Grit and Grace Training

10/13/2026

As a personal trainer, I spend a lot of time looking at women in leggings.

Mostly to see if their knees are tracking properly during a squat. 😉

Apparently, some people with microphones are conducting wardrobe inspections nobody asked for.

But that’s not an opinion I’m interested in giving any weight.

We’ve got much better things to lift.💪

Let’s talk about building muscle that will serve us for decades.

Let’s talk about protecting our bones, supporting our hearts, and maintaining our independence as we age.

Let’s talk about fueling our bodies instead of constantly trying to make them smaller.

Let’s talk about challenging ourselves, lifting heavier than we thought possible, and discovering what we’re truly capable of.

Let’s talk about being able to hike that mountain, carry that suitcase, chase those grandkids, get up off the floor, and say YES to the adventures life has in store.

And yes, let’s talk about whether Bulgarian split squats are really necessary or just a particularly creative form of torture. (For the record, I prescribe them. Sorry, not sorry. You’ll learn to love them too!)

When you choose to train, you’re choosing yourself.

You’re choosing your future self- the 10, 20, 30 or more years from now YOU.

You’re investing in the strength, health, confidence, and independence that will allow you to get everything you possibly can out of this one beautiful life.

I want you to leave my gym feeling stronger than when you walked in. Not just physically, but in the way you see yourself and what you believe you’re capable of.

Because the goal was never to take up less space.

It’s to have the strength, confidence, and freedom to live a bigger life.

And while women’s workout clothes shouldn’t be up for public approval, what women gain from showing up and doing the work?

Now THAT is a conversation worth having.

Choose grit. Practice grace.

With love always,
Missi 😘

09/03/2026

📣A little something new around here.🩵💪

This summer has brought some changes to the space, and this is one I’m especially excited to share.

Meet Alyssa C***s of Fly Performance Physical Therapy, who is now seeing clients here on Tuesdays & Wednesdays!

Alyssa has already worked with several of my clients, and I’ve really appreciated her approach — helping them work through issues while finding ways to keep moving, lifting, and doing the things they enjoy.

Her words say it well:

Stronger Body.
New Chapter.
Higher Self.

I’ll let Alyssa tell you more about Fly and the work she does, but I’m very happy to have her sharing the space.

And we’d love for you to come meet her! 💜
Fly Performance PT will be hosting an Open House here in October — details in slide 3. 🎉

Welcome, Alyssa & Fly Performance Physical Therapy! Alyssa C***s

-Missi
Choose grit. Practice grace.

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!