If Baby I'm the bottom, you're the top!

It's a favorite old Cole Porter song of mine from the 1934 musical "Anything Goes" that strikes me as the theme song for this post.

You're the top!
You're Mahatma Gandhi.
You're the top!
You're Napoleon Brandy.
You're the purple light
Of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery
You're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane.
You're sublime,
You're turkey dinner,
You're the time, the time of a Derby winner
I'm a toy balloon that is fated soon to pop
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!

Anyhow, you get the idea and if you don't then I suggest you youtube it for the Cary Grant version, he's divine.

The point of all this fuss is to point out a few of my "must-read" recommendations (including one "must-hear") for other running-related blogs/podcasts. As a general rule I check these blogs every day or so and nearly always enjoy their content when new posts are up. In no particular order, here are my top 5:

Pigtails Flying
This is a blog I discovered over a year and a half ago and read for a while before taking a break because the writer was injured and I couldn't bear to read about another injured runner while I was also injured. Last year, thanks to the power of Twitter, I re-discovered this gem and it earned its spot back on my bookmarks bar. Lucky me, I've had the pleasure of getting to know the author, the legendary TK, and even running the Green Mountain Relay with her. She's a fantastic writer who isn't afraid to share her running successes, fears, hopes, letdowns and does it all with grace and good humor. She's also a speedy runner from Queens who motivates me with her spunk. I'm betting that you'll love her as much as I do. Keep up with her on Twitter @pigtailsflying.

Races Like a Girl
This blog is a fairly recent addition to my regular reads, but I wish I'd known about it much, much sooner because it is a hilarious and usually insightful read. I met Julie, the author of RLAG because she was also a member of the GMR team and we hit it off instantly. While she's currently injured and bummed out, I am not deterred from reading because she's taking it all in stride (or lurch) and I'm certain that she's doing the right things to get herself back to running in no time. She's a super fast runner with not-so-secret hopes of making it to the Olympic trials in Houston 2012. Follow her on twitter for heads up on new blog posts @RacesLikeaGirl. She has a whole separate blog about the other masters women with plans to do big things in Houston, aptly named Houston Hopefuls which is ALSO on my top 5 list. (Don't go getting a big head about this Julie.) ;) While HH isn't updated as frequently, I'm always very excited when it is because each of the women interviewed have great stories to tell.

Dump Runners Club
Wow, this is becoming a Green Mt Relay love-fest, isn't it? Another team member from GMR, known as Runner Matt, records a great podcast that I've been listening to for at least a year and 1/2... I think. I'm bad with timeframes. Anyway, Matt's podcast is one of my favorite things to listen to while running because it usually has lots of variety to keep me interested. He talks about his own running a bit out in CO (he's wicked fast), then fills you in on elite running from time to time (which I love because I'm too lazy to keep up with it on my own, but find it very interesting) and he generally has another informative topic to discuss as well. Oh, and his favorite saying is "as well." I really enjoy DRC and suggest that you get on over to iTunes and download it for free. He also has a website that is a bit, um, weak at the moment, but worth a few minutes of your time. Find out how to become a headband-wearing member of DRC on the site. You can follow him on twitter @runnermatt.

Last but definitely not least...

Bridges Runner
I might be a bit biased on this one because the author, EG, is one of my closest friends but the girl can write about anything and make you smile. If you're convinced that the world is full of pessimists and grumps, I suggest you check out this blog for a serious dose of optimism and a side of "crazy". A strong runner from Brooklyn, Elyssa just tackled one of the biggest, wildest races of anyone I know- Pike's Peak Marathon. She ran to the top of the 14,115 ft mountain and then ran down, all part of her turning 30 celebration and you can read allll about it. Follow her adventures on twitter @nycbklyngirl

I have plenty more blogs to choose from, but I don't have the time to tackle them all at once. Check out the blogroll over to the right of the screen for more. I hope you enjoy my recommendations, I know I do! Be sure to leave them some love and tell them who sent you! ;)