Summary: This week we have the pleasure of hearing from Karen Asp. In Karen’s words: I knew I wanted to be a writer, much to the chagrin of my practical-minded parents, when I was five. Consider these highlights from my early career: I became an editor in junior high, assigning myself lengthy reports as summer projects. (Any wonder why my family called me a word nerd?) In sixth grade, I won the county spelling bee. (Okay, so the trophy was nice, but the $100 prize was even sweeter.) Four years later, I submitted my first novel to a young adult novel competition. The moral of this story? Always shelve your first novel. Now that I’m all grown up, I write about fitness, health, nutrition, travel and pets for leading national publications. You’ll find me in the pages (and on the covers!) of dozens of magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Delta Sky, Family Circle, Glamour, Health, Martha Stewart Living, Men’s Fitness, O the Oprah Magazine, Parade, Prevention, Real Simple, Redbook, SELF and Women’s Health. I’m also a contributing editor for Woman’s Day, a contributing writer for Oxygen, and a contributing editor for Dog Fancy, where I handle the Fun Bites column. (For seven years, I was even Allure’s fitness columnist and for three years, AOL’s Fit Travel columnist.) And my new book is out! St. Martin’s recently released Understanding Your Food Allergies and Intolerances, which I co-authored with two Harvard physicians. (Check it out on Amazon.com.) But do I really practice what I write? Absolutely. I crave physical activity as much as I do ice cream (Edy’s light peanut butter cup or Talenti’s Double Dark Chocolate Gelato, to be exact). My favorite activities? Cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, running, hiking, kayaking, yoga, tennis, cycling, strength training and Nordic walking. Just FYI: I played competitive tennis through college and have completed five centuries on my bike, including one for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. So what’s my favorite activity? Anything that involves snow (and the more snow, the better!), which may explain why I’m hooked on Nordic walking. It’s based on Nordic skiing, just minus the snow, so I can do it all year. In 2007, I won the women’s division of the Marathon Distance Nordic Walking World Championship in Portland, Ore. (By the way, I came in second overall, only four minutes behind the men’s winner, an Olympic racewalker who competed in the 2008 Olympics. How cool is that?). I then repeated in 2008 to become not only the women’s winner but also the overall world champ! As a result, I now hold the women’s world record for the fastest marathon time in Nordic walking(under five hours). And this October, I secured three more world records by winning the Nordic walking half marathon in Portland so I now hold five Nordic walking world records and am rankedNo. 1 Nordic walking woman in the world! (Check out current world records/rankings here.) I’m also now a triathlete! I recently did my first triathlon via the Toyota SheROX Triathlon in San Diego. I had such a blast you can bet I’ll be doing another (as long as I get over my anxiety about swimming in the open water!). And in 2013, I competed in my first cross country ski race. (Note to self: Wear warmer gloves next time!) By the way, I earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and literature from Miami University in Ohio (the real Miami, mind you) and a master’s degree in literature from Indiana University. I’m a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Society of American Travel Writers. I also hold certifications from the American Council on Exercise as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer and have taught everything from step and cycling to strength training and walking. Just one more thing at the request of my “staff” who begged me to add this: I share an office with three furry colleagues, including two cats, Morgan and Bailey, and a golden retriever named Jessie, wh[...]
