Yes, I have seen her get obsessed with something - a food plan, a type of exercise, even something like Lularoe clothing…go whole hog and then after a while it fizzles out and she’s onto something else (she is hosting another sell from home clothing party this week that is now NOT Lularoe!)
Her dad is very ill and they are very close - I do think some of this is a whack in the face to get in better health as she sees his declining. I think she can be a perfectionist (her kids are dressed and posed perfect for every photo, every snack she brings to school is done to the max, etc.) She is definitely a cheerleader and a positive person - I like her a lot! I just see her going down a road that may be too severe and difficult to maintain.
I clearly shouldn’t worry about it, but again, because she puts it out there constantly on social media I’m very aware of it!
Thanks for the opinions - I’ll continue to support her and cheer her on as long as she seems to be having fun.
Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions. @sushiritto - I would want to be a bit lighter and in a bit better shape for an obstacle run. I feel overfat for an event like that right now! @dmd77, I am actually thinking of an 8k in November. There are a few random races coming up but my body hasn’t responded well to heat while racing, so I’m avoiding those and looking to the fall.
This is me - well, except no cocaine addiction and no BQ. The excessive vigilance comes from fear of slipping - one donut leads to a dozen, one McDonald’s hamburger turns into a supersize meal BEFORE you cook and eat dinner for your family. I think I’m in that moderate place right now. My husband thinks I’m addicted to exercise, but it really is the center for my social life. I run with my friends, I do Pilates and other training with other friends, we do race weekends, the list goes on. My husband works all the time, so I need to maintain that social outlet. I need it, so I guess in that sense I am addicted. I guess I can think of worse addictions.
I feel the same, sabaray. No motivation to stick to a running plan without a race to train for. Kind of wishing I was doing the NYC marathon in November. I signed up for a 10k in October and might sign up for a 5 mile race a few weeks later.
Yeah, some of it is social for me, too. I have my mom friends and my neighborhood friends and my book club friends, but the ones I see most often and so bond the most closely to are my exercise friends. I’d like to sleep in, but if I do I won’t see x to talk about y on our run or I won’t get to see z to hear about her swim meet.
I do enjoy the activities. I will run and swim by myself because I like it. But adding the companionship takes it up a notch. These are my teammates!
@sushiritto – where is your Tough Mudder (what’s the setting)? Just asking out of concern because I remember now that my sister (who is a nurse) worked at one set on a farm. Some of the injuries were from cuts which got badly infected (think running through animal excrement). Hope no one’s still eating lunch…
I have only done one, short adventure race. It was an all girl 5K and I did it with swim friends, not run friends, so many in the group were out of their element. On a warm day it would have been a blast, but we got a day in the 30s(!) which made the water obstacles even tougher. We were game, however, and went through that cold, muddy water when required. We were so frozen at the finish we had to help each other change clothes. Our fingers wouldn’t work! Too cold to shower, so we went home dirtier than we should have. (Or rather stopped for tacos and margaritas when we were still pretty dirty…)
I’d do it again.
I have done a few races that weren’t supposed to be adventure races but turned out that way due to bad weather. Flooded trail races and snowy marathons.
I’ve seen a bunch of stuff come up in my legal reporters about suits against the organizers of these races. Obviously, most of the participants emerge unscathed, but I assure you that the issues and casualties are real.
I’ve done a few over the years. For the record, you can choose to not do an obstacle, if you’re not comfortable with it. In the case of the Spartan Race, the penalty for a missed obstacle is death, er, sorry, just 30 burpees.
I have scratched myself on some barbed wire before, but thankfully, my tetanus shot is up to date. I haven’t had any problems nor have I seen any problems. No injuries, no deaths. I’ve made it thru unscathed, but I also train for them. But like most anything, some risk is involved (e.g., someone recently posted a person getting rhabdo from a spinning class).
Anyway, for someone who likes the American Ninja Warrior-type stuff, climbing walls and ropes, flipping tires, hauling logs and rocks, going thru mud, and running too, they’re alot of fun.
Your statement is a huge generalization, since, for example here locally for me, the choices have been Squaw Valley, Infineon Raceway Sonoma, public parks, AT&T Park (where the SF Giants play baseball) and they aren’t filled with manure. Sure, there may/are venues on farms in the middle of nowhere, but you can pick your venue. Many of them are run at ski resorts (during summer, no snow), since the terrain is long and varied.
I’ve been immersed in mud and muddy water and have never been sick or sickened. Knock on wood. :-t
Germs and bacteria are everywhere and we need many of them to build our immune systems too.
There are many, many such races held on farms. You are probably competing in higher end venues. There are other ways of building immunity out there that do not involve crawling under a pig pen fence… We are talking about those races that run through the old McDonald’s turf.
I’ve done tris in lakes that were worrisome. I haven’t been sickened and can’t recall reports of others getting sick in my past races, but do remember reading about a guy who died after swimming in a dirty lake in a tri some years ago. (And I am not talking about the people who die during the swim.)
I wouldn’t swim in poop.
I would eat a bug. (What was that show where they ate disgusting things? Fear Factor?)
I’ve done a “farm venue” too, in the Sacramento area and one outside the San Jose limits. I haven’t seen a pig pen fence, but I wasn’t looking for one either. And I’m still here! <:-P
I agree, they’re obviously not for everyone. I think they’re alot of fun, but they’re geared more to the younger crowd. Last time I ran the numbers, roughly 1-2% of the participants are 40 and older.
