blog
How to Eat Breakfast:
Healthy running meals for "not a morning person" people
Your alarm goes off at 5. You pull on your running clothes in the dark, press go on your Garmin, and make it back in time for a shower, coffee, and your first meeting. Suddenly it's lunchtime and you're ready to eat anything that isn't nailed down. You're also probably edgy, frazzled, and missing the peace you found mid-run. What happened?
Who needs breakfast? You do.
If you want to feel good, perform well, and get enough calories in during the day to support a super active life, breakfast is your friend.
The Off Season
I trained my butt off this fall, building my running up through the summer to prepare for a 50k trail race at the beginning of October. All that training carried me over the finish line of a super challenging goal event feeling strong. It felt awesome. Then I ate a burrito, slept in the car on the way home, and thought about how nice it would be to have Saturday mornings free again. After that huge build up of back-to-back weekend long runs, I felt tired, accomplished-- and ready for a break.
Why seasons matter
If you grew up playing sports, you had a built-in structure: fall, winter, spring. Maybe it was football, basketball, soccer. Or cross country, indoor, outdoor. You focused on something for a few months, you had a little break, then you focused on something else. Maybe you even took the whole summer off and just did whatever seemed fun (cannonball!!).
How To Join A Running Group (And Why)
I used to do every run by myself. I'm an introvert and I like my routines and my schedule. Talking to people and planning my day around some pre-set run time just didn't seem like the thing. Until I tried it. Now, I'm hooked. What's go great about getting sweaty with other humans?
7 Easy Ways to Eat More Veggies
There's so much noise in the nutrition world. Trying to figure out the best way to eat is confusing! Many of my clients come to me wanting to eat well and ready to commit to what will make them feel best, but they have no idea where to start. Should they cut carbs? Count macros? Try intermittent fasting? Eat paleo? Eat vegan? There are people (usually salespeople!) who will swear up and down that one of these is the one and true way forward. I beg to differ.
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition for Athletes (and everyone!)
If the fire is hot enough, anything will burn. I run so I can eat whatever I want. Will run for donuts. Have you ever said one of these? Or maybe have it on a t-shirt or three? There's no shame in that! Runners love to eat! But is your nutrition supporting your training and recovery, or are you just getting by? Are you missing goals, feeling drained, or getting injured? Are you curious what "peak performance" might look like for you? Do you want to feel better running? You might want to think about your nutrition.
The Best Books About Running for Health and Happiness (plus a few blogs and some podcasts)
A classic article in The Atlantic uggests why there's such a strong and enduring affinity between writing and running: "Freedom, consciousness, and wildness: Running offers writers escape with purpose", wrote Nick Ripatrazone. I agree, and I'd like to suggest that the converse is also true. Literature offers runners escape with purpose. Whether it's books or other media, taking in stories and perspectives can enrich the experience of running or whatever your chosen activity is. Staying motivated, staying curious, staying interested, and working through mental and physical challenges is greatly aided by a robust reading list. This might sound romantic, but it's also practical. Sometimes the best next step isn't an adjustment to training or nutrition or even sleep (did I just say that??). Sometimes it's finding something that rekindles purpose.
How to stop getting injured all the time: A primer for runners
The sun is out. The bright mornings and long evenings have you psyched for some nice, long runs. You found a cool race to sign up for. You dove into your training with both feet. It was awesome. And then. . . you got hurt.
3 tips for moms to go from exhausted to energized
In my coaching practice, I work with a lot of caregivers. This includes people in helping professions, like nurses, counselors, teachers, and public servants. It also includes folks who care for others at home, whether it's their kids, their parents, or other relatives who need support. And some people fill all of these roles. Many of these people are mothers. The most common thing I hear from these folks is that they are exhausted. They miss their energy.
Does this sound familiar? You love and value your role as a caregiver. You want to enjoy the time you have together and be fully present. You want to meet their needs. And somewhere along the way, you want to reconnect with your body, your adventurous dreams, and your independent self.
What shifts can moms and other caregivers make to go from exhausted to energized?
How to stay energized for a 12-hour shift
Lots of nurses and other healthcare folks work a tough 12-hour schedule. Even if you like the freedom of fewer days on, the demands of 12-hour shifts are a lot to take on consistently. These long, stressful shifts are draining even on good days. After the second or third day (or night, yikes), you likely feel a little bit like a zombie. Are you making your best decisions then? Being your best self? You don't have to answer that, but when you have a quiet moment, think about it, and be honest.
How an integrative health coach can help you
As a nurse practitioner and integrative health coach, I help people who want to feel better. To do this, I work alongside you to identify meaningful health goals and create and implement realistic and achievable plans to move towards them. If you are struggling with not feeling as good as you'd like to, managing symptoms, facing a new medical diagnosis, frustrated with your interactions with the medical system, feel like you're tried everything and nothing helps, or you're just trying to get started with some healthy routines, integrative health coaching may be just the thing! And by choosing a coach with advanced healthcare training, you ensure that you are getting safe, smart, evidence-based guidance.