In A Skirt Podcast

You know how we put so much thought and effort into what we wear for our big races. We make sure we have clothes that will not chafe, that we have our fastest shoes, that we are going to be comfortable in what we are wearing. OK, now imagine scrapping all of that and deciding to go run a marathon with face paint and wrapped head to toe in bandages. And having so much fun, that you go back and do it again, but this time with badminton shoes and rackets. That’s what my guest Andy Roberts did. Andy is a runner from England. Last year, he snagged a Guinness World Record by becoming the fastest person to run a marathon dressed as a mummy. That was at the London Marathon. When he got into London again this year, he went for another Guinness World Record and became the fastest person to run a marathon as a badminton player. So Andy is now a two-time Guinness World Record holder and in this episode, the two of us wonder if he can get a Guinness World Record for holding the most Guinness World Records. Andy started ru

One of the first female attorneys I met terrified me. Because she had to. Because she had to be tough. She had to exude strength with every step and every word. There were too many people watching her who didn’t think she had a right to be there.   When I went to law school, no one told me I didn’t have a right to be there. No one told me I had taken some man’s place in the class. I got to walk an easier path because women before me had paved it for me.   The waypavers. The pathmarkers.   As the 126th Boston Marathon approaches, and I get ready to participate in the race…as a woman, as a modest religious woman wearing a skirt, I’ve been overwhelmed with gratitude for those who paved the path for me in every area of my life. I’ve thought many times how fortunate I am to have been able to choose any career I wanted. And as I prepare for Boston, I’ve thought how fortunate I am to be able to register for a race without anyone telling me women are too weak to run.   While the Boston Marathon celebrates its 126th r

This is my 100th episode! I’m so happy I could get Kristen Doornbos back on my podcast for another interview. Kristen is a runner and also the really cool human behind Paper Trails Greeting Company. This time around, Kristen and I talk about her new endeavor—Equal Money for Equal Miles. Kristen is on a mission to get the major U.S. marathons to offer equal prize money to top finishing athletes in the wheelchair and para divisions. It’s astonishing how little these athletes are paid for equal distances and equal efforts. Kristen does a great job of explaining why these athletes deserve parity and what we can all do to help. I have a link to her petition in my show notes.   Show Notes:   Equal Money for Equal Miles – sign the petition! Paper Trails Greeting Co. Kristen Doornbos on Instagram Paper Trails Greeting Co. on Instagram   Follow In A Skirt: In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

Episode 99 – Juan Acevedo   I first had Juan on the show about three years ago with several other ultra-runners. I asked Juan to be a guest again because he recently won the Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Race. Juan brought his girlfriend, Veronica, to my house for this interview, so this is really a conversation with the two of them. I enjoyed sitting down with the two of them.   At the Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Race, Juan came in first place by running 200 miles during the 55 hours. This was his first time running that distance. In fact, 11 hours before he finished the 200 miles, it was also his first time running 150 miles! What I love most about this conversation with Juan is his attitude toward his endeavors. I tend to have a “I don’t think I can do that” mindset, which I’m aware of and which I’m trying to change, but if you listen to this conversation with Juan, there’s this recurring theme of, “It’s possible.” He looks at situations and declares that they’re possible, so he should give it a try. I love that.

Episode 98 – Race for Hope (Ashley Berry)   Sign up now! Race for Hope is happening February 18-19, 2022! The kids run will be Friday, February 18, and the full marathon, half marathon, 5K, and 5K walk will be Saturday, February 19. The race starts and ends in beautiful downtown Lufkin!   The race benefits East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope, a Lufkin non-profit organization. In this episode, I talk to Ashley Berry, the Executive Director of East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope. We talk about the organization, the race, the snowpocalypse we had last February in Texas, and about a way to get a free pair of Goodr sunglasses!   Show Notes:   Register for Race for Hope! East Texas Cancer Alliance of Hope   Follow In A Skirt: In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

Episode 97 – A Few of My Favorite Things   Sometimes I get off track and it’s really hard for me to get back on track. If this never happens to you, please tell me how you always stay on track! If this DOES happen to you, let’s be friends.   This is a simple episode to get back on track with my podcast! I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things. If you’re looking for some last-minute gifts for someone in your life who may like to run, here are some things that have made my life so much better. This episode is just my telling you what I like…no one has paid me for this episode or asked me to sell their products. I will include links in my show notes so you can find more info on my favorite things or purchase them.   Mod Sportswear’s FlexSkirt. Goodr Sunglasses Ucan Bib Boards Koala Clip Buddy Pouch Saucony Endorphin Pro MusicCozy Headphones Avanto Running Light Erica Sara Jewelry Paper Trails Greeting Co. No Label Knits Pilates in a Pencil Skirt   Show Notes: Mod Sportswear Fl

Doing things a little differently for this episode. I’ve had a few people ask for a recap on my time in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon, so I’m pulling in a special guest to interview ME. Kid 2 is helping me out with this episode.   Since we’re going to talk about a specific race in this episode, I want to bring up some other information on upcoming races that I’d like to promote. Check out the show notes for links to the BCS Marathon, All-America City David Chavana 10K, and the Race for Hope.   Show Notes:   BCS Marathon All-America City David Chavana 10K Race for Hope Mission Our Lady of the Angels UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)   Follow In A Skirt:   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

Today’s guest is my brother, Oscar Garcia, III. He just returned home on September 17th from a 9-month deployment aboard the USS Monterey. In this episode we talk about the Monterey, different ships he’s been on, a little about his Navy career, and about running on a ship—whether it was on a treadmill bobbing up and down in rough seas, or on the deck of the ship, which can be a little dangerous. So I hope you enjoy listening to us catch up. Warning, though, I love to make fun of my brother, so I hope that doesn’t offend you. I’m the little sister, so growing up with a brother who was older and stronger than I was, I resorted to making fun of him to get even. I still do that. He secretly loves it.   Show Notes:   Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021 UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)   Follow In A Skirt:   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

This episode’s guest is Lucja Leonard. This is one of those conversations I didn’t want to end. Lucja is so much fun to talk to and I want to go run with her one day now.   This episode has it all—Lucja didn’t start running until about 2008. She was looking for a healthy lifestyle change and fell in love with running. She has words of wisdom about how we are all born to run.   Lucja’s love for running is shared by her husband, Dion. Together, they found the sport and became ultra-runners. Lucja and Dion have lived and run all over the world. Talking to her makes me want to jump on a plane and take a bunch of runcations! Currently, they are living in the U.S. and Lucja is about to take on the second leg of the Triple Crown of 200s. The triple crown includes three 200+ mile races with lots of elevation gain. All three races have time cutoffs and are within a period of nine weeks. So there is very little recovery between efforts. The second of the three races had to be canceled because of fires, so Lucja is

Mike is a repeat guest. I first had him on the show close to two years ago. At that point, Mike was new to his running journey. He’s progressed rather quickly in running endurance and distance, and we talk a little about that on this episode.   If you listened to the first episode with Mike, you’ll know that he made a number of lifestyle changes in the beginning of 2019 and by November of that year, had lost a significant amount of weight. As of the day of this second interview, Mike has lost 200 pounds since January of 2019.   Mike and I talked a little bit about how weight loss is not all fun and games. I’ve congratulated people on weight loss before, but over the last few months I’ve wondered if that’s the right thing to do. I think getting healthy, changing bad habits, feeling better about yourself are all GOOD things. But I think treating a person differently because they look different is a BAD thing. Mike was open and honest in this conversation about how hurtful it can be to be treated differently

I’ve been wanting to talk to a dietitian on this podcast for about a year, so I’m glad I was finally able to get this episode together. Today’s guest is Danielle Morton. She is a registered dietitian and she works at Livewell Athletic Club in Lufkin. Food and nutrition are sensitive subjects for me. I think it’s common for people my age to have unhealthy relationships with food, and I’m a continuing work in progress in trying to change how I view and treat food. Danielle answers a lot of my questions on this episode and she was so gracious and easy to talk to. I now have a whole other list of questions for her, so I may have to ask her to be a recurring guest. In fact, if you have questions for her, let me know and I can do an episode where I ask her your questions. My favorite part of this conversation is the focus on not what you look like on the outside, but what food is doing to you on the inside. That’s probably a pretty good thing to think about in just about every area of life.   This episode with

Episode 91 – Chris Field Today’s guest is Chris Field. I don’t even know where to start with Chris. He is so many things and fulfills so many roles. He’s a husband, father, runner, race director, author, non-profit director, and on and on. Basically, though, he’s a doer. He fills needs. He shows up. He takes action. In this episode, we talk about Chris’s new book: A Billion Hours of Good. I read the book right before it launched and it is a life changer. Chris explains how you do not need all your ducks in a row before you decide to do good and bring change to your community. You just need one percent of your day and whatever skills and resources you already have. With his book, you’ll learn how to grow compassion, find courage, and ignite your creativity.   When you’re done with this episode, I strongly encourage you to read A Billion Hours of Good. I have a link to the listing on Amazon in my show notes. I also have a link to Chris’s Facebook page and the non-profit he founded, the Mercy Project.   Thi

My episode 90 guest is Liba Yoffe. Liba is the founder of Spirit Fit Life, a health program that is tailor-made for each female client. Liba tells me all about Spirit Fit Life on this episode. We also talk about her kids, how she is intentional about incorporating fun time into each day—I absolutely love that—and how she was on American Ninja Warrior…in a skirt. You’re going to love Liba. She inspires you to go outside and have fun!   This episode is sponsored by Ucan.   Show Notes:   Liba Yoffe on Instagram Liba Yoffe on Facebook Spirit Fit Life Website Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021 UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)   Follow In A Skirt:   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

This episode is with Elizabeth Rosenblum, the CEO and co-founder of Street 2 Feet. Street 2 Feet is a 5K walking/running training program for individuals who are experiencing homelessness in San Antonio. My conversation with Elizabeth has to be one of my favorites so far. It was a big eye opener for me in so many ways. When you’re a runner, you discover that you feel better when you move your body. You can tell the difference it makes in your body AND your mind and your soul. And you also learn to love the community that you can build around running. Elizabeth has a background in recreational therapy and all the things we runners discover along the way, she explains how those actually fit together to help provide a real form of therapy. Elizabeth is also one of those people who gently teaches the lesson that helping others does not have to be complicated. We all have something to give and giving it can actually be a lot simpler than we realize. I have a link in the show notes to Street 2 Feet’s website and

If it scares you, run toward it. That’s the advice I received from today’s guest, Amanda Rasmussen. Amanda doesn’t just dish out this advice; she lives it. Amanda is a mom, hospice healthcare provider, runner, ultramarathoner, and an all-around inspiring individual. A few years ago, Amanda decided to make some changes in her life. She was on a mission to get healthy and in the process, she ignited a fire for running. She qualified for Boston at her first marathon, but her true love is on the trails and running ultras. Just a couple of weeks ago, she ran 151 miles on muddy and difficult terrain. I strongly recommend following Amanda on Instagram. She is @runnermomamanda and I have a link to that in my show notes. I spent quite some time looking at her posts and I found so many nuggets of wisdom. I also found a poem she wrote that I love—it’s about her feet! We may lose toenails, but as Amanda says, those feet carry us lots of miles.   This episode is sponsored by Ucan.   Show Notes:   Follow Amanda Rasm

Today’s guest is Addison Hebert. She is 12-years old and in 6th grade. Last month, I noticed Addison at the first game of our 12U baseball season. I noticed her because she’s the only girl in the league! And at that first game where I saw her, she was pitching and she was striking everyone out. I talked to her coach’s wife and gave her my card and asked her to pass my info on to Addison’s parents. A few days ago, Addison and her mom sat down with me to talk about why Addison opted for baseball instead of softball this season. Addison has some wisdom that it takes other years to figure out. She goes after her dreams and makes them happen, ignoring the naysayers. I really enjoyed getting to know Addison and I think you will, too.   This episode is sponsored by Ucan. I love all the Ucan products, but today I’m going to talk about Hydrate because it’s starting to warm up outside—at least here in Texas – and every year when it gets warm, I’m brutally reminded of how important it is that I take in more fluids whe

This is my second time having Willie on the show. He puts on great events and I was excited to talk to him about successfully holding The Woodlands Marathon last month. In this episode, we talk about how it can be frustrating for runners when events don’t go off as planned or get canceled, but there’s so much going on behind the scenes and so many pieces to the puzzle to consider that it’s not always someone’s fault when a race gets canceled or postponed. We also talk about the new—and even FASTER—Woodlands Marathon course, and how much fun the Texas 10 Series is.   Show Notes:   The Woodlands Marathon site Texas 10 Series site The Woodlands Marathon Facebook page Texas 10 Series Facebook page Donate to Team Our Lady of the Angels 2021 UCAN (use code INASKIRT2020 for 15% off your order)   Follow In A Skirt:   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter

Today’s guest is Molly Fliearman. I’ve been following her on Instagram for some time. Molly is a runner—she’s been running for at least 38 years. (We try to do the math in this episode!) She is a mom to four boys—FOUR! They are quadruplets and are 18 years old. In 2019, Molly started knitting and selling beanies. I have two of them. One I have not worn yet. In fact, it’s still in the package. It is BEAUTIFUL. I want to give it away to someone listening, so message me or tag me on Facebook or Instagram and let me know something you liked about this episode and I’ll enter you in a drawing for the beautiful purple beanie that Molly handknitted.   Molly tells me why she started knitting beanies and where some of the beanie proceeds go. The story has a lot to do with two of her sons who are autistic. And we talk a lot about parenting in this episode. Running, parenting, raising boys—those are all endurance sports! I have included a link to Molly’s Instagram account in the show notes so you can follow her. And I’

Today’s episode is with Melissa Danehey. Melissa is a runner who lives in California. She’s run all sorts of races, but is mainly a trail and ultra runner now. If you follow her on Instragram, you’ll want to move out to California, too, and run trails. I love how Melissa talks about how she became a runner. She just went outside and started running. Over time, she got better at it. And she progressed from no running at all to an ultra runner!  In this episode, we also talk about how Melissa went from a family of one to a family of five. I love all the different ways a family can come together. Three years ago, Melissa dove head first into fostering, and a few weeks ago, she officially adopted her foster daughter. She’s also engaged and her fiancé has two children. Melissa’s daughter is part of her school’s wrestling team, so we also talk about how sports are expanding for girls. I love that girls are wrestling these days! This episode is sponsored by Ucan.   Show Notes:   Follow Melissa Danehey on Insta

Today’s guest is Sister Stephanie Baliga. I first had her on the podcast last March, and I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode if you haven’t heard it yet. It’s Episode 51. Sister Stephanie was a Division 1 runner in college and our previous episode dives deeper into her running and why and when she decided to dedicate her life to God as a religious sister. Every year since 2011, Sister Stephanie heads up Team Our Lady of the Angels, a team that fundraises for Mission of Our Lady of the Angels at the Chicago Marathon. This year, I am part of that team and I am so excited about raising money for the Mission and running the Chicago Marathon. If you want to donate, I have a link in the show notes. The donation link is set up by the Mission and all donations via the link go directly to the Mission. Also, all of the money raised is for the Mission—the Chicago Marathon does not take a cut, and the runners on the team do not use any of it for marathon expenses or travel. I paid my race registration f