Author: Debby Ball
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My Commitment to Year Four: Core, Glutes & Legs… God Help Me
It’s September 1, and tomorrow I will officially be nine weeks post-surgery. More importantly, tomorrow I have been cleared to resume training with Isaac. I’m excited. I’m grateful. I’m ready. And I’m also a little scared. Okay. A lot scared. But tomorrow marks the beginning of Year Four of this crazy fitness journey, and I’ve…
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What I Want My 75-Year-Old Self to Thank Me For
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my 75-year-old self. She’s coming whether I like it or not, so I figure I might as well start preparing for her. And let me tell you—she is demanding. She wants strong legs. A strong core. Good balance. She wants to carry her own luggage through the airport…
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This week marks my three-year anniversary of my fitness journey.
I started working with my trainer, Isaac, on August 16, 2023. And when I say I started working out, I mean I really started at the beginning. During our first session, I couldn’t stand up from a fitness bench without pushing off with my hands. I couldn’t do a squat without hanging onto a railing.…
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Five Weeks Post-Surgery: My New Athletic Career as a Lightweight
I’m officially five weeks post back surgery, and I had my one-month follow-up with my surgeon. The best news? He told me I don’t need to come back. Apparently he has confidence in me. Or maybe he’s just tired of seeing me. Either way, I’ll take it. I still have restrictions: no twisting, very limited—and…
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You Think You Have Problems… Until You Have Only One Problem
I guess I owe you all a blog post. Life has been a little… eventful. Someone once told me, “You may have several problems until you have a health problem. Then you only have one problem.” I now understand exactly what that means. Looking back, the clues were there all along. It started with taking…
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The Camino Is Over. The Wins Continue.
After weeks of walking the Camino de Santiago, I have officially returned to my regularly scheduled programming: the gym. And here’s what I’ve realized. I get a win every single time I walk through those gym doors. A win. Day after day. Workout after workout. Rep after rep. How great is that? How many things…
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Camino Bloopers: The Things We’ll Laugh About for Years
People often share photos of beautiful cathedrals, breathtaking scenery, and profound spiritual moments from their travels. Those things certainly happened on our trip to Spain. But what often gets left out are the bloopers—the moments that had us shaking our heads, laughing at ourselves, and wondering how we managed to survive. Now that our pilgrimage…
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A Tribute to Julie
We did it. Our pilgrimage is complete. Today, Julie and I walked into Santiago de Compostela and arrived at the magnificent Cathedral that has drawn pilgrims from around the world for more than a thousand years. We were fortunate enough to attend the Pilgrims Mass at noon. I took communion. They swung the giant incense…
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Day 5 on the Camino: Rain, Pilgrims, and Questionable Life Choices
It was bound to happen. About a mile into our journey this morning, the skies opened up and absolutely poured on us. Not a gentle spring shower. Not a refreshing mist. This was the kind of rain that comes at you sideways, driven by wind that seems personally offended by your presence. We were delighted…
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Today Was a Good Day on the Camino
Today was a good day on the Camino. After a full day of much-needed rest, Julie and I laced up our boots and headed back onto the trail for a relatively short 9+ mile walk. When you’re walking the Camino with angry IT bands, “only nine miles” becomes a phrase you use with a completely…
Debby’s Fitness Journey 