Race Review: Color Me Rad 5K, St. Louis Edition

Pre-race, clean and "tattooed"

Post-race

Shades that were given away and post-race "Larabar"

Best part - nice shirt

First off, let's get the disclaimer out of the way - I was provided with one free entry to the Color Me Rad 5k, location of my choice.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have never done a color run before.  I wasn't sure what to expect.

You know what?  I used to write for the government, so let me give you my bottom line first - at least for the St. Louis edition of Color Me Rad, I would consider attending this again on a free entry only and if I had someone running with me.  Would I pay $50 for it?  Absolutely not.  I am hopeful that other locations have much better experiences.

1. Probably the biggest issue - where was the color?  I did get pretty coated at the finish, but the 4 previous stations barely got me, and I made sure to run right in front of the "bomb squad".

2. No motivation on the course - this was truly a "fun run" in that it was untimed, but seriously, we were at a raceway, with speakers everywhere, and rarely could you hear any music, because it was only being played at the start/finish area.  There were about 10 spectators.  It was just boring.  At first I thought, is this just boring because I am alone?  So I imagined what it would be like if I had a friend there, and no, the answer was still the same.  It was just boring.  Longest 3.1 miles of life.  Greatest highlight - seeing a 4-year-old running alongside his mom.  Super cute.

3. Where was the Larabar? - I double-checked just now, but the race info available online for St. Louis clearly lists Larabar as a sponsor.  As I was driving to the run, 30 minutes from my house, I realized that I had my giant cup of coffee and forgot to grab a banana.  Fantastic.  But, it's okay, I thought, because they will have Larabars.  If you are a fan of these scrumptious bars, you can imagine the disappointment when arriving at the finish to get your tiny Costco-brand granola bar (for the record, I'm not hating on Costco - I was just really disappointed when I thought they would have Larabars).

4. Sunglasses - I did completely appreciate that we were provided with fun shades to wear - otherwise I was planning to run to the Dollar store and grab a throw-away pair that could just get ruined but still protect my eyes from the alleged onslaught of colored cornstarch.  James is now enjoying his new shades.

5. Best part - The momento shirts are really nice.  For one, they weren't unisex, so they actually fit really well.  And two, at packet-pickup, one of the volunteers said that they were running small, and allowed me to try mine on in case I needed a different size.  Mine fit fine, but I thought this was really nice - most of the time, race shirts are unisex, fit women terribly, and are usually too big, and plain white with some graphics.  So, good job to the powers that be at Color Me Rad for at least making a nice momento shirt.

So - there you have it!  I have definitely paid less money for better races, with better snacks/swag.  In fact, I can't think of a single 5K that I have ever paid more than $20 or $30 to run.  As I said, run it again for free, and with someone?  Sure!  Pay for it?  No way.  I'm sorry, Color Me Rad, St. Louis just wasn't awesome.  I'm guessing it was a low turnout, and other cities are probably different.

Happy Monday everyone!

Fit Friday - Let's Build Some Muscle! ... a peek into my "lesson" plan....

Happy (early) Friday morning!

I have to tell you, I am never up this early.  As I am beginning this post, my clock reads 5:42am.  Even with a child, I am never up this early.  Trust me, I know how blessed I am in this area!

But alas, I knew that as soon as I was attempting to plan out my Friday, something was bound to change.  No complaints here - I'm happy to have another class to sub - but it does make for an early morning if I want to have any kind of relaxation time to myself.  Today will be busy and physically demanding, but I am thankful for it.  And this "early" aspect is nothing - next month I will do two Wednesday mornings that require me to get up around 4:30am, and then beginning in September, my Fridays will consist of a 4:30am wake up to teach at 5:15, followed by teaching again at 8:15.  Am I crazy?  Maybe.  I think I'm mostly excited to have guaranteed work!

I already had one class to teach on my schedule for this evening, but with the surprise of adding one for this morning, and one for tomorrow morning, I decided I would share parts of my plans for my attendees.  Each class involves strength training, so here is what I have put together - not all moves will appear in all 3 classes, but I promise if you want to work your entire body with a little of this and a little of that, this is for you!

You will need a step (or box, anything you can step onto, at least 4 inches off the ground), hand weights, and a mat.  Spend at least 5 minutes warming up.

step-ups with bicep curl - 8 each leg
single-leg deadlift with single-arm overhead press - 8 each leg/arm
step-ups with hip extension and bent-arm lateral raise - 8 each leg
Repeat 2x

tricep dips with single-leg lift - 16 (8 each leg if lifting leg)
pushups / chaturanga pushups - 16 total, any combination
pec deck - lateral raise into rotation, close arms, reverse sequence - 8
Repeat 2x

squat series - 12 weighted squats, 12 squat presses, 12 squat pulses
squat with one leg on step, weighted - 8 each leg
speed skaters, weighted, slow movement - 8 each leg
Repeat 2x

Plank Series (from FitSugar)
plank mountain climber - 1 minute
elbow plank with donkey kick - 30 seconds each leg
plank walk - 1 minute
side plank with leg lift - 30 seconds each leg
birddog - 30 seconds each side
Repeat

Chris said that his muscles are burning just hearing my notes... we'll see what the class thinks.  That squat series is my favorite though!

What about you?  What's on your agenda for Friday?  Workout?  Rest day?  Whatever your plan, I hope you're getting ready for a great weekend!  And don't forget, if you're in the St. Louis area, check here for a discount code for the Color Me Rad 5k and join me there this Sunday!

Thankful Thursday - Life Isn't Slowing Down!

And that's a good thing!

Of course at the forefront of my list of things that make me thankful is the successful closing on our first house yesterday!  Our final walk-through the day before went well.  We met the sellers, whom we had spoken to only in email, and they seem like very sweet people - and what a small world, they are moving to a part of Florida that Chris and my-laws lived in for a while!  Closing itself was smooth yesterday, only taking about 20 minutes.

It is amazing to think that we own a home now.  And to really put things in perspective, when we moved here last year, we casually said, let's have a place by August 1, this size, and this price.  God delivered on every single detail.  Actually, He went slightly above because we wanted a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house, and we got a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house.... all in our price range, something that I told Chris was looking fairly impossible.  I told him we needed to scale down our search and be more "realistic."  Jeez, oh ME of little faith!  How many things has the Lord carried us through and delivered us from, and yet I think He couldn't/wouldn't deliver on something so minor as a house!

Work is still exploding for me.  Now, to someone who is used to working a full 40-hour week, my situation wouldn't seem so explosive, but for me, it definitely is!  August is becoming fairly full, and I was just offered a regular weekly class beginning in September - that is an amazing start!  This week I've been attending a few more classes to get ready to teach them next week, and with each class I have attended, my confidence has grown, not in a cocky way, but in a I-can-totally-do-this way.

I'm also very thankful for what is happening with UrbanChurch.  In under 2 months, we will begin the first of many outreach efforts, and will be partnering with Gateway180.  If you are in the St. Louis area (or even if you're not) and you want to be part of something life-changing, get in touch with me.

I think that about sums it up for me this week - your turn!  What are you thankful for today?

Discount for You to Be Rad!

Hey friends, if you want to join me at the Color Me Rad 5k this Sunday, July 28, you can treat yourself to a discounted entry by using the code "rosegold" when you register - that will get you 20% off the registration fee.  So go get registered!

Who's Rad? I'm Rad!

Just a little tidbit of exciting news for today!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Blogportunity.com, FitApproach.com, and ColorMeRad.com, yours truly will be participating in the Color Me Rad 5k this coming Sunday!

What exactly is Color Me Rad, you ask?  It's probably the definition of a TRUE fun run, in that it is untimed.  Here is what the good people of Color Me Rad have to say:

"After 5K of color bombardment, we guarantee your outlook will be brighter, your boyfriend will be more affectionate, your girlfriend will be less needy, the hair on your head will grow back and the hair on your back will fall out, your black and white TV will turn into 720p HD (I know you were hoping for 1080, but we organize races, we're not miracle workers), and your gray outlook will turn green like a spring morning.

You’ll start off with a shirt as pure and white as your grandpa's dentures and you'll soak up enough color while running to change your skin tone forever.  You'll wind up looking like a pack of skittles – just make sure not to “taste the rainbow.”
So cast your DYE and get red in the face from Color Me Rad, and not from the embarrassment of passing up on the run of a lifetime."

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited!

And Color Me Rad isn't just in St. Louis - it's all over the country!  So for more information, you can find Color Me Rad on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.  Check it out!

I would love to see you there!




 

Tasty Snack Tuesday - Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Can you believe this recipe is clean-eating approved?!

And would you believe that I actually like this better than the store-bought stuff?

I'm telling you, it's awesome.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

raw hazelnuts - about 2 cups
1/2 cup, or to taste, raw cocoa powder
1/4-1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons skim milk (or milk of choice)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Add hazelnuts to your food processor and pulverize until you have a fine crumb - it will look like wet sand (and its okay that there will be some skins in there).  Add the remaining ingredients, tasting along the way, until your spread is as thick or thin as you would like, and is as chocolatey and sweet as you would like.  Store in the refrigerator.

You know what would make this even better, that I did not even think to do - toasting the hazelnuts!  Of course!  You could spread them on a baking sheet and place in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees F (I'm just guessing here).  Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.  You should just be getting a lovely toasted aroma.  This should also help the skins come off if you don't want them on there.  Then allow them to cool for a few minutes before processing.

I dare you to make this and tell me it is not awesome!

Sunday Runday, the First Week of #Clean30, and Trains!

This week was so busy and the next few weeks are not going to be any different.  But you know what?  I'm so okay with that.  I'm not someone who readily embraces change, but this change is good, and I'm loving it.

I met some great people at work this week - some very sweet instructors who made me feel so welcome.  I also met some people who made me feel far less than great.  The wind in my proverbial sail was completely ripped away on Friday evening.  BUT, it has since made me more determined to do what I set out to do in my fitness career - share my passion with others and help change lives for the better.

I took a full 2 days off after such a crazy week - it used to be rare for me to take even one day off, let alone two!  I have since learned how important rest is.  I'm very happy that I took that extra day, yesterday, to let my body really recover.  I think it paid off because I went for a short run today, a couch-to-5k run, and it was great!  I took James in the jog stroller and Bailie on the leash and went out to a local park that I am really disappointed I have only just now checked out.  Such a nice place.  There were so many runners, walkers, and cyclists out, and the temperature was just shy of 80 degrees, so it wasn't too terrible, even with the humidity.

I'm just shy of completing the first full week of my #clean30 challenge, and I'm excited to tell you that it has gone really well so far.  My absolute favorite thing right now is my fruit, honey, and Greek yogurt mixture that I shared in this post.  It is so refreshing!  I really haven't felt deprived of anything, and I haven't missed certain "old" foods.... Now, talk to me in a couple of weeks when it's Food Truck Friday and I am trying not to partake.... I might not be as pleasant about this then.

Finally, we took James to the Transportation Museum yesterday, which is all about trains!  You would think that, due to James's intense love for all things Thomas the Train, he would have been in Heaven, but NO!  Just the opposite.  He seemed to enjoy the small train ride we went on, but when it came to actually getting on the train exhibits and walking through them, he wanted nothing to do with it.  Maybe seeing the trains up close and in real life was overwhelming, or maybe the fact that the heat and humidity were horrendous yesterday made it less fun.  But, here are a few cute pictures, just because I love showing off my little guy:

Well, friends, time to get ready for another busy-but-great week!  I am beyond excited for this week... we close on our house (can't wait to share pictures with you!), I start subbing a few classes, and life is just all around awesome.  I am humbled at the amazing things happening in our lives, the things happening in the lives of those around me, and supremely grateful for the privilege of experiencing it all and witnessing the Lord at work.  God is good, and God is faithful.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Fit Friday - I Need Your Help!

Happy Friday, friends!

Calling all ladies!  I need some advice that only YOU can give.

Think for a moment.  How young were you when you first said or thoughts things like, "I hate my body" or "If only I looked like her" or "I'm not pretty enough" or "If only I could be skinny"?

First of all, be honest.  We have ALL at least thought these things.  And then believed them.  How toxic!

In case you're new to my part of the blogosphere, I recently started working at a local YMCA as a group fitness instructor.  I have an incredible opportunity at work to put together a program targeted at teenage girls, because we don't have anything like it.  How awesome is that?!

Here's where I'm at with that - I'm not sure where to start!

When I was in high school, I was way too shy (and poor and NOT sporty) to participate in any athletic activities.  It wasn't until later on in college that I began running, and running turned into so many things that have helped shape me into the strong, non-body-hating woman I am today.

So my question to you is - how do we reach these girls, get them out of their shells, and into a program geared at showing them how to love themselves unconditionally and free from comparison?  St. Louis has a Girls on the Run program, which is wonderful, but this would be different.  It wouldn't have a focus on any one activity.

Right now, I know that some cold-calling to our members will happen, myself being the one to call them, and I think having an info night, or something similar, might be nice.  I have gotten some great feedback from a few friends, but I need more.

So, leave me a comment, send me an email, tweet me... whatever you have!  I would love to make this happen!  And I would love your help in doing it!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Thankful Thursday - Things Are Moving so Quickly!

My goodness, friends, days have been crazy!

I have a schedule now - a sporadic one, but still, a schedule.

Its exciting.  I'm loving it.

This week I've been observing some classes that I will be subbing in the future (the very near future I might add!), and I have really been enjoying meeting my fellow instructors.  It's helping to ease any nerves I have about finally being in the driver's seat.  Really it's just making me even more excited!  I had a fantastic meeting with my fitness coordinator yesterday about some of the things they would like me to put together.  I'll tell you more about that later as they come to pass.

BUT, big from yesterday - I have a regular class for August!  I'm very excited.  It will be on Wednesday mornings for that month and it's a strength training class.  I'll be honest though - you know what I'm not excited for?  Getting up really early to be there and ready to teach at......5:15am.  Ouch.  But it's only for a few times.  I will survive..... maybe with an extra cup of coffee on those days....

Also, on the work front, I can't remember if I shared it on the blog or not, but I finally received feedback from my instructor audition at another Y.  In short, it was great and I'm hired there now too.  This location covers two Y locations, so technically I can work out of 3 locations, which is awesome!

Coming up, I have 4 classes lined up to sub so far, and there's a good chance I'll get a regular schedule come fall.  August is going to be a busy month!  I'm also very excited that, as I was told at each of my interviews, the instructors are all great people who really try to support each other's classes.  Each one I have met has welcomed me and made me feel great.  I'm so thankful for that.

AND, I've told you that we are closing on a house soon, but now that is happening 2 days sooner!  So as of Wednesday next week, we should be homeowners.  We are beyond excited!

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the things happening in our lives right now, and how much it humbles me.  I am definitely one of those people who subconsciously likens bad - or at least, less than great - things that happen to me as a reflection of my life before Christ.  I feel like in the last 6 months, as a family, we have really moved into a God-centered life, and all of a sudden these amazing things have been happening.  Times like these make me imagine Jesus putting His hands on my face and saying, in the voice of a loving father, "do you believe me now? I really do have awesome things in store for you."  And He would say it just like that.  It makes me smile.

Day 3 of the #Clean30 Challenge

I know I said I wasn't going to tell you every single day what I'm eating on this challenge, but right now I am loving my lunch.  And I have had a handful of people actually ask me more about what goes into the food plan (note, I refuse to use the word diet).  There's pretty much nothing to it, but its so delicious and satisfying that I have to share it with you... and I totally mixed it up and made it very un-pretty before taking a picture.  Oh well.

Last night I picked up my produce basket from Community Helpings Coop (LOVE this organization!), and got some perfectly ripened mangoes.  I love mangoes, but you can hardly ever find them in immediately edible condition at the grocery store.  But these?  These were perfect.  This is all I did:

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 a mango
splash vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey

Mix it up and enjoy!  This is the perfect lunch for my very busy day of class observations and other fun at the Y.  And its really taking care of my sweets craving for the moment.  And, the fact that my very-cranky-had-a-fever-last-night-and-this-morning-2-year-old is sleeping through my lunch doesn't hurt either!

We're halfway through the week, friends!  I hope its a good one for you!

A nice surprise....

 

I can't say my husband doesn't listen.

After I passed my group fitness instructor exam AND got my first job last month, I really wanted a shirt that said just this, "she believed she could, so she did."  It really describes the way I view challenges in life.  Do you believe you can?  Well, guess what!  You're right!  You CAN!  So let go of the fear.

I worked really hard to get to my humble beginning in the fitness world and I can't wait to wear this.  I love it, along with the Wonder Woman charm that was give to me.  Thank you, Chris, for believing in me and supporting my dream.

And, in case you're wondering, days 1 and 2 of Clean30 have gone well.  Being meticulous about my food during this challenge has shown me just how much processed sugar I would regularly consume.  Its also keeping me from snacking mindlessly AND it is helping me to be very intentional with getting lots more healthy food in my diet.  But I have to tell you, I am SOOOOO thankful that these vegan "brownies" fit the clean eating bill - I might be lost without them!

I hope your week has started out well.  I can't wait to share how the rest of my week goes with you - lots of things going on!

Clean Eating - And So the Challenge Begins!

I am ready.

There are a lot of life changes going on in our household right now, so it really seems like the perfect time to take on the Clean30 challenge.  New house (soon), new work, new lifestyle.  I like it.

Sometimes there is confusion about "eating clean" and other lifestyles (I refuse to use the "diet") such as Whole30 and Paleo.  For me, I feel that clean eating is actually the most simple - lots of fruits and veggies, no (or very little) refined white sugar and whole grains.  I found a pretty straight-forward list of foods over at Katie's blog that I think would be good if you're still unsure about certain items.

I mentioned in Friday's post that the one thing I am not cutting out is my coffee creamer.  Its amount to 6 grams of sugar and I will be allowing it.  Does it make me a cheat?  I don't care.  I'm going pretty hard-core with everything else.  I figure, I gave up chocolate of all things over Lent.  I can do this for 30 days (and actually, hopefully beyond).

So, in a nutshell, there you have it friends.  I'll talk a little bit more about food tomorrow.  Today is a busy day for us, though truly the entire week will be busier than I have had in a LONG time.  But I'm so excited for it.  I'm observing a handful of classes this week in prep to be able to sub them.  I keep saying that yes, I am nervous for some of this, but my goodness I am so excited!

I'd love to know if you're joining me on the Clean30 challenge.  We can do this together!

Fit Friday - Up for a Challenge?

Hi friends!  I have a confession.

If you know me, or have read a few posts here, you know that when it comes to working out, I believe in giving it your all.  Go big or go home.  Leave it in the gym.

But.

You know what I have been terrible with controlling lately?

Hanging my head in shame, looking around, nobody noticing.....

My diet.

To be completely honest, my diet sucks lately.  Sucks!  I am all about treats in moderation, but dipping into a certain chocolate hazelnut spread every night? .... Its getting out of control.  I can blame it on vacation from last week, but I didn't get my good habits back together this week at all.  And to be clear, its not about weight loss, restriction, or anything in the vanity department.  Its about taking care of the body God has given me and making it the best it can be.  So naturally, that should mean fueling it properly.

SO.  After a little investigating, I decided that I did not want to go full-on with the Whole30 challenge (feel free to look that up).  Basically, that would eliminate grains, and that's not for me right now.  But, keeping with the fact that I need to CLEAN up my diet, I'm going to call this my Clean30 challenge.

What does this mean, you ask?  It means 30 days of cutting out refined (white) sugars and flours, and eating whole grains, and tons more fruits and vegetables, and also less mindless snacking.

For the record - I'm human.  There is one thing that I am not giving up - the creamer in my coffee.  I have one giant cup of coffee each morning with 2 tablespoons of creamer.  I don't think that's going to break my effort.  If you decide you want to join me in this challenge, I'd encourage you to think of something small, like coffee creamer (assuming you don't dump half the bottle in your mug each morning), that you might keep for sanity's sake.

I'm putting this out there for accountability.  We all know that we are much more likely to accomplish our goals when we're held accountable.  I'm not going to go crazy posting every single day with what I'm eating, but beginning this Monday, the challenge is on!

Any takers?

Thankful Thursday!

Oh my goodness, is it really Thursday already?!

This summer has proven to be crazy busy for us and we're not even a full month into actual summer.  I have more awesomeness to report, in no particular order of excitement:

1. The sellers of our house agreed to nearly every detail of the inspector's report - meaning that they are bringing almost everything up to his recommendations!

2. I am making progress with work.  Yesterday I did my very first instructor audition in the morning AND taught my first class in the evening!  And everything went great!  Here's me in my now-legit glory sporting my YMCA shirt, post class:

3. I had recently applied to be a #sweatpink ambassador with FitApproach, and I got accepted!  Its a great community of women pursuing fitness, building each other up, and pushing ourselves.  So excited to be part of this!

4. And I have to include getting to see my girls Sara and Andrea on Tuesday.  We don't see other often enough, as I have said, but when we do see each other, its wonderful.  Love these girls.

As you can see, big things are happening in our lives, and the lives of those around us.  It never ceases to amaze me the way that God can re-route the paths in your life once you give your trust back to Him.  He really does know what He's doing!  I've said before that, especially in the last year, I have felt Him telling me to be patient, and sometimes that makes me even more impatient!  But now, it really feels like things are coming to fruition.  Thank you, God.

Take a minute and think on the things that make you thankful for today.  I bet you've got something!

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick.
We sweat pink.
- See more at: http://www.fitapproach.com/about-2/#sthash.R8RvREzl.dpuf

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick.
We sweat pink.
- See more at: http://www.fitapproach.com/about-2/#sthash.R8RvREzl.dpuf

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick.
We sweat pink.
- See more at: http://www.fitapproach.com/about-2/#sthash.R8RvREzl.dpuf

Some Randomness....

Today is going to be a little crazy for me (more on that later), but my new blogger friend Courtney over at Eat Pray Run, DC tagged me in an ABC get-to-know-you kind of blogging game, so here are some random facts all about me!

A. Attached or Single? Married
B. Best Friend? The originals would have to be my dear girlfriends from high school, Andrea and Sara.  But there are so many women that I have had the privilege of calling friends who will forever be an important part of my life.
C. Cake or pie? Cake.  Vanilla.  Nothing beats a TRUE vanilla.
D. Day of choice? Saturday OR Sunday.  I love our loungy uneventful mornings.
E. Essential Item? Gym shoes.
F. Favorite color? Green.  Used to be pink.  I do still love me some pink, but I think I love green a little more now.
G. Gummy bears or worms? Gummy bears all the way.
H. Home town? Born in Fort Worth, Texas, but raised in Anna, Illinois, population about 5,000.  Small!
I. Favorite Indulgence? Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks during the fall.  Nothing beats it!  Or bacon.
J. January or July? July.  I hate the heat and humidity, but not as much as I hate having to put on 5 layers.
K. Kids? A sweet 2-year-old little boy, James, and our fur-baby Bailie, our husky mix rescue.
L. Life isn’t complete without? Coffee.  Not kidding.  Take away my smartphone, my computer, whatever.  Just don't take away my coffee!
M. Marriage date? July 3, 2010
N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 brother
O. Oranges or Apples? Definitely apples.  Orange pie anyone?  I don't think so.
P. Phobias? Scary movies.  I'm not afraid of much, but I detest horror movies.  Even the cheesy ones.
Q. Quotes? Philippians 4:13.  I often repeat this in BodyPump when I feel I can't go on.  John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
R. Reasons to smile? Grace of God ..... and add in that I'm a mom, God has given us a house in the timeframe we hoped for, and I'm getting paid to do one of my favorite things - work out and design workouts!
S. Season of choice? Fall.  Its the best.
T. Tag 5 People @AllisonWillTri @ROJRunning @toocuterunner @carichristenson @pavmntprincess
U. Unknown fact about me? I don't know how "unknown" this is, but having a career in fitness is a new venture, developed in the last few years.  Have you ever seen the movie Gothika with Halle Berry?  I wanted to be her in that movie.  A far cry from being a fitness instructor/trainer.  Funny how things change.
V. Vegetable? I pretty much love them all, so I'm going to go with broccoli.... side note, I had to type that 3 times before I got the spelling right.
W. Worst habit? Probably managing my time.  Having a kid really makes you extra lousy at that.
X. Xray or Ultrasound? Had both.  Obviously ultrasound with my son, and xrays for various things - dental, orthopedics, etc.
Y. Your favorite food?  I love food.  LOVE food.  If I could only ever have one thing, I think I would pick chocolate covered bacon.  Sound weird?  Go try it.  Then come back to me and tell me how awesome it is.
Z. Zodiac sign? Virgo... unless they enforced those "new" zodiac guidelines, in which case I'm a Leo.  I'd SO rather be a lion!

So there you have it!

I'm still here...

Hello, friends.  My goodness life has been crazy!

I had to keep it a secret, but we went on a surprise vacation last week!  It was a wonderful time, and we were able to surprise James's grandparents.  Wonderful trip.

But!  Life is getting real.  Last night I observed a class that I will be teaching tomorrow night - yikes!  And tomorrow morning, I will be doing an "audition", or as I prefer to call it, a class demo, at a different location.  I'm still putting everything together, but after I get through today and tomorrow, I have some fun things to share with you, so if you follow me, stay tuned!  I haven't disappeared, I'm just adjusting to busier life right now - but its wonderful!