Aprons
The spring line for the kiddos is in…
Mountain Goat Ten Miles
Three years of this event, and I felt happy to finish here in Syracuse today! 16k
Writings of a Runner
Making my running portfolio and short story drafting has been funny, finding all my course maps and times and thinking of all the memories.
mile repeats in the park perfecting my teenage cross-country techniques so I would start my first semester of fancy college with Saint Josephs College of Maine as my vision being a real athlete in the marathon road race event. There was a feeling of confidence in finishing the entire event, being comfortably uncomfortable running ten miles in xc training, while also a feeling of butterflies toeing the line as I had never really run more than fifteen miles in my training for a twenty-six-mile road race. Why would an unfinishable event exist with such immense popularity, and when would I ever be in better running shape or be more fit to give it a shot?
My eighteen-year-old feet dressed in hot pink minimalist sneakers compressed in tight knit white chevron style socks sprung through the full Maine Marathon Finish line in a little over four hours and fifteen minutes. The muscles of my fit tone runner legs were incredibly tight, nevertheless my skinny teenage girl runner's body finished this extremely long road race. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, springing my feet, springing my long light legs after months of training all summer long through to the finish line of this treacherous twenty-six-mile course without stopping on the final stretch.
Bringing my entire being through the finish line made me someone.
1812 Half Marathon
13.1 Miles finished, on the haunted battlefields I played in so many lacrosse tournaments on all those years growing up. I finished this course in the rain and went to class the next morning.
Part of training for my full marathon a month later....
Empire State Marathon 2014
There were still blisters on the bottoms of my feet the summer after my first full marathon the previous October. So defeated from ruining my body to finish a high-end event, I felt certainly this had to really mean something to complete an entire full marathon course as a sport, especially as a teenage girl. I must have been running this distance for God.
This extremely long treacherous road race of about forty-two kilometers gave my high school cross country runner technique of running mile repeats or ten mile Sunday long runs, purpose. All those years of training with a tough coach to run a five-kilometer course well, evolves into so much more footing.
Never fathoming the feeling of completing an entire marathon course the first time around, the second time coming I reasonably had an idea of what I had signed myself up for. Training my still growing young body specifically to run long far distances in the road race, with my previous experience reassured my teenage runner mind to take the risk hoping to conquer the course this time in my city of Syracuse, starting by the baseball stadium.
I finished every mile of the entire course in like four hours.
Cooperstown Marathon 2015:
Dropped out under 6 miles in because it was 90 degrees with sporty car traffic in June.....
Empire State Marathon 2015
Three years into the 26.2-mile event was still very early. My mind remembered the feeling of pain crossing my first finish line two years previous with all those rolling hills upon hills in the city of my college life. My body remembered one year earlier crossing the finish line in a flat fast course of my home city. Both events finished with purpose, realized during the moment and later in life. Deciding between running alone in Portland or flying home to Syracuse, I made the choice to fly home to compete in Empire once again, hoping to finish the entire course.
I did it.
MDI Marathon 2016
One of my idols in the marathon event introduced me to the idea of running the Mount Desert Island Marathon the week after my first Maine Marathon, in lieu of the NYC Marathon. I never understood how to apply to run the NYC or Boston marathon, or be in the lottery, and I could easily register to be in the MDI Marathon for a hundred dollars and a charity race bib.
Instead of rolling hills, this course was all rolling hills and mountains in salty sea air.
I finished the entire course and kissed my grandmama on the cheek after crossing the finish line.
Maine Marathon 2017
My senior year of college after going on my Haiti service trip with school, and having my full time job for five years out of school felt like a time to shine in a victory lap marathon year. The physical memory of my first finish in the Maine Marathon was far enough in the back of my brain to toe the starting line again.
I finished the entire course again.
New Orleans Marathon 2019
Being 23, after years of devoting my body to the marathon distance with hopes of qualifying for elite shorter distances as well made me feel overcome with emotion, in the search for something with the perfect combination of elite and exciting. Having all the marathons but never the 5k or mile felt similar to having the nursing job with the big hospital but never going out to have fun. Day in and day out of only caring for my hospice patients, and only doing everything my boyfriend wanted at the same time my elite shorter distance were just unforeseen after years of training to death, my sweet escape had to happen. Finishing all these marathons during my fast competitive years it felt defeating to be missing a queen moment in shorter distance events I loved so much my entire life. How could running make me happy while having purpose?
So, I decided my patients would still be alive if I were to go on a vacation weekend dipping into my savings on a rare occasion while jet-setting from JFK in downstate New York all the way down to New Orleans Louisianna with just my backpack and a dream. My flight landed, a nice lady drove me to the convention center where I officially registered to run the Rock ’n’ Roll full Marathon of NOLA.
I finished the entire glamorous course
I went back to work the Monday night afterwards as if I never left, my legs were very tight and all my patients were still alive waiting to listen to my fabulous stories of the weekend.
MDI 2019
My favorite full moon and sunset ever is on Mount Desert Island, and the only reason I have ever traveled all the way there is to run the full marathon. The event that combines my specialization in running with my destiny nursing career promoting finding cures for childhood illnesses, running for God; marathon running is glorifying if everything falls into place.
I felt happy to be with my family in my favorite destination, running with purpose.
I finished the entire course again, at 24 just like when I was 21.
Great NYS Marathon 2022-2025
A year after surgery to fix an injury from an accident, my lifelong sport in the running era had begun, competitiveness combined with elite stardom dreams were in the past, and my motivation was all the right reasons. Running for God, and running to promote finding cures for childhood illnesses, brought my feet through the finish line of a full marathon running around the Onondaga lake in my home city twice for three years in a row, and from the fairgrounds out to Baldwinsville and back the one year looping the lake twice had not been the course route.
Four years in a row I finished!
Maine Marathon 2024
I wanted something special to happen for my ten-year marathon anniversary, so I waited one more time to run the Maine Marathon again for my eleventh anniversary. Thinking this would be my retirement year from the event, I decided to really throw myself out there risking the soul behind the running, by signing up for the Maine Marathon full as well as the Great New York State Marathon just two weeks apart from each other. At this point in my running life, I felt as if the worst thing that could happen would be dropping out of the second event if I was too tired.
I finished the full Maine Marathon for my eleventh anniversary. Not knowing if my first would be my last or if there were more official event miles in my future.
The same month, I finished the Great New York State Marathon, two weeks later, taking a two-week break from running in between unless showing up to work every day counted as a workout.
How did I finish the hardest event I had ever run in my life twice in one month? How did I run another full marathon one year later for my twelve-year anniversary?
Mountain Goat 2024 & 2025
Even though, the marathon was my ultimate long-distance event at 26.2 miles, my entire life growing up in the running world of Syracuse, I always wanted to run the Mountain Goat 10 miler. I had always thought people would run across the country just to run the Mountain Goat, and this race is something I had to run faster than all my uncles ever. 2024 was fast on all those hills of drummers, around the mountain goat statue all through the city. 2025 there was pouring rain the entire event all through the city of Syracuse, and I finished twenty minutes slower than the year before.
Shamrock Run Tipp Hill 4 miler
Parking at the Blarney Stone, walking to the start, finishing the entire course, walking back to the bar. 2026
2025, freezing and finishing the entire thing.
Shamrock Run!
Finished the four miles of hills on hills! ☘️
Christmas Hat Collection
The official Christmas collection of baby hats have been donated. These have my favorite pompoms I've ever made. I'm just a St. Joe’s girl for life 🎄 🎁
The autumn line of baby hats are in, turkeys & pumpkins & miscellaneous sewn patterns oh my. Sent off to the hospital with love. Now, it's time to start the Christmas line… 🦃
Great NYS Marathon Day!
God is good all the time. There’s no words to describe the feeling of running a full marathon from start to finish twelve years after my debut. Looping around the lake, the mall, lights on the lake, twice through my favorite city feels glorifying. Running this event the fourth year in a row from toeing the starting line to crossing the finish is lucky, with a little faith trust and fairy dust every breath with each stride took me exactly where I’m meant to be.
Twelve years ago, when I first started running full marathons and advancing my young career in nursing, it felt incredible to fundraise for cures with each step of my journeys. Serving for God by running or holding the hands of the healing is really special to experience. I'm truly looking forward to my next journey.
Medals
Easy five miles after work work working, and I am feeling hopeful to add to my collection in a week and a half. Goat on goat and loop the lake. I'll feel so Syracuse after running my marathon next weekend.
All my other medals are on my maniquin display. Having something tangible for a reward after feels like the victory lap, a beauty to enthrall my eyes on aprés the hustle & bustle is over.
Marathon Training
The goal is always to toe-the-line uninjured, and in some kind of base shape to run the entire distance. Yesterday, I had run ten miles. Today, I finished five miles, taking on the rain one step at a time. Being in the rain, reminded me of running highschool cross country in the rain, when coach didn’t cancel practice; which is one of those bittersweet fond memories of the shorter distances that turned me into an even longer distance endurance runner.
12 years of full marathons is coming, in just under two weeks, I will hopefully prove to myself I still have it all going on. Marathon running so made me a real athlete not a fake one. When I did the full at 18, my runner friends told me it is so thirty to run that far, and here I am about to find out if my event is totally for my present self.
To not care about the time split of a mile apres running over half of my life, yet having to care about twenty six entire miles all at once… Oh to finish another 26.2 would be inexplicably magic.
Camouflage the Chameleon
All of my summer campers helped name little guy here Camouflage, after one of our favorite games to play in the woods. After just a week he's loving his big tree to climb and his lights really have made him a vibrant green&blue. All he does is climb the plants, and play on his waterfall, nap with the Chihuahuas, between eating (hunting) snacks! Happy handsome little guy.
Crocheted jellyfish and sewn seahorses for the kiddos to kick off summer vacation! Now it's time to spend some time under the sea!
Puppy or kitty bandanas and bows hot off the press! Love how they slip on the collar.
Aprons, I sewed so couture...
Baby hats, aprons, and mountain goat ten miler all in one week! Wahoo. Now life is boring, again. Orange class color, forest animal class theme, ric rac ribbon green and hand print paint school color, all coming together for pretty kitchen decor on mother’s day weekend. We’re so designer in elementary school.
The St. Joe’s hat drop off, spring collection 2025! Chick, Bunny, Bear, or simple beanie?
Were the Christmas hats better than the Spring is Sprung hats?
Registered for the mountain goat run!
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Syracuse/MountainGoatRun?raceRefCode=UiOYAKnl
Tipp Hill Shamrock Run!
On Saturday, while the wind chill was so icy and each breath was so foggy in the air, I was a part of the bunch of us brave runners out there running in the cold cold cold for four entire miles. The past few years have been too snowy to run in the event, for me, so it was a pleasure to be back out on the beloved course to kick off Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. I love all of the music, streets full of runners and cheerers, and then walking over to Blarney after finishing it all.
Two Full Marathons in a Month!
This year, it proved to be the ultimate challenge to run two full marathons only two weeks apart. To run two marathons back to back, has always been a goal of mine since starting in 2013, however I was unsure of how runners accomplished such things, until eleven years later here in 2024 reaching new limits. I do not recommend trying this at home, two full marathons in a formal race setting is very challenging. Finishing both of my full marathons, in Maine and here in Upstate New York, felt as if to be inexplicable magic. There is a feeling of significant gratification with joy to be in this great sport, achieving a career long dream while fundraising to encourage health, happiness and living lively, that is truly magical.
The Maine Marathon 2024
October 2013, was my first time running 26.2 miles, when you’re eighteen and you run that far it feels pretty significant. I really really wanted to run the Maine Marathon ten years later in 2023, but it just did not work out so here it happened for my eleven yearaversary! At twenty-nine here in 2024, my ten year victory lap marathon happened eleven years deep into the career. Running is truly my passion in life, and I just love being in Maine having been up there for all of college plus many trail adventures, chasing coastal miles. The feeling of running my event for over ten years in one of my favorite places in the world is too special to express in words.
After a long car ride from Upstate NY, we checked into our lovely Maine hotel and ventured off to Portland for the Maine Marathon Expo. The Maine Marathon logo photo backsplash is so fun, eye-catching, exciting to see whilst walking into all the thrill of a big race expo. The shirts were a very cool design, of the Maine Track Club. Being social, buying merchandise, my new Maine Marathon glass, gave me all the joy to kick off race weekend. Wearing all my running attire, sneakers and new race top, we went to one of my favorite Portland spots, the lobster company. I dreamed of sipping on my pumpkin smashed Shipyard beer, with a delicious buttery lobster roll while listening to a loud live band right on the ocean, such a perfect pre-marathon evening under the stars.
Before my marathon, I ate several mini snickers bars with my electrolyte gel. Sugar with all the candy is all I ever want for running all the miles. During the race, I had a gel every five miles, until the end when I had one every two miles and drank all the water and Gatorade without strategy. Always have a strategy until the time comes to just stuff your face.
During the national anthem, I put my hand over my heart, feeling all the power from the crowd. Then, the gun went off, my Skullcandy headphones popped in blasting Queen and my feet were flying too fast with the surging crowd along the glorious coast of gorgeous Maine.
It’s funny, my first time in the Maine Marathon we weren’t allowed to go over the bridge just along the water, as it had been under construction. My second time, my senior year of college, I don't even remember if we did the bridge. This year, it was a pleasure to stride across the bridge two times, very fun.
Positive affirmations in poetry or life, which I think of during long runs under pressure may be, 'Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour’ or ‘you’re running for god’ or ‘just do it’. In all seriousness or gigglyness, every athlete has positive affirmations during those tough spots. ‘The Climb’ is still one of my favorite running songs, for Maine Marathons especially. Chasing the long miles is difficult eleven years later in different ways than my first time; is knowing what to expect better than being surprised? In running, you grow and adapt through the years to be built together the necessary way to achieve the feat, those tendons and bones work with the muscles to take the runner places. For instance, at eighteen my flesh felt as if it were tearing from the bones twenty miles deep and I had to run anyway, where now my legs have adapted to intense high mileage, so they keep springing fluidly in my stride with a more relaxed feeling enabling sarcastic yet real life kicks in speed that last fifty meters to the finish. Running may be more of a state of mind if the runner is not injured.
Several miles deep, the crowd separated, no one was shoulder to shoulder running through the course. To see half marathon runners turning the corner, while the full marathon runners keep going another direction, is intimidating as if to be lapped. Nevertheless, those legs keep springing, one mile to the next, not knowing where you’ll place in the mix of re-layers, half-marathon runner's, plus extraneous categories. Too many layers of definition to placement in running to think about on the actual run, but I just focus on the mile I’m running before planning the next.
Some things about the marathon still feel unnatural, like inevitable chafing after twenty miles, my thighs were so bloody it was embarrassing and painful, but nothing to stop the race for. I wish, I had the Vaseline packets from my summer camp med kit in my bra, the med station gave me some luckily. On merry way past twenty miles, my mantra was ‘keep springing’. Sometimes, I would just stare at my thighs maybe hoping to put a spell on them to keep on moving and grooving, shimmying on down to the finish line. Strategy balanced with pain and thirst happens in those last three miles, while you still feel competitive as if to be running shoulder to shoulder in a track meet.
Loud music, with my disciplined springing legs took me to the familiar final stretch, with my increased speed making me feel powerful as I crossed the finish line, quickly switching from super serious to a smile of pure joy before holding my glamorous Maine Marathon Medal shaped as the actual state.
Soon after, came my celebratory drive to Old Orchard Beach, then going to the beach in bear feet being taken over by the salty ocean waves, after stripping into just my run-buns and sports-bra, very glamorous medal around my neck, as if it were still my college days being wild and free.
The Maine Marathon, had been everything I ever wanted it to be.
The Great NYS Marathon 2024
Two weeks following the Maine Marathon, I did the Great New York State Marathon here in Syracuse New York. I have run the Empire Marathon and Great New York State Marathon. Originally, the course started in the baseball stadium, then went through Onondaga Park. In recent years, it is a loop of the lake course. In 2022, starting on the fairgrounds then going to Baldwinsville and back along the lake, and the past two years ‘23 & ’24 just starting in the amphitheater and running around the lake two times. Last year, the weather had been brutal with rain, this time the sun was shining for us all.
Procrastinating, I picked my race bib up the morning of the run for the first time ever in a marathon.
Then, I reached into my pocket to discover my earbuds were not in the case. In my younger marathon years, at nineteen, I did the Empire Marathon without earbuds which was fine. In MDI, I love not running with headphones because there is so much scenic nature to embrace on the course where being technology free is a luxury. However, in this year's event in Syracuse, as the miles went on along the shores of Onondaga Lake or the mall, fans could find me playing Brittany Spears on my phone being old school.
The marathon started before the national anthem and thrilling beginning for the full marathon runners, with an encouraging and inspirational speech from the race organizers. I always like focusing on what is ahead in the journey of a full marathon, running with purpose and strategy is a vitality for toeing the starting line.
I love the way the sun hits the water on Onondaga Lake on marathon mornings just at the start. The bridge on the Creek Walk Trail is so pretty, and then it feels cool to be running around the mall by train tracks feeling small compared to Lord & Taylor. Footing on the main roads leading to the Onondaga Park entrance is hard for gravitating, while maintaining a certain pace.
All of the Lights on the Lake Lights, my favorite thing in the world, were set up throughout the entire park. This kept me going especially on the second lap. Am I the luckiest girl in the world to run through all the lights on the lake twice in one day? The volunteers were incredible cheering us all on on and giving us water, I am really grateful.
Coming to a close of the first lap, which was 13.1 miles, a running friend gave me a bracelet that said, ‘keep running’. It just was a moment of such seriousness mixed with almost a humor where I was about to re-run the entire route. My legs were not heavy until eighteen miles in, a time my brain and body felt like ‘oh yeah this is the second marathon of the past two weeks’. In training, I have run twenty miles back to back in one weekend, but never 26.2 with 26.2 in a real race under pressure two weeks apart. It was like really hard. The thing that made this really really hard, had been the water station 22 miles in, being dry and abandoned. So, if a runner feels thirsty it’s too late, which is the reason I had to walk. Playing it safe in my strategy, I thought, ‘walk until water’. Then, a couple miles later, with water, came the disastrous gross bloody chafing legs from the race two weeks prior as I took stride again. With the grace of God, my legs brought me to the amphitheater for the final stretch of 26.2 miles. I found it deep within myself to spring into form and run through the finish, raising my hand to high-five my buddy announcing how amazingly I have run this event THREE years in a row, before crossing the finish line.
I love my Great New York State Marathon Medal. My third Great NYS Marathon within three years, and second full marathon for Autumn 2024.
In celebration, my family treated me to beautiful pink roses with a pumpkin roll for dessert. On my fireplace, I have my 2013 Medal from the Maine Marathon, my last two Great NYS Marathon Medals, and my Maine Marathon Medal from this year. I would wear all my medals with my favorite pair of shoes all day every day forever...
The fall collection has been dropped before Thanksgiving, now it's time for Christmas or New Year's knits!
Great NYS Marathon
I feel pretty fabulous running two 26.2 mile marathons in one month to celebrate 11 years of being in this event! 52.4 miles together
