Please read timmie’s blog so you understand where motivation mile came from!

Timmies Blog:

Changing the World One Mile at a Time

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” – Oprah Winfrey

Why is running so life changing?  Even more important, why does talking about it motivate others?

I have been a personal trainer and running coach for almost 9 years now, but never have I been so unconcealed.  I have never understood the importance of putting it all out there until now.  On January 1, 2015 after giving birth to my twins in October I decided to commit myself to something as a new mother to help me lose the 60 lbs. I had gained in my pregnancy.  I had never in my life had to lose this kind of weight and so I needed to KNOW that I would make it happen.  I had never committed to something that I viewed as “doable” as a personal trainer and coach.  With a nickname Timmie Torture you don’t do doable.  Until now at least.  Being clear with my own personal purpose and putting it out there seemed to resonate with people, and resonating with people was how to help the masses and the masses is who I wanted to reach.

As a coach we are on stage.  As a coach we are looked to.  As a coach we must practice what we preach.  I committed on this day that I would run one mile a day for 365 days.  It was on this day that “doable” would become the mantra of Timmie Torture and so many others.  Now, it didn’t feel so doable at first.  I hadn’t run in over a year, I was carrying an extra 60lbs and it was definitely out of my comfort zone.  Frame of mind is crucial and I knew thinking of this as doable was how I was going to attack this goal.  Telling myself and so many others that 1 mile a day is doable, not easy, but doable is what I knew would keep us on track.  It was on this day that I would finally give back as a trainer in so many more ways than I have ever before and that I ever thought possible.  It was on this day, although I had no idea at the time, that my life would change by motivating others.  It was on this day that I would also be motivated by those I was motivating.  It was on this day that my fitness journey would give birth to a new normal called Motivation Mile.

I decided to document my one mile journey on social media in order to be completely transparent.  I didn’t know what to expect, I just knew my journey was starting off more difficult than I had thought it would be and I wanted to show my friends and clients that even Trainer Timmie struggles and has obstacles to overcome. Instantly my Facebook and Instagram community began encouraging me.  Within days I was being motivated to continue by those who were following my story.  I had no idea what this simple daily mile would become.  Alisha Lopez, also a coach, then reached out as she saw what was unfolding.  “Do you see what you are doing?” she asked.  “No, what?” I responded.  “By posting your story of weight loss as a personal trainer who had never walked in those shoes before, you are motivatingothers.  By being transparent you are encouraging the world around you to join in.”  She was right.  “What are you going to do about it?”  “Nothing” I thought to myself.  I felt silly as I thought about it because I had no answer.  I would just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I would keep making steps toward achieving my goal of getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I would keep watching this community grow as more and more would join in on the daily mile.  Alisha didn’t think this was enough and she was right.  I had something to offer.  I was on the same page as so many others for the first time in my coaching career.  I was a client and an out of shape mother looking for something to help me.  I had found something so simple and so life changing and I needed to do more than just share.

After receiving countless messages of how I was motivating others, seeing many posts on social media of others joining in on my one milejourney, and after sharing tears with clients over why this journey was so raw and helpful, Motivation Mile would become a platform to finally help the masses.  I would finally as a one-on-one trainer be able to reach more people then ever before.  This had been a dream of mine and Alisha was helping me make this dream come true.  Also a mother of twins, also a coach, Alisha not only walked in my shoes, but she shared the same dream of helping more.  “I am not doing enough,” she said to me one day during a Motivation Mile meeting.  We both wanted to do more.  We both had to do more.