A few months ago, when a very close friend of mine unexpectedly lost a parent, I reminded her multiple times that there was no right or wrong way to grieve. That she owed absolutely no one an explanation or any apologies for the way she chose to deal with her loss. I never imagined that later on in the year, I'd be giving myself the same speech. Writing has always been therapeutic for me, Continue reading →
5 Ways Running Helps Control My Anxiety
I am grateful that we live in a time where slowly, the stigmas associated with mental health are diminishing. People are more comfortable stepping up and saying "Hey, I'm not always OK...and that's OK." So it is with that knowledge that I too will step up and say that I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. I attribute it to equal parts genetics and a number of negative and traumatic Continue reading →
Review: INKnBURN Sports Dress & 4 Inch Shorts
Let's face it: I'm not the most feminine woman in the world. That said, I'm not necessarily a tom-boy either. But...I have no earthly idea how to apply makeup, I don't own a pair of heels, and anytime I need to dress up for something even semi-formal, I need to borrow an outfit, because everything I own is made up of sweat wicking material. So when I first saw the new releases of INKnBURN Continue reading →
8 Realities of Marathon Training
Making the jump from half marathon to full marathon training can be overwhelming. Unlike the smaller increases in distances from a 5K to a 10K, 10K to a half marathon, training volume more than doubles when you make the leap from a half to the full marathon distance. While everyone will tell you how incredible the journey to your first marathon finish line can be (and it is), rarely do you hear Continue reading →
Vertical Training for Flatland Runners: What to Do When You Don’t Have Hills
Your finger hovers over the computer mouse as you hesitate to hit the "register" button for another race. You know you are capable of covering the course distance, whether it be a 10K, marathon, or even 100 miler. But it's the elevation profile and vertical gain listed on the race's website that's holding you back. There's a ton of climbing over the course of this race, and you live at sea Continue reading →
10 Weird Things People Say to Ultra Runners
"You're running a 50K? HOW MANY DAYS IS THAT GOING TO TAKE YOU?" The question, posed by a gym member as we were wrapping up a group fitness class, was innocent enough. "What are your plans for this weekend?" she asked me with a smile. Forgetting where I was, I quickly and casually mentioned "Oh I'm racing a 50K". As soon as the words slipped past my tongue, I braced myself for the reply. I Continue reading →
2018 Table Rock Ultras 50K – Race Report
"Fatigue makes cowards of us all." - George S. Patton, Jr. ______________________ Between labored breaths and awkward stabs into the ground with my trekking poles, I desperately glance down at my GPS watch. It reads 17.1 miles, only 0.2 miles more than it read the last time I checked. "You've got to be kidding me" I mumble under my breath, with a few other choice expletives. I'm Continue reading →
Deep Vein Thrombosis and Endurance Athletes: Know the Deadly Risks of DVT
If you only read one post of mine this year, I hope it will be this important one. We're going to discuss a somewhat common, potentially deadly condition that as a runner or endurance athlete you definitely need to know about: deep vein thrombosis, or "DVT". In a society that is woefully inactive and unhealthy, it would be easy to assume that the very regular exercise you participate in as an Continue reading →
Death…for Life.
Ultra runners are no strangers to race registration lotteries. You see, in the trail and ultra running world, races are more often than not held in forests, parks, or on mountains that simply cannot accommodate the thousands (or tens of thousands) of participants you see in traditional road races. For this reason, as well as permitting issues, ultras tend to have a very limited number of Continue reading →
Miles and Menstrual Cycles: How Your Period Affects Your Running
As a female runner, there are a few circumstances and considerations we have to take that our male counterparts do not. Like, finding a sports bra that actually works. Running while pregnant, post-partum, or breastfeeding. Or the topic of todays post: how your period affects your running and training. This is the point in this post where many would "warn" their male readers to tune back in Continue reading →
The 8th Forgotten Fear: Florence
It's probably not healthy to be so viscerally angry at a hurricane. But here we are. Last week when I sat down to write about the number of random fears that were causing me anxiety about the upcoming Barkley Fall Classic, I failed to list a direct hit of my house and hometown by a massive category 4 (potentially a 5 when it's all said and done) hurricane. A slight oversight, indeed. Now, Continue reading →
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