Trip Dates: June 4-9, 2014
I went to California for the first time ever with Scott back in April (read about that trip here). It was a work trip for him but I tagged along! Then I went back to California the beginning of June for a product training in Long Beach. One of my partners (who also owns 3 Anytime Fitness locations), Amy, and I decided we could stay a little extra in order to soak up all the awesomeness of San Diego. I'm so glad we did because I'm pretty much obsessed with it now! As usual, I packed as food as possible to take with me. I never leave without my Daily Essentials packets, Digestive Enzymes, Quest bars, or Blender Bottles...those are always traveling staples of mine! I also took rice cakes, jerky, almonds, and almond/peanut butter packs because I knew we would be hiking. Not pictured is the lunchbox I took that had boiled eggs and veggies!
Wednesday (June 4)
We flew into San Diego on Wednesday and stayed at the Hilton Mission Bay. It was me and two of my business partners who are also TLS coaches and trainers. It was a beautiful location right on the bay. The flight was long but everything went pretty smooth. We went straight to the hotel, ate, and got ready for our small event that night. Wednesday was the day I finally got to meet Ashley! She's been a partner, coach, and friend for over a year but this was the first in-person meeting for us! We had a short meet and greet and wellness overview with a few girls that lived around the area. We also had them do a workout...in the sand! It was tough! After the meet and greet we went to dinner in the Gas Lamp District. I had fish tacos and a skinny margarita - it was my birthday! :-) You can find examples of my "vacation food" here. I'd say it was a great birthday!
Thursday (June 5)
Amy and I rented a car (truck) so that we could go hiking. We tried to rent a car but they called us back and said all they had was a F-150. It freaked me out driving a big 4-door truck in a city that I was not familiar with but once we got onto the highway I was okay. :-) We took the truck and headed to Poway to hike Mount Woodson (also known as the Potato Chip hike). It was an incredible hike - approximately 8 miles round trip. I wore my Heart Rate Monitor and we burned over 1,400 calories and finished the hike in less than 3 hours and 15 minutes, even with stopping at the top for about 20 minutes.
The rock does hang off the side of the mountain and getting to it isn't easy. I should have taken a picture but you have to jump down onto the rock and while you are doing it, it looks like you might fall into the huge crack below. I was more scared about getting to the rock than actually being on it!
After Mount Woodson we did Cowles Mountain which was about 30 minutes from Mount Woodson. This was a shorter hike (3 miles round trip) but still very awesome. It took us just a little over an hour and we burned over 500 calories. After conquering Mount Woodson and Cowles Mountain we headed back to the hotel and ate...tacos again!
Friday (June 6)
Before leaving for Long Beach on Friday I was able to get a quick weight workout in at the hotel gym and a jog along the beach. While they were getting massages and manicures (not my thing!) I hung out by the pool to get some work done! We left for Long Beach around lunch time. Once we arrived in Long Beach we had time to grab a quick bite to eat, take a short nap, and head to the first training session. Ashley came up after work so our whole team was there including our business partners from Texas! We had people from California, Georgia, Texas, and New York just from our team! Friday was a great training and really set the tone for the whole weekend.
This was the perfect key holder for the weekend! It's amazing how much my life has changed in the past year. I can't even describe it. Still can't believe I was in California for a training with some amazing people. I love everyone who has been placed in my life and this is only the beginning!
Saturday (June 7)
Saturday was our first full day of training (8 AM - 6 PM and then again from 8 PM - 10 PM). We learned so much about the products and the science behind everything. I loved that it was professionals providing the information and doing the research. It's great to hear from doctors and nurses about what is going on from their point of view and how quality food and quality supplements play a huge role in overall health and well being. Ashley and I also went to the night training session. We didn't have much time in between so we grabbed something to eat and brought it back with us. The night session was awesome. It was a great training on a lot of social media and internet marketing...which is right up our alley.
Just the training essentials for energy!
Sunday (June 8)
The training on Sunday was from 8 AM - 1:30 PM and was probably my favorite day because of the products discussed. There was also a short TLS overview - I can't get enough of it...I learn something new each time! I learned SO MUCH about CLA in particular {belly fat blaster!}. CLA is one of the supplements I have been taking since the beginning of my "fitness journey"...but not all CLA (or any supplement for that matter) is created equal - more on this to come in another post!
Love our morning cocktail of our Daily Essentials (Yes, we drink our vitamins - multivitamin, B, calcium, and OPC-3!).
After the training ended we headed back to San Diego. My mentor, Carin, left for the airport but Amy and I had another day to explore! We checked into our hotel in Old Town San Diego and immediately took a taxi to Torrey Pines State Reserve. We hiked around the park for a few hours and then Ashley picked us up and we headed to the San Diego Convention Center to run the stairs (because that's what you do after hiking...right?).
Monday (June 9)
We woke up and decided to go for a run through Old Town San Diego since we would be traveling all day. We ate breakfast and then headed out. We found a magnificent hill to run up...it was pretty awesome! After our run we went exploring in Old Town and then had to catch our flight back home. Our flight had a layover in Vegas, which was delayed. It was a LONG travel day back home. We were scheduled to arrive in Atlanta at 12:55 AM but of course that didn't happen! I didn't get home until 4 AM!
So, there you have it! I learned so much, fell in love with a new city, and was able to spend time with my amazing friends and business partners from all over the US! Life is good. Change your attitude and outlook and it will change your life!
