We don't quit when we're tired, we quit when we're done

That is our fitness mantra here at Try One.

You'll notice that the mantra says nothing about crying, whining, or complaining. There likely will be some of that too.  But we're hoping this will serve as motivation not only for us, but for you too!

Bryn and I have dubbed Fridays, Fabulous Fitness Fridays.  Every Friday we will be coming to you with stories of our workouts for the week, what worked well and what didn't. We'll talk about when it was great and when it was not so great.  Well discuss training schedules, products we love (or loathe), injuries, stretching and more. 

Expect nothing but honesty out of us, if I planned to run 5 today and was sucking wind at 3 and had to walk, I'll tell you.  And I hope you'll cheer me on next time.  Because we all need cheerleaders. 

To kick things off, here is a little bit of intro on both of us, where we've been health wise, where we are now and where we are going.

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Hi, my name is Hallie and I hate working out. 

OK, that isn't entirely true, it used to be, but now, most days, I love it.  Truth is, if I have to miss a scheduled run, I actually feel it physically now.  I get antsy.  And I need it as much for my physical health as I do for my mental health.  Running cleans out the cobwebs and destresses me.

I am new to running.  I started the C25K program about a year ago.  But I got a weird pinched nerve in my neck in the beginning that took a long time to heal.  So instead of slowing down, I quit.  That has typically been my motto.  I get bored, I quit.  But for whatever reason, I picked up running again and ran my first race last weekend.  It was a 7k.  My only goal was to finish with no walking.  But really, I wanted to finish in under 45 minutes.  And I finished in 43:53.  A very proud moment for me.  I've got my next race scheduled for the end of April, you'll be hearing more about that next week. 

My workout time is limited.  During the week, I run on the treadmill in the basement while #2 naps.  On the weekends, I run outside when the hubby is home.  Since starting running I have lost 18 pounds.  (Reason #1 why I love running, it is great for weight loss!) Another proud moment. 

While this all sounds happy, it has taken a long time for me to get to this place.  Running was/is a struggle for me.  I don't consider myself  "good" at it.  Running 3 straight miles took months.  For me, running is 10% physical and 90% mental.  My head said "You can't do this" for a very long time.  Once you get over that, it gets a little easier.  But for me, every run I am telling myself, "You can do it" in that Hans and Franz voice.  I need a lot of positive reinforcement.

For those of you considering starting, as Nike would say, Just Do It!  Ttake it slow and just get started.  You won't finish any race if you never get off the couch!

So check me out on Fridays for running stories and to see what I am doing about these pesky bingo wings!

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Hi! My name is Bryn, and I have a problem.

I'm addicted to working out.

I get up at 4 a.m. in order to get my fix and without it I'm twitchy and cranky. Wow, when I say it out loud it does sound like a true addiction. Oh well. The high is totally worth it!

I started working out in high school and would go to the gym 5 nights a week. and then came college (and beer and pizza) where I gained around 50 lbs. my freshman year. You didn't read that wrong. 50. At that point I was too embarrassed to work out and frankly I was too busy enjoying the beer and the pizza to care. After college I decided to get back in shape so I started with my diet and cut my portion sizes and then eventually weeded out "bad" foods. Also, instead of using fear of embarrassment as an excuse, I started doing exercise videos at home and bought an elliptical trainer and I was hooked. I took kick boxing classes and fell back in love with the endorphin rush. Once eating right and exercising became a habit, the weight came right off. I was able to work out during both of my pregnancies and was lucky that I didn't have to put in too much effort to lose the baby weight.

I have a confession though. I have NEVER ran a mile. Ever. I've tried (kinda), but I feel awkward and intimidated. I don't think it's an endurance thing... I don't know what it is. However, I'm getting to the age now where I feel like if I'm ever going to do it...now is the time. I'm still breast feeding though, and I cant risk losing too much weight (go Hallie!), so I'm going to have to put off the C25K for this spring. Instead, I'm going to work up to a mile or two and then this fall start training with the C25K method. I really would love to run...and I'm going to do it!!!

So, for now, I'll be reviewing exercise videos, working on my booty, and learning to run around the block :).

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Check back over the next few hours to get a glimpse of the two challenges we are taking on over the next several weeks.