Showing posts with label Workout Anytime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workout Anytime. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2015

Spring (Break) has Sprung

#SB2015
(That means Spring Break 2015)

Chronologically previous post:  Focusing on Faith

Instagram
 
Spring just ended a couple days ago, so summer is in full swing.  Good time to talk about the best part of spring:  the part where we have no school.
 
I wasn't exactly wishing for Spring Break to come so quickly, but at the same time, I was. I wanted a week away from school so bad!  Just as I knew it would, though, it came fast enough. I really needed a break from school!
Good thing:  Frisco got a bath.
Bad thing:  It was in my bathtub.
Speaking of dogs...
Spring is a time when hopeful feeling well up!  Grass get greener, the sun brighter, weather warmer, flowers bloom, birds and squirrels come out of hiding, new flowers bloom, etc.  It's a great time to get out and try new things!
"For behold, the winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."  Song of Solomon 2:11-12

 
Mom and I took a trip to Sevierville to shop at the Tanger Outlets and Bud's Gun Shop and Shooing Range.  The sports outlets are always my favorite!  I bought some new running tights in Under Armour (not pictured), but I also wanted these tank tops!  Deciding that I would rather spend my money on the tights, I took pictures of the shirts instead.
Between Tanger and Bud's, we stopped in Dunkin Donuts, and I treated Mom to an iced coffee and muffin because she treats me way more often than I deserve.

I always see someone I know at Workout Anytime.  Q was in my spanish class last year, and we had so many laughs!  It was a great surprise to see him this morning.  It also gave me some better--living and breathing--entertainment than my phone while I biked!
Snoopy sweats.
 I saw a worker at Chick-fil-a wearing one of these, so I asked if I can have one, too.  I love Chick-fil-a and cows, so that is a good enough reason.
 
 
Another thing I love!  My mamaw!  She is so sweet, pretty, and smells good...and cooks good, but what mamaw doesn't?

I did my morning run on the road from home through town and back to Chick-fil-a to meet Mom and her parents for lunch!

I finally got around to changing my stuffed animals' clothes from their Christmas attire.  Snoopy is ready for the sun and surf, and Hal is keeping it classy.
Sophie and I are twins!  Can't you see the resemblance?
Frisco felt left out because he didn't match, but he jumped in the picture anyways.

During the spring season, my most common pancake flavor was banana chia with peanut butter banana glaze.
Spring was a stressful semester for me in school, track, home, and just everything that was happening.  There was just too much to do and not enough time!  Despite all that, I still tried to "Be Hoppy" with the days that I had.  It was good to have a break from school and regular track practices, so I could work on "throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and...fixing our eyes on Jesus..."  (Heb. 12:1-2)
The song by Colton Dixon, Through All of It, really related to me going through all the ups and downs.  If you haven't heard it, you should take a look!  God is always there!  (Dueteronomy 31:6) 
One thing I reallly wanted was some freedom in my mind and soul from all the stress and worries of life.  Two verses I fould encouraging were
Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery."
and 2 Corinthians 3:17 "...where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 
We can live freely, no matter where in the world we are, because Christ has given us freedom that nothing can ever take away.
 
Do I really look 5 years older?  I may not look much different on the outside, but man have things changed!  No more basketball, all running.  Not planning on studying education, but communications.  Praising God for the good times and reading His word when I was at church or when it was convienient was typical, but now I am thankful for the good and the not-so-enjoyable moments, because each and every one has been a part of these changes that have made me who I am! 
"...The old has gone, the new has come!"  2 Corinthians 5:17
 
The same morning that I took the picture on the right, our Sunday school lesson was, yet again, just what I needed.  It was about hope!  As Christians, our hope is not in the temporary, but the eternal!

Science Hill hosts a big meet every spring called the Tri Cities Track Classic.  We went last year, and it was one of my favorite meets ever, mainly because they had a steeplechase.  I had SO MUCH FUN doing that.  I won with a NBN qualifying time in my first ever steeple.  I had no practice.  Sometimes that's what you gotta do.  Just go out and try something new, and it may turn out to be one of the best decisions you make!  I also won the 2 mile that same night, so it was a good weekend.  Sadly, our team didn't go this year, and we couldn't enter as an individual, but MileSplit used my picture in their sidebar advertisement!
This brought back good memories as well as hopes that I can do it again.
A post I saw on Instagram inspired me to make this cross-shaped pancake.  The ones I saw were small circle and oval pancakes arranged to form a bunny-rabbit, with various toppings for the eyes, nose, etc.  Bunnies and eggs are fun things that go with the Easter holiday, but the best thing about Easter is the reason we celebrate it.  We don't celebrate Easter because bunnies have babies and chickens lay eggs.  We celebrate Easter because Christ was crucified and came back to life.
"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.  By His wounds you have been healed."  1 Peter 2:24
What a great hope we have.  He died so that we can live.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Workout (Anytime) and Weekend


Since October, we have gotten a new gym in town, Workout Anytime!  We have an entire brand new shopping center, too, with TCBY and Food City, too.  As you could imagine if you know me at all, it could also be called "Makenzie's Happy Place."  I can get fit and get food all in one place.






 
I wasn't sure if Mom would actually get me the $15 monthly membership, especially after I found out the first time was also a $49 starting fee (half price for the first week of opening!), but she did, and I have gotten my money's worth already!  I enjoy using the recumbent stationery bikes, ellipticals, and some of the strength machines in my cross training.

There are so many machines available for all kinds of exercise, strength and cardio.  I also really like that they play KLove on the radio all the time here!

One Saturday afternoon, the same day that I had taken these pictures at WOAT, I rode with Mom to another fairly new place in town, PetSense, to pick up our dog from getting a bath.  I was amazed at the fancy dog treats they have for Christmas.  I don't even make cookies for myself look like that!
I was also seriously tempted to buy some of this canned stuff for myself, too...

Although the food looked quite yummy, this is what I really wanted to take home.  The picture doesn't show it as much, but these adorable kittens were small enough to hold in one hand.  My heart melted!  Mom is a cat-lover, too, and I knew she would be all for it, but we knew we don't need any more pets at home.  Dad wouldn't like it if we came back with our dog and a new kitten!

That night after a quick dinner, I ran across the road and up the hill to Chantal and Cherie's house for smoothies and a movie!  Here are the twins whipping up theirs.
With my friends, we can't just take a smiling picture; we also have to get one in action!
I didn't get to stay to watch it all, but the movie we watched was Divergent!  I had never read the books nor even knew anything about it, but it was intense!