Challenge on!

It’s 87 degrees, and I am on my 14th lap around a high school track. Whose idea was this?

Oh, mine. I’d wanted a fitness challenge. I’ve always been athletic, but I was in a slump. I’d been Spinning, running and hiking, but that didn’t seem to be having a big impact on my body or fitness level. I felt as if my efforts were all for nothing and maybe shoe shopping with my sister Shade would be a better use of time.

What could I do if I pushed past my limits? Could I get leaner? More toned? When SELF invited me to be on the cover, I told the editors I wanted to try training like an athlete. Good news: They loved the idea and said they had the perfect trainer for me. Bad news: I had only five weeks until the cover shoot, during which I’d be traveling a lot. I panicked.