Grit and Grace Training

05/10/2026

My requests for Mother’s Day:
1- I do not want to cook and I do not want to clean up after anyone.
2- I want to leave the house and run wherever I feel like going and stop whenever I feel like stopping and request a pick up. 2 miles away and just not feeling it? Please pick up your sweaty matriarch, she’s fully cooked.

Listen, my guys have picked me up many times from runs cut short from weather, injury, or gear related problems, all with no complaints. To be frank, I just don’t like asking them to do it because of my pride.

So, I was excited about this one because one, I actually *wanted* to run. (My motivation discipline and distance has been at about 25% of what it was last year, so feeling the itch to go was so fun.)

But two, leaving the house knowing ahead of time I had an option to phone it in and call it when I wanted to? No planning ahead? No need to calculate how much farther I can handle before turning around and reliving the route in reverse? It was so freeing! No decision making- just a point to point blank check. 🩵

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What would you start if you didn’t have a fear of “failure” because finding your limit was actually the intended goal?

And importantly, what peace could you gain if you didn’t let pride get in the way of asking for help ?

How easily would you let go of the weight of decisions if you knew you had a safety net of support should you need to regroup or change course?

This can apply to nearly anything and anyone, but mommas, this message is especially for you, in this 3,862nd day in the month of Maycember. 😆

Let’s collectively exhale. Regroup. Choose the tasks you enjoy first…and ask for a pick up when you’re done.

Life is point to point.

Happy Mother’s Day!! 😘

03/23/2026

Life often delivers hurdles, small and large, that interrupt our fitness routines or even derail them for longer periods of time. Mindset is so incredibly important in these situations.

Consider this perspective: if you were building a house and needed to stop construction, you wouldn’t completely restart the project from zero after the pause- you’d return to your plans and get back in again where you left off.

The same can be true for fitness. Life can get us off routine for a myriad of reasons. But that doesn’t mean we need to overhaul what we were doing before.

Instead of thinking ‘restart’ after a break, think ‘return’.

Use your experiences of what worked, what was fun or inspiring, and the perspective that the break gave you to modify and return to your previous routine in its simplest form, enhancing when ready.

Don’t overthink it. Let go of shame or guilt. No need to restart every time there is a blip. A pause is not a stop. Instead, trust yourself enough to a gentle and intentional return.

🩵😘
Missi

03/12/2026

Perspective: how do you measure success in terms of fitness goals? By the process— or the product?

Last weekend, the LA marathon was expecting high temperatures and in advance of race day the organizers offered an option for runner safety- choose to stop your race at 18 miles, and still receive a finishers medal for the full.

I was not expecting multiple opinions on this. What to me felt like a safe intelligent option in a possibly dangerous situation was met with many voices of dissent. Many felt that it was unfair, citing that only those that do the full course should get the medal.

Sir and Ma’am’s…. I’m going to share something with you that I often tell my children: Just because someone else receives praise or reward, does not mean anything was taken from you. 18 milers getting a medal does not diminish the accomplishment of those who did 26.2.

If completing the entire distance is the only way you feel comfortable receiving the medal, then by all means, complete the full.

But if someone else makes the heart wrenching decision to call the race short and puts the importance of their safety ahead of the distance, I’m choosing to applaud that.

The marathon is more than one day.

The runners that made the decision to call it at mile 18 still spent months, maybe even years, preparing for that race.

We choose the location and date, but are never guaranteed the conditions. Back of the packers especially, would be exposed to the highest temperatures. I’m proud of them for being safe and for honoring their preparations as worthy enough of commendation. Well done.

Whether the product or process is more important is only for you to choose. There is no wrong answer. You answer to you.

We can celebrate both the achievements of a culminating event and the all the hard days, lost sleep, and sacrifice that led to that one data point.

Your “marathon” (whatever that may be, because yes this is a solid metaphor) is yours and yours alone. You get to decide how to cheer for yourself, what success looks like, and how you’ll set and adjust goals. Commit to your process and honor what matters most to you.

You’re worth it.
😘
Missi

01/04/2026

https://www.outliveperformancept.com/strength-training-clinic-for-runners?fbclid=IwRlRTSAPHs71leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEett5mquBn7BLQQCudfilwRKGC0f5YZEgi9Oy89WsYTrAghPYWm2zj-oPGehM_aem_3LIcruDg89xmRHuN2Rue1Q

Missi Locker Borkowski

Hey running friends… specific strength training for running is not only good for supporting your sport, but truly supporting you as a cardio lover as you age.

Corey helped me figure out what held me back from running a second marathon— and gave me the foundation to confidently run 5 26.2s and one 50k after I thought I was going to be one and done in early 2023.

One thing I’ve been leaning into as I approach age 50 is building a foundation to give myself the best 70+ year old body I can… building muscle mass and bone density— as well as a strong heart and lungs.

Let’s support continuing to hit new age groups in those races and feeling confident in our strength and mobility along the way. 🩵

This will be a very interactive clinic where we have short parts of education and long parts of moving, practicing runner-specific strength training activities, and learning how to mobilize our bodies more effectively for running performance.

12/25/2025

Wishing you joy, peace, happiness and humor today- and into the New Year, too.

Much love,
Missi 🩵

12/19/2025

Holiday Thoughts….

This time of year is prime for bringing on emotions. Some of them wonderful and heart warming, others might elicit feelings of overwhelm, guilt, or anxiety.

To do list is long.
Expectations are high.

We want to do all the things, organize all the things, provide all the things, and BE all the things.

When in reality we can’t be all the things right now. Choose a few and then scoot over to find the line where good enough meets Grace.

I know many of us fear gaining weight and losing progress over the holidays. I’m not going to give you the spiel about it only being one day and how we can be mindful all the other days.

Because the truth here is that Christmas is precisely 7,864 days, give or take.

You’ve got office parties, school parties, gatherings of friends, and multiple family get togethers. Drinks and food are flowing.

Many of those treats you’ve prepared weeks in advance and froze because… life. And there they stare you in the face until the moment you deliver them.

It’s not one day.

But it’s also not 7,864.

We will get through this.

Drink water. Eat a vegetable once in awhile. Take a walk. Dance ridiculously while you wait for the cookies to be done.

And then breathe out. 😘

Wishing you a very happy end of the year! 🎄
-Missi 🩵

11/25/2025

😘

'Tis the season.

09/06/2025

I talk about ‘seasons’ with my clients all the time. 🩵 Solid advice here!

08/28/2025

Hi! It’s been awhile since I’ve put a trainer talk out there, so I think this is a great segue to the next topic… Do we need to sync our workouts to our cycle? What do we do when our cycle has one flat tire and the other wheel is starting to fall off… aka perimenopause? 😅

In short, I think there is a lot to be profited from convincing half the population they need a special program. That in and of itself deserves a look into the validity of the claims.

I LOVE both these individuals and this is a great conversation. I’m excited to dive a bit deeper with you all soon!

07/25/2025

Perfect is an idea we sell ourselves as an excuse to avoid getting into the imperfect trenches.

……..

The act of *getting started* is the biggest step you’ll make towards your goal.

The start does not need to be perfect.

In fact, starting with a smaller imperfect action plan is often better because it’s easier to stick to and repeat.

And the *repetition* is the secret sauce.

The small commitments, kept consistently, will prepare your body and mind for the larger commitments later.

When I decided I wanted to try marathon running, I didn’t have a perfect plan. I started with simply getting out the door 3 days a week.

How far, how fast, took a back seat to the imperfect plan of ‘get out the door’. And it worked.

Once the habit of getting up, getting shoes on, and getting my hiney out the door was already there— I could build on the mileage. The framework made the build so much easier.

The hard part, getting started, was routine.

So…

Not enough time to workout for an hour? Start with 10 minutes.

Not ready to meal prep for the entire week? Start with prepping protein and produce options kept handy for healthy snacking.

Feeling like your sleep could be better? Start by going to bed 30 minutes earlier and picking one pre bed routine (hot shower, tea, quiet music) to help you set the tone for sleep.

Doing something small TODAY is 10x more effective than waiting until “tomorrow” when you can start the day perfectly, because let’s try to be honest… tomorrow will have its own hurdles.

The habits you adopt, the routines you build, and the commitments you keep will lay the groundwork for priming your mind/body to be ready for the larger pushes later.

Start small. Start doable. Stay consistent.

Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.

Just get out the door.

Love ya,
😘
Missi