A little background

Welcome to our blog!

Saren and I both have our own personal blogs.

We both have a common interest and similar goals. To get back to our former skinny selves.

A little about myself. I love being active. I'm a  bike rider, I spin 3x a week, I've been a scuba diver for over 12 years, I play basketball, volleyball and football and softball. I enjoy swimming and camping. I'm definitely not a girlie girl by any stretch of the imagination but I do clean up pretty nicely ;)

A little background on me, and how I got here. It started a few years after high school when I was in a car accident. it could have been tragic...but thankfully all of my major injuries healed. However this was the beginning of my 'excuses'. You know all the excuses you use when you don't want to do anything?

Well, I used my shoulder, hip, rib, and foot injuries to get as much sympathy as I could. I  stopped playing basketball, I stopped running, I stopped working out. But, I kept eating the way I did when I was very active. Which was H.O.R.R.I.B.L.E!

Then I gained 10lbs, 20lbs, a lot more lbs.

It was easier to use my car accident as an excuse. Til one day I'd had enough, I wanted to feel confident again, skinny, pretty, I wanted to play basketball and football again so, I got back into the groove of things... I was working out, eating healthy and I was losing a little weight, but toning TONS.

Until August 2010. I was playing in a touch football game. I was running for a pass and the next thing I knew I was flying thru the air...I heard something pop and I landed on the ground. My knee instantly started to throb. Two of the guys tried to help me up, and the minute I stood up and tried to walk on it, it popped again.

I tore my ACL, MCL and wrecked my medial meniscus.

I was beyond depressed. I was on crutches and in a zimmer brace for 3 weeks.I re-injured it in a slip and fall. After that, I had seen doctor after doctor... and they were all telling me the same thing. I would need surgery.
Ugh. However, I wasn't going to let this get me down. You should have seen all the weird looks I got from the trainers, and other people working out at the gym. Everyone thought I was nuts. Including my trainer, I was a girl working out in a knee brace, walking on inclines, riding a stationary bike and doing as much upper body strength as I could (pretty sure TrainerBoy thought I was beyond insane)

From Oct 2010 right up until 12 hours before my surgery I was in the gym every night. Working on gaining strength in my left leg, and in my upper body to help me endure the 4 weeks of being on crutches. I knew I was going to miss the gym that six weeks I was off-so I needed to take full advantage of it while I could.

And that is what I did.

Feb 18,2011 I had knee reconstruction. It was long. It was hard. It was painful.

I promised myself that I would be back in the gym at 6 weeks. That was my goal. I did anything and everything I could to keep myself motivated. The days drug on, but the weeks flew by (if that makes any sense at all). It was my saving grace.

I was back in the gym before I knew it. My trainer was happy to see me, all my friends were happy I was back. But most of all I was happy I was back.

The last 6 weeks have been hard. Real hard. I've left the gym in tears many times. Tears of frustration, tears of pain, and tears of joy because of the accomplishments I've had. It's been such a miracle to see my progression from day 1 back in the gym until now. Each week I'm able to do new things. I'm slowly becoming myself again.

Whatever your excuse is. Stop.right.now. Cause excuses don't fly with me. I was in the gym right until 12 hours before my surgery, and I was back exactly 6 weeks after. If I can do it-anyone can. You just need a little motivation.

I guess that brings me to right now. I am so motivated. If you've read my personal blog, some of this background info will sound familiar. I will probably be taking clips from there every now and again to help describe what  I am going thru. The things that have helped me, the people who've motivated me.

It's not all great times, and groovy tunes. Some days I'm down because I don't see results, I have more than one cheat day a week. But I've learned to find Joy in the journey. To make small goals that will eventually lead me to my ultimate goal.

What is my ultimate goal? I'm planning on becoming a spin instructor in December 2011, I'd like to run a half marathon(I've never been a runner, I was trying to train myself when I wrecked my knee), and maybe compete in some sort of fitness competition. So I have alot of work to do between now and then.

What are your fitness goals? What are the driving forces for these goals?



The best changes often start as single, simple thoughts. Think big, and discover how to make your dreams real.

 - Anonymous