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How have Olympic bodies changed? And why? We explored these questions through an infographic during the London Olympics.

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Very interesting read.

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Meet the all-female team of coders that brought us Apollo 11.

In 1969, the world watched as Neil Armstrong marked his historic achievement with the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” His now-famous transmission was heard around the globe thanks to NASA’s Deep Space Network, which made communication from outer space possible.

That network was built by a woman named Susan Finley. She was part of an all-female team of coders whose work was integral to the success of the Apollo 11 mission. Science writer Nathalia Holt brings us their stories in her book, Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us from Missiles to the Moon to Mars.

Listen to their story here.

[Images via NASA]

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It is no good telling yourself that one day you will wish you had never made that change; it is no good anticipating regrets. Every tomorrow ought not to resemble every yesterday. Still, I look at my yesterdays for months past, and find them as good a lot of yesterdays as anybody might want. I sit there in the firelight and see them all. The hours that made them were good, and so were the moments that made the hours.

West with the Night by Beryl Markham

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To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is: a dissatisfaction with self.

Joan Didion (via the-red-lotus-blog)

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“The only one doing their job around here is this tree.” — @dallasclayton (via)

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Anyone in Europe feeling generous enough to ship me a Kinder Surprise egg?? They're banned in the U.S.

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The idea of having it all has always been foreign to me. I grew up believing that if you worked incredibly hard and were incredibly lucky, you might get to have one dream in life come true. Going for everything was a dangerous, distracting fantasy. I believe I have been incredibly lucky.

Sigrid Nunez (New York Times, 2015)

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Lemon Ricotta Pasta

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Drift of pinions

The Kingdom of God by Francis Thompson   O world invisible, we view thee, O world intangible, we touch thee, O world unknowable, we know thee, Inapprehensible, we clutch thee! Does the fish soar to find the ocean, The eagle plunge to find the air— That we ask of the stars in motion If they have rumour of thee there? Not where the wheeling systems darken, And our benumbed conceiving soars!— The drift of pinions, would we hearken, Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors. The angels keep their ancient places;— Turn but a stone, and start a wing! ‘Tis ye, ‘tis your estrangèd faces, That miss the many-splendoured thing. But (when so sad thou canst not sadder) Cry;—and upon thy so sore loss Shall shine the traffic of Jacob’s ladder Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross. Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter, Cry,—clinging Heaven by the hems; And lo, Christ walking on the water Not of Gennesareth, but Thames!

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Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

Leo Tolstoy (via briefquotes)

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Reindeer Ramble this morning! New 5K PR of 26:08. Ran a 31:52 in April. Feeling gooood. 😎

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You cannot win the world apart from community. Community is itself a declaration of the gospel; it is itself part of the good news.

Tim Keller (via athenagraceco)

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And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.

John Steinbeck, East of Eden (via wordsnquotes)

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Yesterday I officially completed my first half marathon! I ran the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon in Louisville. My goal was to come in under 2:15 and I finished with a time of 2:12:51. 

The entire race was great. The shirts were fun, the medal is definitely unique in the coolest way possible, and the course itself was fantastic. I enjoyed getting to run through Cherokee Park, but those hills are no joke! It was intense. I hit my wall around mile 8 and then my music shut off at mile 10. So needless to say, the end of the race was the most mentally challenging part. But finishing was so amazing! 

The past four months of training taught me discipline, and crossing the finish line reminded me that hard work pays off. I’m already looking ahead to the Derby Mini in April.

Today I am thankful for legs that can carry me 13.1 miles. I never want to take a healthy body for granted. 

Lastly, shout out to Andrew for being a constant source of encouragement throughout this whole process. It appears that he may even be interested in training for a half marathon. We will see! 

To all you people thinking about doing a half marathon for the first time - You CAN do it. Don’t give up! 

Anybody else run the Urban Bourbon yesterday? 

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The Great British Baking Show – thank you, PBS.

Seriously, thank you!

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Less Than a Week Until Race Day!

Y’all! I’m running my first half marathon this Saturday (!!!). I did my last long run this weekend of 10 miles and I believe I am ready to tackle 13.1. I know it will be physically and mentally challenging, but I feel prepared. Let’s do the dang thing!