Meet Kim
Life's a circus for Kim. Her days are spent juggling work, family & friends and, at times, squeezing in a little "me" time. It's a good week if she leaves work in time for yoga class. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, she has no problem getting dirty. She's counting on her strong, country work ethic to help her train for her first 5k.
Shoes and Show Time
I’m back from a vacation to Boston and let me tell ya about a lesson I learned: proper shoes are important! We walked from Back Bay to the North Side to downtown to Fenway and I wore… flip flops! My feet hurt. My hips hurt. My back hurt. All out of line and achy because I didn’t have enough support on the ol’ feet. Dumb. I know. But it was hot and I hate how my legs look with tennis shoes on. (Lame, I know.)
That got me thinking about the shoes I’m going to wear for the mud run: My trusty gym shoes. I’ve had them for a long time and I can’t wait to conquer the mud run in them – and then toss them out. Why? Well, they symbolize my body’s journey the past four years. I was in good shape when I bought them, then I let myself go and didn’t use them for a long time. I hit rock bottom and decided I needed to use them more. But… I let life and work and commitments get in the way of that. Then, last summer, when I decided I needed to change my life, I put them back on. I’m going to finish training for Dirty Girl in them (at the weight I was when I bought them; go me!) and then move on. I’m past all that baggage from my old self as the person who thought I couldn’t be healthy – or run a 5k! When I cross the finish line, I’m throwing these shoes away and going to buy myself a new pair of gym shoes to celebrate my new life and my commitment to healthy living!
As we approach show time (August 20 for the Wisconsin race!), what shoes are you wearing for the mud run? What obstacles have you conquered in them? Are you going to keep them or toss them after the race? Let me know about the souls behind your soles!
June 23rd, 2011
The Course at Milford Hills – Pt. 2
I’m back and I’m ready to share some more details about the Wisconsin Dirty Girl Mud Run at Milford Hills. Many of you are in the middle of, or starting, some training for the mud run and that’s great!
I’ve seen so many great posts and comments on Facebook and Twitter about what you’re all doing to get ready – whether boot camps, trail running, treadmill intervals, zumba classes, weight training, chasing the kids around or the couch to 5K program, you’re all going to do awesome. There’s nothing to be afraid of on this course – it’s going to be pure fun, laughter and enjoyment – not to mention muddy!
When I “toured” the Milford Hills course I was excited to see all the different terrain and the sheer beauty of the place. We’ll be trekking through mud (obviously), water, grass, pavement, up and down hills and through trees and fields (with paths cut out for us). There will be 11 obstacles throughout the 3 miles. That means we’ll be running/jogging/walking for about 1/4 mile between each obstacle…that’s not so bad, right?!? Check out this page on the Dirty Girl website, to see the actual obstacles on the course to get a better idea of each one.
Milford Hills Pond
If you get a chance to run in some grass or do some trail running, that would be a great way to get yourself ready for the event – it’ll help you get used to the feeling of running/walking on something other than pavement or a treadmill. The course is winding and has different elevations – one of the coolest parts (in my opinion) is the tire run through the trees. Gorgeous. Oh and there’s some cool water features along the way as well – a small pond and a little river we get to trek through. AWESOME!
River on the course
As I’ve mentioned (as have the other bloggers), this event is going to be so much fun! I’m not gonna lie, I’m not the best runner, but I do know that once I finish this mud run I’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment. It’ll be something I’ve never done before. And, it’ll be something I’ll never forget!
So now you know what I’m most excited for (mud, tire run, laughter). What are you most looking forward to at the Dirty Girl Mud Run?
June 8th, 2011
How To Prepare & What To Wear
How do I prepare for my first race? I’m pushing myself on my treadmill days (I still rotate between the elliptical and treadmill) but I know that once I get used to running, I’ll need to develop a plan for running 3.2 miles at one time. (That dang endurance thing again.) Does anyone have recommendations? I’ve been thinking about downloading the C25K (Couch To 5K) program and I’ve thought about finding local running clubs… but, um, do those people run fast?! Worries aside, I bought a groupon last week for seven kickboxing classes. Hi-ya! My hope is that taking classes, trying different activities and exploring the outdoors (if the snow ever goes away) will help prepare for the obstacles during the Mud Run.
And since I’m a girl, I’m stressing (already!) about what to wear the day of the race. I bought a new pair of workout pants (a size smaller; thankyouverymuch!) but do cotton yoga-type pants really get the job done when you’re running? Do I need special shoes? I’ve had the same gym shoes for three years. Should I invest in something new? Why are things so complicated? Speaking of race day attire, have you seen the registration form? We get Dirty Girl t-shirts and I’m pumped! I have plenty of shirts from various walks I’ve participated in but his will be my first t-shirt from running in an event. Putting on my Dirty Girl t-shirt is going to symbolize many things: setting a goal, trying something new, getting out of my comfort zone and proving to myself that I’m worth it… What does your Dirty Girl t-shirt represent?
February 23rd, 2011
Life is what you make of it
This morning I happened to be listening to Sid Caeser (you may remember him as Coach Calhoun in the musical Grease) do an interview on public radio on my drive to work. His words just kinda hit me…”Life is what you make of it. It’s your decision to live it to the fullest or not.” It was simple, yet profound. And as I drove I became more and more excited about what the future holds.
Sid’s life has been filled with medical and emotional crises, but his outlook remains positive and quite inspirational. We all have the choice to improve upon ourselves, do the things we never thought we could or challenge our “limits”. It might be hard to overcome the mental aspect at first, but once you see what you’re capable of, you realize just how strong you can be and how you really can do anything you put your mind to.
So obviously I started thinking about the Dirty Girl Mud Run. But not just for myself…for so many of the women I know out there who may not think they could ever finish a race like this, but haven’t ever tried. My challenge to them? Give it a shot. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s okay if you start slow. It’s okay if you choose to go to the gym a couple times a week and do the Dirty Girl race next year. It’s all okay…just challenge yourself, have fun and be yourself. As for me, I’m a Dirty Girl. 
February 3rd, 2011
