You could easily say that freelance writer, professional blogger, public speaker, coach, 3:11 Marathoner, wife and mother of three Dorothy Beal has a lot on her plate.
Like many of us with busy lives outside of our training, Dorothy has had to learn how to balance it all. Oh, AND she has graced the cover of not one, not two, but THREE magazine covers!
On this episode, we hear from Dorothy about the catalyst that turned her into a runner and how running has impacted so many areas of her life.
Her philosophy and perspective on running are incredibly healthy and well-grounded, especially when considering how easily we can become over-obsessed with training and race results. She also shares with us her approach to balancing training and family nutrition as well as some interesting lifestyle changes she has adopted, such as her ‘Dry January’.
Dorothy Beal has a contagious positive energy that comes through clearly in this conversation about the transformation running has made to her very full life.
Questions Dorothy Beal is asked:
3:59 How old are you, where were you born, where do you live now and what is your favorite race distance?
4:35 When / how did you decide the marathon was your favorite race distance?
6:27 How did you end up on the cover of Women’s Running magazine?
8:41 How did the other two magazine cover features come about?
10:28 How / When did running become a part of your life?
13:09 Was losing weight more motivational than the love of running?
15:56 What was your first marathon like? Did you run it with your mom?
17:16 How are you balancing your training with a full family life?
22:04 What is “I Run This Body”?
25:08 How is #irunthisbody related to you and social media?
26:30 What can you tell us about your blog which is not named “I Run This Body”?
28:25 Do you consider running to be your profession?
29:34 What goes on behind the scenes of a professional blogger?
30:42 What can you tell us about your “Dry January” which lasted for 88 days?
34:22 Has it improved your sleeping?
37:03 How do you take care of your running and family’s nutrition together?
43:16 Final Kick Round:
- What is your favorite local training run (location, starting point, parking, distance, terrain and safety issues)?
- Favorite running book(s)?
- Advice for new runners (esp.if pregnant or post-partum)?
- Favorite quote?
Quotes by Dorothy:
“I kind of like that the pain of a marathon and the experience of it all sticks with you for a long time.”
“Whatever it is that brings you to the sport of running is a good reason to be brought to the sport of running.”
“If I miss a run here and there, there is no self-loathing; ‘I missed a long run? Oh, well’. I’ve been doing marathons since 2003; I know I’ll be able to complete it.”
“When you’re not drinking (alcohol) and something happens, you have to sit with your emotions. You have to sit with what happened and figure out why you feel the way that you do.”
“When you’re emotionally off kilter, it’s easy to use food as a coping mechanism or comforter.”
Take a Listen on Your Next Run
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Mentioned in this podcast:
Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community
Women’s Running Cover Model: Dorothy Beal
Well and Good Dry January article
Dorothy’s Fav Local Run – Homepage
Book: The Official Rock ‘n’ Roll Guide to Marathon & Half-Marathon Training by Mario Fraioli
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