About

The Basics
I am a 40-year-old housewife living in Virginia. I have a husband, two small boys , two dogs and a desire to live a lifetime of health and fitness. I have had two knee surgeries. I ran a marathon anyway. I don’t count calories and I don’t follow a program. I just eat and move.

The Long Story

My struggle with health and fitness began in my childhood and was fueled by a knee injury when I was just 11 years old. I tore my medial calateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (acl). It was 1979. While MCL repair was possible, ACL reconstructions were a few years away. It changed my life forever.

I was an aspiring athlete, physical and aggressive, but not with that knee. Within a year of my accident, I had slipped into a sedentary lifestyle for one who had been so active. I put on a few pounds and stayed “bigger” for all of my teen years and well into my 20s.

But I would have moments of weight loss – all fueled by exercise. My senior year in college I did a lot of walking and lost two sizes – but went back up. When I later took up step aerobics and biking I lost two sizes. My weight would come back though during recovery from my second knee surgery to finally replace my ACL. My orthopedic doctor commissioned me to the fitness world with these words – “you probably shouldn’t run.”

I was struggling again with my weight and went to a low fat diet – the latest craze. While I lost a little weight, it wasn’t until I started running that the pounds literally fell off me. While a runner, I ate sensibly most of the time and stopped worrying about the food. I lost 5 sizes, 40 lbs., ran many races including a marathon and gained a new perspective on life.

My life changed with a move to a less running friendly neighborhood (which has changed over the years), career changes and my decision to stay at home with my kids. I have gotten away from the fitness that made me feel so good and inspired better eating.

I’m now on my way back. While struggling to lose the baby fat after the birth of my second son, I have gotten back into my thinking about diet and exercise. To help motivate me on this road, I trained and ran the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach (2:13:18). I also started lifting weights.

I don’t believe in dieting. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone, counting points or whatever else – throw them in the trash. Eat less. Move more. That’s my motto. You can be smart about your foods. Know your body and what it likes and doesn’t like. It’s okay to cheat once and a while and binge a little. But the next day, it’s on with your life. It’s about a lifestyle and embracing it.

This is my road, my journey, my day to day pursuit of health and fitness.