Never a Champion

There a plenty of things I have always assumed I would be one day. A responsible adult, a high school graduate, a college graduate, a wife, and a mother. Then there are things I became, that that I fell into, that never even crossed my mind as a possibility. A financial analyst, an MBA student, and an obstacle course racer. As life passes by, opportunities are presented and we chose which we take, and which we let pass us by.

     Opportunity knocks at different times, in different forms, and in different quantities for each person. People can create opportunity, or stumble upon it, but what really matters is how you react to it. Opportunities require work; and like everything in life, you get out what you put in.

    Ten years ago, if someone told me I would have the opportunity to compete at World Championship, I couldn't have even imagined what it would be for, or where the course of my life was about to lead. Earning my place at the Warrior Dash World Championship is an opportunity I will remember for a lifetime. Of all the things I could have dreamed of being, one was never champion.

    To earn this opportunity, I had to commit to the gym. I have spent countless hours training. When my alarm goes off at 5:30 am I will be heading to Orangetheory fitness for a morning workout. My lunch hour which was once reserved for shopping at Target and eating chicken tenders is now spent at Renaissance Park Fitness Center. When I am feeling up for the challenge, I go home, to my living room, for Insanity the Asylum. If you have never tried Vertical Plyo, I highly suggest you try it. It is a humbling workout for even the most seasoned athlete.

    When you set a goal and truly want to achieve it, you make time to move in the direction of that goal. I may never be a "World Champion", but I can be proud of what I have achieved. My body and mind have both grown in a positive way from the experience. Now I never limit myself, because I have realized that just because you didn't know something was possible, that doesn't mean it was impossible. The difference between impossible and possible lies in a person's determination.

Derailed

Derailed. It happens to the best of us. One day you wake up and suddenly realize that somehow, while you were busy living your life, you went off track. It is easy to lose sight of your goals in life when you don’t have any.

In my personal experience, nothing can derail you faster than alcohol.

Drinking became a “hobby” in college.  This was a hobby that may have influenced me to quit playing soccer, quit running track, and it did a great job of turning me into someone I did not want to be. I went to the gym, sometimes, but, that was my way of righting the wrongs of the night before, not that I could remember what had happened.  There was an incident when I was in the back seat of a cop car with my roommate, and somehow avoided being arrested for drunk in public. On a different occasion, I ended up on probation for underage drinking. On probation, I couldn’t drink, but I did. I couldn’t leave the country, but I did (to drink). I should have learned my lesson, but I didn’t. My life seemed normal. This kind of thing happened to everyone I associated with, so this must be “college life”.

Senior year, I decided I would prove to myself that I could get a 4.0 my final semester. To head in the direction of my goals, I moved off campus, settled down, and rarely drank. I hustled through school in 3.5 years, taking 18 credits at a time and enrolling in spring and summer classes. It was worth it because I knew that when I graduated I was moving to FL and getting a fresh start in life. For the moment life was good.

Shortly after moving to Florida, my life started to fall apart. When that happened, I reconnected with alcohol. I was essentially alone 1,000 miles from home, and the only place I knew where I could find new “friends” was in a bar. It worked; I found people to drink with, we were wasting time and money getting wasted all the time. I soon realized I was headed back down a dead end road. Luckily, it wasn’t too late to turn things around.

All it took was the ability to recognize I had a problem, and to be honest about it. I called my mom and told her that I was worried about myself. I drink too much. I drink because I don’t know what else to do. I drink when I am alone because I am bored. I drink with others to be social. I needed a new hobby to get away from drinking. OCR became that outlet.

Thanks to obstacle course racing, I have a hobby that improves my life rather than drags me down. I rarely drink anymore and I definitely don’t blackout. My workouts are tough enough when I am healthy and rested, I can’t complete them to my potential if I’m hung over. If am wasting time and ruining my body, my competitors are working hard and gaining on me faster than I can keep up.  I know how to keep myself entertained now, there’s always a workout to do or a run to complete. On Friday nights, you will find me binge drinking water and Gatorade instead of booze, in preparation for the following day’s race. Now I enjoy the feeling of a runner’s high, a better rush than anything alcohol can provide.

Maybe OCR isn’t what will be the driving force that will lead you to put down the bottle and pick up a hobby, and that is fine. What is important is having something to look forward to, and setting goals that are challenging yet achievable. If you haven’t found your passion yet, keep looking and trying new things. It took me 27 years, if you are reading this, it’s not too late to get your life back on track.

Why does alcohol derail a fit life so quickly?

·         Alcohol is “useless” calories that has little to no nutritional value

·         The body does not store alcohol so it must metabolize it immediately

·         While the body is metabolizing alcohol, it is not metabolizing other sugars and fats efficiently

·         It slows the metabolism and can contribute to weight gain

·         Alcohol is a depressant

·         It constricts your aerobic metabolism and endurance

·         Alcohol is a toxin which dehydrates you

·         Money spent on drinks can be used to fund a hobby or build a better life 

Everyone Hates Running

I've said it, you have said it, I have overheard other people say it. "I hate running." If everyone hates running then why do so many people do it? Everyone knows how beneficial running is but sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to do it. Here are a few tips to get you moving.
1. Run Intervals  
     Tackling a long run can be daunting. To make a run more interesting and to break it into smaller units, set out with a goal to walk, jog, and run. Use mailboxes, electric poles or another marker as identifiers to change your pace.
2. Invest in Apparel
    Buying a new running outfit or shoes can give you an extra push. There is an opportunity to review the investment and see how the outfit or shoes makes you perform. Also a compliment on you're purchase can boost your confidence and give you positive associations with running.
3. Go Somewhere Unfamiliar
     Running in an area you haven't been before allows you to focus more on your surroundings than on the fact that you are running. There are things you will notice that you wouldn't have just driving by in a car. Allowing running to be an adventure.
4. Register for a Race
     Sign up for a race that offers more than just running. There are many options such as color runs, adventure runs, scavenger hunts, and obstacle course races. This also allows you to get a team together to help motivate one another and you will be more likely to train so you don't let your teammates down.
5. Run in Disguise
     This does not mean wear a costume. Participate in activities than include running, some examples would be playing soccer or tag, where running is a part of the game, but not the sole focus.
6. Remember Your "Why"
     Why are you running? If you want to run, remember why you started. Do you want to improve your lifestyle? Become more competitive in a sport? Build a better body? Whatever you set out to do, kept your goal in sight.

Every time you put one foot in front of the other, you are one step closer to your goal. Remember that with any workout schedule it is important to get plenty of rest and adequate nutrition. I start my day with a workout and the healthiest meal of the day, Shakeology. I still don't love running, but I keep coming back for more.

Do you have your own running tips for adding a little more love to this love hate relationship? Let me know!

Don't Lose Gains

No nationwide gym membership. No workout room at your summer cabin. No DVD player to do your T25 or P90x. NO EXCUSES!

     If you are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, your workout room can be anywhere you look. You didn't work hard every day to lose the progress you have made just because of a summer vacation.
      Yesterday I took a 4-5 mile run to the beach. Today I asked my uncle (in law) Peter where was a good place to run to. He sent me on a mile an a half adventure to a place I had never been.
      There was an awesome staircase in the woods with a gorgeous view of the water. There were 60 stairs with a landing midway which became my pushup platform. I did ten sets and then climbed a tree. I know I'm almost 30, and climbing trees is for kids, but sometimes I can't help it! The beauty of this training adventure was that I was all alone. When by myself in the woods, that's when I feel the most at home.  It took me at least two and a half miles to get back home. Haha, so maybe I'm not good at directions...but I made it. Today's workout and adventure is in the books!  Now I'm excited to see where tomorrow's run may lead.

Neon Lights

Have you ever had a moment where time stands still and you discover something that is about to alter the course of your life? I have had two of these moments. One being on my first date with my now fiancé. We were having dinner at the Melting Pot. Suddenly the whole room went quiet and still. As clear as day, I saw the words "the one" above him, in neon lights. Seven years ago, I asked my mom how she knew my dad was the one, she always said she "just knew". I thought that was the worst answer, until the day I "just knew". I've thought about asking if she's seen neon lights, but I figured she would question my sanity. The only other time I had seen these lights was quite a different experience. My sister and I were running our first obstacle course race. It was hot and we were already sunburnt. The race was challenging, but we tacked each mile and every obstacle side by side. Suddenly we came to an obstacle where I watched people attempt and fail repeatedly. I stepped up and completed the climb that everyone else had failed. As I jogged away, I saw the neon lights, "do it". That was the moment when I first felt the desire to compete. Now with the confidence of knowing that I was capable of doing more than the confines of my mind told me I could, I was ready to prove it. When I went to the gym, I wasn't working out anymore, I was training. "You are not good enough" echoed through my mind, but it wasn't hurtful anymore. It was motivating. My Saturdays at the beach were quickly replaced by races. For the first time in a long time, I was setting goals and reaching them once race at a time. So what exactly are the neon lights? Is it a premonition? A gut instinct? A figment of my imagination? I'm still not sure, but you better believe that I'm willing to listen.

When Average Isn't Enough Anymore

Average. That's how I lived my life. I was an average girl. I spent most of my life blending into a crowd. I wasn't stunningly beautiful, highly intellectual, or an all star athlete. To tell you the truth. For a long time, that was perfectly okay with me.

     As I grew up, I started to realize, I had been presented with opportunities I didn't take advantage of. At that time, I didn't realize how little I cared, but looking back, I see that I didn't put forth effort and I lacked drive.

       I ran cross-country my senior year of high school. I have an ex boyfriend to thank for that. I cried every time I stepped up to the starting line. During races I would stop and stretch. I hated running. It was as simple as that. At practice, if I didn't like the workout, which was most of the time, I would walk or ask for modifications. I didn't care to get better. I was medaling at races, and beating my teammates. I placed well enough at Regionals to go to the state meet. Mid race at states, I sat off to the side of the course, cried for a minute and then continued on to the finish line. What I never realized was how many people would have loved the opportunity that I merely thought of as my final round of torture. 

      Fast forward 8 years.  I am 26 and I hadn't raced since. I was approached by a coworker to run Tough Mudder. I had no idea what that was. I did my research. 12+ mile run plus obstacles? Was he trying to kill me? I had never run more than 3.1 miles. What could these "obstacles" be? More research, 12 foot walls, monkey bars, electrocution...I don't know about this. He assured me that we had a "team" to help us through this and that I was plenty athletic enough compared to all the "old people" already on the team. So $100+ dollars later, my name was on the list, my spot was secure and I had 4 months to train.

     In preparation, I signed up for an obstacle course race, Hog Wild 2. I got my sister to go with me and that was the day that changed my life for the better. (My next post "Neon Lights" will better explain how I realized this moment would define my future.) We completed that race and I had a huge sense of accomplishment. I couldn't wait for my next race. I trained and ran and trained and ran. I was in the gym every day. I had passion, drive and a work ethic that developed overnight.

     Once I got into the race scene. I was hooked. Addiction set in and I was always working toward the next race. I started to seek out competitors and put targets on their backs and pick them off one at a time. Race by race. I wanted to be better than average. For once I wanted to be the best.