The Influence of Social Media on Fitness

Posted on February 3, 2016 by tootallfritz

The influence of social media on fitness is currently huge. I can’t log onto Facebook or Instagram without seeing sweaty gym selfies on my newsfeed. There is a constant barrage of posts about fitness, workouts and training. Sometimes the meaning of these fitness posts get lost on its audience and I want to take a minute to think about that. Oh, and here is my sweaty selfie from my morning ride on the trainer.

I see many who get annoyed and block or unfollow the posters of these sweaty selfies. The poster may be a friend, blogger, or an acquaintance. But some people like my husband have just had enough.

Other people are inspired and want to see more. It helps them get motivated in the mornings when they’d rather sleep in or just sit and drink coffee in their pajamas. How about you; how do you feel?

For me, it’s about motivation, inspiration and accountability. I don’t have a coach. I don’t really have anyone who cares whether I work out or not. I do it for me. Each workout. Each drop of sweat. Each time I get up and get moving when I just want to sleep, it’s for me. Those sweaty selfie posters, aren’t taking pics of themselves cuz they think they are awesome. They are doing it to hold themselves accountable. To document workouts over time. To watch their own progress. To motivate themselves to stick with it and keep pushing when nobody in their real world cares. If it motivates others, bonus. If not …..

So please keep posting those sweaty selfies. Keep giving me the details of your workouts. Keep working hard cuz that’s what this is all about. It’s not pretty. It’s certainly not sexy. It’s hard work and I’m proud to know so many people who are chasing their dreams and being a positive influence on social media. It’s not bragging, it’s the way that we hold ourselves accountable. It’s the way we connect with others who care about fitness. It’s who we are, day in and day out. If by chance, we possibly motivate even one person along the way, then it was worth it. So let’s see those sweaty selfies! Post yours to social media and tag @tootallfritz on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!

** Cheers ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

My Current Inspiration…..

Posted on September 21, 2012 by tootallfritz

I know we all have periods of time where we struggle getting out the door to log miles or hit that next workout. It’s normal. If you fall off the exercise wagon, don’t stress about it, just get back at it and move forward. Take a second and look around you and see how others are getting it done regardless of their schedule. Yes, get back at it!

As of late, running and working out has been easy, motivation wise, for me because I am constantly surrounded with amazing people and even kids who are pushing their limits each and every day. I have been to 4 Junior High Cross Country meets over the last 6 days and each time I walk away in awe of how hard our kids are pushing. These kids are running faster than most adults I know. They are pushing hard each day and they are reaping the rewards. Last Saturday, they brought home their first trophy, placing third as a team (Aby is at the bottom of the photo).

Most of the girls also brought home Top 20 Medals, Aby was 16th running a 14:01 in the 2 mile. ~~I’m pretty sure I can’t run that fast right now.~~

Most of the girls are very tired but keep pushing their limits at meet after meet. This is Aby running her 4th meet in 6 days last night:

These girls make me want to run faster. They make me realize that even as an adult if we keep pushing and running hard, even when we are tired, then good things happen. Now the girls get to rest for a few days before starting another cycle. Push, Push, Rest. Push, Push, Rest. It’s a necessary cycle. The resting, and taking care of oneself, being just as important as the pushing.

Push hard my friends and you too will reap the rewards. Let these little ones inspire you too!

** Push, Push, Rest ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Not Just Fitness Anymore

Posted on February 14, 2012 by tootallfritz

When I got back on the fitness wagon after having Aby, it was all about my weight. Each day I would weigh and to be honest, I still do most days even though my weight volleys rather consistently within a 3 lb range. I know that it is ~~supposedly~~ not healthy to weigh daily but for me it’s a system of checks and balances. I wouldn’t drive my car without checking the speed and I’m not going to workout and attempt to eat right without watching my weight.

However, I don’t run/workout because of my weight anymore. I used to say that I ran for fun & fitness and it was true at the time. However, as I stepped off the treadmill today ~~and noticed a few fitness minded ladies staring at me~~, I realized that this isn’t about fitness anymore. This is a game. It’s my game and I say, “Game ON!”

I want to be better. Better than last year. Better than before I had Michael. Better than I’ve ever been before. That is why I go early and stay late for a workout. That’s why I don’t mind getting yucky & sweaty with a run, or gym workout, during my “lunch”. That is why I keep pushing when many think that I am ~~obsessed~~ crazy.

It’s a game. My game. My rules. And I will win by pushing my limits further than I have in the past. I may have big goals/dreams/plans but it would be hard to keep focused on getting better if there weren’t a few big goals to mix in with the small ones.

So I’ll take it one day at a time and build on my strength, stamina & speed and do the best I can at any given moment. Don’t be afraid to dream big because this really is your game too. Your game of LIFE. How many do you know who are just sitting back and letting their life pass them by? Don’t let that happen to you. Work hard so that you can play harder.

Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com

Baby Steps……

Posted on November 22, 2011 by tootallfritz

The response to yesterday’s post on my achieving the 1000 mile goal was that some ~~thought I was crazy~~ were overwhelmed by the idea of running 1000 miles. As in all goals that a person attempts to achieve, break down the ~~hopeless~~ MAJOR undertaking into small parts or baby steps. If one were to train for a half or a full marathon they ~~should~~ might look at a Hal Higdon training program that breaks down the training week by week so that the thought of running 13.1 or 26.2 doesn’t ~~scare the shit out of them~~ seem so daunting. I never think about the “end game”, only what I have to run to get thru this week. And let me just say that anything over 16 miles makes me wanna cry like a baby, I CAN’T think about 26.2 or I’ll never get out the door to hit the start line.

When I considered the 1000 miles as a goal, I broke it down into small pieces. 1) Run 19.2 miles a week or 2) Squeeze in 83.3 miles per month. This makes it much more manageable and very doable on those terms. 1000 miles does sound CRAZY ~~and the 2000 that Frogger is running is certifiably insane~~ but if you take it down a notch, look at what needs to happen for just today, or just this week, then you will be able to manage anything.

Remember, baby steps will carry you through any process from inception to completion. You CAN do it!

Amanda – TooTallFritz

1000 miles – Check!

Posted on November 21, 2011 by tootallfritz

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions ~~to be broken~~ but rather focus on a goal that I can work toward during the year which forces me to make a conscious, continued effort to maintain fitness. This year, my goal was to run 1000 miles, prompted by another blogger, Tall Mom on the Run. Tall Mom created a challenge to others to “move” 1000 miles throughout the year. For me, this meant running. She published a shared spreadsheet and all those involved in the challenge added in their mileage at their leisure.

I am happy to say that I bumped past my 1000 miles on Saturday’s run. I was so close all week but with the flu ~~and Mr. Michael’s poor sleeping habits~~ it was hard to get in those last few miles. To be honest, it has been a struggle all year to rack up miles, and focus on fitness, due to injuries ~~and Mr. Michael~~. I never could have reached my goal without some major support at home from hubby and him doing baby duty on the only morning he would have a chance to “sleep in”. So I am very thankful for his help and the fact that he ~~didn’t bitch too much~~ frequently helps with Michael so I can squeeze fitness into our very busy life. Thanks, Mick!

Attaining the 2011 goal makes me reflect a lot on where I want to go for 2012. When one is part of a family, they must also consider others and the sacrifice that they too will make to “help” YOU achieve a goal. So I do not take goals lightly, it is a serious thing for me and I hope that it is for you too. I frequently put what I want to achieve on the back burner in order to pick something that is realistic and doable for all of us. For example, I really want to do an IronwoMan but I know that at this point in our lives, it would be impossible to TRAIN for that type of committment and also LIVE life and PARTICIPATE in the family and WORK a full-time job. So alas, this isn’t the year, and quite possibly there won’t be time for IwoM training until the lil man is considerably older and ~~can make his own~~ ~~breakfast~~ more independent. However, my bike has sat on the trainer for several years now and it will be coming off this spring. I will be going back to triathlon and may possibly just stick to the International distance to keep ~~the peace~~ the training requirements in the manageable range. So you can look for me and my beautiful bike on the TRI circuit again next year.