New year

Its new years eve!

This year I took on alot of new challenges. I became athletic for the first time ever in late 2012, and in 2013 I completed several events I never would have done before. I didn't do all that I had hoped to because of the injury, but looking back now I realize I have made some huge accomplishments. The fact that I got out there and did all this stuff is something to be proud of.

What I did in 2013

• Achieved my goal of losing weight - 40 lbs
• Ran my first Spartan Race and 2 other obstacle races
• Ran my first 10k
• Won 2nd place in 3 races, 2 in my age group and 1 was overall female
• Ran 2-3 times each week with exception of April-August
• Made significant strength and flexibility gains through yoga

Where I fell short in 2013

• I lost half the year dealing with my hip and back pain. It took me a long time to figure out I needed to be moving more, not less
• Because of this setback I'm not where I thought I would be at this point. I had to pretty much start all over in September. Basically I'm right around the same place I was last year in terms of my mileage and strength
• Gained some weight back

What I want to do in 2014

• Run my first half marathon in February - the Augusta Half, and do 1-2 more throughout the year - will be looking for them in cities like Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston
• Earn my Spartan Trifecta - Georgia and NC for sprints, Asheville for super, SC for beast
• Race in different cities and states
• Run more trails, and complete more Xterra races
• Strength train 2-3 times a week
• Lose a few extra pounds
• Eat cleaner

I have big things planned for 2014. I want to train more and harder. I want to get out there and do more. Hopefully I won't suffer any other injuries or setbacks. I'm dealing with my hip still, a case of Plantar Fasciitis which honestly isn't so bad. I don't know what all the fuss is about PF - yeah it's annoying but it doesn't stop me. I also have a cranky knee that pops but it doesn't really hurt. I'm going to do my best to treat, stretch, and strengthen everything to keep myself injury free. This stuff shouldn't stop me as long as I'm diligent. 

 Here's a look back at some of the things I did and places I've been this year, in no particular order ...

Happy new year!

Brutality is coming

So I've seriously lapsed on my strength training. I am just gonna come out and say this - I don't like strength training. I put it off and find excuses not to do it. I don't know why. I have the body type for it - my measurements are 40, 30, 36. I have huge shoulders and chest compared to the rest of my body. Spartan Race taught me that I should have probably been a weight lifter instead of a runner - I can flip tires, carry sandbags, and do Hercules Hoists all day long, but ask me to hop across some logs or cross a horizontal wall and I'll just fall on my ass. Still, for some reason I just keep putting off my strength training. No longer!!!

I am vowing to commit more time to strength training. I will train 2 times a week ideally, 1 time a week at the absolute minimum. This is in addition to yoga which could be considered strength training - so 3 times a week, 2 times a week minimum.

Tonight's workout definitely proved that I am rusty, however I somehow accomplished a first ever feat! I did one complete pull up from the ground (no jumping into it) and my chin cleared well over the bar. Before I had always jumped into it or not gotten my chin completely over. Yay! Now to just shorten my break time between pullups.

(Music of the day - Dethklok - great for brutal workouts!)

Holidays and the return to fitness

I'm back!

We were in Virginia for about a week visiting our family. It's not something we get to do very often, so we pretty much saturated ourselves with family and friends the entire time. It was exhausting at times. Crazy - spending an entire day with my wacky 79 year old dad, and my entire "quirky" family. Unexpected - my mom ended up in the hospital on Christmas eve, but she is totally fine now and shouldn't have any further issues. And it was fun - backyard fires, cookouts, beer, games, and just hanging around. The weather was all over the place - 80 degrees, then pouring rain, then 35 degrees. But I got some great walking time with my mom in her neighborhood - golf resort with tons of walking trails. I even snuck in a quick run. I ate whatever the hell I wanted, which includes many many cookies and just other not good for you stuff. We had a good time on our trip and enjoyed seeing everybody, but now I'm glad to be back in good old Georgia.

Of course I have to share my Christmas loot. Since we didn't have a huge budget for gifts this year (when do we ever???) I told my husband what I wanted/could really USE - a GPS watch. Lo and behold ...

YAY!

He got me the Nike Sportwatch! My husband is one of those people who will research products till he's blue in the face to find the best one. He said this one seemed to have the best user reviews and website, and so far this watch definitely does not disappoint. I have never owned a GPS watch before, until now I've just been getting by with a regular one and guesstimating how far I've gone. So I have no prior comparison, but I can definitely say this is pretty easy to use - simple interface, but it shows you everything you need to know. I don't want to be out there on the trail fiddling with buttons and menus, so the fact that it cuts to the chase is very good. The website is awesome. There are graphs, charts, stats, all time personal records, you can set goals, you can compare yourself to other Nike users - very dangerous for my competitive self! You can find anything you'd possibly want to know about your run - there is a map showing where you went, where you slowed down and sped up, and of course elevation, terrain, and even the weather/time of day. Yeah, pretty awesome stuff.

Here is my Nike Plus stuff for whoever is curious

Some of the other stuff I got - some snap reflective bands, kinda like those snap on bracelets from the 90's. Under Armor hoodie, a balance board, some headbands, reflective hat, and a little runner Christmas ornament. I got $150 cash and a gift card for Dick's, so I went there today and picked up a winter coat, the Nathan belt in the picture below, and a yoga block - stuff I needed badly!

I tested out my new watch on this morning's run - 5 miles at the canal. Once again, not alot of button mashing, just a few clicks and off I went. Man, after not running much for the past 2 weeks it was really hard to run 5 miles. Maybe it was a bit ambitious of me for my long run to be the first thing I do, but I have no time - the Augusta Half is coming and I need every weekend for long runs! I had cramps on my bad side, because for the last week I've been sleeping on a saggy bed and sitting in cars all the time. My pain flared up pretty bad last week, but it's getting better now that I'm back in my own bed. I got the 5 miles done despite the hurt. While I had a great holiday and enjoyed seeing our family, I was going nuts not exercising! I have seriously become addicted - I feel pent up and stressed if I go too long without it. Feels good to be back.

Checking in before the holiday

I'm kind of taking a break from my routines for the next couple weeks. This week I've been busy preparing for Christmas - buying/wrapping presents, and then tomorrow we are driving to Virginia to visit our family. We'll be there until Christmas day because unfortunately I'll have to go back to work. I may squeeze in a run at my mom's house one morning but that'll be about it. I plan on beefing up my training significantly in the new year.. and I'm in the process of figuring out a race schedule of sorts. Yay!

Navy Classic

It was a cold, dark, December morning as Karen laced up her faithful Saucony Hattori 2's and drove to Enterprise Mill to compete with valor in the Navy Classic.....


Just kidding. I'm not really going to write like that. And it wasn't really that cold - about 50 which really is perfect running weather for me since I'm one of those runners that's literally a hot mess at the end of the race. The forecasted rain held off until the late morning so I didn't have to worry about that. This race was a 10 miler and 5k. I'm not quite at the point where I could attempt the 10 miler - give it another month and I probably could, but not today. When I got there this morning I was feeling pretty good and pumped up. I decided to just push as hard as I can and try to get a good time. Under 30 minutes, maybe 28 minutes if possible. Well, strangely enough this was a pretty small race. Usually anything "military" in a military town draws tons of people, but I did find out that this was the first annual Navy Classic so I guess it may have been the newness factor. Oh well, I like smaller races because they make me more competitive. Most of the people here were doing the 10 miler so my race was even smaller. The race was downtown which is pretty much flat. Flat course, not alot of people, good weather... oh yeah. It's on. I'm going for an age group win.

We started shortly after the 10 mile racers and I immediately turned on beast mode. Not many people were in front of me and it pretty much stayed that way. There was 1 girl in front of me in a salmon colored tank top. I tried really hard to catch her but she just kept getting farther away and I just couldn't do it. I figured she was in her 20's like me but there wasn't really anything I could do about that. All I could do is just keep pushing. We ran through downtown and along the riverwalk. A good flat course, as I suspected. I was really starting to tire out at the end, but I had the willpower to tell "the voice" in my head to shut it and just keep going for a little longer. No one was in front of me except for 2 guys. I was nearing the finish line and saw this number-

25:42. TWENTY FIVE. Whaaat... How the hell is this possible? I was in complete disbelief. On top of that, as I crossed the finish line somebody said "First female!" I literally threw my hands up in the air and said "Oh my god!" I was a hot mess - exhausted, huffing and puffing, and for a moment there I could almost cry. I've never won a race and have never considered myself "that elite" to be able to do so. So after I calmed down a bit I got my free refreshments which were very good, then waited for the awards to start. I wasn't mentioned in the age group awards, which really threw me until they announced that there would be an overall winner proclaimed. But here's what threw me even further. I actually won second place. That girl with the salmon colored tank top got me. Which is why I was kind of confused when they said I was the first female.. but at the time I figured maybe she was running the 10 miler. So yes, a little disappointing that they screwed that up - but still, second female overall is WAY beyond anything I was expecting from myself.

It says 10 mile, which is kind of deceptive since that's not the race I ran. I don't want credit for something I didn't do. And that's really my only complaint about this race, is that they should have had separate medals for the 5k people. Other than that I liked the race and will definitely be back for the 10 mile next year.

Plus the shirts are awesome!

I love it!!!

Today was awesome. I have a new PR, one which I didn't think I was even capable of at this point. I placed 2nd overall which I wasn't expecting at all. Plus I met some great people today. Met a woman who just moved here from California and chatted with her about what it's like to run in Augusta before the race. After the race I was talking with an older man who has pretty much the same running timeline I have - started running in late 2012, dealt with an injury and had to quit over the summer, then started running again in September. Plus he does obstacle races too. Then there was this kid and his mom - if you saw this mom you probably would have thought it was a joke. She was stick thin, zero muscle, and wearing an all grey sweatsuit. Runners don't run in sweatsuits! But I am now eating those words because she kept pace with me the entire time, AND her 7 year old son ran the entire thing with her! They finished shortly after I did which must have been around 26-27 minutes. That's impressive as hell for a little kid! I congratulated them afterwards because that was just so awesome to watch. Running these races really allows you to meet some great people

It's been a great day.

Thoughts on the Spartan World Championship

So I finally got to watch the Spartan Race World Championship! They aired it on NBC Sports last weekend but that's a channel I don't have. Luckily someone put it up on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c_8LeMOktQ

I highly recommend that you watch it. It's an hour long but SO worth it. Here's why

Spartan Races are hard. Challenging. But human beings need challenge in their lives. If you watch the video at one point they say "You wouldn't buy a Ferrari and just let it sit there collecting dust" So why would you do that with this amazing body you've been given? We're not being physically challenged anymore. Everything is done for us. This race is about getting back to what human beings were meant to do - run, sweat, swim, crawl, jump, climb - and get dirty! You will face your fears. Huge walls, heights, water, sharp things, fire, take your pick. But when you're out there, there's no room for fear. You realize you have to suck it up, take one step at a time, and literally pull yourself through it all. You can't let yourself think about it - you just have to do it. And it's not easy. You will hurt, you will bleed, you will shiver, you will sweat, you will curse and you will cry. But trust me when I say, the feeling of completing the hardest obstacles and crossing the finish line - is just unreal. It's worth all the suffering. Because these races TRULY show you what you are made of. You will discover that you are capable of things you never dreamed you could do. I truly believe Spartan Race can change your life.

This video was a great watch. It introduces you to the race - it's origins, what it's about, and the types of people who run it. They mostly focus on the elite heats, which makes sense since it is a world championship. But it also touches on the open heats and shares the stories of some of the racers. Some of these stories were incredible - people who were 500 and 700 pounds, a 14 year old girl who was racing for her father who passed away, a man who survived brain cancer, and even a man who rode his bike from Texas to Vermont just to be in the race! There are average joes out there doing this. There are people who have no legs out there doing this. And you'll see in the video that even these super fit elite athletes struggle on the course at times. Everyone is out there pushing the limits of their own bodies and fighting to finish. it is truly unifying.

It was interesting to watch the elite racers get through what is known as the hardest course in Spartan history. I had never seen them race before, and some of them make it look SO easy! The way they crawl up those ropes and just scramble through that barb wire is absolutely nuts. But every single elite had their own battle, whether it was the rope climb, tyrolean, barb wire pit, or just the freezing cold water - everyone's got a weak spot to overcome.

I think I will make the Vermont Beast a bucket list item for me. I've actually been to Killington as a kid on a ski trip (loved it) so I kind of feel like I have to go back ...
I cannot wait to get back to Conyers in March for the Georgia Sprint. One year will have been too long. But in 2014 I have alot to look forward to. I'm signed up for the Carolina Sprint, and have the Asheville Super and Carolina Beast in my sights as well. I really do love this sport. It's addictive, thrilling, and incredibly empowering. And I'd recommend it to anyone...

Hold it in

I've had a pretty good week of running. Also on monday I did my strength workout - I'm going to start using the Spartan WOD's again. That's what I did on monday - I had to modify it a little due to my space/materials I have, plus the fact that I don't run every day at this point. Lately I've been really busy with Christmas stuff and feeling like I have no time. But I haven't been too stressed and I think I have my regular exercise to thank for that.


TMI ahead...


Today's run was a little interesting. I went to the track on the base because I had to get groceries afterwards. Went into the gym to change. I kind of had to use the bathroom at this point - yep, THAT kind. I am pretty "regular" and don't usually have trouble with this. But it didn't wanna happen for some reason, so I figured I would just go run and then maybe 20-30 minutes after it would happen. Nope. About 3 minutes into the run my body was all like "Oh hey, that thing you wanted to do 10 minutes ago? I'm ready now! Let's do this!" I literally felt like I was about to crap my pants during the last half mile. I wanted to run really fast so I could get to the bathroom but I really couldn't. I just had to do my best to hold it in and just kind of tell my body "We're not doing this right now", finish the run, then make a mad dash for the bathroom in the gym. Ugh. Worst feeling ever. Doesn't usually happen to me.. but hey at least it wasn't during a race or something!

Speaking of races, I'm about to do another one! I am getting to the point where I'm not really going to be doing 5k's anymore, except maybe once in awhile, but I saw this one and really wanted to do it. It's the Navy Classic 10 miler/5k. Obviously at this point I'm not doing the 10 miler :(  but it will be a fun military themed race and I'll get to scout out the 10 miler for next year. I am really going to give this one my best attempt, after my last race with the painful gravel I feel like I really need a re-do.

It's time to kick some Navy butt.

The Canal Trail

So I didn't end up going to the Spartan workout. There's a few factors at play here - I didn't get much sleep over the last 2 days. I found out last minute that my husband's battalion was having a christmas party, so we did that last night. He had last night and today off. But in the end I honestly didn't feel like getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning and driving 2 hours to Macon. Plus it was pouring rain. I know this sounds really whiny, excuse filled, and un Spartan of me, but I honestly just did not feel like making that drive. I also think at this point my time would be better served doing long runs in preparation for the Augusta half. The next 2 weekends I can't do long runs so I really needed to take advantage of today..

We got some heavy rain so I didn't think running on base would be a good idea. Instead I went to the Augusta Canal trail. It's a popular running trail around here which is some 14 or 15 miles long (I think?) I had been out to the start of the trail earlier this year - when I did the Resolution 5k or whatever it was called. The place I PR'ed!

Today I decided to start in the middle area of the trail, just to explore some new areas really. I don't think I will start from Eisenhower park again, however. It was a bit scary - I had to cross the canal on this 100% rusted metal bridge that didn't seem completely sturdy. Then the porta potty out there was right at the edge of a cliff, and it was leaning backwards slightly... so between the bridge and the bathroom I kinda had a feeling I might be tumbling into the canal or the Savannah river... lol.

I didn't have my phone with me for pictures, but I have some from the Resolution race. This is the area around the top of the trail - the same types of trees, foggy mornings, and water surrounds the trail itself

I do like the trail though. Its a flat, compacted dirt/gravel trail and even in the wintertime it is really pretty. It's along the Augusta canal obviously, and to the left is the Savannah river and the border to South Carolina. I think this would be a beautiful trail in the spring. Today certainly felt like spring. While some parts of the country are -30, it feels like freaking may in the south. 80 degrees, rainy, humid, STICKY!!! It was nice though, was about 67 when I went out which is a pretty perfect temp. There were tons of runners as I expected there would be. I ran 4.5 miles in 46 minutes, the run itself was difficult and kind of hurt at times. I wasn't feeling so hot this morning - probably as a result of the christmas party food/desserts. But it was a good run though, I was happy with it and it was nice to explore some new places.

I went downtown for a little bit too, wanted to eat at a certain restaurant but it wasn't open yet so I grabbed some yummy Quiznos instead. Saw some neat spots downtown..

I plan on coming back to the Canal for long runs in the future. Hadn't really been out here much before now because it's 30 minutes away from my house, but for my longer runs there really won't be many other good places to go. Aside from FATS, but that will be a new adventure entirely :)

Body Image

So far this has not been the most active week for me. I had 4 straight days of activity, including 4 very good miles on Saturday and a great Sunday yoga session where I really gave it a good effort. However, I didn't do anything on Monday because we met some friends at Starbucks, and yesterday I was just feeling flat out lazy. Tonight I did my strength workout and managed to work up a good sweat in 20 minutes. I already feel kinda sore.

Today I am feeling kind of fat. I don't know why, but there are some days when I look in the mirror and just think "yeah, I'm lookin GO-O-O-OD!!", but today was one of those days where I put on my form fitting workout gear, looked in the mirror and just said "Ugh..." I think the reason I feel this way right now is because my stomach has been all bloaty lately, probably from going back to fibery foods after 4 days of bad food. It's crazy, even after losing nearly 40 lbs I still feel fat sometimes. I've been this weight for awhile so I guess sometimes I forget that I used to weigh nearly 200 lbs. When this happens I usually look back through my progress pics just to get a little bit of a perspective shift. And I know most females deal with this from time to time. Generally I'd say I'm pretty happy with my body compared to most women, but every now and then I get a little down on myself. These are the times when I have to tell myself I'm not doing this to be "skinny", I'm doing this to be fit and strong. I work hard because I want to do epic shit! And I think as long as I'm working hard and doing epic shit, I can't hate on my body too much.

And the good news is, lately I am noticing that I just "feel" stronger. My little nagging pains are getting better - I am pretty sure I have a heel spur and I thought I was starting to get a case of runner's knee, but my heel isn't too bad most days and my knee hasn't bothered me in a week. Strangely I find that my hip and lower back feel better during periods where I'm really active. Case in point, I didn't work out for 2 days and spent alot of time playing Borderlands 2 with my husband - sitting in my chair. Plus I sit in a chair at work. And today the pain is kinda bad. Now I'm kind of regretting my slacking off!

This weekend I'm heading to Macon for the Spartan Workout. I'm gonna go ahead and go even if my husband has the day off, since I will probably be back around the time he would be waking up. As long as I'm not totally wiped out exhausted we should get to have a nice day together!