Hi! I have emerged from a writer’s block in the middle of this global pandemic to bring you excerpts from my journal that I call “memoirs of a quarantine.” I cannot say that these are the right words, but they are my words: March 30, 2020 This past New Year’s Eve, I gathered with Charlotte runner friends at Paula and Franklin’s house in Dilworth. We made miniature cookie cakes in tiny cast iron …
Recent Posts
In the Name of Decency
Hi there! I'm in the midst of yet another marathon training cycle. Next stop, Chicago. Several years ago, I stopped listening to music on my runs. No music, you say?! Nope. What do you do? What do you think about?? Lately, this is what I think about: Decency. Look around. We're living in a polarized world. At our worst, adults are getting away with name calling, bullying and …
A Tale of Two Marathons
Two marathons in one month – one I ran, the other, I tried. Here’s my story about running the Boston Marathon and then a week-long jury trial in Durham County. Part I: The Boston Marathon I open my suitcase in the Boston hotel room, just two blocks away from the finish line. Pull out a range of clothes – shorts, rain coat, gloves, ear warmer, tank top, hat, sunglasses, latex gloves. The race …
No Finish Lines
Chasing Helen celebrates 2 years this month! In early 2017, having recently qualified for the Boston Marathon, I decided to create a blog to share my journey and encourage others to set goals and chase them down. In my first post, I challenged you to answer the question: who are you chasing? "If you want something you've never had, then you've got to do something you've never done." - Thomas …
A Letter to Sophie: Find the Women
A fourth grader in Raleigh, NC named Sophie recently wrote me a letter about a project she is working on for her writing class. She chose to write about "Women Working in Male-Dominated Careers" and asked me if I would provide insight and thoughts as a woman lawyer. Since my top favorite things -- writing, lawyering and running -- are so intertwined in my life, I thought this "Chasing Helen" forum …