Train Like a Pokemon

Twixie09

Some people are Charmanders. They naturally evolve through their health journey as they go. The gravitate towards eating right from a young age. They get into sports early and continue to live actively. Genetics favors them with fast metabolisms and high dexterity scores. It's not to say they don't have to train in order to stay fit and eat well to keep weight off, but their evolution is a natural result of moving through life's experiences. I'm definitely not one of these people. 

Other Pokemon are harder to evolve, just like people. It takes a special combination of elements before we can morph and strengthen into the best version of ourselves.

For instance, when evolving Inkay, the players has to hold the controller upside down when he levels. This makes me think of my own journey. Simply being healthier wasn't enough motivation for me to commit to an overhaul of my eating and activity habits. For me, I had to work from the inside out. I found motivation in how mentally damaging allowing myself to continue living life on the sidelines was becoming. I found inspiration within the characters I love and my ability to portray them at fan conventions. I found Paleo and discovered a love of running and bodyweight circuits. All of the benefits I've created for myself came from a change in mentality more than a simple physical overhaul. 

Kirawra

Then there are those, for whom one evolution is never enough. Take Evee, for example. In her base evolution, she's pretty simple (AND ADORABLE!), but she's a jack of all trades when it comes to evolution. She could grow up to be a fairy, flame, electric, brass, water, ice, psychic or dark type Pokemon depending on how she trains. Some people are lucky to be blessed with this kind of body- one that gives them a lot of different options as far as physical activities and hobbies. They're injury free and naturally take on any physical challenge from rock climbing to marathons. Switching between methods of training is as easy for them as changing the channel. However, we can all take one lesson from Evee. Don't settle for just one routine workout. It's self limiting! You could have tons of other strengths hidden inside you. Even if you find that all these evolutions aren't your favorite, you'll never get bored. Keep trying new things. Run a Tough Mudder, try a dance class, or ask a person trainer at your gym to get you set up in the weight section. Don't settle for one evolution. You might find out you have a lot more potential! 

It's important to remember that while women and men seem to evolve differently, it's purely cosmetic. Similarly, there's no difference between a male and female Pyroar aside from how they look. Sure, male and female metabolisms are different and how our bodies are put together creates separate challenges for us, but on the whole we can work on any physical task that the opposite sex can perform. Women lift heavy just like men. Men let their hair down and take Zumba classes. We might look different, but we can use the same skills and we can take up the same challenges. Sure, each gender has it's own set of physical boons and limitations, but generally, we are all capable of the same challenges. Just because the crossfit gym is full of dudes, don't let that keep you from signing up for a free class ladies. And gentleman, if that ballroom dancing studio you pass by on your way home from work seems like fun, just go for it!

There are also folks who are just waiting for the right person to come into their life to inspire or motivate them. I was lucky enough to have a few friends whose journeys made my challenge seem possible and that really helped me kick in the door when it came to simply getting started. However, it can also be useful to surround yourself with other people who are continually focused on their own self improvement. For example, Karrablast and Shelmet need each other to evolve. They have to be traded between Pokemon trainers and as they are, they gain attributes from the other so that they can strengthen and change. Karrablast, an uninspired bug gains Shelmet's armor and becomes a tanky knight called Escavalier while the snail part of Shellmet gains the freedom of losing his armor and becomes a dextrous and speedy ninja named Accelgor. The fact is that sometimes we aren't enough on our own. We need inspiration to feed our will to persevere through challenges. That's why I always encourage the Slayers to find their fellowship and take their health journey together. If you partner up, someone will always be there to motivate you when you stumble or to cheer you on when you need to commemorate your achievements. It's dangerous to go alone! 

Train like a Pokemon. If you're not evolving, then maybe it's time to try another method. Try something new at the gym, find a friend, or look inside yourself to discover what will truly motivate you to change what's outside. Get out there and evolve in your own unique, special way!

Mud, Sweat, and Beers

So, here's the tally:

Dirt? Bruises? Dirty bruises!

Bruises: Countless, including a nice electric-wire-zapped one on my inner arm and a large, impressive mystery bruise on my shin/calf
Scrapes: Multiple, including a roughed-up shoulder and the aforementioned shin
Sore muscles: All of them. All the muscles.
Exhaustion: Complete and all-encompassing
Triumph: Like nothing I've ever felt before!

You guys, Tough Mudder was awesome.

My three roommates and I awoke in darkness at 4:30am after a late night of anxious packing and fitful sleeping. I could hardly eat -- I think I managed to choke down a hardboiled egg, some of a banana, and a protein drink, but it was tough to fit any food in a stomach full of angry butterflies. Our house was the meeting point for most of our team, and by the time 5am rolled around we had a caravan ready to depart . . . until the minivan carrying 7 people got a flat tire. (At least it was at our house!) After shuffling into new vehicles, we were finally underway.

We spent the next few hours discussing the order of the obstacles and our various strategies and concerns, peppered with the occasional "oh my god you guys, what are we doing" and "hey look! lightning!" We pulled in early around 6:30am and were suddenly swept up in throngs of spandex-clad (or cutoff jean shorts, for one team) people of all shapes and sizes looking tough and excited.

Our numbers drawn on and wristbands attached, we stopped by the free "mohawks for charity" tent (no, I did not get one -- maybe next year) and then climbed our first obstacle: a 6- or 7-foot wall that would corral us into the starting pen.

Kilts optional.

After a pumped up intro by the MC, the massive cannon sounded and we were off! Since we were in the first wave, we had a nice pristine field ahead and only a few early morning spectators as we jogged the first mile or so to obstacle #1!

3...2...1...

...GO!

After belly-crawling through mud underneath strings of barbed wire, more running, boosting each other over some walls, and more running, we reached the first truly anxiety-inducing obstacle: the Electric Eel, where you belly-crawl through shallow water under dangling live wires. (All of you think I'm crazy right now, I know. You're probably not wrong.) Despite my valid concerns, I tried not to think about it and slid in when it was my turn, and -- OW! -- shrieked as I encountered my first wire.

I think "delicate slither" accurately describes what I'm doing back there.

Crazy or not, I made it through with "only" a few minor shocks and was gratefully pulled out by one of my teammates at the far end. We stuck around to cheer and encourage the teammates and strangers behind us, then posed for a triumphant group picture before the 16 of us separated into smaller groups based on our running abilities. Shortly thereafter, we passed a sign letting us know we were at the 5k mark and "would be done right now" if we had signed up for a shorter mud run. But ours was only beginning, with push ups, lunges, bear crawling, steep hill climbs, and giant round haybales to vault/leap/scramble in the next few miles.

Go team!

As we reached the first "mud mile" -- a stretch of muddy hills and trenches -- somewhere around the five mile mark, the ominous dark clouds that had been hovering in the distance finally reached us, and as we shook muddy grit and stones out from our shoes and headed out again, from the sky came heavy, sideways rain. I happen to enjoy running in the rain, but it was coming down so hard and on such an intense angle that I started wishing I had goggles just to protect my contacts from washing out of my eyes! It was still pouring as we reached an obstacle intended to be a jump over two stretches of fire and into a deep pool; for our group, we jumped through smoke over some nice warm logs. The pool on the far side was much deeper than intended, and my left calf seized up as I hit the cold water and hauled myself out on the other side. Ah well, only six miles to go, right?

Our faster teammates had a few flames left, at least!

This was a fun one, actually - not as claustrophobic as I feared.

The rain did not let up at all, and soon I was shivering in my tank top (the weather said 87*F and scattered thunderstorms!) as we approached one of the obstacles I feared the most: the "Arctic Enema," a jump into a tank of freezing water. The best part? You have to submerge completely underneath a half-wall before you can emerge on the other side. Brrrr!

Once again, I didn't stop to think or agonize when I got up on the platform. This was one of the most unusual (and best!) parts of the Mudder for me -- I like to overanalyze and stress about things and I definitely stall when I'm nervous. Not here. When it was my turn at each of the obstacles, I went. I seemed to be stuck in this great "The only way out is through" mentality, and despite physical aches and pains, I never mentally "lost it." It was a really cool state of mind to experience for me, and one I hope I can tap into again.

Not me, but I shared her sentiment -- plus, it was still raining when I went through!

Though our Team Captain (who happens to also be my boyfriend) and I had intended to stay with the tail end of the group for the entire event -- which, as a weaker runner, wasn't a problem for me -- we apologetically picked up the pace after the next obstacle, two ten-foot-high "Berlin walls" that left me shivering harder and turning blue as we came down and waited for our teammates on the other side. A few jumping jacks and some sport beans helped, but I needed to run to get my body temperature back up. The going was tougher now. We were around mile 7 or 8 and the temporary drizzle had turned back into strong, driving rain. My right hip flexor, sore around mile two, was now insistently reminding me that it had been a long time since I'd traveled so far on foot. My calf cramp flared any time I tried to jump. I pitifully scrabbled at the wet hay bales, no longer able to charge but instead needing a boost through the mud and rain. Despite the pleasure of realizing I had more jogging left in me than I thought, I quietly acknowledged to myself that I wasn't having quite so much fun at that particular moment.

These were much more fun this first time, pre-rain!

But we were at least 8 miles in; we had less than 4 to go. And it had to stop raining at some point . . . right?

We waited for the rest of our group at the next hydration station, idly noticing the golf-cart-ambulance light flashing a short distance away and hoping everyone was alright. But as the rest of our group arrived, we recognized a bandana on someone standing out there with whoever was down -- it was one of our teammates. Worried, my boyfriend and I took off again. Even though the cart was a short distance away "as the crow flies," the course's path wound around quite a bit, and we must have had nearly a mile to go. One obstacle, a high jump down into a water pit, was closed because of lightning, and we didn't wait, instead running on ahead through heavy mud.

We caught up to the "middle" group and checked on our teammate, who had bad muscle cramping and a sore leg that he was struggling to walk on. Fortunately there was no damage, but he was done for the day and got a ride back to the finish line to cheer us on. The amazing part of Tough Mudder, though, is that it isn't a race at all -- and all of us, my teammate included, were still proud and excited for how far he had made it. 9 miles is still quite the accomplishment!

There were now only a few obstacles and a few miles left. My boyfriend and I joined up with two other guys who had been the "middle" group of our team, just in time for the partner carry -- and luckily, one of those guys was the second-lightest on the team after me. I stumbled through a piggy-back ride with him halfway, and then we switched and he took off! The rain was letting up and we were starting to taste victory as we passed the 10 and 11 mile marks and closed in on one of the final obstacles: the "Funky Monkey."

Some of those monkey bars are greased, too! 

I'd already known that I wouldn't be able to manage this one. I'd be okay on straight monkey bars (I think), but exhausted, wet, covered in mud, and on an incline/decline, it just wasn't going to happen. I feebly reached for the second bar out and had no grip strength on the muddy, greasy bar. With resignation, I dropped to the water and awkwardly swam to the other side, cheering on my teammates. My boyfriend made it all the way and my partner-carry teammate had only a few rungs left when he slipped. It was impressive to watch!

Hopefully this will be me next year!

We had half a mile left, and the best part? The sun came out. It had been nearly four hours, and we were so ready to reach the end. But three obstacles remained: the "cage crawl," where you swim on your back through muddy water right underneath a low chain link fence, and two of the most infamous Tough Mudder obstacles: Everest and "Electroshock Therapy."

Instead of being claustrophobic, this was kind of relaxing to drift through.

Many people struggle to make it up this one, but the enthusiasm and assistance of those at the top is just fantastic.

I was exhausted and in no shape to sprint when we reached Everest. But, as with the other obstacles, when it was my turn I charged ahead, not thinking about the spectators or the mechanics or when to reach -- I just ran. I slid back down on my first attempt, but again made eye contact with one of the guys at the top, who nodded and motioned to me to try it again. I gulped and took off.

And suddenly I was grabbing his hand.

I have absolutely no idea how I made it high enough. We came back to watch our final teammates' endeavors later and so many people failed over and over, sometimes connecting fingertips but inexorably sliding back again and again. I wish I could see a video of me getting up there. I can still hardly believe I did it.

I dangled awkwardly after grabbing on, too exhausted to try to pull myself over the top. Someone grabbed my other hand and my boyfriend hooked me by the shoulders, and the three of them hoisted me, grateful and gasping, over the edge. I made it.

There was only one obstacle and perhaps 50 feet between us and the finish line now . . . and definitely the most feared. We had to run through mud (and over mud hills) amidst countless dangling electric wires. Faceplants were commonplace here. Honestly, I was more afraid of falling than the pain of getting shocked -- I am terrified of falling in an irrational way. (I'm barely over five feet tall, it's not like I'd have far to go.) In solidarity, my teammates linked arms with me and we marched forward, facing it together.

I don't know that I had the courage to pick through -- or charge through -- on my own this time. Yikes!

I'm normally a quiet person and I don't like to be loud or draw attention to myself, but we've learned that in tough lifting CrossFit workouts, I will absolutely roar, shrieking in pain/determination/pain/defiance/pain. And oh, did I unleash the full power of my vocal cords on this one. I got shocked a number of times, and it hurt -- but we stayed together, me roaring in the middle, and we were through.

I shakingly and triumphantly remarked that I felt as though I had just done 15 espresso shots. A mix of exhaustion, exhilaration, electricity (literally), and triumph were coursing through me. I have never done anything like this before in my entire life. And yet somehow, here we were in the finally sunny noon heat, getting orange headbands, t-shirts, beer (I sadly skipped mine in favor of water) and cheers from family and the teammates who had finished before us. WE DID IT!

HOO-RAH!

You guys, it was absolutely incredible. It may have been long, cold, muddy, and challenging, but it was also full of adventure, encouragement from teammates, cheering from spectators, and badassery. I can't even convey the physical exhaustion and emotional high we felt as we stuffed our faces with energy bars and high-fived enthusiastically, cheering on the last of our teammates and brandishing our orange headbands proudly.

I have definitely never been so sore in my entire life as I was on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. (Maybe even Tuesday, too.) But I can say -- without a doubt and only a tinge of nervous anticipation -- that our team, and several more friends convinced by our crazy pictures and stories, will be at it again next year.

-Simone

I would add, "I will not wear cotton" and "I will have a blast!!"

Setting the stage for success

Hi all! Just a brief check-in this week, but there are some exciting things on the horizon!

My goal-oriented September has started strong. After a trip to the North woods over Labor Day weekend -- in which blueberry pancakes and white toast were allowed to creep into my diet, but eggs and bacon were prioritized (mmm, bacon) -- I am off to a great start!

I'm tracking all of my spending so far, and I started measuring my food intake with my new kitchen scale and myfitnesspal.com. I also took some measurements with both measuring tape and calipers; even though it might not be the most accurate method out there, I can at least check back each month and see which way the numbers are headed. To top it off, I took some "before" pics too!

I'm definitely finding that it's easier to stay motivated when my goals seem "doable." All I have to do is write everything down; no changes yet! And I have easily visible rewards on the way: a "green" month in my Mint finance calendar (no scary red "overspent" categories!) and those workout shorts for my success in the kitchen. I can hardly wait!

I'm still overwhelmed with my work commute and various obligations (some chosen, some not), but I've got an exciting event this weekend and plan on spending Sunday prioritizing "me" and getting some house chores and meal planning accomplished.

For this week, I also have a bonus goal: really push hydration to prepare for my weekend endeavor. I even made myself a reminder note at work:

EXTERMINATE DEHYDRATION!

What is this adventure, you ask? Well, along with a large group of friends and friends-of-friends and about a gazillion strangers... I'm doing the Tough Mudder on Saturday!

For those of you who aren't familiar, the Tough Mudder is a 12 mile obstacle course that calls itself "probably the toughest event on the planet." It's designed to encourage teamwork and camaraderie while forcing gently encouraging you to face your fears and have a great time. (Awhile ago, I wrote about a few different obstacle courses over here, if you're interested in more background information!) I'm totally terrified and psyched at the same time. It should be a blast!

As nervous as I am about it, it's pretty exciting -- I would never have dreamed of doing something like this a few short years ago. I know I'll struggle both mentally and physically with a lot of the obstacles, but I'll have a team of tough companions with me, and we'll all get through it together. As an introverted gal only 5'3" tall, when I face down those obstacles, I'll try to keep the inspirational words of Shakespeare in mind: "Though she be but little, she is fierce!"

Or as one of my favorite authors, Jim Butcher, puts it in The Dresden Files: "Tiny, but fierce!"

Wish me luck!

-Simone