All Hallow’s Eve Book Reviews

Book Reviews:

Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber
The Race Before Us by Bruce Matson

On the church calendar, Halloween is called All Hallow’s Eve, and the day after Halloween is celebrated as All Saints Day. In the Episcopalian church, the term “saint” is used very broadly, and includes “the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.”

On All Saint’s Day, we pray:

For all the saints who from their labors rest, we give you thanks, for the hundreds and thousands still in our midst who make the world bright with their love, we give you thanks. Amen.

So, this seems like a fitting day to review the two books I read in October, which both had a Christian theme. Continue reading

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How To Avoid Eating Halloween Candy

What The Mouse Didn’t Eat Wednesday

I know many people dread Halloween, especially if they are trying to stick to a healthy diet. I used to be tempted by Reese’s peanut butter cups, but now I prefer dark chocolate or something with salted caramel, so I usually don’t care for fun-sized candy bars. If you are still wondering how you will get through the day–or how to resist the leftovers people will bring into the office–this picture might help you avoid eating Halloween candy.

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Winterizing My House

Fixing Broken Windows, Raking Fallen Leaves

If you read Carla’s blog as regularly as I do, you may recall her post about broken windows, and you still may be pondering her post about falling leaves. Carla’s posts are like that. They seem simple on the surface, but weeks (months?) later I realize that she has wormed her way into my psyche and I am thinking about things in a different way. Continue reading

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How To Cross Train For Running Your Best Race

Setting A Personal Best In The Army Ten Miler

I went into the Army Ten Miler feeling like I hadn’t trained for it, but after I finished with an all-time personal record, I have been reflecting on what I was doing during those weeks leading up to the Army Ten Miler. My best guess is that all that cycling combined with my solid running base helped me cross the finish line smiling. So, here’s what I learned about how to cross train for running your best race.

ATM Cross Training

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The Plank Routines That Keep Me Injury-Free

Ever since I learned that a weak core was the source of many of my running injuries, I have integrated core work–and planks in particular–into my workout routine. I don’t enjoy the plank-a-thon approach, but I have come up with several plank routines that have kept my core strong and the rest of my body relatively injury-free.

photo credit: Amanda Duran at GrowSoulBeautiful
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