Personal Runner Confessions

Life of a Runner After Kids

November 15, 2017 // 0 Comments

Early this year, I was on a training run with the awesome Sunstone Running Club, gearing up to run the Eugene Marathon in May. I found myself in a conversation with a super sweet girl in her early 20’s who had not yet had children. Why this [read more...]

The Obsessed Fortysomething Runner: My last Fortysomething post

November 12, 2017 // 2 Comments

This is my last Obsessed Fortysomething Runner post. No, I’m not quitting running. And no, I’m not leaving Run Oregon. I’m simply graduating to a new age group. On the good news front, I escape the often super-competitive M45-49 [read more...]

Why Would Anyone Want to Run a Marathon?

November 6, 2017 // 0 Comments

It never surprises me when people who aren’t runners question why anyone would want to run a marathon. I’ve had had to justify my choice to run to just about everyone in my family and a lot of friends for as long as I’ve been running, and I [read more...]

Addicted to Running: My Summer of Races

October 2, 2017 // 0 Comments

If you are a runner, you’ve probably had to justify why you run to people who don’t run. But when you are a runner and even OTHER runners are questioning you, you know that maybe, just possibly, you are in over your head. Or you are obsessed, [read more...]

You are where you are NOW. Gratification in your new you.

August 21, 2017 // 0 Comments

One of the most common things I hear as a coach and trainer is “I am so slow compared to what I used to be”. I get it. I think we all get it in one way or another. As we get older, as our body changes, as our LIFE changes, our abilities [read more...]

Is Weight Loss One of Your Goals? Here’s What I’ve Been Doing …

July 26, 2017 // 3 Comments

First of all – you have to be the one who wants you to lose weight. No one I know ever told me I looked heavy or gave the slightest indication they cared if my tech shirt was a little snug. If someone else tells you to lose weight, you can [read more...]

Why We Run

June 27, 2017 // 0 Comments

It was 2008, and I was in the middle of a struggle through the Pacific Crest Half Marathon. I was just getting over a pretty nasty stomach flu and I had gotten into a bad bicycle accident the month before which had hindered my training plan a bit. [read more...]

Getting Back To Me: Vacation and Learning To Relax

May 27, 2017 // 0 Comments

Back from a vacation in the sunny Arizona, I’m still basking in the afterglow of a stress-free 2 weeks. It’s amazing how much a vacation can reset your mind and your body. I always look forward to and thoroughly enjoy my [read more...]

Running Away: Running Through Grief

May 21, 2017 // 1 Comment

Running is the perfect metaphor for life. We have tremendous hills and long miles to battle, blistering sun and wind and rain, days where we just don’t feel like it but power through anyway, and days where we’ve done everything right to train [read more...]

The Race That Never Was

April 5, 2017 // 0 Comments

If I had one complaint about the races going on in March, it would be this: they didn’t happen. They simply didn’t happen. The race expo for the Shamrock Run was so much fun. The expo, by the way, is open to the public so go check [read more...]

Local race organizers settle on a standard distance for all 2017 marathons

April 1, 2017 // 0 Comments

A consortium of Portland area race directors met over the winter and, after many hours of vigorous debate, agreed upon a set distance for all of their 2017 marathons. After much back-and-forth, several of the city’s most well-known race companies [read more...]

Getting Back To Me: Continuing On My Way – One Day at a Time

March 26, 2017 // 0 Comments

It finally happened. After over 2 years of planning, hoping, stressing out, and holding my breath – our new house is finally done and we were able to move in. Honestly, there were times when I thought it would never happen, but here we are [read more...]

Pushing Through the Winter Slump: How to Stay Healthy Physically and Mentally This Winter

February 26, 2017 // 0 Comments

During the summer months when sunshine is abundant, there are farmers markets nearly every day, and a variety of sports and activities to participate in which makes maintaining your health easy and simple. However, with winter the nights become [read more...]

Getting Back To Me: On My Way

February 18, 2017 // 0 Comments

We are in the last month of our house build and I really thought that we would be able to just coast and let things wrap up. Boy, was I wrong. This month has been a doozy for my stress level. Last month I finally recognized that I was highly [read more...]

Running even as we get older

February 2, 2017 // 0 Comments

This post was written by Gary Baker (from Active Authorities). Feel free to Submit a Guest Post in the “Contact Us” tab if you are wanting to write a preview or recap your running experiences as well! As an older man in his 50’s [read more...]

Getting Back to Me – Recognizing Stress

January 28, 2017 // 0 Comments

The New Year arrived and everyone around me was gung-ho with their resolutions and goals while I was recovering from illness after the holidays and travels. I wanted to join in on the enthusiasm, but I was still dragging. I went out for my first run [read more...]

Getting Back to Me – Life Happens and I’m OK With That

January 1, 2017 // 0 Comments

I hit the ground running with the 3 eating goals I set last month. I struggled a bit with curbing my evening snacking, but I settled in after about a week. I lost 2 pounds in the first week and then I got stuck in the madness of December. First one [read more...]

Our Year in Review: Our Central Oregon blogger Drew and his 2016 running experience

December 31, 2016 // 1 Comment

2016 was an odd year, at least for me. I finished up 2015 having run more miles in one year than ever before and really wanted to step up my game. Even though I did not consider myself a competitive runner (at the time), I still wanted to aim at [read more...]

2016 in Review: Run Oregon’s most memorable races – Part 2

December 30, 2016 // 0 Comments

Annette: This year the race that stands out to me the most was the Portland Spartan Sprint (actually held in Washougal.) Despite having a less than stellar running year, the Spartan race was tons of fun. I enjoyed participating with my friends, I [read more...]

2016 in Review: Run Oregon’s most memorable races – Part 1

December 29, 2016 // 0 Comments

Matt: In 2014, I completed my first marathon at the Foot Traffic Flat. I vowed on that day to be done with the 26.2 mile distance. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle it, it was just that I didn’t feel like putting in the training [read more...]

2016 in Review: Run Oregon’s year of running – Part 2

December 28, 2016 // 0 Comments

Joe: After a whirlwind year of racing in 2015, in which I set and reached a goal of breaking my race count record of 84 races (I ended up running 103 races that year), 2016 was a year of simply running what I felt like running at any given time and [read more...]

2016 in Review: Run Oregon’s year of running – Part 1

December 27, 2016 // 0 Comments

Matt: My 2016 was the epitome of a pendulum. I started off 2016 on a high note, adding more and more miles with each passing day, week, and month. Things were progressing so well in fact, that I decided that May’s Eugene Marathon was [read more...]

Getting Back To Me – Progress, Not Perfection

December 21, 2016 // 4 Comments

It’s been over a month since I set my first two goals in getting back to me. Have I nailed them? No. Have I made progress? [read more...]

One runner’s plan for 2017: how many races are too many races?

December 17, 2016 // 0 Comments

Nikki Mueller is a Portland-area runner that Run Oregon is trying to recruit to join our motley crew. An experienced runner and certified Baby Boot Camp instructor, Mueller has two young boys (one of whom is apparently marrying my daughter). I met [read more...]

Getting Back to Me – The First 10 Pounds is the Hardest

December 7, 2016 // 0 Comments

You’ve all heard it said about weight loss, “The last 10 pounds is the hardest.” But, what about the first 10? I’d say getting started is the hardest part. Almost everyone talks about needing to lose weight, but how many get [read more...]

Running Scared . . . . of Dogs

December 3, 2016 // 2 Comments

I’m afraid of dogs. I know, it’s not cool to be afraid of dogs, but I can’t help it. I have been afraid of them since my first encounter with a dog when I was quite young. Regularly I am told that I need to “just get over [read more...]