Today’s 43 was a side plank with a front kick.

It was hard – by about 10 or 12 I was shaking!!!  And, after I finished the first side, I flipped over and did 43 more.

When I started this blog almost (3 days short) a year ago, I had no idea what I was doing or how it would really change my life.  I enjoy the act of writing a post for my blog every day.  But even more than that – I have loved spending time “meeting” many new people and really getting to know them through their blogs.  

When I first decided to do a post about some of the people I’ve gotten to know this past year I don’t think I realized how many that I really wanted to include on my list.  Going through my BlogLovin list I  just kept adding more and more because I would read the title of the blog and immediately picture the person behind the blog  and think what I wanted to say about them.  So, this might be is going to be long but I didn’t want to leave any of these people off (now you know why I don’t tend to nominate people for things – usually you have to pick a few not 80 or 90!!).

FYI – I’m going through these in the order that they are in my list (alphabetical!).

• Michelle & Mike & Rhonda have teamed up to share their running and other adventures over at 3 Cheap Runners – they always have something fun going on!
• I never know what I’m going to learn when I visit Kristen at 30 Million Seconds.  Some days she shares her thoughts second by second – funny because I can usually follow her train of thought perfectly!!
• I have learned lots of great tips about all kinds of social media thanks to Michelle at A Dish of Daily Life.  Michelle is very savvy about so many of the things that I pretty much suck at – I just need to start applying some of her hints.
• Kate at Another Clean Slate is a blog that I always enjoy – she is always going to a cool restaurant or some fun little place and I sort-of feel like I enjoy some of her activities vicariously!  Plus she is currently doing an awesome wine rack giveaway!!!
• Abby over at Back at Square Zero is currently training for a marathon (and hoping that she doesn’t have a major injury!!!).  I love her weekly video updates – she usually starts off by saying, “Hey y’all”  and you know that makes me happy!!!
• You have seen many of Nellie’s  (Brooklyn Active Mama) Wednesday Workouts over here.  Nellie teaches Zumba, works a full-time job, does all kinds of blog events, and has an adorable family including 2 super cute little boys!!!
• Dr. J writes for CalorieLab in addition to being a surgeon, a pilot and a runner!!!  His insight and humor always makes me smile.
•  Carilyn Johnson is AMAZING!!  She is an ultra runner and runs for the US 24-hour National Team.  Phenomenal!!!
• Anyone who can complete a triathlon (of any distance) blows me away.  And when they complete the Ironman distance – wow!!!  Abby at Change of Pace completed 2 Ironmans about 2 months (or less) apart!!!  
• Charlotte at Commitness to Fitness is FUNNY!!  She often takes a fairly mundane topic and turns it into the most fascinating post!!!
• Gaye blogs over at Confetti Drop about fitness and other life things in a humorous way!
• Do you know what a Sherpa wife is?  Lindsay over at Cotter Crunch is the perfect example of a Sherpa.  She fully supports her husband’s career as a pro triathlete by making it as easy as possible for him to focus on his training.  I am in no way a sherpa but I’m learning!
• Crabby McSlacker is the author of the super fun Cranky Fitness blog.  Every post is a fun surprise.  The best part about Crabby is that she really isn’t remotely crabby or cranky and she has turned her blog into a little community of readers.
• Brittany at Delights and Delectables is always so cute and positive even when she is dealing with struggles that a lot of us can’t even imagine having to face.
• Some of the tastiest simple healthy dishes I’ve seen have been thanks to Michelle at Eat Move Balance.
• Evil Cyber has so much knowledge about all things fitness related.  He uses videos to help demo some of his moves or thoughts.  I’ve picked up some fun moves & tips from him.
• Carrie shares about mom things, running, fitness and life over at Family Fitness Food and she told me that we could still “chat” even though I’m a Longhorn!!!!
• Superwoman over at Fat to Fit by 40 is an incredible woman.  She is the type who will drop anything for her step-kids and she is actively trying to lose some weight and become the healthiest version of herself possible.
• One of my favorite bikers, Lori at Finding Radiance let’s me experience her weekly rides by sharing some of the coolest pictures along the way.  She typically rides 30-40+ miles at least one day every weekend.  And, she has one of the best gardens I’ve ever seen – I need some lessons or something!
• Carly is a mom, personal trainer and a runner (she is currently about 1/2 through her marathon training program) who spotlights other fit moms every week on her blog – Fine Fit Day.
• Angela at Fit Fun Mom took a little bloggy break for the summer so that she could savor the time with her family but she didn’t stop running – she logs plenty of miles plus strength trains and swims!
• I have lots of runner blogs I enjoy and one of those is Laura at Fit Running Mama – she not only shares about her super speedy running but also lots of delicious recipes.
• Diane at Fit to the Finish is a complete inspiration to me.  She is a mom to 7 kids and she has lost 150 pounds and KEPT it off!!!  She has many great tips for staying on track with weight loss.
• Tamara at Fitknitchick is one of the first blogs I read regularly – she combines her PhD in Biology and her knowledge of fitness as a personal trainer who can really tell you the facts about exercise and your body.  I have gotten lots of great workout ideas from her this past year!
• Janice at Fitness Cheerleader is another blogger that I have enjoyed getting to know recently.  She just completed her first Iron Girl race!!!
• Jill has been training for her first 50 (just a few weeks after mine) but unfortunately she has been dealing with an injury that has put a temporary halt to her running.  She shares about running, other workouts and lots of great recipe and cooking ideas and tips on her blog – Fitness, Health and Happiness.
• One of my favorite weekly reads is GiGi from GiGi Eats Celebrities.  GiGi is hilarious and oh so very cute in her videos.  I always leave her blog happy!!!
• Jenny & Nancy work together to write Gold Standard Women – they include a mix of workouts, travel adventures, daily life and features of other “gold standard” women.
• Happiness is a Dish Best Savoured Hot by Julie is a blog that always makes me think, often about a topic that I might otherwise avoid.
• Another incredible running blogger – Angela at Happy Fit Mama.  Angela has twins, a boy & girl (you know I have a boy twin) and ran her first marathon this year.  She does weekly meal planning which has inspired me even though I still don’t do it regularly.
• Kim at Healthy Nest has the cutest little boy.  She is studying to become a personal trainer (I know how much studying that requires), while staying active and keeping up with her little cutie.
• Debbie at Healthy Running Mom is also training for an upcoming marathon.  And she does lots of great giveaways!
• Dana at Kiss my List has a talent for writing!  In fact she is currently trying out for Blogger Idol and I think she will do excellent!!!
• One of my favorite sources for workouts (especially variations of different moves like burpees, push-ups, squats…) is Taylor at Lifting Revolution.  I had so much fun earlier this summer doing her 6 week blogger challenge – she shares some really awesome moves and workouts!
• My sister blogs occasionally – Mandi at Live…Laugh…Love…Lewis.  Maybe now that she is pregnant with their 2nd she will add more to her blog (HINT, HINT!).
• One of the blogs that I’ve been reading for most of this year is Rachelle at Livin the Sweat Life.  Rachelle has 2 boys that are very close in age to my boys and she has been teaching a boot camp class since last spring.  Lots of weeks she has Free Rant Thursday – I often participate!!!
• Christine at Love Life Surf has some of the coolest yoga pose pictures.  And she just returned from a month long trip to Hawaii – gorgeous pictures!!!
• Another amazing runner – Amanda aka Miss Zippy has so much running knowledge.  She has been doing MAF training and I have really enjoyed learning all about it while she experiences it and shares with us.
• Maybe one of the first blogs I started reading was Carla at MizFit.  She is the queen of the play-out which I love – such a great way to be active and have fun at the same time.  Over this past year I have learned from many of her posts, I’ve cried and I’ve smiled, I’ve reflected and I’ve been challenged!
• Laura at Mommy Run Fast really is a speedy runner!!  She is training for another marathon and just recently moved cross country.  Laura has some amazing tips for helping avoid sugar cravings and she heads up a virtual run series in addition to being a running coach.
• One of my daily buddies is Biz from My Bizzy Kitchen.  She just finished her 101st  (now it is probably 102 or 103) day of Insanity – one of my all time favorites!!!  Plus, she  COOKS a lot  and everything she makes looks delicious!!!
• Char at My Life’s a Marathon lives in Australia!!!  (I might be a little jealous – really I just want to visit!) Way back when I first started following her blog she was having some serious health issues but thankfully she has everything under control and is running very strong again while she trains for a marathon!!!
• My much younger twin, Cori – Olive to Run (OK – we aren’t really twins!!!) is one of the blogs that I look forward to every day!!!  She has some of the greatest topics – always interesting and fun to read.  And, many times I feel like she wrote exactly what I was thinking.
• Tyly at One Mile at a Time is another blogger that I’ve been reading a long time.  She is a teacher and grad student and runner – she is one busy lady.
• One of my fairly new blog friends is Leah from Raising Flowers and Skids.  She and her husband have a blended family with 5 kids and they do some of the neatest things as a family.  I’ve gotten all kinds of ideas – now I just need to try to implement some of them.
• Carla over at Real Into is someone who I immediately related to – could be because we are the same age or the fact that we both have a goal to be the best version of ourselves we can.
• Heather blogs at Run Like a G! and she is always so open and honest – it’s refreshing to read her blog.  She is running a half marathon this weekend and I know she is going to rock it!!
• Diana at Run or Di is also training for a half marathon – she has shared the ups & downs of her training but she is doing a great job sticking to it through the good and bad days!!
• Run Write Hike by Amy is another one of my first serious blog reads.  Amy has  a PhD and is an incredible writer.  She just recently moved from NJ to Colorado and is training for another marathon – Duke City.
• Kathy at Running My Life and this Family is someone I feel like I have known for years.  We enjoy many of the same things (wine) and both are all about our family!
• Another runner, middle school teacher, mom that I really enjoy spending time with is Jan at Running on Fumes.  Jan and her family run in many local road races.  She also shares lots of cool pictures since she has been doing the 365 picture challenge.
• Coco at Running with Perseverance is not only a runner but also a biker and a lawyer. I love that sometimes her posts are short, sweet and funny and other times they really make me step back and think.
• Amanda has some of the most heartfelt posts that I’ve read this year – she is an incredible writer, mother and runner and I look forward to all of her posts at Runninghood.
• Pretty sure if I keep reading Shashi at RunninSrilankan and start making some of the tasty looking treats that she shares I will have to double my daily workouts!!!
• Another blogger that I look forward to each and every post from is Joi of Rx Fitness Lady.  Joi is one of those super talented women who has a great career (she is a pharmacist), has a very active social life (she does some really fun things with her friends!) and is also super fit (she teaches Body Pump and Combat some of my favorites).  Joi is so good at helping some of us (me) not just say we are going to do something but really making sure we follow through.
• 6 Pack Mamma blogs at She runs Everywhere and I love it!!  She has 6 kids and she really does run everywhere.  She has had a daily running streak going for over a year!!!
• Jacqueline at Skinny Chick Blog is fun to read – she lives near a beach and posts lots of beach pictures (bonus!!) plus she shares about her running and other things going on in her life.
• One of the sweetest, cutest people I’ve met since starting this blog journey is Susan at Sole Searching Mama.  Susan, her husband and their 5 boys live in Kansas – we could be neighbors!!!  She home schools her boys (except the oldest this year) and through Susan I’ve learned about life on the farm, home school life and fashion because she always looks like a fashion plate!!
• Kristen aka Stuft Mama has more energy than any one I’ve ever known.  She is an incredible runner (and thankfully back at it after dealing with an injury), a mom to super cute twin boys and a fitness instructor (I think she teaches about 100 classes a week).  Plus, she has some of the most innovative meals I’ve ever seen – and yes, you can roast just about anything!!
• Tamara from Tamara Like Camera is an amazingly talented photographer and writer. Her writing comes straight from her heart and her pictures are always incredible!!!  One day maybe she will come to KS (cause who doesn’t want to visit KS?) and take pictures of my family.
• One of the first blogs that I read was the super talented Cait over at The Arty Runner Chick – Cait is a talented artist as well as great writer.  I have 2 of her fun T-shirts and hopefully she will have some more new ones soon.
• Ashley & Lisa have teamed up to write The Dose of Reality which is always a good way to start my day.  I love their “would you rather” posts.  And some of their pinterest finds – crazy!!!
• Not along ago I found Ilene at The Fierce Diva Guide to Life.  Ilene is a very strong determined lady and I admire her a great deal.
• Davida at The Healthy Maven has some super tasty looking recipes – I could probably start cooking tomorrow and not get through all of them!
• Another blog that I’ve been reading for most of this year is Marcia over at  Marcia’s Healthy Slice.  Marcia is an avid runner, mom to figure skaters and always has a great product to review/share on her blog!  She just took a trip to Alaska that sounded like a blast – can’t wait to see what her next adventure will be!
• Ari at The Pace of it All is a kindergarten teacher (yikes!!) who currently lives in my favorite state (TX!!) but has plans to move to Oregon in about a year.
• Cammy blogs at Tippy Toe Diet about a range of things – weight loss, “finds” that she fixes up and turns into something really cool and useful, some really awesome recipes and some of her fun activities.
• Jody is someone that I look up to both as a blogger and as an athlete.  She embodies what women of any age can achieve.  Her blog, Truth2BeingFit, is full of great advice.  And every Monday she opens up her site for others to share what they are grateful for which is such a great way to start the week!!!
• Victoria lives in Sweden and has some of the coolest pictures on her blog.  She always writes her blogs in Swedish and then has the translation underneath.  I love seeing some of the differences in our cultures.
• Allie at VitaTrain4Life is another blog that I’ve just recently found and Love!!!  Allie is an incredible athlete and is hoping to PR in her next half marathon in 4 weeks!!  She has twin boys (lots of twins on here) – if we lived closer I’m pretty sure we would try to run together some.
• I’ve enjoyed following Shay at Whine Less, Breathe More.  She had a pretty major injury awhile back but, thankfully, is back running again.  The title of her blog is a reminder that I need pretty often.
• Nicole at Work in Sweats Mom is an amazing example in every way for her girls!!  Nicole is a runner and avid hiker and I’m sure at some point she will be a rep for some of the hiking gear and clothes.
• A fairly new to me blog is Wrecking Routine by Brooke.  Brooke is super cute (and soon to be married!), a teacher and fitness buff who shares all kinds of fun challenges on her blog.
• Josie of Yum Yucky has probably written some of the most unique and grossest posts that I’ve read this year.  It is always a treat to see what she is going to share.  And she has some killer workouts going on!!!

Sorry – this post is LONG!!!!  And this is not my whole BlogLovin list but these are the people that I read all of their posts and feel like I know.  I look forward to another year of blogging and sharing life with so many wonderful people!!!  (and I really hope I didn’t leave anyone off that I wanted to include!!!)

Happy Friday!

Kim