Running Advice from North Face Ultra Runner Rory Bosio

Photo used with permission by The North Face.

Think racking up 26.2 miles in a marathon is impressive? Allow Rory Bosio to knock you off your high horse: as a North Face ultra runner, she consistently finishes 50- to 100-mile races on steep, mountainous terrain—and she kicks most of her competitors’ butts in the process. She placed second at the prestigious Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run last June in California, and she placed fourth at the famed ultra-race North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Europe’s Alps in September.

But take a quick glance at the Tahoe, California-based athlete and you’d never know she’s logged some serious hours on the trails—no laboring gait, no aching knees. She’s quick and light on her feet, with enough energy to work as a pediatric emergency room night nurse after a day of training. And her secret isn’t really a secret at all—it’s yoga.

More inspiring pics after the jump!

Why I Love the Aark Wildlife Rehab Center

B. Scherzberg

This post originally appeared as a guest blog for Free People.

An injured fawn on the side of the road. A bird with a broken wing. A nest of baby rabbits your dog found. Chances are if you live in an even remotely suburban or rural area, you've encountered wildlife in need of some help. For your own safety and the health of the animal, it's not a good idea to try and tend to it yourself—so what can you do? We visited the Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, a Philadelphia area wildlife shelter, for their open house, where we talked with volunteers to find out the best way to take care of lost or injured wildlife and what we can do to support the centers nursing them back to health.

When you find an injured wild animal:

•Remember that caring for the animal is dangerous and most often the animal needs professional help. Diet, temperature, humidity, medications and human contact have to be controlled.

• It's actually illegal to care for the animal yourself!

Find out more on the Free People blog.

Good Fear and Bad Fear

Photo part borrowed from Poler.com

"Fear and panic are two separate emotions. Fear is healthy. Panic is deadly."

Leave it to Hollywood to claim ownership over a theory I thought I'd developed years ago. Guess there really are no original ideas. Actor Gerard Butler feeds this line to Johnny Weston's Jay Moriarity in the surf biopic Chasing Mavericks after the younger surfer panics during a shark encounter.

Fear has been a guiding hand in my life since I was pretty young. I'm inherently scared to try things—we're all born a certain way and no matter how we portray ourselves to our peers, the fact is we're either introverts or extroverts. But I've never been a believer in the "status quo." So I've learned how to break off those shackles and become an adventurous person. I swam with sharks. I've flown in a tiny plane. I've jumped off of cliffs and into murky water, surfed bigger waves than I knew how, climbed challenging routes, trusted my equipment more than I should have, moved across the country by myself.

Here's what I've learned: Fear is important, because it helps us take calculated risks. Panic is fear's ugly sister who clouds our judgement and causes needless mistakes. But like Butler said, they are two separate emotions. My most important advice for new adventurers is to learn the difference—it could save your life.

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to "do something everyday that scares you." But when you take that and run with it, just remember to evaluate if what you're feeling is good fear or bad fear.

Get Healthy: Uses for Lavender

Photo by Dirtbag Darling

This post originally appeared as a guest blog for Free People.

Lavender is hands down my favorite scent—it's light, pretty, natural and calming. Plus, it has so many practical uses!

1. Insect Repellant
Lavender fends off both moths and mosquitoes. Stuff a satchel of dried lavender in your closet or mix a few drops of lavender essential oil with aloe vera and rub on your skin before heading out on your hike.

2. Ease Headaches and Stress
There's a reason baby lotions are starting to smell like lavender—it's a soothing, calming scent that helps your body relax. Aroma therapists use it for inhalation therapy, but you can do it right at home. Just mix five drops of essential oil with boiling water and inhale.

3. Treat Sunburn
Vinegar can help ease the pain of a burn, but it smells terrible. Opt for this recipe instead: Mix a few drops of essential oil with water and spray onto sunburned skin.

4. Grow Your Hair
Massage a few drops of essential oil onto your scalp every few nights and in a few months, you'll see hair regrowth.

5. Disinfect Your Kitchen
Nurses used lavender to disinfect some hospitals during World War II. Fill a spray bottle with baking soda, lavender oil and water and store under your sink.

Read the whole article at blog.freepeople.com!

Practicing Tonglen To Feel Happier

Me getting my "ohm" on in Oahu. 

Today I visited one of my favorite places—the library—and picked up a book called Tranquilista by Kimberly Wilson, the author of Hip Tranquil Chick. It's a manual for doing "enlightened work" and practicing "mindful play," so that you can rid yourself of harmful habits and start living a more fulfilling life.

In it I found a section on practicing Tonglen ("Go Totally Tonglen," page 13), a Buddhist practice that's easy to do throughout your entire day.

Picture this: There's a crying baby on your airplane. Or a disgruntled businessman behind you in line at the bank. Maybe your mom is giving you a hard time about a recent career move. Close your eyes and picture yourself breathing in their pain. Visualize their suffering as a big, dark cloud. Draw that cloud in, then exhale slowly, picturing yourself sending them a big cloud of compassion.

So basically, you aren't absorbing their pain, but changing it into love and compassion. I know, I know...sounds funny, but think about how much better you'll feel trying to send that person love rather than getting yourself all upset about their behavior. I need to try this next time I get an annoying email!

What other rituals or practices should I try out? I need more of this! Leave a comment below. 

My Best Beauty Secret

Me: Messy bun, no makeup, scaly feet in Oahu.

When you live (or decide to start living) an outdoor-loving lifestyle, there are certain things you have to give up and wrinkle-free skin, smooth feet, immaculate hair and manicured nails are all on the list. Maintaining your beauty routine is just unrealistic when you're camping out on a beach in Hawaii with no mirrors, downpours and back-to-basics pluming!

That's not to say I don't try my best to look presentable when I'm back in civilization. I still trim my hair, put on mascara and pluck my brows—I am a girl, after all. There are even certain things I bring with me on the trail, like facial wipes and lip balm.

But my ultimate beauty secret? Stop caring so much about what you look like. Chances are the people you're with out there are the ones who love you no matter what, and the reason you're out there is to experience something new and test your limits. You're out there to reconnect with nature and remember what's important, and let me tell you this right now: What you look like is NOT.

So let it all go when you lace up your boots or put on your bikini—let your hair get frizzy or tie it up in a bun or braid. Wear sunscreen but don't obsess over it if you get a sunglass tan line. No one wants to worry about runny mascara when you spot a rope swing, and you can fix it all up on Monday (if it really comes down to it, there's always that lip balm in your back pocket).

Checking In: What Makes Someone "Outdoorsy"?

That's me being "outdoorsy" in Zion National Park!

Last night before bed I read a really interesting op-ed piece about what it means to be "outdoorsy." In it, the author moves to Montana and calls herself an outdoorswoman, only to be met with some stuck-up noses: "People laughed at me, asking what experience I had in the 'outdoors' and called me things like a poser or a wannabe."

Fast forward three years later and she's learned to mountain bike, ski, kayak, and paddle board. She's taken courses in avalanche survival and wilderness first aid. It's more than most people will accomplish in their entire lives, but still, she says she feels an emptiness—she doesn't consider herself "outdoorsy" because of those original nay-sayers. 

I'm calling bull crap on those people who talked her down. Not everyone will grow up with access to world-class climbing routes or an ocean lapping at their backyard. We all make do with what we have. So if you want to start enjoying everything the outdoors has to offer, shake off those feelings of self-doubt and get out there. No one at the rock gym is going to look down on you—in fact, they'll love explaining the knots to you, remembering the day they started climbing. Invest in one piece of quality, high-rated gear that you'll be proud to show off. Spend a Saturday night sleeping under the stars with some friends rather than meeting up for drinks. 

Before you know it, people will be looking to you for advice (and few good adventure stories).

Read the article at WomensAdventureMagazine.com!

How to Feel Happier...NOW!

Happy CAMPER, get it? Photo: Source Unknown

I'd love to lie and say that I'm always optimistic and sporting that sunny-side-up personality...but then you'd know I'm a liar. Because, duh, everyone gets down in the dumps. Depressed. Blue.

Like just a few minutes ago, I was mad at a friend for no reason at all. My shoulders hurt from being on the computer all morning. I couldn't find my iPod cord. Then, I decided to change my attitude.

It's a trick I picked up a few years back when I was really uphappy at my old job. I became determined to not let the feelings of fatigue, stress and dissatisfaction control my life. It's surprisingly easy, and if you follow a few simple steps, you can turn your frown upside down (or at least start feeling a little better):