Life, Fitness, and General Sillyness

I've been a bit behind on updating this so I figured I'd pop in here to say hello and see how everyone is doing. I myself have had a solid summer so far. I've been booked out pretty regularly on the weekends with this and that (family stuff, weddings, birthday, or just general nonsense). All in all, it's been pretty decent and I've been digging the warm weather. I don't know about you guys but I'm not a huge fan of change. At least not emotionally. Logically I understand that it's 100% necessary for growth personally, spiritually, and emotionally. But that doesn't make me any less of a baby who fights it with a big lump in her throat the entire way. :-p  So if that's you, don't feel bad-- you aren't alone. I'm very much a creature of habit and routine. When I'm in a groove, I'm in it for the long haul. Whether it's full competition mode with my work/diet/training schedule or it's my off season, I'm am very ...

Kicking off my "Summer of Facing Fears", this relates to my last blog. (Read it here .) This was my first challenge to myself and it was a tough one. This is an extremely personal one as well. Probably because I'm a sentimental chick! After my split with my ex, my internal "Map of the Twin Cities" looked like this. With time, it was downgraded to this. Who could ever be afraid of a lake, right? Why on earth would something so silly be 1000000% off limits to anyone? What's the big deal? I mean, sure, some people suffer from agoraphobia and have water anxieties, but are the ever afflicted by one specific lake in one spot? Seems ridiculous. I was. And I have been. This is a holy ground to me; this is iconic. After all, who could ever want to avoid something as beautiful as this? Lake Calhoun has been the source of many places I refuse to go to since my breakup last fall.  Refused. Many people don't get it. "It's just...

I've been at this whole fitness thing long enough that I'm starting to see things and all my endeavors from the last 4ish years pay off. How do I know this is happening? Writing for bigger and better publications every year. Working with bigger and better photographers every year. Getting recognized from fitness stuff when I'm out and about at bars. Emails from strangers, either with thank you for something I've written, or emails written in random scorn. (hey, whatever, you put yourself out to the public and that's gonna happen sometimes.) Emails from weird guys trying to ask me out and boasting of their money/things or treating me like I'm some kind of hooker. And for the mostpart, it's a good thing. I love fitness and I love my life. Here's the secret: The real secret. Pssssst, lean in closer. The internet, facebook, message boards? I t's all an illusion. The internet is a fabulous marketing tool. It allows you to build a brand i...

I get emails a few times a week inquiring why I use Isagenix products. I'm writing this to answer that question. And no, this genuinely is not a sales pitch. This is just the truth from my own experiences. I was approached with Isagenix products in 2011. I, like many of you, was incredibly skeptical. I thought it was a pyramid scheme. I thought it just seemed like stupid overpriced crap. At the time, I was very content with the products I was buying online or at Vitamin Shoppe. I just didn't think it mattered and it was just another Amway scheme. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was fairly snippy with the girl who talked to me about it. She was genuinely excited but my skepticism was so high that it didn't matter. She approached me about it or talked about it a few times in front of me. At the time, my then-boyfriend was looking for a natural product that didn't have artificial sweeteners of any kind. She talked to him and he ordered the Athlete's Pak (it had ...

Hello lovebugs, how are we all doing today? I just wanted to throw a quick blog in and see how everyone is doing. I have been a tad neglectful of my blog. I admit it; I'm sorry. To be honest, my writing as a whole has been a bit of a struggle in general since the Arnold. I'm just putting it all out there in terms of what's been going on with me. Maybe you guys have some delightful insight into my life, its direction, and some decision making that I've made that can help guide me to my next stepping stone. I recently and gleefully began writing for bodybuilding.com and so far it's been a great experience. The weirdo factor in terms of the people who contact me has scaled up a tad since my debut on there-- other than that, it has been a fun and fabulous time. It's a little strange for me; the moment an article gets published I start getting asked by the staff editors when my next article is coming in and what it's going to be about. I'm not accustome...

Hey guys, how are you all doing on this fine Tuesday? Hope all is well and your 2013 is off to a fabulous start! I was at my Lifetime Fitness location for the first time since the Arnold last night and saw numerous new faces last night. I've also noticed new faces in my office building's gym in the last few weeks-- it seems there are some late New Year’s Resolutioners. Good for you guys! I have known many people who have undergone transformations over the years (my own included) and there are many misconceptions about getting in shape that I feel people should consider as they plug away at their goals. It's better to begin thinking about these things now versus being blindsided by it later! You Are Going to Screw Up-- Plan Ahead For It! Plan your meals and cheats ahead and stick to them-- impromptu meals and temptation can be enough to throw anyone off. Everyone succumbs to Starburst and take-out pizza occasionally. The key here is to move on and start over...

Hello! I haven't blogged in awhile and I figured I ought to check in with you guys. I competed at the Arnold a few weeks ago and managed to survive. I get asked "How was it??" all the time. Truthfully, kids, I was disappointed with the operation of the show. The expo was fabulous and I met a million great people, no doubt. Unfortunately, the show itself felt extremely unorganized and chaotic. For the amount of time and money put in, I was surprised at the utter lack of fluidity and all the snags. Duplicate athlete numbers in the same class, late show start (nearly an hour past when it was supposed to start), the shuttle service that was supposed to be provided was inconsistent and unreliable from the hotel to the venue (walking 5 blocks in 37 degree weather and a contest tan = not a great deal). I personally feel that the IFBB needs to change the qualifications for the Amateur show to limit the number of athletes. I believe that they need to change it so ...