Halfway to Chicago

April 14, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Let me tell you about my friend, Amelia. She is kind, thoughtful, and one of those people who, in a crowded room, makes you feel like the only person that matters. When I first set out on my Chicago Marathon journey, Amelia was quick to ask questions, give me tips, and offer her support along […]

Marathon Training Week Six

February 13, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

This week I am prioritizing sleep. I didn’t log enough zzz’s last week and my body felt the repercussions – I was sore, irritable, and lacked motivation. I’m upping my sleep game by getting into bed a whole nine hours before I intend to get up. That means if I’m up at 5am, I’ll be […]

3 Tips for Whole30 Success

February 11, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

After working in the health & fitness industry for over ten years, it still amazes me the power that food has on our bodies. It can be our greatest medicine or our greatest demise. After almost two years of reading and researching the Whole30 (mostly just hemming and hawing), I finally did my first reset […]

When the Going Gets Tough (and Week 5 of Marathon Training)

February 5, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Through the years, I’ve realized that most people want the rewards of accomplishing their goals without the daily sacrifices that it takes to get them there. It breeds from a society that uses quick fixes, magic pills, and instant gratification as a way to determine daily behavior. We start off with high hopes, but as […]

Marathon Training Week 4

January 28, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Heading into Week Four feeling fantastic – which I’m sure I can attribute to being on the home stretch of the ‘January Whole30 Challenge’. (More on that later!) Here’s what’s in store for this week: Sunday: Rest Day! Monday: RUN! (I’m on week 4 of Coach Jenny’s Half Marathon Run/Walk Program) Tuesday: Rest Day! (with […]

Training Before The Training

January 23, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

I was one of the lucky lottery winners this past December when I was selected out of thousands of hopefuls who were not guaranteed entry into the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. I submitted my form with a hope, a prayer, and a little liquid encouragement (cheers!) Truthfully, when I received the confirmation email almost […]

A Birthday Letter to Myself

January 12, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

This week I celebrated my 33rd trip around the sun and spent some time reflecting on how much I’ve changed and grown from the little newborn pictured above. I would be remiss without saying how much gratitude I feel towards my parents for bringing me into this world and for always loving me fiercely and […]

First Semester of Grad School – What I Really Learned

December 27, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

First semester of grad school is in the books (pun intended) and boy did I learn a lot. Sure, I learned scholarly things, but the biggest take-aways really surprised me: I learned to be kind to myself. I am the biggest cheerleader for others, but when it comes to myself – I realized that I doubt my capabilities […]

Permission To Pause

August 9, 2017.Reading time 1 minute.

For me, going outside gives me the space and quietness that I need to go ‘inside’. And by ‘inside’…I mean inside my head. Inside my soul. Allowing this time to pause and go inward is not only essential to my well-being, but it allows me to come to the table in everyday life as the […]

Whole30 Challenge Accepted

July 17, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

I am officially at the halfway point of my Whole30 Challenge. What? You’ve never heard of it? It’s basically a 30 day gut cleanse where you don’t eat foods that have the potential to cause inflammation in your body. That means: no dairy, no grains, no beans, no processed or ‘natural’ sugars, and no alcohol. […]