Do Your Best and Forget the Rest

Yesterday, my friend Michelle and I did the Amana Colonies Rundtour Duathlon. A duathlon is run, bike, run. There aren’t many around; but I’d seen the notice for the race last year, forgot about it…and then remembered again this year. I didn’t know if I’d be in IA to participate; but about a month or so out, I decided to try and train like I would be doing it – 1) for a change of pace and 2) just to see how my body would adapt.

I’m a geek like that – wanting to see how my body will adapt to different exercise programs. All too often, we get stuck in the same rut. We don’t have to be on the treadmill for hours, or only stick to the elliptical because it tells us we burn more calories per minute than we do on the bike. This post is to encourage you to switch it up! (Musical Tourettes – means, a song pops in my head when I’m thinking about something…and the switch up reminds me of the Black Eyed Peas – Just Can’t Get Enough) (musical post forthcoming in a future posting!)

Anyway, even the littlest switch can have a noticeable impact on your training and how your body responds. If you always walk, then consider adding in a little speed walking into the mix. Or, if you always bike, hop off and jog for five or ten minutes. Or, if you currently lift weights, then do cardio – flip flop – cardio then, lift. Our bodies are amazing in how they adapt to the activity (or lack thereof) that we put them under.

The other point of this post is, push yourself! You are faster than you think! You can go further than you think! You can do more than you think! I’d trained solidly for this duathlon. I felt ready to go and yet, a part of me was thinking, this is a 3 part event, maybe I should hold back a little so that I can finish strong. But you know what? Come race day, I was rearing to go! I felt fit and primed! My blood and adrenaline were pumping; and I pulled out all the stops. Were there points in the race where I questioned if I could keep pushing myself? Yep. There were a couple of times where that nasty little thought tried to nudge its way in. But, I had three things that helped me through: 1) my accountability partner’s voice saying “I know you’ve got this!”, 2) my friend Michelle who is a fabulous athlete who was doing the race with me, pushing and encouraging me; and 3) my own voice saying – “Keep churning! Kill It!”

I finished the race knowing I gave it my all; and, that my friends is a pretty damn good feeling! (It was also an awesome feeling setting a personal record for both running and biking! Training pays off so sweetly. Not to mention Michelle and I both got first place in our age divisions! We were smoking fast girls 3^rd place and 4^th place among the female finishers!)

So, the moral of the story is: get out there, try something new – change up your routine; and close each day with giving it your best! Make a goal and work towards it! Listen to the part of you that says “You’ve got this!” Your body and your mind will thank you for it; AND you’ll be that much more ready to take on your next adventure; blast through your old limitations; and keep on becoming a better version of yourself!

Me and Michelle After the Race