A Year of Athleticism

A particular good day at the gym

Last year, as part of my movement to build my habits, I created some monthly goals to really push the best out of myself. August was Athletic August and I had a serious of things I wanted to focus on over the course of the month:

• Do 30 burpees a day
• Do Pull-ups 
• Work out every day of the month
• Show a noticeable increase in the things I do already
• Try to do well on my kickball league
• Take advantage of promotional month at a gym we'd been wanting to try

For the most part, it all went really well. Nothing was perfect but it was probably an A- (except pull ups - anything that ends in "up" is still the bane of my existence). 

The biggest thing though - was that it didn't end when August ended. I used the month as a jumping off point for a whole lifestyle centered around fitness.

AND GUESS WHAT - I had the foresight to take a picture of how I looked on August 1st 2017!!!!

8/1/17

Honestly, not too shabby. To be really real here - I wasn't out of shape when I started this project. I was already going to the gym about 3 days a week and going on a hike or walk another 2. So 5 times a week, I was doing something active. I ate healthy. I was skinny. For most people, this was already goals.

But I had bigger goals. I always wanted to get the Spartan Trifecta. It went on and off so many resolution lists. I wanted to be better at things - faster, lift heavier, climb harder climbs, have more endurance. Athletic August wasn't about being really awesome for a month - it was about making a habit of fitness so that it was easy to keep it all going.

So here's where we are a year later!!

8/1/18

It's probably hard to notice a lot of differences but I can definitely tell. There's more muscle definition, I'm standing more confidently, I love the shape of my arms, and, most importantly, my clothes still fit. My goals have never been to lose a ton of weight - I always wanted to just build muscle, but it goes both ways. You can work out a lot without becoming stick thin or turning into a hulk. Those things take a lot of focused effort. You can exercise and still look feminine.

But that's not all! Obviously people work out to be really sexy, but like I said, I already started out fit. Changing my looks wasn't my main goal and frankly, it's not the main thing I got out of this.

So here are all of the other things I've learned or accomplished from my year of fitness.

Actually Work Out Everyday - OR MORE!

We even workout on vacation! - like once

In the lead up to the Spartan Beast, I really wanted to push my fitness to the max as well as challenge my endurance (it was a half marathon length obstacle race after all). I really wanted to try to get to the gym or do something every day. Some days I'd come home from the gym and still have energy so I'd pop on a workout video that was more cardio and stack my workout. That would give me two hours of high intensity fitness time.

By the last few weeks I was doing 12-14 workouts a week and just feeling like an actual beast. I'm sure I should have taken more rest in there. Some of the second workouts were yoga or walks so it wasn't all craziness. I'd also take it easier if I felt like my body was actually maxed out.

Stay at the Gym We Tested

I mentioned that we did a 30 day gym trial that August. Well, near the end of that month, we decided to sign up for a 6 month membership... which then rolled into another 6 months. We're pretty regular fixtures at the gym now and the owner jokes that we're on the lifetime membership plan. We've made a bunch of friends at some of the regular classes we attend, participated in competitions with them, and are part of their obstacle racing team. When we don't show up for a few days, they ask where we've been (which is actually tricky when "No Excuses" is in the name of the gym). It's nice to mix something I love with a sense of community and having my fitfam has been a big positive presence in my life.

Do What You Love

For the longest time, that was rock climbing for me. I did it because it was fun and I never took myself too seriously. I would constantly learn things and slowly improve but mostly I liked the level I was at because I enjoyed those climbs.

However, over time, I noticed that the climbing community isn't ok with that. I constantly felt pressure to be more and do more. If I didn't jump on the extra climbing wagon, I was left behind and made to feel less than because climbing wasn't my whole life. It finally came to a head when someone actually told me that I couldn't possibly know something about climbing that they didn't because it wasn't my number 1 hobby. That definitely began a lot of reflection for me and I realized that after joining NXPT and feeling a really supportive gym community, it made the lack of that in the climbing world glaring to me. I wasn't excited about doing something where I constantly felt judged or like I could never give it enough. It wasn't fun anymore and after almost a decade, I decided to no longer be a rock climber.

I like being in a community where we hold each other up

 Hit a Wall and Climb Over It

At some point, in the beginning of this year, I was worried I was hitting a wall. I knew I hadn't reached my max potential but I felt like things I'd been working on for months were still challenging. I mentioned it to one of the trainers and to Dan and they were both like "nonsense." They started putting heavier weights in my hands during classes or pushing me to push harder during my workouts. I started attending the lifting class more regularly. I used any frustration and motivation to fuel my climbs. I dug deep and after a few weeks of really pushing myself I noticed I'd pushed through that wall. On days when barbells were set up, I noticed I wasn't always going for the lightest ones, I was burning calories faster on the assault bike, I was non stop on my ab work while others had to rest. It felt good to jump over my hurdle and seeing that progress helped motivate me to continue to want to push harder.

Within the last couple of months, I really shattered that wall. I noticed that I was keeping up with some of the really athletic members of the gym when we did free flow circuits. I finished the warm-up first one class. I started lifting weights I couldn't even consider before. It felt great to go from feeling stuck to feeling like I'd risen to the top of the athletes at the gym.

Weight Gain

Take a look at my before and after pictures again. I look pretty much the same right? Well, I actually gained about ten pounds in the last year. That is 10 pounds of pure muscle gain. It's also one of those reminders that weight is not the most important thing. There has been this chart going around about acceptable weight for you height. 1) it's bullshit to begin with 2) according to the chart, I'm overweight. There is not a doctor or mentally sound person who would think I was overweight. That's because weight doesn't tell you everything. If you want to start a fitness plan, I'd recommend doing a body scan every few months to track how your size changes. These will help you determine how much of your weight is fat vs. muscle and more accurately reflect the changes in your body. Don't have access to a scanner or can't afford one? You can do it manually by measuring key areas of your body and tracking that over time. There are a lot of resources online to help you do that.

Power of Positivity

When I started Athletic August last year, I wasn't really in a great place. In hindsight, I was probably depressed. I had so little confidence, I was upset about several losses in my life, and I was feeling generally unsure about a lot of things. By the end of the month, I could tell I was already in a better place. A year later, I feel like a different person. Working out makes you feel better mentally. It gives you more confidence (not just because you look better and are stronger). Sometimes I feel like my friends here are still getting to know me because the me today is more like me than the me they met a year or two ago. It also makes me feel like its ok if they don't like this side of me. I'll be ok.

And sometimes you just feel better when you get to punch something

TRIFECTA

An obstacle I'd never been able to do before

Of course this is my pride and glory. The Trifecta has been a goal for years and I kept thinking that I couldn't really do it or I'd never really be fit for it. A couple of years ago, I'd decided that it probably just wasn't ever going to happen for me. Joining NXPT changed that for me. It brought out a fire and showed me I really can do more than I think I can. The longest race, the Beast, definitely was the hardest thing I've ever done. I definitely walked off the course ready to retire from Spartan. A few months later - I'm still on indefinite hiatus but I know I'll be back on those courses some day. I just don't recommend doing a Beast at elevation - that was too much for me.

Other Accomplishments

4th class of my 6 class day

I've also been able to do so, so much more. I finally got to the top of the rope in class (which is scary when you have a cement floor 8 feet below you). I've been able to run up hills (something that I always claimed to be allergic to). My Spartan finishes were in the top 10% - amazing for someone who loves to quote Baymax's "I am not fast." People at the gym see me as someone who works out hard. I did a whole day of working out (6 classes) FOR FUN. This year has been completely crazy for me in a good way. I did so many things I was afraid of and it's made me so much stronger physically and mentally.

Lastly, it's probably important to mention that this has all been great for Dan and I as a couple. We did all the Spartan races together and try to go to the same gym classes as much as possible (one of us insists on getting her beauty sleep which makes it difficult). I've heard frequently that working out together is great for couples in which case we're in for a long haul. It's also nice to have someone to always push me. On my own, I probably wouldn't always be as motivated as I should be but since Dan eats exercise for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, he doesn't really put up with my crap when I say I'm too tired to go to the gym. So... thanks my love!

So What's Next???

That's a great question! And I don't have a lot of answers for it. The past two months since I finished the Trifecta have been meh for me in regards to the gym. I think between finishing a really difficult goal, going on vacation, and getting a lot more responsibility at work, it's been really hard for me to get back into this intense gym mindset. I also don't have a goal right now. There are some good reasons for that, but I'm starting to think that a solid goal is really what I need. I'm a goal oriented person and while I love working out, it can be hard for me to go to the gym just because.

I'm thinking about signing up for another half marathon so I can focus around that goal. I also have some ideas on how to train better knowing everything I know now and I'm excited to try it out.
I still have to make a decision but it seems like a good idea. Otherwise (or in addition to), I need to start making some training goals for myself so I can keep up all the hard work I've accomplished in the last year.

I also think some basic goals around exercises I don't like would be good. I still struggle with pull-ups and push-ups (those up exercises kill me) and making a solid effort to improve them would be really good for me. In fact, I think I'm going to start thinking about all the things I struggle with and don't like and come up with some plans to target those trouble areas.

Guess I might be doing this noise again

Also, I haven't (or have... whichever) forgotten about the World Cup Eating Challenge. Life has been crazy lately and it's frankly just not high on my priorities. I'm trying to focus on a few different things that are making it harder for me to want to take on a new project.

Why I Run Obstacle Races

This is the first in a multi-part series about Obstacle Course Racing.

Oh you were expecting the 2017 look back I promised? Yea, me too, but that hasn't been what I felt like writing so here's this instead!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know I've been doing a lot of obstacle races lately. It's almost like that's my whole life right now.

WELL IT IS.

But why? Why has this been the sole focus on my 2018 and many prior years leading up to this?

Well, Obstacle Racing has always been the whole point. Finishing the Trifecta is my main Resolution this year. It also was in 2015 but I wasn't able to get it done. Frankly, I didn't have the right tools or focus to even try, but it's something I've been thinking about and building towards for a long time. Everything I've done fitness-wise has been for that goal.

I don't even think those are real running shoes

It all started after I joined the climbing gym. While the gym had some competitions, they were more on a fun level and involved self reporting that was easy to fake. I loved them but I wanted something more. I've always been an ok climber so I thought about how I could apply that to something else. Around the same time, obstacle racing started blowing up. I knew what I had to do.

I did my first obstacle race 5 years ago. Like almost exactly 5 years to the day. The race was for women only and obstacle wise was really easy... but I struggled to run the 5k distance. My friends were great sports and kept running back to check on me but it was embarrassing to get out of breath so easily. I realized that if I wanted to do more of these, I had to get better at running.

I hate running.

Photo Ops: an excuse to take a break from running

It might seem weird for someone who does so many races, including 4 half marathons, but I can't stand running. I've only ever signed up for running races to make sure I trained my running... in order to do obstacle races. I started with 5ks and when those got easy I moved to 10ks. Those are still a challenge for me but I moved onto half marathons anyways. Really though, 10k is my running distance sweet spot - it's long enough to be challenging for me but not so long that I'm miserable at the end like the half marathons. I have room to improve and it feels doable.

Wait, but you did 4 Half Marathons?

Right? I never wanted to do a half marathon. I didn't think it would build character. I didn't want to do the training groups my friends signed up for. I didn't want to run 13.1 miles... but the longest Trifecta race is 12-14 miles. I needed to be able to do that if I wanted to get the Trifecta. So I signed up for a Half Marathon and I trained and I did it three more times. Even though they took me forever and the training was my whole life, I did them and I get that knowledge that it's something I'm capable of doing.

Not here for the running

Ok so why now?

The Trifecta has been a bucket list item for me for so long. It was something I kept putting off. The cost of the races and the time I would need to put into training felt like too much. It felt like something I could always do later while also knowing that my life would only keep getting busier in years to come.

The past year has been full of changes for me. 2017 was really rough personally. I hit some of my lowest points emotionally. Exercise was the way I got myself out. Challenging myself to work out more and more helped get me out of the depression I was facing. Seeing myself complete local obstacle races with faster and faster times showed me that I might really have something here. Joining a local gym that had the right training and a motivating community was the final push to put me in the right place to go for the thing I've always wanted to do.

I hit a wall and I climbed over it

Being Uncomfortable

So Uncomfortable

Having completed 2 of the 3 Trifecta races has given me a lot of time to think about why I do this. The 4 hours I was running those courses were full of contemplation... specifically "Why am I putting myself through this?"

The owner of our gym likes to say that Spartan races make him uncomfortable. Obviously running a 5-8 mile race on a windy and dry Southern California day with numerous obstacles in your path is uncomfortable. You're dirty, you're probably cut up and growing some bruises. You're getting hungry and definitely thirsty. At some point you might think "I'm over this."

But you're getting through it, aren't you? It's not easy but you're doing it and you're doing alright. You're passing people. You flew through that last obstacle. You messed up the spear throw but those were the fastest 30 burpees you've ever done. Your knees are bleeding. You finished a troublesome obstacle for the first time. The guy next to you just kicked you going over a wall. But now you're finished!!!

And that's the thing... you win and you lose along the course. Some things go well and some things don't, but you get through it.

...but smiling anyways

You know what else that sounds like? 

It sounds a lot like life.

Things don't always go the way you want them to. That used to drive me crazy. I've been notorious for getting upset at things easily. At some point recently, that's really melted away. 2017 was a hard year. I lost my mom. I lost two friendships I thought would be lifelong. I lost my self esteem. All those things were really hard to deal with, but I survived them. It made me realize that the little things aren't worth getting upset over.

It's the same with obstacle racing. You might scrape your leg on the first obstacle. Well that stinks but you still have several miles and dozens of obstacles to go. If you get upset about this now, you won't make it through. You need to save that energy for the big things. In one of my races, I got a horrible cramp in my leg with half a mile left to go. That's the kind of thing that can take you out of a race. Dan helped rub out my leg and I limped the rest of the way and I finished because I was not about to let my stupid leg stop me.

Obstacle racing and the training leading up to it has changed everything. Being physically uncomfortable makes it easier to be mentally uncomfortable. Also, you just feel like a bad-ass when you accomplish these things. Someone posted recently that if you're unhappy at the beginning of a journey, you won't be happy at the end. That hasn't been true at all. I was at my lowest the first half of 2017. My journey isn't over but I feel like a different person.

Ready to sign up? Great! Stay tuned for Part Two: So You've Signed Up for an Obstacle Race.

Seawheeze 2015 - My First Half Marathon

Well, this post was supposed to come right after the Whole 30 wrap ups... better late than never though! Part of the reason it's been slow in coming is that I've been really busy lately - my work has picked up, I started taking art classes two nights a week, I've been organizing some book club meetings, and I got a little part time job as well. All of that plus my normal working out, cooking, and socializing has made me a very busy woman.

The other reason for the stop in posts is a little bit of writer's block. With my schedule, I don't have time for another challenge. I was thinking of just doing casual updates on balancing a busy schedule while still making healthy meals and keeping up with fitness but I know I do better with some kind of format so I'll have to think about a way to organize posts that won't be stressful for me.

But let's hear about that half marathon thing!!!

that's how long a half marathon is in Canadian

Girl's Weekend

One of the things I was looking forward to most about the trip was a chance to spend time with three of my best friends. The hardest part about moving to San Diego was leaving them and so it was exciting to have all of us in the same place once again. Getting four girls with strong personalities together can sometimes be a little rocky, but we had such an easy going, amazing time together. My friend Shannon took the lead on getting everything organized for us which was really awesome. She even made sure to find restaurants that would be Whole30 approved so I wouldn't have to cheat the last couple days of my challenge (and possibly upset my stomach before the race).

What's a Seawheeze Anyways?

Seawheeze is the official Lululemon half marathon. My friends are obsessed with Lululemon and Seawheeze is kind of a must try for all Lulu addicts. In terms of a race though... it's really more of an experience. For the entry fee you receive your race entry, a ticket to a festival, two yoga classes (plus yoga at the festival), exclusive Lululemon shorts, post race brunch, access to an exclusive runner's store, and lots of little bonuses and goodies along the way. All of that for half the price of a Disney race where you get a shirt and the race. The whole event is really designed to just make you feel relaxed and strong and loved and happy. It truly was something really special.

Tell Me More About that Exclusive Runner's Store...

Before Seawheeze, I had about 5 Lululemon things: a backpack I love and use everyday, two sports bras that basically suffocate me, and a bikini set that does not contain my assets. The last four items I got on super sale but didn't love and Lululemon just didn't seem worth the price tag to me.

And then the shorts arrived.

Like I said, your race entry gets you a pair of exclusive shorts for runners only. I didn't love the pattern when they arrived but there were two good points - they go with everything (the pattern is black with a variety of colored circles of different prints), and when you wear them, other Seawheezers will know you are also training for the race. I decided to wear them for my weekly long run in case I saw in anyone else. I only saw one other person wearing the shorts while I was training, but I came to realize that the shorts were the most comfortable things I had ever worn while running. By the time I'd left for the trip, I'd ordered another pair, a couple of sports bras, and a yoga mat. I had drank the Lulaid.

At first, I told my friends that I was going to sleep in while they waited in line for the store, but as we got closer to the trip, I started reading blog posts from past Seawheezers and really wanted to check out the store. I ended up waking up with them and bringing home a few souvenirs.

strategically does not show you how much stuff I bought

Luckily, Canadough is much weaker than the dollar so it was like getting some new shorts on sale! It also felt like a great way to reward myself for two major accomplishments - losing the ten pounds on Whole30 and earning some more fitting clothing as well as getting into a better workout and running schedule. Since these were the most comfortable running shorts I'd ever found, why not get some more to make running more enjoyable?

The actual store experience is a little crazy - think Black Friday gone mad. We waited in line for three hours and still had to search high and low to find items in our size. We heard plenty of horror stories about women stealing items out of other people's hands. Luckily, we didn't experience any of that and mostly all got what we wanted.

The Yoga

My friends and I decided to do two of the yoga sessions - the sunset yoga the day before our race and the yoga at the festival after our race. The two sessions could not have been more different. The sunset yoga was probably one of the worst yoga experiences ever. The instructor made inappropriate jokes, told us all we focus too much on social media, and seemed so disconnected from the practice. The only joy I got from it was watching one of my friends make faces every time the instructor said something ridiculous.

The festival yoga though - that was probably the best yoga class I've ever been to. To start, we were doing it outside in Stanley Park - which is just gorgeous if you've never been. Secondly, Shannon and I had picked up some of the exclusive Seawheeze beer so we had some er.... refreshments... for our practice. Mostly though - the teacher was amazing. She made it light hearted and fun. She told jokes and played sensual 90s R&B. She admitted she'd had a glass of wine already and was also having a good time. She also went through poses that helped us stretch and relax our muscles that had worked so hard earlier that day. It almost made me wish I lived in Vancouver so I could go to more of her classes.

The Run

But how about that run huh? I mean, that was the reason for this whole trip. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard. It was incredibly hard. Running for almost 3 hours (because I'm slow) is a long time. The race really fell into two parts for me though. The first half was pretty great. I did the first 10 k in 1:11. My fastest 10k by itself... is 1:07. So I think two things happened here - 1) my training really paid off and I'm improving in my running a lot 2) I gave it too much gas in the first half which really hurt me later. I think it was about 70% #1 and 30% #2 because despite going pretty fast (for me), I never hit a point where I was out of breath or tired. I also had a great motivation - kilometers 9-10 (miles 5-6) were a turn around point. Since my friends are all faster than me, I knew we would pass eachother and I was NOT about to look like I was struggling. I trained hard and I wanted to show it. When I passed my first friend, I got so excited that I got a burst of energy and it kept me going through seeing the other two. 

And then... the second half happened. After I'd passed all of my friends, the adrenaline lost the battle and I got a terrible stomach cramp. I tried to push through it but it felt terrible so I decided to stop and walk the next part (which was all uphill anyways). Once I got to the top of the hill, I felt better and got running again. I did pretty well for the next 5k. Around kilometer 15 (mile 9), I just started feeling a little tired of running. I decided to go on a walk/run alternate. Luckily, by this part, we were in Stanley Park and my views were awesome. There was so much race entertainment and so many people and groups cheering, that it really helped motivate me to keep going. 

the most beautiful sign in the whole world

And then finally it was the light at the end of the tunnel. The 20k (less than one mile left!!!) was one of the happiest things I'd ever seen. I even stopped to get a photo of it because I was so happy to be on the last kilometer. My Pandora (quick disclaimer: I listen to a Broadway Showtunes channel because I'm a little weird and I love musicals and they make me happy and happy people run better) station totally clued in because right then, Let It Go came on. It gave me so many happy memories of another race I'd done with Shannon and all I wanted to do was throw my arms out and sprint, kind of like the one scene in the movie when Elsa is singing the song and running up the stairs.

not a good way to finish a half marathon

So I basically started singing the song in my head and picking up my pace. I definitely had some energy stored up and I figured it was a good time to use it anyways since the race was almost over...

And then more cramps hit. About 100x worse than the ones at the halfway point. I wanted to push through and just finish but it hurt way too bad. Of course, another great Broadway song came on after Let It Go but I just couldn't pick it up. I managed to lightly run across the finish line because I didn't want to be the one walking at the end, was just happy to be done. I almost started crying because the cramps hurt so bad but eventually I got my free brunch and found my friends and warmed up and that helped a lot. 

So as to how it went... well, it's complicated. Depending on what half you look at it was either one of my best races or one of my worst. All in all though, I feel like it was what a first race should be. It was hard and I struggled but I feel like from here I can just keep training and working and getting better.

The Party

And then came the after party!!! Well, then came a nap and some poutine but after that came the after party!!! I already talked about the awesome yoga, but the rest of the festival was awesome as well!

First, the Lululemon Seawheeze beer was actually really good! It was a light lager with a little bit of a citrus finish. It definitely was a good re-introduction to alcohol after my 30 days off and it was fun to try it out with my friends... while doing yoga.

The festival itself also was just so well organized and clean. I mean, a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that most of the attendants had run a half marathon that morning, but still - the bathrooms never got gross, no one ever got too crazy. It was really nice. Also - the drinks were only $6... in Canadian. So like $4 in real money. I don't think drinks are that cheap anywhere.

St. Lucia

The bands were also amazing. I'm not too up to date on what's cool and hip in the music scene (remember back when I said my Pandora station was Broadway...) so I hadn't heard of the bands but St. Lucia was amazing. Even though I was exhausted, I still got up and danced a little. I definitely want to check out more of their music and maybe see them again if they come to San Diego!

It's All About the Journey, Not the Finish Line

But my biggest take away from the race... was that all of my hard work paid off. A half marathon is hard. Training for a half marathon though is the hardest part. I had to give up drinking for a month (I didn't have to I guess but not drinking made it easier to get up for runs). I had to wake up early Saturday mornings and go run for hours. I did lots of yoga and strength training. I put a lot of hours into just getting to the half marathon... and I'm signed up for a few more so I'm going to be doing this again and again and again.

With all of that hard work though, it meant a lot to me to have so many friends supporting me. The friends who did the race with me bought me an engraved necklace since they'd all gotten one at the Nike Women's Half. Many other friends texted and facebooked and asked how it went as well. It really just showed me that I have amazing people in my life and that I want to continue to surround myself with supportive people as I continue to make friends in San Diego. It's also made me think more about what I can do to be thoughtful and supportive of my friends in return.

The half marathon really was the start of something. I knew I'd want to do a few more of them. I knew I'd want to continue working towards improving in the Spartan community. I also knew I'd be coming home and starting my art classes. My life was about to get a lot more hectic and I felt like the race was a good experience to get my head in the right place and realize what's important and that would give me the power to really tackle everything ahead of me.

Holy crap we walked a lot of steps that day