My fitness journey

I've decided to start including one of my passions a little more here on the blog, fitness.

As you've seen in past posts, I've been running some races, but along with that I also love to lift weights and tackle some strength training too. Now, I was never an athlete in school. I was the one to ask if I could help the PE teacher to sort her paper work to avoid doing the exercise sduring PE class. I was a couch potato.

But about 5 years ago, I decided to try a fitness class. My first class was bellydancing for fitness through the local community college. I liked the class, but lacked that hip coordination. Then, I found Zumba, and I was hooked. I Zumba-ed my booty off. I sweated, willingly for the first time, and loved that Zumba just felt like straight up fun.

I wanted to up my game and found an awesome trainer that offered a circuit training class. She showed me that I could tackle those weights. And they made me feel strong and powerful. Eventually, I signed up for my first 5k with my best friend Kris. My friend, Melissa, has been running for a while, and kept trying to talk me into it, but I didn't think I could. After that race, I talked her ear off and tried to get tips and started running... Eventually, it didn't feel like I was dying the whole time I was running. I did that first 5k. Then out of nowhere, I signed up for my first half marathon. I did another 5k, a 10k, and then the half. It was so awesome knowing that I could do those things and finish without dying!

Now, I can say I'm a fitness junkie. I try to get moving at least 3 times a week (and more when I can). I have 5 races coming up in the fall and winter (eek!), and I'm working up my mileage again to half marathon status. People think I totally LOVE working out all the time. But in reality, it's hard. Sometimes a LOT of convincing happens before I get up to do my long runs on the weekend. But, I motivate myself with cute workout outfits or new fitness gadgets (total motivation to get out there some days). And I know that once I'm done with a workout, be it cardio, a run, or strength training, I feel great. I feel accomplished and bad-ass. I know I'm stronger than the day before, and I know that every time I'm out there I'm doing things that I never thought were possible for me.

Along with all this fitness stuff, I started eating healthier too. I now eat vegetables, which if you knew me before, were almost non-exisitent in my diet. The food goes hand in hand with the working out. But let's be serious, I am human, so some days you just gotta indulge with a burger or cupcake!

And I want to share my craziness for health and fitness with all of you. My life is not all sewing and cupcakes, there are lots of runs and cute workout tops and healthy recipes and all sorts of other things in there too. So you'll be seeing these posts alongside all my making of things, and I hope you like being part of my journey.

Is anyone else on the fitness kick? How did you get started on your fitness jourey?