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Movement and Nutrition Coaching empowering folks to make realistic health and fitness changes

10/23/2026

I had no idea before the Columbus Marathon that patients from Nationwide Children’s Hospital would be stationed along the course as Marathon Mile Champions.

The first one brought me to tears almost immediately. She was a very young child, bundled up in a wheelchair so she could be outside in the 37-degree weather. I ran through her balloon arch, high-fived her foam hand and felt a wave of emotion I wasn’t expecting.

As the race continued, I met more of the children at their miles.

Late in the race, a sign introduced me to a boy named Quentin. He looked close to my daughter’s age, and the sign said he loved camping and hiking with his family. When I reached him, I gave him a huge smile and high-fived his foam hand.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t have said anything without crying.

For those moments, all the pace calculations and concerns about how many miles remained disappeared. These children and their families had come out in the cold to encourage us. I felt overwhelmed by the privilege of receiving that encouragement from them.

I expected the race to be emotional because I was trying to qualify for Boston and because my family was there. I wasn’t prepared for how deeply the Mile Champions would affect me.

When I talk about the race now, this is still the part that makes me cry.

10/21/2026

When I crossed the finish line, all I could think was, “I actually did it. I qualified for Boston.”

I didn’t know until I checked the official results that I had finished in 3:35:46, just 46 seconds over my personal goal.

This is the very predictable Deirdre part of the story. I can qualify for Boston, run an almost 12-minute PR and immediately begin examining the seconds I might have left on the course.

My Garmin recorded 26.48 miles at an 8:09 pace, so throughout the race I believed I was on track to finish under 3:35. I even backed off a little several times during the first half because I wanted to be sure I had enough left at the end.

During the last few miles I realized how much I still had available. My legs felt incredibly strong. I ran the final two miles under an eight-minute pace, finished with a negative split and felt like I had more to give.

That tendency to scrutinize my performance is part of what pushes me to work so hard. It also means I can be slow to appreciate what is right in front of me.

I ran nearly 12 minutes faster than my previous best. I qualified for Boston by 9 minutes and 14 seconds. I finished feeling strong instead of barely hanging on.

The pride has been arriving a little more slowly than the accomplishment, but it’s getting here.

10/18/2026

I friggin did it!!

10/17/2026

It’s almost go time. Can’t wait to test my limits and see what I’m capable of tomorrow morning. If you want to follow along real time you may do so by downloading the RTRT.me app, selecting the Columbus Marathon, and searching for my name.

10/16/2026

Years ago, I bought this Boston Marathon tank as part of a fundraiser after the bombing.

Qualifying for Boston was nowhere in my plans then. I bought the shirt to support a community that had been through something terrible and because I respected what the marathon represented.

Somewhere along the way, qualifying stopped feeling completely impossible.

I wore this tank for every long run during this training cycle. It has been with me through the early mornings, hills, tempo miles, gels and all five 20-mile runs.

On Sunday, I’ll line up at the Columbus Marathon wearing it, with 3:35 as my goal.

I never imagined this would become my race-day shirt for a Boston qualifying attempt. Even after all the training, that is still a little hard to believe.

10/14/2026

One question I think about when planning a workout is surprisingly ordinary: What does this person need to do tomorrow?

A session can look perfectly reasonable on paper and still be too much for the day it lands on. A client may be caring for grandchildren, traveling, working a long shift or managing an irritated knee. Those details affect the exercises I choose and how much we do.

I want the session to provide enough challenge to create change. I also want the person to recover, live their life and return for the next one.

A useful program has to survive a real week, including fatigue, responsibilities, cranky joints and schedules that refuse to cooperate.

10/12/2026

Over the weekend, I spent the day at a fall festival with my family.

Days like this remind me that many people want to feel stronger for very ordinary reasons. They want more energy for a full day out and more confidence moving through the world with the people they love.

One thing I hear surprisingly often is, “I need to get in better shape before I work with a trainer.”

Starting with someone new can feel vulnerable, especially if exercise has been difficult, inconsistent or absent for years. I don’t expect a new client to arrive knowing how the equipment works or already feeling confident about exercising.

We talk about where you are, what has made exercise difficult and what you would like to feel more capable of doing. Then we start there.

If you’ve been waiting until you’re fitter to ask for help, you really don’t need to. You can start exactly where you are now.

10/11/2026

Last long run before Columbus: 10 miles at marathon pace.

Today’s prescribed pace was 8:12 per mile. The purpose of the run was to get even more familiar with that pace and rely less on my watch to find it. Despite what the photo suggests, I checked it much less than usual and let my body settle into the rhythm it has practiced all summer.

I finished at an 8:10 average, felt great and spent more time holding myself back than trying to speed up. Hurricane remnants added plenty of wind and rain directly into my face, but the pace still felt comfortable.

My training has included workouts much faster than marathon pace, long runs slower than it and, lately, more miles right at 8:12. Today my body seemed to know the pace without much help from the watch. That is exactly what I wanted from this final long run.

Next Sunday, the assignment is 26.2 miles at that pace.

October 18th. Goal time: 3:35. One week to go.

10/08/2026

One phrase I’ve become much more comfortable saying as I’ve gained experience is, “I don’t know.”

Health and fitness can reward people who sound completely certain. Clear promises are easier to sell than careful explanations, especially online.

The honest answer to many questions is still “it depends,” “the evidence is mixed” or “we don’t know yet.”

That doesn’t mean we have no useful guidance. We can look at the available evidence, consider the individual person, make a reasonable decision and pay attention to what happens. Sometimes I need to research the question. Sometimes the right answer is outside my scope and I need to refer someone to another professional.

I’ve learned that giving a quick, confident answer isn’t always the same as giving a good one.

I would rather be honest about uncertainty than offer someone a neat answer that may not be true.

10/06/2026

I love exercising. I also don’t think everyone else needs to love it.

The fitness world sometimes talks as though people simply haven’t found the right workout yet. Once they try the perfect class, trail or strength program, they’ll finally understand why the rest of us enjoy this so much.

Maybe. But some people may never look forward to exercising, and I think that’s okay.

You can value what exercise gives you without being excited to do it. You might appreciate feeling stronger, moving with less difficulty or having more energy for the rest of your life. You might enjoy the people you exercise with, the routine it gives your week or simply the satisfaction of being finished.

There’s a lot of room between loving every minute and hating the whole experience.

Exercise can be an important part of your life without becoming your favorite hobby or your entire personality.

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http://www.coachdmoves.com/

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