WOMEN'S RUNNING      

5 Things to Do When You Just Can't ... Run

I love to run. Except when I don’t. It doesn’t matter how passionate you are about running, whether you are new to the sport or a veteran, we all have those days. Those days when the gravitational pull toward the couch seems more than you can resist. Those days when all of your energy has been sapped by the demands of work, and home, and family, and chores and … life. [read more] [Also republished by runster.gr]

This Runner's Bucket List is All of Us  

In a "seize the day" moment that hit me (no surprise) in the middle of a run, I started to put together a list of places, races, and distances that I want to check off, and over time I have been making my way through them. What I have come to realize is that a bucket list doesn't need to be limited to big, flashy milestone moments; it also can include the everyday extras, all of which combine to broaden your running experiences, refresh your outlook on running, expose you to awe-inspiring scenery, and push you to take on new challenges. [read more]

5 Reasons to Publicly Declare Your Goals, Not Hide Them

There is running for the sake and love of running, then there is running in pursuit of something else: a goal. In the lifespan of a runner, each phase serves its purpose and has its place in time. But when you are ready to settle on a goal, and especially when you decide to chase one that seems completely out of reach, my advice is this: embrace it, claim it as your own, and share it with someone, anyone … Everyone. [read more]

           Why This Runner Broke Up with Her Scale

Many women have a number in their minds. It is that weight at which we feel the most self-confident, when we rock that bikini or skinny jeans, and feel healthy, beautiful and in control. In pursuit of that number, I have at various times dieted, counted calories, counted points, worked out to Tae Bo videos in a cement basement, cross-trained in a gym, competed in a triathlon (post-pregnancy weight loss plan #1), and completed a marathon (post-pregnancy weight-loss plan #2). Most of these weight loss efforts were successful. But with the passage of time, and the demands of life, kids, career and family, that number became illusive. [read more]

You Know You're A Real Runner When 

Running can be intimidating. In the beginning, everything about the sport seemed beyond me—running plans, training techniques, sorting through the latest in running shoes and fuel. And then there was the granddaddy of them all: participating in organized races. While waiting at race start lines, fake-stretching, I would study the other runners. Some simply exuded confidence and personified total fitness as they proudly wore their half marathon bibs (as compared to my 5K signage). In my mind at the time, they were the “real” runners out there. Me—I was just faking it until I made it. [read more] [Also republished by runster.gr

10 Things Chasing Success in Running Teaches Us About Life

Ask a thousand different runners for their definition of "success" and you will get as many different answers. Success is finding the courage to take your first step out the door or to hit the "submit" button to register for a race. Success can be overcoming an injury, conquering a new distance, running up a hill, setting a PR or qualifying for Boston. [read more]

Runners Love Social Media for These Two Great Reasons

I am pretty sure that the only thing most runners like more than a good (or even a bad) run is the thought of posting about it somewhere after the fact. Scenic run? City run? Crushed your PR? Raced in a tutu or tiara? Collapsed in a sweaty heap two minutes after you got home? Rehabbing? Racing? Share please. [read more]

 

Club mid @ Scary Mommy

Things I Neglected to Teach My Daughter Before She Went to College 

The summer days preparing your child to leave for college are measured in checklists: shopping lists, packing lists, registration lists, move-in lists. If you don't know where to start, you can find them all on the Internet. I studied them with the same urgency that I used to apply when preparing for final exams, paying particular attention to the ones that began with some version of "Essential Life Lessons Your Child Needs to Learn Before Going to College." [read more]

Running When You Don't Look Like a Runner

It has been a physically transformative year for my husband, and it hasn't gone unnoticed (by anyone). His hours of training and focus have paid off, big time, and I couldn't be more proud. But here's the deal: He now looks like a runner. Me, not so much. This has led to a number of interesting (read: awkward) conversations with family, friends and relative strangers (RS). [read more]

Why Moms Need Their Own Playdates

Like many women of their time, both of my grandmothers were devout bridge players, and their bridge luncheons with their girlfriends were sacrosanct. Growing up, I simply did not get it; what was the allure of this card game? I now understand that the bridge dates had very little to do with the actual game and everything to do with the fact that these women understood the importance of leaving kids, husbands and chores behind and reserving time to laugh, share and play games with their friends. [read more]

4 Rules for Healthy Living Learned at Camp When I Was 12

Before I turned 40, the word "diet" was synonymous with "how to look good in a bathing suit this summer." Apparently getting - dare I say it - older - changes things. I still devour books, articles, and pretty much any other mode of media devoted to diet, but now the focus is not so much on that bikini but on staying healthy. [read more]

The Gift of Unplugged Family Time

The best contract I ever wrote was entered into with my then 5- and 9-year-old children (and, yes, I am very aware that it was not legally enforceable, but it served its purpose well). At the time, a conversation common to many families was playing out in our house: Our kids desperately wanted a puppy and we, the parents, were afraid of being solely responsible for the health and well-being of one more living thing. Negotiations ensued. The end result was a new fluffy puppy and a one-page contract pursuant to which the children agreed to take on their share of day-to-day dog-rearing responsibilities. [read more]

Why I'm Happy My First Born Is Heading Off to College

It is a generally accepted fact that I am going to be a hot mess when we drop off our oldest at college in the fall, and I'm pretty sure that my family is already developing contingency plans to wrest me away from her dorm room before I embarrass her. We've had a number of mini-milestones already: last first day of school, last school dance, college tours, signing a letter of intent and a hundred other moments- each of which ended with my daughter looking at me, rolling her eyes, and asking: "Are you starting to cry again?" Sorry, honey, I can't help it. [read more]

Cosmopolitan Magazine / The Mix

How I Realized My Dad Didn't Know Everything

As a child, I had an idealistic view of my parents, my father especially. My dad knew the answers, and whatever parenting insecurities he may have had, he hid them well behind a quiet confidence that projected "I've got this" to both my brother and me. We knew with absolute certainty that our father had our back and, no matter the circumstance, if we needed help, he would be there to provide wise counsel, guidance, and support. It did not occur to me that he did not have all the answers or that he could not fix everything, [read more]