Race Review - Howl at the Moon Ultra

**taken from my other blog http://musingsofamisfit75.blogspot.com/

The husband and I ran a race last year that we swore we wouldn't do again.  It is an 8 hour ultra called Howl at the Moon, The Howl for short.  It is an 8 hour race where you run/walk a 3.29 mile loop as many times as you can.

Last year it was so painful once I was done.  By the definition of an Ultra Marathoner (anything over a marathon distance), I succeeded....barely.  Matt, however, did not get his.  Even though he did great and was proud of him, he was determined to get that medal.  So, he decided to do it again this year.  Of course, I couldn't pass and let him do it without doing it myself.  It is like childbirth.  You forget the pain.....

It has the option of camping the night before but I could not imagine camping then trying to run 8 hours.  Therefore, we opted for a hotel.  We arrived early the next morning and it was dang cold.  It was August, right?  We got ready and checked in with our lap counters.  We are assigned a person to count our laps for us.  At each loop, we have to make sure they see us and mark our laps down or it doesn't count.

We set up our cooler and our bag of nutrition.  We had some salt pills and aspirin, extra socks, etc.  I was just ready to get it over with.  So, it began.  I knew what to expect.  I knew the terrain and the stupid hill we had to conquer each loop and the fantastic volunteers along the way.

This race had plenty of awesome volunteers and aid stations with various drinks and nutrition options.  I made a point to stop each time I came up to one to get a drink and something in my stomach.  I ran a pretty good pace the first 3 hours.  My goal was 15 miles halfway through (4 hours) so I would have hopes of 30 miles.  Therefore, at 3 hours I was already at 15 miles.  So, I had a cushion and felt pretty good.  Didn't feel any pain and my legs were tired but not so much that I felt I couldn't go on.

I stopped at our tent every other lap to take salt tablets and aspirin.  On lap 7 I slowed down a bit but kept pace on my watch to keep on track.  I ran a quarter mile, walked a quarter, ran a quarter, walked a quarter, etc.  Lap 8 - last year this was my final lap.  I got about 2 miles in and the running was no longer happening.  I tried to just keep a 17 min mile pace.  Once I got to my final lap it was strictly will power that pushed me forward.

Let me just add - I didn't train for this race at all.  I wanted to quit at mile 10.  I wanted to quit at mile 17.  I cried at mile 20 and just wanted to see Matt's face at mile 25.  I thought if I could just see his face, I knew I could make it.  It was probably a good thing I didn't because sometimes I can be such a girl.  If I saw him, I would have had a melt down, I have no doubt.

But, I did it.  I didn't get my 10 laps or my 30 miles but I did run 29.61 miles. Our bodies can do far more than we think they can do.  I was diagnosed with Lupus a couple years ago and keep it to myself except when I complain way to much to Matt (God bless him).  And yet I pushed my untrained body to run almost 30 miles.  I think we too often give up.  When we are face with pain and struggle, we just stop.  It would have been easy for me to sit down and quit.  I would have even had an excuse due to my disease. I had gotten my medal the year before, I didn't need this year's medal.  But I knew that I needed to do better than the year before or else it was all for nothing.

Matt quit.  I am unsure what mile he stopped but I did see him sitting down and I knew he didn't get his ultra distance.  But I kept going without even looking his way.  When I came back around he was gone.  He had sat down and given up, but he said he saw a pregnant woman jog by and knew if she can do it, he had to try.  So he finished with his medal!

As I was running, an older lady was jogging next to me.  She would stop and walk a bit, then jog a bit.  She told the gentlemen behind her at one point - "You are going to get irritated with me because I stop and walk and stop and run."  They laughed and assured her they wouldn't.  She then proceeded to say she was 60-something and back in her  younger years the young men would have their eye on her to try to keep up with her.  She said but not so much any more.  I turned to her and said "You never know who is watching you and who you are inspiring."  She said - "So true".

That is such a life lesson to walk away in this.  When we think we are weak and broken, someone is watching us and gleaning from our struggle.  They are being inspired and thinking "if he/she can do it, so can I".  We tend to beat ourselves up over our shortcomings when our shortcomings are someone else's destination.  That lady could have complained.  Had she complained, I probably wouldn't have been so inspired by her.  That pregnant lady Matt saw could have been complaining, with justifiable reason, but she wasn't.  I could have complained about how my body was fighting against me since mile 10 but I didn't.  I am unsure if I inspired anyone.  Although, I hope I did. I hope someone saw me and said "if she can go one more mile, then so can I".

Often times we look at our struggles and obstacles in our lives as something to beat us down, something that chews us up and spits us out.  However, struggle makes us stronger.  A butterfly struggling to get out of the cocoon has to struggle.  If we decide to help it and open its cocoon for it, it will die.  The struggle it is faced with is necessary.  It strengthens it's wings so it can survive and if we help it then the strengthening is not there.  We, too, must struggle.  Sometimes alone.  It is served with a purpose.  It makes us stronger and able to withstand so much more.

So, the question - will we do the Howl again?

Nope.

However, we do have a plan to do a 3 day run in the Grand Canyon area equally about 50 miles.  We plan to train for it - famous last words.  Maybe I will try to be more diligent since it took me 4 days to even walk right after this race!

Be adventurous.  Stop existing and live.

So the review of the event Howl at the Moon
Terrain - grass, mostly flat, one significant hill
Organization - nicely organized, fantastic volunteers and fantastic event
Cost - not sure
Time of the race - 8:30am
Overall - A great race, if you are looking to do an ultra we highly recommend it
Swag - tee shirt and medal if you got over 26.2 miles, special medal for placing in age group (which I did!)
My Time - 29.61 miles in 8 hours
Race #15(75 total to date)

Race Review - Savage Chicago

I am behind on my race reviews so this is short and sweet.

We actually were signed up to do the Mud Ninja this day.  However, after we did the Savage a month prior and saw the special medal, we decided to do a second one to get the snazzy extra bling.

This race we highly suggest.  It is fun, beginning friendly and if you can't do an obstacle just go around it - no pressure.  It is one of my top favorite OCR.

So the review of the event Savage Chicago:
Terrain - grass, mostly flat, pretty easy
Organization - nicely organized
Cost - $75
Time of the race - 9:30am
Overall - One of our favorite races
Swag - tee shirt and medal and since we did 2 in one year - we got a special medal
My Time - not sure
Race #15(74 total to date)

Race Review - Tame the Terrain

I have slacked on my race reviews so this will be short and sweet.

We did this race last year and it is one of my favorites.  However, this year was different.  It seemed more dangerous with the slate rock and water.  Some of the obstacles you couldn't not bypass due to the course being in nature and using the terrain (hence the name).  Matt didn't like it this year and I have to agree.  It was challenging but I felt some areas were dangerous.

So the review of the event Tame the Terrain:
Terrain - mud, grass, hills, slippery slate rock, water, trees
Organization - nicely organized
Cost - $45
Time of the race - 9:30am
Overall - slippery slate rock, some dangerous areas (in my opinion), some fun aspects but not sure I will do it again
Swag - tee shirt and medal
My Time - not sure
Race #14(73 total to date)

Race Review - Spartan Super

I am so late in catching up with my races.  It has been a busy summer!  So it's short and sweet.

This was our 2nd Spartan this year.  One more for our trifecta.

As always, a lot of fun with my race buddy by my side.

So the review of the event Spartan Super:
Terrain - mud, grass, hills
Organization - nicely organized
Cost - $75
Time of the race - 10:30am
Overall - fun race, lots of mud and water
Swag - tee shirt and medal
My Time - not sure
Race #13(72 total to date)

Race Review - Tough Mudder

Race number 3 for the weekend.  It was rough.  After doing the Ohio Savage, driving to Indy, doing a quarter night marathon, then the next morning driving to Kentucky for Tough Mudder.  We are not right in the head!

We only signed up for the half TM so we only had 13 obstacles.  We were pretty wiped but we did it.  We were slow but we finished.  I even conquered a 10 foot wall (with Matt's help) - actually 2 of them.  I am not the best by any means nor am I the fastest.  I merely try to over come fears and be better than I was before.

I did a TM and am good. I could not do another one and be fine.  I certainly have no desire to do the full and get shocked!  More power to the other brave souls!

So over the course of the weekend I did 18.5 miles, got 3 medals, 1 headband and 4 shirts.  Score.


So the review of the event Tough Mudder:
Terrain - mud, grass, hills
Organization - was a little messy at registrations but after that all went smoothly
Cost - $55
Time of the race - 11am
Overall - fun race, lots of mud and water
Swag - tee shirt and headband
My Time - not sure
Race #12(71 total to date)

Race Review - Summer Night Trail

This was the second race in our triple header this weekend.  We did the Savage in Ohio then drove to Indy and checked into a hotel, ate, showered and relaxed.  Then it was off to Eagle Creek Park for the night race.  It was 6.55 miles (quarter marathon).  We had done this race last year and it is a pretty fun race through the park.

131 Productions always puts on a good race, very professional.  So we got there and hung out and tried not to question our sanity on why we decided to do all 3 of these races in 2 days.

I figured I would just take it easy but that isn't in my nature.  I took off and ran the entire race.  I walked up the hills to not burn excess energy and besides, I had done enough hills that morning!

Thank God I passed the 6 mile marker!  haha.  I had ran this course numerous times so knew it fairly well.  Busting from the woods and to the runner's shoot.  My time was only 5 minutes slower than the previous year when I didn't do a race prior!  So, I consider that a success!

So the review of the event Summer Night Trail:
Terrain - trails, limited gravel and payment
Organization - always a good job by 131 Productions
Cost - $35
Time of the race - 9:30pm
Overall - fun race, night race (headlamp required), good after race fuel (and snow cones!)
Swag - a medal, tee shirt (did the winter one so we got a total of 3 medals)
My Time - 1.33
Race #11(70 total to date)

Race Review - Ohio Savage

This was the first race of a triple header we were running this particular weekend.  We had never done a Savage race and were a little apprehensive - the name alone created apprehension.  haha.

It was a fun race.  I would definitely do it again.  They had some intense hills and various obstacles we hadn't encountered before.  It was 6.5 miles, roughly with 30 obstacles.  It was a hot day but it was an enjoyable race.

Towards the end was Colossus.  It is a warped wall with a rope you have to run up the wall and grab the rope with hopes up getting yourself over it.  I wasn't going to do it but decided to go for it.  I got the rope and the two buddies I was racing with grabbed me.  It was a struggle.  I tried to pull myself up and after a few minutes I was gassed and they were gassed.  So, I hung there.  I refused to let go.  Finally with a grunt, I was pulled up and over.  I kept apologizing for being dead weight and useless haha.  Then we got to slide down a slide into water.

I attempted all but 3 obstacles so I felt accomplished.  I realized I am doing better this year than I had last - which is what it is all about.  Trying to be better than you once before - the only competition is with myself.

So the review of the event Ohio Savage:
Terrain - hills, mud, trails, obstacles, grass
Organization - pretty flawless
Cost - $75
Time of the race - 11am
Overall - fun race, beginner friendly, felt safe on all the obstacles, plenty of water stations
Swag - a medal, tee shirt
My Time - 2:45
Race #10(69 total to date)

Race Review - Spartan Beast

This is the longest of the trifecta we are going for.  There is the Beast, the Super, and the Sprint.  The beast is 13 miles with over 30 obstacles and burpee penalties if you don't do the obstacle.  We prepared for this one.  We had our hydration packs, our nutrition chews, some candy for sugar replenishing and salt tablets.

Matt and I stayed together for this race and even though we heard horror stories about the hills and so forth, it honestly wasn't that bad,  We gave ourselves a nice and easy 8 hour time frame to get through the obstacles and conquer the hills.  We were in no hurry.  We jogged here and there but really just took our time and enjoyed one another's company.
 
I conquered a couple obstacles that I haven't before - one was the 8 foot wall and the other was a 4 foot wall leading to an A-frame.  I got to the top of the slip wall and had my grip on the top of it but my footing left me and there was no one to grab me and help.  So I hung there for a minute then slid back down.  Cherried my knee pretty good, haha.

Anything that I have to carry or pull, I am a pro.  I can't say that about much but I am a beast when it comes to that.  Bucket Brigade, Atlas carry, sled pull, hercules hoist = piece of cake.   Rope climb....forget it.  I will conquer that one of these days.  My upper body sucks - I can do monkey bars at a park but in a race, I get like two rungs and down I go.  I will get it though.  On a positive note, I hit my spear throw but it didn't stick.  Grrrrr.

So, we finished - yahoo!  And we didn't die - double yahoo!  And we finished in under 6 hours! This is #1 for our trifecta.  We knocked the biggest out first.

Next weekend we have a triple header - 3 races in 2 days.  Lord, help me.

So the review of the event Spartan Ohio Beast:
Terrain - hills, mud, trails, obstacles, grass
Organization - pretty flawless
Cost - $149
Time of the race - 10am
Overall - tough but doable, felt safe on all the obstacles, plenty of water stations, good volunteers
Swag - a medal plus a piece that will go with the other 2 once we get there, shirt, headband
My Time - 5 hours and 43 minutes
Race #9(68 total to date)

Race Review - Nashville Mud Run 10K

Why yes, we did drive 6 hours to do a mud run!

It had been awhile since we have raced. This year is a little different.  While I enjoy road races, we are doing fewer of them this year.  We are focusing on challenging ourselves and getting our Spartan Trifecta and doing races that push our limits.

We haven't ran in awhile.  We took an amazing vacation to Aruba and once we got back it has just been tough getting back in the groove.  Seriously....I was like a machine before I left and here it is a month later and am still struggling. What is the friggin' deal?  I will get back on track but it seems to be taking longer than usual.

We did a mud run in Nashville.  It is nice to get away for a couple days and just relax.  The race was decent.  It wasn't really that "muddy" or hilly.  There were obstacles but nothing to really brag about.  A couple of them I bypassed because they didn't seem safe to me.  I am the type of person if I don't feel safe, I am not going to do it.  Period.

Overall it was a decent race.  Is it one I would do again?  Probably not.  I mean I would if it was convenient but to drive that distance it wasn't worth it.  If I were local, then yea it was a good race!

So the review of the event Nashville Mud Run 10K:
Terrain - small hills, dirt, grass, some mud
Organization - it was okay
Cost - $75 if you waited until the last minute!
Time of the race - 10am
Overall - would be good if I was local, overall a decent race that wasn't too challenging
Swag - a medal made of wood and a teeshirt
My Time - not worried about time
Race #8(67 total to date)

As you can see - not too dirty....

Eating Regime Review - Extreme Transformation

I like to give unbiased opinions.  With so many options out there, I like to be real and honest with my reviews.  Lately, I have been at a stand still with my weight loss and my nutrition has been way off course.  I am the type of person that needs a program that tells me exactly what to eat and it has to be feasible.  I do not want something that I have to take a long time to prepare and have to google what an ingredient even is.

I have seen the Extreme Transformation and was intimidated by it.  "Extreme" brought all kinds of thoughts to my mind.  However, I wanted to get back on track and give it a try.

To be honest, I didn't really read the entire book (I bought it digitally).  I skimmed it and read some.  It was well written in laymen terms and easy to understand.  The recipes are laid out easy enough and the aren't too hard to come by.  It has various shopping lists, charts, etc that you can print out.

So, I decided to give it a whirl.  Today was the end of the 21 day cycle.  My review - the first few days were kind of tough.  I didn't deter from the eating regimen at all and I felt hungry at night.  I am a night owl and that is when I tend to snack.  So I had to train myself NOT to snack.  It was tough but after the first 3 days or so, I found that I was no longer wanting to snack.

The meals were good and easy to prepare.  There were a few that I hate - the salmon. Yuck.  I don't like seafood at all and the salmon I can barely stomach.  The eggplant curry - no, no, a million times no.  I never spit out food.  I can typically choke it down - not so with this.  I will not make it again.  You can substitute and it tells you how.  I prefer to stick exactly with the program but I will not be eating the eggplant curry.   There were many that I really liked however.

As far as cost.  The first couple shopping trips were kind of high.  About $30 more than I typically spend, however after that, the costs diminished a little bit because I had the bulk items that I could reuse each week.

There were a couple days that there was no way I could stick to the plan.  The plan revolves around carb cycling- high carbs, low carbs and reset.  So, if I wasn't home, I tried to stay to low carb.  Reset days were my fave!  Delicious food that you felt like you were cheating but were still healthy.

The big question - did I see a difference after 21 days?

I did.  I decided to give up pop (I drink only diet) and have not even craved one.  I tried one the other day and it made me sick.   I lost a total of 9 pounds.  For my size, the book said I should lose 5 pounds in the 3 weeks.  Therefore, 9 is a win!  I lost almost 2 inches from my waist.  I put on a pair of PJ pants the other night and they didn't fit right so I pulled out the tape measure.  I was surprised to see inches lost.  The scale can never define us.  It only measures weight, not change.  Our bodies change and gain muscle and sculpt but often times the weight doesn't change.  Don't be discouraged!

So, would I recommend this book/eating plan?  Yes, I would.  There are 10-20 minute exercises to do each day but I am fairly active and just do my own.  There is also inspirational "devotionals" for each day but I didn't read them.

Today was a reset day.  Therefore, I reset and am starting it again tomorrow along with my husband.  I could see this being a life style for me.

Race Review - Beast Mode Bunny Challenge

Our race season is scarce until May.  We are going on vacation soon so our time and finances have been directed towards that.  However, I still run and have been concentrating on building muscle.  I can bench press 115 pounds now, woot!  I started at 45 less than six months ago.  So, if that seems like not a big deal to you...it is to me!

So, I signed up for a virtual race because I still wanted to run and get bling!  This one was a 3 race medal.  I have to run a 10K, 5K and 3K.

Matt and I hit the gym.  I got in my 6.2 miles.  Matt is doing a marathon training plan and did 6 too!  So I have to do two more runs this week to complete the challenge.

#beastmodeactivated

So the review of the event Beast Mode Bunny Challenge:
Terrain - treadmill
Organization - virtual
Cost - $20
Time of the race - 2pm
Overall - virtual race, nice medal
Swag - a medal
My Time - nice and easy 81 minutes
Race #7(66 total to date)

Product Review - Keto OS

I am in a lull in my racing season, therefore I figured I would just test and review some fitness products.

My first run was Keto OS.  I have been seeing this blow up my Facebook news feed here lately.  So, I figured why not?  I snagged a sample pack and went with it for 5 days.

A Keto Diet is known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy.  Basically, in a nutshell, you are telling your body that you are going to cut back on carbs.  Then when the body needs energy, it will deplete the carbs and then attack the fat in the body to use for fuel, resulting in fat loss.

Keto OS was designed to help energy, mental function, better sleep and to put your body into ketosis.

I had the orange, the max, the kreme and the chocolate.

First off the taste is something to get accustomed to.  The orange was gross.  Not going to lie.  The max was tolerable and I liked the chocolate.  The kreme was designed to put in a hot beverage like coffee.  I did this and I stirred and stirred and stirred and stirred some more and it still had some "floaties".  I got about half-way done with it and one of the chunks that didn't dissolve grossed me out so I dumped it.

I didn't do the keto diet along with it.  However, it is my understanding that to get better results you should but not necessary.

After 5 days - I lost 2 pounds.  Not impressed.  First off the keto makes you crazy thirsty so you have to up your water intake by a considerable amount which means more bathroom breaks.  I didn't notice any more energy or clarity.  However, I did notice I slept better.  However, for the hefty price tag ($144 plus shipping for a month of orange) I would rather try other means to help me sleep.

So, would I use it?  No.  Reason being is I am suspicious that I could do the keto diet without the Keto OS and still lose weight.  It's called Atkins or South Beach.

Now to give an unbiased opinion, I waited until my husband did it for a week to get his results.  He followed the diet and drank the Keto and lost 9 pounds....

...and got really sick.

He developed what they are calling "keto flu".  He was miserable and the result is the drop in electrolytes because the Keto depletes them.  He did Atkins before and lost the same amount in a week so to say it was because of the Keto, I can't really say.

I keep seeing before and after pics and that's great!  But at what price tag?  To possibly get sick?  To spend 100's of dollars?  I feel this is just a fad along with everything else out there.

Nah, I will just stick to my salad.

Race Review - Lucky Clover 4 Miler

Ah yes, another 131 Productions event.  They, seriously, do the best races.

Last year we did this race virtually because we couldn't make it to the actual race.  However, this year we made it.  The week prior it had been gorgeous weather.  60's and sunny, making everyone pine for spring.  Well the day of the race is was 20 degrees and freezing.  I am tired of running in cold weather!

The event was easy to find and conveniently located next to a Meijer.  We went in so my pal could find some St. Paddy's stuff to wear since it was that sort of race.  I am betting the store sold out of their green costume accessories and socks!!  Everyone was in there buying stuff.  It was nice to be able to go in and use their bathroom and not freeze in the port-a-pots!

The race was huge, near 1000 attendees!  So, at the start it was a little crowded and I couldn't get past those that wanted to walk and chat.  Nothing wrong with that but move over!

I warmed up quickly.  The route was clearly marked and easy to follow.  Police had traffic stopped for us, as they always do.  I always make sure to thank each one I pass.  There was one water station that I opted to pass on.

For me, the race was fairly easy.  I was worried due to not getting a chance to run much that week with my crazy schedule.  But I didn't struggle much and kept a steady 10 min/mile pace.

Crossing the line was as euphoric as always and the huge bling weighted down my neck.  There was water, bananas and donuts.  They always have donuts which I don't really understand.  Let's run then eat all the calories we burned in a sugary donut with no nutritional value whatsoever.   haha!

Overall a good race.  Due to the cold, we were out of there rather quickly!

So the review of the event Lucky Clove 4 Miler:
Terrain - all road
Organization - organized well, 131 events are fantastic
Cost - $45
Time of the race - 10am
Overall - nicely done, well organized, great volunteers
Swag - a medal and a long sleeved shirt
My Time - 40.20 min
Race #6(65 total to date)

Race Review - Winter Trail Frosty Quarter Marathon

This is our second year doing this race.  We love 131 Events.  They are so well done.  The name held up to its reputation this year - brrrr.  It was cold and snowing.  The trails were beautiful.  My time this year was exactly the same as last year!  At least I am consistent, haha!

After the race, I waited on Matt.  It was freezing but I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Everyone I knew had already crossed and it was going on an hour.  I was beginning to get worried.  I told Missy that I was going to go warm up a minute then go look for him.  I was hoping he wasn't hurt or took a wrong turn!  It wasn't much longer that he came across the line with another runner.  Come to find out, a lady had fallen down the steps on the trail just after the first mile.  She was in a lot of pain and was sure she broke her leg.  Matt, along with another runner and a military rucker, helped her to where she could get aide.  That is what took him so long.  Is he a good guy, or what?

Our WTF Medals!

Matt coming in pretty much dead last

So the review of the event Winter Trail Frosty:
Terrain - predominately trail
Organization - organized well, 131 events are fantastic
Cost - $45
Time of the race - 10am
Overall - nicely done, well organized, great volunteers
Swag - a medal and a long sleeved shirt
My Time - 1.24
Race #5(65 total to date)

Race Review - Viking Winter Dash

This is our second year doing this race.  I was skeptical due to getting misdirected last year but it was still a fun course.

This year.....the experience was less than pleasurable.  I, once again, signed up for the 15K and Matt and Missy did the 10K.  The day was unseasonably warm again which was fine by me.  There was a huge hog on the pit for the runners to enjoy after the race.  The check in was pretty flawless.  So we waited.  Only major complaint up to this point was the porta-pots.  They had 4 and 1 was very unstable and one had no toilet paper. With as many people at the event, a few more would have done wonders.

So, we are off.  I was doing good until I hit mile 2.  Yes...mile TWO.  I knew I was going to have a hard time of it.  The sun was growing steadily warmer and I was growing steadily tired, already.  At the turn around for the 10k runners (4.5 mile-ish), I contemplated turning back.  I was having some mild stomach cramps and I just felt like I hit a wall.  I pushed through.  I felt like I was moving through molasses.  I got to the turn around and headed back.  The area was beautiful and warm.  However, I was miserable.

I knew my problem.  The week prior, I did a 5 day liquid detox then at Friday night then the race Saturday morning.  I had no fuel in me.  I was dehydrated and my body was trying to shut itself down to rest.  Trust me, I contemplated it.  I saw a few large rocks and thought - "I am just gonna sit here and they can come get me".  But I mentally kept saying - one foot in front of the other.

As I came to the huge hill at the end, I see one person standing on top.  It was Matt.  He saw I was limping and struggling and came down and walked with me.  He said how proud he was of me and how good I was doing.  I felt miserable.  But I crossed the finish.  I was even first in my age group (out of 2 I think haha).

The moral of the story - some runs are great; some runs not so much.  All that matters is the start and finish lines....and that you cross them both.

Only one pic with this one, the pain of me crossing the finish...and the support of Matt in the background

So the review of the event Viking Winter Dash:
Terrain - predominately trail
Organization - organized fairly well, better than last year
Cost - $40/$60
Time of the race - 11am
Overall - nicely done
Swag - a medal and a long sleeved shirt
My Time - not sure
Race #4 (64 total to date)

Race Review - Run4Love

Our second year doing this one too!  We love 131 Events!  They are very nicely organized, the bling is the best around and the snacks after are delicious!  They really take care of their runners!

This one was their Valentine's race.  We did it last year and it was sooooo cold.  I was bundled up where you could only see my eyes!  This year was drastically different.  The sun was shining and it was a nice 60 degrees!  Loved it!!

It was at a new location which doesn't matter to me.  A race is a race, ha!  They always have good music pumping and give aways.  They have a couple tents promoting their sponsors and packet pick up is always flawless.  This event was no exception.

They did the count down and we were off.  I felt pretty good that first mile.  I didn't think I was going to that great really.  I haven't been running consistently .... at all.  After the first mile, I checked my watch and say a 9 minute pace.  I was like...wha--?   I typically do well the first mile then kind of peter out.  I tried to keep that pace going and when I hit mile 2, I saw it was a 10 minute pace.  Not surprising.

I raced across the finish line and grabbed my water, banana and CAKE!  It was delicious cake, I might add.

I went to check my time......what??  28.31!  That was my second fasted time ever (fastest being 28.19).  I told my husband, I need to train and push more.  I know I can get it lower.

I was pretty giddy about that time even though it was shy of 3.1.  I will take it!

So the review of the event Run4Love 5k:
Terrain - pavement
Organization - Well organized, as usual
Cost - $35
Time of the race - 9am
Overall - very nicely done, second year doing this one, always impressed with 131
Swag - a medal, long sleeve shirt (love it!), and a runner necklace for the ladies
My Time - 28.31
Race #3 (63 total to date)

Race Review - Abominable Snow Race

Who the heck does OCR events in the dead of winter.  Oh yea, we do.

We did this one last year and to be honest, I was not a fan.  It was cold, icy and just not that impressive.

Even though I was hesitant, I was still excited to start doing OCR (obstacle course racing) again.  We had to wake up at the crack of dawn to make the 3 hour drive up to Wisconsin.  It was at a different location than last year.  This year it was at Lake Geneva - a ski resort.

It was cold.  Maybe not as cold as last year but still pretty dang cold.  It was quite a busy place!  Not only were there hundreds of racers but it was a ski resort with fresh snow and people wanted to hit the slopes.  It was a little too crowded, actually.  But that can be over looked.

Outside, Coach Pain was giving his inspirational speech he gives before each wave it released.  That man could inspire the least motivated person to get up and run, I am pretty sure.

We hopped into the next wave (we were late and missed ours)....and were off.  The course this year was enjoyable.  It had some hills, had some challenging (but not impossible) obstacles and once I warmed up, the 4 miles weren't bad at all.

At the end they had medals and a teeshirt.  A lot of races give you your teeshirt when you pick up your packet which I think is dumb.  This race, you get a ticket on your bib and claim it at the end - smart!  They had a few tents, promoting products.  Of course, they had a free beer or hot cocoa at the end - I chose the cocoa.  Overall, I enjoyed it this year.  

I have been hitting the gym pretty consistently for the past 3 months and it showed.  I was able to conquer the inverted wall and a wooden rig without much effort.  An obstacle that I struggled with last year (a tower you had to climb and ring a bell), I scaled it like a spider monkey.  Sometimes you don't see the results into you are put into a situation to use them.  I can definitely tell it has made a different and has motivated me to work harder.

So the review of the event Abominable Snow Race:
Terrain - trails, ski slopes, snowy
Organization - Well organized, slightly overcrowded due to it being ski season
Cost - $49 - bought it last year on sale.  I think it was $75 on race day
Time of the race - 9am was our wave
Overall - very nicely done, second year doing this one and would do it again if at same location
Swag - a medal and a teeshirt (I liked the teeshirt this year, last year not so much)
My Time - didn't care about time on this one
Race #2 (62 total to date)

Life or Death

self-es·teem

ˈˌself əˈstēm/

noun

1. confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect.

   "assertiveness training for those with low self-esteem"

This has been an ongoing struggle for many people.  7 out of 10 girls/women believe they do not measure up to society's standards or are not good enough.  It isn't a matter of them THINKING this.  Statistics say that they BELIEVE it.

I had fallen into the category for many years.  As a young child, I was very thin.  My mother jokes how she used to make me eat and I had to take vitamins, which I remember (Flinstones to be exact).  It was around the age of 11 where circumstances in my life pushed me towards food.  I wasn't abnormally large by any one's standards but I did have weight and my girlish figure was non-existent.  I won't go into details of how self-esteem derailed me in so many ways but it did result in self-harming and self-loathing.  I thought I would never be good enough for anyone.

My father passed away when I was 17 and since I was no longer under his thumb, I set out to experience the world.  The low worth I had in myself led me down a destructive path.  I ended up with the wrong people, the wrong influences and eventually it led to abusing my body with drugs and alcohol.  My first husband wasn't very kind to me emotionally or physically and the extent of that abuse will remain unpublished.  However, every negative word and every angry blow just validated that I was not good enough for anyone.

Not only did my husband at the time treat me less than human, but my father wasn't the kindest to me during his last few months on this earth.  As an adult, I now understand how illness can make you lash out.  I get it.  I have forgiven.  However, the words of "worthless", "never amount to anything", "why bother trying", "idiot"...those words tagged me and sealed my lack of self worth.

After a year of not being able to tolerate it any longer, I moved on and divorced my husband.  I have gotten a smart, handsome, witty, amazing, funny (etc etc etc) son out of the ordeal and he makes it worth it all and I would go through it all again.  I lost some weight after that merely from not eating and partying.  It was then that I met my current husband.  We didn't meet on the best terms.  By now, my self worth was wrapped up in how hard I could party, how stupid I could make myself look and how I could take all the attention off myself.

My husband.  God bless him.  He has had an ordeal when he signed up to be with me.  I always expected him to hit me.  I always expected him to call me names.  I always expected him to beat me down with words of negativity and I never fully trusted him.  I always expected a day where he would have said he was leaving or he found someone else.  Heck, I always felt he DESERVED someone better than me.  I was no good.  I was damaged and irreparable.  Even so, he hung around.  There was a time he couldn't take it anymore.  He couldn't take the lashing out, the anger, the hatred, the self loathing, the animosity.  It was never about him.  It was the inner turmoil of how I was never good enough.

Words can heal and or they can damage.  I remember a very clear incident that I am sure my husband probably has never had cross his mind since it occurred.  I couldn't even tell you what the argument was about but in the heat of it he called me "worthless".  He had never called me a name.....nothing foul or derogatory or demeaning (I wish I could say the same).  He said that single word then stormed out the door.  That very word cut me to the core.  It took me back to my dad, lying in bed asking me to make him a milk shake.  It was all he could really hold down due to his illness.  I hadn't made it to his liking and he shoved it back at me and said "You can't even make a milkshake.  You're worthless".  Don't get me wrong....I do not want to shed a negative light on my dad.  He was a great man,,,but towards the end he was a hurting man, a tired man and I was convenient when the pain was too much to bear.

But in that moment, my breath caught and it felt like every ounce of oxygen was pulled out of the room.

And I wept.

I don't mean I cried.  I wept.  Long and hard.  I knew I was worthless.  I knew it.  However, to hear my husband call me that merely validated it deep in my spirit.

I continued to gain weight and make poor choices.  I needed a spiritual healing like no other.  I was a born again Christian.  I knew what the Word said.  I knew that I was a child of God and yet I felt so empty.  No purpose.

At the end of 2013, I was at my heaviest.  I was miserable.  Life was passing me by.  I was comfortable being the size I was when in fact I truly wasn't.  I wore frumpy clothes, hoping they would not only hide my weight by my insecurities as well.  I never went to the women's section because I knew nothing would fit me.  I was a mess.  I continued to withdraw inside myself, quiet and meek.

At the beginning of 2014, something just clicked inside of me.  I can't explain it.  I had enough.  I no longer wanted to just exist.  I wanted to experience all that life had to offer.  So, my husband and I signed up for a gym membership.

I was scared, no lie.  I thought I would go in there and see all these swollen men and women and I would be the awkward heavy girl that had no idea what she was doing and would be gasping like a beached whale.  At first, it was like that.  I was uncomfortable.  But I got over it.

In less than a year I shed 90 pounds.  I was a gym rat and I ate healthy and the weight melted off.  So then all my self-esteem came back and I felt fantastic.........not.  I still felt like that 'fat' girl.  I still wore frumpy clothes.  I would go to the store and buy extra large because I knew for a fact I couldn't wear a large.  Lies.  I remember going into a dressing room with 3 sizes of capris.  I initially had a larger size and my daughter convinced me to try on a smaller size.  So I took 3 in, just in case.

When I tried on the size 10 capris, I almost had a melt down in the dressing room.  I took a picture, sent it to my husband because I was ecstatic.  Never, in my life, had I remembered ever wearing that size (I was a size 22 before I lost the weight).

Fast forward to now.

I looked in the mirror today.  I realized that I am a completely different person.  I made poor choices and will have to live with the repercussions my entire life.  I will always have "bat wings".  I will always have stretch marks.  And ya know what?  That's okay.  I have came a long way.  I used to never wear a bathing suit without a tshirt.  Now I am comfortable wearing one.  I never wore tank tops.  Now I do.  I never wore shorts above the knee, never cut my hair short, never bought new clothes (and from the women's section!).....my self worth was so wrapped up in what others thought of me or what others have said/done to me that I could not value who I was as a person.  I was merely a blip in the radar.

Do I have full confidence?  No.  Am I better?  Yes.  The bible states that the elders should teach the younger.  This is true in so many areas.  However, I think we don't teach young girls (and boys) to love themselves from an early age.  Yes, we need to be healthy.  I am not saying being obese is okay.  But I am saying that we should teach the younger generation to be happy with the cards they are dealt.

Love yourself.  Do not focus on what the world says you are.  Focus on who you are in Christ and He thinks you are pretty amazing.

In closing, why did I decide to blog this?  Well, I post a lot on social media, whether it is Facebook or Instagram.  I post my healthy lifestyle, pictures of my progress, food, etc.  Sometimes I think I get on people's nerves....but hey, if you don't like it then move on.  If I can inspire just one person then it was worth it. Anyway, I had worked out this evening at home.  It was grueling.  I posted a picture of me flexing and sent it to my husband say I was getting 'swole' (disclaimer - all the cool kids say that now....means swollen, as in muscle. You're welcome).

I see confidence in that candid picture.  It wasn't staged, it wasn't posed.  I just quickly snapped it to send to my husband to be funny.  We, as a society, need to be careful how we speak to our kids and others.  We can direct their path in a way that can be positive...or negative.  We need to be careful around listening ears that hear us say...

"I am so fat"
"Retake that picture, I look stupid"
"I am so dumb"
"I shouldn't have eaten that now I feel fat"
"I look so ugly in that picture"

What message are we conveying?

Life and death are in the tongue.

Which one are you going to speak over not only others, but yourself?

Transformation - my heaviest and now

Confidence

Best Invention Ever

I cannot shut up about my air fryer.  For real.  It is the best invention ever.  I may never use my oven/stove again!

The concept is that it uses circulated hot air to "fry" food, eliminating oil all together.  It lives up to that claim.  I haven't had a chance to use it too much but I have made pork chops, sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, fish, chicken and fried dill pickles and have been pleased with everything thus far!

There are several varieties out there.I have the Power AirFyer XL (as seen on TV).  I am a kitchen gadget junkie, so when I saw this I knew I had to have it.

It isn't just because I wanted it, however.  With us trying to eat healthier and be more fit for our races, we have to eliminate fat where we can.

For example:

Fried Pickles at any local resturaunt range in calories of 180-250 for 7-10 pieces!

I made a batch of them for 3 people (estimated 12 pieces each) and for the entire recipe it was 150 and no oil was used.  Yes, they were crispy and only took 5 minutes.

Clean up is a breeze!  The basket and the drawer are both dishwasher safe but I just run it under hot water and wipe it down with a sponge and it's clean!

Highly recommend!

Race Review - Winter Night Trail

This was the first race of the year.  Excited to start race season!  We did this one last year and this year was radically different, weather-wise.

It called for an ice storm with ice accumulations and treacherous traveling conditions.  Our philosophy is we head out and if it's too bad we turn around.  However, we weren't just not going to go!

Per usual, the weather man was incorrect.  It iced a bit before noon then cleared right up before the race at 6pm.  The wet weather conditions made the course pleasantly muddy.

We arrived early to ensure a decent parking spot. 131 events always sell out and this was no exception.  Parking is limited due to it being at a state park, so we knew to get there early.  Last year we did this race and it was bitter cold.  The wet trails had frozen over, there were many people who slipped on the ice and fell and it was overall a mess...by no fault of the race director.  Mother Nature was just being her witchy self.

However, this year the weather was nice and balmy.  A little chilly to start but I quickly warmed up.  I had intended to walk it with my buddy but she backed out due to the weather concern (and she kicked herself later for being so paranoid!).  Therefore, I told Matt it just isn't in my nature to walk if I am not nursing an injury, and I was not.

The distance options were a full marathon, a half and a quarter.  We did the quarter.  It is such a nice trail and we had done several races there prior so the course was familiar.  As I previously stated, the trail was nice and muddy.  I find it funny to watch "non-mud runners" navigate a muddy course.  They wear street shoes (I had on OCR trail shoes) and they try to tip toe past the mud and water.  Me?  I just plowed through it.  I was covered in mud from me knees down.  Fantastic!  Makes me excited for mud season.

I finished 8 minutes faster than last year - woot.  It is a slow course and time is never an issue with me on these.  They are trails and there was to be caution exercised so slower is okay here.  At the end of the race, 131 always takes care of their runners.  They had coffee, hot cocoa, donuts, granola bars, salty treats and fruit...not to mention the honking medal!

It was a great start to the new season!

So the review of the event Winter Night Trail:
Terrain - trails, mud, some pavement
Organization - 131 Events - always well organized and great company...they take care of their runners!
Cost - $40-ish
Time of the race - 6pm
Overall - very nicely done, second year doing this one and will do it again
Swag - a medal
My Time - 1hr 29min
Race #1 (61 total to date)

Do you even lift, bro?

Well, I don't have a race to review....yet.  Therefore, I sat here to try to figure out what to blog about.  It is merely teetering on the second week of the new year and our race calendar is already filling up.

We have opted to try to challenge ourselves more this year - harder races.  Which means, I can't just flit around.  I may have to actually train!  I don't train much.  I mean...I run a few times a week, a few miles each time.  I didn't even train for the ultra I ran last summer.  I am more of a "eh, let's give it a try" kinda girl.

This year, however, I am going to be more diligent.  Matt works 12 hour shifts and when he gets home in the mornings, we head to the gym.  We have to drive 20 minutes to get to one since we live in a small, po-dunk town.  There have been days I hadn't wanted to get up, days I just wanted to keep sleeping.  However, I am always dressed and the vehicle is warming up by the time Matt gets home.  We have to keep each other motivated.

So, what does my workout look like?  I am such a creature of habit.  I rarely change it up, which I know I need to.

We typically go Mon-Fri unless something conflicts (work, appointment, etc).  We rarely go on Saturdays, but we have before and we never go on Sundays.  I alternate arms and legs.  My legs are pretty strong , but my upper body is pathetic, so I work on my arms the most.  The following are typical work outs:

ARMS
Ellipical 1 mile warm up
**everythings is 3 sets of 15 unless otherwise noted
Bench Press @ 75 lbs (reps - 10, 10, 5)
Isolated Bicep Curls 20lbs
Tricep Extension 30lbs
Isolated Upright Rows 25lbs
Tricep Pull Downs 30lbs
Lat Pull Down 70lbs
Ab Crunch 70lbs (2 sets of 20)
Deltoids 50lbs
Tricep Press 65lbs (2 sets of 15), 70lbs (1 set of 15)
Free Hang 30-45 seconds

Sometimes I change up the type of bicep curl or upright rows I do.  My main goal is to bench press my body weight by the end of the year!

LEGS
Elliptical 1 mile warm up
**everything is 3 sets of 15 unless otherwise noted
Leg Curl 75lbs
Leg Extension 75lbs
Glutes 75lbs
Adduction  140lbs
Abductions 140lbs
Calf Raises, free standing
Linear Leg Press 283lbs
Seated Leg Press 80lbs
Free hand 30-40 seconds

The above are gym work outs.  I typically do other movements when I am at home and have to use free weights and not cable machines.

When I do cardio, I typically run.  I will run 3 miles or I will run 2 and do the 3rd mile at an incline.  Sometimes, like today, I will do 2 miles of straight incline work (gradually going from a 3%-10%).

I can definitely tell it is paying off.  When I started, I only did 3 sets of 10.  I started the bench press with just the bar (45lbs), I have went up at least 10 pounds (and more) on everything else.

I am frustrated the scale isn't reflecting my hard work as quickly as I would like.  Yes, I know it could be muscle but I hate seeing the number flashing at me.  I will get there.  Everything takes time,

I tend to post a lot of work outs and food on Instgram. Make sure to follow me!

Happy lifting!