running

What’s Wrong With Me? Bucket List

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 14 Comments

 

20190124_160919In the past two weeks I found myself catching up, in one way or another, with old friends/acquaintances. Some are old work-related contacts, others friends from long ago —  with one contact it was as if no time had passed on by at all – we just picked up where we left off.  With another “friend” I remembered instantaneously WHY I stopped talking to that particular person within 5 minutes! Oy!

Of course, this promoted me to look at old pics.  As it always happens, I ended up going down a rabbit hole of pics and found a few… my last marathon 2004 for example… 

 

Runnersbefore

 

I think I want to run the LA Marathon next year.  WHAT?  This is what I get for looking at old pics!  Oh no…

I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about it. I’ve completed three full marathons — but they were in San Diego — and the LA Marathon has been on my mind for a long time.  Of course, if I was real serious, I’d try to qualify for the Boston Marathon, since it’s my hometown. But, uhem, baby steps…  I’m shocked I’m thinking about this at all!   

I’m hesitant because in 2017 I participated in a Tough Mudder with my fabulous work-out group and nearly died!  Look at my face in this pic — it kinda says it all — this is ME trying to get over a wall: 

 

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Below is a great pic BEFORE we hit the track of mud. We didn’t take a group pic after, but actually, we were all pretty happy and it was a great time — but the scars, scratches, bruising… it was weeks of recovery for me. Just not my kinda thing, but glad I tried it!  Again, crossed off my bucket list FOREVER!  

 

Tough Mudder Love 03.25.17 (2)

 

Granted, running and doing an obstacle course are very different things, but running 26.2 miles is still RUNNING 26.2 miles.  Unfortunately, nowadays, I call a “long run” any time I run to the beach and that’s just a mere 6 miles at best — and only if I actually run back!  Ugghh.  But…  there’s something in me that thinks I can do this again.  I should do this!   

It’s funny. I have so many things on my Bucket List.  I crossed this one off three times already and yet, I still feel like it’s not finished yet.  What is wrong with me?  

I’m positive I’ll NEVER do a Tough Mudder again.  It’s just not my thing. But for some reason I’m itching to finish another marathon.  Maybe I’m posting this so someone will talk me out of it?  I hope so.  

You have at least 4 months to talk me out of it. I’ll have to start heavily training by then.  The next LA Marathon is March 8th, 2020.  I just tried to register but it’s not open yet… is that a sign NOT do it? Hmmmm. 

 

 

I’ll thank you in advance for talking me out of it. Maybe you have another thrill seeking, accomplishing, kinda crazy thing I can do instead?  Lay it on me.  I’d love to hear what’s on your bucket list…  

Happy Sweet Day!  

Carmen 

 

 

 

Support

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 4 Comments

Like many things in our lives, it’s so much easier when you have the right support to walk you through.

Today, I ran to the beach and back – in total it’s about a 6 mile run.  I ran fiercely today – it wasn’t a struggle at all.  I took no breaks. I felt like the music carried me easily through to finish back home in fairly record time. This may seem silly to those athletic friends of mine who do a 6 mile run at lunch on a regular basis, but for me, this was finally finding my stride.  My comfort zone.

It’s taken me a long time to get back here.

I met a great work-out group via MeetUp a couple of years ago —  Sabertooth Fitness —  and I continue to participate in those classes regularly.  I train with Pete Neumann privately, once a week and I’ve started taking a yoga class at Goorus.  Yoga is something I’ve NEVER been interested in at all, since I’m NOT a fan of the practice.  But I found this YIN class that works for me and it has added a whole other level of mind and body care that I hadn’t even considered.

One of the best things I joined,  which is free, was Kasey’s Walking Group which is just a facebook page of people committed to walking or running every day during the summer months and posting a picture or any update of your “moving” that day.  You go for a walk or a run, post a selfie, and watch others post their pics as well. It’s like a great big support group across the country motivating you to just go for a 10 minute walk if it’s all you can do that day.

This morning, on my way back from my run I stopped and while taking my selfie to post, I realized all this support, all this encouraging, has walked me through a very difficult time in my life. Since February 2018 life has pretty much been a bitch!  It really has!  So many things have happened – some real good: like my book being published — but mostly a lot of bad stuff.  Truth be told, all of them stressful, anxiety driven and very disappointing.

And yet, I’ve stayed on point working out, walking, running and have found myself dealing with each situation with calm and even joy (I know, it sounds weird, but I swear it!).  Today it hit me:  all these groups and “new” friends I’ve met where our common goals have been to stay fit – all that support and encouragement – has helped me get through so many obstacles these past few months unscathed. It’s been incredible.  And today I realized it – lightbulb moment!

For some people I think it may be hard to ask for help.  But for me, I didn’t even realize I needed help.  All this time, as I walked through some minefields these past months, I’d been supported by the camaraderie of friends in a class, or getting to a work-out, or meeting my trainer or just having to post on the group page.  All of these interactions motivated me to get out of the “minefield” situation I was in – take a break, maybe talk about it or not, but return with a fresh new perspective. And today, that just all came together and made so much sense, I had to share it!

My point is we should find ways to put the right people around us so we’re always in a nurturing supportive environment.  I know that sounds easy.  And yes, it seems logical.  But when we’re “in” a bad situation, the last thing we want to do is join a work-out group or post something on a page.  But, if you can push yourself  to join a group on Facebook or Meetup —  to just get out of your head for a bit – it really could help you get through things easier.  If only to give you a break from dealing with whatever “IT” is.  You may also be helping others by possibly being that “support” for someone else, even if you don’t realize it.  And yes, depending on the support environment you choose to create, you could also enjoy the side benefit of having that bikini beach body you’ve always wanted!  🙂

Clearly, today, was a good day for me.

 

 

First Day in Shorts…Sun Damage…

GalleryCarmen Lezeth Suarez 5 Comments

First day running in shorts!  Oh, California I’m so glad we’ve had so much rain, but I loved today so much.  Not too hot, not too cold, finally no rain — sunny and gorgeous.  Beautiful day and a perfect run!   But looking at these pics, I noticed something on my skin I wanted to share…wait for it…

1) My bruised knees from a fall over two months ago — doesn’t look like the scars are going away any time soon!  😦

bruised-knees

2)  Mid Cam Pic.  I was hoping to record my squats, but uhm, nope.

laughing-mid-cam-03-03-17

3)  My favorite part:  Resting. Done.

resting

See those “white” dots/discoloration on my legs?  Sun-damage.  Yup.  And I don’t even lay in the sun.  So, please wear your sunscreen always peeps!  On lighter tones you may not even notice what too much of the wonderful sun can do to your skin.

Be smart and take care of you!

Happy sweet weekend to you!

Carmen

Competing Beach Wisdom

Carmen Lezeth Suarez 4 Comments

I went out for a run yesterday morning by the beach.  Five miles, slow and easy.  Nothing too fierce.  James came up beside me and started running backwards in the sand, and as always teasing me a bit with his beautiful self:

“Hey, looking good…race you to the Pier Carm?  Come on.”

I laughed, just a little in that flirty way so he gets the hint that I’m not about to go any faster than I am right now.  He prances off turning around every so often to see if maybe I’ve taken the bait.  He’s absolutely stunningly, by the way.  Even if I could race him, why would I choose to miss such a magnificent view?  The boy’s got perfectly  long muscular  legs, stands about 6 feet tall.  The perfect “back” if you get my “meaning” and has that beautiful “triathalony”, not-one-ounce-of body-fat frame anyone would be jealous of.  And lastly, the dark beautiful skin that’s golden tanned like only the California sun can produce with perfectly blonde “surfer boy” kinda hair that’s a little too long, but perfect all wet and sweaty….

Let me tell you, if there’s ever a question why I work out every morning, let’s just say, I have incentive!

But as I watched James get farther and farther ahead of me, I started thinking a lot about racing and competition.  For as much as I competed as a kid in so many different activities, I was never really a competitor.  I never felt great about winning because I knew that meant someone else had to lose.  And since I had my share of losing, well… it just wasn’t in my nature to like making someone else feel bad,   even if it was fair competition.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important for kids to learn about competition and more specifically, learn how to compete.  People should learn what it feels like to win and to lose.  I’m completely opposed to these new “rules” in some schools that say everyone always wins and no one ever loses and everyone gets an award and blah, blah, blah.  No.  Winning and losing help develop character in a way that no other experience can.

But, now, when I think back on it – I know I’ve never been a competitor, not in the classic sense anyways.

As a kid, I never competed with anyone else but myself.  I wish I could say it had to do with being so wise, but actually it had more to do with knowing what it felt like to lose and realizing early on that when you win, someone else has to end up feeling bad, someone else has to lose. . . and I hated that more than anything else.  So, when I danced or played basketball and won competitions or games, I always went out of my way to try and be kind, gracious and appreciative to the other competitor or team.  But I hated both – losing and winning for sure.

What I did love, was “being better than I used to be”.  Hearing my instructor tell me that I was 150% better from last weeks show,  or,  when I passed the basketball to a team member and they’d hit the winning shot when before they’d never even really played before…  That was brilliant!  The joy in their eyes or their overwhelming happiness was a different kind of feeling for me  – it’s better than winning actually.  It’s something sort of magical!

Well, suffice it to say, I gave in and started running a little faster to meet up with James.  He wasn’t really running afterall.  He was lightly jogging and turning around every so often to wave at me.  Taunting me really.  I couldn’t help but run as fast as I could when he wasn’t looking and then I leaped  on his back…  we both went crashing down onto the sand, the waves came up ever so close and it gave me just the little head start I needed.  He was surprised and still finding his footing when I dashed ahead towards the pier.

So much for not competing.

Eeehh, I cheated…  But come on, this wasn’t a real competition – suffice it to say, he still beat me (is there anything worse than cheating and still losing?  OYVEY!).   But it was a great work-out and a lot of fun and the reward for finishing was….spectacular!   😉

Happy Day everyone!