Just Jordan

Hey readers! For those of you who do not already know, my name is Jordan and I am a college girl in pursuit of a life filled with fitness, good food, and happiness! Below is a little bit more about me and why I am blogging!

I have always been a fairly active person; I played every sport possible in middle school and continued on to play tennis during my high school years.

I was blessed to grow up in a family that valued the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and I was always encouraged to try new and exotic flavors. For the most part, my family always enjoyed all foods in moderation and made sure to maintain a regular exercise schedule. I have a fairly fast metabolism, so I am lucky to  be able to indulge my sweet tooth quite often

After I graduated high school, I really began focusing on my body, both in what I ate and in how I exercised. My sister was getting married that summer, and her motivation to look fabulous in her wedding gown instilled in me the desire to look just as great in my bridesmaid dress. Although I didn’t pay too much attention to what I was eating, no more than usual that is, I worked out all summer with my mom and sister, rotating various exercise videos (our favorites are “The Firm” series and BodyPump) and running on a dirt road close to my house (about 3 miles). We didn’t count calories, cut out major food groups, or go on any crazy crash diets. I am happy to say that the three of us were very pleased with our bodies for the wedding.

Left to right: Me, my sister, my mom

When I began college, I realized that healthy living is a lot harder when you no longer live at home! Living away from home gave me the opportunity to experience new ways to cook and eat healthy. I also began lots of new forms of exercise at school and now love spin, pilates and yoga.

The summer after my freshman year of college unleashed a new and completely different me. I became absolutely obsessed with something that I would have never believed I would love…running. I started running a 3 mile route near my house as a way to exercise and be outdoors, and began to enjoy my meetings with the road more and more. After a few weeks, I extended my mileage. Three miles grew into four. Four miles grew into five. Five miles grew into six. Six to seven…seven to eight! By the end of the summer, I was running anywhere from 30 to 50 miles per week. I know that compared to elite runners racking up 100+ miles per week, this seems meager, but for me it was absolutely ground breaking. I was up before 8AM every morning to stretch my legs and grow closer to my new passion.

My wonderful mom became my favorite exercise and running buddy. We continued to do The Firm, BodyPump, and completed some of my favorite runs together. On March 13th of 2011, we ran our first 1/2 Marathon together. I plan to continue to run races, and hope to run a full marathon in the near future.

My boyfriend Ryan is also a great running buddy. I’m so blessed to have him.

I recently moved back to my beautiful home state of Colorado to complete my college career. So if any fellow Coloradoans are reading, contact me and we will meet up for a run, a coffee date, or an ice cream adventure!

So here I am, blogging about my quest for a healthy and happy balanced life as a busy college girl on a budget. I intend for this blog to be a place for me to express my thoughts and feelings about fitness, food, faith, and life. If anyone reads it and benefits from my experiences, that is wonderful! But if not, that is fine too. This is for me. So if you’d like to join in on the crazy journey that is my life, I welcome you whole heartedly. Tighten your laces and quicken your pace!!

IMPORTANT NOTE: EVERYTHING I EAT DOES NOT GET POSTED ON THIS BLOG. A LOT OF FOOD THAT GOES INTO MY MOUTH STAYS BEHIND THE SCENES. SO PLEASE DON’T GET THE IDEA THAT IF I ONLY INCLUDE ONE PICTURE OF FOOD IN A POST, THAT IS ALL I ATE THAT DAY. I MAKE SURE TO TAKE IN AS MANY CALORIES (IF NOT MORE) THAN MY BODY NEEDS. I PLAN ON POSTING PICTURES OF ONLY FOODS THAT MAKE ME EXCITED AND THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU!

Feel free to contact me at jordan.healthycollegegirl@gmail.com!