Just taking it easy this week.  The run felt surprisingly good today!

I did a few intervals on the hills in the middle of my run today - hamstrings were bugging so I didn't push it too much.

Backblogging:(

2nd treadmill workout - I'm hoping these workouts take my running to the next level

Run incline 6 x levels 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,

2 mile warm up

4 min incline

10 deadhang pull ups

30 burpees

2 min jog

4 min incline

15 knee to elbow

25 burpees

2 min jog

4 min incline

10 pull ups

20 burpees

2 min jog

4 min incline

15 knee to elbow

15 burpees

2 min jog

4 min incline

10 pull ups

10 burpees

This workout was HARD - That last set really pushed me!  Now I just have to try it with a weight vest:)

My body was tired today, so started operation taper early. This was a nice gentle run with my friend Ann - we did do my obstacle WOD in between:)  I felt sufficiently tired by the end.  I felt pretty good for the next saturday.

I know I'm now 33, but I wanted a Birthday Party - so Jim put one together for me.  We played Just Dance 2013 and I managed to only have a little bit of dipping chocolate for my treat - It was heaven!

Zumba - and had to resist the temptation to do a crossfit workout too

Pretty standard taper run today- all done on the streets of Toquerville - I did intervals around the block -

1 mile warm up

800 m - 30 push ups

1 min rest

800 m - 3 rope climb

1 miin rest

400 m - 30 tricep dips

1 min rest

400 m 30 squat thrusters - 30 lbs

finished off with 1- 2 miles to make it 6 miles total - great taper workout!  Felt easy and well rested - no injury pain - ready to race!

I actually didn't get anything in:(  Extra taper = good:)

4 easy miles with 3 - 50 m sprints

Jim went to crossfit, and I had to sit there and watch - I hate taper week!

Traveling has lost it's novelty.  A long tedious travel day - drove to Vegas, layover in LA, then to Sac. 
 

Sacramento Spartan Beast     

I love hated this race.  Just when I thought I had the race in the bag, certain obstacles would show up and take the wind out of my sails. 

This terrain was more my style, and I felt more at ease being able to stretch my legs out and run for parts of it.  The towering mountains were not there, but the race designer managed to make it more challenging than I anticipated.

Showed up to the race to a cold Desert mornning and immediately regretted forgetting my hat and gloves. 

After a good warm up with Jenny Tobin, we stood behind the wall that gives you entry to the starting line (yes you have to climb a wall to even start - one of my favorite parts of the race - tells you that there will not be one thing that will feel comfortable for the next while). I love when I have teammates at the starting line because I know how they race, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.  I knew I'd be battling Jenny Tobin and Rose Marie Jarry. 

After the send off  Rose Marie immediately showed me that she was not going to give me an easy race.  We were neck and neck through the low walls, and over the log hop ( I swear they are making this harder).

This is how it used to look -  now they are much smaller logs and more spread apart now for sure!

It took a while to shake Rosie - she's a runner too and was keeping it real.  After the first mile, I was able to start pulling away a bit.  At around mile 3, i had a good minute lead on her.

Then came lovely trio of Bucket Brigade, Rope Climb, and Spear Throw.  Deviously placed back to back, many people failed the rope after carrying 5 gallon paint buckets filled with gravel up and down a hill. 

I was doing fine with it til the lovely spear throw.  The release was beautiful, it felt good, it hit the bale of hay smack dab in the middle - and then it fell out!  Crap!  30 burpees.  Rosie passed me by about 20 burpees in after nailing her own.  I caught back up to her within the next mile.

The hard running in this race was on the seriously uneven cow fields - lots of potholes, crusty running ground - death by ankle sprain.  We had to keep a constantly tight core to be able to maneuver on the terrain. 

I managed to get away from Rosie on a lot of the running portions, but had trouble on a couple obstacles (where she'd catch back up).  The 8 ft wall was rediculous and I had to give it 10 or more tries to finally get over.  and then the barbed wire crawl was so low that I managed to snag my hair not once, but at least 5 other times. ( Not to self - no more high buns! )  At one point I was stuck so bad that rosie caught up and had to help me get it out!

Around mile 10 I had about a 2 min lead on her, and she wasn't able to get the Hercules Hoist up (heavier and taller this time).  So she had to do burpees, and by the time I got in, she was ten min behind me.

They managed to have an entire swim portion as well as some other cliffs?  to climb up with rope - fun!  I am loving the tyrolean traverse in more races now - glad I have something that's easy for me:) 

People clocked this race at 14.5 miles - and it felt like it.  I'm not sure I'm a fan of the beast -it just felt REALLY long.   but I was happy to come in 1st!

Zumba - just Zumba - oh how I love this class:)

I went ahead and hired a coach - and almost immediately felt regret for doing so. I really really wanted someone who would inspire me, give me a training plan, help me eat better, and give me race tips.  When I talked to Lance Hooten, he seemed like the guy.  He's trained Donovan Bailey, and other world class athletes.

After receiving his 1st months training plan - it became apparent that he really had no idea what a spartan race was.  I thought he would at least look it up.  He gave me lots of super short speed work 3x a week, and quick cycling sprints on the in between days.  plus 3 days of strength that didn't have a pull up or push up in it (I think these are obstacle course staples!)  I run endurance races, not the 300 m hurdles. 

On top of that, he wants me to eat low carb (what!) to lean out.  Ok ok I know I have some definite diet improvements that need to be implemented, but still am trying to convince myself to just try it. How does an endurance athlete function on low carb?  I don't think it can be done.  I will definitely cut out sugar, wheat, and maybe even quinoa and oats for a couple weeks.  Illl see if it does anything for me.

I was supposed to run a bit today after crossfit, but didn't get it in.  Crossfit was hard enough.

100 sit ups for time

and then

"Cindy"

5 pulls ups

10 push ups

15 squats

20 min - see how how many times you can get through - I got 19:)

My friends are amazing people.  I'm so lucky to surround myself with amazing athletes who push me.  My friend liz gave us a nice swim workout, that sufficiently pushed me just a tad, yet was really relaxing for my sore body.  My shoulder's were super sore from tues, so I didn't swim the full mile.

jumped out and ran 2 miles around the track - was dragging by the end.  Don't think I can do this low carb thing.

 I managed to wake up early to do this!  My goal was to do some easy hills - still in recovery week - run 1 min up and then come right back down

So 2 mile easy warm up - 6.5-7.0

 6x 1 min all held at 6.8 mph - incline level, 6,8,10,12,15,15

5 miles

I was debating between crossfit and yoga later that morning, and ended up doing 30 min of each.  The stretching was awesome. Then I jumped in for this WOD

35 deadlift (i didn't rx, kept it at an easy 85 lbs)

30 wall ball - 14 lb

15 - toe to bar

30 deadlift

25 wall ball

10 toe to bar

= 6:38 time;)

20 pull ups after class