Rage In The Sage 2012

To quote my friend Emily: "Marriage makes you fat." Add a couple of children to that, staying home all day long, love of food, and inactivity, and this is what I looked like at the same event two years ago.

Two years ago I started to run again. I used to run semi-regularly when I was single, but as I just mentioned I just sort of stopped being active. I was never heavy before. Never! Being overweight was a new thing for me, and it was not pretty.

One thing I love about this area is that there are a lot of sporting events you can participate in all year long. But I suppose it is the same for most cities of any significant size. In 2010, I ran two 5K's and did the Duathlon and then devel0ped some lower back issues and stopped running. With the help of a horrendous year of G.I. problems I dropped 25 lbs. In December of 2010, a friend challenged me to train for a 1/2 marathon. I was really nervous. I had 5 months to get ready and I wasn't sure if I could do it. But I did! So in 2011 I dropped another 21 lbs, ran two 1/2 marathons and a RAGNAR relay. Truthfully, I went through a couple burn out periods with the running, but I didn't want to stop. I knew where I had started from and I did not want to go back. In November I started having foot pain, but was able to run with it for a while. I ran the 2011 Turkey Trot 5K and finally finished under 30 minutes (29:30).

The foot pain got worse and worse, so I finally saw a Podiatrist, got an injection and then went on to PT in February. I've been going for 2 months now and I am finally seeing improvement. It has been a long haul. I got discouraged with the foot issue (Plantar Fasciitis), even felt a little "down" about not being able to run, but I didn't want it to get the best of me. I decided that if I couldn't run anymore, then I would just find something else, like biking. Which is why I decided to do the Rage in the Sage again this year, but just do the bike part.

During the 10 miles, I thought to myself a couple of times that I would rather be running, but in the end I really enjoyed myself. My goals were: to not crash, not get a flat tire and not have to walk my bike up any hills. Goals met!



My friend Jen was my teammate. She is 6 moths pregnant, but really wanted to do it. It was a gorgeous day!

CrossFit

Our relay team was trying to get some local businesses to sponsor us for our race. My husband had told me about this gym that some of the guys he works with owns, called Natural Selection Cross Fit. I had never heard of cross fit before, so he showed me some videos online. Wow! Talk about intense.

Anyway, (sorry, I ramble when I write these posts and they aren't put together very well-mostly because I am trying to hurry all the time to get them done) I contacted the gym to see if they would sponsor us. Instead of donating cash to our team, they offered personal training sessions twice a week until our race. Pretty cool! Saturday two of us went to the gym for a "meeting" and a nice little introductory workout that consisted of warm up with a jump rope (we learned "double-unders") 250m row, 10 squats, 1o sit ups-crossfit style. Three times each. Took me three days to recover from those squats.

This week some of our team went for our first 2 rounds. Tuesday we learned some of the basic moves including, push-ups (which I really, really stink at), sit ups, pull ups (he says that if we were to come regularly we would all be able to do a pull up), rowing, more jump roping (really unkind to a woman's bladder). Then we did our workout. It was: squats and sit ups. That's it. we did it in this order 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. So you would start with 10 squats/10 sit ups, then 8/8, 6/6 and so on and then back up. After the gym I went on a nice 3 mile run with Shalise and Kimberly. I wanted to walk several times, but didn't want to look like a wuss on such a short run. Wednesday I wanted to run, so I went out at 9am (felt like it was 90 degrees out) and did a very hot and hilly 5 mile run. Holy....something! My quads have never been so angry with me. I was sore on Wednesday, but yesterday I felt like a crippled old woman. Stairs have never seemed so daunting to me.

I was very nervous for last night's workout. I couldn't imagine having to do more squats. Leo (the main guy we're working with, and former Marine) was not there and fortunately we only had to do a few warm up squats. Praise the Lord! After warming up, our workout was: 250m row, 10 push ups and a 200m run. Repeat 4 times. I was about 1:30 slower than everyone else. I really hope it was due to how sore I was. wait! I just remembered I had to wait for the rowing machine 2 times. No wonder!!! HA! Ok, I feel better now.

So, the point is-these guys have been really cool to work with us outside regular business hours. I actually like the workouts. They're hard, but it's fun to change things up. It's also nice to learn good technique and form and all that stuff. It feels good to be strong (or to be working on being strong).

After a ton of rolling out my quads, stretching, lots of water and rest I am starting to be able go down the stairs normally again. And just in time for our team run up Reata hill tonight. Come on legs! Don't fail me now!

Check out this video of the women of crossfit. Intense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufVcD2_2dXg

RAGNAR BABY!

Let the countdown begin! I am so excited about my upcoming relay race. In just three weeks I will participate in my very first Ragnar Relay with 11 other awesome ladies. We are doing the Northwest Passage Relay, which begins in Blaine, WA and ends 187 miles later, at Whidbey Island, WA. Each of us get to run 3 legs and we run all through the day and night, non-stop. We will take two vans. Runners 1-6 in the first and runners 7-12 in the second. Did I mention how EXCITED I am??? When my friend approached me (back in March) about participating, I was already training for my 1/2 marathon and I said "yes" right away. Didn't even have to think about it. I love having something to work toward, especially a physical goal, such as running. I'm still not an amazing runner or anything. Probably never will be, but I love to run because it pushes me to work hard. Sometimes I find myself waiting for it to become "easy", but lately I am beginning to wonder if that is realistic or not.

I will keep running as long as I am able.

This evening we went out for a Sunday bike ride as a family and when I got back, I was reflecting on the journey I have made over the last year and a half, physically speaking...I saw a picture of myself from last April when I ran in the Rage In the Sage Duathlon. (cringe!) How could I have let myself go so, so far?!? Ugh! I do not EVER want to go back there. I am so much happier with where I am now.

Mostly though, as I was relfecting, I just feel so grateful for my health and strength. I am so extremely grateful my internal problems seem to have been resolved, and I am so happy that I have the ability and the desire to lead a physically active life. It doesn't only benefit my body, but it does wonders for the soul and the mind!

It feels so good to move your body!

Go team "Speed Sold Separately"!