Wild Workout Wednesday- Training for a 5k + A Fresh New Look

Happy Wild Workout Wednesday!  I am really enjoying these weekly linkups, I am finding a lot of great blogs to read.  I enjoy connecting with other fitness and healthy living bloggers.  If you are new to Wild Workout Wednesday, feel free to read the info on how to join in here.  Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Amber from Coleman Fitness and Upala from Pretty in Pink Fitness link up weekly, we would love to have you join in the Wild Workout fun!!

I have decided to run a 5k in May!  I am really excited and nervous because I haven't been running. I used to run races more frequently, but I haven't in quite some time.  Every May there is a 5k Fun Run and Walk that I try to participate in.  It is called Mind Over Matter, which raises money for mental health awareness ans suicide prevention.  I first found this race three years after I lost my best friend to suicide.  After she passed I was really depressed and upset, I ate as a way to avoid the pain.  I ended up gaining a lot of weight.  I then joined a gym, started working out and running, eating better and I lost the weight.  I also noticed that the physical activity made me feel so much better.  It was then that I knew I wanted to become a personal trainer and help other people change their lives with exercise and healthy eating.  So when I was looking for races to do I found this one.  It was so fitting because I wanted to help raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention and I also knew how important physical fitness is to mental health, as I experienced it first hand.  It was also a way for me to honor and remember my friend. Since that first race, I have tried to be there every year, although some years I couldn't, it is a yearly reminder of how important it is to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention and also a yearly way to honor my friend.  This year I have decided to run again, my cousin said "Let's do a 5k" and I said OKAY!  So he and I are going to run.  I think it is a great way for me to get back into running and training for that day to honor my dear friend, who I still miss very much.

So to get ready for the 5k in May I decided to try the Couch 2 5K plan.  I looked it up on my phone and I found an app, awesome!  It gives me what I need to do for each week and each day.  Right now I am on intervals for 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes for warm up and cool down.  I am starting slow and just jogging at about 5.0 mph.  I know I will be able to build up and avoid injury if I work my way up to actual running.  Now that it is getting nicer out I can get out and do some outdoor runs/walks to get ready to run on pavement, which is much different than running on the treadmill.   I am excited to see where this running journey takes me.  My friend Jess, who just ran her first half marathon has really inspired me.  I loved seeing all her posts and race pictures on Facebook, it made me want to get back into running. She has a motto that I love, "I am in control of myself.  I can choose to go faster or slower, but my mind is in control of my body".  I love that!  It is so inspiring and so true!  That is one of the things that I am working on, creating a stronger mind and knowing that I can do anything that I set my mind to.  Thanks Jess for inspiring me, and congrats on your first half marathon, maybe one day we can run one together!  Here is my friend Jess after finishing her 13.1, like no big deal!  You go girl!! 

Did you notice the fresh new look on the blog?  I have a brand new header and logo that my friend Laura designed for me.  She also did our Wild Workout Wednesday logo, as you can see she does great work.  She incorporated my love of fitness, essential oils and healthy eating in my header which I LOVE!  I was ready for some new colors and a fresh new look for my header and logo.  If you need any design work, you should contact Laura, she is so talented!  I would love to hear your thoughts on the new look! 

Now it's time for the Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up! 
Here are the rules to join in:
1)  Follow your host and co-hosts in any way you can!

Angelena Marie at Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

Upala at Pretty in Pink Fitness //Instagram 

Amber at Bold Fit Mom // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram 

Annmarie at The Fit Foodie Mama // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

2) Link up with a fitness or healthy living post.  It can be something you just posted or a favorite from your archives as long as it is fitness or healthy living related.   Feel free to link up to 3 posts.

3) Snag our awesome Wild Workout Wednesday Button to make sure to link back in your blog post:

<div class="wild-workout-wednesday-link-up-button" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.angelenamarie.com" rel="nofollow"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd-kxmXpYv2iKSVqMHBXs1egmbWRre_vAXNhRyxfJOYdlNdi82yMK51ql6lF9FMXkN-N1aC3QHIcmTOoUMoBJZVlAnvXHKCsxxGWGIK0wh1ASrIfq-S7Z8BeI9Iw3K4DlVOtf4FiSc6aZ/s600/WildWorkoutWed_%25235.jpg" alt="Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div>

You can also display the button on your blog sidebar to spread the word about this fun linkup!

4) Make sure to leave a comment on the host and co-hosts link up post.

5) Visit at least 2 other blogs in the link up and leave a comment!

6) Share the love...post with the #wildworkoutwednesday on your posts to share this awesome link up and spread the word.  Sharing is caring!  You can also tag @angelenamarie1, @boldfitmom, @pretty_in_pink_fitness and @fitfoodiemama on social media sites.

What or who inspires you?

Have you ever ran in a race?

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Feature Fridays: Rachel Miller

I am so excited for the first installment in my Feature Fridays segment.  I reached out and have received an amazing response, I have stories scheduled until the end of March.  I am so excited to read and share each one of these inspirational and motivational stories, especially as since I have my own story.  I have always loved reading others success stories it makes me know that I am not alone!  Today's story comes from Rachel Miller at Undercover Diva: A sitcom.  Read on to hear how she changed her life through exercise and nutrition!

Feature Fridays: Rachel Miller

For most of my young adulthood, I had been overweight.  At the encouragement of my Pilates teacher in the Spring of 2011 semester, I began to track my calories and exercise using My Fitness Pal.com (they also have a mobile app, both are free).  Let me tell you, counting calories is an eye-opener.  It really introduced portion control, which I think is more important than what you actually eat.  I still eat pizza, ice cream and all those delicious sweets I just allot calories for those treats.  It is also important to understand that you don't need to be perfect in your calorie counting everyday; as long as you have a deficit of 2,500 calories at the end of the week, you will lose 1 pound a week (My Fitness Pal calculates your deficit for you).

Initially I set my goal for 15 pounds that I wanted to lose.  The first 10 pounds or so come off quickly (more if you're heavier) because this is all water weight.  When I got to 15 pounds lost, I loved what I was seeing so I tried for 5 more pounds.  Then I tried for 10 more pounds.  When I did it I was ECSTATIC!  I am now maintaining that weight by running, eating well and strength training twice a week.

I eat a vegetarian diet, and I believe that has helped me maintain my healthy lifestyle and has changed my mindset towards food.  I now truly view food as fuel and try to fuel myself with as many whole foods as possible, although I do enjoy my treats.  Healthy living is an ongoing process and a constant learning experience.  I have seen the health problems associated with not eating or living well, and would like to avoid those if at all possible.

Rachel: Before and after her journey

 A special Thank You! goes out to Rachel for being my first Feature Friday Reader story.  She has a wonderful story to share and great tips too!  Check out her blog Under Cover Diva: A sitcom to see what she is up to in her journey.

I also want to give a shout out to my friend and graphic designer Laura Schmeisl for designing my Feature Fridays logo.  You can check out her work at Laura-Schmeisl.com.