In A Skirt Podcast: Recent Episodes
Krystal Riley
You know how we put so much thought and effort into what we wear for our big races. We make sure we have clothes that will not chafe, that we have our fastest shoes, that we are going to be comfortable in what we are wearing.
OK, now imagine scrapping all of that and deciding to go run a marathon with face paint and wrapped head to toe in bandages.
And having so much fun, that you go back and do it again, but this time with badminton shoes and rackets.
That’s what my guest Andy Roberts did. Andy is a runner from England. Last year, he snagged a Guinness World Record by becoming the fastest person to run a marathon dressed as a mummy. That was at the London Marathon. When he got into London again this year, he went for another Guinness World Record and became the fastest person to run a marathon as a badminton player.
So Andy is now a two-time Guinness World Record holder and in this episode, the two of us wonder if he can get a Guinness World Record for holding the most Guinness World Records.
Andy started running about six years ago and has fallen in love with the sport. Marathons, ultras, he’s done it all. He was so much fun to talk to and his world record attempt stories are hilarious.
Show Notes:
Follow Andy Roberts on Instagram
Follow In A Skirt:
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One of the first female attorneys I met terrified me. Because she had to. Because she had to be tough. She had to exude strength with every step and every word. There were too many people watching her who didn’t think she had a right to be there.
When I went to law school, no one told me I didn’t have a right to be there. No one told me I had taken some man’s place in the class. I got to walk an easier path because women before me had paved it for me.
The waypavers. The pathmarkers.
As the 126th Boston Marathon approaches, and I get ready to participate in the race…as a woman, as a modest religious woman wearing a skirt, I’ve been overwhelmed with gratitude for those who paved the path for me in every area of my life. I’ve thought many times how fortunate I am to have been able to choose any career I wanted. And as I prepare for Boston, I’ve thought how fortunate I am to be able to register for a race without anyone telling me women are too weak to run.
While the Boston Marathon celebrates its 126th running, it’s only the 50th anniversary for women to be able to register for the race. And while tens of thousands of women will line up in Hopkinton to run Boston this year, only eight women ran that race in 1972.
Years ago, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, said, “Young women today often have very little appreciation for the real battles that took place to get women where they are today in this country. I don’t know how much history young women today know about those battles.”
As we runners and athletes celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX and the 50th anniversary of women officially running Boston, let’s learn and celebrate and thank those who fought those real battles before us.
The waypavers. The pathmarkers.
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This is my 100th episode!
I’m so happy I could get Kristen Doornbos back on my podcast for another interview.
Kristen is a runner and also the really cool human behind Paper Trails Greeting Company.
This time around, Kristen and I talk about her new endeavor—Equal Money for Equal Miles. Kristen is on a mission to get the major U.S. marathons to offer equal prize money to top finishing athletes in the wheelchair and para divisions. It’s astonishing how little these athletes are paid for equal distances and equal efforts. Kristen does a great job of explaining why these athletes deserve parity and what we can all do to help. I have a link to her petition in my show notes.
Show Notes:
Equal Money for Equal Miles – sign the petition!
Paper Trails Greeting Co.
Kristen Doornbos on Instagram
Paper Trails Greeting Co. on Instagram
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Episode 99 – Juan Acevedo
I first had Juan on the show about three years ago with several other ultra-runners. I asked Juan to be a guest again because he recently won the Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Race. Juan brought his girlfriend, Veronica, to my house for this interview, so this is really a conversation with the two of them. I enjoyed sitting down with the two of them.
At the Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Race, Juan came in first place by running 200 miles during the 55 hours. This was his first time running that distance. In fact, 11 hours before he finished the 200 miles, it was also his first time running 150 miles! What I love most about this conversation with Juan is his attitude toward his endeavors. I tend to have a “I don’t think I can do that” mindset, which I’m aware of and which I’m trying to change, but if you listen to this conversation with Juan, there’s this recurring theme of, “It’s possible.” He looks at situations and declares that they’re possible, so he should give it a try. I love that.
One more thing—it’s not too late to register for the Race for Hope, which will be held this coming Saturday—February 19, 2022, in Lufkin. There is a 5K, half marathon, and marathon. The link to register is in the show notes.
Show Notes:
Register for Race for Hope!
East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope
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Episode 98 – Race for Hope (Ashley Berry)
Sign up now! Race for Hope is happening February 18-19, 2022! The kids run will be Friday, February 18, and the full marathon, half marathon, 5K, and 5K walk will be Saturday, February 19. The race starts and ends in beautiful downtown Lufkin!
The race benefits East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope, a Lufkin non-profit organization. In this episode, I talk to Ashley Berry, the Executive Director of East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope. We talk about the organization, the race, the snowpocalypse we had last February in Texas, and about a way to get a free pair of Goodr sunglasses!
Show Notes:
Register for Race for Hope!
East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope
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Episode 97 – A Few of My Favorite Things
Sometimes I get off track and it’s really hard for me to get back on track. If this never happens to you, please tell me how you always stay on track! If this DOES happen to you, let’s be friends.
This is a simple episode to get back on track with my podcast! I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things. If you’re looking for some last-minute gifts for someone in your life who may like to run, here are some things that have made my life so much better. This episode is just my telling you what I like…no one has paid me for this episode or asked me to sell their products. I will include links in my show notes so you can find more info on my favorite things or purchase them.
- Mod Sportswear’s FlexSkirt.
- Goodr Sunglasses
- Ucan
- Bib Boards
- Koala Clip
- Buddy Pouch
- Saucony Endorphin Pro
- MusicCozy Headphones
- Avanto Running Light
- Erica Sara Jewelry
- Paper Trails Greeting Co.
- No Label Knits
- Pilates in a Pencil Skirt
Show Notes:
Mod Sportswear Flex Skirts
Goodr Sunglasses
UCan
Bib Boards
Koala Clip
Buddy Pouch
MusicCozy
Avanto light
Erica Sara Jewelry
Paper Trails Greeting Co.
No Label Knits
Pilates in a Pencil Skirt
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Doing things a little differently for this episode. I’ve had a few people ask for a recap on my time in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon, so I’m pulling in a special guest to interview ME. Kid 2 is helping me out with this episode.
Since we’re going to talk about a specific race in this episode, I want to bring up some other information on upcoming races that I’d like to promote. Check out the show notes for links to the BCS Marathon, All-America City David Chavana 10K, and the Race for Hope.
Show Notes:
BCS Marathon
All-America City David Chavana 10K
Race for Hope
Mission Our Lady of the Angels
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Today’s guest is my brother, Oscar Garcia, III. He just returned home on September 17th from a 9-month deployment aboard the USS Monterey. In this episode we talk about the Monterey, different ships he’s been on, a little about his Navy career, and about running on a ship—whether it was on a treadmill bobbing up and down in rough seas, or on the deck of the ship, which can be a little dangerous. So I hope you enjoy listening to us catch up. Warning, though, I love to make fun of my brother, so I hope that doesn’t offend you. I’m the little sister, so growing up with a brother who was older and stronger than I was, I resorted to making fun of him to get even. I still do that. He secretly loves it.
Show Notes:
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
This episode’s guest is Lucja Leonard. This is one of those conversations I didn’t want to end. Lucja is so much fun to talk to and I want to go run with her one day now.
This episode has it all—Lucja didn’t start running until about 2008. She was looking for a healthy lifestyle change and fell in love with running. She has words of wisdom about how we are all born to run.
Lucja’s love for running is shared by her husband, Dion. Together, they found the sport and became ultra-runners. Lucja and Dion have lived and run all over the world. Talking to her makes me want to jump on a plane and take a bunch of runcations! Currently, they are living in the U.S. and Lucja is about to take on the second leg of the Triple Crown of 200s. The triple crown includes three 200+ mile races with lots of elevation gain. All three races have time cutoffs and are within a period of nine weeks. So there is very little recovery between efforts. The second of the three races had to be canceled because of fires, so Lucja is running it virtually soon—she needs pacers, so if you’re interested, listen to the info she gives in this episode. In this episode, you’ll hear her say the second race is 10 days away, but I recorded this last week, so that’s coming up like right now. Also, you’ll hear me ask her if she knows how many steps she took at the first race and she said she’d check. Lucja messaged me later with that info—the total was 481,248 steps at one race!
Lucja also tells me the story of the dog her husband rescued during an ultra in the Gobi Desert in China. It’s a wonderful story about how this scraggly pup chose Dion to be his person and how Dion bonded with the dog during the race and did everything he could to get the pup home. They named the dog Gobi and there’s a great book out about the adventure and there will be a movie soon!
Check out my show notes. I have links to the organization Lucja is raising money for through the Triple Crown of 200s. I also have links to her Instragram profile as well as Gobi and Dion’s.
Show Notes:
Lucja Leonard’s site (Running Dutchie)
Lucja on Instagram
Gobi on Instagram
Finding Gobi site
Donate to Pink Ribbon Foundation
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Mike is a repeat guest. I first had him on the show close to two years ago. At that point, Mike was new to his running journey. He’s progressed rather quickly in running endurance and distance, and we talk a little about that on this episode.
If you listened to the first episode with Mike, you’ll know that he made a number of lifestyle changes in the beginning of 2019 and by November of that year, had lost a significant amount of weight. As of the day of this second interview, Mike has lost 200 pounds since January of 2019.
Mike and I talked a little bit about how weight loss is not all fun and games. I’ve congratulated people on weight loss before, but over the last few months I’ve wondered if that’s the right thing to do. I think getting healthy, changing bad habits, feeling better about yourself are all GOOD things. But I think treating a person differently because they look different is a BAD thing. Mike was open and honest in this conversation about how hurtful it can be to be treated differently after you’ve lost weight—like you were invincible or worth less before you lost the weight. I would imagine that if I changed my appearance to fit society’s view of what is desirable or attractive, and suddenly people accepted me, my feelings would be hurt.
I’m impressed with all that Mike has done. I think he’s an amazing athlete. I’m happy he’s found a passion. And I will continue to congratulate him on all his accomplishments. And, yes, this will sound really corny, but it’s true regardless, I’m thankful Mike was honest in this interview and I hope we can value people without any regard to their physical appearance.
Show Notes:
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
I’ve been wanting to talk to a dietitian on this podcast for about a year, so I’m glad I was finally able to get this episode together. Today’s guest is Danielle Morton. She is a registered dietitian and she works at Livewell Athletic Club in Lufkin.
Food and nutrition are sensitive subjects for me. I think it’s common for people my age to have unhealthy relationships with food, and I’m a continuing work in progress in trying to change how I view and treat food. Danielle answers a lot of my questions on this episode and she was so gracious and easy to talk to. I now have a whole other list of questions for her, so I may have to ask her to be a recurring guest. In fact, if you have questions for her, let me know and I can do an episode where I ask her your questions.
My favorite part of this conversation is the focus on not what you look like on the outside, but what food is doing to you on the inside. That’s probably a pretty good thing to think about in just about every area of life.
This episode with Danielle is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Livewell Athletic Club
Danielle Morton Bio at Livwell
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Episode 91 – Chris Field
Today’s guest is Chris Field. I don’t even know where to start with Chris. He is so many things and fulfills so many roles. He’s a husband, father, runner, race director, author, non-profit director, and on and on. Basically, though, he’s a doer. He fills needs. He shows up. He takes action. In this episode, we talk about Chris’s new book: A Billion Hours of Good. I read the book right before it launched and it is a life changer. Chris explains how you do not need all your ducks in a row before you decide to do good and bring change to your community. You just need one percent of your day and whatever skills and resources you already have. With his book, you’ll learn how to grow compassion, find courage, and ignite your creativity.
When you’re done with this episode, I strongly encourage you to read A Billion Hours of Good. I have a link to the listing on Amazon in my show notes. I also have a link to Chris’s Facebook page and the non-profit he founded, the Mercy Project.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Buy A Billion Hours of Good
Follow Chris Field on Facebook
The Mercy Project
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
My episode 90 guest is Liba Yoffe. Liba is the founder of Spirit Fit Life, a health program that is tailor-made for each female client. Liba tells me all about Spirit Fit Life on this episode. We also talk about her kids, how she is intentional about incorporating fun time into each day—I absolutely love that—and how she was on American Ninja Warrior…in a skirt. You’re going to love Liba. She inspires you to go outside and have fun!
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Liba Yoffe on Instagram
Liba Yoffe on Facebook
Spirit Fit Life Website
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
This episode is with Elizabeth Rosenblum, the CEO and co-founder of Street 2 Feet. Street 2 Feet is a 5K walking/running training program for individuals who are experiencing homelessness in San Antonio.
My conversation with Elizabeth has to be one of my favorites so far. It was a big eye opener for me in so many ways. When you’re a runner, you discover that you feel better when you move your body. You can tell the difference it makes in your body AND your mind and your soul. And you also learn to love the community that you can build around running. Elizabeth has a background in recreational therapy and all the things we runners discover along the way, she explains how those actually fit together to help provide a real form of therapy.
Elizabeth is also one of those people who gently teaches the lesson that helping others does not have to be complicated. We all have something to give and giving it can actually be a lot simpler than we realize.
I have a link in the show notes to Street 2 Feet’s website and Instagram profile. In this episode, you’ll hear Elizabeth talk about how you can help support Street 2 Feet.
Show Notes:
Street 2 Feet
Street 2 Feet Instagram
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
If it scares you, run toward it. That’s the advice I received from today’s guest, Amanda Rasmussen. Amanda doesn’t just dish out this advice; she lives it.
Amanda is a mom, hospice healthcare provider, runner, ultramarathoner, and an all-around inspiring individual. A few years ago, Amanda decided to make some changes in her life. She was on a mission to get healthy and in the process, she ignited a fire for running. She qualified for Boston at her first marathon, but her true love is on the trails and running ultras. Just a couple of weeks ago, she ran 151 miles on muddy and difficult terrain. I strongly recommend following Amanda on Instagram. She is @runnermomamanda and I have a link to that in my show notes. I spent quite some time looking at her posts and I found so many nuggets of wisdom. I also found a poem she wrote that I love—it’s about her feet! We may lose toenails, but as Amanda says, those feet carry us lots of miles.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Follow Amanda Rasmussen on Instagram
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Today’s guest is Addison Hebert. She is 12-years old and in 6th grade. Last month, I noticed Addison at the first game of our 12U baseball season. I noticed her because she’s the only girl in the league! And at that first game where I saw her, she was pitching and she was striking everyone out. I talked to her coach’s wife and gave her my card and asked her to pass my info on to Addison’s parents. A few days ago, Addison and her mom sat down with me to talk about why Addison opted for baseball instead of softball this season. Addison has some wisdom that it takes other years to figure out. She goes after her dreams and makes them happen, ignoring the naysayers. I really enjoyed getting to know Addison and I think you will, too.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan. I love all the Ucan products, but today I’m going to talk about Hydrate because it’s starting to warm up outside—at least here in Texas – and every year when it gets warm, I’m brutally reminded of how important it is that I take in more fluids when I run. It can get gross running in the heat. Ucan’s Hydrate is the perfect product to take in on warmer days to keep from dehydrating or bonking. It also tastes good and goes down easy. I have a coupon code in my show notes – InASkirt2020 – and a link to Ucan’s site. Check it out.
Ok, here’s Addison.
Show Notes:
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
This is my second time having Willie on the show. He puts on great events and I was excited to talk to him about successfully holding The Woodlands Marathon last month. In this episode, we talk about how it can be frustrating for runners when events don’t go off as planned or get canceled, but there’s so much going on behind the scenes and so many pieces to the puzzle to consider that it’s not always someone’s fault when a race gets canceled or postponed. We also talk about the new—and even FASTER—Woodlands Marathon course, and how much fun the Texas 10 Series is.
Show Notes:
The Woodlands Marathon site
Texas 10 Series site
The Woodlands Marathon Facebook page
Texas 10 Series Facebook page
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Today’s guest is Molly Fliearman. I’ve been following her on Instagram for some time. Molly is a runner—she’s been running for at least 38 years. (We try to do the math in this episode!) She is a mom to four boys—FOUR! They are quadruplets and are 18 years old. In 2019, Molly started knitting and selling beanies. I have two of them. One I have not worn yet. In fact, it’s still in the package. It is BEAUTIFUL. I want to give it away to someone listening, so message me or tag me on Facebook or Instagram and let me know something you liked about this episode and I’ll enter you in a drawing for the beautiful purple beanie that Molly handknitted.
Molly tells me why she started knitting beanies and where some of the beanie proceeds go. The story has a lot to do with two of her sons who are autistic. And we talk a lot about parenting in this episode. Running, parenting, raising boys—those are all endurance sports! I have included a link to Molly’s Instagram account in the show notes so you can follow her. And I’ll have her back on the show if she agrees because there’s still a lot I want to talk to her about. I saw that one of her sons recently joined the Marines and I forgot to ask her about that on this episode and I’d like to know more about his decision and if she’s added the Marine Corps Marathon to her list of need-to-do marathons!
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Follow Molly Fliearman on Instagram
Hilltop Lakes Rabbit Run 5K
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Today’s episode is with Melissa Danehey. Melissa is a runner who lives in California. She’s run all sorts of races, but is mainly a trail and ultra runner now. If you follow her on Instragram, you’ll want to move out to California, too, and run trails. I love how Melissa talks about how she became a runner. She just went outside and started running. Over time, she got better at it. And she progressed from no running at all to an ultra runner!
In this episode, we also talk about how Melissa went from a family of one to a family of five. I love all the different ways a family can come together. Three years ago, Melissa dove head first into fostering, and a few weeks ago, she officially adopted her foster daughter. She’s also engaged and her fiancé has two children. Melissa’s daughter is part of her school’s wrestling team, so we also talk about how sports are expanding for girls. I love that girls are wrestling these days!
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Follow Melissa Danehey on Instagram
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Today’s guest is Sister Stephanie Baliga. I first had her on the podcast last March, and I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode if you haven’t heard it yet. It’s Episode 51. Sister Stephanie was a Division 1 runner in college and our previous episode dives deeper into her running and why and when she decided to dedicate her life to God as a religious sister.
Every year since 2011, Sister Stephanie heads up Team Our Lady of the Angels, a team that fundraises for Mission of Our Lady of the Angels at the Chicago Marathon. This year, I am part of that team and I am so excited about raising money for the Mission and running the Chicago Marathon. If you want to donate, I have a link in the show notes. The donation link is set up by the Mission and all donations via the link go directly to the Mission. Also, all of the money raised is for the Mission—the Chicago Marathon does not take a cut, and the runners on the team do not use any of it for marathon expenses or travel. I paid my race registration fee and I’ll be paying my own travel expenses.
As Sister Stephanie explains in this episode, since Covid, needs have increased. The Mission now feeds 3,000 families a month—that’s triple the number they were feeding a year ago. So your donations are going to feed families. The Mission is also renovating and expanding facilities so when schools in Chicago open back up, they can re-start their after-school program helping at-risk kids. Your donations will help with that as well.
Last year, when the Chicago Marathon was canceled, Sister Stephanie ran the 26.2 miles on a treadmill in the Mission’s basement. That treadmill run raised about $150,000 for the Mission and ended up bringing the Mission some pretty cool PR. Sister Stephanie tells me all about it in this episode, including Deena Kastor’s involvement and Sports Illustrated picking up the story.
Show Notes:
Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021
Episode 51 with Sister Stephanie
Mission of Our Lady of the Angels website
Chicago Tribune article on Sister Stephanie’s treadmill run
ABC Chicago article on Sister Stephanie’s treadmill run
UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
I feel like Bobbi doesn’t even need an introduction because she’s Bobbi Gibb—a legend. But I guess she really does need an introduction because, after spending time talking to her, I learned she is so much more than just the legendary runner. She’s a doer, a dreamer, a mom, a go-getter, a creator, a medical professional, a lawyer, a lover of life, a person who lives every day to the fullest and who sees the beauty of life.
I felt like I had found a kindred spirit in Bobbi. She has a thirst for knowledge that I love. And I am thankful that she was a pioneer for women in so many ways. I personally have reaped the benefits of Bobbi’s courage, and the courage of other women like Bobbi, who paved the way for my generation to live the life we want to live and fulfill the goals we want to fulfill.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
UCAN
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Lupita is mom, a runner, she works with veterans through the Harris County Veterans Treatment Court, and she’s a former Marine.
I have so much respect for Lupita. She joined the Marines when she was 19, served for six years, and then, as a new mom, utilized the GI Bill to get her bachelor’s degree in just two and half years. Later she went back for her master’s degree in Criminal Justice.
She now works with veterans who are facing misdemeanor charges that may be attributed to substance abuse issues. And last year, she made a commitment to do even more to bring awareness to long-lasting PTSD issues many veterans face. She acted on that commitment by running 200 miles from San Antonio to Houston. This year, she’s upping the mileage and running 250 miles from Dallas to Houston. She’s hoping the run will bring awareness to the nation of how widespread PTSD is among our veterans. Every mile, she will plant a flag bearing the name of a veteran suffering from PTSD. If you’re traveling I-45 between Dallas and Houston over the next few days, you’ll see those flags on the side of the road. She is also using the run to raise money for the Travis Manion Foundation. The foundation helps veterans and the families of fallen heroes.
I have a link to Lupita’s Facebook page – Run for Their Lives – 200 Mile PTSD Run – in my show notes. Follow her on her journey these next few days. I also have a link to the Travis Manion Foundation in my show notes if you want more information on the organization or if you want to donate.
This episode is sponsored by UCAN.
Show Notes:
Run for Their Lives – 200 Mile PTSD Run
Travis Manion Foundation
UCAN
Follow In A Skirt:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
This episode is a little different than some of the other episodes I’ve done. Today’s episode is with Abbey Hailey, a skirt girl who rides horses. Abbey started riding a few years ago and I learned so much about horses, barrel racing, and rodeos talking to her. I love that Abbey decided to try something that was new to her and now she found a new passion. But what I love the most is Abbey’s attitude and approach to her new passion—she is placing no pressure on herself and instead focusing on having fun and enjoying the moments she gets to spend on her horse. Abbey also explains in this episode that she rides in a skirt and, until I talked to her, it hadn’t occurred to me that my do-it-all active skirts may not be the best fit for horse riding. So if anyone listening has any suggestions about a type of skirt that may work for her, let me know and I’ll get that info to Abbey!
Follow In A Skirt Podcast:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
This episode is with one of my real-life friends, Justin Garcia.
I have known Justin my whole life. And that’s not an exaggeration. I was born one day after he was born…at the same hospital in Harlingen, Texas. We grew up in the same small town, Sebastian, and went to school together from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. Justin was one of my closest friends through school.
When we were still quite young—in our early to mid-20s—Justin adopted four boys. He involved all four boys in sports and has been a great dad—hauling them to practices, showing up at games and meets. In this episode, Justin talks about his decision to adopt his sons and how sports, especially cross country, plugged his kids in and gave them confidence and taught them how to work hard and achieve goals. If you have ever doubted the importance of youth and school sports, listen to this episode. It will change your mind.
Show Notes:
UCAN – use code INASKIRT2020
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Kenneth lives in San Antonio and is a runner. He is also going to school right now to become a social worker and is helping change lives at a shelter in San Antonio.
In a few days, Kenneth is going to run from Austin to Corpus Christi. The route is normally known as the Capitol to Coast relay, but Kenneth is running the entire 223-mile distance solo.
Kenneth is using the run to raise money for Child Safe, an organization that assists children, as well as their families, who have suffered from abuse.
In this episode, Kenneth explains why this organization is important to him. He also tells me about his own life and tough times he was able to overcome.
I loved listening to Kenneth tell his story. He’s the type of person who lives in gratitude and shows that gratitude by giving back.
Kenneth, thank you so much for talking to me. And thank you so much for all you’re doing to make a difference.
Also a special thank you to my previous guest, Aaron Davis, for telling me about Kenneth and introducing us via Facebook.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Kenneth Anderlitch on Facebook
Road 2 Healing – Kenneth’s Website
Donate now to Kenneth’s run for Child Safe!
Road 2 Healing Facebook Group
UCAN – use code INASKIRT2020
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I’m interrupting our regular programming to bring you important news.
Next week, I will bring you another interview. But today, I’m asking to have your ear for a few minutes to tell you something else.
On any given day in the U.S., there are about 400,000 to 500,000 children in foster care. About a quarter of those children are eligible for adoption. This means that right now, there are about 100,000 children in this country whose parents’ rights have been terminated and they are waiting—hoping, praying, wishing—for someone to become their family.
Show Notes:
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
America’s Kids Belong
CASA
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I’m interrupting our regular programming to bring you important news.
Next week, I will bring you another interview. But today, I’m asking to have your ear for a few minutes to tell you something else.
On any given day in the U.S., there are about 400,000 to 500,000 children in foster care. About a quarter of those children are eligible for adoption. This means that right now, there are about 100,000 children in this country whose parents’ rights have been terminated and they are waiting—hoping, praying, wishing—for someone to become their family.
Show Notes:
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
America’s Kids Belong
CASA
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Three years ago this month, I was getting ready for some big things in my life. I was training for my first marathon and, as a family, we were getting ready for our first foster placement.
And I was scared of both.
There were times I thought of backing out of both the marathon and fostering. But I have this question that is always in my head – how do you know? If you’ve never done something before, how do you know you’re not going to like it?
So I couldn’t back out because although it was going to be hard, it could also be wonderful.
And although it was going to hurt, it could be worth it.
Isn’t everything in life that is ultimately beautiful also hard or painful at some point?
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This week’s guest is Angela Pohl. Angela is one of those people who makes you feel happy and joyous when you’re talking to her. I’ve never met her in person, but after spending an hour chatting with her for this podcast, I get the impression she is a doer. I talk about doers a lot and when I do, I mean people who fill needs, who take action, who see problems and try to solve them.
I first read about Angela on Diverse We Run, an Instagram account that highlights and celebrates multiethnicity in running. I loved Angela’s feature on that account, so I started following her on Instagram and asked her to be on the show.
Angela is a runner. She is currently training for her 12th marathon. She’s also run an ultra. It was a 24-hour race and she had a goal of completing 100 kilometers during that race, but she hilariously tells me how that turned into several more miles.
We also talk about Good Running, an organization that Angela helped co-found. I wish I would have had more time to talk more about that organization and I’ll have to have her back on the podcast to talk about it more. Good Running supports non-profits in Angela’s area, but because of the way it’s set up, it also supports local businesses and running. You’ll have to listen to the episode, but it is the neatest concept. If you opt in one month, all you do is make a donation—maybe $20 or $25—to the non-profit of the month and log miles. You accumulate “tickets” for each mile you run and those tickets make you eligible for a prize drawing that month. I love simple, doable ideas for supporting non-profits and communities.
Show Notes:
Angela Pohl on Instagram
Diverse We Run
Good Running
Ucan (use code code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off)
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Episode 74 – Eric Esposito
Eric Esposito is a triathlete who lives in Atlanta. He got hooked on triathlons in 2014 and has completed a couple dozen of them, including a few Ironman events. His preferred distance is the half Ironman.
Three years ago—this month is the third anniversary—Eric was hit by a car while cycling to work. He suffered a traumatic brain injury. Eric was really open in this episode about the struggles he’s faced because of the injury. He was an architect before the accident, but as he explains in this episode, that was taken away from him because of his injury. But his identity as a triathlete never left him. Although he suffered some PTSD about getting back on a bike on the road, Eric clung to triathlon and continued competing.
Show Notes:
Eric Esposito on Instagram
Eric Esposito’s Website and Blog
Ucan (use code code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off)
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Jessica Hofheimer is a mom, runner, coach, artist—so many things. You may know her on Instagram as Pace of Me. She has been running for 20 years, has three kids, and is a certified running coach through Road Runner Club of America. She is also a Pilates instructor.
In this episode, we talk about her running—the how and the why. Jessica ran her first marathon in more than 5 hours and 30 minutes. She then got it down to about 4 and a half hours and hovered there for several years. She had this big goal to run a 4-hour marathon and at the time—it may have seemed a little out of reach to some people. But once Jessica really learned about running and took the time to educate herself on speed work and recovery runs, etc., not only did she meet her 4-hour goal, she actually has a personal best of 3:11. So, yeah—5:30 marathoner to 3:11. That’s pretty amazing.
There is a lot of beauty in Jessica’s story. She’s hit some rough patches in life, but running always brought her beauty. Beauty through achieving goals, making lasting friendships, and igniting her creative side. Jessica runs “We Run on Art”—art that she describes on her site as bringing joy and happiness to runners of all abilities and experience levels. I have some of her art framed in my office. If you ever want to commemorate a big race or happy running moment in your life, I urge you to check out Jessica’s work.
Show Notes:
Pace of Me Website
Jessica on Instagram
We Run on Art on Instagram
Ucan (use code code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off)
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A little over a year ago, in Episode 21, I had Lisa on the podcast as a guest. At that time, Lisa was really busy with her Pilates studio in Israel, PURE Pilates. But she had this idea—she wanted to try out teaching virtual classes. Not long after that, she started offering online Pilates courses. I signed up for some of her starter courses and fell in love with Pilates. Listen, you runners with tight and sore muscles, this is for you! Actually, it’s for everyone. The breathing. The stretching. The slow but sure strengthening of the lower back. It does amazing things to a tired body.
As the months went on, Lisa’s Pilates videos grew in number. Little did she—or any of us—know what 2020 would bring. Israel went on a complete shut-down for 10 weeks in the Spring and she was unable to open her studio. But by that time, she was ready to launch—as she calls it—her Netflix of Pilates. In this episode, we talk about her online membership program at pilatesinapencilskirt.com, her international audience, and being thankful for a virtual avenue of business during this odd time. Right after we recorded this episode, her country announced a second, and immediate, shut down.
Show Notes:
Pilates in a Pencil Skirt on Instagram
Pilates in a Pencil Skirt on Facebook
Pilates in a Pencil Skirt Website
Ucan (use code code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off)
Follow In A Skirt:
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Episode 71 – Running the Race
There are so many quotes out there about life being like a race. Most of them are corny. But they’re true. And it’s not just any race. It’s a brutal ultra-marathon. It’s not that life is a competition. It’s not that type of race. It’s the type that most of us recreational runners run. We don’t care about the prizes. We just care about pushing ourselves and seeing what we can do; what we can endure.
Am I strong enough? Do I have it in me?
This short episode is a recovery episode. As in, I’m needing some recovery! I have good shows planned for you all, so stick with me, but this week I’m behind in everything in my life! This podcast brings me a lot of joy, and I love doing it, but every once in a while, I’m in over my head in my world. For those who do not know me personally or haven’t followed me since I started this gig, I work full-time as a lawyer. And my lawyer job is the one that actually pays me, so it takes a much bigger position of priority in my life! Also, I have three children. My two oldest started school again a few weeks ago and I am struggling to get back into the school-schedule-swing-of-things.
Thanks for sticking with me. I’ll be back next week with a real episode. In the meantime, have a good week!
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Last year, Kristen Doornbos was my Episode 28 guest. Kristen is a runner, triathlete, massage therapist, and a woman of many gifts and talents. She is also a lover of snail mail. So all of this—her running, passion for snail mail, and creative genius—combined and a few weeks ago, Kristen launched Paper Trails Greeting Company. This is a greeting card company that specializes in cards for runners. These cards are great! Want to let someone know how proud you are of them for accomplishing a running goal? She has a card for that. Want to sympathize with someone who is injured and bummed about not being able to run? She has a card for that. Want to motivate or encourage someone, thank a coach, compliment someone’s watch tan, tell your favorite runner “happy birthday”, celebrate someone’s first half marathon, marathon, or ultra—she has cards for ALL of that!
In this episode, Kristen and I catch up and we talk about how and why she started Paper Trails Greeting Company.
Listen to this episode to find out how to win a motivation pack of greeting cards!
Show Notes:
Kristen Doornbos on Instagram
Josie on Instagram
Paper Trails Greeting Co. on Instagram
Paper Trails Greeting Co. Website
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Exactly 97 years ago, a baby boy was born who would grow up to be a young man wrestling with decisions during an unsure time in our nation’s history. Ernie Andrus was just 18 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed and his generation was propelled into an international crisis. Ernie enlisted in the Navy the summer of 1942 and spent at least part of his time in the Navy aboard an LST.
It’s been 75 years since World War II ended. It’s been 75 years since Ernie Andrus stood on the deck of an LST as a young sailor in the midst of a war. But he’s never lost his love for those ships.
At 97 years old, Ernie is running across America to raise money for the LST 325 Ship Memorial. About twenty years ago, when Ernie was a young 77-year old, he was one of several crewmembers who brought the LST 325 back from the Isle of Crete. The 325 is the only LST that is fully restored and operational. Ernie’s dream is to take this ship back to the beaches of Normandy for a D-Day Memorial.
Ernie is currently in East Texas and is making his way west to California. He runs a few times a week, always starting where he left off on his previous run. If you are in the East Texas area, I encourage you to find Ernie and spend a mile or two with him. If you are west of Lufkin, be on the lookout because Ernie is coming your way. He is asking for runners and volunteers to join him in his journey.
If you’d like to donate to his cause, I have a link in my show notes.
Fair winds and following seas, Ernie.
Show Notes:
LST 325 Ship Memorial
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Tanya Khvitsko-Trimborn doesn’t just run. She flies. Nine years ago, Tanya strapped on running blades for the first time. The feeling of flying through the air as she ran for the first time in her life was like nothing she had ever felt before. She hasn’t looked back since.
Marathons, half marathons, 5Ks—she’s run them all. She even stroller runs with her 18-month old son. And Tanya doesn’t stop there. She is also a motivational speaker, occasional model, and has even competed in a bikini fitness show.
Tanya is a native of Belaraus and now resides in Kansas. This episode reveals my ignorance because Tanya had to explain to me what “congenital amputee” means. She also helped me realize that while some may think blade running is less stressful on a person’s body because you can’t sprain an ankle or get shin splints, it’s actually more difficult because your hips and back are having to take the full force of each step.
I really enjoyed getting to know Tanya in this episode. I’ve been following her for some time on Instagram, and you will want to as well after you listen to our conversation. I have a link to her profile in my show notes.
This episode is sponsored by Ucan.
Show Notes:
Tanya on Instagram
Ucan (use code INASKIRT)
Follow In A Skirt:
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My episode this week is a conversation with Azierdi Oxendine. I really wanted to get Azierdi on the show and talk to her for several reasons. First, I’ve been following Azierdi on Instagram and she is a creative person. I love the creative types. I’m not creative, so I admire those who are. Azierdi is really fit and she loves to strength train. But here’s the thing: she never goes to a gym. She is always on the lookout for unique places and ways to train without purchasing equipment. I think sometimes we make things more difficult than they need to be when we are on a fitness journey. We think we need to buy a bunch of equipment, or go out of our way to carve out gym time. But Azierdi shows others you don’t need all that to get the job done.
Azierdi is also a member of the Lumbee tribe, a large Native American tribe located in North Carolina. So we also spend a few minutes talking about the tribe.
Finally, this is what sealed the deal for me in getting Azierdi on the show: a few months ago, she posted a picture of herself from when she was in high school and explained that she had been on her school’s wrestling team. Her post about it said she heard someone on the school intercom announce wrestling tryouts and she stood up to go try out and her teacher said, “Where are you going?” She said she was going to try out for wrestling and her teacher said, “you can’t do that. You’re a girl.” And she made up her mind right then and there that she would wrestle. And she did. I knew I had to get her on my show to talk to me about that.
Show Notes:
Follow Lumbeefitskirtgirl (Azier-di) on Instagram
Zuzkalight on Instagram
Dana Linn Baily on Instagram
Cassandra Martin on Instagram
Ucan (use code INASKIRT)
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In A Skirt on Facebook
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In the midst of everything going on, non-profits and charitable organizations are hurting right now. Large fundraising events that these organizations depend on are being canceled. I am on the board of East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope. In this episode, the Executive Director of the organization explains the hit canceling a fundraising gala is having on the organization and how virtual races can help ease the fallout from lost fundraising opportunities. The D’Feet Breast Cancer Virtual 10K will be held in October. You can run this race any time in the month of October and any place you want to run it! Once your run is verified, you’ll have a medal mailed to you. I have the link to the registration page in my show notes.
In this episode, Ashley also shares exciting news for East Texas cyclists. We’re bringing Purgatory back. Have a listen!
Show Notes:
Register for D’Feet Breast Cancer Virtual 10K
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When in doubt, throw out. And order pizza instead.
Let me know what your fall running plans are. Let’s share ideas to stay motivated and keep running even if we can’t race.
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Show Notes:
Armando is the pride and joy of the Lufkin running community. He started running in his late 30s and quickly made progress. This past January, he ran his marathon PR of 3:04. Armando is encouraging and hard-working. Probably each runner in my community has a story of how he has encouraged and inspired them. In this episode, we talk about all things running, but especially the Boston Marathon. Armando ran Boston a few years ago and has a genuine joy about the race that makes me even more eager to run it one day.
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
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Leah Brasher is a repeat guest. She was on my podcast last year, along with three other ultrarunners. I asked her to be back on the show because she’s been the queen of virtual races these last few months and I wanted to talk to her about that. Leah is a nurse and an avid runner. When races started getting canceled in March, Leah decided she wanted to find a way to support one of her favorite small racing companies—Trail Racing Over Texas, aka TROT. She did this by signing up for many of TROT’s virtual races. Since March 21st, Leah has completed about a dozen virtual races, including three 100Ks and four 50Ks. In this episode, we talk about her virtual racing adventures and how to support smaller racing companies. Also, Leah messaged me after the interview and asked me to share some information that she forgot to share while talking to me. TROT’s next virtual race will be the Trans-Texas Virtual Run. This is a virtual run across Texas…879 miles. You can run this distance by yourself or as part of a team. Registration is already open and the race starts July 1st.
Show Notes:
Trail Racing Over Texas (site)
Trail Racing Over Texas (Facebook)
Trail Racing Over Texas (Instagram)
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David Chavana started running in the 1970s after he watched Frank Shorter almost win the 1976 Olympic marathon. Running became a big part of his life and it was only recently, after close to 44 years of running, that he had to stop because of a knee injury. In this episode, you’ll hear how much he loves runners and the running community and how he still finds ways to be a part of that community.
In 1983, David organized a 10K in Edinburg, Texas. The 10K has been held every year since. It was first known as the All-America City 10K, but a couple of years ago the name was changed to honor David. It is now known as the David Chavana All-America City 10K.
Over the years, David has worked hard to grow and advance the race. It started out with one distance—the 10K—and a couple of hundred participants. This past year, they had more than 3,000 participants in the 10K and 5,000 in the 2-mile. And while participants had to stop at red lights and wait for traffic the first year, the race is now a certified course with an elite field.
But the one thing David has worked hard to keep the same is the family-friendly and “anyone-can-run” atmosphere. Although this race has all the fixings of a big-time competition, David makes sure it stays affordable so racing can be accessible to everyone. The registration fee is only $5 or $10, depending on age, or totally free, depending on need.
I could go on and on about the way this race is set up, because I think it’s fantastic and wish we could find a way to replicate its model across the country, but I’m going to let you listen to David tell you all about it and I hope—if racing is OK to do next year—I will be able to see some of you at the 2021 David Chavana All America City 10K.
Show Notes:
David Chavana All-America City 10K
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
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This week’s episode is a conversation I had a few days ago with Shawanna White. Shawanna is known on Instagram as @peachrunner26.2. She’s originally from Georgia, but now lives in South Carolina.
Shawanna is a physical education teacher and an avid runner. She logs between 70 and 90 miles each week. She is also a serial racer and before all the races got canceled this year, she was racing almost every week.
With a marathon PR of 2:45:19, Shawanna is the 5th fastest African-American born female marathoner. In this episode, Shawanna explains how she found that out and why it matters to distinguish African-American born runners.
Shawanna is also a big proponent of slow recovery runs. Even though she’s a 2:45 marathoner, she runs several of her weekly runs at what she calls “sexy” pace—which is slower than 9:00 minutes per mile. I used her “sexy-pace” mentality when I was training for my last two marathons and really felt like it helped.
This episode is sponsored by UCAN.
Show Notes:
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
Shawanna White on Instagram (@peachrunner26.2)
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It’s been a wild and crazy year so far. I know there is so much to be done in our world. But where to start? Today, I want to start with love. I want to truly love my neighbor. Regardless of your religion, your race, your nationality, your gender, your job, your past, your present, your friends, your family, your clothes, where you live…I know who you are and I love you. You are a human, created for a purpose, and created to love and to be loved. I am a Christian, and that means I believe that every person was created in the image of God. God is a spirit, so he has no physical image. But God is love, so we were all created in the image of love.
I started this podcast a little over a year ago. The idea behind it is that I wanted to celebrate differences. To help break stereotypes. I want to continue on that mission until we can feel comfortable running with others who don’t look, act, talk, or dress like us without being fearful of them or questioning them to the point of embarrassment or staring at them and making them feel out of place…or calling the cops on them.
We are runners or cyclists or recreational athletes. We’ve learned endurance and we’ve learned how to work hard. We have the ability to adapt to tough conditions and bear those conditions. Let’s adapt by opening our arms wide and welcoming others into our fold. Let’s endure pushback from others by standing side by side with those who are different from us. Let’s work hard at love and putting others first.
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Today’s guest is Aaron Davis. He is a repeat guest. I had him on the podcast last July. Shortly after I published that episode, Aaron’s mom’s health declined, and she passed away from congestive heart failure in August.
Right before Mother’s Day this year, Aaron heard about a group doing the Goggins Challenge. He decided to participate in honor of his mother.
In this episode, Aaron tells me about the challenge, how he added a 13th run so his miles would match his mother’s age, and how he raised money through the run for the American Heart Association.
Aaron’s fundraiser for the American Heart Association is still going on and I have a link in the show notes if you want to donate. He’s only a few hundred bucks short of his goal.
Show Notes:
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
Follow Aaron Davis on Strava (because everyone else does)
Aaron’s fundraiser (Running the Goggins Challenge for Karin)
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About a month ago, I read an article about a man named Dave Dial. Back in February, Dave ran his 200,000th mile. I saved the article and reached out to Dave shortly thereafter. I needed to talk to this guy. How long had he been at this running thing? When did he start keeping track? How long did it take him to get to 200,000 miles? Did he realize he had more miles on him than most cars? So many questions.
Dave got back to me and this episode is our conversation together. If you listen, you’ll pick up on a valuable lesson from Dave. Well, you’ll probably pick up on several, but the most valuable is that it doesn’t hurt to ask. That philosophy is how Dave ended up friends with Bill Rodgers—yes, THE Bill Rodgers—and a shoe tester for Skechers.
Show Notes:
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
Dave Dial on Facebook
KTRE “Groveton man reaches his 200,000 mile running goal”
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Episode 57 – Heaven Cain (Student-Athlete Podcast)
Today’s guest is a student-athlete: a middle-school football player. But unlike the great majority of football players, this one is a she!
Heaven is wrapping up her 7th grade school year. Football is her one love when it comes to sports, so, at the beginning of this school year, she set out to make the football team. This was no easy task, as you will hear her explain. But she stuck with it, and as she did, the naysayers stopped naysaying.
I first heard about Heaven when I saw portraits of her—one all dressed up like you would normally take portraits, and one in full football gear. Rachel Lout is a portrait photographer in Nacogdoches. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which made it unconstitutional for states to deny women the right to vote for simply being women, Rachel is working on a portrait series called “100 Years Strong.” The series celebrates today’s women and when completed, it will feature 19 women. So far, the series features a pilot, a triathlete, a roller derby player, a tugboat pilot, and Heaven, a 13-year old female football player.
In this episode, Heaven tells me why she loves football, lessons she’s learned from the sport, and how she felt when she made her first touchdown.
If you would like to view the photos in Rachel Lout’s series, I have a link in the show notes.
Show Notes:
100 Years Strong Portrait Series by Rachel Lout
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Casey Adams owns FITT Life and Rudy Flores owns Changing Lives Dance Center. Both are located in Lufkin, Texas. Right now, with gyms closed, Casey and Rudy are keeping their clients healthy and motivated by offering unconventional ways to work out. In this episode, we talk about how to stay healthy at home, and if you watch the video version, you get to see tips from both men on what they offer on livestream workouts. Also, we talk a lot about quarantine eating and how not to feel guilty if you find yourself snacking more than normal these days!
Show Notes:
Changing Lives Dance Center
Changing Lives Kidz
Changing Lives Dance Center on Facebook
Changing Lives Dance Center on Instagram
FITT Life on Facebook
FITT Life on Instagram
Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
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Kelly’s story is one of my favorite kinds of stories. It’s a story of a made-up mind.
Kelly had no athletic background at all. In fact, she has severe asthma, so intense physical exertion was a little concerning to her. But at the age of 51, she decided to train for her first 5K. When she crossed that first finish line, she was hooked. She then took up cycling and swimming as well as running and completed a number of shorter triathlon distances. Then this past fall, at the age of 55, Kelly became an Ironman.
In this episode, we talk about mental endurance and how that translates over into physical endurance. We also talk about perseverance and dealing with doubts that creep into your mind when you’re preparing to do something hard.
Thank you, Kelly, for sharing your story with In A Skirt Podcast!
Show Notes:
Generation Ucan (use code INASKIRT for 15% off)
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I know life has been crazy these last few weeks. And uncertain. But the other day, a friend sent me an article she read that really made me pause and think. It’s from Real Simple Magazine and it’s by Holly Robinson. Holly wrote that running has “been the best salve for emotional turmoil.” She said that “being happens during those rare times when we’re fully conscious of our surroundings and feel connected to them. We’re all guilty of too many acts of nonbeing,” but running pauses the world and lets one be “completely in the world.”
I read those words over and over again. Pausing the world while being completely in it. You know that feeling…when you’re on a run and your senses feel so alive and there is nothing else going on at that moment except simply being…simply feeling, smelling, hearing, seeing, and being. Sometimes on early morning runs, I hear the sound of an armadillo’s claws on the road as we both startle each other. Then I smell the fresh scent of a dryer sheet as I pass a house where someone must be drying a load of clothes. And as the sun begins to rise, I see a rabbit in the wet grass. My senses seem heightened when I run. I feel alive. I feel calm.
Sure, when I get back home, life is waiting for me again. The good and the bad of it. But at least I can approach it with a clear mind and a sense of gratitude that for the minutes or hours that I ran, I was able to pause the world and bask in simply being.
You all may know another woman named Holly—Holly Benson. She’s been a guest on my podcast before. Holly is a nurse practitioner and she’s currently in New York City for a three-week stint helping out with the medical emergency there. A few days ago, she posted a run on Strava and said that her runs are good for her soul. They are some normalcy in the midst of craziness.
So today, I decided to catch up with Holly for a few minutes and ask her what she’s doing in New York City and how she’s using running to help her through it.
I hope you are able to get outside and run or walk or ride a bike while the world pauses for you for a few minutes.
Show Notes:
Generation Ucan (use code INASKIRT)
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Today’s guest is my brother-in-law, Cassidy Riley. Cassidy is a registered nurse who works in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Louisiana, so we talk a little about that and his perspective of these crazy times we are living in.
But before he went to nursing school, Cassidy was a professional wrestler. I’ve always been intrigued by that. Wrestling is in and of itself an unconventional sport and Cassidy explains how difficult it was to get into the wrestling industry, his training, where all he traveled to, and the neat opportunities in life wrestling gave him.
Cassidy and his wife are also adoptive parents. They have two beautiful girls and their adoptions created a ripple effect that normalized adoption for so many others and encouraged others to take that step as well.
Thank you Cassidy! And thank you to everyone listening. I appreciate all your support. If you haven’t yet, please leave a rating and review for the show, follow me on Instagram, and share something about the podcast on social media. Links to my social media accounts are in the show notes. Stay safe!
Show Notes:
Cassidy Riley on Wikipedia
Cassidy Riley IMDb
Generation Ucan (use code INASKIRT)
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I want to celebrate what we were able to do before this virus started to affect us. And I want to look forward to better days that are coming. This episode is a conversation with Willie Fowlkes, the race director for The Woodlands Marathon. I think this race is so much fun and put on so well, so I wanted to talk to Willie about the history behind it, how he created a race through the busiest parts of The Woodlands, and what to expect next year as the race celebrates its 10th anniversary. While I’m disappointed about all the races we are having to miss right now, I am planning to run more next year…and to run with more gratitude and thankfulness.
Show Notes:
Generation Ucan (use code INASKIRT)
The Woodlands Marathon
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Last fall, I heard about a woman named Sister Stephanie Baliga. Runner’s World ran a feature about her and a couple of listeners sent me the Runner’s World video. I reached out to Sister Stephanie back then, but the fall was a really busy time for her. You’ll hear in this episode that she has a full plate. God works in mysterious ways, though. I believe that things didn’t work out last fall to get her on the podcast because now is the better time to have Sister Stephanie on this show. Hearing someone talk about God’s divine providence at this time is something I needed.
Years ago, Sister Stephanie was simply Stephanie. She was a standout cross country runner in high school and college. She had all sorts of ambitions for her life after college, but her sophomore year, while recovering from a running injury, she came to a realization about running. She had a God-given talent and she was using that talent to bring herself glory. Over the course of a spiritual journey, she changed her mind about her future. After college, Sister Stephanie joined Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, and dedicated her life to God as a religious sister.
But God gives talents for a reason. At Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, Sister Stephanie has found a way to run for God. To run for others. Sister Stephanie heads up Team Our Lady of the Angels, a team that fundraises for the Mission at the Chicago Marathon each year. The team has raised close to one million dollars since it started in 2011.
In this episode, Sister Stephanie tells me about her high school and college running days, explains why she joined the Mission, talks about the running team and the Chicago Marathon, and gives me some insight into what all the Mission is doing in Chicago. By the way, y’all, Sister Stephanie is a sub-3 hour marathoner. And she runs in a skirt!
Here is my conversation with Sister Stephanie Baliga.
Show Notes:
Mission Our Lady of the Angels
Team Our Lady of the Angels
Fleet Feet Chicago Feature on Sister Stephanie Baliga
Runner’s World: One Speedy Nun
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Beatie Deutsch is today’s guest! Beatie was one of my inspirations for starting this podcast. In early 2019, she won the Israeli national marathon championship with a time of 2:42. She made headlines after she won that championship, and a picture of her standing on the podium in her skirt while holding one of her children made running news all over the world. I was amazed at what Beatie had accomplished…in a skirt…and knew as soon as I saw that picture of her that I had to do something to celebrate people like Beatie.
Beatie is 30-years old and a mother of five children. In this episode, Beatie explains why she started running four years ago, how she’s gone from a 3:27 marathon to a 2:32, why she runs in a skirt, and her goals for the future.
Beatie is one of those people who speaks positivity to herself and to others. She doesn’t dwell on negative “what ifs” and instead prefers to concentrate on what she can handle and who is really in control of her life—God. She has had an amazingly successful year, but her rise to professional running is also coinciding with a very tough and strange time for runners. Beatie is currently ranked in the top 80 female marathoners in the world; a ranking that is likely to secure her a spot at the 2020 Olympics. But whether the 2020 Olympics will actually happen is unknown. Races all over the world have been canceled or postponed to help stop the spread of coronavirus. And if the Olympics do happen, it is possible the marathon will be run on a Saturday. As Beatie is religiously observant, Saturday is the Sabbath and she would forego the race. But through these crazy times, and faced with so much unknown, Beatie is remaining calm and positive. Her ambition, hard work, love for her family, and steadfastness to her faith are truly inspirational.
Here is my conversation with Beatie.
(P.S. LISTEN to today’s episode for a chance at a GIVEAWAY to celebrate my 50th episode!)
Show Notes:
Beatie Deutsch on Facebook
Beatie Deutsch on Instagram
Beit Daniella
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I want to be your cheerleader. I want to be your encourager. I want to yell for you so loudly that I drown out the noise of the doubt. And I want you to do the same for someone else. We were never meant to do life alone. Any part of it. Block the winds for others and let them block the winds for you.
Show Notes:
Register for CASA of the Pines Superhero Run
CASA of the Pines Superhero Run Info
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In A Skirt on Facebook
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Erica Kirkwood was my Episode 43 guest. She qualified for the Olympic Trials when she broke 2 hours and 45 minutes at Grandma’s Marathon last summer.
This past Saturday, Erica, and hundreds of other men and women from across the country, participated in the Olympic team trials for the marathon. Out of the runners who qualified and showed up in Atlanta to run the team trials, only three men and three women could make the team. The three women who made the team are Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel, and Sally Kipyego.
Erica ran hard and tough. She crossed the finish line in under three hours, which is an impressive time in and of itself, but in this case, especially impressive. In this recap, Erica explains how tough the course was, the weather conditions that made running many times more difficult, how many women dropped out of the race, and how amazing it was to be part of such a historical race. As I explained in Episode 43, this is only the tenth time women have been allowed to run the marathon at the Olympics. Prior to the 1984 games, there was no women’s marathon as an Olympic event. The 2020 trials also saw more women qualify than ever before. Teachers, nurses, doctors, moms, and coaches from all over the country pushed themselves and others to be able to show up to that start line in Atlanta. Erica is one of those women: a mom and full-time occupational therapist.
Here is Erica’s Olympic Trials race recap.
Show Notes:
Erica Kirkwood on Instagram
Generation UCan
Register for CASA of the Pines Superhero Run
CASA of the Pines Superhero Run Info
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In A Skirt on Facebook
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Episode 47 – Seth & Hannah Thompson (Race for Hope)
Seth and Hannah Thompson live in Lufkin and both ran the 5K at the Race for Hope. They have been married for four years and have a three-year old son. In the short time they have been married, life has put the two of them through the wringer. Since 2017, the couple has heard, “you have cancer” a combined three times. And then last year, after the strangest of accidents, Seth woke up and found himself being life-flighted to a hospital. That wringer, though, has been no match for their strength and determination. Seth and Hannah choose to love their lives, remain positive, enjoy each day, and cling closely to each other and their son. This couple’s grit and outlook on life are inspiring.
Here is my conversation with them.
Show Notes:
East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope
Team Thompson
Miracles for Mason
Register for CASA of the Pines Superhero Run
CASA of the Pines Superhero Run Info
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Sometimes life gives you lemons and you don’t get a “real” podcast episode out.
Show Notes:
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
Register for CASA of the Pines Superhero Run
CASA of the Pines Superhero Run Info
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The 5K has become such a popular race distance. You can find multiple 5Ks year-round all across the country. They’re fun to run. They’re fun to walk. They’re fun as community builders.
But we rarely know the stories behind them…behind each individual 5K. The reason for the race and what the funds are being used for.
I’ve been trying to get you all to sign up for the Race for Hope for months now. And there’s still time to sign up, by the way. The 5K, half, and full marathon will be held February 22nd in Lufkin and the link to register is in my show notes. But do you know the purpose of the Race for Hope? To raise money for East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope. A few years ago, Ashley Berry faced a cancer diagnosis. As she went through treatment, her community stepped in and helped her financially. She’s now been cancer free for five years and she formed East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope to help others in her community who are fighting cancer by providing groceries, or gas money, or school clothes for their kids. She believes in community.
So does today’s guest, Erin Froehner. When Erin gave birth to her first baby, Addalyn, she found out Addalyn had trisomy 18. It was other parents of children with trisomy who provided her with the skills and knowledge she needed to take care of Addalyn. When Addalyn passed away a few years ago, Erin took over Hope for Trisomy, a non-profit organization that provides support, education, and resources to other families who are loving kids with trisomy.
And each March, Erin hosts a 5K in Arlington, Texas. The 5K raises funds for Hope for Trisomy, provides a way for her community to meet new people, and educates the runners and walkers about the children the organization has helped.
Here is my conversation with Erin about Addalyn, Hope for Trisomy, and the 5K.
Show Notes:
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
Hope for Trisomy Website
Hope for Trisomy on Facebook
Register for the Hope for Trisomy 5K
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Know your strengths. Remind yourself of them. Recognize your effort. Tell yourself what you’re capable of. And if things get hard, just smile and remind yourself that you’re doing so good.
Show Notes:
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
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In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
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Community. That’s the word that kept popping into my head when I was talking to Erica Kirkwood. The power of community. The power of encouraging people speaking positivity into a life. A lot of people are strong on their own, but a community can take that strength and turn it into something phenomenal.
Erica is a talented and hardworking runner. She is also a wife, mother of two, and occupational therapist. And she is also an Olympic Trials qualifier, having broken 2:45 at Grandma’s Marathon last year.
In this episode, she tells me about every person who has pushed her and encouraged her and helped her along the way. Her community. That, along with her hard work ethic and personal mantra—“Why not me?”—has helped her get faster and faster.
I really think you’re going to love this episode. Erica is inspiring and fun to get to know. Cheer her on in a few weeks as she runs in Atlanta with the best of the best in America at the Olympic Marathon Trials.
Show Notes:
Erica Kirkwood on Instagram
Generation UCan
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
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Episode 42 – Geaux Run
This past weekend, I had the fun privilege of running the Louisiana Marathon. Meanwhile, a number of my friends, past podcast guests, and other Lufkinites ran the Houston Marathon. This is a short recovery episode that is basically a compilation of my rambling thoughts leading up to the race and afterward and updating everyone on how my past podcast guests fared in Houston.
Show Notes:
Ainsley’s Angels
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
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One of my favorite things about this podcast is the opportunity to get to know people. I love the conversations I have on this show and being able to meet my guests and listeners, even if it is just over the phone, Skype, or social media.
Today’s guest is no exception. I have never met Holly in person, but I feel like we are friends. Some time last year, a woman in my church told me, “You should meet my sister-in-law. You would like her. She’s a runner like you.” After that I became social media friends with the sister-in-law, whose name happened to be Holly.
I have followed Holly’s journey over the last year while she has run race after race after race. I have been impressed by her hard work and dedication to running, while working full time as a nurse practitioner and also wearing wife and mom hats.
In this episode, we talk about her job, why she started running, training for six marathons in 12 months, and being part of the skirt-girl tribe.
I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Show Notes:
Race for Hope Registration
Race for Hope Info
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We’re having a marathon, y’all.
On February 22, we’re running and walking the streets of Lufkin for a full marathon, half marathon, and 5K.
But this isn’t just any race. It’s for a cause.
In this recovery episode, Ashley Berry, the Executive Director of East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope, explains what her organization is about and how every person who signs up for the Race for Hope will help fund and promote the Cancer Alliance for Hope.
Sign up for the Race for Hope HERE!
Click HERE for more info on the Race for Hope.
If you want to know more about East Texas Cancer Alliance for Hope, visit their site HERE.
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This is a special episode for me. Robert and I went to school together. We graduated from Lyford High School in 2001. Go Bulldogs!
Robert signed up for his first 5K in October of 2015. He didn’t know what he was in for, but after that first event, he was hooked.
This past year, as his mother’s health declined, he promised her he would run 12 5Ks in 2019 for her. He kept his promise, even though it ended up being a difficult and emotional year for Robert and his family.
In this episode, Robert tells me about his favorite 5Ks and opens up about the trying year his family has had.
Upcoming Events:
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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Stuart is a kilt runner and Strava artist who lives in Scotland. In this episode, Stuart tells me why and when he started running in a kilt, all about the Scottish Highland Games he participates in, including how the first to finish in a kilt wins a prize. We also talk about other events at the Highland Games, like stone throwing. Traveling to Scotland to watch at least one Highland Games is now on my bucket list.
Stuart and I also talk about Strava art. I had a lot of questions about the planning and logistics that go into creating Strava art.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Show Notes:
Stuart Marr on Instagram
Stuart Marr on Strava
Upcoming Events:
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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Modesty.
Entrepreneurship.
Women-owned businesses.
What do these things have in common? Women are stepping up all over the world and saying they want to have their cake and eat it, too. They want to dress the way they want to dress, and not the way the world tells them they should dress, and they want to be active and comfortable and wear clothes that make them feel like themselves. So they’re opening up their own businesses, heading up their own companies, creating their own designs, and playing the business game their way. They’re giving women what they want. They’re selling products that they can feel good about it selling and we can feel good about buying.
Aja is one of those women. She’s the creator of Transcendent Active, a new modest-active wear line. She has an extensive background in fashion and she is fun and vibrant. In this episode, we talk about why she dresses modestly, her religious journey, and how she hopes her brand will stand out.
Show Notes:
Transcendent Active on Instagram
100 Years Strong – Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment
Upcoming Events:
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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The 5K. 5 kilometers. 3.1 miles. It is the most popular distance for recreational runners. If you listened to Episode 34 with Ken Johnson, he explains that decades ago, the 10K used to be popular, but it has since been replaced by the 5K. Why? Because more people are getting outside and running. We are slowly learning that running isn’t just for elites. It’s for people like you and me. And the 5K is the perfect distance to show people that.
The 5K can be life-changing. I’ve learned, and so many others have as well, that the hardest part is training your mind and body for that 3.1-mile endeavor. Once you’ve done that, you realize you can train yourself to do just about anything.
A few months ago, a few of us runners in the Lufkin area started messaging each other. It was Kody Smith, Laura Jones, Matty Dupree, Mike Burton, Cindy Springs, and myself. What if we put together a couch to 5K program for people in this area? This episode is about why we started that program and how it went. It ends with conversations with a few of the participants immediately after they crushed their 5K goals!
Upcoming Races:
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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What is it that you want in your community? What need exists that you could fill? What ball can you get rolling?
Upcoming Races:
Register for the Reindeer Run 5K
Reindeer Run 5K on Facebook
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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Ken is a lifelong runner. He began running when he joined the Army in 1961. He retired from the Army in the 1980s and moved to Huntsville where he helped co-found the Seven Hills Running Club, a still-active club.
Ken’s story is a bit unconventional. Although he’s been running for 58 years, he says he doesn’t like it! You could say he became a runner under duress. For someone who doesn’t like the sport, he sure is active in it! Ken has completed more than 1,100 races, including 101 full or ultra marathons, and 101 (plus some) half marathons. There’s significance to the number 101 and he explains that in this episode.
Also in this episode, we talk about Ken’s Army days and his current run streak.
Hope you enjoy our conversation!
Show Notes:
Seven Hills Running Club
Ken Johnson’s Running Streak Blog
Upcoming Races:
Register for the Reindeer Run 5K
Reindeer Run 5K on Facebook
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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Fear is an odd thing. It can be beneficial at times. It’s useful for self-preservation. It can keep us from doing crazy or stupid things. It can keep us from injury and death.
But sometimes fear keeps us from living, or living well. It turns into stress and anxiety and adversely affects our quality of life.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that a lot of the things that mean the most to me in life I was once afraid of. When I forced myself to face my fears, I found things I loved.
I talk to a lot of runners. I love their stories. And I’ve noticed a common theme with a lot of runners—through running, they have been able to overcome a fear, or used the strength of running to face fears.
So this week I asked runners – what fear has running helped you overcome?
Show Notes:
Register for the Reindeer Run 5K
Reindeer Run 5K on Facebook
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
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In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
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Mike is a teacher, husband, and father. This past January, Mike decided he wanted to get his health back. He started with changing the way he ate, and then, in May, he started running.
Mike has lost about 140 pounds this year, and he’s discovered he has a passion and a talent for running.
In this episode, we talk a little about Mike’s transformation (some of his students didn’t recognize him when school started back in August), but more about his love for a sport that has done more for him than just help him get healthy.
Show Notes:
Register for the Reindeer Run 5K
Reindeer Run 5K on Facebook
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
Follow In A Skirt Podcast:
In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
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Myka is a high-school senior from Indiana. She plays volleyball and softball.
When Myka was a young girl, she made the decision on her own to start wearing a skirt to play sports instead of the conventional sports uniforms.
In this episode, she tells us why she decided to make that decision and how her teammates have always supported her.
I sent Myka a list of questions for this episode, and one of them was if she ever feels nervous or self-conscious about what she wears. Myka admits that it can be difficult to look different, but she takes it in stride, smiles, and is happy to show the world who she is.
The other questions I sent Myka that she answers in this episode are if she has experienced negativity about her choice to play sports in a skirt, what her favorite sport is and why, if her courage to be different has inspired others, and what piece of advice she would offer to someone who’s afraid to put themselves “out there.”
So, here is Myka in her own words…
Thanks for opening up to us, Myka, and letting us know how it feels to celebrate the unconventional!
Show Notes:
Register for the Reindeer Run 5K
Reindeer Run 5K on Facebook
Register for the Race for Hope
Race for Hope on Facebook
Myka on Instagram
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In A Skirt Website
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
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Adam’s a fun guy. He is easy to talk to, has a brain full of great ideas, is a go-getter, and has a great sense of humor.
Years ago, when Adam was 19-years old, he briefly fell asleep while driving home from college. He woke up with a severed spine. Since then, he has been paralyzed from the waist down.
Four years ago, Adam was given the opportunity to walk again with a ReWalk robotic exoskeleton. This exoskeleton re-enabled him, and ever since, he’s been on a journey to walk one million steps in races across America and raise awareness and funds for his non-profit organization called I Got Legs.
In this episode, Adam tells me how I Got Legs is helping others, the races he has taken his exoskeleton (which he named “Betty Carlton”) to, his future goals, and his vision for I Got Legs. By the way, you’re going to love the reason he named his exoskeleton “Betty Carlton.”
If you want to donate or support I Got Legs, go to igotlegs.org. I also have a link to that website in my show notes, along with the organization’s Facebook page, and Instagram profile. Adam is based out of Charleston, South Caroline. If you’re in the Charleston area, or if you like to travel, I Got Legs has a number of events coming up soon that you can participate in and that will financially support the organization.
Show Notes:
I Got Legs Website
I Got Legs on Facebook
I Got Legs on Instagram
ReWalk
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Episode 29 – “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should” – a cautionary tale from Rusty Stover
When I started running, I knew nothing about rest and recovery. I thought I could run the same pace and distance every single day, and I couldn’t understand why that pace and distance was easy some days and so very hard other days.
Over the past few weeks, I have been helping out with a group here in Lufkin using the Couch to 5K program to get ready for the Reindeer Run 5K in December. Couch to 5K is a run/walk program that slowly builds up running endurance. I didn’t know about Couch to 5K when I started running, but I followed the same basic concept—running short distances, then walking until I felt better, then running again until I felt fatigued, then walking again. Eventually the running portions got a little longer…then a little longer…and so on until I was able to run a mile without stopping, then two, then three.
But now that I’m helping others, I want them to know all the things I didn’t know seven years ago when I started out. So I turned to an expert…
Rusty Stover has coached a wide range of ages for years. He was the cross country coach at Lufkin High School for a long time until he left sweltering East Texas for the cooler temperatures of Durango, Colorado. And he coached me for a couple of years. He’s also coached a lot of my local running and cycling buddies. One thing that he emphasizes with any athlete he’s working with is the need for recovery.
In this episode, we talk about why some days feel harder on your body than others, what you need to do about it, and just how hard you should be pushing yourself.
When Rusty was writing my running plans for me, sometimes I scrapped what he had prescribed for a day, and did what I wanted to do. He would always send me a text message that said, “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” And he was right.
My best running buddy is a high mileage kind of gal. But she’s been running for decades, so her body can handle it. When I ran my first marathon, I wanted to run six days a week with lots of miles. So I did. The result? Well, I had a tough time getting through the marathon and wasn’t able to run for two months after the race. Rusty put me on a bike to recover and the next go-round, he lowered the number of days I was running and sprinkled in a lot of strength training and cross training. The result was a much better marathon. I cut 50 minutes off my finish time and recovered quickly enough to run my fastest half marathon to-date just six weeks later.
As he explained to me then, and as he explains in this episode, you don’t need to compare yourself to others. You need to take the amount of recovery time that is best for you and build your base—your running foundation. As you build that base in a healthy way, you’ll be able to push yourself a little more.
And if you are interested in personalizing your running with a coach, I highly recommend Rusty.
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Kristen is a woman of many hats and many talents. Runner, triathlete, musician. She even quilts! When I spoke to her, I couldn’t help but think, “This woman is a creator.” She creates beautiful words and beautiful things.
Kristen is also an unconventional runner. She made the choice last year to take a pretty bold move to better her health. This move was a permanent feeding tube.
Sometimes there are odd looks when she’s out and about running and this visible tube is…well, visible. But like Kristen said, “hiding is exhausting…live your life.”
I love those words. I love that idea. You can take what makes you different and bury it and hide in your home. But what kind of life is that? Or you can walk outside, chin up, and live your life.
Links:
Kristen on Instagram
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A few weeks ago, I met Jim at Standpipe Coffee House in Lufkin to chat with him about his amazing life.
Jim was born with spina bifida in 1955 in Lufkin. He spent most of the first 14 years of his life in a hospital and has had more than 100 surgeries. The best way to describe Jim is that he’s a fighter. He has spent his life fighting for himself and fighting to clear up misconceptions that people with disabilities are weak.
He’s had just about every job you can think of, including disc jockey and booking agent for bands. He’s also been a personal trainer since 2002 and has certifications in strength training and dumbbell training and is a certified life coach.
Links:
Mission Tejas Trail Run
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For today’s recovery episode, I am doing something a little different and I am so excited about it! I am spotlighting a student athlete who I find inspiring. This athlete’s name is Evelyn Sanchez. I have been friends with Evelyn’s mom for years and have been following Evelyn’s athletic journey on Facebook. I find her to be so encouraging that I had to share her words with all of you!
If you know an inspiring student athlete who I should spotlight, send me a message or email.
Links:
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
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It’s cross country season, and this episode is about two cross country coaches.
A few years ago, my son brought home a flyer from school about a kids’ cross country club. He said he wanted to sign up. We were at a new school and signing up for something was a big deal for him. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was so excited he wanted to do something so I signed him up right away.
I soon found out that this club was something our school’s cross country coaches did for younger kids. It was open to children in kinder through 6th grade. It was a no-pressure, carefree, fun way to get kids outside and running.
When I started this podcast, I wanted to celebrate the unconventional athlete, but I also wanted to celebrate those who work to get everyone outside and running. Coaches Josh and Amy Stewart do that. They take their free time to meet kids in grades kinder through 6th grade once a week and teach them how to love running. They don’t care if the kids walk. They don’t care what the kids’ times are. They don’t even care if parents run with their kids. So now, once a week during the fall, you’ll find kids AND parents hanging out at the school, walking and running. In other words, Josh and Amy Stewart have built a community around this.
And when I say this is a no-pressure group, which I believe is the BEST way to get kids running, I really mean no pressure. My second son ran with this group two years and he never felt pressured to run fast...or to even run most of the time. He just had fun being outside with other kids.
So right before the start of this school year, I sat down with the Stewarts to talk to them about this club...and also to find out what it’s like to be a married couple doing the same thing at the same school!
See if you can hear the dog’s squeaky toy! We had to chase down the Stewarts’ dog to get her toy from her during the interview!
Links:
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
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Weak core
Supinator
Ankle roll
These are all things I learned about myself from a run analysis.
But I’m glad I learned these things, because now I can run smarter; run healthier.
I’ve said it before: I want to be in it for the long run. I want to be a 96-year old lady running 5Ks.
So, to run smarter, I decided to find out some things about how I run…
Links:
Regional Physical Therapy Website
Regional Physical Therapy on Facebook
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
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Colin started running just three years ago. I always love to hear stories about people who decided to start running when they were in their 30s or older. It gives me examples to use when someone tells me they think it’s too late in life for them to become a runner! Colin ran his first marathon before he even knew what the words “tempo” and “intervals” mean.
Colin lives in Ireland, and what is so fun about this episode is that although he lives across the ocean from me, we have so much in common and so much to talk about. See…this is running…a community you can join regardless of where you live and regardless of whether you’ve been running since 1976 or 2016.
Although Colin has only been running for three years, he’s progressed quickly and has some fast PRs. He’s also a father of four and starts his runs early in the morning (at a time some would still call “the middle of the night”) so he can be back home when his kids start their day.
Colin also explains how running has helped him with atrial fibrillation, he has a goal of breaking three hours in the marathon, and he has a goal of running a marathon in every European country.
Some interesting takeaways from this conversation are that I have no clue how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and “BBQ” doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere.
Also, my husband thought my accent became increasingly more “Texan” the longer I talked to Colin. Like I needed a competing accent or something. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you, Colin, so much for taking the time to have a conversation with me. I enjoyed it and good luck on your future races!
Links:
Follow Colin on Instagram
The Dublin Marathon
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My interview on “I’ll Have Another” with Lindsey Hein
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
If you show up to the start line, you’re already beating most of the world.
Links:
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
Regional Physical Therapy Website
Regional Physical Therapy on Facebook
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Lisa is a Pilates instructor and the owner of her own studio, PURE Pilates. She’s also a registered nurse and mother of four.
I learned so much from Lisa during our conversation, including what Pilates is, why we should squat more, how to take advantage of what Lisa calls “squapportunities,” how to move intuitively, and how we can learn a lot about fitness and wellness from our dogs!
Lisa is also a skirt girl, hence her fun Instagram name—Pilates in a Pencil Skirt.
This is one of my favorite conversations so far. Lisa is easy to talk to and full of great advice. I’m convinced I need Pilates in my life now. And all you runners out there…I know you’re just as inflexible and tense as I am, so you need Pilates, too! And this episode ends with great news: although Lisa lives too far away for many of us to join her classes in person, she is going to be offering Pilates virtually soon! Stay posted for more information about that when it becomes available.
Episode links:
Joseph Pilates
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Daniella Fashion
Pilates in a Pencil Skirt on Instagram
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Episode Sponsor:
Regional Physical Therapy, Lufkin, Texas
Upcoming Events:
Texas State Forest Festival LumberJacked 5K and Fun Run
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Episode 20 – Running is Better with Friends
Don’t be shy. Join the club.
Links:
Mission Tejas Trail Run
Texas State Forest Festival
Regional Physical Therapy Website
Regional Physical Therapy on Facebook
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Trail Racing Over Texas:
Website
I always wonder what other runners eat. Why? Well, because I’m usually hungry.
Runners need lots of calories…and extra carbs…and more protein…so I like to ask other runners about their diets.
Aaron Davis’ running journey is similar to mine. I feel like we are kind of in the same “place” when it comes to why we run, our experience level, and what we hope to accomplish…so that’s why I was interested to hear about his diet. Aaron eats a completely plant-based diet. I wanted to know why he chose that diet and the effect it has had on his health and running.
Full disclosure here: Aaron is not a nutritionist. He’s not a doctor. Neither am I. We are just two runners talking about running and food and what works for each of us. Anytime you want to make drastic changes to your diet, then you should get a professional involved. And maybe I’ll have a nutritionist on the show one day, but for this episode, I just wanted to talk to someone who loves to run and ask him why he—and perhaps so many other athletes—are turning to vegan diets.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aaron. Also, stay tuned to the end of this episode because I have some exciting information about the upcoming Mission Tejas Trail Race that I don’t want you to miss.
Episode links:
No Meat Athlete
The Happy Pear
Vega
Rich Roll
Uncommon People Podcast
Billy Yang
Adam Shaw Podcast
Ravi Zacharias Podcast
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Trail Racing Over Texas:
Website
If you haven’t listened to Episode 8yet, you really need to! Claudia and her coach Kait were my Episode 8 guests. They talked about Claudia’s amazing fitness journey. In that episode, Claudia said she was planning to run a Spartan race.
Now that Claudia has completed the Spartan race, I invited her back to tell me all about it.
Claudia, you are amazing, encouraging, and inspiring!
Show notes:
Episode 8 of In A Skirt Podcast (Claudia Cook and Kait Cook)
Start your Spartan journey
Joe De Sena interview on Runner’s World
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Terry Hamlin is a lifelong runner. In fact, he started running before running was cool. In his 20s, he got to rub elbows with some of the greatest American runners ever.
In this episode, we talk about his love of the sport, starting a running club, helping create one of the most popular road races in the country, the loss of his left leg, raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, coaching numerous people to the Olympic Trials, the science behind running, and his soon-to-be-released book, “Building a Better Runner.”
Who’s going to join me in Charleston next Spring for the Cooper River Bridge Run?
Links:
Terry Hamlin on Instagram
Charleston Running Club
Charleston Running Club on Instagram
Cooper River Bridge Run
Building a Better Runner (book)
Freedom Innovations
Wounded Warrior Project
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Episode 16 — Chana Rachel Weinberg
Chana is a fashion designer in Israel. She is also a runner and a lover of art, colors, and nature. A few years ago, all of this combined with her religious lifestyle and she started Chanabana, a modest activewear and lifestyle company. Her clothing is fashionable, functional, comfortable, and beautifully vibrant.
In this episode, we explore what “modesty” means, her world travels, how alive running makes us feel, and her love for fashion.
Links:
Chanabana on Instagram
Chanabana on Facebook
Chanabana website
Leonid Afremov
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Episode 15 -- A Sweet Breakup
“I don't like you, but I love you
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
Oh, oh, oh, you treat me badly
I love you madly, you really got a hold on me...”
The old song by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles became my personal saga about sugar.
But unlike Smokey, I decided to split now.
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Episode 14 – Deborah Barton
“A force of nature” – that’s what Deborah’s friends call her.
As soon as I walked into Deborah’s house last month, I knew I’d like her. Pictures, books, relics of past travels…her house showed how she lives her life and how I long to live mine.
The hour or so I spent with Deborah proved my initial assumptions were correct. She is 71 years old; a psychologist who has recently retired. She used to run, tried swimming, and then picked up cycling when she was 54. She averages a couple of hundred miles a week on the bike.
In this episode, she tells me about her cross-country trips on the back of a bike, the beauty she has found in back roads and friendly strangers, why she continues to ride despite being hit by a car (three different times), what motivates her to compete in the National Senior Games, and her definition of a quality life.
We also found out we share a love for Cheetos and she told me about the coffee parties she has each Saturday morning.
You’re going to love Deborah.
Links:
National Senior Games
College Station’s Deborah Barton Dominates Texas Senior Games
Aggie Cyclists on Trek Across Country
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Episode 13 – We Finish Together
Maybe you like to display your medals for all to see…like I do. Maybe you throw them in a drawer when you get home from a race. Maybe you’re looking for a third alternative for that hard-earned hardware…
Kim Stemple, a runner, learned how powerful of a symbol a medal can be to someone struggling. Yes, even someone else’s medal. After a friend gave her a medal when Kim was sick and hospitalized, Kim decided to share the joy of medals with others. She started We Finish Together to collect and distribute donated medals to people who need to know they’re supported.
Links:
We Finish Together Site
We Finish Together on Facebook
We Finish Together on Instagram
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Episode 12 – Charity Morgan
Charity Morgan is the owner of Sweet Lemon Thyme Health, a company that specializes in modest activewear for girls and women. The skirts are handcrafted in San Francisco, which allows customers to choose the length of the skirt and the length of the leggings. Charity is also a nutritional therapist and runner.
In this episode, we talk about her business, the fun options she offers, being an entrepreneur, what running a business has taught her, running, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and even french fries!
One of my favorite things about this episode is how Charity explained that she, as a business owner, and each of us, should constantly be willing to learn, change, accept lessons from mistakes and criticism, and keep growing and improving.
Links:
Sweet Lemon Thyme website
Sweet Lemon Thyme on Facebook
Sweet Lemon Thyme on Instagram
Peloton
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Episode 11 – Kaytha Potts
Running, cycling, old homes, shiplap, art history, my complete and utter lack of knowledge when it comes to art and famous artists—this episode has it all.
Kaytha is a local runner and cyclist. We met on a group ride last year. She is really strong cyclist, but I am also fascinated with all the other sides to her.
To see pictures of her beautiful artwork, visit her website or Instagram profile using the links below.
Kaytha Potts website
Kaytha Potts on Instagram
Houston Fit
Zwift
Bayou City Art Festival
Huichol people of Mexico
John Nieto
Franz Marc
Fauvism
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Episode 10 – Recovery & Rest
Sustainability. Growth. You need recovery and rest to achieve both.
I want to be in it for the long run.
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Fun. That’s the word that keeps popping into my head when I think of these four and the time I spent talking to them. They know how to enjoy life…and not just bits and pieces of life, but the big picture of life.
One works at a prison. One is a nurse. One is a beauty salon owner/master stylist. One is a fourth-grade teacher. On the surface, they are the “average Joes” you meet every day…except that there’s nothing average about them.
All four of these people are ultrarunners. They have completed several extremely long-distance races, including 100 milers.
I invited them over to my house to get to know them and ask them why they decided to start running ultras and what keeps them going. Warning: there’s a lot of talking over each other and laughing in this episode, and that’s because we sat down in my dining room and simply had fun sharing stories.
Trail Racing Over Texas (website)
Trail Racing Over Texas (Facebook)
Lufkin Area Pacesetters (LAPS)
Tejas Trails
Screaming Monkey 100
Chevron Houston Marathon
Habanero 100
San Antonio Rock ‘N’ Roll
Rocky Raccoon 100
Brazos Bend
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A few years ago, Claudia decided to make some physical changes to her life. At first, she changed the way she ate, but over time she added walking, running, and strength training to her life. The result? About 115 pounds lost and a transformed body AND mind. In this episode, Claudia and her niece and personal trainer, Kait, talk to me about natural weight loss and going from an “I could never do that” to an “I know I can do that” attitude.
Claudia Cook on Instagram
Kait Cook on Instagram
Kira Stokes (Kait’s favorite Instagram trainer)
Couch to 5K
Fitt Life Lufkin
Spartan Stadion — AT&T Stadium
Skyline Burrito Bowls
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I met Tennessee Love through cycling and running. She also swims...in fact, she’s basically a fish.
Tennessee’s son, Gabriel, is a swimmer as well. Gabriel is a sophomore in high school. He is friendly, likable, a math whiz, and has beautiful blond hair. Gabriel is also autistic. For Autism Acceptance Month, I asked Tennessee if I could meet with her and her husband, Bruce, to talk about their experiences, and Gabriel’s experiences, on the high school swim team.
I learned a lot about Gabriel in this interview, but I learned even more about his parents. They know their son’s gifts and have never doubted his abilities. They’ve worked hard to balance their desire to protect him with their desire to push him and watch him grow as a person.
This is one interview that made me wish we had more than just audio to share with others. Gabriel is beautiful inside and out, but I could honestly see and feel his parents’ love for him and desires for him while talking to them.
In A Skirt
In A Skirt on Facebook
In A Skirt on Instagram
In A Skirt on Twitter
Mod Sportswear
Episode 6 – Karena McElhaney
Karena is a certified personal trainer, music director, and mom of three.
While she is in excellent shape now, she had to work really hard to get there. In this episode, we talk about her struggle to find a healthy lifestyle – even trying a watermelon and cornflake diet one summer! Nothing resulted in long-term change until she learned about nutrition, transformed her mindset about food, and started lifting weights.
Karena is fun and inspiring. Her goal now is to educate and help others who want to change their lives like she did.
Also, Karena is a skirt girl! Her active lifestyle is carried out while she’s in a skirt.
Links:
Karena on Instagram
Karena on Facebook
Snoga Athletics (Karena’s skirt-of-choice)
East Texas Fittest
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In A Skirt Site
Show Notes
Each November, Lufkin ISD’s special needs students get to participate in an athletic event that is just for them. They are the VIPs, the athletes, the winners. The annual Turkey Trot for special needs students has been running strong for seven years at Lufkin. Special needs students are paired with Lufkin High School athletes for a fun run and games on the John Outlaw Memorial Field in Abe Martin Stadium.
I sat down with directors and coaches from Lufkin ISD to discuss the Turkey Trot and the impact it has on special needs students, athletes, and the district as a whole.
Links:
Lufkin Independent School District
Lufkin ISD on Facebook
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CASA of the Pines is an organization that advocates for abused and neglected children involved in child protection cases. CASA and its volunteers serve as the guardian ad litem for children who have been removed from their homes and help courts understand a child’s best interests.
For the last several years, CASA of the Pines has been putting on a 5K and half marathon called the “Superhero Race” to raise funds for the organization. This year’s race was held on March 23rd on beautiful country roads in Kennard, Texas. For those who didn’t want to run, they could opt for the “bRUNch” at Larry Bruce Gardens, a farm-to-table restaurant tucked deep in the Pineywoods.
We set up a tent at the race and talked to volunteers and runners and compiled those interviews into this episode. We got to talk to a lot of people, including the Executive Director of CASA of the Pines, a man who is on a mission to run a race in every county in Texas, some fast teenagers, Curbside Café’s brewmaster who was keeping all the runners caffeinated, a prosecutor who asked more questions than he answered, and Livewell Athletic Club’s owner who explained what pickleball is.
Here are the show’s links:
CASA of the Pines
CASA of the Pines on Faceboook
Superhero Run
Larry Bruce Gardens
Larry Bruce Gardens on Facebook
Livewell Athletic Club
Livewell Athletic Club on Facebook
Curbside Café
Curbside Café on Facebook
In A Skirt
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Elizabeth Durrett and Stefani Willmon are local friends of mine. Elizabeth is a mom, business owner, and Ironman triathlete. Stefani is a mom, nurse, and marathoner. They’ve shaped themselves into dedicated athletes, but neither of them hopped on a bike or laced up running shoes until they were in their 30s/40s.
In this episode, we talk about their love for running and cycling and what a difference an active lifestyle has made in their lives. We also discuss how intimidated and nervous Elizabeth was when she first started this journey, and how Stefani didn’t have to deal with that level of intimidation and fear because she had Elizabeth guiding her into this fun world of training and racing.
Also, I should let you know that Stefani looks just like Kelly Kapowski!
Here are some of the races, restaurants, and products we talked about:
Diva Duathlon
Chevron Houston Marathon
Davy Crockett Classic
Ironman 70.3 Waco
Ironman Arizona
Base Performance
The Original Ninfa’s
Hole in One Cafe
Los Jarritos Mexican Restaurant
Cafe del Rio
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John Jones lives in Burke, Texas. He’s been riding bikes since he was a little kid and barely able to reach the pedals.
John loves exploring the beautiful Pineywoods and the backroads of East Texas by bike. He also helps build bikes for those who need a form of transportation or are trying to get started cycling.
In this episode, he shares his love for the sport and why he thinks it’s important to help others discover their love for cycling.
Here are links to the places or groups we discussed in this episode:
Angelina Bicycle Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/angelinabicycleclub/
Davey Crockett National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/texas/about-forest/districts/?cid=fswdev3_008441
Mission Tejas State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mission-tejas
Hotter’n Hell 100: https://www.hh100.org/
Pineywoods Purgatory map (event is no longer held): https://kfox95.com/25th-annual-pineywoods-purgatory-is-here/
Scheduled rides in Texas: https://www.wheelbrothers.com/
This interview is with my brother, Oscar Garcia, III.
Oscar is the first person who told me I could run farther than three miles. And he’s the person who convinced me to sign up for my first half marathon…so I feel like I owe him for helping me find my love for long-distance running. And although I know just about everything there is to know about him, I enjoyed interviewing him for this podcast.
Oscar is a senior chief in the Navy. As you can tell from this podcast, he loves his family, the Navy, food, Texas, and putting up with me. He also loves running…even if he has to get a run in an unconventional way…like on a treadmill while a ship bobs up and down in the ocean.
Oscar is also the one who drew my “In A Skirt” logo. And he drew it for me for free! (Actually, I promised him a Chick Fil A gift card, but I haven’t bought him the gift card yet, so he basically drew it for free.)
Thank you, Oscar, for letting me interview you, and you’ll be happy to know that my husband edited out all my corny jokes making fun of you.
Here are a few of Oscar’s favorite things:
- HEB -- https://www.heb.com/
- Whataburger -- http://whataburger.com/
- Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant -- http://pepesrgv.com/
- USS Theodore Roosevelt -- https://www.navy.mil/local/cvn71/
- USS Elrod -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Elrod_(FFG-55)
- Henry T. Elrod -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_T._Elrod
- USS Normandy -- https://www.navy.mil/local/cg60/
- USS Bulkeley -- https://www.facebook.com/UssBulkeleyddg84/
- USS Monterrey -- https://www.navysite.de/cg/cg61.html
- Crossing the equator -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony
- Crossing the arctic circle -- https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/11/11/sporting-blue-noses-destroyer-bulkeleys-crew-is-back-in-norfolk-after-214-day-cruise/
- Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches -- https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Empire-of-the-Summer-Moon/S-C-Gwynne/9781416591061
I’m the host of In A Skirt Podcast. In this first episode, I explain why I run in a skirt and why sharing the stories of unconventional athletes is important to me. Visit our website for more podcasts at www.inaskirt.com.
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