Mountain Mother Runner

Do you ever notice yourself thinking about things at potentially not good times? Saturday granted me a surprise run alone since our little one went to bed early. My training plan had as easy 4 miles for that day, but it also happened to be Eisley’s 3 rd birthday, so I originally thought I’d have an extra rest day. As I headed out for the run, my mind was filled with happiness from our daughter’s birthday and remembering her birth. So much has changed for our family in those short three years. After a few minutes of reflecting, I simply admired the Pacific Northwest nature around me. All of these sweet thoughts, followed by (my typical random running thoughts) curiously wondering what types of situations would cause people to run really fast? A few ideas came to mind: 1. The sun is almost setting and it will be dark. 2. You are in an unfamiliar part of town (or visiting a town for the first time). 3. You hear a possibly large, dangerous wild animal moving in the swor...

As a mom, you want to visit your family to make special memories with your sweet child, right? How do you plan on getting there, a magic carpet ride? We recently went on an eight day trip. Each of our travel days included 2.5 hrs driving, 2 flights, a 2 hr layover, and crossing over 2 time zones, totaling 13ish hours of traveling. Did I mention that “we” meant me and our 2 year old? My biggest dilemma of traveling (to visit family, go on vacation, anything more than an hour away) was the anxiety of traveling with a baby/now toddler. Until we quit nursing at 23 months, our daughter never slept ANYWHERE except her bed (not in the car, stroller, our bed, etc) which made me not want to travel. She hated being in the car and would literally cry for hours without ever taking a nap. Luckily, turning 2 seemed to put those woes behind us and opened up a new world of travel opportunities! If you’re crazy enough to travel alone with a toddler, here are 6 tips to make your life easier! 1...

Although I started running about a year and a half ago, it wasn't until the end of 2015 that I decided my New Year's resolution would be to take running to the next level. I wanted to dive in and learn everything that I could. I joined a local non-profit running club that meets weekly for track practices. I signed up for my first trail race (10k) to step out of my comfort zone, followed by other races, and my first half marathon! Now trust me, I am nowhere close to where I'd like to be. I believe we can always improve ourselves, push ourselves, and learn new things. Here is a list of five tips that can assist you in becoming a balanced runner! 1. Strength Training: Set aside one day per week to focus solely on strengthening your muscles and joints. Major benefits include a decreased risk of being injured, improved overall body composition, and faster running times. As a runner, focus on your lower body and developing a stronger core. A strong core re...