Legally Blonde, Get Out of My Head

Ever have those days where a line from a movie will play over and over in your head? No? Just me then...

We joined a gym a couple weeks ago - opening day was February 11 - and to say the least, I'm in love. Like, really, it's almost a sickness. I've made friends with the front desk people and a couple of the trainers. (Yep, I'm feeling better - totally going out of my way to learn people's names and make them feel special.) Today I was so chatty Jason literally had to pull on my arm and say, "Nike, we need to get to the east side, we need to go..." But then I had to say good morning to Pam, and then say goodbye to Pam, Stormi, and Don (who I just met today). Needless to say, my feeling better is coming with it's own complications, but they're ones we'd rather have.

Anyway, about the gym. It's a Crunch Gym and their motto is "No Judgments." Love. I've been a member of a gym before and frequented a few others, but I've always felt so out of place, awkward, and inferior to everyone else there. Here I feel like a valuable member of a special group. I see all types at this gym and I frequently want to give them high fives or clap and tell them, "Way to go! You're getting of the couch and doing something good for yourself!" I restrain, cause I'm not sure that would be well received.

Yesterday we took the Tread n' Shed (I insist on calling it the Tread n' Shred class). It was amazing and is going to become part of my interval and hill training. There were two gentlemen to my right who started singing along really loudly to a song I'd never heard and it warmed my heart. I gave everyone in my class a mental high-five cause they worked their booties off and it was not easy.

It's taken a few years, but I've finally found a place in my life and routine for exercise. The strange thing is, I've become a runner and a morning person seemingly overnight. Who saw that coming? Definitely not me.

"I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." ~ Elle, Legally Blonde 

Off to jump in the icy Deschutes River... what are your weekend plans?

Fashionably Late

It's probably more than obvious I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon for the last month. I've also been terrible about reading blog posts, but I'm determined to catch up!

The lovely and inspiring Jessica of A Student Runner's Blog left me this little gift... 

I'm completely flattered - stylish is something I aspire to, but feel I never quite attain. (Hence my current hairstyle. I'll totally post a picture as soon as I figure out how to manage its new awesomeness.)

So, here's the rules... the recipient needs to:

1.  Write a post and link back to the person who awarded this award.
2.  Share 7 random things about yourself.
3.  Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4.  Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

1. I didn't eat anything but Ramen Noodles until I was six years old. This resulted in a life-long nickname of Nike Noodles. Yeah, that was fun in Junior High. (Also, I can't stand Ramen now and haven't eaten them since I was 12 or so.)

2. I've become a morning person and a gym rat in the last couple weeks. Never saw that coming, but I'm loving every minute of it. It's become my sanctuary.

3. I'm very impressionable. Run Oregon posted something about exercises to  prepare you for the Zombie Apocalypse yesterday and then a couple of my girlfriends were talking about how they talk about zombies too much. Last night I had a dream about running from zombies and racing Kenyans while holding hands with Jason. I've never seen a zombie movie or read a zombie book. 

4. In my mind I'm a Kenyan, which makes it really frustrating when Green Garmin or the treadmill tells me what my real speed is. 

5. I struggle with where I stand on the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice arguments. I identify Pro-Choice, but am not necessarily pro-abortion. I think there are shady dealings in both camps and I think the heart of the issue is a lack of education and resources. I saw a sign yesterday that said, "Consistent Birth Control is the Sexiest Way to Prevent Abortions." That's very much in line with my thinking.

6. I've had a baby name book since I was 13 years old. It started as a resource for finding character names for my short stories. Yesterday the boy and I finished highlighting all the names we agree on (47 girl names and 49 boy names) in hopes of having a smaller field of names, and ones we both agree on, when we do decide to have children. 

7. It freaks me out when people call their baby by the name they've chosen while the baby is still in utero.  

15 is a lot, we'll see how far I get... 

1. Evie of Treble Maker

2. Laura of Make Yourself at Home 

3. Jogging With Fiction 

4. McDancing Through Life 

5. Leslie & Shanwa of Pink Spandex 

6. Heather of Running with Sass 

7. Silly Girl Running 

8. Jordan of Southern Hospitality 

9. Laurie of The Corner Slice

10. Norma of keep it simple 

11. Alanna at Blood, Sweat, and Cupcakes 

12. K at (Just) Trying is For Little Girls 

13. Kayla at Running Through Life 

14. Nicole at Marine Wife Unplugged 

15. JJ at The Confetti Party 

Thankful Thursday: Health

9 members of Monday Night Posse at White Canyon Trail

Today, I am thankful for health. I'm thankful that I can wake up in the morning and get out of bed without pain or assistance. I'm thankful my body is capable of running 4.5 miles without fatigue, even if I'm not as fast as I would like to be. I'm thankful that, despite my lack of coordination, I can follow a Belly Butt Thigh aerobic class without fainting. Tripping maybe, but no fainting.

I'm also thankful that for the first time in three years I can consistently take my wedding ring on and off easily, hike up mountains without feeling like I'm suffocating, and live an active lifestyle without wanting to throw up. I'm thankful to finally be seeing results as I consciously make decisions to improve my whole mind, body, spirit. I like the changes I'm seeing - physically and mentally - and I'm feeling very hopeful for the future and appreciating the now.

Tomorrow I will join my best friend in Bend, my husband, and several other crazies at the Riverbend Park. From there, we will plunge into the icy waters. I've never been one for cold water, but the cause is worthwhile. Special Olympics of Oregon is the beneficiary of the Polar Plunge Oregon events. I am healthy and getting more athletic by the day. Nothing moves me more than people with the odds stacked against them doing incredible things - Special Olympics of Oregon helps athletes with intellectual disabilities be the best they can be every day, in every season, at every age. (If you'd like to donate to this awesome cause, you may do so by clicking on the Polar Plunge link on the right side of my homepage or click here. Do it for the kids.)

What inspires you to be better/healthier?