Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf

menoscemo wrote: »

Best of Luck with the log.

Nice tough half Marathon you picked for your first race :eek:

Your speed over your more recent HM indicates great potential!!

Thanks....and as they say (regarding the Achill half as my first race), ignorance is bliss! But I truly had a grand time.:)

shazkea wrote: »

Good luck with the log and goals and I look forward to reading about your progress.

You are sweet. Thank you.

A Hero's Run 5K

When I signed up for this event I truly thought it was just a 5k trot through mud and slop, but with three days to go to the event I was enlightened with the knowledge that logs, ropes, hay bales, manure, cold water and electric shocks, in addition to the mud and slop, were just some of the ammenities I was paying for. While I am not totally opposed to logs, ropes, hay bales, manure, electric shocks, mud, and slop (please note that I am, however, opposed to cold water), my enthusiasm plummeted with this new knowledge in large part because I had not trained for this type of activity. Ugh!! What to do?? Well, I am not one to make a commitment and not keep it, plus my husband and our ex-marine buddy (both of whom I had to convince a month ago to do this event with me) were totally digging these race enhancements....so...in for a penny, in for a pound! I was in....all in. Gulp.

Race day started out with frost on the car windows. Fortunately, the race did not start until 1pm which allowed the temperature to creep into the upper 40s. With the sun shining and not too much of a breeze blowing, race conditions were certainly tolerable. After check in, stretching, potty breaks, and brief instructions about the course, the three of us decided to participate in this as a team endeavor and not worry about going for any medals, which meant that we'd be heading off in the second wave as the first wave was stacked with the "competitors" and the third wave was comprised of the "just want to finish-ers". As the first group was gathering at the start line, my husband and our marine buddy decided between themselves to throw me into the competitor category so they pushed me down the hill and into the middle of the pack. There I was....and the pre-start army chant was being recited (did I mention that this was a charity event for the military and their families...and that an army troop was present, which was totally cool??)...and then the gun went off....and competitive instincts kicked in.

We ran down a dirt and gravel road to our first obstacle - walking over logs in the water. It was a breeze as I have pretty good balance, thus I did not fall in. Next - running up a hill that was laden with hay bale after hay bale that we had to hurdle. Good grief, did that take the punch out of me! I'm not a very big person and the bales were quite huge, so it took significant momentum for me to throw my body up onto the bale for me to get over it. More than once did I have to back up and start again with greater speed. Then more running up hill...then onto a gravel road....and then into a field. I was making pretty good time during this section of the course and was passing a few participants. I figured I'd make as much time as I could on the run. We then had to scurry up and over a pile of cow manure......and then dive into a muddy covered trench and crawl on our bellies under a plastic tarp.....and then under a blanket of electric wire on our bellies again (not so bad for me, but for some of my bigger comrades, not so much). Then we ran down to the icy cold stream where we had to run through freezing cold water for at least 100 yards. It started out at knee level, and I was able to run, but once I reached waist level depth, I took a cue from the fella I was behind and just walked it. The current was coming at us and it was too deep to run, so we conserved energy while we froze our legs off - but we chatted and encouraged each other, which was part of the point of this event, so that was lovely.

Once out of the stream it was hard to make our legs move. My companion yelled at me to keep going, but once I did get my arse moving I realized my shoelaces had both come untied in the water - even after double knotting them. Note to self: use those clippy thingies whenever an event calls for wading in water. Really. Double knotting is no use. And do you have any idea how hard it is to double knot your shoelaces when your fingers are frozen?? Any way, I digress. Next up....running to a football field where we had to get down on all fours and, without letting any other part of our body touch the ground, we had to go halfway up and back doing a bear crawl. This was murder. Exhaustion, numbness, fatigue....and we had to bear crawl 100 yards. I was passed by a very tall and lanky 20 something year old male who was cruising along like nothing else. Once upright, it was another run up a hill, around a telephone pole, and then back down to the football field where we had to get back on all fours and leap frog (yes, leap frog!) halfway up and back without letting any other part of our body touch the ground. Well, at this point I knew that I was in the lead in the ladies division, and, as I'm moving a minuscule distance with each one of my sorry leaps, I cursed under my breath that I will be quite pissed if I lose this race because of this dreadful leap frog. As I neared the end of the field, still on all fours with my fanny up in the air, I yelled to the course official asking if I could get up yet. Once I was given the go ahead, it was a sprint back down to the stream where I went splashing through to the other side where three ropes at various heights were waiting for me to use in my climb up the very steep cliff. I had on cycling gloves, and my adrenaline was on high (only about a mile left to go in the course at this point - yee haw!) so this climb was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. In fact, I was worried that this would be my undoing, but to my pleasant surprise it was not.

Next, it was a trail run through some gorgeous woods with a beautiful carpet of leaves, then over a big round obstacle (had to hurdle it), and down to where the logs were waiting to be carried up a hill and back down. Women were allowed to pick a log that was 20 pounds or less, while the men had logs that looked to be 30 or 40 pounds (or, but the way the veins were popping out on a few of the gent's necks, perhaps heavier than that). I decided that since I was the first woman to reach this point that I would reward myself by choosing a small log...which I did....and was quite pleased that the run up and down the hill with my log was not too terribly bad. Certainly no red face or popping veins from me. I placed my log back in the pile, then had to go diving back into the icey cold water for a complete submersion, and then upon my return to dry land, two young children threw flour on me (huh??). Yep, they were waiting for me as I left the water and tossed a cup of flour (the baking kind) on my wet body. Okay. Whatever.

At this point, I knew that I only had some more running and one more obstacle to complete before I crossed the finish line, so I took off up the hill, over the stream, and out of the woods at a mad dash. After I crossed into the open field, I could see the finish line - woo hoo - but I had to cross more water to get there first. As I approached the water, I could see an orange netting material that ran the entire width of the murky water I had to cross. Once I got to the netting, the official raised it up and explained that I'd be crossing on my belly under the net. As I was moving forward under this net, my pony tail was getting caught in the openings, thus making it difficult for me to move ahead, so I had to reach out with one hand/arm, lift up the net and hold it up til I had moved myself one stroke forward with the other hand/arm, and then I repeated this motion over and over again until I reached the end of the net. It was very much like doing the backstroke, but on my hands and knees and with my belly to the mud. Once out of the net, and sufficiently muddy, I scurried up the last steep hill to cross the finish line in 34:53.

I had two friends greet me with big smiles and lots of clicks of the camera. After warming myself up by the massive bonfire the organizers had going (thank you!!), I waited by the finish line cheering all the others on and encouraging them to finish in style...and gave huge whoops when I saw my hubby and our marine friend in sight of the completion. Grand smiles from the two of them!!! Such excitement. We hung around until the last person crossed the line....had a group photo with all the athletes....and then I collected my uber cool Hulk-like trophy. Smiles all around.

I rewarded myself today (the day after the mud run) with a 15 mile LSR. Prior to today, the longest I'd ever run was 13.1 miles - and today's run kicked my butt at the end. Per my garmin - 15 miles, 2:08:30, 1281 calories, 8:33/mile. I'm tired, my upper body is sore, and I have bruises all over my knees. I think I'll pour myself a glass (or two) of wine tonight, pop some vitamin I before bedtime, and take it easy tomorrow.... and if you read this post in its entirety, you may need to do the same as it's length is a bit on the upper end of acceptable. Pardon my lack of brevity..but this was such a fun event!!

Oryx...tough guy....upgrade to Jesus Warrior Squad?? I tip my hat to her savagery.

The event I was in was a mere tough mudder neophyte, and, because it was the first year this local event has been held, the field was not nearly as grand as it will be in future years, thus putting it (and the win) in proper perspective. But it was a blast of a day, and more than likely a stepping stone to other similar events.

I'm considering adding a 90 minute yoga session to my weekly workout routine and I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion on the benefits of yoga with regard to strength and conditioning. I took one yoga class many years ago and just kept thinking of a million more productive things I could have been doing besides lying on my back stretching and breathing. Never went back, but now that I'm older and punishing my body with increased running mileage I'm wondering if this would be a smart addition.

Proper run tonight with a friend through town and on the very hilly back roads. I need hill work, so this is good. We didn't start the run until dusk, but the moon was in full bloom, so if you discount the traffic lights in town and the crazy drivers on the back roads that caused us to jump into the brush and out of their way, the run was lovely. We had planned on going 8 miles, but my companion is nursing a pulled muscle and it was giving him trouble so we cut the run short.

Per Garmin:
6.55 miles
54:59.12
8.23/mile

Laps as follows:
9.44 (hills and warming up)
8.30 (more hills)
7.55 (getting my rhythm)
8.03
7.58
8.05
4.40 (last .55 miles)

What started out as an awesome morning and grand first 10 miles ended up being one of my worst runs in a long, long time.

Coming off of two days rest, I was itching for a long slow run, and I had my eyes set on 15 to 18 miles (secretly hoping for 18 as last Sunday i had gone a solid 15 for the first time ever) and, because I really had my sights set on that 18 mark, I thought it wise to slow down my pace from last weekend's to ensure that I wouldn't blow up...which is something that is really hard for me to do (slowing down) since I am constantly competing with myself/previous splits/previous distances/previous anythings...so I recruited a friend to run with me knowing that he would rein me in when I needed reining in.

I decided to follow Catweazle's advice and take hydration and energy into consideration on this longer run and I dug out my belt that holds two small water bottles and has two small pockets to stash my "energy" units in. I filled one bottle w/water and the other bottle w/an electrolyte drink and, not having any gels or bars handy, temporarily opted for "snacks" in the form of gummi bears and homemade shortbread cookies (which, by the way, are out of this world!). I say temporarily because upon hearing my snack menu, my friend forced me to cough up the cookies and substitute them for two Montana Huckleberry Hammer Gels. I reluctantly followed his orders and left my buttery and sugar kissed friends behind...yet was happy with the knowledge that they would be waiting for me upon completion of the run as my reward.

We had Athena, a high energy border collie mix (my friend's dog), with us for the first 5 plus miles, but she was puttering out on us so we dropped her off at my friend's very cool outdoor clothing and gear shop in town to give her a break. At this point, we were averaging about 9:20/mile, which was really comfortable and my body barely felt taxed. We took in some water and I tried my first ever gooey gel....which I managed to swallow without gagging....but I have to ask, what is that gritty stuff at the end of the packet?

Because we knew we would now be running out into the country, we slapped on our water/snack belts and headed out to conquer the asphalt hills and valleys. The next 6 miles were fantastic. Even though I was running with what felt like an extra 5 pounds around my waist, and even though the wind was at my face, and even though I faced quite a few hills that I swore would be my friend, I felt strong and relaxed. Our average speed was about 9:10/mile. I was confident 18 miles was going to be a breeze.

Somewhere around mile 12 I felt cramping in my left calf so we stopped to allow me to stretch it out. I've never had leg cramps before so I wonder if it was due to lack of proper water consumption or nutrition prior to this run. (I only had a cup of dry cereal and a few sips of water before I ventured out this morning, which is a good bit less than I usually have in my belly before a run.) Started running again and calf felt okay, but about a mile later my right hamstring started to tighten, which then caused my right knee (that I've been nursing since my last half marathon) to tighten w/pain. Stopped again, tried to walk it out, started to feel better, decided to give it a go and started running again. The pain was pretty significant from the knee at this point and it ran up up my thigh and ended at my hip, but I'm very good at blocking out pain so I kept trudging forward until my partner noticed I was limping and made me stop to give it a rest. A few stretches, some more water, another Hammer Gel (only 90 calories!) and then we were off at a slow trot/walk....picked it up a bit to a slow jog/trot....but realized we better wrap up the session and head home as to not add insult to injury. We came in right at 15 miles. Dreadful last 3 miles at probably 10:30/mile pace. Ugh!

Summary:
15 miles
2:23:38 :mad:
1253 calories
9:36/mile :mad:
Roadkill: 1 squirrel, 2 opossum, 1 raccoon, 1 rabbit, 1 deer (picked clean by the vultures), and 1 black cat.

I'm thinking more "Angry Birds" and less "booming economy" with respect to the healthy volume of roadkill. Which does make me a little concerned when running the roads. :eek:

I definitely think there was a disparity in calories in and calories out today. This was an earlier run than I am used to (I usually go around noon or 1pm - this was a 10am start), thus contributing to the lack of intake prior to the plodding....and, because I have never cramped before on a run, I will assume it was insufficient energy/hydration for a run of that length....which makes me wonder: are muscle cramps tied into the length of time one exerts and not mileage (thus meaning if I had gone at a quicker pace I could have gone further before I started cramping?)? Ah the tortures I put myself through!

Marathon goal? My goal this far out is to go a sub 4 hours, so my average pace must be 9 min/mile, which I feel good about. I do need to pause and look at a training program since I have a tendancy to overtrain...do you have one you prefer?

catweazle wrote: »

If you are planning to run sub 4 next April, you have started out in early November trying to run 18 miles at sub 4 pace, so just be careful about pushing too hard to soon - a few people in these logs will be tut tutting about having your weekly long slow run the same pace as your target goal. Long slow runs are meant to be slower than your planned marathon pace.

The single hardest thing I've faced during this transition from swimming to running has been the approach to training. To slow down is both phsycially and psychologically hard for me to do, and in opposition of what I was taught as a swimmer.....BUT, I understand the merits as it applies to running, and (with reminders from the tut tutters and friends like you) I will commit myself to a marathon training plan and do my best to stick within the suggested paces.

Your comment about injuries and perhaps the Furman program not being right for me hit me straight in the gut. I have never been plagued by injuries, but must admit that immediately prior to and after the last half marathon I have been pestered by a few...which makes me wonder if it is related to overtraining and putting too much stress on my body too soon. The trainer is now set up in front of the television, so I will be able to do a little bit of cross training which I have lacked since I closed my pool.

(Oh....and I'm leaning towards the Furman plan.)

Just returned from a 90 minute yoga session. Lots of stretching and core work - definitely woke up some muscles that have been negleted for far too long. I tend to pass up stretching and muscle isolation and focus on cardio and endurance, so I am reminded (once again) that diversity in motion and in discipline is a good thing. And I am hoping (if I keep at it) that my running/swimming/cycling will benefit from this added strength/flexibility/balance plus help keep injuries away. Time will tell.

Apparently I either wasn't shamed enough by these logs, or I didn't dig deep enough into my Irish-ness because I opted for the comfort of my climate controlled basement over the cold and rainy darkness of this particular night.

After the disastrous run on Sunday, and after two nights on the trainer, I really needed a session that was a high tempo run. I would have much preferred a proper run unencumbered by the restraints of the treadmill, but I decided to make the best of my current workout situation by foregoing my usual treadmill tactic of utilizing the incline, and replacing it with a flat run at a sustained healthy pace.

First 35 minutes on treadmill was a warmup with increasing speed every 5 minutes.
Next 60 minutes I held steady at an 8 min/mile pace. (thank you Imelda May for keeping my beat steady)
Last 5 minutes cool down.
Summary: 100 minutes, 11.15 miles, 8.58 min/mile pace

I don't really know how treadmill statistics compare to proper run statistics, but tonight's session felt good in that I felt physically strong. My knee got a little tight on me while running, but it didn't hurt like it did on Sunday, and it
immediately resolved upon completion of the workout.

I plan on spinning tomorrow night (more rest for the knee), then rest on Friday, then 10k race Saturday morning.

pgmcpq wrote: »

I don't know if this is related to your cramping problem but the above does not sound right. Hammer Gels are pretty easy to take and should not have "gritty
stuff" at then end. I wonder if you go a bum lot or one that have exceeded their shelf life (18 months IIRC). I cannot speak for Huckleberry and everyone is different but this does not sound right.
Also note : Hammer Gels are light relative to other gels so figure on taking them a little more regularly than others.

Vultures :eek:. Yikes - I've had runs where they'd be eying me up hopefully.

rainbow kirby wrote: »

If you're going to use Hammer gels, try the Apple and Cinnamon one - it tastes like the filling from a McDonald's apple pie.

Maybe I should have stuck with my homemade shortbread cookies.

If gritty stuff at the end of the packet is not a part of the experience of the goo, then I suspect the gels were old. No wonder my running buddy didn't ask for reimbursement from me for the two!! Any hoo.....I will try the apple and cinnamon...and I will check the date....and if there are any other brands you prefer, please enlighten me. AND, while we are on this topic - is there a trick or preferred method to chewing on gummi bears while running without feeling like you might accidentally choke on one? Or does practice make perfect?

And vultures.....yes.....I know what you mean. The turkey buzzards are quite intimidating. And they smell really bad.