October 19, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

Exercise, sleep, smile.  These are the things I choose to focus on these days! Ever since the days leading up to and post my tough mudder race, I have been having incredible energy and workouts.  I haven’t once skipped a scheduled workout.  I am really thinking of working out now as part of my daily routine and less of a “workout”…Exercise is not work, it is the essence of living.

I can’t really lie, I had a little bit of a bad leg day today but instead of freaking out, I am going to take care of my body and give it some rest!  I just keep on remembering everyday is a new hill, a new climb and I am bigger than that hill everyday!  No freak outs, just recognize and go with the flow!

October 12, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

Strength. Courage. Girlfriends.  New friends.  I can do this. You are bigger than this hill every day of your life.

This was tough mudder.  On October 9, 2010 my life changed.  I climbed mountains, I hiked from 6,600 ft to 8,800 ft multiple times, I walked on a cliff around a mountain and I made it.  I climbed fences, I crawled in mud, climbed over trucks, carried logs and I conquered every fear I ever had.  At 8,800 feet I found happiness.  On a complete vertical climb the kindness of strangers helped me physically get through challenges.  From the woman that kept on saying you are bigger than this hill everyday to the man that gave me his hand and said it would be his honor to steady me up the hill, I learned there are plenty of amazing and kind people in this crazy world we live in.

To Liz and Carolyne – We have a new special bond, we are tough mudders despite our need to wear tutus!  I needed both of you to make it to the top and bottom of these amazing mountains.  You were my rocks…You both knew I had IT in me and never let me forget it, from the anaerobic lectures at 8,000 feet to Coach yelling at me and saying dig deep and jump the horse, you were both right – I had it in me and owned it every step of the way.

HB and crew thanks for the amazing hospitality you shared with us…Those orange jumpsuits were a big hit on the course!

And to our new friends – Chris, Markell, Ed and Josh, life always brings you pleasant surprises, you guys were an awesome cheerleading squad to have and now you are part of my crazy adventurous family.  I loved having you guys there on my special day and hope to celebrate many more with you all!

October 9, 2010 – I realized what life is really about – it is realizing that I can do what I want, I am bigger than this disease, and I will never let this disease beat me!  Also I can’t thank everyone enough for believing in me on the days that I doubted myself…I no longer doubt myself on October 9th, I learned I am strong enough to conquer physical and mental obstacles in life!



October 6, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

This will likely be my last post prior to my toughmudder race.  Here is a link of some photos of the courses from the race…

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=284242&id=121520047789

I am so excited, I am so nervous, but I am ready.  I wish I could have lost those last 5 lbs, done 10 more pushups but I could always be better…But today I can say I am strong enough to get this race completed.  I want to thank everyone for believing in me, for sending me emails and for wishing me luck.

I am happy I had some time off to train and to get stronger.  I always say when I run races that I run for those that can’t…this is different, this is for me…to push my physical and mental strength and to be the owner of my own destiny.  Life is all about taking risks, enjoying the ride and looking back and smiling.  This so far has been an awesome ride…I’ll be thinking of everyone near and dear to me when I cross the finish line soaking in mud …every one of my friends who signed up for the journey on April 4, 2006 and everyone that still continues to believe in me….

October 5, 2010…

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

It’s all about your cheering squad.   It’s all about saying thanks!  With less than 3 days to go before the big race, I would like to say thanks to my squad.  First and foremost my Equinox family – THANK YOU!  This really is the best gym in the country…you can’t get better group fitness classes and facilities but more than those tangible items, its the intangibles.  It is the smile at the front desk in the morning.  It is the staff and instructors that help me modify my training.  I would like to thank the entire staff at 900 North Michigan – Jason, don, lisa, the entire front desk staff, Lois, Julie, Antonio, Michael, Jen, Tonya for all of their amazing classes.  I would like to thank them for helping me dig deep to believe I can do it!  I know that I am ready to attack the race and every time I think I won’t be able to, I will remember my entire Equinox family sitting on my shoulder all believing I can!  When I cross that finish line, I know that I will hear all of them clapping in the stands!  Thank you all for believing in me!

I also want to thank my girls Liz and Carolyne…but that will have to be another blog…after we run through mud, run through fire and climb walls….lets just hope we  don’t break any bones!

September 30, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

Yay!  Yay! Yay!  First time I ran today in 6 weeks and it was awesome!  The G-trainer rocked my world.  I felt like a complete athlete running at an 8:30 pace and sipping on my gatorade!  This treadmill was amazing!  You can adjust the amount of weight that you put on your foot, so for a runner recovering from an injury, it is a great transition into the running world again!  Above all that though, I felt like I was a complete athlete ready for my race next week!  Great way to end the month!

September 29, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

The energy you exert = the results you expect.  You barely push your work out, you will barely see the results.  Today, I challenged myself, sort of my own Last Chance Workout.  I went to the doctor and was declared bootfree but I still have a slight fracture so we have to strap my foot for the race next week.  I am ready, I realized today — I was my greatest enemy.  I took a spin class at 12:30 then signed up for another at 6:30.  At 6:45, I swore I was going to die, I swore I was going to vomit.  At 6:55 I thought I should just stop…I already went the distance at 12:30.  But then I dug deep, I realized I could do it, I just had to put my effort into the music and into me.  I believed in me…I did this for me…too often in life we do things for others and forget about taking care of ourselves.  I needed to do this for me, to acknowledge my strength and to own that last hill.  This is my journey… a little girl who at age 10 was diagnosed with Dystonia who thought she was going to end up in a wheelchair and today at  35 is reader to conquer one of the toughest races in the country.  My legs are ready, my upper body is ready and I know I have the mental strength to do this!  one week left…..

September 21, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

I rarely say that I am that person that just walks home smiling but today was that day! I am so lucky to be healthy and have the opportunity and the determination to put my mind to enter this tough mudder event.  I am so excited to see my training at Equinox pay off.   As I approach my fifth year anniversary of my DBS in six months I am truly thankful for the miracles of science, Medtronic and my amazing doctors – Dr. Tagliati and Dr. Alterman.  And I am truly, truly thankful for Carolyne and Liz for believing in me and being amazing friends!  Lastly, today while doing those final 20 pushups, I realized I was my own greatest enemy and that I could complete those last 20 — 100 pushups done and done!  (well maybe 95)!

September 20, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

We are in the final weeks of training for my tough mudder race.    With my stress fracture and not being to run, meet my new best friend –

The next two weeks are all about determination, focus and believing in myself.  Every time I think, “what am I doing” , I respond to myself that I am challenging myself and doing things most of my “normal friends” don’t do!  I am so excited and proud of myself for signing up for this race and attacking the hills on my spin bike to get ready!  Thanks to Carolyne and Liz for doing this crazy race with me!  After all this training, fitness is forever in my life!  (the spin bike and I may take some time off, though 🙂 )

September 14, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.

–-Steve Prefontaine, American middle and long-distance runner

The Chicago half marathon has come and gone and I am still alive and smiling!  I didn’t fail in my endeavor to want to try to run the half, I am in great shape, smaller than I have been in years and healthier than I have felt since my twenties  but my foot just wasn’t ready for extreme training.  I didn’t fail, I will now train all year round and not cram my training as though I have a midterm exam.

Sitting still in the last several weeks hasn’t been easy and everyone says ” you know you can take a day off, right?”  I know I need to and that I can, but what people forget is that for 20 years I never experienced fitness…I get excited to move these legs everyday and I will lace up and run again but today the bike was just fine!

September 5, 2010

Posted on by Carrie Siubutt

So despite not being able to run, I am still making it to the gym 5-6x/week.  It is all about being creative and realizing and focusing on what you CAN do and not what you CAN’T do!  Pushing yourself on the bike may not be as fun as running outside in beautiful 65 degree weather, but I can still workout and that’s the most important thing.  Set your own goals, own your success!

My song of the day that help me accomplish my daily goal was Bruno Mars “Just the way you are”

Enjoy the rest of the labor day weekend and set those fall goals!