Redefining What’s Beautiful – Team Running IT

Happy Thursday all!

It has been a crazy busy week! One in which I’m proud to say I’ve been hitting the gym and yoga with enthusiasm! Feeling motivated and strong buddy! And a large part of that is due to the Under Armour  campaign “What’s Beautiful?”

You can check out the details at the video above BUT in case you’re wanting all your info here I’ve included a little blurb from the page below!

Together we’re redefining the female athlete by setting epic goals and pushing past where we’ve ever been and where we thought we could go. Join us. Set your own personal goal. Then document your journey by posting videos and photos that tell your story from start to victory.

We’ll continuously post challenges for you. But that’s just the beginning. Show us your journey. Show us what makes your story the one that stands out from the rest. If you meet your goal, set a new one. Make it even bigger. Prove to everyone, and yourself, that you have more than what it takes.

Personally, I’m beyond excited for this campaign. Why? Because my whole life I’ve struggled to define my OWN beauty by what everyone ELSE thinks of me. I’ve never really felt I was ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’ or what everyone else in the world considered that. Which is a huge problem in my own personal life. Also, as a dance teacher/coach, I work with young girls and women. Those that are as young as 2 years old, through college and beyond. I see the struggles begin in these young girls and women so early and it breaks my heart when one of them tells me they don’t feel pretty, or worthy of someone, or that they are not part of the ‘in crowd’ (middle school is a fickle biotch people).

So I am proud to be a part of something that sets out to redefine society’s idea of what a beautiful woman is. To me she is STRONG, DETERMINED, and CONFIDENT. She sets goals and gets after them. And if she falls…well she gets back up and keeps going. She never gives up.

I am also proud to say I am part of Team Running It!! Woot woot! My girl Melissa is a team captain and there is no other person I’d like to have leading me in this endeavor than her. A few words from the women herself...

 Women are always busy and often our busyness becomes the reason excuse we neglect to put the effort into achieving our fitness goals. I would love to have you join Team Running It and Run Your Life, Don’t Let It Run You!  Once you’ve signed up and declared your fitness goal individually, you can join my team here and you bet I’ll be following you, cheering for you, and even posting a few challenges along the way as well!!

She has conquered many a lofty fitness/health goals, but also just life in general. I look at her and see exactly the woman I want to be. She inspires me daily and I am so glad to call her a friend, a teammate, and my own personal runspiration.

….

Ok…pulling it together now.

So what is my goal/challenge for this session of What’s Beautiful?

To stop defining myself by a number on the scale! To believe that I am BEAUTIFUL and WORTHY of success and happiness!

#IWILL.

(Note: NO scales were ACTUALLY harmed in the writing of this post….just a GREAT pic I found…and just know if I were to ACTUALLY take a hammer to my scale…the results would be MUCH uglier…like itty bitty pieces would be all the remains…moving on)

I’ve come to realize over the past few months that I’ve been unhealthily addicted to getting on a scale and defining myself by the number I’ve seen. So overcome by the fear of gaining back weight that I lost sight of WHY I started my journey in the first place. It wasn’t for a specific number on the scale. It was just to LOSE the weight. To be HAPPY again. And by defining myself on that scale all I’ve been lately is UNhappy. And I’m sick of it. So for the month of May I’d thought about ditching the scale and this competition gives me the extra push. The scale has been moved out of the bathroom and hidden. Now I judge ME by how I feel and what I am doing….NOT by the number I see on a daily basis (or sometimes TWICE daily basis….sick…absolutely sick!)

You can follow me journey HERE. I’ve got some other goals (more measurable ones at that…like a sub2 hour half) I’m striving for as well, but this one is a biggie for me. And I think it will help me in advancing in my other goals and just general life happiness.

Not enticed yet? Need even MORE of a reason to just get after it?! Well if you like competition this is the place for you! After 8 weeks, Under Armour will announce the 10 finalists who’ve documented the most impressive, motivated, monumental stories.  Under Armour will select two winners from those ten; one will be voted on and chosen by the community. The three women with the most epic personal journeys will win a trip to the Armour Retreat in Costa Rica for four days of yoga and surf lessons, with spa treatments, massages and meals prepared by a personal chef!

Ready to join? What will be YOUR goal?

FitBloggin ’13 – I’ll be a LIVE Blogger!

So the good news keeps coming! I have been officially selected as a Live Blogger for FitBloggin ’13! WOOT WOOT!

WHAT is FitBloggin ’13 you ask?! Wonderful question! Let me tell you about it!

About FitBloggin’ (From the FitBloggin’ website)

The FitBloggin’ Conference is for anyone who blogs about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle–regardless of where they are in their journey. Our attendees are a melting pot of fit-minded people. Some of us are on a mission to lose weight. Others are training for triathlons. We have gym rats and folks learning to run. We welcome vegetarians, vegans, and convenience food junkies alike. We may all be in different stage of fitness, but we all share one passion: To live a happy, healthy balanced life.

More than just another blogging conference, FitBloggin’ is all about the desire to use technology, blogging and social media to motivate, inspire and foster a culture of health and wellness. We strive to bring together bloggers from all walks of life to create a tightly connected group of men and women who care deeply about and are committed to spreading this passion for fitness.

To be chosen to be a part of the live blogging crew is such an honor. There were 30 assistant spots available…Again, I really didn’t think I’d be chosen but when I got the email I was like HECK YES (except in a much more non-PC language…I’ve censored it for your sake…you’re welcome)!!

FitBloggin’ 13 will be held in Portland this year. So I get to make my way back to the beautiful PNW (Pacific Northwest) and enjoy a weekend full of amazing workouts and sessions on health, fitness, and blogging. Plus I get to meet a ton of amazing bloggers and interact with people who have similar stories of getting back to health and happiness. Below are a few friends and favorite bloggers who will be in attendance this year…

• http://melissarunningit.com
• http://frugalbeautiful.com
• http://www.MySkinnyJeansDreams.com
• http://www.peaceloveandlowcarb.com
• http://badassfitness.com
• http://PBFingers.com

These are just a FEW of the Bloggers I’m excited about…who else will be there?! Check the list out HERE!

I’ll get to Live Blog one of the sessions I take and there will be PLENTY of other tweets, posts galore about the weekend. What could be better than a weekend about living the healthy, happy life?! I mean it is what I try to do every day and have strived for over the last 3 years. I see this as a tremendous opportunity to move forward with my goals of health and fitness, as well as to meet and learn some amazing things about blogging and just LIFE. Each person at this conference has their own story and I am beyond excited to hear them.

Portland….here I come!

What do YOU want to learn from FitBloggin ’13? What can I share with you as a reader?!

I am a See Jane Run Ambassador!

I am excited to announce that I have been chosen as a See Jane Run ambassador!

 

AHHHHHH!!! Ok – needless to say I’m ridiculously excited. I applied for the program back in March and have been waiting on pins and needles to see if I’d get accepted. I wasn’t really expecting to get picked. I mean, there are tons of amazing women with inspiring stories and reasons why they should be ambassadors. So I figured it was a long shot.

A little information about See Jane Run (from the See Jane Run website)

See Jane Run is so much more than a running store. As a woman-owned and operated company, See Jane Run reaches out to individuals of all shapes, ages and fitness levels. Yeah, we sell shoes and gear, but we also motivate, inspire and support. Our Train With Jane programs are designed specifically to meet the needs of a Jane who has never run beyond the corner to the seasoned Jane who wants to shave time off her personal best. And we even host our own events. Yep, we like to stay busy! See Jane Run half marathons and triathlons are happening in the San Francisco CA area, Boise ID, Seattle WA and Wichita KS.

And here is the See Jane Run Manifesto

I chose to apply to be an ambassador because they embrace the female spirit. They celebrate WOMEN. Our hard work, our commitment and every essential part of who we are. They encourage us to strive for things bigger than ourselves. To be part of a running community and to move forward together. They do this through not only their stores but also their events.

And then they reward us with awesome things like champagne and chocolate at the end of our races…I mean who wouldn’t LOVE that?

If you’ve read my blog and about my weight loss journey, you know that I have often struggled to embrace my own beauty. It is something I work on EVERY day. Some days are better than others and I am able to see the beauty in OTHERS much more than I see myself. I’m hoping that by being part of this amazing group of women (my fellow SJR ambassadors) I’ll be exposed to wonderful opportunities to grow and share my journey. Inspire new faces and hopefully re-inspire myself along the way.

Keep a lookout on the blog, Twitter and Facebook page for more posts about my See Jane Run ambassador experience. I’ll be running the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Seattle on July 14th and will post my training stories along the way. My Goal for that race is to hit sub 2:00! (If I haven’t hit it by then!)

What is YOUR favorite See Jane Run product? What do YOU want to know about See Jane Run? Are you running one of their events?

 

La Jolla Half Marathon {Race Recap} – #5 of 2013

Greetings! I have returned! I have been MIA of late and that is due to the insanely CRAZY schedule that is my life this month. It doesn’t seem to be getting any less crazy over the coming weeks/months so I’m just going to have to find additional time/motivation/energy to make sure I keep being consistent. Consistent in ALL things, training, running, being social and posting HERE!

Ok – So I’m back and well I’ve returned with a vengeance! Today was the La Jolla Half Marathon (#2 in the Triple Crown Series). And as inconsistent as I’ve been with posting here, I have been JUST as inconsistent with my running. I’ve had  5-10 runs since my last Half Marathon (SD Half on March 10th). Ranging from 3-7 miles….and NO hill training….Yeah well THIS is the elevation map for La Jolla

Needless to say I felt ill prepared. But I wasn’t worried about time. Just finishing it. Going in and kicking those hills in the BUTT. I wasn’t about to let them beat me. After classes on Saturday I headed to the race expo to meet my good friend Melissa. We grabbed our bibs and walked around the expo. Very small since it was right outside Road Runner Sports and since it is a smaller race itself. I mean who needs a ton of expo booths when you have a running store right there? Kinda sad because I like getting all the free samples and seeing new things, but given the chaos of my schedule it was nice to just go in and out. Parking was a bit chaotic and I ended up spending more money at RRS then I should’ve but since I live and work in workout gear I see it as an investment. 🙂

We also hit up one of the booths for some free stretching and pain assessment…I think the picture says it all dontcha think?! {Sorry Melissa!!)

I also thought it was pretty awesome that they had this Run for Boston sign with markers for every runner to stop by and put a message on. Given the chaos of my schedule I haven’t been able to voice my thoughts on the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. Needless to say I was shell shocked the days after it. Found myself crying for the friends I had in Boston, for my cousin who just happened to be visiting the city that weekend. Even if you weren’t running, weren’t qualified, weren’t there…..we as a running community felt it. But we have struck back with more love, faith and persistence then I could ever have hoped. Makes me truly proud to be part of this community. Worldwide we are ONE.

My preparation the night before the race was needless to say just as out of it as the rest of my ‘training’ (aka non-existent). I babysat for one of my little dancers and her brother and sister. Didn’t get home and into bed until midnight which meant that there was no laying out of my clothes for the next morning or any other kind of preparation. I DID however make the command decision to sleep in an extra hour on race morning and trek it up to Del Mar to the start line. The race goes from Del Mar down to La Jolla so you either have to park at the start and shuttle back from the finish, or  park at the finish and shuttle to the start. I’d originally planned to do the latter, but that meant getting up at 4am and that was just NOT gonna happen.

Race day morning I got up, laid out my clothes and got prepped to go. Wearing yellow to rep for Boston. The extra hour of sleep was a blessing and the trek up to Del Mar to park was WAY easier than I anticipated.

I had about an hour to spare so sat and stayed warm until race start, then met with Melissa to get into our corral. We got a couple pre-race photos at the start line and with some super cool spiderman outfitted runners…

Then the waves went and we were off. I ran into quite a few friends along the way, which helped in the motivation arena. They kept me pumped, especially on the hill. I caught my friend Kristina’s husband at multiple points along the crazy hills. And by multiple points I mean I would see him, I’d run past him where he was waiting for Kristina, then he’d run past ME to get to his next point, and I’d see him again. Crazy Kenyan-like man. WISH I had his energy and speed!

Here are some of the sights along the route….

13.1 miles of beauty

far away view of the downhill trek into Torrey and the impending hill of doom

bottom of the Torrey Pines hill

Along with some of my favorite participants and signs!

Right after Mile 7…if you’re over halfway might as well finish!

Sole to Soul on course support!

Bad ass…barefoot and in traditional Hawaiian gear!

I somehow managed to survive all of the hills and pulled into the finish at 02:16:51. Not my best time, but not my worst. AND considering my lack of training I’ll take it! I’m sitting at the fam’s house in Poway enjoying a relaxing evening and delicious dinner and the legs feel much better than I anticipated. Also reflecting on the fact that my La Jolla time is only 3 minutes slower than Carlsbad (#1 in the Triple Crown series). Shows you how HORRIBLE my stomach issues were at that race. I added TONS of hills this race and somehow pulled about the same time. Yeah. Moving on.

I snagged a couple post race photos with friends..

Me and Guns

Kristina and her Kenyan husband

Finisher buddy!

Then got in line to get shuttled back to the start line. Only part of the day that sucked. Thirty minutes of waiting, thirty minutes back to the start and then 30 minutes home. An hour and a half of my life I want back, but there were TONS of shuttles so I can’t really complain about it. They seemed to be very organized and used the big buses to do it to get as many people back as quickly as possible. Props to the race organizers.

Overall a great race for being so unprepared. Next race on the schedule is Beat the Bridge on May 19th. A 5 Mile race in Seattle benefiting JDRF and then R&R San Diego in June. Goal…be better prepared!

Have you ever had a race where you just were NOT ready?  How did you survive it?