A year later... Spartan OCRs, Running... and oh yeah, more Running™
It's been a while since I have written anything here.... Life has been busy. The holidays came and went, and somehow (by pure magic?) I didn't put back on "the weight" that I spent the second half of 2018 losing.
Now, we're halfway through 2019, and I'm at the 1yr anniversary of the fabled day that I walked into a gym at my girlfriend's behest to explain to a prospective personal trainer that "I don't want to be here, but I gave my word, so here I am."
It's been a wild journey this past year. Full of ups and downs, but overall, it's been amazing.
In February, I did my first Spartan Race - a "Super" (8 miles of mud and obstacles) in Jacksonville, Florida with my trainer and some friends from my gym. It was an AMAZING experience that gave me a lot of self confidence. (Oh yeah, the very next day we did a "Sprint" which is a 5k of mud and obstacles.) For the Super, we all really held back and took our time, making sure that we were going to JUST FINISH. And we realized, that we left way too much on the table, so when we went back for the Sprint, my trainer and I went full out and it was exhilarating.
After the Jacksonville Super/Sprint weekend - I decided I wanted to "take the next step" and sign up for a "Beast" - which is 12+ miles (in actuality it ended up being a half-marathon length), more obstacles, and harder obstacles.
My team from Jacksonville wanted to do their Beast somewhere flat - and I rejected that idea HARD. So I signed up by myself for the Spartan Mountain Creek Beast in April of 2019. I then started training, relentlessly..... My target time for the Beast, given the elevation up/down, and distance, and the fact IT WAS ON A MOUNTAIN and I live and train at almost sea-level.... was 6 hours.
I finished in 4hrs 57minutes.
So what now?
Another Spartan? Another OCR? Something else?
Well - it's a little of both........ I am currently signed up to run a 21k Trail Race in July (omg it's 2 weeks away!?!?!) as part of the Spartan Trail Series in Palmerton PA, which means: more mountain runs!!!!!
I'm also signed up for:
After that? Killington ULTRA BEAST. Bring on the "Death March™"
So - for now, I'll just be running. Putting one foot in front of the other. Trying to not be TOO hard on myself with my body image, struggling with my weight and loose skin... struggling with "feeling like a fat guy" still some days... On any given day, I'm either my biggest cheerleader, or my worst critic. And I'm learning how to reconcile that with myself, one day at a time.
Go outside, go for a hike, go run.
If you use Strava - look me up, follow my training progress, give me kudos or tell me to go harder :p
Follow me on Strava
Now, we're halfway through 2019, and I'm at the 1yr anniversary of the fabled day that I walked into a gym at my girlfriend's behest to explain to a prospective personal trainer that "I don't want to be here, but I gave my word, so here I am."
It's been a wild journey this past year. Full of ups and downs, but overall, it's been amazing.
In February, I did my first Spartan Race - a "Super" (8 miles of mud and obstacles) in Jacksonville, Florida with my trainer and some friends from my gym. It was an AMAZING experience that gave me a lot of self confidence. (Oh yeah, the very next day we did a "Sprint" which is a 5k of mud and obstacles.) For the Super, we all really held back and took our time, making sure that we were going to JUST FINISH. And we realized, that we left way too much on the table, so when we went back for the Sprint, my trainer and I went full out and it was exhilarating.
I was actually able to DO the obstacles? Yes... Yes I was.
 |
| "Edge Strong" - I went to (mud) hell and back with these boys. |
 |
| "Pray" - You can make it! (I totally did.) |
 |
| The feeling, crossing the finishing line after 8+ miles of mud, and sweat.... Nothing could beat that. |
 |
| "Sprint" - Day 2. SO. MUCH. RAIN. |
 |
| This man, helped me to change my life. |
After the Jacksonville Super/Sprint weekend - I decided I wanted to "take the next step" and sign up for a "Beast" - which is 12+ miles (in actuality it ended up being a half-marathon length), more obstacles, and harder obstacles.
My team from Jacksonville wanted to do their Beast somewhere flat - and I rejected that idea HARD. So I signed up by myself for the Spartan Mountain Creek Beast in April of 2019. I then started training, relentlessly..... My target time for the Beast, given the elevation up/down, and distance, and the fact IT WAS ON A MOUNTAIN and I live and train at almost sea-level.... was 6 hours.
I finished in 4hrs 57minutes.
 |
| I loved... loved... this experience. |
Another Spartan? Another OCR? Something else?
Well - it's a little of both........ I am currently signed up to run a 21k Trail Race in July (omg it's 2 weeks away!?!?!) as part of the Spartan Trail Series in Palmerton PA, which means: more mountain runs!!!!!
I'm also signed up for:
- The Philly 10k in August (easy peasy..... Although I never thought I'd say that)
- The Cow Run 10 Miler in Salem, NJ in October.
- The Philadelphia Rocky Run "Italian Stallion Challenge" in November - which is a 5k immediately followed by a 10-miler.
- And oh yeah, in January 2020.... I MIGHT have agreed with my girlfriend to do the "Dopey Challenge" which is four races, in four days: Thursday 5k, Friday 10k, Saturday Half-Marathon, Sunday Full-Marathon.
After that? Killington ULTRA BEAST. Bring on the "Death March™"
So - for now, I'll just be running. Putting one foot in front of the other. Trying to not be TOO hard on myself with my body image, struggling with my weight and loose skin... struggling with "feeling like a fat guy" still some days... On any given day, I'm either my biggest cheerleader, or my worst critic. And I'm learning how to reconcile that with myself, one day at a time.
Go outside, go for a hike, go run.
If you use Strava - look me up, follow my training progress, give me kudos or tell me to go harder :p
Follow me on Strava
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