How do I become eligible? Send me an email! Let me know who you are, what your goal is and the time-line you’re giving yourself to complete it. All participants should try and submit their goal by Sunday February 12th 2012.

Can it be any goal? Of course! As long as it’s an honest goal  related to improving your health or fitness level.

How do you know if I completed my goals? It’s all up to you! This promotion (or challenge!) is for people trying to achieve honest personal goals.  You don’t need to prove it to me, you need to prove it to yourself!

Good luck in completing your goals this year!! And Congratulations again to Emily for loosing over 200 pounds and completing the 2011 New York City Marathon! Truly an inspiration to all!

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Althea

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing two remarkable athletes Rosalind Ross & Devon Maitozo. Rosalina and Devon are equestrian vaulters. They combine the arts of gymnastics and dance into a performance done on horseback. They are artists as much as they are athletes and I cannot thank them enough for sharing their passion and talent with me.

The first step, foam rolling, if done correctly helps to relax over worked muscles. My first experience with foam rolling left me feeling like I had a deep tissue massage! Dave focuses on the chest and lat muscles to begin correcting a habit such as hunching. Getting tight muscles to relax is the start of practicing good posture. Once your muscles are experiencing equal tension they can share the responsibility’s of any weight bearing exercise or activity equally.

To compliment the foam rolling we next focused on static stretching. One of the important aspects of static stretching that Dave teaches is how little movement is actually necessary. By properly aligning your body and keeping your shoulder joints in place the movement of the stretch is very small but enormously effective.

As you begin to prepare for weigh bearing exercises Dave starts you with YTA’s.           YTA’s take you through the proper movement and range of motion so that you can practice and become comfortable using your muscles to create movement and not your joints. He demonstrates the importance of hand positing as well as proper muscle contraction.

The final part of correcting any bad habit is strength training. Balancing strength and flexibility is key to good alignment and conscious movement. The row, which I am sure everyone has done, is one of the primary exercises used to strengthen this area. Most often, rows are performed by grabbing a set of weights or bands and pulling your elbows back as far as possible at a 45-degree angle. The problem here is that your muscles become disengaged and you put stress on your shoulder joints. For a proper and effective row the movement comes from the muscles and does not extend your shoulder joints. It is important that shoulders are properly pulled back at the beginning of the move and that the contraction of your back muscles determines the distance of the move. This is how contraction for movement becomes an important motto and one that takes quite a lot of practice.

Dave’s approach is truly inspirational and unique. His own success overcoming physical hurdles is testament to his fitness and lifestyle practice. His approach to fitness can help relive pain and teach your body to run more efficiently. Dave’s genuine interest is in helping people build long-term habits that improve their quality of life is remarkable. His goals are not just to help you lose weight or get in shape. He strives to brake down what society teaches about nutrition and fitness and provide you a real education to help you live a balanced life.

For more information you can visit Dave’s website http://cfmcorrectivefitness.gotrain.me/.  I could not recommend him more! He is an amazing teacher, trainer and coach! Thank you Dave for showing me what Corrective Fitness is all about, it has forever changed my view and I could not be more grateful.

Combining the beauty of yoga with the warmth of the setting sun is a great way to wind down and prepare for the days end.  Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing Emily Griffin Beard and Lauren Kite, both long time yoga practitioners and local instructors. These ladies’ have remarkable grace and form. Together their fluid movements, trust and creativity brought peace and energy to the end of a gorgeous summer day.

Thank you both for allowing me to photograph your passion and share it on my blog.

It might sound selfish, but my progress inspires me.  It’s addictive. Three years ago I was too obese to climb the hill from my bus stop to my house without stopping for a break.  I had completely lost control over my body. My body and its size was strangling me and preventing me from any physical activity.  I was in cross country in high school and very athletic in my youth, so losing my ability to perform simple activities was devastating. Throughout my entire life I have struggled with my weight, I honestly don’t remember a time in my life that I was not on a diet. Even now.

My youthful metabolism and sports kept my build proportionate throughout my teens and early 20′s.  The change happened when I turned 21. I quickly began replacing active hobbies with social drinking and eating, and let my addictions take over. Obesity doesn’t happen overnight, but at 24 I stepped on the scale and was completely defeated when I realized I weighed upwards of 300lbs. I knew it was going to take more than lifestyle changes and going to the gym to address the serious issues that I had ahead of me.  I decided to use medical intervention and Swedish Weight Loss Services to assist me in the process of gaining back my life.

The first year I focused primarily on shedding pounds. With medical supervision, I began incorporating exercise back into my daily routine. It was always my goal to get back into running it was an activity I loved. My doctor wouldn’t let me run until I had lost 100 lbs. So that became my goal. Lose 100 lbs so I can run again. It took me about a year and a half to hit this first milestone. Once I got clearance I started a “couch to 5k” program. It was never my goal to start distance running, I just wanted to be able to incorporate into my exercise routine.

The first few months were extremely difficult, physically and mentally. Even with 100lbs down, I still weighed over 200 lbs and running was exhausting. But I took baby steps and stuck with it. Last year I watched my brother run the Portland Marathon and was completely inspired by all of the runners, their willpower and the race. It became my new obsession and goal. I wanted to be one of them and I wanted to run a half marathon. I had 5k running under my belt, and downloaded a training schedule for 5k to half marathon. I enlisted some buddies to train with me… and the rest went as planned. On June 25^th, 2011 I completed the Seattle Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

I needed to lose weight so that I could run, but losing weight did not make me a runner. I had to find that within myself. The key is finding something that you enjoy, and sticking to it. It might be kickboxing, snowboarding, rollerblading…it doesn’t matter. Make small goals and let yourself enjoy the small accomplishments you make. I constantly find myself comparing myself to other’s accomplishments. It doesn’t do me any favors in reaching my goals. Running and exercise is a completely selfish activity. It’s the one thing we can do for ourselves that benefits no one else but us, and I feel it is a completely vital aspect to happiness.  The hardest part of this selfishness is to not let friends, money or time get in the way.  It can be an isolating feeling to commit to something so fully. Persistence was difficult, but nothing will compare to the feeling of accomplishment and pride I felt when crossing the half marathon finish line. It made all of my sacrifices worth it.

My ultimate goal was to lose 200lbs and to be able to run again as a form of exercise. When I ran the half marathon I had lost a total of 180 lbs. If things go as planned, On November 6th, 2011 three years will pay off at my first full marathon and 200lbs of weight loss.

Every time I go out for a long run I treasure every mile.  I feel the power and the control I have over my arms and my legs, I control my breathing. My body no longer feels foreign to me. I never want to look back or go back to the person I was and this keeps me inspired to continue to push my limits and see what I can get my body to accomplish for me.

Emily you truly inspire me and look fantastic! I can’t wait to congratulate you on accomplishing your first Marathon and weight loss goals! Thank you for sharing your story! I am sure your success will be an inspiration to everyone!

The spirt of the event was inspiring and the collaborative movement of its attendees brought to light the power of community and the benefits of yoga. Steve Gold provided live music that complimented the uniqueness of the instructors and participants. The energy of the practice ranged from internal and reflective to dancing and free. The support of the Seattle community makes me very proud to be a resident of this city. I am constantly amazed and inspired by the people that surround me. Thank you to everyone that helped make this happen.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the first ever Here-Runs-the-Bride 5k Walk/ Run put together by Christi Masi of The Healthy Bride. The wonderful spirit of the run was a demonstration of the bonds that exercise and goals can form between communities, families and friends. It challenged the conventional idea of a run being competitive and instead brought together a great group of people for a fun morning of cupcakes, champagne and most importantly fresh air and exercise.

For more information about The Healthy Bride visit http://www.healthy-bride.com.

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Whether you are attracted to the fast windy descent down a tree lined mountain road or enjoy the challenging heart pounding climb to the top of a hill; cycling is about discovering the power, both in mind and body, between yourself and your bike. It is about-facing challenges, as much as it is about encouraging healthy social relationships. You do not have to be a professional cyclist to enjoy the benefits of biking. The low impact nature of cycling makes it acceptable for people of all abilities and age ranges. It is an exercise that gets you outside and can easily be incorporated into your life long term.

It is no surprise that The American League of Cyclists places Seattle on its top ten list of Bike Friendly cities in the US. The temperate climate and miles of bike paths make it a relatively easy and beautiful place to bike. Like any form of exercise, biking any distance requires a certain amount of time, dedication and practice.  Instead of my rendition of the benefits of biking, Ali Ritter, a local cyclist, shares with me her experience and why she loves the sport. In addition to being a Patent Attorney and Cycling Instructor, Ali is a sponsored cyclist and races for Hagens and Bermen.  She makes the time to train anywhere from 100 to 300 miles a week depending on the season. It sounds intense but her genuine love for cycling makes the commitment worthwhile.  Ali’s positive energy is contagious and the time she spends training is small in comparison to the physical and mental benefits she receives from her sport.

How many miles do you train a week? When I’m training for road race season, it’s anywhere between 150-300 miles a week.  For cyclocross, about 100-150, but at higher intensities.

Does commuting fill your training needs? It did when I was a beginning racer (category 4).  When I made the jump to the cat 3′s, there was a distinct jump in the need to train.  Commuting as training only works if you have a long enough commute and can be safe and disciplined enough to do intervals along the route.  You build a good mid-base, but you don’t get the endurance miles you’ll need for the longer races.  Commuting is great for cyclocross racers, probably why it’s my best discipline!

What drives you to keep going when your life is busy? The reliability of biking feeling good!  It doesn’t matter how bad my day’s been or how upset I feel, I simply cannot maintain that negativity when I’m on the bike.  If I’m in need of alone time, need to get away from all the inputs of a modern day, I can get on the bike and immediately be in a better, more focused place.  It’s almost like meditation for me, the single-mindedness of it.

The other main driver is that I have made some amazing friends in the cycling world, and I feel part of a giant community worldwide.  Some of the strongest women I know are cyclists, and they are all super busy and committed to this sport, and they support each other.  When I’m really down, they know, and they invite me to ride with them.  We bond and chat on the rides – doing something healthy and fun together makes for really strong friendships.  That kind of positive experience makes me more excited to get out than I would doing a solitary sport like running or swimming.

Why biking? What is your favorite thing about biking? How long have you been biking? Biking is the perfect sport in so many ways.  It’s pretty environmentally friendly, it can be done in almost all weather (around here, especially), it is low-impact on the joints, can be done throughout one’s life, allows one to share the joy of sports and fitness way beyond your high school team, brings people together across the world in a giant social community, is healthy, a stress-reliever, and helps you see the world you would normally drive by.  My favorite thing about biking is that I can go almost anywhere in the world, and someone will ask me all about what I’m doing.  In many cases, I’ll be invited home for dinner and a couch to sleep on.  There is this crazy community of cyclists that seems to span all generations and most nationalities.  Also, biking is really going somewhere.  You can get to the mountains here in Seattle by bike, far away from the city, in about an hour.

I’ve been biking as a commuter since 2002.  I gave up my cars and have been riding mountain bikes, road bikes, cyclocross, and now track ever since.

What do you do for work? I’m a patent attorney now, but I also teach spin, have worked in two bike shops, was a bike attorney for a while, and have taught basic bike handling and group riding skills to new and seasoned cyclists.

It’s funny, but when people ask me what I do, it’s not the attorney that comes to mind.  I’m a CYCLIST!