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Thursday, October 28, 2021

Book Review of Pregruncy: AN ELITE RUNNER’S JOURNEY TRAINING THROUGH PREGNANCY (Review by Crystal J. Casvaant-Otto; book by Natasha LaBeaud Anzures (Author), Marco Anzures (Author)


I was recently contacted by Natasha LaBeaud Anzures, Ph.D. regarding her new book  PregRUNcy ; As a runner and mother I thought it would be an interesting read. Thank you to Natasha for providing me a copy to review.

Book Blurb:

I decided to write Pregruncy as soon as I found out that I was pregnant. Like many others, I have always been fascinated with the notion of exercise during pregnancy, and what the entire pregnancy experience would be like. Years before I ever became pregnant, I would read any articles that came my way about the topic. I was never the person who said that they were going to have a family, or became starry-eyed when thinking about cradling my stomach during the third trimester. No, I have always been more curious about the process of pregnancy. Curious about the stages of growth and how different people cope with the cards that they are dealt. But, I noticed that there were few resources available for the elite runner trying to navigate the world of training during pregnancy. There were morsels of details deep in Instagram posts, but there was no consistent stream of information available that showed what each day of training looked like, and that was what I was on a quest to share.

My husband, who is also my coach, and I decided that I would use my own personal experiences to help others navigate pregnancy. While I understand that this is a very small n-value (n=1) with just me, I also knew that I had not found a resource that chronicled each day of training and the pregnancy experience. I kept thinking about how helpful it would be to know what the whole journey looked like for someone, as opposed to snippets along the way. I also know that my experiences with pregnancy are my own and may not match someone else’s. I wanted to see what was possible during pregnancy. I had heard so many notions about what a woman can and can’t do while they are baking a baby for over nine months, and most of the guidance errs on the ‘can’t’ side without much evidence supporting it.

Marco and I decided that he would also keep his own notes during this process so that we could have two perspectives. He never read my notes during the pregnancy, and I never read his. The notes were combined later so that the “coach’s notes” could be sprinkled in throughout.

What we learned is that the human body can do some amazing things and withstand an incredible amount of pain. We also learned that the healthcare system in the United States has a long way to go in terms of care for pregnant women.


Book Review by Crystal J. Casvant-Otto: 

This book was interesting. I learned I am definitely not an 'Elite Runner' which was a new term for me. and for anyone curious about it, I found this article to be quite helpful: Three Difference Between Elite Runners and Average Runners from the Panther Sports Medicine Blog.  As an average runner (truthfully more of a below average runner); I found PregRUNcy to be fascinating. I'm the mother of 6 who runs a few days a week to maintain her sanity. Running is my happy place and I find that it's easier to be patient when I take a half hour a day to do something for myself. Nathasha LaBeaud Anzuers, Ph.D is very different and running definitely is a passion for her. Running is my side gig and it's her primary gig so I enjoyed viewing things from a completely new and different perspective. Thank you to Nathasha and Marco for sharing your journey with readers. No two pregnancies are alike, but it's fun learning about someone else's experiences! 

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

The Best Gift Ever! A 5 Star Review for "Rise, A Girl's Struggle For More" by Diann Floyd Boehm. Review by Crystal J. Casavant Otto


 5 Star Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

At one point late in the book "Rise", Ruby tells her mama: "Momma, this is the best gift ever, having your approval, I will make you proud, I promise." Before I got to the word approval, tears had welled up into my eyes. This book was the best gift ever for me as a reader! I never had a real grandmother and would often 'adopt' the older ladies in the neighborhood or church and fill that void in my life. Yes, it was a wonderful substitution, but after reading "Rise" I feel like Diann Floyd Boehm through her wonderful character Ruby gave me an amazing gift of a truly rich relationship with a grandmother. The characters in this book were written so well - I found my lip curling into a smile as Ruby's daddy spoke of his gun when the boys would call on her. Family birthday parties, rides on the train, and even a wig and some dyed eyebrows - this book was full of laughter, fun, lessons, and love! What a talented author and truly beautiful story! This is a fabulous book for young or old, female or male - if you enjoy a heartwarming tale, you'll love every page of "Rise"!

Purchase this amazing story on Amazon! 

Now that I've told you how I feel about this book - let me tell you more about the book and it's author:

Rise! A Girl’s Struggle for More

Rise! A Girl’s Struggle for More is an old-fashioned, historical family drama-a sweet, yet edgy, coming of age story. Set in the 1920s, it is based on the life of the author’s grandmother. The main character, Ruby Pearl, is mature beyond her years and was born at least a decade too soon. Growing up in the middle of a family of nine children in Oilton, Oklahoma, with her nose constantly in a book, she was known as the girl that would rather read than can tomatoes. Ruby feels destined for greater things. Ruby studies hard to make good grades, while her parents smile and humor her. They continually encourage the courtship with her beau, Arthur, who they fully expect will be their son-in-law when the two graduate from high school, but Ruby has loftier goals. She admires her momma and big sister, Rilla, the “CEOs of the household” and knows some day she will have children and a home of her own to manage, but first things first!

Rise! A Girl’s Struggle for More is Anne of Green Gables meets the “It Girl” of the 20s … but with a sophisticated twist. Ruby’s ‘coming of age’ story evolves amidst the backdrop of a horse and buggy town welcoming its first motor cars, and parents brought up in the Victorian era grappling with their daughters showing their ankles and dating! Following the inspiration of the suffrage movement, Ruby becomes a pioneer for girls her age, breaking all norms, defying tradition (and her parents) to become a truly independent woman.

About Author Diann Floyd Boehm (learn more on her website as well). 

**Please note: official launch will be on October 20th (you can tune in  to see it live on Diann's FB page or YouTube channel at 2 pm Atlantic).


Diann Floyd Boehm is an award-winning international author. Diann has always enjoyed the art of storytelling and has taken her imagination to print. She has five published children’s books, and two of her books have won awards.

Harry the Camel’ won the ‘Best-Translated Book Award by the Authors Marketing International, ‘Moonling Adventures-Serengeti’ won First Place in Texas Best 2021 Children Book Award, and ‘Harry the Camel won Best Seller for 2021 in B4R Bookstore! In addition, Diann has the Little Girl in the Moon Series, which has now become the Moonling Adventures.

Diann’s first Young Adult (YA) Official Launch is October 6, 2021, ‘Rise A Girl’s Struggle for More.’ The Launch will take place in Drumright, Oklahoma, at The Drumright Historical Society. Diann’s YouTube Channel, ‘The Story Garden,’ allows everyone to hear Diann read her books and interviews of various authors who read their stories to the viewers. Additionally, Diann is the co-host for ‘Rapping with Dr. Jacalyn LLCTM – ‘Fashion Fitness, Travel & Leisure’ on Friday mornings Live stream on various platforms. Diann is also an invited host for the Indie Beacon Radio Show, where she interviews authors from multiple genres.