Barbara Hannah Grufferman: How Menopause and a (Literal) Sign Ignited a Passion for Running and Aging-Well Advocacy

04/12/21 • 31 min

We hear the story of Barbara Hannah Grufferman as she navigates menopause away from a glum-looking future, to a thriving today. Hear Barbara's personal journey of how she went from being a non-runner at 50 to a multi-time marathon and also ultra finisher, as well as a healthy aging advocate, author, and so much more.

As Barbara Hannah Grufferman approached her 50th birthday, she was feeling, as she describes it, the “umpies”: lumpy, grumpy, and frumpy. Her health wasn’t great: she’d spent her adult life putting the needs of everyone else ahead of herself: work, family, community. And now those choices were catching up to her. And, she’d just gone through menopause, which had had it’s own challenging impact. The spark and grit she’d had before seemed to be fading into the past.

Maybe this is what getting older and seeing the other side of menopause was all about? she thought.

And then, a pointed comment by her then young daughter and a well-timed Wall Street Journal article changed everything. Barbara, who’d never been a runner, set down a path of marathon running, health and wellness, and discovering how to age the very best she could.

Since that day, 15 years ago, Barbara has completed over a dozen marathons and one ultra, and there’s more to come. She also shares her wisdom and lived experience of achieving wellness and health after 50 with a growing number of woman in her work as an advocate for aging well. Barbara has written two books, writes a newsletter, has spoken in public on many occasions, and so much more. In a word, Barbara is vibrant.

Ways to follow Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Barbara’s website: barbarahannahgrufferman.com

Subscribe to Barbara’s Menopause Cheat Sheet

Follow Barbara on Instagram: @barbarahannahgrufferman

Follow Barbara on Twitter: @BGrufferman

The Coach Parry Running Through Menopause Training Program

The Coach Parry webinar, where we first "met" Barbara

We recommend the podcast Hear Her Sports: hearhersports.com

Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories

Instagram: @womensrunningstories

Twitter: @WomenRunStories

Website: womensrunningstories.com