ihavetheruns posterous

You Can Do Anything, But Not Everything

ok so i lied. A few more posts here until my new blog is ready!

Saturday i had the good fortune to land an invite to a lecture and cooking class with Sarah Fragoso. She is the author of Everyday Paleo. She is a CrossFit coach, a mother of three, and mentored under Robb Wolf. The event was hosted by NSW Family Resiliency. A program to enrich the families within Naval Special Warfare.

The lecture was geared towards educating military families on the benefits of Paleo. Sarah was fantastic. She was cute, she was realistic, motivating and inspiring. She was very open about her own struggles with raising 3 kids and wanting to "to do it all." She told us about her horrible struggle with adrenal fatigue and cautioned everyone about the dangers of wanting to do EVERYTHING! CrossFit Firebreather, Coaching, mother of 3, wife, ... She said she found she was always living in the future. Always pre-planning for the plan. And it eventually caught up with her. She spent almost a month on bed rest which gave her the time to think about what needed to change. She needed to be OK with saying "no" she needed to live in the moment and had to let some things go. Going to bed with dishes in the sink wasn't a crime.... These statements were epic to the crowd she was speaking to. At least they were to me.

The majority of the audience had NEVER heard of paleo. And one gentleman was visibly excited to learn about the benefits and what he could eat. He was loving the sound of all the meat and eggs and then when she got into the coffee discussion..."black coffee no cream"...well his reaction was priceless. That was his "dealbreaker moment." Head in his hands and deflated like a giant hot air balloon....I was surprised he didn't get up and walk out.

What is the dealbreaker moment? Ok this is a term that I have made up from watching the reactions of the CrossFit Chula Vista nutrition discussions take place. Or from speaking to any of my friends or family members about paleo. For the most part the paleolithic diet sounds great. Especially to men ( let's face it, men love steak and bacon) but then the discussion usually goes sour when the "no bread, no pasta, no cream in your coffee" comes around. And that's when I see the best reactions. That's when It is so apparent that we have emotional connections to food whether we believe we do or not.

I have a friend who almost began to cry out of panic over the thought of not being able to eat pasta. Pasta, at that point, was a staple in her house. A young woman who was made a widow after her husband was killed in a navy jet crash she was left to raise two young kids and deal with the aftermath of that horrible unthinkable situation. Pasta was her "go to family dinner." She could make a nice warm comforting meal for the three of them. The kids would dive into the plates of food and it made them "feel whole." The thought of changing not only her diet, but her kids' as well was just daunting. It was gonna be "one more argument." And possibly disrupt that precious dinner table time. But bound and determined to feel healthy, and have more energy she dove in. She purged her pantry of all the easy meals and snacks. Made the obligatory Whole Foods run, joined her local CrossFit, all the while questioning her own sanity...but really really willing to do what she had to do to feel happy and good about herself.

I called my friend today to ask her if it was ok to share a bit of her story on my blog. I asked " Do you remember almost losing your mind over the bit about no pasta?"

She said she did, and she said just like I had explained that she felt like she needed that food item to help her hold everything together. To make her feel OK.

"Not to be dramatic" she said. " But I looked to pasta to give me that feeling of happiness, comfort."

So I asked " How do you feel now? You've been eating Paleo and doing CrossFit for several months?"

She said "I don't even miss the pasta...i get more comfort and peace from knowing I am putting quality food into our bodies...WHO KNEW!!!???"

She said within two weeks she felt like she had way more energy. She felt happier. She loved the new challenges that she faced with her workouts at CrossFit. (She sends me pictures of her ripped up hands after a hard WOD). She is living life with zeal. Trying new things and open to many new challenges and opportunities.

Paleo really is an amazing lifestyle...and I mean that. It is a lifestyle. It is hard work, it takes preparation and focus but the effort it takes to follow is a fraction of the reward. I have seen amazing transformation within myself, my runners, and my friends.

I want to personally thank Sarah for sharing her knowledge, recipes, and personal struggles. And an even bigger thank you to her for spending her weekend making a difference with the military community. Not a lot of people realize how hard it is to be a military spouse. And how easy it is for our community to fall into a life full of short cuts because we are overwhelmed by a daily list of daunting tasks. If any demographic needs to focus on eating right and living healthy lives...it's us!

******The gentleman in the crowd was told about the rich creamy taste and texture of coconut milk for coffee. I think he is planning on giving that a whirl.

******My friend has switched to spaghetti squash pasta nights.

Don't Forget to be Awesome

It has been quite a long time since I posted on this blog. I feel a little bit divorced from it. As my life has changed so much in the past year and the original purpose of this blog is no longer what it was.

I started keeping this online journal..as i liked calling it. As a way of logging my training. Sharing with CFE coach during his Summer travels and with my training partners my thoughts, my set-back, and my days when i felt amazing. But the blog turned into so much more. And with that, I felt a huge responsibility to make sure each blog post was up to my standard. That the topics were important. That I was being open and honest. And that was a lot of work!

Since December of 2010 I have taken on the job of coaching CrossFit Endurance. What started out as a group of 6 or 7 runners meeting twice a week to run intervals and learn proper running technique has now grown to 30 members. We meet 3 times a week. We have socials. We have tshirts. We do races and have cheering squads. We have a wonderful group of hard working people. All of whom support and encourage each other. Each person is treated as an athlete, whether they believe they are or aren't. I strive to share my love of running with some people who admittedly HATED it when they first started. And the best moments I have had are when people tell me they experience their first "runners high." I encourage healthy eating, and I ask my runners to push themselves outside of their envelope of "comfortable." I ask a lot, but I get great results. We have a lot of fun and the group has turned into something bigger and better and more important than I ever thought it could be. I myself am learning a lot from the experience.

In the next week or two I will be launching a new blog.www.aubyngominiak.com It will feature everything that i do. From my own personal running and racing stories, to my coaching experiences, accomplishments and interviews with my athletes to my design work as a event planner.I guess you'd call it a lifestyle blog. It is something I have always wanted to do. I love reading other blogs of people who are into a few different things that don't necessarily all bleed into each other. Most event planners/designers don't olympic lift, eat paleo and do ultramrathons. And most gym rats don't spend hours studying color trends and textile patterns. But all if this is my life. And It can all be interesting if written with creativity, honesty, and a bit of humor.

So that being said. Don't look too hard for new posts here on posterous. As my friend Bekka told me " I have tons of abandoned blogs" which just conjured up images of a vacant cyberstreet with boarded up internet addresses. This blog will soon feature a dead lawn and overgrown shrubs. Sad, but the new digs are going to be far more pleasing on the eyes.

I'm Possible

I cannot believe the amazing response I received from so many people after my last blog post. Last week turned out to be a very emotional week for me as a result of all the correspondence.

I was so nervous and kind of stressed and regretful for having shared my story and my pictures. But then when I started reading the responses and emails I knew i had made a good decision.

I read so many emails with glassy eyes feeling the stress and shame and frustration that so many people feel when they want to make a change with their lives but they just don't know where to start.

I feel such a huge responsibility to help each and every single person who has reached out to me. I know how important it is so feel inspired and then act on that inspiration before the moment passes. I hope my responses to questions helped encourage people even more.

One of my friends told me that she has now named the fire under her ass "Aubyn!" What a great compliment. And that friend is one of the half dozen friends who ended up joining CrossFit within 48 hours of my post.

I want everyone to know that I haven't had amazing results because I am some amazing athlete who used to be super skinny and just had some baby weight to lose. I am a hopelessly average athlete. Like the old saying goes " Jack of all trades, master at none." I can hold my own in many categories....but I will never be world class in anything. I lost weight, and got fit because 5 mornings out of 7 I had my workout done before most people were out of bed. I stopped half-assing life and cheating myself out of a better result. I dug deep and I found that more than anything, I liked having that sense of pride at the end of the day that one gets when they know they've given their all.

The word inspirational was used so much in all the messages I received. That I concluded that many people are just in a massive funk and are looking for something or someone to get them out of their rut. So I wanted to share with you some of my sources of inspiration. I believe that in life Everyone gets in a rut. And everyone plateaus, and everyone needs to be inspired. Especially Moms!!!

So here you go. Words to live by.

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before and after

At the risk of embarrassing myself with my before pictures. I think it is time I shared my before and after. I could write pages on this topic. But I think a lot of you know me and know my story. so I will just give some brief details.

18 months ago I was 165 pounds. I had very little strength. A lot of self doubt and a freight car full of self loathing. I joined CrossFit. Sometimes I like to think I got talked into joining. But I have never been one to be forced into doing something i don't want to do.

Here is a snapshot of what I was like a year and a half ago:

1. I hated the way I looked. I hated having pictures taken of me. And I hated seeing myself in the mirror.

2. I hated having to bend over as I always was met by my huge stomach. I was frequently asked if I was pregnant when I wasn't.

3. I slept 8 or 9 hours a night.... then I was always tired at 1 or 2PM.....feeling like I would never be able to get through the dinner hour with my famly.

4. I decided what I was capable of doing physically and mentally before even so much as trying. I had a whole huge list of things I knew I would never be able to do. Run an Ultramarathon, do a pull-up, do a handstand....the list goes on and on.

5. I never took a compliment. If someone said something nice to me I figured I had them fooled. Not thinking maybe the person meant the compliment & perhaps I was deserving of praise.

6. I loathed tank tops, bikinis, short skirts and shorts.

7. Jumping rope was not only difficult but humiliating as I knew I looked Horrible with my body shaking all over. I grew used to the feeling of parts of my body, other than my boobs, bouncing when I ran.

Then I joined CrossFit. I loved it from the beginning. It made me nervous. It challenged me. I never left there feeling like I hadn't done anything worthwhile. And I never left feeling defeated. I met amazing people. People who encouraged me to do things I thought I would never be able to do. I lived for my workouts. It was one hour a day where I focused entirely on me. It made me mentally and physically tough. And if everything else during the day went to shit... it didn't matter because my 6am WOD was that empowering.

Here is a current snapshot

1. I now weigh around 140 lbs. Not a huge weightloss. But after a few months of doing CrossFit I knew the scale wasn't the best tool to measure success. I am now a size 2 down from a size 10 or 12. My BMI is around 21. And I am super strong and fast and can run for hours on end.

2. I have learned how to grocery shop. How to cook. and how to take care of my body. If all the fitness professionals vanished off the face of the earth tomorrow....I would still know how to train and take care of myself.

3. My posture has improved immensely because now I have the back neck and shoulder strength to actually sit and stand properly. I rarely have sore shoulders or a sore back from anything other than a good healthy workout.

4. I stopped deciding what I was capable of doing and just decided to give everything a try. I can now do lots of pull-ups, handstand push-ups, I've run half marathons, full marathons, and even an ultra-marathon.

5. Several months ago someone said I should think about coaching runners as I love it so much and have a huge knowledge base from my own experience as a life-long runner. I laughed it off. Then a few months later the owner of my CrossFit box asked me the same question. And said he would pay me to get CrossFit certified and pay me to coach his clients. I knew i could do it and knew I would love it.

6. The best thing out of all of this is that I really like me. I don't beat myself up anymore. I regained my self confidence. I stopped hating pictures and my reflection. I feel like I can handle almost anything life throws me. I have said goodbye to people who were toxic in my life. and I have surrounded myself with wonderfully healthy happy positive people who pick me up when I'm down and pat me on the ass when I've done well.

7. My life has become less complicated. I need less to make me happy. I get turned on by new and exciting challenges and one of the highlights of my week is coaching my group of CFE clients.

My healthy lifestyle is healthy all around. And it's because I totally deserve it!

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“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.” Mikhail Baryshnikov

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.”

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Such a hot topic right now

How to use competition to better your own performance without being divisive or "off-putting"

The one thing I took away from my few dozen yoga classes ( yes ...I know shirley and danielle... I really need to get back to those) is the constant reminder to focus "inward." I remember the instructor saying " Do not look around the room to see who has their leg up higher. Pick a spot on the wall and focus on your own leg, your own stretch your own breath, etc"

I wish more people took yoga. I wish more people used that lesson in all aspects of their lives.

I believe that to get the most of my training at Crossfit ( where competition is the backbone ) I need to remember why I am there in the first place. I am there for ME!!! I am there for my journey. To accomplish my goals. To feel like I have done something for myself. To make sure I give my all, my best.

I am thankful for fit and fantastic people to train with. Because without them, I might have just half-assed my workout and totally cheated myself out of a good training day. The group WODS really push me. I try to either set the pace or not allow people to get too far ahead of me, pretending I am trying to stay in a pack of runners. Allowing their energy to pull me along, or push me forward. Having other people there with me, doing the same workout, is the reason I go to Crossfit. And I try to remember even during the worst WODS... am doing this because it is fun! What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.....and surviving a hellish WOD with people (whether I was the first or last one to finish) can be really bonding!

The last thing I would want people to think when they see me at Crossfit, Is that my goal that day is to beat them and their best effort. How obtrusive would that be? I assume that everyone is there for a different goal. Ultimately they are there for themselves. And like me, maybe to make a few friends along the way.

Fw: “I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.” Mikhail Baryshnikov

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.”

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Such a hot topic right now

How to use competition to better your own performance without being divisive or "off-putting"

The one thing I took away from my few dozen yoga classes ( yes ...I know shirley and danielle... I really need to get back to those) is the constant reminder to focus "inward." I remember the instructor saying " Do not look around the room to see who has their leg up higher. Pick a spot on the wall and focus on your own leg, your own stretch your own breath, etc"

I wish more people took yoga. I wish more people used that lesson in all aspects of their lives.

I believe that to get the most of my training at Crossfit ( where competition is the backbone ) I need to remember why I am there in the first place. I am there for ME!!! I am there for my journey. To accomplish my goals. To feel like I have done something for myself. To make sure I give my all, my best.

I am thankful for fit and fantastic people to train with. Because without them, I might have just half-assed my workout and totally cheated myself out of a good training day. The group WODS really push me. I try to either set the pace or not allow people to get too far ahead of me, pretending I am trying to stay in a pack of runners. Allowing their energy to pull me along, or push me forward. Having other people there with me, doing the same workout, is the reason I go to Crossfit. And I try to remember even during the worst WODS... am doing this because it is fun! What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.....and surviving a hellish WOD with people (whether I was the first or last one to finish) can be really bonding!

The last thing I would want people to think when they see me at Crossfit, Is that my goal that day is to beat them and their best effort. How obtrusive would that be? I assume that everyone is there for a different goal. Ultimately they are there for themselves. And like me, maybe to make a few friends along the way.

Recovery Week

The Ride-n-Tie took more out of me than I expected. My legs were so swollen perhaps from taking the salt tabs. But they were super sore and bruised from my time in the saddle. My right I.T. band was screaming as well. I was having a really hard time walking for a few days. I went in to Danielle's to get some work done on my legs. It helped so much and we both agreed that I need to take it easy and back off my running for a few weeks just to get rid of the nagging injuries I seem to be getting in my right leg.

I also picked up a new pair of trail shoes from Pulse Endurance. I really great store here in Chula Vista owned and operated by Ultramarathoners and cyclers. They really know what they are talking about. I enjoyed meeting them and appreciated all their input. So great to find such a good local store to get all my gear and drink powders from.

This is how my recovery week looked:

Sunday: Off. Super sore. Just a little light walking as I took the kids trick-or-treating but that was seriously all I could handle

Monday: Off. Took the dog for a short walk. I.T. band screaming mad but important to move around a bit

Tuesday: Light run 20 minutes around the Bonita Golf Course with Shirley. Followed by 90 minutes of therapy with Danielle

Wednesday: Rack Jerks 3-3-3

Snatch Balance 2-2-2-2

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1

Kept the weight light and just worked on technique. This is my hardest lift

Rest 3 minutes, then for time:

100 meter tire flips my time 4:14 ( i think)

Thursday:

For time:

30-20-10

Virtual shoveling (shovel the snow)

Farmers walk 50 meters (pick-up water from the river)

Power clean to overhead and walk 10 meters (pick-up a log and carry it)

Log chops (chop the log for fire wood)

200 meter sand bag run (the river's over flowing)

My time 15:13 ( i think )

Super fun WOD i love these unusual but very realistic practical workouts. I am growing to love tire chops!

Friday:

For time:

400 m run

40 wall balls

20 pull ups

400 m run

20 pull ups

40 wall balls

400 m run

my time 13:13 ( i think )

Ride-n-Tie!

What is a Ride-n-Tie?

This link best describes the event:

http://horses.about.com/od/horsesportsexplained/a/introridentie.htm

I did my very first Ride-n-Tie over the weekend. My Dad was my partner and we used his horse, Ron G, to complete our team.

If you didn't read the link above then essentially a ride in tie is two people and a horse and a really long course through rugged terrain. One person begins the race riding, the other runs. The rider rides the horse about a mile up the road or trail and ties the horse to a tree. Then sets out running. The runner who began the race then runs until he/she meets the horse, mounts the horse and catches up with runner. At that point you can either hand off the horse to each other or the rider can continue a ways up the trail. tie the horse again and take off running. It is essentially a leap frog through the forest. There is a huge amount of strategy that comes into play. Being good at both riding and running helps. But it seems like more teams are built out of people who were just good runners who kinda learned how to ride. And many of the participants tend to be ultramarathoners.

Our race was held in Cuyamaca just across the highway from the aid station I had worked the previous weekend. Once again the weather SUCKED! Freezing cold rain and wind. I just shut down in cold weather. I was late gathering all my drinks and supplies for the vet checks because I couldn't motivate myself to take my freezing cold hands out of my pocket and sort through my gear.

My friend Kath and my husband Jack came up to work the vet check. A vet check is the same thing as an aid station. But horses have to pass through a medical check to make sure they are not too exhausted or dehydrated to continue. Or in some case too "Lame" If a horse is limping they are pulled from the race right away.

The team member who rides the horse into the vet check has to run out of the vet check. Which was me both times. I rode in, gave the reigns to Kath or Jack who made sure the horse ate some grain and hay and drank. Covered him in a blanket so he didn't get too chilled and waited until my Dad ran in to take the horse to the vet for a quick exam. Sometimes you can stand and wait in line for the horse to get checked. Losing time on the course. Sometimes the horse takes forever to recover as he wasn't trained well enough or it is too hot,etc. And sometimes the horse is injured and is pulled from the race. That can happen without the partner who has already left the vet check knowing. And they end up running an entire loop alone with no horse.

Ron G, our horse, is the son of my Dad's prize mare "Finally" and the Grandson of his horse "Cougar." He is named after my Grandfather Ron Grant, who was an excellent horseman. I was so excited to ride him again. As I think the last time I was on a horse it was on him and that was 2 years ago at least. It was kind of neat to think as I rode him that I had ridden his Grandma, in fact she was the first horse who ever bucked me off. I was 5 and she threw me right into a gravel pit. I remember it very well. I had also ridden his mother. Man, did she have a lot of spunk. So much so that one of our fellow competitors who had used her in the past came up to talk to us to say she couldn't believe Ron was from her blood lines. He looks just like his mother, but is so calm and easy to ride. I had the best time onboard Ron G. He has an easy gait to ride. He is very predictable and "spooks" from very little out on the trail. He isn't too tall so he is easy to get on and off especially when tired. And he stands nicely at the trees, not causing any drama around all the other horses. I felt very relaxed on him. But I also have a ton of experience riding.

The course was 30 miles long. A combination of rocky fire roads both up and downhill. And single track trail. Some of it narrow and dicey some of it just a trail through a grassy meadow. The first loop was 7 1/2 miles. I ran off course once.....it seems to be what I do best. Came into the vet check and left quickly. I ran off course again. But it wasn't my fault as someone had come and taken down the trail markings and a bunch of us ran off course several times. The second loop was 15 miles. We could see teams getting tired. But we felt good. All of us. Went into the vet check at 21 1/2 and took off again. I felt awesome, Ron G was still trying to run away with us which is crazy, he should've been a bit tired. We ended up overhauling the 3rd place team in the last couple of miles. It felt great.

If you are interested in what a race like this takes. This is how we broke it down essentially. Run for a half mile as hard as you can. Get on horse either because your partner has ridden up along side of you or you have caught up to where he is tied to a tree. Hop on horse ride about 3 minutes either tie or hand off and run again, another half mile as fast as possible. So it breaks down to about 30 800m sprints with 3 minutes of recovery in between on horseback. And the recovery is only for your lungs. Your legs get really tired from riding, and the trails are very technical so you better know what you are doing or you will get hurt.

I am hooked and totally game to do another race. I only hope my schedule will allow it and that I get to do it with Ron G again. My Dad is an awesome partner. He told me he was so proud of me ( even at 35 that is still cool to hear) and that Completing a Ride-n-tie With me was something now checked off his bucket list.

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Lost Boys 50 Miler

Last weekend I worked an aid station at the Lost Boys 50 miler up in the Cuyamaca Mountains. My good friend Kathleen Baker who is an amazing Ultramarathoner was asked to captain the station. I was so excited when she asked me to be a part of the team. A total honor. A great chance to give back to the community of racers and a fabulous learning opportunity. Most aid station workers have to have ultra experience. Our station was top notch. We had several ultra runners, a woman who has pit crewed for hundreds of races including over a dozen Western States and the race director from Noble Canyon,Scott Mills. He was awesome to have around. He just has the neatest personality. He is so high energy, is so positive, is a good critical thinker, knows everyone, and just gets everyone pumped.

I reported to the parking lot about a mile or so away from our station and we 4x4 up the trail to our site. We started prepping our spot around 1030. Estimating we would see the first runner around Noon as we were at mile 38.5 The weather was horrible. We were up on a peak surrounded by freezing fog and rain and horrible wind. Visibility was shit and it was murder trying to stay warm while setting up. Runner's were going off course because they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces. Even with all the good trail markings. It was just a brutal day. By the end of the race I had 6 layers on up top. And 3 layers on the bottom. And It took me hours to warm up once I got home.

Most people who don't run long distances can't imagine what it takes to keep a body moving for that long over rough terrain. They would be surprised to learn that these super lean runners not only enter into an ultramarathon but also an eating contest. It is so important to keep fat, calorie and carb intake up. As well as stay hydrated and also take in salt and electrolytes....even if it is 38 degrees and freezing. The tricky part is doing this while running and really not feeling like you want to eat anything but knowing you have to if you want to keep going. We had tables full of food. From PB &J to Rice Krispie treats to big cups of warm Chicken Noodle soup. We wanted to make sure we had just about anything a person could be craving. The biggest hit were chocolate malt balls. Crazy! I don't even like them when I am not running. But apparently they are a HUGE hit with the endurance crowd.

I learned so much from listening to the conversations that went on between the competitors and Aid Station volunteers. Some runners spent very little time with us and grabbed just what they needed. Others felt horrible and needed to say exactly what was wrong so that these volunteers ( again all very experienced runners) could troubleshoot. Sometimes people needed salt. Others needed to drink more. Some were just cold as hell and needed to stop, drink some hot soup and warm up for a few minutes. It was a year's worth of racing in experience for me. I heard one guy complain that he had gotten bad stomach cramps and that he just slowed down and drank as much as he could until he stopped and went poop.....and then felt a million times better. I've already used that bit of advice. And it was comforting to know I knew what to do!!!

I really want to try a 50 miler thanks to that experience. I was so inspired by the women I saw running. Including a woman who must be in her late 60's early 70's who was kicking ass with a big smile on her face. She was beating men 40 years younger than her. I wish I knew her name as I always see her out on the trails.

Lost Boys 50 is totally going on my bucket list for next year.

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Where Does The Time Go?

I can't believe how long it has been since I last wrote in my blog. Life got so busy there for awhile, I just had no time or energy to record any of my workouts or race prep. I was fighting a nasty cough and nursing my two boys back to health after they both caught bad viruses. And time just slipped away from me.

The past week and a half was a combination of last training runs and tapering before my race. The best part about the few trail runs I had was that I was joined by a couple of my friends who are just getting into running.

My friend Shirley who said she used to always HATE to run has now gotten really into it. She went and bought good shoes and a Nathan water pack. She has joined me on more than a couple of runs now and has even ventured out on the trails alone. I think our last run together she even had a "Runner's High." Which is really cool.

My friend Danielle, who is also my physical therapist hiked Mount San Miguel with me one Sunday. For someone who hates the climb up...man can she motor the downhills. She kept up at a really fast speed. I think we made it back down in 15 minutes, which is a really quick pace and she said she loved it. She's a phenomenal athlete though. The strongest woman at our Crossfit by far and picks up technique in the flash of an eye.

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