Resolutions, goals, intention, a new day…

Whatever you want to call them, it’s the New Year and for many, including myself, it’s a time to use the extra excitement to catapult yourself toward the changes you want to see in your life. Who cares if you didn’t meet your goals last year. Who cares if that energy fizzled out around March. Last year’s failures and disappointments don’t need to define your path this year and more than likely you are a few steps closer to your goals than you think.

Of course, you don’t need the New Year to begin making changes. Nor does it need to be a “Monday”. It can be any day of the year or the week but since today’s January 1st, 2014 why not take a few moments to reflect on the past year and think about things you’d like to see happen in the future.

Looking back on 2013

Last year, I chose a word for the year, movement.  While in a hazy half sleep the last day of 2012 I realized, “I trust so I can move” and decided I wanted more movement in body, mind, and spirit.

Looking back…

I didn’t pick up my guitar like I had planned. Bummer.

Nor did, I get all my 3,000,000 steps. I got 2,629,591 steps in 2013. Considering my few months of morning sickness and losing my Fitbit, I’m okay with that. I did learn to snowboard better than I ever imagined and, aside from my weeks of morning sickness, kept up my strength training. Last year, ended on a strong note setting the foundation for another great year of building and maintaining strength.

My prayer/meditation life didn’t grow as intentionally as I planned but my trust in God has deepened. Despite the changes and surprises this year has brought, I feel a very deep sense of peace that I can’t quite explain.

Writing was a bit all over the place but I wrote. I worked on some personal projects and continued blogging, one of my favorite hobbies. The end of 2013 ended on a high note when I was offered a part time gig writing (starting this year) for a company that aligns with one of my passions. I also contributed to a book called Chicks without Bricks.

It’s a compilation of travel stories and inspirations from other unconventional women. You can order it here.

All in all my movement was slow but steady.

Looking forward to 2014

I’ve gone back and forth on choosing a word for this year. Right now as we are still without a “home” (RV) and with a baby on the way and the new writing commitment, I’m inclined to choose “survive”.

But I have more faith than that so I’m going with FOCUS.

Rather than adding an entire new list of goals, I want to focus on the movement that started in 2013 to keep (and build) the momentum. I’ve learned when I spread myself too thin, I get overwhelmed.

1. Focus on maintaining my exercise routine and nourishing my body especially as I prepare for birth. = Continue walking everyday and strength training 2-3x a week. (I really do want to get those 3,000,000 steps this year.) Continue to eat real food and cut back on junk. (Yeah, things got a little out of control around Christmas.)

2. Focus on my older boys and helping them to continue to grow in their strengths. = There is so much to say since they fill the majority of my life but here is a summary. A large part of getting a new RV is about improving their learning environment by setting up creative personal spaces for each boy where Brent and I can help guide them. Thing 1 continues to play his piano and is interested in learning web design or starting a business. Thing 2 just bought himself a new SLR camera and wants to learn about photography. He has expressed interest in drawing as well. Of course, we’ll continue with our road schooling (math, history, grammar, Latin, etc.), learning from life, traveling, and exploring nature.

3. Focus on writing. = Write every day even if it’s just for 10 minutes. And read. And read some more.

4. Focus on others. = Remembering life isn’t about me and look for opportunities to connect with and care for others.

5. Focus on the one thing everything else rests on, my faith. = Peace

Do you choose a word for the year? I’d love to hear about your reflections on 2013 and your thoughts on 2014. If you wrote a post about it please link to in the comments and I’ll check it out.

Here’s to an amazing 2014 for all of us!!! Happy New Year!!!!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at Newschool Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States.

The post Looking back and looking forward with FOCUS appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Last week, Brent and I met an older couple while riding the lift. We came down the mountain and ended up on the same lift with the couple again. Our third run down the man said, “We’ll just ride up with you guys.”

We learned they spent half the year in the Outer Banks where he works in the trades.

We learned they had two kids.

We learned about new runs we should try.

We learned they had started snowboarding together 15 years ago at the age of 50.

Rad!

That, my friends, is why I workout consistently. 

Sure a flat stomach is nice and strong shoulders look great in halter tops.

But the older I get the less those things really matter.

The people who inspire and motivate me the most are the people advancing in age who are hiking trails, snowboarding down mountains, running races, lifting some iron, and living life.

Once I read about a woman who died from getting thrown off a horse…

at 102.

For over 10 years that article of the elderly cowgirl has stuck with me.

God willing, that’s how I want to go. I don’t want to break a hip falling down the stairs.

I want to be thrown off the back of an Arabian (That’s my favorite breed and what I rode when I was younger.) while riding through the mountains.

Not to go all Bible on you but I’ve said before I’m a little Jesus flavored.

2 Timothy 4:7 – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

I want to age gracefully but not passively.

I want to keep running figuratively and literally.

The only chance I have of being able to be literally finish running or be gloriously thrown off a horse at 102 is to eat real nutrient dense food and maintain my strength.

Eat real food.

and

Lift.

Lift your body. Lift iron. Lift big bags of dog food.

Just lift.

Lift heavy. Lift consistently.

Snowboarding, hiking, running, dancing, tennis, golf, or whatever activities you enjoy…they are all wonderful but they are all second to strength.

Strength is the foundation of every healthy body.

With that here are my workouts of last week. There was fresh powder a few days so my schedule was off. I’m also doing an upper lower body splits  after months and months of full body workouts. I still love (and prefer) full body workouts but I needed a change and my legs need a bit more rest since I’m snowboarding so much.

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Strength Training – Upper Body Focus
Wednesday – Strength Training – Lower Body Focus
Thursday – Snowboard
Friday – Strength Training – Upper Body Focus
Saturday – Snowboard
Sunday – Snowboard (This was probably my best day so far. There was powder and I hit more black runs that day than any other day!)

I also walked every day. My lowest step day was 4,478 and my highest was 13,914 so I’m still on track for meeting my 3,000,000 step goal for 2013.

So how was your week? Why do you workout? Who motivates you?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at Newschool Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

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If you think you can’t do something Jen Bricker will challenge you to think again.

Jen Bricker has quite an athletic resume. She grew competing in softball, basketball, volleyball, power tumbling, and even competed in the Jr. Olympics, an impressive list of accomplishments for an average individual. However, Jen is far from average. Jen was born without legs due to a nonhereditary birth defect.

Jen Bricker was raised by adoptive parents in rural Illinois. Her mainstream upbringing allowed to her to grow up  and excel like any other kid. She never realized she was any different.  Like many small town girls (ahem), she grew up knowing nothing about nutrition and fitness programming. She grew up in the “world” of fried food and vegetables from a can.

In 2008, Jen decided to pursue a career in entertainment and moved to Orlando, Florida.  There she started to learn about working out and nutrition. She also began performing as an acrobrat/aerilist which eventually landed her a spot as a cast member on Britney Spears The Circus Tour.

Two years ago, Jen took yet another leap of courage and moved to Los Angeles to further her career. Quickly, she learned that in Los Angeles image is part of the game and she took her nutrition and fitness to an even new level and completely transformed her body.

You had an amazing transformation! What triggered your lifestyle change and can you share what your lifestyle, food and fitness wise, was like before and after?

My transformation came in steps, first entering the entertainment industry, I initially dropped 15lbs.  Then the biggest transformation came when I moved to L.A.  I knew that if I wanted to be the best at my field and achieve all my goals, I had to take care of everything I could control, to give myself the best advantage that I could.  In Hollywood, the better you look, the more you work.  I knew that was the cold hard truth for anyone out here.  Thankfully, I was blessed with an AMAZING trainer who changed my life completely, Eric The Trainer!!!  Everything about my lifestyle, diet, sleep, & exercise transformed, which is why I transformed!

What does your current fitness regime look like? What are your favorite exercises and why?

I currently workout 5 to 6 days a week for about 30-45 min.  I do a mixture of floor exercises all with my own body weight NO weights or machines.  The exercises are as if you are on your hands and knees doing variations of kicking your legs behind and beside you, as well as holding your body weight up during each exercise.  My trainer is very specific about his methods for females to maintain the lean, feminine look.  For me especially one of my biggest problem areas were my arms.  People always think I work them out and lift to get my big muscles, when actually it is quite the opposite.  I always hated having muscular arms, I wanted thin, feminine arms.  So I actively worked with Eric to shrink and tone them.

How or where do you find motivation when it starts to run low?

I mainly workout in groups with people whom I now have formed great friendships with through working out.  That is a great motivation to look beside you and see your friend working just as hard and uplifting you.  Also my trainer is always such a motivation and a happy face!

What made you want to learn acrobatics and how did you get involved? 

Ever since I can remember I was magnetically drawn to gymnastics.  In fact when I was about 7, I wanted to be an Olympic gymnast!  I knew the balance beam would be hard, but I didn’t care.

Did people ever doubt you? If so how did you respond?

If people ever doubted me, I never knew about it.  When I was younger I really had no clue I was THAT different.  No one at home, at school, or at the gym, ever treated me any different.

How has living with a disability made you stronger?

For me living with a “disability” is all I’ve ever known.  I’ve always been able to do everything I’ve ever wanted to do, so I don’t really see myself as disabled.  I don’t really think my life is drastically different than others?

Is there something about living with a disability you would like others to know about?

I think in some ways living with a “disability” has made me mature faster and see the world in a different way.  Looking different or standing out definitely draws attention and I think I get to see a person’s true self a lot quicker than maybe someone else.  I think it has allowed me to have a great perspective of reading others quickly and really seeing someone’s true self.  It is a gift I’m actually really thankful for.

I think most women struggle with body image. You work in the entertainment industry and live in Los Angeles, a city that know for image! I’d love to hear your perspective. What does healthy body image mean to you?

Living in Los Angeles can absolutely throw your mind for a total head spin!!  It can be very hard to maintain a healthy perspective on your body, when your surrounded by image,image,image.  Honestly, I have struggled just like anyone else feeling that I am not small enough, pretty enough, etc…  But I always try to remember my true purpose in life and why I was born this way and that was to help inspire and motivate others through the gifts and talents I was given.  That always puts things in perspective & gives me a reality check.  Also I go and volunteer with the homeless on Skid row, being around people who are out of the entertainment industry is a great way to un-plug and gain perspective.

What goals are you working towards right now?

My main goals are to write a book in the next 5 years, be on the cover of a women’s fitness magazine, get more involved in voice-over work and my ultimate goal is to be a TV personality/talk show host!

You performed in The Circus staring Britney Spears. What was that like? Did you even imagine you would perform in front of thousands of people growing up?!?

I honestly can’t believe that was part of my life, being on the Britney tour was one of the most surreal highs of my life.  Sometimes we would perform in front of 20,000 people LIVE!!  We were CENTER stage, ALL eyes on us!  It was the most adrenaline racing, heart pumping, ALIVE moments over and over again.  I am so thankful and blessed to have that be a part of my life!

Who inspires (or has inspired) you?

I would say my family inspires me the most, just seeing how constant and steady they are.  How they truly value and cherish the things that really matter in life, how selfless they are. They would always put us kids before themselves and they would give you the shirt off their back.  I am SO ridiculously blessed that I was able to have such amazing people raise me.

Just for fun…if your life was a song what would the title be?

“This One’s for the Girl’s”  by: Martina McBride.  SUCH a great song of empowerment for any girl/woman!!

Thank you Jen for sharing your story with us. You are an inspiration in the truest sense of the word!

You can connect with Jen Bricker on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

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I’ve been doing some thinking.

Thinking about how this year is going too fast. Wondering if there is a way to slow down time? About our next adventure. Europe possibly? And about how much I’d love a hairless cat.

I’ve also been thinking about something I said a few weeks ago.

“I feel slightly self-conscious filming my videos. As you can see I’m NOT fat but I’m not as lean as I was. People can be really harsh and it makes me nervous especially on YouTube although I haven’t had anyone say anything mean yet.”

Last week, I saw this t-shirt at Disney Hollywood Studios. Here is the complete quote from the Star Wars movie.

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.” – Yoda

“Luminous beings are we”, indeed. We are so much more than our bodies.

I don’t want to care about what others may or may not think, be it positive or negative, about my body. I want to say “this is my body” and own it.

I’m not the strongest. I’m not the leanest. I’m not the fittest. I’m not the most beautiful. I’m not the curviest. I’m not the _____.

But I am ME. I, alone, can be me.

Me. A woman created in the image of God and that is enough. Yes, the Force God is my ally and what a powerful ally I have in this sometimes unfriendly galaxy.

So to those who may judge me on my size.

It matters not.

May the Force be with you.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Girl Hero Khara has an infectious positive attitude.   By day, she teaches early childhood special education (birth-5 year olds) and loves helping families build their capacity to help their little ones be successful.  She says, “It’s a super stressful and emotional job; I’ve become pretty attached to some kiddos and it’s helped me be able to see the big picture, keep a positive attitude at all times, and celebrate even the tiniest amounts of progress.”  By night, Khara is a certified HKC kettlebell instructor who is working towards earning her RKC certification next month!  She blogs over at Beautifully Resilient.

Khara has struggled with her weight most of her life.  She has lost 30 lbs since March  and says, “Although I’ve trained with kettlebells pretty seriously for over one year, I didn’t lose any weight until I changed my nutrition.  I did completely transform the shape of my body though – it surprises me how much of my body weight is lean mass these days.”

Khara loves to read/research and is a total computer junkie.  She loves to swimming, running outside, and (attempting to) playing golf with her husband of two years.

How does your lifestyle today compare with your lifestyle a few years ago?

To be honest, I don’t feel like the same person.  I don’t think the same way, I don’t value the same things, my priorities have shifted and everything has changed.  I’ve fought a long, hard battle with emotional and binge eating.  Food was my comfort and what I turned to when the emotional stuff got to be too much.  I was the girl stuffing her face with McDonalds in the car and hiding the evidence before I got home and then eating a home cooked meal on top of that!

I am so happy to say that chapter of my life is in the past.  I’m in a much happier and healthier place now where food is still enjoyed but mostly regarded as fuel.  I really have been focusing on the relationship I have with myself – learning to love me and celebrate my strengths and find value in what I used to see as flaws.  I fell in love with training with kettlebells – I love the people I train with, what it does to my mood, I love what it’s done to completely transform my shape!  In fact, I like the activity so much that I often struggle to accept a day of rest!

Reading your blog, it sounds like you used to really struggle with self-confidence.  How did you combat those feelings?

This has been the biggest battle for me.  Girls can be vicious and I grew up overweight.  I quickly discovered that by putting myself down, I beat others to the punch.  It was a defense mechanism.  It took a long time through high school and college until I began to truly love and accept myself.  I’ve learned a very valuable lesson about surrounding myself with positive people.  I’m always searching for online communities that foster positive thinking; I read motivating books and blogs, I download and listen to podcasts that build me up, and I make my own mind-movies to keep me motivated and working toward my goals.  I control my thoughts and what enters my mind and I know how powerful the mind is.  I’ve learned to replace all of my disordered thinking with positive affirmations and I sort of learned to fake it until I believed it, but it worked.  Blogging and writing has helped combat my insecurities and negative thinking as well – I know I am not alone in my battles with self acceptance, so hopefully my words can inspire someone else too!

Did you workout before you found kettlebells?  How did you discover kettlebells?  What other fitness tool do you enjoy?

To be honest, I didn’t like working out at all before kettlebells.  I wanted so badly to be a runner because of the lean physique that most runners seemed to have.  I tried doing the couch to 5k program several times but I could never stick with it, especially on a treadmill.  I still run occasionally, but it’s always outside and usually by the lake – I like to have some scenery to keep my mind off of the running!

As far as finding kettlebell, I reached a high weight and was frustrated and knew I needed to do something about it.  I blindly searched online for boot camps in the Omaha area and randomly found a kettlebell studio near my house!  I had high expectations.  I had been let down too many times by trainers who couldn’t remember my name, didn’t take an interest in my personal goals and failed to listen to me to help me achieve them.  I needed someone who knew what they were talking about and who would believe me when I said I was in pain!  So, I checked out their website and credentials, read up on kettlebells, read their instructor reviews on Dragon Door, saw their youtube videos, etc. before I made the commitment.  I’m pretty thorough!  It’s been a running joke that as a teacher, that I know how to do my homework.

You love your trainers and say, “you wouldn’t let go (of them) for the world”!  They sound like special people.  Tell us about them and how they have helped you?

Ahh yes, they are special people.  Mark and Nikki Snow are the most down to earth people you’ll ever meet who met all of my expectations, plus some!  They have a genuine desire to help others and are truly skilled at running individualized workouts, even with 15 clients in the session.  Mark has an extensive background in sports medicine and functional movement as an athletic trainer and has a huge arsenal of corrective exercises to help his clients move better and pain free.  Nikki’s bubbly personality, athletic past, and super strong technique make her able to relate to anyone who walks in the door – everyone aspires to be like Nikki, myself included!  Combined, they pack a punch that is unstoppable – their sense of humor keeps everyone entertained and laughing, they have created a team atmosphere with their clients – everyone cheers each other on and we have this huge built in support group of like-minded people.  Mark and Nikki each bring something so unique to the table, which is why I think their business has grown so much in the short amount of time they’ve been operating.

You are currently training for the RKC.  Exciting! When and where is it?  What made you want to do the RKC and how is it going?

I am currently training for the RKC in San Diego in August and am so nervous!  I’ve always had a desire to work in the fitness industry, but haven’t been able to find a niche.  I worked at a gym that specialized in rehabilitation had an outpatient physical therapy clinic on site.  I loved seeing the clients who were recently released from rehab trying to rebuild their bodies.  If I wasn’t already 3/4 finished with college, I would’ve switched my major right then to athletic training or physical therapy.  In fact, the thought still crosses my mind, but has always been regarded as a pipe dream.  After all, you’ve got to look the part first, right?

I had a very challenging start to 2011 where I suffered a miscarriage.  After a few days of utter sadness and a level of depression I’ve never experienced before, I recognized that I needed to do something to take my mind off of what happened.  I allowed myself to grieve, but decided right then and there that I was going after my pipe dream.  I wanted to be an instructor and I committed to the Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (which was six weeks away!).  It was hard work, but I put everything I had into training and it paid off.  On April 30^th I got my instructor certification.  

Needless to say, I had the itch and signed up for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) right away.  I was making huge changes, dropping weight and finding myself loving and appreciating myself for the first time ever.  Training continues to go well – I am very proud of my strength and skills – I just need to work on my mental game now and not allow myself to be intimidated!

What is your current training regimen?

I go to kettlebell bootcamp class 3-4 days per week and do a program called Enter the Kettlebell (ETK) 3 days as well.  I take one day a week to rest.  We have class for 4-5 weeks straight and then take a week off to recover.

ETK involves a lot of cleaning, pressing, swinging and snatching.  I throw in some squats for good measure and have started focusing on training double bells as well.  

Do you follow a specific way of eating?  What does a typical day of food look like for you?

Yes!  I typically follow a nutritional program called Precision Nutrition by Dr. John Berardi.  The program has me eating five-six small meals per day.  I eat veggies with all of my meals and most of my carbs come from those veggies.  I have to earn starchy carbs and I eat them after my workouts.  Please realize that I’m only 90% compliant, so I do get to enjoy some of my most favorite foods too!

A typical days looks like this:

Breakfast– Green Shake: Spinach, water, protein powder, 1/2 cup pineapple, greens + supplement
Snack– Cucumber salad (chopped cucumbers, non fat greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar), 1 serving of almonds
Lunch – Spinach salad with fajita chicken meat, salsa, black beans, peppers, tomatoes, and side of cottage cheese
(Workout)
Snack– Post workout shake
Dinner– Turkey filet, asparagus, sweet potato

What motivates you?

Seeing others make progress.  I love going to the gym just to see everyone and you can often find me hanging out after my session to watch and sometimes assist other classes– I love the energy at the gym and I love to watch my trainers in action as I always learn something new that I can apply as a new instructor.  I feel as if I’m missing out when I’m not there and they surely keep me accountable on facebook if I ever miss a session!  I love being able to give back to others – I used to be a really private person but have found I really enjoy sharing my story in hopes that it sparks someone else to make positive changes and go after their dreams.

And just for fun, what cartoon character do you most relate to?

Lisa Simpson!  I’m focused on my goals and tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.  I have been known to rebel against social norms and am often an idealist. J  I played the clarinet for 13 years, taught myself to play the piano by ear, and I have sometimes felt like the geeky overachiever!

Thank you so much for sharing your story Khara.  You are beautifully resilient and most definitely a Girl Hero!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Today on the way to school my oldest, Thing 1, saw this trash truck which had a sign on the back that read “Safety is my Goal”.

Thing 1, being the analytical 10 year old he is, says, “That’s a dumb sign.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“It should say safety is my priority not just goal.” He continued, “I can say my goal is to kick behind my head (referring to taekwondo) but just because that’s my goal doesn’t mean I’ll do it or even keep trying.  But if I make it a priority it means I’ll keep practicing because it’s a priority not just a goal.”‘

Hmmm….

I’m a notorious goal setter. I even have a family bucket list.   My “goals” range (or have ranged) from weight loss to learning to make soar dough bread  to filmmaking to personal feats of strenght, heck, I even set “goals” to mop my kitchen but like, Thing 1, said just because it’s a goal doesn’t mean it will happen….unless I’ve made it a priority which explains my sticky kitchen floor.   Setting a goal indicates desire but making something a priority indicates character.  Perseverance, consistency, and commitment make up the current upon which goals travel and without them a goal may stagnate until it is nothing more than a forgotten idea collecting cobwebs in a far corner of the mind.  I’m thinking it’s time I revisit some of those dusty ideas and brush away the cobwebs.

I sure hope the trash truck meant safety is their priority.

(And I thought being inspired by a Big Gulp was bad.)

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Girl Hero Shelley  has been on a journey to fit since May 2008.  Since then, she has lost over 110 pounds, ran races, and has experienced things she never thought she would experience!  She enjoys running, reading, writing, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and shopping!  On her blog, My Journey To Fit, Shelley shares the ups and downs of her journey. It’s an honor to share a glimpse of her story with you!

Tell us a little bit about your family?

I’ve been married to Jeff for 26 years and have two grown sons (I feel way too young to be able to write that!), Sam and Max, who are away attending college.  We are originally from California but have lived in Texas for the past 18 years.  Our family also consists of our crazy pets, including Paco the Wonder Dog, who constantly shows up in pictures on my blog.

How does your lifestyle now compare to your lifestyle then?

I had a lot of overweight years where I sat on the sidelines and watched – I didn’t join in.  If my kids went swimming, I sat in the shade.  Too fat to put on a swimsuit, much less get in the pool.  Go for a walk?  I’ll be waiting for you when you come back.  Basically I didn’t do much if involved any kind of physical activity.  Now, I’m the one out there doing things!  I run races.  I ride my bike.  I don’t think anything of going for a long walk.  Heck, I even went ziplining a few months ago on a family vacation in Maui!  I’ve done things I never, ever thought I’d do – it’s amazing how much bigger my world became once my body got smaller.

How did you get started?  Did you follow a specific program?

I started with a mostly liquid, high-protein diet that was prescribed by my doctor – I had hoped to lose a large chunk of weight fairly quickly, in order to give me momentum to keep going.  I ended up staying with that for about three months before I transitioned myself to counting calories – and as I lost weight and became more aware of “clean eating” my food choices changed from eating prepackaged frozen diet meals to lean meats, fresh fruit and veggies, whole grains and Greek yogurt.

What have been your biggest roadblocks and more importantly how do you get past them?

Most of my roadblocks have been mental, like when I was on a plateau that lasted six weeks – knowing that I was doing what I was supposed to, and not getting any results on the scale made it hard to keep going.  Honestly, what helped with that was going clothes shopping – just trying on things in smaller sizes helped me to see that yes, I was getting results, even if the blasted scale wasn’t showing it.  Exercise was a big deal for me – I worked out with a small group of women and a couple of trainers three times a week, and I was afraid to miss any days because I worried that I would get into the habit of skipping workouts.  Then I had gallbladder issues, and had to have surgery to have it removed and could not exercise at all for a few weeks.  That was tough, feeling like I was losing the progress I’d made with the workouts.  I worried I’d slip back to my old ways of laziness, but I made myself return as soon as I got the OK from my doctor.

You mention how helpful “the support” you received from the weight loss blogging community was for you on your weight loss journey.  Can you elaborate on that?  How did blogging help you reach your goals?

I have a terrible memory, and knew that I would eventually forget both the struggles and accomplishments along the way, so blogging became my way of keeping track of my journey. I had no idea that I would not only find a wealth of other weight-loss bloggers out there who not only inspired me, but showed me that it was possible to lose 100 pounds or more – and keep it off…which was something I really hadn’t thought about.  Getting comments on my posts made me feel like I had people in my corner – people who really understood all the crazy things that we go through as we make such a huge life change.  And over time friendships with other bloggers went from leaving comments to more personal emails, complete with advice and even more support.

Any advice for new bloggers who are just starting out on their weight loss journey?

Find the bloggers who you can relate to and read them for inspiration and motivation.  Go back in their archives and read from the beginning – I remember finding a couple of bloggers who had lost over 100 pounds, and knowing that I needed to do that myself, went back and read how they got started and their struggles and triumphs.  Sometimes when you only see someone who has achieved their goal, you don’t realize that it took them a lot of time to get there.  Don’t put a time limit on yourself to hit your goal weight; instead, make this a lifestyle change so you won’t have to lose this weight ever again.

You ran your first mile at age 46 and have since run many races!  Did you discover anything about yourself after that first 1 mile run?

Hmmm, that it was both easier and harder than I realized.  Easier because I actually did it – me, who never even ran when it was popular in the 70s, and harder because it turns out that for me, running is almost as much a mental challenge to keep going as it is a physical challenge to actually do it.  But the most amazing thing I discovered is that I was a runner.  Never expected that phrase to be attached to my name!

What is that you like about running?  Do you do any sort of other exercise other than running?

Because I have been concentrating on training for half marathons (my first was in November), I’ve just been running for the last five months.  I wish I had kept up with my upper body workouts – I got pretty lazy about them, and only just recently have picked up the weights again.  I forgot how much I like the feeling of making my arm muscles burn a little, and I love seeing my muscles becoming more defined again.

You recently discovered you had an injury with the Austin marathon less than a month a away.  How are you coping with the news?

One day I will be wildly optimistic and the next day very pessimistic a little more grounded in reality.  But overall, I can’t let go of the thought that I will be able to run Austin.  Which may not be the smartest thing to do, considering I have another half marathon just two weeks later that is in my hometown – I know that if I’m not at 100%, I run the risk of hurting my ankle so much that I won’t be able to run any races.  This truly has been as much of a mental challenge as a physical one for me.

What motivates you?  Do you need to set goals?  If so what goals are you working towards?

I’d like to say that my health motivates me, but really?  It’s new clothes.  I still get such a thrill whenever I go shopping and these small sizes – single digit, mind you – fit ME!!!  That alone is enough to keep me eating right – I want to keep wearing (and buying) my smaller clothes.  OK, I will say that being healthy is a secondary motivator (shallow, I know – but hey, this is me being honest) – since I’ve lost over 100 pounds, I don’t have high blood pressure or acid reflux anymore, and hopefully I’ve avoided anything worse that stems from obesity.

As for goals, I never used to set goals.  I don’t push myself in the traditional way that a lot of people do – I don’t run every race trying to beat my previous time; I don’t have a specific number on the scale that I need to see…I guess no one could every accuse me of being an overachiever, haha!  But I do like the way I look in (most) clothes now, so being able to keep fitting into my new, smaller clothes definitely motivates me.

And for fun, what’s the story behind your pink bike???

My bike is an Electra Hawaiian Cruiser – and it is the first new bike I’ve had since my 6^th birthday!  It might be a little crazy for a grown woman to choose such a pink, flowery bike, but it makes me happy every time I see it.  The bike represents my commitment to exercise.  When I first started my diet, it was all I could do to ride my bike a couple of laps around my circle…half a mile, while not seeming like much now, was a lot for me.  I gradually increased the distance and amount of time I spent riding, and I consider the bike my gateway to fitness.

Thank you Shelley for sharing a piece of your journey with us!  You are no doubt an inspiration and Girl Hero!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Over the weekend I saw Tron.

A few times in the movie Flynn says that he was so busy chasing perfection that he failed to see it in front of him. Or something like that.

In fact, Flynn missed 20 years of his son’s life because he was busy chasing perfection.

20 years.

Gone.

We know there is no such thing as pefection yet we chase it.  Some of us do.  I know I have.

Our culture certainly wants us to chase it.  At the root of most advertising is the promise of perfection.  Buy this.  Buy that.  Go here.  Go there.  Look this way.  Look that way.

Then…

Then what?

We’ll find happiness?  We’ll find peace?  We’ll find contentment?  We’ll find perfection?

Or will we find we spent 20 years chasing something that never existed and missing the small moments of almost perfection that surround us everyday.

Perfection is not found in a bikini body.  A sleek car.   A porcelain complexion.  A paycheck.  A workout.  A food plan.

Not that those are “bad things” they just aren’t the treasure chest full perfection that “they” would like us to believe.

I do know I don’t want to miss enjoying what I do have because I am so busy thinking about what I don’t have and chasing perfection.

Instead, I’ll chase moments.

I’ll run hills not entirely because I want  a tighter butt or to be able to wear a catsuit like Quorra (even though that suit is crazy cool).  I’ll run hills because of the exhilaration I’ll find at the top. At the top, I’ll take in a big breath of gratitude.  Grateful for the heart, the lungs and the soul that carries me.  I’ll even be thankful for my legs sprinkled with dimples that catch shadows.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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This morning I did something spectacular.

I threw away some unreasonable expectations I had of myself.  Some mental clutter.  Some .0002 oz weights.

For years, I have had perfectly straight rows of turquoise post it notes taped to the wall behind my computer monitor.  On them I wrote “steps” that I thought would take me in the direction I wanted to go.  As I was cleaning my desk this morning, I realized some were more paralyzing than motivating.  Others were no longer relevant.   Still others made me feel like a failure.  It’s hard to move forward when you feel overwhelmed and confused.  So one by one, I peeled them from the wall.

Then I crumbled them into a ball…

…and put them in the trash.

I’m not throwing away my goals.  If you have read my blog for any amount of time you know I’m a very goal oriented person.  I will continue to set and reach goals, oh yes I will, but I at the same time I am choosing to allow myself the freedom to “just be”.  I’m giving myself more room to breath.  More room to play.  More room to love.  I’m re-prioritizing.  I’m setting new goals.  I’m wiping the droplets off of the bathroom mirror.  I’m letting go of unreasonable expectations and embracing new possibilities.  I’m moving forward into territories that are a little less charted and I’m excited.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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I already knew the kettlebell was one of the best fitness tools out there.  I knew it had made working out fun again. I knew it was responsible for making my core the strongest it has ever been. I didn’t know it would become a tool God would use to further shape and challenge me.  This weekend was one of the hardest most painful, yet fulfilling, weekends of my life.  Years ago, I tried to give birth naturally after having a cesarean.  At home with my doula, I labored for hours at home with extremely severe back labor.  In terms of pain and perseverance, the RKC is right under labor.  Talking to others, I found out other women have felt the same.

For me there were two interconnected realms of the RKC  the education and the experience.

The Education

Despite being over 200 years old many people see kettlebells as a fad and hence many trainers go to the nearest sporting good store to buy one to use with their clients without ever receiving proper instruction.  Those trainers have no idea what we go through at the RKC to properly  swing, clean, squat, press, snatch and do get ups safely and effectively with a kettlebell.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen pictures or videos on sites of people doing swings (or worse snatches) improperly. They may not get hurt the 1st or even the 1000th time but down the road with each improperly preformed exercise they are increasing their chances of developing injuries. Even ExRx, a trusted site, has a very very poor descriptions and videos of kettlebell exercises and some of them are downright dangerous. It’s not only about not getting hurt it’s also about getting the most out of each movement to build maximum power and strength. (And for some of us, burning calories.)

We were there is “client” form and “instructor” form.   The RKC demands that we strive for “instructor” form.  During our drills many instructors walked around the field correcting and encouraging us to meet the RKC standards of the swing (2 arm, 1 arm, hand to hand, and double), get up, clean (single and double), press (single and double), front squat (goblet and double), and snatches because on day 3 we would be tested on the standards.  It was impossible for anyone to “slide by” with mediocre form or light bells.  Going into the RKC I thought I had awesome form because I had been working out under Doug, a Senior Instructor, just short of a year.  Doug gave me an awesome foundation but there was still room for improvement.  There always is.  I greatly improved each and every exercise especially my swing, clean, and get up.  I wasn’t too surprised that my snatches were pretty good (they still improved) since I had been slightly obsessing on them the last 6 months.

("Grad Workout" I'm in the red cap to the right.)

In the RKC system, safety is of highest priority, therefore, quality over quantity is a foundational principle.  Not only were we DRILLED on our form we learned the progressions for each exercise, troubleshooting and corrective drills for clients experiencing difficulties, the “whys” behind each movement and technique, and when to refer a client to a physical therapist.  The importance of barefoot training (barefoot trail running was also touched upon), breathing, program design, and techniques to build maximum strength were also discussed.  It’s was a lot. Too much information to retain in 3 days so we were each given a 180 page  instructor manual detailing the 6 foundational exercises.  I know I will be referring to it often as I advance in my kettlebell practice.

I'm in the top row in the middle. (The shorty.)

A quick word about the organization of the RKC.  Everything was run very smoothly.  There was never any doubt about where I should be or what I should do.  They respected our time and resources by keeping to the schedule.  Everyone was friendly and helpful.  A well run organization is a result of the trickle down from the leadership.  Pavel Tsatsouline, who has trained Russian Special Forces and currently a subject expert to the US Marine Corp, surprised me. I was expecting a man with the characteristics of a ruthless dictator.  After all, he is sometimes referred to as “The Evil Russian”.  Instead, he is a humble man of quiet confidence and authority with a sense of humor.  He is the type of person when he speaks you want to listen and not because he “demands” your attention.   He is a gentleman who says only what needs to be said to make his point and he routinely recognizes/credits his instructors for their insights.  I loved that after describing a particular drill he would dismiss us politely saying, “enjoy”.

The Experience

During the introductions people shared their background.  There were firefighters, martial artists, a pro body builder, a former player for the Buccaneers, physical therapists and quite a few former service men.  For a moment, my insecurities began to swell up but then I fought to push them aside.  At this point (or any at point for that matter) what good would it do to compare myself to others.  I decided to be proud that I was even there at all.  Besides, I had the snatch test to pass.  It was too early to start doubting.

As most of you know for months, I had be leaning out so I could do the snatch test with the 26lb kettlebell instead of the 35lb bell.  I had to weigh 123.5 or less.  The day before I was still at 124.  The morning of the RKC the scale read 123.5.  I took a picture with a dated newspaper because I’m crazy to prove it.

I call this grace.

As it turned out the snatch test was the easiest part of the weekend.  I passed and immediately taped up my hands.  The line in my previous tear had cracked and I had torn another callous.

We were put on teams under a unit leader.  I had 14 people on my team, 10 men and 4 women.  My unit leader was Jeff O’Connor and my team leader was Paul Daniels.  I was disappointed not to have been put into my instructor’s, Doug Nepodal, group (He was the other unit leader.) but now in hindsight I don’t think I would have been challenged as much.  Not that Doug wouldn’t have challenged me, I just would have been more “comfortable” since I knew him.  As I found out out later, it turned out Mr. Daniels was just who I needed as a team leader.

The RKC is a “school of strength” and because of that the expectations to push ourselves is high.  Everything was based on our snatch test kettlebell.  We were instructed to use either one size up or down. Our first day was difficult but doable.  Near the end of the day my body felt like jello and my hands were cramping up with pain.  The kettlebells felt twice as heavy as they did that morning. When I got back to the hotel to shower I couldn’t wash my own hair because my hands hurt.  A few months ago, I mentioned that this weekend might leave my hand looking like I played pattycake with Freddie Cruger.  You can’t tell so much in the picture but my right hand had the weirdest red lines coming down across my palms from my fingers…sort of like playing with Freddie!  

Brent helped me as if I was a feeble old lady.  I have to say I LOVE this man.  He was sick all weekend yet he couldn’t have been a more supportive and loving husband.  He took pictures, gave massages, made me food, went to the store, took care of the boys, washed my hair, packed up the hotel room, took the boys on field trips, and offered encouragement when I would come back to our room sobbing.

The sobbing.

The sobbing started Saturday, despite it being my birthday.  I knew I was in for a long day when I woke up early, like 4-ish am early.  My hands were throbbing and my body hurt all over.  I had had such a difficult time getting my swings right on Friday that I had begun to worry incessantly (imagine that) about the technique test coming up on Sunday.

It’s my birthday and I’ll cry if I want to.

Breakdown 1 –  The breakdowns started when we started working on one armed cleans.  For some reason my hips kept swiveling and not matter how hard I tried I could not find that mind body connection so I lost it.

Breakdown  2 – Hips still swiveling and I’m unable to make the correction.

Breakdowns 3, 4, 5 – Every time someone asks me what’s wrong I try to explain I’m just frustrated with myself but end up crying.

Breakdown  6 – We are dismissed.  I cry.  Not sure why.

Breakdown 7 – I walk into our room and start sobbing uncontrollably and gasping, “I hurt.  I hurt.” over and over again.  I never said I wasn’t prone to dramatics.

BreakdownTHRU 8 –  We were working on double military presses.  My shoulders were smoked and I was fatigued.  I had failed to pr (personal record) by pressing the 35lb using the new techniques.  (My partner, however, pressed the 44lb.  She was amazing!)  I was feeling weak and said I needed to use the 20lb kettlebells because I couldn’t (double) press the 26lb bells. My team leader saw me struggling and came up to me.  Sternly he said, “The problem is not your strength the problem is you don’t believe in yourself.  You decide you can’t before you even try.” Ouch. I thought about what he said for a moment and decided I wanted to try again even though I had failed my previous 4 attempts.  I cleaned the 26lb bells and pressed.  They went up and Mr Daniels ordered, “Again.”   They went up again.  He said, “Again.”  To my amazement I double pressed them a third time.  Mr. Daniels ordered, “Again.”  This time I shifted the weight in my feet losing my tension and I couldn’t get them up.  Regardless, I started crying.  This time out of joy because Mr. Daniels believed in me I was able to believe in myself.  It’s amazing what we do for each other when we believe in each other.

Breakdown 9 – V02 Max Workout.  This was the last thing we did on Saturday after practicing and working out all day.  The Vo2 Max workout is basically 15 seconds of snatches followed by 15 seconds of rest for a total of 40 work sets.  This ends up being a 20 minute workout.  (There is actually a 5 minute test to set your cadence but thankfully we didn’t do that and stuck with the 20 minute workout portion.) I’m really not sure I can find the words to adequately describe the experience.  It was mostly quiet aside from the occasional cheer that would rise up.  We were all in a big circle and every 15 seconds we would hear “hands on the bell” and the Gymboss timer going off as we were told to “snatch”.  Within minutes I felt and saw large blisters forming on the middle joint of my fingers.  It hurt.  Really.  I’m not being dramatic.  Every time we were told to snatch it felt like someone was holding my fingers near a hot stove.  We had been told if we needed to switch to swings we could but we are also reminded that this was a “school of strength”.  Who wants to be the one switching to swings?  I knew, I didn’t, despite (more than likely) being the weakest person there.  I kept snatching and fighting the pain in my hands and the fatigue in my muscles.  After 40 work sets, time was called and tears were rolling down my cheeks.  (Remember, it’s my birthday and I’ll cry if I want to even if I have unsure as to why.)

Day 2 ended on a painful but empowering note.  I felt alive. I felt strong. I felt grateful.

Sunday morning was our final day and we still needed to pass the technique test, the teaching segment, and the grad workout to earn our certification.  Unfortunately, during the technique test I dropped a bell doing a double military press.  My left shoulder was fried.  However, they understood we were exhausted I was allowed to try again.   On my second attempt, I used every ounce of strength I had to execute the presses.  I asked if I dropping them meant an automatic fail?  I was relieved to find out that as long as we make the corrections to our form during testing or in my case follow kettlebell safety we would pass the test. I had done the right thing by not fighting the bell and getting out of it’s way.  The technique testing lasted about an hour and we wouldn’t find out how we did until the end.

After lunch we completed the teaching portion.  It was really fun.  We were reminded that people have failed for lack of “situational awareness” as that is an integral part of kettlebell safety so I made sure to be aware of my surroundings (where the sun is for getups, where the bells are, picking them up, ect) at all times.

Last not not least was “the grad workout”.  I got lucky on this one because it didn’t require any overhead work.  My legs are strong and reliable. My arms?  Not so much, at least not after 22.5 hours of swinging, pressing, and lifting bells.  As it turned out the grad workout was hard but not as hard as I imagined.

We were called to our stomachs (anytime during lectures we had to lay prone or sit up PERFECTLY straight on our knees for back health or else the group would be given swings as a reminder) one more time for a last lecture.  We were told some very strong people had not passed but encouraged to not give up.  Then we had to wait while our team leaders and instructors discussed our performance over the weekend.  The worst part.  I’m no fond of waiting.  Finally, we were called to our groups and given our evaluations.

I passed!

I was relieved and grateful.  The 20% fail rate held true.  Out of the 14 people in our team 2 did not pass and 1 had decided to forgo testing as she hadn’t realized how rigorous the weekend was going to be.  I’m confident that those who did not pass will work on what is needed and will soon earn their certificate as well!

Here are just a few of the people who helped to make this an amazing weekend.

"My crew" of course.

My instructor Doug Nepodal, Sr. RKC, and his wonderfully sweet and strong (seriously this girl STRONG!) girlfriend, Laura Sacks, RKC

My partner, Andie Crosby, RKC. I could not have had a better partner!

RKC Team Leader, Mr. Daniels, an ex Marine and 2nd degree blackbelt in Kiado-Ryu.

There were so many wonderful other wonderful people.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get as many pictures as I would have liked and (I also lost a few on one of my cameras) but I am also grateful for Dina Juve, RKC, Angela Sundberg RKC, Renee Yorkievitz, RKC, and, of course, Pavel Tsatsouline!

This past weekend was one of the hardest in my life, yet, so fulfilling.  Doug has a tattoo of a kettlebell that says “RKC Enjoy the Pain”

And in a weird way, I guess I did.

The quality of training went beyond my expectations and the RKC is an organization I’m proud to now be apart of.  The RKC has been called “the black belt of kettlebell training” and like a martial art the the training doesn’t stop at black belt.  There is always more to learn and I’m looking forward to continuing my journey with kettlebells.   I’m now aiming for my “2nd degree” and plan to attend the RKC II in the next 1-2 years.  As one of my instructors, Dina, put it I was able to “dig in” and find strength I didn’t know existed.  As a symbol of belief in and commitment to strength, I bought myself a shiny new 44lb kettlebell.

I may not be able to press it now but I’m choosing to believe that one day I will because, as Mr. Daniels pointed out, I’m stronger than I think I am.  And so are you!

If you’ve made it to the end of this, you’ve officially been added to the BFF for life list and clearly must be bored.  

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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