Race Review: The Savage Race Mid-Atlantic

Caution: long blog post ahead!

The Savage Race^SM was my first obstacle course race…and I loved it! I have to admit it was probably the one of the most fun races I have done, second only to the Ragnar Relay series. I love team races because they are super supportive and far less competitive than other races. My team, known as Carrie’s Crew, consisted of my husband, John, team leader and CrossFit queen friend, Carrie, and myself. Small team but big dreams!

Carrie's Crew!

The race organizers did a great job with this race. Volunteers were plentiful and from what I saw, quite encouraging and watchful as well. Safety of the participants was clearly a concern for the organizers. They shortened the course from five miles to four due to heat and safety issues, so a few of the obstacles were not present (“Colon Blow” and “Blazed”). Plenty of water was available (four water stops), but the half-size water bottles would have reduced waste and some kind of sports drink offered at one of the stops would have been good.

Carrie's Crew with more mud!

The race had a great group of friendly, energetic athletes present, many of whom helped people finish obstacles, which is encouraged rather than penalized on this race. Several times I needed assistance from teammates to complete an obstacle and other racers stepped up to help. And being an athletic woman myself, I would be remiss not to mention the major hotties on the course!

Obstacles

The running portion of the race was basically brief sprints (or walks) in between obstacles so I decided to go through each obstacle to detail my experience. I attempted all but one obstacle and did not finish four of them (stars denote not finishing). There was no penalty for not finishing or attempting an obstacle, though, which is apparently different from most other races of this style. I cannot remember the order of the obstacles with 100% certainty, but the following is my approximation of the course order.

Shriveled Richard 

An ice bath about 15 feet long. They force you to go underwater at one point. The cold was not too bad (it was definitely a shock), but the ice itself was sharp. Ouch!

Thors Grundle 

A long mud pit with wooden slats to force you to dunk your head. I’m still cleaning dirt out of my ears! My one complaint about this one was that there was no water after to wash the mud out of our eyes and it stuck to my eye lashes. But this obstacle made for great photos (check out the Savage Race Facebook Page!)

Nutt Smasher*

Basically this was a balance beam with extra bouncing. I got about a third of the way then it started shaking significantly. DROP! SPLASH! Did not finish it. And then I could barely get down the muddy hill.

Me So Thorny 

A barbed wire crawl in dirt. Not bad at all, but I don’t think I was doing it properly. I was short enough to basically crawl on my hands and knees rather than doing the actual Army crawl. The worst part about this and ALL the crawls in the dirt or mud was that the location was a shooting range normally and all the dirt had clay pigeon/skeet shooting remnants. It was painful putting my hands, arms, knees, and legs on the shards!

Swamp Ass

Basically going through a eutrophied, smelly, waist-deep pond. Not bad.

Tires

This was supposed to be tires swinging, but they were just on the ground and you had to step in the tire holes. Kind of silly and not much of an obstacle.

Kiss My Walls* 

A ledge walk similar to indoor rock climbing. The wood was too far apart and I did not have enough upper body strength to finish this obstacle. If they would have made the footholds a little better (wide enough for two sets of toes rather than only one), I would have been able to do it, I think.

Mud Berms

Muddy hills! For some reason these three obstacles causes the longest lines. People would stop to run up or down the berms, but they weren’t really that bad at all. I think people were afraid of folks sliding back down, which is a concern. But I thought they were pretty fun. The sliding one down reminded me of Arnold’s character in Predator, though!

Sawtooth Bars* 

This was the only obstacle I was disappointed that I did not complete. I used to be a wiz at monkey bars. Because it had a sawtooth shape with two rises, I was not able to just use my skeletal structure to swing across. I got to the third bar and dropped in the water :(

8 Foot Wall 

The name is exactly what it was. My husband helped me with this one. I stood on his back and he slowly stood up until I was able to grab the top and get my leg over. Unfortunately we had no one to help him with it so he did not get to do it!

Slippery Incline Wall 

An angled wall with a rope to climb up that had a sprinkler spraying you and the wall. I did not think I would complete this, but it was actually pretty easy if you got enough of a running start to reach the rope. Fun!

LumberJack Lane

Log carrying through a pond. The hardest part of this was there was a wire or something that tripped me along the way. Supposedly carrying two would have made me a BADASS (they had a few “Badass” obstacles), but I chose to just carry one of the small ones.

Barn Door 

A slatted wall that you could just climb over. Pretty simplistic.

Hay Stacks

Giant rolls of hay that were stacked like a pyramid. Super fun, but kind of scary going down because they had been stamped down by previous racers. I treaded it very slowly!

Low Crawl 

Similar to the other barbed wire crawls, but water was spraying you in the face when you did it. This was pretty fun.

Alligator Alley

Running through a muddy corn field with ice cold water spraying on you. Not much of an obstacle, but the mud got pretty thick!

Back Scratcher (without hay)

Imagine hurdles with five foot walls and barbed wire limbo. I did not fully complete this one, but I did 4 of the 6 walls and all the barbed wire crawls in between. I have some lovely brusies on the back of my leg behind my knees as proof!

Wet Willy

Probably the most boring “obstacle”. It was just a pond you could walk or swim across. I obviously chose to swim.

Davy Jones’ Locker 

The second best obstacle of the course and all we had to do was jump of a tall dock (probably the same height as a high dive diving board). With a cute lifeguard in scuba gear so there was good incentive to jump off. I forgot to blow air out my nose on the way down so I got water up there. Oops!

Bad Ass Cargo Net

This was a 20 foot (or thereabouts) cargo net that you had to climb. It wasn’t quite vertical, but it was steep enough that I was a little scared.

Colossus (Ramp) 

The most difficult obstacle on the course. Basically this obstacle was a short concave ramp leading to a vertical wall with a rope you had to climb to reach a ledge. I cannot believe I was able to reach the rope. I got to the last knot, but could not reach the ledge. I tried going perpendicular to get my legs up, which did not work. Then I slid down a little burning my hands. OUCH!!! Fortunately, not one, but TWO volunteers at the top helped me up. I hurt myself in the process, though, so even though I got lots of help I am considering that a completion!

A few bruises I picked up from the Colossus and Mud N'Guts!

Colossus (Slide)

The other fun obstacle and all I had to do was slide down a very steep water slide ramp. Loved it!

Tazed*

Only one member of our group attempted this shocking obstacle. This one had a car battery attached to cords with exposed wires. Instead of running through, which would have been painful, but fine, they made you roll underneath. I chose not to attempt this as I HATE electricity, getting shocked (like when my car door shocks me trying to close it), and rolling makes me nauseated. The teammate who did it did not even make a peep when most of the racers were squealing or yelling obscenities!

Mud N’Guts 

A mud pit under progressively lowered barbed wire. The last obstacle and actually really annoying because of the aforementioned clay pigeon remnants. The mud got so deep I eventually had to use my elbows to pull myself through!   

Finisher medal and t-shirt + race bib.

After the Race

It took Carrie’s Crew 1:54:17 to do the four-mile obstacle course. Even though we did not do all the obstacles, I am still really proud of my team. We were muddy, cut up, and bruised and proud of it! I even had to throw away the tank top I wore because it got so stretched out from the weight of the mud! They had showers, which were essentially low-pressure hoses. It took me almost 15 minutes to clean up. Unfortunately, we were so hungry we did not get to enjoy our after race beers (food was ridiculously expensive so we chose to get food at a local restaurant – taco salad, yum!), but leaving, unlike most races, was quick and efficient.

I highly recommend this race!

Me after the race.

Cheering Other Racers On: Courtesy or Annoying Habit

Today’s blog is somewhat a follow-up to my previous race review blog. During the race, I noticed something strange. Well, strange for most of the previous races I have completed. Barely anyone was cheering racers on. And I do not mean onlookers in this case. This race had very few runners and was on an out and back trail so I did not expect much of a crowd anyway.

What I did expect was more camaraderie among runners. It was July 4^th, the USA’s big holiday (only one person was wearing festive clothes)! With it being a small race by a local track club, I assumed I would see less competition and more people just out to have fun. But I did not really witness much of that. Most people seemed pretty focused in their own heads. Big races with professionals or those trying to score USAT rankings seem to be that way, not these smaller themed races.

Usually I will give and receive quite a few “good job runners” or “keep it up, you are doing great”, but I only heard one encouragement from a woman with a great big smile on her face. Of course, I smiled back adding a "thank you". There was an even stranger outcome when I cheered on the leader and the runners up. The leader just got a strange look on his face and the runners up did not even look up from where there were going. I get the focus that it takes to be in the lead, but I was still surprised. Mainly because at other races I will at least get a nod or hand-up gesture acknowledging the support.

So this got me thinking: is supporting other racers distracting or helpful? I know that it knocks me out of my runner-space when onlookers yell “just crest that hill and then you are home free” because often they have no idea what the course ahead looks like. It can be demoralizing to realize, no I actually do have a few more hills or distance to go. But I have always thought it was good form to be polite to other racers, especially when you see someone struggling or doing really well. I have been in situations where I just needed a little boost and a friendly smile or good job was enough to keep me going.

This all could be a symptom of my recent change in location. Since moving to the DC area from the Midwest, I have noticed much less friendliness among strangers. I have always felt that athletes are a community of our own, though, and are more supportive of each other than the general population given the struggles we face. Maybe I am just feeling nostalgic for a race with a Midwest attitude!

Do you prefer to be cheered or do you stay inside your own head? And is cheering on other racers a location- or race-dependent faux pas? I would love to hear thoughts from readers on this!

Happy to finish a race! (From the very supportive Girls Tri Too Series)

PVTC Go Fourth 8k: A Race Review

I promise I will eventually follow-up on my previous blog, but I keep getting side-tracked! This time it is for a good reason: a race! Each race I attempt and hopefully complete, I plan to write a race review. I will try to include some objective facts, but the reviews will mostly be specific to my experience. So without further adieu, a review of my first race finished since starting this blog!

Me before the race.

The Potomac Valley Track Club “Go Fourth” 8k

The Race

The race gets brownie points for being an 8k. This has become my favorite running race distance mainly because that extra mile to do a 10k just feels like death!  It also gets significant props for being low-stress and low-key. Registration was simple and easy to find. With only about 100 people at the race, even the narrow Washington & Old Dominion Trail was not crowded.

The course itself was mostly flat. I say mostly because the slightly noticeable incline on the return trip was somewhat challenging, more mentally than physically. The W&OD Trail was converted from a discontinued railway line in 1982 so the trail is almost completely straight and scenic. Because it is a publicly used multi-purpose trail, the race course was not closed to non-participants. For the most part, though, there were not that many cyclists or runners that passed by – and those that did were careful to call out “passing” warnings. The trail, even in non-race situations, is a great place to train!

Race volunteers, while not numerous, were friendly and helpful. The course had one water-stop – technically two since it was an out and back course – that was well stocked with water. On a 5-mile race having a water stop at about 1.5 miles from the start/finish makes more sense than just one at the turn around.

Expectations and Outcomes

My goal for this race was simple: NO WALKING! I had done legs of a Ragnar Relay without walking, but not an entire race. The only time I have done this distance without walking was my third leg at Ragnar Relay Tennessee. The time was less than stellar averaging about 13:30 minutes per mile, which is essentially a walking pace for most people. Consequently, a corollary to my goal of no walking was to complete the race at my normal race pace.

Me after the race. I look a little weary!

This proved to be a big struggle. The halfway point of a race is my usual “allow myself to walk” mark. But by only mile 2 of this race, I was already feeling the urge to stop. I kept going when a woman passed me and said “almost to the halfway point”. It gave me a second wind. Unfortunately, after the turn, I was plagued by crippling side stitches and some patches of headwind. But I was making good time. I thought to myself if I can just get to the 5k mark, then I can walk. I kept listening for my GPS to beep at mile 3. It beeped and I kept jogging. If I can just get to the four-mile mark, then I can walk. Another debilitating side stitch and one more mile later, ok, you’ve made it this far, just one more mile to go.

At this point, I noticed that the lady who kept leap-frogging with me would start jogging right after or just when I caught up to her. I normally do not take notice of passing others, but this gave me motivation to finish strong. I mustered some strength at about 0.75 miles to go and sped up. I promptly passed her and just kept going. The last quarter-mile was pure hell. I was ready to stop…

…but I did not! I did the whole race without walking, thus completing my goal! 

My unofficial race results are from my Garmin 405cx (note: I will write a post in the near future about all the gear I use for practice and training). These are likely more accurate than the official race results (in the events) tab because we did not have timing chips. I finished with a time of 57:03.

I am very happy with my results even though it was not an 8k PR (personal record for those newbies out there). I also had my best 5k time during this race at 33:33. The first race of the season turned out to be a great one.

X-Training Bootcamp Style

"The best laid [plans] of mice and men often go astray" - Robert Burns. I had planned to write about transitioning to swimming from other sports today, but real world events interfered and I want to talk about my workout this weekend.

Jogging after playing tennis.

I had the "pleasure" of trying out a bootcamp style workout while traveling. Let me just say that I have not worked out that intensely since high school swimming. It is two days later and I am still sore! As a triathlete - who really only swims, bikes, runs, and occasionally plays tennis or lifts weights - it got me thinking more about cross-training, recovery, injury, and expanding my potential.

I would like to try at least one bodyweight/bootcamp/Crossfit/etc. style training day a week and see how that affects my triathlon/running race training. Given I am not very well versed on this, I would love to have input from people who have do these kinds of workouts regularly and what they recommend for workouts and recovery. I have heard horror stories of injuries so I would like to avoid doing anything too overly taxing in the beginning.

Comments/suggestions requested here or on the Facebook page.

Transitioning to Running From Swimming

I was born a natural swimmer. I have never been a "good" runner, though. Part of the reason is that I have asthma. Not to mention I do not have a typical runner’s body – short legs and broad upper body. I remember the first time they made us run a mile in school and I had not yet been diagnosed with asthma. I was one of the last students to finish, nearly passing out afterwards.  

This made transitioning to running in triathlons difficult. When I started training for my first triathlon, after not running for more than half a decade, I could scarce run a quarter of a mile. And I encountered several issues coming from a swimming background that I had not expected. Consequently, I have a few examples and tips that I want to share from my experiences.

After a run workout.

• The importance of proper, well-fitted running shoes. When I ran growing up, I simply used whatever pair of tennis shoes I had to run. This concept works for a while until you start doing longer runs. Keep one pair of running shoes separate from your walking ones.
• Blisters (and the need to keep toenails short). See the first bullet, but even with well-sized shoes blisters happen. Sometimes the solution is as simple as clipping your toenails down as far as you can and wearing good socks.
• Learning to breathe steadily is not easy. In swimming you are forced to rhythmically breathe (if you use proper stroke technique). Running you can breathe whenever you want. Trying to get into a good rhythm takes practice.
• Drills, drills, drills. Even though I was very familiar with drills in swimming, I had it in my mind that I could just go out and run progressively longer distances while reducing my times. WRONG! Drills allow you to work on your technique/stride.
• Varying the workouts. As with drills I first ignored the importance of varying my run training, which made my progress very slow. Fartleks, pyramids, and intervals will help you increase your speed and endurance.
• Injuries. Swimming injuries are much different than running injuries. Runners are highly susceptible to road rash, ankle sprains, knee and hip pain, and broken toes – sometimes at the same time. I still have a scar on my lower leg from improperly treating road rash that happened when I sprained my ankle.
• Sports bras make a difference. This is really only applicable to women, but as swimmers we usually have no issues with anatomy – everything floats! A good sports bra really makes a difference on long runs. Ladies, do not skimp on quality here or you will be sore and uncomfortable during your runs (I even wear a sports bra under my tri-suit to get adequate support).
• Weather disrupts training. Weather does not usually impact swim workouts (unless they are outdoor pools/open water), but a good storm can prevent you from completing your run. Become familiar with indoor workouts like lifting or yoga if you do not have access to a treadmill.
• Chaffing/windburn. I never knew the extent that running (and cycling) caused lasting pain until I was chaffed and windburned for the first time. Prevention is better than treating!

Do not be caught off-guard by the many differences in training style and technique. It takes time to transition from one sport to another. Be patient and vigilant if you find yourself struggling. Read up on the sport that you are learning as well as talk to more experienced athletes. Check out my next blog post where I discuss transitioning to swimming from other sports!

Have any training tips to add or issues you encountered when transitioning to another sport? Comment below!

Demystifying the Swim Leg

The swim leg has been described as “scary”, “daunting” and “difficult” - among other words – by triathletes. It is often the leg of the race that prevents runners and cyclists from even attempting a triathlon. Many of those that do try a triathlon will under-train in swimming because they do not have access to a pool or because they underestimate how taxing a long swim can be. If you are swimmers by nature, then you likely relish the chance to show off your skills in the water. But the swim leg can be just as strenuous for swimmers as it is for newer swimmers.

I don't look scared, do I?

Because of this, I would like to demystify the swim leg. The two most significant issues to note are that there are two different types of swims – pool and open water – and that the swim leg is varying distances depending on the venue or the race length.

Distances

For those not familiar with typical triathlon distances, I urge you to check out the USAT race distances page and this article in Men’s Health. But there are lots of different races with varying distances. For swimmers, I recommend trying out a non-traditional distance race that highlights the swim portion. This could give you an advantage against other less skilled swimmers. For cyclists/runners, I recommend the opposite. Find a race with a shorter swim and longer distance in your sport. For those lucky triathletes who excel in all three, then just find a race!

Pool Swims vs. Open Water Swims

I have done about an even number of indoor and outdoor races though I still have not decided which style race I like more. Pool swims are ideal for novice swimmers. They can be outdoor or indoor. Short distance – typically 300 yards/meters depending on the pool size. Shallow water. Clean water. Seasoned swimmers get the added benefit of being adept at flip-turns already. And my favorite benefit is that they are single-start races, e.g. one person starts at a time. This is far less hectic than a group start and the races will often use seed times so the stronger swimmers can lead.

Open water swims require a little more training than pool swims. Open water swims can be in a lake, pond, stream, or the ocean, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Lakes/ponds often have waist deep water, but they can be filled with more plant life and debris, which can be distracting or even dangerous. In streams you have to face strong currents going one direction – though you get the added benefit of swimming with the current the other way. The ocean is this swimmer-pretending-to-be-a-triathlete's least favorite option because you have to deal with sea creatures and saltwater. In general, all open water swims pose a danger if you have open wounds, new piercings, or swallow water frequently.

Warming up at the Boilerman Tri (2011)

The bottom line when choosing a race based on the swim leg is you need to know your strengths and limitations. How far can you safely swim? Under what conditions? Are there other options for races that suit your swimming style? 

So what is your preference as a triathlete? 

Training For My First Triathlon

For those of you who have never attempted a triathlon, you might be wondering how much work goes into training for a race. Well I can tell you how much went into my first race. Very little. 

OK, I might want to clarify this for those seasoned triathletes who are shaking their heads right now. I mean very little compared to how I train for races now. Like most of my musings I decided to start triathlons on a whim, a year after my initial inspiration. I searched “sprint triathlons” on the web in April 2010 and just happened to come across a race called Girls Tri Too. It was a women’s only series across Ohio that had the distance 250 yards swimming, 7 miles cycling, and 2 miles running. Less than a sprint, but more than a super sprint race.

PERFECT!

The only problem was I only had about 6 weeks to train. I signed up anyway. I figured that the worst that could happen is I did not finish the race. At least I would be a little healthier than when I started.

Finishing the swim leg.

Training

Like most new triathletes I consulted the web to find sprint distance training plans, most of which recommended having at least 8 weeks to train. Bah! I scrapped the traditional training idea and said “what do I really want to accomplish?” The truth is I just wanted to finish even if it meant walking my bike if I could not ride anymore or walking the entire two miles of the run. So I decided to jog and cycle at least twice a week each to meet that goal.

The initial training was admittedly a struggle. When first starting I could barely run the quarter mile stretch on the street I lived. The first week I did a total of maybe two miles of actual jogging. Cycling was not much better. But I kept extending the distance each time I jogged or cycled until eventually I could do a decent distance, even if that meant walking. 

Map of the first place where I trained for the run leg, just over half a mile in distance. 

About two weeks before the race, I was able jog-walk a 5k and ride about 15 miles without stopping. And given that I am a swimmer by background, I knew I could do 250 yards without even breaking a sweat (though at the race I would find how heavy my legs would feel getting out of the water before doing the bike leg - a good reminder to practice transitions and bricks during training). I was ready for Girls Tri Too!

Equipment Used in the Race

To complete a triathlon, there are only a few pieces of equipment you actually need (the first two items in the list). My first race, I was somewhat minimalist compared to what I race with now.

•  A CSPC certified cycling helmet
• A bike that satisfies USAT rules (sanctioned races) – Schwinn hybrid bike
• Tri suit – a simple swimsuit could have sufficed
• Sports bra – tri suits alone do not provide much support
• Swim goggles
• Tennis shoes
• A pair of socks

Results

After minimal training, I was able to finish this race. I was dead last in my age group, but this race was the catalyst for me realizing I love triathlons and that I wanted better equipment (particularly a road bike) for future races. 

About to finish my first triathlon.

Overall Rank: 60^th place of 75

Age Group Rank (25-29): 12^th place of 12

Swim Time: 5:42 (13^th)

T1: 2:13

Bike Time: 35:28 (64^th)

T2: 1:20

Run Time: 24:56 (63^rd)

Total: 1:09:42

(Note: Because this race is no longer offered and because I wanted to focus more on the preparation for this race, I have decided to forego a full race review, but feel free to ask questions on the blog page or the blog’s sister Facebook page – under the same name.)