Month: November 2013

Biggest Loser

As a few of you may know, my goal in life is to be Jillian Michaels…well a nice, less dramatic Jillian to be truthful. She has become a face that people have grown to respect and recognize in the fitness and diet world. What I like most about her is all that she has done to combat our growing obesity epidemic. This is something I strive to do in my life.

A place that many recognize her is from her time working with the Biggest Loser. The Biggest Loser for those of you who don’t know is a reality TV show about a group of people who are all significantly overweight who come to a ranch to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. The winner of the show is the person who loses the greatest percentage of weight at the end.

Thanks to the Health and Wellness aspects of the Biggest Loser it has quickly become my favorite show to watch every week. I love how they challenge the participants to push their limits all in the confines of a doctors and professional trainers. Although it is not realistic for a person to devote their life 100% to losing weight like they do on the show, I think it is a great show for people to learn about healthy lifestyle changes as well as to be inspired. I also really enjoy the contestant stories, although I do think they are sugar coated a little I like that it makes it relatable for those who are watching at home. Also as a personal trainer, you do hear some of the same stories and same problems that these contestants are facing from clients. A big example of this are when the participants get in a rut with weight loss. This is something I hear all the time at my job so it is reassuring to me as a “new” trainer that it even happens to the “professional” trainers. I also like how the trainers then switch up their strategies to help the contestants. It allows me to learn and grow as a trainer and progress my clients in new ways.

If you haven’t checked out the show you should do so. I watch it every week on hulu.com .

Final Big Race!!

I’ve got a few days left till my final big race of the year and I couldn’t be more excited. This year has been full of training and my body is about ready for a rest after I get through this weekend. 
Many people have asked what I do to train for a marathon and the simple answer is I run a lot and learn to enjoy those miles upon miles. Well I at least most of the time enjoy all the miles. A more indepth answer for what I do to train is I run about 5 days per week, one to two short runs (under 5), two middle distance runs (5-10ish) and one long run a week. This long run distance is what really builds every week. This year since I had already trained for a half iron distance race I started my long runs at 15 and built up to 22miles. However, I added an extra twist, I ran the City of Oaks Marathon about 2weeks ago so I guess you could say I trained up to 26.2 miles this year. Since running city of oaks I have dramatically cut back my miles to let my body recover as much as possible before this Saturday when I take on the roads of Charlotte for the 3rd time. The week leading up to a marathon is more about rest than it is about training. So this week I am doing 2 runs and an easy spin and stretch. 
My goal for this weekend is to break 3:50:00. That will be about 2min faster than I’ve ever gone before. 
Well I’m headed out for my last training run with Kimberly (my only friend dumb enough to tag along for a race like this 😉 ) 
Be sure to send me some good vibes and extra energy this weekend as I take on Thunder Road! 🙂 

Things I’m Loving Tuesday

Every so often I will post “Things I’m Loving Tuesday.” In this post I will include anything that at the moment I am loving. To get us started….

Moe’s is probably my favorite quick restaurants of all times. I am defiantly a frequent goer of the one near campus. My current favorite menu item is the earmuffs. This is a burrito bowl with a meat, any free topping, and guacamole. Yummy!!
Avocado is up next! This has quickly become one of my favorite snacks. It has even become one of my favorite desserts. A co-worker of mine recently suggested putting a tiny bit (less than a teaspoon) of sugar on it and she was right, it makes for a delicious dessert. 
Recently I have had the issue of my hair falling out…I had accounted it to stress and not eating quite right but turns out it could have been my shampoo/conditioner. Since switching to Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship I have not noticed nearly as much hair falling out. The great smell doesn’t suck either 🙂 
Ann Taylor Loft Curvy Flare Jeans. Best jeans ever! I now have 2 pairs of them and I’d wear them everyday if I could. They are perfect if you have a small waist and larger butt and thighs. I have never had a pair of jeans fit better. 
As surprising as it may be since I am into fitness and nutrition, I do not like water. However, add a little flavor and some bubbles and I can drink it all day! Simply Clear Black Cherry sparkling water has been a recent favorite and as an added bonus, they now have one with added calcium. 
Thats it for today! I will hopefully be back with more things I am loving in a week…

Boot Camp

Rise and Shine Its Boot Camp Time!!

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I teach a strength and conditioning class at the gym on NC States campus. Getting up at 5am is kind of a drag but when I get there, my participants always make it worth it. Today they had great energy as I took them through 4 10min workouts. A 10min workout is 4min cardio, 3min strength, 2min core, 1min rest. Here is what today’s workout looked like:

It was a tough, sweaty class but the participants did great! I hope they can bring the same kind of energy to Thursday’s class 🙂 

Third Times a Charm

After some thought I decided to give it a go at blogging again. In the past I have deleted it because I either got bored with what I was writing or I was a bit unsure about the fact that others could read about my life. All that being said I am ready to start fresh, again.  
Right now I am in my last semester at NC State University, I will be graduating with a BS in Nutrition. With that I am in the market for a job. On top of that I am in the final count down to running my 4th marathon. 
This blog will hopefully keep you entertained as I take you through some of the ins and outs of my life but also give you some helpful tips on nutrition, health, and fitness. 
Lets get started 🙂 

About Me

Hi Y’all! I’m Kathryn Leach and I’m a personal trainer, health coach, and nutritionist living in Charlotte, NC. My blog will take you through some of the ins and outs of my personal life {LOVE}, tips for eating healthy including some of my favorite recipes {EAT}, and finally though both my personal explorations in the fitness world as I train for my various races but also challenges for you to take on at home {TRAIN}.