Jena's life adventures and unsolicited fit pics

Yesterday in the mail I got this little gem: It feels amazing that I was able to accomplish so many goals this year! It has been a great year full of learning, growing and new lifelong friendships! Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey, I have such a great group of friends cheering me on, I love you all. I can't wait to get out there and start helping other reach their fitness goals! Keep Moving, Keep Smiling, You've got this! --Jena

Wow, this year is going by too fast. Just wanted to give a quick update. Last week I re-took my personal trainer test for the 3rd time, 3rd time is the charm right? I should know by the end of next week if I passed! Today I auditioned for spin class instructor, I taught the first half of class and it was a great experience. I was so nervous but as soon as I started my music and using the mic for the first time, things just fell into place and now I know without a doubt this is what I want to do! I got a lot of great feedback from people who were in class, I feel like it went great! I hopefully will be able to get on the sub-list to start. Thanks for stopping by, I hope to start dedicating time to writing on here again, thanks for your support and patience! Keep moving! ---Jena

Three years ago I ran my first relay race, Red Rock Relay Zion , with Team Herriman Hotties. I was already in the middle of my weight loss journey but I was struggling with losing weight, I didn't know I had PCOS or Insulin Resistance at the time but I was eating right and exercising all the time. This wonderful group of Women let me be part of this amazing team, they loved and accepted me how I was and cheered me on, every step of the way. I was runner # 4 with a total of 18.5 miles to complete over 3 runs in 24 hours time. I had the best time running with these women in this beautiful relay race across Southern Utah that started at Brian Head Ski Resort and Finished at Zion's National Park. Herriman Hotties has had several different runners over the years due to people needing to drop off the team for various reasons. In total, there are 21 Herriman Hottie Alumni, and we all have a very strong bond. I love each of these women, they all inspire me, motivate me and make me ...

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take my Indoor Cycling Certification. It was an awesome day taught by Schwinn Master Trainer Denise Druce. I loved the way she taught us how to be awesome Indoor Cycling Instructors, she was very motivating and inspiring. Her two indoor cycling rides that she taught us yesterday were mentally amazing, she really tapped into our brains and I got a little emotional on both rides. These are experiences I will never forget. Thank you... We had such a fun group of girls that made the day go by pretty fast. I made friends with a couple women that I know will be lifelong friends. I can't wait to start teaching something that I have a huge passion and love for. Keep Moving! --Jena

On July 21st I competed in my first Sprint Triathlon. I set this goal last year and I can't believe it has already come and gone. I will just tell you now what a great experience this was. I was overwhelmed with emotion right before I got into the pool. The swim went by a lot faster than I thought. I had a few moments where it got a little crowded but overall it was a great experience, even with swimming being my weak event. The bike portion was so great, I knew I could make up a lot of time here. The first 6 miles was all uphill but it was fun, for some sick reason, I love hill climbs on my bike. Then the run, the first minute or two was hard getting my legs going but I warmed up quick and kept a good pace until the very end. I feel so lucky to know so many great people who work at the rec center that put on this triathlon and it was great seeing all their faces, hearing their voices cheer me on, it was an amazing experience.                ...

It finally came in the mail, and it was good news. I passed both my Group Ex exams from  AFFA ! I am so excited that I passed my practicals and my written, I felt good about them but having this piece of paper confirming that I worked hard is an amazing feeling! Woo Hoo! I re-take my written exam for my Personal Trainer Cert next week, I have confidence that I will pass this time. Now I need to get me a job ASAP!! My kids are both in school full time and I am bored out of my mind!  --Jena

Yesterday I participated in my first Sprint Triathlon. I will post in more detail about it tomorrow, but for today, I want to share some pictures of me after the tri and pictures of me from a year ago. Wow right? Remember, anything is possible! -Jena P.S. Before Pictures were taken March of 2011

3 weeks ago I took my three day Personal Trainer Certification workshop and tests. I am still waiting for results, but I feel good, even if I have to take the practical again, this is what I want to do, I love it and will do whatever it takes to reach this goal! This was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I have learned so much and I am so excited to become a personal trainer! 2 weeks ago I took my one day Group Fitness Certification workshop and tests. I had so much fun at this workshop. It was very intense but such a great experience! I am still waiting for results for this workshop too, good thing I am patient. Today I took another Certification class called TRX Group Suspension Training. I had such a blast learning this awesome suspension training system. Holy cow, this training is amazing and it kicks your trash, I am wasted! I can't wait to install my own Suspension Trainer in my house. In a couple of weeks I am taking a Spin Certification Class. Spinning i...

Hello friends! Sorry I have not posted in awhile. I have been busy playing Mom, Wife, working out, and studying for my personal trainer certification and group fitness certification. My workshops and tests are next weekend and then the following weekend, so I will be done by July. I promise I have some great posts coming up I just need to find some time to write them! I am still not weighing myself which is a great feeling. I feel free to be me and I love who I am and how I look even though I have not reached my ultimate weight-loss goal. I know I will get there, I am still working hard everyday. Keep working hard and wish me luck with my studies! I can't wait to be able to turn around and be able to give back and help others reach their goals. I want people to experience the happiness I have everyday from what I have accomplished! Thanks for reading! --Jena P.S. Kristi- Thanks for your compliments today in class and thanks for encouraging me to post again! <3

I want to lose these last 25 pounds so much, especially the next 5 because I will finally hit my 100 goal but I have a mental block going on and so I have decided to step away from the scale for awhile. The scale isn't what this is about anyways. Yes, I have a healthy weight goal that I have set so the scale keeps me on track, but it is all about how I feel. I feel good and I look fabulous and I get compliments everyday and that is what matters most. So I have to tell myself that I have lost  95 POUNDS and the next 25 pounds will come off when my body is ready to let go. I just have to keep working hard, be patient and love life! 95 FLIPPING POUNDS!  That is an entire person! I am so happy about this! I will let you all know when I jump back on that scale, and I expect it will be followed by my "I LOST 100 POUNDS PARTY" ! Keep working hard everyone, you are worth it! Thanks for reading, Jena

A couple of weeks ago, April 28th 2012, I rode with a group of amazing women in the Front Runner Century bike ride. The ride was a metric century, which ends up being 62 miles. Well, I got it in my head that I wanted to ride a full 100 miles to say goodbye to the 100 pounds that will never be a part of my life again, so when I got home I rode another 38 to complete a full 100 miles in one day. It was an awesome experience to say the least! I also need send a shout out to my friend Kelli for riding another 38 for me too! She is a rockstar and I appreciate her support more than I can ever express. The day started out fabulous with the Triathlete group I am part of. We all rode the train out to SLC together and then once the race started we all ended up splitting up and then reunited at the finish. I had the greatest time riding with one of my closest friends Lori and my new friend Rhiannon. It was such a great feeling to cross the finish line with these two amazing wo...

I FINALLY busted down my brick wall! I lost 3 lbs this week. I really didn't change a lot as far as my routine, but I did push myself a lot harder in my workouts! I have now lost a total of 95 pounds! 5 more until I hit the 100 mark! WOOO HOOO!! Can you say PARTY when it happens? You better believe it! I want to tell all my supporters, friends, family, strangers, thanks for cheering me on! I love you all! I also want to send a shout-out to all my friends that workout with me, way to go this week on your weigh-in, a lot of you crushed those walls! Keep up the good work. Remember, if you hit a wall this week, it is okay, keep going, don't give up and bust it down! Have a great weekend, stay active and enjoy the nice weather! Thanks for reading, Jena

It has happend, I have hit a brick wall aka a weight-loss plateau. I was hoping this wouldn't happen until I hit my 100 pound milestone but my body decided to hit this wall at 92 pounds. I have been trying to figure out why I have stopped losing and the biggest thing I have noticed is that even though I am still working my butt off at the gym, getting 4-6 hours in a day, I am not burning as many calories as I was. The smaller I get, the fewer calories I burn and the more I have to push myself.  My goals for this week to break past this road block are: Workout even harder Stay in my "Fat Burning Zone" on my heart rate monitor Protein after workouts Water, lots and lots of water Minimize stress, I have had a very stressful couple of months, they have not helped... Watch my sugar intake Run more Remember to eat, sometimes I get going and I forget to eat! I want to hit my 100 pound goal so bad! My husband and I are going to celebrate our 14th anniversary in a f...

On Sunday, a sweet friend of mine came up to me and said "Every week you look like a new person, but you are still you, thank you for still being you." It made my day and my week. I really appreciate her making this comment/compliment because I still feel like me. I am glad people notice that I am still Jena and even though I have changed myself on the outside, that the goods inside are still the same. I am lucky to have such great friends! Thank you for your compliments and endless support. Jena

Are you ready for this?.......... For April I want you all to commit to running or walking a 5k which is 3.1 miles! You don't have to pay to run a 5k, you can do this on your treadmill, at the gym, outside, or in a race. On April 28th, if you are a member of the gym I go to, I would like to invite you to come run a 5k on the track from 9:15am-10:00 am. 11 laps is 1 mile so we will say 34 laps is our 5k. I will help you keep track of laps and your time. If you need to walk it, then come walk it! Who is in? You CAN do this! --Jena

On Saturday March 24th I had the opportunity to run in the first Annual Purple Day 5k for Epilepsy. This will go down as one of the most heart warming, memorable races I have ever done. This race was created by some of my most dearest friends, The Green Family: Greg, Angela, Gabe, Marisa, and the inspiration for it all, Natalie. Natalie is 11 years old and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy when she was 8 months old.   I decided that I wanted to race and support this great cause and my friends to help find a cure for Epilepsy. Purple is the color to support Epilepsy so of course, if you know me, you go big or you go home and so I went big and bought me a purple morph suit that covered my entire body, head to toe in purple awesomeness! You should have seen Natalie's face when I showed up decked out in my purple-tastic outfit, priceless!   There were 160 runners/walkers at this race and an amazing group called  Push to the Finish  that pus...