Usually…I’m the Debbie Downer of the group. Why am I here? What are we doing? SO MUCH NOPE.

Not on this race day though! The skies were blue, the air was crisp and we were at the oldest ballpark in the nation on Veteran’s Day weekend. Terrible, horrible, 6,000 ramp (or so it seemed) weighted bear crawl? NO MATCH FOR MY POSITIVITY. Bruises on my hips from the metal stadium seats? WHO CARES. This race was WICKED PISSAH…and yes I just recently learned that phrase thanks Boston!

There will be more to come as I spend some more time “unpacking” the trip and some of the lessons I learned (like you really can’t consume too many cannolis). But for now…Fenway .

Dream Come True

First of all, I still have “seeing a Red Sox game at Fenway Park” as a Bucket List item. BUT…I can say now I have seen every bit of that stadium and ran on the field (well, the dirt. We stayed away from the grass!). How many people overall can say this? And how cool that a race utilizes venues like this so fans have the ultimate experience? A challenging race in a dream location.

I would do this one again.

Takeaways

Running these races for fun is the best way to do it! I cared nothing about time…only about experiencing the day and venue with my friends. I stopped to take photos and chat with other participants. I rolled down the bear crawl ramp (a little awkwardly, but successfully which is what counts). And I don’t even remember my time! I could look it up but I don’t care.

Travel with friends. It is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. The only thing that would have made it better is if my kids could have come too. I would have loved to see them slide down the cop slide (more on this later) and laugh at all of the jokes and take the public transit and just enjoy life in a new city with me. And eat the cannolis. I MISS THE CANNOLIS.

Get the heck out of your comfort zone. Do something you’ve never done. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Try those obstacles. Show yourself what you are made of. You might surprise yourself!

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Laugh. Dance. Sing. Sit in the corner and make jokes about your friends who do the other things. YOU DO YOU. The world needs you just as you are.

Get to Fenway Park and run that race. I bet it is on the schedule next November.

The post Best. Race. Ever. first appeared on Sore Not Sorry.

Another year around the sun.

Another year older, and another year fitter (ish?). A birthday is a lot like a new year, and luckily for me, mine is about halfway through the year so I can reassess where I am with regards to my goals. Everyone can do a mid-year check in regardless of when your birthday falls during the calendar year. So…here goes nothin’.

Former Me

Three years ago, I started on my fitness journey. I was at home, in my living room, hustling and sweating (because let’s face it, an outdoor workout after 6 am in July in Texas is less than appealing). Also I say “hustling” and what that truly means is “dying”, both literally and figuratively.

As I got more into the fitness community, my old self died off, piece by piece. Things I thought I would never do, suddenly became my new normal. Like waking up before 4 am to get to a workout. Or jumping over fire at a Spartan race…or running a 15k in below freezing temps…or attempting to beat my personal best at a Hyrox race.

You get the idea.

Currently…Loading “The New Me”

My views on health and fitness have certainly shifted. I have adjusted my goals a little bit away from just trying to be “skinnier” to truly trying to improve health. Every birthday has a way of showcasing just how quickly time flies…so there is no time like the present to improve health as you age. Yes, for me, fat loss is certainly a part of that process. But it isn’t the whole focus of the process anymore. I’ve (slowly, very very slowly) come to terms with the fact that “skinny” doesn’t equal “healthy” for me at all.

With that said, I do feel like I’ve deviated from my original goals somewhat. I’ve been working on my mindset but I don’t think I’ve actually gotten anywhere.

As far as my fitness goals (which I conveniently didn’t define), I’ve been “too hot”, “not recovered”, “too tired”, and a smorgasbord of other excuses…in addition to straining my back in the spring and tearing or straining my bicep tendon last month. Being on the injured reserve is a frustrating process.

What the Future Holds

As my injuries improve, I’m left thinking about what the rest of the year should look like for me. I’ve got 2 Spartan races, a Hyrox race, and the BMW Marathon Relay. So I need to step up my fitness game to be truly ready to hit a PR (or even survive lol).

I’ve been debating whether or not to include more rest so I feel more ready to push the pace during my workouts, and not feel so tired and drained all the time. I’ve also been debating about the type of workouts I currently do, and whether it is better to continue consistent (albeit mediocre) work, or to include more rest and recovery in order to be able to push the pace and potentially show greater improvement.

With the intentions of improvement, I am continuing my gratitude challenge, and commit to checking in weekly with my favorite insights. (Or every other week, if my schedule continues to be a bear. Giving myself a little bit of grace here.)

Do you do a mid year check in? What are you focusing on for the remainder of this year?

The post You Say it’s Your Birthday first appeared on Sore Not Sorry.