242: Updates from Heather + Searching for—and Finding—Ease and Flow in Life with Jem Fuller
Release Date: 06/07/2022
250: Just Keep Moving: Heather shares a new path for Michigan Runner Girl
Michigan Runner Girl
How exactly do you stop doing something you’ve committed so much time, mental energy, and heart to, for so many years? Do you shut it down completely? Can some parts of it remain while others are shelved indefinitely, maybe forever? Is it possible this beloved endeavor can be re-worked, re-born into something similar yet different and new … and hopefully altogether better? Or are fresh slates and starts the better answer? These are the questions Heather Durocher, founder of Michigan Runner Girl, has been grappling with in recent time. She has some answers and shares from her heart in...
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249: Sammie Bennett, mental health advocate and SHE RUNS Grand Rapids race ambassador: ‘There’s a place for everybody’
Michigan Runner Girl
“I kind of just hit this point where I was like, I am not living authentically. What do I even like? I sort of had a relationship with myself but not really. Also, I was kind of battling my own sexuality at the time as well, too. And I just hit this moment where I was like, I can’t do it any more — I can’t live the way that I am living, I am not living for myself, and I don’t feel authentic. And so, I ended up quitting running for a short little bit and then revisited the sport with a different mentality of, how can I enjoy this and still figure out these other areas of life that...
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248: Awesome Ideas for Fall Adventures at Michigan State Parks
Michigan Runner Girl
Fall ziplining along Lake Michigan. Yurt camping. September boating. Equestrian shoreline riding. These are just a few of the autumn and early-winter activities shared by Maia Turek, who returns to the show to talk all things state parks and the many ways we can explore the Great Lakes State over the next several months. Maia, who works for the parks and recreation division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has lots of updates for us. After gushing over the gorgeous September weather we've been experiencing — Heather shares a stand-up paddling adventure she recently had with...
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247: Taking Care of Our Hearts: 3 Women Share Their Stories
Michigan Runner Girl
“I tried not to dwell on it, I tried to learn from it. And I took care of myself. I looked at it as a new beginning, with new opportunities … and I still do after all these years, try to do something positive with it. I tried to take something that was tragic — I couldn’t have any more children — not only for me, but for my family, and we’ve tried to turn it into something more positive and inspirational and helpful for other people.” — Risa Kirschner, who lives in Farmington Hills and who at age 29 and pregnant with her second child learned she had atrial myxoma, a heart...
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246: Quitting Chronic Dieting + Recentering through Running with Dietician Amelia Sherry
Michigan Runner Girl
“When my relationship with food improved and I started to heal I didn’t let go of the running. I noticed that it was crucial to me feeling more relaxed, centered, more in touch with how I actually felt inside my body. I used intuitive eating as part of my recovery from chronic dieting, which is all about listening and honoring and respecting the senses that you get from your body and I was able to use running as a way … it really calmed me, reassured me.” Amelia Sherry, dietitian, mother, runner, recovered chronic dieter. Like so many women, Amelia Sherry started her first diet in...
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245: Reading, Traveling + Moving Forward with Emma and Heather
Michigan Runner Girl
The Michigan Runner Girl show returns from its mid-summer break with Heather and her 22-year-old daughter Emma at Emma's new apartment in Grand Rapids, Mich. talking about all things books (they share their top reads this summer), traveling (a visit to Nantucket in July!), and how they're both feeling heading into fall. They record their conversation the evening before Emma starts her first day of medical school orientation and on her first official weekend in her new place. Also part of their discussion: - Their shared (newer) love of small dogs. (Heather reveals big news...
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244: Finding the Pleasure in Eating, Moving, and Living Well
Michigan Runner Girl
“My work, my passion is helping women lose unwanted weight, but from the inside out — by changing their eating behaviors from a place of deep satisfaction and pleasure, instead of focusing on diets, or counting calories, or carbs or anything like that.” Life coach Lia Pinelli joins Heather on the to talk about a lot of things — our relationship with food, how we can shift our mindset about our eating behaviors, finding the form of exercise and movement that speaks to us, and so much more. Lia’s journey includes going from teaching Spanish and serving as a school administrator...
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243: The Ripple Effects of Pursuing a Healthier Life with Stephanie Lueras
Michigan Runner Girl
“When we’re improving ourselves in one area, the rest of us comes along for the ride, as a whole person — physically, emotionally, spiritually … There is a ripple effect. When we start to change habits in one area — I started with a cup of water — and as we continue to build those habits, that ripple effect into every area of life is so significant and we discount the small things that we do every day that truly can be life changing.” Heathe talks with Stephanie Lueras, owner of Heart and Sole Fitness & Wellness, a Body Positive ACE Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Fitness...
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242: Updates from Heather + Searching for—and Finding—Ease and Flow in Life with Jem Fuller
Michigan Runner Girl
“I practice gratitude every single day. I am super grateful for my life. But 10 years ago, I was in a world of pain.” Jem Fuller has lived a colorful, global life—from barefoot backpacker to corporate leader, fire-dancer and traditional tattooist, kindergarten teacher to motorcycle courier, masseuse and reflexology to labourer and travel consultant. Now his time is as partner and father, coach, facilitator and retreat leader. Jem, who lives on a sheep farm in Australia with his partner Talia, is the author of the recently published book, , and can be seen delivering his TEDx talk...
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241: Life Can Keep Getting Better, with author Lynne Bowman
Michigan Runner Girl
Author and health advocate , a 76-year-old mom of three and grandmother of two — joins Heather for a conversation about the things we do today — our sleep, eating, and movement — and how they impact our future selves. Lynne reminds us that life doesn’t end at 60 or 70, as she says, but the quality of our last 25 or 30 years can be all over the place, depending on decisions we make now. Lynne is a self-described “snarky grandma” who fully acknowledges she doles out cooking tips and health advice despite not owning a restaurant, not being a reality TV star, and not holding a...
info_outline“I practice gratitude every single day. I am super grateful for my life. But 10 years ago, I was in a world of pain.”
Jem Fuller has lived a colorful, global life—from barefoot backpacker to corporate leader, fire-dancer and traditional tattooist, kindergarten teacher to motorcycle courier, masseuse and reflexology to labourer and travel consultant. Now his time is as partner and father, coach, facilitator and retreat leader. Jem, who lives on a sheep farm in Australia with his partner Talia, is the author of the recently published book, The Art of Conscious Communication for Thoughtful Men, and can be seen delivering his TEDx talk on YouTube.
Jem recently found a groove with running, which he acknowledged felt “arduous” initially. “I used to force myself to do it for the exercise. Then, for the 'feel-good' afterwards... and only recently — I'm 50 — with some new high-quality runners, I'm actually starting to enjoy the run itself! I never thought I would say that.”
Heather’s conversation with Jem follows a few life updates from her — she shares reflections from this year’s 40th anniversary of the Bayshore Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K over Memorial Day weekend, thoughts on her IRONMAN 70.3 Michigan in September, a girls trip to Grand Rapids, what she’s reading right now, and more.
Heather and Jem talk about searching—and finding—ease and flow in life. It’s been a long and interesting journey for Jem, and he shares honestly and with vulnerability how the path has unfolded for him so far, to include his “midlife awakening.” They talk about:
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What it means to take a ‘red-hot crack’ at finding your best life (Heather tells Jem she’s going to have to start using this awesome Aussie phrase)
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Radical self-acceptance of the past and present
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Abundance as a mindset
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Connection with and immersion in nature
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Energy as a life force, cross-cultural connection
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Quality of relationships: “I believe that relationships are at the core of our quality of life—the quality of your relationships directly correlates to the quality of your life. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or how big your house is … you know, none of that matters. If your relationships aren’t great, your experiences in life aren’t great.” -Jem
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For more (including mentions/links during the episode):
Connect with Jem: https://jemfuller.com
Follow and connect with Heather:
@michiganrunnergirl on Instagram
@michiganrunnergirl on Instagram
Facebook.com/michigan-runner-