Rule #4.5 - "Never Say Never"

This one isn't really a "no fear" rule, per se...

I just needed to make an update to Rule #4's entry. One year and one week ago, I wrote about finishing the Run For Your Lives obstacle race and how miserable I was. I conquered fears and did something I never thought I could do, but I said I never wanted to do it again. There was oceans and oceans of mud that I couldn't scrub out of my skin for days and I was in the worst pain of my life. Good experience, but never, ever again - I had said.

Six months after, I apparently forgot about the pain and signed up for the Spartan Sprint Race... and still wondered about my sanity. 3 weeks before the race, I thought I may have to back out as I was hit with the worst flu I had ever had and it brought it's friends, bronchitis and a sinus infection, with it. The illnesses kept me in bed for about 5 days and took a week after that to recover. I don't think I've still recovered from the sinus infection. All the strength training I had done in my arms had faded. I didn't know if I could catch up in time.

However, two days ago, on Saturday, I finished my first Spartan. Once again, mud covered every part of my body. I even found some trapped in my belly button. And once again, I was in the worst pain of my life. My legs are a bruise farm and I have teeny-tiny scratches all over. Yesterday, I had trouble keeping food down all day. Whether from the stress of the race or from accidentally swallowing bacteria from the mud, I don't know.

I had just barely finished the race, covered head to toe in mud, wondering if I'd ever get warm again, just starting to notice the pain in areas that I bruised/cut, and ravenously hungry. A person on my team said "See you next year?" and without a second thought or hesitation, I gave a thumb's up. THAT'S insanity right there. Not signing up for the race, but seriously considering doing another one while you are covered in mud and miserable. haha

So far in the running world, everything I've ever said "Nope, I will never do that", I've ended up doing. Started in high school when I had to run 3 miles in PE class. Our teacher was the Track Coach and he wanted me to join track - "Oh no, I will never do that". I joined track - just for one season, I told myself. At the end, he told me I could increase my speed by running longer distances for XC in the off-season - "Oh no, I will never do that" and I signed up the next year, as well as another year of track. My 18th birthday, I ran a 10k and was asked if I wanted to do longer distances. I laughed and said "Oh no, I will never do that. A 10k is long enough for me". The following year, I ran my first half-marathon. After the half, I wondered just how far I could go and did a marathon. Fast forward to more recently, the obstacle race craze hit and I thought "Oh no, I could never do that". Although, it DID look kinda fun... I signed up for the Zombie one last year and said an emphatic "never again" - and here we are. Gotta stop saying "never". Although, it's led to some of the best experiences I've had in life. :)