Spartan Sprint in Tuxedo, NY

	Plc O	Plc G	Plc A	Athlete	Sex	Age	Bib	Pace	Final
Claim	1196	968	161	Levi Smith	M	37	11422	28:29	1:53:58

Race Statistics

	Pace/Speed	Final Time & Place (O/G/A)
Place (A/G/O)	28:29	1196 5631 21%	968 3391 29%	161 605 27%

Ahh, where to start...

Took about 4 hours down.

Then it was mainly just trouble figuring out where to go.  First problem was I found the location, but there was just a sign saying "lot full" and then I was off in the middle of nowhere again for some distance...  But thankfully I happened to pull into the next driveway and accidentally found out this was actually the place to park and there was another entrance to the area.

Tried to get mostly ready in the car, but had a little over an hour before my heat and wasn't entirely sure how long it would take to get my wristband, etc and back or if I should just take everything and use the bag check or what exactly.

Headed up mostly ready, found my entry line and got my packet.  Only took about 10 minutes each way.

Back to the car, got ready, took my spibelt with a couple loksaks, one for my disposable waterproof phone with runkeeper, and the other for my carkey, fitbit and some cash.  They all survived just fine!

Also attached the bib to the spibelt and just tucked my shirt in that spot under the bib, so it was mostly visible for most of the race.

Oh, and had my spartan headband on.

Figured out how to get across the road and then realized that was more of the festival area.

Still looking around trying to figure out what's where.  Found the finish line in front of me.  Not obvious where the start was...

Wandered around, finally found a spot where I looked down the hill and around a corner was a sign saying starting line.

Stood there for a bit then heard someone say the starting line was actually farther up this road.

Headed up there, and saw the start line and a "warmup" section, but didn't think I wanted to do warmups.

Time was running out, and I realized, no wait, you have to jump over the warmup wall to get to the starting area.

Think I got there with just a couple minutes to spare before my heat.

Never did find the other New England Spahtens I might theoretically be running with.  

We started out and it was up the ski slope.  Nicely this is only a 400' hill that we'd be constantly going up and down for about 4.5 miles.

I don't know that I remember it all.  It was a ski slope, lots of rocks to climb over and we went up and down the entire time.

Most of the people seemed to be walking it, so I was actually faster than a lot of people even uphill, and as usual, faster than almost everyone going down.  It was a bit slippery going down as it was steep and lots of fine loose dirt on top.  It was generally better to go to the side where there were still some weeds to step on.

There were some like 5 or 6' walls, they were easy enough, and under and through a couple walls...

Later on we had 8' walls and I could jump up and grab the top and pull myself up about a foot.  I had to get a lift from others to get to the top so I could get a leg over.

There was some sort of stone/boulder carry. They seemed to be something like basketball sized, Dunno, 80lbs maybe?(nope, later found out it's about 110lbs)  Hard to tell, they weren't too bad to carry the maybe 15', do 5 burpees, then carry them back again, but getting them off the ground was rough without worrying of killing your back!

There was a cement block sort of weight with a chain on it you had to drag through a path.  Again, waiting for others.  The only hard part of that was when I tried to take pass someone and caught my block around a tree so i had to stop for a second.

Got to the monkeybars, WAY bigger than I had imagined.  Wasn't real sure I was going to do those at all, but surprisingly, it was just swinging the legs like a monkey and made it across without a problem!

Later was the same thing, but with a cargo net, more or less horizontal.  I thought for sure I would fail that one.  Not sure if it was actually tent shaped or just with weight on it, but once I was on it, I realized I was climbing up and the worst was the middle because it was attached to a bar, so I either had to REALLY stretch open my hand to grab the bar as well, or wasn't sure I was going to make it.  Took a couple extra swings, but I did manage to get my hand around just the net and on through and rang the bell!  WOOT!

There was the herculean hoist, not sure how much those bags weigh, but it was a matter of technique, thankfully the staff told me how, grab as high as you can and then let your weight pull it down.  It took some effort, but I got it all the way up and just as bad was getting it back down without dropping it, I took my time there cause I could tell it wouldn't take much for it to slip.

Right after that was the inverse wall where it angles back towards you like 45 degrees, so you have to like get your feet in front of you, then grab above you and then climb up a rung or two like that, and I got about my waist up to the top of the thing, but I was trying to get myself over it forwards and the lack of arm strength I currently had just wasn't cutting it.  I think I just switched to trying to get a leg over sideways and boom I had that too!

There was a big cargo net climb that was fun and easy, and something similar just made out of wood like a large ladder.  Also the slippery wall where you walk up a slippery incline with a rope and then down a ladder the other side.  No problem there either.

The traverse wall was about what I expected, difficult, but just keep your body tight against the wall, and be very careful placing your hands and feet one at a time.  The fivefingers may have helped with grip, dunno.  Biggest worry was my weak arms at that point and the guy behind me jumping right on and bouncing it a bit.

They had an option to pick your own way, which simply said this way is shorter, this way is longer single track.  I was daring and went the shorter way which the guy said was just tires.  Had no problems high stepping through the tires.

The spear throw which I had practiced for a couple days beforehand and was at a maybe 60% success rate... Well, this time it was with weak arms and UPHILL AND the bales I think start at about 6' off the ground which was about where mine ended, so I wasn't sure.  In the end I wasn't far off, but it was burpees for me.

The rope climb was the other big burpee failure.  I picked the one with the most/closest knots, but I didn't realize they were still too far apart to be able to just put your feet on each time.  And again with the arm strength at that point...  Well, I tried for a few minutes, managed to get my crotch up on top of one of the knots, but I didn't have the hang of the foot grip and definitely didn't have the arm strength to pull up, barely enough to hold my weight for a few seconds, and I just looked up and realized I wasn't even out of the water, let alone the next 15' or whatever and I had already used up what little arm reserves I had just trying to get to where I was that was maybe a few feet off the bottom of the pool.

And of course the burpees sucked.  I did all 30, but not with the pushups, there was no way I had the arms for that.

Oh, the 40lb sand bag carry.  Yeah, that didn't seem too bad at first.  Then about 15 seconds in after climbing about 10' up a ski slope, "yeah, this really kinda sucks."  About 30 seconds in, *I* almost came to a dead stop, and that's one thing I'm good at, is to just keep moving.  I may not run for all of my runs, but I never have a need to stop walking.  I switched to locking my hands in front of me and carrying it down there for part of the way instead of my right shoulder. eh.  Then tried the left shoulder, but that seemed to be worse.  Back to the front for a while, then the last bit of uphill I switched it to behind my neck with a hand on either side, which *might* have been the least bad...  But then it was downhill and while I hadn't had trouble running down the hills before, it was not a fun time while trying to hold 40lbs and realizing that if I DO fall, I don't have free hands to help catch myself!  But I made it!

Oh, there was a log carry as well.  I just picked the first one, which I think judging by the staff comment may have been the largest one there.  It was heavy, but not too bad.

Not sure what else I'm probably forgetting...

Of course there was the fire jump at the end, but that was even a bit scarier than I thought(cause I wasn't worried about it) because it was of course on a ski slope and the way it was angled I was running downhill at it, but couldn't see the other side!  But I figured, "hey, I've seen these in plenty of pictures, it's gotta just be a step to the other side, right?" And sure enough as I got close to it, I could see where I was jumping to, so no problem! (:

Then the AWESOME medals.  They did both the full and the trifecta piece on one strap.  You could tell the finishers cause they all were clanging around as they walked.

Have to say these are the best medals and most earned of any race I've done!

They also had a good amount of water on the course I was happy to see, and water at the end along with bananas, clif Builder bars and CorePower milk.  YUM!

Then I  found the shower section which was nice because I had heard the showers were usually a trickle of water, but these were nice powerful garden hoses(with a high pressure option).  So I just hosed myself off, then picked up my finisher shirt which I also quite like.

Then back out to the car, I just changed clothes there and then headed on home as I was already a good hour later than I was hoping to be!

Oh, and it was nice to see by the results that I'm around the top 25%!

Hopefully some good pictures soon, we'll see!

And yes, I feel a bit crazy about the Super and Beast, but we shall see!

Oh, yes post race...
Didn't feel too bad that night.
Next day, the bruises and scrapes on my knees and elbows were hurting.  I think a bit of muscle soreness.
2 days later, the scrapes and bruises aren't hurting but the muscle soreness kicked in!  Yep, definitely used the pecs, back and arms!  It hurts to flex my arms!

The Color Run

Ahh, the Color Run in Rochester.

We started out 20 minutes late as usual, and then got stuck in completely stopped traffic at the exit ramp, so I think we spent about half an hour before we finally got to the parking lot.

And during that time, it was becoming apparent that I should have stopped on the way up to pee.  I was really in pain.  Like more than I could recall.

But sister Sarah took my license and got my packet while we were parking, we got the girls ready and headed over to the start area/portapotties.

UNFORTUNATELY...  The lines were about 10-15 people long...  And wife Sara was not nearby and Kenzie did not want to go to sister or get down, she was in her usual "there's a lot of new people around and I want to stay clung to Daddy for a while" mode.  Which wasn't helping.  So after about 5 minutes in line I was literally contemplating if I was going to pee my shorts and what other possible options there were...(If only I had known there was another set of portapotties not far away at the finish line...).  I was thinking of asking if I could go ahead of others in line, but really didn't want to...  So sister asks "are you gonna make it?"  and I say "I'm really not sure" and she says "just ask if you can go ahead?"  And I give in.  Thankfully everyone in line seemed to be ok with that.  And I just took Kenzie with me which I probably would not have otherwise tried.  Thankfully these portapotties were a bit larger and cleaner than usual, so i just set her in there in the corner and said "Don't touch ANYTHING!"   She seemed to abide, though also seemed to start hopping after a short bit.

Anyway, this was the only big downside to the day as I don't EVER remember having this much pain/trouble!


So, after more wandering around, trying to figure out just what we were doing, etc. We finally got in just about the last wave heading out.

I really wasn't sure how this run was going to go with Kenzie.  Miss 2 year old has a lot of different emotions/actions right now.  We've never tried anything like this.  I was envisioning everything between some decent running beside me to some decent jogging while carrying her, to being stopped with a screaming girl, to carrying and trying to run as fast as I can to get to the end while she's screaming at me...

Well...
It went WAY beyond ANY of my expectations...  Sister, BIL and I mostly walked, but Kenzie mostly ran and while she did want to run up and down the curbs along the streets and hit the puddles, she mostly kept going where she should.  And she was happy.  And I saw no one else get more attention and compliments than she did!  And she enjoyed the water stop, acting all adult drinking while walking.

And I wasn't sure if she'd think the color stations were "dirty"(we've been getting a lot of "yucky, wash off" sort of comments lately with her shared milk straw, etc).  But nope, she seemed to love it and was even thinking they didn't put enough color on her, as it was like a half inch deep with powder on the ground and she'd get through and scoop up more and pat it on her shirt herself!

Just SO awesome.  Nothing better than sharing it with her!  In the end, I think she did about 2.5 miles herself and I think it was actually shoe pain that stopped her then.  She just kinda slowed/stopped and I thought must be she was finally tired, but then after I carried her just a bit, she'd want to get down, but after a couple steps she'd lift one foot like it was hurting or something.  So I carried her like the last half mile, but once we got to the finish line, she was barefoot and she was running all over the place for like 20 minutes after we met up with wife and my cousin and her son.

So, I think that was my happiest race and my slowest!  (:

Humitic Acclimation?

I hope this week has just been the "acclimate to humidity" week or something.  I have felt hot, humid, thirsty and just generally sluggish for almost all of it.  The runs have been around the 65F range, but humidity feels like we've jumped to summer levels.

I'll say the week started last Saturday as such:
Saturday: Local 5K.  First time not PR, but close to my peak. First time at a race where it wasn't cold at the starting line and the sweat started pouring off in the first mile.  Also got a new, bigger blister than ever before.  Really, this run wasn't too bad, just felt hotter, sweatier and was contemplating taking a drink at mile 1.

Monday: Supposed to be a 14 mile long run from Sunday. Focused on form instead(since I think my slack in it is what caused my blister) and trying not to kill the blister, did 5 miles barefoot on pavement before I started to feel it rubbing on the bottom of my right big toe.  Did another couple miles in my fivefingers after that, but as I suspected, the blister didn't make it.  Never hurt though.   Positive that previously 3 miles was the longest I had gone.

Tuesday: Ugh, made it for the 7 miles, but with a bit more walking.  Tried the New Balance Minimus Zero trail shoes.  Definitely different feeling than the Fivefingers with my toes just kinda hanging out in front instead of feeling things.  But they seem fine.  Mainly just humid, sluggish.  Though the first couple miles I could feel the foot muscles from using them more and keeping them flexed as they should be the day before.

Wednesday: UGGH...  Worse than Tuesday with sluggish/humid feeling.  Made it the 6 miles, but with a bit more walking.  Definitely a couple times stopping as I had forgotten nipple protection and ended up on the nice wet dirt road, taking off my fivefingers and socks and pulling the bandaids off I had put on for possible blister protection and moving them up to the nips and then trying to get the socks and fivefingers back on without pulling too much dirt back in.

Thursday/today: Lowest yet.  Supposed to be 10 miles with some speed work, but blah.  I barely made it 4 and a LOT of it was walking, it was at over an hour out there.  Remembered the nipple band aids today, but something was still rubbing too much on one side.  Tried some huaraches from Xero shoes.  Definitely a lot better than flip-flops, but I still had the same flip-flop problems with picking up rocks and rubbing the skin off between my first two toes where the strap goes.  Did it one better by even getting some dirt in one of the blisters there.  Cleaned out once home.

So yeah, part of the issues are new things, but a lot of this is also due to heat/humidity I believe.  I never had as much rubbing in my Fivefingers or this soon on the nips before.  The barefoot running is the best cause it only rubs if I screw up my form, but I need to work up to my double digit numbers.  I like the huaraches, but I don't think I'll be wearing them for running.

So.  I think my plan of attack is:
Friday: rest/walk day.

Saturday: hopefully get the OK to get out early in the morning, glide/bandaid the nips, back to the best known dirt road/rock config of Fivefingers and socks and adding glide and likely some tape/band aids as well.  Hopefully that will cover the aches and pains and then I just have to get this body acclimated to this humidity(or it will just drop on it's own anyway)!  Cause this week has felt like the weeks after I gave blood, just like there's not enough energy in the body to keep things moving!

Bath Revitalization 5K

Well, for this one, I had to take a double look at my bib...  I was #1...  Woah... No pressure there, right?

It wasn't quite what I had hoped for, but it was still good really.
I just get hopes for a PR every time, and really until this race, I had done it.

But I had hoped for maybe an 8:00 even pace.  Nope, previous PR was 8:23 and this race turned out an 8:30.

It wasn't a bad race.  It wasn't like "HILLY" in the sense around here, but compared to the 5K's in Hornell I've done that are basically entirely flat with one teeny uphill, this had a few slight inclines.

It was also the first one where it wasn't chilly.  Like maybe 60F and some humidity.  I was in a T-shirt and shorts and plenty warm at the starting line.  Was new to have the sweat dripping off my head within the first mile and be thinking about taking that water stop for a 5K...

And then my Fivefinger See-ya's that I have had some rubbing on my left "where an arch should be", so I've been wearing socks and had no problems(including my half marathon).  Well...  I think maybe I got sloppy with my form because about half way I could feel it really rubbing there if I wasn't keeping my foot in proper flexed form.  Came out with a great blister, somewhere in the vicinity of half a golf ball in size.


But really, not bad in the big picture.


That did lead to Monday's long run turning into a slower paced/focus on form run which I did at the park on pavement barefoot.  So, I didn't get 14 miles of speed in, but I did 5 miles of barefoot, at which point I was starting to feel my right big toe as though it was rubbing a bit much still.  I put on what I hoped were the least intrusive Fivefingers loose for another couple miles, but at some point, as I suspected, the blister still opened.  But other than the initial rubbing during the race, it never really hurt.

Then for the next run, I finally tried out the New Balance Minimus Zero Trail shoes.  Not bad, just kind of a different feeling more like a tube around my lack of arch and then the toes just kinda hangin' out up front.  And some getting used to that point up front instead of toes for the shape.  Though the feet did feel a little tired, like they got some exercise from the barefoot the day before...


Pretty sure I won't aim for a race every weekend next year.
Well, I didn't aim for it this year either, it just kinda happened.  It's difficult as it seems everyone wants to schedule theirs in May and June. I kinda want to hit the locals...  And probably the trail races...(maybe...), and then there's probably a couple other random big names I'd like to do...  Ahh, we'll see.  I've really no idea what I'm doing next year just yet...

But a week off this weekend, then Color Run, so that's easy.  Then Spartan Sprint shouldn't be TOO bad... Working on the arms a bit, we'll hope it's enough!
Then an easy Foamfest 5K, and a probably a bit tiring 10 mile trail race with elevation changes...  Then about a month off before Tough Mudder in July!
Phew!

Allegany Adventure Run

This was a hilly 22K trail race in Salamanca.

So I was VERY nervous again for this one.  Not exactly new, but I was definitely feeling it.  But thinking that just meant I'd have my usual adrenaline to start with.

Got my bib/shirt, hung out, went to the start line.

I was just in a t-shirt and shorts and had my Camelbak with me.  It was about 50F which was cool standing around, but plenty warm when running.

And we were off, pretty much immediately uphill.  I could tell as soon as the race started it was gonna be rough.  I've had plenty of "bad runs" in training.  Unfortunately this was my first race like that.

Not sure what exactly I did, not enough water or fuel or something or what, but my legs were just NOT into the running.  I dunno, maybe around 1/3 of the way through they were kinda getting used to the running, but the entire race was QUITE tiring.

Probably not helped by the fact that I REALLY wanted to hit that 2 hour mark which would mean going a bit faster than my half marathon pace, down into the 8's and this time off road with hills...  Yeah, that didn't happen and probably was not a good idea when the legs weren't feeling great to start with.

And what is up with downhills?  Are people scared of them?  Do I have more weight and go faster?  Am I just stupid and wasting energy I don't realize there?  I mean it was my plan to try to make my speed down the hills cause I knew I wouldn't going up.  And just like in the snow at the Humdinger, I pass just about everyone going downhill.  I was utterly amazed as a couple actually passed me near the end on a downhill segment as it was the ONLY time it happened.

But I struggled through.  Definitely walked a good bit on the uphill sections, but I tried to keep moving at a decent pace and not walking for more than about 30 seconds at a clip and then running for at least a minute on the worst sections.

I got used to it a bit for a few sections and managed to get my pace up a bit, and near the end there was a quite long downhill section where I definitely picked up some speed.

Then that last 2 miles of uphill that really scared me because of how long that DOWNhill section was!  I didn't want to climb all that way back up!  But I think we must have gained some elevation on the rolling hills earlier on, because while it was uphill, it wasn't as bad as I was afraid of.  I still walked in there and my "running" was pretty slow, but I kept up more than I expected.

In the end, I got about a 10:30 pace.  So I'm happy I completed it, and since it's my first, it's a PR!  Ha!

Trail races are also nicer in that they feed you lunch afterwards!

Well, not sure where the discrepancy lies, but according to the race guys, I got a 10 minute pace! Ha!  like 58 out of 77, 10 out of 14 in my age group.  Not bad really!

 58. Levi Smith           2:16:40  0:10:00    10/M30-39       43/M