As a chubby high school and college cheerleader that enjoyed out-drinking my male friends too much, I got myself in gear before marrying my college sweetheart and was perfectly fit for my wedding day. Running 3-5 miles per day and doing medium intensity weight-training got me into great shape. Fast forward 10 years and I was struggling to lose weight after having my second child. I trained for and ran a half and full marathon after my first and the weight came right off, with the second running long distance just didn't get the weight off. After suffering a pregnancy loss over Christmas of 2011 I decided to stop the chocolate binging and get back to what I loved - a mix of running and solid strength training. I'm built like a house, not a runner - so it was time to put this strong body to work!

As a mom that works a full time job I find that I need physical activity to keep me sane and rid myself of harmful stress. This makes me a better mom, wife, and employee. While it can be a struggle to fit everything in (I also just finished my MBA!) - it's worth the effort. Seeing the progress I make with each workout makes me feel incredibly strong inside and out. I see progress in the mirror and I see progress when I'm out training for my long runs on Saturday mornings - running is easier, fat is disappearing, and my muscles are making themselves seen for the first time in years. What's not to love about that?!!