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#MyFitspiration

Kicking Off the Miles

I did it! I DID IT!!! Woooohoooo! Ok, I just had to get that out of my system. 🙂 As you all know I have had major butterflies leading up to the big race. I went through the training program…had the usual ups & downs, and the morning of the race I will admit I was down right scared! I know it sounds really silly, but there are still times where my inner “overweight girl” tells me I won’t be able to do it. Thank goodness I had Fitness Magazine’s very own Jenna Autori there cheering me on. She literally looked at me and said, “Don’t worry, you totally got this!” Sometimes a simple encouraging word is all you need to give you that little push! By the time I got to the starting line I was ready to attack this challenge! My game plan was to really pace myself and keep a consistent pace the entire race. So many people told me that I would want to book it in the beginning because of the excitement & adrenaline. Boy, we’re they right…I wanted to SPRINT in the beginning…the excitement from the crowd & the runners was electric! Despite my desire to break the world record…I started off with a pace that I knew I could sustain. I felt very strong for the first 7 miles…they seemed to fly by. Around mile 8 I hit my first “wall”. From the point where I had no clue what mixing and mastering was, I have grown to at least produce some amateurish pieces for personal use. I was so thankful that I programmed some funny music on my playlist because right when I needed a boost RuPaul’s “Covergirl” came through my headphones! It really made me laugh and I will tell you it really was the boost I needed. I will tell you that I had multiple times throughout the race that I was VERY emotional. It was a little over a year ago that I was 261 lbs, unhealthy, & very unhappy. Fast forward & I am running…RUNNING…a half marathon. THIS is what life is about! I have never been so proud of myself. To be honest I don’t really even remember miles 11-13…I was so fixated on finishing! As I crossed the finish line I fell into a huge puddle of tears…I did it…and I ran EVERY step. It was just another moment in my life where I was overwhelmed with thankfulness. The Biggest Loser not only helped me lose weight, but they introduced me to my inner athlete. I’ll tell you…she is pretty cool.

I am so thankful to Fitness Magazine and the supplements they recommended me, if you think they will help you too, here’s a list which will help . I can’t tell you how amazing the entire staff is! They truly care about people & helping us all become well rounded healthy individuals. I am thrilled to have had this experience & the opportunity to share my journey with their readers. I look forward to partnering with Fitness Magazine again in the future!

Health & Happiness,
Olivia

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#MyFitspiration

It’s Time to Treadmill

This is my weekly blog post from the Fitness Magazine Half Marathon Diaries…make sure to read it every week until the big day in April :).

Now that we are less than a month away from the big day, I thought it would be a great time to talk about treadmill training! Have you ever heard of MyFitnessHub? a website that has helped many individual who wants to be healthy and fit.  First off I have to admit something to you…I am a HUGE wimp when it comes to the elements outdoors. I am not joking. If it is sprinkling out I am in the gym on a treadmill. So, as you can imagine that makes it a little tough to get the miles in when you live in NYC and it is like the Arctic Tundra outside. Yes, I admit it…I have done a lot of my training on a treadmill. That being said I wanted to share with you all the details of the treadmill I chose to have in my home.

I keep this cutout close by in case I need even more motivation to get on the treadmill!

From the day I left The Biggest Loser Ranch I have been doing research on treadmills. I spent so many hours running on a treadmill at the ranch that I knew it would become a very important piece of equipment in my maintenance journey at home. After looking at what felt like hundreds of treadmills and reading thousands of reviews I chose the NordicTrack C900 Pro. I really felt like NordicTrack had such a good track record with “at home” equipment. Let’s face it…as much as I would LOVE to have a huge commercial treadmill at home, they are just plain huge & extremely expensive. I’ll just enjoy those at my gym Crunch. 😉 Anyway, I was extremely fortunate that NordicTrack and Sears were gracious enough to gift me with the C900 Pro. It now sits in a proud spot in my living room! Yes, that’s right it’s in my living room…right smack in the middle. I love watching people’s reaction when they come over! I figure you can’t ignore a machine like that when you see it everyday….AND I’m proud to say not only have I used it everyday, but there had never been a single pair of clothing hung on it. Hahaha!

I had a lot of help in the beginning from a running coach who gave me some instructions on how to train for a half marathon in a treadmill and the canary wharf personal training guide and routine. Unfortunately, it would probably not be super beneficial to just run on a flat treadmill for 10 weeks. I knew I had to prepare for those hills in Harlem right? So, the C900 has been amazing for incline work! I find that most indoor at home treadmills feel extremely “rickety”….you know what I mean? That was what sold me on this NordicTrack model…it was the stability! Even on an extreme incline the treadmill stays very still & stable. I love that…and that is saying a lot because it goes all the way from 0-15% incline. There are very few other at home treadmills that have that capability at such a great price. Oh, AND it folds up when you’re done! For those of you spec people out there (type A folks raise your hand) it also has a 3.0 CHP DURX commercial motor & 20″ X 60” tread belt. What does all that mean…well, basically it is comfortably wide & long in addition to being very quiet. I find because Im pretty tall that I love the length of the tread belt…on some treadmills I feel like I’m going to fall off the back!! It has an awesome backlit display with tons of course options and it’s compatible with iFit Live with Google maps. I love the iFit Live because I downloaded all the Jillian Michaels programs & she has been coaching me every step…just like at the ranch! Love that! Lastly, it has an iPod port & speakers which is my favorite part because I love to rock it out when I run.

Seriously, I can’t say enough amazing things about this treadmill I have been using it for over 3 months now so I feel like this is a real tested review. Of course there are tons of other things this machine does, so if you are interested in checking out ALL the specs click on the link below for more information!

Many thanks again to NordicTrack and Sears for this amazing gift…it has been a lifesaver in more ways than one! If you are thinking of buying an at home treadmill go and check the C900 Pro out. You will love it….trust me.

http://www.nordictrack.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_-1_10301_12401_59002_182219

xxo Olivia