BTW, That Runner's In . . .

Sorry. It's been a busy week here at BTG, and we just realized this morning that we never told you where Casey was running. That being said, we know that Edinburgh, Scotland, is a second or a former home for many of our fans, and we figured you'd figure it out. The place looks a bit more foreboding under snow, but it still looks like an awesome day to take in the Northern sites. Cheers Casey, for sending another good shot our way!!

Transformative Runners - Racing Off Into the Sunset

Back in October, RTW did a short profile of a forerunner in our field - someone who has broken a trail for all double-x chromosomes who dream of living a life of writing and sport. Today we learned that this mentor, Michelle Theall, is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of Women's Adventure Magazine.

Theall founded this ground-breaking publication in 2002. It was the first, and remains one of the few, publications for women that doesn't focus on our weight, our eyelashes, or whether our drapes match our couch. She used her intelligence, her energy, her voice and her pen to empower women in active endeavors of the physical, mental, and spiritual variety. She also spread her positive energy among all of us in the Boulder community.

Fortunately, Theall will remain an active contributor to Women's Adventure Magazine, and continue to organize Boulder's annually-held refreshing bout of inspiration - the Creative Conferences. Keep track of her and her future adventures at http://www.michelletheall.com/.

In the meantime, our appreciation, our thoughts, and our best wishes for a bright future are with Theall and her family. My co-author, Kate, and I come from a generation of girls who grew up never second-guessing they could swim across rivers, bike across mountain ranges, and, in general, run the world. Its women like you who have made our attitudes possible, and our dreams reachable.

Theall is currently at work researching her memoir. We thought we'd use this picture to help inspire her!

Running Away With Tom Casarella

Thomas Casarella runs the world. Well, almost. After graduating from business school at Harvard, Tom accepted a job at the US Treasury Department. As a lifelong traveler and athlete he knew he had to find a way to continue staying fit while traveling for business and pleasure. Thus, his running career began. And it has proven to be mighty impressive to date.

Kate Lincoff: Have you always been a runner?

Thomas Casarella: Well, growing up I played a lot of soccer and hockey in high school and college. I went to college in Bowdoin and played soccer and hockey there. I ran my first marathon senior year of college. Boston was my first marathon. I ran as a bandit with a bunch of my friends.

KL: That’s a great first marathon to run. How many have you done to date?

TC: I’ve done 11, but I’ve gotten much more serious over time. The first ones I would do in like 3:30 or something like that but the more recent goal is to break 3.

KL: How do you find routes when you go travel?

TC: For me it’s the best way I’ve found to see a city. I usually just grab a map, I find something that looks like a reasonable distance and then I go. If I get lost and it ends up being a bit longer that’s ok. I tend to just try to get out and run in every city I go to.

KL: What are your favorite places that you have run?

TC: There’s a mountain in the middle of Edinburgh, there’s a park trail that runs all the way around the circumference of the mountain. I think it’s called Mt. Arthurs. That was a great run.

KL: Do you take any precautions when you run abroad?

TC: I always feel safe when I run traveling. There would def be a different scenario if I was female. I’ve run in some pretty dodgy places or at least ended up in them.

KL: Why do you like to run when you travel?

TC: I know that had I not been a runner the aspects of cities that I’ve been to around the world would have been much narrower than what I’ve gotten to see and experience because I go out and run. If you have limited time in a city that you aren’t familiar with, you really can only walk so far. But if you run 6 or 7 miles in those cities, chances are you are going to see a lot of the important or renowned sites.

KL: Have you been anywhere that you found you just could not run?

TC: It’s very hard to go running in India. You need to have roads to run. India is kind of a cluster mess of roads and trails and there is no good direction. I would say it is difficult to come up with runs in third world cities.

KL: Have you been surprised by any country’s running communities?

TC: Tokyo is one of the best runs you can find, around the imperial gardens. In the center of Tokyo there is a huge park and trail around the imperial.

KL: Do you meet people when you run?

TC: No. I tend to do my own thing. There is ample opportunity to do that.

KL: Do you listen to music when you run abroad?

TC: I always listen to music. I have a pretty eclectic mix. Everything from the Killers to Johny Cash to Justin Timberlake to Miley Cyrus.

KL: Eclectic indeed.  Any final words of advice to runners traveling abroad?

TC: If you go on a run in Paris, Rome, Moscow, you can easily and quickly acclimate yourself to the environment. You get to see things that it would take you much longer to see and accomplish if you weren’t a runner.

KL: I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Tom! Keep running away!

Reckon' that Runner's in Jeans and a Sweater

But running attire has as many styles and variations as there are runners in the world, and you don't need BTG to tell you that it's a big world out there. Instead we encourage you to nod, smile, and try to reckon where Casey is running this week:

By the way, if your name starts with an "S", and ends with an "ara Noel", or starts with a "W", and ends with a "ayne Annard", or starts with a "D", and ends with "onna McKay" (not to mention "S" "teve Young" and "T" "yler Kidder"), you should know this one. 

Transformative Runners Running Free

Back in August we did a mini-profile of our hero and fellow runner, Nelson Mandela. Today, on the twenty-year anniversary of his release from prison, we just wanted to give a special mention to this special human being who changed the course of history for his country and his world. It's powerful energy like that that should infuse our runs, and very definitely our lives. The hope he spreads can keep you energized for a very long time.

Fanning Flames of Controversy

At BLAZE, we are all about sparking inspiration among our fellow active travelers, but this is one flame we are anxious to put out.

Smoking. You don't need us to lecture you about the dangers of this habit. It kills smokers, it kills non-smokers, and it feeds and industry that doesn't give a sh*t about anyone in either group (which, as you will note, collectively includes everybody in the world).

In recent years, smoking bans have spread across the most unlikely continent. Signs reading "Zone Non Fumeur " are now commonplace in cities like Paris, where previously one couldn't even conceive of Parisians putting out (cigarettes). Health awareness and anti-smoking campaigns have also made their way further east. Countries like Croatia, Estonia, and even Turkey have eliminated or severely limited the ability for inhalers to light up in their restaurants.

Has this smoking ban worked to deter smoking? In BLAZE's experience, the definite answer is yes and no. When going on an summer evening run through downtown Zagreb, you'll have to dodge cigarette-sucking cafe patrons crowding the streets, but at least when the weather's bad you can count on finding an indoor smoke-free atmosphere. Greece, on the other hand, has recently been termed a "failure" when it comes to putting out cigarettes' flames. And in other countries, like Russia, the idea of restricting one of the people's most popular past-times is broadly considered a Western invention designed to bring the Bear of the federation down.

Conclusions thus far? Health and fitness cultures and understandings are as varied as there are counties and peoples in the world. As we launch our line of travel guides in 2010, we will be further investigating international approaches to issues like smoking, eating, health, fitness, and, of course, running. Stay tuned for further reports!

Ukraine - A "Bonked" Revolution

BLAZE Travel Guides - Kyiv, Ukraine, March 2009

The running route advised by BLAZE Travel Guides' "Running the World - Kyiv, Ukraine" - leads directly through Maydan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square. This was the site of the country's 2004 Orange Revolution, in which an estimated 500,000 people came together on the city streets to protest the controversial election victory of Victor Yanukovich, the country's pro-Russia prime minister. The protest, the most recent of Eastern Europe's "Velvet Revolution", led to the installment of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in the country's executive role, and the success of the Orange movement was largely viewed as a Ukrainian turn to the West.


Therefore, it was disappointing for many when Sunday's presidential election resulted in Viktor Yanukovich defeating Yulia Timoshenko. The former's victory seems to indicate a defeat for the Orange Revolution, the hopes, and the dreams, which manifested themselves so strongly five years ago.


But many people BLAZE met on the streets of Ukraine would explain that the Orange revolutionaries did not lose the political footrace with Yanukovich and his pro-Kremlin policies. They bonked. That is, once the Orange people were in power, the movement was unable to deliver on its policies of economic refurbishment and social possibility. After a six-year marathon of hard, cold, and bitter disillusionment, it's no surprise that Ukraine hit the wall. Unable to continue on their current course they gave up, threw up, and threw their weight behind the power a very different party, one that sympathizes more with the country's mighty neighbor to the north.


What does this mean for the country's coming years? At this time election results are yet to become official, and the reaction of the largely pro-European Western Ukrainians are yet to be seen. But one thing seems clear: the course time on Ukraine's race to the West is running low, and it seems ready to run out before the country reaches the finish line.

February Running In Europe - Races, Fun Runs, and Charity Events

Oops! Sorry to all our fans who were wondering where this post was on Monday. The weather outside may still be frightful, but it's the time of year to start anticipating some fun spring and summer running. Below are a few European runs coming up to whet your appetite for that time:

• FRANCE: As if a girl would need an excuse to go to the Riviera for Valentines Day. The Cannes Half Marathon kicks off on Sunday, February 14, at 9 a.m. Half-Marathon, 10K.

• SPAIN: Barcelona is a woman's town, but on Sunday, February 14, it will be a runner's town. The Asics Mitja Marato will take you past some of the most amazing historical sites this town has to offer. Half-Marathon. 

• UK: Brighton is one of the few places in the Isles where you might be able to find a spot of sunshine on February 21. Take your chances on it by participating in the Sussex Beacon Half-Marathon on that Sunday. Half-marathon.

• ITALY: You need to be fast on your feet if you're in the wrong kind of business on Sicily. See some of the best in them in the Syracuse Marathon on February 21. For more of a romantic running experience, check out the Romeo and Giulietta Half-Marathon in Verona on the same day.

• CYPRUS: Its marriage laws may make it the Las Vegas of the Mediterranean, but its wintertime marathon makes it a February running destination. The Limassol Marathon takes place on Sunday, February 28. Marathon, half-marathon, 10K.

We didn't start the fire

Oh wait. Yes we did.

Naming a business is like naming a child, except when you're naming your child you don't have to worry about whether someone's trademarked "Mary" or if www.elliscayton.org has been bought up by some jerkface hacker who spends his days buying domain names on GoDaddy. But after getting burned time after time with our name choices, Kate and I think we've finally hit on one.

World, meet BLAZE Travel Guides.

BLAZE, meet World.

Play nice now.