I Was Featured on Work For Your Beer's Blog!

In Charlotte, you pretty much can't have a beer without earning it first. There are so many brewery running clubs, yoga classes, and cycling events in the area that it's safe to say our beer fitness community is on fire. 🔥 So fortunately we have Work for Your Beer, which is this awesome girl-powered group that roadmaps all of these boozy sweat dates in the Queen City.

When WFYB recently reached out to me, asking if I would do a Q&A as their Featured Athlete, I was humbled. Even though the closest thing to beer I drink is a nice cold glass of kombucha, I was honored that they actually considered me cool enough to blab about myself on their blog!

Check out my interview below:

Tell us about your fitness journey:

As a kid, I lived and breathed sports: I played soccer, volleyball, cross-country, you name it. So moving around to stay in shape wasn’t really a concept until I got to college and I started gaining weight for the first time in my life.

That’s when I began signing up for local races to reignite my love for running (and drop my freshman fifteen). Less than a year into college, I ran my first half-marathon and instantly fell in love with distance racing. I continued to run races all over the Carolinas, until last year, when I completed my first two destination races in Vancouver and San Francisco. This year, I plan to check off one more destination race to bring my half-marathon total to 10.

What motivates you to work out?

I’m really driven by my sense of competition. Not necessarily competing against others, but challenging myself to see how far I can go. I’m always pushing myself to become faster, stronger, and smarter with my training.

You’re an avid runner, but what is your favorite type of fitness when you’re not hitting the pavement?

When I’m not logging miles, I’m in the gym for some traditional weightlifting. I actually went on a bodybuilding kick a couple of years ago, when I spent every second of my free time learning about proper lifting techniques and workouts to build muscle. Now, I don’t get nearly enough strength training in, but there’s still nothing quite like plugging your headphones in and pumping iron.

What attracted you to running and what do you love about the sport?

I signed up for my high school’s cross-country team, because, believe it or not, running XC was what the “cool kids” were doing. See, my best friends were on the varsity team, and I thought joining it would be a no-brainer way to get my social hour in.

Fast-forward 12 years (yes, I’m that old), and I haven’t looked back. Running is still my hobby, my passion, my therapy, and my escape.

Any pre-race rituals?

I wake up two hours before show time, nibble on a quick breakfast, tape my old lady knees in KT tape, get a light jog in, and I’m ready for action.

You’re also a fitness model. How did that start and what does a typical shoot look like?

I’ve always fan-girled the familiar faces you see in magazines, in fitness ads, and even in activewear catalogs: Stef Corgel, Chyna Rae, Alex Silver-Fagan, the list goes on. So one day two years ago, I decided "why can’t I give it a shot too?" And slowly but surely, I collaborated with enough local photographers to build a portfolio that caught some eyes.

As far as a typical shoot? Most people probably don’t realize this, but it’s usually a workout of its own. You’re sprinting, jumping, planking, and holding the same pose for takes on end. In fact, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into a 2-hour shoot and walked away sore for the next two days!

What’s your go-to pump up song?

My taste in music is ever-changing, but right now I’m really digging Sofi Tukker’s “Drinkee”.

What does being healthy mean you to?

Being healthy means loving your body from both the inside and out. It means fueling yourself with the nutrients you need, rather than just the foods you want. And it means letting your body move freely and frequently in the way that it’s meant to.

Tell us about your blog and why you started it:

I actually started my blog as a personal diary to recap all of the races I was running. I walked away with each race with a hilarious or memorable story to tell, and my blog was a great tool to preserve those memories.

Now, it has grown into a hub of all things fitness, food, and wellness. I still write about my races, but I also blog about my favorite recipes, trends in the wellness world, and anything else fitness-related that’s on my mind. I try to incorporate some lolz into every post, because let’s be real: who actually wants to read about the benefits of celery juice without cracking a smile here and there?

What's your go-to health food?

Is it too basic to say I’ve jumped on the acai bowl train? 😊 Because my family actually owns a juice bar in Charleston, which taught me that these bowls are anything but basic: they’re packed with antioxidants, superfoods, and fiber! The trick is just watch your portion size and avoid added sugar.

If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life (healthy or not), what would it be?

Haha I gotta give the obvious answer: pizza. Preferably Mellow Mushroom's Kosmic Karma.

What do you like to do when you’re not working out?

I got my first puppy eight months ago, so my life has pretty much become chasing him around. I even took on a part-time dog walking gig to keep that lil’ prince entertained!

What’s your favorite place to grab a beer or ‘booch in Charlotte?

I’m such a ‘booch babe right now, so I’d have to say Lenny Boy. Plus, they allow pups on their patio, so it’s the perfect night out for an old fart like me.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

My best advice for anyone looking to get into running or fitness in general: workout because of the way it makes you feel, not because of how you want it to make you look. When you learn to love the practice, the perks will follow.

Check out the full interview on their site here!