Happy Friday! I haven't been posting much because I have been so busy lately! I promise to hop on next week and fill you in. I am excited to share Nicole's story with you today! She is the mom of four adorable kids and is an inspirational mother and marathoner, she also blogs at My Fit Family, be sure to head over there after you read her story!
Nicole's Story:
I didn't
truly start out on my health and fitness journey until about a year after my
daughter was born. In 2007, I joined a gym because I wanted to lose the
last 10 pounds of baby weight I had gained and it was around that time, I
discovered a passion for running. I jumped on the treadmill and
discovered I couldn't run one mile without stopping. Something happened
inside me, and I saw that mile as something I wanted to conquer. Before I
knew it, I was running one mile without stopping and I set another goal to get
to two. Within a few months I was running my first 5k and a few months
later my first 10k and I realized running was something I enjoyed--not only for
the physical benefits but because of how it made me feel on the inside.
The following year I got pregnant with my twins and because of two previous miscarriages, I decided to cut back on virtually all physical fitness activities. I would walk, but anything more strenuous hurt my body too much physically. I gained over 65 pounds during my twin pregnancy, but every pound was worth it because I delivered two healthy babies!
I remembered the feeling running gave me, and as soon as I got clearance, I slowly eased back into running and training for my first half marathon at 7 weeks postpartum. When my twins were 7 months old, I ran my first 13.1 miles and never felt so happy to see my husband and three children waiting for me at the finish line. By that time, I realized that not only was it important to MOVE my body but to FUEL my body with healthy foods.
The following year I got pregnant with my twins and because of two previous miscarriages, I decided to cut back on virtually all physical fitness activities. I would walk, but anything more strenuous hurt my body too much physically. I gained over 65 pounds during my twin pregnancy, but every pound was worth it because I delivered two healthy babies!
I remembered the feeling running gave me, and as soon as I got clearance, I slowly eased back into running and training for my first half marathon at 7 weeks postpartum. When my twins were 7 months old, I ran my first 13.1 miles and never felt so happy to see my husband and three children waiting for me at the finish line. By that time, I realized that not only was it important to MOVE my body but to FUEL my body with healthy foods.
In 2013 I had my fourth baby and even though I gained 45 pounds, I bounced back very quickly to my pre-pregnancy weight and fitness level. I attribute it to making good food choices (for the most part ;)) throughout my pregnancy, continuing with weight training and running all the way up until my due date. I had a great pregnancy and delivered a healthy 9 lb 3 oz baby boy. 3 weeks later, I was back to running and a few months later, I decided to act on a dream, and I started training for my first ultra-marathon. I am training my heart out to run a 50 mile race in May and also a Double Marathon in July, while fundraising for a charity dear to my heart (The Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation)
It was a
long journey--from the moment I stepped into the gym in 2007 for the
first time to where I'm at today--a marathoner, someone who loves weight
training, and feeding myself and my family delicious and healthy foods. We love
to indulge in things like pizza and burgers at our favorite restaurants, but on
a daily basis, our family is nourished with healthy foods meant to support our
active lifestyle.
I believe in chasing after dreams and that our bodies and minds are capable of amazing things. I believe in the importance of moms taking care of themselves, both physically and emotionally--we constantly give and serve, and it gets easy to forget about our own needs and well-being. I believe in eating for nourishment and health but also in living life and enjoying foods and not living solely off of plain chicken and brown rice. I believe that women should be each other's biggest cheerleaders and we should stop comparing, gossiping, and tearing each other down because of our own insecurities. I believe in the power of moving your body and finding your passion--whether it's running, cycling, yoga, pilates--whatever it is, there is something that will help add to your life--that will enhance it in a healthy and happy way. I believe that life can be incredibly beautiful and yet sometimes so difficult it will take your breath away. I believe my family and Faith are the two things I will always lean on, love and value most in life.
I believe in chasing after dreams and that our bodies and minds are capable of amazing things. I believe in the importance of moms taking care of themselves, both physically and emotionally--we constantly give and serve, and it gets easy to forget about our own needs and well-being. I believe in eating for nourishment and health but also in living life and enjoying foods and not living solely off of plain chicken and brown rice. I believe that women should be each other's biggest cheerleaders and we should stop comparing, gossiping, and tearing each other down because of our own insecurities. I believe in the power of moving your body and finding your passion--whether it's running, cycling, yoga, pilates--whatever it is, there is something that will help add to your life--that will enhance it in a healthy and happy way. I believe that life can be incredibly beautiful and yet sometimes so difficult it will take your breath away. I believe my family and Faith are the two things I will always lean on, love and value most in life.
About Nicole:
Born and raised in California,
I'm currently living in Austin,
TX with my superman husband, a
quirky 7-year-old daughter, hilarious and sweet 4-year-old boy and girl twins,
and the happiest 1-year-old baby boy on the planet. I'm a marathoner, health
and fitness enthusiast, wanna-be ultra-marathoner, a cautious writer, former
teacher and currently a stay at home mom. I'm wordy on paper but never in
person. And I'm unapologetically raising my kids to be my mini-me's: big
dreamers and hard workers. You can find me blogging my heart out at My Fit Family and at The
Huffington Post
Connect with Nicole:
Connect with Nicole:
Thanks to Nicole for taking the time to share her motivating and inspiring story with us today! You are a wonderful example for your children!
What an awesome story! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteShe does have a great story!
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