I realize you may be kidding because you’re referring to a dream, but I must point out that I am not by any means naturally athletic. You can call me an athlete if you wish (weird), but it has definitely not come to me naturally.
I am terrible at organized sports, I’m a slow and uncoordinated runner, and I’m relatively weak. I’m not trying to be negative or self-deprecating, but it’s for the most part true. I realize we all have our moments, but I’ll likely never be the girl that can place in her age group at races, the MVP of any team, or particularly good at lifting or CrossFit (at least by “normal” standards). I don’t build muscle quickly, and my strength is slow to improve. My average running pace has gotten faster, but only by about a minute or so over the past year.
While I am incredibly happy with where the past year has brought me (I RAN A MARATHON), the rate of my improvements may be enough to discourage some people. Having put in so much time and effort into training, I could see how it may be frustrating not to see tangible and quantitative improvements all the time, but that’s okay with me. Mostly because I’m incredibly stubborn. And I’m pretty sure you’re mistaking my stubbornness for natural athleticism.
What I lack in natural ability, I make up for with my mental toughness (read: STUBBORN*) and high pain tolerance. I just don’t really believe in stopping. This transfers incredibly well for distance running and CrossFitting, where you just don’t stop until you’re done. I don’t care how long it takes me, all I really care about is finishing what I started.
What’s the point of racing to be a bad ass anyway.. enjoy the journey! I won’t be in the lead pack, but a vast majority of people won’t work as hard as I do.
Source: runningwithguts
Re-programming the body: 1st Half Marathon in the books
So, what did I learn? You can train but you will still be shocked! Why? Well, thats easy. If you are the normal runner you always want to go faster. That catches up to you in the last 3-4 miles. I TRIED to keep a steady slow pace for the first 8-9 miles but failed.
BUT! I kept plugging away and…
Fun times in AZ!
Source: halejr23
In your hopelessness is the only hope, and in your desirelessness is your only fulfillment, and in your tremendous helplessness suddenly the whole existence starts helping you.
Sometimes you need to ignore yourself!
I’ve recently been re-inspired to post something about healthy weight loss.. and how it relates to mental wellness. I’m going to be brief, and I hope you might consider reblogging with your own thoughts!
I believe that a majority of the problems with obesity start in the cavity directly between your ears. The brain is a tricky thing, and has been tuned over many thousands of years of evolution to be the most complex and powerful part of the body. Sometimes you need to ignore it to reach your goals. Regarding weight loss, with a bit of practice you might find that you can get better control with a fairly simple hack.
Every single time you start to put something in your mouth, food or drink, take a few moments to ask yourself;
- Is my stomach grumbling?
- Am I stressed out?
- Do I feel sluggish, maybe its been too long since I’ve last eaten?
- Is there a more healthy alternative?
Be honest with the answers to these questions, and then eat or drink what you were about to. I think that over time you will answer these questions before you have a food or drink in your hand, and the answers to these questions will guide you to making healthier decisions.
DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.
Quite possibly the most comprehensive list on how to fix any aspect of your life you choose. Forget new years resolutions, just read this list every other day.
Still alive and kicking {ass}
Been a little while since I added anything to my blog here.. It’s the time of the year when, historically, I would be overeating and drinking and then waking up the following morning and feeling bad for it.. only to do the same thing a couple days later. Thank god that cycle has been stopped, for good. Wendie and I were reflecting on just this in the car yesterday.. We enjoyed an impromptu party at the neighbors house on Saturday night wherein plenty of sugar and alcohol was consumed. Sunday morning, instead of giving it an iota of self loathing we killed our workout session. Wen started with about 40 minutes on the stair EFX machine while our good friend Kari, and I ran a 5k. Kari had decided that she wanted to set a new PR on the 5k distance as a birthday present to herself, and asked me to join.. and so I did.. and she shaved over 4 minutes from her previous 5k time with a new 27:32 (sub-9/mi!). After a little cool down, we zoomed back to the gym and joined Wen for an hour of circuit training which left us all grunting and sore on the gym floor! There were far too many exercises to list, it was a lot of fun.
What else, you say? Boot camp.
The past 2 weeks have been a lot of fun with me joining Wen and the “Bikini Bootcamp” group led by Amy Krahn in Corvallis. We meet for an hour and get some absolutely killer workouts.. I didn’t realize how under developed my upper body and core muscles were until I started bootcamp. Sheesh! I’m having a blast with it and already signed up for the 4 days a week bootcamp in January. I’m starting to notice some ab definition peeking out from behind the belly fat/loose skin that still remains.. I feel myself becoming a stronger runner, and I’m pushing myself beyond my limits in a way that I haven’t ever before.
2011 has been a fantastic year for me, building on the success of 2010 and sealing the deal on a re-invention of my self-concept. Its taken a lot of will power and hard work, no doubt, but I’m finding that it can be a whole lot of fun too.. so there is a purpose to the pain, and it feels good making progress. I’m looking forward to 2012, I’ve got plenty of plans set in motion and I can see a whole lot of sweat in my future. :)
May 2012 be a year for you to re-invent and refine an aspect of your life, I’m positive that you won’t regret it. Don’t wait for January 1, get started right now. Happy Holidays!
You. Are. Welcome.
A 3am reminder..
The juice; 6.2 miles in 59:37.. started really easy and negative split the whole thing without any aches or pains. #winning
The reminders;
- I really miss getting my run done at the 3am hour, its the best way to start my day and clear my head.
- I need to be a little more stealth so as to not wake Mrs. Revgum.. and take the dogs out before I leave.
- Paper tape on the nips is not as effective as plastic tape.. nip chafe is not fun.
- A headwind is worth ~5bpm on my heart
Got my gloves out..
Its gonna be damn cold in the morning (3am)..but I’m going to run anyway! SmartWool tights, thermal underarmor, gloves, and beanie along with the other regular running gear.. now just to decide which direction to start my run…or maybe hit the track a half mile from my house? Decisions decisions ..
Reverend, husband of @HulaGirlLove, home brewer, artist, software engineer, and ultramarathoner. While losing 100+ pounds I discovered that I love to run, and now I'm going to see just how far I might be able to go. An experiment of one.
