The last couple of years have been challenging, to say the least. I can't think of many people who can look back on 2020 to now and say, "Oh yeah, no hard times at all, definitely all good." Besides a global pandemic that completely uprooted most of our lives, many folks, me included, had other… Continue reading A New Baseline
Category: Keeping It Real
National Best Friends Day
2020 was a really difficult year. There were floods and windstorms. My husband and dad both spent way too much time in the hospital. Oh yeah, and there was a global pandemic that completely flipped our lives upside down. I went from being a super social person that spent a lot of time with friends… Continue reading National Best Friends Day
The Second Motherless Mother’s Day
The first Mother’s Day without my mom wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. The universe really tried to mess me up by having it fall exactly one month after my mom died. I spent most of the day hanging out with my sister, who is also a mom, shopping and having food… Continue reading The Second Motherless Mother’s Day
What a Year It Has Been…
At some point my life has become full of "before and after". The first one that I remember was before I ever got an eye infection that would alter my vision permanently, and after. The next was before mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after. The most prominent for, well, everyone, is probably before… Continue reading What a Year It Has Been…
Race Recap: Winterlaufe 2022
100 races. Back in 2008, when I ran my first three 5k races, the idea of running 100 races was not even on my radar. In fact, I took a break from running after those first three races, a break that lasted from 2008 until 2012. Even then, I had no goals of running streaks… Continue reading Race Recap: Winterlaufe 2022
A New Year, A Fresh Start
It is officially a brand new year, and like always, I am looking forward to a fresh start. I know that you don't need a new year, a new month, a new week, or even a new day to get started. It's hard not to want to start on something new at this time of… Continue reading A New Year, A Fresh Start
My Sober Curious Journey
Have you heard phrases like "sober curious" or "gray area drinking"? Or maybe you've heard of or even participated in something like "Dry January" or "Sober September"? According to Forbes, demand for alcohol free beverage options is projected to increase by 31% by 2024. This comes after we saw an increase in alcohol consumption in… Continue reading My Sober Curious Journey
You Can Love Yourself & Change Yourself at the Same Time
Trigger warning: body image, weight gain, weight loss, depression, suicide, death, grief I find myself hesitant to write about certain topics. Topics that could be controversial, topics that may be triggering to readers, topics that I don't know a whole lot about. Okay, let's just say that I am hesitant to write about almost anything… Continue reading You Can Love Yourself & Change Yourself at the Same Time
My Running for Mental Health Journey
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that saw mental health as a part of overall health. When I was a freshman in high school, my mom realized that when I said "I didn't feel good" and wanted to stay home from school that my mental health was what needed attention, and… Continue reading My Running for Mental Health Journey
Depression
[Trigger warning: depression, suicide, self harm. You are not alone - If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call 1-800-273-8255. Help is available 24/7.] "Being depressed is like being locked in a cage and losing the key. You keep beating yourself up about it, but its not even your fault.… Continue reading Depression
Happy Mother’s Day
Within days of my mom’s death, my social media was flooded with ads for Mother’s Day. It wasn’t long until I realized that the holiday would mark one month since my mom died. In the same way that you always seem to see the make and model of your new car purchase everywhere right after… Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day
April 9, 2021
Trigger warning: substance abuse, alcohol abuse On April 9th, 2021 I was celebrating the retirement of one of my coworkers. Everyone that I was with was drinking alcohol, laughing, and having a great time. I was laughing and having a great time, too, but I wasn't drinking. In fact, I was celebrating 6 months of… Continue reading April 9, 2021
Real vs. Reel
A few weeks ago I read a post from a runner that I follow on Instagram that talked about social media being a highlight reel. It is something that I have seen posted by people over and over again - "social media is a highlight reel". My social media is absolutely a highlight reel. While… Continue reading Real vs. Reel
Now what?
One of the lessons I learned from 2020 is being okay when something doesn’t work out as planned. The races I was looking forward to were canceled. The concerts I had tickets for were postponed or canceled. Some of the money we had saved for a new bathroom remodel went to pay for tree removal… Continue reading Now what?
The Longest Year Ends in a Blink of an Eye.
Does anyone else feel like this year simultaneously was the longest year ever and also flew by in the blink of an eye? I think I have asked this question at least 10 times in 2020. Right now it feels like a year that went by fast... a month that went by even faster... a… Continue reading The Longest Year Ends in a Blink of an Eye.
RD on the Run 