Hi NYU collegiettes! My name is Julie Wichler and I happen to be a health and fitness addict. I love to test out new recipes, to try new workouts, and to learn about how different things (physical as well as emotional) affect our minds and bodies. Fitness is a huge part of my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I grew up watching my dad train year after year for the New York City marathon. I can remember waking up on Sunday mornings to see him casually walking in the door from a 20-mile training run like it was no huge deal. I wasn’t about that life, preferring to watch Boy Meets World rather than get my butt off the couch and do something active. When I got to high school I (my parents?) decided enough was enough and I joined the cross-country team. It was the best worst four years of my life. I loved the team, the bonding, the fun times – but I despised the running. As soon as the season was over I would throw my running shoes back into my closet and forget about them. Spring semester of my freshman year of college (before I made the brilliant decision to transfer to NYU!) I picked up running again as a form of stress relief. I found that when I stopped putting pressure on myself and just eased into it, running became something I looked forward to every day.
I’m now a self-proclaimed running fanatic. I love to run because it makes me feel amazing (whether the run itself was perfect or awful is something else entirely). Exercising and wellness in general are things universally important but also very personal. The thing about “healthy” is that it’s how you feel. It’s a way of life, and really just boils down to what works for you. I wouldn’t say that I “look like a runner”. I’m certainly not built like one, but I find this makes me love it even more. It’s almost as if I’m defying the odds by loving running even if it doesn’t come easily. Things that make you feel healthy should be things that you truly enjoy and things that you look forward to. They should not be things you have to force yourself into.
Fall tends to be the height of my own marathon training (After watching my dad for 20 years I finally gave it a shot and found that a love for distance running is something we both share). Ideally, I would be doing strength training along with running to make myself more “well-rounded” but with school, catching up with friends, and recently turning 21 (hello bars and goodbye $$$) that happens less and less. I’ve found myself wanting to discover more ways to make exercise fun as well as good for me.
Each week, I will post a different fitness related blog post, whether that be an exercise class review, an interview with an NYU athlete, a new favorite dinner, etc. Hopefully this blog will provide ways to branch out and discover ways of “being healthy” that are enjoyable as well!