It’s early morning, crystalline air sparkling in the soft light as we head up the trail behind Ellen Miller and warm up for the day’s workout. The first words out of Ellen’s mouth set the tone for my day, indeed my week: “Aren’t we lucky to be here watching the sun rise over these beautiful mountains and feeling our hearts pump, our bodies work, our minds clear, and our spirit soar!” It’s not a question, it’s an affirmation and one I carry with me for the entire week.
A year ago I never dreamed I’d be trail running again. Too many years of abuse to my knees, ankles and feet had forced me to say goodbye to running forever, or so I thought. But here I stand a year later, in a different body, one that has been transformed at a cellular level by Ellen’s careful and systematic training. This petite and constantly cheerful woman knows her stuff. She has to because she has climbed some of the highest peaks in the world, and is in fact the only American woman to climb Everest from both the East and North sides. She guides treks, climbs in the Himalayas and coaches the U.S. Women’s Mountain Running Team. Miller lives and works in Vail as a fitness coach for people of all ability levels. She understands the value and necessity of conditioning and teaches it with enthusiasm and real expertise.
Ellen has been a guest speaker at Women’s Empowerment Workshop in the past, and returns on January 17, 2014, contributing to the Body, Mind, Spirit Connection workshop. She’ll bring her expertise about interval training for all ages and abilities, its benefits and how to approach it successfully. Believe me, this will be about more than simply how to run or hike up a trail.
What I love about our Monday morning outings goes far beyond the fact that I can feel the muscles in my heart strengthening. Or that we’re transforming our actual cells’ structure, gearing them to support a healthier body. Or even that we’re also re-patterning our mind to break through old boundaries. For me it’s about reconnecting with the natural world in a powerful way. It’s this spiritual connection that Ellen brings to her training that I value the most. Plunging through frosty sage with the sun’s first rays on my face, I feel alive, rejuvenated, reconnected – mind, body, spirit.
Please join us Jan. 17 in Eagle, CO for a day of mind, body, spirit connection. I’ll join Ellen with guided meditations, goal-setting and creating your 2014 Vision Board! Click here for details and to register.
