I love burpees

No running, but my Mexico friends and I spent a rediculous amount of time trying to find the hotel from the airport.  My phone had died and therefore no GPS.  What did we do without it???  Ask a million people for directions, where none of them got us to our hotel.  Boston is completely rediculous to navigate.

Look where I got to race!!!!!

Fenway Spartan Sprint Race Recap

This was definitely a special race for me - I felt so incredibly grateful to my sponsors to be here (Reebok, Spartan Race, St. George Running Center, Strengthtape, HVCF).  I was in Fenway Park running a Race!  I also got to stay with and hang out and practice my spanish with two amazing ladies from Mexico - Alex and Moiz. 

I was a little overexcited to be running a race without mud- Hey it was cold outside.  I was hoping that the corridors would be heated should've known better.  (spartan up).  So I spent a good hour before the race shivering to death.  It was so sweet to be there.

I didn't know how my competition would fare in the race, or what to expect.  I just knew it would be fast, brutal, and awesome.

At the starting line, Alex and Karlie (last years winner) stood by me.  We faced the stairs to the first ramp, and I truly felt like a race horse kicking at the gate ready to be unleashed.  The race start did not disappoint.  Immediately we were sprinting towards the stairs, jockeying for the inside track.  There was lots of elbowing and pushing going on:)  The rest of the race followed suit.

This race was more comparable to a crossfit workout than any other spartan I had tried.  We carried heavy water jugs, used huge ropes to jump rope, had a row machine, box jumps, hand release push ups, medicine ball slams.  My heart was in my throat by the first set of obstacles.

We had all gone out to fast and I think we all knew it. 

There was also a debacle at the row machines that was rather disappointing.  2 girls (including the girl that beat me) manage to snag a row machine, while the rest of the girls had to wait for one to open up.  I was freaking out a bit.I lost 45 seconds there to Cassidy!   I spent the rest of the race trying to catch up.

One thing is for sure - even the easiest obstacles seem like mountains to climb when your heart is beating 200 beats per min.  The hercules hoist felt rediculously hard this time (though I heard it was even heavier - 95 lbish?).

by 2.5 miles in, I was about in 5th place into the spear throw.  The spear throw Gods smiled down on me that day and I managed to hit it!  I ran away in first place (though 2 were still at my heel).  We went through a few more obstacles and then ended on the field.  Hunter was yelling at his girlfriend cassidy to beat me,and I was determined to not let her do it.  We hit the cargo net, then 5 x5ft walls in a row, followed by and 8 ft wall.

And that is pretty much where I shot myself in the foot.  I'd been having problems with the 8 ft wall in the past couple races.  They raised the helper bar, and it's been quite a chore to figure out how to get over now.  (I know now, but it's a little late).  I lost 30-45 sec there on that wall trying to get over.  I felt my race, my world crashing in on me.  I did manage to scramble over with cassidy right at my heels.

We only had box jumps left, and I had hunter screaming in cassidy's face for her to beat me.  My mental capaciity failed be, and I couldn't box jump as fast as her.  She turned around and crossed the finish line right in front of me.  She had an incredible finish, and I incredibly fell apart.  Definitely a learning experience - I'm a big fan of the stadium races and will be back!

Alex, bless her heart, ran the treadmill with me later on at the hotel to get in some more miles:)  Then we went out and tried a yummy Thai resterant and did some shopping.

zumba in the am and then crossfit pm

front squats 4 x 10 of 75#

"jackie"

my first attempt- ever

post race

1000 m row (around 4 min)

50 thrusters

30 pull ups

8:36 - not bad post race.  thrusters were brutal today

Instead of doing my own workout, i decided to go get my butt kicked by Steve, Aaron, and some of the guys on the st. george running center race team.  No girls showed up, so I was on my own to chase them.

2 mile warm up (7 min mile range)

4 miles temp

5:55, 6:03, 6:12 (got lost), 6:08

I really want to run  a 5k to see what I can do!  My legs felt strong, and I definitely wasn't too fatigued.  I wasn't pushing too hard to get these times, and really think I could do an 18 min 5k for sure.  with a slight hope and dream of something in the 17 min range.  I have to write it down or I'll never think it's possible again.  

I'm a little proud of this workout:)  I proved to myself that I'm not just a body weight athlete.

Granted a 95# power clean is not that heavy for crossfit athletes, but hey, I rx 'd!

So every min on the minute you start this sequence over

3x 95# power clean

9x chest to ground push ups

12x toe to bar - I got the kip finally!

If you don't make it through, you have to wait out the next min (so you miss out on 2 rounds).  I wanted to wait out a min so bad - the power cleans were getting heavy - but I did it.  I was the only girl to do all 10 rounds, and only  1 guy did it.

I need to find a good name for this workout - maybe a boy name to change it up from crossfit (they have key workouts that have standards that anyone can do and get a time - ex.  "jackie" is 1000m row, 50 x 35# thrusters (girl weight), and 30 pull ups,  I did have an ex boyfriend  i loathed name Mark.....

I went for 3 min intervals this week with 5lb in the weight vest - is this ever going to feel easier???  I will not extend the time next week.  

I was hoping to keep my pace in the 9 min mile range through the 15 incline, but by my 4-6 reps, I was dying and breathing extremely hard.  3 min is a long time!

so 6 reps x3 min

incline went from 8 (7.0speed), 10 (6.8)  12 (6.7), 13 (5.8), 14 (5.6), 15 (5.4)

This sincerely kicked my butt, cant believe how hard the weight vest makes everything.

also was able to hit up yoga in the am- shoulders were super sore!

massage today - worked on shoulders, hamstrings and my left quad insertion by knee - kind of a mess

Treadmill workout = total drudgery.  I had set my alarm to wake up early and run, but was deterred by the roaring wind and rains outside.  Jim had to work, so I went with a lovely jaunt on the treadmill.

I knew that outside obstacle training was out too, so I just added strength elements every mile.

My knee/ quad insertion happily did not bother me - yay for my masseuse adam:)

2 mile warm up - 8 min mile pace

On every mile, i ticked the pace up one notch (7.7-8.5).  and at the half mile, I would take the incline up a bit - not much cause my legs were still feeling thursdays workout.  I repeated the strength part twice

30 burpees

12 dead hang pull ups

30 lb thrusters (would've like more weight but thats all i had)

30 lb single leg step ups x 20 each leg

zumba and crossfit

Metcon (AMRAP - Reps)

Double Unders (skipping rope under you 2 x for each jump)
5 MINUTES

30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for a total combined reps

Metcon (Time)

20 snatches RX 115/75
200 meter run

2x rope climb
15 snatches
200 meter run

2x rope climb
10 snatches
200 meter run

2x rope climb

I only did 65# for snatch cause I'm still trying to get my form.  I prob could've done it though.

I did rope climbs with no feet today!

With weight vest  - 5lbs

Sprints on my street  + obstacle practice

4 x 400 m

3 x 600 m

2 x 800 m

2 x 400 m

Seriously brutal crossfit today.  2 metcons killed me.

5 minutes

1. 7 over the bar burpees

    7 squats 65 #

to completion

10 rounds of

10 box jumps (i did 24 inch box)

10 push press - 65 lbs!

10 push ups

This is a small race that we do every year, and are awarded with a t-shirt, pie, and a pre-feast calorie burn.  I wanted to keep up with Tom, but had no idea how I'd do as I hadn't done a non spartan race for a year now.

I felt good starting out, but soon felt the previous days crossfit workout in my legs on the hills.  This is an offroad trail race that is filled with rock hurdling and ankle turning terrain.  and sand!  I had a pretty fast heart rate going by the first mile.  Then 2 guys passed me through the canyon (dang guys with their longs legs).  I kept with them through the rest of the race, but lost them again as hit the canyon one more time.  I finished a minute behind Tom, and was a little bummed with my performance against the guys - oh well. 

Jim had ran with the boys through the mile course, so I went out with him for his 3.5 mile lap.  Gave myself 8 for the day.

Apparently there was no crossfit when I showed up, so I had to push myself through a workout.  My crappy eating from Thanksgiving caught up to me as I felt like puking throughout the run.

4 rounds for time

15 Powerclean - 85#

15  hand release Push ups -

15 knee to elbow

12 miles - but not easy.  I did the first 6 up toquerville falls road (a serious climb) with my weight vest (still just 5 lbs).  Average pace for the entire thing was 8:01, but my miles up the hill were in the 9s and 10s.  So the rest of my run brought the pace way down. 

I practiced my 8 ft wall - and I'm nailing it now!!!!  This has plagued me in my last few races, and I have it now.  I've figured out how to run and use the helper block for momentum (I always stopped before). 

Practiced our pretty tricky log hop and am getting that too:)