A Gutsy Girl

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Workouts

How to Build the Best Home Gym

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Our Home, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

When my online interview with Experience Life magazine comes out, you’ll see how I talk a little about our home gym so before the article releases, I thought I’d share with you how to build the best home gym (or how we did, anyways).

{I also promised to write this post last week when I published, “The Bigness Project.”}

A long time ago, maybe like a year ago, Ryan and I quit our gym memberships and started working out at home. We more or less felt we had to because after Isaiah came, there just wasn’t the time anymore. Before Isaiah, I would usually go to the gym in the mornings and Ryan would go at 5 pm after work. (And before Samarah, we went whenever, for however long, and it rocked.) Neither scenario no longer worked once we got Isaiah, and obviously, life is far more insane now that we have Amiya, too. So we decided to put the pedal to the metal and go all in with building out a home gym, er, garage gym.

In the beginning, we only had a few random dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a stability ball. And guess what? For a couple weeks this was okay because we learned to get creative and also how to do a lot of bodyweight + Tabata Workouts. Handstands, anyone?!

How to Build the Best Home Gym Spartan Training, Week 4 Fitness Weight training sarahkayhoffman.com

But then, we realized that in order to make a home gym truly work for the long haul, we would need to build it (Ryan was going crazy without the ability to lift heavy and in the ways he has been used to his whole life) out much more. 

Our garage is fairly, so we chose to put the gym it in the “tandem” portion vs. our guest bedroom inside. And it has worked perfectly for us for many reasons, namely that it’s nice and cool out there (except for in the dead of summer) and we can crank the music early in the morning (even when the babies are sleeping).

And even though it’s not 100% clutter free, it 100% works (but we are working to remove more things from the garage to make it even cleaner). You can get a little idea of what it looks like if you follow me on Instagram because I’m always sharing workouts there. Like yesterday….


So the big question is, “What fitness equipment is in your home gym?”

How to Build the Best Home Gym….

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How to Build the Best Home Gym

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How to Build the Best Home Gym sarahkayhoffman.com Fitness at Home

I studied to be a personal trainer through the NSCA (before Samarah), but never finished the program (I really should), so I know a thing or two about at-home training and having equipment available that can serve a variety of purposes. This is exactly what we’ve done and will continue to do with building out our home gym.

  1. Squat Rack. We have the Pro HR500 Fitness Half Rack, and this was one of the first things we bought. Zero regrets! I love everything about having a squat rack with these pull-up bars attached. A squat rack is very multi-purpose.
  2. Barbell and Plates. The barbell and plates we have did not come with the squat rack. Separately, we got a barbell and 300-pound weight set similar to this. In the beginning, before we had the Bowflex Dumbbells set, I used the barbell and individual plates to do many different random workouts and exercises. (Plate curls anyone?!)
  3. Dumbbells, set. There are many different ones you could choose from. We have the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair). Each dumbbell goes up to 52.5 pounds, and switching from weight-to-weight is super easy.
  4. Dumbbells, individual. We have some 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 12’s, and 80’s. Random. I know.
  5. Treadmill. I bought this used, from a friend. It’s one just like THIS. I love it! Do I think everyone needs a treadmill? Probably not, but a treadmill isn’t just to log 10-minute miles, 5 days a week. In fact, I only use it for the mundane if it’s icky outside. Instead, I like to use it for sprinting intervals, hill workout, lunges, and lateral work. (Side note: I also heard TreadLift is a pretty cool program. I have not tried it yet.)
  6. Bench. We have this one, and it’s perfect because it’s adjustable, which I think it kind of necessary if you’re only going to have one bench to start with.
  7. Pull Up Assist Bands. We have the WOD assist bands in black, purple, and red.
  8. Resistance Bands. We have a set of Resistance Loop Bands. The 14-Week Bigness Project I’m currently doing said I’d need some, so I quick grabbed a multitude of bands (for variety). 
  9. Resistance Bands with Handles. We also have a set of Resistance Bands with Handles (and ankle straps).
  10. Ab Roller. You don’t need anything fancy. Ours looks like THIS one. Alternatively, you can do ab rollouts with a stability ball.
  11. Stability Ball. Our stability ball isn’t even “pretty.” It’s THIS one, but I think I use it, on average 1-2 times per week. Bonus: You can sit on this at your desk if you’re into that sort of thing.
  12. Yoga Mat. If you want to do yoga at home, then you’ll absolutely need this. We don’t do yoga at home, but use ours for floor core work, stretching, and other things like that.
  13. Kettlebell. Yes, we have just one currently, it’s a 35 lb Kettlebell.
  14. Epic Bars. Ha…..this one is totally optional, but I can’t do gym without my Epic Bars so I quickly ordered a 12-pack of the Bison Epic Bars on Amazon. Obv.

The reason this post is called “How to Build the Best Home Gym” is not to tell you that our current gym is the best, but that we’re working on it. 

I believe that in order to build the best home gym, you must have the basics (squat rack, dumbbells, bench), but you must also have an assortment of things so that you’re able to hit muscles in a variety of ways while also never getting bored or staying complacent for too long.

How to Build the Perfect Home Gym 24+ Things for Building the Perfect Home Gym sarahkayhoffman.com

That said, here are the things we still need (some sooner rather than later):

  1. Boxes. If we feel like putting them together, we’ll grab these boxes. Otherwise, the standard will be just fine.
  2. (Edited: Bought this.) Jump Rope. I’m really picky with my jump ropes, but I think I’ve decided on this one.
  3. (Edited: Bought the PROCIRCLE.) Foam Roller. We have one, but it’s very average. I’d love a TriggerPoint GRID (or PROCIRCLE), and I think that anyone who lifts a lot or works out in general should have something that digs in a little more like these. Otherwise, a nice variety of sizes like THESE would work well, too.
  4. More Kettlebells. I need to start practicing the Turkish Get-Ups, but beyond them, there are so many things you can do with Kettlebells (I am addicted to Kettlebell swings). I love THIS brand of Kettle, so we just need to get weights 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60.  
  5. (Edited: We bought this TRX Training Kit. Love it!) TRX Bands. Having a great TRX Training Kit allows you to do a ton of suspension training + also have the ability to move your home gym along with you when you travel. 
  6. More Plates. I would probably be fine without more plates, but Ryan could use more.
  7. Bumper Plates. We don’t, however, have any bumper plates, and I really dig them. The 230lb colored set is what I have my eyes on.
  8. Bosu Ball. These are nice for core and stability work. 
  9. Floor Mats. We currently just use a huge, old rug for the majority of floor space, in addition to the garage flooring, but it would be nice (maybe once we clear out even more space) to get the foam puzzle floor matting.
  10. Full-Length Mirror. This sounds super vanity. It’s not. Mirrors are critical many times to ensure proper form for avoiding injury. Any basic one would do.
  11. Peloton Bike. This one is just a major wish-list item! Have you seen the new Peloton Bike yet? It’s like spin class right at home. My friend, Megan, has one and absolutely loves it. They are pricey, but she says well worth it. 

And there you have it, all in one place.

Any other must-have fitness items I’m missing?

p.s. A couple fitness boards to follow for workout inspiration: Fitness + Tabata, Crossfit, & Bodyweight Only Workouts.

Xox,
SKH

Week 1 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 1 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Handstands

I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. You read that correct. It was a 6-day workout, but I’m feeling great!

During this first week, I felt re-inspired for some new things so in addition to sharing the past week of workouts, I thought I’d share these things.

  1. No Marathon. Dangit almighty. I’m already giving up one of my 2017 New Year’s Goals. I’m laughing as I write that. But here’s what happened to help make this final decision. On Saturday, I ran over 12 miles. And it rocked! I might have been running with a frown, but I was super happy, and it showed when I snapped the below picture at the end. Despite getting the female monthly friend just one hour prior to the run, my energy levels felt great (though my quads still fatigue fairly early on). Breathing was easy, and I actually feel like I’m getting back into the “cardio shape” I want to be in. But when the run was done, I had zero desire to keep running for a longer amount of time because there were so many other things I wanted to do with my day. I enjoyed the 2-ish hour “me time,” but really didn’t feel that dedicating more time was worth it, not from a fitness standpoint, personal standpoint, and in general life standpoint. Do you know what it means to train for a marathon? Even if I would continue on a basic 3-day per week training schedule, ultimately, the long runs would need to increase more and more and more. You can’t run a marathon training on a half-marathon schedule. I mean, you could, but not if you want to excel. And at this point in my life and on my fitness journey, doing things “just because” won’t cut it. I’m extremely goal driven, and for me “just because” isn’t really a goal. So here’s the deal, yes, running a marathon could prove me unafraid. But back to the Bigness Project…..so could building muscle. And that leads me to….  Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Jen Sinkler
  2. Tough. Again, dangit almighty. Week 1 of the program showed me that I’m not nearly as strong as I thought I was. Like, at all. By far, the most challenging thing I did were the bodyweight assisted eccentric pull-ups. I’ve always been used to doing pullups with a grip where palms face each other. This pull-up version, though, has palms facing out, and the tempo is a very slow one. There is no cranking out pull-ups “kip-style.” I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I was super frustrated. For a minute there I thought to myself, “No way. This is not for me. I’m not strong enough for this.” But that’s the point of being unafraid. Just because it wasn’t coming naturally to me, doesn’t mean I need to be afraid of it. Clearly, I have a lot of strength to work on, but after I reminded myself that it was OK to start at the beginning, I became excited for all that could be if I stayed consistent.


I still have every intention of running several races this year. I’m still going to run a half marathon at the end of March because I really love the 13-ish-mile distance. Now that I’ve already (almost) hit that distance, I can practice getting faster (which is a huge challenge in and of itself).

Week 1 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Kourtney Thomas

  1. Monday: 5K, paced at 8:08/mile.
  2. Tuesday: Legs, Quad Dominant. I had not done BB Back Squats in quite some time, so it felt great to hit those again.
  3. Wednesday: Chest and Back. In addition to the pull-ups, I will say that my chest and back are, by far, my weakest links. I hate training them, and it shows. But I’m going to work really hard on both to gain some much-needed strength there.
  4. Thursday: Legs, Hamstrings + Sprints. I love leg day, especially when it is hamstring-focused. I have not done Curtsy Lunges and/or BB Hip Thrusts in a very long time, and I’m excited to see how much stronger I’ll get with those exercises over the next several weeks. I did my sprints on our treadmill. All of them were 400’s. The first 6 toggled down to a 7:20 pace, and the last one was a gradual hill climb. This ends up being a fairly long workout when it’s all said and done, but the time spent with and by myself is worth it.
  5. Friday: OFF. Ryan and I took the kids for a long walk that night, though (we tend to do this a few nights a week). 
  6. Saturday: 12.4-mile run, paced at 8:24/mile.
  7. Sunday: Shoulders and Arms. Focusing so much on eccentric training, I had to greatly reduce the weight I’m used to doing for shoulders. But still, they are my favorite body part to work! 

I’m heading into Week 2 Bigness Project with the mantra/quote I put up on Instagram Saturday after my run,

If you continuously compete with others, you become better, but if you continuously with yourself you become better.

That quote is super legit.

Up today…..back to the Quad Dominant leg day and increasing to 4 vs. 3 sets. Back squats here we come!

The possibilities are endless.

Xox,
SKH

The Bigness Project

Filed Under: Love, Workouts Tagged With: , , , ,

Here is how The Bigness Project went down for me.

Jen Sinkler is an old “friend” from the Midwest (I use the term “friend” lightly because it’s not like we were having weekend brunch together or anything, just coffee once, but I’ve known her for a very long time now), and I think she’s brilliant at what she does in the Fitness realm so when I got her email last week about The Bigness Project, I was intrigued. 

I took it to Twitter.

We went back and forth, Kourtney and I, (and I also checked out her website for validation) until I finally decided to join the project.

The Bigness Project

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14-Week The Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com

According to the program,

The Bigness Project focuses on growth, on Bigness in both muscles and mindset.

In so few words, mindset growth is what I am currently focused on in both my fitness and personal life. 

It’s hard to image “bigness” in muscles combined with running. Honestly, I’m a little unsure about the training and results, too, but when I asked Kourtney how she adds in her training runs, she responded, “Mmmmhmmm. I’m an endurance runner too 🙂 2 higher intensity runs/week (track + tempo), 1 long on the weekend.”

Finally, someone speaking my language because that is exactly how I “scaled back” running these past few weeks (and feeling the runs stronger because of it).

I read through the program user manual and actual 14-week plan, and then I merged it with current running training.

The way I’ll train these next 14 weeks is via Hybrid Training. 

On page 35 of the user manual, it states,

Hybrid Training is a concept refined by Alex Viada, cofounder of fitness company Complete Human Performance. His concept involves stacking your cardiovascular training strategically throughout your training week to maximize recovery time and allow the best possible training effects of any sport or activity you participate in. In this instance, we’re talking about bodybuilding and endurance sports of any kind: running, cycling, swimming, rowing, etc. This way of training allows you to stay cardiovascularly fit while not impeding or killing your gains.

With hybrid training your workouts have a specific purpose, and you spend your time between very low intensity and fairly high-intensity threshold work. Your volume won’t be high, but you’ll maintain your cardiovascular fitness.

There are 2 phases to the Bigness Project, so I’ll lay out for you how my weeks will look, training-wise, for the next 7 weeks (this is a general guideline, not an absolutely because, well…..life):

Monday: Tempo run
Tuesday: Leg – Quads
Wednesday: Chest and Back
Thursday: Leg – Hamstrings + Intervals
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Arms and Shoulders

And that’s what Hybrid Training looks like.

The best parts of this entire program are three-fold:

  1. I looked at The Bigness Project workouts. Not only do they look sane and doable, but they look fun, interesting, and will have me training my muscles in a way I rarely train them (eccentric emphasis).
  2. The program also focuses on mindset. In fact, I heard Jen say that one of the things she enjoyed most about the program was the meditative factor she noticed. I reviewed some notes from my doctor last night, and he told me he really needed me to start meditating. I still have not, and I’m hoping he would count this:)
  3. I can do it all from our home gym! I only had to grab a few misc. things from Amazon for the program because we have everything else. I’ll share what’s in our home (garage) gym this week because I believe that spending the time, energy, and money building this beast out has been and will continue to be a key to my fitness (and sanity) success.

I may share my Bigness Project updates on my blog (I’ll tuck it under running), but for sure I’ll share things here and there via Paleoishmama, so come follow! 

p.s. the project is now closed so I don’t think you can get it again for awhile.

p.s.s. Jen and Kourtney, if you read this, there is an extra bedroom at our house, in case you ever want to come to Northern California for one of your “in person Bigness Project workout stops.” The garage awaits us. 

Xox,
SKH

Running with a Frown

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Perhaps I am running with a frown, but my heart is happy.

Can I just tell you how much I cringe every time I read an article or listen to a podcast by some fitness guru who says, “Ladies, just stop with all the running! I mean, I’m always driving by ladies who are running with a frown. They look so sad because they hate what they are doing.” The conversation then always moves to how “if you don’t enjoy running, then stop it, because it’s not helping you lose weight or get that perfect body.”

Running with a Frown

This condescending tone must stop.

It’s frustrating. It’s annoying, and quite honestly it’s false.

On Saturday morning, I hit the road for an 11+ mile run. It was my best run yet, and during the long run, I listened to two podcasts (Chris Kresser + Fizzle) and random music here and there.  

I smiled just one time during the run, and that was when I ran past another runner who waved to me. This is because I don’t smile when I run, but it’s not because I’m miserable, sad, or pondering thoughts around, “Will this run get me the perfect body?” 

No, it’s because I am focused….on the run, breathing, foot placement, and many other things like my thoughts and a variation of deep meditation. Oftentimes the same is true when I’m walking, lifting, and doing every other type of workouts I enjoy. I’m not one to smile when I workout. I never have been, and I never will be.  

But I am happy. On the inside, I beam. If I wasn’t, I would not be doing it, and would not have the drive to hit the road, consistently these days, for 10+ miles. (Because there was a time when I hated running.)

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com

Almost three years ago, I wrote this post called, “Never Judge the Face {By a Frown or Frown-Upside-Down}.” It could not ring truer today.

Do you know how many times I (and you, too, likely) smile and it’s fake? Smiling is an act, and not all acts are genuine. I know this from my life’s experiences, all of them. But I also know it because each time I go to Bikram Yoga they say, “….healthy head, open heart, and a smile on your face.” 

I smile in those moments, to appease the teacher and everyone around me. Rarely am I actually happy. I know I should, but I just do not truly enjoy or appreciate yoga. My smile is fake, and only from an outsider’s perspective, am I happy and loving yoga.

The running community is really amazing, and yet for those not in it, I always feel like I’m defending running with a frown because “surely it’s something no one could truly enjoy.”

I don’t run to achieve some sort of body, and I think we need to stop inferring to women that there is a direct correlation between smiling and going after that “perfect body.” 

There isn’t.

That’s not real.

What is real? Keeping to your own lane, not judging another lane, understanding that looks can be deceiving and that running with a frown might be the happiest thing you see all day.

Running with a Frown sarahkayhoffman.com Quote Quotes

p.s. I’ll hopefully share my recent workouts via the Running category soon. I started running less, making them count more, and sprinkling in other things. It’s really paying off, I think!

Xox,
SKH

Hot Chocolate 15K

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , ,

Yesterday was the San Francisco Hot Chocolate 15K. It was my first race of 2017, first race “back,” and well, sort of a 15K, but not even close.

I recently shared all my big running goals for 2017.

What I didn’t share is that I have been fairly sick since November 10, so heading into all these lofty goals has been super scary for me to imagine getting through much less with a halfway desirable pace.

Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com Sarah Kay Hoffman

No, I’m not sick with SIBO, Colitis or anything like that. In fact, as they are concerned, I have been feeling fantastic!

But I got a cold on November 10, and it morphed into a sinus infection. I got antibiotics in Minnesota, and they sort of worked. Once we returned home to California, Ceci got the flu, and then I think I picked up on some version of it plus the sinus stuff returned. I had to get another round of antibiotics late last week, and the doctor said that if it didn’t start subsiding soon, we should run some further tests since it’s been a really long time of illness for me (and up until now, I haven’t taken antibiotics for illness like this in a few years). 

I spent the weekend drinking a ton of water and did zero activity until the race. I felt better almost overnight.

Once the race hit yesterday, and I was freely running, I stumbled upon so many ah-ha moments around health, running, and life. And here they are.

Hot Chocolate 15K

Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com

  1. Just go with it. So the 15K ended up being a 9.8K, which yes, I think is super weird that they couldn’t at least figure out how to turn into a 10K. Regardless, what happened in San Francisco was that in addition to awful rain, they were expecting up to 50mph winds on the highway, so they had to stop the race at 5.8 miles vs. 9.3. The night before, I thought to myself several times, “I’m just going to stay home and run 9.3 miles to avoid the misery.” But then, “No, just go with it.” In racing, and in life, circumstances are just not always perfect. You just go with it, and then it’s over.  Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com Runners Golden Gate Park
  2. Too fast. I started way too fast. I think I got frustrated because I could not get around people fast enough, so then to make up for it, I went too fast too soon, and it caught up with me – quickly.
  3. Music. I didn’t even make a playlist for the event. In fact, I forgot my headphones for my phone, but luckily someone I went with borrowed me a pair, and so I just threw on a random playlist and went. The problem with that? Probably 90% of the music was slow, and that did nothing for my motivation levels. When the 10% awesome running music was on, I felt good as ever. There is something to be said for a killer playlist, so I’ll start working on one for the next race ASAP.  Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com Running
  4. Too hot. I was so paranoid about the wind, rain, and cold, that I overdressed. I wore a tank top, fleece jacket, a hat, one arm warmer, and a poncho. 1-ish mile in and I felt too warm. I know races are cold during those first moments, but they go by so quickly and then you’re left with way too much on. 
  5. Hills. So Golden Gate Park isn’t stacked with hills by any means, but I have done zero incline training during these past couple of months. There were a few times with inclines (combined with the wind), and they kind of did me in. Hill training will be on my new schedule.
  6. Quad Fatigue. My quads fatigued big time around mile 3.5, and I have no idea why, but I’m guessing one of two things: not enough muscle memory in general and/or the hills and wind factor. Either way, I need to work on my leg strength because in no way, shape, or form should I be fatigued at mile 3.5. Ever.  Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com Results
  7. WP Thyroid. I think it’s working, I think it’s working, I think it’s working. Yesterday was the last day of my female cycle (I thought it had started, in fact, but no), and that’s typically one of the worst days for cramping (mid-cycle to Day 2). I made it all the way through with barely a cramp. In fact, most of my runs these past couple of weeks have been the same. I need to knock on wood immediately, but I still believe that this lingering issue has been all hormone related, and now that I’m almost done with month 2 (I think it’s been that long anyways) of WP Thyroid, I can safely say that I believe the pain is lessening. If ever a month comes and it’s gone, I’ll cry. Like literally. It’s been years.
  8. Kindness. I went with 4 women to the event. Three of them ran the 15K as well, and the 4th just decided she would drive us there, drop us off, and pick us up. Can I just say that what she did for us was incredibly kind! We left at 5:30 am. It rained and poured the whole way there, and she just did it all for us. She made what could have been a much worse experience, simple and great. (Side note: I didn’t know these 4 women very well before yesterday, but learned through conversation that they all love the Lord like I do, so that made me super excited, too, to share faith + running with them!)
  9. Water. I hate water, but towards the end of my 2-month sickness, I had this ah-ha moment. “What if the lingering sickness, body aches, and pains are simply due to my lack of hydration with the amount of running I’m doing?” So the past few days, I infused my system with water. I started aiming for 1/2 gallon to a gallon a day. Like a miracle, all my aches and pains have gone away. I mean, was that really all it was?! Time will tell, but I’ve sparked a new interest in hydration, hydration, and more hydration.
  10. The road ahead. Let me be perfectly honest with you…..those running goals I have set for 2017 are probably way over my head. But I’m not changing them, not now, and not unless I need to. What I’m doing is focusing on one thing, one day, one run at a time. So what’s next? The plan is to run the Livermore 1/2 at the end of March. Next weekend during my wellness retreat(!!) I’ll write the plan. I need to do more runs to build muscle memory, more lifting sessions to build strength and endurance, and more sessions with intervals and hills. I really want to run a great 1/2 marathon. But for today? A light warm up on my new (used) treadmill (!), an upper body workout, high-quality food, a new batch of bone broth, and nothing crazy on the legs. 

The rain never lasts, and after the rain always comes the rainbow. 

Hot Chocolate 15K sarahkayhoffman.com Medal

Upwards and onwards. 

Question: If you’re reading this, and you’re a competitive runner, what do you think have been the things that have helped improve your speed most?

p.s. I might be getting “old,” but for all the battles that made up yesterday, 51st out of 531 females aged 30 – 34 made me very happy. And I still have another year in that age group! 

Xox,
SKH

Unafraid

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , ,

My one word for 2017 is unafraid. ((I have done the “my one word” now for 5 years. 2013: Life Unprocessed (ummmm….2 words?!). 2014: Unprocessed. 2015: Healing Through Intention (again…..one word?!) 2016: Less.))

I have, almost literally, been paralyzed by fear nearly my entire life.

  • Up until sometime in high school, I was so afraid to stay anywhere but home. I missed out on so many things because of it.
  • I have had massive snake phobia nearly my entire life. When I was really little, I ran over one with my little trike, and in grade school, while jumping on a trampoline, had a friend’s brother throw them at me. To this day, I have a hard time doing a lot of things outside in summer, namely hiking, for fear of a snake encounter. 
  • I was a gymnast for most of my youth, but as I got into junior high, I became massively afraid of “getting hurt” so much so that I did get hurt, and had to stop altogether.
  • Somewhere along the line, I became afraid of food, which trickled down into several years of eating disorder (which I’ve talked about many times on my blog in the past).
  • When “fitness gurus” made it seem like specific workouts wouldn’t work or shouldn’t be done, I became afraid of doing them because surely they knew my body and life better than I did.
  • And on, and on, and on….

Living a fear-based life has affected every single piece of my life, from my daily activities to my relationships and overall health. 

Nelson Mandela has a beautiful quote that says,

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.

And The Bible has an even better one,

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan? Matthew 6:27

Unafraid

Unafraid sarahkayhoffman.com My One Word 2017

A few months back I began a new journey in my life, one in which I should have begun long ago, but did everything in my power to avoid. 

I finally sought the professional help of someone to address these fears. There is no shame in me telling you this because what I began to accept from the beginning of this journey is that the very act of feeling shame or guilt is only fear creeping into my life and paralyzing me even more.

My book, Gravel Roads will see this through in detail, but how it relates to my one word and 2017 is that I am ready to stop living based on fear, and instead living in a way that says I don’t need to control every single step of every single day out of fear for what could happen.

I can live unafraid, and really live, for all the millions of things that could happen.

It’s a funny thing, isn’t it? We either live with fear or fearless, but either way, something could happen, the possibilities are endless. Seems so much more peaceful to attempt fearless, being unafraid.

I mentioned my 2017 personal goals yesterday, but most of those don’t really take any act of courage. ere are some 2017 goals that 

Here are some 2017 goals that will take courage:

  1. Running. I started running again, and I have been loving it. Sure, the first mile is awful, but such is life. I recently completed a 9-mile run and on New Year’s Day, I will do my longest run to date, 10 miles. My debilitating mid-cycle through the beginning of the following cycle cramps have made me absolutely fearful of running. But I am not dying. There is nothing that is truly holding me back from running, so I’m doing it. Simultaneously, I’m working to figure out the triggers for it so I can get the pain under control because….
    1. Race. Race. Race. Short Distance. I have a packed 2017 calendar full of races I want to run. The first one I’m doing is January 8th, a 15K, in San Francisco. I am not expecting anything phenomenal for this race, other than to get the butterflies out of my stomach for racing again. I was sick from November 10 – December 19 (when I finally got antibiotics for a severe sinus infection), and so my training runs were far below par. But I’m doing it! I plan to sprinkle in many other 5 and 10K’s throughout the year as well.
    2. Race. Race. Race. 1/2 Marathon. The only 1/2 marathon I’m sure I want to race is the Livermore 1/2 Marathon at the end of March (because, obviously, wine at the finish line)! My goal would be to do 2-3 more 1/2 marathons beyond that in 2017.
    3. Race. Race. Race. Marathon. And finally, my top and main 2017 running goal is to run my very first marathon in Sacramento at the California International Marathon in December of 2017. But wait, that’s not even the real goal. The real goal is to run at a pace that would qualify me for the Boston Marathon, which if you don’t know would be a 3-hour and 35-minute marathon (or 8:13/mile for 26.2 miles). Many might say this is super lofty, and it totally is, especially given the female pains and an autoimmune condition. But I won’t let fear hold me back. (Follow my running and paleo-ish journey via paleoishmama on Instagram.)


Additionally….

I have been afraid of heights my entire life, so we are entering the lottery to hike Half Dome. (We = Ryan and I — do you see the things I get him to do with me?! We might also mean the addition of my brother, who is also afraid of heights, and who I would love to have join us!)

I want to do another Spartan Race because I’m trying to get over the fear of that cold water, but currently, the one I want to do is one week after my March 1/2 marathon, so I’m still debating.

Ryan and I have been building out our home gym, so I began creating some lofty strength goals as well (I’ll hopefully share those at some point, too).

And remember those snakes? Well, I’m going to start hiking period to prove that not every single time I step on a trail or anywhere a snake might exist will I see one (and then will it bite me).

This is my start, and I’m praying that 2017 sees me to living a full life, unafraid, in all aspects of my life. 

Ceci’s friend gave her this for Christmas, and I grabbed it from her immediately and took a picture. 

Unafraid Quote sarahkayhoffman.com

Simple. Perfect. And, well, just unafraid. 

What are you afraid of? Now go….make it a part of your 2017 goals!

Xox,
SKH

p.s. What I’m not afraid of anymore? Food! I don’t count calories, fat, carbs or anything any longer. I watch what I eat to the degree that I medically need to, choosing the foods that help me feel my very best (+ fuel me to run, run, run)….AIP Bread anyone?!

p.s.s. Interested in following along with the Pinterest board?!