Chasing Rabbits

When we work out, there is always someone who or something that inspires us to do more, work harder, be faster, achieve something that we didn’t think possible. The rabbit. The dog chasses it, constantly trying to catch it. It may not always catch it, but it will try. It will make the best effort every single time it tries. For us, the rabbit is very individualized. It is different for everyone. And we all have a rabbit – something or someone that keeps us going in the face of all odds, that gets us through, that challenges or inspires us, that pushes us.

Perhaps it is a piece of equipment. A heavy kettlebell that you want to eventually swing, or the rings you one day hope to do muscle ups on, or the heavy barbell you someday want to put overhead. It is the inspiration -- that object that signifies that the goal was achieved; you did what you needed to do with it or to it.

Or maybe it’s a person. That one person you always compare yourself to, that you try to emulate, that you try to beat, or that just pushes you in all the right directions, so that you are able to do things you never thought possible. This person might be you coach, who is always in your face, pushing you, who has made you master your technique so that you are capable, or who encourages you daily to try. Or maybe it’s someone you work out with, who is always the one to beat, who pushes you to try heavier weights, work faster during a WOD, to put out that extra effort when you thought you had nothing left to give.

Or maybe it’s something entirely different. Maybe a hero, or family member, or cause that creates the inspiration to achieve more, do more, lift more or just simply be more. Maybe it’s something you didn’t really know about at the time, but it has become evident over time, that there was just something there, pushing you to be better, be faster, lift more, and continue when you didn’t think you could.

We all have a rabbit. And when our rabbit is in hiding, we miss it. We need our rabbits. We do better when we are chasing them. We do more weight, have faster times, and better techniques. We need to chase a rabbit.


Think about it. What or who is your rabbit? Your inspiration? Are you in hot pursuit? It’s time to catch the rabbit.


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Embrace the Bug's Life

Not every workout will be a PR, be perfect, be great, of even be good. You won’t finish every single workout with the feeling that you are on top of the world, unstoppable, and so far ahead of the game that no one could reach you if they tried. Some workouts may totally suck, break you down, bring you to tears and make you feel like quitting entirely. Some may take you into a deep, dark place that you don’t share with others – that edge of despair. Let’s face it, sometimes you are the bug, and sometime the windshield. You can’t always be the windshield, so when you are the bug, recognizing what it is, is half the battle of getting over it, and perhaps embracing it a little.

If all of our workout were perfect, PRs, unbelievably excellent, then it may just be because we are making them a little too easy. Maybe the weight is not heavy enough, or we are not pushing ourselves hard enough. PRs, especially for strength work, are one thing. They are difficult to make “easy”, I give you that… But workouts? Metcons? If they are consistently too easy, and you are consistently the windshield, then maybe you need to step it up a bit, make it a bit more challenging. Maybe push yourself harder, increase the weight used, decrease the time allowed for the same amount of work, etc.

It’s those moments when we are the bug, that we experience growth, both emotionally and physically. When we challenge ourselves emotionally, we are able to endure more. When we challenge ourselves physically, we are able to do more. If we are able to endure more emotionally, and do more physically, don’t you think we will become better athletes? And stronger bugs? Just because you are the bug, doesn’t mean that you always end up on the windshield. Many bugs live a happy life, without ever meeting the windshield. And wouldn’t you think that a stronger bug is harder to kill, would live longer in nature, and perhaps ricochet off the windshield?
So go out and embrace the bug’s life! It makes the windshield experiences all the sweeter.

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2011 Goals

It’s the end of the year, and with the end of the year, comes the beginning of a new year. A chance to start anew. Everyone will be setting goals. Some easily achievable, some achievable with focused effort, and some a little too lofty. I have personal goals, work goals, and CrossFit goals.

I’ve spent some time thinking about my CrossFit goals, what they should be. Should they be easily attainable? Should they require effort? How much? Should they be all about me?

I think that it’s important when setting goals, to ensure that they are achievable. It wouldn’t be good, for example, for me to set a goal of power cleaning a car. It will never happen. Or competing in the Olympics. Also, not going to happen. Or even skydiving… NOT going to happen! So if you set goals, ensure they are attainable ones, even with effort. Something that you know you could achieve, with the right investment of effort. And, if you set them, commit to work towards them.

Here are my 10 CrossFit goals for 2011, in no particular order. By writing them down and posting them, I am commiting to them. I will work towards achieving them. Some are easily achievable, some will require some focused effort, and some might be a bit lofty. Some I may not make. And some I may get within the first week.

1. Consistent and multiple muscle ups
2. Butterfly pull ups
3. 10 HSPUs in a row
4. Body weight clean and jerk
5. 100 double unders in a row
6. Sub-4 Fran
7. Eliminate my horrible work out face
8. Blog at least once a month, but aim for two times
9. Help someone else achieve a goal
10. Learn a new skill – TBD

Have you set yours?

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You Compare Yourself to Who???

In CrossFit, we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. We have benchmark workouts, we post results on public web sites, and we have PRs. We compare how we do, to how others do, to see how we rank – Beyond the White Board automatically ranks you against others. We wonder, “Am I as good as him? Am I as good as her? Could I have beaten the best?”

I completely agree with what Andy Petranek, of CrossFit LA recently posted:

One of the things that makes us different is the way we constantly compare ourselves to others who do CrossFit. We have leaderboards. We keep score. We post results of workouts up on whiteboards. We do this to create context for training, so that we all have a framework within which our training can exist... goals, expectations of performance, belief of what is possible, etc. Comparisons are good - as long as they are NOT used to make you feel bad about what you are doing... remember, the competition, 99% of the time, is just with yourself!

Wait, what was that??? “…Comparisons are good – as long as they are NOT used to make you feel bad about what you are doing… the competition, 99% of the time, is just with yourself!” Let me expand on that… You should never feel bad about any CrossFit workout, no matter how you compare to others. It is NOT about the comparison to others, it is about how you did, at that given moment in time, for that workout, at that hour of the day, during that temperature, with those people, on that amount of rest, and that amount of fuel, etc. That given moment in time. Did you do your best? Did you leave nothing behind? Did you leave nothing behind?

A while back I blogged about Going After the Big Dog. It was a post about motivation – something that motivates me. There is a definite difference between going after the big dog, and comparing yourself to others via leaderboards. Going after the big dog should motivate you to do better, make you push yourself further than you thought you could go. To challenge you. To motivate you. To help you better compete against yourself.

Every person is different, and every experience is different. It is not appropriate to compare yourself to anyone other than yourself, because you are NOT that other person. You do not have their experiences, their strengths, their weaknesses. We are all put together differently, made up differently, which means that our abilities are different. The only person you should compare yourself to is yourself. And in doing so, you will find that you will sometimes do better, and sometimes do worse than you previously did. It is the nature of CrossFit. It is, what it is, at that exact moment in time, and each moment is going to be different.

So don’t feel bad about what you are doing. Don’t feel bad about your performance. In CrossFit, no matter what your level or ability, your capabilities, at that given moment in time, for that workout, at that hour of the day, during that temperature, with those people, on that amount of rest, and that amount of fuel, you are doing things that most people cannot do. You are doing things that most people cannot do.

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Training the Handstand Push-up

I’m going to start with two caveats… First, this is not my training regimen. It was given to me, as I am passing on to you (Thanks to Jennifer Roberts!!!). Second, I am not an expert at this. This is just what has worked for me. It may or may not work for you.

When I knew I needed to learn how to do a hspu, my biggest fear was not the push-up itself, but being upside down. How would I get in that position? How would I handle it? What if I passed out? These were honest concerns that I had. I had some people that helped me get over that fear so that I could actually work on the hspu itself, without working on the fear.

Once over the fear, the training of the hspu was very exact and easy to follow. I had a goal of being able to do 5 consecutive hspus in a row, in 6 weeks. 6 weeks is in about 10 days or so, and I think I will achieve it. So, here it is…

Train the hspu every other day, alternating between the following WOs:

Workout 1
Handstand holds: Go into a handstand position against the wall and hold it for a 1 minute interval. Repeat 5 times. Rest as needed in between holds (but not all day – usually no more than a few minutes – it is a workout…). If you can’t do a minute, do as long as you possibly can for each interval, increasing the amount of time you are able to hold until you can hold for a minute.

These are tough. It is difficult to hold for a minute. Engage your core, engage your shoulders. Press it up – hard. Do not collapse through the spine. Core engagement is important as it stabilizes your spine and makes your shoulders work less.

Workout 2
Handstand negatives: These are strength building movements. They are done in 5 sets of 5, or 5X5. Go up into a handstand position against the wall and slowly lower yourself to the ground (you may want to do this on a rug or blanket). As soon as you get to the ground, kick back up to the handstand position and do it again, until you have done 5 reps. Complete 5 sets of 5 reps, resting as needed between sets. Remember, it is a strength building exercise. You rest as you would if it were back squats, push presses, or any other strength WO you might be doing (not hours of rest, but minutes).

The focus here is lowering yourself as slowly as possible and in a controlled manner. If it is difficult to lower yourself slowly all the way down (you’re banging your head on the ground too much), then start these with an ab mat, so the distance is less. Until you can perform without an ab mat.

In Addition
Each time I did one of the WOs above, I also did sets of hspus with an ab mat. I started out with one ab mat with a book under it, then went to just the ab mat, then a small book, then nothing. While the two exercises above are really great at building strength, I believe it is still important to work on the actual down-up movement. I usually did hspus after the above WOs, and did as many as I could, until I failed. Set, after set. Sometimes it would just be a few short sets, sometimes I could do a dozen reps, and then 8, then 5, then 2, then fail. It all depended on the other WOs I did throughout the week. If I did a lot of upper body/shoulder WOs with heavy weights, then I would struggle with the hspus. Some days the hspus felt great, sometimes they were really difficult. Good days and bad days… All good for training.

Training for Consecutives
To get my consecutive hspus, I just did singles and work on stringing them together, until failure. I did 3 in a row a week ago. When I start failing with the unassisted hspus, I then do negatives, so I still receive the benefits and the strength training.

More Stuff
WODs are a bit different, as there are other factors at play. You are moving fast, doing multiple movements. Sometimes the strength cannot be found. Right now, during a WO, if hspus are present, I use 1 ab mat. A month ago I was using 2 ab mats and barely finishing. Now I use 1, and do a better job. Soon I will no longer need an ab mat.

Another benefit of training the hspu… greater shoulder strength for push presses. Yesterday I PRd my push press at 140. My 5 rep was 125, 3 rep was 135, and I was trying for 140 when I failed on my third rep. So I did 2 at 140#. I have been holding at 127# for push presses for months, and now, since training my hspus, I was able to push past this stagnant point, PRing the 5-rep, 3-rep, and 2-rep.

This is what has worked for me. You can see if it works for you. Or maybe you have something else that works? Let me know, either way…

Aspirations and Goals and Reinvention

As we enter into 2010, many of us start to think about our aspirations and goals. The New Year brings about new opportunities to achieve something that we may not have achieved before, to try something new, different, exciting… The New Year gives us a launching pad for new goals, with new ways of measuring those goals and new challenges in achieving them.

I am an executor of and believer in short term goals – what do I want to get done this month or next month. I have a more difficult time with the longer term goals – what do I want to do in 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years. I think this has to do with the constant transformation I go through, the constantly reinvention of myself – but more on that later. So, here is the question… Does the quest for the short term goals drive the long term goal, even if I don’t know what that long term goal might be? Meaning, if I continue to drive towards short term goals that get met and added to as time passes, am I really driving towards a long term goal, without having truly identified that goal? Would I be able to achieve a long term goal faster or more efficiently, if I knew what it was from the beginning, and designed my short term goals to meet my long term goals?

Back to the issue of constant transformation. Does the fact that I am constantly changing better suit short term goals vs. long term goals??? What if I had a long term goal but halfway towards meeting it I decided I no longer wanted it. I had changed in some major way that made the long-term goal no longer relevant. Would I feel like a failure for not achieving it? Does having only short term goals give me the flexibility to be constantly reinventing, or does only having short term goals keep me from achieving greater things? Is it more important to be able to be reinventing myself or drive towards long-term goals? Could constant reinvention be a long-term goal, only achieved by short-term goals?

What comes first, the chicken or the egg!!!

I set a short term fitness goal and did not achieve it. I felt like a balloon that just had the air let out of it. I tried to achieve it, but perhaps I did not try enough. Or perhaps the goal should have been a long-term goal. Or maybe it just wasn’t important enough.

I did not achieve the goal. Could I have achieved it if I had really focused on it and worked every day towards it? Or was the goal too lofty, and therefore unachievable in the time allotted? After some evaluation, I have determined that I need to continue towards this goal, and make it a longer term goal. I have worked 6 weeks to achieve it. 6 weeks was not enough. So rather than writing it off as a failure, I will re-align my timeline for this goal and continue to try to achieve it. Perhaps I will achieve it by my birthday. That is nearly 6 months away. It is still a short term goal, but a longer-term short term goal. (WOW, is that possible???) I feel confident that I can achieve it, should I not go through some other major transformation that leaves it irrelevant… (LOL)

What are your goals? Do you set long term or short term goals? Or both? Do you set goals that are easy or difficult to achieve? How do you respond to an unmet goal? Post thoughts to comments.

Bermuda Triangle for Boobs???

No one ever told me that my boobs would disappear. When I started doing CrossFit, working out, eating better, no one ever said, “Hey, your boobs might mysteriously vanish.” I was not clued in.

And it’s not like it didn't happen over time, because it did. It happened over the course of almost two years. But for some reason, it feels like it happened over night. One day they were there and the next day they were gone. One day I had quite a handful... Now??? My sports bras barely have enough to hold on to! Darn! Where’d they go!!!

Did they vanish into the Bermuda Triangle for boobs? Is there such a place?? I figured that there must be, because I don’t know where they went. And it’s not like I had this receding boob line, that I could follow the disappearance of the boobies a week at a time, and mark where they were the week before. I swear, it happened over night.

So I wanted to understand it better, and I found this nifty article on decreasing your breast size through exercise. The motherload!!! So, how would one do that, without expecting it? The article says, “Not every woman that desires a smaller bust will want to go through breast-reduction surgery. Instead, you can perform sets of exercises that can reduce the fat that make up your breasts. Not only are you likely to decrease your bust size, but you might lose weight in other areas of your body.”

Hmmm. Exercises that reduce the fat that makes up your breasts... The article says to start with some cardio workouts and then increase the intensity of your cardio exercises. It goes on to recommend that push-ups are done every day, and weights should be used for chest presses.

Another article says, “Remember that breasts, for the most part, are made up of fatty tissue. Exercising can lead to fat loss, which in turn leads to smaller boobs. Exercise can also tone up the pectoral muscle, helping to lift and define the breasts.”

Lots of things surrounding push ups and chest presses, not to mention cardio -- exercise. WOW, CrossFit fits the bill there. CrossFit is the culprit! I never would have thought that!

I can only begin to fathom how many push-ups I have done in the past two years – how much cardio activity I have done. Have I been methodically making my boobs disappear without knowing it? Did I do this to myself? Is CrossFit the culprit?

Ladies??? Help me understand! Is this something you experienced? Are experiencing? Has CrossFit, or exercise in general, reduced your boobage???

Intentional Metamorphosis

Wikipedia defines metamorphosis as “…a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.” Answers.com says metamorphosis is “a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.” Metamorphosis is change.

Change is inevitable – nothing ever stays the same. Whether acted upon by some outside force, or an intentional decision, change occurs. It is inevitable. But what if change was intentional? Could you intentionally drive the change? Force the course of the abrupt change in the animal’s body structure? Or your body structure? Or your capabilities? Could you control the direction of the change? Thereby controlling the outcome, results, endgame?

I am on a quest. A quest for change. Purposeful change. Intentional metamorphosis. I am changing the way I look, the way I feel, the way I perform. Day by day, step by step, workout by workout, meal by meal, rep by rep. Forcing change to occur. It is an intentional decision. I am purposefully changing. I am going through intentional metamorphosis.

How? Pushing harder. Eating better. Not giving in. Not sacrificing. Performing the one more minute, one more round, one more rep, until I can yell out “TIME!”, with the knowing that I have performed my best at that given moment.

Why? To be better. To feel better. To be stronger. To be able to perform under diverse conditions. To be healthy. To be fit. To be CrossFit.

Going After the Big Dog

I enter each workout with a certain expectation. The expectation that I should be able to do as much, or a little more, than I previously did. A little more weight, a slightly faster time, better form, etc. I compete with myself, trying to outdo myself.

I have never thought of tying to do better than those I workout with. I’ve never thought of my workout as a competition between me and those I workout with. I have always competed against myself. And because I am highly motivated, I have been a good competitor for myself. But could I have been a better competitor?

What if, instead of competing against myself, I competed against the big dog during the workout. The one person who is pushing max reps, or big weight, or has spectacular form. What if that big dog was right next to me, and instead of thinking that I could never do what they are doing -- that all I need to do is better than I did previously… What if I thought that I needed to do better than the big dog? That I needed to do more weight, I needed a faster time, I needed better form, because the big dog next to me was going to kick some CrossFit ass, and I needed to beat them to it. Would that light my competitive fire and push my abilities through the “better-than-my-previous-time” ceiling? My guess is that my competitive fire would become a firestorm, and I could do more than I ever would have expected, and blow my PRs out of the water.

So the big dogs better watch out. Because I am not going after my previous weights or times – I’m going after them. And I am going to fight for every pound, every rep and every second.

Patrick Cummings talks about this in After the Gun, a post on Again Faster. Read it and get some fire.

Broken, But Not Broken Down

How do you handle a workout, or a situation for that matter, that is more than you expected? More difficult? More mentally challenging? More painful? Do you get angry? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? More importantly, how do you handle yourself afterwards? Do you walk away, never to return? Do you feel shameful? Do you quit?

We are all challenged with workouts that push us to our limits – to our breaking points – to the point where we feel… broken. We go through the gamut of emotions – anger, frustration, embarrassment, shame, maybe even loss and sorrow. But how do you handle your emotions? Or maybe the better question is, do you handle your emotions or do your emotions handle you?

Everyone has a choice. You have a choice, I have a choice, and we all have choices. And we determine or choose how we handle our emotions during that workout that is more than we expected -- during that moment in time. We also choose how we handle our emotions after that workout. So the workout can break you, or me, or us, but did the workout break us down??? That is our choice. Our decision.

Last Friday’s workout broke me. It was a reality check of the most “in your face” type. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.

Reality… I was not able to do prescribed weights. My hands were torn. I DID NOT FINISH. I have never not finished a workout. I was frustrated. I was upset. I was embarrassed. I was shamed. I was broken. But I could not walk away, and I could not quit. Because amidst all those emotions, I made a choice to not be broken down. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.

Reality… It was one workout, one day, one moment in time. And one day I will meet “Stand up Linda” again, and I will be able to do more weight, I will not tear my hands, and I WILL FINISH. I will one day get LINDA off my back! And I will be stronger for it. I am not broken down.

Thanks to CrossFit Phoenix for pushing me to my limit so that I could see what could be possible. Looking forward to the next time that chick “Linda” comes knocking.

"Stand up Linda"

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:

1.5x bodyweight deadlift
3/4 bodyweight push press
3/4 bodyweight squat clean

Running the Ragnar Relay del Sol

Some time ago, my friend Jill asked me to join her running team for the Ragnar Relay. Knowing nothing about the race, I looked it up and found out the following:

You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay…

I quickly, and easily, said “No thanks Jill, it’s not my cup of tea.”

I’m not a committed runner. I started running in January of 2008. My goal was to participate in Emma’s Run, a 5K race taking place in Anthem. I had no intention to continue running after Emma’s Run, but I found out I enjoyed the metabolism boost running provided, especially after performing high-intensity workouts. So I kept running as part of my fitness routine. Short runs… That still did not make me a committed runner.

A couple of months later, Jill asked me again to join her Ragnar Relay team. Someone had dropped out and they needed another runner. Again my answer was “no, I am not a runner”. A few weeks later the question came again, with the same answer, and a few weeks later and one more time I said no.

Maybe Jill caught me on a good day when I finally said “Yes”. Maybe I was tired of getting asked. Maybe I didn’t think it would ever really happen. I don’t really remember. All I know is that one day, in the Fall of 2008, I committed to being on Jill’s team.

The Ragnar Relay Del Sol

Now that I was committed, I needed more information. What was it about? How did it work? What should I expect??? The Ragnar website gave me more information:

“It's really quite simple. Get a bunch of friends together (or we can help you find team members who'll quickly become your friends) and start running. Okay, there's a little more to it. Your relay team will consist of 12 members. During the relay, each team member runs three legs, each leg ranging between 3 - 8 miles and varying in difficulty. So, from the elite runner down to the novice jogger, it's the perfect relay race for anyone.

Each team is responsible for providing two support vehicles, with six runners in each
vehicle. The first vehicle will drop off the first runner, drive ahead a few miles, cheer the runner on, and provide them with water, snacks, and plenty of love. That vehicle will then drive ahead to the first exchange point to drop off the second runner, and pick up the first runner when that leg is complete. They will repeat this pattern for six legs until they hand off to their second vehicle. This leapfrogging pattern will continue all the way to the finish line.”

Our twelve person team split into two groups of six; one group in each vehicle. Many of the teams decorated their vehicles and all had some sort of writing or slogan on them. During the race there were five people in the van while one person ran. It was the team’s responsibility to support the runner. The people in the vehicle had to provide water, snacks, and lots of good cheer for each runner.

There were major and minor runner exchange points along the route. The major exchanges were where Van 1 handed off to Van 2 or vice versa. During minor exchanges only the runners from the same vehicle changed out. Each minor exchange point had a team of volunteers and porta-potties to keep the race on track. The major exchange points had more volunteers, porta-potties, usually some food, music, rest spots to refresh prior to their next leg of the race.

Our team, We’ve Got the Runs, was team #93. We started at 8am. Team start times were staged based on runners’ ability level. We were considered a novice team (12 people, not very experienced). Ultra teams were formed with only six and had the pleasure of running double the distance per person than the novices. The ultras had my admiration. I really don’t know how anyone could run double legs in the race.

The Ragnar Relay del Sol’s 202.1 mile course began at Prescott, AZ and finished in Mesa, AZ. It wound down 2-lane highways, secondary roads, dirt roads, and across freeways. There were times when there was no cell phone service, and times when there were so many cars in the way that runners had to use crosswalks and signals in order to cross. There were times when the only thing you saw was a cow in a field, and other times that cars sped by so quickly you wondered if you’d end up road kill. And there were also times that were serene, but surreal – where the only things you could see were illuminated 10 feet in front of you by a headlamp, or the distant city lights and stars miles away.

The Race

Van 1 started the race in Prescott, AZ on February 27 at 8am. It was 40 degrees and 5000 feet in elevation. Runners 1-6 took their first runs and ended in Kirkland, at 3500 feet. My vehicle, Van 2, picked up the charge around 12:30pm in Kirkland. Our initial leg was 39 miles, I was responsible for 5.5 miles.

Van 2’s running legs were broken down as follows:

The degree of difficulty was determined by the length and elevation change of the route. The longer the route and the more hills increased the level of difficulty.

My first leg had several hills, and was a moderate length. The team was fresh, our legs were strong, and our energy level was high, with adrenaline flowing from the excitement. We each seemed to run our legs quickly. We supported each other with water, spray bottles and lots of cheering. As Michael took over on the last leg of this set of runs, night started to set in. Michael was our first runner to break out after dark running with a headlamp, reflective vest, and back light, which were required in order to run at night, or we would face disqualification. We handed off to Van 1 around 7:30 pm, after being on the road for 7 hours and 39 miles.

Van 1 ran for the next 34 miles. While they were running, we rested at a little elementary school in Morristown, just east of Wickenburg. The school fed us spaghetti, and we rolled out sleeping bags on the multipurpose room floor and tried to get a few hours of rest. At 12am we received the call that Van 1’s last runner had just hit the pavement and they would be at the school around 12:30. We got up, packed our gear and prepared for the night run.

Van 1 handed off to us in Morristown around 12:30am on February 28. We were scheduled to run the rest of the night and hand back off to Van 1 around 8:30am. Our second leg was 42 miles, of which I was responsible for 8.8 miles. The Van 2 runners and legs were broken down as follows:

The second leg was the one that worried me the most. It was dark out, the route was very long and was mostly up a slight hill on Carefree Highway, just west of Lake Pleasant. I started this leg exhausted, but finished feeling terrific. The run in the middle of the night brought me a certain amount of focus that I have never achieved. The road in front of me was only illuminated by my headlamp. All I saw was what was right in front of me or the city lights and stars off in the distance. The van leapfrogged me, so I was never alone, and I occasionally saw other runners. It was cool, but not unbearably cold. The leg that I feared the most turned out to be my favorite, the experience that I now compare all runs to.

The van support continued through the night. We were exhausted from not sleeping, and also cold. There was a time in the middle of the night when we were all bundled up in the back of the vehicle trying to stay warm, trying to rest, and trying not to come unglued. Every time we came up to our runner Tara would roll down the window and yell “Woohoo!!!” This became our mantra. No matter how tired we were, we could at least get out a slap-happy, semi-conscious, “Woohoo!” Ironically, the runners didn’t hear most of the “Woohoos!!” because we all wore headphones as we ran. We handed off to Van 1 around 8:30 am on February 28 after 8 hours, 42 miles and dozens of “Woohoos!!”.

Van 1 had the run for the next 33 miles. As they ran, we rested, this time at someone’s house. We had spaghetti for breakfast, and it really hit the spot We took showers, some of us slept, some tried to sleep, and some soaked feet and just relaxed. At 11:30am we got ready to head out for our last leg of the relay. We drove about an hour, leaving most of our belongings at the rest house knowing that we would be back to pick them up and head home. The vehicle had more room, yet it seemed more crowded as we sprawled into each other’s “space”.

We arrived in Fountain Hills early and used the time to stock up on sun screen and coffee at the local market. The temperature was considerably warmer, about 85 degrees and there was not much of a breeze. This was not going to be an easy set of legs. For most of our runners, the third leg was a shorter leg. For one, it was the longest. We were tired, hot and felt the need for a miracle.

Van 1 handed off to us in Fountain Hills around 1:00pm on February 28. It was our job to finish the race. The final leg was 24 miles. I was responsible for a short 2.9 miles, however, I thought I was only running 2.2 miles. My distance changed and I didn’t know. Van 2’s individual legs were broken down as follows:

I thought this leg would be a piece of cake, “it’s only 2.2 miles – that’s easy”. About a mile into the run the heat was beating me down. At 2 miles I was looking for the next exchange, wondering where it was. I kept wondering why I was now running further than 2.2 miles. I finally came around a corner and saw the exchange at 3 miles. The leg I thought would be the easiest was the most difficult. The shortest run became the most difficult to complete. I was challenged both physically and mentally as I kept pushing on to the next exchange. I was ecstatic when I finally handed off to Jill.

Jill’s leg was the most difficult. She ran on Beeline Highway and we had a very hard time supporting her throughout the run. It was hot, the cars were racing by, and the bugs were thick. There was plenty of road kill, and not enough sun screen. Jill handed off to Jodi and it was at this point that we discovered that we could take a towel and put it in our cooler of ice and give the wet, ice cold towel to our runner. Jodi, Alisa and Michael all were fortunate enough to have an ice cold soaked towel during parts of their run.

At the finish line, Michael was going to bring us in. We parked and Van 1 joined us. Then together we all walked up to the finish line to wait for Michael. Our plan was to all run to the finish as a team, and cross at the same time. Michael came running in and we followed behind him. We ran the last 100 yards together, cheering the entire way. Our team of 12 crossed the finish line, received our medals, and gave each other high-fives. This was truly an accomplishment, something that we all experienced and completed together.

People ask me what it was like, how would I describe the experience. My response has been that it felt like a three day road trip that lasted only 33 hours. You run a little, then rest a little, all of it taking about 11 hours each round, or “day”. You spend the entire time with people that you may or may not know, however, over the course of the run, you really get to know each other well, maybe too well in some cases. You share in each other’s triumphs and struggles, and you learn not to sweat the small things, and find joy in the littlest of successes.

In my 12 person team I only knew one person at the beginning of the race. Over the course of 33 hours I was fortunate enough to know the five others I shared the drive with very well.

Count me in for the next Ragnar Relay – February 26-27, 2010!

Lauriel Luther is a certified group fitness instructor at Anthem Golf & Country Club and Level 1 CrossFit instructor.

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/

Paleo - Week 6 and Counting

So, it's been about 6 weeks since I started the Paleo diet. Also known as the caveman diet. Eating like the cavemen did. Lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit. All broken down to essential proteins, carbs and fat. No starch, no sugar, no legumes, no grains. That means no pasta, no bread, no deserts, no beans, no peanuts, no cereal, no sodas. If it is processed, the cavemen didn't eat it. If it needs to be processed to be eaten, the cavemen didn't eat it.

There have been several noticeable changes:

1. Energy level - Prior to starting to eat Paleo I was going to sleep around 9pm, sometimes earlier, if you can believe it. but my day starts just before 5am, and some days even earlier. So 9pm was reasonable. Paleo has given me more energy to stay awake longer. I now find that I am up until 10 to 11pm, sometimes making myself go to sleep because the next day will be starting soon.
2. Energy level part 2 - I have noticed an increase in my energy levels during my workouts. My ability to continue when previously I may have slowed down to a little rest. My ability to recover more quickly after the workout.
3. Weight loss - while I wasn't looking for weight loss, I have lost quite a bit of weight. The other day I was told I was "lean". That word has never been used to describe me. Lean. My body is using my fat stores to produce energy to make more muscle. The muscle is more visible due to the elimination of the layer(s) of fat. Nice.
4. Health - I have not even come close to getting sick, catching a cold, having a runny nose, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the Paleo diet has made this happen, it could just be a coincidence. But I have never felt healthier.
5. Strength - A combination of diet and exercise has made me stronger. I can't say that it is only the diet, because I have also been training. But I have been eating appropriately for the level of training I am doing. I am using the proteins, carbs and fat that I am eating, when I need it, and as I need it.
6. Attitude - Because I feel great, my attitude has been great. I have been very even tempered, not fluctuating in mood as much as previously. This has been a great side benefit for my family.
7. Because I am eating better, my family is eating better. I don't know if they notice changes as I do. They are only eating the foods I feed them, when we eat as a family. They still eat grains and sugars, and other non-Paleo foods. But maybe one day i can get the to come around. Right...

Paleo resources:

1. Loren Cordain - The Paleo Diet
2. Robb Wolf
3. Basic shopping list

A friend and her daughter just started a couple of weeks ago. they are starting to see changes already.

How about it? Interested in learning more? Perhaps starting?? Go for it, it's easier than you think.