Fitness and good nutrition run away with the cookie dough ice cream spoon? Yeah...it happens.

Oh we’ve all been there, I’m there right now. When you are going through your regularly scheduled life and look up to realize that, umm, you’ve gained a few pounds, that are not muscle and really are not flattering. You know, when you look down and it looks like you forgot to take off that flotation device the last time you went to the pool. Sigh. It’s ok though. Yes, maybe you binged like I did on your new favorite ice cream, or decided, hey I workout, so those couple of sweets are no big deal, or I’m tired and don’t have time to wait for roasted veggies, fries are faster. Yep, I am guilty of all those. I mean vegan cookie dough ice cream...yum!
It’s never too late to start again with keeping to your fitness routine and getting back to clean eating. Making those foods you’re craving only a once in a while kind of thing, not couple times a week kind of thing. I’m a fitness pro, however, I’m also human. I might know what I should eat more of and what I should eat less of, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get cravings and break with a good nutrition plan. It’s also easy to get a little lax with a healthy lifestyle. I trained all year long for my half marathon and triathlon and then got a little lazy. I’ve made excuses...I’m teaching more classes....training more clients...dating...still getting some of it in. Again, it’s ok, you can pick back up and start again. This is exactly what I’m currently doing. Time to re-evaluate where I am, what needs to change, and how I’m going to make it happen. My plan is to up my fitness regimen, cut out the cravings, eat more fruits and veggies, and make sure I’m getting enough sleep. Can you relate? What is your plan of attack?
Let’s do this together.
I’ll post my progress....will you post yours?
We've got this!

 I can do it and so can you!

Yours in fitness,

Lori
Because You Can Fitness

Taking that leap of faith into the vast unknown

Because You Can Fitness was born in 2011, when life was a bit uncertain. I had lost my full-time job  a couple years before, working for an environmental organization. It was a position that I was really starting to grow in and enjoy. Then the economic downturn happened and I found myself out. I hadn't planned on it and struggled to find something else to help with paying bills. I thought about what I actually enjoyed that I could make some money doing. I looked at fitness. I thought, exercise makes me feel great about myself, confident, strong and mentally healthy. Why couldn't I do the same for others? My keeping up with exercise helped immensly with keeping depression at bay, for the most part. Of course there were always "those days". I now had the time to do more; cycling, running, getting to the gym. Yes, I was still looking for work and did some here and there, but I didn't land anything until later in 2011, when I was hired on for the organization I'm currently working at.
I'll get back to that in a minute.

I decided that I would get certified in personal training. My idea was to get hired somewhere as a full-time trainer. I went through training, took my exam and passed. I received my certification. I was ready. I applied for a trainer position, but realized what I wasn't comfortable with was the "selling" of fitness and a healthy lifestyle. So I ventured out on my own. Created BYC. I know,  it's still "selling", but it feels different. I don't push people, they are either ready...or not. Started with one client and a couple of outdoor classes a week. It was slow going, frustrating at times, but when it all clicked, so rewarding! It wasn't enough to pay my bills though, so I was still applying. I was hired to cover a maternity leave at a science organization mid-2011 and have been there ever since.

So why this blog post? Unlike the last time I was out of a full-time job, when I didn't have a choice, I'm leaving my current position so I can make another go of fitness as my main occupation instead of just part-time. This time I've planned for it, got some things lined up and know that if I find I still can't quite cover my bills...it's not the end of the world. I'll cross that bridge if I find myself standing in front of it.
This has not been a decision made lightly. I'll be honest...I'm terrified. I don't have a full plate...yet. I know I'll have to work hard to keep enough on my plate to meet financial obligations. Fitness is my passion... Not pursuing it full steam ahead, is not acceptable. I have to try. Because I Can!

The fear of the unknown keeps many staying in what is comfortable/secure, even if it isn't enjoyable anymore. We've all been there. Doesn't matter what it is; jobs, homes, relationships. I've waffled on this decision for a long, long time. Without change though, how do we know what is possible? How do we know what we can accomplish? Taking chances, even calculated risks means you learn, grow and experience things you wouldn't otherwise. We fear the unknown because we think it might go wrong, might be unpleasant, and it might. We might fail. However, we might not, it could be successful. This will be a lot of hard work. My life/schedule might be crazy. At some point though, it will all work. Hard work will pay off. I believe in myself. I have no idea what this road looks like, where it will lead me, but I'm too curious to not go down the rabbit hole and find out!

Find yourself stuck? Know that you too have the power to make a change. You can do it! It will be scary, unknown, worth it!
Comment below on what you are going to change in the hopes of enjoying your life and living it to it's fullest.


Yours in fitness and health,
Lori

This is a down and dirty, fast and sweaty workout...Are you up for the challenge?

I created this short circuit workout for a 45 min class, it's approximately 30 minutes of work outside of the warmup and cool down. Each circuit targets the lower body, cardio, upper body and abs/core. 4 circuits, 4 exercises in each, 2-3 rounds. All you need is a mat and a pair of dumbbells, or can be done with strictly body weight.

Are you ready?

Circuit 1:

Dumbbell or body weight squat (holding weights by your side): 16
Jumping jacks: 20
Biceps curls: 21's (7 lower half, 7 upper half, 7 full)
Plank cross-unders (Plank position, cross leg under body to opposite side): 20

Circuit 2:

Figure 8 lunge (alternate lunge forward, passing a weight under the knee for each lunge): 20
Side shuffle along the mat (squat and tap hands on the short end of the mat, shuffle along the long end and squat and tap hands at the other short end): 16
Triceps extension: 16
Bicycle crunch: 16

Circuit 3:

Side lunge with a knee up, 8 on one side, switch, 8 on the other side: 16
Football runs along the mat (start with each foot on the outside of the mat, one on either side, mat in the middle. Run along the outside of the mat up, squat down and tap the end, run backwards to start position, squat and tap end of mat. Each pass up or back is counted as 1): 10
Reverse crunch: 16

Circuit 4:
Wide squat, put down and pick up a weight with each squat (Huh? yeah sorry, so wide stance, a weight in each hand, palms facing you. 1st squat, place one weight on the ground, 2nd squat, place the other weight on the ground. Both weights are now on the ground. 3rd squat pick up one weight,
4th squat pick up the other weight. You have now done 4 squats, yay! You're not done.
Squats 1 & 2 placing weight on the ground is counted as 1, squats 3 & 4, picking them up is counted as 1, you'll do a total of 10. For those who just want to know how many squats total to do: 20

Skaters along the mat. 5 up and 5 back, 5 rounds: 50 total skaters
Shoulder press: 16
Side plank with top leg lift: 10 each side

Yay, you're done!
Great work!

Comment below on your results.

Yours in fitness,
Lori

My first half marathon and second triathlon are in the books and running is still hard.

Ha! Running is hard and yet I keep finding myself doing it. I think it's because it's hard that I feel I need to keep working at it. 😲 I mean I even created a Train to Run program for new runners or those who want to get into it. It's not a punishment, it's a challenge. So I keep challenging myself with what I consider the hardest of the fitness disciplines that I do.

This past weekend I competed in and completed my second ever triathlon. TriAC in Atlantic City. A sprint triathlon; 400 m open water swim, 11 mile bike ride and 5k run. Leading up to the event I knew I was ready. I'd gotten over most of the nervousness of last year and knew somewhat what to expect. It wasn't all new. However there were new aspects to this race, different location, open water vs pool swim, much larger group as there was also a Olympic distance race at the same time, and open to both men and women.

Wait, let me back up a bit. After the Women's Philadelphia Triathlon last year I kept at my training throughout the year leading up to this one. I was already trying to get in one swim, bike/spin, run once a week. I was especially trying to make sure I got in running as I had, in a fit of excitement, signed up for the National Women's Half Marathon that took place May 5. OMG, a half marathon, what was I thinking. In an earlier post I described one of my training runs leading up to that race. I completed one more long training run before doomsday. Someone asked me if I was ready, my response was no, but I'll just do it. And that's exactly what I did. That half marathon was probably the hardest thing physically I've done to date, if there was something harder, I've probably blocked it out of my mind. It was certainly a challenge.
The day started with a light rain and stayed that way for what seemed like forever. I was actually feeling good. There is always an excitement around racing events and that always helps keep the mood positive even when you're wet, anticipating 3 hours of emotional and physical pain, and wished you had stayed in bed. I knew what I needed to do to get through this. The first half went pretty well. I was still running and thinking that I could run the whole thing, ha ha that's funny. Mile 8 was where things fell apart, that's where it went run/walk/run blah blah blah. I even took a pit stop. Mile 12 I was determined to run the last mile + to the finish, cause one doesn't walk across the finish line. Yay! It's over. Wonder Woman finished strong! Oh yes, I forgot to mention, as this was my first half marathon, and a woman themed one, I wore my WW shirt and rocked a WW tutu! Yes, I did!

With this momentous occasion over, I continued my triathlon training, well, sort of. I know I let my running slide. I wasn't getting it in. I figured the Train to Run program would help and with my student we completed the Lawyers Have Heart 5k, my time was fine for that. Then it slipped again. I had to get in a couple of brick trainings (biking/running) which I did, I think the first went ok, but the second wasn't great and many of my runs this summer were just awful, this wasn't helping. Race week I got in one bike ride and one run, no swim, why? I don't know. My run was actually good, I told myself if I can do that on triathlon day, I'd be fine.

TriAC: The day before race day I had driven up to Atlantic City, checked in and wandered all over to see the water, the swim in, bike out, bike in and run out points. Put the sticker on my bike,  found my spot in transition and racked my bike. I attended the informational athlete meeting and then headed to my hotel. I was feeling confident about a good race the next morning.

Race morning was beautiful and I'd heard the water was 81 degrees, no need for a wetsuit, whahoo! Cause who really wants to try and peel that thing off, a bathing suit is hard enough. I got there early and made my way to transition and set up my stuff so it was all easily accessible based on what I needed when. The athlete next to me managed to create a little tension in setting up his area and proceeded to mess up mine. 😨 I just stayed there until he was done, fixed my spot and went to the start. The swim was set up where you place yourself according to the time it takes you to complete 400 meters. I was in the 10 min +. When the tri started the volunteers had five people at a time get in the water every 10 seconds, this was super helpful in that you were not getting swum over by lots of people. So I walked down the boat ramp and was in the water, tried to freestyle as I normally would in the pool, yeah that didn't work. Can't see anything in that lovely brown water, so my head kind of stayed up the whole time and I decided to freestyle and breast stroke as I had room to do that, unlike in the pool where we looked like a bunch of salmon swimming upstream. I hadn't done an open water swim before for a race, I didn't panic, but I did swim a lot faster than I normally do in the pool, by about 2 min! I just wanted to get out and be done. I wanted to get on the bike, my total comfort zone. Getting out of the water and up another boat ramp, I made my way to transition, got on my bike gear, grabbed my bike, ran it to where you get on, couldn't for the life of me get my foot to clip in my pedal, finally got it and I was off. The bike ride was 11 miles and took me just under the 40 min it usually does, but felt like it whizzed by!  Oh crap! I knew what was next...the run. Dismounted the bike, ran back to transition, changed shoes, put on my hat and off I went. My legs hated this and me.
By now the sun was out and it was warm. Legs really have a hard time adjusting after a bike ride and with my swim having been so much faster, I was a little more spent than I should have been. But I knew I could do this and talked my way through it. Just keep running, keep your head down, you can do it, everyone is cheering, that's awesome, oh thank god, some shade. The run was along the AC boardwalk and as cool as it is to run on, there really isn't any shade except one building we ran around. I finally got to where the sprint turns around and heads back towards the finish line. Yes! I can see it, almost there, and finally I was done! Ultimately I had completed under my goal time. I would have liked to do a little faster, but I'm proud of setting the goal and meeting it. When I looked at my times my swim was faster than I'd expected, bike was spot on, run slower. So guess what I need to work on?? Yep, back to run training. I was already thinking about what I need to do as soon as the race was over.
This was tough, the half marathon was tougher, but these won't be my last races. I'm not keen to sign up for another half marathon right away, but I definitely see more triathlons in my future. Having goals like these keep you motivated to keep training. It's easy to get lazy when a race is over, to say, okay that's done, time to relax. Well, I relaxed for a couple of days then I was back at it. Guess what I did first...yep, a run. Running is still hard. With anything though, the more you do it, the easier it will become. At least that's what I keep telling myself. 😃 So my next goal will be to increase the speed and duration of my running because I want to set an even faster goal time next time!

Stay motivated and keep challenging yourself! That means sticking with those things that are hard.
I can do it, so I know you can do it.

Comment below what you keep sticking with even though its hard for you.



Lori

New things...New old things...Keep Life Exciting!

Whoa! What a summer it's been so far! Lots of things swirling around in my universe. I've had ups And downs, mostly ups though, so it's all good! As I write this I'm getting ready to travel to my second ever triathlon, this one on Saturday in Atlantic City. The triathlon isn't a "new" thing for me per se as I competed in my first last summer, however there will be new aspects this year. First being AC, I've never been there before, so I'm looking forward to checking out, from what I hear, a cool location. This event will have an open water swim, which I haven't done before (in a race) and have been told I may like better than the pool swim of last year. This event will also actually consist of two races; a sprint and olympic, meaning twice as many people competing as the Women's Philadelphia Triathlon I did last year. Wow! That's a lot of people! So a much bigger event. I'm excited, nervous, and focused all at the same time. I've worked hard all year, cause let's be honest, who really stops training after their last event? I know what my times should be, I know how my body should perform and how it should feel at the finish line. I have an idea of what the courses should be like and what the weather should be. These are all shoulds though, anything can happen and that's why I have a little nervous twinge. Currently I'm focused on all the logistics of getting there, parking, athlete check-in, the meetings, checking the bike in transition and figuring out all those courses and transitions once I see them in person. I'm reading, highlighting and re-reading the athlete guide. Watching Live Facebook events about the event and double checking my equipment and the equipment checklist. It's all a bit Santa Clause like, checking and checking again and we're two days out from leaving. 😮
I could have decided after last year's triathlon, that once was enough. That I'd set a goal, crushed it and could then move on to something else. (Kind of did move on with the half marathon I raced earlier this year, that's a previous story) I realized though that registering for another one gave me another opportunity to feel great about crushing a goal, kept me focused and motivated on my training and workouts and gave me something, quite frankly, fun to look forward to.
Which is what I think keeps life exciting and worth living. If you don't have goals to look forward to, then what do you have? This leads me to the new "new" things coming up in my life. Starting in September, I'll be teaching a couple of fitness classes at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, part of the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to reach a whole new group of people and community with regards to health and wellness. I'm also excited by the prospect of gaining more experience in the world of fitness. Late last year I started on the subs list of the YMCA Anthony Bowen, here in DC and that's also been a fun way to get back into that gym culture. Things are happening! Yay!

Stay tuned, there will be some other changes happening on the horizon. Changes can be scary and exciting all at the same time, however change is ultimately good. Change challenges us. So here's to being challenged and keeping life exciting!

Now I'm signing off to go check and recheck all I need to know and do for my next adventure!

Yours in fitness and fun,

Lori

You are enough, more than enough, you matter!

This is a raw blog post tonight. I couldn’t help but write this. These thoughts and feelings stem from some personal things I’m working through, recent stories I’ve read, and things others are going through. I was lying in bed, ready to go to sleep when this feeling of dread overcame me, what if I didn’t exist anymore? In the small picture, it would matter, in the bigger picture, maybe not? We’ve all been there. At various stages of our life. The “Why am I here” ? question arises, “do I matter”? We all ponder this. Even me. Some may look at me and think, based off of social media posts or even interacting with me in person, that I would never have these questions. I’m here to tell you I do, did, on several occasions. Life can be challenging, things happen, it’s not always pretty. We don’t always see ourselves the way we think we should be. Everything around us tells us how we should look, act, feel, who we should be friends with, what types of lifestyle we should lead and if we don’t fit into that, there must be something wrong with us. I’m here to tell you it’s all a bunch of BS!
We are each here for a reason even if we may not always know why at all times. What we can also be sure of is that whoever we are is enough, more than enough. Life will continue to be challenging, ups and downs, don’t get stuck, don’t get buried, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back to being you.
When I post on social media about all the things I’m doing, don’t think for a minute that I might not be having a bad day or be upset that someone or something didn’t work out the way I had hoped. I reach inside and pull out the positive, it’s not always easy. Sometimes no matter how you look at something, from every angle, it just doesn’t have a bright side, but then you spot it, that one little corner and that’s where the positive energy comes from. Pull it out, feed off it, share it.
I’ve been learning that the best way to be truly happy is to be authentic, help others, and not try and fit into some box society thinks you should be in. Your fitness journey, relationships, lifestyle, personality doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. Some people may not understand it, may be intimidated by it, doesn’t matter. Understand that they are going through their own journey. Don’t apologize for yours. You’re your own person and you do make a difference in the world around you. You absolutely matter! Keep being the best you! Look for the positive!


Let’s go through this journey together and hold each other up and help each other out.

Hugs,
Lori

Your transformations inspire me. It's why I love what I do. Thank you!

I was reminded again last night why I work hard to put together fitness programs, workouts, and classes for all of you that will work for each and every one of you. I sit down each week and carefully think about each of you, your goals, your fitness levels and try and come up with something that is challenging, yet fun and something that is going to make you feel great about yourself, because you are all awesome! For the past three weeks BYC has been running, literally, a Train to Run program. The idea is not to become the fastest runner in town, I mean if you do, hooray, if you don't, that's good too. The idea of the program is to get you interested in running as a form of exercise that hopefully you don't hate and to give you something you can set goals to, like running/completing your first 5k.
This program isn't exactly new, I ran it a few years ago. I had nearly forgotten about it until one of my bootcamp students started talking about how she'd like to get into running. So I dusted it off and we got started. This is a small group, however the encouragement they give each other is huge! When I see them complete what I set out for them after they swore they couldn't do it, its amazing!
Your transformations of attitude and mindset as well as physical are what inspire me to keep working with your best interests at heart. When I hear things like: "I did that", "I feel so much more confident", "I want to run my first 5k", "I don't have that same fear of falling", "I noticed I have muscles", makes me continue to love what I do. You are all Fitness Rock Stars! You can do it!  Keep up the great work!

Thank you for continuing to be my inspiration!

Yours in fitness,
Lori

Are you a superhero?

Hi everyone,
I posted this a couple of years ago and decided to re-post as I think we need to continue to be superheros in our own way.

Wonder Woman, Thor, Justice League, the Avengers, we are living in a world where we are drawn to these movies, because, yes the action and CGI are amazing, but in uncertain times, we deep down wish that these superheros really existed in our universe. That these beings with special powers who want to save mankind could swoop in and make everything alright with our world. But what is a hero, what do all of them have in common?

A hero is defined as:

he·ro
ˈhirō/
noun

1. a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

So based on that definition of a hero, one does not have to be able to fly, shoot lasers from your eyes or webs from your hands, or have super gigantic muscles and smash things.
Let's take a look at who some of these figures actually are. Superman and Supergirl are from another planet, Thor comes from another universe from the Gods. Wonder Woman, Black Panther and Aquaman are of this planet, but also have connections with the Gods. Spiderman was bitten by an irradiated spider, giving him special abilities and The Hulk was caught in a gamma radiation blast that makes him a green smashing machine when angry. Batman and Ironman are both ridiculously wealthy humans with no special superhuman powers except that they have the resources and knowledge to create with technology superhuman suits and gadgets. These commonalities run throughout the superhero universe. They are from other planets or universes, they were created by the Gods or connected to the Gods, they had some kind of accident that gave them abilities or they were created here by the use of knowledge and technology. These things make them special, but what makes them a hero? As the image states above, they all want to use what they have for the greater good and it all starts with a kind heart. Those qualities make a superhero a hero. 

Are you a Superhero? What qualities or abilities do you have that you can use to make the world a better place one small or big piece at a time? What do you do everyday that makes someones else's day just a little brighter? Do you smile at everyone you meet, do you lend a helping hand or let someone know they can count on you, do you make a donation to an organization that is doing good work, or call your politicians when you think they need to vote a certain way? You don't need a cape or mask or super abilities to be someones hero. A superhero shirt might help, just kidding. You don't need to be wealthy in the monetary sense. You just need the desire to use who you already are to work for the greater good using kindness.

List one thing below in the comments section that makes you a superhero. I look forward to seeing what everyone is doing to make this world a better place in their own special way!

Now, if you do want to add the hulking muscles or ability to run, swim, or smash like a hero, then let's get down to business with the following workout:

3 Sets 12-15 Reps for each exercise, use your desired weight

3-5 min warmup (rowing/running)

1.   Side to side wide squat

2.   Squat with Arnold hold into a press

3.   Chop lunge

4.   Reverse lunge-hammer curl-front kick

5.   Mountain climbers

6.   Deadlifts

7.   Bear crawls

8.   Single arm row-triceps kickback

9.   Pushups

10. Regular crunch

11. Reverse crunch

12. Plank 30 sec each

3-5 min cool down

Be a Superhero today!

Yours in Fitness,

Lori

5-Day Body Blast Challenge Ramped Up!

Last year I challenged you to take the fitness 5-day challenge. I know many of you took this on, rocked it and have done it a few times throughout the year. You're awesome! The original challenge was a 5-day circuit completing the circuit once on day one and ending up with five times through by day 5. We kept it simple using body weight movements and no equipment except a mat.  It's time for a new challenge.  I've taken the original workout and ramped it up! The idea is the same. Complete one round of the circuit on day one...add a round each day until you are doing 5 rounds on day 5. This workout is meant to be done every other or every two days.

Are you ready?

Warmup

10 jump squats
10 alternating plyo lunges
10 bear crawls
10 crab crawls
10 spiderman pushups
15 triceps dips
20 step ups
10 burpees
10 double crunch (reg crunch and reverse crunch)
10 up/down plank

Stretch

I'm posting the original workout below so you can do them both. Post your comments below or on the BYC FB page https://www.facebook.com/BYCLoriMurphy/ on your progress!
Let's do this! I'm working out with you and will post my progress along with you!

First fitness 5-day challenge:

Warm up

10 squats
10 walking lunges
20 jumping jacks
20 mountain climbers
10 pushups
10 triceps dips
20 high knees
20 butt kicks
20 bicycle crunches
30 sec plank

Stretch

I know you can do it!
Yours in fitness,
Lori

Pushing yourself to your limit

First off happy to be back! Let’s face it, I’m a terrible blogger. Ha! That’s okay, it means I'm busy doing stuff!
So how many of you want to do something, or you even start something and then get to a point and say...”I can’t do it?” We’ve all been there. The thing is, you can do it. You need to commit to whatever that thing is, start it and then when you reach that point where you want to give up, throw in the towel, stop or just plain quit, you need to remember why you wanted to do this in the first place, reach deep inside and know, really know that you can finish. Maybe it's not the finish you were envisioning, but you finished it, you completed it, you proved to yourself you wanted it, committed to it, focused on it and did it!

Last year I had committed to my very first triathlon. I registered and had no idea what I was in for. I knew it would be challenging, but I trained for it and was confident I could complete it and not only that I decided that I didn't want to go into it with the "I just need to finish" attitude, but with a clear finishing time, which I met, to the minute! Did I have the moment of "what have I gotten myself into?" YES! I had many of those, but once the race started, my thought process changed. As soon as I went over the swim timing mat, I was all in, literally. I took on the triathlon, like anything else. I started it...I would finish it. It was helpful to have others all along the way pushing me, telling me to keep going, almost there. I needed to tell myself the same thing, just keep going until you run over the finish line.

This year I have signed up for my second triathlon and having completed the first, absolutely know I can do this! There will be changes, an open water swim for example, which I'm a little nervous about, but I know that my head will be in the game as soon as I plunge into that water.

I am being faced with a new challenge this year, however, this one is really pushing me to my limits and has made me "almost" want to quit. I ran the National Women's 8K last April and decided that I would sign up for the half marathon in 2019. It's now 2019 and we are a month away and Yikes! I've never run a half marathon, I've never run a 15K or 10K race. I've stuck to 5K & 8K. Those are not half marathon distances, at all, nowhere near it. Again, I've had the "what was I thinking?" moments. I continued running through the winter, although not as much as I'd of liked. It was cold out there this winter, AND I hate treadmill running! I figured I would need to up my running mileage. I knew I could do 3 & 5 miles so I started going 4 & 6, then I made it to 7. Ok, well that's half-way there. What was next? Umm 9 or 10 miles. I've only ever run 8 before, once, I think. So I set out this past Wednesday evening with the goal of running at least 9 and hopefully 10. I broke it down to 1/3rds. Do the first 3 miles, then you only have (2) 3 mile blocks left and so on. Sounds simple enough...
Ha ha. Right! In my first block of 3 miles I was already slow. I run with a beats-per-minute music and I wasn't even keeping on pace from the beginning. I felt like I was already doomed. But I kept at it. Somewhere around mile 4 I got side cramps and the thing that sucks about those is not only are they painful and make you want to walk, but the only way for me to really get over them is to keep the running going so I get into a breathing rhythm. I pushed on and finished the first loop of my course. I finished it with a new strategy. Keep running and only look right in front of you, don't look too far ahead, it will only discourage you. So I tried that. I could still feel myself getting slower, but I pushed on. Again at some point I needed to slow down and walk a bit. One thing I will never, ever do is stop completely. I will always keep moving forward. Mile 6, mile 7, made it to 8. Anything more than this will be a first for me, so whatever I do now will be an accomplishment. Mile 8.5, that was it, I'd lost steam. I was tired, it was getting dark/late. I was on my way home now. Couldn't quit, still needed to get home! Walk a little, ok, run. Just hit mile 9! Most I've ever done! I walked the next .75 miles until I was just .25 from home and just wanted to get home so started running again. 10 miles! I had done it. I was feeling beat up, tired, wanted to throw-up. Everything hurt. Got myself home, drank some water and just sat down. Couldn't move, stared off into space. I was spent. My only thought was "How am I going to do 3 more miles in the race?" "I'm doing this half, but never signing up for another one, no way, no how."
I went to bed, I didn't even eat. The next morning I was actually feeling fine. Yes, my legs and core still were sore, but I had some energy back. I always find it amazing how you can push your body until it almost collapses, and yet, it probably could still go more and how quickly given rest, it will recover. It's our mind that gives out first. During my run I had to play my own version of Jedi mind games. First it was stop looking at all the cyclists quickly streaming by you, you can't go that fast, you're running, not on a bike. Don't worry about the people running past you, it's not a race. Yes, keep looking at the cherry blossom shuttle stop signs and make the next one and the next one after that your target. Keep looking on the ground in front of you, one step at a time, don't worry about what's in front of you. It'll be faster to get home if you just run there. Always pushing. Moving forward. Not throwing in the towel. Not quitting.
I will need to do this run again before the race. Oh joy! I have given some thought though on what might help me feel better and be more successful. Running this mileage NOT on a day that I've already walked to/from work (5 miles). I mean when you think of that, I did 15 miles on Wednesday! Making sure I'm hydrated. Maybe NOT running the day after I've done a workout like swimming 1,100 meters (Tuesday).
The half marathon is in a month. I CAN do it, finish it, and maybe in roughly the time-frame I'd like. Those are my goals. I will dig deep and pull out everything I have to run the 10 miles and then the last block of 3 to complete the half marathon. It may not be pretty and I may be dead to the world the rest of that day, but I will have finished and known that I didn't quit! I will have accomplished a goal. I really may not sign up for another half, but this one will be in the books for me to go back and say, "yeah I did that."

I can do this and so can you. So the next time you are on a quest to do something, have started it and just aren't sure you can finish...keep pushing yourself. Whatever it takes for you to keep going until the end. You can and you will!

Stay strong and motivated my fitness friends!

Post your accomplishments in the comments below. Let me know what you almost gave up on, but didn't because you knew you wanted it and kept working at it!

Yours in fitness,
Lori

Because You Can Fitness