Ragnar Women

I have not had a lot of time to sit down and fully blog my Ragnar experience.  I know that I must do it soon before it all leaves my mind.  I wanted to post this picture of the Ragnar women in my van.  Years ago my relationships stemmed around eating and drinking with friends.  When I first decided that I wanted to become healthy I alienated myself.  I felt that I had no social life because it all involved food.


While I still have my friends from before I now have a core group that I can get together with the main objective being fitness and fun.   I can not tell you how wonderful it is to have people that you can call who will run, workout, or do a 197 mile relay with you. 

Thank you to my Ragnar Ladies- Sammy Jo, Jackie, Ashley, and Jen.

Confidence Is Key

I got a  Self magazine Subcription for Christmas this year. To be honest, I very rarely find much in the magazine that I like. I guess I was looking more for a workout magazine. I think that I was comparing it to Oxygen.

Today I found this:

Confidence is Key
"I've never been a big fan of the word empowerment, but I love the concept. To me it means caring less about what others think and doing what's right for your. Follow your heart,and it will lead you to your best you. "
As I was reading this it made a lot of sense to me. Too often I find that I care about the opinions of others. Even in my workout group, I want them to view me as strong and I never want to be the last one in the pack. Would it matter if I was the last one to finish something as long as I gave it 100%? I find myself thinking about that. I can do 20 jump squats faster than anyone in my group using bad form, or I could do 20 perfect jump squats slower. I am going to chose the better form.

Last week I went running with one of the girls. Jackie, from boot camp and she said, " I am too old to care about what anybody thinks." I thought to myself, "Wow!" I am going to start caring about what I think.  I am going to try not be be so hard on myself.

We need to give ourselves a break. We always want to be better/stronger/faster/thinner and when we are not we come down on ourselves. We becomea slave to the scale and beat ourselves up when we don't "measure" up.

Too often I tell women that they are doing a great job, but sometimes I think that I need to take my own advice.

Get the Playlist Ready

This morning as I am preparing to go for a run and getting my playlist together. I have the following conversation with my husband, Greg.

Greg: Babe what are you doing?
Me: Putting music on my IPod. I need to motivate myself.
Greg: When are you going running?
Me: As soon as I'm done. You know my IPod has this funny thing going on with the screen but it is still working great. If I knew that I would eventually get healthy and workout I would have gotten a smaller one (a 30 GB is a little big when you run and it rubs).
Greg: Yeah who knew.
Me: But it still works great. It's about seven years old.
Greg: It's not that old.
Krista: Yeah it is you got it for me for our first Christmas.
Greg: Huh

So for about 30 minutes I download some music and get the running playlist together. I decide that I am going to run the supermarket. It is 2.4 miles from the house. I have to make Easter appetizers so I do not have too much time. We make a plan that Greg is going to pick me up at the market in 30 minutes.


So here we go...... Out the door..... New Earphones in...........
Jar of Hearts- That's the Warm Up
Adele- Rolling in deep- Getting warmer and I am off.
E.T- Now we are rolling and I am pumped to go. I look at my watch and I realize I am doing good on time. I am not flying but my pace is steady.
F**K You- Cee Lo Green- I am good, I'm about to take the hill. Now I am going
Jennifer Lopez- On the Floor- Almost at the Giant ---- Kill it Krista! Kill It!
.................... Why the blank spaces. The IPod stopped. I hit the button, nothing is happening.... I hit it again-frozen.
So I begin running humming music in my head, hearing every sound of the road, and I even hear the weird gentlemen caller that I wish will never call on me again. I see the sign, "Hello Giant. "
I realize that I am ahead of schedule but I have lost my luster. It went with the death of the IPod that I had praised for its seven years of loyalty. So I begin to run back. I figure that Greg will be picking me up any minute. I walk/run the same way that I came.


I realize that the path back seems to be more uphill. I begin to think to myself, "I should have put on sun block." As I climb the hill I begin to take in the beautiful scenery around me. The grass is green, the flowers are in full bloom and there are dogs being walked everywhere. I then begin to think about all the stories I hear of runners being chased by dogs. I look at the flowers and I begin to think how when flowers bloom bees come out and my very allergic a** does not have my Epi Pen, where would I even put it, oh no do I have to get a fanny pack, no I can't do it.

 I wonder if I can stuff the Epi Pen in with the ladies. Please don't make me have to get an fanny pack. I just keep jogging thinking about the impending doom of the bee sting knowing that Greg will be coming to get me.


Halfway home- run- walk- run-walk. I don't understand why I am so tired. Oh I know why, I decided to speed up my pace there because I did not think I was going to be doing a longer run.


Yeah the stop light to my community- What happened to Greg? I start hoping that he is okay because it is not like him to forget me. I realize I do not have any cell phone to call and check..... Oh god I'm going to end up with a **** fanny pack-It's going to be ten pounds and weigh me down.

"Is that a Mazda I see?" Yes Greg is there but there is no place for him to pick me up. I run into the community and he grabs me. I head home shower and we get ready for Easter. I then realize that I actually did pretty good time.


We get home from Easter dinner and the IPod is no longer frozen Yeah. Tomorrow I will give it another try and hopefully my faithful friend will decide to work. And for the love of god please do not let me need a fanny pack. I just don't want to go down like that.