This girl can't dance.

Well, I think it's fair to say that I suck at Zumba. I have given myself multiple opportunities to look like a fool, and I have decided that Zumba should probably be reserved for my living room only. I bought one of the Zumba games for Xbox Kinect, and it is a lot of fun! If you have a Kinect, then I suggest giving it a try. I believe they also make one for Wii.

I was lucky enough at the Zumba for ALS charity event to be only one of two people who showed up. I am sad that more people didn't participate, but it ended up being more like a mini personal Zumba lesson just for me. Despite having my own private lesson, I left with the feeling that I wasn't very good at Zumba. The instructor insured me that I did a good job, but when I thought back on the class, I couldn't think of a single dance I did well. I am not smooth enough to do the Salsa, Samba, or Mambo style routines, and I lacked the attitude for the hip hop routine. Sadly, I think the belly dancing cool down may have been even worse. The instructor did encourage me to come back on a Wednesday night though, so I decided that if I ever made it home from work early enough to go, then I would try it again.

Of course that means that the very first Wednesday following my self-deal-making, I just happened to get home with plenty of time to eat dinner, let my dinner digest some, change into gym clothes, and head to Zumba class. I figured since the instructor was new, and she said they were adding a class, that it would probably be pretty empty after Saturday's showing. I was most definitely wrong. Full class, my friends. Oh, and the new instructor, the one who actually explains the dances before she starts in with complicated moves, she wasn't even the one who was there.

I literally hesitated in the first 30 seconds of the first routine as I tried to decide how noticeable it would be if I walked  out right then...but my resolve kicked in, and I stayed through the class. I still suck at all the dances I said before, but this instructor also did more calisthenic exercises added in the dances. At one point, it felt like I was the kid on the playground who they tell to pat her head and rub her tummy...She had us doing stationary lunges while doing the salsa-like hip shaking that I suck at so much. I had fun to an extent, and I was glad there was an old man who sort of made me look good, but I know for sure, that only my empty living room should be witness to my Zumba endeavors from now on.

2013: My year of thanksgiving

Ok, so I've been pretty busy lately. I haven't had a whole lot of time to post, and I haven't been able to think of anything that I should share since my workouts have been fairly uneventful. It is that time again to start Spring Half Training, but I managed to hurt my knee walking up an escalator last week, so I am hitting the stationary bike and starting my training a week later. I am the type of person who tends to let things like that really get to me. I have realized over the time that I have been writing this blog that my health involves more than just the physical workouts. I have to work on my mental and spiritual well-being in order to have a balanced life. Which is why I made my new year's resolution to make this my journey toward being a more positive person.



When I was home for Christmas, I told my Anything for 10 Sister about my intent to spend this year becoming a less stressed and more positive person. I also told her that I could feel a difference during the month of November when I did the Facebook Month of Thankfulness challenge in November. I could tell that when I spent my days focusing on what I could and should be thankful for, that things just seemed to roll off my back a little easier. She gave me the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp to read as I started my journey of thankfulness and positivity. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to take a good hard look at their life.

I have been keeping a journal since January 1st of things I am thankful for. I am making a list of 1,000 things, big and small, both easy and hard things that I am thankful for. I spend a little bit of time each morning either before or after my workout looking through the list and spending time actually being thankful for the things I am so blessed to have and experience in my life. Obviously people don't  change over night, but I am slowly making progress, and I am thankful for that as well.

What's Up With Michelle?

Spring Half: 10th Annual Delaware Marathon Festival Half with my fiance Matt! Yay! Running with Matt is never dull. Thanks for running with me, Matthew! Training technically starts this week. Check out my training schedule!

Zumba for ALS: I have never done Zumba, but I am going to do a Zumba class on 2/23/13 because the proceeds go to the MDA Augie's Quest Campaign to fund ALS research, which many of you know is a cause close to my heart after my Grandma's battle with ALS. It is a nation wide partnership event between the MDA and LA Fitness. It is open to members and nonmembers, so if there is an LA Fitness in your area, then sign up now!

Personal Training Update: I will keep you in the loop as I get closer to my goals working with my personal trainer and in working toward becoming a personal trainer myself.

Marathon Madness: I am simultaneously pumped and terrified to run my first Marathon this fall with my Anything for 10 Sister, Grace, and one of my awesome cousins, Choppo! Tulsa, here we come!