I’m doing this:
Why? I wish I had a deep reason, but mostly because it looks like fun. It looks like fun. OK, it started back in April or March, I was in the kitchen with my former Marine brother and my husband and I said, “have you hear of Tough Mudder?” “No.” I showed him the video and he became very animated, said he was going to get a bunch a Marine buddies, we were going to get a team together, do it, and get a beer. Wow, all that and a beer.
Let’s backtrack. For years I have tried to cheat, get around, minimize, excuse the one plain fact: I need to exercise. I need to eat right. I had gestational diabetes three times, my parents both had high blood pressure, so I’m an at risk group. The catalyst though is it has been a rough past year in my family. I’ve lost four family members. I have also started work as a CNA and was confronted with death on a pretty regular basis, where as before, my life was sanitized from it. as a matter of fact, I say most of us are sanitized from what it is to grow old, I mean really old or really sick. It’s not pretty, but it’s there and it’s a part of life that’s unavoidable. My father, before he became ill was a runner. When he developed cancer, the type of cancer he had caused constant microscopic bone fractures. He lost a good 3-5 inches in height before he passed. I know he wanted to get better and hoped he could go back to running and being active again.
Later in my work as a CNA, the generation I took care of was the smoking generation. I had so many residents hooked up to oxygen condensers, who couldn’t walk a few feet without being out of breath or who went into fits of panic because they couldn’t breathe.Like I said, I know that just like everyone else, I will depart this world. There are things that we know for a fact, if we do now, it will give us a better shot that our last years we can spend in the company with our grand and great grandchildren going on outings with them. No guarantees, but more of a chance. After all, our bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit.
So back to my Dad, I knew he would’ve loved to lace up his shoes and just gone out to run. So I figured if Dad liked it so much, and he couldn’t do it, I’ll give it a shot. There isn’t a cheaper work-out. I decided I couldn’t stand one more Zumba class. I wanted to not just move, but become a bit more athletic.(I was also egged on by my son Ian, who is a runner as well. Every other day he would say “Mom, you should run a race. Mom you should run a race.”). In June 2011 I started the Cool Runnings Couch to 5K running plan and in August 27 of that same year, I completed my first race in 30 minutes flat. Wow, that was a rush. I ran the whole thing, and I completed it without stopping. I didn’t think it was possible.
Then winter came and my work-outs started slowing down, after I all, I did the race. I realized I needed new motivation. With my personality, and I think with many folks, I can’t just say “I’m going to work out today to keep my heart healthy and lose a few pounds.” I needed to set a goal, lock myself into a date with a deadline (as in pay $$ for the registration) and train. Again.Other things in life, especially a life involving care of seven children will push that out of sight and out of mind.I started to do a ten-week half-marathon training plan. That didn’t go so well. It was too intense and I over trained. Also, the half-marathon I had in mind (which I picked simply based on date and location) was kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t filling up despite a good price, and when we looked at the course,we understood why. It was all hills. Not a good choice for a first half-marathon. So I passed.
That brings me to standing in the kitchen with my brother. We signed up. Initially I started doing Cross Fit WODs. Then Josh and I started a 12 Week Training Plan that we just completed last week. We started eating clean. My brother has since bailed on me because he moved to Texas to go be with the love of his life, which I suppose I can forgive, but we picked up another couple who are old friends and as crazy as Josh and I.
So what can I say about this crazy training? First, I have suffered from various anxiety issues since the onset of motherhood. I don’t know if I can contribute the benefits of feeling better to the clean diet or to exercise, but I tend to think both. This is the BEST anti-anxiety drug I have come into contact with. Now, I am not giving any advice or telling anybody what to do, but simply testifying to my own experience. Second, skin, hair (not including the greys)-just awesome. I have yet to come into contact with someone who can guess my age. Third, my husband had high blood pressure. He has horrible genes in regards to blood pressure, diabetes and all those fun 1st world disorders. We donated blood yesterday, his was 118/82 (mine was 92/62). His HA1C has dropped tremendously. Yay, Husband.We are also having a lot of fun training together. I want to say I lost a lot of weight-about 20 pounds. I’d like to lose more, but that scale doesn’t like to move. However the tape measure tells a very different story. I’m a size 4, which I can’t believe. I haven’t been a 4 since high school. If I check the size charts, that’s what it says, but I still couldn’t comprehend that. A few days ago I purchased a pair of Size 4 skinny jeans to test it. I tried them on and they fit!
So, after 15 days from now, what’s next? I plan to keep up the work and make eating clean and training a lifestyle, not just until an event, and then I’m done, but always. I have a couple of events lined up. On December 2, I’m doinga half marathon with a fellow blogger. In April, the game plan is to do my first marathon in Gettysburg with my crazy TM girlfriend who is also a history geek.
For a long time I would put taking care of myself on the back burner because I would associate it with simply being cosmetic as opposed to an important piece of a fulfilling life. Or more importantly, taking care of myself physically and mentally so I can better take care of others.