Miss an Extra Mile Thursday?

How about a dose of inspiration?

Sign-up for the weekly blog…

Extra Mile Thursday!

It’s totally FREE.

Featured Article

Blog #757: I Am My Sneakers

by Ana | August 13, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I felt it.I really, really felt it. All of it. The serious heat.My empty legs.My slowing pace. ______ I had been walking over an hour. I started the walk when it seemed a manageable 79 degrees. Looking at my phone at that moment... It had climbed fast to a scorching...

Blog #756: Is Your Try Running Out?

by Ana | August 6, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

He is tired of trying. ______ “Hey Shawn, Thanks for always showing up. When I’m at my lowest, you write what I need to read. I need something big now. I keep trying, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere. I’m wondering if it’s time to throw in the towel.” ______ I...

Blog #755: Don’t Walk Past Yourself

by Ana | July 30, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Most people walk past them.I couldn't. For 35+ years... I’ve eaten rice, beans, and saladsbecause I love animals. But there's a little life my heart can't ignore. ______ Snails. I’ve written before about saving worms struggling across hot sidewalks. I’ve also carried...

Blog #754: The Teachers I Almost Missed

by Ana | July 23, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I see it clearly now. Two of my greatest teachershave never spoken a word. Two little dogs teaching big lessons. ______ For 15½ years… My Chihuahuas have taught me more about life than I’ve taught them. They taught me to celebrate. When I walk through the door, they...

Blog #753: The Uncomfortable Mirror

by Ana | July 16, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was getting ready to go for a hike. My shoes were waiting by the door.My backpack was loaded down and ready. Then a thought quietly walked into the room. ______ "I don't feel like it." Nothing unusual. Except this time... I heard it differently. A second thought...

Blog #752: I Couldn’t Look Away

by Ana | July 9, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was flipping through TV channels...until one of them stopped me cold. I didn't know the singer.I didn't know the song. But I couldn't look away. ______ It wasn't his voice that caught me. It was how completely he gave himself to the moment. He wasn't just singing.He...

Blog #751: I Pressed Send Anyway

by Ana | July 2, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

#750 is behind me.#751 is right now. Still going.Still showing up.Still giving it my best. Every.Single.Thursday. ______ #751. That’s a lot of Thursdays. More than I ever imagined when this began. And although I'm acknowledging #751... I'm celebrating #1 more. That’s...

Blog #750: What Are You Leaving in Them?

by Ana | June 25, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

At first... This blog was about a frog named Camino.Then it became a question. Ready to see where this leads? ______ First story... There’s a little frog that’s lived outside my front door in Sacramento for as long as I can remember. I call him “Camino.”Named after...

Blog #749: The Email Said She’s a Ghost

by Ana | June 18, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I read her email.I stopped breathing for a moment. "People don't say things like that." ______ The email read: "I’m a ghost. People don't see me. I don't even see myself anymore. I read your blog and maybe I'm not changing, but at least I see I don't want to be a...

Blog #748: It’s Time to Go

by Ana | June 11, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Moving forward. Not because it's easy.Because staying changes who you become. ______ The past has a powerful pull. A favorite memory.A former relationship.A great success.A missed opportunity.A different version of ourselves. It's easy to revisit what was. Especially...

Blog #524: My BEST Squirrel Talk…Ever.

Blog Post

In water-thirsty California...automatic lawn sprinklers are hoggish. So mine are turned OFF. But... In order to keep some resemblance of green grass, I give a little lawn love by lightly watering with a handheld hose. Today was water day. I was watering my thirsty...

Blog #523: When Rocks Are Flying

Blog Post

Happiness.Harmony.Success. They each follow "breadcrumbs." Here's THREE. ______ #1: What lives in your head? Every single struggle, failure, rejection, crash and crappy day I've successfully navigated is because eventually I got my head together enough to tell...

Blog #522: He Stared. I Stared.

Blog Post

Unblinking...he stared at me. I stared back at him. I started a conversation."So...how ya' doin' today, friend?" He said nothing back.Just more unblinking stares. "Have big plans for the day?"Again...he said nothing back. "You're lookin' quite Zen this morning."That...

Blog #521: And Then I Saw Them

Blog Post

The photo above?That's my backpack. In walking across eight countries...that little dude has been on my back. Oh...I know.It's really just a book backpack. But little or not... That backpack has been my trusted survival mate around the world.______ Do you see it? On...

Blog #520: Don’t Bring the Fake

Blog Post

Recently... I took an impromptu class on"How to Succeed." My instructor was a 10-year-old girl. I was in Mexico. I was sitting on the boardwalk in Cabo San Lucas...writing.I was looking for inspiration when my unplanned class started. She had laid out a brightly...

Blog #519: It’s Not a Wish I Wish

Blog Post

Whoever sent the email was anonymous.The email address wasn't in my database. It was three sentences short: "I wish I'd made different decisions and went different directions. I wish I could do life over. What do you say about that?"______ I'll take that question.And...