It's been quite a while since I've written a shoe review in these parts. I had fallen into a regular routine of ordering the exact same shoe model over and over, because why mess with what works? Alas, on a fateful day in New Jersey last October, I reluctantly put on a demo pair of Merrell Bare Access XTR 's. And over the course of 5 miles (a Ragnar Relay Yellow loop), I fell in love. Continue reading →
Old Habits, New Norms: Running with Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
Alright brave readers, we're about to talk about my vagina again. As mentioned in a post two months ago, I'm suffering from what is known as a pelvic organ prolapse. I'm sure some of you may recoil at reading those words, but it's one of those shitty things that happens, frequently, and I'm not ashamed to talk about it. (Though not excited to admit it, it's certainly not something I ever Continue reading →
5 Ways to Guarantee You’ll Hate Running
Coach Heather here, with a helpful post describing 5 ways to guarantee you'll hate running. I assure you that while the title may sound satirical, I'm absolutely serious with this post. (No really, stick with my sarcasm here...I've got an actual point to this post.) You see, I've made all of these mistakes. Some more than once. And they've left me feeling a sense of disdain for the Continue reading →
Hello, It’s Me.
After almost eleven years in this space - I needed a break. Is a blogging sabbatical a thing? I'd imagine most people would take a sabbatical from their traditional 9 to 5 to work on a blog. Not taking a break from the blog to focus on something else. But here we are. Ten years is a lot of content. 1,133 published posts to be exact (including this one, excluding the ones I've deleted Continue reading →
Running Mom Guilt: 5 Reasons Why You Should Let It Go
Moms, let's talk about something that sometimes hurts. It's more painful than inner thigh chafing, more agonizing than the thought of a lactate threshold test. (Ask my clients - those things are painful.) Hell, it's even more stressful than getting caught in a long line of runners on a single track trail when you are trying to beat a time cutoff. It's running mom guilt: the anxiety and remorse Continue reading →
4 Ways to Stay Involved in the Running Community – When You Can’t Run.
So you're injured, and benched from running. Maybe it's temporary. Maybe you've got one of those dreaded 6-8 week sentences. Maybe, you don't have a timeline at all, and wonder if running will ever be a part of your life again. Whatever the prognosis and prescription, chances are you are pretty bummed. Believe me, I get it. It can be hard when suddenly the community that means so much Continue reading →
Look Up.
Once, I gave up drinking alcohol for forty days. Then I wrote about it, because that's what I do. 60 more days passed, and I found myself 100 days sober. Something I had not once done before in my adult life. I liked how I felt, so another 100 days of no drinking passed. It wasn't easy, of course. Almost daily I had to turn down offers of drinks from friends, or ignore the delicious Continue reading →
How to Navigate an Ultramarathon Aid Station
About a decade ago, I was a happy road runner, traversing the paved streets of major cities while collecting new half and full marathon finishers medals. I remember thinking that a race had outdone themselves when I'd show up to an aid station, and in addition to water and Gatorade, they had something like orange slices available. Food ON course? How thoughtful of the race director! Then, I Continue reading →
Trail Running’s Affect on Mental Health: 5 Proven Ways Trail Running Makes You Happy
When you were little, chances are your mom was always hounding you to "go outside and play". Little did you know, she was doing more than just trying to get you out of her hair - she was helping you stay healthy. As adults, we seek alternate ways to enjoy the outdoors that differ from the tree-forts and stick fights of our past. For some of us, our nature solace comes in the form of running Continue reading →
10 Pros & Cons of Massage Guns for Runners
Runners are always hunting for the best and most effective way to recover from hard workouts and races. And who can blame them? The ability to recover quickly means athletes can continue training hard, which in theory, means progression to becoming a faster, stronger runner. Naturally, when a new recovery technique or product hits the endurance community, it tends to go viral. Compression Continue reading →
You’re Allowed to Change. (My 2019 Recap & 2020 To Do List)
As 2019 comes to a close I find myself in a precarious position. With 2 days left in the year, I've already been forced to back out of essentially all of my "big goals" for the first half of 2020. I've seen the little screen on ultrasignup.com that says "we're sorry you can't make it" when you un-register from a race more times this week than I've seen in my entire life. Hell Hole 100 PR Continue reading →
