Athlete of the Week: Caroline Hudnut

Posted by: curvyfitness on: August 26, 2011

In: Athlete of the Week | Blog posts | Fort Collins Personal Trainer | Inspiration | Real People Fitness | yoga
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“Don’t be hard on yourself– the whole point of exercising is to feel good and have fun. If you miss a day here or there, it’s not a big deal. Listen to your body and get out another day!” – Caroline Hudnut

The Athlete of the Week series was created to spotlight the amazing people around us who are not only moms, dads, workers and friends but they are superstar athletes as well. Being an athlete does not always mean that they are Olympic level in their sport. It doesn’t even mean that they compete, or that they would beat anyone else if they tried. It means that they have made a commitment to their health by staying active and changing their lifestyle to do so. They inspire me every day, and I hope they inspire you as well.

Every Friday, look for a new installment and a new athlete spotlight. If you’d like to be featured, just email me at curvyandfit@gmail.com!

This week’s Athlete of the Week is Caroline Hudnut, a Colorado girl and lifelong friend of mine, who loves some fine snowfall and just being outside in general! She inspires me by always being up for new experiences. She lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a few years and is moving back down to the Front Range. She is also competing in her second triathlon tomorrow! Send her lots of luck and love and read her story here:

Age (optional): 24

Personal Mantra:

Just keep swimming (or pedaling/running/fill in the blank) from the movie Finding Nemo. I guess if it’s from a movie, it’s not exactly my personal mantra. Oh well. That’s always what I say to myself when I’m exercising and getting very tired!

What’s your absolute favorite activity/exercise?

Skiing deep powder is probably number one. However, a good bike ride on a pretty day is a close second.

What makes you committed to staying active?

I like how it makes me feel. I’m more relaxed, I’m happier, and I’m healthier. I sleep better, I’m kinder to others, and I feel better about myself when I exercise. I also live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, so it’s easy to be committed to staying active because I want to go outside whenever I can to check out the flowers, the animals, the snow… whatever.

How do you work exercise into your busy life?

To be fair, my life isn’t very busy right now. At the moment, I try to commute to work, which is a 13 miles bike ride each way. I also live about a 10 second walk from great mountain biking and hiking trails. However, in the past when I’ve been busy and lived further away from trails (like in Louisiana!), I schedule it in. I concentrate better and am far more productive if I’ve exercised, so it’s always worth the hour or so that it takes out of my day. Usually, I try to figure out where I’ll be, when I might be free, and what activities are easiest to do at those times and places (yoga? swimming? run? bike ride?) I actually find that I’m more likely to exercise when I’m busy because I can’t dilly-dally all day thinking about what I might do.

Fort Collins Personal Trainer Athlete of the Week

Who inspires you?

I’m particularly inspired by rocking women athletes. I have two friends in town, Emma and Dana, who I find particularly inspiring. They are incredible athletes– and they’re modest, super kind, and ridiculously enthusiastic about everything they do. They make everyone feel good about their level of ability and they’re tons of fun to be around because they’re so supportive. I’m also very inspired by my dad. He continues to balance work and play admirably. He’s also has continued to stay active as he’s gotten older, and he continues to be one of the most dedicated and talented skiers and mountain bikers I know!

Do you have any words of advice for new fitness enthusiast, regarding sports, exercise, and/or life?

It’s hard to get into exercise in the beginning because a lot of sports take a few weeks to actually enjoy. For example, I have a really hard time getting back into running, backcountry skiing and mountain biking. However, if I set up a schedule and force myself to get out and exercise in the beginning of the season, after a bit, it becomes a huge treat rather than a chore.

I also suggest that you figure out what exercise habits work best for you. My Mom loves going to the gym at the crack of dawn. I don’t do well in gyms–I much prefer the distractions of trail running to a treadmill. I also like a huge variety of exercises– because some days, I may not want to go running, but swimming laps or bouldering sounds really fun. I also suggest a balance of different activities that complement each other. For example, I like yoga and climbing because they require a different part of my brain and body than, say, running or swimming.

Diet is important for me as well. I know my friend Alli was fine running on Cadbury bunnies while backcountry skiing, but I feel best with lots of fruits, veggies, grains and lean proteins. And in the winter, I load on the calories. I find that certain activities require certain foods– while skiing, I want dense calories and lots of ‘em. When running or doing yoga, I like to eat a small meal several hours before. Never underestimate the power of food!

Lastly, I think it’s useful to exercise with other people. It’s not necessary all of the time, but it’s nice to have a support network and to have another reason to look forward to exercising. Again, if you’re getting into exercise, it’s so helpful to have another person to motivate you. And don’t be hard on yourself– the whole point of exercising is to feel good and have fun. If you miss a day here or there, it’s not a big deal. Listen to your body and get out another day!Favorite vegetable and why:

Avocados– because they are delicious and creamy and filling! Also, they go with (almost) everything.Thanks Caroline!!

Stay tuned for next Friday’s spotlight on a new Athlete of the Week!

Read about the previous Friday Athletes of the Week, Lance Holter and Reu Smith .

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Love to you!

Sara

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