My Latest Fun Run... No, Really, It Was Fun!

If this doesn't look like fun...
then we probably wouldn't get along.

So when, where and by whom did organized races start to be called “Fun Runs”?  Don’t get me wrong:  I have found running to be fun at times… most often when I’m done doing it. 

The thing for me is, although I claim to be tooooodallly laid-back, dude, there’s certain aspects to me that ain’t so chill.  I have never been able to run a race “just for fun.”  Nope.  No matter how casual I tell myself that I’m going to be about it, it always turns out to be a competition.  No unsuspecting race participant is exempt from unwittingly becoming my arch rival.  Unless you’re waaaaaay ahead, leading the pack.  I know to stay within my league.

I usually target someone who has been just slightly ahead of me for a while and is wearing something they have no business wearing even if it is a stinkin’ “fun run.” 

Long stripey, fluorescent socks?  You think that’s cute, huh?  Well, I eat cute for breakfast.

Fluffy Tutu?  I will be making your ending a little less happy, princess!

Three piece suit and a briefcase (For reals, yo. Vegas Tough Mudder 2012)?  No way in Hades you’re finishing ahead of me.

So when I put out a 40-mile running challenge to help me and K celebrate turning 40 this year, I didn’t expect it to magically turn running during the blazing, hot southwestern summer into loads of fun.  And it really didn’t.  Until my final four miles. 

You see, several participants reached their 40-mile goal well ahead of me and I had promised to send the challenge finishers a super cool “Overcome Lazy” temporary tattoo.  Well, a few of those finishers happened to live within running distance of my house…. So, of course, I had to Overcome Lazy by literally running their tattoos to them instead of apathetically mailing them out.  I established a 4-mile route that would take me to each of their houses, which was just the amount of mileage I needed to finish up the challenge myself.  Upon my arrival, they were tattooed and then joined in on the rest of the run.

I finally earned my tattoo and got to join the ranks
of some of my favorite "fitspirations."

I know, right?  These are amazing, awesome, inspiring women! And it gets even better:  One of my friends participating was even 8-ish months pregnant.  She’s been walking instead of running for the 40 mile challenge and wanted to join us to add more mileage with us that day.  (Heck yeah, I gave her a tattoo early because she WILL hit 40 miles soon and she’s one of the best examples of Overcoming Lazy that I know of). 

And better still:  It was K’s intention to run with us but after the first pick-up, he decided he’d be more helpful if he took the little kiddos to the park until we were done.  Since he didn’t need the entire 4 miles to finish, he sacrificed his workout (and his sanity) in order to deal with six little rug rats allowing us ladies to jauntily finish our neighborhood fun run that truly was FUN!

I was relaxed, totally able to enjoy myself, laughing plentifully…

But - just for the record - I touched the house first.

The family that sweats together...
stinks together, I suppose.

Runnin' With The Devil

In Las Vegas I am a minority.  I can handle it.  I’m used to it.  I grew up as a minority in many ways:  I’m female, I’m Mormon, I’m 7” taller than average, my eyes are green for heaven’s sake!  Yeah, it’s been rough at times.  But none of those compare to how hard it is to be in the minority in Las Vegas during the summer.  You see, we are among the fools who do not have a pool in our backyard. 

It didn’t take us long after we moved here to figure out that, in summertime, you either stay indoors or stay wet.  Also, we discovered it's not easy to run outside for exercise during said season.  My mileage tapers off significantly as the temperature rises and other activities take the place of my running until autumn blesses us with cooler temps… y’know, around Thanksgiving.

So, as usual, I haven’t been running much this summer... and what do I go and do???  I create a facebook Fun Run Challenge for my friends and family to see who can log 40 running or walking miles between July 7 (my 40^th birthday) and September 3 (K’s 40^th birthday). 

Yeah, and I’m hating myself for it!  At this point, pretty much everyone is ahead of me.  Today we had our first finisher (Yay, Janet!) and I’m finding I’m being a very poor example of being 40 and fabulous.

Two of my biggest hurdles are: 1) I cannot arise before dawn to run in the cooler mornings and, 2) I just can’t bring myself to do any significant mileage on the treadmill.  Nuh-uh.  Nope.  Would rather jab a stick in my eye.

Well, just the other day I realized that I needed to get moving on this challenge.  I needed to find some way, somehow to accelerate my running mile accumulation.  And so I created… the Poor Man’s Backyard Triathlon.  Conveniently, the street within my neighborhood is a half mile loop.  Fortunately, my daughters love riding their bikes.  By good luck, we ran across just the right kiddie pool for our needs this year.

Suddenly, I realized I had the makings of a refreshing way to run during a Las Vegas summer!  The girls and I started by splashing a little cold pool water on us before our first lap.  We were too wimpy to take the plunge until we came back.  We then headed out for our first neighborhood circuit.  The girls were on their bikes and I kept up with them on foot.  By the time we got back… there was nothing wimpy about our pool plunge:  we couldn’t get in fast enough!  We giddily splashed and refreshed and geared up for our next round.  It felt great to be cooled-off as we headed around again and it didn’t take us long to drip dry. 

Yeah, we think we're tough... Let's do this!

I had in mind to do four circuits because that would be 2 miles of running.  The girls did great and were loving it the first three times, but I had to do a little convincing to make the final lap happen.  It was getting harder to get out of the pool each time; they just wanted to stay in and play! 

But we did it!  And it was a blast!

So, obviously it was not quite equivalent to the Ironman Triathlon.  Rather, it was more an Aluminum Girl Tri-ish-lon.  But we figured out a new way to make it fun to run in the sun!

Heaven and Hell - In Under 48 Hours



Beautiful reflection in Mirror Lake...
that peak isn't even the summit!

Over the course of one day and a half, I elevated myself to the closest point to heaven and then descended to the closest point to hell in the continental 48 states.  I’m talking physically… because emotionally I do that pretty much every day as a mom of two young children.



Probably one of the best sunrises I've ever experienced.
The sky just glowed brighter and brighter until daybreak.

Mt. Whitney, which – at 14, 508 vertical feet - is the highest mountain peak in the contiguous United States, just happens to be a couple of hours away from Death Valley which has the lowest point – at 282 feet below sea level – in the entire western hemisphere.

Is that not an adventure just screaming to be taken on, or what?!

Our first glimpse of the summit after hiking for several hours.
It's the small, scraggly peaks to the right of the big, illuminated hill that we had to go around to get to the top!

We got a one-day permit allowing us only 24 hours to summit Mt. Whitney so we knew we were gonna have to bust our tails to get up and down that monster.  It required us to climb just about 7000 vertical feet. So, bust our tails we did (and our feet and our knees and our hips and our backs…did I mention our feet?) and cranked that hike out in about 16.5 hours.

Officially above the tree line.
With a bottle full of purified mountain lake water!

We started at about 2:30 a.m. and finished just before 7 p.m. that night.  This hike is not for the weak of heart, whiney of attitude nor wimpy of mentality.



Climbing the stairway to heaven.

It is also not for anyone who likes their feet…or an abundance of oxygen.  But it is for anyone who wants to have a pretty unforgettable experience.

K summed it up the best when he said it was the most miserably awesome thing he’d ever done.  Agreed. We have two amazing friends – R and S - with whom we accomplished this feat and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather endure those conditions with than them!  During a pre-hike planning dinner, I told our comrades that I could see this excursion either further reinforcing our friendship or being the catalyst of its tragic demise.  S said she was actually more worried about how their marriage would fare under such undue burden.  I'm pretty sure they're still married.  I don't know... we're not speaking any more. 

On the way down.
It was harder to get back on our feet after each break.

I can’t tell you how many times we drew parallels between the experience of that epic trek and the grand journey of life.  We compared the highs, the lows and everything in between… all while fantasizing about the giant burger and fries we were going to devour in celebration of our stupendous conquest!  Trail mix gets old fast.

We sang every applicable song ever written… I have climbed highest mountains… Ain’t about how fast I get there, Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side, It’s the cliiiiiiiimb… Pioneer children sang as they walked and walk and walked and walked… And we even made up a few of our own… This is the trail that never ends… Avalanche-anch-anch-anch, you ought-a kill us now…



Under the sea... Under the sea... 282 feet under it!

Anyways, no matter how well I exhaust thesaurus.com, I still will not come up with the adequate words to depict this experience.  Simply put, it’s just one of those life-defining events that transcends description so, after nearly 500 words, I’ll finally stop trying.

Mmmmm... salty.

Well, after one more song reference... I can't believe we did it, we did it, we did it.  I can't believe we did it, but indeed we did!

 

40 Sucks... I mean, ROCKS!

'Nuff said.

In just less than one month the world – my world, anyway – will cease to exist in the way I want it to… a way which has amicably harbored me under the aegis of my indomitable youth, rife with the blithe notion that tomorrow never comes nor with it the need to pay the piper.

What monumental travesty could I possibly be referring to? 

I’m turning stinkin’ 40!!!!!  Forty!!!  Four-Oh!!!

Am I being a tad melodramatic? Is my dismay a bit exaggerated?  I really don’t think so…

I know, I know, age is just a number, right?  Well, try telling that to my aching joints, slowing metabolism, gray hair and wrinkles! 

Seriously, as I saw 40 looming in the future these last few years, I thought, “No biggie.  My age doesn’t define me. My 40s are gonna ROCK!”  But now that the unpalatable anniversary is breathing down my neck… I’m kinda freakin’ out, man!

I declare that I’m experiencing a midlife crisis.  No joke.  I’m about this close to chopping off all my hair a la P!nk.  If money was no object I’d be plastic surgery-ing it up, big time.

But, instead, I am going to channel all this absurd insanity into something productive and beneficial for myself and, possibly, others.  I’m declaring my entire birth month a celebration of being awesome.  You can be awesome at any age, right?  I’ve seen it, so I’m gonna do it.

Each week of July I’m going to do something awesome in order to Overcome Lazy at 40.  For example, week 1 will be a vigorous hike with some fellow kindred adventuring high school/college friends in my hometown.  Another week will be a paddleboarding excursion, another week, a yoga retreat and for the final week… I’m still deciding… just something simple like mountain biking or zip-lining or base jumping (Ha!)

If this is what 40 looks like, I can't wait for 50 to come...
because they'll probably have way more advanced photo shopping and instagram-ish technology by then!

Anyway, I’m going to put the shout-out via another facebook challenge to anyone of any age to join me so watch for the deets.  Your summer might be great this year, but mine is going to ROCK!  

And then I might have to take August off.  Did I mention K turns 40 in September…  Heaven knows what he has planned.

I Heart Yoga Pants

If they're on my husband.  Yowza!

Have you ever heard of something called Acro Yoga?  Yeah, me neither.  And I’m a stinkin’ personal trainer.  I’m supposed to be in the know about all things health and fitness related, right?  Well, need I remind you, folks:  I’m lazy!  LAAAAYYYYYYZEEEEEE.  By personal trainer standards, anyway.  But I’m trying. 

And here’s some evidence:

 

Dang!  I forgot to point my toes.

Check it OUT!

This is something I never envisioned myself doing.  Ever.  Acro Yoga is partner-based yoga and blends elements of acrobatics and yoga.  I mean, it’s been slow-going for me just with “regular” yoga, but this…. This was – dare I say – mind-opening.  Perspective-shifting.  Life-altering.  For more reasons than one. 

Even my tuff hubby wasn't too macho to don my (yes MINE!) yoga pants and try!

I think I’ve been reluctant to undertake yoga because as a tall, gangly, inflexible person, I just didn’t think it would go well for me.  I do possess enough agility and coordination to enjoy many athletic activities but I really have stuck to traditional western concepts of sports, stretching and strength training most of my life.

When my exposure to the world of fitness expanded, I did give yoga a try.  I was cool with it, but still mostly dismissed it as “not really my thang, y’know.”  But over this past year, I’ve had some experiences that have helped me open my stiff, muscle-bound (ha-ha) arms to embrace the notion of making yoga a bigger part of my healthy lifestyle. 

This picture is proof that, with the right top, even A-cups can have cleavage!

And I consider this latest Acro Yoga session a game-changer.  I seriously was flying, people.  Then after an exhilarating flight, I plunged into the undulating waves of the ocean.  The weirdness of it all was quickly replaced by the amazement of the other-worldly sensations I was experiencing.  My “base” who was the person supporting me as I acted as “flyer,” told me to close my eyes at certain times and I truly was transported into a different realm. 

Way cool.  Way, way cool.

Joe never had to remind Tiff to relax like he did me.

I don’t know that this boot-camp lovin’, heavy bag hittin’ former collegiate track star (again, ha-ha) will ever become a yogini but I just might be ready to upgrade my relationship with yoga from “acquaintance” to “friend.”  Perhaps with time, it will turn into my “significant other” fitness activity.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Tiffany and Joe.  This was an experience I will never forget.

 

I Am One Tough Mudder Fudder!

We be tuff!

Hey, with the team name, “Fuddmudders,” I can’t not make that joke.

So, how would I describe the Tough Mudder experience?  By stating the obvious:  It was tough and it was muddy.  They definitely named it right.  Never before have I been more deserving of a beer!  Okay, okay, I didn’t drink it but I could’ve used a good buzz after that experience!

The pre-race wall that separates the mice
from the mudders!

Here are the hard facts for my Las Vegas Tough Mudder 2012:

• 11 miles
• 20 obstacles
• 5 team members (4 boys, 1 girl)
• Total time:  3 hours, 50 minutes (they don’t time you, but I had my stopwatch going)

My experience could be summed-up (but not limited to) these four words:  crazy, awesome, torturous and exhilarating.  Read on....

First of all, they make you climb a stinkin’ 15-ft. wall to even get to the starting line.  It was like they were telling you: “If you can’t even handle getting over this wall, just turn around and go home, loser.”  I would’ve been so ticked if I’d gotten injured on that thing before the race even started!  But it was a good taste of what was to come.

Jammin' through some logs.  Grrrrrr.

The first 5-6 miles had more running than obstacles.  It’s the 2^nd half where they really hammer you with a heavy concentration of challenges, when you’re most tired and depleted of energy!  It was interesting to see all the different shapes and sizes of people, which goes to show that just about anybody can do this, but I was certainly glad I had taken the time and effort to put some mudder-specific training into the months preceding the event.  My team was usually running between the obstacles whereas most others were walking – especially toward the end.

What I loved best about the Tough Mudder is the emphasis on teamwork.  I had great teammates that expended a lot of their precious energy in helping to haul my arse up and over several of the obstacles.  I couldn’t have done it without them.  Even complete strangers came to my aid several times and the entire atmosphere was totally charged with enthusiasm and encouragement.

Some memorable moments:

Did I mention there was lots of mud?

Artic Enema obstacle:  they fill a huge dumpster with ice, ice, ice-cold water and make you dive under a wall to get to the other side.  Holy cannoli.  I didn’t know hypothermia could set in so quickly.  I was almost too paralyzed to hoist myself back out of the water. None of us could feel our bodies for at least a quarter mile afterwards.  We could’ve been running on bloody stumps for all we knew.

Walk The Plank obstacle:  this requires jumping off a 15-foot platform into water.  This was the obstacle that I was fearing most.  I’m not a fan of heights and I actually did force myself to do some cliff jumping this summer to prepare for this obstacle, which I am soooooo glad I did.  However, at the top of the plank I still totally froze for several seconds.  Thank goodness my teammate Brady told me to stop thinking and just jump.  Which I did.  And I lived!

Real Tough Mudders plug their noses.

 

 

The albino thong dude:  there were definitely some fun outfits and accessories that people had on.  Many tutus, some superheroes, plenty of funky socks and t-shirts.  But the guy that stole the show was the albino dude wearing a white thong.  The sight of his alabaster skin and his surprisingly mud-resistant white banana hammock was quite a shock after gazing at mostly brown mud for miles and miles.  Unfortunately for all of us, this guy was NOT Chippendale’s material!  I really hope he was wearing sunscreen.

The cold water:  I already mentioned the heart-stopping Arctic Enema, but I was also surprised at how cold they kept all the other water obstacles.  They had us trudge through endless mud trenches with water depths anywhere from thigh to chest-high.  We also had several deep water swims, some requiring diving under barrels and pulling ourselves along a cable.  This is all while fully dressed with sneakers, just to remind you.  But what got me was how cold the water was, especially considering that the weather was fairly warm – probably in the 90s somewhere.  In smaller doses, the coldness was refreshing but the longer swims were definitely energy-sapping.  Even the lifeguards were shivering in their wetsuits!

A nano-second after this picture,
I was in the water.

Why I will do the Tough Mudder again:  I can’t say with enthusiasm that I want to repeat all of the events I’ve been involved in:  The Ragnar Relay – not if I can avoid it.  Half marathon – maybe, but I’m in no hurry.  Marathon – I haven’t done one yet but if/when I do, it’ll probably only be once.  The Tough Mudder, however, I will repeat.  First, it was FUN!  It really did make me feel tough and accomplished and like I can take on (almost) anything!  It was so much more interesting than simply running mile after mile with little else going on.  Also, I’m unsatisfied with my performance on a few of the obstacles – namely, the monkey bars, hanging rings and Mt. Everest – so I want to improve my grip and upper body strength to do better next time.

The Tough Mudder might not be everyone’s cup o’tea, but it is definitely right up my alley.  I am so thankful for the healthy body that I have right now and I figure, why not test it every now and then.  Stuff like this is a great way to realize how amazing I can be… yet it’s also a humbling reminder that I’m not invincible, either!

I'll spare you any pictures of my bruised and swollen knees and elbows.  Let's just say I won't be wearing any mini-skirts this week.

 

Now off to take a terapeutic mineral mud bath!

Done and dirty!

Emergency Neck Pain Blog Post!!!

I am declaring a cervical state of emergency!

All those who have suffered... are suffering... or will be suffering (hence, everyone) from neck pain of any kind must read this post!!!

Lately there has been an astonishing onslaught of neck problems amongst my family and friends.  Trust me, I know first-hand – thanks to my 2011 Neck Incident – just how heinous serious neck pain can be.

In response, I’ve been sending all my cervical sufferers a link to an old blog post in which I demonstrate the best neck stretch in the world, but I now see the need to update that demo and add a few more therapeutic techniques that have rocked my world.  It’s been over a year and I have yet to have another neck attack of such severity… and I credit these 3 exercises/stretches with keeping it that way.

Beach ball boon*.  And you thought taking a beach ball to a high school graduation was being creative! This is a great one for when the pain is so intense you can hardly move it in any direction.  The barely inflated beach ball positions and supports the head in a way to allow for movement not otherwise possible with severe neck impairment.

Start by barely inflating a beach ball with just enough air to keep your head from
touching the ground when you lay back on it.

 

Slowly turn your head to one side just until you reach the point of increased pain/tingling.

Then the other side, of course.  You might not be able to get much movement at first, but
you will improve over time.

Then tilt one ear toward your shoulder...

And to the other side.
 

Occipital release*.  It surprised me how effective the occipital release technique was in improving my neck pain.  Position two tennis balls at the base of your skull where it meets the top of your neck and try to relax.  Usually in the first moments, this KILLS me, but a few minutes into it, I start to relax and the tension in my neck decreases considerably.  Maintain position for about 10 minutes or so.

Start with a rolled-up towel and a couple of tennis balls in a sock...

Lay back so the tennis balls are on the sweet spot.  You may need to adjust the towel height accordingly.

Try to relax for a good ten minutes or so. Let the tension just slip away...

 

Smelly armpit stretch.  And, finally, the best neck stretch in the entire history of neck stretching.  I do this almost daily and it has been a life-saver for me.  I do not over-exaggerate when I say this stretch could likely bring about world peace if everyone would just spend, like, 2 minutes doing this every day.

Start by angling your nose toward your armpit as though trying to take a big whiff.
This is how my physical therapist described it. He said it would be memorable this way.

Slowly start to look away and forward while keeping your ear close to your shoulder.

Finally, end up looking completely forward in a side bend with ear as close to
shoulder as flexibility allows.
 

 

Neck pain to any extent is nothing to take lightly!  I discovered the hard way that a person can pay dearly for participating in neck neglect.  I haven’t found it necessary to do the beach ball exercise since the incident but the other two, along with a doorway chest stretch, I do regularly and it’s always the best 5 minutes of my day.

*I have to thank my wonderful friend who, while possessing political views that are completely upside-down and backwards (sorry, P - I couldn't resist... it's that time of year!), has magic hands and acquainted me with the first two techniques... along with many other helpful treatments over the years!  Everyone needs to have a physical therapist as a friend!  Now if I could just buddy up with a plastic surgeon...

Oh, and read the disclaimer at the very bottom of this blog page, would ya.