Made to Crave Challenge

If you are just starting your weight loss or you are a veteran, you already know one thing..there aren't many people who are going to understand your journey or support it! I was lucky enough to have one person by my side the whole time. My sister in law, Abby, has not only understood my reasoning for wanting to change my life but she has supported every decision I made! When I wanted to run, she ran with me. When I wanted to start eating clean, she found me recipes. When I wanted to help other in their journey, she told me about Beachbody and offered support and encouragement. When I didn't think I'd meet my goals, she pushed me and believed in me! When I crushed my goals, she was my biggest cheerleader! 

We are excited to offer this group for many reasons! We have both not only lost a lot of weight but we have also grown a lot spiritually! Losing weight can be a tough battle, not only physically but mentally! We know what it's like to have good days and bad, what it feels like to want to give up, what it's like to look in the mirror and hate what you see even though others see beautiful changes!

During the 21 day challenge, we will share everything we have learned, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually! We will work with you to find your perfect workout routine, what foods work best for your body, how to not let the scale control your life and much, much more! If you are interested, please message me your email or leave it below! We cannot wait to get started!

Running Reflections

On Sunday, this picture popped up on my Timehop. It was a reminder of how far I've come in my journey as a runner. When I first started running, I weighed 230 pounds and every step I took was hard and painful. I was determined to keep running because it was the cheapest form of exercise I could do. At that point in my life, I knew that I had to do something. I hated the way that I looked, and I knew that I was very unhealthy. My family has a history of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. At the rate I was going, I was going to end up with one or all of these if I didn't do something to get healthier. I called up my sister-in-law, Abby, and asked if she wanted to do a 10k with me. She agreed, and my training began. Those first few training runs were tough. I don't think that I could run a full mile without walking, and I was okay with that. I was doing more for my body than I had in the past and was determined to finish the race. For my first five mile run, I was in Pittsburgh for the weekend, so Abby and I were going to run together. We went to a trail near her house and took off. At one point, I looked at her and told her that I did not think I would survive. It was the most brutalizing thing I had endured. She kept encouraging me, and I finished. This run showed me that I had a lot of work to do as a runner, but I also learned that I had something inside of me that I didn't know existed. I had determination and perseverance. On race day, I finished the race, which I felt was a small miracle, and decided that I could complete a half marathon. This was coming from a girl that NEVER enjoyed running. I still didn't enjoy running, but I loved how I felt after crossing that finish line. I proved to myself that I could do something I NEVER dreamed of accomplishing. Abby agreed to do my first half-marathon with me, and the training began. My first was over 6 years ago, and I still remember that feeling of crossing the finish line. I was so excited to get my medal and foil. I was on top of the world. I had just ran 13.1 miles and didn't quit. There were many times along the route that I wanted to give up! I couldn't breathe, I was overheating, I had stomach cramps, you name it. Even though things weren't going my way, there was no way I was going to stop. I had just committed the last 12 weeks of my life to accomplishing the goal of crossing that finish line. It wasn't fast or pretty, BUT I did it! I swore that would be the last half I ever ran because my body ached, and I didn't think I could endure another training plan. Well, I changed my mind. Since then, I have ran 4 other half-marathons and will be running my sixth on Sunday.

      Why did I keep running? At first, I kept running because I saw changes in my body. I lost some weight and started seeing muscles that I hadn't seen since I was a collegiate athlete. I was determined to get my weight under 200, and I knew that I could do it if I kept running. The number on the scale kept going down, and I was pleased with the results. Eventually running became so much more than a weight loss tool. I loved being part of community of complete strangers than encouraged me on race day. People shouted words of encouragement and gave high fives as I ran past them. I started seeing the same faces at races and started making friends. My training runs became my sanity and way to decompress after a long day at work. It was my time to spend with my thoughts and get lost in the sounds of nature or music. Running became my therapy! Besides being therapeutic, running gives me a chance to set goals out of my comfort zone and push myself both physically and mentally.    

       In the past, the goals that I have set for myself required a little bit more effort and work than a previous race. I've always tried to set the bar a little bit higher in order to push myself. With that being said, I set a goal for Sunday's race that scares me. I want to run my half under two hours. That means that I need to take at least 5 minutes off my time from last year. There are some days that I know that I can get under 2, and others I second guess myself. The first step in meeting this goal was to make sure that I worked out all winter in order to make my legs and core stronger. In order to do this, I completed Insanity Max 30. This program definitely pushed me and helped me get stronger. I'm not going to lie; there were many days that I did not want to push play! Once actual training started, I knew that I had to up my game and take on a new training plan. I decided to go with Hal Higdon's Intermediate plan. This planned frightened me because it included speed work. I had never done speed work in the past and wasn't sure if it was something that I could do correctly. Deep down I knew that I had to step out of my comfort zone if I wanted to meet my goal. Let me tell you; I am not sure if I will ever do another speed workout again. They kick my butt and leave me completely exhausted. I'm hoping that they will pay off come race day.
     As race day approaches, my mind keeps filling with self-doubt even though I've followed my training plan and put in extra miles along the way. I always tell others to trust in their training, but I am having a hard time following my own advice. I should be heading into the race filled with confidence since I have ran my fastest 5k, 5 miler, and 8 miler races to date during this training period, but I am not. I keep thinking about all of the things that could go wrong instead of the things that can go right. In the back of my mind, I've already started coming up with the excuses I will use if I don't meet my goal. Why do I let my mind go there? I should be focusing on the things I am going to say once I crush my goal. I need to start being my biggest fan and filling myself with positive affirmations. With that being said, I am going to start with: "When someone tells you "you can't", turn around and say "watch me". In my case, I am going to say this to myself whenever that self-doubt creeps into my mind. No matter what happens on Sunday, and I am going to be proud of how far I've come as a runner. I never thought I would run faster than a 10 minute mile, but I have. I never thought I would run a half-marathon, but I have. I never thought I would attempt a full-marathon, but I am going to. Find something that pushes your limits and makes you a better you. For me, it was running, and I am thankful that I had the courage to take those first steps. Were they easy? Not at all!

Invest in Me

       Most of us have or will be getting our tax returns back. Once we get the money back, we usually pay off some bills, put money into a savings account, save money for a vacation, or go on a shopping spree. Do any of these options sound familiar to you? This year I decided to do something a little different. I decided that I am going to invest in ME! I registered for 4 upcoming races, bought a new workout program, and purchased 3 new personal development books.
        My challenge for the next few months is to get my mind right. I've been able to get my workouts as part of my daily routines, and my eating habits have come a long way. The reason for my success is being part of accountability groups on Facebook. This is the route that I am going to go with my mind. I decided to start an accountability group that will focus on reading and discussing "The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of Who You Think You are Supposed to be and Embrace Who You Are."
         Along with our daily readings, I will provide a weekly meal plan to help with fueling our bodies properly and ask for a daily check in for your workout. This accountability will hopefully keep all of us on track.
         There will be a fee for this 6 week group. With this fee, you will receive your copy of the book and weekly meal plans. Looking forward to going on this journey with YOU! Click here if you are interested in learning more information.The group will be starting on March 16th.

Where have I been?

     It's been awhile since I sat down and wrote a blog. I got caught up in the holiday season and trying to get 2015 started on the right foot. With that being said, I am taking advantage of today's snow day and getting things done!

      My 2015 has started off as planned. I've spent quality time with my boyfriend and daughter checking items off our bucket list. We decided to come up with things that we would like to accomplish this year, so we could make memories together. My daughter is growing up way too fast, and I want to make sure that we are taking advantage of every moment that we have together. We've gone to a Charge Game (minor league for Cavs), Harlem Globetrotters Game, paint balling, and tubing. Who knew all of these activities would be so much fun!! There are still items on our list, and we started adding to it. I love the idea of our bucket list because it gives us an idea of what we can do when we are clueless and looking for ideas. I challenge you and your family to come up with a bucket list. For us, it has challenged us to do things out of our comfort zone that we would not normally do.

       I am in my last week of Insanity Max 30. This program has pushed me beyond anything that I could ever imagine. My body has completed moves that I never dreamed of completing. I have done one arm burpees (my form isn't the greatest) and more push-up variations than I ever dreamed of doing. I feel stronger than I ever have, and I am looking forward to see how it helps improve my running. The most important thing I have learned from this program is to dig deep! Shaun T is constantly encouraging everyone to dig deeper! There have been moments when I have wanted to give up and stop, but I haven't! I dug down and found the energy and motivation to complete the workout.

 

Today I started training for my next half marathon, and I am excited. In the past, I have dreaded training, but I have big goals to accomplish. Plus I get to spend time with my boyfriend on our long runs. When we first ran together in September, I was sure that it was our first and last run. Here we are five months later getting in at least one long run per week. Running with him as pushed me as a runner and given me a new outlook on running. There have been times when I hated running with someone, but now I look forward to our runs. We are both doing something that we love with someone that we love. These runs have definitely made our relationship stronger. Find an activity that will get you and your significant other active together. I promise that it will make your relationship stronger. 

The big news that I am excited to share is my next challenge group called "Love and Luck". It will start on Valentine's Day and run through St. Patrick's Day. For a fee, I will provide you weekly recipes, accountability, motivation, and a place where you can check in and surround yourself with like minded people. You will also get a chance to earn prizes by checking in on a daily basis with at least 30 minutes of exercise and following the 80/20 rule for nutrition. Each day that you check in, your name will be entered for the weekly drawing. Your name will be thrown back in for the grand prize drawing at the end. If you are interested in joining this challenge, click here to sign up.