The Fabulous Life of Stefanie

The last time I ran a half marathon was when I was 13 weeks pregnant. 13 miles at 13 weeks! It was ironic and awesome. I had spent the first 8 weeks of my pregnancy pretty miserable, especially since I hadn't experienced sickness my first pregnancy and wasn't quite sure why my body was being so hard on me. So being able to put 13 miles in at that point felt awesome. It was one of my slowest halfs but I was proud of my body and happy to have my little running partner in my belly.  I kept up running until about February, mostly on the treadmill because of the ridiculous snow situation in Boston. I did get some lovely outdoor running in Florida but it was on that trip that I ordered a belly band because I was experiencing some pain and need for extra support around my big bump. Once February hit it was impossible for me to run outside and really a huge undertaking to try and drive to the Y so I let myself take a break and started sleeping in and preparing for the lack of slee...

I finished the fifth of a series of five community dialogues that I participated in through the YWCA/Women's Table/Allston Brighton Community Development Co. last night and what an awesome experience it was. Our group was as diverse as could be: Black, White and Asian; Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Episcopalian, Congregationalist; nuns and mothers, gay and straight, ages ranging from early twenties to eighty. Sitting in a room with such a range of people, personalities and experiences and talking about race was difficult, thought-provoking and inspirational, and I am excited that we have decided to keep meeting once a month to talk about what is happening in our communities and what we can do as a group and as individuals to fight against racism and promote knowledge, tolerance and peace. In addition to some wonderful conversations and getting to hear about others experiences with race relations in and out of Boston, I was able to reflect on my thoughts on racism and how I identify, wh...