What was I thinking? Have I lost my mind?

As I sit here tonight, running through lists in my head, I can't help bu wonder if I have gone completely crazy!

Last winter I saw a post on Facebook for a local run.  Once that I had never even thought about running in the past, it was one of those races that only the dies hard crazy runners did.  A few years ago I recall watching a clip on the new about these crazy runners who were out running for crazy amounts of time, some out there from sun up to sun down!

It was the Titletown Ultra Series on the campus of UWGB.

Instead of your "traditional" Ultra where you choose your distance (generally 50k, 50 Miles, 100k or 100 miles) you choose your time/duration.  The Titletown Ultra Series offers you a 6 hour, 8 hour or Solstice (sun up to sun down) option.  REALLY?  15 1/5 hours?  More power to them!

However, this time, I found myself looking at it differently.  Not as insanity or craziness, but a new challenge.  I've run anything from 1 mile runs, to Half marathons, obstacle course races and color runs.  But was this my next challenge?

Somehow, Lisa and I ended up chatting about this race.  could we really do it?  Even if we walked most of it, it would be a great challenge to see how may miles we could cover in (an unfathomable) amount of time.  

When we started talking about it, I am trying to remember correctly, but I THINK part of the conversation when something like this:

Me:  I think we can do it!

Lisa:  I am sure we could... wait, are you thinking 6 or 8 hour?

Me: Um... 6 hour

Lisa: but 8 hours, is only 2 more hours, only 25% more time.  We can do 8

Me:  Yes, but... yeah I guess we could finish 8...

Lisa: We don't have to run it all...

This went back and forth and to this day we are not sure who talked who into it, but we decided that we were going to do the 8 hour event!

Then she realized she couldn't do it!  Something about a family vacation... this was y easy out.  My opportunity to back down from the challenge.  To say I'd just wait until next year to run it with her.

Funny thing... when you are a runner, you have runner friends.  When I started talking to other friends of mine about what I was signing up for, most friends would come right out and ask you if you were crazy...  That you were insane... But runner friends are different.  They were the extra push that I needed to send in my registration, motivating me, inspiring me and even telling me that they would run with me.  It was then I realized, that this was the challenge that I needed.  Something new, something beyond what I was comfortable with.

What! Hold it!

What was I thinking?  I have never run a FULL marathon before!  My longest race, at this point has been a Half Marathon!  Yes, 13.1 miles is a lot of miles already.  Now, here I am considering an 8 hour event!

Where were the people that were supposed to talk me OUT of this?  Oh, that's right, I have decided to surround myself with positive people!

With the encouragement from Lisa and several other friends, I signed up for the race... the 8 hour option!

My next step was to reach out to a friend to help with training.  I signed up for personal training sessions and Andy started working on a training plan with me.  I was determined to make it through this event!

That was over 6 months ago.

Since then a few other friends of mine have also signed up for the race, have joined me on numerous training runs, run countless loops on the trails where the race will take place (thanks ladies for those 5:30am Saturday morning runs!), were chased by geese, followed by turkey's, and so much more.  Andy has done everything he could to keep me on track with training, working my many other events earlier this year into my training plan.

Over the last 6 months, even tho she wasn't going to be able to be there, running with me on race day, Lisa put in her fair share of miles with me!  Getting up early to join me on training runs, impromptu afternoon runs on the trail, listening to me grumble at work that I felt like I was hungry ALL THE TIME and more.  Thank you Lisa for encouraging me to face this challenge head on.

But now, here we are, 1 day before the big day.  What they heck was I thinking?

In less than 24 hours, I hit the trail for 8 hours. Tracie will be out there with me along with about 90 other crazy runners.

We have put in the training miles, the strength training, the cross training and so much more.

But that doesn't mean that I'm not freaking out a little!

Did I do everything I needed to?

Do I have the right fuel packed?

Did I remember to pack my extra shoes?

Which running skirt do I wear (Yes this is an extremely important question!)

Do I have extra Bondi Bands packed>

What it...

What about..

Did I...

The questions are endless.

But deep down, I know that I am going to go out there tomorrow, hit the trail and complete the miles.  Will I hit that looming 50k mark?  You better believe that I am going to try!

I'll be back after to fill you in on how the morning went... that is once I finish, eat ALL the food and then sleep for 2 days!

Titletown Ultra Series - here I come!

Fitness Follow-up Friday

Fitness Follow-up Friday is here! Well, it was here a few days ago but since we were out of town for the weekend, I didn't have a chance to post it until now!

Several people have asked what all is included in my weekly fitness.  So going forward, I am going to try and give you some idea of what my weeks consist of!  Each Friday will (hopefully) consist of a Fitness Follow-up!

Super Saturday Circuit

Super Saturday!

Last weekend started off this adventure with a Super Saturday Circuit at the gym!  30 Minutes, 9 exercises, as many rounds as possible.  The gym was packed and it was awesome to see everyone pushed it as hard as they could to get through this workout!  I managed to get through 4 1/2 rounds in my 30 minutes, using heavier weights on the OH lunges that I normally would, and modifying my plants to be one leg plants!  Then the circuit was followed by a 5 minute mini-mission consisting of sit-ups, squats and bicep curls!  I was definitely feeling that at the end!  After the workout, I spent some time in the other end of the gym hanging out with a foam roller and doing some other stretching.  Overall great way to start my weekend!

Sunday Funday in Bairds Creek

Sunday Funday with Friends!
Sunday afternoon we hit Bairds Creek and wandered the trails for just over 4.5 miles.  It was an awesome crisp afternoon spent enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon, watching ducks in the pond, sprinting up hills, and listening to the woodland creatures scurrying in the leaves.  I even got Colleens daughter to RUN up and down some of the hills with me!

Colleen - Next time I am climbing that tree when I see it, since we never made it back by it this time!!

Monday Morning Mini Rowing session

Manic Monday
Monday Morning wake up call!!  Last week I started meeting Tom at the gym for some mini rowing sessions before work.  We usually do a 5 minute warm up and then another 5 minutes of intervals.  Normally we do 1 minute on and then 30 second rest in between (5 total intervals),  but today we hanged it up and did 40 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 8 rounds (still 5 minutes total rowing time).  Those shorter intervals will catch up to you quick, however we both found that we actually rowed further in the same about of time!  Last weeks intervals gave me a total of about 1200m in the 5 minutes, today it was over 1300.

Remember, you need to change things up once in a while, otherwise your body becomes accustomed to the workouts and you may find yourself stuck on a plateau!  Keep your body guessing!

Afternoon Strength Adventures

Monday afternoon was Strength time at the gym!  Thanks Joe for  another great session! It was just one more day that I can say that I left the gym knowing that I pushed myself a little harder, stepped out of my comfort zone more, used heavier weights and still lived to tell about it!

Tuesday
Tuesday was "sleep in" in day... well not really. Instead of the alarm going off at 4:15 or 4:30, it went off at 4:45 so that I could get dinner in the crockpot before being at work for 6am.  After work it was time to hit the gym for another Strength class with Joe!  Forgot to take a picture of the board but it was a day full of Rowing, Clean's, KettleBells and Squats!  Between the KB work during the workout and then the mission at the end, I think I did  a zillion squats.  Ok maybe not a zillion, but it felt like it!  Then the Farmer Walks with 40lb KB's in each hand were epic!  Was fun to have Joe working out with us today as he was testing out the new MyZone units that they got in at the gym!  Thinking I might need to get one for myself to play with too!

Wacky Wednesday

Wacky Wednesday = Crazy sock day at the gym!

No rowing with Tom this morning since I have other things going on after work, needed to get my circuit in early!

5:15 Circuit class was THE way to wake up!  Was nice to see Lisa at the gym early today (I usually see her when she comes in for 6am, as I am jumping in the shower after the 5:15 class!) 3 stations, 9 exercises and burpees were not one of them!  4 minutes of wallballs, pushups and squats was tough but the 4 minutes of KB swings, pushpress and squats was enough to make my arms cry!  Then when you throw in some weighted crunches, Russian twists and flutter kicks, you get a morning workout that will definitely get you moving!

Tired Thursday
I am calling today Tired Thursday because I was too exhausted to get out of bed and get to the gym this morning.  My body said sleep, so I did  :)  I had to work at the bowling alley tonight for a few hours for a private party and the multiple trips up and down the stairs to the basement meeting room at least made me fee like I got in somewhat of a workout!

Finally Friday!
No work today since John and I were heading out of town for a long weekend, but I still was up early and got me workout in!  I also decided to splurge and get myself one of the new MYZONE monitors at the gym.  Charlene worked on getting it set up for me while I was doing a quick warm-up and then it was time to test it out!

MYZone  is a heart rate monitoring system that was recently installed at the gym to give us live feedback on how hard we are actually working out!  Anyone that is wearing a monitor has their live date displayed on the TV monitors that have been put up in each gym, to include current heart rate, calories burned, points earned (based on workout time, time in each heart rate zone and more!) and most importantly - your current max heart rate percentage! If you are not pushing hard enough, everyone will know - how's that for motivation to push your self that much harder?

This morning, started out with a rowing session with Tom, so my data was the only one on the screen (each gym has it's own screen showing data for those working out in that room).  I instantly found myself challenged by the numbers!  I was on a mission to keep that percentage as high as I could!   It was really cool to have a more accurate calorie burn too, since this takes into your age, heart rate etc.

After Tom and I finished rowing, I stuck around for the 6am Strength class.  There was one other person in class with a monitor too so it was interesting to see how our numbers compared during the 45 minute class!    At one point, we both we over 90%!    

After just one morning, I am easily able to see how this is going to help me get even more out of my workouts!  Results from this morning?  718 total calories burnt, peak heart rate 164, point earned 271.

What did you do to push yourself this week??  What are your goals for the next week?