It’s Monday so you know what that means. It is time for another round of Bloggers on the Run. This week I am featuring the awesome Melanie!
Name: Melanie
Blog: http://www.missmelanie.com
When did you first start blogging and why?
I just recently celebrated my 3 month anniversary of blogging. 🙂 I am a newbie! I was inspired to start my own blog when I started reading inspirational blogs like Authentically Emmie and Roni’s Weigh. So far I have found blogging is great for keeping me accountable on my fitness journey and I am meeting some great people on the same journey!
What is your most helpful blogging tip?
I am fairly new to this so I really have no idea what I am doing. 🙂 But I have learned from all of the other great fit bloggers one of the most important things is to network. I have found Twitter to be the best networking tool out there to start reaching a new audience.
What is your favorite fitness activity?
I fell in love with yoga five years ago when I went to a class at my local gym. I love how yoga chills me out. I leave class feeling refreshed and on a high. Five years ago I was going through a tough time in my first marriage. I knew at the time I was in an unhealthy marriage, but I was terrified to leave. I honestly feel yoga along with running gave me the clarity of mind to stand up for myself and my son. It gave me the courage to leave the bad situation and start making a new life for us.
What motivates you?
My kiddos! I honestly hate exercise and I would prefer to eat cake every day! But I am trying to change my lifestyle so I can live a longer life with my kids. They just make my heart swell watching them grow so I want to be around for a long time to have more babies and to play with my grandchildren someday.
What has fitness changed about your life?
Although I just recently started my weight loss journey a few months ago I can already see big changes in how I feel and look.
What is your favorite pump up song?
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
I could run for days listening to this song on repeat!
What is your favorite running distance?
My favorite running distance is 3 miles. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise in general. I don’t work out because I want to, but because I have to. So 30 minutes worth of running to some good jams is enough for me at the moment. 🙂
What is your favorite motivational quote/mantra?
I just recently found a quote on Pinterest when I was searching for fitness motivation that said “Don’t compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to the person from yesterday.” This resonated with me because I constantly struggle with negative thoughts of “why can’t I look like that actress” or “maybe I should do a fad diet and then I will get those abs of steel.” I am working on reminding myself on a daily basis to be happy with me and what I have accomplished thus far.
What is your favorite piece of running/fitness gear?
The RunKeeper Iphone App is my must have item when I am running. RunKeeper is a GPS based application to track your fitness that you can use for running, walking, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, skating, rowing, etc. You can use it with the music on the phone playing in the background. I don’t know how the tech stuff works, but I love that it tracks not only your distance and pace, but also elevation and much more. So you get an accurate picture of your run and can analyze your progress. LOVE IT!
What is your favorite “treat”?
I love me some Nutella! I have to keep it out of my house right now because I will literally go through an entire container in one sitting. I can’t not restrain myself from the temptations of Nutella! A local pizza joint has this Nutella pastry similar to what you would find in the Italian bakeries. That is my treat once I reach my next weight goal.
What is a long term running or fitness goal you have for yourself?
My next long-term fitness goal is to complete a triathlon. I am nowhere near ready for that, but this is a goal on my fitness bucket list.
Tell us something unique about yourself.
I have little knowledge about my heritage background. Whenever I asked my parents or grandparents who our people are all I learned was our family was a group of gypsies. So I basically tell people I am a mutt.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who is starting out running, what would it be?
If you wake up one day and your body fells off don’t feel defeated. It is totally fine to just walk. You are still making progress and the next morning you will probably wake up with more energy to conquer your goals!
How do you find/make time to train?
The only time I can get a run in is if I just tie up my sneakers, buckle Bella in the jogging stroller, and head out my front door. Otherwise, I will find a dozen other distractions keeping my from my workout, whether it be laundry, work, or catching up on my Vampire Diaries. 🙂
What’s an accomplishment you are most proud of?
This would be a toss-up between enduring labor with both my children – Labor was a marathon in itself 🙂 Or it would be the 10k I completed a few years ago. I trained for the 6 miles months before the race. That weekend Trevor was supposed to be with his dad. I can’t recall what happened but he ended up with me that Saturday morning. At the time I had not invested in a jogging stroller and went for runs without Trev. I figured I had trained hard for this race so I would just push Trevor in the heavy duty Britax stroller. I don’t know what I was thinking! Halfway through the race I seriously doubted I would be able to complete the race. When I finally crossed the finish line an hour and half later I was literally in tears. Even though it took me forever to finish the race I had an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I knew I could conquer anything if I put my mind to it!
Head over to Melanie’s Blog and check it out! You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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