The Road to Athletish

My journey into athletish-ism started in high school, when one day, on a competitive whim, I decided I to try and keep up with the fastest girl in our class while running the mile in P.E.. Now, I was not really a team-sports girl - I lacked a certain finesse and hand-eye coordination required for most of them. But I was an active kid. I roller-bladed and biked for fun (and transportation), I ran around and half-climbed trees. Obviously, I did not beat the girl in my class, but I was able to keep her in sight for most of the run. 'Hm,' I thought. 'Maybe I could do this whole running thing.' That day, I signed up for the cross country team, which I was a part of for the next three years.

I stayed active in college, going to the campus gym several days a week - running, doing crunches, taking yoga and other group fitness classes. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a routine. It was senior year when things really kicked in gear. In the midst of more dreaded group projects than you could shake a stick at, and with no post-grad job opportunities in site, I panicked. In an act of desperation, searching for something - anything - that had a definite end-goal (or, finish line?) in a time when everything seemed so up in the air, I registered for my first half marathon. I trained for several months and that July - five years ago - I finished the race (thus completing my transformation into “Srs Bizns Runner”). Since then I’ve have built a respectable collection of finisher medals and t-shirts from 5k's to half marathons, and one Tough Mudder.  Now, I am currently registered and training for my first full marathon (oof).

So, I love running. But I'm also a total wuss who will not run outside if it’s below 60-degrees out, which - in Chicago - is most of the year, meaning I spend most of my workout time indoors. I'm a gym rat. Lululemon-wearing, treadmill running, yoga-practicing, weight lifting gym rat. I’ve done the sculpting classes, and white-girl stumbled my way through a Zumba routine or two. But my real love is indoor cycling. I took my first class as a new years resolution in 2010, and last year I got AFAA Group Fitness and Spinning® certified and started teaching. Now I lead four rides a week across three local gyms.

So yeah, that’s me. I’m a fitness geek; I read health magazines, and try new workout trends. I lead kick-ass workouts on a bike, and I hope to one day be able to do scorpion pose in the yoga studio. I struggle to get halfway up a rock wall, but I can do a few solid push-ups before losing my form. I like to sweat, because sweating makes me feel alive and refreshed, mentally and physically. I like pushing my body and mind to do new things and working out does that for me.

I look forward to sharing my stories with the Athletish community!