"No pain, no gain..."

Remember that old saying? We don't hear it thrown around as much anymore because many of us in the fitness industry have wised to the fact that this isn't necessarily the healthiest or safest approach to training. But not all of the popular fitness profiles people follow on Twitter and Instagram are actually fitness professionals, so we do still see this mentality, just quoted differently and often accompanying images of someone staring intensely into the distance.

"I wish I could, but..."

This is one of the most common phrases we hear in the fitness industry when we ask clients what has prevented them from adhering to a routine in the past. There is certainly no lack of desire to make those changes they need to make, but desire does not correspond to drive.

I run. A lot. Most of you know this. I'm that really annoying person at the coffee shop, sweat still dripping off my forehead and down my legs, debating between the large and extra large coffee milkshake while laughing that maybe I shouldn't go crazy because it was "only 20 miles". You've probably seen someone like me and fought back the urge to tie her laces together while she rambles on about how awesome that 2,000 foot climb was halfway through the run.

Trust me, I haven't always been like that!

One of the many things I love about training is the way it helps connect people through their personal stories. I am honored when people tell me they sought me out as a trainer because something about my story resonated with them. But often, it's my clients who inspire me.

Ashley is one of those clients. She works hard to bring love and support to people who need it, has a bright, funny personality, and no matter what I push her to do, I know that she can and will do it! But as this is her profile, I want her to tell you in her own words about her fitness journey.