2012 - A Year for the Record Books

2012 was an amazing year! If I had been asked in December 2011 what I expected 2012 to look like, it would not have been nearly this exciting. As a fitness enthusiast, I could not have asked for a better year. I can't believe what an amazing journey it has been and I am so excited to see what 2013 holds. Here's a look back at what made my 2012 spectacular!

I ran my first Bay to Breakers 12k race in San Francisco! I love running in San Francisco and this race is a beautiful short run throughout the city. A must run event on any serious runners race calendar!

I got to run with ultra endurance athlete Jason Lester on his journey across the country with the Nike Journey for a Better World Campaign. This was such an inspiring run and I can't believe I got to meet him and run with him. Dream come true!

I had the chance to work this summer for the Sacramento Capitals World Team Tennis tournament as their marketing coordinator and I had the privilege of meeting some top ranked players, like Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish. As a tennis player and enthusiast, this was such a neat opportunity and I really enjoyed working with this team on their digital marketing, definitely something I want to pursue in the future (hint - Nike - I'm ready to be part of your social media team!)

The Nike Women team featured me in one of their campaigns for my achievements with the Nike Training Club App! The workouts on this app totally changed my body for the better and I am stronger and more toned because of these drills. Thank you Nike for recognizing my hard work!

In October I got my Black Belt in Taekwondo the week before I ran my 2nd marathon. I have been working on this achievement for so long and I made it to the big day! I was so honored to have put in the work and achieved this ranking, I can't wait to continue my journey in martial arts in the future. 

In October I ran my 2nd Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco and got to meet my favorite trainer, Marie Purvis! She is the developer of the Nike Training Club workouts and I was in awe of her, seriously, such an amazing trainer! She created my customized training plan for the Nike Women's Marathon and I PR'd!

Nike Women selected a group of five ladies to train and dote upon with Nike gear for the Nike Women's Marathon and I was one of the chosen ones, along with Renisha, Elizabeth, Tiara and Nerissa. As Nike Women's Marathon 2012 Training Ambassadors we were given elite training gear, a personalized training plan, a photo shoot in San Francisco and an all expenses paid weekend at the race. Nike made my year with this one. I will never forget this experience and hope that it is not the last time that I get to work with them. This is a picture of the group of us before the race!

Crossing the finish line at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco! Such a proud moment. Thank you for making this possible Nike!

I found out about a month ago that I was accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador and while I haven't done much yet with them, I know there will be incredible opportunities to participate in campaigns with them and improve my blog and fitness knowledge in 2013. Thank you for believing in me FitFluential!

I got to visit the Nike World Headquarters campus in Beaverton, OR and participate in a live NTC workout. This was a dream come true, I flew to Beaverton, slept for 4 hours and then got up at 5:30 in the morning for this workout with Nike Elite Trainers. I was impressed with the workout and the facility. I have made myself a promise that I will work here someday soon, currently it's on my 5 year plan. Get ready Nike, here I come!

A group of my friends from work and I did The Color Run in Sacramento. This was such a fun race, not necessarily for time, but just a really fun event for the whole family to enjoy. I would recommend this to everyone! Find one in your city this year, you won't regret it!

I ended 2012 with a trip to Sun River, OR for a snowboarding trip at Mt. Bachelor and it was a blast. So fun to try out different sports. While in Oregon I went for a run in the snow, snowboarded and got in an evening of iceskating. 

2012 was a year of many adventures, running events and training. Thank you to those who believed in me and those who are supporting me now and in the future. Thank you Nike, Nike Running, Nike Women, Nike Fuel, Marie Purvis, Leah Kim, Tiara, Elizabeth, Renisha, Nerissa and FitFluential for making this a year to remember.

Watch out 2013, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and going for big goals!

Sailing Away

Every once in awhile I just need to get away. Today it was 108 degrees in Sacramento and I did not want to be outside in that weather. Luckily we got a last minute invite to go sailing in San Francisco! The weather on the San Francisco Bay was just right, low 80's on land and a comfortable 70 on the water. There was a bit of a temperature drop when we rounded the corner along the San Francisco city coastline where I had to bundle up in my new Nike Sweatshirt that I had packed in my new Nike Cheyenne Vapor backpack, but I much preferred that over 108 degree weather. 

I had never been sailing before so I didn't know what to expect. I think this was one of the best places to have my first real sailing experience. I got to see Angel Island, Alcatraz, Oakland, San Francisco and the most beautiful sunset, all from the comfort of a sail boat! I doubt I will be sailing again for a long time, but this was definitely an experience I won't forget for a long while. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get my workout in today, but sometimes life happens and things come up. This was not an experience I wanted to miss and that just means I will work even harder tomorrow. I have an early morning #NTC workout scheduled tomorrow and then I am driving to Petaluma for the chance of a lifetime. I get to run with Jason Lester, who is running and biking across the United States with Nike to raise awareness for the "journey for a better world." I am beyond excited. One of my friends is coming with me and we are going to finish off the run with a Nike gear shopping spree at the Petaluma Nike Outlet. Stay tuned for my update tomorrow! 

Nike Women Motivation

Today I want to share another Nike Women shout out. When I look for inspiration it is no secret that Nike Women is one of the first places I go. Whether it is their website, Twitter feed, or Facebook page, they are never short on motivation. One of the things that offers me a quick source of motivation is their photos. Their photos aways seem to show women empowering themselves through sports and fitness. 

Photos truly can speak louder that words and Nike Women's photos always speak to me. They just seem to know how to invoke motivation. Since I have set some big goals for this month I always need some motivation and will be frequenting their pages. Also, another great source of motivation is Jason Lester, with Nike's Journey for a Better World.

Jason is biking and running across the country to raise awareness for a better world. He is promoting doing all you can to make the world around you better. You can meet him and join in on a part of his journey at one of the local Nike Stores he stops at. Just check out Nikebetterworld.com/journey for all the updates on his journey and where he is stopping next. Maybe you can't bike and run thousands of miles across the country, but you can go for a short run today and you can work on making the world a better place in your community. Volunteer at a local race, recycle cans and bottles, and promote awareness. 

Find something that gives you motivation and it will be much easier to stick to all of your goals. Find you passion and go on your own personal journey for a better life.