To the Wall and Beyond (the Vanity Struggles of a Marathon)

I am pretty sure I am not the only one who cringes at photos that are taken at the marathon of you along the course.

There is that woman (or man too) that has a vain streak that rises up when they see themselves at their worst especially when the pictures makes you look bigger than normal or it is a reality check that you still have a long ways to go in your fitness journey.

Well, this blog is dedicated to all the runners who have experienced their vanity ugly moments because I had mine at the Honolulu marathon (I'll disregard the Great Aloha Run 2012 because they only took one ugly photo of me that is still online).

The beginning
As you are standing at the starting line, you're stretching, warming up and preening as you have your picture taken by another runner because hey...it's a great moment that you want to remember, right?

The first stretch (0-6 miles)
You're on top of the world especially if you're pacing yourself and it's morning still.

The second stretch (6-13 miles)
Mid-morning and you got this-ain't no stopping you!

The third stretch (13-20 miles)
Wait...it's lunchtime and there's other runners and walkers pulling to the side eating...You begin to wonder if you should have brought something more than gel chews and sports beans...

Congratulations! You've hit the wall (20-23 miles)

You're stomach is rumbling and you're remembering those extra toilet paper advice. Porta-potties are out of the question especially after seeing someone's underpants discarded. Thank goodness for the Chevron staff that were allowing runners to use their restroom!

Going beyond the wall (24-25 miles)
After buying pretzels from Chevron and filling up your water bottle and gatorade bottles, you feel somewhat better, right? 

Keep going (24-25miles)
Your mind starts playing mind games with you, "Did they stretch out the last two miles? Are they sure they measured the distance correctly?!"

Last stretch knowing Diamond Head is coming up within the last mile. One more sport beans left to down with zipfizz for that last energy to start running...

Homestretch
From 5:00am...you've ran the first mile then walked all the way till the 25th mile marker...

So crank up the iPod and let those epic movie score from Transformers, "No Sacrifice, No Victory" play as you are running down to Kapiolani Park to the finish line...

All you're thinking is, "I want my medal and shirt! Thank God the finish line is right here and I'm not cramping over! Just don't let me trip and fall!"

Legs on fire as "Girl on Fire" starts blasting in your ears while the volunteers are directing you to stand and pose (even if you are in pain and you feel as if your legs will pop off at any moment) 

You wait anxiousky for almost two weeks to view the marathon photos. After viewing them and buying those ugly photos, this makes you want to run the Honolulu Marathon again with makeup and to make sure that you're smiling at the end (Note: Being under the sun for 10 hours must have addled the brains to think such a thing).

But, as you sit back and think, you remember that quote on Pinterest, "If you are still pretty at the end of your run (workout), you didn't run (workout) hard enough." 

Guess I did a good job, yes?

Whatever it takes

You come to that moment in your life when you realize that to get to your goal you have to do whatever it takes...

 

But, this doesn't mean cheating or aggressively pushing your way through and offending anyone, it's the determination that you set within yourself emotionally and mentally as well as physically that you are willing to plan strategically and get out of your comfort zone to finish what you started or decided to do.

 

Some will groan at the unfairness that why can't there be a magic pill or drink that will melt away the fat and give us the ideal physique that media tells us we should have.

 

Some will groan on why is does one have to train a specific way for a race and why can't there just a gel blok or sports beans that will give us the supernatural power to conquer an obstacle race, marathon, half-marathon, 10k or 5k?

 

However, there is no satisfaction in the quick fixes. Quick fixes gives fast results that returns back quickly that places you further back. Half-hearted efforts will give you minimal results that will either leave feeling you dissatisfied and discouraged or challenged to do better. Ask me how I know-we've all been there until the lightbulb went off in our head on what we needed to do.

 

I asked myself this question as I started this blog post, "Why is it that we are willing to do whatever it takes?"

• Because we want the satisfaction of running that last mile with the feeling of sweat, your heart pumping and your breathing steadily going to making that run count until the very end...

• Because we want the exhiliration of climbing over that last obstacle and running through those gladiators to get to the finish line...

• Because we want to feel victorious as we meet our PR goals of rope climbing, thrusts and pull-ups...

We all want that heart-wrenching, deep satisfaction that we did what it takes and that means struggling, pushing through, creating meal plans, scheduling training WODs and researching tips to minimize injuries and maximize performance.

 

It's not about showing off but it is about earning the right to share what you have done and what you have learned along the way to get to your goals and that you are still running ahead full force because there is nothing else you can do but to go forward and conquer.

 

Your pace, your lifestyle, your well-being...do what it takes to get it done. You got this!

Training for a Spartan Super: Progress is progress

It's been almost a month since the Spartan Sprint and I've been doing pretty well with nutrition and exercising.

However, for some odd reason, I'm slowly craving for something (food) but I can't put my finger on what. I am pretty sure it would be something unhealthy but as soon as I consider it, I'm thinking that I've gone 4 weeks of literally eating clean that why should I cheat?

Another thing that was shared with me was that someone inquired if I was on a diet again. I shook my head and truthfully told them it isn't a diet but decided to change my eating habits as well as changing the way that I exercise.

I'm sitting at my desk and looking at a picture of myself a year ago after hiking up Koko Head trail and I noticed that my stomach is bigger in there regardless of the exercising and running I was doing then because I was eating in "moderation". So, I'm a believer that nutrition plays a vital role if you want to be healthier physically and mentally.

One thing I do regret is not taking a picture of myself one month ago unless I use the picture from my pre-muddy spartan race photo to compare with a current picture. I'll do that and post that up later. But, for now, I'm pretty pleased that I've been able to be consistent and determined.

Nutrition
Water...lots of water (and sometimes I'll add a slice of lemon)
Fruits
Clif protein bars for snacks / recovery
Beef, chicken or pork (baked, boiled or grilled) with herb seasoning
Veggies
Poultry (egg whites)

I believe what made the transition easier is the fact that I've engaged my family into changing our eating habits and they have been supportive of the change in what we eat.

Exercising
I've been basically running 1-3 miles every other day with beginner's crossfit workouts and October I am going to begin the suggested Spartan Super workouts to train that is geared for individuals training to race a Spartan Super.

Continue to keep me in prayer? Thanks

Training for a Spartan Super Training: My Next Level

Determination, perseverance and consistency are the three main words that pushes me as I continue on my journey for the Spartan Super.

I just signed up for the Warrior Dash since it has always been on my fitness bucket list ever since they came to Hawaii in 2012. I'm wishing I could do it for timing but there were a lot of family and friends that were willing to sign up! It's okay-my goal is still the Spartan Super in 2014. 

I've been consistently exercising as well as changing my eating habits as you may have noted in my previous blogs. 

But, I'm preparing for the next level of fitness because all this time, I've only been incorporating what I've done with my former boot camp classes because my trainer's workouts are aligned with Spartan Race workouts. However, I just downloaded the Spartan Race eBook (helloooo, why didn't I do this sooner?!) and they provide a workout plan as well as the philosophy behind Spartan Race.

I love the fact that the Spartan Race is more than just an "obstacle race". It's a lifestyle change, which I've inputted my own perspective to fuel me. It's like my walk with God. To be what God has called me to be and to show my heart is always with Him (like maintaining a healthy lifestyle not just for obstacle racing), I need to prepare myself (daily devotions), plan (read my Bible), and daily exercise (live by speech and actions).

There is no way that you can take a hiatus from either because you'll fall off the wayside (backslide) and that is way more harder to get back on track. Granted, it's doable to return but why do you want to do that when all you have to do is continually maintain physically, mentally and spiritually?

Taking it to the next level. I'm looking forward to what God has in store for me.

Spartan Tough