Monday, October 18, 2010

Muddy Buddy!!!

I know I am behind on my Tombstone posts, but I had so much fun at this race yesterday I had to tell you all about it!

In case you didn't know, I am super active on Twitter (@SuperERizzle) and I follow PopChips (@popchipsSeattle) because not only are they an amazing low point snack, they really appreciate their fans and offer all kinds of fun prizes for following them!  (They sent me a great gift basket with a month's supply of Popchips just for being their 50th follower!  Anyway, a few weeks ago the tweeted looking for people who wanted to participate in the Portland Muddy Buddy and of course I volunteered.

I frantically looked for a buddy for the race since it was only a week prior that I found out about the race.  My awesome friend Kim agreed to do it with me even though she felt like she wasn't "in shape" enough to do it. 

The day before the race we went to pick up our race packets and shirts and decided to stop by the pre-race party since they said there would be free beer!  Even though we only had a half  hour left on the parking meter, we hauled ass and got back to the car only 12 minutes past our time with NO ticket!  (For the record, I am not a beer person, but Redhook's Mud Slinger is AWESOME!  It made me nervous because it was so dark, but it wasn't bitter and had a great honey taste to it!)

The morning of the race I had to get up at 5, which I did not like.  And it was freeeeeeeeeezing which I also did not like!  It was a day FULL of things I don't like because I do NOT like mud either!

Kim and I all bundled up before the race.  Please note the fog and frost.
 
We are two Bad Ass Bitches!!

The premise of the Muddy Buddy is simple.  Two people, one bike, 6 miles, 3 obstacles, and one HUGE mud pit!


The mud pit before the race started.  They told us it was heated....they lied.
When the race starts one buddy is on the bike and the other is on foot, when you reach the obstacle you swap so that the other buddy is now running and the other is biking.  This back and forth happens 3 times until the end where you meet up and go through the mud pit together.  I ended up running 3 legs and biking 2 and Kim biked 3 legs and ran 2. 

It was HARD.  I thought I was in shape and that I could totally handle running 3 little miles.  I was wrong.  These weren't just any miles, they were 3 miles up hill on a rocky path in the middle of the woods.  I thought that the biking would be even easier but it was even worse!  The hills were so steep and rocky that I walked the bike more than I rode it.  I was terrified of the downhill and falling flat on my face.  I walked most of my running portions too since the path was so hazardous and I was pooped. 

I wanted to give up about 100 times but I was in the middle of the woods in the middle of no where so there was no where to go except to the finish line.

Speaking of finish line....

We are in the two in pink.  (Love the chick in front feeling herself up though!)

We hesitated for a minute. 




 It was super cold and super gross in that mud pit, but I have to say it really was the best part of the whole experience!

Well, almost the best part...

MORE FREE BEER!!!

Nothing like being covered in mud and drinking beer at 10 AM on a Sunday!!
After the race, we hosed off, enjoyed our free beers (Yes, we got more than one free beer!), changed into some clean  dry clothes,  and headed off to get lunch.  (I was starving and once again, didn't eat breakfast like I know I should.)  When I got home I got in the shower and spent the next hour scrubbing mud out of places that one should NOT have mud! 

Overall, I had a fantastic time and I learned several important lessons.
  1. Eat breakfast before doing a race.
  2. Being skinny does NOT equal being "in shape".
  3. Jalapeno poppers are the perfect after race food.
  4. My husband really is willing to do anything for me!  (He has a terrible cold and still got up early and braved the cold to cheer me on!)
  5. Not all dark beers are created equal!
The rest of my Tombstone posts are coming soon....I promise!!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Tombstone #2: "I'm not built for running!"

I am not built for running! 


This was always my classic excuse for not working out.  I wasn't built for it.  My boobs were too big.  I was a big boned person.  I have shin splints. 

In the course of my weightloss journey the last few years I realized that each and every one of these sentences were not true and were just lies I told myself so I wouldn't have to actually get sweaty. 

Don't get me wrong.  I still hate working out.  I don't like to run and getting all sweaty is still really gross.  However, I get off my ass and I do it.  Granted, it is sporadic and not a consistent or dedicated as it should be, but I still DO IT! 

I bought a treadmill, and I found different ways to get exercise in without having to buy a gym membership.  I got Just Dance for the Wii and the first time I did it I could do two songs in a row before I melted into a pile on  my floor.  (Last night, I did 8 songs and felt like I could have done more.)  I play Wii Fit, and it is so nice to finally not hear that little bastard say "You're Obese!" any more.  I bought a pink Schwinn bike that I take to the grocery store when I need some small ingredients or want to splurge on something I don't keep in the house. 

I have done Portland to Coast 4 years in a row.  I ran most of the Starlight Run in June.  I am doing the Muddy Buddy on Sunday. 

In all my running/walking I have yet to have a bout of shin splints.  I doubled up on sports bras to stop the jiggling (and as I got smaller, there was less to jiggle...a LOT less!).  And it wasn't my bones that were big, it was the thick layer of blubber over my bones that made me look fat!

By making this tombstone, I am not saying that suddenly I will be an exercise freak and that I will live for working out.  Not going to happen!  I still don't like it.  And I don't HAVE to like it, but I do HAVE to do it.  Not every day, but every week. 

This tombstone is more about stopping the lies and excuses for not doing what I know I should.  I would rather be honest. 

So, here's to being honest! 

This was the desktop on my computer for over a year.    

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tombstone #1: Being Fake

Being Fake


This one is a big one for me and that is why I gave it the #1 spot on my list. 

I had a major revelation the other day while lying in bed and this whole tombstone was perfect timing.  I had just finished watching "Grown Ups" and was thinking to myself how much I wish I had a large group of coupled up friends just like in the movie.  (A future tombstone for me will be to stop trying to live my life like in the movies...but not yet...)  I got really sad about how small my social circle is and how hard I have tried to have lots of close friends in my life. 

I started thinking about my past and how I got to where I am today.  I started thinking about all the failed relationships in my past.  All the friendships that have fizzled out over a short period of time.   All the people i am in contact with on a daily basis but have no actual or real relationship with.  I noticed a common theme.  ME.

I kept thinking to myself, "Why don't people like me?  I try so hard to get people to like me, I don't understand why it isn't working!"


Then it hit me.  I am trying too hard!


I spend all kinds of time trying to act like someone who I am not so that people like me. I put on this facade and parade around to get attention, thinking that this behavior will get people to think I am awesome and want to have a relationship with me.  I have been doing this my whole life.  And until recently, I had no idea it wasn't working! 

I don't want to be like that anymore.  I want to be myself.  I like myself.  For the first time in a LONG time, I actually like myself.  I think I am amazing.  I am funny, smart, witty, and entertaining.  I am pretty much awesome in every way. 

So, here's the deal.  No more Miss Fakey-pants.  No more giggling like I don't understand the joke.  No more feigning interest in what people are talking about.  No more biting my tongue.  No more acting like an angel.  No more pretending.  No more hiding.  No more caring what people think.  No more following trends to fit in.  No more dwelling over shoulda/coulda/woulda's.  No more editing my status updates.  No more checking to see how many Facebook friends I have.  No more stressing about the friends I don't have.  NO MORE BEING SOMEONE I AM NOT!

From now on I will be the person I want to be.  The person I really like. 

I am a bitch.  I like to make rude jokes.  I love pink and glitter.  I love being girly and feminine.  I love sarcasm.  I don't like to act my age.  I am an attention whore.  I like to laugh, really loudly. I am narcissistic.  I think farts are funny.  I don't act my age.  I like being silly.  I tend to be annoying.  I like to use curse words as often as possible.  I am selfish.  I like to wear t-shirts with cartoon characters on them.   I talk to much.  I like to wear sock that don't match.  I like to spend Sundays in bed watching romantic comedies. 

If people don't like any of this, they can beat it.  Honestly.  They can just go.  I don't need them around.  If they can't appreciate how completely awesome I am, than I don't need them around dragging me down!  I don't need to waste my time and effort trying to impress someone who already thinks I am annoying.  (To be honest, I would rather know ahead of time that they find me annoying so I can be even more annoying for the fun of it.)

I know that I am an amazing person, and I know that I will find people who share this feeling and want to be around me.  And, frankly, if I don't, that's fine too.  I am a laugh a minute and can entertain myself with my constant stream of jokes. 

Monday, October 11, 2010

My Tombstones!

First off, sorry for not posting for over a month!  Not that any one really missed me, but that isn't the point.  I do have some exciting things coming up in the next few months so maybe I will have some blogs up my sleeve.  So stayed tuned for the Muddy Buddy blog, the Pumpkin hunting/carving blog, and in late December the Disney blog!

And don't worry, this post will make up for lacking entries by stretching out one topic to FIVE posts!

A few weeks ago my wonderful WW Lifetime friend Trixie, who lives in New York and is awesome, posted a blog about her "Tombstones".  (Read about them here, and while you are there read about how how awesome Trixie is and how she lost 100 lbs on WW!)

In case you are incredibly lazy and don't feel like clicking the link, basically, Trixie came up with the idea of creating tombstones for Halloween for each of the habits/excuses we want to get rid of and bury for good in 2010.  She picked some great ones for herself, took a picture of them and posted them on her blog.  She asked that her readers do the same and she will post them on her blog too.  Since I am a major attention whore and have an overwhelming need to get my face out to the world, and I love taking pictures of myself,  I decided to participate in her challenge.

What did I get rid of in 2010 that I never want to see again?  My first reaction was silly stuff like my double chin, and diabetes.Yea, sure, I never ever in a million bazillion years see that awful double chin's ugly face again, and I totally kicked Diabetes ass this year, but I think she was looking for something a bit more deep and profound.


So I thought a little harder and I came up with five really good tombstones for 2010.  I plan to talk about each one individually throughout this week in detail.

So here they are...in no particular order...My Tombstones!

  1. Being Fake
  2. "I'm not built for running."
  3. Buying Friends
  4. "It needs CHEESE!"
  5. "I'm not a breakfast person."
Okay, I know I said I was aiming for "deep and profound" but those are just the titles. I promise, the meaning behind the silly titles is really thoughtful!  Don't get all judgemental-pants quite yet! (Wait until I explain myself, then you can shake your finger at me.)

Okay, off to finish dinner for the man!  (Did I mention we had our 4th wedding anniversary last week?)

Smooches!!