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Posted by admin
Thu Sep 21, 2006 14:24:12 PDT
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Runners take your mark, Get Set, GO! And the cannon goes off. Yes, the cannon. This is the beginning of the Marine Corps Volkslauf Mud Run, held annually in October to benefit Toys for Tots. It is quite an event, affectionately called the “Ultimate Challenge,” a 10K run through mud trenches, with walls and fences to climb, tubes to crawl through, ropes to scale and swing on, logs to cross and much more. It is an experience that cannot be described or duplicated. But who and why would anyone voluntarily participate in such an event? The answer will probably surprise you.
I’ve been in the fitness industry a long time and before that I was always an active person. I wouldn’t have called myself athletic, but very active. I live and breathe fitness and preach it anytime I get the chance. It has become almost a mission to spread the word about how important fitness is and how fun it can actually be. Seeing people change, become healthy, and maintain that lifestyle is very rewarding, it is motivation for what I do. The Volkslauf Mud Run has given me a great opportunity to see these changes more dramatically and in a more diverse group of people than I would have ever expected.
A few years ago after some major life changes, a member stopped by my office and asked if I wanted to participate in a 5K that evening. I had never run any distance, let alone a “race,” but I was bored and needed a challenge so I said yes. I was teaching numerous classes and was in great physical shape, so, why not? To my surprise, I did pretty well. I pushed myself harder than I had ever even thought of before. I finished the race, sweating with my heart pounding, feeling both exhausted and elated. At 39 years old I had tried something new and liked it.
I will never be a competitive runner, but I learned it is not about competition. It is about pushing your limits and stepping away from your safety net. It’s about making and meeting goals, expanding your boundaries, and the incredible people you meet. My newfound athleticism eventually led me to the “Ultimate Challenge,” Volkslauf.
In 2001 I ran the Volkslauf for the first time on a team of four – all women. I will be forever grateful to Michelle for asking me to be on her team. It was truly a life changing experience for me. I loved it so much that the next year I put a sign up in the gym asking if anyone wanted to train with me to run as a team. I was very surprised at those who came to the meeting; they were not athletes, not even weekend warriors. They were everyday moms, students, and working women. Most, if not all, had never run before. I recruited the help of a true runner and my athletic hero, Sally Baker. Now Sally and I had approximately 15 women ready to train for the Ultimate Challenge, in four weeks, and no one had ever run before. But we did it and had a great time. These women amazed me with their determination and spirit.
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That experience also changed their lives forever. Each had their own reasons for deciding to do such an event. Some had weight to lose, some had strength to gain. What they had in common was that none of them were runners and had never attempted anything like this before.
In only four weeks we all became thinner, stronger, more agile and dirtier than before. I held the training in the sandy river bed in the September heat; there was no water in the river then. Each of us plodded along and brought our fitness levels to new heights. Each of these women is still active and has gone on to participate in other events, even triathlons. Mary, Robin, Janelle, Angela, Nellie, Carol, Kelly, Angie…not only did you change your own lives, that year led into many more years of life-changing Volkslauf Training. I hold a special place in my heart for these women; they have indirectly helped so many others. Without them sharing their experiences the training and the event would not have grown to what it is today. Here are some women who have inspired me.
MARY HUFF
Mary was among the pioneers of this training program in 2002. She was about to turn 30 and felt as though she was in a rut with her workout routine. She joined our little group of crazy women running in a dry river bed and successfully completed the Volkslauf. She had this to say about her experience, “I can honestly say that besides giving birth, crossing that finish line was the most rewarding thing that I have accomplished so far in my life.” Since that year Mary has lost 20 pounds and kept it off, continues to train and participates in various events around town. Mary is training with us this year and is barely recognizable from her picture in 2002. Now she is sharing the experience with some friends and I am watching them change just like Mary did.
KATHY WARKENTIN and SARAH CAUGHELL
I met Kathy and Sarah (mother and daughter) in 2004 in a Body Pump class I was teaching. After class they were looking at pictures from the previous year’s Volkslauf. I remember suggesting to them that they should do it, my words were, “it’s fun.” I will never forget the look on their faces, like I was completely crazy! But I was determined to recruit and to show them that they could do things they didn’t think they could do. Somehow I did talk them into coming out. To say that neither had ever run before would be an understatement. They had never even considered it a possibility.
But they did. They started off very slow. Kathy only walked and primarily stayed on the bike path. She was concerned about stepping on the rocks and was unsure about balance. That year I had gotten a little bit smarter and the training was 10 weeks. The two of them kept coming out and hung in there. Sarah began keeping a very nice pace and Kathy continued to walk, with a little jog here and there. She became confident enough to leave the safety of pavement and ventured into the dirt and river! They even entered a local 5K for practice and Kathy got a medal.
Both women successfully completed the Volkslauf. I remember Kathy as she crossed the finish line with pure exhilaration! The following year they recruited Sarah’s husband, Mark, and daughters Merik (11) and Kiera (7). Kiera did the kids’ event while Mark and Merik ended up on the front page of The Bakersfield Californian.
Kathy and Sarah have gone on to compete in numerous races, running and cycling as well as a triathlon. Kathy now has 8 medals hanging on her wall. These women have become weekend warriors and changed the health and wellbeing of their families and friends. Although there were vast physical changes, I think the most profound change I saw in both of these women was in their confidence and attitude. They now know they can do anything they set their minds to. Kathy will be 60 this month! Her advice is if she can do it any one can, no excuses.
These are but a few of the hundreds of stories I could tell about how people improved the quality and eventually quantity of their lives through exercise – it is never too early or too late to change your life!