You Really Gotta Meet… Blake

I’m lolling on the beach in Playa del Carmen (where “lolling” equals starting each day with a run or CrossFit workout, then swimming, reading, and having adventures with Dave). But I couldn’t leave you stranded, so…

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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…

Blake Howard
Age: 27, celebrating 28th birthday and 1-year CrossFit anniversary on July 6
Dayjob: I recently left my preschool teaching job to pursue a career as a family therapist. Armed with a shiny new Master’s degree and the need to complete 3000 hours to be a fully-licensed therapist, I’m looking for the right job for right now.

Blake is the girl with the blazing smile. 6:00 a.m…. middle of a workout… comparing notes afterward: smile. Which can make you (almost) forget that she’s a total badass. Juggling school and CrossFit, she’s managed to whip her body into incredible shape (I saw her: she’s thisclose to a kipping pullup) and earn her Master’s degree.

We’ve fought through many workouts side by side, and I’ve never seen her quit. Ever. Bodes well for her future patients… especially when she turns on that smile.

What’s your favorite athletic activity right now? Are you training for anything special?
My favorite activity is Crossfit, por supuesto. I’m training right now for the all-important first-time-in-a-bikini-in-10-years event. It’s taking place in beautiful Tulum and Cancun the last week of June, so ready or not, here I come.

My nemesis is running, so a lifelong goal is to somehow tame that beast and make it a regular part of my routine. But this is a very slow work in progress. I think I’ll kick off this year’s battle with the Moonlight Margarita Run, which sounds like a lovely way to inspire a little runnin’.

Oh, and I just learned how to two-step and waltz at the Broken Spoke with my bf and it was quite athletically demanding. So I think I’ll take that on as my new on-the-side activity. Plus I get to wear my sweet boots and there aren’t nearly enough excuses for dusting off the cowboy boots.

What’s your favorite workout song and why? What’s the song you love for working out but are embarrassed to admit?
I actually almost never work out to music when I work out. This is going to sound hugely dorky, but I frequently listen to This American Life podcasts when I run. I can get into the story, and it helps the time pass more quickly. I have even been known to shed a few tears while running and listening to something tragic off NPR. I swear I wasn’t crying because of how much I hate to run.

What’s your favorite healthy meal/snack?
I love turkey chili, and will occasionally brave the 100 degree heat in my un-air-conditioned kitchen to make it in the summer. Those pesky wall units do little to combat the heat from my stove. I load it up with spices, bell peppers, tomatoes, kidney beans, and sometimes zucchini. It’s hearty and delicious and feels indulgent even when it’s not.

What’s your favorite food indulgence?
This is a tough one. There are so many worthy indulgences out there. Red wine. Stinky cheese. My mom’s macaroni ‘n’ cheese made with bechamel and velveeta. Pizza of any kind. This amazing creme brulee french toast I make every Christmas. Okay, I have to stop, my mouth is watering and my tummy is growling.

[Blake and Weston: the definition of adorable.]

Running skirts: yes or no. Why?
Don’t know, never tried them. I’m leaning towards yes on other people, no on me. But the next time I hit up Academy I’ll give one a try and see.

OK! You’ve just had the workout/race/competition of your life. Congratulations! How do you celebrate?
The Paris Texas platter from Kerbey lane (migas and french toast) and a bowl of queso, with my honey, family and friends. And there must be champagne, of course. Preferably poolside in my parents’ backyard, with the family dogs, Baxter (pug and poodle mix who looks just like Toto) and Peanut (our adorable fawn rescue pug). Then a long nap.

[Champagne!]

What’s your trick for getting motivated when you’re just not feelin’ it?
Never hit the snooze button. That’s the death knell of motivation for me, so I have to jump out of bed and just put one foot in front of the other.

Do you have any advice/tricks for people who are thinking about working out but need a kick-in-the-pants to start?
Find a great group of people who help keep you motivated. That’s why CrossFit has finally worked for me when so many other things didn’t take. I feel accountable to other people, in a good way, and want to keep showing up and participating.

[Bonita, Blake, and I throw the Double-Cs at Deep Eddy Bootcamp.]

Workout, schmerkout. What do you like to do that doesn’t require a) punching a time clock and b) counting reps?
Read a good novel, do a crossword puzzle, drink wine, watch movies, cook feasts, bake cupcakes, sing karaoke, watch old reruns of My So-Called Life and Felicity.

Looking at my list I realize just how nerdy I am 🙂

Anything else you want people to know about you?
I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.