Merry Christmas!

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and it has been the most wonderful holiday season I have ever had.  I am not even sure where to begin to sum it all up, but here it goes....

-Spent the night at Dick's house in Waverly
-taught my water aerobics class at The W
-Did a quarter mile of burpees
-had a Christmas party at Joe's in Waverly with my classes from Waverly and Cedar Falls I used to teach
-Spent the night with the Morlan's and had a really fun sleepover
-had an ugly sweater party with good friends and baked all day
-went to Prairie Lakes Church and saw good friends
-had Christmas with the Trask family
-Had a relaxing week at work
-Got a promotion at my 6 month review at work
-had two snow days so ended up with a week off for Christmas
-Nate and I had our first Christmas together
-Had Christmas with Nate's Dad's side of the family
-Saw Lora and her family and went to the Christmas service at her church
-went to dinner in Stone City with Lora and her family
-Christmas Eve with Nate's mom, Stacie, Tom, and his brother Nik and his wife, Kate
-Nate bought me a Garmin for Christmas so I have been out on a run every day so far this Christmas break!

That is a summary of what I have done for this holiday, but I am sure I am leaving some things out. I have gotten to spend time with a lot of people I really care about, and spread my love!  The service at church last night was about spreading your joy- like the ball inside of a bell- let it ring!  Nate turned to me and said 'if you were a bell, you would have at least two balls inside of you!' hehehe He is right because I am just so happy I cannot contain myself! It really has been the best Christmas ever!  I know this can be a hard time for many people, and I have been in that spot myself, but if you can stop and change your perspective, you can make any Christmas--or any other time as well--the best you have ever had.

Thank you to everyone who came to Joe's last week to see me.  I plan to do that every year because you all are my family, and I care about each of you so much.  I appreciate everyone who has kept in contact with me. It means a lot!

Now, I am off to make more Christmas traditions with the love my life, Nate (and Oscar too of course!). Merry Christmas to everyone! Give everything you can to make this the best Christmas you have ever had, and let your bell ring!

It is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I LOVE Christmas! It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Everyone's attention gets directed to everyone else around them. We look for gifts for those closest to us, we volunteer more, and we give more to charity or those in need.  That is why I love Christmas so much. I wish our minds could work like that all year long.  The decorations, the hustle and bustle, and the music make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. It makes me so happy! Each year, I have done something a little different for Christmas, so I am always reminded of the wonderful memories. I have spent time with many different families over the years who have been so kind and loving to me. This year will be different because I will be starting traditions with Nate that will continue for years and years!  I have wanted for so long to have my own family to share my love of Christmas with. Not just for one year, but forever. We already had a perfect Thanksgiving together with his mom, Tom, and his brother and wife in Okoboji. We got to visit his Grandma in the nursing home she lives in, and she was so happy to see us. We relaxed, went for runs and worked out together, made candies, went out to eat, and watched football. It was the perfect weekend!  Nate and I put up a Christmas tree at his place and at my place. I started a tradition of buying him an ornament, and I will continue this each year.  We watched the Christmas movie Elf last night, and he bought the Home Alone movies for us to watch. We drank egg nog and listened to Christmas music.  These are just a few of the little things that make me so happy and I want to continue forever! I LOVE Christmas!!! I hope you do too and can see all the wonderful things that come a long with it. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Everyone has a Story to Tell: My Two Year Anniversary

Everyone has a story to tell. We all have a past. We all have life events, both good and bad, that have brought us to where we are today. I have a belief  that by sharing my story, I can help others. I have already helped many simply by re-telling my personal story.  What I have to tell is unique in its own way, but it is probably a story that is similar to many others, but they choose not to share. I know everything happens for a reason, and even though I have had some horrible things happen in my life, I have and am still turning them around to do something positive through them. Someone else may hear what I have to say and want to share their story as well, possibly healing from something they have been hiding in their past.  So here it is.  My journey...

As I sit here to write, I really don't to where to begin. It is hard to sum everything up. It really goes all the way back to when I was a little girl, I was Daddy's girl. When I remember my childhood, everything I remember was with my dad. We were always together, and he made me feel like the little princess every girl should feel like. I would wake up really early with him to eat breakfast and wave him goodbye to work, and I especially remember our weekends together. He would get my mom, my brother and me donuts from Casey's or biscuits and gravy from Hardee's. We would go on car rides together, we would go to the park, we would go on bike rides together- I specifically remember him and I riding all the way to Dairy Queen on our bikes together to get ice cream which was a long ways away from our house! These are just some of the things we did together, but there is no doubt that I was a Daddy's girl. 

Six years old, and I am on my way home from the last day of first grade. My brother and I walked to school because it was only a few blocks away. My mom and dad were sitting in our living room waiting to tell us something that seemed very serious. It was. They were getting a divorce, and my mom, brother and I were moving to Manson together, and my dad was going to stay in our house in Fort Dodge.  I was so young that I didn't quite understand what was going on, but I did know I was really going to miss my daddy. 

We moved right away in with my great uncle until we could find an apartment in Manson. He lived in a smaller town close by. He then took on the role as my brother and I's father figure because my dad slowly faded out of our lives. We would go and see him every other weekend, but it turned into once a month, and then never. Part of the reason my mom and him split up was because he was making and selling meth in our garage. He got so caught up in the drugs and keeping a business selling them (eventually going to prison and is still in prison today), that he didn't have time for his kids. My mom did not have a job, and we were living in this tiny two bedroom apartment where she slept on the couch just so my brother and I could each have a room. We didn't have a car, and we didn't have very many things. I wish I could go back in time as myself now and meet my mom back then. I can only imagine how terrified she must have been at many times--wondering how she was going to feed her kids or get them to school. I would have never known this though. I thought everything was fine. I really didn't know any different. I was always clean, I always had clothes to wear, I always got fed, and I always made it to school on time. I don't know where we would have been if my mom wouldn't have fought to be the best mom she could be. She gave us everything she could. 

I may not have realized this at the time, but looking back, I know I was lost without my dad. Every girl needs a strong, positive male role model in their life. When you grow up, this is essential. It instills in you how a man is suppose to treat you. My male 'role model' became my great uncle. We celebrated Father's Day with him and had family holidays with him. He gave us rides when we needed to get to doctor's appointments or go into town to get groceries.  My brother and I stayed at his house all the time but... I didn't tell anyone this until 2009, but this whole time, he was sexually abusing me. I don't need to go into details, but I was so terrified to tell anyone because I didn't know what would happen if we didn't have him. He gave us so many things and helped my mom so much. I thought about telling my mom EVERY single day up through high school. Not a day went by that I tried to work up the courage to tell. He stopped doing it when I was old enough to realize what was going on. The last time I remember being in the bath tub and I screamed at him to get the hell out of there and threw a shampoo bottle at him. He never tried anything again. I think he got scared that I finally knew what was going on, so he stopped. I would guess the time frame to be from when I was 4 until about 12 or 13. 

You can imagine, I was probably a little messed up and damaged from all of that. My view on sex and men was altered. I went through high school wanting a boyfriend so bad. All my friends had boyfriends, and I wanted a guy to love me. I craved male attention, and I would do anything to get it which included being promiscuous through my high school years, but every time, I just wanted a boyfriend. Luckily, I found running as a way to focus and something to put all my energy into. I discovered I was really good at it and made it to state every year in cross country and track. It motivated me each day. It kept me grounded, and it also kept me distracted from thinking about all the bad things. It even made me decide I wanted to be a personal trainer and go to college- the first in my family to go. My mom was still struggling to provide for me. My brother had moved out the year before his senior year, so he was gone as a male role model as well. He held a lot of anger, and he would hit my mom and me, spit on us, and break things when he would come over. He would get so upset about the smallest things. It was really hard to deal with, especially because my mom just took it. She didn't know what to do, and he didn't live with us anymore so she couldn't really punish him either. I am sure it just kept getting harder and harder for her each day. I don't know how she did it, but I am so thankful she did. 

I discovered church through a friend of mine in middle school, so I started going regularly with her. God became a part of my life then, but I didn't quite understand this fully. I really wanted to be a good person, but I led a double life between church and at school. I was one person with my church friends and another with my school friends. I hated this about myself. I got through high school, and I decided I would have a clean slate going into college. I was going to run cross country and track at Wartburg and things were going to be different. I ended up meeting a guy right away that worshipped and adored me.  I don't know if I ever truly was in love with him, but he was so good to me that I couldn't leave. No guy had ever treated me that way, and I didn't think any would ever again. I had to stay with him.  He became my best friend and we spent every free moment together. At the same time, the rest of my focus was still in my running career. I was an obsessed athlete. Nothing was going to stop me. I ended up going to nationals every year in track and ended my career at Wartburg by winning the national title in the 800 meters. That was college for me- a guy and track. I ended up marrying that guy right after college in 2007, but after graduation and track was done, I didn't know who I was anymore. I was always Heidi Porter- the track star. I didn't know what to do with my time and energy. I started realizing the guy wasn't the right guy for me. I started realizing that wasn't what I wanted.  This led to me telling him about my great uncle- something I had never told anyone.  My great uncle even walked me down the isle at my wedding... This was the beginning of the worst years of my life. It was a whirlwind of events that I don't even remember anymore because I was such a mess. I am going to try to fast forward through them the best I can.

I told my ex-husband, then I told my mom. My mom came to see me, where she told me he did it to her as well. I kind of had a feeling she was going to say that. She then told my brother and confronted my great uncle, something I specifically told her not to do. He of course denied it. Then, my brother and my mom both said they did not believe me. They to this day don't believe me, and I am no longer invited to the family functions they have because my great uncle is there. Back to my ex-husband- I then decided I wasn't going to be married, divorced him, but then jumped straight into another relationship with a different guy.  I got really confused, broke up with him, and then tried to get back together with my ex- even after our divorce was final. Then, I got confused again, and broke up with him and got back together with the other guy. I was such a mess, I was so depressed, and I did not know what the hell I was thinking. Every day was so hard. I did not want to get out of bed, and I thought about ending my life so many times. I didn't know what to do or where to turn to. The relationship with the other guy was the relationship from hell. He made me feel so horrible about myself, used me strictly for physical reasons, and drove me to developing an eating disorder because he made me feel so horrible about myself, on top of already not having a great self-image. We ended up breaking up, and it was one of those break ups that lasts 6 months.  I was living with a friend of mine in Cedar Falls. (I had moved like 8 times at this point!). She and I became really close because she was going through a divorce as well. She then decided to move out, and I was suppose to live with her, but that fell through. I was left alone in this apartment. I was working as a personal trainer through all this, and it was the hardest things in the world to go to work and pretend like nothing was wrong. To be motivating when the last thing you felt was motivated. I was so depressed, and I was so alone. My family told me I ruined our family and wasn't talking to me, I had no energy for any friends, my ex-boyfriend's family didn't want me, my roommate didn't want me. I had no money. I got in car accident where someone hit me, and I couldn't work for weeks. I got screwed out of a job. I had to get my first credit card and was in a ton of debt. Nothing was going right, and I had no energy to change things around. I would sit there and stare at my bible, knowing I needed to read it, but I had nothing to give. I knew what I needed to do, but I just couldn't. I spent all my energy pretending like nothing was wrong, trying to work through it myself.

It was two years ago today that marked the beginning of my transformation. It was Thursday, November 18, 2010. I woke up that day, knowing it was going to be an extra hard day. The whole week prior to this day was really hard. I went out drinking almost every night, driving myself home because I just didn't care. I went on a run one night thinking about running in front of every car that passed by me. I wasn't eating because I couldn't, and when I did, it was in binges. I had pills from my car accident sitting on my bathroom sink, waiting for me. I went home for lunch that day, and that was it. I had hit rock bottom. I googled if you would go to heaven if you committed suicide, and I prayed God would take me out of this hell. I got every bottle of pills I could find- Vicodin, muscle relaxers, benedryl, nyquil, tylenol pm- a total of over 500 pills. I took them all, washing them down with alcohol, sitting on my living room floor, bawling hysterically. I took one more look in the mirror, prayed to God he would forgive me and understand that I couldn't take it anymore, and I laid on the floor and waited. Waited to be released from the hell I was living in...

I woke up to myself stumbling around the apartment, puking my brains out. I couldn't see straight, I couldn't stand up. I kept falling down, and I didn't know what was going on. I assumed I had drank too much the night before. It is all very blurry to me, as I cannot remember everything. The next thing I remember was my ex-boyfriend coming in and asking what the hell had happened. I had rug burn and blood down my face and puke was every where. I was still in a very bad state and didn't know what was going on. He then called 911 and an ambulance took me to the hospital. I had been in my apartment for over 24 hours. I shouldn't have survived.  My ex would have never randomly stopped at my apartment in the middle of the day, but he said he felt like something was wrong and came over. Thank God he did. I got my stomach pumped and had an IV because I was so dehydrated. I spent the night there, and then the next 3 nights in the psychiatric ward-- what an experience. During my time there, I heard God for the first time in my life, telling me this was the beginning. Comforting me, telling me I would come out of this. Assuring me that He was all I needed and he would get me through. 

That He did. I had to hit rock bottom before I could move forward, and holy cow, was I motivated to get better. I met with my pastor who set me up with a mentor, a wonderful woman who is still a part of my life every day. I had the support of my friends around me. I joined a women's bible study. I shared my story with everyone I worked with. My classes and my clients became my family and they encouraged me along the way as well. I made a list of all my personal goals, and I did one thing each day to become a better person. I knew it wasn't going to happen over night, and I also knew it was going to be so hard. It was so hard somedays. I still had really hard days, but the hard days started to out-weigh the good days. Nothing really changed around me; it was my perspective and thinking that changed. I chose my attitude and chose to be grateful. I started noticing all the wonderful people I had around me and wrote down what I was thankful everyday- it was a lot. I had all of this the whole time; I was just blinded by the negative. I then decided I needed something to really keep me driven and focused, and that is when I decided to do an Ironman. I had heard the Madison Ironman was one of the best ones, and it was really close, so I signed up. The registration fills up really fast, so I didn't think I was going to get in, but I did! I then dedicated that year to God and Ironman. I even signed a contract with my good friend that said I wasn't going to date anyone until after Ironman. It said that Jesus was going to be my boyfriend. So, that was my life. Training, church, work, and fitting friends in the gaps. I did Ironman for me, but I also did it to prove to others that you can do anything and overcome anything. I had the most amazing support of all the people around me. I even sold shirts that said HFC - Heidi's Fan Club on them, and sold over 100! Everyone was so great!  

Making the decision to do the Ironman was also another turning point in my life. It saved my life, but it also brought me to where I am today, two years later from hitting rock bottom.  Going into Ironman, I knew I would finish. It would be easy compared to everything I had already been through, and God was going to give me the strength to do it.  I finished, and I finished feeling amazing. The last five miles, I was kissing everyone, hugging everyone, dancing with people, and screaming I am an Ironman! It was the happiest day of my life. My best friends were there watching me, and they celebrated with me at the finish. What an accomplishment! Not only physically, but personally as I had grown so much during my solo 100 mile bike rides, 20 mile runs, or 2 hour swim work outs. I was living proof that 'Impossible is Nothing'. A quote that motivated my training, and I eventually even tattooed on the side of my leg. A quote I still live by every day. 

The Ironman made me fall in love with Madison, and I live here now, and I work right downtown where I finished the Ironman! I would have never thought that a year ago! I met the most wonderful guy, who you all know about and am dating him and am in a relationship that is beyond everything I ever wished for!  I would have never guessed all of this would have happened, but I was patient and trusted God would provide. He always does. I was finally at peace, and He waited until I had that peace to bring me the things I kept trying to force to happen for so long. Instead of putting my focus into forcing these things, I put my focus on God, and that is when everything fell into place. I really didn't have a whole lot, but I felt like it, and now all these other wonderful things are just bonuses to my already great life.  It all happened so easily- without me even trying. This is how life is suppose to be. This is how you know when something is truly right.  When you can be at peace with nothing but the love from God. People, things, money, etc will not make you happy. Sometimes you have to get everything taken away from you to realize this. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, but I promise you, there is always a way out. With small steps and a lot of hard work, you can find that peace that is and always will be inside you. 

This is my story. A story I want to share, not for me, but for each of you who reads it. In hopes it will encourage you to take a small step, share your story to help someone, give you hope, give you dreams, or help you see that no one is perfect. We all have a story to tell. We all have struggles. We are put on this earth to love one another and build each other up and to always remember that with God, Impossible is Nothing.

The Gift of Time

Oh my gosh!!! I RAN A MILE TODAY!!!!  With NO pain, and I did it in 8 minutes easily. Which means all my cross training paid off to keep me in great shape! I actually feel like I am stronger and in better shape than I have ever been. It has been a long road to recovery, but I can look back and see all the positives I have gained from having plantar fasciitis. I am able to have empathy and relate to my clients, I learned many different recovery tips, I got really strong doing other things, I got to focus on swimming which is my weakest part of my triathlon, I learned a lot about myself personally, and the list goes on.  It was really hard somedays, especially when it feels like someone is stabbing your heel 24 hours a day or when you cry in pain just to get up in the morning. I will never forget those moments, and I will forever be grateful for my healthy body. I am committed to taking care of it and listening to what it tells me. I will rest when I need rest, and I will push myself beyond my limits even when I am tired or feel weak. I am going to bounce back stronger than ever! Watch out!!

I have a fun-packed night ahead of me. I am teaching a TRX class which includes a group of hard-working, energy-filled participants.  When I turn that music up and put that microphone on, I turn into super-Heidi. I cannot describe the feeling I get to have the opportunity to lead a group of people in their work out. They count on me to unwind after a long day at work and leave feeling like they really accomplished something. I get to be part of making their day better. What a wonderful thing! I also get to meet up with a friend, Pauline, who I have not gotten to spend a lot of time with lately. I believe the gift of time is one of the greatest things you can give someone, and I am really thankful I can give her that gift and she is doing the same for me.  After that, I have a phone date with my good friend, Heath who I also haven't had the chance to catch up with in a few weeks. The gift of time--I am giving it away tonight and receieving it as well! Who can you give some of your time to this week? Even if it is only a few minutes, try turning your focus onto others instead of yourself. How can you make someone else's day?  Put some thought into it, do it, and watch what happens :)

Hump day!!

Sticking with it! & the holidays are here!

How are you doing today?  I am feeling inspired, happy, joyful, and thankful. I am inspired by the people around me, challenging me to be better. I am happy the sun is out today. I had a very blissful ride into work on my bike this afternoon (I work 1:00-8:30 today). I had the lake to my right, the capitol to the front, clear blue skies, and the sun shining upon me. I am joyful because I have everything I need and am at peace. As I have mentioned before, I have seriously struggled with anxiety/depression. As I continute to reflect each day and spend time in prayer and meditation, I am progressively fighting it. Slowing developing new habits and following a plan has kept me on track to keeping that peace inside every day. Bad energy and events can be happening around me, and I can look inside and find that peace. I stop, take a deep breath. Inhale...calm and relaxed...exhale..smile :)

Being a personal trainer and working with a wide range of clientle, I have had to study different forms of motivation and adherence. I have also had to practice it myself. From lots of trial and error, I have found the most effective way to stay with something and reach your goals is to:
1. Most importantly, you have to want it bad enough. You have to turn that switch on mentally to go after your goals. Your perspective will keep you on track. You might face times when it is harder than others, but you have to fight through and always remind yourself of your goals.
2. Make a plan and WRITE it down. Your goals mean nothing if you just speak them outloud. They will get lost. Write it down, and put it somewhere where you can see it on a regular basis.
3. Make big goals, but make a plan that include very small goals to get there.
4. Only change one thing at a time and give 100% of your attention to that thing. Give it at least 21 days to instill in you as a new habit. This is key. ONE thing at a time.

I am sharing this because it has taken me 2 years of 100% focus on improving myself into the person I want to be. I will always continue to improve, but to really find that inner peace that cannot be shaken. These are the tools I have used myself and that have also worked with many of my clients. I hope they can help you as well in whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. November 18th will be my 2 year anniversary, which is coming up on Sunday. I have thought a lot about whether I wanted to share my store to explain why it is my 2 year anniversary on here or not, and I have decided that I do. I will write that story in Sunday's blog. A lot of you who read this already know, but a lot of you don't know. My hopes are to inspire each person who reads it. Stay tuned!

Nate and I already celebrated one Thanksgiving this past weekend with his Dad's side of the family. We stayed in Marion on Saturday night with his mom and Tom, her boyfriend. We had dinner and hung out with them and his brother, Nik and wife, Kate. We then went downtown Cedar Rapids to meet our friend Zack at a new bar. It was so much fun to catch up with family and friends. Above is a picture at that bar on Saturday night. On Sunday, we had a Thanksgiving get-together with his Dad's side. I had not met a lot of them, and they were all really great!  I love how I fit in with everyone. It feels so natural when I am with anyone in his family. I feel really lucky to be included in it!  We had a great car ride home together, where we talked the entrie time. We don't just sit and talk for a 2 and a half hour time frame very often, so it was really nice. We talked about work, our goals, past relationships, and our relationship. Our relationship is pretty damn amazing!! Just sayin!!

That's all I have for today. Stay tuned Sunday for a story that will be very hard and emtional for me to write, but it will be worth sharing it. Have a happy, healthy day!

The world is a wild place!

I will for sure be voting tomorrow, and I hope you plan on voting as well. Melissa said she was giving up facebook for the week because she did not want to read everyone's opinions about politics this week. I think that is a great idea, and I plan on staying clear of the news feed tomorrow. I understand everyone has an opinion, but if you don't have anything nice to say, you really should keep it to yourself or vent to someone close to you if you need to get it out.  I want to remain positive during this time. At church, we prayed for both candidates. Not just one. I know that whoever wins is who God has planned to be president. I know no matter what happens, it will all work out in the end. It always does. So, that is all I have to say about that. I hope you try to stay positive and trust that everything will be okay.

It is also a stressful time with everything going on around the East Coast. It really is a crazy world right now. It puts things in perspective for me when I think I am having a bad day. We have it made. It is so easy to take things for granted each day, so I try to write down at least 3 things I am thankful for each day. I don't necessarly write them down everyday, but I do think about them when I am spending time in reflection. We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for my career, I have the best man in the world as my boyfriend, and I have the best girl friend in the world. I have a beautiful apartment all to myself and the cutest little puppy. I have lots of family and friends who support me and love me no matter what. The list is endless!!

I am thankful my foot is getting better!  I went on an hour walk on Thursday, I worked out hard and jumped around a lot on Saturday, walked an hour on Sunday and Monday. It seems to be doing okay! It is kind of sore right now, but I will take some ibuprofen and ice it, and it usually calms down. Nate and I are going to swim in the morning, so I that will be nice to give it a break as well. I am going to give it about another week or two with consistent no-pain, order some new shoes, and then try to run again. Oh my gosh, I will cry when I get to run again!!!

Melissa came to stay with me all weekend, and we had the best time together. It was so nice to relax. We worked out together, and we walked around downtown Madison and did some day drinking together. We were in bed by 8:00! We slept in, and then we went to church and she left. It was the perfect weekend together! I love her so much. I am so grateful to have her. Our friendship is certainly something special.

Nate and I finally got some time together on Sunday as well. He had to go to Miami and then to Cinncinati for work last week, so I had only seen him for lunch once in a week and a half! I missed him so much, but it only makes me fall more in love with him when he is gone and appreciate the time we do have together. Our relationship, just like Melissa and I's is also certainly something special. Like I said, I am so thankful! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

I have to get going to train some people. Mondays are always busy because everyone wants to work out after the weekend!  Remember to stay positive during this election, and don't forget all the wonderful things around you to be thankful for. Stop and actually think about it. Your list will get really long!

Choose to Love your Life!

I really like my life, and I hope you do too.  I am pretty sure I think that at least once everyday. "Gosh, I love my life." It doesn't mean I don't have hard days because I definitely do, but at the end of the day, I always have everything I need. If you repeatedly say that to yourself, you will begin to look at your life differently. Take time at the end of each day to think of 3 things you are thankful for, and put away the bad. You don't need it dragging you down!

I went to the podiatrist for my plantar fasciitis, and he gave me cortisone shots. This was a week ago tomorrow. He said to wait a week, and if they start hurting, I will have to do physical therapy. If they don't, I have to wait another week and can start running a little! Well, I went until just this morning without my feet hurting. The right one is sore today. I might call tomorrow to order some physical therapy. This has been such a long journey. It has been really difficult not having one of the most important things in my life--running. Running is my time, the only time I relax and think about nothing. It gives me endorphins like no other exercise does. I miss it so much. I forgot what it was like to live without pain until I got these shots. It is amazing how much it was weighing me down and I didn't even realize it. I know I am on the road to recovery, and I have discovered a lot about myself during this time. It has also forced me to give my body a break from running which will be a good thing in the long run. As hard as it has been, I know there is a lot of good that has come out of it. For now, I will dream of running and know I will get to someday soon!

I haven't blogged lately just because I have been lazy, but I try my best!  I hope everyone is doing well, and you choose to love your life today! 

Early morning alarms on cold, dark mornings

The weather is getting colder. It is darker in the morning. It is so easy to stay warm and snuggled in bed this time of year. Our bodies naturally tell us it is time to hibernate. When you have that alarm set to get up and work out, but it goes off and you want to stay in bed- FORCE yourself to get up. Remember that it is worth it to get up and do it! 

I go into work later on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I could easily sleep in. It takes a lot to make myself get up. Nate and I swim together on Tuesday mornings, so I have to get up early with him so he can do it before work. I really wanted to sleep in this morning, but I didn't. We went, and I felt so amazing. My whole day is going to be great because of it. If I wouldn't have woke up, I would have missed my time with Nate and our converstaions we had. We swim together and we chat in the hot tub after. Why would I ever want to miss that?! I would have missed having a good breakfast and a great work out that got my metabolism and endorphins going. If  I would have slept in, I would have felt like a slug and been down all day with this gloomy weather.  The positives on this situation FAR outweight the negatives. The only positive of sleeping in is that you get to lay in bed a little longer. That's not worth it for everything you get out of waking up---so do it! Get out of bed a little earlier in the morning to start your day off right. Rushing through the morning will only cause you to rush through the entire day. Life is too short to miss out on having a great day!

A few updates:  Friday, I was coming out of teaching my TRX class, and I walked passed the front desk. "Oh, I know them." and it took about 10 seconds for me to register "oh my gosh! they aren't suppose to be here!"  It was Sydney and Mark from Cedar Falls! Sydney came to my yoga class at the rec center, and Mark is her husband. They had me to their house for Easter this past year. I couldn't believe my eyes!!! I screamed and hugged them! It worked out perfectly because I was just finishing up at work, so they took me out for lunch! They were on their way to Door County for the week and thought they would surprise me. How sweet!! It made my whole weekend!  I met Melissa, Kelsey, and their Dad in Dubuque Friday night to go to Chicago with them. Melissa and Kelsey ran the marathon on Sunday, and I went along to cheer. I was suppose to run, but I couldn't because of my plantar fascitis. Stupid injury! I have hope it will go away! I can't wait to run again!  They both did really well in the marathon. I had been sick since Wednesday, so I wasn't 100% all weekend. It was so nice to spend time with my best friend and relax in our hotel. She is coming to stay with me the first week of November, and I am already looking forward to that time together as well. She is the most amazing friend I have ever had, and we have a pretty incredible friendship. I'm really lucky!

I came home on Sunday, and being gone all weekend made me miss Nate so much. Whenever we are forced to have time apart, I always fall more in love with him. I have felt a connection with him like no other lately, and I can't imagine it getting better, but I know it will!  I'm sure you are reading this, my love---I love you! :)

Currently, I am doing the Advocare 24 day challenge, the Burpee challenge and the Eat this Book Challenge.  The Advocare challenge is awesome. I did it once before, and I had never felt so amazing. You take their products and eat really healthy. It is such a good way for me to "get back on track". We go through phases with our eating, and it is the perfect amount of time to go back to those healthy habits. It is only day 2, and I already feel better--someone just told me I had an extra "glow" to me today. There is proof right there!  Today is day 17 of the burpee challenge. I even did them when I was sick which was really hard.  I am attempting to do them all in a row for the whole challenge. It is already getting pretty hard. It is going to be tough, but I know I can do it!  The Eat this Book Challenge is a bible reading plan through my church. Everyone in the church is reading the same passages each day and there is a study guide online. In the end, we will end up reading the entire bible in a year. I am on about day 20 of that, and I have not missed a day. It's amazing how much better my life is when I am in healthy rhythms. It is hard work---HARD work--- to be healthy, be a good person, do the right thing, etc., but it is 100% worth it. The outcomes of doing so will make your life the life you deserve to be living. 

I hope everyone is having a great week. Remember to get out of bed in the morning--you won't regret it! Heidi said so!

Let's Play!!

Happy Friday everyone!  It has been a great week since I last wrote. I have been reflecting on my life each day and growing every time I do it.  The weather has been absolutley gorgeous, and the leaves are changing the most beautiful colors.  Sipping on a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate is so blissfull this time of year. Oh, and honey crisp apples! Heaven!  These things might be simple and small, but they never go unnoticed. I love appreciating the little things in life. They are what make life worth living. As I have written before, it is  how a child would think. They get excited about the smallest things, and they are not complicated. They are straight-forward and see things for as simple as they are. Life doesn't have to be so damn complicated, right?! Right!  I bought a coloring book and new crayons last weekend, and some might think that is silly, but I get so excited to color a picture, and it makes me so relaxed I could fall asleep while doing it. What is something you could do that is "child-like" that would make you feel this way? Break out of your shell, and try something like coloring in a coloring book. Maybe you could go to a park and slide down a slide. Don't hold back--do it, and you'll see what I am talking about!

I am done working at 1:30 today, and I am going to go home for a small nap and then enjoy the outdoors with Oscar a little. A friend of mine invited me to a happy hour downtown, so I may go to that. Then, Nate and I are going to play catch with the football he just bought. We played the other night, and it was so much fun. I can't wait to again!  Tomorrow, we are going on the "happy ride" in Illinois. It is a fun bike ride with a group that Nate rode with for RAGBRAI. His mom and mom's boyfriend will be there too, and I have missed them so am looking forward to seeing them. We are camping in tents at night, and then coming back Sunday. Probably going to watch some football and cook up my food for the week. I love it!

Happy Friday! Do something fun today. Act like a little kid. Try something new. Don't pass by the little things. DO IT!!

Oh...LIFE!

Happy hump day!  This has been a great week. The weather is AMAZING, and I had the most relaxing and enjoyable weekend. I love weekends like that. Where you actually feel rested on Monday and ready to go back to work. That's what weekends are suppose to be--time to relax and rest. We make so many plans and keep ourselves so busy, we forget to take time to slow down. I am guilty of it! I am going to be gone the next two weekends, but after that, I will use my weekends for what they are suppose to be for!! Nate and I spent the whole weekend together, and at the end of it, I feel closer to him than I ever have. We just sat there and looked at each other and I said, "how could life get any better?" Somehow it keeps getting better. We both have amazing jobs and our relationship is one everyone dreams of. It's more than I ever thought it would be. :)

So life is perfect and wonderful, but I still deal with this stupid anxiety issue. It is so hard somedays, but I always seem to push through. I stay positive to inspire others, and that is my whole goal in life-- to be here on this earth to help others. It is what we were created to do. To build each other up. If I have to be the strong one for everyone, by golly, I will do it!  I want you to know it isn't easy, and I can understand people's hurts and pains. I am right there with you, and I hope I can make your day when you read my blogs, look at my facebook posts or when you see me! I'll always share a smile with you :)

Enjoy this INCREDIBLE weather! Get outside and PLAY!!!!! And keep on smiling!!

Love!

Home is what you make it. Family is who you make it.

Madison is beginning to feel more and more like home each day. Establishing roots is the only way to make this happen. You can be happy anywhere if you take the effort to reach out and make wherever you are home. I am taking a class at church called Starting Point which just started this past Sunday. It is a place to meet new people at church, to learn more about what they believe, and to see where you fit in best to volunteer or join a small group. They have groups called Life Groups which are made up of around 10 people. They meet once a week to talk about the message from each Sunday and to grow together as friends/family. I am really looking forward to joining a group and connecting with others in the community.  I also 'adopted' one of my clients as my Grandma, and I am going to spend some time with her this afternoon. You can call anywhere your home, and you can make any one your family! It is also a wonderful time of year with it being fall. I absolutley love this weather and the crisp air! I took a long bike ride on a beautiful trail yesterday out into the country. It was so peaceful riding out there and smelling 'fall', my favorite scent.

Nate and I went to Chicago to a Cubs game this past weekend. I can't believe all the fun adventures we get to go on! We will have our date night tomorrow, and this weekend, we are going to go mountain biking with another couple. I have a dinner date with my friend, Lyndsey, as long as her sister doesn't go into labor before then, on Friday. She watched Oscar for me while we went to Chicago, and she also has two dogs, so it will be fun to have a dinner/doggie date!

Work is going awesome! I love Pinnacle. It is such a great company, and for once, I have one job and see a bright future with it. I am looking forward to what it will bring for my growth in my career and as an individual. It feels more like a family there rather than a gym. I feel pretty darn lucky to leave work every day saying "I love my job!"  If you even want to call it a job--I would call it more of a hobby that I get paid for :)

Hope everyone is having a super day!

Thought for the day: Your power works best in weakness

"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now, I am glad to boast about my weaknessess, so that the power of Christ can work through me. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9

I love this verse. We are made strong in our weakness. It is when we are torn down and weak that we gain the most strength. Hardships and troubled times are put into our lives to make us stronger. We learn the most about ourselves when we are going through something hard. Be thankful and boast in your weaknesses because you are only becoming stronger because of them.

I have a split shift at work on Wednesdays which I LOVE. I worked from 5:30-11 this morning, and I have to go back from 5-7:30 tonight. I spend my afternoons working out, showering, eating lunch, napping, and I go to a coffee shop close to my house to plan work outs for my clients for the week. Then, on Wednesday nights, Nate and I have date night because it is one of two nights we get to see each other during the week. Thursday used to be my favorite day, but I think Wednesdays might be now! 

Good news! I ran this morning! My foot is SLOWLY getting better. I was only going to go 10 minutes, and I made it 17! YAHOOOO!!!!! It is a little sore now, but I know it is getting better each day! Plantar fascitis is the worst injury! It takes so long to go away! It has been a good thing for me though because it has forced me not to run. I have been running for a long time, and I would have never taken this much time off willingly. I think my body needed a break from it, and I will be even stronger when I get back at it. I have been swimming, biking, and doing lots of strength training, so I actually feel like I am in better shape than I have ever been! I have really been watching my nutrition, and in the past month, I have lost 6.5 inches total. I use the app: myfitnesspal to log my food and exercise each day. It has been so great for me to do this. I think everyone should. You need to know what you are putting in your body each day, otherwise, you don't think about it and those pounds slowly creep up on you. 

Happy hump day to all!

I'm back!

I haven't written in a while. It isn't because I haven't had time or haven't wanted to. I wasn't feeling inspired, so I have held off. I have had a hard past couple weeks with anxiety/depression/being home sick. Anxiety and Depression is something I have had to deal with my whole life. I unfortunately inherited it from my family, but I know that and have learned to deal with it.  I was so busy before I moved: working 60-70 hours a week and only have 4 days off a month. I have so much more free time now and every weekend off, so I actually have time to myself to think and feel.  This is a good thing because I am learning so much about myself. Another reason why moving to Madison was a perfect decision at the perfect time in my life. I can't stress enough how important it is to slow down your life. Take time to reflect and think each day. If you don't, you will be setting yourself up for a melt down later because you are bottling all your feelings up inside. I have been dealing with these the past few weeks, but as hard as it has been, it has been wonderful! This is why I have not written. I wasn't feeling like myself (thankfull, I do now!), and I like to keep my blogs as positive as possible. Out of every situation--both good and bad--you can always find the positive. ALWAYS.

Updates: I went to my first Badger game where they played UNI. I traded sides for the day and sat in the Badger student section and wore my Badger shirt! How dare me!! It was so much fun. My friends Katie and Heath came to stay for that weekend and Nate went too. Our friends Skyler and Karch came that night and stayed until Labor Day. We had a crazy and weird weekend, so we like to say! We went out at night, went to Taste of Madison, toured the capitol, went to the union terrace, saw a boat parade and fireworks and went to the game! Great weekend!

This past weekend, I went to Cedar Falls. I took my friend, Lyndsey, who comes to my bootcamp class at Pinnacle. She ran her first race, and she has had mono for the past few months! I was so proud of her. My client and friend, Megan, also ran her first half marathon--wow!! I couldn't be more proud of these two girls. I was able to stay with Megan for 6 miles in the beginning and the last mile at the end to cheer her on. She was on top of the world when she finished! I hope she never forgets that day and that she can do anything!

I came back that night and spent the evening cooking with Nate. We went to bed early so we could get up early the next day to see the start of Ironman. It was so surreal watching it because I feel like I did it just last month, and it has already been a year! It brought back so many great memories. It is who I am today. I am an Ironman. I will always be an Ironman. No one will ever be able to take that away from me. Ironman saved my life and brought me to the most amazing place, amazing job, and amazing man. That decision changed my entire life. So, as you can see, it was very surreal watching that and reflecting on this past year!  After we saw the start of the swim and bike, we took off for Green Bay to go to the Packers and 49ers game (Packers=Nate's favorite team. 49ers=my favorite team). Nate got the tickets for me--what a great guy! It was my first NFL game, and I got to see my favorite team win! They played so well!  We tailgated and walked around before the game and as always, had such a great time together. Nate was also sweet enough to drive home so I could sleep, as he knew I had to be up at 5am the next morning for work. What a guy! 

That is a quick recap of what has been going on in my life. I will try a lot harder to write more frequently because it is hard for me to keep in contact with everyone back in Iowa, so this works well to update everyone! Please email me or call me anytime. I love hearing from everyone. I hope some how my life inspires you in some way. That is my goal of writing! 

Love,
Heidi :)

Just let it happen...naturally.

For so much of my life, I was trying so hard. Trying so hard to force all the things I thought were "suppose to be". I was suppose to go to college, meet someone, get married and buy a house. Isn't that what everyone does?  Well, I did just that. I was forcing everything because I wanted it so bad, and I wasn't patient. I ended up pretending to be happy for many years. To make a VERY long story short, I went through two of the worst years of my life, went through a divorce, then dated someone right after and had the relationship from hell. Finally, I took a vow to myself to stay single for a year and train for Ironman. I did just that, and it was exactly what I needed. I became independent in everything I did and found out what I wanted for my life. I wasn't worried about finding someone else. I planned my life for me, as if I was going to be by myself forever. I worked five jobs and did everything I could to support myself financially, emotionally and spiritually.  Without looking, a new and amazing career came to me and an amazing man. I didn't have to try to move to Madison. Everything worked out naturally down to the last detail. I didn't have to try to find a guy. Things with Nate and I worked out naturally. We haven't had to try. It has just worked out. This is how it should be! If you let go, have faith, and focus on you and what you want, it will come to you. Make yourself some goals, but also don't look too far ahead that it makes you worry. I know how this feels, and it is a horribe cycle to be trapped in. Do something each day to work towards your big goals, but truly take it one day at a time. It will come to you. It will happen without you even trying.

I had a wonderful weekend with Nate's family. It was his brother's wedding, and it was the perfect day. It was really fun to get dressed up together, and I got to spend a lot of time with his awesome mom! I instantly felt comfortable with his entire family. It was like I had known them all forever. It was so natural. Another thing about Nate and I that don't have to try for! I don't know how it could get any better, but it keeps happening!

On Sunday, I did a half ironman relay with my friends Beth and Clare. I was the swimmer and swam 1.2 miles in 42:30. This is the fastest I have ever swam that distance, so I was real happy.  Beth biked her little heart out and Clare anchored us and was 4 minutes from her best time! It was a great day to spend with my two friends I hadn't seen in a while. Nate, his mom, and his mom's boyfriend, Tom, all came to watch me. I thought that was so thoughful because we were up pretty late for the wedding the night before, and I was just swimming, so they couldn't really even see me. It made me swim harder knowing they were there though. It made my day.

My week at work is busy, but not too busy.  One of my clients is moving to New York, so we are trying to work out every day before she leaves to use up her sessions. It has been really fun kicking her butt each day!  I am going to miss her when she is gone!

I swam 8.5 hours last week. My goal was 10, but I didn't have access to a pool on Friday or Saturday, so I did it in 5 days!  On Saturday, I did ride 25 miles, so I suppose I can count that as the other hour and a half.  Yesterday, I made the goal to do 500 push ups, and I did it! Boy, am I sore today! I broke it down throughout the day. I did 10-25 each time until it added up to 500. It was fun to do with my clients. I know what you're thinking... I am crazy!! And you are right!!!

Maybe Someday...

Maybe someday... maybe someday I will start a savings account. Maybe someday I will volunteer. Maybe someday I will start working out. Maybe someday I will start eating healthy. Maybe someday I will buy a house. Maybe someday I will visit that friend I haven't seen in a long time.  Are you a maybe someday person? Have you heard yourself say these words?  I was at church on Sunday, and this was part of the message. I know I am guilty of it. We have to stop saying maybe someday and go out there and do something. Set a goal and take one step each day/week/month/year to reach that goal. Write it down. Put it somewhere you can see it because a goal is just a dream until you write it down and give it a deadline. Nate and I took the time to do this together, and my motivation increased dramatically. I cannot function without a goal, no matter how large or small it is. This week, my goal is to spend 10 hours in the pool. My best friend, Melissa is going to run 75 miles this week. These are big goals, but by speaking them outloud and setting a deadline, they are going to get accomplished. They don't always have to be exercise goals, but that is just an example. What small goal can you set today to take a step towards your larger goals? Have you written your goals down and set a deadline for them? DO IT!

I had a great weekend this past weekend in Cedar Falls. I came back to go to my good friend, Megan's wedding shower and bachlorette party. It was so great to be a part of her day because I am unable to make it to her wedding. I also got to visit a lot of other people while I was in town too. Nate came with me, so he met a lot of very important people in my life, and they of course loved him!  He is pretty loveable! We didn't get home until 8:00 on Sunday night, so it felt like the weekend went by so fast. We talked the entire 3 hours home. We have the best conversations about life, and I am so glad I found a best friend to call my boyfriend. I love our lives together :)

Well, I have to get going so I can spend 2 hours in the pool again today then head to work! I hope you all set a goal today, write it down, tell someone, and go out there and get it done!



 

Weekend recap

I had a wonderful weekend here in Madison.  I started my Friday off at the terrace where I read my book, went for a swim, and had a few beers at happy hour as I waited for Nate to get off work.  I met him at his house, and we had a picnic together and went to the swimming pool and hot tub at his apartment.  It was nice to have some quality time to catch up because we don't really get that during the week as much. Being a girl, I need to talk about my feelings all the time, so he was wonderful about listening of course!  On Saturday morning, we got up at 6 and volunteered at a kid's triathlon, ages 3-14. It was really fun watching them!  They had training wheels, big wheels, and some of the older kids even had nicer bikes than me. No fair! I got to help at a corner of the run course and between the bike/run transition, and Nate helped with parking. We rode our bikes there, so on our way home, we stopped at Abuelo's, which is a Mexican resturant and smashed some good grub! When we got home, I was sitting downstairs and Nate brought down his mattress pad to put on the living room floor so we could watch the Olympics together. It was raining out, and we took a nap instead. We ended up sleeping for about 2 and a half hours!  It must have been needed because we both woke up feeling really good!  We made a trip to the grocery store and I made chicken cordon bleu, green beans with bacon and red skinned mashed potatoes for dinner. It was rather delicious.  We watched some more Olympics and went to bed.  On Sunday, I got up and went for a swim, then we went to church and then to the zoo.  Madison has a free zoo, and it was the perfect day outside. It was very enjoyable, and we of course, had a wonderful time there. Then, we drove around looking for houses we want to buy and got ideas. We finished our weekend by talking about our goals for the next year together and wrote them down. We are going to review them regularly to reach all the goals we have set for ourselves and for our relationship.  Here is another reason why he is so perfect for me!  I need someone who is driven and goal oriented, and here we are, writing down our goals together!  I can't imagine that our lives will be anything less than amazing. Well, that was the weekend!  Today has been a busy day at work and I got in a great swim work out. I plan on reading when I get home and waking up in the morning to do an open water swim at the lake.  Have a great start to your week, everyone!

Believe

Having a little more time to myself last week helped me reach a new level here in Madison.  A new level of independence and peace.  You truly can overcome anything with your mind.  Visioning and believing something will create it to happen. If you aren't happy with your life, how you look, your job, your friends, your significant other, it most likely is because you convienced yourself that you weren't. If you tell yourself over and over that you are happy, you will eventually become happy. It might not work on the first try, but it does work! I promise! It is all about perspective. It comes from within you and not from what anyone else does around you. Once you have changed your perspective and let go of those negative thoughts dragging you down, things will turn around for the better. It takes time, work and committment to train your mind, but it is just as important as training your body. Next time you are faced with a challenge--stop. Stop everything, close your eyes and change how you are thinking. You might have to keep repeating this at first, but it will eventually become second nature--like I said, it is hard work. 

Nate is home now, and I love him more than ever! We have such an amazing time no matter what we are doing, and I can't wait to continue our lives together. Everything about us is everything I have ever wanted in a relationship/friendship. I still don't even believe it is real some days. Is this real life?! You really can get everything you ever wanted! You don't ever have to settle!! Believe that, and it will happen!

Timing is everything

It finally rained, well, it actually stormed here last night. The grass is so happy! It is finally turning green. I broke out my mountain bike today so my road bike wouldn't get dirty and rode through all the puddles. It was so fun! I hurt my foot, so I haven't ran for almost two weeks on Thursday. I have been swimming, biking, and lifting. It has been nice to give my body a break from running, but I am ready to get back at it again. I am pretty certain it is a stress fracture, so I am going to give it one more week off. It has gotten a lot better, but since I am on my feet a lot at work, it will hurt by the end of the day. I am registered for the Chicago marathon, and I really wanted to run to see how fast I could do it. I have only ran marathons to finish, not for time. It looks like I might have to run this one for fun too-if I even get to run it. This will be my last marathon! I am going back to the shorter stuff that I am good at- 5ks and sprint tris. Maybe some 10ks or half marathons. Marathons are so hard on your body, and I need to listen to what my body is telling me. It has gotten to the point where those long runs (15-20 miles) are not fun anymore because it hurts my knees, back, feet, etc. so much. I will do this one more and call it good! I am much more competitve at the shorter distances, so I will focus on those and tear it up! Nate is on RAGBRAI right now, and it is so hot out! I am proud of him for doing the entire week. I am going to do it next year with him. I have missed him so much, and we still have to go 4 more days :( Tomorrow is his birthday, and I don't get to be with him! Booooo! It has been good to be apart for this time because I needed to get back into a routiene of doing the things I did before-for me. I wasn't taking as much quiet time as I was before, and I was beginning to notice the difference in my life with out it. I will definitley keep this up when he gets back. Finding balance between my time and couple time is a tricky one to master, but I am getting there. I want to be with him 100% of the time, but I know I need to take time for myself too. I will be able to give more to him and everyone else around me when I do that. Being in Cedar Falls by myself last weekend and this week so far have put me in a really good spot. I am not sure what it was about my trip back home, but it gave me 100% certainty that I am not suppose to be there. I love Cedar Falls so much, and it will always be home, but I thought to myself several times "I am really glad I don't live here anymore." It is nice having a fresh start in Madison at a really great time in my life. Cedar Falls has so many memories-good and bad-that I am reminded of all the time. Here in Madison, I truly only see today and live for today, with goals for the future in mind. Timing is everything, and everything came at the perfect time! It has been a really hard transition, but it has been the best transition I have ever made in my life! Life is good :) I hope yours is too! And if it isn't, only YOU have the power to change that! Get er done!

Life updates

I am not doing so well at blogging! I have been busy at work and still loving it! I have finally gotten into a pretty good routiene. Trying to make that happen and get caught up financially has been keeping me busy. I took a trip to Apple River with a group of friends this past weekend. That was a blast! We camped, tubed down the river, and relaxed. It is Thursday, and I just now feel like I have caught up on my sleep from not sleeping during that trip much. Sleep is so important. It affects my entire mood and day. It is just as important as getting a good work out in. My goal next week is to get 7-8 hours every night. I know I will feel so much better doing that. Another thing I have been working on is eating slower. I am always in a hurry to get from here to there, so this week, I have been forcing myself to slow down. It makes it much more enjoyable and satisfying. I am more in tune with my hunger cues. So...you should try it! Sleep more (increase your nightly sleep by a half hour to start with) and slow down at meals. These small improvements with make a HUGE difference in your health. I am heading to Cedar Falls this weekend, and I am really looking forward to spending time with friends. I am helping at barbecue-loo downtown Waterloo serving food and drinks on Saturday, so if any of you are around and reading this, I will be there at 3:30 until whenever. Stop on by! Nate will be leaving tomorrow to go on RAGBRAI for the whole week with his mom and brother. I wish I was going with, but I am definitley going to next year! I am really going to miss him. I miss him during the day when we are both at work, so this is going to be ridiculous! His birthday is while he is gone too, so I am for sure spoiling him when he gets home next Saturday. I have made a good friend named Pauline here, and she is a doll! She watched Oscar for me last weekend when I was at Apple River, and she had so much fun with him. She works out at Pinnacle and comes to my classes. We have hung out quite a bit, and she has done all she can to make me feel welcome here. It is wonderful to find people like that! I know her and I are going to be friends for a long time! That is all I have for now. Have a wonderful Thursday to all!

Be a kid again

What is your favorite thing to do for exercise? Do you enjoy your work outs, or do you have to force yourself to do them? It is important to find something that you truly enjoy. Yes, you do have to do some things you don't want to when you set big goals, but to remain active all your life, you have to keep it fun. That is what we did when we were little kids. We didn't even realize we were exercising because we were having fun. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch, meet a friend for a walk. Get a group together to play a game. Capture the flag is a fun one! (ooo, that is a good idea--I want to do that now!) Nate and I have been playing sand volleyball with a group of people on Saturdays. I love triathlons. Swimming, biking, and running don't always feel like work outs to me because I enjoy doing them. Be a little kid again, and make it fun somehow! Some would say I act like a little kid all the time, and I would agree. Children view the world in such an innocent way. They don't worry about what others think about them, and they will tell you like it is. They take value in little things and are entertained easily. So...my challenge for you is to not only act like a little kid with your work outs but to act like a little kid all day! Let loose and be excited! Be happy! Find joy and entertainment in the small things! Jump up and down and say WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Fridayyyyy!!!!!!!!!

It's Friday! I started my day at 4:43am. Even Oscar didn't want to be up at that time! It is hard enough waking up that early, but not only do I have to be up, I actually have to be awake and enthusiastic! I am pretty sure people hate that about me. Haha GOOD MORNING IT'S 5AM!!!!! BUT ya know what?! Someone has got to be excited about it, dang it! I was going to do a sprint triathlon this weekend, but I hurt my back when I was moving, so I decided against it. I have felt much better yesterday and today emotionally. Like I had mentioned, it has been tough dealing with so much change and transition. It is a lot for one little person to handle. They are all positive changes, so that makes it easier to get through the mixed emotions. Luckily, I have the world's most amazing man as a boyfriend, and he has made the transition a whole heck of a lot more comfortable. We haven't been able to see each other as much now that we aren't living together. It makes me miss him a lot, even when it is only a day! I never thought that would happen because I love my alone time. When I was single, that was the one thing I was worried about the most- finding the balance between together and alone time, but now, I just want to be with him ALL the time! Gosh, I am the luckiest girl in the world. Okay, I am done now. Now that you all have thrown up in your mouths a little bit! My boss went into labor last night, and we haven't heard yet, but I am sure she had her baby by now. That means I have to hold the fort down while she is gone. I am also starting a bootcamp class next week too, so I am going to be a busy gal! I love this job. It is so fun being in one place all day and not having to be so strung out. It is also pretty awesome that I get paid to do my hobby and be at the gym all day! It feels good to represent one gym and I am proud to represent this one. Do you feel that way? Are you proud of what you are doing with your life or do you hesitate when people ask you where you work? If you do, remember that your job is not what defines you, and you should be proud of whatever it is you are doing. No matter what it is, you are making a difference. You can be a role model in any position you are in, and you can define yourself by that. You can choose to be proud and choose to be happy in any situation you are in. If you can be happy in your current situation, you will be truly happy forever. The great thing about all the changes in my life is that I was already happy before they all happened. I was perfectly content with where I was, who I was, and what I was doing which makes for a perfect time to make a huge life decision like I did. I wasn't looking for happiness, and I wasn't running away from anything. Life happened, and I went with it--and you should too! WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday America!

Hello Friends! I have been busy moving, working, celebrating, etc. so I have not written a blog in a while. I am back now, and I am officially settled into Madison! It was a very smooth move, and I had such wonderful people helping me. I appreciate them greatly. It has been a hard couple of days because it has finally hit me that I really did move away. Away from a wonderful city filled with many wonderful people who treated me so well. My roots will always be in Cedar Falls, and I miss everyone so much. At the same time, I am looking forward to meeting many more people and touching lives in Madison. Transitions are hard and bring many emotions to the surface. Dealing with change is something we all need to be able to do because it happens so much. Our lives never turn out how we picture them, so you have to be adaptable to go with whatever comes your way. That is how I got to where I am now. I kept following the promptings I was given. Sometimes they are scary and make us uneasy, but give it time, and you will see exactly why you were suppose to follow what you were given. I may act like things are easy or seem happy all the time, but it isn't easy. I wake up every day and I CHOOSE to be happy and optimistic. Some days are a whole heck of a lot harder than others, but you fight the negative thoughts, emotions, etc., and you tackle the day! I hope every one has a safe holiday. Make sure you wear sunscreen and drink lots of water (in between beers of course ;)) I taught a class this morning and got a run in on the treadmill. Nate and I are going to get some lunch and head to Devil's Lake for the day. Happy Birthday America!

Life and Love

I get to go to Cedar Falls tomorrow! I am really excited to see some friends that I have been missing so much and to get my puppy, Oscar back from my Mom! She fell in love with him, so I know it is going to be really hard for her to give him back to me. He is just a loveable lil guy. I am excited to move, but I am not at the same time because it is going to be a HOT one! Melissa is riding back with me in the Uhaul and staying with me Saturday night. Nate's best friend Skyler is coming to Madison this weekend too, so he is going to give Melissa a ride back Sunday. We are going to have a sleepover with our bestest friends! The fireworks show in Madison is on Saturday too, so we will get to see that. They set fireworks off to music over the lake, so I have heard it is really neat. It will be a busy and fun weekend! I probably won't even get to setting my apartment up until Sunday night and have to work on it throughout the week! Last night, I got to experience my first "Concerts on the Square". Every Wednesday in the summer, there are concerts on the capitol lawn for free. You bring a blanket, food, and drinks, and you enjoy music. Nate met me down there after work, and we sat with some of my new friends. It was so relaxing, and I couldn't believe how fast the night went. Every time Nate and I get to spend together, I fall more and more in love with him. He is wonderful, and I am writing it here on my blog so everyone knows it! I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!! :) It has been a long time since I have said that, and I really wasn't even looking for it. I was to the point where I would have been okay with being single for a really long time. I was very happy with who I was and where my life was going. Then, without even trying, out of no where, I get this wonderful job to move to a wonderful city, and a wonderful man just happens to be there! Oh how lovely life is. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am, and it did not come easy. Not at all. I am thankful for all these wonderful things every day, and I know no matter what happens, I can handle anything that comes my way! My hope is that if you are going through something challenging, I can inspire you or give you hope. I don't have this blog to brag about my life, but I pray each time that I write it that it would make a difference to someone. It will make someone's day. I will say something that sticks in someone's head that will push them to that next step. That is what I am here for, friends! Have a wonderful day--make today the best day of your life.

Keep it simple!

Everyday we hear about what is good for us and what is bad for us. It is frustrating for me as a personal trainer because my clients come to me with many concerns and questions. It just confuses every one, and they give up. Try to keep things simple. Being healthy and reaching your fitness goals is about moderation (with everything in your life, not just food) and consistency--stop trying every single fad diet and work out-- stay consistent. Keep movement a part of your day, don't over eat, and get the to gym, but don't be so hard on yourself if you do miss a work out or eat too much. Life goes on, and as long as you don't do it everyday, you will be fine. I do think it is important to meet with a personal trainer to review your work outs. If you are spending time in the gym, you best be getting the most out of it that you can. I wouldn't want you to waste your time, and you probably don't want to either. Most gyms offer a free consultation with a trainer, so take advantage of it. Find a group or a friend to exercise with. A lot of communities offer many options for this like running clubs, triathlon groups, etc. Get a hold of someone and have some fun with your work outs! Even if you aren't a runner or a triathlete, you can still join to get active and meet new people. Accountability will keep you on track! Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. And have fun.

Go out and try! Then try again! ....and again...

What are you waiting for? What are you afraid of? Afraid to fail? Afraid to get hurt? Stop it. Stop being afraid and get out there and try...then keep trying. What did I say about never giving up and never settling? You are the only one who has the power and control of what is going to happen. If you keep saying you are afraid of (fill in the blank), what you want will never happen for you. Pick up a sledge hammer and break down that wall that is stopping you. Take a risk today. Do something. Stop doing nothing. You must know that there is a higher risk of hurt, failure, etc., but if you keep trying and never give up AND BELIEVE (this is key--to believe it will actually happen for you and actually vision it happening for you), it WILL happen. Whatever it is. Whatever you want. It will happen for you. What is your next step?

It is becoming reality

A few more days, and I will have the keys to my new place. I think it hasn't really sunk in that I am going to be here forever because 90% of my belongings are still in Cedar Falls. I will be heading back on Friday afternoon to stay the night and pack up the next day. My best friend, Melissa, is riding back to Madison with me to stay the night! I miss her soooo much and am really looking forward to seeing her and showing her where I live! AND I will have Oscar back too!! I miss him soooo much! I had another great weekend in Mad-town. Nate and I had a date night on Friday. We went to dinner then spent some time at home talking about our relationship which I believe is a healthy thing for all couples to do. Boys and girls are just so stinkin' different! We should all take time to talk about each other's wants/needs. I feel like it brought us a step closer together. On Saturday, I had my first long run of my marathon training (Chicago marathon in October). I did 10 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes, and then spent about an hour playing sand volleyball with some people that Nate knew. That night, I met a new friend for dinner and some drinks. It is so wonderful how kind people in Madison are. Everyone I have met seems like the kind of person that you have known forever. I love that. Everyone in Madison is working towards the common goal of having a great community. They are trustworthy people who would do anything for anyone--even if they didn't know them. If I asked someone on the street to help me with something, I know they would. It is pretty neat here! On Sunday, Nate and I went to the pool and relaxed all day. I went to a church that I think is going to be where I end up going. It surprises me how fast I found a church because that is a hard thing to find! It is just another reassurance that I am suppose to be here. Everything has been so easy and has happened without even trying. I feel at "home" already, even though Iowa will always truly be my home! Have an amazing Monday, everyone and remember not to settle for anything less than your best today.

Glory Days

I got to relive my glory days on a track last night. The Wisconsin Runners Club hosts track meets throughout the summer, and Nate and I ran in one! He already knew he was going to be running in it with some guys from work. They put together a 4x400 team. I was only going to watch him, and when I got there, I got a little itch to race and entered the 3200 which was starting in 5 minutes. I had already worked all day, biked 20 miles, ran 3 miles, and lifted. I still pulled out a 12:54! It felt pretty good, and it got me all pumped up! Nate also ran the 100 and 200, and his 4x400 team won. We were both loving every minute of it. It was awesome, and we will probably do more! Work is going really well, but like I said, I don't even like to call it "work". My schedule is awesome, I work with really awesome people, and everyone at the gym is so nice too. I feel like I have known them all forever and I've been there forever. I definitley fit right in from day one. I am getting excited to move into my own place. It is only a week from tomorrow, and I get the keys. I also get my Oscar back too, as I have missed him so much! I have gotten used to living with Nate, so it will be hard to move out and not see each other everyday...but...I'm sure it will work out just perfectly, as everything else has so far. Happy Thursday everyone! It is my favorite day of the week!

Never. Ever. Settle. Ever.

Why should we settle for anything less than what we truly deserve?  Why should we settle for being average?  We shouldn't, and you don't have to! Make that your decision today. You will never settle. One of my devotions this week was about developing your strengths rather than focusing on your weaknesses.  We stress so much about getting better at the things we aren't good at, when we should be perfecting our strengths.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, and this world was made for each person's to be different. We work together with our strengths.  Take some time to reflect on what yours are and steps you can take to become even stronger in that area.  It will make the world a better place, and don't you dare settle for anything less than your best.  I was sitting at church one day in high school when a guest speaker (who never met me in my life) stopped in the middle of his sermon, walked over and sat by me, and said to me "You are a jewel and you are to never settle for second best."  Then, he got up and proceeded with his sermon. I will never forget those words, and I to this day, won't settle. It takes time and lots of hard work to get what you want in life, but if you take it little by little, one day at a time, and never give up, I promise you it will happen.

Everyday is a vacation!

Everyday here feels like a vacation! Even when I'm at work because it is so fun and I love it. I'm off work at 1:30 on Fridays, so I spent the day exploring. After work, I went and signed the lease on my new place. This is the first time I have signed a lease by myself, without a roommate. Definitely a proud moment in my life. It reminded me of the day I bought my first car when I was 15 years old. I saved all my money from a paper route and waitressing so I could get a car to drive on my school permit-another proud day in my life. After I signed the lease, I wanted to celebrate, so I went to state street and had a beer on a patio, then went to the union memorial terrace. This is a spectacular place. Local bands and musicians play every day along the lake. You can enjoy a beer on the patio, on a picnic table, or on one of the many docks. I decided to lay out on a dock. My ironman tattoo made me some new friends. A guy and a girl named Scott and Kami saw my tattoo and asked if I was an iron-woman, and we started talking and ended up exchanging numbers. Scott was going to go for a swim and asked me to join so I I did. We ended up going about a half hour. It was very refreshing, as it was a hot day. I then rode my bike back to Nate's where we got ready and went back down to state street to enjoy Ian's pizza and beers at the Capitol Brewery. We admired the Capitol up close as it was glowing in the night. It is beautiful; something a picture cannot capture. We slept in until 9:30 today. I didn't feel very well when I woke up, so Nate took care of me and made me breakfast! It was delicious! I went down to the farmer's market and bought some yummy local produce, got the rest of my groceries at the store, and baked and cooked all day. I think I walk around smiling constantly. I love it here. Make an effort to make everyday feel like a vacation. Don't miss out on the little things that make life wonderful. If you don't feel this way, change your perspective. Always focus on the positive, don't dwell on the past or focus on the future. Live for today, or you will miss out on this wonderful thing we call life!

Exercise Recovery: An important component we tend to forget about

You get to the gym, you tie your shoelaces, you clip into those pedals. You push yourself to extremes. You're done with a hard work out, and it is so easy to forget how important it is to replenish your body for recovery.  The intake of water, sports drinks, carbohydrates, and proteins is crucial to recovering and preparing yourself for the next work out.  It can get very technical and confusing, but have no fear! Heidi is here! I will try my best to make it simple so you can maximize the results of your efforts.

The first component to focus on is replacing fluids.  The best way to do this is to weigh yourself before and after your work outs.  You should consume 16 ounces of fluid for every pound lost within the first hour (this time is crucial) after exercise.  Your blood has two components. Intracellular fluid (fluid inside the cells) and Extracellular fluid (fluid outside the cells).  The rate at which the Intracelluar fluid absorbs liquid from extracellular fluid can be increased with sports drinks due to a higher concentration of electrolytes, carbs, proteins, and sodium/potassium.  Obviously, sports drinks have more calories, so depending on what your goals are and how soon your next work out is will determine if you should choose water or a sports drink.  Your body can rehydrate with water, but it takes longer to do.  This is why it is so important to consume water all throughout the day, not just at one time. 

The next component to focus on is intake of carbohydrates and proteins.  This is generally a 4:1 ratio (4 being carbohydrates, 1 being proteins).  Again, the most important window is an hour after exercise.  For 4 hours following exercise, a person should consume 250-350 calories from carbohyrates per hour. Your body will absorb a lot more efficiently when the calories are consumed more spread out, rather than taking them all in at once.  This is why it is important to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Your body will absorb what it needs more effectively, and it won't store the extra away. Each person's goals are going to be different, and again, you have to consider what your total calorie intake for the day should be.  You also want to consume proteins with your carbohyrates because they aid in the synthesis of the carbohyrates so your body isn't storing the carbs as fats.  20 grams of protein is the number to shoot for.  Whey protein is the most efficient at absorbing into your body, and again, during the first hour after exercise.

You can read more about recovery at: http://www.acefitness.org/blog/1654/refueling-and-recovery-part-2-of-2 , but if you have any other questions, let me know!

I'm not homeless!

I'm just loving life today as I am in the swing of things with my new clients and classes. I know this is my calling in life because I just bounce around with a permanant smile on my face!  Getting paid to meet new friends and hang out at the gym all day is pretty neat! :)

GREAT NEWS! I found an apartment and am going to sign the lease tomorrow! It is only 2.5 miles from downtown. It is like a house because it is separate from the other apartments. It has hardwood floors, new tile in the kitchen and bathroom, a big yard for Oscar, and it is 2 bedrooms!  It is really easy to get downtown, as I can hop right on the trail that follow the lake. It is perfect!  It is also right on the bus stop, so I can take the bus everywhere. I'm still planning on selling my car because you don't really need one around here.  Yipppeeee!!!!!!!! July 1st is my official move-in day.

That's all for now, I've got to go back to kickin some butt! It's Thursday, my favorite day of the week!

Keep life interesting

It is important to occasionally or maybe more frequently, do something outrageous. Do something you never thought you would do, something people would least expect you would do. It will keep life interesting and keep other people from thinking they have you tucked away in a box they have designed. Be your own person. Be unpredictable. Try to do something outrageous once a week, or maybe even start with once a month. So far this month, I flew and airplane and rode a horse! We are not created by God to merely do the same thing over and over until it has no meaning. God is creative. Look around you. Nature is amazing. The universe is amazing and unpredictable. They boggle my mind everyday! What crazy or outrageous thing will you do?!

Apartments, work, friends!

Yesterday was a great day! I swam 2 miles in Lake Mendota, biked 10 miles to and from work, and I ran about 2.5 when I got home with Nate. He is so great. I told him I was going to run a little bit when I got home if he wanted to join me, and he didn't even question it, he just said mmmkay! My kind of guy :) I found out that I can move into the apartment on state street on July 15! This makes things a little difficult because I have to be out of my cedar falls apartment by July 1. I'm going to have to rent a space to put my stuff in for a few weeks. I haven't told the landlord for sure yet, so I'm going to keep looking today and possibly tomorrow, then give him an answer. I really think it will be worth it to wait. I want to experience living downtown in a big city at least once in my life! Also, I want to experience living alone too. I think everyone should do this. Independence is the key to a happy and fulfilling life. You need to be able to stand firm on your own mentally, financially, and spiritually. I spent the past two years being alone, and it was the best two years of my life. I learned so much about myself and grew into the person I wanted to be, and luckily enough, I found someone else who is just as independent as me, so it works out really well and makes for a great relationship! Work is going great! Well, I don't like to refer to it as work because it is more of a hobby that I get paid to do. It's the best job I could have ever asked for. The team of people I get to work with are all amazing too. They love life and are excited about it everyday, which makes me even more excited beause we all feed off each other's energy. I got to teach my first class last night with another trainer, who I know is going to become a very good friend of mine. Her name is Irene and she is so fun! I'm going to be starting with all my clients tomorrow, so I'm excited to meet them all! I love new people and making new friends! I sure am missing everyone back home. I hope that you all or some of you come visit. There is something to do here for everyone. Wisconsin plays UNI on September 1, so I would love to get a group here to go to that! Have a super hump day all! Make today the best day of your life :)

"Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and the sky. It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy." -Kansas "Dust in the Wind"

My first blog! I sure do miss everyone back home in cedar falls, but I love Madison! I have only been here 6 days and I have already put 134 miles on my bike, and I got to swim in Lake Mendota this morning where I swam for Ironman! I was nervous getting around Madison at first, but I am getting used to it. It isn't too difficult once you learn the main roads. I am waiting to hear back from a landlord about an apartment on state street which is right downtown. If I get that apartment, I am going to sell my car because I won't need it! I am loving my job and everyone I work with. Actually, it isn't really a job, just a hobby I decided to make my career. I feel very fortunate to be able to say that. Not many people can. I am going to be very busy, but I love being active and busy. I have been staying with my boyfriend, Nate while I look for a place to live. He has been so good to me, and we have been having a lot of fun spending more time together and getting to know each other more. I think we will both be sad when I move to my own place, but especially him since I have been spoiling him rotten! My hopes for this blog are to inspire others and keep my family and friends up to date on my adventures. I will tell all about them, and I will also include different motivational blurbs and fitness and nutrition tips. Hope you will enjoy!