I mentioned a few posts ago that I entered an obstacle course race. I did this because I came to the realization that it was time to stop concentrating so hard on the scale and start making my own victories. I figured that if I could just FINISH the race still standing on my own two feet (or hands and knees really, I wasn't too picky) I would be happy. I was joined on race day by a gal I graduated high school with, my 5 year old, my father, by Bestest, her husband and my nephew, and another gal I went to high school with was competing with her husband and her 2 young kids. The race started. There were hills. A LOT of hills. Then there were tunnels, then somersaults, and then I lost my shoe in a big mud glob and fell down a hill, giggling and laughing my ass off the whole time. It was a ROUGH 5 something miles. You know what though...it was a BLAST! I learned so much so quickly. The most wonderful, miraculous, and most treasured thing I learned? Runners LOVE others. They don't judge. They support. They help pull you over the wall you can't get over. They cheer you on. As we got passed at the end of the race by the "Dog Heat" (a group of people running with their dogs that started 2 HOURS!!! after our heat left) they high fived us and told us what an amazing job we were doing and didn't minimize the fact we were so dead last. It wasn't funny...they celebrated that we totally made it this far and we were doing amazing!! As my friend and I finished the gal I went to HS with grabbed Bella (my 5 year old) and ran her over to me and all 4 of us ran through the finish line together with such an amazing sense of euphoria it was overwhelming. My friend and I were cheered on by spectators and volunteers just as enthusiastically as those that won first place.
We finished. On two feet. Exhausted. Muddy. But with such a sense of achievement I was completely addicted. Oh - and once the final race times came in...we were NOT in last place!!! ;)
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| We finished! She did her own version - The Kids Dash! |
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| This evil pit swallowed my shoe and was the hill I rolled down! |
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| exhausted...totally exhausted |
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| Did I mention it was October? In Ohio? This water was COLD! |
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| Strong and Proud! |
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| Best part of the run? Getting to slide down this HUGE slip and slide!! |
Then in December I ran another race with another friend of mine from High School. This time it was a 5k in downtown Cleveland and my son was running with me. Another very cold day and I had a hard strength training that week, of course on legs/quads, so it took a while for me to get warmed up. My son and my friend QUICKLY got ahead of me. Not the point. Once again, I shoved through and I finished. 1 more race in the bag and my medal collection is now doubled!
Now it's 2015 and I've started to plan my race season for this year. For serious..."My Race Season". It gives me chills just thinking about it. I'm 34 years old. I have NEVER been a runner. Sure, I ran on the soccer field...short distances...but I was slower than a sloth in peanut butter. I made up for it by being a brute of a brick wall without a fear of getting hurt. IF you got passed me though...well...I wasn't going to make it there fast enough to stop you. I made my track coaches lives HELL in High School! I threw Shot and Discus and was pretty damn good at it. Senior year I didn't come out because I didn't feel like it. The only way they got me out that year was promising me I wouldn't have to run. I'm not proud of the fact I was a lazy ass. But, a fact is a fact and running was hard for me even then when I was in shape and athletic. Currently, I have 5 races planned from now until August. I have no idea where the Army will be sending us, so I haven't planned further ahead than that...but 5 races!!! Almost triple what I did last year! August is another Obstacle Race that I'm doing with a HUGE group of people I went to High School with as well as a friend I haven't seen in over 20 years! Then there's May when I'll be doing 2 5k's in one day! In the AM I'm doing a race with my daughter. A Tutu and Princess 5k to benefit Make a Wish Foundation. The PM I'll be doing another 5k with my son, a blacklight run. March will be my first 10k with my cousin. We are heading off to participate in Notre Dame's "Holy Half". The soonest one is the craziest one EVER!!! My husband and I are heading out in our undies to do the Cupid Undie Run on Valentine's Day! Yeah...a one mile race. In the bitter cold of a Cleveland, OH winter. In our underroo's!!!! This is a big one and I'm excited. I know it's only a mile compared to the others, but I'm going out there baring my new self to the world. (Of course I don't have the daringness enough to be AS "underwear" as typically other fit women...but I will be baring it.)
Fun part ahead! Like all the other races I choose to do, the Cupid's Undie Run is a fundraiser and they've made a competition out of the fundraising! The Cupid's Undie Run benefits local children diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF) - a destructive, incurable tumor condition that incessantly attacks the body’s nervous system. You don't receive any "Swag" from the run at all, no t-shirts, no medals, nothing. You want swag, you buy it! It's not timed, so no money spent on timing systems. Everyone volunteers. The money you pay goes to the foundation! All the money raised through fundraising goes to benefit the children! So, I've decided to sign up to help fundraise! If you'd like to donate anything from as small as a $1, it all helps! Please use this link to donate to these amazing kids! There will be pics of us freezing in our undies in the snow for you to laugh at as a bonus prize !!! LOL
Fun part ahead! Like all the other races I choose to do, the Cupid's Undie Run is a fundraiser and they've made a competition out of the fundraising! The Cupid's Undie Run benefits local children diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF) - a destructive, incurable tumor condition that incessantly attacks the body’s nervous system. You don't receive any "Swag" from the run at all, no t-shirts, no medals, nothing. You want swag, you buy it! It's not timed, so no money spent on timing systems. Everyone volunteers. The money you pay goes to the foundation! All the money raised through fundraising goes to benefit the children! So, I've decided to sign up to help fundraise! If you'd like to donate anything from as small as a $1, it all helps! Please use this link to donate to these amazing kids! There will be pics of us freezing in our undies in the snow for you to laugh at as a bonus prize !!! LOL
Finally, as a reminder. If you are on this journey, PLEASE (!!!!) make sure you are taking part in a support group! It's such a small but VITAL part of your journey! Others understand you and are there to make you not feel alone and to help with questions or just a kick in the pants when you need it. There are tons around the web, but mine is located on facebook here. I will say this...unlike other groups, we are no holds bared, completely honest. We tell the good and the bad.
Here are the links again if anyone is having a problem with the links:
Donations for the Cupid's Undie Run: http://my.cupids.org/AmyMcCarter
If you wanna be crazy and run with (or like) us use this link here to register!! They are taking place all over the US on Valentine's Day!:
Here are the links again if anyone is having a problem with the links:
Donations for the Cupid's Undie Run: http://my.cupids.org/AmyMcCarter
If you wanna be crazy and run with (or like) us use this link here to register!! They are taking place all over the US on Valentine's Day!:
http://my.cupids.org/register.asp?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=link&ref=48472
To join WLS Sleeving Stars on Facebook (for all bariatric patients) join us here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sleevingstars/
If you get the reference in the blog title you get bonus points and we should probably be friends...just saying.
To join WLS Sleeving Stars on Facebook (for all bariatric patients) join us here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sleevingstars/
If you get the reference in the blog title you get bonus points and we should probably be friends...just saying.
