Climbing, Daily, FitFluential, Fitness, Health, Photos, Soccer, Videos

How to stay motivated

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My co-workers, friends and even people I know online always ask me how I stay motivated. For me, it’s easy. I love being active. But I know everyone doesn’t.

Have you ever tried indoor rock climbing? It’s super fun, and a huge work out in itself. Don’t know what indoor rock climbing is like? Check out the video of me, doing a boulder problem back home in Newfoundland. Please note the video is quite old — it was in 2003 (!!!) so my digital camera wasn’t the best at shooting film back in the day.


It may take a while, but I say you need to find something you absolutely enjoy doing, and keep at it. If you hate running — don’t do it. Simple as that. Get creative, and find an activity that gets your body moving. Just watching those climbing videos just makes my finger tips sweaty, and want to chalk up and get back on the wall.


And another, for good measure ;)

Set small goals. Tell yourself you’ll work out “X” many times this week/this month. Once you achieve that goal, give yourself a treat — a movie date with your bestie or significant other, a new work out top, or maybe just a new mascara you’ve been eyeing. Be your own #MyBetter.

Speaking of mascara. Have you ever tried Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Lash? Look at those lashes it gives me. No, I’m not wearing falsies.

You’ll shortly find out that working out makes you feel good and will definitely boost your own self esteem and confidence. I think it’s easy to keep up something you’re truly passionate about, and have fun doing it, of course it’s hard work but that’s the fun part – creating these new goals to strive for. Or as Nike says…

Working out can improve the quality and even length of your life, just by taking care of your body. It doesn’t have to cost anything, just put the effort and time into it. Everyone goes through tough times, so being there to support and encourage your friends is essential.

As I post on my blog, you know I like to share my own stories, both failures as well as successes. I want you guys to be able to relate to me, to know that you’re not the only one with challenges. I started running again 3 weeks ago, but this time I have a Coach (Hi Steve!). I’ve never been so excited (and still somewhat anxious, but I’m trying to overcome that) to go our for a run once a week. I won’t lie, it’s still very difficult for me, especially with my breathing. but I’m learning to overcome the breathing issues — it’s mostly anxiousness and punch out some longer (such a relative term… 6km is long for me) distances.

I’m leaving everything open in the comments today. I want you to ask me any kind of questions, fitness related or not. Let it be an FAQ sort of thing, for anything you’ve ever wanted to ask me. Use the hash tag #FAQspiffykerms on twitter for your questions, please!

A great quote I found, then prettied up. I pinn’ed this a few months ago (and I guess no one found it interesting enough to re-pin, lol).

Go ahead and leave me a comment. Ask away. FAQ’s will finally be answered!

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Daily, Fashion, FitFluential, Fitness, Health, Photos, Running, Soccer

This is My Better: My fitness journey

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I guess it’s about time I explain why I’m posting all sorts of photos of me hoisting up goodies that Sport Chek sent me, all while using the hash tag #MyBetter on twitter.

I am now part of the Sport Chek campaign called #MyBetterMVP / #MyBetter. They have contacted some Canadians and sent along an inspiration kit to help us reach our personal bests. My inspiration kit has already been featured on my instagram and twitter (@spiffykerms for both).

Sport Chek has reached out to a lot of athletes in all sorts of areas of fitness. Everyone has all sorts of goals when it comes to being healthy and fit. I’m here to help people stay inspired and motivated.

These are “my” sports: climbing, soccer, running, CrossFit, and hiking.

I’m not training for anything in particular. I am however, training to be the best person I can be. I want to stay healthy, fit, and happy. I’ve tweeted numerous times that I’ve been in cranky moods, feeling lazy or just have a headache. I head to CrossFit and after a long hard workout, I’m feeling on cloud 9 again. You never hear someone say they regret a workout, do you?

What inspired me to begin my fitness journey?

I don’t think it ever really started anywhere. I’ve always been quite active in my life, ever since I was a kid. I was involved with soccer, dance classes, my Dad teaching me baseball in the back yard. Being the only neighborhood girl, as I had all boy neighbours to play with thus me being quite a tomboy as a kid – I had to keep up with them. It wasn’t out of the ordinary that you’d see me hanging upside down from tree branches!

 Or even now, years later — just doing handstands at home.

It wasn’t until I was in my teenage years when the local climbing gym opened up, that’s when a passion started burning in me and that was when I was full-tilt doing my “hobby” which also worked out as exercising. Bonus! It was my hangout place, and I’ve met most of my long-time best friends at that climbing gym, who now read my blog on the regular since I live a 3 hour flight away.

Some amazing friendships have come out of climbing. Hi friends, you know who you are!!

Johanna and I. May 2012 at the climbing gym back home in Newfoundland.

Lori (my first climbing partner ever, circa 1995!!), me and Kerry. We always meet up for a climb when I fly home.

My bestest friend in the whole world, Trevor. Anytime I fly home, I immediately go to his house and hang out with him. He’s the funniest person on the planet. He’ll probably read this and be embarrassed (I hope not! Sorry! lol) that I’m posting a shirtless photo of him here on my blog. Here we are circa 2005-ish. Taking a break from bouldering.

I took a break from climbing for about 5 years after moving to Ontario (I’m from Newfoundland), because there wasn’t a climbing gym around me. That all changed, during summer 2011 when four local guys opened up a climbing gym here in my city.

From there I kept up soccer throughout high school, and still play now. Occasionally I throw in a random sport whenever I feel myself getting bored of my routine. I started CrossFit on a whim, because in the winter’s is when I usually slow things down a bit. My “running buddy” introduced me to CrossFit back in February 2011, and I’ve been hooked since.

I feel like if I don’t work out on a regular basis, I get in a bad mood. That doesn’t mean I work out every day though, because that too puts me in a bad mood (ha!) since I feel like I’m rushed in the evenings and feel as if I don’t have time for anything else.

I’ve recently gotten into Yoga as well. I had a two week trial membership at the local YMCA. But didn’t want to go buy a $60 month membership when I’m currently spending almost double that to attend CrossFit monthly. My local CrossFit box is now incorporating Yoga, starting in October. You betcha bottom dollar I’m excited for that to start.

I absolutely LOVE my job – it doesn’t feel like work at all. I’m a Graphic Designer/Marketing Assistant, and sit all day at my desk from Mon-Fri: 9-5, so I need some physical activity. I have tried to work out in the mornings but I’m really not a morning person, and I’m quite lethargic if I try to do so. I save my workouts for immediately after work, and then come home to make dinner, do some chores and hang out with my little family of my Triathlete boyfriend and our Pomeranian dog.

So. That my friends is #MyBetter, my fitness journey. This is just the beginning, for both you and me. Sport Chek is allowing me to host giveaways to help you reach your goals too.

A few questions:

What do you do, to stay active and lead healthy lives?

How do you stay motivated?

What do you do, to get out of a bad/cranky mood? Do you workout?

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Climbing, CrossFit, FitFluential, Fitness, Health, Photos, Running, Soccer, Workout Schedule

Not-So Wordless Wednesday

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These are MY sports. I enjoy what I do, and luckily it doesn’t ever feel like a chore. This is #MyBetter

  • Climbing: Since 1995— check out my very first belaying card (the white one was my first lead belay)!
  • Soccer: Since I can remember
  • Running: I started up “for real” in 2008/2009
  • CrossFit: Just passed my 1½ year mark
  • Hiking: whenever my boyfriend and I travel out West. 

Speaking of soccer. I’m officially coming out of soccer retirement tonight. I was invited by my CrossFit coaches to play on their new co-ed indoor soccer league this winter. Soccer is the only sport that makes me sick to my stomach nervous (besides signing up for running races), until I get on the field.

I think I’m going to hurl. We got our schedule on Monday and it’s pretty jam-packed from September-March. The reason why I get nervous with soccer, is because I know what I’m capable of, and if I don’t play to my full potential I get annoyed with myself. I know, it sounds so ridiculous and you’d think I’d get over it with time, and sometimes I do. But I haven’t played in about a year and I hope I can show my team mates how I can do, tonight.

How do you stay active?

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