Steph Says: Pump Challenges and Personal Records

You'll come to realize that I adore challenges. Growing up, I wasn't athletic at all, so now it's like I'm trying to cram in ALL THE CHALLENGES that I missed out on in my younger days. It goes a little something like this:

Hey Steph, wanna eat healthy and take some supplements for 24 days? Nah. I'm good.

Hey Steph, wanna do the Advocare 24 Day Challenge? SHYEA I DO!

Hey Steph, wanna lose 4% of your body weight this month? But cookies...

Hey Steph, wanna join this DietBet in which you have a month to lose 4% of your body weight? WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

You get the picture. 

So when my gym started a 6-week Body Pump challenge, you betta believe I was all over that like white on rice. 

Now let's talk about Les Mills Body Pump. One of the best things about my gym is the series of Les Mills classes that they offer. I'll be honest, I'm still a little chicken when it comes to lifting. I am just not at the point where I feel comfortable walking into the weight room and busting out some deadlifts like I own the place. That day will come... But that day is not today. So the group fitness classes are right up my alley, and I'm completely head over heels for Body Pump. I get to lift heavy things in a very choreographed setting without feeling like a total and complete spaz...just a regular ol' spaz.

Back to the challenge: Attend 18 Pump classes in six weeks, get a T-shirt. I think there are other incentives too...

But I want that T-shirt.

Do I NEED that T-shirt? Like I need a hole in my head. But. It. Will. Be. Mine. 

I took some measurements (and pictures, duh) so that I can see the difference 18 Pump classes will make.

Starting Stats:

The bags under my eyes are Prada.

Bicep: 12.5

         Chest: 38            

Waist: 34.5

Hips: 45.5

Thighs: 27

In other news, I ran annihilated a 5k this past weekend. I'm getting faster and faster which is so exciting for me, and it had been almost a year since my last real 5k. Back in November 2013 I finished in 41:25. I remember than run so well because it was my first 5k after Rascal Mae and I ran all 3.1 miles without walking, which at the time was astounding to me and my little 13:30 average pace. (I just said "average pace" in my head in the Nike Running app lady's voice. Anyone else? No?) Fast forward to this weekend: I finished in 33:30.

That's eight minutes faster.

And that's a MAJOR personal record for this girl.

I averaged a 10:36 minute mile. At the beginning of the summer I set a goal (a challenge, if you will) to run less-than-12-minute-miles.

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I think one of my favorite things about running is that I constantly get to challenge myself. Go further. Go faster. Be braver. Get stronger. Become the athlete I never was.

Because baby, I love a challenge.