Mt. Whitney: A Successful Summit

I hiked Mt. Whitney a couple of weeks ago in late August, and have spent the past two weeks basking in the glory of topping the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 states (also, letting my calves recover, and getting into the back-to-school routine with my children). The hike was marvelous. It was long, gorgeous, …

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Hiking Foot Care, or, I have Bony Feet

As I’ve been training for my Mt. Whitney hike, which will take place later this month, I’ve been doing a lot of hiking. One of the questions I get most often both from runners and hikers is how to prevent blisters.  I have bony, narrow feet. In particular, one of the things that I need …

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What to eat on a long day hike?

What you eat before, during, and after a long day hike has a huge impact on how your hike goes. Ideally, you want to be optimally fueled so as to have an awesome, energy-filled hike and quick recovery after your long effort.  Hiking food and distance running fuel look a lot alike in basic nutritional …

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Training for Mt. Whitney

As mentioned in a previous post, I’m preparing to hike Mt. Whitney in late August. I’m really excited about this adventure, and am spending a lot of time thinking about how to best prepare myself for the hike. To recap, we have a 24 hour permit, so we need to hike the 22-mile, 6,000 foot …

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Building a Lifetime of Adventure

I recently wrote a post for the Trail Sisters journal. I'll copy it here, but you can also go ahead and check it out on their page. The more the merrier: My children and their cousins enjoying a summer hike. I grew up loving to run. In college, I ran cross country and track for …

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Can I have pelvic floor problems if I haven’t had children?

I recently wrote about my experiences with post-partum physical therapy, and some of the benefits and process I went through. I got a lot of questions about do you need to have had a baby to have pelvic floor or pelvic issues. The answer is absolutely! Any person - man or woman - can experience …

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Get Ready: Let’s hike Mt. Whitney!

I am excited to be planning to hike Mt. Whitney this August! Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states, reaching 14,505 feet elevation, and is a major "bucket list" item for many hikers. I am so lucky to get a chance to climb this peak: One of my friends from college drew a permit and invited me to join her group. How to prepare for this adventure? The two biggest challenges I see a major need to train for are 1) the time on my feet (12-14 hours hiking is a long time!) and 2) to be walking on an unstable surface for that length of time/distance.

What is pelvic physical therapy?

I first met with a pelvic floor PT a few years after having my second child, and only after I was in so much pain I could barely walk, much less run. I should have visited one much sooner, as I suffered extreme pubic symphysis dysfunction. I could easily ‘click’ my pubic symphysis joint in …

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5 Strategies for Returning to Running Postpartum

It makes sense that each return to running will have it’s own unique twists and turns.

It makes sense that each return to running will have it’s own unique twists and turns. Try not to compare to previous pregnancies, those of friends or family, or those you see on social media. When you get tired, rest. Have a snack. Don’t beat yourself up because you opted to prioritize sleep instead of pushing to get an early morning run when you’re starved for rest. Laugh at yourself when things go wonky (they will), and remember that your running should support, compliment, and encourage your whole life. 

Have fun! Forgive yourself for your stumbles, and learn from them. Move forward wiser, stronger, and more resilient.