a good cause: the race has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Volunteers of America since its inception. The first charity race of my "40 in 40" series is now officially in the books!

As I departed, satisfied and looking forward to Spring, someone actually had the nerve to burst my frothy beer bubble: they asked if I was glad to be there because (and I quote), “There are only 15 weeks ‘til Summer!” Talk about a sobering remark. But in true stubborn Irish form, I didn’t listen; I was certain they were inebriated and that was a complete miscalculation. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Sláinte!

Run Like a Girl

To kick off my “40 in 40” series – forty life-changing running excursions during my 40th year – I can think of no better pick for my first run than this:

Running with elementary schoolchildren.

In my new gig as a Coach for the nationally-renowned after-school program “Girls on the Run,” I had the pleasure this week of running with a group of 4th graders. Let me warn you, as a professional woman with no children, I believe the last time I actually ran with a group of 4th graders was, well, when I was in the 4th grade. (insert laughter here). But no matter.

Girls on the Run is a fantastic program that teaches inner-city girls self-esteem. The idea of the program is that as you’re coaching the girls to participate in their first 5K, you’re also teaching them healthy values and what it means to have confidence as young women.

Now, if you haven’t run with schoolchildren lately, let me tell you: They are fast. Especially when you encourage them with a good old-fashioned, “On your mark, Get set,…Go!” (clearly a huge mistake on my part). During my first day of practice, not only was I left breathless trying to keep up with them, but I was apparently breaking all of the rules. You see, I didn’t know that as the Coach you aren’t supposed to actually run with them as part of the pack; you are supposed to sit on the sidelines and count their laps as they ‘round the park.

Wait a minute… Sit on the sidelines? Doesn’t that go against the very principles of the program?

Besides, sit on the sidelines? Moi? I mean, have we met?

After some discussion with my co-Coaches, we decided that from here on out, we shall change the rules. Now whenever possible, one of the Coaches will always run with the girls. For safety. Austerity. Solidarity. I could tell from their looks that most of the time, that person is going to be me. Hey, no sweat…

I’m only two sessions in, but I can’t wait to discover more about these young ladies. Already, I see their personalities emerging, including a shy girl who after finishing first in her age group began to walk taller, with a more positive body language and with a smile on her face. I see the personalities of the other girls, who have already learned our names and have no hesitation whatsoever asking me if I can throw their (used) tissues away. Sure, why not, I’ve already had the flu anyway.

As I think about the season ahead, I think about what it means to be a confident girl, and whether I myself am living up to that (some days, yes; some days, no). I also picture what each of these young ladies will be like when she’s older. It’s a thought that makes me smile. Even after a short time, I already feel vested in their success. I can only imagine it must be how our parents feel, or how God feels when he gives each and every one of us a hand in life.

Above all, the course makes me have an appreciation for the unique sisterhood we all share as women, including my co-Coaches (one busy and very pregnant attorney, one Department of Education policy wonk, and myself) who all leave our day jobs early twice a week just to make it to the schoolyard in time so the schoolgirls aren’t waiting there alone.

With this post, I want to pay tribute to all of the grown-up “girls” out there doing it every day with confidence: the moms, the career chicks, and my favourite category of all, the women leaders in this world. Lest we forget, even the most powerful women in the world were all 4th graders on a playground once. Oh sure, it was all simpler then. Yet it’s still simple now… if we want it to be. In fact, it's so simple that a good old-fashioned run around the playground can bring sanity to a very busy world. And it can put you firmly back in good company – even if the average height of that company is approximately 4 feet tall.

For all of the above reasons, I am proud this week and every week in this 40th year, to Run like a girl!

Lordy, Lordy, Looks Who's 40

I had a birthday last weekend.

A big one.

The big "4-Oh!"  As in, Oh-my-god-how-did-THAT-happen?

It was an event which snuck up on me, so much so that I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t readily have anything monumental planned (save for spending the day with good friends and loved ones). No trips to Paris. No big birthday bash. Nor did I have any epiphanies about Life which I believe a person should have at such milestones.

Sounds pretty lame, huh?

Not quite.

You see, over the past 5 years I’ve done my soul-searching. I’ve survived the un-survivable. I’ve learned who I am. And more importantly, who I’d still like to be. I’m a Runner. A lover. A sister. A daughter. And I still hope to be so much more in Life. While I’m not perfect, I’m proud to say that as I blew out the candles this year, I’m happy with where I’m at, what I’ve learned, and how far I’ve come. I am at peace.

So, now there’s nothing left to do but Run.

And why not? The news is over-the-hill-good for chicks like me looking to turn back time. Studies show that Running actually slows the process of aging... even in Runners who start later in life, even as late as 50. Research also shows that as you age, Running can actually increase the growth of your brain cells, reduce memory loss, and even ease symptoms of depression and anxiety (helpful when staring down those 40 candles!)

In fact, a study from Stanford University tracked a group of 50 runners for 20 years and found that over the course of that 20-year span, Runners in the group actually had fewer disabilities as they began to age, they experienced longer life spans, and were only HALF as likely as non-runners to die of early deaths. For those Runners that did develop illness or disabilities, it occurred an average of nearly 10 years later in life than it did for the non-Runners in the group, who became ill earlier.

As for the long-held myth that Running creates more osteoarthritis later in life and thereby the need for surgeries like knee replacements? That has now been debunked by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine which reports that Running is not associated with a higher risk of arthritis nor knee replacements. In fact, when Running occurs in its proper form (straight ahead in a forward motion), the results were to the contrary: relatively few injuries, a decrease in muscle loss and a decrease in bone loss and osteoarthritis as the Runners aged. Great news for Runners like me who were always told that blowing out more candles might just mean also blowing out a knee.

The research is enough to convince me that the best way to commemorate good health during my 40th year on this planet is to run “40 in 40” --- 40 monumental runs that are life-changing, meaning 40 running excursions or races which I hope to recommend everyone run at least once in their lifetime.

I'll make the first announcement from my "40 in 40" list this week.  As I sit my old bones down and begin to compile the list, I welcome your suggestions. So go ahead, lay it on this old broad. After all, the research proves I can take it.