My mind felt empty as I climbed the steep hill around 2 am. It was a warm night; the bright moon and star-filled sky provided enough light to see without a headlamp. A sense of calm and peace washed over me as I moved my exhausted body around another loop on the motocross track, accompanied […]
Mindfulness for Runners Read More »
I didn’t buy my first pair of kettlebells to build muscle. Quite the opposite. When I hit the “buy now” button on that fateful day in 2015, I hoped those oddly shaped cannonballs with handles would live up to the promise of delivering a great cardio workout. Two years prior, I had quit running because
How Kettlebells Rebuilt My Body and Mind Read More »
I already know what would happen if I were out there: the giggles as I run to the high jump bar, the burning shame as I kick it, the disappointed sigh of the PE teacher as she writes another failure in her notebook. So I sit on the hard wooden bench instead, my gym clothes
How Being the ‘Unathletic Kid’ Became My Ultra Running Superpower Read More »
Disappointment and anger rose to new heights as I typed out the email. I had prepared for months and invested in new clothes, a backpack, and poles. I learned how to navigate with a compass and map and logged countless mind-numbing hill repeats up and down the same small hill in my local park. All
The Art of Self-Coaching: A Guide for Runners Read More »
I stare at the photo in disbelief. Anger, sadness, and compassion merge into an overwhelming emotional storm as I try to understand. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t find a logical explanation for why I didn’t see back then what I do see now. I do, however, know why I have changed
The Ultra Life: What 40 Years and 100-Mile Races Taught Me About Distance Read More »
Hating on the fitness industry, especially so-called “fitness influencers,” seems to be the “in” these days. Prominent fitness professionals themselves hate on the industry; researchers have concluded “[…] that viewing fitspiration models on Instagram was more likely to lower self-perceived sexual attractiveness among women […],” and the New York Times published an article titled “Most
Stop Blaming Fitness Influencers for Your Body Image Issues Read More »
Before I started kettlebell training, I was at war with my body. I also didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and felt disconnected from the people around me. I had just quit my promising career in climate change research because I was disappointed that science had become a political instrument. I
7 life lessons learned from 7 years of kettlebell training. Read More »
I have always hated my body. But unlike most women who struggle with body-image issues, I can not point to glossy magazines, Hollywood, or social media for making me feel like I needed to look a certain way to be accepted. Instead, I was raised in an abusive household, where at times, food was scarce
The Power of Strong:How Kettlebell Training Ended My War with My Body Read More »
On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you with your level of physical fitness? If you are not between an 8 and 10, what stops you from achieving a higher level? You may lack time to work out or prepare healthy meals. Or you don’t know how to cook. Maybe your spouse is unwilling
5 Fundamental Strategies to Raise Your Standards and Achieve Any Fitness Goal Read More »
I fell in love with running in my 20’s. At that time, I was an exchange student in South Africa and wanted to lose weight. It wasn’t long before I discovered running’s powerful positive effects on my mental health. My relationship with my body changed from self-criticism and fault finding to one of thankfulness and
Why I Don’t Use Strava Read More »