Inspiring People: Laura

Next in the series of Inspiring People we have Laura. Laura is one half of the fabulous Kettlebelles and Cookies Duo.

Laura has some amazing goals for 2014 including feeling confident in a bikini when she goes to the Caribbean later in the year. With both running and cross fit being her exercise weapons as well as a fantastic attitude I’m confident Laura will smash her goals!

Take it away Laura…

Hey there, I’m Laura and I blog over at Kettlebells and Cookies. I am a Business Analyst at a bank in Wellington, NZ but love to fill in all the other hours of the day by getting sweaty, cooking, travelling and sleeping.

Tell us a bit about  your transformation story
Growing up I always enjoyed throwing, hitting or kicking a ball around and loved the comradery that came with playing in team sports but three years ago I found my ‘thing’. I was entered into a half marathon without being asked because I thought I had a better chance of winning the US Tennis Open than running 21.1km. Lucky for me, I had people who believed in me more than I did and they entered me anyway. This put me on the road to running and racing and I have never looked back. While training for this half I ran my first 5km, first 10km, first fun run and first half marathon. And lost 26kg in 12 months.

Over the last 3 years through too much stress and too little exercise I have packed a bunch of kgs back on my butt, however I am committed to running them all off during 2014 in preparation for the New York Marathon in November this year. I still have the running bug but it has evolved into a passion for finding the healthiest and fittest version of me.

What’s your approach to balance & moderation in life (and/or food)?
My approach to finding a healthy balance in food, fitness and life in general is to focus on keeping all areas of my life ‘healthy’. I strive for a healthy work life balance, healthy friendships and relationships, healthy exercise routines and consistently putting healthy and nutritious food in my body. I have let certain areas get WAAAY out of wack in the past and (surprise surprise) the other areas were negatively affected too.

I find making a plan at the beginning of each week and sticking to a routine are my two best friends when it comes to finding and maintaining a healthy balance.

What is your favourite exercise to do?
Running is my favourite past time – I do it to clear my mind, sweat away any pressures I might have at work or simply push myself further than I did yesterday. But running can be my most dreaded part of the day if I HAVE to run because a training schedule tells me I have to and not because I want to. Sometimes those runs end up being the best runs (you know what they say – the hardest part is getting your shoes on) but sometimes I come home more frustrated and disheartened than before I left.

Last year I took up Crossfit as a way to build constant variety into my exercise routine and it worked better than I ever could have imagined. I look forward to my long, low runs because they are so different to any short, sharp Crossfit WoD (workout of the day) I do during the week. I have also found a bunch of new goals I want to achieve and an amazing bunch of new friends to workout with.

What is your favourite healthy food/recipe?
Easy – salmon!! I could eat salmon everyday for the rest of my life and never get board of it!! I love it smoked, baked, fried (mmmmm that crispy skin!!!), hot, cold, you name it!! It is a great source of healthy fats and omega 3s and doesn’t need much added to it because the o’natural taste and texture is delish!!

What is your number one tip for those who want to live a healthier life?
I would say aim to walk 10,000+ steps a day. You can use your smart phone to track your steps or buy a cheap pedometer but seeing how much you actually move during the day can be a real eye opener. Its also very motivating to try beat your previous weeks totals or your friends/workmates. If your not quite hitting 10,000 maybe you could get off the bus a couple of stops earlier than home or park the car a little further away from work.

This trick really works for me. When I run to/from work + get sweaty for an hour I average about 15,500 steps a day. When I drive to/from work and don’t work out I average as little as 4,000 steps a day. This is where things start to get a little off track.

What’s your current fitness/health goal?
I have three simple goals for 2014:
1) Run NY marathon in under 4 hours
2) Feel confident in a bikini in the Caribbean (I am going there after NY)
3) Do a strict pull up

What is one piece of workout equipment or clothing that you swear by?
Lululemon!

What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?
– Skinny Runner – she has run over 60 marathons!
– Blonde Ponytail – she is a runner turned crossfit babe
– Naturally Leah – my soon to be sister in law and current best friend
– Nom nom paleo – her recipes are mouth watering good and super simple!!
– Julia and Libby – great reviews of NZ and AUS products
– Kettlebells and Cookies – of course 😉

What’s your long-term fitness/health goal?
Be happy in my own skin and proud of my achievements

Thank you so much Laura! Some fantastic tips and advice! Good Luck for the Marathon training!