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About Maggie Downie

Thank you for giving your time to stop and read my blog. I hope it encourages you to keep moving. Move and the body will be happier. And when you're moving you can hike, run, swim in Jell-O, race over non-Newtonian fluids, travel the world or build igloos--if that's your thing. If not, you can watch me do it. This is just a spot to try and feel good about life.
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Gratitude

Plank You!

Gratitude is important to our wellbeing all year, but this time of year we stop to consider and share the parts of our lives that makes us truly grateful. Recently I listened to a Super Soul Sunday where Oprah interviewed Brene Brown, a researcher on shame and courage.

Joy Needs Gratitude

In the interview Brown mentioned that everyone has thoughts that are killjoys. She used the example of looking at your children sleeping and being so in love and then envisioning a catastrophe that takes them away from you. I don’t have children, but I’ve had that thought process in a multitude of scenarios. (I’ve always presumed it is some mild OCD.) According to Brown people who lean into that negative thought are less happy than those who notice the thought, stop it, and instead recognize how grateful they are for the moment and what they have now.

Gratitude is truly imperative to our happiness.

Appreciate Movement

Ease of movement also boosts our happy meter. In a New Yorker article, “Can We Live Longer But Stay Younger,” by Adam Gopnick, he writes about having the opportunity to wear a suit that mimics […]

Gratitude2019-10-15T17:22:40-04:00

Nutmeg Muffins: A Thanksgiving Family Tradition

In Red: Bertha Klug (nutmeg muffin creator).

When teaching a Pilates class, while participants hold a 90-second plank, I try to tell amusing stories. A few years ago on my last day of classes before Thanksgiving, I jokingly said to my last class, “I only have two Thanksgiving-themed stories. You are probably all sick of hearing them year after year. Something interesting better happen this Thanksgiving so I can get a better story for you guys.” I got my wish from a seemingly inconspicuous nutmeg muffin.

Nutmeg Muffins

I have a family recipe for nutmeg muffins from my great, great, great grandma. My family makes them on the regular, but I have been gluten free for 8 years. In that time, I’ve enjoyed nutmeg muffins less. Though I’ve experimented with g-free flours, it seems gluten-free products suck the flavor out of everything. In an attempt to improve the quality every time I make nutmeg muffins I add a little more nutmeg. This year as I preheated the oven on Thanksgiving morning and pulled the beaters out of the drawer to make my bland muffins, I said to myself with the air of hyperbole: […]

Nutmeg Muffins: A Thanksgiving Family Tradition2019-10-16T12:33:12-04:00

Conquering Fear in Mongolia

Golden Eagle in Mongolia

A documentary called the Eagle Huntress inspired me to go to Mongolia. It’s a film about a young girl who wants to be the first eagle hunter in Mongolia in a world where that role is passed from father to son. It’s a beautiful movie. I highly recommend it.

Opportunity in Mongolia

Along our travels, unexpectedly, at a tourist destination there was an opportunity to hold a golden eagle. Matt jumped at the chance. I wanted to hold the massive bird, but was desperately afraid. The wingspan of these giant birds is wider than I am tall. As we walked around the site, I kept thinking, “if I leave this country without holding an eagle when I have the chance, I will be so mad at myself. I have to do it.” I told Matt. He’d help me get the job done. Accountability and support from those we care about can help us do many things we are unsure we can manage.

Overcoming Fear in Mongolia

My fear was that the bird would peck out my eyes or tear off my ear, so I wanted those areas protected. I put […]

Conquering Fear in Mongolia2019-10-11T16:08:31-04:00

Hiking Mt Adams

Five years ago I was hiking Mt. Adams in the White Mountains, but I turned back about 60 feet from the summit because high winds made me struggle to stay upright.  Those 60 feet mattered so I never checked it off the list in my attempt to climb all the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire.

Second Attempt Hiking Mt Adams

Recently I decided to try again.  To make things interesting I opted to take King’s Ravine trail, known for being one of the more challenging trails in the White Mountains.  It is on the Terrifying 25 list.  That means it has slides, rock scrambles, and boulder caves.  It sounded fun.  Plus it had an option to detour onto a trail called the Subway which provided the opportunity to climb over rocks, squeeze through some tight tunnels, throw your pack up on a rock and spin around underneath it and pull yourself though and then grab your pack and continue on.  We were all scrapped up after the Subway but smiling and pleased with ourselves.

Unusual Circumstances

That morning before we knew the fun of the rock tunnels, we were greeted at the trailhead by a legitimate-looking […]

Hiking Mt Adams2019-11-08T10:17:12-05:00

Hartford Marathon Inspiration

Finishing the Hartford Marathon

Thirteen years ago I ran the Hartford Marathon without training.  It was a terrible idea and I wasn’t in the shape required to run 26.2 miles.  The strangers on the sidelines inspired me to keep going.  They had come to see a friend or family member running, but they’d cheer me on by mentioning something specific about me as I ran by them.

You Are An Inspiration

I often remember the crowds that day who came out in the pouring rain and made such a difference in my ability to reach a goal.  Do you realize how often you motivate people?  Sometimes we take for granted or don’t always recognize the ways in which we inspire others.  But we inspire people all the time in ways they remember that aren’t a blip on our radar.

From mile 14 on, I pretty much considered quitting every five minutes.  Then a stranger would say something that boosted my spirits.  None of them remember me.  They saw thousands of runners sprint passed.  They stood in the rain for hours to support a bunch of crazy runners and it was their words of encouragement […]

Hartford Marathon Inspiration2019-10-01T16:20:24-04:00
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