2013 Year in Review

Over the past couple of days, I have been trying to organize my thoughts and reflect on this year and how things went. I have been struggling with the organization part of it. I decided that I just needed to get my thoughts down on paper.

Over all I would say.... 2013... I did it! :) 

Highlights:

1. Speaking in front of a bunch of awesome bloggers at the Ignite Keynote at FitBloggin'
2. Meeting so many amazing people at FitBloggin and finding some sisters and brothers for life! #wobble
3. Rappelling down a building
4. Blogging for the Rays
5. Meeting Bethany Frankle
6. Starting CrossFit and even though I have been temporarily sidelined, I love it and hope to return soon.
7. Getting to know the Tampa Bay Bloggers and doing some great things.
8. Running races with my son
9. Making some new friends who feel like family
10. Remembering that time goes quickly and
it's important to live life and play. 


Disappointments:
1. medical problems that sidelined me
2. giving in to bad habits when I became sidelined

3. not running as much as I wanted to
4. no mud!!! Well not since March at least.  

Changes I am ready to make:
1. Workout 4-5 times a week
2. Run! No excuses!
3. Cook 4-5 meals a week.
4. Sign up for a half and do it!
5. Get out of the house more often. Being a mom is great, but I need to do things and put myself out there more often.

So I am ready... How about you... What changes will you be making? 

Meet Amy @dancngurl02 She knows it's all about the journey!

I had the pleasure of meeting Amy last summer at FitBloggin'. Amy is a ball of energy and is always smiling. She is one of those people that you think life has just been easy for. She is a great runner and very fit. As an overweight person, it was my first impression that she has always been that way. I learned that that was not true. Amy has had her struggles, and no matter how hard it gets, she perseveres!  Read all about her here! 

Name: Amy

State: California

from Amy's facebook page

When and why did you start working out? I've been active for most of my life. I was a dancer from a very young age, but after college I went into the real world and all of a sudden my time for dancing and working out went away. I was working 7 days a week most weeks and up to 14-15 hour days. Working out became something that took away from resting and recovering for the next long day. In 2010, I was a bridesmaid in my cousins wedding. Twice the size of every other bridesmaid and had hit 220+ on the scale. I was ashamed. I hid from the camera that weekend. And when I came home and made the choice to get healthy. Eat healthy and start walking. Doing little things to improve myself. It's been a hard 3 years since then but I've changed my life and I don't ever intend to go back. 

after Dumbo Dare

What is your workout of choice? I do a lot of things. Running, Weight Training, Yoga, Hot Yoga, Barre, Dance, Walking. I like to mix it up to keep it interesting. Test your bodies in different ways and keep it from getting boring. When I get bored or overtired of one activity I add in something else. 

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? I think I love my half marathons most. They're a great test. Constantly challenging me even though I've done so many. But I like to toss it up. The full marathon is one I'm trying to conquer more. But I also want to focus on shorter distances and getting faster. Every year brings a new decision on where and what I want to focus my efforts on :)

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? My lululemon tops. They fit well and have great breathability!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts? I take Whey Protein or Quest bars post workout to help 

What is your favorite cheat food? Peanut butter! I'm addicted!

What advice would you give someone just starting out? Take it one day at a time. Do WHAT you can WHEN you can. Don't try to tack on too much at the beginning. Because if you don't achieve it you will often get down on yourself and then give up. So just do little changes as you can! As long as you're better than you were the day before you're making progress!

What is your best workout memory? I don't know if I could choose one. Every achievement is different. I remember when I completed my first half marathon. Crying the last quarter mile because I was ACTUALLY doing it. And the same with my first full marathon. When I reached mile 25 I KNEW it was happening. But I get emotional with a lot of my races. Every one reminds me of how far I've come in my journey. Every race is a different battle. And now every time I hit the gym and reach a new goal (whether its reps or weight) I remind myself of how hard I've worked to get here. Even the days I don't hit my goal or have a rough workout. Those days are sometimes even better. They humble you and remind you that you still have work to do. Always room to improve yourself!

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? Ironman. This is a huge one for me. I've done a half and full marathon. I'm looking into triathlons now and cycling. I want to do a full ironman by the time I'm 35. The ultimate test of endurance and heart. 

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I'm kinda dorky. I love doing silly things and laughing all the time. I make fun of myself at every chance I can and say the quirkiest things without really meaning to. My dance students tell me all the time how silly I am. Being silly is when I'm at my best. When I take life too seriously I get down on myself. And that happens more often than I'd like it too. So trying to keep my quirkiness as much as possible is high on my life list :)

We can connect with Amy:

Blog: http://itisallaboutthejourney.com

Twitter: @dancngurl02

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ItsAllAboutTheJourney.Explore.Dream.Discover

Pinterest: @dancngurl02

Instagram: @dancngurl02

Featured Blogger: Susan... The Foodette

Happy Sunday! Meet Susan... 

Name: Susan

State: TEXAS!

When and why did you start working out?

before

I played soccer and danced in middle/high school. In college I knew I was gaining weight, but I kept telling myself that it was only a little. I would visit my apartment gym maybe once a week and do light elliptical for 30 minutes. It was not enough. When I saw my graduation pictures I was mortified. I was so embarrassed to send them out. I started running with my dog (letting her pull me for as long as I could take it) and eventually started lifting weights and converted to a low carb/low calorie lifestyle. I started my blog to track and share my healthy meals. A year after I started, I had shed 20 pounds and run my first half marathon!

What is your workout of choice?

I like boot camp style workouts. I like a variety and a challenge!

after

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? 
Run for the Water is my favorite race here in Austin, it's a challenging 10miler for an amazing cause-- my favorite distance, however, is the 10k.

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? My Moving Comfort Sports Bra!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts? 
higher protein, lower carb meals- no carbs at dinner. I try to eat tons of fruits and veggies every day!

What is your favorite cheat food?
ice cream, chocolate, creamy jalepeno dip and chips, oh was I supposed to list just one? I'm a food blogger!

What advice would you give someone just starting out?
Starting is the hardest part. Rome wasn't built in a day, but part of it was! Keep going!

What is your best workout memory?
Finishing my first half marathon. I cried. It hurt, but it felt SO GOOD.

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item?
FitBloggin 2014, & a Disney Princess Half Marathon!

Tell us something that not many people know about you?

M&M Cookie Pie.... you may have pinned it. Yea, that's my recipe. :-)

We can connect with you:

Blog: www.thefoodette.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefoodette

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFoodette

Pinterest: pinterest.com/soozind

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefoodette

I loved learning about you! You need to go to FitBloggin for sure! We had such a great time, and I learned so much. It's a must!  Thank you for sharing! 

FitBloggin Fun and my Ignite!

How to be a Fit Twit in 6 months...
I was fortunate enough to be chosen to give one of the Keynote Ignite talk at FitBloggin this year. I really wanted to go to FitBloggin, but I really had no idea how to financially make this happen. My friend Caroline from My Fascinating Life told me about this opportunity to speak at FitBloggin and get a free registration. At first I thought I would tell my story...then I realized that I don't really like talking about how I got here. I am not a victim anymore and I don't want to continue to rehash something that happened almost 8 years ago. I am also not at my "after" so I didn't want to do that. I figured that since I found success on twitter, I could talk about that.

To be honest, I was hoping to be more "Fit" than "Twit" (my speech is How to be a Fit Twit) but that's okay. I will say that after seeing the video, I know that it is time to spend more time on the Fit than the Twit though. I still have to work on the eating part. I also need to work on putting myself up rather than down. I am surprised I only said one negative thing about myself, but I need to stop saying anything! GRRR!!!

Here's my speech!

All day long, before this speech, I was nervous. Worried... What if I mess up?? But then I realized that everyone in that room was rooting for me! Everyone there wanted me to be the best me I could be! I got some of the sweetest tweets that day! I was told I have a cheering section table by Badass Fitness, the Fit Approach Sweat Pink girls told me that they knew I would be awesome, and I felt so loved from all of my buddies... Peace, Love, Low Carb, Gingermantra, Restoring Rachel, Melissa is Running It, My Fascinating Life, It's all about the journey, Sneakers and Fingerpaints, Family Fitness Food, Call Me Trouble and many others.
There are many other awesome things that happened at FitBloggin, but I am only going to share a little at a time. It may be because I want to stretch out the wonderful memories for as long as possible.

Have you ever given a speech and been so nervous that the time flew by? That is what happened to me!