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Enough Already

24 Sep

I have read some rather ridiculous articles this week from so-called health magazines.

Number one.

“Researchers at the University of Utah discovered that using a large fork caused hungry diners to eat about ten percent less than those who scooped up generous helpings of spaghetti, salad, and other dishes using a smaller fork.” – Shape Magazine

Really now? That’s why I must be so hungry all the time. I eat with a small fork. Better buy myself a gigantic fork now so I eat less.

Hopefully this will do.

“People who stay up after 2 AM consume about 248 calories more a day.”Fitness Magazine

Well, they are up longer still burning calories so maybe those extra calories are needed.

“Repeatedly eating late at night can throw off your body clock, which may slow your metabolism.”Fitness Magazine

Your body doesn’t know what time of day it is. People who work night shifts probably eat more at night, but does that make them fat? No. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night – like at three AM – and were super hungry? I have. Was I like, “No, body, sorry. No food for you because it’s night and my metabolism will slow down if I eat something despite my body being hungry.” No. I actually got up and ate a Snickers bar with strawberry milk. Your body is hungry and it doesn’t know that it’s two AM.

Interview with Olivia Munn in Shape
“Do you use a scale?”
“Absolutely. I need to see hard numbers in order to stay on track.”

Who are you again? I don’t know you and you sound stupid.

“Kick up your dinner with a half teaspoon of group cayenne pepper… the spice helps raise your body temperature with boots our calorie burn.” - Fitness Magazine

Hear that, family? We are having Mexican every night because mommy needs to be a size two. Who does that?

I seriously cannot stand these ‘health’ magazines any longer. Put on lipstick before eating dinner so you eat slower thus feeling fuller faster thus not eating so much? So, you’re telling me to look like a hooker just to be thin?

Not too long ago, I would read these ‘health’ magazines and follow them verbatim. I would want to look like this…

Of course, I have my days where I seriously would do anything to have a football-sized field between my thighs or to have a flat stomach. It’s way difficult for me to admit that; especially on here where I may come across as someone who is pleased with their body, the muscles that I have gained, and the races I have competed.

 Before Warrior Dash

I don’t like my body. I will always see myself as a chubby kid.

Sometimes I feel as if I am recovered from my ED. I eat, right?

However, I still nitpick at every part of myself.

My mother sees it and she tells me all the time, “You look better. I honestly think this is the best you have ever looked.”

“You look like Kelly Ripa. You’re ripped. You aren’t like this… Ashley Greene chick that has bony little arms with nothing on them.”

It is true that I don’t find stick thin women beautiful anymore, but why do I continue to want to be them?

I find Hope Solo absolutely gorgeous. She seriously makes me want to join my gym’s soccer team. She’s my fitness idol currently.

Mirinda Carfrae  is amazing! Look at those legs.

She just competed a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon in less than 9 hours. Where do I sign up to be her?

I find these women incredible. They are not skinny. They are fit, buff, ripped, healthy, etc. Why do I feel like I should be any different? You can’t be fast by fasting. 

I suppose I have no purpose in saying any of this. No matter how many times I tell myself ‘food is fuel’, I still struggle.

It’s really difficult to admit all of this. I never want to come across as weak.

Enough.

“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.”
–Carl Lewis

Warrior Dash

12 Sep

Hiya!

I bet you want to hear all about the Warrior Dash. Well, that’s gonna have to wait. I’m going to rewind a bit.

Friday: No work! I woke up at six anyway to workout with some Marines. You know how that turned out. After that, I rested for a bit before I headed to my acupuncture appointment. It was incredible! The back of my legs (hamstring, calves, part of foot) was done. It didn’t hurt at all. I’ll have a single post on acupuncture for runners later on. I also got a massage. The woman giving the massage told me my right leg was extremely tight and so was the arch of my right foot. Go figure because that’s where my current problem is now. My right foot/toe area is bugging me. Now it’s not so terrible and I feel like I could run, but I’m holding it off.

Anyway, I’m hoping to go to another acupuncture appointment soon. It seemed to really help.

Friday night I went out to dinner, too, with my folks as well as my brother and his girlfriend. My family usually doesn’t eat at commercial restaurants, but we went to Outback Steakhouse. That use to be my favorite place when I was meat-eater. Besides, they have delicious bread. I got the Mahi with a salad and grilled onions.

Let me tell ya, I love onions. I seriously thought my meal was so good. I was really surprised and impressed.

After that, we raided fro-yo.

Saturday: I worked all day. No joke. After work, however, I did get Voodoo Doughnuts. In case you never heard of Voodoo Doughnuts even though they appeared on Food Network and the Cooking Channel, they are the best donuts ever.

They are rather popular in Portland. Voodoo Doughnuts makes some of the awesomest (yeah, I said it) donuts.

I just got the classic Voodoo donut as well as cereal one.

Sunday: Warrior Dash!

 

It was rather hectic getting there. My mom decided to bring two of our dogs and it was 90+ degrees out. We were trying to park and there were 200+ cars in a single file line trying to drive down a dirt road to a giant field where there would be parking. My mom was freaking out since we were running out of gas and she’s just a spaz. I got angry and left the car, got my bib number, lined up, and raced.

It was tougher than I imagined! It started with giant hills. Not like any hill, but hills that were so steep I could not run up them. I was running in a shuffle, luckily passing others. There was so much dirt too. I was eating and breathing dirt.

The first obstacle was going into deep water and climbing over logs. I was too short to even reach the bottom of the creek/pond/whatever it was water.

The next obstacle was jumping over cars. That was simple. There were plenty of wall climbing and running through hanging tires or ropes. I know it sounds like a piece of cake, but I was so out of breath from the running. Amazingly enough, my foot did not hurt until I dropped a few feet from climbing over a wall.

I was passing people like crazy though. It was the most I have ever cussed in a race. Also, it was the first time I walked in a race because I swear it turned into a hike. I felt like I was crawling up a mountain.

The last obstacle included jumping over fire then swimming in mud.

Exhibit A:

The price I paid for getting into that mud… hives. I have little red bumps all over my chest and back right now. I am itching like crazy that I went home from work early today. I couldn’t take it. I am not on enough medicine that I am passing out while I type this.

Warrior Dash was hella fun and tough. I don’t know why I thought it was going to be easy. I finished in less than 30 minutes though.  Some people took over an hour. It all depended on your fitness level. I know mine could definitely be better.  I can’t blame myself though. All last week I did not run. I was on the elliptical because of my damn foot.

It’s just odd that I felt nothing running in the race. Then, today, it felt okay. It didn’t run still and now I really want to run. I do not understand how I can run 50 miles for a month then reduce mileage insanely and that’s when I get hurt. It angers me.

Anyway, Warrior Dash was a blast! If it is different next year, I will definitely do it again.

After I finished the race around 3:00 (I’ll have more accurate info when I get my results), I went to look for my mother. Yeah, she was not there. I sat by a tree for two hours. Turns out she left and didn’t even watch me race. I suppose she was a terrible mood that day, which caused me to be a terrible mood today too.

Well, here’s the review of August 5th through August 11th:

Monday: Ran 8.58 miles @ a very slow pace
Tuesday: Ran 5.71 trails
Wednesday: Elliptical + Weights
Thursday: elliptical and strength class
Friday: Elliptical + stair master + weights
Saturday: Elliptical + weights
Sunday: Spin class + Warrior Dash (3.1 miles)

Total mileage: 17.39 miles

I wish it was higher, but whatdaya gonna do? When you can’t run, you can’t run. Good thing I don’t mind the elliptical and good thing I am giving up desserts.

Honorable eats:

Apple tart
Spicy fritata
 Apple quinoa
Sweet potato cakes + eggs
 

That’s it for now! I hope you  all are having a fabulous week.

“Just do the best with what you have, and you’ll soon be doing it better.”  -Gil Hodges

Average Joe

10 Sep

I like LA.

I like fitness.

Hey, I even like the gym.

I do not like LA Fitness Gym.

Yesterday morning I had a workout planned with my Marine recruiter. I got to the recruiting office and my recruiter wasn’t going to work out with me.  Boo. However, there were other Marines there and some young future Marine dudes too, so I thought I was going to get in a rather hardcore workout. I was so prepared and excited.

We walked over to LA Fitness Gym and the one Marine told me, “You can play basketball with us or just do your own thang.”

Yes, he said thang.

I would have played basketball with the guys, but I haven’t played in a few months so I felt like I would have just embarrassed myself. I do love basketball. I have been on several school basketball teams as well as club basketball teams. I should have just played, but I passed out and got on the cardio machines.

LA Fitness is just like a huge room with a billion cardio and weight machines.

I first got on this crazy elliptical then I got bored. I got on a normal elliptical next for ten minutes and got bored. I went to the stairmaster next. My own gym doesn’t have a stair master so I was super pumped. It was fun. Really. I liked it, but then I finished up a regular elliptical where after that I was going to lift some weights.

I started to lift some weights and I was going to perform some supersets. LA Fitness is so huge that they have dumbbells on one side then other heavy weight lifting shit on the other side of the room. It would take me like three minutes to walk from side to the other. That would just defeat my purpose of performing supersets.

How dumb is that! Hey, La Fitness, you’re dumb. You’re just another money-making gym. That’s my best insult.

I like my gym with half broken machines and rooms that are always being re-modeled.

I don’t know. My gym is awesome. They have towels.

Can you believe LA Fitness doesn’t have towels?

Okay. I’m just going to sweat all over the damn place, LA Fitness. Let me drip sweat on your stair master because you cannot afford towels.

Maybe it’s the fact that this LA Fitness was in a crappy location, but it sucked. I always thought LA Fitness was a top-notch gym. I guess not. There were some little Asian women in PJ’s working out. It was hilarious.

My gym, which is small, offers more classes than them.

My gym = Average Joe’s.

LA Fitness = Globo Gym filled with douchebag personal trainers


I ended up just going to my own gym to lift weights. I may have to challenge men for a machine or a weight, but at least I get a good workout in without having to walk a mile to another machine.

Do you like big gyms better or small, crappy ones that always smell like B.O.?

On a side note…

Warrior Dash tomorrow!

I hope I look like this in the end.

I need some rest. I had a 11-7:30 shift today and I worked out at 6. I’m beat.

Remember to remember 9/11. Please. Don’t let it slip your mind.

I Know You Care

7 Sep

Howdy!

This week I am busy and I’m not even running.

Oh my god. I know you care about my running and how it is not happening. Yeah, I don’t know why all of a sudden my foot hurts, but it does and I don’t want to run because of it. First it was just my second toe that was hurting and now it’s below my second toe on the top of my foot.

Like I said, I have too many problems. 

I don’t plan on running until Saturday if everything feels okay because I do want to run before my 11 AM shift. Either way I will be running Sunday for the Warrior Dash.

On Friday, I go to the gym at 7:30 to train with my Marines recruiter then afterwards I have tutoring. I’m not done yet. I have an acupuncture appointment. I’m rather excited about getting needles stabbed into me. Hopefully it will help my foot.

Are you guys interested in a post on acupuncture for runners? I got some good details on it. I almost said ‘I got some good deets on that’. It was odd. I also wanted to do a post on eating before bedtime and some other jazzy shit stuff. Just let me know what you want to read/see. So whatcha whatcha want. 

Anyway, it’s Wednesday! I now love Wednesday because of…

I don’t have a proper WIAW, but regardless, I have had some good eats in the past few days. 

Spinach pie + fish
Spicy fish + spinach + veggies + rice
Giant oatmeal cookie + Muscle Milk
Detour protein bar (so good!)
Trix cereal + cottage cheese
Chocolate coconut water 

Not pictured: fro-yo from Yogurtland

What I worked Wednesday:

1 hour on the elliptical + full body lifting

My great cell phone photography skills. Enjoy. 

Well, if I was in the blogging mood I would totally bore you guys with my life and what’s going on, but I think I might hold off.

Until then, happy Wednesday! 

“You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.” - PREFONTAINE

Recovery Running

2 Sep

You know what I love?

Cold donuts.

I kept two donuts from work the other day in the fridge until I left and they were delicious.

Warm temperature donuts are blahhh compared to cold ones.

Go ahead. Call me a snob.

You know what else I love?

The fact that Miley Cyrus shops at Trader Joe’s.

Miley does not tell a lie.

Anyway, what’s going on, buddies?

I have a day off from work so I’m totally splurging on the computer and studying my little ass off for the re-take of my ASVAB test. I need to learn my commands and ranks too. Gosh.

This old guy at my gym told me I am going to make a special Marine. I’m not sure what special he was talking about, but I’ll take it! Any compliment is a good compliment, right?

Also, this week I have definitely scaled back on running. Dur, Christy. Running four weeks straight of 50 miles is a little tough even though you don’t feel it until now.

It’s not that I’m sore, but if I am literally dragging myself through runs and can barely make it thirty minutes without dying first, then I need to taper down. I spent some time on the elliptical this week instead. I still sweat like a teenage boy so it’s all good. My face shows it.

I think for any runner, it is very difficult to slow down on runs or even run fewer miles. You look at your Garmin and see a seven-minute mile or whatever the number is, and it really messes with your head. You think you’re out of shape or losing your game, but that is not the case. It’s just a slow recovery run that we do need.

 It’s always difficult for me to see seven minute miles on a run or to only run thirty minutes. I think I need to go, go, go in order to be the best or the fastest. Well, that obviously isn’t helping currently because all my runs in the past two weeks are deteriorating. I am running slower because I just can’t go any faster and then I just don’t want to run. It’s a never-ending cycle, but I need to accept the fact that I need to reduce my mileage and allow some recovery time in order to improve. No one gets faster by running five-minute miles every day. I wish I could run that just once.

I need to scale back on running anyway.

I have the Warrior Dash next week!

Oh my god. I’m so excited. 

The race starts with mud right off the bat then from there it’s climbing and crazy obstacles. The last bit includes water. Man oh man. After reading about it in this issue’s Runners World, I am pumped up.

Who doesn’t want to jump through fire and get extremely dirty? You gotta be crazy.

I think I know what I’m going to wear though.

Some old shoes, shorts I don’t care about, and a sports bra. 

It’s says “MAN UP”.

And my stomach says, “I eat too many donuts.”

Has anyone else done the Warrior Dash or a race similar to it?

Well, well, well. It’s the time again. Time for honorable eats:

Baked falafel + spicy egg whites
Tofu
 Fish + sweet potato fries
Carrot cake 

Happy September!

Triggers

23 Aug

I come across many blogs that mention they have ‘triggers‘. I hope that I don’t have to explain what a ‘trigger‘ is, but in straightforward terms, it’s whatever (an image, person, food) that causes you to maybe restrict your eating or maybe binge, etc. 

I never been a person that has had ‘triggers‘. I view triggers as a weakness and something that would set me off to eat more or less. I wanted to be in control all the time. It would irritate me when I read blogs who said reading another blog could trigger them or seeing a model would make them not eat. It only bugged me because I thought that they were not strong enough and I thought I was.

Recently, I just began thinking about what triggers me to not want to eat a lot or to even fuel myself properly before a run. All my runs have been shitty. Really terrible runs. My body doesn’t want to go faster, but my mind is so into the run. Afterwards, I feel great that I wonder if it was me or my legs that were giving me a difficult time. Anyway, I thought, “Man, I need to be eating more. Why are more runs so poor? Why do my legs feel awful? I am always hungry before and during my runs anyway.” Also recently, I have been getting dreadful headaches after I eat. Is it because I’m not eating enough and when I do finally eat, my body reacts? I don’t know.

However, it just makes me think that maybe I have unconscious triggers despite my thinking that I am in complete control. I look in the mirror and think I look chubby with my tummy sticking out. My ribs are not showing. My hip bones barely show. The mirror is my trigger. My own image triggers me to eat like a bird.

I have always been my own worst enemy.

I should be happy with myself! I look happy.

And I am happy. My life is going in my direction.

I am going to be a Marine. I am going to show people that even though I am short (and possibly stout), I can be tough and beat the guys.

I am going to get ripped (as I eat a pear).

I need to eat properly and get muscular most importantly. The Marines does not expect weaklings. I need to be ripped.

Also, I have the Warrior Dash coming up as well as Race the Reaper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race the Reaper is the toughest obstacle race in Oregon with 18+ insane obstacles (5 miles worth).

No skinny ass white girl can do it so I need to stop looking in the mirror with such a negative attitude. Why do women hate the way they look all the time? The most beautiful women will look in the mirror just to pick out every fault. I do that. All. The. Time. Hence, I don’t get on the scale or look at myself in the mirror. So pathetic.

Triggers, no matter what they may be, are just plain stupid. They are. They are worthless and pointless. I want to be in control of my thoughts. I shouldn’t let an image or whatever stir me in the wrong direction.

———————————————————————————————-

In other news, I finished the first book of the Hunger Games.

Oh my god. Best book since Harry Potter.

All I have to say is go buy this book now. I would seriously give it a 10/10.

That’s all, folks.

Stay tuned for tomorrow because I will be doing my first WIAW. I want some critiquing of my diet.

“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything. “ 

- Michael Phelps

I’m a Warrior

5 Aug

I don’t want you guys to think I am a wish-washy person. I am always very confident in my decisions.

You know how originally I was interested in the Marines? I didn’t say this on the blog, but I had an appointment with a Marine Recruiter today. I did not mention it because I do not want to be discouraged… or perhaps jinx myself some how or another. My folks were already leaning me towards the Air Force, but I myself, secretly, was leaning towards the Marines.

The Marines is tough. No joke.

I find that appealing.

First of all, I did request information from the Marines and they actually personally contacted me. I liked that. I talked with a Marine over the phone and he told me I sounded like a very intelligent young woman thus I scheduled an appointment, yet I was already thinking I would just do the Air Force. Just.

I walked into the Marine’s office. I talked with the Recruiter and I just felt comfortable unlike in the Air Force’s office. He asked me questions, I did a test, and I was qualified for the Marines. The recruiter liked my attitude and the fact that I desired a challenged. He seemed impressed, so my mom claims.

I also did this little word test where I placed the qualities of Marine in order of what I thought was the most important to least. One of them that I picked was ‘self discipline/independence’ and I placed that as my second most imperative quality that I liked/wanted. Turns out, that precise quality was one that most people who become a Marine or already are one, put as their top three qualities.

I felt a sense of purpose with joining the Marines. I felt like it was not all focused on education and ‘here are your benefits for good health insurance so you can join’ type of deal. It looks beyond challenge mentally and physically. I want that so badly. I don’t even care that the basic training camp is in South Carolina. I will deal with it because I want it.

When the Recruiter asked if I wanted to be a Marine, I said yes and I wanted to cry because I knew it was true. Unlike the Air Force, I do not feel that nervous. I feel more excited than any other emotion.

I don’t want to go into too much more detail, but I am very confident in my decision.

Now on to issues that you guys will find interesting like the fact that my sense of style is improving. I say that with a grain of salt.

 Me winkin’ at you sexy guys that read my amazing blog

Gum in my mouth. Classy.

I wore this to work and the guy that I like told me, “Are your lips always that color… or is it the shirt?”

Hmmmmm. Alright. Good thing my mom sent me to an all girl school because I don’t know how to talk to guys so I just laughed and was like, “I don’t know. Dah dah durrrrr. I bet it’s this shirt. Hur hur hahha.”

At least he didn’t say anything about my black socks showing.

I could dress worse though.

Speaking of Britney Spears shoes, check out my new hamburger shoes.

They look great with my latest honorable eats:

I think I am going to end this post now. I have a much more serious post set up for tomorrow so keeping this one a bit lighthearted is for the best.

I’ll end on this note however:
That’s right, girlfriend. I am doing the Warrior Dash. Holla at your girl.

(Except I won’t talk like that at the Warrior Dash race because I don’t need my ass to be kicked. )

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every expirience in which you stop to look fear in the face. 

Eleanor Roosevelt

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