Facing My Fears

I received a pair of SoleHealers in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Running has done a lot of good things for me. Health benefits aside, probably one of the best things I've gotten from running is confidence and the ability to do hard things. After failing so horribly at my first attempt at the marathon, I didn't think I could ever face that distance again. But...

Three years later, I lined up and ran a 1 hour and 10 minute PR at the marathon. What changed for me?

During that time frame, I started working with a CrossFit coach to correct some imbalances that were causing recurring injuries. As she worked with me to strengthen my posterior chain, she pushed me into the red zone on the comfort scale. She made me challenge myself and had me lift heavier than I ever thought I could. As part of my marathon training, along with strength training, she had me do MetCon style workouts which pushed me almost to the point of vomiting. I didn't vomit, and as a result of the hard training, I saw my mile splits improve to times I never dreamed I could run.

I'm not a natural athlete, so none of what I do comes easily to me. Confidence goes a long way to help a person overcome their fears. So does having a person who believes in you and pushes you.

This week's workouts:
Monday: Treadmill run 5 miles
Tuesday: rest day
Wednesday: run outside, 6 miles
Thursday: strength training and bootcamp
Friday: run outside, 8.25 miles
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: bootcamp

This week at CrossFit, Coach Sammy Jo had me carry the 80# wreck bag. The last time I lifted that bag, I painfully dislocated my SI joint. Yikes. Sammy Jo told me that she wouldn't let the bag "hurt me" this time and stood behind me, talking me through the process of lifting it up off the ground. Needless to say, I lifted the bag to my chest three times and carried that beast 200m each time. Upon completing the laps, I dropped the bag to the floor where it generated a satisfying thud and released a cloud of powder. It was worth it just for that alone.

It's really like having an 80# baby.

While running has given me confidence, it is what I do in the CrossFit box that helps me overcome my fears. Nothing else I have done as an athlete has pushed me so much out of my comfort zone as CrossFit. Instead of shying away from lifting heavy weights, I've got Coach Sammy Jo spotting me as a safety net. When the weight increases to the point that my wrists protest, she lends me her wrist wraps. She accepts no excuses from me, telling me that she knows I can lift the weight she's put on the bar. It is her belief in my abilities that allow me to push myself to do things that seem ridiculous and scary to people outside of the fitness arena.

But oh my gosh, these things are so much fun!

Like handstands. Climbing the rope to the ceiling. Getting back on my bike after that crash on the road last summer. Tandem waterskiing with Holly. Any of these things which, in the past, would have scared the hell out of me.

You can teach an old dog new tricks.

I thought about all this on my long run this week. Friday was International Women's Day, but I don't need a special day to remind me how lucky I am to have strong women in my life. My mom, who like a good mom should, thinks I am amazing. My sisters, who keep me humble. My friends, both real and virtual, who encourage me and support me. And my coach, who believes in me. I can do hard things and it is because of the wonderful women around me.

"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher. Life is already filled with those who want to bring you down." ~Oprah Winfrey

Do you push yourself out of your comfort zone? Do you have people in your life who encourage you? What are you afraid to do?

I Tried it! SoleHealers make my feet happy! Made for runners by a runner @fitchick365 /via @oldrunningmom #runchat #running

Having suffered from plantar fasciitis several times, I'm always on the lookout for products that will keep my feet happy. As soon as I feel that telltale twinge in my arches, panic ensues. I do all the things like stretching and rolling to prevent PF from taking hold. For those of you who've suffered from PF, you know it's the devil. I've tried everything out there. So when the inventor of SoleHealers approached me about trying her new product, I was intrigued! SoleHealers is a foot stretcher and massager for the feet. There is a nubby surface that provides a myofascial release of the tight areas of the feet. SoleHealers come in a set of two and trainers are using them with their athletes, not only for deep tissue massage but also during stretching exercises. SoleHealers are soft and pliant but they put gentle pressure on the bottom of the feet. It feels really good.

Malasana using SoleHealers
Hurts so good!

My SoleHealers arrived in a mesh bag along with instructions on use. I have been using them to work on my feet after running and while stretching. Something I really like about SoleHealers is that I can put them under my feet while I'm doing certain yoga poses, like chair and malasana. I don't know about you, but I'm not very good about stretching my feet, so a tool that does double duty is a win for me. Because you can do both feet at the same time, Sole Healers make it easy. I'm going to continue to use SoleHealers and I hope you want to try them too!

Want to try SoleHealers? Use the code SOLE for 10% off. Let me know what you think! 

I'm linking up with the Weekly RunDown with Kim and Deborah.