Exercise Every Day August 27 2016

Mantras June 29 2016

How you speak to yourself directly influences how you feel about yourself.  Try using words to encourage, not discourage.  Here’s how to create meaningful mantras. 

Learn To Love Exercise January 19 2016

The other day, upon hearing I am a marathoner and triathlete, a friend of a friend asked me if I “loved” running and working out.  I don’t think she expected such a complicated answer...  Here’s how I learned to love what I do and how you may find the same adoration too.

Giving Thanks October 29 2015

While November is the noted time for giving thanks, I believe gratitude is something we should concentrate on every day throughout every year.  You can never say – or hear – ‘thank you’ enough, and that hit home for me on October 25^th when I had the honor of running the 40^th Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC.  Here are things for which I am grateful – I hope you will share yours.

Lighten Up July 28 2015

Too often we are our own worst critics.  We remind ourselves of our faults rather than celebrate our triumphs, and that can be detrimental.  Don't let negative self-talk weigh you down - use your own words to lift your spirits.  Here are a few hows and whys to speaking nicely to ourselves. 

Stress Less March 19 2015

March Forward February 13 2015

I've been feeling a little "stuck" lately. I can clearly see my goal, but I feel like I'm slogging through a river of mud to reach it. You too?

Getting 'unstuck' is as physical as it is mental, and I've found a few tips to keep us marching forward when times are tough.

Friends December 30 2014

The legendary Joe Cocker said it best: "I get by with a little help from my friends."  True in life, and especially in regards to exercise!

I am extremely lucky to have found a great group of Workout Buddies!  They motivate me to move, even on an early Saturday morning, when leaving my comfy, toasty bed is the last thing I want.  

So, why should you enlist a "Pace Partner in Crime", and how can you find one? 

HappyHolidaysChallenge December 01 2014 4 Comments

Our Happy Holidays Challenge - What Makes You Smile This Season?

There is a lot of hustle and bustle scheduled for December.  From gearing up for the holiday rush and wrapping up the end of this year, I get a tad lost on my own 'daily focus' list.  I know I am hardly alone in solving this priority puzzle. But, what can be done to give each of us a meaningful moment of "me time" each day?

I came up with this idea while running from store-to-store while Black Friday shopping.  While finding gifts I think will make my loved ones smile makes me smile, I realized I got as much, if not more, happiness from the moments that were happening around me.  So, I stopped looking at that t-shirt as a well-priced gift and took a second to laugh at the funny saying; I stopped stressing that traffic was moving too slow and took a second to laugh at my mom who sings Taylor Swift off-key in the passenger seat (for the record, I cringed at both the traffic and the singing); and I stopped checking my "to do" list and took time to visit longer with friends-turned-family.

I plan to make time, each day, for those moments and hope you'll join me on my quest for happiness.

Alison

Lessons Learned November 30 2014

2014 has truly been a tremendous year, and I can definitely declare I have learned a lot.  Many of the 'life lessons' learned relate well to a recent 26.2 mile journey my friend Kandi and I made, better known as The 2014 New York City Marathon.  Here are our milestones; hopefully you'll learn from our sometimes trying triumphs.