Sorry for the crass blog title, but this virus is totally cockblocking everyone in the world at this moment and I'm calling it like I see it! First of all, I will say this is a very serious situation and I know lives are at stake, and I'm not going to minimize that at all. Our top priority NEEDS to be protecting our most vulnerable populations. Totally understand that. But for the purposes of this blog, I will be focusing on how this is specifically affecting the fitness/racing communities. While it might seem like this is a silly thing to be concerned with at a time like this, it is the point of my blog, and racing has been turned completely upside down for at least the next several weeks. I will also be focusing on the United States because that is where I live, and that's what I've heard the most information about.
Most races in America have been cancelled or postponed. The Abominable Snow Race was cancelled with less than 24 hours notice after the host venue decided to shut down. Spartan has cancelled or postponed all events in the next 30 days. Communities have put into place bans on gatherings of over 100-250 people, which has caused mass cancellations of OCRs and road races during a prime busy race season. Race companies are hemorrhaging money and needing to offer free deferrals and refunds to keep the customers happy.
Brief aside: I saw people on the Facebook page for the Abominable Snow Race asking the race to reimburse them for their lost hotel fees and even their LOST WAGES from taking a vacation day for the event. Bitch, please. That is so ridiculous, I can't even. You cannot demand that a small race company who has just lost a TON of revenue should pay you back for your vacation day. It is beyond out of line to even ask for that. Some crazy lady asked for an "immediate refund" so that she could "take [her] kids to do something fun" that weekend, and claimed she should be paid back for the "custom team shirts" that she chose to have made. Nobody NEEDS to make custom shirts. That was your choice, Karen.
Anyway, how do we as a community prepare for race cancellations? I have a few ideas that I think are ALWAYS prudent.
1) Always make cancellable reservations. I know it's tempting to save a few bucks with the Advance Purchase hotel rate, but DON'T. Always always always make sure you can cancel your reservation, pandemic or not. Airline reservations are more difficult usually, but right now all the airlines are giving refunds. If you're getting a plane ticket for an event, you should consider trip insurance or paying an extra fee to make your ticket at least changeable.
2) Consider, if traveling for an event, making a proper vacation out of it so that a race cancellation will not literally ruin your weekend. If you can plan family vacations around a race (example: visiting Disney World when a race is happening in central Florida), it will be less devastating if the race can't happen.
3) Have a backup plan. This could be a different race that you could parlay your training to if your first choice is cancelled. It could also be a different idea for a vacation if you have a last-minute cancellation and can't change your travel plans or your time off work. You took a day off and now the race is cancelled? What else can you do to not waste the day?
Specifically with the coronavirus, experts are strongly recommending social isolation, or avoiding groups of people, particularly while indoors. As a result, many local gyms are being shut down for 2-3 weeks while we try to contain the effect of the virus on our healthcare systems. This can be overwhelming for many folks who aren't fitness experts and may have no idea how to train without a gym. Some recommendations:
1) Your backyard. This is a great place to prepare for OCRs because they take place on dirt rather than roads. Do burpees on the grass. Carry around a 5-gallon bucket full of heavy stuff (hammers, rocks, sand, dumbbells, soup cans, etc). Make a spear and throw it at squirrels (kidding, please do NOT do this, use a piece of wood or a proper target instead). Climb over the railing of your deck over and over. Box jump up your front stairs. Make your neighbors question your sanity.
2) Inside your house. There are workouts of all kinds available on YouTube and Amazon Prime. If you have dumbbells or resistance bands and a mat, you can get a great workout inside your house. If you have a treadmill or a stationary bike, awesome. Do burpees on your carpet. Just do burpees in general. Use this month to get awesome at burpees and you won't regret it.
3) Outdoors. Get to those secluded trails where the coronavirus can't find you. Explore the muddy goodness of a spring thaw on soft trails. Run or walk the paved trails. Go to a playground or park and play on the equipment (don't touch your face, and wash your hands afterward). Try to keep a bit of distance from others who might be out, and you'll be fine.
4) The gym. If it is open and you must go, exercise caution. Go to more secluded parts of the gym. If the guy on the elliptical next to you starts hacking (ugh, this happens too often), move to a different one at least two meters away. If the machine has a fan on it, turn it on so that you keep his nasty cough particles from lingering near your face cavities. Avoid crowded classes in small confined studios. Do not touch your face. Wash your hands religiously before and after your workout. Wipe down machines/mats both before and after you use them.
Remember, if you are young and healthy, this virus probably won't affect you. It's easy to be complacent and say you don't need to do any of this. But remember that us healthy folks can easily be carriers and infect many other people without knowing it. Some of those people might go on to infect others who are vulnerable. It is socially responsible for us to all isolate ourselves as much as possible in these coming weeks, even if you have extreme confidence in your own immune system. No workout or race is worth potentially killing someone. Have patience with race directors, who are losing money hand over fist. Have backup plans for your racing and training. And most of all, WASH YOUR HANDS. Constantly.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Inner Saboteur
With RuPaul's Drag Race returning (this Friday!) and my Spartan Ultra looming large, I've been thinking a lot about my inner saboteur. This is the person inside us all who, according to RuPaul, is trying to destroy us from the inside. Mine may have reared her ugly head a few times during the Arizona Super when I distinctly thought to myself, "how the HELL am I gonna basically do this Super FIVE TIMES IN A ROW?" The whole idea sounded completely impossible. Despite having a great weekend and recovering well between races, I still had nagging doubts upon my return to Iowa that I would even stand a chance of finishing the Ultra.
Granted, there is a lot stacked against me at the moment. I lost about 6 weeks of good training to anemia. I lost about two weeks of good training to Sprain #1. I lost months to Sprain #2, which is still recovering and nagged me a bit post-Arizona (it sprang back remarkably well, but it still wasn't totally happy during the race). Fall and winter should have been spent building mileage, and instead I was just trying to cling to the fitness I'd spent all summer cultivating. Weight was gained. Gains were lost.
It wasn't all bad, though. I did get in excellent work on obstacles. I've learned a better way of eating to keep myself feeling less inflamed, and the extra weight is coming off. There's a mental edge that comes with injury, and I feel more grateful for the opportunity to suffer. I'm going to be able to train on flat and wet terrain, which will be quite similar to the Ohio Ultra (I did the Ohio Beast last year and...yeah). I'm very confident in hikes up to 20 miles, and on grip obstacles up to Twister. Really, the Ultra is only 10 more miles.
And many hours on the feet. Look, I've suffered before. I did the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on no training, in the pouring rain, and finished with hamburger-meat feet and zero spectators after the time limit. I had several blisters pop in the Green Bay Marathon. But my marathon personal worst is 7:45. The Ultra will be AT LEAST 5 hours longer than that. I have never suffered for that long and, frankly, I'm scared. Not gonna lie. Even childbirth had an epidural as a contingency plan. Can I force myself to suffer for that long? Or will I give up?
I talked this existential crisis through with a personal training client. She is a no-nonsense chick and I figured she'd be straight with me. Sure enough she was like "psht, girl, you at least have to TRY, if you can't do it so what? What's the worst that would happen, you do one lap of the Ultra and quit? You can try again some other time."
SHE IS RIGHT, you guys. None of us can know how our first Ultra will go. Everything might feel amazing. Everything might feel like it is literally in flames. You might make the time cutoffs with hours to spare. You might miss the transition cutoff by 3 minutes. Maybe I won't have a choice if my foot falls off from gangrene. But I can choose, right here and now, to kick my inner saboteur and her terrible ideas about quitting right square in the nuts. If I don't finish, I will at least live to race another day. Some extremely fit people take several attempts to finish their first Ultra. But I will try my best. I will train my damnedest, I will get my nutrition on point, I will do every burpee at every failed obstacle and move as quickly as I can through that damned swamp. And I won't leave Ohio with any regrets or, hopefully, staph infections.
Granted, there is a lot stacked against me at the moment. I lost about 6 weeks of good training to anemia. I lost about two weeks of good training to Sprain #1. I lost months to Sprain #2, which is still recovering and nagged me a bit post-Arizona (it sprang back remarkably well, but it still wasn't totally happy during the race). Fall and winter should have been spent building mileage, and instead I was just trying to cling to the fitness I'd spent all summer cultivating. Weight was gained. Gains were lost.
It wasn't all bad, though. I did get in excellent work on obstacles. I've learned a better way of eating to keep myself feeling less inflamed, and the extra weight is coming off. There's a mental edge that comes with injury, and I feel more grateful for the opportunity to suffer. I'm going to be able to train on flat and wet terrain, which will be quite similar to the Ohio Ultra (I did the Ohio Beast last year and...yeah). I'm very confident in hikes up to 20 miles, and on grip obstacles up to Twister. Really, the Ultra is only 10 more miles.
And many hours on the feet. Look, I've suffered before. I did the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on no training, in the pouring rain, and finished with hamburger-meat feet and zero spectators after the time limit. I had several blisters pop in the Green Bay Marathon. But my marathon personal worst is 7:45. The Ultra will be AT LEAST 5 hours longer than that. I have never suffered for that long and, frankly, I'm scared. Not gonna lie. Even childbirth had an epidural as a contingency plan. Can I force myself to suffer for that long? Or will I give up?
I talked this existential crisis through with a personal training client. She is a no-nonsense chick and I figured she'd be straight with me. Sure enough she was like "psht, girl, you at least have to TRY, if you can't do it so what? What's the worst that would happen, you do one lap of the Ultra and quit? You can try again some other time."
SHE IS RIGHT, you guys. None of us can know how our first Ultra will go. Everything might feel amazing. Everything might feel like it is literally in flames. You might make the time cutoffs with hours to spare. You might miss the transition cutoff by 3 minutes. Maybe I won't have a choice if my foot falls off from gangrene. But I can choose, right here and now, to kick my inner saboteur and her terrible ideas about quitting right square in the nuts. If I don't finish, I will at least live to race another day. Some extremely fit people take several attempts to finish their first Ultra. But I will try my best. I will train my damnedest, I will get my nutrition on point, I will do every burpee at every failed obstacle and move as quickly as I can through that damned swamp. And I won't leave Ohio with any regrets or, hopefully, staph infections.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Race Recap: Spartan Super and Sprint Arizona
Spartan Super and Sprint Arizona 2/15-16/20 Fort McDowell, AZ
Weather: 55-70 degrees and sunny
Terrain: Desert, rocky with packed sand
Distance: Super 6.43 miles with 28 obstacles; Sprint 3.85 miles with 20 obstacles
Elevation Gain: Super approx. 900 feet; Sprint approx. 400 feet
I was very happy to be leaving Iowa (temperature: -15) for Arizona on Friday before the race. After some sightseeing I checked into the WeKoPa Resort, which was the host hotel close to the venue. Spartan had negotiated an incredible discount which made this four-diamond resort cheaper than the Hampton Inn. I was surprised to hear that we wouldn't even have to pay the daily resort fee like the other guests. On top of that, we'd get a free shuttle to and from the race. Nice. Resort was gorgeous and I met a guy in the hot tub who *owns his own hot air balloon,* so needless to say I was instantly impressed with Arizona.
Saturday morning my buddy Wes and I (we also did the Attica Sprint together) set off for the Super on the shuttle bus, which was waiting and empty. A private school bus to the event? Yes please. It dropped us off right in front of the registration tents, which was some real VIP service. Check-in was a breeze. We got a good look at the interesting course layout, where racers loop around to the festival area just past the midpoint before coming through again to finish. This makes it an excellent course for spectators. There's even bleacher seating for people. Although temperatures that morning were in the high 40s, they quickly warmed up when the sun came out, and by 9 AM we were comfortable standing around in tank tops. We were feeling competitive because we'd wagered dinner on who could finish in the fastest time, so we got going in the 9:45 AM wave. Wes immediately gapped me by, gasp, jogging way more than I did. Total "tortoise and the hare" situation today, so I was gonna have to be a good little tortoise.
First obstacle was a single overwall, followed by Pipe Lair and a long slog up and down steep, packed sandy hills. Lots of loose rocks gave few opportunities to look up from the feet, but the landscape was stunning. Towering saguaros, big fat barrel cacti, and pretty prickly pear everywhere! Somehow I did not get a single cactus needle in my skin! Third obstacle was an easy Stairway to Sparta, followed by a hard The Box. They inexplicably put the crash pad about 1.5 feet away from the base of the box, making it much harder to jump up onto the knot at the end of the short rope. I tried a few times, getting as far as touching the grab bar with one hand, but kept falling off. Finally took the L and got a boost. But I made progress! I almost got up by scaling the rope with the rope stuck between my foot and the wall. Maybe next time.
Next: the dreadnought Twister. My hands felt a tiny bit sweaty, but I found a lane with the second section in the proper "down" position and soldiered on sideways. I struggled a bit with my aim with my forward hand, it was harder to make sure I got my hand through the grip for some reason. Managed to persevere enough to ring the bell! I didn't see Wes doing burpees, so I thought "oh lord, did Wes get Twister? I am SCREWED for this bet." Seven foot wall, easy peasy. Sandbag carry was fun, up and down a large hill. This was followed by monkey bars, which I was nervous about, and it turned out for good reason. The first and last couple bars weren't far apart, but the ones in the middle had two or three 4-foot gaps in a row. I was too scared to ape swing so I forced myself to match, and it felt like my hands were sticking to the bars as I tried valiantly to make it through. Thankfully I finally rang the bell. Still no Wes!
Over the inverted wall, then down through rolling mud. It sucked. Literally, it had some shoe-sucking quicksand. Nothing too bad, just enough to make you nervous and get lots of sand in your shoes. Water was 1.5 feet deep in each pit. The cliffs between the pits were extremely high, like 5-6 feet. I didn't see how it'd be possible to get out without a hand. Fortunately two men worked together to help haul me out of the first pit. The second had some "stairs" that someone had made in the cliff. Then came the dunk wall, which was sloppy but refreshing. This was a photo stop but I didn't get a picture, which is fine with me because I hate all dunk wall photos.
On the walk to the next obstacle, I caught up to Wes, who'd stopped to try (and fail) to fix his shoes after that mess. We went through the bucket carry together, which went well. Next was a long walk to Z-walls, which was on a nice high plateau with some actual grasses. Z-walls felt tougher than usual but I made it. I made a mental note to avoid the walls that had the "Spartan" signs in the gaps. Afterward was the spear throw, and I threw too high and missed by six inches. Wes hit it and ran ahead as I got totally filthy in the burpee pit. It was a nice view, though, overlooking the festival grounds from the high mesa. The course ran us down the side back to the festival area, where we found a horrifyingly rocky barbed wire crawl.
A-frame cargo was tight and easy (that's what she said?), then rope climb, where my feet weren't locking perfectly but I still made it to the bell. Didn't see Wes in the burpee pit so I knew he was going faster than me. Tire flip was extremely easy, even by my tire flip standards. Granted it had been a long time since I'd flipped a tire, but I just plopped that thing like it was nothing. Atlas carry went as usual. Long walk to a three-obstacle gauntlet starting with Beater, which is just so damn fun. Wes had failed it and I caught him coming out of the burpee pit and we hit up Bender together. We both got over and moved straight to Olympus. The new material had me nervous, and sure enough it was really slippery. My main issue was that I just couldn't get secure enough footing to move laterally with my hands. I had to hold on so much more with my hands that I couldn't get the feet correct. Got through two panels (out of six) before my feet just started sliding down and I couldn't save it. Thirty burpees with Wes. I'd done fewer burpees that day so I beat him out of the pit, but he caught up to me quickly up the trail.
Next was The Box 2, which I'd heard was a wall already at the venue that we'd be scaling with ropes. What I DIDN'T know in advance was that this wall was a good 15 feet high and absolutely terrifying to behold from the ground. I didn't even know how we'd get over the top once we got up there. But by god, I put on my work gloves (I used them on all the rope obstacles), used the grooves between the large bricks every 2-3 feet, and got up that stupid wall. They had wooden planks at the top to grab and pull ourselves over. It wasn't bad as long as you didn't look down. The worst part was getting down off the back of the wall, which was a good 6 feet off the ground. I ended up scraping my stomach trying to slide off the concrete.
Wes and I got to the multi-rig at the same time. Two rings, a tilted-up bar, and five more rings. The first of those rings was set very close to the bar, and about a foot higher. I realized it would be wise to just skip that stupid thing, so I just got a bit more lateral movement on the bar and grabbed the next lower ring to continue to the bell. Wes failed that transition and went to the burpee pit. I was in the lead! For once!
Finishing gauntlet by the festival! Herc hoist was easy as usual, followed by a new metal slip wall which was shiny and allegedly hot (I still had my rope gloves on) but was not slippery. Vertical cargo had the platform, and I got the belly flop onto the platform but was about 1 centimeter away from being able to grab the back of it and pull myself up. A nearby lady dragged my hand that centimeter to help me out. Up and over the net, then over the fire to victory!
Wes finished 6 minutes later, and we got our bags and our free beer (they offered a non-alcoholic option, which was a smart idea, and it was delicious). Back to the hotel for my free lunch (tacos) and some pool and hot tub time to prepare for the next day's Sprint.
The next day I woke up early, requested (and got) a later checkout time of noon so that I could shower post-race, and got ready to meet Wes and Rachel, who'd be joining us for today's race. We had our same instant private shuttle bus to the venue and started in the 9:30 AM wave. They ran on ahead and I was the tortoise yet again! I like it back there, though :)
Overwall was once again easy, as was the sandbag carry (saw W+R descending as I was ascending). I was even more nervous about the monkey bars today. I just had a feeling I'd fail them. Got on and they felt greasy. Oh shit. Got through the small gaps. Then the first, second, third big gaps. I realized I hadn't fallen off yet and the rest wasn't as hard. Hit the bell. I was so proud I made it with greasy-feeling bars. They're tough under perfect conditions, after all. At the inverted wall I caught up to W+R, then another nightmare slog through rolling mud and dunk wall. Thankfully the bottom of the mud pits had been tamped down and I didn't get nearly as much sand in my shoes!
Bucket and Z-wall were easier than the day before. Then the spear. I don't know why but I had a feeling I'd nail the spear. Got up there, got situated, and BANG. An amazing throw. My best throw ever. NAILED IT. Went past the burpee pit and both Wes and Rachel had failed the spear! Poor Wes, his first ever missed spear. But I was riding high on the now very strong possibility that I could run my first-ever clean Sprint race. Descended the hill to the awful barbed wire crawl. I tried going on the other side of it, which was a massive mistake. It was way worse, with huge hard ruts that were very painful to roll over and impossible to crawl over. I joked that the ruts were "NOT 'ribbed for her pleasure.'" At least that was followed by an easy A-frame.
At rope climb, I got my gloves and worked my way up. Finally hit the bell, slid down, and looked over and saw Wes say "good job, Clare!" Apparently Rachel had been screaming for me but I was so focused up there I didn't even notice. W+R had to do burpees so I went on ahead, fully expecting them to catch me before the multi-rig. But I jogged a bit more at the end, because I really wanted a decent finish time at this point. Got the tire flip, Atlas, and that terrifying Box 2 again. Learned my lesson from yesterday and didn't scrape myself getting down. The multi-rig was rings only and very easy, although one ring was poorly positioned so I just skipped it LIKE A BOSS. (I'd been practicing that particular trick at the ninja gym, I was pleased to put it to good use.)
Final gauntlet: herc hoist, slip wall, vertical cargo (now with no platform!) and fire jump. Got my medal and a banana and chatted with an extremely good-looking dude while watching for W+R, who came through the final gauntlet not long after. We were totally riding high on our awesome weekend of racing. We might even be able to talk Rachel into doing one of these again!
Pros:Elevation Gain: Super approx. 900 feet; Sprint approx. 400 feet
I was very happy to be leaving Iowa (temperature: -15) for Arizona on Friday before the race. After some sightseeing I checked into the WeKoPa Resort, which was the host hotel close to the venue. Spartan had negotiated an incredible discount which made this four-diamond resort cheaper than the Hampton Inn. I was surprised to hear that we wouldn't even have to pay the daily resort fee like the other guests. On top of that, we'd get a free shuttle to and from the race. Nice. Resort was gorgeous and I met a guy in the hot tub who *owns his own hot air balloon,* so needless to say I was instantly impressed with Arizona.
Saturday morning my buddy Wes and I (we also did the Attica Sprint together) set off for the Super on the shuttle bus, which was waiting and empty. A private school bus to the event? Yes please. It dropped us off right in front of the registration tents, which was some real VIP service. Check-in was a breeze. We got a good look at the interesting course layout, where racers loop around to the festival area just past the midpoint before coming through again to finish. This makes it an excellent course for spectators. There's even bleacher seating for people. Although temperatures that morning were in the high 40s, they quickly warmed up when the sun came out, and by 9 AM we were comfortable standing around in tank tops. We were feeling competitive because we'd wagered dinner on who could finish in the fastest time, so we got going in the 9:45 AM wave. Wes immediately gapped me by, gasp, jogging way more than I did. Total "tortoise and the hare" situation today, so I was gonna have to be a good little tortoise.
First obstacle was a single overwall, followed by Pipe Lair and a long slog up and down steep, packed sandy hills. Lots of loose rocks gave few opportunities to look up from the feet, but the landscape was stunning. Towering saguaros, big fat barrel cacti, and pretty prickly pear everywhere! Somehow I did not get a single cactus needle in my skin! Third obstacle was an easy Stairway to Sparta, followed by a hard The Box. They inexplicably put the crash pad about 1.5 feet away from the base of the box, making it much harder to jump up onto the knot at the end of the short rope. I tried a few times, getting as far as touching the grab bar with one hand, but kept falling off. Finally took the L and got a boost. But I made progress! I almost got up by scaling the rope with the rope stuck between my foot and the wall. Maybe next time.
Next: the dreadnought Twister. My hands felt a tiny bit sweaty, but I found a lane with the second section in the proper "down" position and soldiered on sideways. I struggled a bit with my aim with my forward hand, it was harder to make sure I got my hand through the grip for some reason. Managed to persevere enough to ring the bell! I didn't see Wes doing burpees, so I thought "oh lord, did Wes get Twister? I am SCREWED for this bet." Seven foot wall, easy peasy. Sandbag carry was fun, up and down a large hill. This was followed by monkey bars, which I was nervous about, and it turned out for good reason. The first and last couple bars weren't far apart, but the ones in the middle had two or three 4-foot gaps in a row. I was too scared to ape swing so I forced myself to match, and it felt like my hands were sticking to the bars as I tried valiantly to make it through. Thankfully I finally rang the bell. Still no Wes!
Over the inverted wall, then down through rolling mud. It sucked. Literally, it had some shoe-sucking quicksand. Nothing too bad, just enough to make you nervous and get lots of sand in your shoes. Water was 1.5 feet deep in each pit. The cliffs between the pits were extremely high, like 5-6 feet. I didn't see how it'd be possible to get out without a hand. Fortunately two men worked together to help haul me out of the first pit. The second had some "stairs" that someone had made in the cliff. Then came the dunk wall, which was sloppy but refreshing. This was a photo stop but I didn't get a picture, which is fine with me because I hate all dunk wall photos.
On the walk to the next obstacle, I caught up to Wes, who'd stopped to try (and fail) to fix his shoes after that mess. We went through the bucket carry together, which went well. Next was a long walk to Z-walls, which was on a nice high plateau with some actual grasses. Z-walls felt tougher than usual but I made it. I made a mental note to avoid the walls that had the "Spartan" signs in the gaps. Afterward was the spear throw, and I threw too high and missed by six inches. Wes hit it and ran ahead as I got totally filthy in the burpee pit. It was a nice view, though, overlooking the festival grounds from the high mesa. The course ran us down the side back to the festival area, where we found a horrifyingly rocky barbed wire crawl.
We must smile to keep from crying
A-frame cargo was tight and easy (that's what she said?), then rope climb, where my feet weren't locking perfectly but I still made it to the bell. Didn't see Wes in the burpee pit so I knew he was going faster than me. Tire flip was extremely easy, even by my tire flip standards. Granted it had been a long time since I'd flipped a tire, but I just plopped that thing like it was nothing. Atlas carry went as usual. Long walk to a three-obstacle gauntlet starting with Beater, which is just so damn fun. Wes had failed it and I caught him coming out of the burpee pit and we hit up Bender together. We both got over and moved straight to Olympus. The new material had me nervous, and sure enough it was really slippery. My main issue was that I just couldn't get secure enough footing to move laterally with my hands. I had to hold on so much more with my hands that I couldn't get the feet correct. Got through two panels (out of six) before my feet just started sliding down and I couldn't save it. Thirty burpees with Wes. I'd done fewer burpees that day so I beat him out of the pit, but he caught up to me quickly up the trail.
Next was The Box 2, which I'd heard was a wall already at the venue that we'd be scaling with ropes. What I DIDN'T know in advance was that this wall was a good 15 feet high and absolutely terrifying to behold from the ground. I didn't even know how we'd get over the top once we got up there. But by god, I put on my work gloves (I used them on all the rope obstacles), used the grooves between the large bricks every 2-3 feet, and got up that stupid wall. They had wooden planks at the top to grab and pull ourselves over. It wasn't bad as long as you didn't look down. The worst part was getting down off the back of the wall, which was a good 6 feet off the ground. I ended up scraping my stomach trying to slide off the concrete.
Wes and I got to the multi-rig at the same time. Two rings, a tilted-up bar, and five more rings. The first of those rings was set very close to the bar, and about a foot higher. I realized it would be wise to just skip that stupid thing, so I just got a bit more lateral movement on the bar and grabbed the next lower ring to continue to the bell. Wes failed that transition and went to the burpee pit. I was in the lead! For once!
I enjoy hanging from one hand more than most people.
Finishing gauntlet by the festival! Herc hoist was easy as usual, followed by a new metal slip wall which was shiny and allegedly hot (I still had my rope gloves on) but was not slippery. Vertical cargo had the platform, and I got the belly flop onto the platform but was about 1 centimeter away from being able to grab the back of it and pull myself up. A nearby lady dragged my hand that centimeter to help me out. Up and over the net, then over the fire to victory!
I heard a spectator exclaim "that's gonna be a good one!" about my jump pic
Wes finished 6 minutes later, and we got our bags and our free beer (they offered a non-alcoholic option, which was a smart idea, and it was delicious). Back to the hotel for my free lunch (tacos) and some pool and hot tub time to prepare for the next day's Sprint.
The next day I woke up early, requested (and got) a later checkout time of noon so that I could shower post-race, and got ready to meet Wes and Rachel, who'd be joining us for today's race. We had our same instant private shuttle bus to the venue and started in the 9:30 AM wave. They ran on ahead and I was the tortoise yet again! I like it back there, though :)
Overwall was once again easy, as was the sandbag carry (saw W+R descending as I was ascending). I was even more nervous about the monkey bars today. I just had a feeling I'd fail them. Got on and they felt greasy. Oh shit. Got through the small gaps. Then the first, second, third big gaps. I realized I hadn't fallen off yet and the rest wasn't as hard. Hit the bell. I was so proud I made it with greasy-feeling bars. They're tough under perfect conditions, after all. At the inverted wall I caught up to W+R, then another nightmare slog through rolling mud and dunk wall. Thankfully the bottom of the mud pits had been tamped down and I didn't get nearly as much sand in my shoes!
I am blind! And filthy!
Bucket and Z-wall were easier than the day before. Then the spear. I don't know why but I had a feeling I'd nail the spear. Got up there, got situated, and BANG. An amazing throw. My best throw ever. NAILED IT. Went past the burpee pit and both Wes and Rachel had failed the spear! Poor Wes, his first ever missed spear. But I was riding high on the now very strong possibility that I could run my first-ever clean Sprint race. Descended the hill to the awful barbed wire crawl. I tried going on the other side of it, which was a massive mistake. It was way worse, with huge hard ruts that were very painful to roll over and impossible to crawl over. I joked that the ruts were "NOT 'ribbed for her pleasure.'" At least that was followed by an easy A-frame.
The face of human misery
At rope climb, I got my gloves and worked my way up. Finally hit the bell, slid down, and looked over and saw Wes say "good job, Clare!" Apparently Rachel had been screaming for me but I was so focused up there I didn't even notice. W+R had to do burpees so I went on ahead, fully expecting them to catch me before the multi-rig. But I jogged a bit more at the end, because I really wanted a decent finish time at this point. Got the tire flip, Atlas, and that terrifying Box 2 again. Learned my lesson from yesterday and didn't scrape myself getting down. The multi-rig was rings only and very easy, although one ring was poorly positioned so I just skipped it LIKE A BOSS. (I'd been practicing that particular trick at the ninja gym, I was pleased to put it to good use.)
Final gauntlet: herc hoist, slip wall, vertical cargo (now with no platform!) and fire jump. Got my medal and a banana and chatted with an extremely good-looking dude while watching for W+R, who came through the final gauntlet not long after. We were totally riding high on our awesome weekend of racing. We might even be able to talk Rachel into doing one of these again!
This Modified Heisman fire jump pose should become a trend.
-Venue and weather. They worked together to make this the perfect desert experience. Lots of small(-ish) hills up and down was fun and challenging, and when you could look up from the rocks at your feet, the vistas were stunning. Whoever designed the course used the venue very well.
-Logistics. This was probably the best I've seen, since I stayed at the host resort and had extremely efficient shuttle service to and from the race's doorstep. I would HIGHLY recommend booking the host resort to everyone. Avoiding the parking lot was a massive perk. It really made the whole weekend a much more relaxing and smooth experience.
-Obstacle spacing. They really did a great job of breaking up the grip obstacles and the heavy obstacles, having some gauntlets and some long slogs. Very well designed.
-Logistics. This was probably the best I've seen, since I stayed at the host resort and had extremely efficient shuttle service to and from the race's doorstep. I would HIGHLY recommend booking the host resort to everyone. Avoiding the parking lot was a massive perk. It really made the whole weekend a much more relaxing and smooth experience.
-Obstacle spacing. They really did a great job of breaking up the grip obstacles and the heavy obstacles, having some gauntlets and some long slogs. Very well designed.
Cons:
-I thought the cliffs between the sections of Rolling Mud were too steep and treacherous. It seemed like it'd be impossible for the Super elites and age groupers to get over them without help.
Race Grade: A+. Honestly, this entire experience was practically flawless. Having a host resort with a shuttle was a total game-changer. Spartan should do this all the time. The race itself was incredible. What a gem on the Spartan schedule.
This Is Spartan Ultra Episode 14
Documenting my Spartan Arizona weekend (Super and Sprint)! How many burpees did I have to do?
Thursday, January 30, 2020
This Is Spartan Ultra Episode 13
A montage from my December through January training. Foot sprain recovery has been tough, but I managed to get some good work done!
Weird ninja gym holds - CHECK
Christmas hikes - CHECK
Big grabs - CHECK
Additional sprains - NO
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Good God, Get a Grip, Girl
I have had a bit of a disastrous off-season. In mid-November I sprained my foot pretty badly, as I previously reported. Finally I feel as though my foot is (mostly) healed from the sprain, and just in the nick of time, I caught impetigo on my toes. After a few days of antibiotic cream, my feet finally don't hurt like hell. So perhaps I have moved on from the Hot Mess Phase, which started with my anemia in early September and resulted in a good 15 pounds of weight gain, and now I am ready to enter the Ultra Build Phase.
My plan to prepare for the Ultra four months from now is as follows:
1) Weekly 5-hour hikes/snowshoes to maintain bulletproof legs.
2) Try to lose some weight, because that will undoubtedly help.
3) Develop obstacle proficiency, mostly in the form of sheer grip strength.
In the pursuit of objective 3, I have been stepping up my workouts at the ninja gym to work on specific Spartan skills that have tripped me up in the past. I'm practicing platform mounts, which are very useful for Irish tables, Hurdles, and Vertical Cargo 2.0. Normally on these sorts of obstacles I pull muscles, so practice has been helping me develop more explosive power in my legs so I can jump higher and use less trapezius to pull myself up. I've been doing a bit of parkour to work on my agility in general, so I can scramble over tall walls and dirt/muddy hills. I'm working on Olympus skills with slippery feet, since I've heard they changed the slickness of that obstacle.
But the biggest thing is grip strength, so I've been hammering that in as much as the skin on my hands will allow (and thankfully my skin has held up well! Rips are much less common than they used to be). I've been working on different kinds of grip lines, which I will never encounter in a race but make me more well-rounded nonetheless. I've started working on lateral movement with sweaty hands. I'm so bad with sweaty hands (I chalk up a good amount) but I want to get better. Today spent most of my hour working on big grabs, with about 4 to 4.5 feet of distance between the grip elements. Skipping rings is a staple as well. My thought is that if I am still unable to do the ropes on a Beast multi-rig, I might be able to just skip them.
My plan in the next few months is to work more on rope climb and tyro traverse, if given the opportunity. Once it warms up I will double down on my spear throw training so that I don't miss twice in my Ultra. Ultimately my ability to finish will depend on keeping my obstacle failures as minimal as possible, and for that I need to get good at skill obstacles and develop gorilla grip strength. If I can get through this Ultra with 7 or fewer failures, it will be HUGE.
My plan to prepare for the Ultra four months from now is as follows:
1) Weekly 5-hour hikes/snowshoes to maintain bulletproof legs.
2) Try to lose some weight, because that will undoubtedly help.
3) Develop obstacle proficiency, mostly in the form of sheer grip strength.
In the pursuit of objective 3, I have been stepping up my workouts at the ninja gym to work on specific Spartan skills that have tripped me up in the past. I'm practicing platform mounts, which are very useful for Irish tables, Hurdles, and Vertical Cargo 2.0. Normally on these sorts of obstacles I pull muscles, so practice has been helping me develop more explosive power in my legs so I can jump higher and use less trapezius to pull myself up. I've been doing a bit of parkour to work on my agility in general, so I can scramble over tall walls and dirt/muddy hills. I'm working on Olympus skills with slippery feet, since I've heard they changed the slickness of that obstacle.
But the biggest thing is grip strength, so I've been hammering that in as much as the skin on my hands will allow (and thankfully my skin has held up well! Rips are much less common than they used to be). I've been working on different kinds of grip lines, which I will never encounter in a race but make me more well-rounded nonetheless. I've started working on lateral movement with sweaty hands. I'm so bad with sweaty hands (I chalk up a good amount) but I want to get better. Today spent most of my hour working on big grabs, with about 4 to 4.5 feet of distance between the grip elements. Skipping rings is a staple as well. My thought is that if I am still unable to do the ropes on a Beast multi-rig, I might be able to just skip them.
My plan in the next few months is to work more on rope climb and tyro traverse, if given the opportunity. Once it warms up I will double down on my spear throw training so that I don't miss twice in my Ultra. Ultimately my ability to finish will depend on keeping my obstacle failures as minimal as possible, and for that I need to get good at skill obstacles and develop gorilla grip strength. If I can get through this Ultra with 7 or fewer failures, it will be HUGE.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Race Recap: Frosty 5K
Frosty 5K 12/14/19 Cedar Falls, IA
Weather: 18 degrees, windy
Terrain: Roads and paved recreation trails
Distance: 5K
Last race of 2019, this one a local fun run with a holiday theme. Last year I ran a 5K personal best here, but this year was going to be a family slog just for fun. I picked up our packets the day before and got long-sleeve shirts (nice color, blue, this year) and a goody bag for my son (all kids under 10 got one). The goody bag contained an ornament kit and a candy cane, which went over very well with the kiddo. Next morning we bundled up and headed to the megachurch where the race was based, which again this year was a great place to stay warm and use actual toilets before going out into the world-famous Iowa windchill (in the mid-single digits). Race started on time and my husband, son and I wound through downtown before heading out and back on the paved trail. Racing with a preschooler is an entirely different kind of exercise, mostly in "patience" and "keeping someone on task." He raced well in the first mile, then did a lot of "are we there yet" in the latter 2/3rds of the race. He looked adorable, though, which counts for something.
In this untimed race, it didn't matter, and we did eventually find our way to the finish line with minimal incident - one slip on a rogue ice patch. Better him than me, because my foot was finally on the mend from my sprain 3.5 weeks ago! We finally crossed the finish line in about 54 minutes, which was good enough to get finisher medals, and then went inside for cocoa, cookies, and candy canes. In addition to delicious treats, there was a raffle (we lost, but still) and a photo booth where we could get pictures with Santa Claus that were both printed out for us and texted digitally to our phones. Technology! We used our picture and our son's goody-bag kit to make a custom ornament commemorating the race.
Last race of 2019, this one a local fun run with a holiday theme. Last year I ran a 5K personal best here, but this year was going to be a family slog just for fun. I picked up our packets the day before and got long-sleeve shirts (nice color, blue, this year) and a goody bag for my son (all kids under 10 got one). The goody bag contained an ornament kit and a candy cane, which went over very well with the kiddo. Next morning we bundled up and headed to the megachurch where the race was based, which again this year was a great place to stay warm and use actual toilets before going out into the world-famous Iowa windchill (in the mid-single digits). Race started on time and my husband, son and I wound through downtown before heading out and back on the paved trail. Racing with a preschooler is an entirely different kind of exercise, mostly in "patience" and "keeping someone on task." He raced well in the first mile, then did a lot of "are we there yet" in the latter 2/3rds of the race. He looked adorable, though, which counts for something.
"I'm gonna win," the small, slow lad exclaimed with confidence
In this untimed race, it didn't matter, and we did eventually find our way to the finish line with minimal incident - one slip on a rogue ice patch. Better him than me, because my foot was finally on the mend from my sprain 3.5 weeks ago! We finally crossed the finish line in about 54 minutes, which was good enough to get finisher medals, and then went inside for cocoa, cookies, and candy canes. In addition to delicious treats, there was a raffle (we lost, but still) and a photo booth where we could get pictures with Santa Claus that were both printed out for us and texted digitally to our phones. Technology! We used our picture and our son's goody-bag kit to make a custom ornament commemorating the race.
All I want for Christmas is DOMS
Pros:
-Value. Great swag at a reasonable price (the 3-person cost to register was under $75).
-Finisher medals for a 5K. Perfect for kids.
-Photos at finish and with Santa are a nice touch.
-Finisher medals for a 5K. Perfect for kids.
-Photos at finish and with Santa are a nice touch.
Cons:
-Minimalist. No timing, no water stops.
-Cold. Obviously, this is not the race's fault, but it's a factor to consider when signing up. I'm guessing there were no-shows because of the cold snap and wind.
-Cold. Obviously, this is not the race's fault, but it's a factor to consider when signing up. I'm guessing there were no-shows because of the cold snap and wind.
Race Grade: A-. Doing it this year with my family really helped me appreciate all the little details and awesome swag that go into this event, and at a very low cost.
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