...and not in a good way
I blogged about it here
Chime in if you feel like it
About Me
- Christy
- I'm an NCSF Certified Personal Trainer; military spouse; Mother of 2 boys; PTA member; running advocate and Triathlete. Fitness is my passion and a huge part of our family's lifestyle. I love it! Follow me on my journey towards the finish line wherever it may be next!!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Mental Toughness
How does one attain mental toughness? Is it nurtured from birth? Or is it something you acquire through experience? Whatever it is, I need to learn how I can tap into some.
Recently I was at the Ironman Arizona in Tempe. What an environment that was. Over 2600 participants willingly signed up to swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles, then run a full marathon all in ONE DAY. These people spent money to put their body through all of that. These people of all shapes and all sizes and all ages, also had the mental capacity to say to themselves "I CAN do that". Where does that come from?
Does it come from the constant desire to push themselves beyond their comfort zone? Does it come from inner drive to see "what's next"? Is it just a natural progression of repetitive trial and error? Does it come from a strong ego-centric upbringing? Were they never told "NO" as a child? Is failure not an option for them? Or does it come from years of being told "no you can't"? I just don't know.
My husband was one of those 2600 participants. He trained for over a year and enjoyed all of the training. He, like me, likes not having to focus on just one discipline and having the flexibility to change things up. I love that about triathlons too. When I asked him "why Ironman?". His response : "because it would be fun and I have the time to train".
It would be fun?
Ok. That's something else worth discussing. Exercising for 11 hours straight is now considered fun? Interesting. I personally like my two hour window. Cardio, weights, stretching, abs, done. In my two hours I can also brick for 45 minutes. (a ride, run if you will). Sitting on a bike for 5+ hours then running for 4+ hours after having had swam for an 1 1/2 hours doesn't exactly define fun for me.
So what's wrong with me?
How does one decide that they can do something like this, think it's fun and stay mentally tough for 11 1/2 hours?
That's my struggle. It always has been. I focus on all the possible ways to fail first, instead of focusing on the end result. Which is also why when I do run a half marathon or complete a sprint triathlon I am so surprised! My victory is not finishing well but the fact that I overcame a mental hang up. It's almost as though I am having to prove to myself I can do these things if I just put in the time.
Now don't get too excited, I am not even remotely referring to signing up for an Ironman, so relax. I am just referring to the fact that some people just KNOW, and some of us have to convince ourselves that we CAN.
So now that I have 2 half marathons under my belt (something I never thought I would do, let alone twice) and a handful of sprint triathlons (again, something I never thought I would do), how can I go from feeling unsure about my ability to absolute certainty I can do anything I set my mind to? OR, have I already subconsciously reached that point?
I mean, if I really think about it, I willingly sign up for these things. I make the effort to sign up and register for events so that I have a goal in mind to keep myself focused throughout the season. So subconsciously I know or at least think I can complete the event without dying! But how can I just skip all that uncertainty and come to a place in my mind that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to and just focus on the end prize? Instead, I focus so much on what I don't do instead of what I do do that I can't see or allow myself to see the progress I have made.
So is it nature vs nurture or simply a personality trait?
I wonder if they have any of that on craigslist
Recently I was at the Ironman Arizona in Tempe. What an environment that was. Over 2600 participants willingly signed up to swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles, then run a full marathon all in ONE DAY. These people spent money to put their body through all of that. These people of all shapes and all sizes and all ages, also had the mental capacity to say to themselves "I CAN do that". Where does that come from?
Does it come from the constant desire to push themselves beyond their comfort zone? Does it come from inner drive to see "what's next"? Is it just a natural progression of repetitive trial and error? Does it come from a strong ego-centric upbringing? Were they never told "NO" as a child? Is failure not an option for them? Or does it come from years of being told "no you can't"? I just don't know.
My husband was one of those 2600 participants. He trained for over a year and enjoyed all of the training. He, like me, likes not having to focus on just one discipline and having the flexibility to change things up. I love that about triathlons too. When I asked him "why Ironman?". His response : "because it would be fun and I have the time to train".
It would be fun?
Ok. That's something else worth discussing. Exercising for 11 hours straight is now considered fun? Interesting. I personally like my two hour window. Cardio, weights, stretching, abs, done. In my two hours I can also brick for 45 minutes. (a ride, run if you will). Sitting on a bike for 5+ hours then running for 4+ hours after having had swam for an 1 1/2 hours doesn't exactly define fun for me.
So what's wrong with me?
How does one decide that they can do something like this, think it's fun and stay mentally tough for 11 1/2 hours?
That's my struggle. It always has been. I focus on all the possible ways to fail first, instead of focusing on the end result. Which is also why when I do run a half marathon or complete a sprint triathlon I am so surprised! My victory is not finishing well but the fact that I overcame a mental hang up. It's almost as though I am having to prove to myself I can do these things if I just put in the time.
Now don't get too excited, I am not even remotely referring to signing up for an Ironman, so relax. I am just referring to the fact that some people just KNOW, and some of us have to convince ourselves that we CAN.
So now that I have 2 half marathons under my belt (something I never thought I would do, let alone twice) and a handful of sprint triathlons (again, something I never thought I would do), how can I go from feeling unsure about my ability to absolute certainty I can do anything I set my mind to? OR, have I already subconsciously reached that point?
I mean, if I really think about it, I willingly sign up for these things. I make the effort to sign up and register for events so that I have a goal in mind to keep myself focused throughout the season. So subconsciously I know or at least think I can complete the event without dying! But how can I just skip all that uncertainty and come to a place in my mind that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to and just focus on the end prize? Instead, I focus so much on what I don't do instead of what I do do that I can't see or allow myself to see the progress I have made.
So is it nature vs nurture or simply a personality trait?
I wonder if they have any of that on craigslist
Saturday, September 17, 2011
ROLL Call
Hello readers.....
Sorry I have been MIA. I have been very pre-occupied with training, life and quite honestly haven't really had much motivation to share my experiences.
If you still check in with me, or are for the first time leave me a comment. I need an extra nudge to start back blogging again!
CHEERS!
Sorry I have been MIA. I have been very pre-occupied with training, life and quite honestly haven't really had much motivation to share my experiences.
If you still check in with me, or are for the first time leave me a comment. I need an extra nudge to start back blogging again!
CHEERS!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Dolphin Dashers: A Year in Review
So I decided to make a video to commemorate the Dolphin Dasher's first year as a running club. I will be showing it at the Awards Banquet next month. What do you think?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Why You Haven't Heard From ME
So did you hear it snowed here? Ha! You would have thought based on the news coverage that it had never snowed here before...EVER. I'm not kidding when I say that we had round-the-clock 24 hour news coverage about...S-N-O-W!
As you know, this family is no stranger to the white stuff, so we found it somewhat comical to hear everyone so stressed out over white stuff. The city literally closed down because it was impossible for them to keep up. The city simply does not have the resources to clear the roads, sand them, salt them and care for them before, during and after the snowfall; emphasis on the after the snowfall. Cars would be found STRANDED on the highways / roadways for DAYS after the snow fell. Schools closed for 5 days. And you would have thought it was TORTURE for families to spend that much time together in one house! I've learned that Okies don't like to stay home much! Two days is their max before they start to get cabin fever. So you can imagine what it was like for many to have to be home for 4 days!
Anyway, we made the most of it. If you didn't see the pics posted on facebook, we built a snow village. It was an tunnel igloo, which actually made local news! Our neighbor down the street called it into the news station and they came out to film the boys playing. It was pretty cool.
Here is the footage:
The boys had a blast in the white stuff. They aren't afraid of it, or about getting cold. They just wanted to be IN it! Especially Zach. And if we're being honest, he the real Canadian in this family. He plays hockey and likes the white stuff. (I've converted ~ Tee hee)
The second snow blizzard of the season we had a sleep over with one of Zach's bffs. It was a lot of fun. We made puppets and puppet theaters out of brown grocery bags. The kids were really creative with that suggestion.
Here are some pics:
I've been really busy planning the 2nd annual Earlywine Dash! It is a fundraiser for the kids' school. In an attempt to get more student involvement, I've been working with the Dolphin Dashers, the running club I organized at the beginning of the school year. Our goal is to complete the 1 mile Fun Run. We started off with just 21 kids, and have since grown to 28! It's been pretty amazing. And out of those 28, 5 are signed up to do the 5K ~ their first! YAY!!! Anyway, Just yesterday I organized a small pep rally to get the student body excited about the event. JayZee from the Jump!Zone (an indoor inflatable park) and the Y-Guy from the YMCA (our co-beneficiary of this event) both came. Guess who was the Y-Guy!
Word is getting out and they are getting lots of attention for their efforts. I've had parents contact me almost weekly asking if they could bring their kids out to the club. Parents from neighboring schools. I think that's great, however, I've been encouraging them to start a club within their own school so we could have little meets. I'm hoping that is the direction we move into next year.
What I love the most about this club is the parental involvement. Each and every week the parents show up and are out there encouraging the kids. And each and every week the kids respond and push themselves to do more. It's pretty cool to witness.
UPDATE:
Our local city wide family publication featured an article on us. It is in circulation right now. Check us out! MetroFamily Magazine Article on Dolphin Dashers
What is even cooler is seeing their involvement within the running club, show up in other areas of their lives. Take for example Jacob (pictured below). He was involved with the Reflections program within the school district. The theme this year was "Together we can....". Students were asked to submit entries with that theme and they could make it anything they wanted. The categories were video, poetry, dance, visual art and photography. He submitted "Together we can run"...and it won!
His entry:
His brother, Johnathan, and another teammate, Maggie, both 6th graders, were nominated to participate on a youth panel within the YMCA to discuss health and wellness issues. So very cool to see them being recognized for their accomplishments within the community. Including an article about them in a local publication next month! It is so exciting to see how our community has embraced them and what we're doing as a club. I am so proud of them.
Speaking of running, HOCKEY has taken over our life. We've been running to and from practices two times a week and then a few weekends ago had our first hockey tournament. It was so cool! Zach has really found something he loves and it's great to see him have the opportunity to be apart of such a great organization.
He's been playing with the 8 and under crowd but has also taken private power skating lessons with Mike McEwen. Not a bad coach eh? Anyway, through Mike he was invited to be a flag bearer for one of the OKC Barons hockey games this week. He got to do this with his other BFF William. He loved it! Here are some pics from that night. I didn't get GREAT shots but you at least can get the jist of what he got to do:
We've also had some time to just chill out and spend quality time together, without a hectic schedule. That has been equally enjoyable by us parents and the kids and quite honestly we're the outdoorsy types anyway so we make it a priority. We spent last Saturday hiking in the Wichita Mountains, exploring the area and taking in some of the scenery and wildlife. I love that our kids are at an age now that we can do these things, without worrying about missed naps, packing snacks, strollers, diapers and baby wipes, etc. We can just get up and go.
It was a great weekend and we all loved seeing hills again. Oklahoma, as you know is just so flat and boring (yet beautiful in its own right), but we northerners need something pretty to look at and explore and we're so glad that we were able to share that with the kids.
There is lots going on here, but we're having fun. Life has been good to us and we're appreciating our time together and making the most of it!
Thanks for reading.....
As you know, this family is no stranger to the white stuff, so we found it somewhat comical to hear everyone so stressed out over white stuff. The city literally closed down because it was impossible for them to keep up. The city simply does not have the resources to clear the roads, sand them, salt them and care for them before, during and after the snowfall; emphasis on the after the snowfall. Cars would be found STRANDED on the highways / roadways for DAYS after the snow fell. Schools closed for 5 days. And you would have thought it was TORTURE for families to spend that much time together in one house! I've learned that Okies don't like to stay home much! Two days is their max before they start to get cabin fever. So you can imagine what it was like for many to have to be home for 4 days!
Anyway, we made the most of it. If you didn't see the pics posted on facebook, we built a snow village. It was an tunnel igloo, which actually made local news! Our neighbor down the street called it into the news station and they came out to film the boys playing. It was pretty cool.
Here is the footage:
The boys had a blast in the white stuff. They aren't afraid of it, or about getting cold. They just wanted to be IN it! Especially Zach. And if we're being honest, he the real Canadian in this family. He plays hockey and likes the white stuff. (I've converted ~ Tee hee)
 | ||||
| We also made Valentine Crafts for school |
  |
| Zach in all his glory in the white stuff |
 |
| Zach peeking through the tunnel |
 |
| The boys stepping out for the first time |
The second snow blizzard of the season we had a sleep over with one of Zach's bffs. It was a lot of fun. We made puppets and puppet theaters out of brown grocery bags. The kids were really creative with that suggestion.
Here are some pics:
I've been really busy planning the 2nd annual Earlywine Dash! It is a fundraiser for the kids' school. In an attempt to get more student involvement, I've been working with the Dolphin Dashers, the running club I organized at the beginning of the school year. Our goal is to complete the 1 mile Fun Run. We started off with just 21 kids, and have since grown to 28! It's been pretty amazing. And out of those 28, 5 are signed up to do the 5K ~ their first! YAY!!! Anyway, Just yesterday I organized a small pep rally to get the student body excited about the event. JayZee from the Jump!Zone (an indoor inflatable park) and the Y-Guy from the YMCA (our co-beneficiary of this event) both came. Guess who was the Y-Guy!
Word is getting out and they are getting lots of attention for their efforts. I've had parents contact me almost weekly asking if they could bring their kids out to the club. Parents from neighboring schools. I think that's great, however, I've been encouraging them to start a club within their own school so we could have little meets. I'm hoping that is the direction we move into next year.
What I love the most about this club is the parental involvement. Each and every week the parents show up and are out there encouraging the kids. And each and every week the kids respond and push themselves to do more. It's pretty cool to witness.
UPDATE:
Our local city wide family publication featured an article on us. It is in circulation right now. Check us out! MetroFamily Magazine Article on Dolphin Dashers
What is even cooler is seeing their involvement within the running club, show up in other areas of their lives. Take for example Jacob (pictured below). He was involved with the Reflections program within the school district. The theme this year was "Together we can....". Students were asked to submit entries with that theme and they could make it anything they wanted. The categories were video, poetry, dance, visual art and photography. He submitted "Together we can run"...and it won!
His entry:
His brother, Johnathan, and another teammate, Maggie, both 6th graders, were nominated to participate on a youth panel within the YMCA to discuss health and wellness issues. So very cool to see them being recognized for their accomplishments within the community. Including an article about them in a local publication next month! It is so exciting to see how our community has embraced them and what we're doing as a club. I am so proud of them.
Speaking of running, HOCKEY has taken over our life. We've been running to and from practices two times a week and then a few weekends ago had our first hockey tournament. It was so cool! Zach has really found something he loves and it's great to see him have the opportunity to be apart of such a great organization.
 |
| Zach as a winger (red jersey) |
 |
| Zach is front center in red jersey |
He's been playing with the 8 and under crowd but has also taken private power skating lessons with Mike McEwen. Not a bad coach eh? Anyway, through Mike he was invited to be a flag bearer for one of the OKC Barons hockey games this week. He got to do this with his other BFF William. He loved it! Here are some pics from that night. I didn't get GREAT shots but you at least can get the jist of what he got to do:
 |
| Before hitting the ice ~ nerves of steel! |
 |
| They know they are cool! |
 |
| Lined up and ready to go |
 |
| Zach and Will ready to get out on the ice to pump up the crowd! |
 |
| Looping the rink once before the Barons come out! |
 |
| Blurry: That is Zach in the spot light to the right, holding the flag as the Barons came out on the ice |
 |
| At the game, Zach retrieved a loose puck shot on the net! |
We've also had some time to just chill out and spend quality time together, without a hectic schedule. That has been equally enjoyable by us parents and the kids and quite honestly we're the outdoorsy types anyway so we make it a priority. We spent last Saturday hiking in the Wichita Mountains, exploring the area and taking in some of the scenery and wildlife. I love that our kids are at an age now that we can do these things, without worrying about missed naps, packing snacks, strollers, diapers and baby wipes, etc. We can just get up and go.
It was a great weekend and we all loved seeing hills again. Oklahoma, as you know is just so flat and boring (yet beautiful in its own right), but we northerners need something pretty to look at and explore and we're so glad that we were able to share that with the kids.
There is lots going on here, but we're having fun. Life has been good to us and we're appreciating our time together and making the most of it!
Thanks for reading.....
Monday, February 7, 2011
Arbonne Essentials ~ Review
I was asked by a friend of mine to write a review on the new Arbonne Essentials. Today is Day 1. Stay tuned for my experiences. Leave a comment with your own experience, or questions you may have!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Back in the SADDLE!
Everyone around me is training for something. I'm not interested in doing the OKC Memorial marathon or half, but am running the Kids' Marathon with my two Dolphin Dashers. So I needed something to do! I'm going a little crazy not having something to keep me focused
So, I signed up for
It's a super sprint tri. All indoors. I did this event last year, but only the duathlon.
So now it's ON!
So, I signed up for
It's a super sprint tri. All indoors. I did this event last year, but only the duathlon.
So now it's ON!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
TRX....wow!
So because I'm on a bikini countdown, the work outs will be more intense for the next 9 weeks!
Not only will I continue to get my mileage up and my endurance back, I will also continue to incorporate the Nike Training APP work outs in twice a week. For those who don't know about this awesome FREE APP, it's a must-have. It comes with tons of work outs for the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced athlete! I highly recommend uploading it. It's a huge file so make sure you have the time for it to upload. Being the overachievers that we are, Melissa and I have been doing the ADVANCED work outs and have LOVED (hated) the burn.....It's great to just take the iTouch to the gym and work out with it. Super great work out tool. Especially if you can't afford to get a trainer. Look it up!
In addition to doing it twice a week, I've also started swimming again and have been mixing it up with the TRX. GREAT core work out people! Get yourself!
Here are some pics my friend took at our "intro" TRX training. Look into it, you won't be disappointed.
Burn baby burn!
I will find those abs again......I will!
Not only will I continue to get my mileage up and my endurance back, I will also continue to incorporate the Nike Training APP work outs in twice a week. For those who don't know about this awesome FREE APP, it's a must-have. It comes with tons of work outs for the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced athlete! I highly recommend uploading it. It's a huge file so make sure you have the time for it to upload. Being the overachievers that we are, Melissa and I have been doing the ADVANCED work outs and have LOVED (hated) the burn.....It's great to just take the iTouch to the gym and work out with it. Super great work out tool. Especially if you can't afford to get a trainer. Look it up!
In addition to doing it twice a week, I've also started swimming again and have been mixing it up with the TRX. GREAT core work out people! Get yourself!
Here are some pics my friend took at our "intro" TRX training. Look into it, you won't be disappointed.
 |
| Melissa doing chest press |
 |
| Melissa doing Chest Press with resistance |
 |
| Me getting set up for a plank |
 |
| "the Skier" ~ knees to the elbows and back! |
 |
| Plank, push up, plank, repeat! |
Burn baby burn!
I will find those abs again......I will!
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