Goal setting for 2017

In 30 minutes it will be 2017. A new start to a new year. 

Now, I am not a resolution-making person, (if you are, great, but it's just not me), because I see and know how easy it it to give up on something that you decide you "should" be better at.

Me? I'm setting goals. 

to me the difference is that a goal is something that lights a fire in you that you have to work towards. It's easier to achieve because you want it so badly, that you're willing to work for it. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it keeps you going even when you don't feel like it.

this year I did some pretty cool and hard things (like the Beast), and have several small and BIG goals I'm going for this coming year.

So, because supposedly if you tell someone what you're goals are you're more likely to achieve them, here are some of mine:

• Spartan Race Trifecta (all three races in a calendar year = another cool medal and bragging rights)
• PODIUM FINISH IN AN ELITE HEAT! (This is a big one for me and will take A LOT of work, but if you don't try you'll never achieve....)
• Save for, and start my Personal Trainer Course (I've been applying at some part time jobs and I've been told they'll start hiring in a few weeks. Fingers crossed that sometime around June I can afford to start)
• Go on a short term mission trip to Russia (childhood dream right there, and I've been praying a lot about it. We'll see how God works!)
• Grow my blog and post useful and fun content. I would love to focus on training and nutrition for young, poor people like me, and give them the help I wish I had had when I first started working out 3 years ago.
• Do one OCR a month. I want to branch out too, and get as many different races under my belt as possible
• GO RUCKING!!!!      
• Figure out how to work and grow my Beachbody coaching business  
• Put more emphasis on recovery during hard training phases, and limit injuries
• Remember that God is in control and has a plan for my life far better than anything I could imagine, and trust him completely.

There you have it..... a few of the  things I hope to accomplish in 2017. I hope you have a safe and happy new year!                                                                                                                

Remove Before Continuing

Came across this post I did on the West Coast Spartan FB page after my last race and thought I'd share. 

At the Beast this weekend, somewhere around mile 7 I believe, I ended up with a small rock in my all terrain thrill, (awesome shoes by the way!), and stopped to dislodge it. 

After taking forever, I finally got my mud caked shoe off, only to find no rock. I shook it out anyway, and proceeded to take forever to put said mud caked shoe back on, only to find out whatever it was was still down there, and most likely in my sock. 😑 I had already wasted a lot of time and was eager to get going so I ignored it and carried on. It moved sometime in the next mile and no longer bugged me.

Fast forward to the finish when I was hosing off, and discovered a chunk of flesh chewed out of my foot and a not too pretty mark left there. 

I woke up Sunday morning with the usual aches and pains, bumps and bruises, and also a very swollen right foot. After hobbling around slowly all day in searing pain while my foot felt like it was going to explode, trying to get the dirt out and the swelling down, I called  and got a appointment at the doctor to see what they could do for me. The nurse's only advice was to get it cleaned, and keep up on the Bactroban.

Once at the Doctor I watched as she gathered up her tools to prepare for getting the dirt out of my wound, and gasped in pain as she started the process of swabbing the affected area.

Let me tell you, in all 12.4 miles of the Seattle beast NEVER did I experience pain like this. Not in my 125 burpees, not during the bucket carry which I hate, not in my complaining ankles as I slogged through mud....

I gripped the sides of the doctor bed, body rigid in pain and teeth clenched, laughing, moaning, groaning, and trying not to hyperventilate. If I had to describe what it felt like, I would say this:

 imagine someone scraping a steak knife across an open flesh wound, and you are pretty close.

It is now clean, but the throbbing, stabbing pain is still there, and will probably stay for a while yet. 😑 

We all left something out on that course on Saturday. For some it was their fears. Their feelings of inadequacy. Stress. Loss. Their very soul. The list goes on....

For me? It was a chunk of my right foot. May it rest in peace.....

The moral of my story? None. Unless it's to say, if you have something in your shoe, remove it completely before continuing.

WOD 12-7-16

The last couple weeks I've taken a break from my original training plan due to some pain in my calves/ankles/shins. I was incorporating more running into my week since that's one of my biggest weaknesses, and after only a mile I would get shooting pain in my legs, and the bottoms of my feet. Really hard to train when you can't run, and OCR is primarily a running sport. -_- Grrr.....

I have been seeing my chiropractor about it, and see a trainer next week, so hopefully we get this taken care of, and I'll be back to normal.

Between that and the cold, cold weather I have been having a bit of a tougher time getting my training sessions in. I work on the weekends, and come home cold, tired and hungry so for the moment those are my rest days, and I train Mon-Fri. Not ideal, but it works.

Right now I'm primarily strength training with very little cardio except in small bursts, and doing whatever sounds fun for the day, making sure to hit all the muscle groups in a week. The last couple sessions have been workouts from Jen Jewel's 6 week program, and it was not only fun, it hurt! :)

I modified it a bit here and there for myself, and only did 3 sets instead of four, just because of time. Okay, and maybe because  was also feeling a tad lazy...... ;) So, because I know everyone loves a good leg day, I thought I'd share. :) 

(I'm assuming you have been lifting for a while now, and are familiar with the moves and lingo. If you have question as to what anything means, let me know.)

Superset #1

DB jump squat x 12 (I used a 30# DB)

DB Rear lunges x 16 (8 per leg, and go heavy!)

Rest for 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 times

SS #2

BB Deadlift x10

30 seconds jump rope

Rest 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

SS#3

DB Curtsy lunge x 16 (8 per leg)

burpees x 15

Rest 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

SS #4 

Glute kickback with resistance band x 10 per leg

Jump squat x 15

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

And there you have it! that was today's fun. Use heavy weights for this, but make sure your form is correct throughout. Don't get sloppy! Stronger legs = better runner.

Worth The Fight

Obtain The Prize

I'm a Christian, and one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible is 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run , but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight:Not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

As someone who trains for races this has a special meaning to me, and I can relate so much to what Paul is saying.

However, after this last race it has more meaning to me, and really got my wheels turning. It's one thing to train our bodies physically, but how much our we spiritually training ourselves, or are we neglecting our walk with God for other things that aren't as important?

Also, I've mentioned before that one of my favorite feelings is crossing that finish line. I enjoy the race itself, but I look forward to the end and getting that hard earned medal. Life on this earth is short. Am I looking forward to, and  preparing for when I meet the Lord with the same diligence and dedication? Will He say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"? I certainly hope so!

So, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us." Hebrews 12:1

Have a terrific day!

Those post-race blues

Today I want to talk real quick about something that I feel is not mentioned enough to people who are either: young aspiring athletes training alone, or just your average person training for a race or other physical event,.

Post-race depression

Yes, this is a real thing, and yes I've been through it too. Now, like regular depression there are different levels, and mine certainly wasn't bad, but I still wanted to share my thoughts on this issue.

After my first two races I was pumped to work on my weaknesses! I knew where I had failed and couldn't wait to see how I could improve before my next event. I trained hard, and before my first Battlefrog I followed a 6 week plan to a T, and put in everything  had during those workouts. It paid off, and I was pleased with my performance and finish time. 

I kept up my training since I was doing another Battlefrog just a few weeks after that, on June 23rd, I think. That one didn't go quite as well, but there were some other things going on with me that contributed to that.

That's probably when I started to notice the blues. My next race wasn't until August 6th, and it felt like forever away! Not to mention I was thinking I'd be doing it alone, and even though I was super excited to do it, I was feeling tired and run down. I kept training hard but would decide to take more rest days here and there. That is NOT a bad thing, don't get me wrong, but as I've said before, I love my training sessions so this was out of the norm for me.

Well, Race day came and and went, I ended up with two team members, and had an absolute BLAST! Even if I did feel like dying a few times.....

However.....that's when it hit. I had spent so much energy and time training and now it was over. The week after that I took a much needed week long recovery, only walking, and doing yoga when I felt like it. Then that week turned into almost another week. My usually very healthy diet pretty much went out the window too. I would start out the day good, but by the time lunch came, I would munch on the kids sandwich remains, snack on pretzels, bits of cookies, etc....I never all out binged, but just munched all day long. I would do a quick 15 ish minute HIIT workout here and there, but still just wasn't feeling it.

And then I signed up for the Spartan Beast.

For me, that's all it took to re-light the fire. I now had a goal and date for said goal. By the time I signed up, dooms race day wasn't far off. I had to get hustling! I've been running much more than usual, and working on grip strength like my life depends on it. 

I have exactly one week until go time. Then I'll race, and once again it will be over.

But,this time I have a plan for afterwards, and I think this will be a game changer for me.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, whether it be race related, or really any event, then let me give you one piece of advice....

Plan.

Before you even reach said event, or the end of a big project that you've been putting a lot of focus into determine your next course of action. Otherwise you'll lose all momentum, and unfortunately, objects at rest stay at rest. I'm working towards being a beachbody coach, and I bought the 21 Day Fix Challenge pack. That way I can have my nutrition still stay on target and hopefully not munch, and munch, and munch..... :) The workouts will be easier than what I'm used to but I can still make them challenging for myself by keeping my weights heavy, or even omit them if I need a break.. I think the most challenging part of the Beast will be the mental aspect, and having a game plan for after is a relief.

I think this might end up being my last race of the year, (sadly), and 21 will give me plenty of time to determine my next plan of action.

I'll be starting my 21 Day Fix on in a few weeks and hope to get a challenge group going. That way there will be accountability, some extra motivation, and the chance to encourage others who might be struggling in the same way as me. :) If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, shoot me a comment, and I can get you  more information. :)

2015 Sacramento Sprint {race re-cap}

I can't believe its been almost a year since my first OCR! I'd say time sure flies by, but that would make me sound old.....

With just over two weeks until my first Beast, I figured now was a good time to share about my first Spartan experience before I forget any more details.

For starters, I signed up for said race July 4th. That gave me four months to train, which, in hindsight, I didn't do a very god job at. I made a paper chain and on the inside of every link I had a motivational quote and what was on the schedule for my workout that day.

Pictured is half of my chain. I went through this, then tacked up the second half.

Every morning I would hit my alarm and lay there staring at it fighting with the part of me that kept whispering, "just stay in bed...." It hung just high enough from my bed that I had to stand up to tear one off, and by the time you're standing, you can much better convince yourself to go out in the cold for burpees, bear crawls, and box jumps,( i.e.....Death).

Fast forward four months......

Early the day before the race found me driving to the Airport Sacramento bound! I couldn't contain my excitement! I felt oddly tired, but pushed through. I was met by my sister-in-law and niece, and was so glad to get to hang out with them, despite the headache I felt coming on. Probably from dehydration, I thought, No biggie. 

 When my brother got home from work we chilled for a bit then headed to Walmart for diapers and Gatorade. You know.... the necessities of life. I started to feel a tiny bit queezy standing in line, but fought it off, afraid I was getting sick. I had waited to long for this! No way I was going to miss it!!!!

Our start time wasn't until 1:00 the next day, (Sunday), but we hit the sack somewhat early and I slept like the dead. We were up early to pack our gear, grab breakfast and head out since they like you to be there 1-2 hours before your start time, and I felt great! Ha. I knew I couldn't be getting sick.

That drive to the race venue felt like FOREVER!!! We pulled up and the first thing you see are people trudging up a big hill, people flipping tires, crossing monkey bars, with music cranked up in the festival area. To say I was excited at this point would be a gross understatement!

We checked in, then wandered for a bit. I heard them doing the Elite race winners and about had a heart attack when I heard Rose Wetzel's name called. I'm still bummed that I didn't get to meet her..... ;(

The weather was fairly decent, but a bit before our heat started the rain came. A nice drizzly rain that left you wishing it would either stop, or come down harder. I stood in line for almost an hour to get a hoodie only to find out they were out of my size. -_-  My brother came over and told me our heat was getting ready to go so we hurried over there and started to warm up . 

I was already starting to shiver in my shorts and short sleeve shirt. Whether it was from the cold, nerves, or both I'm not sure. 

The guy at the starting line got us all pumped up and we were off!!! 

The first obstacle was the OUT (over wall, under wall, through wall). A nice easy start to the next 5 miles. We were keeping a good pace, but were quickly slowing down due to the insane amounts of clay collecting on our shoes. It was like wearing moon boots.

We got to the 8ft wall where Chris pushed me over, and I waited for him to get over. Just so you know, the majority of the race went like this: Chris gets me where I need to be and I wait for him to do it all by himself. Lol. I'm so helpful

The order of the obstacles is super blurry in my head but I remember the dreaded bucket carry that was up a steep muddy hill, and down the other side of said steep muddy hill. My much weaker and tiny-er self hated that part. By the time I got to the end my forearms had seized up. Not fun.

I remember the A-frame cargo net where the guy climbing next to my started jumping around on the net. I jokingly glared at him and told him if he did that again I would not hesitate to push him off. He laughed and said, "Spartan women are the BEST!" We both made it safely to the other side and no pushing was necessary. 

I remember the multi rig, and telling Katie that I WOULD make it across that thing!

 I fell of the first bar.

It was so muddy, it felt like someone slathered it in grease. I paid my 30 burpees and moved on, determined to make it next time.

I remember the gray sludge pond that was so thick the tadpoles in there could barely move. I still remember the way it felt and smelled. You smelled it before you saw it.....

I remember the barbed wire crawl that went uphill in muddy clay and it shredded my knees. Once you got close to the top you would start to slide back down. There were finger marks in the mud that looked like something out of 'The Wolverine' Haha.

Luckily some nice guy took pity on me and pulled me to the top.

I remember the little 7ish foot incline that was so muddy we couldn't get up it. I got a running start thinking this would be easy peasy, and quickly slid backwards. I came to a stop halfway down thinking my foot had found a rock. I took a minute to get my bearings, and when I look behind me I realized I was standing on some random guys foot! with some pushing and prodding, a lot more sliding, and laughter we got up and helped each other haul our team members up. We must have looked utterly ridiculous..... :)

I remember walking up to the Hercules Hoist, (a sandbag on a pulley system that you raise 20 ft up), thinking, "Yeah, I got this". I grabbed that rope and pulled with all my might! It didn't budge. I literally hung from the rope and still nothing. It had been getting rained on all day long, and that wet sandbag wasn't going anywhere. It took Chris and myself together to get it up.

I remember hauling a tire up a muddy hill.

I remember a surprising amount of rolling hills. I didn't even know CA had hills!

I remember being so cold I couldn't run, but it was so muddy we couldn't have run anyway.

I remember wondering who's idea this was.

I remember carrying the "pancake" up a hill.

I remember wanting to nail my first Spear throw, and missing and having to join everyone else in what looked like a mud pit for my dose of death (aka: burpees)

I remember shivering at the water station while Chris took a breather and wanting get moving to warm up.

I remember being one mile out, waiting to go over a wall and a little boy who was watching pointed at me and said, "Look dad, that girl can't stop shivering" Haha! Yeah, it was bad....

i remember trying to hold onto the Z- Wall, but couldn't because of the mud so Chris held me on while I went across.

I remember sliding off the rope because of the darn mud.

I remember lots and lots of burpees. and mud.

And I remember seeing the finish line, with medals and bananas at the end, and thinking it was the most beautiful sight ever!!!

I remember being proud of what we just did together. Talk about quality sibling-bonding time!

I remember a few minutes after finishing discussing when we wanted to do our next one. Yeah, suckers for pain....

I remember trying to brush the dried clay off my legs before getting in the car but it was hopeless. We cranked up the heat in there and ooooohhh.....it was like heaven! I didn't bother to change and rode home in my muddy clothes, wrapped up in a warm towel.

(Katie, I'm still sorry you had to clean the tub out for me! Lol)

We showered, changed, then headed out for dinner at a Mongolian Grill. I loaded my bowl up with noodles and meat, and enjoyed every single bite. 

Besides my cuts and bruises I felt great!

Until after going to bed that night..... -_- I woke up shortly after midnight feeling AWFFUL, and wanting to be home. I took my temperature and had a fever of 103. Yuck.

I stumbled around the kitchen in search of medicine, shivering like crazy, found it and crawled back into bed after donning my Spartan hoodie and 4 blankets. I stumbled out the next morning took more medicine, and my very considerate family members turned on the tv for me.

Psyche to the rescue!!! I flew out the next day so I did my best just to chill and get better before getting back on the germ tube (aka: airplane)

Luckily I was okay the next day, and arrived home well enough to tell of my latest adventure.

So, there you have it..... My very first OCR. The beginning of my crazy addiction. Some people think I'm insane and ask me why I like it. I smile, shrug, and tell them:

You'll know at the finish line.