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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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Plank Story: Boxing Ezzard Charles

Robert "Red" Hale on the left. Robert “Red” Hale on the left.

Both my grandfathers fought in the South Pacific during WWII.  Of all the stories my grandfather’s shared with me, this is one of my favorites:

Red Hale in the South Pacific 

Sometimes during the liberty the sailors would start a pick-up ballgame or set up a boxing ring.  While serving in the South Pacific, my grandfather at 5’9″ had just entered a make-shift boxing ring.  He had the gloves on when a monster of a man stepped in at six-feet, 200-pounds.  My grandfather and his twenty-nine inch waist turned to the ref, eyes wide and hollered, “Take the gloves off!  Take the gloves off!”

But the larger man said, “Don’t worry, kid.  I’ll go easy on you.”

Plank Story: Boxing Ezzard Charles2019-06-17T17:47:32-04:00

Plank Story: The Critters at My Door

Matt was traveling for work.  I was home alone after dark sitting in the living room when I heard a noise.  A noise I can’t quite describe, but it is the sound of horror films—a metallic scratching and thudding.  My heart jumped to my throat because I knew I was going to die.  This was definitely the sound from the movies right before someone gets it, and I was hearing it in real life.  Who would do this to torture me?  Had I locked all the doors?  I was pretty sure I had.

I followed the noise, not knowing whether that was the right move.  I tiptoed through the house in a terror trance.  The noise pulled me through the kitchen […]

Plank Story: The Critters at My Door2018-01-13T15:48:05-05:00

Secret Wedding

A snapshot from just about 15 years ago. A snapshot from just about 15 years ago.

Matt and I have been together fifteen years today.  We are not married—a fact we don’t try and hide, but we also no longer correct people when they assume we are.  He is my boyfriend, my husband, my mate, my friend, and my partner depending on who is introducing us.

Though we don’t have a desire to get married, we decided we wanted an anniversary party to celebrate fifteen years.  I think we both thought if we didn’t get our families together in some way that one day we would regret it.  And I’m learning in life that we should never say no to celebrations.  Any excuse to celebrate is a good one.

The problem is when you send out invites to your closest friends and family who may have always hoped you would get married, some of them decide you are having a secret wedding.  I immediately got an email back, “Are you guys really getting married?”  No.  And that’s the last I’d heard of it until a few weeks later.  My mom was over and she […]

Secret Wedding2017-12-29T20:00:10-05:00

Hiking Alone

Heading to the trail-head alone. Heading to the trail-head alone.

I can’t explain why but I needed to go hiking alone. I felt compelled to hike in the White Mountains all by myself.  For some people this may be no big deal.  When I’m hiking, I see lone hikers all the time.  And now I wonder if their moms are as worried about them as mine was about me.  Because mine was pretty worried.  If cell service allowed I promised to text her practically hourly.  Luckily for her sanity there was service the entire hike.  It made me feel safer too.

Part of my reason for hiking the White Mountains alone was practical.  I didn’t feel like planning.  I was going to be half way there after working in Boston, and I didn’t want to have to drive back to Connecticut to meet friends and drive back.  Matt was traveling for work.  But for all those excuses there was something else drawing me.

The White Mountains is one of my favorite places to spend time. I wanted it to myself for a moment.  I’m comfortable there.  The hikes are challenging and you can get […]

Hiking Alone2017-12-29T20:01:34-05:00

Tight Calves?

Tight calves?  Feel like you stretch and stretch but get nowhere?  We live in a world of tight calves.  This stiffness probably comes from wearing high heels or shoes with a heel lift (even men’s shoes tend to have a slight heel lift).  Our choice of footwear can alter the length of the muscles of our lower leg, shortening both the muscles and our Achilles tendon.  Sometimes we just feel tight.  Sometimes this tightness can spread to cause other problems in the body like plantar fasciitis or discomfort elsewhere in the body. Stretch the calf muscles with a bent and a straight leg to reduce tight calf muscles! Stretch the calf muscles with a bent and a straight leg.

You are probably familiar with one of your calf muscles—the gastrocnemius.  It’s the muscle you can see when think of a calf muscle.  But underneath the gastroc is another muscle, your soleus.  They both connect to the Achilles tendon so they both affect it.  And they both can shorten and feel tight.  The gastroc gets a good stretch when we flex our foot (toes toward your nose) with the leg […]

Tight Calves?2017-12-29T20:09:54-05:00
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