February 2012 Thrive Challenge

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Comment by Vega Cristina on March 1, 2012 at 3:49pm

Winner Announced!! Check your inbox!

Comment by Meg Hebert on February 29, 2012 at 8:34pm

I'm lucky to have four tae kwon do training buddies.  Since it is such a small class it helps me stay dedicated to showing up.  I also have a new ice hockey training buddy, Erica.  She always rooted for me when I was learning hockey. Now we car pool to practice which is extra motivation to go even though the hours are crazy!

Comment by Linda San Agustin on February 27, 2012 at 1:51pm

As a 42 year old fairly new runner, of 4 years, I decided to get myself a training buddy who is not human, my beautiful companion of 2 years keeps me motivated everyday to get myself out of the house to do either a short or long run.  He is always willing to join me without any complaints.

Comment by Paula Webb on February 20, 2012 at 8:50pm

As an fitness trainer & dance instructor I'm blessed with many training buddies; but, my children are my ultimate training buddies.  Their development and interests constantly inspire me to try and learn something new about health, wellness, and fitness everyday.

Comment by Kate Cone on February 19, 2012 at 9:28am

I love working out with my kids when they are home, but they're older now, living away on their own. I was in great shape last summer when my son Burke, who you can see in my photo, created a workout plan for the gym. He got a degree in Strength and Conditioning and lived at home after graduating from college. For three months we went to the gym and he spotted my workout. At age 58, I felt great and looked pretty good too.  Last November, I went back to work full-time. I sit at a desk all day answering phones from low-income elderly people who can't afford or somehow can't get their medications. It's good work on lots of levels, but my newly fantastic in-shape body, after three months of not making it to the gym or having a daily workout routine, has gone the way of the dodo. So in the "when life gives you lemons," category, instead of the gym, I take my golden retriever Henry for a two-mile walk/jog on our country road. I feel refreshed for work, and am getting back into shape. And Henry loves it. I sometimes take photos of him and post them to Facebook so I can stay connected to my kids. Henry is so forgiving, if I go slow or try jogging, he's right there to urge me on, looking back now and then to get my approval. I think if he could talk, he's say, "Good job, mom, keep up the good work."

Comment by wen on February 15, 2012 at 7:02am

my training buddy is my baby...19 months old...I am running after him...all day...xoxooxoxox

Comment by Rachel Hassett on February 9, 2012 at 10:18am

I love training with my husband. While I am a triathlete (training for my first 70.3), my husband is an ultrarunner training for his first 100M! He is such a strong and determined athlete, and has a true athlete's state of mind when it comes to pushing himself - and while I have a completely different mindset, just having him there during a run or bike makes me push that extra little bit - and I feel the love coming from him when I know that he's relaxing and just chilling with me during my training runs... that he's there for my benefit :)
He's a daily motivation that if he can go out and run 15 miles for an easy training run, I can go put out a good 4 mile run!

Comment by Brian Seelos on February 8, 2012 at 4:36pm

My training buddy is my long-term girlfriend Ashley. I make our workouts and she guts them out with me. She pushes me harder than I would push myself, since I don't want to look bad in front of her. Our rest periods are way shorter than they would be if it was just me. She tells me that I push her hard, but I think the benefit is all mine.

Comment by Jim Newell on February 8, 2012 at 4:14pm

I don’t normally train with anyone, besides my mountain bike and surfing buddies, which are always informal and who-ever-shows-up type gatherings. I enjoy the peace of talk-show podcasts (usually fitness and triathlon based) for inspiration or the Zen that comes from training for myself rather than for someone/thing extrinsically.

But…

Recently, my wife trained for the Wine Country Half Marathon Halloween jam in California (we live in Florida); and I trained for a Sprint Tri in St. Augustine, FL. For both of these events, we trained alone; the other watched the kids.

The holidaze (spelling intentional) led to some slacking, and we found the inertia building up.

Next Step…

The inertia started to become quite the hurdle; the longer it remains, the more it builds (as the theory states). But we managed to creatively solve the problem with help from some of our close friends. We decided to swap “date nights,” so each couple could have a short stint of time to spend together each week. This proved to be the catalyst we needed. Now, instead of dinner and a movie, instead of drinks and dancing, instead of driving around wondering what we should do with our time, we jump into our running gear and head for the local mountain bike trails and RUN. And we love it.

Last week found us completing the approximately six-mile loop through pristine Florida scrub at the Doris Leeper Preserve. The sun was dropping, the canopy was quickly darkening, and by the end of our tour through the woods, it was pitch-black. The white sandy trail was barely glowing from the little LED lights we pointed downward to avoid roots. We finished elated, laughing, and eagerly waiting for our next “date night.”

Comment by Edie Marshall on February 7, 2012 at 5:09pm

I don't have a full-time training buddy, as I generally prefer to work out alone.  However, my boyfriend pushes me to get out of the house to go on hikes when we both have days off work together, so he definitely qualifies as a motivating force on those days when, if it wasn't for him, I would probably just stay indoors and be lazy.  He also loves the pre-workout energizer and would appreciate it if I won a tub for him :o)

Comment by Sara Stubbs on February 7, 2012 at 12:57pm

 When the going gets tough, my training buddy and support system is my biggest source of encouragement and inspiration.  My best friend and boyfriend of 2 years is a decorated Marine veteran, terminal cancer survivor and competed in the Ironman World Championships in 2010, just 10 months after completing his life-saving dual stem cell transplant.  His life is a testament to dedication and persistence, and as I begin training for my second Ironman he is there for me as a training partner, 'coach', and my biggest cheerleader.  When I start to doubt myself or feel unmotivated I know that he will be there to encourage me and hold me accountable, and that I have absolutely no excuses. 

Comment by Marc Antoine De Rosa on February 7, 2012 at 12:14pm

 

Before I left home to do Katimavik, a volunteer/travel/active living/environmental program I mainly did activities alone. I would bike a lot, and run some and do morning pushups, but since moving in with 10 other young adults, I've been doing all kinds of activities with them. I realy liked crosscountry sking and snowshoeing more than some of the other activities we've done, but it really shows you how planing to do things with a group makes it easier to try new things and discover passions. My group has made it possible for me to experience alot of stuff that I would be too caucious to try on my own. I still do running and biking and workouts on my own but I get to try new things with the group all the time and these things give me a deeper respect for them all and are humbling as well as challenging, go group living!

Comment by Renee Parham on February 7, 2012 at 7:01am

My workout buddy is a friend of the family who is closer to my mom's age. Her name is Jodie. You know how sometimes all it takes is just to ask? Well that's what she did. She just asked me to take a Hula class with her, then later on she just asked me to take a Zumba class with her. Then she just asked me to play racquet ball with her. I found out that I'm a better dancer than a racquetball player. HA!

Now I ask her, "wanna take this weight class with me? wanna try this ab class with me?" Just having someone to smile at, the laugh with, to know they are working as hard as you are will get you going!! I've now lost 8 lbs and 3 inches off my waist in one month. I had to get motivated from within and for me, it was just a matter of asking.

Comment by Katelynn on February 6, 2012 at 3:22pm

My workout buddy would be Nikko, my four legged best friend. He keeps me committed on a daily basis to take him out for an hour walk or jog several times throughout the day. And I must admit, my body feels simply amazing whenever we're out, and I could and sometimes do stay out for much longer. Also just seeing Nikko dive in and out of the snow makes it rather enjoyable as well! He usually will wait by the door first thing in the morning after I get up, so I can't just not take him out!

Comment by John Joseph McCarthy on February 6, 2012 at 3:10pm

My workout buddy is my Personal Trainer. I will try not to make this short story so long. I am 52 years old and have been working out regularly off and on since 1996. I have been through 2 cycles of weight loss where I have regained theweight. The first 2 cycles were unassisted. I did not have anyone to advise me on nutrition or proper weight training technique. They would give me some pamphlets about nutrition and say make it work. I will now fast forward to December of 2011. I have been a member of my gym (in a different location) for about 11 years. I decided for a change of pace I would go to a different club. I always look at the inspiration before and after success stories and saw one for Amy. It was inspirational story. I then looked to see the bulletin board that has the personal trainers on it. There was Amy again. I thought to myself, maybe I should contact her, so after some thought, I emailed her and told her I appreciated her success and was inspired by her story. I have now been working out once a week with my personal trainer to guide me through the exercises and ensure that I follow proper form. She drives me to break barriers, but does so with thoughtful consideration, different from the trainers you see on the Biggest Loser. We text during the week and talk about nutrition, workout schedules and problems we have. We help each other out and encourage each other. I believe that I am not only inspired by her, but that I provide her some inspiration as well. I am not in this to get into shape as a destination, but to maintain it as a journey throughout the rest of my life. Amy is certainly helped me stay on my roadmap to success, I want to make her proud and be one of the success stories she can point to as a Personal
Trainer. I consider her to not only be my workout buddy, but one of my best friends.

Comment by Jennifer Nordoff on February 6, 2012 at 11:19am

My husband inspires me every day.  He's in great shape, and makes sure he does something active every day (hockey, cycling, swimming, weight training, golf or skiing). He's 55, looks fantastic and inspires me to keep active.  It can be so easy to get lazy in the depths of winter--but he has inspired me to welcome it with open arms and get out there and do something I like.  He is my daily inspiration.

Comment by Alice Fraga on February 5, 2012 at 8:35pm

I've been motivated to keep up with my workouts and training through a friend who is wanting to "get there." It's been fun to share what I have learned from Vega. Sometimes it's hard to try to share my lifestyle with those who really don't know why I want to strive for a vegan diet. She has been very bold and just jumps right into what I am doing. Even though right now I am showing her how to come up with a workout and diet that is right for her, it's helping me to reevaluate what I am doing and what kind of lifestyle I want to represent.

Comment by Catherine Gallagher on February 5, 2012 at 9:27am

I have a great group of people who inspire me and keep me motivated, but the person who inspires me the most is my training buddy Beth.  She is a very intense athlete and has trained for several Ironmans, which is exceptionally inspirational by itself.  But the reason she is so motivational and inspirational to me is because of her ability to keep things real and not let training for something as intense as an Ironman take over her life.  She is very balanced and down to earth and reminds me that (not to sound like Lady Gaga here) everyone is unique and has their own special qualities that make them outstanding athletes in their own right.  Whether its running your first 5K or trying to qualify for Boston everyone has their own talents and reasons and the fact they are doing it makes them a champion in their own right.  When my training starts to get intense she is there to remind me why I do it in the first place.  I do it because I am absolutely passionate about running and love the fact I am strong enough and have the courage to push the envalope a little.  Because of her I am constantly reminded that the number one reason I do it is because I love it!  I have been able to accept my abilities and run for the pure joy.  I train for marathons because I love the challenge, the same reason she trains for Ironmans!  It is so wonderful to have a training buddy who is so level headed and keeps it real!  Beth is definitely my inspiration and motivation!

Comment by Christine on February 4, 2012 at 6:47pm

My "thrive buddy" is my family. Knowing that I am keeping healthy to enjoy the essence of life with them keeps me motiated unlike anything else.

Comment by Robyn Hurst on February 4, 2012 at 5:19pm

Honestly, lately it has been on online buddy of mine...we don't actually train together, but we are both in a nutrition accountability group on Facebook, and she is always so encouraging and inspiring!  I would like to say I am the same for her!  Her name is Amanda, and I am really grateful for this online friendship, which we began 2 years ago via a P90X group!  I would love for ;us to win the Vega Pre-workout Energizer!

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