As much or as little as you know about me, you can obviously tell I'm not a negative person, nor do I like people who are negative and complain. I can take them in moderation, but I need to take myself out of conversations where people are constantly complaining. Complaining and hating life is not going to get you ANYWHERE?!?!? I mean, how can you feel GOOD about yourself after you are sooo down or negative about a certain topic?!?! I dont' get it. You are wasting your breath when you complain.
Now let me clarify myself- there is a difference between complaining and venting. I vent all the time. You need to let out what you are feeling in order to move forward. If you are complaining, you are a negative person and dont' have anything better to do with your life. If you honestly have to look at every situation and pick out the negative of everything, wow, get a life. Go find some friends. Oh wait, you probably dont' have any friends b/c you are soo negative!!!! ha! (i'm pretty funny after putting in a 15 hour work-day!)
Venting- its simple. Something makes you worked up, someone talks behind your back, You need to let it out. You need to do this in order to clear your state of mind, and move forward. People who bottle up these things usually need help! I used to bottle stuff up for so long that I would break down, and out of nowhere, would be a miserable person. I have learned in my mature age, that the more you express yourself, the better you are going to feel, and the happier you are going to be. Because chances are, if there is something bothering you, its probably bothering the person you are venting to, too!
Complaining- to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault:. that is the basic definition of "complain". Its pretty obvious that if you are complaining, and have TIME to complain, you probably have even MORE time to FIX what you are complaining about. People who are soooo negative are probably my biggest pet peeve! Honetsly, grow up and figure it out! Being nagative is just going to make people not like you,and really get annoyed with you.
Sometimes I dont' catch all the complaining that takes place. But when I realize that someone is REALLY being negative, I can step back and analyze how rediculous it sounds and how much I just want to walk away! If you have a problem with something, lets say, at work, and you think you are "venting" about it, but then it turns into something you do day in and day out, that is complaining, not venting, and you should probably talk to someone with authority if you are looking for change. Your peers can't change it for you. They barely know what you are talking about b/c you are COMPLAINING and they are not LISTENING! hahaha!
All I'm saying is that things are not going to magically be fixed for you. Everyone has the right to express how they feel, but really, if you are finding yourself doing this over and over, people aren't really listening to you, and you should probably go to your pet toad and complain to him! Your pet is probably a better listener, and wont' talk back!
Happy Tuesday!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Mental Toughness
I have heard over and over that "you have to be born a runner, you can't just become a runner." Well, I beg to differ. Up until I graduated from my undergrad, I hated running. I thought running was a form of punishment. I grew up playing soccer and basketball, I didnt' know what it meant to be a long distance runner. Growing up, my dad had me doing sprints if I missed a shot in basketball. If we had a horrible game, we would most likely have a sprinting practice the following day. In college, the most common phrase out of Fessler's mouth was, "Sprint". Even though you had to be in shape and have the endurance to play 90 minutes of college soccer, it was still a game of mini-sprints. I never thought running longer than the length of a soccer field could be fun and challenging.
I got out of college, in route to grad school at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and I suddenly became bored. I didnt' know how to NOT be an athlete after being a multiple sport athlete for four years in college. I knew grad school would be time consuming and challenging, but I needed something more... I needed a challenge physically. I came up with the crazy idea of running a full marathon...yes... 26.2 miles of pure HELL. Why did I think I would want to take on this challenge, I have no idea. The only one who believed in me was my dad. He said I could do anything if I put my mind to it. When I told him I wanted to train for a full marathon, and run it that fall, he said, "Shabba, you can do it, running is a mental sport, and no one can tell you its impossible." So I started training for my first marathon June 2004, and the race was the end of Sept, in Omaha, NE (I know, it sounds boring to run in Omaha, NE, but with grad school, I had to make sure it was a local race in case I had a lot of school work and clinicals). On July 28, 2004, I officially registered for the 2004 Omaha Marathon.
Wow, what the hell was I thinking? I hated running. Running was the worst idea I ever could have come up with. Coming from the medical field, I had to find out some answers about running, and if it was phsycially possible for me to run this great of a distance. With my little knowledge on slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers, I started researching these two to learn more. Our bodies are made up of different types of muscle fibers, all of which rely on different energy systems. Slow twitch fibers, as the name suggests, contract more slowly than fast twitch muscle fibers and they can contract for a longer period of time. We often call these 'endurance' muscles because they're great for aerobic activities that require endurance like running, cycling and swimming. In general, many of us will have about 50% slow twitch fibers and 50% fast twitch fibers, although it will differ between individuals. Successful long-distance runners will often have more slow twitch fibers while sprinters or bodybuilders will often have more fast twitch fibers. So I'm thinking, wow, I probably can complete a marathon. I had no idea how to train for something insane as this, so I googled "marathon training" and picked the first training program that came up.
My training went really well up until the beginning of August, when I learned that my father was killed in a plane crash. I immediately stopped training, and decided to focus on school and grief. But the more I sat around, the crazier I went. My father believed in me, and told me that I could run a marathon if I really wanted to. So the training continued, on very little sleep, very little food, and lack of focus. But running was what kept me sane... my dad kept me focused enough to finish the training, and complete my first marathon. I finished my first marathon in 4 hours 24 minutes. Not to shabby for a first timer who had never run a race in her life!
Marathons became addicting. I signed up for the 2005 Omaha Marathon, trained hard, got to mile 17 and had to drop out with a broken foot. Mental toughness would not have helped that pain I was experiencing during those 17 miles. 2006 I completed the Twin Cities Marathon with one of my best friends, Scott Zachmann. Mental toughness pushed us through the full race .I become extremely dehydrated, and his back started acting up. But instead of quiting and having our family pick us up, we pushed through the bumps, and we finished strong; 4 hours 16 min. 2007 I completed my third maratho, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. I had a personal best of 3 hours, 56 minutes, my first sub-4 hour marathon. After that race, I wanted more than just shaving off minutes, I wanted to qualify for Boston Marathon. That same fall, I completed Twin Cities marathon with a great friend, Lindsey Palmer. Now this girl is mentally tough. We had the most miserable weather a runner could ask for. Our training was through every type of weather, and race day came, and we had 80% humidity, and the start of the race was 81 degrees. I had no idea how we were going to complete this race. We took it one mile at a time, and 4 hours and 22 min. later, we finished. And what a great feeling that was. In 2008 Palmer and I started training for the Twin Cities marathon again, and I ran into some health issues. My heart was enlarged, and my heart cavity was too small, thus causing my blood pressure to be off the charts; not something a runner should have happen. I took myself out of the training, and got a bunch of tests done to make sure i was going to be ok. In the end, I learned that my muscle mass of my heart grew too large with all the training I had been doing, that i would have to limit my addiction to one marathon a year, and i would have to slow up my times in order to keep my heart rate in a safe zone. This didnt' make me happy one bit, I tried being tough, and attempted to run some shorter races, but that was not the solution. I knew I had to back off a bit, and not push myself. 2009 I got back at it. I signed up for the Inaugural Minneapolis Marathon, the training was great, and come race day, we had the most perfect weather a runner could ask for. I was at a great pace 8:30 min/mile up until mile 12, I started fading a bit, and then my heart started acting up around mile 17. I had come this far, i was not quitting. I slowed up, and ended up finishing my 5th marathon in 4 hours, 29 min. Not the time I wanted, but I also didn't want to be that runner on the news who had a heart attack and died during the race .I was smart, and my mental toughness got me through the race. And finally this year, I trained for the 2nd annual Minneapolis Marathon, and was all ready to taper off, and my husband and I found out we were expecting... mental toughness could not come into play on this one. That would be called mental stupidity.
Dont' worry, I'm starting to come to my conclusion. So thank you for reading up until this point so far! After learning that we had lost our baby, I had to get back into racing, and at this point in my life, a 1/2 marathon would make me happy. I had signed up for the Inaugural Red White and Boom! 1/2 marathon that was to take place on the 4th of July. I hadn't done a long run for almost 2 months, and mentally, i wasnt' trained to run that type of distance, but those factors were not going to stop me. I showed up race day, with 90% humidity, down-pouring rain, 83 degrees at 6:30am, and a lovely wind that was whipping from the southeast. I thought I was going to die. I got to mile 4, in tears, wishing my husband could come pick me up, and at that point, I remembered my dad, and him telling me I could push through it, and I WILL complete this half marathon. And I did just that. I finished in 2 hours 2 min, and 48 seconds. Not my ideal time, but I would take that time anyday with how much I had gone through during that race.
In my conclusion, what I'm trying to say, is that you are all runners. You have no excuse not to run. Our society is so obese its embarrassing. Running is all about mental toughness. If you put your mind to something, you will succeed. Everyone is born a runner. We all are made up with those slow-twitch muscle fibers that allow us to run a great distance. Now, some of you are thinking, wow, you are nuts, I am not a runner, no, actually i'm not nuts, you are just lazy. Now, if you dont' find running enjoying, than great, go find something to get your ass off the couch and be active. But we have no excuses to be fat. Genes do not fully contribute to obesity. They may play a small role, but you decide who you want to be. You be the change you want to see. You cannot leave it up to other's to workout for you. Its basic science. Increase heart rate + balance diet = healthy human. I'm sick and tired of hearing every excuse in the world to why they dont' run or exercise. If you think you can't, you have failed yourself already. Running (and exercising in general) is mental toughness, and with mental toughness, you can accomplish anything. If you dont' believe me, Sports Illustrated just had a recent article that human beings are genetically created to last long distances because of our up-right position and the make-up of our muscles. So there!
Thank you.
I got out of college, in route to grad school at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and I suddenly became bored. I didnt' know how to NOT be an athlete after being a multiple sport athlete for four years in college. I knew grad school would be time consuming and challenging, but I needed something more... I needed a challenge physically. I came up with the crazy idea of running a full marathon...yes... 26.2 miles of pure HELL. Why did I think I would want to take on this challenge, I have no idea. The only one who believed in me was my dad. He said I could do anything if I put my mind to it. When I told him I wanted to train for a full marathon, and run it that fall, he said, "Shabba, you can do it, running is a mental sport, and no one can tell you its impossible." So I started training for my first marathon June 2004, and the race was the end of Sept, in Omaha, NE (I know, it sounds boring to run in Omaha, NE, but with grad school, I had to make sure it was a local race in case I had a lot of school work and clinicals). On July 28, 2004, I officially registered for the 2004 Omaha Marathon.
Wow, what the hell was I thinking? I hated running. Running was the worst idea I ever could have come up with. Coming from the medical field, I had to find out some answers about running, and if it was phsycially possible for me to run this great of a distance. With my little knowledge on slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers, I started researching these two to learn more. Our bodies are made up of different types of muscle fibers, all of which rely on different energy systems. Slow twitch fibers, as the name suggests, contract more slowly than fast twitch muscle fibers and they can contract for a longer period of time. We often call these 'endurance' muscles because they're great for aerobic activities that require endurance like running, cycling and swimming. In general, many of us will have about 50% slow twitch fibers and 50% fast twitch fibers, although it will differ between individuals. Successful long-distance runners will often have more slow twitch fibers while sprinters or bodybuilders will often have more fast twitch fibers. So I'm thinking, wow, I probably can complete a marathon. I had no idea how to train for something insane as this, so I googled "marathon training" and picked the first training program that came up.
My training went really well up until the beginning of August, when I learned that my father was killed in a plane crash. I immediately stopped training, and decided to focus on school and grief. But the more I sat around, the crazier I went. My father believed in me, and told me that I could run a marathon if I really wanted to. So the training continued, on very little sleep, very little food, and lack of focus. But running was what kept me sane... my dad kept me focused enough to finish the training, and complete my first marathon. I finished my first marathon in 4 hours 24 minutes. Not to shabby for a first timer who had never run a race in her life!
Marathons became addicting. I signed up for the 2005 Omaha Marathon, trained hard, got to mile 17 and had to drop out with a broken foot. Mental toughness would not have helped that pain I was experiencing during those 17 miles. 2006 I completed the Twin Cities Marathon with one of my best friends, Scott Zachmann. Mental toughness pushed us through the full race .I become extremely dehydrated, and his back started acting up. But instead of quiting and having our family pick us up, we pushed through the bumps, and we finished strong; 4 hours 16 min. 2007 I completed my third maratho, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. I had a personal best of 3 hours, 56 minutes, my first sub-4 hour marathon. After that race, I wanted more than just shaving off minutes, I wanted to qualify for Boston Marathon. That same fall, I completed Twin Cities marathon with a great friend, Lindsey Palmer. Now this girl is mentally tough. We had the most miserable weather a runner could ask for. Our training was through every type of weather, and race day came, and we had 80% humidity, and the start of the race was 81 degrees. I had no idea how we were going to complete this race. We took it one mile at a time, and 4 hours and 22 min. later, we finished. And what a great feeling that was. In 2008 Palmer and I started training for the Twin Cities marathon again, and I ran into some health issues. My heart was enlarged, and my heart cavity was too small, thus causing my blood pressure to be off the charts; not something a runner should have happen. I took myself out of the training, and got a bunch of tests done to make sure i was going to be ok. In the end, I learned that my muscle mass of my heart grew too large with all the training I had been doing, that i would have to limit my addiction to one marathon a year, and i would have to slow up my times in order to keep my heart rate in a safe zone. This didnt' make me happy one bit, I tried being tough, and attempted to run some shorter races, but that was not the solution. I knew I had to back off a bit, and not push myself. 2009 I got back at it. I signed up for the Inaugural Minneapolis Marathon, the training was great, and come race day, we had the most perfect weather a runner could ask for. I was at a great pace 8:30 min/mile up until mile 12, I started fading a bit, and then my heart started acting up around mile 17. I had come this far, i was not quitting. I slowed up, and ended up finishing my 5th marathon in 4 hours, 29 min. Not the time I wanted, but I also didn't want to be that runner on the news who had a heart attack and died during the race .I was smart, and my mental toughness got me through the race. And finally this year, I trained for the 2nd annual Minneapolis Marathon, and was all ready to taper off, and my husband and I found out we were expecting... mental toughness could not come into play on this one. That would be called mental stupidity.
Dont' worry, I'm starting to come to my conclusion. So thank you for reading up until this point so far! After learning that we had lost our baby, I had to get back into racing, and at this point in my life, a 1/2 marathon would make me happy. I had signed up for the Inaugural Red White and Boom! 1/2 marathon that was to take place on the 4th of July. I hadn't done a long run for almost 2 months, and mentally, i wasnt' trained to run that type of distance, but those factors were not going to stop me. I showed up race day, with 90% humidity, down-pouring rain, 83 degrees at 6:30am, and a lovely wind that was whipping from the southeast. I thought I was going to die. I got to mile 4, in tears, wishing my husband could come pick me up, and at that point, I remembered my dad, and him telling me I could push through it, and I WILL complete this half marathon. And I did just that. I finished in 2 hours 2 min, and 48 seconds. Not my ideal time, but I would take that time anyday with how much I had gone through during that race.
In my conclusion, what I'm trying to say, is that you are all runners. You have no excuse not to run. Our society is so obese its embarrassing. Running is all about mental toughness. If you put your mind to something, you will succeed. Everyone is born a runner. We all are made up with those slow-twitch muscle fibers that allow us to run a great distance. Now, some of you are thinking, wow, you are nuts, I am not a runner, no, actually i'm not nuts, you are just lazy. Now, if you dont' find running enjoying, than great, go find something to get your ass off the couch and be active. But we have no excuses to be fat. Genes do not fully contribute to obesity. They may play a small role, but you decide who you want to be. You be the change you want to see. You cannot leave it up to other's to workout for you. Its basic science. Increase heart rate + balance diet = healthy human. I'm sick and tired of hearing every excuse in the world to why they dont' run or exercise. If you think you can't, you have failed yourself already. Running (and exercising in general) is mental toughness, and with mental toughness, you can accomplish anything. If you dont' believe me, Sports Illustrated just had a recent article that human beings are genetically created to last long distances because of our up-right position and the make-up of our muscles. So there!
Thank you.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Red, White, and BOOM!!!
Wow, Its been awhile since I have posted something. And I sure have to do a better job at this. I cant' say that I am a great written, but I sure feel good after I write something I'm passionate about.
Last year I remember receiving an invite for the Inaugural Red White and Boom 1/2 marathon that Twin Cities Marathon was putting on. It was to take place on the 4th of July, and the course went through NE Mpls, my stopping grounds. I was very excited about the expansion of races in the Twin Cities, but I knew it wouldnt' be a race I could ever do because of holiday plans we always have. So that idea got placed on the back burner, and wasn't brought up 'til recently.
The past 3 years, Josh and I have started our own tradition of going up to Lake Vermillion in Tower, MN for the 4th of July weekend, with his mom's side of the family. Its always a blast; a weekend that usually consists of funny stories, fishing, campfires, beer drinking, fireworks (that sometimes malfunction), great people, and tons of food. This is a childhood tradition that meanst he world to Josh and he rarely misses these trips up north. As for me, my 4th of July weekend took place further north, in Grand Marais, MN on Devil's Track Lake, in the Boundary Waters. Our family and The Anderson's would head up north, usually for a week, and enjoy the MN summer. On the 4th of July, we would head into town, stop by DQ, get these awesome blizzards that were so thick they would tip the blizzard upside down to show off, we would find our perfect stop on these huge boulders on the shore of Lake Superior, and we would "ohhhhh and ahhhhh" over the beautiful fireworks over the breakwaters. It was something we would never forget as kids. Regardless of the traditions as kids, Josh and I decided that we would continue on our 4th of July tradition in Tower, MN.
After doing this cabin trip the last 2 summers, I have found out many funny things about Josh's cousins and aunt's and uncles. They are really funny people, with really funny stories, and when you add alcohol into the equation, its priceless. I have become very fond of the Bauler's and I'm so glad they have welcomed me so nicely into their family. We have had many holiday's together, and the memories just keep growing and growing.
This year isnt' going to turn out just as we had planned.....We thought we had lined up our puppy-sitter for our two dogs, but things fell through, and we ended up not having anyone to watch them. Instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves (that is just not the type of people Josh and I are) we decided we are going to make the best out of our 3-day weekend, and have a lot of FUN!!!
One month ago I was supposed to run in the 2nd Annual Minneapolis Marathon. I had trained my hardest for this marathon.. My training partner, Amy Cooper, who was to run the Grandma's Marathon a few weeks later, was training for her first marathon. And I couldnt' have been more proud of her. She had amazing energy, and together, we were unstoppable down at the chain of lakes! A few weeks prior to the marathon, Josh and I had learned that we were expecting our first little bundle of joy, and were due in January! Although I was devestated about not running, I still encouraged Amy along her final weeks of training, and couldnt' have been more excited to experience this pregnancy. The day before the race, I was taken to the ER, and we had lost our baby. It was horrible. It was one of the hardest things Josh and I have gone through as a couple. We went from the highest of all high's to the lower low one could experience. I woke up on the day of the marathon, and told Josh I was going to run that marathon afterall.... he stopped me, told me he wasnt' ok with it, and told me to go back to bed. Since then, I have been itching to compete in a race! I didnt' want to find an easy race to just say I did, I needed a challenge! I almost drove up to Duluth, MN to run Grandma's Marathon with Amy, but my doctor didnt' clear me yet. Seeing that there arent' a ton of options of summer marathons, this Red White and Boom was sounding better and better, especially since we were going to be in town.
Our alternative plans this 4th of July weekend is going to consist of puppy parks, Twins baseball, laying out at the pool, the Red White and Boom 1/2 marathon, a possible double date, and lots of relaxation! I dont' think we could ask for anything more!
Everyone celebrates 4th of July in their own way. Some people party until its morning, some people shoot off their own fireworks, some go up north, and some run 1/2 marathon's. It doesnt' matter what you end up doing on your 4th of July, as long as you remember the importance of this holiday in some way; it marks the independence of our country. Its a day that we have to be thankful for. I'm not much into history, and I'm not going to try and tell you what took place to get our country free, but I do know that its an important date!
Make sure you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend and be safe. I know Josh and I are going to make it a great weekend... I mean, who wouldnt' want to run 13.1 miles at 6:30am on the 4th of July!
Thanks for reading!!!
Last year I remember receiving an invite for the Inaugural Red White and Boom 1/2 marathon that Twin Cities Marathon was putting on. It was to take place on the 4th of July, and the course went through NE Mpls, my stopping grounds. I was very excited about the expansion of races in the Twin Cities, but I knew it wouldnt' be a race I could ever do because of holiday plans we always have. So that idea got placed on the back burner, and wasn't brought up 'til recently.
The past 3 years, Josh and I have started our own tradition of going up to Lake Vermillion in Tower, MN for the 4th of July weekend, with his mom's side of the family. Its always a blast; a weekend that usually consists of funny stories, fishing, campfires, beer drinking, fireworks (that sometimes malfunction), great people, and tons of food. This is a childhood tradition that meanst he world to Josh and he rarely misses these trips up north. As for me, my 4th of July weekend took place further north, in Grand Marais, MN on Devil's Track Lake, in the Boundary Waters. Our family and The Anderson's would head up north, usually for a week, and enjoy the MN summer. On the 4th of July, we would head into town, stop by DQ, get these awesome blizzards that were so thick they would tip the blizzard upside down to show off, we would find our perfect stop on these huge boulders on the shore of Lake Superior, and we would "ohhhhh and ahhhhh" over the beautiful fireworks over the breakwaters. It was something we would never forget as kids. Regardless of the traditions as kids, Josh and I decided that we would continue on our 4th of July tradition in Tower, MN.
After doing this cabin trip the last 2 summers, I have found out many funny things about Josh's cousins and aunt's and uncles. They are really funny people, with really funny stories, and when you add alcohol into the equation, its priceless. I have become very fond of the Bauler's and I'm so glad they have welcomed me so nicely into their family. We have had many holiday's together, and the memories just keep growing and growing.
This year isnt' going to turn out just as we had planned.....We thought we had lined up our puppy-sitter for our two dogs, but things fell through, and we ended up not having anyone to watch them. Instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves (that is just not the type of people Josh and I are) we decided we are going to make the best out of our 3-day weekend, and have a lot of FUN!!!
One month ago I was supposed to run in the 2nd Annual Minneapolis Marathon. I had trained my hardest for this marathon.. My training partner, Amy Cooper, who was to run the Grandma's Marathon a few weeks later, was training for her first marathon. And I couldnt' have been more proud of her. She had amazing energy, and together, we were unstoppable down at the chain of lakes! A few weeks prior to the marathon, Josh and I had learned that we were expecting our first little bundle of joy, and were due in January! Although I was devestated about not running, I still encouraged Amy along her final weeks of training, and couldnt' have been more excited to experience this pregnancy. The day before the race, I was taken to the ER, and we had lost our baby. It was horrible. It was one of the hardest things Josh and I have gone through as a couple. We went from the highest of all high's to the lower low one could experience. I woke up on the day of the marathon, and told Josh I was going to run that marathon afterall.... he stopped me, told me he wasnt' ok with it, and told me to go back to bed. Since then, I have been itching to compete in a race! I didnt' want to find an easy race to just say I did, I needed a challenge! I almost drove up to Duluth, MN to run Grandma's Marathon with Amy, but my doctor didnt' clear me yet. Seeing that there arent' a ton of options of summer marathons, this Red White and Boom was sounding better and better, especially since we were going to be in town.
Our alternative plans this 4th of July weekend is going to consist of puppy parks, Twins baseball, laying out at the pool, the Red White and Boom 1/2 marathon, a possible double date, and lots of relaxation! I dont' think we could ask for anything more!
Everyone celebrates 4th of July in their own way. Some people party until its morning, some people shoot off their own fireworks, some go up north, and some run 1/2 marathon's. It doesnt' matter what you end up doing on your 4th of July, as long as you remember the importance of this holiday in some way; it marks the independence of our country. Its a day that we have to be thankful for. I'm not much into history, and I'm not going to try and tell you what took place to get our country free, but I do know that its an important date!
Make sure you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend and be safe. I know Josh and I are going to make it a great weekend... I mean, who wouldnt' want to run 13.1 miles at 6:30am on the 4th of July!
Thanks for reading!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
