What do you do? I’m an indoor cycling instructor at CycleBar in Uptown Dallas, but I’m also a Sr. Recruiter at a small software company. Spin is my passion project!
Where do YOU find your motivation? What is your WHY? The single biggest reason I am motivated to exercise and teach classes is my belief in the link between physical and mental wellness. It’s much deeper than how you look in the mirror; when you challenge yourself with a workout (and stick to it) you’re going to be more capable to take on non-exercise challenges at work, in relationships, etc. It’s self-empowerment!
If you set goals/intentions, what are yours right now? When it comes to fitness achievements, I typically do not set goals for myself. My relationship with exercise and performance is more fluid than hitting landmarks. I’ve run a few half marathons, so I suppose those are accomplished goals, but they were more for the experience than the fitness reward. I have never had a hard time sticking to regular exercise- I fully realize that’s obnoxious, but I just like it! However, I love love love to hear about clients and friends reaching their weight loss, calorie burning, diet, etc. goals.
How did you first get into fitness? I joined my school’s cross country team (against my will) during my freshman year of high school- 2008. Long distance running isn’t difficult to pick up when you’re fourteen years old, so I adapted pretty quickly and have never let go of my ability to run long. I am not fast, but I can go generally far, and I love the stages of running: the first steps when your feet hit the pavement and your legs are fresh, the bulk of the run when you’re just jamming to your playlist, perhaps listening to the same song on repeat and choreographing a performance in your mind, the push of the last half mile or so before you make it to your finish, and the sweet slow-down steps when you pump the breaks and your breathing drops off. I’m not running as much these days because a) group fitness is life and b) I’m having issues in my SI joint, but I get out the door at least once a week now and push 3-4 miles out (don’t tell my PT).
What’s the best health/wellness advice you’ve ever received that has actually helped? Once in high school I had a cold and my mom told me to cool it on the running- she said “you’re not going to gain weight in a week” which was totally true of my then-16-year-old metabolism. The underlying advice here is to rest when you need rest. It’s so hard, especially if you’re sick enough to need antibiotics and feel better right after you begin your dosage, but rest is best.
What’s your favorite workout to do when you’re not teaching? Running, and I love yoga from Bobby Candelas.
What’s the last song you listened to on Spotify (or iTunes, Pandora, etc.)? Bad Guy, by Billie Eilish (ooooo spooky)
Best thing in your fridge right now? Surplus champagne from a bridal shower I threw this weekend haaaaay! But seriously, herb goat cheese from Sprouts. I love to eat it with crackers made from cauliflower and a sweet fig spread.
Go-to pre or post-workout snack? Typically I do not snack. I usually eat my three meals a day whenever I’m hungry, so I end up having lunch at 11 most days. I must eat breakfast by 9 am, though, or I am an unpleasant person.
Go-to morning beverage(s)? Coffee- I always look forward to that first cup after a class. I’ve also been making a smoothie for the last year and a half or so, of which the main ingredients are cucumber, spirulina powder, turmeric, and coconut water. I also add spinach (I have low iron levels) and half a banana for creaminess.
Favorite splurge meal/dessert? Splurge meal is definitely mac and cheese (with rice pasta, of course) with extra grated cheese for texture. I eat an entire box and then sit and wonder why I feel so awful- ha! And my sweet tooth never came in but every now and then I crave a big piece of chocolate cake that you buy individually packaged at any grocery store.
Where do you get your health/wellness information? My body! I know this is lame or underwhelming, but I do think your own body is the best source of information on how for how to treat it. If my joints are aching, I take a rest day or hit pilates. If I feel bloated, I eat a cucumber and chug a glass of water. There are too many dietary/exercise schools of thought, so just get in tune with your own physical state. Over the years I’ve learned that processed/packaged foods give me awful breath (ew sorry) and low energy, so I avoid them. And (trigger word warning) gluten puffs up my belly and makes me look 4 months pregnant, so I steer clear. Wine makes my eyes puffy but water makes my skin bright.
If this wasn’t your job, what would be your job? I would really like to open an online boutique for house things and plants. Choosing inventory, laying out products on a website, buying plants at wholesale, packaging things up and taking them to the post office…doesn’t that sound nice?
Favorite way to unwind after a long day/week? The ideal Friday evening agenda is a 5:30 pm “happy hour” ride at CB, bath complete with a bath bomb, and an Amazon Prime movie rental (anything that premiered between 1990-2005). Solitude fills me up.