Meet My Friend Kat!

This week's featured blogger is someone I met about a year ago. She and I connected before I knew any bloggers in person. My first impression of Kat was that this girl was beautiful. She is super fit and kind on the inside as well. I think I just assumed that she was one of those people who was just naturally fit. I was shocked to find out that Kat has worked really hard to get where she is and nothing comes easily. I think it was an eye opener for me in the fitness blogging world. All of us have a story. You need to check out Kat's. She is truly inspirational!

I almost forgot too... Kat is participating in the Marine Corp Marathon this weekend! Good Luck girl!

Name: Katrina P

State: Florida

When and why did you start working out? 

Back in 2005 I started a fitness journey since I gained weight through college. However, I didn't do it the right way, hoping fat burners would do the trick. They did, but temporarily and with side effects. So, I began running in 2007 with 5ks and slowly built up to a half marathon that I did last year - 6 more after and now will do my first marathon at Marine Corps Marathon 10/27/13. Living a healthy and fit life helps you to ENJOY life that much more fully!

What is your workout of choice? 

Running or High Intensity Interval Training Circuits/Tabata

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? 

My favorite race to date was the Disneyland Half marathon, race distance is the half marathon, and WOD - I attempted crossfit and didn't stick with it, I use various circuits when I strength train. My favorite exercise is the push press and the pushup knee-to-elbow

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? 

Good sneakers!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?

I eat a mixed ratio of carbs/fat/protein. I aim for .80 g of protein per lb I weigh. I also eat tons of veggies and avoid starches if I can. Through marathon training my body's craved more of those starches and I don't fight it. After training is over, I'm attempting the Whole 30!

What is your favorite cheat food? 

Frozen yogurt

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 

Start slow and don't compare yourself to anyone but yourself! Set attainable goals that you can achieve and focus on!

What is your best workout memory? 

Sub 2 hour finish at my first half marathon and again at half marathon #5

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST”item? 

Achieving the 6 half marathons in 6 months, To complete my first marathon, to compete in a figure competition one day!

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I'm slightly OCD - order makes me happy ;)

You can find Kat at:

Blog: http://www.katrinaelle.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatrinaElleP

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

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katrinaellep

Instagram: http://instagram.com/katrinaellep

Gingermantra: Featured Blogger and Win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor

I have this beautiful friend that I was lucky enough to meet in real life in June. Her name is Tammy and she runs a blog called Gingermantra. She is a feisty red head and a true, good-hearted woman that I am proud to call my friend. You have to meet her! I cannot wait to see her in November for the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete, FL.

Meet Tammy Means from  Florida

When and why did you start working out?  I was a tomboy growing up.  I loved the outdoors and camping out (primitive camping) at a very young age.  It was the classic childhood of you don't come inside until it is dark or dinner is ready.  I spent my days running and on my bicycle.  After 3rd grade my Mom put me in a summer camp where I grew to love softball which I played through high school and in a few adult leagues after that.  I also dabbled in running in high school, but never fully committed to it as my sport of choice since I was also a volleyball player.  After turning 25 I found myself in the rut of my mid twenties on the slide to 30 and I had gotten out of shape, so I joined a gym and began working out and taking aerobics classes 6 days a week.  In between workouts I would hit the treadmill for 6 miles every day.  Then after turning 35 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and found myself right back at the threshold of needing to get back into better shape.  I began working out at a gym and then took several months of bootcamp classes and then a long time friend reunited me with my love of running I had found in my mid twenties and I have never looked back.

What is your workout of choice?  I'm a runner as my main sport of choice but I also cross-train with mountain biking with my husband and weight training in the gym.

What is your favorite race, race distance, or WOD?  I love the half marathon distance. 

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear?  Oh for me, the runner, it's all about the shoes!  For many years I was a Nike girl, but last year I was introduced to Mizuno's line of running shoes and have trained and raced with them ever since.  When I run I have an odd foot plant which makes me supinate (land on the outsides of my heels instead of neutral or inward) and if I do not have the proper shoe or foot bed in my running shoe it makes my legs fatigue much faster.  I know a lot of people would say a certain brand of clothing or maybe their favorite piece of equipment, but for me it's all about the shoes!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?  I don't follow what society calls the traditional version of "diet" but I am a newbie vegetarian, about 2 months now.  I do not eat dairy at all and I only consume meat once a week if at all, but must know where it came from and how it was raised.  My requirement for all food I eat is that it is hormone free and pesticide free and I do not eat fast food or traditional processed food items.

What is your favorite cheat food?  Post race I love a great burger, grilled grass-fed beef with just mustard and ketchup and a side of sweet potato fries.  It's a race day tradition and sometimes I throw in french fries if sweet potato fries are not an option. 

What advice would you give someone just starting out?  Never ever compare your beginning to someone else's middle.  Never concentrate on the number on the scale either, get full measurements and track your progress with body fat tests and other health assessments.  Getting healthy takes time and it never happens over night, even if we wish with all the wishes we could have that it would.  Getting on track to being a healthier version of you requires dedication and focus, but even more than that it requires that you identify triggers that you have.  Whether it be an emotional state of mind that you must overcome that keeps driving you to quit or if it is finding the right workout for you to see the results you want, you have to sometimes step outside the box and try different workouts and routines.  I'm a morning workout person.  I love to get my runs in at 5:30 am and on cross-training days, you will find my husband and I in the gym by 5:00 am.  We love to spend our Saturday mornings on the mountain bike trail for a quickie 7 or 10 mile ride to clear our heads and get away from the hustle and bustle of the week.  It's all about finding what works for you.

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item?  Oh I have so many, I don't think I could chose just one!  I would love to run the New York City Marathon and I would also love to run Chicago.  I have a list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 41 and one of the biggies is going sky diving (tandem of course), though I have yet to find anyone that would join me in this adventure.

Tell us something that not many people know about you?  When I was a little girl in 2nd grade I struggled with a learning disability.  It was something that I wished to overcome and knew that I could with hard work.  I decided to put all my focus on what it would take to develop past this issue and to make sure I always challenged myself to work harder and do better and be a better student.  I think a lot of what I pushed myself through with those insecurities and also as a little ginger child helped me get where I am today.  I believe to be successful you must work hard, inspire others, always be encouraging and above all remain humble.  "People may not remember your face but they will remember how you made them feel"

We can connect with you:

Blog:  http://gingermantra.com

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/gingermantra

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/gingermantra

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/gingermantra

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/gingermantra

Win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Universe Knows! #Inspirationwear

I had never heard of The Universe Knows until a few of my blogging friends started posting adorable pictures on instagram of their coffee mugs, hoodies, and journals. I HAD to have one! My hoodie is my absolute favorite! I love the bright orange color and "Be the Change" is a great saying to go along with my life. I am trying to be the change in my career, my fitness and my blogging. It was like the Universe Knew :) And I kind of think it did.

I love everything about this company. The founder of this company, Ron Dinehart was an engineer for 13 years and one day, he decided to make a shirt with "The Universe Knows" imprinted on it. And with that, this company was formed!

This comes directly from their website, and it says it all...

the universe knows will be your support group. we will provide you with the encouragement you need to awaken your passion. we will not judge you. we will cheer you on to live your dreams. we will be your number one fan. for that, we ask only that you bring an open heart and a willingness to change. after all, you wouldn't already be here if you weren't ready.

so take the journey with us and be one of the souls to tell us how you did it. your message will help others to live their dreams. we will not stop until the whole universe is in tandem and every soul on earth is living it's dream. dare to dream. follow your heart. the rewards are worth the risk. this, the universe knows.

I am a big fan of a company who doesn't just want your money... they want to be a part of your journey. Well, this journey, Mindy's Fitness Journey, is glad to make them a part of my journey! I need all the support I can get! I am trying to figure out which hoodie I am going to buy next. They fit so nicely and wash up perfectly!  

The first time I wore my hoodie, I only wore it for a quick trip to Publix. While I was there for less than 30 minutes, 4 people asked me about my shirt. The first three times, I told them about The Universe Knows, but the fourth time, my son Bryce did the talking. Haha! It was actually pretty great! He is an awesome resource to me... and The Universe Knows. :) 

This is from the website The Universe Knows

Which hoodie would you choose and why? My next hoodie will be the teal blue with "Cherish the Journey" on it because this is the journey I have and I am in control!


Disclaimer: The Universe Knows provided product for me to review. All opinions are my own.

My #C9atTarget shopping spree! And giveaway!

So summer is here! That means I don't have to wear work clothes til August. And you know what that means!!! Chances are if you see me out, I will look like I am about to workout or I have just worked out. Yep... I will be wearing Activewear all summer long. Well, you know I love Target, I mean who doesn't? I have written two sponsored posts for them. We have been lucky enough to have a giveaway and guess what? We have another one! So when Target asked me to head out to try on some of their C9 activewear by Champion and buy some, I, naturally jumped up and down... I really did!!! This post is sponsored by Target!

What do you think?

He was pulling outfits out like crazy

Today, Bryce and I headed out to Target. We walked straight over to the hats first because I needed to know if my new haircut would look good in a visor... I am thinking yes... hope you agree!

Then, I grabbed a whole bunch of stuff to try on. I am not sure Bryce was too thrilled, but I did tell him if he would come in and take pictures when I was done that I would buy him some C9 activewear too! That pepped him up because, let me tell you, there is some awesome stuff for kids in the C9 line. Bryce could bankrupt me too. That kid loves clothes!!!

Isn't this just beautiful! Look at these colors. I have to be honest... I have been overweight so long that I have not really looked for clothes other than black pants and black shirts. I really had fun digging in to these beautiful colors and realizing that I can wear these clothes! That was fun!

I found that I was drawn to the pinks and the blues the most. I am still partial to the black pants and shorts, but at least I am changing things up with my tops! That is progress, my friends!

I tried on some really cute activewear shorts. Bryce said that I looked like a golfer. So I had to practice my swing... I think I've still got it! :) I really loved this sleeveless shirt with the shorts. Too cute! I had to buy it! I feel like my sister in law. She dresses like this because she is an athletic trainer, and I like that look a lot! Plus, I thought it was slimming... definitely a plus! There were so many shirts that had adorable cuts on the back! I am only a month into crossfit, but I already see a difference and liked the way these looked! I loved these! I bought the ruffled black one, but I really am thinking that I need to go back for the others too!

I cannot wait to wear my new clothes on my runs, to crossfit, or just around the house. As I said before, I will be found in activewear for the next 2 months! And with my new C9 clothes from Target, I am going to be stylin'!  Would you like to be stylin' too? All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below. Enter for a $25 Gift Card to Target to buy some C9 gear for yourself! They have men's gear too!

I bought this too... won't wear it til it's cold, but it was too cute to pass up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am also giving away Headbandsofhope: http://mindysfitnessjourney.blogspot.com/2013/06/headbands-of-hope-and-giveaway.html