Hi Blythe! Please tell us about yourself.
I have lived in Anchorage most of my life. I am a dog mom to two awesome dogs. Current hobbies include gardening and training for the Lost Lake Run.
How long have you been with FF, and what initially inspired you to seek us out?
In spring 2016, I wanted to improve my fitness coming out of college and decided to join FF, where my husband Kyle had been going for a few years.
What are a few of your favorite exercises we do? How about some of your favorite muscle groups to train?
I really like the agility ladder because it has a mental element to it.
Optimal health. What does it mean to you?
Having more energy, stamina, and defined muscles!
You have a big goal to PR this year during the Lost Lake race at the end of August. Why is this so important to you?
My goal this year is to finish around 4 hours so that there are still people, food, and beer at the finish line. It’s not super uplifting to finish a race after everything is getting taken down. That happened to me once on a Tour of Anchorage ski race and all the mac and cheese was gone – never again!
What one or two pieces of advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Don’t listen to everything adults tell you to do. Sometimes they don’t have your best interest in mind. Get over yourself, you can run a mile! Eat more real foods, don’t just eat ice cream. Sometimes the adults are right.
Who or what inspires you?
I’m inspired by possibilities and potential. The possibility of adventure, feeling good about myself after a race, and having the stamina to carry me through a tough physical feat to whatever payoff is waiting at the end. I’m also inspired by the people around me through all of these things.
How has your nutrition changed over the last 4-6 months? What benefit have you noticed with these changes?
I am slowly eating more whole and real foods. I have been able to get my husband on board with cooking and eating at home more. Now we’re usually having veggies with every meal and working on fruit with breakfast.
What advice would you give someone who wants to get fit but may not know where to start?
Start with a group that knows what they are talking about. Apply the 80/20 rule. Trust the knowledge of your group, coaches and mentors to help when you fall short and you have to pick yourself back up.
Also, sign up with a group that requires commitment, this commitment to showing up for group activities will translate to commitment outside of the group to take care of yourself more.
What goals are you working on for the remainder of 2019?
After Lost Lake, I will be working on maintaining the stamina that I have gained from training this summer. I will be switching to training for the Talkeetna Oosik classic ski race, the Tour of Anchorage skate ski race, and one of the sprint triathlons next year.
