It has been SO LONG since my last Sunday Stroll post! No joke, it’s been almost a year since my last Sunday Stroll post on Adams Tract in Carrboro, eek!! And while I’ve been hiking and running, that’s a fair representation of how long it’s been since I went on a Sunday Stroll with my dad. We’ve only ever been on one other Sunday Stroll since then at Clemmons forest, and I just haven’t posted about that. (Also my bad.) But I’d been talking a big game about reviving our Sunday Stroll tradition, and I even texted my dad to check his availability for a recent Sunday morning, only I never actually followed up with him on when or where or how far.

So fast forward to Sunday morning. I’m lying in bed being a lazy bum, and my doorbell rings. It’s my dad. Asking, “Hey, where are we going hiking this morning?”

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

In November 2018 I ran my second marathon. It was both my second marathon ever and my second marathon in 14 days - just two weeks after Marine Corps Marathon. In my defense, I hadn’t actually intended to run two marathons so close together. I had planned on doing the RDC full marathon as my original target race when I signed up with Fleet Feet’s speed series training program since the race registration was included in my training group sign-up. But then I had the opportunity to get a (legit) bib transfer for Marine Corps Marathon. A bunch of my runner friends were going to MCM and I had major race FOMO so I jumped at the opportunity. That race went well and I felt pretty good; I knew I wanted to run another marathon, but I wasn’t sure when exactly. How long did I need to rest? How much time did my legs need to recover so I could walk comfortably, much less run? I knew I had Run RDC coming up and I thought I might drop to the half marathon but, well, I forgot. (Okay, actually I didn’t forget. I just procrastinated too long and then realized in horror the deadline had passed for swapping distances, oh no!!)

“Well,” I said resignedly, “That decides it. I guess I’m running a marathon this weekend!”

Race celebrates 10th anniversary and I run the race for the second time for a major 8K PR!

The 10th annual Running of the Bulls 8K in downtown Durham was this past weekend and this was my second time running the race! I took a new approach this year and actually decided to train. (Well, I’m training for a few other crazy races, but fortunately it means I was trained up for an 8K!) I crushed my last race time for this course! Read more for the full race report.

Tenth year of Doughman in Durham featured a guest appearance of the Carbdashians as they ran, biked, and "swam" in fun-loving food-eating race

I don't remember the last time I did so much running and eating at the same time.

On Saturday morning I raced Doughman, a relay "quadrathlon" self-powered culinary tour of Durham. Heather, Jill, Lauren and I were the "Carbdashians." We went for completely over-the-top outfits: hot pink shirts that said "Keeping up with the Carbdashians" and a graphic I made, sparkle skirts, bling, exaggeratedly bad contour make-up, and wigs.

27 acre woodland preserve in Carrboro offers natural trail hiking along Bolin Creek

I ran my longest distance ever this past weekend - 14 miles on Saturday morning - so on Sunday I needed a nice and easy warm-up hike with my dad before my trail run with Kelly at Carolina North. I was doing my usual scrounging around looking for green patches on Google Maps when I remembered that on the last long run in Carrboro we passed by a park sign on N Greensboro St and someone mentioned there were some trails back there. I pulled it up and sure enough: there was a little patch of green and a dotted line suggesting trails.

A trail on campus at UNC-Chapel Hill offers lots of route options for hiking or trail running.

This past Sunday Kelly and I kicked off our trail running adventures (which I will affectionately call "runventures") with Battle Branch Trail. This particular trail starts at the Chapel Hill Community Center and connects to Battle Park, a 93 acre park on campus at UNC Chapel Hill. Battle Branch Trail connects Battle Park and the Chapel Hill Community Center, and you can loop various trails together in Battle Park for a range of mileage for a great hike! Great for running or hiking, it's a great addition to the Sunday Stroll series!

Clingmans Dome to Jockey's Ridge: 680 miles of trail and over 500 miles of connecting roads

It's always a surprise when I stumble across the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. This summer I will have lived in North Carolina for twenty years and through this whole time the Mountains-to-Sea Trail has been like an old friend who keeps popping up again - someone I knew and liked throughout my life but never got to know intimately even though we share interests and keep rubbing elbows over the years.

A list of trails and greenways to tackle in spring 2018

My friend Kelly (an excellent mentor captain for Fleet Feet running group, Fresh Air Fitness coach and organizer, the awesome gift organizer for Duke Children's Hospital, and the founder of First Pages) is doing something epic this summer: she's running the Bryce Canyon ultra-marathon. She's tackling the 50K course, a rough trail race covering 31 miles in the national park. I am super excited for her and a little envious - I have such a love for running and for hiking, so combining the two and doing trail running just makes sense, so I eagerly volunteered to accompany her on some trail runs. To help her train we've come up with a bucket list of local trails to run.

New park in Wendell offers hiking, picnicking, and a retreat in nature

I know, I know, everyone's still obsessed with snow right now (can you believe we got well over 8 inches in Durham?!) but today's a little bit of a throwback. Final photos for the Wake County Parks project were delivered and I am just itching to show you all the last round of images! I got to do a ton of fun things for the Wake County Parks photography project, from photographing mountain bikers and stand-up paddleboarders to exploring hiking trails to meeting up with equestrians to doing some fun interactive lessons with kids - but it also gave me the opportunity to do something I'd never be able to do otherwise (well, not legally at least): explore a park that hadn't been opened yet!

Tall bluffs create montane environment in Cary, NC area

Swift Creek Bluffs Nature Preserve is a Triangle Land Conservancy property that nestles up against Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. Swift Creek runs along both parks and is protected by tall bluffs which create a montane environment with flora and fauna commonly found at higher elevations. In January very little is showing off its alpine blossoms, but with the trees bare you can easily spy the creek along the entire trail.

Scenic 2-mile loop around Bass Lake offers hiking and water recreation in Holly Springs, NC

On Sunday morning when I woke up to go on a Sunday Stroll it was four degrees Fahrenheit outside. Four degrees! I couldn't remember ever witnessing such cold conditions; even the winter break of my freshman year that I spent in Wisconsin racing sled dogs only showed me temperatures as low as 8°F. Regardless I had promised my dad that cold or no cold we were hiking that morning at Bass Lake in Holly Springs, so I bundled up with my merino wool long johns, my quilted coat, and my snowboarding jacket and I headed out.

North Raleigh park offers easy hiking on primitive trails with lake views

I was going through the backlog of hikes I planned on posting on the blog, and I was shocked to discover that I did this Durant Nature Preserve hike in September! I am seriously that behind on posts, and I'm also amazed at how quickly this fall has disappeared.I met my dad early one morning in September for a Sunday stroll in Durant Nature Preserve in north Raleigh. I'd seen signs for it off Capital Boulevard every time I went to to the WRAL soccer park complex, and finally curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check it out.

5 mile leg of Raleigh marathon relay with Oiselle teammates

I have officially completed a full marathon event! Well, with a little help from my teammates. I met up with my NC Oiselle Volee teammates on Sunday morning for the City of Oaks marathon relay in Raleigh, with 26.2 miles split across four runners. We had five teams running so it was quite a crowd, with plenty of snacks and selfies.

200 miles. 12 teammates. 2 vans. A relay race from Raleigh to Atlantic Beach, and a whole lotta tuna.

On Saturday night as we drove to the next big exchange point after what was supposed to be a quick bite at Wendy's I sat in the back seat of the van with my legs kicked up and my Richmond half marathon blanket draped over my sore legs and watched brown-gold fields chase the sunset. Some fields were cotton - half-harvested or brow-beaten with white balls - the closest to snow that ever settles on those furrowed fields. Some fields contained soybeans - either thin from recent harvest or heavy with dry or moldy bean shells for crop rotation, already longing to burrow and return to the soil and elude the dull grey winter that in this Indian summer seemed impossibly far away. But the crops knew that winter is coming. Brown naked stalks of tobacco stood sentinel in some fields, though there were much fewer fields than there were twenty years ago or even ten years ago. As we drove east I looked behind us at the shrinking fields and watched the sky purple into twilight, a soft nostalgic smile curling at my lip corners. Tuna Run 200 this year was very different from last year - check out the full race report!

Wake County section offers 4.7 miles of compacted gravel trail for horses and riders

The American Tobacco Trail, a 23-mile rails-to-trails project that runs through Wake, Durham, and Chatham counties, offers 4.7 miles of compacted gravel along the Wake County section where horses and riders can enjoy the wooded trail. On two afternoons recently I met up with equestrians to explore the trail and its features.

Exciting soccer game draws thunderous cheers from NCFC fans

With so many high quality local clubs and college programs producing world-class players, Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill are hotspots for soccer, and now the arena of men's professional soccer in the Triangle is evolving by way of North Carolina Football Club (NCFC). Currently ranked fourth in the NASL league, NCFC is battling for a spot in the playoffs, and this was the first time I'd been to a game since the rebranding, so I was excited to see the "New State of Soccer" for myself.

Local race offers novelty and competitive mile match-ups

It's not often you see a world record broken. On Friday night the world record for the fastest denim mile run by a woman was smashed on the track of Meredith College as part of the Sir Walter Miler races. With an exciting line-up of denim runners, local running teams tackling the 4x400 relay, and a talented line-up of men's and women's elites, it was a great stage for world records and chasing the sub-4:00 mile time.

Durham race supports local Habitat for Humanity with late-night bike and run options

I'd always wanted to run the Bull Moon Ride and Run. It's a must-do local race that benefits Habitat for Humanity of Durham, a nonprofit I've volunteered and fundraised for previously, and for some reason the last few years I've been out of town or I've had some other conflict. So when Travis and Kristen and I decided to run the race this year, I was stoked. I was driving to downtown Durham when I realized this would be my first 5K race. I did things a little backwards starting with five half marathons, three 10-milers, a few 5-milers, an 8K and a 200-mile relay race. But I'd never raced a 5K, and it was electric in downtown Durham by the time I arrived at the start line.

New shop in Hillsborough provides a place for local artists and artisans 

Eno River Marketplace opened on June 30 in the midst of the Hillsborough Arts Council Last Friday Art Walk. Tucked into a historic downtown building the new shop features vintage and repurposed goods, handmade quilts, paintings, coloring books, custom coasters, terrariums, cards, and many more unique gifts.

Sunflower field along Neuse River Greenway is popular spot with locals

Summer always looks tired to me. By July all the leaves look spent and dry. The oak leaves droop depressedly and the canopy takes on a tinge of golden-orange as if it had been singed. Yellow. So much yellow. I heard about this sunflower field through a couple sources, so one afternoon after work Emily and I headed out to find that sunflower field. I picked up Ryder and we headed east, towards the Neuse River Greenway heading to Johnston County.

Workout group for Cary moms offers fitness, camaraderie, and no need for babysitter

Dilemma: you want to work out, but you've got an itty bitty human with you. What do you do?

A) Once again leave the kid with dad/grandma/nanny/the neighbor's kid who isn't really old enough to watch kids on their own but they're cheap labor/the dog
B) Don't work out, because it's too much of a hassle
C) Take the kid to the park and do a Stroller Strides workout!

Oh yeah, I'd say C) is a clear winner in my book too! 

I first got connected with the Fit4Mom Cary/Durham Stroller Strides group at the stand-up paddleboarding event at Lake Crabtree, and when Devon from the group found out I was taking photos for Wake County parks we chatted about which parks were included. It turns out a group of moms regularly do a workout at Crowder district park, so I headed over Monday morning to meet up with them and take some photos.

10 Wake County parks. Lots of fun photos!

It's Friday, Fri-yay! Who's got a long weekend ahead for July 4th? I'm taking off Monday to do some exploring, and yes I'll have my camera with me!

I've talked a bit about the Wake County parks project, but here's the run-down:

10 parks in Wake County. New websites and brochures. Lots of photos by yours truly. Yep, you've got the picture, and here are a few of my favorites so far!

Trying Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Lake Crabtree and Harris Lake

I have been having a blast taking photos of Wake County parks! Most recently I met up with a group of stand-up paddleboarders at Lake Crabtree. The week before at Harris Lake I'd met Laura Prudhomme, the organizer of the Meetup "What SUP Triangle?" through a meetup with Life Is A Hike. Laura and her husband Mark own Earth Creature which rents SUP gear and organizes events like the SUP meetup at Harris and the meetup at Crabtree. I found them through a mutual friend and after I took photos at the Harris Lake event Laura invited me to take photos at a Lake Crabtree event and try out paddling for myself. 

Durham race swag will make you want to shout, "More cow bell!"

I've always wanted to run with bulls. And while the dangerous event in Pamplona may not be the sort of adrenaline rush I've been craving, I still had the chance to run with the bulls of Bull City, my hometown Durham, NC.Travis, Kristen and I caught up with some other Fleet Feet runners at the start line of the race, all us bulls eager for the scenic and slightly hilly race.

A beautiful garden setting in the heart of Durham

You might have noticed recently that things around here have been a bit...quiet. It's not to say I'm not working - whoa heck no! I've been keeping super crazy busy with some photography projects! - but that leaves little time for this blog. It will be crazy for another few weeks, sorry, but if you want to do some modeling in the area just let me know. Otherwise, here are some Duke Gardens photos until then. Sorry for the silence, and I'll catch up with you all later!

"I hate this course." "Why do I do this to myself?" "I'm never running this race again!"

We say this every year, and yet every year we run the Tar Heel 10 Miler. It's iconic for Chapel Hill fans who run. The course runs through campus and hits up highlights like Franklin Street, the Old Well, the bell tower, and the stadium. But as a fellow runner around mile 4 quipped, "Well they sure don't call it Chapel FLAT!"

My first time racing a Rock 'n' Roll event and the disappointment of not PR'ing

Well, it had to happen eventually. After a four race PR streak I finally broke my streak. It was bound to happen though. It's unreasonable to assume that I can run every race in my life faster than the last, and it might as well happen on my fifth half marathon.

Repurposed flood plain in Durham offers short hike adjacent to park

For hike #5 of my 52 Hike Challenge I was hoping for a nice, easy, local trail. I had just run 11 miles the day before and I had an indoor soccer game Sunday afternoon, so I wanted something easy to enjoy with Ryder and McCrae. I did my usual scouring of the internet, books, and Google maps, and I found New Hope Bottomlands Trail in Durham. New Hope Bottomlands Trail is tucked away: it's 2.2 miles in a lollipop loop through a floodplain with some views of New Hope Creek.

Local restaurants and breweries offer taste of Durham

The 5th annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience this past Sunday at DPAC drew quite a crowd of local beer and food enthusiasts. Sponsored by Tyler's Restaurant and Taproom, Sam's Quik Shop, and Harris Beverages it featured 35 Durham restaurants and 35 breweries, most of them local to North Carolina.