Warrior Dash Recap

Ah, The Warrior Dash. This event is probably one of the best (and worst) events that I have ever completed. It was at Afton Alps ski hill in Hastings, MN. What this means is that between each of the obstacles, there is an uphill run. Over the course of three miles, you gain 377 feet in altitude. That’s okay, though.. we’re up for it–We’re a team!  We even have “matching tattoos.”

(I’m on the girl on the far right, next to the guy in the white shirt)

We arrived at about 9:30am and the place was already pandemonium.  Warriors from earlier runs were walking past us dripping mud from head to toe.  Music was blaring, and the next group was in the gate waiting for their wave to go.  The whole crowd was just frenetic.

We shot the group photo before I checked in my gear and then it was already time to go.

In the gate, we stretched out the best we could, we tried to develop strategies to stay together, Ramon got Dave to let him take his camera on the course so we could get some action shots, and then it was time to go!  Again, it’s at a ski hill, so our first “battle” was uphill, and then down a pretty steep hill to our first obstacle.  We had waded through hanging tires but that was more of a nuisance than an obstacle.  There were some people that could just barrel down the hill full tilt, but I had to be conscientious of my ankle (which I had broken going downhill in the past).  Between the uphill battle and the down hill care, I was one of the last people to make it to this beast:

The wall.  A lot easier than it looked! Until you got to the top.  I froze and just couldn’t get over because of my fear of climbing ladders. Yep.  You read that right.  I made it to the top and could not climb down the “ladder” on the other side. I decided to just go back down the way that I came except I kind of lost my grips and suffered a friction burn on my back as I slid down.  This race was off to a *great* start…. /sarcasm.

One thing that was *really* awesome about this obstacle, though, were the five people that I was with.  Two were running as Wounded Warriors  and they supported each other through and through.  The other 3 were in a group together as geeks and one girl was the weakest link.  She made it to the top and, like me, froze in fear.  One of her friends followed her up afterwards and pushed her bum for support so she wouldn’t slide back down.  Shouts of encouragement rained down from her friends and the rest of us there were moved to shout as well.  She, unlike me, made it over the wall with the support of her friends.  You could tell that they were more physically fit than I was, but they were loyal and supportive and you could tell that they were in it together.  It was so amazing that I hugged her on the other side and told her that she’s got true friends and should feel so loved.

Then I climbed the hill to the next obstacle…

Given all of my balance work on the BOSU ball, I nailed this obstacle.  They were high and scary, and very unsteady, but I conquered it 🙂 By the time I made it to this obstacle, I had also buddied up with a girl who was going a pace very similar to mine.  Her name was Jody and she had been talked into doing it by her daughter.  She got dusted by the group that she came with (same as me) but she was a Warrior bound and determined to finish it.

I rocked the trenches.  There were rocks and debris in them which was a hazard to the knees, but I only came out with a few scratches — at least I didn’t get caught on the barbed wire.

This obstacle was both easier and harder than it looked.  I made it to the top just fine but something about going over terrified me.  I just kept picturing myself losing my grip and plummeting to my death.  So I climbed up one side…. and right back down the same side.  I figured it was the same amount of work and should totally count.

There were many more obstacles that I don’t have good pictures of – over-unders where you have to hoist yourself over 4.5′ walls and then duck under a fence lined with barbed wire, a treacherous hill where you have to make it under fishing nets–I think the point was to army crawl, but it was down hill so most people just rolled–followed by crisscrossed barbed wire.  Again–I think the point was to army crawl, but as it was down hill, most people (including me) did a combination of rolling and crab walking.  There were a couple times where I thought I had cleared the barbed wire and I had misjudged it and became very thankful that I was wearing glasses.  There were “hurricane force winds” where they had multiple snow generating machines blasting you with water.  The mists felt good at first but as you ran through them the mist turned to sand and you were getting blasted.

There was a grueling portion of the track that led me through steep hills and switch back single-path trails.  At one point I was so winded and we had already started to get lapped.  I had to climb a rock and hold myself against a tree to let the better athletes pass me.. As I stumbled back on the path I just pumped my arms and told myself that there was no place to go but up.

Eventually, we were able to start our descent.  We jogged briskly and came to the funnest “obstacle” of all – a water slide:

At the bottom of the slides were indents from all of the other warriors who had slid before me and as I cascaded into the puddle, I was laughing and yelling with delight.  Best way to get down a hill ever.

The epic fire jump was shortly after this, but it was on a hill as well so that your left was lower than your right–making it that much harder to get ample lift.

I seriously felt as if I had started my feet on fire, though ;D  I was never so happy to see a mud pit in my life.  Surprisingly, there was little to no apprehension when it came to just crawling right in.  I had read a few blogs that gave advice on making it through the mud pit.  .. Namely, if it’s got enough water, you an float. I thought I was being all smart and just floating and pulling myself along (under barbed wire), but then they had a guy spraying people with a fire-hose… I was glad that I had tucked my glasses into my boob-pocket or they’d’ve been lost..

My parents were waiting for me when I got out of the pit.  I had warned them that they might get a little muddy, but I was still surprised when they gave me big muddy hugs and agreed to be in pics with me:

I reunited with my team from work for our victory photo… and then did my best to get cleaned up.  I think it took 3x shampooing to get all of the mud out of my hair.   Pro-tip:  Make sure to check your belly button for mud haha..

 

 

 

Warrior Dash: Week 1 Day 1 (Phase 1)

I tried for a few minutes to find a photo to represent how I felt after my first personal training session yesterday.  I googled the words “triumphant” and “proud” and scrolled through a few pages of photos of people caught in those feelings, but none of them really grasped what it was like.   So then, I read a small book of Wisdom from Ariel Books. I found the following quote to be most suiting: 

Don’t wish me happinss–I don’t expect to be happy….Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor–I will need them all.  – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Yesterday morning, I showed up for personal training at 6:50am and changed into my workout clothes.  My mom, who had come for the core class at 6:00am was just finishing up with her workout.  I got a sweaty hug from her as we crossed paths.  I bid her good job on her work out and she wished me luck on mine.  It started out innocently enough on the treadmill.  3.5MPH for a little bit.  Just to warm up, then he wanted me running 5.5MPH, then 5.7.  After that he started adding in the strength exercises.  Over here to the ball–chest presses, go! Back to the treadmill, no stopping! 3x. Now over here to do standard-stance squats with a bar, now back to the treadmill–go go go!

Overall I think we did 4 strength exercises spaced by sessions on the treadmill.  I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet and so we were really tapping into the harder-to-access energy reserves that I have.  It felt weird and challenging and difficult and once I thought I might just toss my cookies.  But I pressed through it–because I signed up for this.  I asked for this.  I need this.  On and on it went and it was challenging enough to push me but not so hard that I would give up.  I could hardly think about what I was doing let alone anything else.  It was kind of liberating, in a way.

When I was all through and he told me I made it, I was already laying on a mat and he just rolled the exercise ball out from beneath my feet.  Unexpectedly, I found tears cascading down my cheeks and I just felt momentarily overwhelmed!  I was so proud that I hadn’t given up.  He gave me a few minutes to collect myself and when I was back to good, he told me that he was proud of me for pushing through–that a majority of his first-timers need at least 10 minutes rest at the 30-minute mark because they feel the overwhelming desire to or have given in to the desire to throw up.  He also told me that since I have a track-record of working out and an established fitness base, he is starting me at something more like Phase 4.  He said I could be ready by December.  I could have 6 months to do anything I wanted.

The other trainer called me last night to finalize registration for the Warrior Dash.  She asked me what size shirt I wanted.  I said Medium.

Wanna Be A Warrior

I have a lot to update on.  When last I wrote I was talking about not having a plan.  It has really hit me in the wallet and in the GI tract to not have a plan this week.  Even Rah-rah noticed it! Tonight on the way home, I asked what he wanted for dinner and he replied “I dunno… We really haven’t had any good food this week..” and he sounded so sad!  I guess that this means I need to keep up on that menu-making 😉 

After I post this entry, I’m going to make 2 more pages for my blog–a “new foods” page and a “Favorite Links” one.  I think it would be a good way to keep things in order and to share some resources with you.

Spaghetti Squash

Earlier this week, I was gifted with a Spaghetti Squash from one of my co-workers.  I had never tried it before so he brought me one from his very own garden.  His suggestion was to cut it in half (which I almost needed a hatchet to do…) and then microwave it.  Mrs. Roomie ended up doing the rest of the cooking after I cut it up because I simply had too much to do on my list.

She browned some lean ground beef and added a jar of Classico Tomato Basil sauce, then served the meat sauce over the stringed squash instead of over pasta.  The review that I received from Mr. and Mrs. Roomie and Rah-rah said that it was cold and kinda chewy.  When I re-heated it when I got home, I thought it was pretty tasty.  Maybe it just needed to cook longer?  Rah-rah rated it a 6 out of 10, so we’ll probably try it again.  Mr. Roomie said it was pretty tasty with just some olive oil and some garlic powder.  Who knows? The flavor is so mild that the possibilities are practically endless.

The rest of the nights, we pretty much had a gas-station diet–frozen pizza, sandwiches, etc.  It was really expensive and I’m going to have to be careful with my cash over the next week.  I’ve got my dry-erase markers ready, though! The menu shall be made!

Warrior Dash is a mud-crawlng | fire leaping | extreme run from hell | Are you a warrior?

Mr. Trainer has asked me to join the 2012 Warrior Dash

.  Now, on SparkPeople, I joined a great group of girls called the Weight Loss Warriors.  I haven’t been much of a warrior lately.  I have lost touch with a few of the girls and I have been avoiding spark like the plague for various reasons.  Be that as it may, however, the Weight Loss Warriors are some of the best, most supportive, consistent people that I have met.  Most of them have already met their weight loss goals, and if they haven’t, they’re still plugging away and making good choices.  I feel like doing the Warrior Dash will not only “make me a warrior” to them, but it will also provide some validation for myself.  If I can get through that race, hell, I can do anything.

Warrior Dash Participant (from Warrior Dash on Facebook)

Since it’s more of an obstacle course than a race, I’ve made a serious commitment to fitness.  On Monday I start Phase I with Mr. Trainer to begin preparations for the event.  It is about 9 months away and so every 4 weeks until July 2012, I have committed to meet with Mr. Trainer so that I can be ready.   Right now, I love sweets and carbs and cuddles–and I have been avoiding the gym.  With something like this on the horizon there will be no choice except to shape up.  It will be either get ready, or get hurt–one of the two.  I’m going to aim for the former, not the latter.