By Jess in Minneapolis
The other night
I was chatting with my friend Kelly about the possibility of her doing another
guest post (which I believe she is going to do; it will be about a unique and healthy start to 2014!)
She mentioned how the blog is like a
journal, documenting all the experiences and events of my life, (many of which
she is also a part of), and I realized just how true that was.
My sister LL and I started
the blog in 2011 to share our experiences with fitness, fashion, and fitness
fashion. We hoped that we could help motivate you to try a new fitness option, or try an updated fashion
fad. We hoped that maybe others could
learn from our failed fits as well as
our fantastic fits while we documented our fitness/fashion journey here.
LL isn’t as
active on the blog now, but I plan to keep it going into 2014 (and beyond?) I decided to take this time to look back at
each month of blog posts in 2013, and highlight some of my favorite moments on the Right Fits- moments that are forever documented
here on the blog.
Okay- let’s
start this walk down memory lane!
January 2013:
I started the year with a frozen half marathon with my friend Mason, and then a masquerade ball.
I reviewed Body Pump, Orange Theory Fitness, and Kettlebells, and then I shared a few dresses that I wore to some plays.
Oh, and I went trampolining. That was fun!
A solid start to the year!
February 2013:
February was a lovely month. I went to Big Sky for some snowboarding and got up close with a buffalo at Yellowstone.
I ran in the rain, I reviewed the YakTrax Run, and then I wrote about "when a route becomes a route" (loved that post!)
I tried out Rent the Runway for a friend's wedding, and loved it.
....and I wrote about the unspoken problem that plagues many a runner...(When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go)
March 2013:
Then I let you in a little secret about where to find JCrew knockoff necklaces and then had a guest post by my friend Mason about how to balance your love of concerts with training for a marathon. (Thanks Mason!)
April 2013:
Though I wasn't in Boston for the marathon, I was still affected via the stories and experiences of my fellow runners, and I joined in with a few friends to run for the cause
I continued to
revel in the camaraderie and support of my lovely running friends at a Ladies Night Out at the Running Room.
May 2013:
Warm weather, finally! This month was a blast. I was tapering for the Newport marathon and psyching myself up with some mantras. There was a "70th birthday party" and then Meggan did a guest post on how to host a baby shower with a running theme!
There was the Memorial Day Pub Run, which was AMAZING and fun.
I also ran the TC 1 mile with friends and coworkers, and then threw in another half marathon, this time in Kalamazoo, where my dad did his first (and maybe last?) half marathon ever! So proud.
June 2013:
Oh, June, you were grand...This month started out with a truly amazing tour of the grand old state of Oregon, including 26.2 miles in Newport.
It wasn't my best marathon (hence the grumpy face above), but the trip was one of the best. We explored Newport, Crater Lake, Bend, and Portland, and made so many memories and saw so many beautiful things...especially Crater Lake. You must go there. Now.
During
the month of June, I took a class at the FIXX did a fun trail run and then attended the Taste of the Nation Hotlist event, where I won a gift certificate for a wardrobe consultation with Ala Mode Wardobe consultants. This consultation was a game-changer. It
definitely did wonders for my personal style!
July 2013:
Apparently, July included a lot of races. There was the 4th of July Firecracker 10k, the Torchlight 5k, and the Athleta Esprit de She 5k!
July also included a couple weekends at the cabin, full of stand up paddle boarding and exploring Hayward, WI.
We also said goodbye to Coach Paul and his fiancé Laura in July....we miss them!
August 2013:
August...As summer wound
down, I spent another weekend at the cabin with my husband’s family, ran a few trail runs and drank some Surly beers, and then spent a Saturday exploring Minneapolis via a pedal pub.
During the month of August, I
headed to Madison for a cousin’s wedding where I ran yet another half marathon.
Definitely one
of my favorite posts of the month (and one of the most popular) was definitely the Top 10 Things Runners Need to Stop Posting About on Facebook. Guilty as charged.
September 2013:
The highlight of
September came at the end of the month, when Dustin and I headed to Germany to
run the Berlin marathon. That was quite a memorable experience.
But there was a
lot of fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion earlier in the month
as well. I shared some
runner safety tips and I gave you
my whole running history, in one of my favorite all-about-me posts (hey, it’s
my blog.) Then, I went to the
Minnesota State Fair and milked a goat.
Also in September, Kelly and Abby did a guest post about the Surly Trail Half Marathon <-- (sounds like such a fun race! Thanks Kelly and Abby!)
October 2013:
October is always one of my favorite months. It’s
usually the time for apple picking (which I did),
...and time for the Twin Cities Marathon
(which I cheered for and gave you tips on how to be a good spectator, as well
as tips for what not to wear to the expo!). October was also a time for fun and
creative Halloween costumes (like THESE)
October was a good month.
November 2013:
If October was a good month, November wasn't so quite as good. November
had its up and downs, with maybe a few extra “downs.” Some friends gave me some
hard-to-hear feedback that maybe I need back off a bit on the fitness front, particularly in the offseason.
Well, they were
right. Soon after the “intervention” I learned the hard way the risks of
overtraining, when I ended up with a “stress reaction”, which left me out of
commission for two weeks. I swam and
cycled and tried my best to stay sane,
but I missed running. Thanksgiving just wasn’t the same without a family run.
Okay- enough self-pity. November wasn't all bad! I went to a fun Diwali party, and Meggan and I tried
out Salt Cave Yoga!
Before the
injury, I participated in a Brooks Night Line event at Marathon Sports. Even if I wasn’t
running myself, I spent some time sharing my running advice with you. I wrote a post about
winter running essentials, and I shared a few tidbits of advice for using your Garmin.
December 2013:
Here we are, at
the end of December. I started out the month with a trip to Chicago for a
friend’s birthday (for whom I made a runner gift basket <--- try this out for a runner friend!). While in
Chicago, I took a Flywheel class, which was a blast, and then I tried Surfset Yoga!
December brought
barre classes back into my life with intensity! I joined up with my friend Vicki to write
a post all about barre at all the local studios, and I continued
to incorporate this workout into my weekly regime. I tried several new studios this month,
taking barre classes at Avatar Fitness, Pilates ProWorks, Haute Barre, and the
Barre, and I continued with classes at my old standbys like Pure Barre and
Balanced Barre.
And halfway
through the month, I got to start running again! I was so happy
to run again. I celebrating by saying goodbye to the Metrodome and dome running, and I ate a
lot of cookies.
Well, there you
have it. The year of 2013 via the Right Fits. It was an eventful year with lots
of great trips and experiences, and a little bit of fashion. I didn’t
achieve my marathon goal, but I had fun trying. 2013 definitely had its
share of fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion!
Though the blog
will forever be my personal outlet
for whatever I want to use it for- i.e.it will be a venue for me to share
whatever is the right fit for me at
that current time, I still welcome your feedback and comments. In fact, in
2014, please comment more on the blog. I want to hear from you! Let me know
what some of your favorite posts were this year, and what would you like to see
more of next year. Are there things you’d like to see less of? What were some of YOUR highlights in 2013? Please share!
And as always, thanks for stopping by the Right Fits! .
I look forward
to 2014 and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.
Happy New Year.
