We decided to stay Stateside for our first marathon of 2012. Since the Olympic marathon trials for both men AND women were going to be held in Houston the day before the Chevron Houston Marathon, it seemed like an easy choice for a January race.

The Trials were, in a word, phenomenal to watch. And the way it was set up made it easy to see the runners 8 times, if you planned it correctly.

The weather was nearly perfect, cool and clear, if a little windy. We first positioned ourselves about 800 yards from the start line for the men’s race, and it was overwhelming to see this herd of gazelles flash past us, before they started spreading out.

For the women’s race, I wanted to be right at the start line, so after we saw the men run their first short loop, we headed to the start. Up close, we could see the focus and feel the last-minute nerves that I’m sure they were all feeling. And then they were gone.

We spent the next 2 hours running back and forth between Lamar and McKinley, the two roads on which the nearly 8-mile loop was run on. I was following on Twitter, too, so I knew when we should start looking for the lead pack and also who was likely to be in it.

So many articles have been written about the race itself that I’ll skip that, except to say that by the time Meb, Ryan and Abdi had crossed the finish line, my voice was nearly gone from shouting. And after Shalane, Desi and Kara came past, I had no voice at all. What a great opportunity to see nearly ALL of our country’s best marathoners in one place.

The other thing that really stood out for us was the enormous and unflagging efforts of both Amy Hastings and Dathan Ritzenheim, who both placed 4th in the Trials. Seeing them both in the lead packs for most of the races, it was heartbreaking to see them finally drop off the back. But it wasn’t because they gave up – you could see both of their fighting spirits and their unflagging nerves, which never let up. I have no doubt we’ll see both of them again, and next time in the top finishers.

The race for us “regular folks” was on Sunday, and the weather was even better. The organization was flawless (though a little crowded at the beginning, but with over 8,000 of us it was bound to be a little congested). Spectator support was some of the best I’ve seen anywhere, and lots of handmade signs and people handing out orange slices and gummi bears and bacon and beer. And yes, I indulged in all the above!

Possibly the highlight of my weekend, though, was when I saw Meb in a restaurant on Sunday and despite my misgivings, went over to talk to him. He was so gracious and kind and he even asked me how MY race went. I kept the answer vague, and didn’t bother to tell him that I was about 2 hours slower than he was. It was lovely to see what a real and humble person he is – he is a runner’s rock star! Check out his book, below, and get to know him better before we see him tear up the Olympic course in London.

Now that the holiday decorations are put away and life is back to normal (although maybe 10 pounds more than I had on me before Thanksgiving!) it’s time to start thinking about where you want to run this year. We’ve got our usual trips to the Copenhagen Marathon, The Reykjavik Marathon, the Loch Ness Marathon, and the Dublin Marathon.

And we’re very excited to be able to bring back our marathon tour to the Edinburgh Marathon Festival on May 26-27. In prior years we had to stop offering it because it occurred on the same day as the Copenhagen Marathon. This year, they have kindly changed their dates so that we can fit both marathon weekends in.

So if you’re a Marathon Maniac, or would like to be, or would just love to run two marathons in two different countries in two weeks, we can help you! And we’ll offer a 10% discount on both the Edinburgh Marathon Festival Tour and the Copenhagen Marathon Tour if you sign up for both of them with Run Amok Tours!

It’s the best way to make full use of your time in Europe – so consider doing it this year! Please call us if you have questions or need more information on how to run two marathons in two weeks; we’re happy to help!

Back now and just about over our jet lag from our super fun trip to Loch Ness, Scotland via Edinburgh. I’m often asked what is my favorite marathon, and I was reminded that this one is way way up there on the list! It’s got it all – small and friendly, but with good competition; a choice of distances (full marathon, 10k or 5k); something for the kids (the “Wee Nessie” run – so adorable); a challenging but gorgeous course; great swag; and the nicest people you’ll find anywhere.

The race has grown in the last couple of years, but they still manage to make it a well-organized run with a real local feel. The village of Inverness – well, you just have to see it for yourself. It’s situated on the banks of the River Ness, with a castle overlooking it. There are lovely walking/running paths along the river and onto the islands that are accessible by a footbridge. Despite its size, the town has a lot of really good restaurants, which we did our best to patronize. There just wasn’t enough time in the day (or meals in the day, more accurately) for us to do them all justice.

We did sample the haggis and (more than) sampled the single malts. We took a boat ride and saw Nessie. A few of our runners reported seeing her on the day of the race too!

I’ll post some pictures soon on our Facebook page. If you haven’t visited us there, please do, and we’d love it if you’d follow us.

You can also follow us on Twitter, @runamoktours, for updates on what’s happening in the global running community.

We’ll see you next year in Scotland!

…even though they speak a form of English, it’s really like a separate language. Most of my conversations there, even with friends I’ve known a long time, include a lot of “pardon me”. Likewise, cultural norms, references, and etiquette are similar to ours, but different enough that you become a havering bam, if you’re not careful.

Luckily, there’s this book – Culture Shock Scotland! that will help you make sense of this sort of parallel world that is Scotland.

Do yourself a favor and check out this book. I was glad to have a little refresher myself as we prepare to run amok in Loch Ness!

Culture Shock Scotland!

Cultureshock Scotland (Cultureshock Scotland: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)
by Cultureshock

How did this happen? Our trip to Loch Ness is in less than a month, and race day is exactly three weeks from now!

How’s your training going?

At this point, you’re done with all your long runs and the taper begins. Ah, the taper – some of us hate it, some of us love it. For me, it’s a chance to rest, relax, and get caught up on things I didn’t do during my training (like cleaning the house!), but on the other hand I get a little anxious. I wonder if I have really trained right, or enough. I worry that I will trip down my stairs and injure myself. I also freak out with any little ache or pain I feel.
What about you? Do you love or despise the taper?

Also, we’re pleased to announce our new presence on Thumbtack, which is a great search engine. Check it out for everything from international marathon tours, to plumbers, to other local goods and services. Here’s us! International Marathon Tours

So many good travel books, but I have always been a fan of the Lonely Planet series. This one is no different – it’s packed with a diverse range of things to do and see, places to stay, and places to sleep. There’s lots of history in it, too, so those of us who slept through world history in high school can catch up. And isn’t history so much more interesting when you are RIGHT THERE where it happened?

Lonely Planet Discover Scotland (Lonely Planet Discover Scotland)
by Lonely Planet

Whichever side of the budget talks you haapen to be on, one thing is clear: no one will benefit from a shutdown of government operations, especially travelers. Noticed that your airline tickets have gone up significantly in the past couple of weeks? Wonder who will be keeping the skies safe to fly in if all the air-traffic controllers are forced into furlough? Check out this article by expert traveler Peter Greenberg to find out why. And then, contact your Representative and your Congressperson! http://www.petergreenberg.com/2011/07/25/faa-shutdown-ends-airport-construction-but-flights-unaffected/

How’s the training going? We’re less than 12 weeks out from the Loch Ness Marathon, so things should be ramping up for you. I’m still planning on running the full race, but have been battling injuries for a long time. I haven’t been able to get the long runs in lately, and my speedwork is nonexistent. So there may be some walking involved for me. Just be sure and save me some haggis and single malt for my victory dinner!

We still have a couple of spots left on the tour, so don’t delay – contact us soon if you want to run with the Loch Ness Monster!

Running the inaugural Vancouver USA Marathon this Sunday June 19th?

Come see us at the marathon expo (www.vancouvermarathon.com) on Saturday June 18 from 10 am until 5 pm. We’ll be hanging out with the great physical therapists from 360 Physical Therapy (www.360-pt.com) and also our local Chi Running expert Alice Diffley from www.runningmindfully.com.

Stop by to chat, find out more about our upcoming trips, and enter to win the book Long Run by Matt Long, a gripping and inspiring story of a New York firefighter who defied the odds.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

We’ve been busy here at Run Amok Tours, getting organized for marathon season here in the Northwest and around the world. (Although does marathon season EVER really stop? Nope – all the better for us!) We hope your spring has been filled with injury-free training and PRs. We had a successful time at the Edinburgh marathon and our Scottish friend Jim McLaren posted a great race time of 3:13. He just keeps getting faster as he gets, uh, more mature!

Our latest news is that we have decided to price our tours as land-only trips. This means that you’ll pay for your hotel nights, marathon entry, airport transfers, included tours, and pre-race pasta feeds (if applicable). This gives you the opportunity to book your own flights at times and with carriers that you prefer.

This change comes because we have found that our clients want to be more in control of their overall travel plans. Maybe you want to get to the host country a few days (or a week!) early, or extend your stay longer than our group does. Or, you may want to use frequent flier miles or leave from a different airport than we use. In any case, this will make it much more convenient for you!

And don’t worry – we’ll always be there to meet you at the airport, train station or hotel for the first day of the tour!

We look forward to seeing you soon – in the meantime, happy trails!