Dog...Jogger's Best Friend???

Many fitness magazines will tell the beginning exerciser that a great way to get started would be to walk your dog.  Apparently those so called experts have never tried to walk a lumbering, 8 year old, 90 pound golden retriever!  Because, let me tell you, this adventure would scare off any novice exerciser for life. 

Allow me to explain my morning....For the past couple of weeks I have been nursing a knee injury and have been unable to do any kind of cardio workouts.  That has been killing me!  Today was the first day that I had planned on working out on my knee, and I wanted to ease into it with a light jog/brisk walk, depending on how my knee felt.  I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and bring the dog along so he could get some exercise as well.  What followed was less of a leisurely walk, and more like a Spartan Race obstacle course! 

I should have known that I was in trouble when Kramer (the adorable menace pictured above) attacked me and knocked me down while trying to put his leash on.  We started out working pretty well together.  However, that changed quickly.  I was trying to alternate between jogging and walking every couple of minute, and apparently Kramer decided it was his job to add some resistance training to my cardio workout.  It seemed as though every time I would run, he would walk, this requiring me to pull his lazy butt along.  Then as I slowed down to a brisk walk, he decided we weren't moving fast enough, and started running and nearly pulled my shoulder out.  There was a brief detour when he thought it would be fun to chase a lizard into a bush.  And, my favorite moment of the morning, as we were preparing to step down off the curb and cross the street, Kramer decides to cut me off, mid-step, at the exact moment I left the curb.  I recovered quickly with a smooth duck and roll move and prevented scraped hands and a rolled ankle.  About 40 minutes into our adventure, Kramer decided that he'd had enough fun, and just about stopped dead in his tracks.  Mind you, we were still a mile from home!  I really thought I would have to fireman carry him back to the house.  But, alas, we made it home safely. 

In the end, we all survived, and I got a funny story out of the ordeal.   If you are wondering what became of the dog who pushed, and pulled, and tripped his way through a 4 mile journey, well, he got what every dog loves......a nice, long nap!

What a difference a year makes!

Hello Everyone! I have decided to enter the wonderful world of blogging. I've hesitated for so long because I didn't feel like I had anything to say that people would want to read about. In the last year, all of that has changed! Those of you who have known me for a while might have noticed that I've struggled with my weight. Even in my "athletic" high school years, I always felt like the chubby one, and I let my size and appearance hold me back. I tried every diet from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig, and even met with a Medi-fast consultant. I knew there had to be some secret to weight loss found in those expensive diet fads. Exactly one year ago today, I decided to change the course of my life. I marched in to the 24 Hour Fitness in Chandler, AZ, tax return in hand, and sat down with the best trainer, Bryan, and said, "HELP ME!" I was ready to change my life...I was ready to write a new chapter. And for the past 12 months I have done just that! Although I still have a ways to go, I am closer than ever to having the outside Katie match the inside.

This new found strength lead me to the unthinkable passion for a recovering fatty like me....I fell in love with FITNESS! For the past decade, fitness had become a 4 letter word. I learned that the "secret" to my goals was no secret at all. I needed to move more and eat less! Imagine that??? I fell in love with exercise, with resistance training, and I changed my relationship with food. And I decided that I wanted to help other people discover the very same secret! I am now a double certified personal trainer working for the very same gym where I'd changed my life! The trainer who taught me is now my boss. Never in a million years would I have imagined that this would be the course my life would take, but here I am! I wake up every day invigorated and excited to go to work. I learn so much every time I step in that gym.

Which brings me to my purpose in starting this blog posting. I want to be a resource to those I know and love to help everyone achieve their goals. I know that this journey can be frustrating and discouraging at times. I know it can often be quite comical as well. I want to share with you the journey that I have taken and am still taking. I want to answer questions that you might have about your goals. I hope to be a resource to help others fall in love with fitness and nutrition. I hope my unique experience and perspective can help give inspiration and hope to those who need a kick in the pants!

So ask away....email me your questions, and I will make them the topics of my blog posts. I'll write regularly about my own experiences and I want to spotlight the successes of others as well. Hopefully this can be a great resource for everyone!

My 2011 New Years Resolution began 1 February 2011! Commit today to your goals, and I'll do whatever I can to help you!

*As a disclaimer, this blog is, in no way, associated with 24 Hour Fitness. It's contents are merely my opinion and experience.