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It’s Friday and my Spartan Race Experience

I am so happy that Friday is here.  Finally.  It’s been an emotionally draining week, watching the news and dealing with my husband’s government furlough.  I understand this is just the beginning and the big whoop won’t come until his payday is here and there is no paycheck.  Then the October bills will start coming in and there won’t be funds in the bank to pay the bills.  I guess I should have paid attention more to Dave Ramsey and his Financial Peace University.  I guess that’s the story of my life.  People provide me with the necessary tools to make the right decisions – both with my financial status and with my health.  I need to learn to pay attention and learn.  I’m working on it and know that I’ll get there.

This morning started off great.  I enjoyed my usual one cup of coffee in the morning and then ate a nice breakfast – one of my favorites – Breakfast Scramble.  I measure out a serving of hash brown potatoes, a serving of crumbled turkey sausage and at least a cup of peppers and onions.  Warm it up in a pan and then crumble on top either a Weight Watchers Jalapeno cheese wedge or a Laughing Cow Chipotle cheese wedge.  It’s only 5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.  I don’t use any oil or butter to cook it.  You could add in a scrambled egg to up your protein.  I don’t eat eggs but I’ll add it to my mixture on the weekends for the rest of my family (after I take out my serving first).

 
 
For lunch I had leftovers – same meal I ate last night for dinner – A Taco Salad.
 
I had a little free time this afternoon and spent some time reading some new blogs that I started following this week.  They focus on eating well, eating clean, fitness, exercise and the thoughts that motivate or hinder us.  I stumbled upon a post about a Spartan Race and thought I should share here my first experience with a Spartan Race.
 
A friend of mine lives in Colorado and a friend of his there loves Spartan Races.  He flew to Vermont to attend the World Championship – The Beast, in Killington.  Myself and another friend of mine decided to meet up with him and cheer him on.  It was my first time attending one of these “crossfit” type of competitions.  I’ve heard of the Tough Mudder and the Renegade Playground.  My sisters both actually ran the Renegade Playground last year and invited me.  I declined as I didn’t have enough time to actually get in shape for it.  I couldn’t even lift myself up and over a 4′ wall right now, heck with a 10′ one.
 
The organizers of the Spartan Race had viewing areas set up for spectators.  As we stood around waiting for our champion to cross the spectators area, I found myself watching thousands upon thousands of people run, climb, crawl, jump, swim and slither through the course.  Most had absolutely amazing bodies with muscle tone I could only dream of, while others weren’t that much different than me.  They had some fluff to their bodies.  I so wanted to stop them and ask them what their story was.  When, How and Why did they start this journey towards competing in a Spartan Race?  What was their motivation to keep going and what thoughts did they have to push them through these ultra challenging obstacles?  Then I spotted a woman with only one real leg, the other a prosthetic.  I then spotted a few with crutches and one even in a wheelchair.  I was so impressed with their commitment to their health and their fight within them that it brought tears to my eyes.  Not sad tears but celebration tears.  I didn’t know these people but I was so proud of them.  At the same time, sad for myself.  Sad that I feel like I live my life on the sidelines when it really comes to my fitness level.  
 
I know that I have a good handle on my eating.  I “Eat Clean” at least 80% of the time.  I rarely have anything with sugar, almost always have whole grains when I eat grains, don’t drink soda (even diet) and eat plenty fruits and vegetables.  So what’s holding me back in my fitness level?  I’m not really sure.  I’ve been thinking about this a lot.  A few things that come to mind are these:
 
1.  I hate sweating.  Absolutely hate the feeling of my hair sticking to my forehead.  Hate sweat dripping into my eyes.  Hate it going down the middle of my back.  Then I hate when I have to pull these wet or damp clothes off my body so I can shower and freshen up.  I’ve heard from so many people that say they love the feeling of sweating and love taking a shower after a great workout.  Not me.  Hate it.
 
2.  I find most exercises boring, and the ones I enjoy doing, require others to do it with me.  I don’t have very many people in my life that like to exercise.  I have joined a gym in the past but found that most people like to stick to themselves and aren’t very sociable.  Ask me any day to grab my sneakers or hiking shoes and go for a walk in the woods or a hike and I’m usually game.  Ask me to jump on a treadmill and walk for 30 minutes – it’s torture.  
 
3.  I’m an Introvert.  I attended a training a few years ago called “Four Lenses”.  In the class I learned that I was a green and yellow person and an introvert.  I’m not really lazy.  I can juggle 1000 things and get them all done but when it comes time to recharge my battery, I prefer to be laid back on the couch with the tv in the background (or a radio) and surf the web reading blogs, entering giveaways, checking facebook or even reading a book/magazine/newspaper.  Some people would rock climb or play a game of pick up basketball to recharge their battery – those types of things don’t recharge mine.  I’d love to hear from other introverts and how they have worked fitness into their life and still find the time to recharge their battery.
 
So, where do I go from here.  What does all of that mean anyways?  It is just me putting obstacles in my ways.  I tell myself it is.  That not everyone wakes up and just can’t wait to go work out.  I know there are some of you out there that do love that and can’t wait to get your sweat on…but not me and I’m guessing not a large portion of our population.  Sometimes exercising does suck.  I just need to suck it up and do it.  Like Nike says right, Just do it.  Well…that’s what I’m working on.
 
Here’s my friend Jim during his Spartan Race.
 

Comments

  1. Thanx for sharing Tamra. Loved this. You answered all my previous questions. Face your fears. You can be one of those inspirational people to someone else one day! You just have to find your own way about it. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Were you reading my mind as you put down your thoughts about exercising? I can relate to every word! The only thing that I have found that works for me – I have long stretch of carpet in my bedroom that runs from one end through our vanity area up to our bathroom door, about 30 feet or so. Against the wall of the bedroom we have our TV. So, I walk/jog back and forth from the bathroom to the TV every evening. The great part is that without the hum of a treadmill I can actually hear the TV. So, I turn on a pre-recorded show that I love but my husband has no interest in and walk while I watch. I carry small 5-pound dumbbells and can alternate all kinds of exercises – I can speed up, slow down, walk forward for a while then switch to walking backwards. As I walk I can stretch my arms in different directions allowing the dumbbells to provide some resistance. It may not be the greatest fitness program, but it gets me up and moving every evening for 45 minutes. And while I’m hot and maybe a tad sticky, I’m certainly not drenched in icky sweat!
    Good luck with finding the thing that works for you!

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