This is probably a unpopular opinion, but I love the 10K distance. I think it goes back to my mid-distance days of being an 800 runner for track in high school and it being my best distance. And now as endurance road runner, the 10K feels like a mid-distance event to me. Ha! In my opinion, the 10K feels like the perfect distance to run fast (but not too fast like the 5K) and not for too long either. Ha! I know I’m probably in the minority. The Get in Gear 10K is a popular race with a lot of competition because it is part of the race circuit in Minnesota. I knew this going into the race as I r ..read more

If you are going to be running a race soon, you probably have a goal for yourself. Maybe it is to set a personal record (PR) for yourself or maybe your main goal is to finish the race. When you are thinking about forming these goals, here are some tips for setting those goals and helping you walk away from the race feeling accomplished about your efforts rather than throwing yourself a pity party because it didn’t go perfectly. I always encourage the athletes I work with to set an A, B, and C goal for any race they do. Rather than having a single goal (e.g. “set a new PR” or “run X pace for ..read more

Sephora is having a sale, and I’ve rounded up my favorite products from them. I’ve always loved skin care and makeup products, but I’m super picky with what I buy. I don’t own a ton of products, but the products I have are ones I love! The Sephora sale for all beauty shoppers starts today, so I thought I would highlight 10 musst-have products I am loving. Be sure to leave a comment with any items you love as well or ones I should check out the next time I go. [Also, can I say, I don’t know how these pre-teen/teen girls are affording to shop at Sephora. I finally, at 41 years old, feel like I c ..read more

My first race of the 2024 season was a solid effort and more of a hard training run than a true race. I am mostly okay with how it went, but I do have a lot of work to do yet! It seems my season-opening race is always a bit of a rust-buster (I can only think of one year where you first race of the season was a strong performance.), but I did place 2nd in my age group (see the picture below for my prize–haha!) and ran some really consistent splits: Mile 1 – 6:37 Mile 2 – 6:34 Mile 3 – 6:37 Mile 4 – 6:37 Mile 5 – 6:48 (longest hill) Mile 6 – 6:36 The Hot Dash 10K took place almost two weeks ago ..read more

Thank you to Merrell for sponsoring this post. Last week I came down with something NASTY!! I slept for 16 hours one day and didn’t leave my bed for a few days. I NEVER do this, so Craig knew I was hit was something rough! As soon as my health goes, it is the first and only thing I want back. I just want to be able to go for a run and feel good. Heck, I just want to be able to walk without my chest burning. jacket | shoes After the worst of the symptoms subsided, I knew a simple walk outside in the woods would do wonders for clearing the mind and rejuvenating the soul, so I took these Merrell ..read more

Here are my planned 2024 races! Everything from the mile to the marathon because I like a variety of race distances! Almost all of the races are in Minnesota and most in the Twin Cities area. I would love to travel for a couple of races, but we’ll see as time goes on if I can swing that. I definitely would like to travel for a late fall/early winter marathon. Fall races from mid-September to the end of October are pretty much out since Craig will be busy in the field harvesting during that time. I am leaning towards running CIM (California International Marathon) again at the beginning of Dece ..read more

How do I dress for winter runs? Dressing for the winter runs is tricky. Not only does the temperature matter but the wind speed, any precipitation, cloud cover (or lack there of), time of day, real feel temp, and humidity can all change what you need to wear to stay comfortable when running during the depths of winter. After spending my entire running career (25+ years) running in states where the winters are cold, the wind bites, and the sun is rare, I feel as though I can share some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years. First and foremost, I’d highly suggest buying 1 or 2 quality piec ..read more

After living in Alaska for 15 years (and Minnesota the 25 years before and after that), I am no stranger living and training in winter weather. The cold temps, wind, precipitation, and all the different winter weather variables make it challenging. Top that with snow that varies from hard and crunchy to deep and sand-like, to the slippery ice that could result in a very bad fall. When combining these things together, it makes you want to give up on running during the winter altogether. One of the most commonly-asked questions I get is in regards to good footwear for the snow and ice that many ..read more

It’s that time of the year where I recap my running from the past year. Honestly, 2023 was a pretty lackluster year of running. It was the year of getting settled, and I knew that from the beginning. (I remember telling a friend this during a run early in the year.) We bought our house in March, moved in, and then I found out I was pregnant in July, only to miscarry in September. There were adjustments for the boys, finding our new groove here in Minnesota, and figuring out our “new” life here. There were a lot of ups and downs as it was a year of transitioning, and in many ways, I don’t feel ..read more

I am fortunate to be able to work with and support several different companies of products I love. I have partnered with the brands below, and I would love it if you used my link to let them know I directed you to the particular product. All of the items below are products I have tried and absolutely love, and ones I would absolutely love for you to try as well! Just Ingredients – 10% off with my code: RUNNERSPLATE There are so many good, clean, healthy products on the Just Ingredients website, but I especially love the Strawberry & Cream Protein Powder. I have it almost every day after a ..read more