Sister Spotlight:: Kirsten! | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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This week’s spotlight focuses on Kirsten. I love, love this woman. Not only is she one tough and speedy chick, she is an awesome mother and a great friend. I am counting down the days until she and her family show up on my doorstep in Bismarck in a few months!

Name: Kirsten
Blog: Running in a Girl’s World,  Living in a Girl’s World
Twitter: @girlsworld
Age: 34
Hometown: Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains – Nevada side

Tell us about your family. I am the mother of 3 girls, ages 5, 8, and 10. I have the older two in a distance education program for school called Connections Academy. Basically, it’s school at home. My girls don’t know any different as they all started with CA in kindergarten. I love being home with them and watching them learn. Some days, though, I want to spike my morning coffee. Or drive down the road and enroll them in the local school. But overall, I can’t imagine sending them off for 8 hours every day. In addition to that insanity, I also am a medical transcriptionist and work usually in the evenings and around the kids’ schedules. Honestly, it can be overwhelming, but I love having an outlet where I get to use my adult brain. I have been married to wonderful, supportive man for almost 13 years. Our anniversary is April 18th. He’s currently working a full-time job, is an Air Force

Guardsman officer and working on his Master’s Degree.

What is your favorite workout? I don’t think this will come to anyone’s surprise that I love running. I’ve been running on and off since I was 5. It’s my default, go-to exercise. There is nothing like a great run to ramp up my mood. But, unfortunately, there are many runs that don’t leave me feeling that way. Even without the runner’s high, I still love feeling how strong

my legs are after a run.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment? Aside from
motherhood?
My biggest accomplishment was running my first marathon. Two years ago I never would have imagined that I would have agreed to run one, let alone accomplish it. It was hard, but it was sheer drive that got me to that finish line. And then I cried like a baby. It

was a great day.

Have you set any goals for this year? Yes. I am planning on running 2 half marathons this year – maybe 3. Not quite sure yet on what would be my third. I am also going to be

completing a Tough Mudder event in September, which will, no doubt,

become the new “biggest accomplishment”.

Who is your best support in your healthier-living journey? I would have to say my husband. He knows that I don’t like commentary on how my training is going and so he keeps his mouth shut. But, without him, I wouldn’t be able to train as easily. If I have a run planned, he will make sure he is around for the kids, so I can get out. He also is my dinner chef. So taking the burden of cooking for our family of 5 is huge. He also likes to eat healthy and makes sure

there is salad on the table every night with dinner.

Favorite songs on your iPod right now? Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne Move Along by The All-American Rejects Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Hanging by a Moment – Lifehouse

Who or what inspires you? My kids mainly. I want them to see me being active and doing something for me. Knowing that being healthy is important…even though you may not want to do it. If you do it anyway, you will reap the benefits. And my husband. Since he enlisted in the Air Force back in 1998, he has become a runner. Because of his years on Active Duty, he has been able to go out and run 8+ miles even after not having run a mile for over a month. I think I might actually be

getting to that point.

A non-family member who inspires me is The Sisterhood’s own ChristieO. She is constantly pushing her boundaries and trying new things. I wish I was as brave and willing to overcome fears as she is. I feel a

kinship with her.

Do you have any must-have health/beauty/clothing products? No beauty products here. I’m definitely not high-maintenance. Clothing? Love my Nike running tanks. They fit, are comfy and have cute little pockets on the back for extra gels or running snacks.

Also my BondiBands. I haven’t run without one since I got my first

one last June at the San Diego Rock-N-Roll expo.

Name 3 blogs you love to read! 1. Shrinking Jeans of course! Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today with my health and fitness.

2. Stacey at www.anymommyoutthere.com is fabulous. She writes how I

wish I could write. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s honest. Love her.

3. Jade at www.jadekeller.com She inspires my heart. With her words

and her pictures.

5 things we don’t already know about you! 1. I own two Build-a-Bears. They are not my kids’. They are mine. And yes I dress them according to season. 2. I miss having a dog, but I know it’s not fair to have one now. Our life is too crazy. 3. I own one pair of heels. I don’t think I wore them once last year. I will wear them next month paired with a fancy dress for the NV Guard Military Ball. Trophy wife is out of my comfort zone. 4. I drive a big blue Toyota Tundra. I’m 5’4″. I love everything about my truck except the gas mileage. 5. I’m a slob. Not dirty slob, but neatness just isn’t as important

to me as my husband would like.

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Melissa is the Co-Founder the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and the Shrinking Kitchen. She has been married to a wonderful man forever and is mother to six amazing children (18,15, 11, 11 and 3 and 1!). Melissa has reached her goal weight, and is now trying to find ways to fit fitness into her crazy busy schedule. She loves kickboxing and hates running, even though she has completed 4 half-marathons. When Melissa isn’t helping her little girl battle her brain tumors (Love for Jazmine Joy), she loves to travel, laugh, tend to her chickens, and dream of sunshine and mountains.
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