1 Year Working Out, 40 Pounds Lost, and 40ish Years Walking Wrong

It’s been a little over a year since I began working out heavily and eating healthier. I’m also now 8 weeks into my 6 month vegan bodybuilding program. I’m down 40lbs or so from where I began, probably a couple of sizes, and definitely a lot of inches. I can honestly say that my life

How to Eat an Elephant

I was recently talking with a dear friend who is planning a move across the country. She was describing how overwhelming all the details were. Remembering our own move from Alaska to the midwest, I was reminded of how there were times I had no idea how everything was going to work out. We had

Why I’m Proud of a 161st Finish for my Thanksgiving 5k

I ran my first race back running on Thanksgiving. When I say “ran,” well…it wasn’t exactly my best race, but there was running and I did the distance and I’m still very proud of it. This year hasn’t been a normal year in any way and this race was a virtual 5k due to Covid.

My Special Needs Son…Why I’m Running My Butt Off for Friendship Circle of Wisconsin

Our son turns 17 in December. For most boys his age, this would be a time of driving himself and friends, wanting a car of his own, preparing for college…getting ready to spread his wings. For my son, things are a little different, even without this Covid mess. He has 15 hours of therapy a

Choosing Joy Amid Constriction

This time of year is a tough one. For most people, the days are getting darker and shorter and the weather cooler. The trees are changing colors, which is beautiful, but slowly leaves things more and more bare. School is in full swing and work is often hectic now before the regular holidays hit. If

Why I Run with a Big Dog

My best friend and running buddy is Sam. Sam is a 100lb St. Bernard/Belgian Malinois mix and lives his life as my big, furry shadow. He follows me everywhere I go and is never more than a foot or two away from me. Right now he’s snoring behind me as I type at my computer.

Joy and Movement

It’s starting to get good, ya’all. This morning I went for a run with some of my favorite people and creatures in the world…both of my kids and both of our dogs. The air was cool and clear and the sun was slowly rising and it was one of those runs where it feels like

How DO You Train to Run a Half Marathon?

Right now…I’ll level with you…I can barely run a good mile. A half marathon is 13.1 miles, exactly half the distance of a full marathon, which is 26.2. I chose a half marathon for my goal for several reasons, but among them was that the training runs for a half are much less time consuming

Morning Exercise and Quality Sleep – A Powerful Connection

Does it matter WHEN you exercise? Well, when you get down to it, if you’re really pressed for time ANY time you can fit in your workout is better than missing it, but there’s some really powerful reasons why working out early is better for your body. Especially if you’re struggling to get good, DEEP

Sweating the Stress Out and How Working Out Helps me Lose Weight (Hint…it’s not about calories burned!)

It’s been a stressful week…month…year? Ok, let’s just settle on that it’s been particularly stressful this week. My husband just had cancer surgery yesterday and, while he’s thankfully doing really well, that does make for a stressful and emotional time. Today, I had one of those mornings where it just seems like everything I did