MOMS ON THE RUN

This past weekend, all Moms on the Run locations across the country planned to gather in one place — on the turquoise beaches of Clearwater, FL, for Run Clearwater. While the pandemic made that impossible, our substitute virtual run retreat — Beach Break Weekend — was undoubtedly a successful time of 'Fitness, Fun and Friendship.' 

We kicked off the weekend together online with Beach Running Bingo, lots of prizes and movie night featuring the documentary "Spirit of the Marathon," which chronicles the journey of six runners as they train for the Chicago Marathon. (We all agreed if you didn't have running a marathon as a goal, watching that will certainly make you want to do one!)

Saturday featured a day of awesome activities! We started with a warm-up and fun run via the Charge app, with Coaches Carrie Tollefson and Amy Magdalein in our ears talking us through a 40-min run or walk. You could watch how far your fellow runners ran and participate in a live chat via the app. Coach Carrie then led us through a boot camp and cool down. 

Lakeville/Burnsville (MN) Moms on the Run members all live a bit vicariously through fellow teammate Karen McKinley's adventures in running. From Disney races with festive costumes to rugged trail running adventures to smaller scale unique hometown races across the country, Karen is always up for the next adventure. 

Not even a pandemic could stop her. "Covid cancellations made planning her adventures a bit more challenging in 2020," said Lakeville/Burnsville Moms on the Run franchise owner Kim Burggraaf, "but somehow Karen managed to still find a few racing opportunities. We joked a bit that if anyone would find a race open in 2020, it would be Karen, and she sure did!"  

Kim added: "Karen is always up for an adventure and comes to every meetup with the best positive outlook and cheery smile, encouraging all around her in the process. Her passion for seeking out running adventures, enthusiasm for life, and dedication and grit to staying the course and finishing her miles is such an inspiration to us all!"

Learn more about Karen's story and why she's our inspiring member of the month. 

As runners, our hips are connected to so many of the muscles that propel us forward — from the glutes to the hip flexors and adductors. In this video, Moms on the Run National Fitness Director, Olympian Carrie Tollefson, shares some exercises we can do to strengthen our hips and give them some extra TLC. ​