From 0 to 13 with Deanea McWaters

I first began working out with Emily about 2 years ago. Working out with a personal trainer has really given me the motivation and encouragement I need to avoid getting into a workout "rut". About a year and a half ago, I decided to set a goal for myself to run a 5K....I had enjoyed walking the Komen Race for the Cure 5K for several years and had always toyed with the idea of actually trying to run the entire race. May of last year I challenged myself to do just that! I shared my goal with Emily and she not only encouraged me, but gave me guidance and direction on how to gradually increase my runs each week. I basically went from not even being able to run one minute to running over 30 minutes without stopping! After meeting that goal and running the Komen 5K, I then went on to train for and run my first 10K at Tyler Azalea Run this spring. After that I was ready for an even bigger challenge and signed up for my first half marathon! I met that goal on Oct. 7th when I ran the half in the Tyler Rose Marathon! With each race, Emily not only continued to give me helpful advice on how to gradually increase my mileage but also helped me with our weekly workouts to strengthen my core and also work those muscles that I tended to not use as much when I ran. She also showed me some helpful stretches that I did not only during our workouts but also after my runs. Although I have had many of the usual aches and pains that most new runners experience, I believe the workouts Emily has had me do have gone a long way towards allowing me to train for my races and avoid injury. As much as I have come to love running, I also understand that strength training is just as important as my runs are in helping me to be stronger, better runner. I truly think the time spent in my training sessions with her have contributed to my success every bit as much as all those hours out pounding the pavement! Thanks, Emily! :-)

-Deanea McWaters

From Emily

Deanea is so fun to train!  What I admire most about Deanea is her ability to balance life with training.  She trains hard with variety and knows when to listen to her body and rest.  In the past 6 months we have also seen some awesome strength gains including being able to do real push ups!  Rock on, sister!