13.1 Miles

I ran the D.C. Half-Marathon yesterday and it was awesome! To run downtown amongst historic buildings and crowds lining the streets was truly inspiring! I had a goal and while I really hoped to meet it I had some doubt because my training for this race hadn't gone exactly as I planned. My darn back! But I put in what I could and while I knew I could do the distance I didn't know if I could keep the pace.

Friday night I carbed up with pizza. (It worked for me last year. Who's to break tradition?) We thought we'd save a little time and money by picking up Costco pizzas to cook in the room. Unfortunately while the website mentioned stovetop we didn't realize that didn't mean oven too. Jason got creative and cooked the pizza on the stovetop to make the crust crispy and then microwaved the top. It worked pretty good.

The next morning I met up with my friend Kathryn to catch the Metro together. Once again the Metro was packed. We were squished in pretty tight that I almost felt claustrophobic. My back was against the doors and I couldn't move much less turn my head unless I wanted to kiss the guys back in from to of me. But seeing all these runners together at 6:30 am was so invigorating that I pushed all thoughts of being squashed aside.

While everyone was lined up pretty deep behind port a potty's Kathryn and I found real bathrooms with hardly a line. Score! After taking care of business we set out to find our corrals. Kathryn is faster than me so we parted ways. I was in the 18th corral so I didn't start the race until 28 minutes in. Then I took off and didn't look back. I purposely left my GPS watch back because I didn't want to psych myself out but then I had no idea my pace. I pushed myself for fear I'd miss my goal and be disappointed. The problem with a 13.1 mile race is if you go out too fast you might lose your endurance in the end.

The weather was nice. I was a little worried when the forecast called for 60's. I'd been training all winter in hats, gloves and layers. Now I would be racing in shorts and a t-shirt. There was a nip in the air to start off with but then the sun came out mid-race making it a little too warm which made those hydration stations sought after! Jason and the kids were supposed to meet me at the 5 mile mark but I didn't see them. Turns out I was going faster than expected.

While running is physical a lot is mental too. Once the negative thoughts started to creep in I'd quickly push back and replace them with, "I'm feeling good, going strong." and then focus on my music and the people lining the streets with their high 5's, signs of encouragement and cheers. That was enough to keep me going. Great parallel to life too. I need to cheer more instead of being quick to point out faults.

At mile 11 I was ready for it to end. I wanted to slow down but I knew the end would come quicker the faster I went. At the 12 mile mark I sped up. I was going to give it all I got. The cruel thing about this race is the hill you come to right before the finish line.

Totally unfair but you dig in knowing the end is in sight. I cried as I crossed the finish Line. I gave it my all and I was spent. But it was all worth it when I found out I beat my goal by 2 minutes. My goal was 2:10 and I got 2:07:56. That was also 11 minutes faster than last year.

My Awesome and inspiring friend Kathryn. I want to be just like her!

So far

2010 Louisville, KY Half 2:39

2011 D.C Half 2:18

2012 D.C. Half 2:07:56 YAY!

Toes to Bar and Admitting I am Human

When I saw what the CrossFit Games workout was for this week my first thought was I can't do this. The workout was 15 box jumps (which I can do), 12-75 lb. push presses (which I've never done once much less 12 times) and 9 toes to bar (I've never been able to lift my knees about my waist.) So I went in thinking I'm going to use this workout as a time to practice skills I didn't have.

Turns out I could do it. It just took me awhile. With my bad back I really felt the 75 lbs. It was HEAVY! In the beginning I could only do 1-2 at a time. Then I got my form down and it was a little easier but not much. Next came the toes to bar. Brad my instructor had shown us minutes before the games started how to use our legs to swing our legs above our head to touch the bar. I got on the bar and did it. Who knew? It still took me awhile for each toe to bar and I was taking rests in between each one to mentally prepare and to rest my arms.

So this is where the story becomes interesting. As I struggled with the toes to bar there were a couple of times 1 foot would touch and the other would slide right under the bar without touching. My counter Maria said it counted (close enough) and I moved on. I went through the first round and moved to the 2nd. The goal was to see how many rounds you could do in a certain time limit. I made it though 15 more box jumps and 6 push presses and time was up. I was pretty proud of myself.

The I got home and the sinking feeling started. Two times I hadn't touched both feet to the bar. (Why do I remember the number?) I didn't think much about it in the moment. I wish I had-it would have been a lot easier to fix by just doing an additional two before moving on. Instead I now felt the weight of my mistake. I didn't deserve the score I got. The next two days I debated within my head how to fix this.

1. I could redo workout on Saturday. I knew I could get a better score and it would fix the problem. But then my back started giving me issues. A big concern was my half-marathon race the next week. I couldn't afford to reinjure myself otherwise I'd be missing a race I've trained really hard for.

2. No redo. But If I didn't redo I would have to submit a lower score-the one I deserved. I'd also have to explain to my coach why my score I submitted was lower than he had written down. That hit me in the gut. To admit you're wrong is a hard thing to do. Then this story came to mind from Primary, remember? (http://www.lds.org/friend/2001/11/come-listen-to-a-prophets-voice-honesty-a-moral-compass?lang=eng&query=climb+rope)

My other issue that went along with this decision to do a redo was a Stake R.S. function being held all day Saturday. If I did the redo I'd miss the meeting. (our Stake center is an hour away)

I debated this decision over and over in my head. If I did the redo I wouldn't have to admit my mistake, I could submit a better score and all would be right in my world. But I would be risking hurting myself further possibly affecting my race next Saturday and I'd miss out on a well-planned Stake activity.

Heavenly Father let me mull this over but in the end the Spirit taught me two lessons. First, its okay to be wrong-admit it and move on. And second-Do you remember the talk "Good, Better, Best?" I was taught that while the Games was a Good thing going to the R.S. meeting was the Best thing. So I sent my coach an email Saturday admitting what I'd done, submitted my lower score and then attended my R.S. meeting.

It wasn't my first choice but it was the Right choice and the Spirit told me so.

Crossfit

I wasn't going to do it. I had all the right excuses.

-I just recovered from a back injury that kept me from lifting any weight overhead or bending over for 7 weeks. (I had bulging discs)

-I'd been going to a physical therapist 3x a week and just graduated from the no pain zone.

-I wasn't sure I was up for it.

But that is why I did it.

I joined the Crossfit Six Zero team for the Crossfit Open Games 2012. http://games.crossfit.com/

From the beginning that is how I have always felt about Crossfit. Not sure I'm up for it. Not sure I can do it. But then I give it all I have and in the end I realize I can.

For me its just as much about mental toughness as it is strength.

I started Crossfit out of necessity. I was experiencing some anxiety. I wasn't running due to tendonitis and I needed a way to cope, an outlet to my stress. Those first few weeks of Crossfit I'd look up the workout the night before and think, "Ugh!" As I walked over to Brad's garage the next morning there was always a sense of apprehension about what I was about to do and whether I could do it? But what Crossfit has taught me is to chip away at things. Don't look at the Big Number. Divide and Conquer. Okay, so 200 air squats seems ridiculous. Don't think 200, think sets of 10 or 5. Same with challenges in life which can sometimes overwhelm us. Chip away!

And then I'd end up doing something I doubted I could do and I realized I CAN do hard things-In Crossfit and in Life!

In the words of Christopher Robin to Pooh,
"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."