365 GPP

It all started a 365 days ago...

Everyone knows I have always enjoyed exercise it was just something I did 4-5 days a week for an hour. 95% of the time it was just cardio I would brave the weights for a few min. some days.

When I was pregnant with Bronson I worked out everyday, even the day I had him (I was trying really hard to have him. He was a week overdue)

When he was 2 weeks old I went back to the gym 3 days a week and new I needed more.. Not only for my sanity but HELLO I just had my 3^rd baby. I know how hard it was to get back to “normal” with my other two, number three would be just as hard if not harder.

There was a “gym” that was offering the entire month free so I thought I would give it a go for the last two weeks of December. I knew I needed to take it easy seeing as baby was 4 weeks old now. The first day I went part of the workout was a 400 meter run. I don’t remember the rest. I do remember I could not run around the entire building without having to walk. Sad I know, its only 400 meters. I thought If I just keep going maybe one day I can do it.

I could already see changes after only four week but the scale wasn’t moving. I was starting to get frustrated nobody will help a woman with a diet if they are breastfeeding a baby. I finally gave in and talked to Neil about my frustrations he was able to help me figure out what would work best for me in my situation. Neil then encouraged me to do a before picture and measurements the scale doesn’t always tell us what we want to see. A picture 6 weeks postpartum is not pretty, but I wanted to see where I started.

Neil and Lizz offered a class on how to use this program with success. Two thing they said that stuck with me was to “challenge yourself once a year, and you need to be here 5 days a week”. Seeing as Its all or nothing with me I was there 6 days a week for the most part and signed up for a 5K. I have never been able to run and now I could make it through the 400 meter runs and not walk. So me being the insecure person I was I couldn’t do this alone. So being the good mother I have she said she would do it with me. I went and registered us before she could change her mind. Together we successfully completed our first 5k together. What an accomplishment it was for me and to have my mom by my side seeing all the trials she had been through physically the last few years.

A few months later Neil and Lizz again offered a class on Triathlons. I decided to go because mother was more interested and Whitney was going to be there. Again the challenge was put there to “try something new” we decided to sign up for the Rec. center triathlon. Can I mention I have no clue how to swim. I have almost drowned my mother twice because I panicked. I did a few swim classes with Lizz who no joke had to teach me to blow bubbles. We all have to start somewhere. Whitney, mother and I all completed our first triathlon. I even took third in my age group. I know it was a novice you can jump farther than the swim, but it was huge to me to not only finish but to do it with mother and Whitney.

Since then I have done 3 sprint triathlons one of which was Lake Powell where mother and I both placed 3^rd in our age groups.

I also was able to participate in 2 relay runs this summer the first was EPIC from Logan to Jackson and the second was RED ROCK Brian Head to Zions. What an amazing thing to be a part of.

Thinking back on all the things I did for the year I thought I had completed my challenge for the year. I was ready to be done. Until I found out a friend was running the Mesquite Marathon. I thought I ran epic. I had continued to add to my mileage every few weeks. If she can do it so can I. So 4 weeks before I registered. Thanks to the amazing training plan of Lizz not only was I able to train for a marathon in 4 weeks and not take anytime away from my family. I was able to finish a marathon PAIN free with only four weeks of training.

The longest distance race (excluding relays) I had done was a 5k. Unless you consider the Dirty Dash 10K

People are always asking where I work out. When they say they have tried it and its not for them it makes me think what wasn’t for them. Not only have I changed physically but mentally it has taught me so much about who I am. If it wasn’t for this great community of fitness I would have never meet some truly amazing people. I am fortunate to have meet a friend who not only is an incredible athlete but had taught me how to be positive an believe in myself. If it wasn’t for the great community at GPP I would have never know how much that opportunity changed my life.

137lbs. 130lbs. 122lbs.

"It is nothing I have done for myself it was all done by my amazing trainer" -Neil Anderson

(Neil made me say this)

I can't wait for next year I have signed up for another marathon in January and two half marathons already.