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
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| 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.
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| 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:
Twitter: @dancngurl02
Pinterest: @dancngurl02
Instagram: @dancngurl02
