I did a hard thing today.
How we show up for ourselves, plus 11 can't-miss podcasts and excellent reads.
When I crossed the finish line this morning — 1 hour, 34 minutes, 25 seconds after hitting “outdoor run” on my Apple watch and moving forward with a few hundred other 10K, 5K and 1-mile snowshoe runners and walkers — there was little fanfare.
Some music was pumping, and a few race volunteers stood nearby.
One spectator did shout encouragingly in my direction, as I crested the slight hill into the finish chute: “You’re looking strong!” That was nice to hear.
I thought there were others behind me, but how many I couldn’t be sure; mostly it was low-key as I pushed forward, a smile on my face as I silently congratulated myself on 6.2 miles on snowy single-track trails and a groomed ski pathway in the woods.
The crowds had in fact dispersed — the majority of participants took part in the 5K and were no doubt off to warm up and eat the post-race chili in the nearby lodge — and this was just fine by me. I’d come to this race, the Bigfoot Snowshoe Race in my hometown, by myself and for myself. I wouldn’t have minded chatting with others — I did congratulate one woman who was in front of me almost the entire time at the finish — but I also liked that I was on my own.
The last time I’d done the 10K was pre-pandemic times, and truthfully I wasn’t sure, even this morning, if signing up for the longer distance was my wisest decision. A small voice whispered inside me, can I still pull this off? Should I have signed up for the 5K instead?
It was challenging, especially the second 5K loop when my thighs began to burn and feel heavy, but overall I felt strong. I ran most of it, walking the steeper hills, and I’m just really glad I went with my original plan of tackling the 10K.
Come to find out I channeled my inner Sally O’Malley this morning: I can kick, I can stretch … and I’ll add to this, Sally, that I can indeed do both of those things PLUS complete a 10K snowshoe race.
As she would say proudly, and I wholeheartedly agree, I’m fifty.
—
Just like running a half marathon a couple of years ago (after a long hiatus from this distance), this morning’s snowshoe race reminded me how important it is to me to keep showing up for myself, and to keep doing hard things even when I wonder/worry if I can (still) do them.
I wanted to share this with you, in large part because I thought it might hopefully spark a conversation here in this community. I’d love to hear from you: is there anything you’ve done or that you’ve accomplished lately — anything, not just something outdoors or exercise-related! — that has left you feeling proud of yourself? Maybe it’s a hard conversation you had been putting off for awhile, or a work or relationship goal you met, or a personal behavior or habit you’ve changed. Let’s share our triumphs!
I’m writing this from one of my favorite writing spots here at home, with two of our three dogs snuggled next to me. (Our third pup, Ellie, is on her cozy bed next to me.) Snow is falling outside and I’ve got candles going, soft music playing in the background. Following a full week of work travel and life stuff, this feels especially decadent. Simple pleasures are really speaking to me these days.
To that end, I wanted to share a few things — podcasts and good reads — that are brightening my days lately. If you’ve read or listened (or watched) anything good lately, please share in the comments.
Podcasts:
1.) I’ve long been a Minnie Driver fan and the latest season of her podcast Minnie Questions is off to a spectacular start. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her conversations with the actor Jane Lynch and author Lisa Taddeo (I still think about Lisa’s incredible book Three Women—so powerful, heartbreaking and beautiful.)
2.) I recently discovered Everyday Better with Leah Smart and this episode about redefining your relationship with work, with one of my favorite writers and podcasters Jenn Romolini, doesn’t disappoint.
3.) Though I can’t seem to get fully invested in her latest series The Diplomat (maybe I need to try again), I enjoyed this interview with Keri Russell on Smartless.
4.) Everything is Fine is my never-miss Monday listening and co-hosts Jenn Romolini and Kim France always, always make me laugh, smile and nod in agreement. This episode — Is Menopause Sexy? — was especially great. And it’s also worth listening to their most recent one in which Jenn, who lives in LA, talks about the devastating wildfires.
5.) Another regular show I listen to is Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em with co-hosts Sarah Hepola and Nancy Rommelmann. This episode with the writer and podcaster Meghan Daum, during which Meghan talks about losing her home in the LA fires, was incredibly interesting.
Good reads
1.) How much should we really be saying publicly about our personal lives? A thought-provoking piece by Catherine Shannon delves into this. Here’s a snippet: “You have the right to remain silent. It’s easy to confuse personal exposure and self-disclosure with confidence, spontaneity, vulnerability, or brilliance. We could probably all benefit from more modesty, secrecy, and discretion. I mean, it’s called your personal life for a reason.”
2.) I’m a huge Laura McKowen fan and I’m eagerly awaiting her third book, another memoir. She touches on a theme she’ll be exploring in this book in a recent post here on Substack, where she writes the newsletter Love Story.
“The book I’m writing, another memoir, attempts to pull the thread on how my early experiences informed my adult relationships. Similar to We Are The Luckiest, where I attempted to understand how I got snared into alcohol addiction, in this book, I’m attempting to understand what happened to create such suffering in my relationships with men. In the middle of writing WATL, I knew this was the thing underneath the drinking, so to speak; I knew that I’d eventually need to write this book. But I had to live some more of it out because I was nowhere near understanding it. And although I’m still getting there, I understand a hell of a lot more than I used to, and I know I’ve healed and grown more than I usually give myself credit for.
3.) If you’re not already subscribed to Lisa Renee’s The Long Middle, I highly recommend you head over there after reading this and get signed up! Her writing is exquisite, and this piece resonated with me deeply.
“I am learning, however, that the challenge lies in the middle. Here in the middle, when the body begins to weaken and complain and the mind begins to intuit the trick of life, everyone needs you. You are the answer, for the young and for the old. For everyone you love, you are the best answer. In middle age, we find ourselves pulled to pieces by the generations flanking us.”
4.) Speaking of midlife and being in the middle of things, Meagan Francis and her newsletter The Kettle with Meagan Francis should also be on your reading list. Her recent post about the emotional labor of parenting adults hit close to home. This statement rings true to me: “I’ve often thought of parenting as being made up of three major stages of labor.”
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I hope your weekend is restful and rejuvenating. I’ll be back again soon.
Until next time,
Heather
Congrats on your 10K, Heather! Love these recommendations—we have similar tastes. Excited to dive in!
Great post! It's funny how we always need a reminder that we are capable of more than we think we are. Here's to building up more evidence of that capability in 2025 :)