I decided to take January off from my 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge and the next thing I know it’s February! Time’s a wastin’! Utah it is. Why? In December, while Daniel and I were at the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge (we are Ambassadors; there are three: Utah, California and New York) I read about the Run Like a Girl 5k in nearby St. George, Utah. But first the backstory …

I told you in a previous blog that I met some serious new “family” while I was at the resort. No lie. We connected especially with two people: Brynn Lunkins and Kim Hawkings.

Brynn was originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and Kim is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our friendship with Brynn became very special very quickly at Fitness Ridge. So much so that Brynn decided to move temporarily from Cleveland to Des Moines for a few months to train with us (Daniel and I are certified personal trainers) to continue his weight-loss journey after he left Fitness Ridge.

You probably guessed by now that Daniel accompanies me on many of my travels. When it happened that Daniel couldn’t get to Utah for Run Like a Girl, Brynn decided to return to Utah and support me during my race! We both decided it was the perfect opportunity for a mini-reunion with our friend Kim. Did I mention that Kim dropped some serious weight at Fitness Ridge in the month or so she was there? I thought Run Like a Girl would be a great one for Kim to spread her wings and RUN a 5k with ME!! 

What fun. Of course, Kimmy, Brynny and I took advantage of Utah’s proximity to Las Vegas (only an hour away) and hung out a little bit in Vegas, just to relax and catch up, then Kim and I did the 5k.

Come Saturday morning I was decked out in my usual pink (DUH!!!), but it was especially fitting because it was, afterall, Run Like a Girl. Thanks to race organizer Amy Vellinga for all the hospitality and generosity. Amy let me jazz up the runners before the race, so I shared my story, then Kimmy and I took off. Kim wanted to stop several times — because she thought she needed it — but I said NOPE. I told her we must keep it going, we could slow down a bit, but stopping was NOT an option!! We ended up finishing the 5k in 40 minutes or so!  That day Kim became a RUNNER! She realized her inner athlete and has not stopped since!

It was at that point I also realized that with every race in my 50 in 50 by 30 Challenge it is not only about MY life-changing journey, it’s about getting out there and helping change other people’s lives.

To finish these races in the next two years is truly a humbling experience! I cannot wait to tell you about more of the amazing people I’ve met thus far! Thanks for sticking with me. Soon it’ll be back to real time blogs … no more catching up for me! Next stop, Texas!