From Fit to Fat to Fit to Functional
College graduation, 2005
I’ve always been active in one way or another - tee-ball, softball, swimming, and dance as a kid; volleyball and track & field in high school; rugby at Saint Joseph’s University; and a little kickboxing in law school. For much of this time, I was lean and strong without consciously trying. As the familiar story goes, my slowing metabolism and the college cafeteria diet caught up with me, and my body changed a lot by 2004. I was technically overweight but, more importantly, I had high cholesterol and I couldn’t do things I wanted to do and how I wanted to do them. For example, I have a clear memory of being on defense in a rugby match when my teammate ran by me shouting, “Why are you walking?!” I was heavy and tired, and I couldn’t run.
The Narberth Run, 2008
In 2007 I attended a community event which involved a 5-mile road race. I looked around and noticed people much older and much younger than me running the race. I thought there was no reason why I shouldn’t be able to run 5 miles in my mid-20s. That day I promised myself I would run that race the next year. I changed my nutrition, I practiced running, and I set a goal of finishing the race in 40 minutes. I have such a clear memory of my time - 39:49.
CrossFit competition, 2017
From there I did a little more distance running, some BeachBody, and a lot of Latin dance before landing on CrossFit as the sport for me. After regularly training for awhile, I discovered I could jump into other activities with little to no special preparation, like hiking with my 30-pound toddler on my back, obstacle course racing on a mountain, or running a half-marathon.
Spartan Race, 2018
Competency at a physical activity for which I didn’t specifically prepare included an alumni rugby match against the then-current team at St. Joe’s. I was 15+ years older than my opponents and - not to toot my own horn - but they couldn’t keep up with me! I have such a clear memory of playing the best rugby of my life at 36 years old. Well over a decade since hearing my teammate shout at me for walking during a game, I felt like I couldn’t stop running.
Rugby alumni game, 2019
What makes you want to run? I don’t necessarily mean “run” as in “to move one’s legs rapidly.” I mean: what do you want your body to do and why? What’s important to you? Do you want to carry your own groceries? Do you want to be a human horse for your cowboy-toddler to ride on? Do you want to be able to keep up with your spouse on his/her evening runs so you can spend more time together? Have you always wanted to see a view from the top of a mountain? Do you want to show your awkward middle-school self that you actually turned out pretty cool? Why do you NEED to run? I’d love to hear all about it — text me at (610) 410-9705 to set up a phone call.
