Taking 2014 By Storm

January is coming to an end. It's hard to believe that the first month of the new year is almost over! This year I am trying to reevaluate my goals at the end of each month, look back at what I have accomplished and make a plan to achieve a new goal in the coming month.

This month I have been able to research out my options for personal trainer programs and plan on finalizing and registering for my program in February. I am leaning towards the ACE CPT certification. I have also been able to stick to my goal of stretching more this past month and plan on continuing this throughout the year.

My overall goal for 2014 is to break into the fitness world as a certified trainer and motivate others everyday to be better and stronger. It is my true passion and I have to stop worrying about whether or not I can make it in the fitness world and just jump right in and start working! Get ready to hear a lot more from me in 2014! 

I have also become an ambassador for the Zooma Women's Race Series in Napa Valley and couldn't be more excited to help promote this women's only event! I have a passion for helping women learn how fitness and running can help them build confidence and stronger lives and this is the perfect platform for me to share that love. Stay tuned for more information this coming month and a special discount race code from me to you! 

Remember to dream big, set attainable goals and make your vision a reality. What are your goals for 2014? How are you working on achieving them? Let me know in the comments! 

Running, Nuun and Tennis, Nothing Better!

The year is almost a quarter of the way over and I have been having a blast so far. If you have been following my blog, you have been able to see some of the exciting things I have been up to and been able to follow my goals and aspirations. I thought I would give you a recap today of some of the things this year has brought to me already and some of my new endeavors. 

Athleta Roseville Store - Come Join Me For Run Club!

So far this year I have been pursuing my passions and it has come to fruition. I have been loving my stint as the Athleta sponsored athlete and leading run club for their store has brought me many new friends and taught me a lot about life and running. There is something about running that is just different and breeds amazing people, people who seem to see life a little bit differently. If you're ever in the Roseville, CA area stop in for run club, I'd love to meet you! 

Meeting Sam Querrey! 

Also, I have been able to become a Sweat Pink Ambassador, Nuun Hydration Ambassador and as of today am starting my second season working with the Sacramento Capitals World Team Tennis managing their social media. I love tennis, if you can't tell from my goofy grin in this picture with my hubby and Sam Querrey (ranked #20 in the world right now I might add) after a match last year. I also really enjoy social media and have a lot of great ideas I am looking forward to working on this season. The team I am working with this year seems so supportive and I am excited to see how great we can make this season. 

Serena Williams Behing the Scenes for Nike Training Club

I also have remained in contact with some of the amazing women from the Nike Women team in Beaverton, OR and have had the privilege of helping promote their new Serena Williams workout for the Nike Training Club app for iPhone and Android. If you haven't tried these workouts yet, you need to check them out. I have been trying to network and learn more every day about the sports industry and Nike and have met some amazing people this year via Twitter, if you would like to follow some great Nike people check out @nikedigitaljobs, @heidiburgett, @leahkimyoga, @mariepurvis, @britthayley, @robinnyc, @nikerunning, @nikefuel, and @nikewomen. There are many more, but start here and you'll learn a lot! I had the privilege of speaking with a Nike recruiter and some employees on the inside regarding their path and journey to Nike and it has given me an idea of what I need to do to make myself more marketable.

I get to run and volunteer for the race. I am excited about that!

Also this year, I get to go to Washington D.C. to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon. I was heartbroken when I didn't get in, especially since the race is on my birthday, but when more spots opened up, I was the first to sign up. I cannot wait to visit this city and run with 15,000 other women! No better way to celebrate my birthday than to crush a race! I have a 1:53 PR from my half marathon this past weekend, so I am hoping to beat that and set the bar a little higher for my training. I am also volunteering to help with packet pick-up on Friday morning. I am excited to be able to help and give back to a race that I am so excited about. This weekend will be amazing. 

Nuun Hydration Tabs - I'm Hoping to Run Hood to Coast With You! 

So that is my year so far. Pretty good for only being two and a half months in. So what about my upcoming goals? As of this moment I am hoping to get to run Hood to Coast this coming August. As you may know, I entered the lottery last year and was not chosen. Two days ago, Nuun Hydration, the amazing sports hydration tab company I love, announced a contest they have to give twenty women spots to run with them on the 30+ hour relay event. The catch, create a video showing why you are a fan of Nuun, why you want to the run the race and how much fun you would be to ride in a van for 30+ hours with. I pretty much fit into all these categories, so for the next few weeks I will be working on showing Nuun just how great of an addition to their team I will be. If you want to join me check out the Nuun Hydration Blog and enter your own video. Hopefully we can run together! I'll post a link to mine when it is finished and let Nuun know how much you would love me to be on their team. I would love to have all of your support! 

The next few weeks I will be focused on training, work and showing Nuun just how great of an ambassador for their brand I can be. Please, let me know if you have any suggestions for my video or just want to offer me your support or a shout out in the comments! I would love to hear from you all! Remember to follow your dreams and never give up. I have passionately pursued my dreams and goals no matter how many times I have been told no and good things keep happening. The world truly can be yours, just remember to work hard and always put your best foot forward. 

Happy Training! 

~Karen

The Passionate Pursuit

Passion. Drive. Desire. These are all a part of the pursuit. It is the pursuit that makes reaching my goals so rewarding. It's the challenges that come up along the way that make the pursuit so great. I can think of no greater team to demonstrate this than the United States Women's National Team (soccer). They have been pursuing greatness for so long and just recently their regular season was cancelled on the heels of an incredible season ending in a heartbreaking loss to Japan in the World Cup.

The funny thing is it's the loss that defines this team more than a win would have. The USWNT went on to share their story after the games many times and the fire in their eyes shows how much they want to come back and win in 2012. The team practices unrelentingly and works so hard every day. Each girl on the team is inspirational to me and Hope Solo is my absolute favorite player. In every game she is the last defense and always sacrifices herself for her team. She is strong and passionate about the game, always pursuing perfection. But a goalie can never be perfect, they can only pursue perfection, and in that pursuit she finds her passion.

No matter what I do and how many times I succeed or fail, it will always be the pursuit that makes my dreams truly worth reaching for.