Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

Confidence Building

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The first of this year’s Spartan Races is six days away. I used this past weekend to get in some last minute confidence-building training.

Grip Strength

I had noted that I had lost what little confidence I had on the monkey bar apparatus we have at the gym. With me being injured over the past several weeks, I didn’t want to have to jump/fall down from the height of them. So I stayed off of them for a good while and, when I returned, I couldn’t do more than hang on the first bar. I made myself jump down so that at least I was working on my fear. Saturday’s session with my personal trainer began with the monkey bars. I went across the structure twice with his encouragement and coaching (read: spotting me).

After the session, I worked on the other apparatus we have at the gym. These bars are easier to grip with the bars being smaller in diameter with a texture (rather than slippery) surface. However, even with gloves, the bars had a bite to them when meeting my callused hands.

At home, I researched “OCR hand care callus” and found a nice video showing how to shave the callus down to a flatter surface and advising to nourish the hands regularly with coconut or similar oil after lifting and OCR training to prevent the callus from ripping on race day. I immediately did both and returned to the monkey bars on Sunday. Much to my surprise, the bite from the bars was minimal to none. I went part way across the higher bars and all the way across the lower textured bars with my friend pushing a landing pad under me as I went. Confidence building: that’s were it’s at for me right now.

Trekking

In addition to grip strength work, Larry and I took Simba out for a short but HILLY and MUDDY hike. There was a threat of another rain storm coming in, so we had rain gear packed in our bags. The real test was going to be how my hip and glutes handled the hill. I’ve only been walking on paved roads and sidewalks for the past 5-6 weeks. Knowing that I could manage this 3 mile trek would be a huge confidence builder.

Simba, was of course, thrilled to be able to come along for the outing thanks to me expeditiously having to bid farewell to my little MINI. *sniffle*  But that’s yet another story which I’ll probably share another time.

2019 OCR Training — Let’s Go!

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Another year has begun and, with it, plans for more Spartan Races have been set. While last year, it was YaYa who sent me down the path of getting Spartan fit, this year the goal is to support my brother, Robert as he chases his 1st Spartan Trifecta. Lil Sis (Carol), who jumped in with me for my Spartan Beast last year, will be joining us as well.

As you may know, Robert’s first race was the Stadium Sprint at AT&T Park. The event is a good introduction to the world of OCR but in no way compares to the intensity of the races yet to come. It will be a challenge for everyone who takes on these races. Besides the fact that I love my brother, my willingness to stay with him and support him along this journey is because I know that he will do the work (and research) to train appropriately for what is coming his way. In the meantime, I have plenty of work to gain the skills that have tripped me up on my past OCR adventures.

I have been doing my dead hangs, and specifically working on improving grip strength. I am at a new athletic club which has so much more in the way of state of the art strength training equipment as well as a few monkey bar options on which I can practice the skills I need and, more importantly, work on gaining the confidence I need to master them. I have also begun working with a personal trainer who has done an amazing job of listening to what I want from him in order to develop a program to help meet my goals. There is much work to do in the areas I’ve identified with include the development of back strength, forearm, and grip strength, improving ankle and hip stability and mobility, gaining the confidence to traverse the bars, rings and other hanging obstacles while learning to land safely when jumping down and/or falling from them, and overcoming my fear of heights.

There is much work to do and, I realize it cannot all be done effectively in the gym setting. In addition to getting out and running, I need some time working with the walls, and other obstacles. While I have a climbing rope of my own, I am currently limited to a super short climb on it as I haven’t found a high place to hang it from. BoBo and YaYa also gave me a Spartan Training Kit which has the bucket, spear tip, and pancake to work with. It’s a great start but I needed more.

[Read more…]

A Goal Without a Plan…

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Last week, I read a fabulous article describing the difference between a wish and a goal.

A Goal Without a Plan is just A Wish – Shona, WodPrep

I immediately thought about my recent race experience and my goal to join the Trifecta Tribe by completed the race. Although I wasn’t sure if it was realistic, my actual goal was to do the Beast in approximately 6 hours. Of course, if you don’t work on being fast, you cannot expect to be fast on race day. After all, we get good at what we practice, and I had practiced moving at hiking/backpacking pace. So, although I knew I could go the distance, it was certain that I would not do it in under 6 hours. Then there were the obstacles.

As for the plan, I wasn’t exactly following a plan. Although I certainly I only had a rough idea of what I would face on race day, my “plan” was only in my head. In my head, the extent of my plan was simply to do what I could in order to get strong and more agile, develop grip strength and the ability to hang from my hands. Running wise, I knew what it would take but just didn’t make time for it even though I knew that the course would be mountainous and long. Instead, I hiked and told myself that I was developing endurance and put off doing the work of actual running.

Now I have no excuse; I know what I can expect from the Spartan Sprint, Super and Beast. I know the obstacles which cause me to take penalty burpees: Monkey Bars, Multi-rig, Twister, and Spear Throw. I also know the obstacles which I always need to get help with: Walls & Hurdles, and the Olympus. And although I don’t have access to walls or the rigs listed to gain these skills, I can work more diligently and smartly on the body movements and strength these obstacles require.

It’s time to plan and execute. Five weeks until the Spartan Stadium Sprint at AT&T Park (San Francisco). Aroo!!

Just-In-Time Training

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It has been nearly a month since I made the judgment that my Spartan training was sub-optimal. The decision to bail on my planned race soon followed, although I continued my efforts to get stronger and further develop my grip-strength. I added box jumps to my training with an emphasis on overcoming my fear of whacking my shin on the box’s edge. In the process, I faced my fear and made myself keep up the effort. Why I didn’t resume my running efforts, I cannot say? I simply didn’t make time for it.

Yet, for reasons I cannot explain, I did not process my deferral and continued to search the web regularly for hotels at a reasonable distance from the start – just in case. So, when Jen and George, two of my biggest Spartan inspirations, reached out to me about the upcoming race, it didn’t take much for them to talk me back into going for it. You could even say that I was secretly hoping for it.

Of course, I now NEED to do some serious just-in-time run training. I pulled up my old training logs from my distance running days and plotted out a plan on the calendar. Within 2 days of opting back in I’ve run 7+ miles. It’s going to be a push. It’s definitely going to hurt…but I think know that I can do it! Right?

Do. The. Work.

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Recently, I’ve been honing the skill of OCR lurking. From my risk-free vantage point, I watch as the OCR Enthusiasts hoist themselves over walls, swing from limb to limb/ring to ring, pull themselves up to death-defying heights, and trudge barefoot through the snow – flopping down in it wearing next to nothing to do a quick set of burpees. I watch these fearless, strong and able beings in complete AWE and study their moves as if I might somehow benefit from watching their technique when I come upon a similar obstacle.

When I do get to the gym, all hopes of magical prowess are wiped from my mind. I am HUMBLED because, let’s face it, you cannot build strength and skill by watching videos. You. Must. Do. The. Work.

I SUCK!  And I know it. But that’s beside the point.

Although I have been successful in attacking the rope climb, last night I made the attempt over and over and over… AND repeatedly FAILED! After several attempts, I went inside to do my regular strength workout.

I know all-too-well that what I currently do in the gym is not nearly enough to get me to the finish line. But I also know that I need to build up my strength and endurance at a reasonable rate to avoid injuring my 52 year old body. [Read more…]

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