Boise is one of the highest nationally-ranked “fit communities” in the country. That, combined with the overload of local coffee shops, should tell you why I relocated nearly three weeks ago ;) It’s starting to really feel like home, and I truly find something I love more about Idaho every day!

Running has given me a community, once again. When I started studying at NAU, I knew no one. Thankfully, being on the cross country team gave me 20+ instant guy and girl friends. When you’re running 50 miles a week together, you bond real quick.

Running has led to new connections here in Boise once again. I blogged a little bit about how relocating to a brand new state has required a little extra “work” to make some new friends. Thankfully the running community is so welcoming and yesterday morning I ran a new-to-me trail with a couple other local runners – after a few dozen too many treadmill sessions, it is so refreshing to have some company and beautiful views :) 7 miles flew by and I can’t wait to join the group again on Monday. Motivation for running = renewed.

What’s so weird about my “new life” in Boise is the totally lax schedule. Because I’m currently working as a personal trainer, my work schedule is very flexible and dictated by clients. I often have large open chunks of my day that I’m fortunate enough to be able to fill with workouts, errands, coffee dates, or blogging time. My personality loves routine, so it feels a little like vacation when I wake up and eat breakfast without a real strict time schedule to follow.

I think the slower pace makes it a little easier to stay on track with my fitness and nutrition goals. And being surrounded by so many other fit-fanatics helps too. Surrounding yourself with people who share the same goals is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle. When I ran along the Boise River, I passed countless bikers, runners, and moms with strollers. It really makes you smile to see so many people out enjoying the beautiful sunshine and scenery before starting their day!

This is my third consecutive Friday night in the gym…..I promise I will have a social life sooner or later. But until then, I might as well go to my happy place rather than watching TV. My new gym has this awesome grass room with tires, sledgehammers, boxes, battle ropes, and TRX equipment. It is my kind of playground!

Today, Bodybuilding.com hosted the Boise Fit Expo downtown and I was SHOCKED at how crowded it turned out to be! It took over an hour to find a parking spot and another hour standing in line to get inside, but I was really counting on experiencing my first fitness expo and meeting some of the Bodybuilding.com spokespeople. There’s something extra special about a stadium full of Idahoans who are also about that #fitlife. I got a super cute “Built In Idaho” shirt that I’ll rock to the gym this week and some fun new protein powder flavors to try. It was one big Protein Party, and definitely a unique way to kick off my weekend.

We’ve also gone out to eat more times last week than I usually do in a month, but it’s all part of moving somewhere brand new!

As much as I love trying new restaurants and enjoying their atmosphere, I also try to stick to healthier or lighter options so that I don’t derail completely from my fitness goals. Now that I have a new running group to train with, I’m really determined to build up my weekly mileage, work on some speed and hill workouts, and find a half marathon to race. So I balance out the extra splurges with other at-home healthy dishes like this roasted veggie salad:

So far, no two days have been the same since I moved here. And I don’t think I’ll ever tire of running along the Boise River or through the Boise State University campus. Last week, I ran by the campus at exactly 9:00am and heard the bell tower ringing out. It was just so charming and it made me smile.

Now that I’m home from the Bodybuilding.com Fit Expo, I think I’m motivated enough to do some grocery shopping and meal prepping. It’s almost 100 degrees here today so that pool is also looking pretty fiiiine. As always, thanks for joining in on my new journey! Enjoy your weekend!

XO Kenz.