one tough cookie: be prepared: not just for boy scouts anymore

one tough cookie: be prepared: not just for boy scouts anymore

be prepared: not just for boy scouts anymore

Tomorrow is Monday. Since the TM is weeks away, I've been getting more anxious as the weeks dwindle away. I spent this past weekend with some fellow Mudders and they gave me some advice for training. Hills, sprints, intervals and everything I do on Full Throttle Thursdays. At least I am ahead of the game concerning Full Throttle Thursdays. I also decided that another strategy is preparation. As you know, I am a planner. I make my lunch the night before, I set out two outfits for the next day (I may have a costume change) and I even make a list of what I am going to consume for breakfast. Yes, I seriously do that. Tomorrow's list looks something like this:

Monday - 3/19/12

• Vits
• Yogurt with pumpkin/flax cereal
• Half of banana
• Earl Gray

I am not a morning person, so to minimize vital decision making in the morning (one wrong move, read: eating cookies for breakfast, could kill my day in a matter of seconds), I make these lists. I plan people, I'm a planner. So in an effort to continue my training tomorrow after school, I checked the weather - high 71 and chance of thunderstorms. Most people or previous life Sam would think, "Man, it's going to rain so I guess I can't run outside. Ho-hum." Well, the tables have turned. I cannot WAIT to run tomorrow in the rain. As you can see, I planned my outfit out accordingly so when I come home from Paradise Lost I can quickly change and hit the trail. Running skirt, Under Armor Heat Gear tank, sports undergarment, shock absorbing socks, my "Ride for Caleb" skull and crossbones bandanna and my NEW ROAD ID wrist band. (Still kicking myself for not measuring my wrists. In my previous life, I've always had small wrists. Now, they are expanding. My watch is tight, hair ties leave marks, this ID bracelet looks like it will fit an infant. These are the things I think won't alter with my training and do. Maybe this will teach me to measure twice and cut once. Maybe.)

So, I am prepared to run tomorrow, rain or shine, hot or humid - I am ready. I love running in the rain. It it this invigorating experience that only those who do it can appreciate it.


Some words on being prepared and planning.
"Fail to plan, plan to fail." (Etown Friend)
"Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self." (Ice Cube)
"Be Prepared" (Boy Scouts Motto)
"Men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage - they've experienced pain and bought jewelry." (Rita Rudner)

Links to Being Prepared
you don't have to be a mom to use this 
Use your Google account 
Microsoft always has excellent templates 
Android Users 

iPhone app ($2.99)

iPhone/iPad - FREE!!!! I have this one for iPad

Keep 

planning

running

breathing

believing.

Stella's Got Her Groove Back

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. - Joseph Campbell

Often at times, I believe I am the guru of all planners. I have a planner, various to-do lists and the ambition to succeed at some point. Over the last few days, something happened to me. Yes, planning prevents pitfalls (alliteration at it's best), but this occurrence may adjust the latter.

Full Throttle Thursday was exactly just that. Amy pushed my every limit and I worked out every entity of my body. My smooth, cardio and skeletal muscles were all working overtime. I left the gym feeling successful. I went out to dinner later with Abby, fellow Tough Mudder teammate and inspiration. I ordered the Oatmeal Stout, a favorite of mine and instead of my usual meat and potatoes kind of meal, I ordered the unthinkable. "I'll have the California veggie wrap, no wasabi aioli please."

WHAT?!?!? "Who is this person that ordered a complete vegetarian meal for dinner?"

Well, this person is myself. After the killer workout, I couldn't think about anything else except water and vegetables. Then, to top it off, I couldn't even finish my beer. I had to leave 25% of it in the glass on the counter.

Friday I was training with Amy after school. Upon my arrival to the gym (25 minutes after I left school), I realized my sneakers were at home. I planned as best as I could, but the staple ingredient needed in my recipe for working out was at home on my floor. So we re-scheduled. I thought about just forgetting about working out and giving my muscles a day to rest, but then something came over me. Maybe it was the force, maybe I'm a Jedi. The only thing I could think of was a post from my Reckless Runner friend, Jackie. It was something along the lines of, "something is better than nothing." I was already dressed, I had new music, did my inhaler - I figured, what the hell, I'll do the trail today.

38'36"

3.22 mi

terrain/hills/mud

Last week I had pneumonia,

this week I have persistence. 

It was cold. I was wearing shorts. My nose was running, I was coughing up lovely things and I had the worst side sticker ever. I haven't had a side sticker like that since my first couple of runs last July. I kept moving. When I thought I was going to stop breathing, I slowed down and varied my running. I did lunges in between my running breaks, I ran backwards, sideways, high-knees and even twisting while running. Thanks to my killer "trail mix" and iTunes - this process was made more enjoyable. My performance is also a reason why no one likes to run with me. Bottom Line: Previous Sam would have aborted ship knots ago. The Real Sam Adams kept pushing through the pneumonia, the pain and the pitfalls.

Saturday morning I began by training with Amy. Those 30 minutes, which seemed longer than the 60 on Thursday, were brutal. My body was in pain. While planking, I had to stop half way through and catch my breath. I couldn't decide if this was a mind game or if I really was short of breath. I kept pushing. The medicine ball, the balance ball, high plank, low plank, high plank with weights, burpees, double burpees, leg lifts, bench dips, push-ups, chin-ups, lunges with weights, lunges with weights and hopping, ab extraordinaire reps, knee-ins, leg press 130 pounds and then do that set one more time around. When my workout was over, I was lying on the mat in my downward dog position thinking - holy *%^& - but oh my sweet Lord! My clothes were soaked, my heart was pounding through my chest - I was alive but couldn't feel anything but my short, dry breath on my hand. 

That was the most extreme workout of my entire life. Hands down - the hardest and most vulgar. I will probably feel much worse after the Tough Mudder. Although I was exhausted, I felt accomplished. Yes, my breathing was compromised and I'm working on building my endurance back up, but I didn't give up. When I said I was going to train to do the Tough Mudder, I didn't think I would be as serious as I am about it. I planned on training, but I didn't plan on these little transformations. The beer will have to wait until after the Tough Mudder. There will never be enough fruit and veggies to satisfy my cravings. Plain Greek yogurt (Fage) is my staple. Whey Protein goes into anything possible. My skinny jeans are super snug around my calves. I gained 15 pounds since the beginning of my journey and haven't been happier.

Here's to the next 62 days.  Catch me if you can.

finally, back in the game

 After 15 days of not training and almost two months of not running, I am back. Finally. I've had my share of hardships and pauses the last two months. In January, when I decided to take vitamins for the first time in my adult life, I broke out in a hives reaction any time I started sweating or touched a work out mat. Great. So, after trying to figure that strange ordeal out, I couldn't have my full throttle Thursday workout at the gym, so my training was put on hold. Just shortly after seeing an allergist, I developed bronchitis. This bronchitis lasted for 15 days and 14 long nights. It turns out I actually had pneumonia. So, on top of this hives reaction that would happen at the gym, I had to put my training, life and job on hold for 15 days. If it weren't for the steroids, I'd still be sick.

Good news though. When I went to the gym a few days ago for my first training session in over three weeks, I wasn't that tired. My breathing is still a little stressful and tires me out, but using this steroid inhaler has helped tremendously. I was concerned that being sick would set me back so much - I even questioned if I'd have enough stamina to do the Tough Mudder in May. Who am I kidding? Turns out, I still have my strength - haven't lost any of it over that period of sickness. My endurance isn't up to speed like it used to be.

Do I have a plan? Of course I have a plan.

Tomorrow, being a Thursday, will be an almost full throttle session. Although I am not up to speed like I was, I will be training for an hour tomorrow, half hour on Friday and half hour on Saturday. Yes - Saturday morning. As I'm building my strength back up, I need to explore other forms of training. I'm planning on enduring a few hard core cycling sessions, yoga, interval trail running (CAN'T WAIT TO BE BACK ON THE TRAIL!!!!), Saturday Sessions with my dad and I will be trying TRX again. I'm also getting back on my food plan - eat clean, train dirty.

66 days until the Tough Mudder - time to bring it.