I put it out to the world—I was determined to lose 40 more pounds by the time I turned 40 ( do you even remember I said that? ). And I think if you put something out there, you’d better follow it up with an accounting. So that’s what I’m doing. But, first,... Read more

Last week one of my dear friends had to remind me of truths I've talked about here before. Sometimes, when life throws you a little curveball, you just need someone to call you out on the fact that you're forgetting truths you know. She might have been stern with me... I'm so... Read more

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I love the idea of the “ TOFW Shoe Party ” (don't worry, you're totally invited) and I remember hearing the original talk from my dear friend Jane Clayson Johnson. And I have to say, I’ve really been thinking about my shoes (and, to be honest, I think about them... Read more

I've been reflecting a bit the last few days. And I've remembered that when I turned 30, I finally felt like myself—I really think my spirit was 30 from the time I was born. No...really...I really do. I had a fascination with news programs at an early age. I'd come... Read more

You know that much loved Christmas tradition where people decide what gift they are going to give the Savior for Christmas? Often, it’s written on a piece of paper and tucked away for review the following year. I’ve always thought that was a nice tradition—but... Read more

I shall not ask the Lord to do that which I am not willing to do -Brigham Young I’ve been thinking a lot about this thing I’m trying to do before my 40 th birthday. I have exactly eight weeks. EIGHT.... Read more

I spent this past year sharing a message about faith as I spoke at TOFW. And my presentation ended with this quote from a powerful talk by Elder Holland. “Yes, there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been genuine illumination, beware the... Read more

Do you know the story of Florence Chadwick? She was the first woman to swim the English Channel. Both ways (England to France and France to England). So. small. feat. Two years later she attempted to be the first... Read more

"PT Christensen," he said at 5am that first morning. "Yes, Instructor?" "Did you bring your towel?" Oh, shoot. They were serious about the towel thing. Who knew they'd be serious about bringing a towel? "No. I forgot." Truth was I... Read more

Every now and then I get the chance to speak to a group of real live adult women. You’d think with my TOFW connection, I’d get my fill of that, but more often than not, I’m talking with groups of teenage girls. And while I love being with teenage girls and feel... Read more

I was at the table watching two adorable boys eat hamburgers and listening to them tell corny jokes—the kind only 9 year old boys think are funny. These boys were in my primary class and I was taking them out for a little dinner date to get to know them better.... Read more

“Your journey has molded you for the greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time.” -Asha Tyson... Read more

After climbing a great hill,  one only finds that there are  many more hills to climb. - Nelson Mandela My biggest problem after the half-marathon was that I hadn’t thought much about anything after the... Read more

Have you seen the movie 17 Miracles yet? There is a pretty sweet love story interwoven in the storyline. And it's a true pretty sweet love story. Which makes it even pretty sweetier. Sarah and George fall in love. Sarah doesn't want to marry George until... Read more

“ Understanding that heavy things can’t fly, she let go of what was weighing on her heart, the things she could no more control than carry, and she gave herself a chance, a chance to reach into the unassuming blue, to embrace the possibility of an... Read more

Do you remember that pastor in California that said the world was ending one day last spring? That the day of judgment was finally upon us? Well, he was partially right. But it wasn’t “the” world, it was just “a” world. And the day of judgment?... Read more

 “You know, if I had known how hard this was going to be, I never would have eaten all that ice cream in my past life,” I said between gasps of air in between my cardio intervals. (Now, in fairness, I can’t blame where I got entirely on ice cream. But . . .... Read more

“In the morning he rose to run again. He didn’t run from something or to something, not for anyone or in spite of anyone; he ran because that is what his body wished to do . The restiveness, the self-consciousness, and the need to oppose disappeared. All he felt was... Read more

I started speaking at TOFW events last spring quite by accident. One of the speakers couldn’t go to Fresno at the last minute. And then in Calgary, one of the presenters lost her passport on the way there. I was a bit of a fill-in. Or so I thought. One... Read more

I woke up one morning last may during my training and my hip hurt. Like A lot. I remember thinking that surely made me a legitimate runner. And knowing my hip hurt actually brought me a great deal of satisfaction. Because I knew the discomfort meant that I really was doing... Read more

Fearless-- It's not about not being scared. It's about doing something even though you are. I had a rough day one day last May. It was the kind of rough day when you wanted to rush right home, put on your pajamas, curl up with a pint of Haagen Dazs and call it a... Read more

(the following conversation took place one morning in January. please refrain from judging the fact that it looks like I talk to myself. because, the truth is, I do.) ME: We've got two minutes left of our warm-up. What are we going to do this morning? Me: Well, I'm... Read more

“Live the life you have imagined.” –Henry David Thoreau   A couple of years ago, a dear friend gave me a ring for my birthday. I loved the sentiment. The outside said: "Live the life.” The inside finished the quote:... Read more

I walked into the New Balance store feeling just a little out of place. I knew I wanted to be a runner but I also knew I wasn’t. And I knew anyone looking at me could tell that I wasn’t. And when the sales guy told me to put on a pair and run... Read more

"I have something I want to tell you. Just from me to you," the hiking guide Kendall said. He had been ahead of me most of the way. My legs just couldn't keep up. But, I wasn't in the back of the pack and he was the only thing ahead of me. And so I gave it a... Read more

While hope is about wanting what YOU want, faith is about wanting what GOD wants. -Me. I had a pretty significant "ah-ha" during Church one Sunday in February. The lesson was on my then favorite talk, " Faith--the Choice is Yours... Read more

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~Walter Elliott, The Spiritual Life I remember the day in December when I saw the billboard for the Utah Valley Half-Marathon scheduled for June 11, 2011. It sounded so far away. And it also... Read more

After the treading class, I thought maybe I had finally figured it all out—that maybe after struggling with my weight most of my life, I had had the “breakthrough” I had been hoping for. But apparently, there was one more thing I needed to learn before I went back... Read more

I can’t really say this journey began on any particular day, but I can say that December 2, 2010 is the day my journey took a dramatic turn. It’s the day I found out I was wrong about nearly everything I thought about myself and my little life. And it’s the day I... Read more