There’s never been a better time to get lost in a book.
“An ironic positive side effect of the pandemic is that people are falling back in love with reading,” said Alex Brubaker, manager of Harrisburg’s Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Continue reading Pandemic Plot Twists
Usage of the Capital Area Greenbelt has soared upwards of 400% since the pandemic.
“It may sound crazy, but it’s a believable number,” said Dick Norford, spokesperson for the Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA).
That means that as many as 2 to 4 million people hit the Greenbelt in 2020 to ease their cabin fever, get outside and work out their pandemic stress by walking, running, biking or even rollerblading.
And colder temperatures don’t have to put the brakes on healthy habits. Continue reading Snowball Effect
One of Harrisburg’s longest-running summertime traditions, the Harrisburg Mile, will go on in 2020 despite the pandemic.
“We’re trying to provide a summertime event that feels like the joy that the Harrisburg Mile usually brings to the city,” said Rosie Turner, the YMCA’s director of marketing and communications. Continue reading Harrisburg Mile Gets the Green Light
A body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Sound familiar? It’s part of Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion.
Physics aside, it’s also a credo many runners live by. Continue reading Run On: Amid pandemic, many find therapy on the run.
“I miss the human connection—that’s why I became a teacher. Right now, going online to talk with them is the highlight of my day,” said Tricia Donley, a high school English teacher.
That ability to adjust—even though it’s difficult—is one of the keys to our collective mental health through the pandemic, according to experts. Continue reading An Experience in Resilience
By the time you’re reading this, the Pennsylvania Distillers Guild will have produced some 2.4 million 4-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, predicts Rob Cassell.
“To me, I feel like what you’re seeing happen between public-private partnerships and businesses converting to creative solutions is like what our grandparents talked about happening during World War II,” said Cassell, guild president and master distiller at North Philadelphia’s New Liberty Distillery. Continue reading Kindred Spirits
Dan Healy is anxiously awaiting a shipment of hydrogen peroxide. It was due to arrive at Harrisburg’s Midstate Distillery sometime today.
You read that right. Hydrogen peroxide isn’t something the head distiller and co-owner normally orders. But then again, he’s normally producing whiskey, vodka, rum or gin. For about a week, he’s switched to production of hand sanitizer instead. Continue reading Community Spirits
Every Saturday morning for the past 30 years, Marjorie Lebo has organized Harrisburg-area runners and routes. This past Saturday was no exception.
And she suggested a route familiar to many Harrisburg-area runners: the Capital 10-Miler route, paying tribute to one of Harrisburg’s two major March races recently canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Continue reading The Run Goes On
Gwen Loose was hiking with a friend on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) when a question crossed her mind.
While Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery are considered the founders and fathers of the A.T., “Who was holding down the fort at conference headquarters?” she wondered. Continue reading Trailblazers
It’s possibly the most-listened-to podcast produced in the Harrisburg area.
“When we first started, we didn’t know how it would be received,” said Angie Spencer. “We figured there would be an appetite, but we’ve been blown away.” Continue reading Run Hear
Life is sweet in the Mack family. That’s because Jacki and Hal Mack’s business, Dawg Gone Bees, is based on one vital product–honey. Continue reading Operation Pollination
Prime health and wellness are at your fingertips! We went back to the basics to compile a “primer” of ABCs that spell out local health and wellness experts’ top 26 tips–one for every letter of the alphabet. Continue reading A-Z Guide to Health & Wellness
It’s not every day that your teenager texts you uplifting messages like, “I’m extremely proud of you,” and “You’re a hell of a human,” and “Love you, Dad.”
Those texts “were like fuel,” said Mike McCauley, which inspired his run throughout the first weekend of November. And it was the run of a lifetime by the 55-year-old Mechanicsburg dad, a run dedicated to his 17-year-old son Lachlan. Continue reading Son Run
June 22, according to Ashley Mentzer, will be “the best fitness day ever.”
Except, when she says it, it sounds like “ev-aaahhh.”
Mentzer, organizer of the 2nd Annual Thrive Fit Fest, said that fitness should be approachable and fun. Continue reading Fit Takes Flight
Loretta Claiborne didn’t walk or talk until the age of 4.
Born partially blind with intellectual disabilities in 1953, Claiborne was one of seven children raised in York by a single mother. Public school brought bullying, name-calling, anger and fighting.
The odds were against her. Sports, however, transformed her life. Continue reading Changing the Game
Health and wellness in the golden years are more important today than ever before. That’s because Americans are approaching a shift in population. By 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 and older.
As more and more of us approach and enter senior status, what can we do to protect our health? Nutrition plays one of the most critical roles, according to area health experts. Continue reading Nourishing and Flourishing
How do you choose the food you eat? It may sound like a simple question, but how often do you truly evaluate your nutritional choices and diet? We talked to a number of Susquehanna Valley residents, including health and wellness professionals, who made significant changes by switching to vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diets and lifestyles. Their anecdotes and results may surprise you. Continue reading Plant Powered
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned runner, you can find motivation in lacing up your sneakers for a good cause. Putting purpose into every step and every mile will not only help you reach personal fitness goals, but also help you double your joy by running races that benefit area nonprofits. Continue reading Run with Purpose
When Rob Whitaker of Camp Hill began taking classes at Harrisburg’s Thrive Fit Co., he couldn’t physically complete a class.
“I was not fit at all,” said the 34-year old financial planner. “But when you come from a non-fitness background like I did, you want to be surrounded by positive people.” Continue reading Fight for Your Might
Open, light, and advanced: That’s how many describe the new, multimillion-dollar Jeanne and Edward H. Arnold Health Professions Pavilion that opened for all students in August. Perched on the northern edge of campus, the stunning facility is poised to meet not only the needs of health professions students but also the imminent needs of the healthcare community on a local, regional, and even national level. Continue reading Everyone Wins
Trailblazing runner Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to compete in the Boston Marathon, once said, “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”
Harrisburg-area residents can do exactly that this month when the 44th Annual Harrisburg Marathon winds through the city. Continue reading Marathon Made
Mickey Minnich wears a silver bracelet inscribed with the phrase, “One day at a time.”
It’s a reminder, he said, to stay focused on the moment, helping one family at a time as they face cancer. Over the past 15 years, his organization, Vickie’s Angel Foundation (VAF), has raised more than $2.6 million, helping more than 1,500 families throughout a nine-county area of central Pennsylvania. Continue reading Angels Among Us
Lesa and Brennan Brackbill of Hershey have endured something no parents should—the death of a child.
Now they’re determined to create a lasting legacy by advocating for changes to Pennsylvania’s newborn screening laws that could have prevented their daughter’s death. Continue reading A Loss, A Purpose
Kelly Martin was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis more than 25 years ago.
So, when the 53-year-old Middletown woman heard about floatation therapy from a co-worker—and found a discount for Camp Hill’s Dissolve Float Spa on Groupon—she decided she had nothing to lose. Continue reading All Afloat
Tracey Wakeen says that everything she does revolves around her mission statement, written in marker at the top of her office’s dry erase board: “Unlocking true potential by strengthening all women in body, mind and spirit.” Continue reading Gaining Momentum
Their friendship got off to a “rocky start.”
A mutual friend introduced Travis Haines to Kyle Stapp, an experienced rock climber, about five years ago. Continue reading On the Rocks
As primary caregiver for her father—diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease—Stephanie Weimer always knew his whereabouts thanks to a tracking device on his cell phone. About two years ago, he drove himself to a routine doctor’s appointment and became disoriented while driving home. “He was lost, and the tracking device didn’t work because his cell phone had gone dead,” Weimer said. Continue reading Home Safely
People often talk about “finding their calling in life.” Dr. Domingo Alvear’s began in his native Philippines, inspired by a country-doctor uncle who let his nephew tag along as he made house calls in a bouncing Jeep. Six decades later, Alvear is retiring after both a long career as a pediatric surgeon in Harrisburg and as a founder of the nonprofit World Surgical Foundation (WSF). Continue reading Medical Journey
Fred Joslyn ran on his wedding day. And on the days his three children were born. Joslyn, in fact, runs every day. No exceptions. If there’s a face of Harrisburg’s running community, Joslyn’s is it. Continue reading Born to Run
“Athletics teach us real life lessons,” says Gareth “Lefty” Biser. “And loss [not only in athletics, but in life] is an opportunity to build character.” Continue reading Building Character through Tragedy
Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, everyone has a unique footprint—including shape, structure and function. Going to a shop specializing in running shoes—often staffed with experienced runners—can put you on the right footing. Continue reading Hit the Ground Running
When Kevin Lochbaum told his family he was in dire need of a kidney donation in March 2012, somehow his sister-in-law Traci Lochbaum knew her kidney would be a perfect match. Continue reading Everyday Hero: ‘Angel’ Traci Lochbaum
Karen Hendricks 