Beyond Competing: What It Means to Endure

Enduring the race...and life's challenges

Photo courtesy: jacsonquerubin, Flickr

As I prepare for my first half-marathon, I've been reflecting a lot. There are so many individuals who enter competitions and use these events as a platform for affecting change (by raising money for causes or helping bring awareness to social issues and the like) -- whether it's societal or personal change.

For some, it's more than just a race. It's a personal test of endurance on the course, and in many ways, it parallels enduring the toughest challenges in life. Lately, two stories related to racing have occupied my thoughts. These stories have been such a source of inspiration.

About 3 years ago, I was puttering around the web and came across this incredible video about a father racing with his disabled son: Dick and Rick Hoyt or Team Hoyt. Over the years, Team Hoyt has grown beyond the duo with their story attracting quite a number of followers who have raced with them and supported them. 

This father-son team has completed more than 1,000 events, including 72 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. Last April, they competed in the Boston Marathon for the 32nd and last time. At 73, Dick decided his marathon days were over after dealing with injuries. However, he still plans to enter less intense events with Rick. Meanwhile, Rick will be able to continue participating in the Boston Marathon with someone else from Team Hoyt pushing him in his customized racing wheelchair.

 

The next inspiring story appeared on my Facebook newsfeed today: the story of homeless runner Ronnie Goodman. He lives on the streets of San Francisco, but he is raising funds for the Hospitality House Community Art Program through his participation in the San Francisco Marathon's half-marathon. The non-profit was instrumental in turning his life around -- a life that included prison time and drug addiction.

These are just two of many stories that come out of the racing community. Now that I see running as a part of my lifestyle, I hope to come across even more stories and people that propel me forward.

You Go Girl: Pregnant Olympian Finishes 800-Meter Race

Some may think being pregnant means you can't keep exercising vigorously. Well, Olympian Alysia Montano disproved that myth when she completed an 800-meter race for a championship meet in Sacramento today. Talk about wow! I idolize this woman for going for it with her beautiful bump hanging out for everyone to see. 

Of course, she is the exception to the rule. She's an Olympic athlete and a five-time USA champion for goodness sake. So, not just any pregnant woman can do what she can. In the interview above, Montano defends her decision to run at this stage of her pregnancy. Being fully aware of the flak she might get for doing so, she explains how she carefully consulted with her doctor and husband.

Even with science on her side, I'm not surprised to see negative reader comments from some of the news articles, because of the lack of knowledge those people have about pregnancy and exercise. I also noticed many of the judgmental comments came from readers who were clearly men. All I have to say, if you don't have a uterus, you should probably think twice before showing your ignorance.

Most obstetricians will tell you most pregnant women can continue their regular exercise regimen, as long as this has always been part of their routine. That means you sporadic exercisers shouldn't take up high-impact aerobics out of the blue, if you know you are expecting. But if you jog daily, there's no reason to give that up. Obviously, women who have high risk pregnancies and other health complications should consult their doctor before continuing any physical activity. Bottom line for anything during pregnancy: ask a medical professional...and surfing the web doesn't count!

I did aerobics and yoga when I was pregnant with my son. While they were both prenatal programs, the aerobics class was still pretty vigorous and a good cardiovascular work out. I would have continued working out up until my due date, but my water broke a week early! In fact, I credit staying active for my speedy recovery post C-section; four days after my procedure, I was walking around and climbing stairs like it was any other day.

I remember knowing several women in aerobics class that kept coming even on their actual due date. One even had her water break in the middle of exercising! Not that this is an ideal way to kick off labor, but the point is that you can enjoy doing what you love -- including exercise -- up until you can't.

More good articles on pregnancy and fitness:

Myths and Facts: Exercising While Pregnant

Running During Pregnancy

The Truth About Prenatal Exercise

The Best Kinds of Exercises for Pregnancy

Playlist Inspiration

When you hear a certain song, do images from your life stream in your head? That's exactly what happens to me. While OK Go's Writing on the Wall is essentially a break-up song, it's nostalgically new wave and actually made me feel happy. It brought me back to my Depeche Mode-The Cure-New Order-blaring days. Of course, now I need to have it on my iPod. I'm always on the prowl for new tunes that speak to me, especially now that I'm going on these long 9-mile-plus runs.

Music has a way of tapping into my emotions and sweeping me away into whatever state I'm in at any given moment. A good playlist helps me power through some tough moments out there on the road, when I feel like my legs are going to fall off.

As you can imagine, I have different running playlists to suit my moods. It's not all about the fast, heart-pumping techno songs that get me through my workouts. Songs like this definitely inspire something in me and this video -- with its awesome optical illusions -- makes me like the song even more.