Race 1 of 2014 is in the books! On Sunday I participated in the Hot Chocolate run here in San Francisco.  It was a a really great race and much larger than I expected(and freezing)! There were just over 4,000 runners participating in the 15k and over 5,000 ran the 5k.  I had no idea it was such a big race-apparently people love chocolate!

AMAZING! That is the best way I can describe 2013(am I getting teary eyed right now!?). SO many wonderful things have happened this year...so many firsts.  It makes me feel alive and vibrant when I enjoy new experiences and stretch myself past my comfort zone.  It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day and become complacent and let life pass you by.  But I encourage you to break free of the status quo in 2014 and really LIVE! We only get one shot at this thing called life, so why not live each day to the fullest! Don't let fear or doubt hold you back any longer, those are just imagined obstacles.

In January of 2013 I decided to make fitness my focus and I don't regret a moment.  It was not always easy...early mornings...self doubt and lots of sweat but it has been so satisfying! I looked through all my pictures for this post and it's so motivating to see the progress I've made and the memories I've created over the past 12 months.  It makes me want to work just as hard in 2014!

*Above all I want to inspire others to reach their goals and live a fulfilling, conscious life.

That’s it!? It’s all over?  Within a matter of hours there are no more presents under the tree, the stockings are empty and the Christmas music has come to a screeching halt.  The stress of finding that perfect gift has passed and now we are left with lots of crumpled wrapping paper.  The New Year will be here in just a few short days and I’m just not ready! To be honest, I’m actually quite bummed that the holidays have come and gone but as they say onward and upward! To help beat my post holiday blues I decided to give myself something to look forward to…what better thing than running a race!

Go Niners!

I’m not sure if any of you are feeling the same way but I hope I’ve inspired you to use fitness to brighten your spirits! Find a race near you and give yourself a new experience to look forward to. If a race isn’t something you are ready for yet, pick a weekend to run a new trail.  There is no better time than the present to make a change and challenge yourself!

Like many of you I'm traveling for the holidays and that means that your normal workout routine isn't possible. I'm so excited to see my family and spend some quality time with them but I don't want to come back from vacation feeling bloated and lazy.  Although I won't be in the gym pumping iron like Arnold, there are still some things I can do to get my heart pumping! As they say, something is better than nothing! This workout is easy to do anywhere and works the whole body.  I combine the circuit below with a 4 mile run and I'm ready to eat my Dad's home cookin'!

Time for some steak! Yum!

You will need an interval timer and a mat.  I downloaded a free interval timer app and I use it all the time.  The obnoxious air horn ringing in your ear motivates you to get moving! I use my interval timer for treadmill workouts as well, so it's a great app to have.
1.Walkover Push Ups
2. Burpees
3.Bicycle Crunches
4.Jumping split lunge

Perform each exercise for 50 seconds, take a 10 second rest and start the next exercise.  Once you have done all 4 moves, take a 30 second break and go for another round! Repeat until you've done 3 rounds(4 if you are feeling good!).

I hope you all enjoy this quick high intensity workout that you can do anywhere! Working out isn't always easy to fit in but taking just 20 minutes out of your day to honor your body will make you feel great!

I started my fitness journey almost a year ago with no goal other than to get in shape.  Part of this "Operation: Get HOT" was running my first half marathon. As some of you may know I ran my race with Team Challenge. This group raises money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation which is near and dear to my heart(Read more about my story here).  I was so motivated each Saturday to meet with the team to training and share this awesome experience together.  I left each team practice feeling fulfilled, energized and rejuvenated.  Finishing the race was bittersweet...although I achieved my goal I was losing those warm and fuzzy Saturday mornings(they were actually cold and foggy but you know what I mean).

A foggy team training morning at the Conservatory of Flowers I've been digging deep lately trying to find that same drive and passion I had during this time.  I kept reading things that said, think about why you started.  I kept coming back to my half marathon and what a huge motivator that was for me.  I was training for the race but it was to raise money for a wonderful cause and it felt so good!  So it got me thinking, how can I replicate that feeling and tie together my passion for fitness with giving back to others?  That's when I stumbled upon this amazing app Charity Miles.  It's an app that donates to the charity of your choice(about 20 to choose from) every time you bike, run or walk! All you have to do is download the app, sign up with your name and email(that's it, promise) then start raising money for your favorite organization! I couldn't believe that it was so easy to give back for something I was already going to be doing.  They donate .25/mile when you run or .10/mile when you bike.  I still can't get over the fact that I am donating every time I go out to run or bike, something I would be doing anyway! To top if off, one of the charities that they support is CCFA(Crohn's and Colitis Foundation)!

So beautiful!

Working out to be healthy should be motivation enough but let's be honest-most of us need more that that! Knowing what motivates you is essential in your fitness journey.  These motivators and goals may change and evolve as time goes on and that's great.  If you need some direction just take a step back and make sure you haven't lost sight of what keeps you happy, grounded and lacing those shoes up each day. Hopefully Charity Miles will give you the same sense of satisfaction and motivation that it does for me!

Participating charities include:

• Achilles International
• ASPCA
• Autism Speaks
• DoSomething.org
• Every Mother Counts
• Feeding America
• Girl Up
• Habitat for Humanity
• Ironman Foundation
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Nothing But Nets
• Partnership For a Healthier America
• Pencils of Promise
• She's the First 
• Shot@Life
• Stand Up to Cancer
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
• The Nature Conservancy
• VisionSpring
• The World Food Programme
• Wounded Warrior Project

Read more about the app here-
http://www.charitymiles.org