healthy
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How to Qualify for Boston Marathon without Formal Training
Y’all, I did what I wasn’t sure was possible–I QUALIFIED for the Boston Marathon!!! I have been running marathons for the past 14 years, with a big break while having babies, and dreamed about qualifying for Boston since I was a little girl, but never knew if it was physically possible to do so. Growing up, I watched my dad run numerous races, I have memories of standing on the sidelines and cheering for him and nights of “carbo loading” before a marathon. My family always beamed whenever we said that my dad ran Boston, it was a sense of accomplishment and an achievement that very few runners can achieve.…
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Rock and Roll Nashville Half Marathon Weekend Review
We just got back from finishing the Rock and Roll Nashville Half Marathon. It was Drew’s first half marathon and I made a personal record finishing in 1:42!! It was a great weekend and I am so proud of both Drew and my accomplishments, even if he says he “has zero desire to ever run a marathon!” ha! We left Atlanta around 12:30 and arrived in Nashville about 5 hours later on Friday afternoon. A big weather system was moving in, so we quickly went to the Expo to pick up our packets for the race. Rock and Roll race expos are HUGE and filled with running attire, accessories and…
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How to Run a Sub 4 Hour Marathon
I am thrilled to say that I achieved my goal of running a sub-4 hour marathon!! Y’all this was my first marathon in 10 years, first since being married, first since having children and first running in my thirties–yet, I was able to achieve a goal that I never did in my 20’s before having children!! Was it super easy? No. Was it pretty? No. Am I ready to run another marathon? No. But do I feel accomplished and proud? Hell yes! The feeling of showing my boys that with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can finish and achieve your goal is priceless! Seeing my boys at…
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What Happens Going Gluten and Dairy Free for 3 Months
A few months ago, I got my first physical with a primary care doctor in years (I get my annual from my ob/gyn every year). After speaking with my PC, she started talking about my gut health and what I thought was just normal llfe, turned out to be a gut issue. To be TMI, I had stomach issues (TMI: diarrhea multiple times a week, gas, bloat and cramp like pain weekly, if not daily). She advised me to do an elimination diet starting with gluten to see if that would ease my symptoms…admittedly, I was not thrilled and did not want to become one of “those people” who have…
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Marathon Training in Your Twenties and Thirties: Big Differences
Hard to believe that marathon training is at the half way mark. Admittedly, it has been more challenging in someway and simpler in other ways. For reference, I ran 4 marathons over the course of 3 years when I was in my early to mid twenties. Running back then was a way to destress during law school/college and allowed me time to escape for a bit of time. Running was a family affair and I completed my first few marathons with my dad and sister. It was a way to connect with them and develop an inexpensive hobby. Marathon training in my twenties taught me how much I love to…
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How to Train for First Marathon After 9 Years
After almost 9 years–I am running a marathon!! I am so so excited to start the training and run my first marathon post children. Training for a marathon is an event and takes a lot of time and dedication. Having children and babies means there is not as much time as before to train. Running is “me time” and admittedly, I struggle with taking that much time away from my family or doing things for our family to train for a marathon. However, I am thrilled with the opportunity to tag along with one of my good friends and train for a marathon again. It is time that I take…
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4 BEST Simple Go-To Protein Powder Ball Recipes
I have been making protein balls like crazy the past few weeks. After talking with my doctor about going gluten (and now dairy) free, protein balls or power balls have become my go to convenient snack. They are super easy to make and keep me satisfied for a couple hours! My two boys (6 and 4) love to help me stir the ingredients and roll them into little balls 🙂 I posted about these recipes on Instagram, but if you missed those posts here I am sharing our go to 3 easy protein energy ball recipes. For all of the recipes, I used Isagenix Isalean protein powder for these and…
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Real Life with PCOS: Living and Thriving with PCOS
While I was embarrassed about the diagnosis for years, as the symptoms associated with PCOS are not pretty at all, I have grown to understand that it is a part of my story and a part that I am here to share with others.
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Social Media Free for A Week
I randomly decided to get off of social media for a week and am sharing the positives, negatives and things I want to implement following a short hiatus. Here is what I found out…not much happens. At least that is my experience. I thought that maybe I would have a lot more time on my hands, I would be more present, more at peace, focus on more important things, communicate better…but truthfully, not a ton changed. Below I am breaking down my perspective. My positive experiences from taking a social media break: Real time communication: Not seeing what my friends were doing on a daily basis made me reach out…
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Five Tips on How to Enjoy Hiking with Toddlers
2020 is the year of our family’s new hobby–hiking! I am not much of a “nature” girl, but I love this new hobby of ours. My husband, an Eagle Scout, loves nature and exploring the outdoors (candidly, I am still petrified of snakes and get nervous every time we go on a hike). The boys have become quite the mini-explorers and love going for rides on our backs while exploring the outdoors. We live in suburban Atlanta and I never would have imagined how many trails we have within a 10 minute drive of our house–it is truly amazing! When we have zero plans for the weekend, which happens more…
