For 25+ years, one of my New York City rituals has been running or walking past the church quote board on 61st Street and Park Avenue. That board has been a spiritual compass, offering inspiration through pivotal moments—from post-9/11 New York to career shifts, to countless miles across Manhattan: my first NYC Marathon in 1995, and The Great New York…
Category: Totable Muse
May I Remember: A Journey Through Grief, Healing, and the Power of Retreat
The Fall, Then Falling Apart Since May 19, 2023, my life has transformed. I was in the Florida Keys, ready to race my ninth Keys 100 ultramarathon, running from Key Largo to Key West, when I learned my dad had fallen and was taken away in an ambulance. I withdrew from the race—one of my dad’s favorites, where he’d worked…
Now What?
In January, I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). There were months of not feeling right leading up to the diagnosis, which I chronicled in an article for Ultrarunning Magazine. Considering my running career spans 30 years, with the last 15 years focused on ultramarathons of 50-100+ miles, the diagnosis was jarring. From the onset, the cardiologist was clear I…
Divine Pause
What do we learn about ourselves in the time outs? On Sunday, September 8th, flying back to Florida from an event in DC, just as my plane was about to hit the runway in Fort Lauderdale, golden twilight illuminating the plane, we lifted back into the air, climbing beyond 10,000 feet. There was silence as passengers looked at one another,…
The Roller Coaster of Grief & Beyond
June 20, 2023, started off like most mornings since my dad had entered hospice two weeks prior. I worked beside him all day, glancing from my computer screen every few moments to ensure his chest was rising and falling under his flimsy white and blue hospital gown. I had decided to sleep over at the hospital that night – an…
Quarantine Treats
Depending on your situation, WFH and quarantining may or may not have given you some additional time in your schedule. I know that many of us feel busier than ever at work these days, and with some of us also having children at home to teach and entertain, free time is at a minimum. That said, whether you’re able to…
Roadmap for the Year Ahead
In my pursuit to foster a growth mindset, embrace the new and different, and live my best life – whether I’m at work, writing, or toeing the start line of a race – here’s some practices that I’ve implemented to fuel my journey. Beginner’s mindset: Every time I begin to write an article or story, show up at work, roll…
Most Memorable Books of 2019
2019 was the year of quirky, raw, haunting, and lyrical novels for me. Of the fiction list noted below, Family of Origin by CJ Hauser was the most notable novel of the year for me – the writing was fresh and gorgeous, and the main characters, with all of their flaws, were spirited and empathetic. A close second was Rushdie’s…
INDIA: Finding My Religion
It was 2005 and my life was all over the place. I had my apartment in Manhattan but was living in Truman Annex in Key West with my husband. Each morning, the roosters greeted us with their spirited cries as a warm breeze floated in through our balcony terrace. I felt as if I had found my own private paradise.…
The Other Side of the World
Koh Tao, Gulf of Thailand On a Thursday night in mid-April, I embarked on a 30-something hour journey to Koh Tao, an island that is part of the Chumphon Archipelago on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand, with a population under 1500, to take part in an Arrow Retreat led by founder, Dani Yarusso. Along the way, I intercepted three of…