I TRIed and SUCCEEDED! (in reverse!)

Apple Valley Fall Festival Reverse Sprint Triathlon

9/22/2012

When I started getting healthier, I started realizing I could do more than I thought.  After discussing it with some friends I realized I wanted to attempt a triathlon.  BUT, I had some rules:

1.       It had to be a sprint…this means it’s a 5K, 14ish mile bike ride and short swim

2.       It had to be a pool swim- I wasn’t ready or willing to train in open water yet

3.       It had to be reverse. For my first time I wanted to swim last since I wasn’t accustomed to running and biking soaking wet.

Lo and behold what should come across my email but a Schwaggle coupon for a Reverse Sprint Triathlon, about an hour away from my home, for $27.

Sold!  I signed up with some friends and training commenced….kind of.

The running was no problem. I run all the time.  I do half marathons.  A 5K is an easy run…BOOM!

The swimming was a little bit iffier.  I bought a more structured swimsuit. One that would hold everything in that needed to be held.  I started doing laps at my gym, realizing as I was doing it that I needed a swim cap, goggles and ear plugs.  This summer I was at the pool a couple times a week practicing my strokes.

ALAS, the bike.  OHHH, the bike.  Let’s start with this, I own a bike.  It’s a mountain bike I won in a contest for something when I was a server at Applebee’s in 1999.  Yes, you read that right. My bike is over 10 years old…OH and I’ve ridden it approximately 10 miles since then.

It was gathering dust in my folk’s garage. I got it out and my friend made sure there was air in the tires, the gears and chain were good and brought it to my house.  The first time I rode it I was like a monkey in the circus. The seat was a little low and I was literally hitting my own chin with my knee…not so good.

In the meantime I took a bunch of spin classes, often doing it sandwiched between a run and a swim.  I was confident I could PHYSICALLY, but I was terrified and kept putting it off….I’ve had some bad bike luck.

AGE 12: Riding my 10 speed in my neighborhood. Lose my breaks going down a hill and crash land on some grass. Literally bite THROUGH my lip.  12 stitches…plus I’m pretty sure my hymen was no longer in tact.  I still have a scar

AGE 15:  Riding bike to local shopping center with best friend,  going past a driveway.  A cute guy in a mustang clips my back tire. (we both stopped for one another and then went…) He’s dreamy, I ride away…I still have a scar

AGE 21:  I go on a bike ride with a friend. I borrow his mom’s bike.  We share a pitcher of margaritas.  On the way home he goes over the paseo bridge and I choose the path under.  I never come out.  Oops, I hit the planter…broke the wheel of the bike.  Did I mention I DO NOT condone drinking and riding?  $100 and some pride later…

NOW, I have to ride a bike 14 miles.  How am I gonna do this and not fall on my face?  I buy a helmet, my roommates boyfriend generously raises my seat and tunes up my bike.

I go on my FIRST and ONLY training ride one week before. I manage 12.5 miles.  I’m feeling good…but still a bit terrified!

Sooooo the day arrives.  I have packed my transition bag, arranged to carpool with my two friends who are TRI-ing with me and get ready to go.

We are running a bit late. The lines for the bathroom are long, it’s a crazy morning. We barely get our bikes in the transition area before the gun for the 5K run goes off…

But we make it.

I ran at below a 12 minute mile, which is slow for me in a 5K, but not when I have to bike and swim after.  By mile 3, I’m feeling confident and I start picking off people in front of me.   Guy in black shirt,  girl in green tank top, girl in mud run shirt,  guy in white shirt…..

I did the race with my friends Cody and Marcy.  Cody was fastest.   We knew he’d be on his own in the front.  But Marcy and I pretty much planned to hang together.  She’s a faster runner, but kept looking behind her to see how far back I was.  When I got to the transition after a short 5K (my garmin only clocked it at 2.96 miles) Marcy was still there transitioning, so I went as fast as I could and started the ride with her.

(The winner was coming in from his bike ride as we were leaving!!!!)

Marcy rides her bike a lot. She gave birth to adorable twin boys in January and hasn’t ridden much, but she knows what’s up with gears and how to maneuver hills and flats, etc.  She stayed with me giving me pointers throughout the ride.  She pulled ahead a little bit at the hills but let me catch up to her and we finished the bike ride together (it was longer than advertised…over 15 miles).  It was scary because we were on the open road with cars and SEMIs flying by us….

The transition for the swim was confusing.  Change at the bikes, run around the building in bare feet go to pool, and run about 100 yards to the finish.

We were both feeling weird about running in our bathing suits… I took off my shirt and said, “I’ll swim in my running shorts, let’s just go” We grabbed all of our stuff…not knowing this was a bad idea and ran.

We got to the pool and adrenaline took over.  I said, “Screw it, I’m just going like this!” Marcy said, “Don’t you want goggles?” I turned around, grabbed my goggles and her and I ran to the start of the swim.

I am a stronger swimmer and dove into the pool ready to go.  The swim was 150 yards or 6 laps across.  They had us to the laps staggered so you start at one end and finish at the other end of the pool. Up one lane, down the next.  I couldn’t get my breath in the first lane, but remembered by the second and was passing people.  Breathe out under water, deep breath in every 3 strokes.  I got to the end, jumped out and there was Marcy about one lane behind me.  She came up for air and looked at me and I yelled, “You got this Marcy, I’m waiting for you, we finish together!”

She finished and we ran to the finish line.  2:01:33 and 2:01:34….

I can’t believe I did it!  And you know what I would do it again.  Funnily enough on the car ride home all three of us would start sentences with , “Next time we do this, we will….” 

So I guess there will be a next time. =D

The Epiphany Starts Here...

Oprah calls it the “Aha Moment”.  It’s that moment of clarity, a defining moment where you gain wisdom.  The kind of wisdom that can change your life.

I thought I had already had this. I have changed my life in the past two years.  Although I still feel like me on the inside; funny, irreverent, loyal, warm….a lot has changed as well.  I have a determination I never knew I had.  I have a can-do attitude that extends into my physical health and well-being.  I have a desire to be the best person I can be.

But last night someone said something to me and if I was a cartoon, an enormous question mark would have popped up in my thought bubble.  She said….

“Is that your passion?”

She was talking about something I “thought” I was extremely passionate about, something I thought I’d want to grow with and maybe even make a career out of. 

The simple fact that I questioned it made me think twice and ask myself , “What ARE you passionate about?”

The answer was as clear as a bell…

Running.

Not just running, but how running has made me feel.  How it has given me strength (not just physical), courage and pride. 

I read about it.  I study it.  I think about it.  ALL.THE.TIME.

Then my monkey mind kept going…

It’s not just running, it’s being fit.  It’s how my attitude and self-confidence has changed. 

This is what being fit looks like for a fitness model…

And this is what being fit looks like for my friend who is a good 6 inches shorter than me….

And this is what being fit looks like for ME….

I am STILL considered OBESE by BMI standards.

I still weigh well OVER 200 pounds.

But I run half marathons.

Sometimes, when I’m done, I meet my friends for a friendly game of Ultimate Frisbee (which according to Sparkpeople burns approximately 840 calories PER HOUR.) 

There are days when I wake up and go to the gym for an hour and then run after work. 

A 3 mile run has become “only 3 miles”. 

A 4 mile run is an easy day.

A 6 mile run is standard.

I am what fit looks like and the world needs to know that.

That is my passion. That is my mission. That was my epiphany.

After I was asked  that question,  all I could think of was, “People need to know that they ‘CAN’.  They need permission to try. I’m a classic example of someone who THOUGHT and BELIEVED I couldn’t do things, then I did.”

I don’t think everyone should become a runner.  I don’t think every person should be training for half marathons.

BUT, I do believe that everyone has the opportunity to be healthy. I believe that people need to know that healthy and fit doesn’t look the same in everyone.  I do believe that people just need a little bit of encouragement.

I am lucky.  I have family and friends that believe in me.  They have supported me from the moment this journey began nearly two years ago.  Not everyone is as lucky as me, but maybe, just maybe, I can be the encouragement for those who don’t have any.  Maybe I can be the inspiration to those who need it.  Maybe I can be a role model for those who are looking for one.

I’m not saying, “I’m so great look at all I’ve accomplished, look up to me!”

I’m saying, “If I can do it, so can you.”

I’m saying, “You shouldn’t be embarrassed or discouraged because you may never be the stereotype of a fit person.”

I’m saying, “Yes, some people lose 80 pounds and look like a super model, but most of us, still look like real people.”

But we’re happy and healthy and have done something really special and important to be proud of.

We live up to our own expectations.  Shouldn’t we have HIGH expectations for ourselves? 

I truly believe I’m meant to have a BIGGER life than I have right now.  My life is awesome and I’m happy, but if I want to do great things, I have to do them.

How am I gonna do this? I’m not quite sure….

But isn’t recognizing I want to do it the first step?

Sometimes You Run A Race and Sometimes You RUN the Race...

     As many of you know I’m committed to community service. I’ve found a joy in helping nonprofits in my community and I learn so much by giving of my time.  Last year I was honored when I was asked to be on the Board of Directors of the Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund (BMCF).  This organization was started by Brenda with the help of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter of Junior Chamber International (The Jaycees) in 2001 to support cancer patients ages 18-40 as they undergo treatment.  It provides services to meet daily needs that are not covered by insurance.  Typical grants cover $500 worth of medical co-payments, rent, transportation, repairs and groceries.

     Brenda Mehling was a Jaycee in Santa Clarita, CA.  In her late twenties she was diagnosed with breast cancer and received generous support to overcome her illness.  During the process, she realized the health care system was not equipped to meet many patients’ day-to-day needs through months of treatment.  Brenda always thought of others, so inevitably she set up the Fund to help them.  In February of 2004, Brenda lost her second battle against cancer, but the BMCF continues to realize her vision to help young people fighting this disease.

     Each week the BMCF gets approximately 10-15 requests for help.  Yearly, we are able to help about 20% of those who need it.  Since it was founded, the Fund has provided almost $300,000 in services for over 400 adults across 30 different states.

We are the little nonprofit that could.  Much like Jackie Chan, we’re little but powerful.

     Our biggest fundraising event of the year is the Fight it! 5K. This year I co-chaired this event for the second year in a row.   

     Let me preface that I try really hard to be a positive person.  I generally see life as good, the glass as full and the sun is shining, but organizing a charity event with almost 70 volunteers and goals to have 400 runners and raise $40,000 can be daunting.

     Plus, as an avid runner and race goer, I am committed to having a well-organized, fun and safe race.  I’ve been to races where they ran out of cups and others where they ran out of water and others where I didn’t know which way to run….none of that could happen at “MY“ race!

    And things went wrong.  We didn’t get the amount of sponsors we wanted, some of our donations fell through, volunteers are difficult because they’re donating their time and volunteer work tends to get pushed down the priority list when necessary.

 BUT…for every sponsorship we didn’t get, 3 people raised money through our website and donations.

For person who couldn’t step up, three more came to my rescue.

And on race day, every stressful day leading up to it was erased when I saw the smiling faces of kids finishing the 1K with the Chick fil-A cow, the tired but happy faces of people finishing their first 5K and the accomplishment of the folks that ran our difficult and hilly 10K. 

I got to encourage people in their first race, I got to help local small businesses promote themselves by having them in our vendor village, I got to see the faces of people who won age group awards.

I got to hand out prizes to people who raised the most money. 

By 10am that morning I was exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally but my heart and my soul could run have run a marathon.

So, sometimes you run the race and sometimes you “run” the race, but the results are the same….

Exhaustion

Accomplishment

Joy

I’m proud to say that our “little” race had over 340 runners and raised over $27,000.  The BMCF will open funding in July and all of that money will immediately go to young people fighting cancer. 

And that makes every second of stress worth it…

I've Been Robbed

Comparison is the thief of joy.

I wish I had written that statement.

Hell, I wish I could remember it.

This is my latest battle:  more difficult than losing weight, harder than running 3 half marathons in 3 weeks, unable to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

I am not anyone else.

I am ME.

There is no comparison.

Then why do I compare myself to everybody, every day.

I have so much to be proud of, but I continuously knock that pride down because of what I haven’t accomplished.

A friend says, “Wow you’ve lost weight.”

My answer? ”I still have a long way to go”

Why?

Because I’m comparing myself to my friends who never had a severe weight issue or celebrities who can hire trainers or Biggest Loser contestants who make losing weight their job.

A friend says, “Gosh, you’re amazing. You’re running so much”

My answer? “Yeah, but I’m slow”

Why?

Because I’m comparing myself to my swifter friends who are not carrying 50ish pounds of extra weight or what Runner’s World Magazine says is a normal pace or the fact that when I log my exercise on a website a 13 minute mile is considered fast walking not running.

I keep stealing my own joy.  Robbing myself of what I have done and what I continue to do. 

I need to take off the ski mask and gloves.  I need to stop creeping around joy like a bandit ready to swoop in and stomp it until it becomes misery and stress. 

This is my life. These are my accomplishments.

This is MY JOY. 

They belong to me. I can share, but they’re precious and I need to keep a close eye so I don’t steal it from myself.

What Happens When The Dreams You Didn't Know You Even Had All Come True?

I just spent $150.00 on a race. I’m sure it will be at least another $500.00 before it’s all over.

But I’m giddy. I can’t sleep. I’m so stinkin’ excited.

The Nike Women’s Marathon and Half Marathon is mecca for lady runners. They try to keep it small (only 25,000 runners….), women are let in by a lottery and many women put their names in year after year after year and don’t get in.

But I found a loophole.

Nike is a company that celebrates women athletes and caters to the young ones. So, they keep registration open for college students.

Hey, wait! I’m a college student!

As if making the decision to go back to get my Bachelor’s degree wasn’t already a great idea….look what it got me!

BLISSSSSS!

I GOT IN!

I started to think about why THIS RACE was making me so excited.

I wanted this race….bad. Probably because it was the hardest to get in to.

Even when I didn’t get picked in the drawing, I knew I was meant to do this race. I KNEW I was going to be running from the Union Square and through Golden Gate Park.

I JUST KNEW.

Maybe I want to do it because I was born there. Maybe it’s because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I can talk my folks into being at the finish line and bringing my Nonnie.

As I continue on this journey to lose more weight and become more healthy, I’m realizing that races have become the goal AND the reward.

A year and a half ago, if you had told me that running a difficult half marathon would make me this happy I would have told you that you were out of your mind.

But I got in and I’m ecstatic and excited and I feel like my dreams are coming true.

And the Tiffany finishers necklace doesn’t hurt either…

Because I Can

Lately I’ve been getting some looks…and some comments.

They have to do with my aggressive race schedule….otherwise known as “Heather signs up for everything!”

I get the looks that say:
“Really?”
“Don’t hurt yourself”
“Wow!”

I get shakes of the head…people saying:
”Another one?”
“What did you sign up for now?”

Most people mean well. I have a wonderful support system full of people who are proud of me.
But very few actually “get it”.

When I was grossly overweight, I physically couldn’t do the things I do now.

And there was I time when I told myself I couldn’t. I remember HATING to run so much in high school that I would just walk when we were supposed to run. I simply didn’t think I could do it.

We “mind f*ck” ourselves so much.
We tell ourselves we can or can’t do things and we believe it. I’m through with that. I’m through believing I can’t do things.

I spent the majority of my life telling myself I can’t and believing it…now that I realize that, in fact, I can, I don’t want to limit myself and I never want to stop.

I’m going to run 10 half marathons in 2012. I’m going to do a sprint triathlon this September. I’m going to do a Ragnar before I turn 40. I’m going to run the LA Marathon next year.

Because I can.

~HKS 5/10/2012

How Running Saved My Life...

It's hard to believe that just over a year ago I was depressed, grossly overweight and totally inactive.

I'm lucky enough to have friends and family that loved me no matter what, but did I really love me? I mean, how can you say you love someone yet treat them so poorly?

Then I started running. I never really believed I COULD run. I told myself (and anyone who would listen) that I only run if something is chasing me and even then, I'd probably let them catch up. However, I decided to try. I did C25K...
twice.

Then I started B210K before realizing I actually LIKED to run and didn't really need an app, I just wanted to go out and do it.

I made more time with my friends who shared my passion. I read articles, took advice, made new friends who wanted to run too. I started signing up for races. First a 5K, then another and another. Then a mud run, then a 10K, a few more 5Ks, a couple more 10Ks and a half marathon.

I did 12 races in 2011.

 I signed up for a very difficult summer series where we ran cross country trails with kids half my age who finished the race as I was passing mile marker #1.

I started waking up at 5:45am to get my runs in.

I started waking up at 7:30am on Saturdays to meet my training partner.

I started living a different life.

I started living.

For me, running became a way to play sports without sucking. I'll never be an all star at competitive sports because I care more about having fun than winning. With running you can lose but still win! How? You run against yourself. You don't need to scout other players to see how they play. You have total control over how good you are or how bad you suck. If you train, stretch, become comfortable with the road and make achievable goals...you will meet or exceed your goals and you will win....regardless of what place you come in during the race.

For running, it's not about the finish time, it's about the finish line. I've made it to every finish line. I've never been last in a race (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I continuously improve my time because I strive to get the most out of my new and improved body.

I love being a runner.
I love telling people that I run half marathons.
I love signing up for races and researching where I could go to run.
I love buying workout clothes and running shoes.
I love finding the perfect song and downloading it onto my shuffle.
I love learning of the newest accessory, supplement, electrolyte drink, power bar...

I love how when I hit the road I can work out whatever is going on in my head. I end each run with a clarity that I don't think I've ever had.

There are days when I think to myself, "If I could go for a run right now, all of this would get figured out." I love my ever-growing collection of medals, race bibs and race shirts.

I love how I feel stronger, sexier and healthier.

I love myself. The difference is visible in my body and my heart.

Running saved my life....maybe it could save yours?

~HKS 1/30/2012