I hear this one all the time. “I’d love to do runDisney…but I’m not a runner.” My answer? Good. Because neither are a whole lot of people standing in those corrals. You do not have to be fast. You definitely do not have to be a super athlete. And you certainly do not have to … Read more
Introduction So you’ve started running after 50. You’re feeling pretty good. Then you finish your run/walk/run, glance at your watch, and look at your pace. And there it is. “That was really slow.” If you’re anything like me, the temptation is to compare yourself to everyone else. Open Instagram and suddenly it feels like every … Read more
Introduction Here is where I need to be honest. I don’t like to run. When I’m out there hitting the pavement, I question what I’m doing. Wouldn’t I rather be taking a cardio class? Or, better yet, curled up with a good book and a cup of coffee? Absolutely. And since it’s summer in Texas, … Read more
Introduction Like so many of us, I was scrolling through Instagram before bed when a video made me stop. It was another runDisney runner talking about her training. I don’t remember which race weekend she was training for, but one thing she said caught my attention. She had completed races before but had never tried … Read more
There is something both terrifying and freeing about starting again. Not starting over, exactly. Starting over sounds like everything before this point was wasted, and I do not believe that. Every mile, every attempt, every messy training week, every doubt spiral, every finish line, every walk break, every “I don’t know if I can do … Read more
The Moment This week marks the official start of Dopey Challenge training. That means I have 28 weeks until I attempt one of the biggest goals I’ve ever set for myself. If you aren’t familiar with the Dopey Challenge, it’s 48.6 miles in one weekend. Thursday – 5K Friday – 10K Saturday – Half Marathon … Read more
(It’s More Than the Medals… But Yes, It’s Also the Medals) People ask why I keep going back to runDisney. They tell me… It’s expensive. It’s halfway across the country. You’re too old to be running that far. You’ve already done it before. If they’ve run a runDisney race themselves, they usually ask a different … Read more
When I started running again in my early 50s, I thought the hardest part would be the running itself. I was wrong. It wasn’t my legs that challenged me the most. Getting out the door was the hard part. It wasn’t even the early mornings. The hardest part was the expectations I put on myself. … Read more
For the longest time, I believed every run needed to be better than the last. If I wasn’t running farther, faster, or setting a personal record, I felt like I’d somehow come up short. A recent trip to visit my mom, just south of Tampa, reminded me how wrong that mindset can be. As a … Read more
I have a tendency to pack everything for a runDisney weekend. And I do mean everything. I usually drive to Florida because I spend time with family and do a little extra traveling while I’m there, so it’s easier for me. My goddaughter usually flies down, though, so I’m very aware of what fits in … Read more