My New FREE Saucony Running Shoes

 You're supposed to replace your running shoes every 300-500 miles.

I, being the rebel that I am (read: lazy), can't be bothered to track the miles I'm putting on my shoes. So, I'm generally alerted to the need for replacement by the little aches and pains that start to surface in my knees and hips.

Unfortunately, my extra shoe-spending money does not always coincide with my sudden iliopsoas new-shoe-needing pain.

What's a runner girl to do? 

Mystery shop.

That's right. I said mystery shop. When I noticed those subtle pains popping up recently, I signed on for a few mystery shops, three of which involved visiting local shoe stores. With the shop fees combined with the reimbursement, I managed to snag a brand new pair of my favorite running shoes, Saucony.

Aren't they pretty?

Never tried mystery shopping before? You should. It's a fast easy way to make some extra cash and get reimbursed for things you already need anyway.

Sign up for one of my favorite companies, BestMark, and I'll even get a little referral bonus to put towards some new running shorts. So, thanks for that!

Happy National Running Day!

Simple Steps to Goal Achievement

Action Planning.

Goals are important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms is important. 

Writing goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is important. 

Writing short-term, actionable goals down in clear, measurable, time-sensitive terms EVERY SINGLE DAY is key to achieving long term goals.

Want to be healthier? Great! How will you make that happen?

Want to be financially secure? Yes! How will you make that happen?

Want to change the world? Absolutely! How will you make that happen?

Commit some real time to this process and you will start to see real progress. It won't happen overnight, but just stick with it. It WILL happen. 

Take some time right now to identify 3-4 basic goals you could achieve THIS MONTH that will bring you closer to your larger goals. Write them down, preferably in the current tense to get the greatest psychological impact. Do this at the start of EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

Then, at the end of EVERY SINGLE DAY, put a little check mark next to each monthly goal that you did any work on that day. 

It works.

And hey, did those three goals I mentioned above speak to you? If so, I've got some great news. I know a way you can achieve all three with one simple step. Just fill out the form below and I will follow up with you.

Creating Action for My Vision

On Friday, I passed my Personal Trainer Certification Test. Yep, I'm certifiable.

That little milestone (and let me tell you, it was not easy by any stretch of the imagination...) marked the completion of Phase One of my achievement plan.

That means it's time for Phase Two and I find myself needing a little more focus and guidance for my plan. Phase One took up so much of my focus for the last six months that I'm left feeling a bit out of sorts as to what to focus on next.

Enter the Action Board.

I'm working on my Action Board to help me clarify, define, focus, and guide my next steps toward my ultimate goal of financial freedom. 

Financial Freedom. 

*sigh*

Want to join me? Check out The Key To Achieve website for some helpful tips on creating a powerful action board for yourself. 

Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp Challenge Group

New Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp starting soon. This is a perfect program for those getting started with fitness. You can achieve great results in this 90 program, but it is also perfect for beginners.

If you'd like to join us in our upcoming fitness support group or just want to know more, complete the form below and I will follow up with you!

Join the Extreme Turbo Challenge!

Challenge starts May 12th. Contact me today!

I Challenge You

If you want to make effective change, you must first change your thoughts.

I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours avoiding complaint, criticism, anger, or worry.

I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours focused ONLY on those things that will get you closer to your goals. I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours thinking and talking ONLY about those things that will get you closer to your goal. I challenge you to spend the next 24 hours giving your attention ONLY to those things and people that will support your happiness, positivity, and success.

I challenge you. Now, go. 

Adventures in Marathon Training

Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon this morning, finishing in 2:08:37. 

I ran a 12 mile training run in 2:13:07.

Thankfully, I'm not competing against Meb. I'm also not competing against Rita Jeptoo, who won the women's field with a time of 2:28:57. They are what I like to call super-human. Those times are insane. Admirable, but insane.

I'm just happy to be on this journey to complete my first marathon, hopefully sometime in the range of 4.5 - 5 hours. 

Here's my issue. Give me a few hours of running and I'm bound to find several ways to make an idiot of myself. Today was no exception.

Around mile 8, I became trapped on a cul-de-sac by a rather large dog with unknown intentions. She appeared out of nowhere and she definitely wasn't going to let me pass without some form of groveling. The problem is that, by mile 8, very little blood is flowing to my brain, so it took me several minutes to remember what I've learned in my time in animal rescue. All that came to mind initially was yawn and smack my lips. I also decided it was best to sidetrack into the woods on my hands and knees with my eyes averted, all the while still yawning loudly and smacking my lips. Yes. Yes, that totally happened. 

All's well that ends well, though, because she apparently felt sorry enough for me that she allowed me to crawl past her to freedom. Still, it takes chick a good mile or two to recover from becoming some bitch's bitch. And about the time I was starting to feel good about myself again, I came upon a large group of people out for a morning stroll. The man at the front of the group suddenly threw his arms up in the air. I took this as the international sign for "You Go, Girl!" and threw my arms up, woo-hooing in return. Wait, is he? Is he yawning? Yes. Yes, he's totally yawning. 

Whatever. I'm 10 miles into a 12 mile run, my achilles thing hurts, I'm running out of water, and my stomach keeps growling despite the 17 gnats that I've swallowed on my journey. At that point, I couldn't even be bothered to look embarrassed. Yes. I just woo-hooed myself. You wanna judge me? Try picking up the pace a little bit first. See how clearly your brain works then.

Apparently, running makes me resentful.