You Really Gotta Meet… Lyssa

I’m fortunate to know some pretty amazing people. Thanks to CrossFit, Weight Watchers, Roller Derby, and other wacky/fun/scary/silly adventures, I’m able to surround myself with best-quality people to humor me when I want to do The Murph and comfort me when my frexcitement gets the best of me. Good things are even better when they’re shared, so you really gotta meet…

Lyssa Myska Allen
Age: 24
Dayjob: Editor in Chief of (the not-yet-launched) Austin Times

I think Lyssa might be best summarized by a quote from the fabulous lady herself: “There’s nothing wrong with wearing two shoes — a stiletto and a sneaker…”

Y’all are probably familiar with Lyssa’s name from my previous blog posts about the awesome challenge of working out with her, i.e., the sneaker side … or maybe you’re a fan of her must-read blog about the stuff the cool and beautiful people are doing in our hometown: this is life in austin, i.e., the stilletto side.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her in person yet, take a gander at this brilliant smile:
That’s her after giving the Spartan 300 a good wallop last Saturday.

She’s also a lean, mean footballer, “I’m huge into flag football, so I can’t wait for the Blondes vs. Brunettes powderpuff football game (to help tackle Alzheimer’s) on May 16. I’m the QB, and the Brunettes are gonna win!”

And because she’s relentless, the next day, she’s doing the Muddy Buddy, a 6-mile trail running/biking course with five obstacles and an infamous finish line mud pit.

[In a Rice jersey tailgating at a UT vs. Rice game… that’s ballsy!]

What’s your favorite workout song and why?
I will work out to anything Britney Spears. It’s so upbeat and happy, you run faster without even thinking about it!
[Note from Mel: I seem to have a lot of friends that are secret and not-so-secret Britney fans! Quelle scandale!]

What’s your favorite healthy meal/snack?
Pink lady apples and almond butter
What’s your favorite food indulgence?
Vegan chocolate chip cookies – they’re saltier and chewier than regular chocolate chip cookies, and not as rich.

Running skirts: yes or no. Why?
Sure, if that’s what you like. But I might make fun of you. I tried it for the Skirt Chaser run and it was cute, but just sort of … odd.

[Proving the point that jock-girls clean up real good.]

If you could workout with anyone — living or dead, fictional or real — who would it be?
I would workout with my best friend, Jonathan, who died 2 years ago. We used to run sprints together. He’d run about half of them, and then I’d run the second half with him to push him to be faster when he was tired.

OK! You’ve just had the workout/race/competition of your life. Congratulations! How do you celebrate?
Lazing on the couch with my pup for a bit, then a dinner somewhere fun like Perla’s or sushi.

[Lyssa with Nali, the aforementioned snuggle-pup.]

What’s your trick for getting motivated when you’re just not feelin’ it?
Just do it. Force yourself to do it. Or decide to take the day off and really take it off. Bubble baths or shopping are just as important as runs sometimes.

Do you have any advice/tricks for people who are thinking about working out but need a kick-in-the-pants to start?
Walk around Town Lake. Just do it. Start with ANYTHING and build up.

Got a favorite quote?
“The secret to having it all is loving it all.”

Workout, schmerkout. What do you like to do that doesn’t require a) punching a time clock and b) counting reps?
Playing sports, shopping, and throwing parties.

[Lyssa and her CrossFit/Party pal Lisa.]