About I’m not a skinny girl in a fat girl’s body. I’m a fat girl in a fat girl’s body. These are my thoughts. I'm not a doctor, so don't take my thoughts as medical fact. I won't be held accountable if you do.
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Amy posted this in Emotions, Funny, Races on July 27th, 2010
Last weekend, I completed my first half marathon. I wasn’t first, and I wasn’t last. My time was, well, twice that of some of my friends, but in the end it didn’t matter. I checked the ol’ half marathon off my bucket list. I also learned some valuable lessons throughout training and the race itself. Oh, and I got a kick-arse medal. Let’s not forget about the medal.
Before the race:
 Pee. Trust me on this.- Drink lots of water all week long, especially the day before and morning of the race. This is why #1 is important.
- Don’t drink four margaritas 18 hours pre-race, even if you tell yourself it’s okay because you’re getting top-shelf margaritas on the rocks with extra lime and salt on the rim. Margarita salt is not an acceptable substitute for an electrolyte sports drink.
- Go to the race expo. Pick up your packet. Make some impulse purchases you will later regret because everyone else is buying that balance bracelet. Stare at your race bib. Smack yourself in the head for thinking you could actually do a half marathon.
- Follow a training plan. There are so many plans out there – find one that works for you and your schedule. Mine included 3 days/week of walking and/or running, 1-2 cross training or strength training days and 1 active recovery/yoga/pilates/easy walk day.
- Don’t be afraid to modify the plan. I suffered many setbacks due to knee problems and a sprained foot/ankle. I made adjustments (like biking or doing the elliptical instead of walking or running because they were low-impact). I had to cut one long “run” short because my foot hurt so bad.
» Continue reading Lessons I learned from my first endurance race
Amy posted this in Emotions, Races, Team Challenge WI, injury, milestones on July 25th, 2010
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
- John Bingham
It started out like any normal Sunday. Well, any normal Sunday where you get up at 4 a.m. to get ready and catch a bus at 5 a.m. to your first half marathon. You know, the usual. My first half marathon experience was nothing short of amazing. God spoke to me through Freddy Mercury, I never stopped to use the bathroom, I ran about 3 miles, I kept smiling and joking throughout and got to see almost every single teammate along the way. I am so grateful for this experience.
 Me and Coach Anne – the cool kids in the back of the bus.Team Challenge Wisconsin met for one last team cheer before the walkers nervously boarded our fancy bus to Napa. I was a ball of nerves. Yes, I’m smiling in the photos above, but my stomach was in knots. What had I done? Did I really sign up for this? What the hell was I thinking? Who in their right mind – at 249 lbs – would do a half marathon? I mean, really…
Well, I guess I’m that crazy fool.
Shortly after we boarded the bus, Dave, one of my teammates, said to me, “You look nervous.” Duh. Of course I was nervous. I had been dealing with an upset stomach all week leading up to this moment.
» Continue reading Race Report: Starting (and finishing) my first half marathon
Amy posted this in Inspiration on July 25th, 2010
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your words of encouragement, your blog comments, e-mails, tweets and Facebook posts kept me going in Napa. Here are just a few of them.
- You are rocking your own world. You have been faced with more challenges than anyone I know, yet you still keep a positive attitude AND find time to help others in their goals! The thing that amazes me is your honesty. You get frustrated, and you let us know. And you get over it and move on to the next thing. You have been kicking butt for CCFA and taking names, all while going through your own struggles. Well, that finish line is waiting for you. I know in my heart you’ve earned it no matter what happens out there.
- Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- I am so proud of you for what you have already done. I know you are thinking about Napa as a milestone, but I have already seen enough to know that you can do it. I hope you feel the same confidence in where you are in your training. One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” To me, it’s a two sided quote. If a person is saying one thing but doing another, their actions will negate whatever image they are trying to verbally portray (this is an “all talk, no action” kind of thing). If a person is doing great things, they can lead by example… no words are necessary. You are doing an AMAZING job at the latter interpretation. You are doing so many great things Amy, and are an inspiration to others to want to become better versions of themselves. As you cross that starting line in Napa, do so knowing that all of us back home are cheering for you and sending all the positive vibes we can muster. And, as you cross the finish line (whether it’s in less than 4 hours or more than 8 hours)… soak it all in. Because you’ll never forget that feeling of accomplishment.
- The only quote I can think of is from the Simpsons when Mr. Burns had a softball team prior to the last game. I hope you find this inspiring: ”So I want you to remember some inspiring words that someone else might have told you over the course of your lives, and go out there and win!”
- My favorite inspirational phrase to repeat when races get tough is, “Pain is temporary.” When you feel like you don’t want to go on, just think of how great it will feel to cross the finish line, and all the people you have inspired and helped along the way. The race will be over soon but the accomplishment will last a lifetime.
- What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. You can do this! And sometime in the future when you’re on a bus being carted to your first full marathon, you’re going to think back on this day and remember how nervous/scared/anxious you were and KNOW that you got thru it! There’s going to be a lot going on around you. The big races have a different vibe and when you finally settle in to your pace, you’re already going to be a few miles in. When you’re surrounded by that many people (3000! its sold out!), in an new place, you have a lot of things to distract you from the butterflies. Enjoy the runners around you, listen to their chatter at first (before you plug in), take in the scenery and try to just enjoy the experience. Don’t worry about your time. You don’t want to walk away from this and not really remember all the things you just saw because you were concentrating so much on your time. Enjoy it. You will finish. You can do this. You’ve already done it, if not all at one outing, in a couple together. When the pack breaks up, you’ll be at mile 2 or 3. You’re still going to have lots of people around you. Feed on their energy and just walk. Just walk. You’ll get to the end soon enough. Think of other, harder things you’ve done for 4 hours…like moving (sucky) or house cleaning (sucky). This is so completely on the other spectrum – you’re in FRIGGIN WINE COUNTRY! You’re with people who have a common goal. You’re raising money for a cause you believe in. You’ve worked hard to get here! Look how much you’ve accomplished so far. You. Can. Do. This. And we’ll be waiting for your pics with that beautiful smile when you come thru on the other side!
- Here are some classic quotes from running writer and speaker John Bingham: ”The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” ”It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination.” ”If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” ”As an athlete, when you least expect it, you may find yourself standing on the threshold of an accomplishment so monumental that it strikes fear into your soul. You must stand ready, at any moment, to face the unknown. You must be ready to walk boldly thru the wall of uncertainty.” ”For me, like so many others, running is the answer. Out on the road it is just you, the pavement, and your will.” “What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate.”
- Remember: ”I can do everything through HIM who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 and Joshua 1:9 ”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” All I can say is, “Thank you!” from the bottom of my COLON!
Amy posted this in Fotos, Races, Team Challenge WI, goals, injury, milestones on July 18th, 2010
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