Jan 7, 2022 | Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Uncategorized
The Journey to Without Limits
by Kim Baldwin
January 2022
September 2015. I was lying in an ICU bed thinking to myself, how the F*ck did I get here?
Six months before that, I had started a slow descent into a darkness I had never known. I was close to weighing 300lbs. And I was training for the SMART Ride, a 160-mile bike ride from Miami to Key West, in November. When I began to experience chest pain and shortness of breath, I told myself it was due to my weight and to shut up. This is what being 300 lbs. means. For months, it was nothing but me, my bike and the horrible stories I told myself. My daily practice was punishment through starvation, mileage, self-bullying. Rinse. Repeat.
By mid-September, I just not feeling well. So what did I do? Compete in the Wrightsville Beach Triathlon, just as I always had. My thinking was, well, you are getting a cold, you really don’t eat, you weigh a lot. This is what happens. Shut up. Continue with the punishment.
That September race day, I entered the water, found my spot, and took off when then gun fired. All very normal. I made it about 10 strokes into Banks Channel. Out of nowhere, I felt a wave of nausea tear through my body, from the bottoms of my feet up. Then I couldn’t breathe. I remember thinking, “I’m gonna be one of those triathletes who dies in the swim and everyone will say, ‘At least she died doing what she loved.” The ironic thing? I did all the swimming, biking and running not from a place of love (or mild enjoyment) but from a place of pure, unadulterated punishment.
My hand shot up. The lifeguards raced over, got me on the coast guard boat and took me immediately to the docks at Sea Path Marina where the paramedics were waiting for me. I knew something wasn’t right but when they checked me out, my vitals were ok. They let me go. In my mind, I convinced myself, again, that this is what happens when you are completely out of control with your weight; never mind I had done that swim hundreds of times with no issues.
Two days later, I ended up in the ICU. Both lungs were filled with blood clots and I had what they call a saddle pulmonary embolism. (This is not something you want to Google.) When the doctor came in my room his jaw hit the floor. He couldn’t believe I was alive. People don’t live through what I experienced. I wasn’t supposed to be here.
While taking months off from work and going to pulmonary rehab, I got much needed time to think. I knew I couldn’t ruin the do-over I had been gifted. I couldn’t spend the next half of my life living in darkness, anger, shame and blame.
For the next three years, I dug deep. I did the work. I unraveled my childhood trauma and started to see how that impacted every single strand of my life, especially my relationships with food and exercise. With the help of a nutritionist specialized in eating disorders and a therapist specializing in childhood trauma, I slowly started coming out of the darkness. I started to understand the stories I told myself were just that, stories.
I learned my eating disorder probably started when I was about five or six years old. I uncovered the root of my depression, anger, shame and toxic thinking. And I finally understood how it all was inextricably linked. I starved myself as a form of punishment. I exercised as punishment. Food brought me no joy. In fact it brought me the exact opposite. Who eats for pleasure? Running is fun?
In the movie “28 Days,” one of the characters, upon leaving treatment, wants to adopt a dog. His therapist says he can have a dog if he takes care of a house plant for a year. If the plant doesn’t die, he can get a dog.
That’s what my three years of doing the work was for me. I lost 100 lbs., got my mind right, and felt stable enough – mentally, physically, spiritually – to start exercising again. I wanted to see what a body with 100 lbs. less could do.
I joined Without Limits (WOL) and started with swim practice twice a week. Then I added run practice twice a week, signed up for Training Peaks and all of a sudden, I had a coach and long runs on Saturday.
Intimidated. That’s how I spent the first few months of swim and run practices. I felt so insecure. I was the slowest one. I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. Did I really belong? Were my old thought pattern and stories creeping back in?
After one particular run practice I left in tears. I didn’t realize anyone noticed. Coach Kristen called me the next morning. She said to me, “Boo, you belong.” Somehow, she knew. That day, it all changed. I needed to get out of my own way. So I did.
Then COVID hit. All of a sudden everything was shut down. Even swimming at Wrightsville Beach was shut down. The gift of COVID was that I realized just how important running and swimming were to my mental and physical health. I needed movement. It was my way out of the darkness. It relieved my anxiety. It allowed me to properly fuel my body. Talk about a 180!
There was another COVID gift. I realized just how important WOL was to me in other ways. The coaches gave me accountability and encouragement. And I made friends too. Amazing friends! Relationships of any kind are almost impossible when you tell yourself stories. So in those first few months of the pandemic, it was like time stood still. I was able to reflect on what I was missing. I saw how important this community of athletes is to me. The friendships I’ve made far outweigh any PR.
Six years later, post-clots, mental breakdown and eating disorder diagnosis, I’ve never been better. Sure, I have my days. We all do. Now, I sit with my feelings, try to understand them, and then move on. Sometimes I work them out on the track or in the pool. Sometimes I groan with the ladies at Starbucks post-workout. The one thing that remains consistent is when I leave practice, my cup is always full.
I couldn’t have imagined me being a member of WOL. But here I am, one of its ardent supporters. My original assignment was to write about why I joined WOL. But honestly, it’s more about why I stay. It has truly been a journey. And one that is nowhere near over.
Dec 19, 2021 | Newsletter, Nutrition
Healthy Eating Through the Holidays
by Diana Davis RDN, LDN – Without Limits Dietitian Nutritionist
Do you have a plan for your holiday eating?
Yes, I know you want to celebrate the holidays! The parties and celebrating have already
begun, and I want you to be able to eat, drink and be merry, BUT not too much!
You know the drill, too much eating, drinking, and merriment can add up to feeling bloated and
lethargic in the “short run” and too much partying will produce gains in body weight and body
fat (which is never good) in the “long run!” All of this typically equals a few missed workouts at
a minimum and in some cases, a really “good excuse” to take the month of December off from
training!
So, what can you do? Consider having a plan.
- Day of a holiday event/party: get your workout in early; hydrate with lots of water
throughout the day; eat a balanced meal or snack before you go to the party; bring a
vegetable-forward appetizer to share (such as a meat, cheese & veggie tray, a hummus
& veggie tray, or a spinach and artichoke dip with veggies and crackers/chips)
- At the holiday event/party: HAVE A GOOD TIME; continue to drink water – between
rounds of alcohol; make sure to eat with attention to more protein and veggies, and if
your holiday gathering is an all-day event, get outside and get active with the kids!
- Day after the festivities: get back to training as quickly as possible – you will never regret
it; resume your regularly scheduled eating; and always water first, veggies most!
Interested in starting the New Year with a nutrition plan customized for your personal goals?, I
would love to be your nutritionist! I am licensed to provide nutrition counseling in both NC and
SC and am an in-network provider with several major insurance carriers. Reach out to me by
email dianadavisrd@gmail.com or through the Without Limits app or website
https://www.iamwithoutlimits.com/membership/nutrition
![The Who, What, Where and When of FOAM ROLLING your Lower Body]()
Oct 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Written By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Let’s talk about the basics and importance of foam rolling.
Foam rolling is something a lot of athletes know they should do. “Some” athletes use a foam roller on a regular basis but let us be honest, most runners don’t use one often or at all and would benefit from regular use.
Foam rollers come in different sizes and lengths. Some are smooth and some have ridges. Some are hard and some soft. Honestly, just a basic foam roller is all you need in order to reap the benefits associated with using one regularly. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You can purchase one for as little as $15.00. 
The importance of foam rolling is simple. It aids in recovery and helps prevent injuries. Basically, a foam roller acts as a way for you to massage yourself by breaking down adhesions between the muscles and increasing blood flow to the area. It also helps speed up recovery, decrease muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
The great thing about foam rolling is that you can control the intensity by adjusting the pressure and/or body position and the speed of rolling.
Your goal is to find areas of discomfort. Once you find these areas, you should stop/slow down and put pressure to release the knot. You can also manipulate the area by adding in other movements such as ankle circles, flexing and extending appendages, contracting and relaxing muscles, and using small lateral movements across the knot to help break up the problem area.
When should you foam roll? After workouts and on your days off are your best options. You will want shorter sessions on multiple days. Instead of one long session once a week. Just like everything else you can roll too much so four 15 minutes sessions 4 times a week is much easier on your body then one 1-hour session on a Sunday. You will want to take your time while rolling. Focus on what you are doing and try to stay in tune with how your body is feeling so that you can find those problem areas. Roll one area at a time and do 2-3 minutes on each body part. Stick to only rolling the belly of the muscle and be cautious of your ligament and tendons.
Check out the video below to see a video of a basic lower body foam rolling routine any athlete can do.
These areas include:
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- IT-bands
- Quads
- Shins
- Lower back
Video: Intro to Foam Rolling
http://bit.ly/foamrollingwol
![The Who, What, Where and When of FOAM ROLLING your Lower Body]()
Jun 23, 2020 | Community
June 23rd 2020
By: Coach Maleia Tumolo
Tips For Running Your First Ultra Marathon
I run……A LOT! Most days, I’m hitting the trails or pavement for hours at a time. Trying to log miles for my next Ultra. But I wasn’t always an ultra runner. Actually, until a few years ago, most of the races I have done didn’t last over an hour and were triathlons. But because of
those triathlons, I found a love for being on trails. I soon realized that I also loved climbing mountains and putting one foot in front of the other for many miles. My ultra journey has been quite an adventure. I’ve trained months for some races and signed up just days before others. However, each and every one has been an adventure and a learning experience. Below, I have compiled a list of tips that I have learned through the years. I believe these are important for those wanting to run their first Ultra.
- Commitment: Commit to training. Commit to starting. Commit to doing all the preparation needed to finish. Race day will be hard, tedious, uncomfortable, and the day will be long but your commitments will keep you in constant forward movement.
- Don’t push your pace: It is not a sprint and it’s not a marathon. For most it’s a long jog in the woods. So start easy, take your time, make good choices and if you want to speed up later there are plenty of miles at the end.
- Food…….and more food!: There is a little chance of you making it across the finish line of an ultra marathon, let alone doing so feeling strong, if you don’t nail your fueling strategy. By the time you reach the starting line you should have an understanding of what you can stomach during a race. Keep in mind fueling is very specific to the individual racer.
- Cheers: My best advice is drink before you’re actually thirsty. Since Ultras last several hours it’s critical to stay hydrated. Carrying a hand held or a hydration vest is beneficial since aid stations are few and far between.
- Pick things up and put them down: Cross training is an important component of your ultra training. Working your muscles in different ways is one of the best ways to prevent overuse injuries.
- Everyone walks and that’s ok: Even the very best ultra runners hike during hilly races, so it makes sense to train for this. In the words of Dean Karnazes “run when you can, walk if you have, crawl if you must”…it all counts as moving closer to the finish line!
- Use your poles!: If you are up against a really long distance or technical mountains, poles can be your best friend, but you must practice with them prior……A lot! There is an art to running with poles and it would be wise to master that before race day.
- You need skills: Nearly all ultras are run on trails which means steep inclines and declines, rocky footing, and a variety of surfaces to cross. Naturally, the best way to prepare for the variety of terrain is to practice so I recommend getting on the trails as much as possible. Ideally on the same type of terrain as your race.
- Be positive!: Remember it’s supposed to BE FUN! Sure there may be some low points but you’ll have to dig deep. Just a small amount of positivity and self love can get you through the rough patches and across the finish line that much faster.
So who is ready to start this new chapter in their running and in their lives….Test the limits of the human body and mind?
Apr 17, 2020 | Community
By: Diana Davis, RDN Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
April 17, 2020
Athletes need to be intentional about the way they fuel, hydrate, and refuel around the “training window.” This refers to the block of time just before, during, and after any hard work-out or long run, defined as 90 minutes or longer. During this training window, what you eat and drink makes all the difference in the quality of the workout, how well you will tolerate the training, and the recovery and adaptation your body and your muscles make in response to the work you are doing. I work with clients to help them find what is their best pre-workout meal, which sports drinks or electrolyte replacements meet their fluid and electrolyte needs, and which carbohydrate foods, gels or chew they can tolerate while training and how to properly recover after they are done.
The immediate need for a recovery drink which is ideally consumed within 30 minutes after finishing a long run or long workout is best satisfied by a new product: Runners Essentials Long Run Recovery shake. The nutrition profile of this shake matches what research shows an athlete needs after a long effort (90 minutes or more). It contains a combination of fast and slow carbohydrates to replace spent glycogen stores, in a ratio of 3:1 with high quality protein, along with branched chain amino acids to repair muscle damage, electrolytes potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium to replace sweat losses.
But what makes this recovery shake perfect for endurance athletes is the combination of 5 special ingredients not found in any other product on the market: L-Glutamine to reduce post-exercise fatigue; Alpha GPC to enhance brain function and increase human growth hormone; L-Theanine to promote relaxation and mental calmness; Ashwagandha to decrease exercise induced muscle damage; and Tart Cherry to reduce inflammation, lessen muscle soreness and pain and speed strength recovery. The science behind each of these ingredients is convincing and in combination they facilitate recovery, strength, energy and relaxation. It is a new product that I am shaking up after all my long runs! Click here to read more about Runners Essential Long Run Recovery Nutritional Shake.
