Pugaloo_Adventures and Grumble & Grind

Ah yes, getting older—the magical phase of life where you can injure yourself simply by sleeping. One minute you're fine, and the next you're wondering why your neck locked up because you dared to glance over your shoulder too enthusiastically. Pain, unfortunately, becomes one of those uninvited guests that tends to stick around as we age. And honestly? It’s one of the biggest reasons people hesitate to start exercising or focus on their health. I hear it all the time: “Exerc

Let’s have a real conversation—no judgment, just honesty. Why is it so easy for us to come up with reasons not to start? “I wish I had time.” “I wish I had your energy.” “My pain is just too bad.” I hear these all the time. And truthfully? I’ve said them too. Because life is busy. It’s overwhelming. It’s exhausting. When you’re juggling being a mom, wife, provider, daughter—and everything in between—it can feel impossible to add one more thing to your plate. So this isn’t abo

Let me just start by saying: I clearly did not understand what “formidable” meant when I signed up for this race. The sign created for the race - 2026 For reference, formidable means inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, intense, or capable. Cool, cool… sounds fun, right? 🙃 Looking back now, I have to laugh because when I signed up for this race in Auburn, I thought, “No big deal. I’ve been on this trail before. I got this.” I saw the medal previe

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 week,

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

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

“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

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