For my 43 today I did a bent over lateral raise/row combo.  Even though it is still fairly basic, I’m happy that I incorporated multiple muscle groups today!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skjovy9l43I’]

I just used 5 pound dumbbells for the 43 – I usually try to go heavier on rows but lateral raises are challenging for me so I picked a weight that I could complete them all without just swinging my arms like a crazy woman!!!

I’m still not working out – hopefully later this week I will be able to ease back in!!!

Since I’ve had a some hours of free time the past few days I’ve done a lot of thinking about things.  One of the subjects I’ve thought about is how I define myself.  There are lots of words I could use:

• wife
• mom
• runner
• athlete
• sister
• twin
• teacher
• coach
• reader
• wine drinker
• friend

At every stage of my life, I have had different words that seem applicable.  The summer I was

my parents got a divorce and my mom and the 4 of us kids moved to Abilene, TX.  8th grade had been a rough year for me (3 different middle schools) and moving to a new place for 9th grade was no easier.  I was very quiet and shy (hard to believe now!!).  I went through most of high school being referred to as Tim’s sister:

Thankfully, I also started running in HS and actually turned out to be pretty good at it so I was also a cross country and long distance runner in high school!

I went to college separate from Tim so all of a sudden I had a new identity.  However, I quickly formed a very close friendship with Lara.  Other then the fact that I ran cross country and track and she didn’t, we were together all of the time.  People didn’t call me Kim or her Lara we were:

Kim and Lara

Lara and Kim

Also, I had long hair that I kept curly with a spiral perm – classy!!.  I always pulled it back in a ponytail using these clips:

So I also earned the name – Bowhead.

I went to grad school in southern Alabama and spent a year being called Kim from Texas!!

After grad school, I spent 2 years coaching cross country and track at the same University where I had run.  During that time I’m not sure I had a true definition of myself – because I was single and a coach lots of people assumed things about me that weren’t true.  Those are the years that I realized that even workout wear could be cute and accessorized!  

I spent a year teaching and also met Chris (he was in pilot training in TX at the time) – I was either Miss Griffin (umm – that is my mom) or Chris’s girlfriend.

After we got married, we moved to Kansas and because I wasn’t from here and Chris was – I spent the year as Chris’ wife.

We moved back to TX for a couple of years and I taught and coached again.  This time I was Mrs. Turner  or Coach Turner – loved my new name/identity!!!

Then we had Jordan and my definition of myself changed again  – I became Jordan’s mom and later Hunter’s mom.  Since I spent about 9 years as a SAHM I struggled a lot with my identity.

I became involved in numerous activities and tried to figure out exactly how I fit into all of the different areas of life.  It was difficult at times because I didn’t have a “real” job to help define me.

After both boys were in school full-time, I took a job at their school working in the office – my new identity became secretary.  I think the 5 years I spent in that job helped me realize that a job isn’t what defines you – you have to figure that out on your on!!

 I did the job of a secretary but there is so much more that makes up who I am including all of the experiences and jobs that I had up to that point.

Now, I am once again a SAHM but there are so many other parts of me!

I’m a blogger – http://day-with-kt.com/

I’m still a runner!!  I’m also a weight-lifting, daily activity getting fitness buff!

I’m a personal trainer – 

I’m a wife:

I’m a mom:

I’m a sister:

I’m a huge reader:

I’m a wine and martini drinker:

I’m a beach lover:I’m a Texan!I’m a friend:

Above all of the titles and roles in my life, I can truly say that I’m a happy, strong, independent woman!  And, tomorrow or next week, parts of my definition of myself might change once again – it is ever evolving as I continue on my journey through life!!!

How do you define yourself?

Happy Monday!!

Kim