#REALwomenmove

Recently I saw someone ranting about "what is a real woman" in response to someone's "real women do xyz" slogan.

It made me think twice about Skirt Sports #REALwomenmove campaign.  And I decided I love it :).  It's funny how the same three words can be interpreted in as many ways.  But RWM is not about "you're only a real woman if...", it's about "a lot of these people do... including these very REAL (looking/living) women!"  How important is that message??

I was following a self proclaimed "fitness model" on instagram, and it didn't take me long to realize I could follow no longer.  What she was promoting was not fitness, but rather an unrealistic standard of how a woman could(?) and should(?) look.  I believe her intentions were good.  She often talked about how hard she worked for her body, and that others could achieve it if they just worked.  But parts of her body weren't even hers.  And the parts that were were photographed and posted so often... I just... couldn't.  Because fitness isn't (all) about how you look.  It was honestly irritating to look at everyday.  I knew that with every post, SO many women (self included) were watching and thinking I want to look more like that.  But the truth is, we shouldn't compare, and that's inevitably what we do when we are bombarded with barbie doll images each day.  We begin to see that as the bar, the standard.  But we shouldn't.  We should aim to be THE BEST VERSION OF OUR OWN SELVES.  So I opted to focus my attention on fitness ROLE models instead.  Women who post about the weight they are lifting, the PRs they're attempting (and even failing at!), the races they are running.  Right?? Because fitness is a JOURNEY not a DESTINATION and the goal is to make the JOURNEY as meaningful as possible.  To TRY, and to get stronger with every attempt.

So RWM.  You don't have to look like these "fitness models" to get out there and move.  When I walk into a running store, the clerk never guesses that I run distance, but guess what? I do!  Me and both of my ginormous thighs have run EIGHT marathons and NINE halves!  Little old me.  Because its not just fitness models that run!  It's REAL people, REAL women like me, who have (non fitness) careers and who carve out time for Crossfit and love love love wine, that move!  Professional Kenyan athletes run, but real women, women in your world, run too.  And if they can, so can you :)  You can do anything if you try.

NJ Marathon, Second Go Around

On Sunday I ran the New Jersey Marathon (again) and it was effing fabulous (again) :).

I felt SO undertrained!  I have been doing more Crossfitting than running, and trying to balance work and travel on top of that.  I missed more than one long run, and many midweek runs too.  I ran my 20 miler the other week, and it. was. slow.  I knew that this race could go either way.  My first marathon I ran in 4:33.  The next three took me close to 5 hours each.  It wasn't until last spring that I ran a 4:30-something again (I PRd. During this same race actually).  I felt very well trained for Hartford last year and ran 4:33 and finished strong.  Then I ran Philly in 4:38 (I didn't feel so well prepared for Philly, and the last few miles were rough, but somehow I broke 4:40, which is kinda my bar for a "good" race).  So I worried that this might be the race that put me back in that 5 hour timeline.  I started out conservative.  In almost every race I do not look at my time during the 1st mile.  I try to settle into a rhythm based on feel.  I ran that first mile thinking I was running slow, but it turned out to be not so slow, almost* the fastest.  More on that later :).  I ran the first 5 and then the second 5, and neither 5 went as slowly as last year.  For me, the true race begins at mile 18.  The goal is to get to 18 as painlessly and happy as possible.  But 18 miles is a long time, painless and happy or not.  They usually go slowly.  But this time was different.  When I got to mile 10 I thought, I have another strong 5 left in me.  I did.   When I got to mile 15 I wondered if this would be the race I ran without stopping.  I felt a bit of mental fatigue in 16, but pushed through (zoned out) and inched closer to 20.  As I approached 20, I thought, wow, I am feeling really good.  Maybe I can make this happen.  BUT.  Then I got rational.  I was doing ring dips (tricep dips on rings) the other week during a partner WOD at Crossfit, and my very strong partner warned me not to wait til I "redlined" to take a break, i.e. rest while you still have a little bit left to give.  And that seemed like sound advice for a marathon too.  I knew IF I was able to run the whole thing, I would be crawling across the finish line.  I knew I couldn't run another hour gracefully.  So I stopped and walked for 3 minutes.  When it was time for my last gel (YUCK, I was SO sick of GU by the end of this thing), I walked again, for 2 minutes.  But that's it!  TWO walk breaks!!  Five minutes of walking, or about 2.5 minutes added to my total time.  I've never taken few enough to count!  So I didn't reach my goal just yet, but I am getting there!!  AND my last mile WAS MY FASTEST!!  Who does that in a marathon (rhetorical, the point is that it's hard).  I finished strong in 4:37 :).

It. Was. Beautiful.  If you live within a three hour radius of Long Branch, NJ, I definitely recommend this race.  I did it last year and it was fabulous and I think it was even better this time.  Miles 17-21ish do take FOREVER.  It's like a maze, but overall its a great course.  Beautiful, flat, and well organized.  If I lived in NJ forever, I would do this one every year.

Other random relevant thoughts:

I forgot my race bib!!  I was about 10 min away from my house and remembered it lol.  #fail.  Hey, at least I remembered it.  And at least I had time to turn back and get it.

I met a great girl at the start line named Tina.  I love making start line friends.  She had run Tokyo and Philly.  We were both cold, and she was super cute and nice.

My friends came to watch!  I am used to running solo (without support).  I've heard other runners say they wished they were running solo (family members can be stressful), and I don't mind it, but it was super nice to have them there.  Not so much during (I was too delirious to think lol), but definitely after!  And they got this awesome photo :).

That's the Atlantic Ocean in the background on what was a glorious day.  Why haven't you signed up for this race yet??  I don't know either lol.

(Also I work the Skirt Sports Go the Distance Tights.  I wanted to wear a skirt since I'm a Skirt Sport Fitness Ambassador, but wimped out because it was 45ish degrees at the start.  I think it would have been fine, but I opted for a short top and long bottom instead of vice versa.  The tights were awesome though!  No drawstrings, thus no chafing!  WHAT??? Not too hot, not too cold.  I was very satisfied.  The best part of being an ambassador for an awesome company is being an ambassador for an awesome company.  Love this stuff!)

Overall, it was another great race.  And of course, while sitting at my desk during recovery week, I decided to sign up for more.  But this time I have reached a new level of crazy, and put my name on the Dopey Challenge, smh.  When will the madness end?  No time soon it seems.  Happy running.

Exciting News!!!

29 is definitely off to a great start!  One reason is that I was selected as a fitness ambassador for Skirt Sports.  Not long after I started running, I noticed women running in skirts and decided that I wanted one too.  I googled, and discovered a great company, Skirt Sports, which just happened to be out of Colorado (my home).  I ordered a pink "Marathon Girl" skirt and began my love affair :o).  Earlier this year, I learned that the company was accepting applications for "fitness ambassadors."  What does this mean?  Essentially, they wanted people to promote healthy lifestyles while wearing skirts ;o), two things I already do.  Thus, I jumped at the opportunity to apply.  My partner didn't care to help me with my application (there was some superbowl game on or something <kidding, I love the superbowl, but moreso when the Broncos are in it... not counting last year, but that's another story>), but luckily for me my friend (who cares more about the Golden Globes than the superbowl) did!  I found a race picture of me in a skirt (not hard, lol) and submitted my app!  And now, two months later, I am happy to say that I have joined a small group of women across the country and become a Skirt Sports fitness ambassador.

Perks: a spending allowance for merchandise, discounts on merchandise for myself, friends, family, and strangers (really!), discounts on races, and "membership" in a great community of great women.  SO if you need some fitness apparel, check out SkirtSports, and let me know!!