Proudly Athena

I think it sounds pretty bad-ass to be able to say I’m an “Athena” runner.  Calling a running guy a “Clydesdale” however, is something I can’t do with a straight face.  If you haven’t heard these terms before, you’ll occasionaly encounter Athena and Clydesdale divisions in running events.  Athenas are females more than 150 pounds, and Clydesdales are males more than 190.  Competing in these divisions takes you out of competition with your age group and pits you against other big-boned people!

Whenever I see the option to compete as an Athena in a race I sure do!  In my opinion, it’s the only chance I have to compete for a medal, and competition is what drives me (In my running club, I’m happy that they offer Athena and Clydesdale divisions for their Gold Cup Series!).  Sure, competition with my own personal best is great, but you can’t tell me that competition against others isn’t motivating!  And you can’t tell me you wouldn’t want a little bling hanging around your neck as you leave a race!

Unfortunately, oftentimes when these divisions are offered, not too many Athenas seem to sign up.  I’m not sure if it’s because they don’t know what it is or perhaps more likely, they don’t have the self-confidence to proudly declare that they weigh more than 150 pounds (I honestly haven’t weighed that little since 5^th grade!).  Personally, I think it should be more like 175 or so, but that’s just this proud 197-pound big girl talking! (That’s right, 197! I’ve lost 20 pounds since my Shakeology journey began in December. #WeighInWednesday)

If you fit the criteria, go ahead and proudly sign up for the Athena or Clydesdale division next time you see it offered!

Now, onto what’s happening in the Beachbody world… I don’t want you to miss out on some great specials available through the end of the month… The MMA-inspired Les Mills Combat, the rapid weight-loss & accelerated strength-training of Les Mills Pump, or the detox and tune-up of the Ultimate Reset are on special through March. Contact me for details: joan@joangrottfitness.com or connect through Facebook at www.facebook.com/joangrottfitness.

And one last thing… Those who know me know that I tell it as it is, and I want you to know that I truly believe in the power of Beachbody to make a difference in lives, I mean in my first few months in the biz, I lost nearly 20 pounds and made enough money to pay for me recent all-inclusive five-night Caribbean vacation (airfare too!)  And now I want to share this opportunity with you and I’m looking for a few team members.  Requirements for team members:  must love to help others, be interested in working from home, and would like to make $500 a month or even a week! If you know of anyone, could you please send them my way?!  And I'd be happy to give YOU a gift if the prospective team member you send my way works out! (joan@joangrottfitness.com, www.facebook.com/joangrottfitness).

Lighter & Faster!

It’s been awhile since I blogged, but I’M BACK!!! February was a rough month for me, but I ended it on an upswing with a “spring break” to Riviera Maya, Mexico with my childhood best friend!*

I didn’t see much weight loss in February, but despite all that I was facing, I DIDN’T GAIN weight, so that was awesome! And following my spring break, I got back to business with my workouts and my Shakeology nutrition, and the scale is moving downward again… my first post-vacation weigh-in was last Wednesday, and I finally broke into the 100s! 198.6 pounds!

To recap, since I began including Shakeology in my daily routine back in December, I’ve lost 18 pounds so far! As I’ve shared before here, I truly believe it’s corrected the nutritional piece of my health/fitness puzzle...and it keeps my energy up, keeps me feeling full longer than my old breakfast did, and I just feel healthier!

One of my goals for 2014 is to get back to my best running shape, and so far I’m on the right track!  This past Saturday I ran my first Gold Cup Series race for my local running club, the Calumet Region Striders.  My best recent training 5K was a shade faster than 34 minutes, so I set my goal at 33 minutes and promised myself a new pair of running shoes if I beat 33.  I found myself fairly-comfortably running at a 10:00ish minute/mile pace and managed to finish in 32:00.5!! The Athena division of the Cal Striders better look out, ‘cause I’m gonna kick some tail this year!!  And I can’t wait to visit my local running store, Extra Mile, this week for some new kicks!

*I earned enough money in 3 months as a Beachbody coach to cover the cost of airfare and 5-nights at a beautiful Riviera Maya all-inclusive resort.  If you’re looking for a fun way to earn some extra fun money, pay down debt, etc., contact me to learn more about being a Beachbody coach!