Hey all I am super Excited to Welcome @Anastasia Bohanon to the ECRC crew. As you know how fantastic this crew is already, we all just got better with Anastasia joining us. WELCOME ANASTASIA! V

I know I've been MIA since the end of last year. Things went a bit off the rails with the pinched nerve in my neck. After several failed alternate treatments, I had surgery. 2 level ACDF from C5-C7. Thankfully it was like someone shut off a light switch for all the nerve pain I was experiencing and can actually brush my teeth with my right hand again! I am now 4 months post-op, and the imaging is showing that the bones are fusing well enough that my surgeon has lifted all restrictions. "Use your common sense for how fast you ramp up, but you are free to return to running." This was the best sentence I have heard in months. Especially since I have not been able to run since the end of 2025. I can only access this through my laptop so I might only be on once a week.

Thank you so much for all of you that responded to last week's Monday morning conversation. These are the type of conversations that truly build a closer community because we see just how much alike we are and how we can help support each other better every day. So we have an another good one.... TODAY. WHAT IS ONE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH ABOUT RUNNING THAT YOU'VE HAD TO LEARN THE HARD WAY? Maybe it's: - You can't out-train a bad diet. - Motivation is unreliable. - Easy runs are supposed to be easy. - Recovery is training. - Nobody cares about your pace as much as you do. - Consistency beats intensity - add yours here. Every one of us starts with certain beliefs about what it takes to improve. Then running humbles us and teaches us something different. What's that one lesson running taught you that you wish someone had told you sooner? Always remember that, Running has a funny way of charging tuition for lessons we could have gotten for free. The problem is most of us don't listen until we've paid for the class." V

OH that good ole "Warm up" do you even need to do it.... who has time for that anyway. Nothing says elite runner confidence like jumping out of your house , tying your shoes, and immediately trying to run a PR pace as if your body wasn't sitting in a chair 90 seconds ago. But here are a few facts... Research shows that a proper warm-up can increase muscle temperature by 1-2°F, improving muscle elasticity, power output, and efficiency. Research has also shown that a proper warm up program can help prevent in jury 30-40%. Furthermore studies have also found that runners who perform dynamic warm-ups can improve performance by 2-5%. Translation: your body works better when you don't treat it like an old lawnmower that should magically start at full throttle. Why? A good warm-up increases blood flow, gets oxygen moving to working muscles, improves range of motion, and helps your nervous system remember that today's mission is running—not scrolling social media. (But if you are scrolling be sure you include this page :-) Even elite runners spend 15-30 minutes warming up before hard workouts. Meanwhile, some of us (ME) are out here doing one ankle circle and saying, "Yep, that should do it." Me: Guilty... So I'm curious... For today's MONDAY MORNING CONVERSATION... What's your personal warm-up routine before a run? Do you have a detailed pre-run ritual, or are you part of the "first mile IS the warm-up" club? BE honest and share what is your go to....

Ok this is a good one this week. You know those runs... the epic runs that just seem like you crush them with ease, the mind is good and the body is good and you just get to enjoy that high feeling... ( I hope you all have experienced this) SO... for today's Monday Morning conversation. We want to know when was the most recent run that you has this happen? Not your best most epic run even but the most RECENT one... Give us all the good details... the run, the conditions and the feels that it gave! We can't wait to hear them... Really it is why we run! OK answers now GO......