To your health
Wednesday, Sept. 16 — Happy Wednesday!
🏆 I live for award shows. Growing up, my sister and I would always watch them together. We still do, albeit via our group chat.
On Monday night, we hit the group chat to discuss the Emmy Awards, including red carpet fashion. Zendaya was absolutely stunning (as usual), debuting a chic new pixie cut paired with a bejeweled Prada gown. Supriya Ganesh’s romantic McQueen dress, Keri Russell’s edgy black Khaite look, Colman Domingo’s relaxed Valentino robe coat, and Ayo Edebiri’s color-blocked Chanel gown were among our other favorites. Check out Vogue’s full best-dressed list here. And Cosmopolitan has the scoop on all the event’s best beauty looks, from vintage-inspired bobs to bold red lips.
👟 I love makeup and high fashion. But the reality is, most of the time, I’m in workout clothes and lucky to have washed my face. This is exactly what I looked like when I met Allison Mercer earlier this year over post-race coffee with mutual friends.
If you’ve ever participated in a local road race or run the trails at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, you’ve probably seen or even talked to Allison. We jokingly call her the “mayor of the river” because she knows almost every single person on the trails by name. At 43, she’s one of the top ultra-runners in the country, and a total inspiration to masters athletes like me.
On Sunday, she will be racing as a member of Team USA at the 100K World Championships in Spain. Learn more about her training for the event in my profile of her for this week’s feature story.
Be well!
✨ Laura
💬 “How was your day?” “Fine.” Your teen probably isn’t shutting you out. Being asked face to face costs more at that age. Intown Psychology helps parents of anxious kids and teens. Get a free consultation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Marietta Ultra-Runner Allison Mercer to Represent Team USA in Spain
🏃♀️ Allison Mercer is 43 years old and running faster — and longer — than ever. The Marietta-based ultra-runner will represent Team USA at the 2026 100K World Championships in Ames, Spain, on Sept. 20.
Mercer qualified for her third consecutive national team with a runner-up finish and masters win at the 2026 USATF 100K Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, in April. She raced her first World 100K Championships in 2024, where her third-place masters finish helped the U.S. women’s team secure a bronze medal.
🇺🇸 Read my story for more on how the Woodward Academy graduate became one of the country’s top ultra-runners.
Your teen isn’t shutting you out
SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
💬 “How was your day?” “Fine.” If that’s the whole conversation at your house, it probably isn’t that your teen doesn’t want to talk to you.
Research shows being watched raises physical arousal more in adolescence than at any other age, so a face-to-face question costs more than it looks. Try this: sit beside them, not across. Skip the first 20 minutes after school. Ask one specific thing, like “What was the most annoying part of today?”
🧡 Intown Psychology helps families of anxious kids and teens. Get a free consultation.
Atlanta’s Disappearing Tree Canopy
🌳 Twenty-seven years ago, Rough Draft contributor Sally Bethea bought a house because she fell in love with a tree. The huge silver maple growing through the elevated deck attached to the back of the house captured Sally’s heart. The screened treehouse beside the maple sealed the deal.
About forty feet from the ground, the tree’s trunk splits into two large stems, creating a V-shape: open arms reaching skyward to feel the warmth of the sun. Sadly, at 100-plus years old, the tree is not doing well. Midtown Atlanta’s dense urban environment and climate change have taken their toll.
Boutte Tree has kept excellent watch over Sally’s tree through the years. Now, the company says it’s time to let the tree go. Sally isn’t coping well with this news, despite expecting it.
➞ Read Sally’s full column here.
Marcus Autism Center Awarded $17 Million for Autism Clinical Trials Network
🏥 Marcus Autism Center, a subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Emory University School of Medicine were awarded up to $17.25 million from Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) to join a newly formed international autism clinical trials network called the Innovative Medicine and Precision Approaches to Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Network.
According to a press release from the organization, Marcus Autism Center recently received $21.9 million from The Marcus Foundation to conduct the largest-ever study of behavior, brain, and genomic biomarkers in children across the autism spectrum and related genetic neurodevelopmental conditions.
🩺 Read more about the grants in this story from Managing Editor Cathy Cobbs.
The Short List
🫶🏻 Watch: Cross country is one of the most wholesome sports. I absolutely teared up watching this video of a blind middle schooler and his guide completing their first race together without a tether.
🩸 Read: “Ferritin face” is trending on social media. Turns out, dark under-eye circles and dry, sallow skin can be signs of iron deficiency. I was diagnosed with low ferritin earlier this summer. The condition can cause extreme fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and hair loss — and it can negatively impact athletic endurance and performance. It’s a good thing to screen for the next time you have bloodwork done.
👩🏼🦱 Try: The secret to managing curly hair? Layering moisturizing products. One of my staples is Moroccanoil Treatment, a multi-tasking oil that conditions, smoothes, and adds glossy shine without leaving greasy residue.
💬 “How was your day?” “Fine.” Your teen probably isn’t shutting you out. Being asked face to face costs more at that age. Intown Psychology helps parents of anxious kids and teens. Get a free consultation.SPONSOR MESSAGE
The Rundown
💪🏼 Pretty Girls Sweat Fest Atlanta, Sat., Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. at Garden City Events.
🩵 Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance Teal Trot 5K Walk/Run, Sat., Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m. at Chastain Park.
🎤 Mic Check Melanoma: We Care for the Culture, Sat., Sept. 19 at 12 noon at Terminus 330.
🏮 Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade, Sat., Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. on the Southwest Trail.
🧘🏼♀️ Fall Equinox Edition: Restorative Yoga Song and Sound Journey, Sun., Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at Dancing Dogs Yoga.
