1) Knowledge.  A great instructor is educated.  They know their stuff.  They have dedicated time and money to know more about health, fitness and how to motivate a room full of people.  A nationally recognized certification is a must.  An instructor certified by an organization such as ACE, ACSM, AFAA or NSCA has proven themselves to have a working knowledge of fitness and how to safely teach it.

2) Confidence.  A great instructor will walk into the room and everyone will know who is in charge.  They will be confident in their word and actions, and confident in their students.  They will face the class and move around the room to interact with everyone present.  They are "other" focused, as opposed to "self" focused.  In short, a great instructor will "bring it".

3) Preparation.  A great instructor shows up with a plan.  They have taken time to plan out the music, the theme of class, and the exercises.  They get to class early enough to set up everything they need, and have time to talk to newcomers.  They carry extra batteries, mic covers and a spare water bottle in their gym bag, just in case someone forgets one. 

4) Commitment.  A great instructor shows commitment to his students by being consistent.  They show up.  They continue their education.  They are always looking for new ways to motivate.  They are in this business of fitness for the long haul.  And it shows in the results their students see.

5) Fun.  A great instructor knows that everyone in that class could be on a treadmill.  Or in front of a TV.  But they chose to come to class for a better experience.  My favorite teachers make it so much fun to be in their class, I can't stand the thought of skipping.  I might miss something! 

6) Variety.  A great instructor mixes it up.  There is never one class exactly like another.  The music changes, the routine changes, the way the students face changes.  Great instructors challenge their students to get out of their ruts and try new things.  And then they celebrate together!

7) Awareness.  A great instructor knows what is going on in class, whether they have seven students, or seventy.  They keep a keen eye on the back row, without calling attention to those who may feel self-conscious about being there.  They watch for things that may be unsafe, and give subtle corrections.  They also watch for those who can push harder and give not-so-subtle "suggestions".

8) Modifications.  Almost everyone in my informal Facebook survey named this as a top priority.  A great instructor will have several options in her back pocket for each exercise.  Each student, with her own strengths and limitations will leave class feeling successful if the instructor gives modifications.  They make fitness accessible to everyone.

9) Acceptance.  A great instructor creates an environment of acceptance.  They know that building a community is important because if a student feels a sense of belonging, they will keep coming back. 

10) Love.  A great instructor knows that they have a gift to share.  They have a passion for vibrant, healthy living and they can't wait to pass that on to the people who fill their classes.  They lead their workouts with love for the people in the room, knowing that those people will pass on the love to their friends and family.  A great instructor knows that a room full of people sweating and smiling together is the beginning of a better world.

"Thanks for this beautiful reminder of how amazing it is to stretch and do something beyond what we ever thought we could do. All I have to say is: It was so worth it!

So the rundown....

I ran my first 3.6 in 31 minutes. It was hotter than hades and high elevation and I don't think any of us anticipated how hard that was going to be. But I did it and surprisingly, I did it fast!

My second run was the downhill 7 miles and I FLEW down the mountain. I ran the first two miles at an 8 min. mile. It was a beautiful run! Super cool, dark, a little solitary! The last mile was BRUTAL! But I ran that entire run in 56 minutes. Another amazing victory for me. The big deal about that race was that I stepped either off the pavement or in a pothole or something twice and the last time I rolled my ankle and almost went down. I stretched as much as you can in a van but by the next morning, I couldn’t even walk. I was so worried about my last run!

I found a chiropractor at the major exchange (complimentary for the runners) and he worked on my ankle and back a little. I was praying like crazy for strength to run the last 6 miles. As the runner handed off to me I had a little voice inside my head tell me to just slow down and take it easy. So that’s what I did….sans headphones, sans pressure. It was a BEAUTIFUL RUN!!!! I made it running all the way to mile 5. After that I had to run/walk the last mile because that’s all I had left in me. But I finished EVERY race with a full out sprint to the finish…in honor of you! I felt like I gave this race and this experience everything I had and I don’t regret a moment of it.

All in all, it was AMAZING!!!! I am already gathering my team for next year so we can register in the next few weeks and get a spot…..they are predicted to go fast!!! I am so grateful to you for your help and encouragement in this journey! I literally couldn’t have done it without you!!!!!!! I will forever be grateful to you for coming off the bench with me and pushing me to run just a little faster.

Unfortunately, I can’t really walk all that well right now. My ankle is surprisingly fine, but my quads are shot! I think I might have finally caught up on enough to sleep to function (ha ha) but I am still trying to rehydrate. I lost 10 lbs in two days!!! Happy to see that number on the scale, but I know that I have to get it all back before I am recovered fully from loss of water. WORTH IT!!!!!!!

Good times, great experience, and I am ready to do it again….in a year!"

Way to go Hollie, you did it, and I am so proud of you!

I spend most of my waking time either preparing for a group fitness class, or trying to inspire people to attend.  So the message I share here is going to seem like an about face.  But I've been thinking lately that there are times when the gym might be a petter place for you than the studio.  Really?  Really.  Consider this scenario.  I spend a good two hours on a Sunday evening putting together the music, choreography, motivational messages, and class theme for my two Monday classes.  I arrive at the gym in time to set up and greet any new students.  Thirty people make the effort to show up after dropping off kids, etc. and are ready to dedicate the next hour to bettering themselves.  Fifteen minutes into class, I hear a loud conversation coming from the back of the room.  Full on conversation.  No workout going on whatsoever.  Then another.  These two separate conversations went on for the entire hour, no matter what I did.  And then I see someone texting between exercises.  Come on folks.  Why are you in a group fitness class?  Here are a few points I would like you to consider when taking a group fitness class:

1. You are not the only person in the room.  Your conversation or phone call is distracting to the other people in the room.  They are in class because they want the instruction and motivation a group setting provides.  If you have calls to make or conversations that are pressing, consider working out on a treadmill or in the weight room where talking and texting don't affect others' experience.

2. Turn off your phone.  I do, and the world doesn't stop while I teach a class.  I have neurosurgeons, CEOs, and professors in my classes who find a way to avoid checking their phones for the precious hour they have set aside for exercise.  If you are really worried about your kids reaching you in an emergency, put your phone on silent and tell them you will only respond if it is, in fact, an emergency.  With blood.  Otherwise, either wait until after class or step outside to tell little Bobby to mke himself a sandwich.

3. Be selfish about your workout time.  I don't know about you, but when I get to the gym, I know that will truly be the only hour I have for me in that whole day.  The rest of the day is for everyone else.  Bosses, kids, spouses.  Take the hour you have set aside for exercise seriously and make it count.  Look at each repetition, pedal stroke, dance step or stretch as putting you one step closer to meeting your goals.  The other stuff can wait until you're done.  And when you give your workout 100% of your attention, there is so much more of you to go around afterwards!

4. Plan to stay for the whole class whenever possible.  I realize that occasionally something will come up and you will have to leave early.  I love it when people let me know this ahead of time, so I don't worry that they are sick or injured when I see them leaving class.  Coming in late and leaving early are distracting, to the instructor and to those around you.  I always have a pre-class announcement that lets everyone know what to expect, what our focus is, etc.  And I try to end every class with either a challenge or a motivational story or quote.  It takes so much away from this 'grand finale' when people are chatting and putting things away early.  Stay with me.  I promise to make it worth YOUR time.

On the day of our anniversary, I taught a yoga class.  We did the obligatory 15 chaturangas (tricep push ups), held poses for 15 breaths, and did 15 sun salutations.  But as the class progressed, several things came to mind about yoga and how it teaches us lessons about our relationships. 

1. Yoga helps us be in the now. Take three slow, full, deep breaths.  Notice the way your breath sounds and feels as it comes and goes.  It's impossible to be anything but present when you are focusing on your breath.  And I believe the greatest gift we can give to our partner is our presence.  The gift of being fully present and in the moment is rare indeed in my house, and in most relationships but my practice is helping me live more in the NOW.

2. Yoga teaches us to be non-judgemental of ourselves and others.  I have learned on my mat that each day I show up with a little different package.  Some days I'm more flexible.  Some days my balance is off.  Some days I'm less patient or more calm.  I am learning to be where I am, and how I am, and just notice, but not judge that.  Wouldn't it be great if I was able to master this and translate it to being non-judgemental of those around me, namely my spouse?

3. Yoga helps us focus on the details.  A student, Jessica brought this one to my attention.  She said that as we were doing our 15 sun salutations, each one the same as the last, it dawned on her that in marriage, every day is pretty much the same. She decided to try and make each salutation a little different.  To mix it up and keep it interesting.  I'll have to ask her if she tried the same thing at home this week.

4. Yoga helps us with balance.  In tree pose as in marriage, it's important to have a strong foundation.  To be grounded.  And to reach for the sky.  To breathe and remain calm even as the winds blow around us.  Look at any tree in a wind storm.  They do not stand erect and rigid, they bend and sway and in doing so, weather the storm. 

5. Yoga teaches us patience.  Getting into a challenging yoga pose is one thing, holding it is another.  In doing so, we learn again the value of breathing and being present.  Even in a challenging situation, we can choose to focus on our breath and choose to be present with what is.  To not run away when things get hard.  Often, our letting go is the key to our holding on.

6. Yoga helps us "wring out" and release what we don't need.  Twisting postures are great for cleansing, giving our internal organs a massage and helping us literally wring out the toxins and junk inside of us.  Our partners do the same.  I heard a quote by Beth Moore in a women's Bible study saying that difficult people were in our lives to "bring out the worst in us".  I believe that's true of my husband.  He truly can bring out the worst in me, the stuff that really needs to get out, so what's left is the best of me.

7. Yoga reminds us that we are all connected.  At the end of every class, we send each other on our way with the word 'Namaste'.  Loosely translated, it means "I bow to you", and it acknowledges the fact that we are all one.  We all have beauty, gifts, and a desire to love and be loved.  When we see that in ourselves, and ultimatley in one another, miracles happen. 

I'm so grateful for the journey I'm on and for the lessons my yoga practice is trying to teach me.  My next step is getting my husband to join me.



If you ALWAYS walk at the same pace, for the same distance:

Warm up by walking at your regular pace for five minutes.  Then, power walk for one minute, and go back to your regular pace until you recover a bit.  Next, power walk for two minutes, and recover.  Try three, then four, and maybe even five minutes of power walking before you wrap up your session.  In no time, what was once your regular pace will feel like nothing!

If you're an average hiker, and you ALWAYS take the same moderate hiking trail:

Warm up with easy hiking for five minutes.  Then, choose a landmark ahead of you and either walk faster or jog until you get to that landmark.  Without stopping, keep your usual pace for a few minutes and then choose a new landmark.  Over time, see how many more intervals you can fit into your otherwise easy hike!

If you're getting tired of the same old routine, swimming laps in the pool:

Warm up like you always do, and then, about five minutes in, swim one lap like it's your last and you want to finish ahead of someone in the other lane.  Go back to normal for a couple of laps and do it again.  Over time, try and increase the number of "sprints" you can complete in your normal workout.

For runners, interval training is natural:

Warm up, and then try the landmark drill described above for hikers.  Or, if you really want to make things interesting, pick up your pace when you hear a car approaching.  Try and keep your speed up until the car passes you and is out of sight.  Drop back to your usual pace, and when you are ready, do it again.  Over time, try and increase the number of cars you race!

If you always choose the same bike route:

Choose a more hilly route.  Or if you're doing a more flat route, try keeping your cadence (pedal speed) consistent and changing gears frequently.  That's how the pros do it.  If you have a computer on your bike, try and maintain a pace of about 80 rpms.  Every few miles, try a harder gear at the same pace.  Over time, you will find you are more efficient and you can use the harder gears more frequently!

Today, may you find happiness by thinking about how "lucky" you are... to simply be WHO you are, WHERE you are, and WHEN you are.

Stop trying to make so much sense of things! Stop predicating the present and the future upon what has been, or even what appears "to be". The props of your life are just props; FICTIONAL. You are NOT at the mercy of the past, the present, or the future . . . logic, reason, or rationales . . .

 YOU, are a Being of Light for whom all things remain possible, and there are no caveats to this truth. There are NO caveats to this truth.

Do you have any idea who you really are? Do you have any idea of your affect on others? Do you know what it's like to be touched by you? To be held in your glance? To be smiled upon by you? Do you even know what it's like to brush up along side of you in the streets? To see you from a distance? Up close? Do you know what it's like to see you approaching? Do you know what it's like to watch you walk away? Do you know what it does for someone when they realize that you've been thinking of them?

No, you don't. Your insights, beauty, strength, courage and humility change lives everyday, and you don't even know it. It's especially sad, because those you touch think you know, so they might not remind you.

Well since you don't know it, and since others may not tell you, let me. YOU are a light in the darkness. A bringer of the dawn. Your touch heals, your gaze inspires, and your smile is like cool water to parched lips. The sight of you stirs confidence, and your shadow even, comfort. Your arrival quickens one's spirit, and your departure is always too soon. Your profoundly unique journey has been one-of-a-kind, and its yielded compassion and insights as rare as yourself - gifts that sparkle like a diamond in the sun.

You are a pillar, an icon, and a champion to those who know you, and to those who wish they did. Your affect on the world, TODAY, as you are, when you are you, is AWESOME. Shine your light, because while your significance may sometimes escape you... it changes others forever.

-- Author unknown (thanks to Dana Baptiste for sharing this)



Luke and Jackson took their first steps together.  Learned to ride two-wheelers together.  Shared bumps and bruises and stories of annoying little brothers together.  And Luke is the kind of kid every Mom wants her kid hanging out with.  He's polite, funny, and he's an amazing athlete.  Recently, his family decided to move to the other side of town to be closer to the mountains he races on.  We have promised to get them together as often as possible, but let's face it, everyone moves on. 

I will never forget the day the moving van pulled away.  In it were bikes, skateboards, hockey nets, ramps and rails.  My tough little 12 year old with a shaky voice, his buddy with tears in his eyes.  They were saying good bye to each other, but in a way, they were also saying good bye to their childhood.  It was all I could do to hold it together.  And to tell them that they are both so lucky to have had such a "truly great friend". 

If you have ever had a truly great friend, let them know how impossible they are to forget.

Join me in Salt Lake City on April 17, at the Sandy, Utah 24 Hour Fitness. 

To register, or to get more information, click here.