I still got it!

It's been over two months since Tough Mudder, and I have to say I have been really lazy when it comes to working out. I've dropped my exercise down to 1-2 days a week, which I know is not enough. Sometimes, I'll do a bunch of push-ups or plank for a little bit, because I feel guilty that I haven't exercised in a while, but that's about it. I haven't been gaining weight, but I've been worried that I'm losing my strength and muscle. My first Spartan Race is less than 2 weeks away, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it anymore.

I'm part of a Facebook group called Spartan Chicked, which is a group of amazing women who support each other as they reach their goals. it's focused around obstacle racing, but there are other athletes who are a part of this group as well. July is "monkey bar month" in this group, and everyone's been posting videos of their monkey bar attempts. That's what inspired me to test out my monkey bar skills - one of my greatest challenges!

Yesterday, I took my kids to the park and attempted to go across these monkey bars. The first time I tried, I think I only got to the 2nd or 3rd bar, and then I fell. The 2nd time, it was the same thing. But the 3rd time, I made it all the way across, with my daughter cheering me on, saying "Mom, you can do it! You're a Tough Mudder!" She really is my little cheerleader!

So, what did I do differently that 3rd time? I think it was a combination of technique and mental grit. The third time, I gripped the bars from the very top, so my hands wouldn't slip down to the sides. I found it was much easier to hold the bars that way, because my wrists were killing me when they would slip down to the side. I was also swinging my body from front to back. I found that the momentum helped me get from one bar to another more easily.

I also remember telling myself not to give up or let go, no matter what and no matter how much it hurt. Believe it or not, I think that helped me even more than the technique. When I did the Tough Mudder back in April, I was in peak physical condition, but I only made it to the first monkey bar and then fell into the water. I remember saying something like "I can't do it." before I dropped. It was towards the end of the race, and I was exhausted, but I remember not believing I could do it. Here's a link to the video of me attempting the monkey bars at Tough Mudder: http://qik.com/50574930/a03d91f0

I know I need to step up my exercising. After all, I have a Super Spartan coming up on September 8th, and I just won a free entry to the Hardcore Mud Run on September 9th. I'm probably crazy for doing 2 big obstacle courses in the same weekend, but in my mind, it's just another challenge to conquer. This monkey bar experience reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

"If you think you can, or if you think you can't, either way, you're right." Henry Ford

594th Place Never Felt So Good...

Wow, I finished my first half marathon. And I'm not gonna lie...It was very, very, very tough! I did the Broad Street Run 2 weeks earlier, and that was a breeze compared to the half marathon. It was much, much hotter for this race - in the 70's instead of the 50's. There were some pretty steep hills at this race too. While Broad Street wasn't entirely downhill, it was pretty much flat. I also found that I missed seeing spectators throughout the entire course like I did at The Broad Street Run. It turns out, those spectators were really motivating for me.

 

This was more than just a half marathon too. It was a superhero marathon, and they were trying to break the world's record for the most superheros in one place. It was also a much needed distraction from a very stressful week for me. I found this race on active.com on Friday night, bought my Wonder Woman costume on Saturday afternoon and registered for the race at 7:00 AM that morning, just an hour and a half before the race started. I wasn't planning to run my first half marathon until September, but I really needed to make the best of what could have been a not-so-good weekend.

The atmosphere at the race was so much fun. How could it not be fun, with people dressed up as superheros everywhere you looked! There were a couple of crazy people dressed in costumes with long sleeves and pants, and they must have been so hot! I was dressed in a bathing suit-like Wonder Woman costume, over a sports bra and running shorts, and I was hot. I couldn't imagine how these guys felt running while covered in superhero gear from head to toe.

During this race, I "hit a wall." I had read about this mysterious "wall" that most runners hit during long races. It's that moment or moments during the race when you start doubting yourself, when your mind and your body are both telling you that you can't do this and asking you to stop running. I didn't experience the "wall" when I ran Broad Street, and that was a 10 miler. So, I didn't expect to hit it during this race either. I thought I wouldn't encounter it until I ran my first full marathon in November. But, I did hit that wall, and I hit it very hard.

Somewhere around mile 7, I started losing my energy and I felt like my entire body was moving in slow motion. I knew I was still running, but I wasn't passing anyone anymore. Heck, I wasn't even keeping up with anyone anymore. I kept seeing the other runners passing me, one by one...It was almost like I was standing still while everyone was passing by me, and I was struggling to move. My running felt more like shuffling and I didn't know what was happening.

I had run that 10 miler with no problem...Why was I feeling this way at mile 7? I started talking to myself (in my head - not out loud.) Did I start off too quickly? Maybe my adrenaline got the best of me and I didn't pace myself well enough in the beginning. I had a rough week before this race. Maybe I was too physically and mentally worn out to even attempt this half marathon. Maybe it was too hot. Maybe I was getting dehydrated.

I looked around me and everyone seemed to be in such great shape. These people were real runners. No offense to the people who ran Broad Street, but there were a lot of out of shape people running in that race. These runners all looked really fit, and well...they looked like runners. Maybe I really wasn't a runner yet. Maybe I was in over my head. Maybe I wouldn't finish...

Then, I started cheering myself on. I can't even count the number of times I recited these two phrases in my head: "No matter how slowly you go, you're still lapping everyone else who's at home sitting on the couch." and "I'm too tough to kill." I saw the first phrase on Facebook, posted by a running page, and the 2nd phrase was part of a Pinterest image sent to me by my friend Julie the night before. I just kept repeating those two things in my head, and then I opened up the package of Cliff Shot Bloks (energy gummies) that was tucked safely away in my running belt and popped on in my mouth.

In a couple of minutes, it started to happen. I started moving faster, people stopped passing me like I was standing still, and now I was passing them. I passed one person, then two, then three, then four, and then five. I knew I had found my groove again when I caught up to a police officer who I was running near during the beginning of the race. Wow...I had made it through the "wall" and I was back. I don't know if it was because of those energy gummies, or because I had cheered myself on for so long, or if my body just realized that I wasn't giving up.

The rest of the race was still really tough, and I felt like I was losing my energy at several points. After I finished the first 10 miles, I kept telling myself that I only had a 5K left to do. I could do a 5K in my sleep. I did a 5K on the treadmill, almost every time I went to the gym. But this 5K, after having just run 10 miles, was the toughest 5K I've ever run. It felt like it took forever, and there were hardly any spectators to cheer us on during that last leg. I was popping those energy gummies left and right and stopping at every water and Gatorade station.

Once we got near the finish line, I could hear the loud music playing and I could see all of the spectators cheering on the finishers. I got so emotional and started crying. I was really glad I was wearing sunglasses, because those tears were really coming down. But something else happened too. I don't know if it was my adrenaline, the encouragement from the crowds of spectators, or just my pure joy knowing I was about to finish my first half marathon. But, during that last 1/8 of a mile, I felt like I was running so fast. I felt like I was running on a cloud and almost flying. I was passing people left and right.

I truly felt like a superhero when I crossed that finish line. It was such an amazing feeling! And, as an added bonus, they announced that we had unofficially broken the world's record for the most superheros in one place. What a great memory for my first half marathon. I was also shocked to see that my per mile time was better than my Broad Street Run time. I ran the half marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 28 seconds and came in 594th place. Who knew 594th place could feel so good?

Broad Street Run - My First Big Race!

I just ran my first big race and it was so much fun! Here are some interesting things about my experience:

• The hardest part for me was getting to the race start area. There were no trains that connected to the subway in time for me to get to the starting area before 8:30 AM. I paid an extra $20 to pick up my race bib and t-shirt at the race, but that added more stress to the beginning of the race. I had to search for the tent that had the bibs, but at least I got there very early and had the time to find it.
• I think it would have been nice to go to the race with someone else. I didn't love being all by myself at the beginning of the race. I met a mom of 4 before the race who started running about the same time I did. She was also there by herself, but in a different corral than me. So, we parted ways about an hour before the race started.
• I'm glad I went to the port-a-potty about 45 minutes before race time. The lines were extremely long. I probably stood in line for at least 30 minutes before I got to the front.
• They weren't very strict about people sticking to their corral assignments. I was assigned to be in the very last corral, and as I was making my way to the back, I saw several people waiting in corrals that didn't correspond to the corral color on their bib. I made it to the 2nd to last corral and just decided to stay there. Broad Street was so packed with runners, and I could barely move. So, I started in the yellow corral, instead of pink.
• It took about 30 minutes for my corral to get to the starting line. I hit start on my iPhone's pedometer a few minutes before we actually started running. I don't know why I did that, because I knew they were tracking my time through my bib. It really drained my battery, but I'm glad I did that because there was some technical glitch and my bib didn't scan at the finish line. I scanned the QR code on my bib after the race to see the results, and it said "Yikes! This runner didn't finish yet!" That was kind of a buzz kill for me, because I was standing there with my finisher's medal!
• I was freezing before the race, so I kept my jacket out of the bag that I checked on the gear bus. I knew I wouldn't wear it during the race, but I wanted to keep warm as long as possible. As I approached the starting line, I saw piles of discarded shirts, jackets, etc. on the side of the road, and in the middle of Broad Street. I figured I would do the same once I got hot, especially since they were donating the discarded clothing to charity. Right before I started running, I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist, instead of discarding it. It was very lightweight and didn't bother me at all while I was running. I was glad I had my jacket after I finished, because I got really, really cold again once I stopped running.
• There were people who stopped to use the port-a-potties less than a mile into the race. There was such a long line too...I was so thankful that I didn't have to stop to do that for the entire 10 miles. The only time I slowed down to a walk was once while I was drinking some Gatorade. I didn't want that to spill all over my shirt.
• I think I need to practice drinking water while running. The first time I took a cup of water, I probably spilled at least half of it on the front of my shirt, because I didn't want to slow down while I was drinking. I also learned that you don't need to stop at the first drink table. There is such a back up there, and there are another 10-20 drink tables after that with stacks of drinks on them. Everyone wants to stop at the first table, and then it gets jammed. I went to the first table for the first couple of times and hated waiting. Then, I ran a little further the next time and didn't have to stop at all.
• I am wondering if I did something to one of my toes at Tough Mudder last weekend. I ran on the treadmill on Wednesday with my new running shoes and the left 3 toes on my left foot were swollen and sore. I chalked it up to wearing new shoes that weren't broken in yet and decided to wear my Tough Mudder shoes for the Broad Street Run instead. A few miles into the run, my left 3 toes were killing me! I'm now wondering if I have a small fracture or something that's acting up when I run? I tried to put most of the pressure on my heels while running, and that seemed to help. No way was I going to stop!
• I saw lots of people wearing Tough Mudder shirts and headbands at various points in the race and wished I was wearing my orange headband.
• I started getting that little pain in my side about 2 miles into the run too, but I just kept running and eventually it went away.
• While running, I saw a daycare that was open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM - something you don't see where I live! There was also a laundromat with tons of barbed wire on the roof, and I kept wondering why they'd need to do that...So people didn't break in through the roof and steal the coins from the coin machine??? I also saw a Chinese restaurant with the big metal door pulled down at the entrance. It sounded like there was a chop shop in there, instead of a restaurant as I ran by.
• There were so many spectators ringing bells and yelling encouraging words to everyone in the race. There were informal and formal musicians along the path, and I loved hearing their music! I loved the people who held up signs of encouragement, especially the sign that read: "WOOOOOOOOooooooooo!" So funny!
• Note to spectators: Please do not walk directly across Broad Street during the race. At least 2 times, someone walked in front of me and I almost crashed into them...very distracting! I loved it when people who needed to cross just started running forward and then slowly made their way to the other side - That's the way to do it!
• One of the most unexpected things about this race was that I was so overcome with emotion at several points during my run. Sometimes, it would be the loud music and the adrenaline pumping through my body, and once it was because a woman looked directly in my eyes and said "GREAT JOB, RUNNERS!" I thought, "Wow, I am a runner now?!?!" and got all teary-eyed.
• I finished the race in about an hour and 40 minutes, and I think I could have gone even further. Before this race, I was wondering if I'd attempt my first marathon this year, or next year. But, now, I have  my answer - I'm registering for the Philadelphia marathon later tonight and can't wait for it!

Tough Mudder Finisher

I can now say I am an official Tough Mudder finisher! I've been wearing the Tough Mudder shirts while training, but didn't feel like I'd really earned the right to wear them. Sometimes, people would ask me if I did the Tough Mudder when I was wearing one of the shirts, and I'd have to tell them I was training for it. Now, I can say I did it!

This was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life (right up there with jumping out of a plane when I went skydiving back in my 20's). But, while I have no desire to ever jump out of a plan again, I'd love to do a Tough Mudder again!

Don't get me wrong, I loved the experience I had when I went skydiving, but this was completely different. I had to study a book and take an 8 hour class before I was certified to jump out of a plane by myself. But, my preparation for Tough Mudder required hours of training, and the accomplishment of crossing that finish line was so much more rewarding.

When I first saw the videos of Tough Mudder playing in the fitness center at the Y, I thought: Wow, that looks so cool...I wish I could do that! After talking to my friend Lynn, who did a mud run last summer, I changed my thought process to: This is my goal...I just need some guidance on how to achieve it. But, I WILL achieve it! Thank you for inspiring me, Lynn!

I've never been much of an athlete. I didn't make the softball team in high school, and I was on the basketball team my freshman year, but really only played during the last minute of the game when the coach was certain that I couldn't mess up the lead, or when he was certain we had no chance to catch up to the other team. I spent most of my time at the games filling up water cups for the starting players and handing them out during time outs. I also could barely run a mile in gym class. I was so out of breath by the end, and I would always blame it on my asthma.

After my first Tough Mudder training class at the Y, I could barely lift my arms over my head to wash my hair in the shower or dry my hair, I had trouble walking down the stairs, because my legs were so sore, and I seriously felt like passing out for the rest of the day. I kept going to the classes though, and I also started working with the most awesome personal trainer in the world - Marsha Hughes.

Little by little, the classes started getting easier for me. I knew the classes were actually getting tougher, but I was getting stronger and wasn't in so much pain afterwards. I went from barely being able to do a push up the regular way (not on my knees) in Mike Sobczak's Saturday morning class back in January to doing 350 regular push ups on the Monday before Tough Mudder.

I started this journey not because I felt like I needed to lose weight, or get in shape. It was because I wanted to prove that I was tough, like those people in the Tough Mudder videos at the Y. I wanted to prove it to myself, and to the people who told me they didn't think I could do it when I started talking about it.

This Tough Mudder challenge made me realize one very important thing...Being an athlete is a choice, and not something that just comes naturally. Of course, there are people who have natural talent, but even the superstars have to make a choice to train for their sport and do what it takes to be successful.

You can't just show up for practice and games (or the mile at gym class) without doing anything else, and expect to be good at it. It takes more than that to be a true athlete. You need to do more than you think you can and push yourself harder than you've ever pushed before. Sometimes, it takes another person like a trainer, an instructor, or even a friend to keep you going. Sometimes, you can do it on your own and just keep pushing yourself, even when your body and your mind are telling you to stop.

I've always been a "glass is half full" kind of person, but this experience just solidified that mentality for me. I'm doing the Broad Street Run next weekend, and I just registered for my first half marathon in September. I am also quite certain that a marathon is in my future. If I can run through fire, jump into icy water and swim out when I can't even breathe, make it over a massive wall and get electrocuted at least 8 times, why can't I do that too?

There might be some things I won't do, but there is NOTHING I can't do. I believe there is a path that leads to the achievement of every goal...You just need to follow the path, stay focused and believe in yourself.

Thank you to the Central Bucks Family YMCA for helping me to realize this amazing goal!

Amazed

Tonight at Tough Mudder training, I did:

• 80 sliding push ups
• 200 squats with a barbell on my shoulders
• 60 burpees with knee jumps in between
• 30 sit ups
• 50 Russian twists
• Army crawls across the studio 8 times
• Lunges with a barbell across the studio 8 times
• Crab crawls across the studio 4 times
• Bear crawls across the studio 4 times

...plus some more stuff that I can't remember. And, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill this morning.

This is absolutely crazy to me, especially since before the past 3 months, I literally haven't exercized at all (except for walking) in the past 17 years. It just goes to show you can achieve almost anything if you want it badly enough and work hard enough.

My Adventure Around Lake Galena - Tough Mudder Training At Its Finest!

Tough Mudder is exactly 1 month away, and I really want to step up my running. I finished my first 5K over the weekend, but the furthest I had ever run was 4.5 miles, and that was on the treadmill! I've been to Lake Galena before with the kids and read that there was a running path around the entire lake (5.75 miles). I thought today would be the perfect day to take the step to run just a little further than usual. Little did I know that I'd also be training for The Tough Mudder!

I started out running on a path that winded pretty tightly around the lake and it was absolutely gorgeous. I had Bon Jovi's greatest hits playing on my iPhone and I really enjoyed passing by other runners and walkers who either said hello, waved, or nodded at me as I passed. It made me feel like I wasn't alone, even when I was running by myself.

At some point along the way, I lost the running path. I was following the path and it ended up in a parking lot. I didn't see where it started up again, so I headed back down the way I came and decided to head towards what looked like a slightly overgrown trail. I followed it for a bit, but had to climb over fallen trees and make my way through sticker bushes, and then the trail just completely stopped. So, I just made my way towards the lake and started running alongside of it.

I was definitely not on any kind of path, and found myself running through lots of rocks and mud. TONS of mud. There were times when I had to go through mud that was deeper than my ankles, because there were trees and overgrown bushes all around the lake and nowhere else for me to go! Other runners might have gotten upset by this, but I was actually kind of excited. I felt like I was in real world training for the Tough Mudder.

Prior to this, my training had been in the gym or outside of the gym. My Saturday training class was held outside one morning in the drizzle and mud, but I soon realized that did not prepare me for walking in the sludge I was facing!

There was also some psychedelic sludge, which scared me a bit. I'm guessing it was mixed with motor oil from the boats that are on the lake in the summer? I saw animal footprints in the mud too. I was hoping they were from dogs.

My initial goal was to run the entire 5.75 miles around Lake Galena without ever slowing down to a walk. But, at some points, I needed to walk in the woods, or my legs would have been scraped up from all of the sticker bushes. I also had to stop running when I was in the very deep mud, because I think I would have run right out of my shoes! Note to self: Tie your shoes very tightly for The Tough Mudder.

One thing that helped me get through the really thick mud was to walk on my tippy toes. I think it was something about the angle of my feet that helped me keep moving without feeling like my shoes were being pulled off my feet!

Finally, I saw a little bridge and decided it was time for me to find my way back to the running path. I saw some footprints heading back into the woods, and decided that might be the way to go. So, I made my way through the the overgrown brush and finally found the path that went over the bridge. This path did not wind tightly around Lake Galena. It went up a steep incline and I was high in the hills above the lake, looking down at it. At some points, I couldn't even see the lake.

Now, I was running on a path with a ton of mud soaked through and on top of my sneakers and ankles. It felt like I had 5 pound weights strapped to my ankles and I was going up a very steep hill too. I came upon a little clearing and saw an animal carcass. I literally screamed out in fright when I saw that. I stopped for a moment to take a picture and then kept running!

The one negative to being back on the running path was all of those park benches on the side. They all seemed to be calling my name, but I pressed on. I rounded a corner and saw a parking lot and really thought it was the one where I parked my car. I actually screamed: "YES!" because I thought I was reaching my finish line. I got a little closer and realized it wasn't the right lot, and kept on going.

I heard "Wanted, Dead or Alive" playing on my iPhone and kept telling myself I needed to pretend an animal was chasing me and I had to keep running, or I'd end up like that carcass! Even though I did slow down during the really rocky, woodsy and muddy parts, I did run the entire time I was actually on the trail.

I rounded another corner and saw the little fishing dock that my kids like to walk out on when they're throwing rocks, and I knew I was close to the end. I threw my hands in the air as I maded it to the dock and was so proud that I made it the entire way. I checked my iPhone's pedometer and it said I went 6.1 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes, which I thought was fabulous!

My shoes were so muddy after I finished, that I decided to drive home barefoot!

I also took a picture of myself next to the lake to celebrate finishing my first non-official "mud run." It didn't come out that great, but as they say: If you still look cute after you work out, you haven't worked out hard enough!

My First 5K

I finished my first 5K, hosted by the Central Bucks Family YMCA in 28 and a half minutes. It's funny, I realized after I finished that it was the first time I'd run 3.1 miles outside. All of my training had been on the treadmill up until this point. I was always trying to make sure I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill so I'd be ready for the 5K, but I knew it would be different running outside, with more inclines, harder pavement, etc. I even saw a post by someone on Facebook saying that running on a treadmill was like running on a cloud in comparison to running outside.

I jogged the 1 mile fun run with Zachary and Annabelle before my 5K. Zachary took off at the starting line and I couldn't even see him anymore. Annabelle struggled a bit, but I was very proud of her. She was getting so tired, but I kept encouraging her and she made it to the finish line all by herself! We were one of the last groups to cross the finish line for the fun run, but I was just happy that I didn't have to carry Annabelle for a mile, and then run my first 5K!

My 5K was next and I felt really good going into it. I think the 1 mile fun run/jog was a great warm up for me! I was really proud of myself for doing the entire 5K without slowing down to a walk at all, and my favorite part was crossing that finish line and hearing them yell on the loud speaker: "JENNIFER PEEEEEEETERRRSSSS." I don't know if that's a common thing for 5K's, but let me tell you...I could really get used to this!