Fitness « The Everyday Warrior

Mud Runner Monday: Kathy M.

by Betsy

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Kathy Morgan, a 32 year single female. I have an undergrad in Physical Education and Adapted PE. Two masters degrees in Health Education and one in Wellness and Fitness. I teach Adapted Physical Education to students in k-12 grade. Basically, I teach students with mental, physical and emotional disabilities PE skills. It is a super hard job and it takes a lot out of me. That is why my fitness life is so important! It allows me to have the strength to life students out of chairs and mentally allows me to be strong for all of them.

I beat obesity 10 years ago! The scale was 195 when I joined Weight Watchers my first time. Thankfully, I have been able to shed 50 pounds and inspire others to do the same. I now eat a clean diet, workout 6 days a week and push myself every single day to be amazing! I take negative energy and throw it into workouts…leaving me with probably the most positive attitude out there!

I have ran 3 marathons, 19 half marathons, 4 Tough Mudders and a few triathlons. I am such an endurance junkie! I love racing because it allows me to be around positive people and pushes me physically, mentally and mostly emotionally. Every race is a new obstacle because my mind is NEVER the same.

I am currently getting ready to get my group fitness certificate! I will be able to inspire others by teaching classes and motivating them to keep going when they want to quit. I truly believe I was put on this earth to make people see that dreams can come true if you work hard for them. That is why I am a Beachbody coach, have my own blog and Facebook page. I want to reach out to anyone that will listen! I can’t stand when people don’t believe in themselves….so it is my goal to change that attitude and make them belive that the MISSION is POSSIBLE! You can follow my blog by clicking here and on Facebook here.

2. What Mud runs have you done?

1. Tough Mudders

2. Hell Run

3. What one was your favorite and why?

Of course, my favorite mud run is the Tough Mudder. The Tough Mudder is like NO other race out there. It is where strangers become family and obstacles become possible. There is NOTHING that I don’t love about this race…well minus the electric shock

Can’t get up a wall? There is always someone there to lend a hand or a shoulder. Beat down? Someone will carry you if that is what it takes. Every time I leave this race I am filled with hope that the world can be good. I am filled with the good in people and the love someone can give a stranger. I have met a ton of WONDERFUL friends from the Tough Mudder. One’s I know that if I was in serious trouble they would drop everything to help out. The course is AWESOME but the people are what keeps me going back!

4. What one was your least favorite and why?

I wasn’t too thrilled about the Hell Run… it didn’t really push me that much. It was kind of like a one man team event, NOTHING like the Tough Mudder. They had maybe 4 obstacles and not that much mud. Two thumbs down on this event

5. What is it about mud runs that appeals to you?

I would like to try the Spartan Race. Same as the Tough Mudder but a little different because it is a timed event. My goal is to push myself in the Tough Mudder to qualify for World’s Toughest Mudder!

6. How do you train for mud runs?

I do a lot of weird training when it comes to Mud Runs. I do a lot of heavy lifting, Insanity (to keep cardio up) and running. On my longer runs I will do small obstacles every half mile. Such as pop squats, push ups, jumping onto objects, use play ground equipment…basically I use whatever is around me as my obstacle! I have pulled tires, jumped in ice baths and have carried sand bags. I make it fun but challenging

7. Do you have a special diet?

I eat REALLY clean when it comes to training and I always have a Shakeology shake for lunch to keep my nutrition in check. I sometimes fail to eat veggies and the shake allows me to have the veggies I need for the day.

8. What is the craziest thing you have seen at a mud run?

I saw a guy with one leg make it up Everest! They made a human chain and he crawled up them. AWESOME and yes I cried!

9. What other mud runs do you have planned for this year?

I have Michigan, Pittsburgh and Kentucky Tough Mudders on the list. No other mud runs as of now! I am training for another marathon and the Dopey Challenge in Disney as well.

10. Any advice for someone who is thinking about running their first mud run?

If you are wanting to do a Mud Run…I HIGHLY suggest you do one. I of course would say do the Tough Mudder because it is such a different race. Get a LARGE team together or better yet find a team on Facebook like I did for Ohio. That is how you make mudder friends. Train at least 20 weeks out from race if you plan on doing the Tough Mudder because of the length. Find a friend that has done this race and ask questions. From one Mudder to the next we LOVE helping people out! My best advice is… don’t be afraid! Take on the challenge because all things are possible when you believe!

Want to be a featured mud runner? Send an email to bamoats@gmail.com

Fitness Friends Fun Guest Blogger Mud Runner Monday mud runners Running

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What’s Beautiful Update: Week 1

by Betsy

This post is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential and all opinions are my own!

Every week I am going to do a post updating you on what is going on over at the Under Armour What’s Beautiful site. I wholeheartedly believe that if you are woman, you should be part of the contest so you can see all the awesome things being posted first hand, but that is just my two cents. (Pssst…click here to join in!)

Every week Under Armour posts different challenges that we can participate in and post about on our personal and team pages. Here are some of the things I posted on my personal page.

Sweat it out challenge.

Written validation challenge.

The team that I created is called Fitness Warriors and every week I post a challenge for myself and the team members to complete. This week I asked everyone to create a fitness wish list and post it to the page. To me, a fitness wish is any of those times when you see someone do something or you hear someone talking about something and you say, “I wish I could do that or I want to do that.”

Here is mine!

I also decided that of the team members who participate in the challenge, I would randomly select one person to feature on my blog! This week’s is from Kristin P whose goal for the contest is to complete her first Tough Mudder amongst many other awesome goals! Take a look at her wish list!

click image to enlarge

I love her list! You can follow Kristin’s journey on the UA website by clicking here and on Twitter by clicking here!

As much as I enjoy talking about the UA What’s Beautiful contest, I now need to move on to another contest and announce the winner of the Jawbone UP! Thanks to random.org the winner is………

Comment #93 is Lateaka! Congratulations! Please check your email for instructions on how to claim your prize!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered!

FitFluential Fitness What's Beautiful

6 Comments »

Jillian Michaels Maximize Your Life Tour

by Betsy

It was hard to get good pics. This is the best one I got.

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Jillian Michaels Maximize Your Life show when it was at the Fox Theater in Detroit! Chris actually won the tickets through this blogger, who by the way always has super awesome giveaways on her blog! Chris entered the contest because I really wanted to go (isn’t he a good boyfriend?) and since he had to work I got to take my friend Mike who you have seen on my blog through various races that we have run together.

Oddly enough I have never seen a full episode of The Biggest Loser (I don’t watch much TV) although I have seen a few minutes here and there so I didn’t really have any specific expectations about what I expected from Jillian or her show. The reason I was interested in going was because I knew she would be talking about health, fitness and living your best life which are all things that I am interested in!

The first half of the show was about things that I already knew a lot about. What to eat, what not to eat, the importance of working out, etc. Although I was familiar with most of the concepts that she touched on, I found them to be good reinforcers of what I am already doing and good reminders about the things I still need to work on. What do I need to work on? Improving the quality of the food I consume. I already try to stay away from processed food as much as possible and fill my diet with lots of whole foods, however I am not always good about either avoiding foods from the “dirty dozen list” or buying those foods as organic. I also need to start buying organic meat and dairy products.

The second half of the show was about taking responsibility of your life and really examining what is working and what is not working. She talked about finding your passion and truly believing that everything that is good in the world is out there for your taking and that you are worthy and deserving of those things. She was not a proponent of the idea that all you have to do to get the things you want is to channel all your energy into thinking about those things, instead she emphasized that to get those things it will be hard work but it will be worth it. She talked about finding they why in the things that you do. She also recommended that you set your alarm for every hour as a reminder to really be present in that moment. To ask yourself what you are doing, how you feel about what you are doing and just in general take stock of the here and now. The reason she recommends this is that all too often we go through our days and life in a very mindless way and that by being more present we can find our passions and live a happier life.

Overall, I really enjoyed her show and so did Mike. We both walked away with a renewed energy and a greater sense of focus.

Have you attended the Jillian Michaels show? What did you think of it? If not, have you attended any other motivational type shows? What did you think of those?

Blogging Fitness Fun Health

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Mud Runner Monday: Jesse D.

by Betsy

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Jesse Drelick. I am 31 years old. I live in Coatesville, PA, and I am originally from Philadelphia. I am an elementary physical education teacher and a high school varsity head basketball coach. I love both of my jobs, because it allows me to teach others how to be active, life a healthy lifestyle, and teach my students and players the necessary life skills needed to be a successful and healthy individual as they grow up.

I have a very busy schedule, but when I am not working, I am a full time Mud Runner, who is either training or running at an event, Spring through Fall. I was hooked after my first one and haven’t looked back. Since the first second across the finish line of my first OCR/Mud run, I focused myself into getting into the best shape I could, dropped 50 pounds, and try to do my very best each time out. Recently though, I have come to realize the positive impact the sport can have on others.

This past Tough Mudder in Ohio, I challenged myself and ran the course carrying a tire in honor of my sister Alicia. Alicia is a Special Ed teacher, who was brutally assaulted by a student and is currently in between many necessary surgeries to save her eye sight. I have dedicated this whole race season to her, because I want her to know that someone is out there doing something in her honor, as her long road to recovery begins.

Although I only made it close to Mile 6 of the TM course that day, before catching a nasty case of hypothermia and was taken off the course, I am proud of my efforts for my sister. And there will be more challenges along the way to honor Alicia.

Other than that, you can find me on Facebook. And I am a big advocate for “F*ck Cancer” and look to spread the word on the good that they are trying to do for others.

2. What Mud runs have you done?

My current focus is Tough Mudders and Spartan Races this season. I have done Tough Mudders, Spartan Race, Philly MS Mud Runs, Philly Down and Dirty Mud Runs, and Rock Solid Mud Runs and a number of road races (with distances ranging from 5k to a marathon).

3. What one was your favorite and why?

My favorite one, hands down, was this past TM in Ohio. I ran with a great purpose, for my sister, which makes running an event much more fulfilling than running for yourself. I challenged myself physically and mentally to run the course with the tire. I was encouraged and motivated by so many awesome Mudders, and I met some great people along the way. Being taken out of the race before Mile 6 because of hypothermia was the least of my concerns on that day. I ran with a higher purpose, gave it my all, and had a great experience!

4. What one was your least favorite and why?

Philly Down and Dirty 10k Mud Run. It was nothing about the race, it was all about myself. Injured my ankle at Mile 2 on an obstacle, got back into it but ran poorly and fought off painful side stitches, and major pain in my toes. It was a struggle just to finish. Then after I take my shoe off, I see that two of my toenails had fallen off during the run. I had better days

5. What is it about mud runs that appeals to you?

Everything! The running, the obstacles, the competition (whether against yourself or others), and just the physical and mental challenge of it all. More importantly, it’s about the touching stories you hear from others and the great people you meet along the way!

6. How do you train for mud runs?

My training has improved greatly since I first started. Last season, my training mindset was to lift and run, run, run. I performed well early on but, only to find myself fighting off injuries and mentally burnt out throughout the season. Now, I have incorporated a number of different training and recovery methods, and have seen vast improvements in all aspects of my performance. Being only 5’5 and (at race weight) 122 lbs, I have a lot of disadvantages when it comes to others, which is why my training is very important. A typical training week goes as follows.

Monday through Friday: in the mornings- Strength Training, which consists of body weight Tabata and High Intensity Interval Training, TRX training, or a bunch of backyard training with tires, training bags, ropes, sledgehammer etc… At lunch- Speed workout or lower body plyometrics workouts. Mid afternoon/night- cross train, which consists of swimming, cycling, rock climbing, and heavy bag workouts. Saturday- Long run with some speed intervals. Sunday (depending on how the legs feel)- hill workout, a ruck on some trails, or a long swim. For Recovery throughout the week- stretching, foam rolling and yoga. I have learned to listen to my body and mind. If I feel like my body is not ready or the mindset is lacking, I’ve learned to scale it back or shut it down. But most importantly, I have fun with my training, with the different stuff I do and the people I do it with. If you’re not having fun challenging yourself, then staying motivated and looking forward to the next type of workout isn’t going to be easy as you get ready for the next one.

7. Do you have a special diet?

Once I focused on the diet, things fell into place and came naturally. No more takeout, pizza and beer. Like I said, I dropped 50 pounds and training and performance has never been more effective. I have done much research and I have stolen bits and pieces of different types of diets that work for me, personally, in order for me to perform my best. My diet routine may not be ideal for others but it works for me. My daily diet consists of slight grazing on Fruits, veggies, a small amount of protein throughout the day and a good amount of water. And at night, eat a big meal consisting of high lean protein (chicken/fish/turkey) low carb, and a good amount of veggies. I stay away from sugar and red meat. Side note, I like to have a small bag of Reese’s Pieces the night before a race.

8. What is the craziest thing you have seen at a mud run?

I don’t want to say crazy, but I want to talk about my best moments at a mud run… I have two. One of my best moments is getting ready for a run at the starting line at a Tough Mudder and then seeing my friend Sean Corvelle grab the microphone to say his starting line speech. The second I see him grab that mic, I know that he is going to fill my heart with inspiration and have me ready to run through a wall before we go off. Secondly, anytime I see or experience it first hand, the camaraderie and encouragement of people helping others during a run, I grow a bit prouder that I am a part of this. I have been inspired by so many others since I’ve been involved in this!

9. What other mud runs do you have planned for this year?

My plan is to do all of the Tough Mudders and Spartan races, April through October, that are within an 8 hour driving distance to where I live. I just hope the body keeps up with the mind. I only wish I had the money to really travel around the country and the time during the winter sport season to continue through the winter.

10. Any advice for someone who is thinking about running their first mud run?

First, the best advice I got from a friend the day before a marathon: “talk to people along the way”… Each person in that race or challenge is going through exactly what you are, and each person has a story and purpose for doing it. Hear theirs and share yours. Secondly, run with a purpose bigger than yourself. Find a purpose to run for, whether personal or a particular cause. It will make the experience all that more fulfilling.

Want to be part of Mud Runner Monday? Just send an email to bamoats@gmail.com

Fitness Friends Health Mud Runner Monday

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UP by Jawbone Giveaway!

by Betsy

This post was made possible by the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program. As a participant of the program I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. I was also invited to Chicago to kick off the program which included a hotel stay, travel expenses and an entry into the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Click here for more info on the program.

I don’t normally have any posts on the weekend so you know this has to be something BIG right? Well it is, VERY BIG! In fact, I’m pretty jealous of you guys.

As you know, I am a Verizon Health and Fitness Voices Blogger and now Verizon is offering you a chance to get in on the fun and win some awesome technology for yourself.

Here is what is up for grabs!

It is a UP by Jawbone. Here are some details about it from the Verizon website.

UP by Jawbone is a revolutionary system (wristband + mobile app) that tracks how you sleep, move and eat and gives you meaningful, personalized insights so you can make lasting improvements to your everyday life.

UP was designed to fit seamlessly in people’s lives. Real life. It’s a thoughtful combination of engineering and design, custom-made for how we live. UP is both flexible and strong. Sometimes UP needs to slide smoothly under sleeves or bend to accommodate an active lifestyle. Other times it has to be strong enough to stand up to a snowball fight without a problem (or more likely, a few thousand showers). Day and night, UP is right there with you.

This is an excellent health and fitness tool! And it retails for $129.99!!! Now do you see why I am jealous of you guys?

Entering the contest is simple! Just comment below by answering this question: How has technology helped you reach your health and fitness goals? (This is mandatory) Want to earn an additional entry? Tweet about the giveaway and tag me in the tweet (@WarriorBetsy) and then leave me a comment that you did! Good luck!

Some more details you should know: 1)The contest ends at midnight est on Thursday, May 16th. 2)Contest is open to those with US addresses only. 3) In the event that you enter into a similar contest on another blog, you are only eligible to win one UP by Jawbone

Fitness Health Technology VZWVoices

103 Comments »

Under Armour What’s Beautiful Contest

by Betsy

This post is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential and all opinions are my own!

I am so excited about the Under Armour What’s Beautiful contest! The contest is all about redefining the female athlete, setting individual goals and crushing them, joining teams for team goals and challenges and general all around badassery! You know that I love me some badassery!

It is true that I was approached by Under Armour through FitFluential to be part of the contest but prior to that I was already considering joining because it is right up my alley! To be quite honest, it is a good fit for ANY woman.

And the timing for this contest could not be better for me. Did you see this goal that I put out there for the world to see? Yeah , that is going to be my individual goal for the What’s Beautiful contest. That’s right I WILL run back to back Tough Mudders in ONE weekend!

And on top of that I have been thinking lately that I have a lot of fitness wishes that I have yet to make into fitness accomplishments. It is time to do something about that. Because of that desire I have started a team for the What’s Beautiful contest called Fitness Warriors. The goal of the group is to turn “I wish” into “I did!” You know all those times when you see someone do something amazing and you say to yourself “I wish I could do that!” My group is all about taking those wishes and making them into accomplishments. Each person’s desires may be different but that will be the fun part of the group and having support and encouragement to get out of your comfort zone and make those wishes come true is always a good thing!

I would love for you to be part of this contest! Click here to sign up and set your own personal goal! Once you do that, be sure to follow me! Click here for my Under Armour What’s Beautiful profile! I promise to follow back. Lastly, join my team by clicking here! I look forward to seeing you on the What’s Beautiful site!

Oh, I almost forget! Prizes!!! What is a contest without prizes, right? Each week Under Armour will give away swag bags full of great gear and at the end of the contest (It is 8 weeks long) Three winners will be flown to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat plus much more!!! Amazing stuff, right?

So what are you waiting for? Join the Under Armour What’s Beautiful contest now! Set a big goal and crush it! I know you can do it!

Blogging FitFluential Fitness Friends Fun Running

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New Blog Series: Mud Runner Monday!

by Betsy

Next Monday I am starting a new series on my blog called Mud Runner Monday! It’s no secret that I am a mud run addict and naturally I am a big fan of all runners but most especially mud runners! Mud / obstacles runners are a different breed of runners, in my opinion, and each mud runner has his / her own story. My goal is to share some of the stories with you and introduce you to the world of mud running through the different runners that will be featured on my blog.

If you are a mud runner and would like to be a part of the series just let me know! All you will have to do is answer some questions and send me some pictures for the post. It’s easy, I promise! Interested? Email me at bamoats@gmail.com

And speaking of mud runs, I think I have found the solution to my Tough Mudder problem. If you are not sure what I am referring to click here to read all about it.(Btw you were all incredibly supportive and uplifting about this issue. Thank you!) The solution? Run back to back Tough Mudders! I am currently signed up to run the Michigan Tough Mudder on Saturday June 29th so if I run on Sunday too that will complete my goal of running two Tough Mudders this year! It sounds crazy but I figure I will already be there and some of my teammates from Saturday are doing Sunday as well. This also means that I won’t have to worry about trying to fit another race into my schedule or alter my training for other races! It’s the perfect solution!

This will be the first time I have ever ran back to back races (and I have secretly been wanting to do it), so I am pretty excited about it!

Have you ever done back to back races before? How did it go? Also don’t forget to contact me if you want to be a featured mud runner for my new series!

Blogging Fitness Fun Mud Runner Monday Running

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Planet Fitness Express Circuit Workout

by Betsy

For quite some time now I have been wanting to add more weight training to my workout regimen. I have some light free weights that I use at home when I strength train but I have really been wanting to hit the gym for some heavier lifting. The problem for me was trying to find the time to add gym time to my already hectic workout (and life) schedule. Not to mention, I am lost when it comes to putting together a weight workout.

Then it occurred to me that Planet Fitness, the gym that I belong to, has a full body circuit workout called the PF Express 30 Minute Workout!

I figured if I could commit to getting up early to do this workout at least once a week, that this might be the answer I was looking for!

This past Thursday I got up at 5am and was at the gym around 5:30 so I could be home in time for Little B to be dropped off (this is a HUGE accomplishment for me! I am terrible at getting out of bed when I don’t need to.). I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the workout since I had never done it before but it turned out to be a lot of fun and a great workout!

The PF Workout Express is basically a game of red light, green light. There are different workout stations that are numbered one through twenty. You can start your workout at any number as long as you go in order and complete the entire workout. The workouts stations alternate between a weight machine and a step aerobic station. Once you select your starting point you keep on eye on the light on the wall. When the light is green you do as much as you can at the station you are at and when the light turns red you stop and go to the next station. You repeat this until you have completed the entire workout!

The step aerobic station also has a wall mounted plaque giving you different options for each step workout that you do. I opted to just do the traditional step workout each time I was on a step because I didn’t have time to keep checking the board and I wanted to make sure that I would get home in time for Little B to be dropped off. Even though I didn’t do the step workout as recommended it still kept my heart rate up and it gave me a good workout!

As far as the weight machines went, they totally kicked my butt and they were a wake up call that I needed!

I was happily sore the next few days after this workout so I definitely plan to do the PF Express Workout once a week going forward! I am looking forward to making progress and getting stronger!

Have you ever tried the PF Express Workout? What other new workouts have you done lately?

Fitness Health Life

4 Comments »

Chicago Day #2: Race and VZWVoices Meet Up

by Betsy

This post was made possible by the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program. As a participant of the program I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. I was also invited to Chicago to kick off the program which included a hotel stay, travel expenses and an entry into the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Click here for more info on the program.

I know I promised all of you that I would post this yesterday but in light of the events that happened at the Boston Marathon I thought the post that I actually published was more fitting. It probably goes without saying that my heart aches for all of those effected by what happened in Boston. I would also like to add that I am very proud to be part of the running community, a community that is full of love, support and determination.

Now on to Day #2 in Chicago. And in case you missed out on what we did on Day #1, click here to get caught up on our adventures.

A good chunk of day #2 was spent at the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. You can read my recap of my experience here. After the race we had breakfast at Wildberry Café. We had to wait a little bit since it is a popular restaurant and with it being close to the race area there were quite a few other people who had the same idea as us.

Yes, I ate breakfast in my full race gear.

And the food was well worth that wait. I had cranberry pecan pancakes with a side of bacon and Chris had cinnamon apple waffles. Both were AMAZING!

After breakfast I was in dire need of a shower and a change of clothes, so we headed back to the hotel. Once I was cleaned up and presentable again we headed to the Art Institute of Chicago. That was also included in our CityPASS!

We wandered around and looked at some awesome art. We also reenacted a scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

There is a cute little story that goes along with why we did this. Chris came to Chicago many many years ago and saw the stained glass that was used in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and decided that he would one day return there with a girl and kiss her in front of it just like in the movie. And I got to be that girl.

Shortly after the art museum I had to say good-bye to Chris. He was hopping a flight back to Detroit while I stayed in Chicago for all the Verizon Wireless Voices activities. I was sad to see him go because we were having such a good time but I was excited to meet some new blogger friends and find out what device I would be trying out from Verizon!

The bloggers for the program that were able to make it to Chicago all met in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel and then we walked over to the Park Grill where we spent the next few hours eating, drinking and getting to know one another.

This was my first blogger meet up ever! I have met other bloggers on several different occasions but never a large group at once. I also didn’t really know any of them before the dinner although I had read a few of their blogs on occasion. Dinner at the restaurant was so good and the service was excellent! But the best part was enjoying the company of all of the fabulous health and fitness bloggers! They really are a great group of women and I am so flattered to be a part of the group!

Come back tomorrow to find out what happened on my third and final day in Chicago! Here is a hint, it involves some awesome new gadgets!

Fitness Food Friends Fun Running Travel VZWVoices

4 Comments »

The Everyday Warrior

Turning the everyday into a day of badassery through fitness, fashion & fun.

Mud Runner Monday: Kathy M.

What’s Beautiful Update: Week 1

Jillian Michaels Maximize Your Life Tour

Mud Runner Monday: Jesse D.

UP by Jawbone Giveaway!

Under Armour What’s Beautiful Contest

New Blog Series: Mud Runner Monday!

Planet Fitness Express Circuit Workout

Chicago Day #2: Race and VZWVoices Meet Up

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