“Well, this wasn’t exactly part of the plan” I thought to myself as I was walking out of a Tucson church in December, blinking against the brilliant morning sunlight, carrying my stepmother’s ashes to her final resting place. It all seemed so surreal.

Flashback to six months earlier, when I wrapped up my first Half-Iroman in [...]

It was a week after “Boston,” and a sweet, simple email appeared unsolicited from him, reminding us that we are all loved and appreciated.  It sparked the flame the lit the fuse.

The replies flew into my inbox, fast and furious with grand plans and a great idea. Naturally, the idea of a reunion was nearly [...]

In October, my friend Amy was diagnosed with cancer. I saw her just a few days after she got the results of the biopsy, and she had a look of quiet resolve on her face, as if she was calmly trying to fight through a storm.

Like many others who know her, I was stunned by [...]

I’ve been sidelined for a few days. It’s amazing what can happen when there’s  a little ankle-wobble  on an unstable rock at mile 2.5  which then blossoms into a swollen, mildly sprained ankle 8-ish miles later. By the time I got home and climbed out of the car, I could hardly walk.

Two cycles through a [...]

Three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting Jon at my house the night before his debut at the Hartford Marathon, conveniently located 40 minutes from my house. This was not the first time that Jon has stayed at Chez Orange Hat, as he was a guest here a few years ago for the [...]

There was a marathon, as predicted. I finished, as predicted. And yes, it hurt. A. Lot. As predicted.

Here’s how the pain unfolded in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday October 17th:

My running partner (RP) has connections and was able to secure lodging for us the night before the race. Not only did we get to stay [...]

It appears that I will be running a marathon next week.

Next. Week.

As in, seven days from now. Crazy, right? I mean, who knew!? I guess I did…but just barely. I can say – quite confidently – that this will NOT be my fastest marathon, and in fact, it might be my slowest. Here are the [...]

My inspiration

One of the questions that I have been asked about running a marathon involves the source of  ‘mental toughness.’ Those who have never battled the 26.2 mile monster are often curious about where I draw my strength, what drives me forward when my brain, lungs and legs are arguing about quitting.

Most of the [...]

When I first got into this running thing, I was an ‘after work’ runner. I’d either tie up the laces in my office and run on the streets of Middletown, or I’d wait until I got home and would run on the roads near my house. Occasionally, I’d really mix things up and meet friends [...]

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m shaking things up around here.

Not only have I moved my blog to these shiny, new digs (with the gracious help and complete support of the Amazing Hip) but I’ve also made a slight change to the name of my nearly six-year-old blog. I’m trading the Orange Hat for a [...]