My husband and I are training for a triathlon in April. It will be my first Olympic distance and his first half Iron man… wow! With the majority of our training falling on the weekends I guess that classifies us as weekend warriors. Last weekend we hit up Austin for the Austin marathon (we ran the half) and most weekends we squeeze in 20 miles on our new (super ridiculously expensive) bikes. And then of course with a lot of persuasion (not my most favorite triathlon event) we get in the pool for massive amounts of laps. I will be participating in the tough cookie dualthon next weekend … short and sweet to work on transitions.
We are usually exhausted by the weekends but still find time to fit in fitness....why you may ask? Well call me crazy but I love it. I especially love doing something that promotes health with my significant other. Something we both enjoy and that keeps us fit and happy. Nothing feels better then training for an event and then completing it. Having a focus creates a drive. A drive to do well, to finish, to stay fit and healthy, to enjoy life. I look very much forward to the Triathlon event in April, and once complete I can’t wait to find my next adventure. Work hard play hard and fell good!
OK my husband and I did a 10K (6.2 miles) today... Saturday August 18 2012.
After many months off from running it was time to get back into the swing of things so to speak. I have been making excuses to not compete in races because I was embarrassed regarding my run time and my decline in fitness...
I haven't been feeling 100% and my training has been sub standard....knee surgery, Europe vacation, Alaska vacation, time off from training... it all adds up to feeling sorry for yourself... but there is no better time then the present correct?
For my last 10K I ran an average of 6:45 minute miles... today I ran an average of 7:45 min miles. To anyone who is familiar with run times this is a great increase .... not good
So what is this blog all about you ask? What am I trying to say.... don't make excuses! So what you can't run as fast as you want, or as fast as you used to. So what you aren't an olympic athlete! You are you, DEAL WITH IT!
So what you have to walk a few times to finish a 5K. It doesn't matter! No body is perfect, you will always have to train hard to get to where you want to be. And when you get there... guess what you will continue to train.
Everyone has to start somewhere, there is always going to be obstacles in your way, what you choose to do with the obstales is your choice. I say KNOCK THEM DOWN. Don't make excuses, run the race, get your time (what ever it may be) and then train hard to beat it next time! Life is going to be full of ups and downs. Don't not do something because you think you can't... because YOU CAN!
Don't hold back because you think you can't do an event or you think you aren't ready or you think you aren't good enough. What ever goal you have or what ever obstacles you face, tackel them!
NO EXCUSES. Pick a race, register, train hard, and compete...
So I have been forced to "take it easy" for a while due to a knee injury. I "hit the pavement" (literally) back in March and ended up cracking my knee cap and causing some other knee issues. I had surgery on the problem knee in the past so it wasn't 100% in the first place. I was told I needed surgery again, which didn't make this runner very happy.
Surgery is now complete and I am feeling good. Well, now that I have started running again I must admit I am a little frustrated due to the fact that I can't run as fast as I used to. Taking months off from running was good for my body but not for my run time.... But every day I add a bit more mileage and when doing intervals I am getting a little faster. Small “baby steps” and determination and hopefully I will be back to where I was, maybe even better.
The message here is to try and not let things frustrate you. When problems are out of your control look for other ways to satisfy your needs. For example I had to focus on other ways to get my heart rate up that didn't involve the use of my legs, and boy could I get creative! So when life throws things at you that you weren't expecting, and that gets you out of your routine, try not to fight it and look for other things that make you happy. AND maybe you will find something else that you enjoy that you wouldn't have ever tried. On another note, part of the fun on running or doing sports is training and to see improvement in yourself. That is what it is all about.
Well looks like my time in Louisiana is over and I'm off to Texas. I don't get to chose where life brings me, that is what I signed up for when I married into the military. Fort Richardson Alaska, Fort Polk Louisiana, and now Fort Hood Texas. I am excited for change, but sad to leave as I must say good bye to all my clients and friends. I have seen such improvement in my clients it brings me such joy! Hopefully Texas brings new friends, new clients, and new race opportunities. I look forward to participating in new 5 and 10ks (not sure about my first place female placing now that the population is much larger!), and maybe some sprint triathlons...and there is still the good old Tough Mudder that needs to be checked off the to do list!
Well it has been a few months since I wrote a blog. But YES! I finally completed my goal of doing a Warrior Dash and it was AMAZING! 3.2 miles of muddy obstacles with 5 of my closest girl friends. We dressed up, called our team the BONE THUGZ...and got muddy! The event wasn't physically demanding on me, but not everything has to be... it was just plain out FUN! It is so cool to see thousands of people get together and be physically active - and having a blast doing it! Why must we always call being active "working out"? Find something active you like to do, something you enjoy, and have some fun!
So I trained and I trained and I trained...and now the race is over. I ran my half marathon last weekend and made my goal time! What a good feeling to work so hard and see the results.
I had been looking so much forward to being done, all that running and all those miles were adding up and I was feeling a little burnt out...and now I am here with no more goals and no event to look forward to or train for. I live my life goal to goal, always trying to keep myself busy with a purpose. I love the energy a fitness event brings and I love the feeling you get when you accomplish an event. I think that is why I am motivated to get through those rough days of training when you feel so tired and maybe not too motivated to run those 10 miles at 5am on a Friday morning... but in the end it is all worth it and I can truely say that!
So what will my next goal be? I would really like to attemp a warrior dash or tough mudder next! So bring it!
The fruit and veggie cleanse is complete. Nothing but fruit, veggies, beans, nuts and water for what was supposed to be 7 days… made it to 5 and a half. No caffeine, salt, sugar, artificial foods, alcohol, meat or dairy. The husband was on board with me, so that made it easier. Took a trip to the store and stocked up on produce for the both of us. Here are my pros and cons.
Pros
- Lost 10 pounds! But don’t be fooled this was just water and waste, not fat loss.
- No intestinal issues like gas or cramping, let’s just say the fiber was working.
- Came up with some interesting combinations of food for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner.
- Discovered that food actually has good flavor when you give it a chance. All the additional sauces and salt we add to food starts to mask the taste of food.
- Packed my snacks and lunch the night prior so I was ready for the next day – probably continue this a few days a week. Healthy snacks all day is a good thing.
- Will continue to eat more fruit and veggies as it turns out they are actually quite tasty. For example a banana rolled in slivered almonds for breakfast…wouldn’t have tried this. And fruit smoothies don’t need dairy, who knew? Blend a frozen banana, frozen peaches and all natural OJ together and you have a wonderful sweet treat!
- I feel happier … well I am writing this after I ate real food so that could be the culprit… but it doesn’t matter I feel refreshed.
Cons
- Lack of energy, muscles started to feel very weak after day 3.
- Started to feel “weird”, can’t explain, body just felt a little “off”.
- Heart rate started to act a little funky.
- Cramps in feet and legs, husband started to get cramps in his hands.
- Weight loss = lack of energy = can’t work /train as hard as I wanted/needed.
- Caffeine withdraw headaches
- Food fantasies = possible binge, didn't happen but there is still a possibility...I have stayed clear of the pretzels (my weakness!)
- Vision started to seem a little off, and started to get a bit loopy.
Conclusion
I would recommend a cleanse like this for someone a lot less active then myself. My activity level, the Louisiana heat, and my job made this difficult for me and the hubs. Would I do it again…Yes, but next time no more than 3 days.
So it’s been a while since I wrote a blog. My days have been very busy which I must admit I prefer. Sometimes when we are super busy we forget about our own health and focus on everything else. Being in the fitness industry and being in the position to motivate people all day long is a fantastic job, with great rewards, but it is of upmost importance that fitness professionals take care of themselves as well.
We preach eating healthy and fitness so we should abide by what we preach, right? Unfortunately this isn’t always true… there are overweight trainers, nutritionist, nurses and doctors, and why is there a smoking section in front of hospitals and gyms?
So I have decided to “reboot” myself next week by cleansing my body of negativity and unhealthy foods and drinks. I am setting a small goal of 7 days to hopefully recharge myself so I can be the best I can be for myself, my family and my clients.
I have been running a lot lately as part of the Army 10 miler team. I am used to being the one pushing my clients past their comfort zones, and now I am the one getting pushed... which is great, but painful!
My mind goes through many stanges throughout the duration of a long run. The first few minutes are not that bad it seems, and then boom! I start telling myslef "why am I doing this?" ... "how many miles do I have to go?" ..."seriously, it's 6 am in the morning, I could be sleeping right now!" and "there is no way I can keep this pace" ... then I focus and start making small goals in my head... like "you can run the next mile at this pace no problem" not "I have 8 more miles, at this pace? no way!" I also pump myself up with how good I know I am going to feel when I am done. It is a love/hate relationship which I think all runners can relate to. The runners high is no joke, it's real and I LOVE IT!
Not every day can be a good day, because then good days wouldn’t be so special. Bad days happen to everyone, but they don’t have to ruin your chance for a better day tomorrow. I try really hard to remind myself how good my life is, but sometimes I simply have a bad day, which is OK, because I know a good day is just around the corner.
I firmly believe in the motto “work hard, play hard”. I try to be physically active everyday and live a healthy lifestyle so I can enjoy relaxing that much more. If I fall off my healthy routine, then I just need to motivate myself to jump right back on. Even though my job is to motivate, I need some help now and then to get out of bed and hit the pavement. That help comes from that little voice in my head telling me that once I start moving my mood will turn and my day will be that much better.
