This week, I talked with Jen Carlson Maloney and Shari Ashley, two runners who represent the energy, commitment and drive found at the back of the pack. Jen and Shari are both involved in their local running communities...mentoring, volunteering, cheering and raising funds for worthy causes...showing us that you don't need to consistently place in your age group, or qualify for elite races to make a difference.

We don't often hear about the trials and triumphs of those who are not the elite or fastest, but we could all learn a lot about life and running by listening to the stories of those who run because it brings them joy.

Even if you're not a runner, I hope you will see that anything is possible, and I hope you'll listen to their stories and think about how you can find the same passion and joy in your own activities.

You can catch Jen at the beginning of the podcast and Shari starting at 26:45.

Find the podcast on iTunes by searching Power Up Your Performance, or listen on...

Today is book release day for COUCH to ACTIVE. You heard from the author, Lyn Lindbergh, on episode 3 of the podcast. She's back again to pick up where we left off and help us learn how to live a life we love. 

Did you know that only 21% of us get the amount of weekly exercise recommended by the CDC?  Lyn says that we all know that exercise is good for our health, but it's easy to feel like getting consistent exercise is impossible. Lyn knows that it takes more than grit and willpower, so COUCH to ACTIVE walks readers through an 8 week process that will help even the most exercise-resistant person get off the couch and get moving. 

She starts with a pledge that I love (and asked her to recite on the podcast):

I AM HUMAN

My body needs exercise.

My body will always need exercise.

That will never change.

It's not negotiable--it's science.

If you're not already an exerciser, I'd love to know what you think about this pledge. I think it's a powerful way to frame...

Ladies, it's time we put a stop to the mean girl culture in schools, in life and at work. There is enough love, joy, success and friendship for all of us. We don't need to backstab and pit our friends against each other.

This has been on my mind, so I wanted to do a podcast about back to school, queen bees, and what we can do as parents and coaches and leaders to help girls stand up to the mean girls. Where do the mean girls get their power? Why don't the other girls in that crowd stand up to the Queen Bee? And, how can we get our girls to do the right thing?

I don't have all the answers. I opened up my computer and started recording as I got a bit wound up on this topic. I would love it if you would take a listen and share your own thoughts related to the problem and potential solutions.

As I drove to school today, I watched a driver stop so that a girl could cross the street. Traffic was backed up in all directions, everyone focused on getting into the parking lot and onto their...

This week, I interviewed Missy Boser, the blogger behind Getting Fit to Find Myself. In February 2012, she committed to a lifestyle change that included changing how and what she ate, as well as adding fitness to her life. She says she didn’t feel like the true transformation came until she added running to her routine. Since we both love running we took the opportunity to geek out a bit about running. If you’ve never understood why people run, maybe this will help you see what we see. And, if you've ever worried about being a "slow" runner, I hope our discussion puts you at ease.

We also talked about her winter running accident  that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, and how that has influenced her thinking about fitness. Missy blogs about her anxiety, so we also took a few minutes to talk about mental health. And, we talked about how crippling perfectionism can be, and why it’s important to focus on just one thing at a time (no total life...

 I can't even tell you how excited I was to interview Petra Kolber! I met Petra in San Diego this summer at the IDEA World fitness convention. She spoke to our Blogfest group prior to the release of her new book, The Perfection Detox. I thought her insights were important and I wanted to make sure my tribe heard about Petra, her book and her message.

If you have ever suffered from imposter syndrome, or thought you weren't enough, or didn't share your work with the world because it wasn't yet "good enough," or you are constantly picking on yourself or disappointed in yourself, or afraid to push yourself because you don't want to fail... or you worry about what other people are going to think when you "mess up," then this, my friend, is an episode you must listen to!

 We talked about how to know if perfectionism is a problem in your life, how social media has made this more challenging, when perfectionism is a good thing, how to overcome toxic perfectionism, her cancer wake...

I was so excited to get to talk to Dr. Michelle Segar for this episode of the podcast. I heard about Michelle's work last year when I began researching the science of exercise motivation in an effort to figure out what went wrong when a bunch of my half marathoners quit their training program after getting that horrible flu, and getting caught up in the stress of the winter and holiday seasons.  I had never had this happen before, but it turns out, this phenomenon is fairly common. 

Dr. Segar's work kept popping up as I dug into the research, and I had an opportunity to hear her speak in person at the IDEA World fitness convention in San Diego this summer. Her book, No Sweat, is incredible, and her presentation at the conference included some new graphics and analogies that really hit home. 

As you know, I am passionate about the benefits of exercise because movement can transform lives. So I'm always intrigued when I can talk to someone who has spent an entire career...

It seems like this has been the summer of aches and pains. Wherever I go, I wind up getting into a conversation with someone who is complaining about achy knees, or lack of energy, or who is just not feeling as young and vibrant as they used to. It's a normal part of getting older, but I don't know many people 40-50+ who are ready to sit back and watch as life goes on around them.

I love this quote by Cassidy Phillips, the founder and CEO of Trigger Point Performance:

"What you tolerate, you accept--and you don't have to tolerate poor biomechanics or getting older."

Can I get an AMEN!?

It was this train of thought that led me to create this week's podcast. Yes, there are things you can do to change your appearance that cost money... hair dye, Botox, cosmetic surgeries.... but I'm not talking about these things. I wanted to touch on some everyday things we can all do that will make us FEEL and MOVE better.

Aging is a function of lifestyle, and there are SO MANY things we can do to...

Is this the year you'll finally run your first 5K? Maybe it's been a bucket list item for a while, or maybe someone near and dear to you has been begging you to get out for a run with them. No matter what your motivation is, I have ten tips to help you get started!

I did a full podcast about this, so you can also listen here!

1. JUST DO IT! This one is as simple as making the decision. Stop thinking about it. Stop talking about "someday." Make the decision today, and then take the following actions.
2. CHOOSE A RACE. If you are not already running, it will take you about 3-4 months to prepare. You can talk to the people at your local running store to find out what races are coming up, or search a database like Let's Do This, Running in the USA, Active.com, or RunSignUp.com. (Active and Run Sign Up will only show the races that they host as the place the race director has chosen for people to register for a race.)
3. GET A PLAN. You can download a free plan as part of my RUN YOUR FIRST...

Do you ever feel like you need more people in your life who understand how much you love and need to run? Find your tribe in one of my free Power of Run groups! If you are interested in healthy lifestyle topics such as recipes, nutrition, stretching, warm ups, strength workouts, workouts you can do at home, thinking like a champion, positive thinking and tenacity, you might also like my other social media accounts, linked at the bottom of the page.

The Strength Challenge Group is about more than just keeping up on your strength exercises. Talk about your training, your upcoming races, or how your brother-in-law told you for the 93rd time that running is bad for your knees.

Booties and Burpees started with our December fitness challenge. It's a smaller group, where the majority of the members are women, where you can connect with other fitness-minded people. I post a weekend challenge workout there each Friday.

And if you're looking for inspiration for meals, there's Fresh...

To wrap up the Booties and Burpees December challenge, I wrote a "see you later" email to the participants. I felt a little like Jerry Maguire writing his manifesto while doing it. (And now I really want to watch that movie again! Maybe over the holiday weekend while we sit around in our Christmas jammies?)

Here is an excerpt from the mini manifesto I wrote for my Booties and Burpees challengers:

In 2018, I want to help more people learn to think like champions. You don't need to be an elite athlete to benefit from this mentality. In fact, this has nothing to do with actual athletic ability. Thinking like a champion is a way of life, a way of thinking and behaving that leads to success. Champions believe in themselves, support those around them, and put their hearts into whatever they choose to pursue. 

The January Challenge is called "What's Your Word?" and it's the kick off for introducing this idea to my Power of Run page and social media channels (@powerofrun on Twitter,...