Hoo-rah

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I participated in the Tough Mudder at Mount St Louis Moonstone this past Saturday.  If you haven’t heard, the Tough Mudder is a “10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test your all-around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie”.  And test it, it did.

But with every test, comes a lesson, and on Saturday, there were many.

  • I learned that the ‘Arctic Enema‘ is in fact, as awful as it sounds.  Ice cold water stole my breath and my voluntary muscle control.  I learned to ask for help.
  • I learned that ‘Walk the Plank‘, a 15+ft jump into water, left me paralyzed with terror.  The sound of dozens of people chanting my name, and the side-by-side support of my husband finally give me the courage to jump.  I learned to rely on the support and togetherness of my team. They would not let me quit.
  • I learned that the anticipation of the electric shocks from the ‘Electric Eel‘ obstacle are worse than the shocks themselves.  I learned that putting your head down and just going for it often beats over-analysis.
  • I learned that the ‘Berlin Walls‘ require strength and balance to conquer.  I learned that my teammates will boost me up and will not let me fall.  I learned to trust blindly.

But you know what the best part was?  There was no clock.  I loved that there was no clock.  I loved that there were no timing mats.  I loved that there were no chip times.  I loved that we had to recite ‘this is not a race’ before we began.  I loved that there were no finish times posted on the Tough Mudder website.

In our results-driven society, we often miss out on opportunities to learn the hidden lessons.  And it was the hidden lessons at Tough Mudder that taught me the most.

There was camaraderie.  There was teamwork.  There was friendship.  There was accomplishment.  There was effort.  There was sheer will.  But most of all, there was fun.

I am a Tough Mudder.

Hoo-rah.

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Team ‘Ashley and the Old People’
before the muddiness began…

This Thing Called ‘The Open’

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Maybe you’ve heard of the Crossfit Open.  Maybe you haven’t.  But I want to inspire you, I want to motivate you, I want to raise your spirits.  So let me tell you about this thing called ‘The Open’.

crossfit-logo-games-blackThe Crossfit Open is a worldwide competition in which 130 000 Crossfitters have registered, paid their $20, and are completing one workout per week for five weeks (we just finished week 3), as dictated by Crossfit Headquarters.  Competitors submit their scores to an online leaderboard and the fun begins.  Top-scoring competitors will advance to their respective Regional competitions, with the ultimate  goal being to qualify for the Crossfit Games, the ‘Olympics of Crossfit’, in California in July.

Although I’ve been Crossfitting for three years, this is the first time I’ve entered the Open, as I’ve always been very pregnant or newly post-partum in year’s past.  And as an average Crossfitter, I will definitely not advance to Regionals.  But a funny thing has happened along the way.  I have gotten really into it.  No, I mean really into it.  I’ve bookmarked the Crossfit Games leaderboard on my computer, I watch elite competitor’s video submissions, I get nervous on Tuesdays for Wednesday’s workout announcement, and I check the scores of people I know and names I recognize.

It’s shown me what I’m physically capable of.

It’s shown me what I’m mentally capable of.

It’s made me feel like part of a team, through accountability, support, and friendship.

It’s made me feel pride in myself and confidence in my abilities.

It’s made me strong, healthy, inspired, and hopeful.

It’s made me cry, it’s made me laugh, it’s made me scared, it’s made me excited.

It’s broken me down and built me right back up.

But this post is not about the Crossfit Open.  This post is about challenging yourself.  This post is about stepping outside of your comfort zone.  This post is about changing the impossible to the possible.  So challenge yourself.  Step outside of your comfort zone.  Change the possibilities.  And see what happens.

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Running Does That.

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I ran 20.5km yesterday.  It was the last long run scheduled before my half marathon (21.1km) on March 3rd.  From here on in, I’m in taper mode to allow my body to rest and recover from the past 14 weeks of run-specific training I’ve been doing.

I’m taking a completely different approach this time around.  I come from a distance-running background, and up until about 5 years ago, I was a run-only kind of runner; 100km weeks were common and strength training was non-existent.  I trained with a couple of super-fast chiropractic classmates, chasing them for mile after mile until I became faster too. I ran five full marathons and a couple dozen half marathons this way.  I PR’d my half marathon and ran Boston.  Running was, and still is, a huge part of who I am.

Enter career.  Enter babies.  Goals change.  Priorities shift.

This time around, I am running once/week.  One long run per week, that started with just 6km on November 10th and peaked at 20.5km yesterday.  But, I am also going to Crossfit 3-4 times/week and feeling strong.  I won’t be setting any personal records on March 3rd, but it will be my first half marathon in 5 years.  My first half marathon as a mother.  My first half marathon with changed goals and shifted priorities.

My running partner asked me why I chose to sign up for this race now, after a 5-year hiatus from distance-running.  I chose to sign up because of my history, my addiction, and my passion for the sport.  Running does that.  I chose to sign up because I wanted my kids to see their mama be a part of something inspiring.  Running does that.  I chose to sign up because I wanted to feel that personal sense of accomplishment.  Running does that.

Oh, and those chiropractic classmates that I used to chase?  They were both in my wedding party and are two of my forever friends.  And one of them will be beside me for every step on March 3rd.  Running does that too.

“Believe that you can run farther or faster.  Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do.  Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.”

~John Bingham