Tell us a little about yourself. Have you always been interested with fitness?
I’ve always been active in some way or another. In high school I was on the swim team and skied on the Nordic Ski Team. My Dad and I would travel all over our region so I could qualify for a spot at the Nordic Skiing Junior Nationals. I went on to ski competitively in college and was the Division III Nordic Skiing National Champion my senior year. My coach was an ironman, runner, and also the cross-country running coach. He was always right beside me during practices so he brought a lot of his passion to my training.
I joined the cross-country running team and got a road bike to keep my training fun and interesting! After college I started running marathons and half-marathons which I’m currently addicted to! I found yoga while training for my first marathon and loved how it helped my tight muscles and tired legs. I loved how much peace and stillness my time on the mat brings me and was hooked! Now I’m training to become a certified yoga instructor! With all my activities I’m always thinking about my next meal and love fueling my body as much as I love moving it. I never sit still and pretty much have one speed…GO!
I love how yoga has taught me to respond to my emotions and recognize how they resonate physically with me. I love taking a hip opener class and releasing emotions that are stored there, I feel much more centered and like my hips have widened by 2 inches! Yoga is such a physically challenging practice so I always feel like I get an amazing workout but it also combines breathing and emotional work as well, which I feel is really important for a balanced, healthy life. As someone who is “type A” I sometimes forget to just stop, breathe, and experience my emotions. Yoga is very therapeutic!
What advice do you have for someone who wants to start doing yoga?
Find a studio that offers beginners classes and be sure to tell the instructor that you have never practiced before. Some studios offer a free class to new students and others have great deals when you first sign up, like 2 weeks unlimited for $25 dollars! These deals give you a chance to experience different classes and instructors. If you don’t love your first class I always encourage people to try a different style or instructor, no two classes will ever be the same!
I set different goals for each marathon which keeps me motivated. I ran the Chicago Marathon last year with my boyfriend and it was really important to me to have fun with training and enjoy race day. I tried really hard to not get caught up with my pace and time, although I think my boyfriend might say I failed at that! When I ran the Boston Marathon in April I ran for Team in Training. It was inspiring to know that I was running for something so much bigger than myself. Having the team to train with and the support of my donors behind me made every mile that much easier. I also like to make little vacations out of marathons; I get to run a race and explore a new city and have some fun. Running a marathon is a great excuse to get away!
What have you learned from running marathons?
This is a hard one. I’ve learned time and time again that the strength inside me is so much stronger than I can ever imagine. There comes a moment in every marathon where you feel like you can’t go on, where you might not finish, and you are wondering why you ever signed up to do this, but from somewhere deep inside you find the strength to push through and accomplish your goal. I’ve learned that no matter what the challenge may be I have the strength to get through it!
“Fit” means living a balanced, healthy lifestyle. It means working out regularly and challenging your body to reach new levels. It means eating lean proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies, but indulging every now and then on your favorite sweet or meal! It means recognizing when you’re tired and run-down and need to prioritize, rest, and relax. It means being emotionally healthy as well as physically healthy. And it means being happy in your life!
For more from Whitney, visit her blog, http://liverunloveyoga.com/, and follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter @LiveRunLoveYoga
