🎙 Podcast Episode #16

From Rock Bottom to Redemption

​

We’re kicking off 2025 with a powerful first episode! I had the privilege of sitting down with Ashley Kate (A.K.) Whittaker, whose story of transformation is nothing short of remarkable.

A.K. went from being a standout student in high school to spiraling into addiction and incarceration as a young adult. But after an unexpected awakening, she made a choice — to be the change she wanted to see in the world. Through relentless hard work and deep personal growth, she turned it all around.

Today, A.K. is a proud mother, program coordinator at Fleet Feet Treasure Valley, and a personal strength and running coach. She’s living proof of the power of second chances and now helps others embrace movement as a tool for transformation — just like she did. 💪

​

​

🎙 Podcast Episode #17

Finding Balance as a Runner, Entrepreneur, Wife, & Mother

​

Our second podcast episode of 2025 wraps up the Founder Series, where I set out to connect with local running specialty store owners — not just to learn about their businesses, but to hear their personal stories and how they shape the running and racing scene in our community.

This time, I finally caught up with Leone Rusher, a dedicated runner, athlete, and the owner of Shu’s Idaho Running Company for the past three years. We dive into how running helps her maintain balance as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur, and why she’s so passionate about serving the running community.

Leone is carrying on the legacy of Idaho Running Company, ensuring it remains a go-to spot for runners and walkers across the Treasure Valley. This is an inspiring conversation about the transformative power of running, the impact of community, and the never-ending pursuit of balance in life. ⚡🏃‍♀️

​

​

📝 Featured Blog Post

I love to write, and I write a lot. Daily journaling, poems, short stories, unfinished attempts at long stories, brain dumps from impactful races or outdoor adventures — I’ve got hundreds of pages scattered across spiral notebooks and files tucked into folders on my computer. But here’s the thing: I rarely share any of it.

So, in a nod to transparency and vulnerability, I’m going to change that. These random blog posts will be a way to share some of the thoughts I normally keep to myself.

Even though I write every day, I won’t be sharing everything — some things are meant to stay personal. What I do share will be scattershot and on my own terms. It might be a journal entry that I think others will resonate with, a short poem I feel compelled to put out into the world, or a random dispatch about an adventure in the mountains. No set plan — you never know what you’ll get.

Today, it’s a journal entry I cleaned up and turned into a digestible blog post. Normally, my journaling is just a raw brain dump—no paragraph breaks, scattered thoughts flying out however they come. Hard to read back without feeling like I should be strapped into a straightjacket.

So here’s a snippet. If you’re curious, you can read the whole thing at the link below.

​

Clarity - Embracing the Chaos of Creativity

Clarity. One word, yet it carries so much weight. It’s something I wrestle with constantly — some days I feel like I’ve got a clear goal, a direction, a purpose. Other days? Not so much.

Running, cars, music, writing — my passions pull me in every direction, and I’ve never been one to fit neatly into a single box. The world tells us to focus, to specialize, to stick to one lane — but that’s never been me. And maybe that’s okay.

Run from the Norm has become my space to explore, evolve, and bring all these ideas together. It’s not just about running — it’s about movement, creativity, and connection. And maybe the real success isn’t in narrowing my focus but in embracing the chaos.

​

​

🤝 Sponsor Shoutout!

I love everyone that is part of Tree City Track Club, and I love what they are doing to support and grow our running community. The TCTC has runners of all ages, abilities, and disciplines regardless of whether you prefer trail, track, or tarmac. They're just great people doing great things!

​

"We believe that working together to be better runners makes us better people, and that leads to a better community. If you feel the same way, we want you to join us for workouts, easy runs, and cool volunteer opportunities."

​

​

🤔 What's my Motivation?

The Adventurer's Son - Roman Dial

This book pulled me in and kept me hooked — no small feat in our short attention span economy. If you're a parent it will definitely tug at your heartstrings. It’s the kind of story that makes you rethink your life choices, especially when you realize you could have picked a career filled with world travel and adventure instead of staring at a screen all day. 😭

Here is a brief description:

If you love stories of exploration, resilience, and the deep connections between adventure and family, The Adventurer’s Son is a must-read. It's a memoir that follows Dial’s search for his son Cody, who disappeared while trekking through the Costa Rican jungle. More than just a survival story, it’s a powerful reflection on risk, curiosity, and the call of the wild. It’s a book that stays with you, reminding us why we seek adventure—and what it sometimes costs.

​