Mix It Up

I'm happy to report that I've reached all my goals. I am the fittest woman on earth. My health is perfect. And I'm done with all this exercise nonsense. 

Just kidding.

This journey has proven to actually be a journey. Not a straight line with a beginning and end, but an upward trending slope (with valleys and peaks). One week I'll make great strides, and the next week I'm barely doing the minimum amount of work. I was very congested the past few days and missed many days of exercise. I simply couldn't breathe well enough where exercise was safe. Last night was my first run after 4 sedentary days. And it was a good run - 1.6 miles (with only one nostril open for air!). 

Last week I learned a valuable lesson in "mixing it up" with varying my activities. My mix for the last few months has included CrossFit, Dance, and Running. Considering that CrossFit is different every time......and I have three activities overall. My mix is pretty varied! But given where I work,  I have a million more opportunities available to me that I do not take advantage of. I decided to take a boxing class as part of a special event. 

1. I don't like being violent (not that boxing makes you a violent person, but I just don't enjoy hitting things)
2. Ow my hands hurt
3. Much more of a work-out than I expected.  My arms were sore the next day.

It was cool to challenge myself to try a new skill and move my body in a new way. I'm going to make it a goal to insert a new activity into the mix every two weeks. I think the next one will be my first spin class!

This coming Sunday is my 5k road race. That means this week is my last chance to get to 3.1 miles BEFORE the actual race. Game face on, focused, and feeling better with my breathing. 

Run like Hell

September always feels like the start of a new year to me. Perhaps years of school conditioning has ingrained that into my mind. With a new year comes new challenges and goals. Now that the Tough Mudder is behind me, and I most likely won't be doing another one in the short-term because of my busy schedule and location limitations, I've set my sights on a new hurdle. 

I remind myself of the specific goals I outlined in June:

• Participating in the Tough Mudder on August 15th - CHECK
• Being able to run a mile unbroken  CHECK
• CrossFit: 
• being able to deadlift 150 lbs
• being able to successfully pull myself up on gymnast rings 
• Breaking a gender stereotype / shocking someone 

And I have decided to further develop my running abilities. I HATE running. It hurts my knees, it aggravates my asthma, and I look stupid doing it (sort of like a penguin or new born fawn). However, there is no denying that it is the foundation of fitness. Nearly all sports and fitness activities involve running, or at least as part of training. Running builds stamina, endurance, and discipline. The more I run, the more I work through my asthma.

I've signed up to participate in a 5k run on October 4th. I have exactly one month to prepare for it (5 km = 3.1 miles). My husband plans to join me, and possibly a friend or two.

I still haven't addressed my chronic pain and soreness issues. I'm pretty sure they are not injuries, but this seems like an intolerable way to live for months on end. What's the point of all this if I'm constantly in pain? 


(Photo credit: Reebok CrossFit One - August 21, 2015)
Check out the intense look of distress on my face!