In A Skirt Podcast

Episode 13 – We Finish Together  Maybe you like to display your medals for all to see…like I do. Maybe you throw them in a drawer when you get home from a race. Maybe you’re looking for a third alternative for that hard-earned hardware… Kim Stemple, a runner, learned how powerful of a symbol a medal can be to someone struggling. Yes, even someone else’s medal. After a friend gave her a medal when Kim was sick and hospitalized, Kim decided to share the joy of medals with others. She started We Finish Together to collect and distribute donated medals to people who need to know they’re supported.  Links: We Finish Together Site We Finish Together on Facebook We Finish Together on Instagram   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter

Episode 12 – Charity Morgan Charity Morgan is the owner of Sweet Lemon Thyme Health, a company that specializes in modest activewear for girls and women. The skirts are handcrafted in San Francisco, which allows customers to choose the length of the skirt and the length of the leggings. Charity is also a nutritional therapist and runner.  In this episode, we talk about her business, the fun options she offers, being an entrepreneur, what running a business has taught her, running, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and even french fries! One of my favorite things about this episode is how Charity explained that she, as a business owner, and each of us, should constantly be willing to learn, change, accept lessons from mistakes and criticism, and keep growing and improving.  Links: Sweet Lemon Thyme website Sweet Lemon Thyme on Facebook Sweet Lemon Thyme on Instagram Peloton   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter  

Episode 11 – Kaytha Potts  Running, cycling, old homes, shiplap, art history, my complete and utter lack of knowledge when it comes to art and famous artists—this episode has it all.  Kaytha is a local runner and cyclist. We met on a group ride last year. She is really strong cyclist, but I am also fascinated with all the other sides to her.  To see pictures of her beautiful artwork, visit her website or Instagram profile using the links below.    Kaytha Potts website Kaytha Potts on Instagram Houston Fit Zwift Bayou City Art Festival Huichol people of Mexico John Nieto Franz Marc Fauvism   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter

Episode 10 – Recovery & Rest Sustainability. Growth. You need recovery and rest to achieve both.  I want to be in it for the long run.   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter

Fun. That’s the word that keeps popping into my head when I think of these four and the time I spent talking to them. They know how to enjoy life…and not just bits and pieces of life, but the big picture of life. One works at a prison. One is a nurse. One is a beauty salon owner/master stylist. One is a fourth-grade teacher. On the surface, they are the “average Joes” you meet every day…except that there’s nothing average about them.  All four of these people are ultrarunners. They have completed several extremely long-distance races, including 100 milers. I invited them over to my house to get to know them and ask them why they decided to start running ultras and what keeps them going. Warning: there’s a lot of talking over each other and laughing in this episode, and that’s because we sat down in my dining room and simply had fun sharing stories.    Trail Racing Over Texas (website) Trail Racing Over Texas (Facebook) Lufkin Area Pacesetters (LAPS) Tejas Trails Screaming Monkey 100 Chevron Houston Marathon Habanero 100 San Antonio Rock ‘N’ Roll Rocky Raccoon 100 Brazos Bend   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter

A few years ago, Claudia decided to make some physical changes to her life. At first, she changed the way she ate, but over time she added walking, running, and strength training to her life. The result? About 115 pounds lost and a transformed body AND mind. In this episode, Claudia and her niece and personal trainer, Kait, talk to me about natural weight loss and going from an “I could never do that” to an “I know I can do that” attitude.   Claudia Cook on Instagram Kait Cook on Instagram Kira Stokes (Kait’s favorite Instagram trainer) Couch to 5K Fitt Life Lufkin Spartan Stadion — AT&T Stadium  Skyline Burrito Bowls   In A Skirt Website In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Twitter

I met Tennessee Love through cycling and running. She also swims...in fact, she’s basically a fish. Tennessee’s son, Gabriel, is a swimmer as well. Gabriel is a sophomore in high school. He is friendly, likable, a math whiz, and has beautiful blond hair. Gabriel is also autistic. For Autism Acceptance Month, I asked Tennessee if I could meet with her and her husband, Bruce, to talk about their experiences, and Gabriel’s experiences, on the high school swim team. I learned a lot about Gabriel in this interview, but I learned even more about his parents. They know their son’s gifts and have never doubted his abilities. They’ve worked hard to balance their desire to protect him with their desire to push him and watch him grow as a person. This is one interview that made me wish we had more than just audio to share with others. Gabriel is beautiful inside and out, but I could honestly see and feel his parents’ love for him and desires for him while talking to them. In A Skirt In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Twitter Mod Sportswear

Episode 6 – Karena McElhaney Karena is a certified personal trainer, music director, and mom of three.  While she is in excellent shape now, she had to work really hard to get there. In this episode, we talk about her struggle to find a healthy lifestyle – even trying a watermelon and cornflake diet one summer! Nothing resulted in long-term change until she learned about nutrition, transformed her mindset about food, and started lifting weights.  Karena is fun and inspiring. Her goal now is to educate and help others who want to change their lives like she did.  Also, Karena is a skirt girl! Her active lifestyle is carried out while she’s in a skirt.  Links: Karena on Instagram Karena on Facebook Snoga Athletics (Karena’s skirt-of-choice) East Texas Fittest   In A Skirt on Instagram In A Skirt on Facebook In A Skirt on Twitter In A Skirt Site         

Show Notes Each November, Lufkin ISD’s special needs students get to participate in an athletic event that is just for them. They are the VIPs, the athletes, the winners. The annual Turkey Trot for special needs students has been running strong for seven years at Lufkin. Special needs students are paired with Lufkin High School athletes for a fun run and games on the John Outlaw Memorial Field in Abe Martin Stadium. I sat down with directors and coaches from Lufkin ISD to discuss the Turkey Trot and the impact it has on special needs students, athletes, and the district as a whole.   Links:   Lufkin Independent School District Lufkin ISD on Facebook   Connect with In A Skirt Podcast:   In A Skirt Follow In A Skirt on Facebook  Follow In A Skirt on Instagram Follow In A Skirt on Twitter

CASA of the Pines is an organization that advocates for abused and neglected children involved in child protection cases. CASA and its volunteers serve as the guardian ad litem for children who have been removed from their homes and help courts understand a child’s best interests. For the last several years, CASA of the Pines has been putting on a 5K and half marathon called the “Superhero Race” to raise funds for the organization. This year’s race was held on March 23rd on beautiful country roads in Kennard, Texas. For those who didn’t want to run, they could opt for the “bRUNch” at Larry Bruce Gardens, a farm-to-table restaurant tucked deep in the Pineywoods.  We set up a tent at the race and talked to volunteers and runners and compiled those interviews into this episode. We got to talk to a lot of people, including the Executive Director of CASA of the Pines, a man who is on a mission to run a race in every county in Texas, some fast teenagers, Curbside Café’s brewmaster who was keeping all the runners caffeinated, a prosecutor who asked more questions than he answered, and Livewell Athletic Club’s owner who explained what pickleball is. Here are the show’s links: CASA of the Pines  CASA of the Pines on Faceboook Superhero Run  Larry Bruce Gardens  Larry Bruce Gardens on Facebook  Livewell Athletic Club  Livewell Athletic Club on Facebook  Curbside Café  Curbside Café on Facebook    In A Skirt Follow In A Skirt on Facebook  Follow In A Skirt on Instagram Follow In A Skirt on Twitter

Elizabeth Durrett and Stefani Willmon are local friends of mine. Elizabeth is a mom, business owner, and Ironman triathlete. Stefani is a mom, nurse, and marathoner. They’ve shaped themselves into dedicated athletes, but neither of them hopped on a bike or laced up running shoes until they were in their 30s/40s.    In this episode, we talk about their love for running and cycling and what a difference an active lifestyle has made in their lives. We also discuss how intimidated and nervous Elizabeth was when she first started this journey, and how Stefani didn’t have to deal with that level of intimidation and fear because she had Elizabeth guiding her into this fun world of training and racing.    Also, I should let you know that Stefani looks just like Kelly Kapowski!   Here are some of the races, restaurants, and products we talked about:   Diva Duathlon  Chevron Houston Marathon  Davy Crockett Classic  Ironman 70.3 Waco  Ironman Arizona  Base Performance  The Original Ninfa’s  Hole in One Cafe  Los Jarritos Mexican Restaurant  Cafe del Rio   In A Skirt Information:   In A Skirt Follow In A Skirt on Facebook  Follow In A Skirt on Instagram Follow In A Skirt on Twitter 

John Jones lives in Burke, Texas. He’s been riding bikes since he was a little kid and barely able to reach the pedals. John loves exploring the beautiful Pineywoods and the backroads of East Texas by bike. He also helps build bikes for those who need a form of transportation or are trying to get started cycling. In this episode, he shares his love for the sport and why he thinks it’s important to help others discover their love for cycling. Here are links to the places or groups we discussed in this episode:   Angelina Bicycle Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/angelinabicycleclub/ Davey Crockett National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/texas/about-forest/districts/?cid=fswdev3_008441 Mission Tejas State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mission-tejas Hotter’n Hell 100: https://www.hh100.org/ Pineywoods Purgatory map (event is no longer held): https://kfox95.com/25th-annual-pineywoods-purgatory-is-here/ Scheduled rides in Texas: https://www.wheelbrothers.com/

This interview is with my brother, Oscar Garcia, III. Oscar is the first person who told me I could run farther than three miles. And he’s the person who convinced me to sign up for my first half marathon…so I feel like I owe him for helping me find my love for long-distance running. And although I know just about everything there is to know about him, I enjoyed interviewing him for this podcast. Oscar is a senior chief in the Navy. As you can tell from this podcast, he loves his family, the Navy, food, Texas, and putting up with me. He also loves running…even if he has to get a run in an unconventional way…like on a treadmill while a ship bobs up and down in the ocean.  Oscar is also the one who drew my “In A Skirt” logo. And he drew it for me for free! (Actually, I promised him a Chick Fil A gift card, but I haven’t bought him the gift card yet, so he basically drew it for free.) Thank you, Oscar, for letting me interview you, and you’ll be happy to know that my husband edited out all my corny jokes making fun of you.  Here are a few of Oscar’s favorite things: HEB -- https://www.heb.com/  Whataburger -- http://whataburger.com/  Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant -- http://pepesrgv.com/  USS Theodore Roosevelt -- https://www.navy.mil/local/cvn71/  USS Elrod -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Elrod_(FFG-55)  Henry T. Elrod -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_T._Elrod  USS Normandy -- https://www.navy.mil/local/cg60/  USS Bulkeley -- https://www.facebook.com/UssBulkeleyddg84/  USS Monterrey -- https://www.navysite.de/cg/cg61.html  Crossing the equator -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony  Crossing the arctic circle -- https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/11/11/sporting-blue-noses-destroyer-bulkeleys-crew-is-back-in-norfolk-after-214-day-cruise/  Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches -- https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Empire-of-the-Summer-Moon/S-C-Gwynne/9781416591061 

I’m the host of In A Skirt Podcast. In this first episode, I explain why I run in a skirt and why sharing the stories of unconventional athletes is important to me. Visit our website for more podcasts at www.inaskirt.com.   Follow In A Skirt: Website: www.inaskirt.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/In-A-Skirt-Podcast-257879511786926 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in_a_skirt_podcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/inaskirtpodcast