Hey there Workout Wednesday, we meet again. I kind of love that today’s post falls on the last day of September for two reasons. 1) It makes for a great opportunity to do a quick ‘month in review’ summary and 2) It means one of my favorite challenges starts tomorrow: SQUATOBER. I built the image below for you to save & join in! Last year over 200 followers participated and I’d love if we could grow that even bigger this October 🙂

Is anyone else a stats nerd? I am. Or maybe I’m just so competitive with myself and hitting goals {more on that below} that I thrive on viewing stats to make sure I’m on track. This month I hit all but 1 of my fitness goals — the one I missed was super lofty & it was set when I thought I may be taking the remainder of the month off from running. (150 miles on the bike was my initial plan early September, but after only having to take 2 days off from running I mentally brought that down to 100) So definitely not mad about that one. Coolest thing? Hitting 100 miles on the road AND on the bike. Super proud of that one!

Top 3 Questions of the Week…

How did you get into fitness/working out?

I was in every sport growing up, always athletic. My parents were always super active, my sisters too. Fun fact: both my mom and sister Cassidy have Kinesiology degrees (PE teachers!). Kyle was a 4 sport standout in high school too and said he wouldn’t have married me if I wasn’t coordinated or couldn’t throw a ball. Not shallow at all 😉 In college I casually worked out when I knew I was partying {sheesh, to be young again}. April 2013 I made a commitment to my health and haven’t looked back. I’m competitive by nature so when I decide I want to do something, I do it. From Pure Barre to Orangetheory to hot yoga to half marathon after half marathon, I like having something hard to work towards. Now I crave the routine of my workouts and enjoy every minute of that uninterrupted ME time.

Cold weather is coming — must-have items for outdoor running?

I actually did an entire blog post back in January about my cold weather essentials. It was basically a Workout Wednesday style post but I hadn’t quite grasped the regular posting schedule at that moment LOL. Honestly, all of those still stand. At about 55* I start covering my ears and THIS HEADBAND is my absolute favorite for those ‘in-between’ temps and it’s ON SALE! Loving both the INVIGORATE and the FAST & FREE tights for cooler days because they don’t have any mesh panels or cut outs. Oh and I’m never above sticking foot warmers in my shoes either!

You workout/post videos & pictures in sports bras – how did you find the confidence to do that?

Hmmm…I’m not entirely sure how to answer this one. Short answer: I’m not exactly comfortable but I’m also proud of the work I’ve put in and do feel comfortable with my efforts. Every person’s ‘ideal’ body type is different and I will say that I have not achieved mine yet. Some want to be long & lean, others like a stronger physique but whatever your goals are — lean into those. Don’t let your friend, or society, or someone you follow on social media dictate the way you ‘think’ you should look. With that, I don’t love sweating so the most minimal amount of clothing I can wear to workout in, the better. Want to gain some confidence in the sports bra look? Just GO FOR IT. Anyone who judges you is an asshole and you never know who you just might inspire.

Workout Wednesday Workout of the Week

ARM FOCUSED

What you’ll *ideally* need: light band (a towel would do too!), 1 set of heavy dumbbells, 1 set of medium dumbbells and 1 set of extra light dumbbells. To make this harder, up your weight! For beginners, lower your weight and decrease circuits to 3 rounds/each.