Friday Fitspo Feature this week is Steph Garcia
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And, check out her blog
Q: Have you always lived a healthy fit lifestyle?
I have always loved food. Coming from a family whose lives circle around it, it was inevitable. I was the notorious “pizza slice counter”, making sure nobody got one slice more than me at the dinner table. Parties weren’t about having fun, they were about having food… and lots of it. Unfortunately, 32 years later, food has become less of a “joy” and more of a burden… in the form of fat cells! Two years ago I picked up a little habit called running. Multiple 5ks, a 15k, two triathlons later and 100lbs lost, I’m working my way towards a healthy lifestyle! I’ve started “Kitchen Kilometers” as a way to share my outdoor adventures and healthy variations of my all time favorite dishes, as well new creations I’ve stumbled upon or thought up myself.
Q: What keeps you going, motivated?
My biggest motivation is the way I feel. I’m not sluggish anymore. I feel energized after a run and proud after a race. Fitness isn’t a chore anymore; it’s a love.
Q: What is your favorite workout?
Swimming! I’ve completed two sprint triathlons and although swimming is my weakest of the three sports (I’m absolutely terrified of deep water), I love practicing and strengthening my stroke and lung capacity. It’s fun to challenge myself and see improvements over time, especially with open water swims!
Q: What are some of your goals?
To complete a half marathon, a duathlon and to create a group to help train first timers train to walk (or jog) their first 5k race!
Q: What are some of your accomplishments or things you’re proud of?
I am very proud of my first triathlon finish time (1:58!), the fact that I completed my first 15k race, and incredibly proud of my boyfriend for hopping on the 5k bandwagon and completing three 5k races in less than 6 months!
Q: What is one random fact we should know about you?
I secretly wish I were an astronaut. No seriously, I have a huge obsession with NASA and space exploration! A moon 5k would be so awesome.
Q: What words of advice would you like to leave the readers?
Everybody has an inner athlete. It’s up to you to dig them out. Don’t worry about what you think an athlete, runner, swimmer, triathlete, etc. should look like. Focus on yourself, YOUR goals, and YOUR journey, and compare yourself only to the ‘yous’ of the past.
Nice to meet you, Steph, what awesome accomplishments!
Love it! Thank you!!!
Great accomplishments! So true that fitness makes you feel great and no longer is a chore 🙂