Name: Emily Hill
Age: 37
Involved in: Cycling, yoga, Pilates, sprint triathlons
Variety is the spice of life
Other than the junior varsity swim team in high school, I wasn't very active until after giving birth to my second of four children 12 years ago. I started with a few classes at the local gym, and then when we moved from California to Utah, I participated in the Body for Life challenge. Finishing in the top 200 was just the push I needed to look for a new goal.
Next on the list (thanks to a flier on my car during a 5k) was the Kona, HI marathon with the American Stroke Association's team training program. After completing the Kona, HI marathon, I discovered I wasn't much of a runner, so I went back to basic cardio and weight training. It was only a couple years ago I discovered my love for spin class (thanks to triathlon training during Utah winters). Wanting to strengthen my core, I threw in yoga and Pilates. I'm totally hooked! Now I enjoy a variety of classes - I've even thrown in a little Zumba - and summer sports like women's cycling events and sprint triathlons. (My love of swimming has definitely come in handy for those!) Next up I'd like to try a masters swim class or team, but I have yet to find one that doesn't start at the crack of dawn. I'm definitely not a morning person!
Staying motivated and challenged
GirlsGoneSporty (GGS): What is your motivation for staying active?
Emily Hill (EH): I love how I feel after a workout and that I'm in better shape now than I ever was in my teens and 20s. Plus, with four kids ages 14, 12, 6 and 4, I need all the energy and stamina I can get to keep up with them! Oh, and there's nothing like a serious sweat to make you feel like you've accomplished something.
GGS: What sports and fitness accomplishments are you most proud of?
EH: Running a marathon and a couple half marathons - good accomplishments because I seriously dislike running. I also love that I placed third in one of the sprint triathlons in which I participated my first summer of triathlon training. Not bad for 37 years old!
GGS: How do you keep challenging yourself to improve?
EH: Getting older means I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve. Your metabolism definitely slows down as you near your 40s, so you need to continually push yourself. Plus, new challenges help keep things interesting. I truly love the sense of accomplishment I feel when I succeed in reaching a fitness goal.
Tools of the trade:
GGS: What’s your favorite healthy food or dish?
EH: I just started drinking green smoothies and my favorite one has soy milk, agave nectar, flaxseed meal, spinach and frozen peaches. Yum!
>> Check out another Green Smoothie recipe idea
GGS: What's on your workout playlist?
EH: Whatever the spin class, yoga and Pilates instructors have on tap that day! (I don't listen to music during cycling and triathlon events.)
GGS: What’s in your gym bag?
EH: Heart rate monitor, cycling shoes, Words to Sweat By gym towels, protein bar, MP3 player (in case spin class is full and I have to hit the treadmill), gym card, swim cap, goggles, hair clips, chapstick and weightlifting gloves.
Live the sporty life
GGS: What does the phrase “live the sporty life” mean to you?
EH: When you're living the sporty life, you're doing those things that make you the healthiest, strongest, happiest woman you can be. It's fitness for mind, body and spirit.
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