One year ago today, I was a stay-at-home mom who started going to the Central Bucks County YMCA a couple of times a week to walk on the treadmill and watch an hour of television, because I desperately needed some “me” time. A month later, I saw a video of Tough Mudder in the Y’s fitness center and thought, “Wow, how awesome is that? I wish I could do that!” A month after that, I signed up for Tough Mudder and started taking the Y’s Tough Mudder training classes and I never looked back.
In 2012, I finished:
·
Two 5K Races· A 10K Race
· A 13K Race
· The 10 Mile Broad Street Run
· Two Half Marathons
· A Tough Mudder
· A Spartan Sprint
· A Super Spartan
· The R2C Relay Race
· …and THE PHILADELPHIA MARATHON!
In just one year, I went from not being
able to run on the treadmill for even 1 mile without losing my breath and
having to slow down to walk to running 26.2 miles without stopping (other than
slowing down to walk while hydrating at the drink stations and one very quick
pit stop at the bathroom a little past the halfway point). I still can’t
believe I did all of that this year. It seems almost impossible to me.
A year ago (or really at any point in my
life before now,) I would have thought someone was crazy if they told me I’d
finish all of those races in just one year – or even just in my entire lifetime.
I was never athletic, even when I was a kid. I usually sat on the bench for
most of the game in any sport I tried, and I dreaded having to run the mile in
gym class and always slowed down to walk along the way.
How did I do it? It was actually very
simple. I made the decision to do it and do whatever it took to reach my goal.
My first goal was to complete the Tough Mudder with the team at the Y in April.
I took the Tough Mudder training classes offered by the Y and got a personal
trainer, because I had no idea what to do or how to start training.
Running was part of my training for
Tough Mudder, and I knew there would be points during the Tough Mudder where I
would have to run up to 2.5 miles in between obstacles. So, I started training
for the Y’s 5K in March. I knew if I was ready to run a 3.1 mile 5K a month
before Tough Mudder, my cardio would be in good shape for the race. I started
running on the treadmill for just one minute, and then I’d slow down to catch
my breath. Then, I’d increase to 1.5 minutes, 2 minutes, etc. until eventually
I could run an entire 5K on the treadmill without needing to slow down.
Once I learned how to run without
slowing down, it actually became fun for me. I wasn’t out of breath anymore,
and mainly just felt an amazing adrenaline rush every time I ran. Sure, I felt
some muscle or foot pain when I would run longer distances, but the high I got
from running outweighed any of the minor pains I felt, and those pains always
subsided very quickly.
I started signing up for lots of races.
The excitement I felt on race day just added to my enjoyment, and I realized
that I really loved to run! Someone who hated running for 37 years now LOVED to
run. Once I finished the Tough Mudder, I decided to sign up for a couple of
Spartan races. In addition to my love for running, I was hooked on obstacle
racing too. Obstacle races were so much fun, and I loved working together with
a team to help each other reach the finish line.
I signed up for the Philadelphia
Marathon after I completed my first half marathon in May and planned to train the
right way for the race, running one long run every week and increasing my
running distance by 10% every week until I was able to run 26.2 miles. Well,
life got in the way, and I never had a training run that lasted more than 13.1
miles.
The week before the race, I got a chest
cold and I seriously doubted that I would be able to run double the longest
distance I had ever run before. I almost decided to push the marathon off until
the following year. I let fear creep into my head. I started to listen to that
voice of doubt that told me I couldn’t do it…and I almost quit.
I got lots of encouragement from friends
during that week, and I started thinking about all of the things I had
accomplished that year. I ran hundreds of miles this year. I jumped over fire.
I crawled through a pond of water with 10,000 volts of electricity shocking me
as I weaved through live wires during Tough Mudder. I climbed walls…sometimes
using a teammate’s back as a step stool and towards the end of the year,
jumping to the top of the wall and pulling myself over all by myself. I jumped
off of 20 foot cliffs into freezing water and submerged myself in a dumpster
filled with water and ice cubes. I crawled under miles of barbed wire, over
rocks and through mud. I dragged blocks of cement and carried sand bags up
and down black diamond ski slopes. I climbed parts of mountains that were
almost vertical while dodging falling rocks at Spartan Race. And the list goes
on… How could I NOT attempt this marathon?
A couple of days before the marathon, I
just made the decision to do it. I was going to finish that marathon, even if I
had to walk for part of it. I arrived on race day and never felt more scared
and excited at the same time. I entered my corral and looked out amongst the
sea of people who I’d be running with. I saw a spectator with a sign that said “Less
than 1% of people have completed a marathon” and I got chills. Before I knew
it, we were off, and there was no stopping me.
During the race, I soaked in the cheers
from the spectators and ran a little faster whenever we neared a speaker with
music. I smiled at kids who were high-fiving people from the sidelines, and I
reveled in the energy that surrounded me. As I rounded a bend in South Philly,
I saw a man cheering for the runners while balancing on canes in each hand. He
was my motivation throughout that race. Every time I got tired, or my muscles
got sore, I thought of him and how he couldn’t run and I told myself that I HAD
to run because I COULD run. I wouldn’t take for granted the gifts and the
health that God has given to me and I’d use it to get through this race.
I was very sore after I finished the
marathon and my muscles were so tight that night, but it got better the next
day. On day two after the race, I’m barely sore and now I’m thinking about what’s
next for me… One goal for next year is to get my Trifecta at Spartan Race. To
do this, I need to complete one Spartan Sprint (3+ miles), one Super Spartan
(8+ miles) and one Spartan Beast (12+ miles). There’s also a Spartan Ultra
Beast that’s 26.2 miles with mud and obstacles.
I already know I can get the Trifecta.
It’s just a matter of coordinating my schedule. But, I have no idea if I can
complete the Ultra Beast. It’s hard to imagine going the distance of running a
marathon, and piling obstacles on top of that. So, maybe that’s my next big
challenge. Stay tuned for more, because I’m definitely not finished yet!
