Happy New Year, friends, and welcome to 2026! 🎉

There’s something powerful about a fresh start, and one of my favorite ways to begin a new year is by choosing a word of the year—a word that becomes a lens for how we live, move, and make decisions.

In today’s episode, I’m walking you through a Word of the Year Workshop to help you choose a meaningful word (or phrase) that will guide your habits, goals, mindset, and priorities in 2026—especially when it comes to running, fitness, health, and life in this busy midlife season.

Since this is the very first episode of 2026 (and episode 78!), I also take some time to reintroduce myself for any new listeners and reflect on how this podcast—and my passion for helping women fill their cups—came to be.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why choosing a word of the year can be more powerful than setting resolutions

• A personal reflection on my 2025 word, JOY, and what I learned from living through that lens

• Why I’m choosing two words for 2026: Align and Savor (because there are no rules 😉)

• Reflective questions to help you look back on 2025 with honesty and clarity

• How to identify the season of life you’re in right now

• Different types of words to consider:

• Grounding words (peace, present, align, restore, enough)

• Growth-focused power words (courage, strong, disciplined, committed)

• Joy-filled, life-giving words (joy, freedom, connect, savor, simplify)

• How a motto, affirmation, or Bible verse can also serve as your “word” for the year

• Practical ways to live out your word in your daily habits, running, fitness, and self-care

• Why your word can (and should) evolve as the year goes on

I also share how to use your word as a decision filter—asking yourself, “Does this align with who I want to become?”—and why small habits truly do add up to big change over time.

A gentle reminder:

You don’t need a perfect plan to start the year.

You just need intention.

So choose your word. Write it down. Put it somewhere you’ll see it. Live it out imperfectly. And if you want to share your word with me, I’d love to hear it.

Links & Resources:

⭐ Join my FREE Fill up to Spill out fitness community ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc74TcoQhCJL58jZKz2VOjtYzr7eJaIXNxCSAL17sJ8A05gFA/viewform?usp=sf_link⁠

⭐ Check out BODi programs I love ⁠https://click-myl.ink/yc76kre9⁠

ALLISONS8BODI at check-out saves you 15%

⭐️ Let’s connect on instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/filluptospillout?igsh=MTRxcmdmaW14OWVteA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

If you loved this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more women like us stay strong and healthy for life!

Thanks for listening!

~Allison

Today’s episode is extra special because I’m welcoming my very first guest on the podcast — my oldest daughter, Avery. As we close out 2025, we’re doing an honest and meaningful end-of-the-year running and life audit, reflecting on the miles, memories, lessons, and growth from the past year.

Avery ran 5 out of my 11 races with me this year (a personal record!), making her the perfect person to join me as we celebrate finish lines crossed, goals chased, and the season of life we’re in right now.

This conversation is part Q&A, part reflection, and part reminder that it’s not just about what you accomplish — it’s about who you become along the way.

⸻

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why doing an end-of-the-year audit matters — in running and in life

• How reflection helps you celebrate wins, identify what’s draining you, and realign with your values

• Avery’s running journey and what inspired her to start racing with me

• The races we ran together in 2025 — from local 5Ks to the Austin Capital 10K

• My 2025 race recap, including:

• San Diego Half Marathon

• Texas Badass Half Marathon

• Grandma’s Marathon (my first out-of-state and summer marathon!)

• College Station Half Marathon

• Choosing joy as my word of the year — and why I shifted my goals when they stopped bringing joy

• Big goals for 2025: what I accomplished, what’s still in progress, and what didn’t happen (yet)

• Nearly completing 1,000 miles, even while navigating injuries

• Travel highlights and checking off seven new states on our quest to stay overnight in all 50

• Family highlights, milestones, and why this busy middle season of life is worth savoring

• A powerful reminder to not wait — to chase your goals now, even when life feels full

• Avery’s reflections on 2025 and what she’s excited about for 2026

• Her message to anyone thinking about starting running (or doing something hard)

As we wrap up the year, I hope this episode encourages you to pause, look back, and acknowledge all that you carried, all that you learned, and all that you accomplished in 2025 — even if it was simply surviving a hard year.

Next week, I’ll be back with one of my favorite episodes of the year: a Word of the Year Workshop to help you step into 2026 with intention, clarity, and alignment.

Thank you so much for listening, and a huge thank-you to Avery for being my first guest 💛

Happy holidays, happy new year, and as always — make time to fill your own cup today.

See you next week in 2026.

Links & Resources:

⭐ Join my FREE Fill up to Spill out fitness community ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc74TcoQhCJL58jZKz2VOjtYzr7eJaIXNxCSAL17sJ8A05gFA/viewform?usp=sf_link⁠

⭐ Check out BODi programs I love ⁠https://click-myl.ink/yc76kre9⁠

ALLISONS8BODI at check-out saves you 15%

⭐️ Let’s connect on instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/filluptospillout?igsh=MTRxcmdmaW14OWVteA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

If you loved this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more women like us stay strong and healthy for life!

Thanks for listening!

~Allison

In today’s episode, I’m recapping my final big race of the year — the College Station Half Marathon — and sharing why the half marathon is hands down my favorite race distance and the perfect challenge for so many runners, especially in midlife.

After 20 half marathons over the last 13 years, this distance continues to fit my season of life, goals, and body. I break down my race weekend, how I trained while dealing with plantar fasciitis, and why this race wasn’t about a PR — but about showing up and doing something hard anyway.

Then we dive into why the half marathon is such a powerful and sustainable goal:

• Challenging, but not all-consuming

• Kinder to your body than marathon training

• Builds confidence, structure, and identity as a runner

• Teaches discipline, resilience, and consistency

• Leaves room for strength training, recovery, and real life

If you’ve been running 5Ks or 10Ks and craving a bigger goal — or wondering if you’re “ready” for a half marathon — this episode is for you.

✨ If you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it.

2026 might just be your half marathon year.

Links & Resources:

⭐ Join my FREE Fill up to Spill out fitness community ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc74TcoQhCJL58jZKz2VOjtYzr7eJaIXNxCSAL17sJ8A05gFA/viewform?usp=sf_link⁠

⭐ Check out BODi programs I love ⁠https://click-myl.ink/yc76kre9⁠

ALLISONS8BODI at check-out saves you 15%

⭐️ Let’s connect on instagram!

https://www.instagram.com/filluptospillout?igsh=MTRxcmdmaW14OWVteA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

If you loved this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more women like us stay strong and healthy for life!

Thanks for listening!

~Allison