Category Archives: Running

A Thousand Miles // The Things I Don’t Share

philadelphia marathon
A Thousand Threads is a wedding and lifestyle blog, but at its core, it’s really just about me (I’m selfish that way). I share the things I love and the things I do… but there are a couple of big pieces of me that I usually leave out.

The first is my political side, because honestly, I get plenty of that at work. I came to blogging to have a chance to write about the other things, and to learn about how to write about the other things. So, for now at least, I’m keeping those two apart.

The second is my love of running. But, to tell you the truth, I’m really not sure why I’ve left this one out. It’s a huge part of my life. Waking up early (forcing myself out of bed), training a little longer, running a little faster… chasing a distant goal. I love the stuff like crazy… but for some reason I’m not sharing it with all of you.

The thing is that, until now, I haven’t quite felt that it fit. But when I think about it, a part of that feels so wrong.

It feels wrong because even though this is a blog about weddings and fashion and food… loving those things doesn’t automatically negate the rest. But, as a rule… it does. It’s so rare that we let the two mix.

I would love to know more about my favorite lifestyle bloggers’ other interests. I’m sure there are a few that would surprise me! I’m so inspired by the perfect little families, the beautiful homes, the gorgeous clothes… but what do they do when they just want to let it all go… to slip away and de-stress? It’s not quite the things I’m afraid to tell you – it’s more like the things I just… don’t.

But why doesn’t it fit? After all, it’s me. If I had the option to do nothing else, I would run and bake, run and bake… write it all down and then start all over again. (I might have a horse too, but that’s a given — one of these days I promise I’ll tell you all about my rodeo queen past.) There is nothing else in the world that I love to do more than those things. They are the moments that feed my soul.

So here I go. I’m going to start to share. It’s probably a more personal part of me than I’ve shown in the past, because running really is my escape… my chance to clear my brain, to block out the noise and just go… it’s the place where I’ve found the answers to my most pressing questions, and the inspiration for my favorite plans. It’s not just a running thing… but it is my thing.

It’s the thing that works for me.

So what about you? Do you have something you do to escape and de-stress? Is it something I would guess, or is it way out of left field? We all have something.

Photo from my very first marathon in Philly.

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That time we ran through the mud in a thunderstorm…

muddy feet / tough mudder / a thousand threads

Okay, so I was prepared for the mud.  I was prepared for the obstacles.  I was prepared to have a heck of a day and hurt a lot after.

I can’t say I was prepared for the thunderstorm.

But we ran through the rain, laughed, joked, helped each other, rolled around in the mud…

And you guys, we had so much fun…

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Do you take time off to avoid burning out?

philly marathon
Recently, I read an article in Runners World that advocated taking a little time off… and commenced to roll my eyes.  Time off is something no runner really likes, because inevitably, time off means taking a step back in your training.  It means slowing down, losing distance… and having to face the long hard road back.

But then I thought about it, is one step back maybe worth it if it results in two steps forward?

The author argued that forcing a scheduled break (for him, it was the whole summer) had kept him from burning out… since the rest of the year was spent training so hard.  The best part of the break was that by the time the summer was done, he could barely contain his desire to get back out there.

I realized that, in many ways, I already do this.  Because I’m a big old wimp and the summer heat kind of wrecks me, I usually slow things down.  We tend to train for and run the shorter races during this time… and once the summer is over, I’m craving the distance again.

Do you take breaks from the things you work hard on to avoid burning out?  I can think of a ton of examples that don’t involve running at all.

(Actually, I’ve employed this strategy a couple of times along the wedding planning road.)

Photo: From my first marathon… in the middle of winter.  What can I say?  I like to run in the cold.

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On Running With Abandon and the Death of Micah True

While driving home on Friday, I was struck by the sad news that Micah True (or “Caballo Blanco,” the central figure in the story I lauded just weeks ago) had died. The news hit me hard, because I had truly been so inspired by his life and his love of running. I was a little late to the news and, sadly, it seems I was a little late to his story… but I will be forever changed for having known and cared about this person who I never met… and, maybe, that is because I will be forever changed for having become a runner.

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