Pugaloo_Adventures and Grumble & Grind

I’m over 50 and taking up running and walking. I hear all the time how “cool” it is that we’re sharing our adventures. People tell me they wish they could do it too. And every single time I say the same thing: If I can do it, you absolutely can too. We’re all in different stages of life. Our why  is different. Some of us want to lose weight. Some are recovering from addiction. Some want to be able to move at 80. Some of us are quietly trying to outrun our own mortality. Whate

We are still training consistently. While we do take one to two rest days per week , we are now following a structured routine that includes strength training every other day with running in between . My husband and I do different workouts based on our individual needs, but we follow the same overall schedule , which helps keep us both accountable. I am still using the Runna app  to build and guide my training program. I’ve adjusted my plan to include one full rest day per we

We have all heard it before—the race itself is only 1% of the work , while the other 99% happens during training . Living in a colder part of California, training outside has been an adventure of its own. We regularly find ourselves running in 30-degree weather , and there are days when we’re training in rain or snow . Learning what to wear to stay warm, dry, and comfortable without overheating has been a process of trial and error. Shoes: Finding What Works for Your Feet For

For those who may not know, I’ve been on a GLP-1 medication for almost three years. I started my journey with Wegovy , and honestly—it felt like magic at first. I took my medication, checked in with my provider, and the weight came off steadily. I wasn’t tracking food, I wasn’t exercising consistently, and I wasn’t really changing my lifestyle. I was simply eating less, and the scale kept moving. Eventually, I reached the maximum dose and hit a plateau. And if I’m being hones

Sadly, I have to share that Disneyland will no longer be hosting RunDisney events . We do know this is temporary, but there’s no clear timeline on when they’ll return. For those of us who live in California, this means traveling to Florida to get our RunDisney fix. It also means that for runners dreaming of earning their Coast to Coast , that goal is being placed on the back burner for now. Our Metals from Wine & Dine 2025 You can feel sad about it—or you can use this time to

As the 2026 race season  begins, many of us are asking the same question: Which races do I want to do this year?  For new runners, this can feel overwhelming. When I first started, I had no idea where to find races , how to keep track of them , or that there were so many running communities, challenges, and goals  to choose from. Honestly, I didn’t even know half of what was out there. Auburn Resolution Run 2026 How My Running Journey Started My running journey really began i

We’ve officially completed our first run of the year —well, technically our second. We started 2026 strong with a New Year’s Day run on January 1st in Auburn, California , and followed it up with what felt like our first big  race of the season: a 10K and a Half Marathon . After coming home, we took a well-earned recovery week. That doesn’t mean we stopped moving entirely—we still focused on stretching and light gym workouts—but we did step away from structured treadmill trai

The Stressful Art of Getting Into RunDisney If you’ve ever tried signing up for a RunDisney race, you know that getting into the event is a challenge all by itself. Registration day is a sport . You need to: Know the exact date and time registration opens. Be logged in early. Have your credit card ready. Know your race distances. Know who you’re signing up with. If you hesitate—or misclick—there’s a good chance you won’t get in. Most races sell out in under an hour , sometime

We’re just two weeks away  from the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, and this one is definitely bittersweet for us. Living in California, we absolutely love doing the RunDisney races here—they’re magical, convenient, and full of nostalgia. But last year, we were told that RunDisney at Disneyland would be on hold again . RunDisney paused the races in 2020 due to COVID, and now they’re pausing again because of upcoming Disneyland construction. That means… no Disneyland races

We’ve all heard the saying that people only see the 1% —the finish line, the medals, the before-and-after photos—but they don’t see the 99% of effort  it takes to get there. And that 99%? That’s where the real work happens. There are plenty of days when I’m not motivated to exercise. I’ve had a long day at work. I still have mom and wife duties waiting for me at home. And somehow, I still have to figure out when and how to fit training into my day. That’s where Runna  has tru

We’ve all heard about the GLP-1 medications—Zepbound, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, Saxenda. We’ve heard about the insurance battles, the skyrocketing costs, the shortages, and the endless TikToks, Snapchats, and Instagram posts praising their benefits. We’ve heard the government is lowering doses or making changes, yet most of us still don’t know how to access what we need. So, here’s my  real, honest journey with GLP-1 medications—because maybe it will help someone

“How do you find the time?” If you’ve ever struggled with weight or tried to build a healthier lifestyle, you’ve probably heard every cliché in the book: “If it’s important, you’ll make time.” “Just do it.” “Stop making excuses.” People mean well, but comments like that never really help—especially when you’re juggling being a wife, daughter, mother, full-time employee, and everything else life stacks on your plate. As a woman heading into my 50s, I have struggled with my wei

Most of you know that our family has been on a GLP-1 at some point over the last 2–3 years. My husband and daughter are now on maintenance doses, while I’m still on my regular weekly dose—and for a few good reasons I’ll share below. What Maintenance Looks Like A maintenance dose happens once someone reaches their goal weight and no longer needs the full weekly amount. Instead of taking the medication every 7 days, they may stretch it to every 10–14 days or lower their dose. T

When it comes to running, gear really  matters. There’s so much to consider—what equipment to use, what clothes to wear, what shoes actually work for your feet, which apps to track your progress, where to sign up for races, even how GLP-1 use affects running and walking. Trust me, I could write for days about all of it (and I will!), so I hope these posts help you on your journey. My Brooks Adrenalines, except the purple ones. Those are Hubbs Start With Shoes—Because the Righ

As some may know, I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Even at a young age, I understood I would never be the “skinny girl.” I wasn’t built like a ballerina—I was built like an athlete. In high school, I was incredibly active: basketball, volleyball, track, and softball . But as adulthood rolled in, everything changed. Work, responsibilities, parenting, and exhaustion slowly edged out my fitness routines. 🔁 The Cycle of Diets, Successes, and Setbacks Like many peo

Prepping for Our Walt Disney World Run Weekend! It’s finally here! We’re leaving for Walt Disney World  in just a day or two, and I can’t believe how fast this trip snuck up on us. We’ve been planning this for about six months, and yet somehow I’m still double-checking everything like it’s the night before finals. Hotels? Check. Flights? Check. Bags? Sort of check. Running gear? Probably scattered around the house somewhere. This trip has been months in the making, and I can’

As some of you already know, our family has jumped headfirst into the magical (and sometimes exhausting!) world of RunDisney . From 5Ks to 10Ks and now even half marathons, this journey has transformed our health, our habits, and honestly—our lives. This is how we got here… and why we’re still going. 💍 From a Disney Wedding to Realizing We Needed Change The photo below is from our wedding day in February 2022. We celebrated in our favorite place—Disney, of course! We were ha

📍 Walt Disney World Resort — November 2025 Started in the morning with long sleeves At the Wine & Dine Race Weekend , there’s a challenge where you can run all three races —the 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon—over one weekend. I’ll be honest: doing that as your first  race weekend is absolutely wild… but yep, we did it. My husband didn’t do the full challenge this time (he’s already regretting that decision), but after this experience, we decided we’ll be doing the challenges fro

📍 Walt Disney World Resort — October 2025 So here we are at Walt Disney World  for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend ! Of course, we couldn’t help but compare it to our Disneyland Halloween Villains Run . I know, it’s not really fair to compare California to Florida—but it’s what runners do, right? We just had to see what the differences were between the two magical parks. DL Villain Half Marathon 🏁 The Start: Our Family 5K We kicked off the weekend with the 5K , and th

Well, the time has finally arrived — we’re heading to Walt Disney World ! Our bags are packed, airline tickets printed, and hotels booked. (Yes, hotels  — plural. Thanks to my questionable planning skills, we ended up doing a split stay with our Disney Vacation Club. Fingers crossed this goes smoothly!) Family after we landed in MCO. Pre-Travel Prep Because we live a couple of hours from Reno, my husband booked a free night at the Grand Sierra Resort  so we could sleep in bef