About Moi

I am so excited to be applying my fitness knowledge and experience to this new endeavor! And I am thrilled to have some friends along for the ride. We are going to have a blast.

ABOUT ME:
I am not a natural athlete. No, really! I spent my childhood drawing, dreaming, playing computer games, reading comic books, and play acting all kinds of characters and scenes. I really think theatre - no a youth spent in organized sports - has prepared me best for this particular endeavor!

My mom is the athlete. She was born with muscles, and is a natural at any sport she tries. From volleyball to racquetball to gymnastics to power lifting, she is a powerful, graceful performer and she picks up new activities easily. As a kid, she pushed me to stay active with her, but never put me down for not being interested in sports. As I reached puberty, I became more and more body aware. I saw my skinny, boyish figure growing in uncomfortable ways and it was unsettling. I wanted to be in control of the final shape my body took, just as I controlled the shape of the people I drew, or the personalities of characters I performed. Luckily I lived with an athlete, and my dear mama gave me a basic program to follow. It kept my anxiety at bay and began to teach me that pain - with a purpose - is a good thing.

Lifting weights was a huge confidence booster. I had a really rough time in junior high with peer rejection and bullying, and growing a little muscle and trying new activities (like junior lifeguarding) introduced me to new strengths and new people with whom I could find support. Because I never had experience in youth sports, I was slower to learn and adapt, so I developed empathy as an instructor for those with similar challenges. I had to try, try, and try things again, and in the process I developed some weird but effective techniques and cues for swimming, lifting, and the rest!

I got pretty gung-ho with running by my junior year of high school, and along with a strict eating regimen and addictive personality, I developed exercise anorexia. When I got down to 96lbs, people started getting worried, but it was my future husband who gradually set me straight. I don't think he even realized what was going on; he simply cooked and ate delicious food with gusto, and after a while I couldn't help but imitate him! Falling in love certainly helped me relax.

In addition to having body issues, I also collected a slew of soft tissue and related injuries from overtraining. It was a hard lesson, but developing amenorrhea, elevated resting heart rate, excess synovial fluid in my knees, cartilage degeneration, tendinitis in like EVERY joint, back sprain and strain, a dislocated shoulder and a hernia actually helped me to develop routines that were effective but not injurious to the body.

I chose to study fitness so that I could direct my passion in a healthy manner. I also like criticizing people and yelling at them (just ask my loved ones), so personal training was a no-brainer. The knowledge I gained in college was eye opening. I learned that exercise isn't just about sets, reps, and weight. It is about activating different fuel systems and hormone cascades to create desired adaptations over time. It is about fueling your body with energy for activity, but not obsessing over how clean or dark or fancy your carbs are. Oh, can I just go ahead and say I LOVE carbohydrates and you will NEVER read a post where I denigrate them? They are a freaking macronutrient group and our bodies' preferred fuel source. It may be fashionable from time to time to hate carbs, but it doesn't change the fact that sugars are found in our foods, they are yummy, and we need them. There.

I have been working in a fitness setting of some kind since I was 16, so I can sound like a fancy pants and say, "I have been in the fitness industry for over a decade", and you can be impressed and throw your money at me. Strangely, I never could have seen myself here as a kid, but it seems to be where I fit into this world best. Sure, I don't fit the mold exactly, but that makes me special.

Staying at home with my kids these last two years has been an immense blessing. Watching their antics and molding their little minds all day is the most exhausting, frightening, and rewarding work I have ever done. But I miss fitness. I joined Jamberry and I have LOVED exploring the feminine side of me that I honestly didn't think existed, but in the back of my mind I always wanted to keep sharing exercise with people somehow. So here I am! Blogging, vlogging (?), and generally annoying you into getting off your arse! Because I love you. You're welcome.