Run Eat Tri Yogi

I wrote about what living with depression and anxiety is like in my post " Depression Hit Me Hard Today"   But I want to keep the conversation going. Like the #MeToo movement, this topic needs to be continued and be brought up until we treat it like any other illness that can be seen.  I know too many people who struggle with mental health issues that are hesitant to say anything because of the stigma. **And by the way, the following story isn't to bash police officers. Seriously, those who took offense to my Facebook post on this can stay gone.** I had a complete meltdown in my car a few days ago.  I got pulled over for going 2 MPH over the speed limit on the interstate. A small thing, right? Frustrating for sure. Especially since I was in near panic up to an hour earlier from dodging others doing their own high-speed chases. 2.over.the.speed.limit. It didn't help that I then got an earful from the officer about where I pulled over (side of passing lane "I...

Indoor marathon. 95 laps around a track. No personal music allowed. Sounds enticing, doesn't it? I ran this last year with friends and said I'll never do it again. It's not the track so much as I'd done two 12 hour races on a high school track before - and overnight, no less. But most, if not all, ultra runners will agree that marathons have a different atmosphere than ultras. That's another post in itself! And I hate being subjected to other people's music (they play music from runners' requests). But after so many months of freezing temps, snow and ice keeping me from decent long runs here in Wisconsin, I gave in. My desire to get in a long run without slipping, twisting my already-fragile ankle or losing feeling in my fingers due to the extreme cold took over. I want to point out that the race is very well-organized. The race director and the entire team are phenomenal. I got updated emails and the packet pick-up and race day instructions were...

12 hour run through the night on a 400 meter high school track. Sounds like torture, right?  That's what I thought last year after I'd signed up -- and then found out it was on a track!  I survived it, loved/hated it, and came back for more this year. Wearing my "lucky charms": Fearless skirt Chattanooga 70.3 tank This time though, I brought my girls with me. It's a very small race and because it was well-lit on the track, tent would be placed near the aid station and I would see them while I was running, I felt it was safe.  (I was also given a green light by the race director).  I also managed to talk my boyfriend, Ben, into running this with me... or should I say "highly suggested" this race to him and he made the decision to go ahead with it ;) Germantown High School Our little station. The race started at 8:00pm and as most ultras go, it was a great energy from the start.  There were the 24 hour runners who'd been running sinc...

Last year, I completed my first tri at this event. I'm pretty sure I said "never again" to this one. I remembered the hills being pretty bad. So being typical me, I went with the longer distance this time... and the hills were not just "pretty bad", they were a nightmare. Let me tell you all about it (and the lessons I learned)... Leading up to the race, I just didn't feel prepared. I know it's a common feeling for many of us. But I completely stopped swimming for a full month after my half ironman and took awhile to get back on the bike. I had nightmares of this event, especially the swimming portion. Then I'd shake it off, trying to remind myself that I'd completed twice the distance and then some not too long ago.  Race Day: The swim was uneventful. I learned from #imchoo and didn't stray too far from the buoys.  Oh the seaweed though... I got tangled in it a few times.  And best of all, I did not stumble left once I got out o...

"When you are ready to heal, you will find the courage to share your story.  When people hear how you have been able to get past your past, you will help to heal others and that is when we realize our greater purpose." -- Chalene Johnson I have been writing this blog since my half ironman. I started it on a bridge somewhere in Chattanooga during the run portion of the race, still on the first loop.  I was cherishing that moment in the run, looking up at the sky, thinking "what an amazing day" and thanking God for yet another opportunity at life.  After choking back the tears (let's face it, I was tired and could not cry, breathe properly and run at the same time), I thought "I'm doing this for us."  By us, I meant survivors. Survivors of abuse, those overcoming actions of others who hurt us physically, mentally and spiritually.  For those who went through the hellish journey from victim to survivor... and continuing to fight for the status of su...

What an amazing running season!! I had planned on ending the year with my first 50M and write up a spectacular blog.  But then this race happened to come along less than a week later and I feel this is what I need to write about.  This race was all me. No friends to push me when it got hard. No one to give me those encouraging words during those tough miles. No jokes. Mostly silence. Back to how I started racing. Race day morning: 4:55am alarm “Why am I doing this again? How did it get to this (again?)” I had decided to sign up for the Glacial Trail 50K only 5 days after North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile race. It was my first 50 miler and it was exciting, painful, glorious… and painful. Did I mention it was painful? 12 hours, 33 min and 4 seconds of joking, singing and laughing. Oh, and running. I rode on that high for about a day or two before the post-race blues set in. I was done with the big race of the year. Now what?  I had to admit my condition when...

If you've been paying attention to fitness memes or posters, you've seen them. "No excuses".  Makes me want to punch somebody.  It's a great idea, sure. If you work a perfect shift, have no kids, have unlimited financial resources... you get the idea. But for the rest of us normal folks, life happens .  If you have children, you know that even giving "4% of your day" to workout is a huge struggle.  Yes, I was able to find a meme that fit both of these in! I do agree that it is about priorities.  If it's important to you, you will find a way to make it work.  And this blog is to give you ideas on how to fit those workouts in. As a single mom, I've learned a few things along the way while training for my races. Whether it was my first 6K or a marathon, they all posed similar challenges.  My kids are my #1 priority and these are some of the ways I made my training work for us. Let's get right to it!  Today is a classic example. 1) Hav...