Race to the Finish Line

I have swam for at least 20 minutes EVERY day this past week... i feel AMAZING. I had forgotten how great it is when I put myself back in my natural habitat (You guys... I swam across a pool at two years old. The water is where I thrive as an athlete). 

Will I EVER be able to work out without knee pain? I HOPE SO!

This morning I got to start my day with a run on East Cliff with my good friend Uriah. As we were chatting I realized why this whole long distance running thing is so hard for me. My WHOLE life I have been a short distance sprinter. A power athlete. Gymnastics for example: vaulting... sprint and power. Floor... power and endurance and strength. My best event was beam... explosive movements and control. And then when I moved on from that I was a “slamma-jamma” (as my friend Treva calls us outside hitters) on my club volleyball team. And, to continue my point further I was a sprinter on swim team. I did the 50 or 100 Free, the 100 IM, I was the free relay anchor and the 200 IM free anchor. I have always used my adrenaline and competitive nature to my advantage and would move as fast and hard as I could to win. I would sometimes come out of the water so out of breath that I couldn’t always get out of the pool right away because my heart rate was at such an accelerated speed.... “well, at least I won,” was something I often said to myself after a race.

Alright... here it is. Better late than never!

See that photo up there? THAT perfectly sums up how I feel right now. My first day of training was incredible. freeing. challenging. eye opening. fun. 

I started my workout with a warm up on the infamous Seacliff stairs, some box (bench) jumps, push ups, and stretches. Then ran and an easy pace for 20 minutes. Then cooled down with a 20 minute freestyle swim at Cabrillo Fitness... my best friend Michael joined me for that one. :)

So... why did I title this entry unplugged? Every time I work out or run I listen to music. This time I didn’t even take my headphones. I spent my time listening to the birds, the ocean, the waves crashing on the sand, the sound of my breath and stride. I focused on being present in my workout instead of being sucked in to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”... as incredibly catchy as that song is. And yes, there is ABSOLUTELY a time for pump up music. Who doesn’t like working out to a great song?! In my life, I like to look for times of peace. Times where I can just rest and be in awe of nature. So, why not incorporate that aspect of myself into my workout?

I have a long way to go... lets do it!

Hello!

My name is Deanna. That’s me on your left... the kid who looks like he’s really excited about being in this photo is my little brother John. He’s the best. 

I am so excited to start this Race to the Finish Line and I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride. I am notorious for beginning quests and not finishing, so I will be posting an entry on this blog everyday to not only keep myself accountable, but to share my experience! 

Over the next four months I will be training for a 10k (August 1st) and the Mighty Mermaid Triathlon (October 3rd). 

So... let me tell you a little bit about how I got here. I have ALWAYS been an athlete. I grew up doing gymnastics, soccer, swim team, rock climbing... basically anything that got my body moving. Then I retired from gymnastics because of knee and hip surgery. BUT! That did not hold me down. I continued to play sports: Main Beach club volleyball, Squash (I know, such a random choice), I swam on swim team in high school, messed around in crossfit for a minute, did 2 sprint triathlons, and skied as much as I could every winter. You’re probably thinking “woah. that’s a long list..” And yes.. the list is extensive, but I loved it. I loved it so much. 

Between 2005 and 2013 I had four knee surgeries and one hip surgery. I was in constant recovery mode for a LONG TIME. I still am. BUT, here’s the thing... my knee will always be something I will take caution with and it’s not going to hold me back from training to be the BEST version of myself that I can be. 

I have spent countless days of my life worrying about my body... Am I skinny enough? Is my hair blonde enough? Am I in shape enough? Did I eat healthy enough? Is my pant size small enough? AM I ENOUGH? 

It’s time to live and breath and work out in freedom! 

Are you ready? Because I AM!