The crazy things we do when pregnant…

3,000 mile road trip from Colorado to Washington down the coast to California and back? I’m in, just disregard my giant belly housing my unborn son at 7mos. I’m generally up for an adventure, but this was charting new territory for me and despite the challenges, both foreseen and unforeseen we had a great trip….

Expect[ing] to Thrive: An invitation to action, not comparison…

I wrote this post on my bike this morning. No, I am not super-woman. I did not have my laptop propped on the handle bars, typing away while simultaneously sweating away last weekend’s s’more. But I was spinning away at the gym, focusing too much on my legs that were screaming, “can we be done…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Mountain Mama Maternity Giveaway!

Oh, the clothing I WISH I had had during my pregnancy and nursing days… I am about to share a hilarious photo with you. Hilarious in the I-don’t-want-any-one-to-see-this type of way. But I love you guys, so I will… I am 8 months pregnant, attempting to snowshoe in Winter Park, CO and it is a…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Rules of the Ropes from Cragmama

Welcome to Expect[ing] to Thrive! If you’ve just joined us you don’t want to miss our very first post: An Invitation to Action, not Comparison and our very first GIVEAWAY from Mountain Mama! Today we have guest contributor Erica Lineberry sharing her story of pregnancy, climbing and the adventure of having a “cragbaby.” You won’t…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Bang-for-your-Buck exercises for mom!

Today I am excited to interview Shelly Rudd, fitness instructor, mom, runner, and an all around kick-in-the-butt for all of us who need one!  She has been a fitness instructor for ten years. In addition to running, she enjoys doing pilates on the reformer, kickboxing, and weightlifting. Shelly, what drives you to remain active and…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Strider Balance Bike Giveaway!

The balance bike phenomenon is gaining momentum, and it is hard to find a store that isn’t carrying at least some version of one for your toddler. But we are a bit biased around here, we love Strider Bikes…yes, better than any of the others. Maybe you are wondering, what does this have to do…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Hiking, skiing, and international travel during pregnancy!

Maybe you are enjoying this Saturday morning, watching the leaves change out your window. Today, our friend Tanya is taking the reins and sharing her fit pregnancy story. Let her inspire you to get out an enjoy the changing seasons! She loves hiking, camping, skiing, paddling, biking and all things mountain-related. Tanya is the author of…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: The Momma behind Mountain Mama Clothing

Hi friends! How is it going today? Have you ever come across a smiling face, in the midst of a rather hectic day, and felt like you could smile again too? Not only could smile, but wanted to smile? Teresa Delfin is one of those people for me. We met and chatted last year at…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Park workout and Monkey Mat Giveaway!

Do you have a case of the Mondays? Even though we had a long-ish weekend, it still went too fast. But we have an action packed day around here for you! We have a winner from our first giveaway, another giveaway starting today AND an awesome park/anywhere workout that will bless your socks off. Or…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: I am a Mother! Hear me roar!

Today we welcome Amelia to our event! She has a unique story. An active, outdoor woman that was “sentenced” to bed rest, and fought her way back into shape. Amelia and her husband live with their two young boys at the gateway to Yellowstone.  They love to bike, run, hike, ski and adventure all year…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: The dreaded ‘B’ word…Bedrest

Anyone out there thinking, “All this fitness during pregnancy stuff is great…but what if I CAN’T. Can’t as in…bedrest.” We don’t want to ignore this incredibly difficult occurrence!  For now, let’s welcome Lindsey from Outside Mom! During her first pregnancy she was “the poster child of an active pregnant woman.” She kept skiing, hiking, biking and…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Fit Pregnancy and Parenting

The Strider Balance Bike Giveaway came to an end last night and our winner is Susan Eubank! Thanks everyone! Don’t miss our other giveaways still going on: Monkey Mat’s lightweight play/park mat and Beco Baby Carriers! Today we are interviewing Amanda Tress from Fit Pregnancy and Parenting. She has been a personal trainer for eight…

Expect[ing] to Thrive: Effects of Fitness on Post-Partum Depression

Well, we are wrapping up Expect[ing] to Thrive with one last post! And it is a good one! First, don’t miss the Beco Baby Carrier giveaway! It runs through the weekend! The winner of our Monkey Mat Giveaway is Jessica Cardwell! Congrats!! Today we are welcoming my good friend, fellow mom, climber and outdoor lover…

One anti-runner changed by…running

I am still processing though the fact that I knocked off another huge “bucket list” item this last week. Two actually. 1. To run a half marathon. 2. To sit down with an entire bag of Oreos all to myself! Honestly, both were a little anti-climatic! How could they be? I’ve been working and running…

Beyond Myself: Echo Triathlon, TriUtah

Stomach jittery. Mind reeling. That is how I went into this weekend’s race at Echo Reservoir. It was my first Olympic triathlon (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run) and I had (unknowingly at the time) entered a race that had a large pool of elite athletes. For some reason that intimidated me. I was thankful…

Everyone has a champion. Everyone can be a champion.

I sit on my bike, grinding out a full ten minutes right at my o2 threshold, jumping between the thoughts, “How did I get here!?” and “They are just legs!” (You can thank my cycle instructor for that last one, she yells it at us all-the-time.) But I know how I got here… ——————————————————————————— “I’ve…

To every mom who wants to punch me in the face:

Hi friends. I had one of those nights. Those nights don’t happen all that often anymore. My youngest [age 4] had a diarrhea night. You know… accidents in bed, constantly up and to the potty. And as a result I found myself stumbling around the house in a haze for much of the midnight hours. And now…

No more “Should of, would of, could of…”

For a few months now I’ve been working on a new bio for my Instagram account.  Talk about things that don’t matter… I mean, really! Truly, I agree with the general notion that this whole “social media” craze is a bit excessive, has serious downfalls, and might in the end be bad for humanity as…

When mom does an Ironman 70.3 – St. George 2015

  “You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ” – C.S. Lewis I glance in the rear-view mirror, yes, my bike is still there. Is it wobbling more than normal? My paranoia runs rampant. Surely, just a few days before my first Ironman 70.3 some “game-ender” would…

My first ultra: Antelope Canyon 55K

Down the last sandy hill, across a rocky wash and up to the ramp. I was almost there: 34.3 miles into a 34.4 mile race and about to finish my first Ultra. I hear my kids shout, “It’s mom!” I climb up the steep sandstone, hit the ramp and Abs, my 7-yr-old boy, says, Come on, mom,…