Mindy's fitness Journey: Gingermantra: Featured Blogger and Win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor

Thursday

Gingermantra: Featured Blogger and Win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor

I have this beautiful friend that I was lucky enough to meet in real life in June. Her name is Tammy and she runs a blog called Gingermantra. She is a feisty red head and a true, good-hearted woman that I am proud to call my friend. You have to meet her! I cannot wait to see her in November for the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete, FL.

Meet Tammy Means from Florida

When and why did you start working out? I was a tomboy growing up. I loved the outdoors and camping out (primitive camping) at a very young age. It was the classic childhood of you don't come inside until it is dark or dinner is ready. I spent my days running and on my bicycle. After 3rd grade my Mom put me in a summer camp where I grew to love softball which I played through high school and in a few adult leagues after that. I also dabbled in running in high school, but never fully committed to it as my sport of choice since I was also a volleyball player. After turning 25 I found myself in the rut of my mid twenties on the slide to 30 and I had gotten out of shape, so I joined a gym and began working out and taking aerobics classes 6 days a week. In between workouts I would hit the treadmill for 6 miles every day. Then after turning 35 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and found myself right back at the threshold of needing to get back into better shape. I began working out at a gym and then took several months of bootcamp classes and then a long time friend reunited me with my love of running I had found in my mid twenties and I have never looked back.

What is your workout of choice? I'm a runner as my main sport of choice but I also cross-train with mountain biking with my husband and weight training in the gym.

What is your favorite race, race distance, or WOD? I love the half marathon distance.

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? Oh for me, the runner, it's all about the shoes! For many years I was a Nike girl, but last year I was introduced to Mizuno's line of running shoes and have trained and raced with them ever since. When I run I have an odd foot plant which makes me supinate (land on the outsides of my heels instead of neutral or inward) and if I do not have the proper shoe or foot bed in my running shoe it makes my legs fatigue much faster. I know a lot of people would say a certain brand of clothing or maybe their favorite piece of equipment, but for me it's all about the shoes!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts? I don't follow what society calls the traditional version of "diet" but I am a newbie vegetarian, about 2 months now. I do not eat dairy at all and I only consume meat once a week if at all, but must know where it came from and how it was raised. My requirement for all food I eat is that it is hormone free and pesticide free and I do not eat fast food or traditional processed food items.

What is your favorite cheat food? Post race I love a great burger, grilled grass-fed beef with just mustard and ketchup and a side of sweet potato fries. It's a race day tradition and sometimes I throw in french fries if sweet potato fries are not an option.

What advice would you give someone just starting out? Never ever compare your beginning to someone else's middle. Never concentrate on the number on the scale either, get full measurements and track your progress with body fat tests and other health assessments. Getting healthy takes time and it never happens over night, even if we wish with all the wishes we could have that it would. Getting on track to being a healthier version of you requires dedication and focus, but even more than that it requires that you identify triggers that you have. Whether it be an emotional state of mind that you must overcome that keeps driving you to quit or if it is finding the right workout for you to see the results you want, you have to sometimes step outside the box and try different workouts and routines. I'm a morning workout person. I love to get my runs in at 5:30 am and on cross-training days, you will find my husband and I in the gym by 5:00 am. We love to spend our Saturday mornings on the mountain bike trail for a quickie 7 or 10 mile ride to clear our heads and get away from the hustle and bustle of the week. It's all about finding what works for you.

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? Oh I have so many, I don't think I could chose just one! I would love to run the New York City Marathon and I would also love to run Chicago. I have a list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 41 and one of the biggies is going sky diving (tandem of course), though I have yet to find anyone that would join me in this adventure.

Tell us something that not many people know about you? When I was a little girl in 2nd grade I struggled with a learning disability. It was something that I wished to overcome and knew that I could with hard work. I decided to put all my focus on what it would take to develop past this issue and to make sure I always challenged myself to work harder and do better and be a better student. I think a lot of what I pushed myself through with those insecurities and also as a little ginger child helped me get where I am today. I believe to be successful you must work hard, inspire others, always be encouraging and above all remain humble. "People may not remember your face but they will remember how you made them feel"

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