Coffee House

SNAPSHOT

Manitowish Waters, WI at Dixie’s Coffee House

DIGGING DEEPER

While on my sons’ high school nordic ski trip I stole a few hours at a perfect coffee house. The decor is tasteful and thought through, Wisconsin cabin influenced. The conversations drifted around with laugher and interest. Everyone relaxed. Coffee houses bring community and connections.

Lately, I have been consumed by life’s circumstances and my inspiration to write has weaned. However, a knowledge seeking runner sent me a message asking for some advice on her new endeavor of trail running.

My favorite way to communicate is one on one. To take a person’s unique question and tumble it over in my mind and return with a hand full of pebbles for them to contemplate. That is my love. Simple conversation. Simple communication within a community. Just like the waves of voices filling the coffee house.

And so I pass these pebbles of tips onto you. In hopes that it will spark conversation within you and your community.

QUESTION - What are your Trail Running Tips?

Here are a few trail running tips that come to mind from my experiences.

• Develop your ankle strength

• Stretch your calves and feet before and after running

• If you are following someone on the trail don't run too close to them. Your eye needs to see the terrain that is coming so maybe 20-30 feet behind your running partner is good.  Take turns leading.

• Don’t avoid hills. Power walk/climb the steep hills, the strength gained from the lifting of your body up the hill is valuable.

• Use a combination of train running and trail hiking. Both will increase your strength and endurance.

Question - How to keep Healthy and Injury Free in the later years?

Here are my tips for the runners that already have many many miles in their log books

• Train with the body you have now, not what you had in the past. Your body can accomplish new goals.

• Value your now body for all the experience it has, putting less focus on the weekly mileage and more on the quality of your miles. 

• The key is recovery, complete the needed workout just at the point your body is adapted and primed for a new stress. Read through this article for more information.  

• Seasons, cycles, let yourself have on and off stretches of time where you change focus or allow for extra recovery.

• Invest in young runners. You have so much to give.

SOLUTION

The running community has expanded beyond the coffee house to all over the world. Connect with runners, share with runners, and grow together!

Photography by a Runner, Artist, Me

IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

My early childhood days, the ones you don't remember, were spent alongside my parents in their small photography studio in Columbus, Nebraska. The joy of capturing images was passed down from my father and continues to be a love.

You may have noticed 95% of the photos I use on my website have been shot by me. They are a way of expressing myself not just through words but also through images. The feelings and thoughts gathered by just one photo can sometimes be more meaningful than all the words within a single blog post.

My photography is an art form.  I don't follow all the rules.  I don't create on demand.  I see beauty and have an overwhelming desire to capture it.  Even when I don't have my camera with me, I will stand and stare and pocket every bit of detail worried I will later lose the image in my mind. 

You will not find my photos highly edited.  The only simple editing I do is to bring the light and contrast back to what my eye saw. My aspiration is to catch the allure of the world around me.

Give your visual senses a feast and scroll through my PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE. You can even take one or more home for yourself through the shopping feature (new this month). And there is still time to order for a Christmas delivery.

Sail, sail to the ends of the world, to the ends of your neighborhood, the ends of your yard, to the ends of your heart. Sail...

Happy Runner

SNAPSHOT

SARAH DIDOMIZIO

DIGGING DEEPER

Sarah’s thoughts:

Sister and Sarah

“I have been running for a few years after taking a 15+ year hiatus from the sport. About six months ago, I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon but knew that I needed some assistance to keep moving towards that goal.  I found Shelly through an online search and I couldn’t be happier about my decision to contact her.  At first, I was a little apprehensive at contacting Shelly… after all… how effective is online coaching?!  I can tell you from my personal experience that it is absolutely fantastic! 

When we first talked, Shelly and I discussed the training methods I’d used before, what her philosophy on training was, what my goals were and how she thought we could get there.  We hit it off right from the start.  One of the great things I liked about Shelly was that her goal is to get her athletes to the starting line in the best fitness possible, which means making sure you’re giving your body the time it needs to rest after putting in those hard workouts. I knew too many fellow runners who pushed their bodies to the point of injury and ended up missing out on their goal events due to it.

Shelly uses a combination of training tools including the Final Surge platform, which is a great way to share workouts, comments about the workouts, what you’re feeling, etc.  She also can be easily reached via phone, email and text messages to talk about workouts, any issues/injuries, and just about anything else that’s going on.  I think at times she’s part psychologist when it comes to running.

In the six months since contacting Shelly, I’ve gone from run/walking 5ks to running my first 10k and my first half marathon! Throughout the spring and summer, she consistently worked with me in evaluating my fitness, training progress and goals to adapt my training plans to meet my goal of running a half marathon in the fall.  I’m excited to see my results next year after another six months of training with Shelly!”
1st Half Marathon: 2:30:42 E-Race Cancer HM 2018

Sarah put into words so well the way in which I strive to guide runners. In her testimonial for my website she described our partnership these past 6 months. I have really appreciated her honesty, devotion, and desire to learn. We exchanged articles and portions of running literature in order to gain a better understanding of training and the body. Common runner concerns were answered with a thorough phone call or typed out text. We also shared in the delight of a finished half marathon at her desired pace. It has been such a great partnership. I am thankful she gave me a chance to be apart of her journey.

I love running and want others to be impacted by its many virtues. I work with only a handful of runners, cultivating a quality partnership. I make it a priority to be easily accessible. If you or your friend want to take your running experience to a new level, contact me. I am right here.

SOLUTION

Sarah works with me through Weekly Training Guidance. It has been a very effective partnership.

DANIELLE WALKER's SALMON DINNER

SNAPSHOT

HONEY-MUSTARD SHEET-PAN SALMON

DIGGING DEEPER

Danielle Walker’s cookbooks have provided countless recipes for my kitchen, dinner table, and family. Fortunately, I have been able to test out and share about her 4th cookbook Eat What You Love for the past two weeks. The book will be released on December 4th! Order here.

Now I have permission to share one of her recipes with you. I have included all my personal notes about the ingredients, prep, and baking. Feed your family well this week! Enjoy!

SOLUTION

This recipe is GUEST WORTHY and super simple. It took me about 40 minutes from start to end. Plus there are steps that can been done beforehand resulting in only 20 minutes of baking time needed before serving!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from me!

ENJOY!

#eatwhatyoulovebook

Runner's Amazon Book List

SNAPSHOT

Booklover Runner

DIGGING DEEPER

My Amazon Book List— Those that I have highlighted, referenced, and devoured!

Ok, check it out. See which ones you want as Christmas presents, to find at your library, or to add to your audiobook collection.

My favorite categories of items are BOOKS, BAGS, and BASKETS. Oddly, they all start with the letter B, but they are my candy. I know what I love about books: well written, only as long as they need to be, insightful, and eye appealing.

So I searched though my bookshelves, Audible app, amazon ordered list and picked out my recommendations. These are the books that have survived the test of time or are new favorites.

Podcast interviews, the library bookshelf, and favorite authors are the many ways that a title will first get my attention. Often I request books from my library regional system and preview it to find if it is worth the time and money investment to purchase.

If it passes the test, I choose if audio or print format will be the best way to consume its contents.

Some printed books I highlight like crazy as a form of interactive learning.

Others are more for reference material. A conversation with a friend can cause me to research a deeper reason for my answer or intuition.

The audiobooks are often helpful for busy driving days and to share with my family through the audible app.

You may note that my list does not contain just running books. We are whole people with diversity within our bodies and minds. The interplay of different parts shapes us in unique ways. Growing ourselves as a whole being and not just in one facet will generate good health.

SOLUTION

A good book will take you away and return you changed.