Orange Park Medical Center Step Up 5K!

On Saturday, February 9, my two younger sons and I ran in the Orange Park Medical Center Step Up 5K! (their exclamation point, not mine).  This was the 7^th annual running of this race to benefit local elementary schools.  Over the years they have given over $30K to Clay County schools.  What could be better than a chance to run with the boys AND support our schools?!  The fact that it was an absolutely gorgeous day only made it that much better.   

This was a fairly standard 5K road race.  The course was what is commonly referred to as a lollipop with you running down the same way you return with a big loop at around the mid-point.  This particular lollipop had a pretty bent stick, but it was a nice course just the same.

We started at Oakleaf Junior High School just after 9am.  The sun was up, the sky was clear, and it was pleasantly cool.  The course continued down Plantation Oaks Blvd past the high school, up and over the bridge crossing Branan Field Road, and down to Silver Bluff Blvd.  Part of this route was nicely shaded by trees.  The turnaround was at OakleafAthletic Fields East where we then headed back on to Plantation Oaks Blvd, over the bridge, and to OakleafHigh School.  The last 200 meters were on the school’s track where Milestone Race Authority had set up the finish line.  Publix had donated a ton of bananas, apples, and water for the runners at the end of the race  

Approaching the bridge.

Being flat-landers my youngest saw the bridge as a challenge.  That he made it to the top without stopping was, in his mind, a huge accomplishment.  Personally I had no doubt he would make it.  He is a plucky kid and doesn't quit when he puts his mind to something.  The only thing with him is getting him to set his mind to it.  When we run and he starts feeling like it is time to quit we set small goals like reaching a place within sight or, in this case, the top of the bridge.  Once we get to that landmark, we just pick a new goal.  However, often times we get to a goal and keep on going without the need to set a new goal;  just getting to that landmark is enough to spur him on for a while longer.  The other thing we try to do is to not stop.  He sets the pace and when he gets tired we slow down, sometimes to a slow jog, but we don’t stop and we don’t walk.  It is just easier to get going again if you never stopped in the first place.

Hitting a sub-9 minute mile!

The older of my two boys crushed this race.  He took off and just kept on going, finishing, according to race officials, within the first 125 runners.  There were just shy of 460 runners in all.  The problem with his placement is that it is totally bogus.  The runners at the front of the pack were diverted and made to run about another half mile.  The race officials are saying that this is about a four minute differential from the posted time.  By my reckoning this has my son somewhere in the top thirty.  Like I said, he crushed this run.  He handled the botched course with his typical grace and charm, not really caring about the outcome, just enjoying the journey.  I can’t say the same for some of the other runners. 

Finally caught up with his brother.

The other hiccup affected my wife, and more than a few other people the day before the race.  Packet pickup, apparently, was a mess.  At first there was confusion about the location, then the time got switched around.  In the end pickup was at Oakleaf High School from 4 to 7.  The tee shirts were late and the process just wasn’t very well organized.  I am just thankful that my wife went while I was still at work so I didn’t have to go on my way home.  Getting hung up on Friday would not have been pleasant. 

The race did not go perfectly smoothly.  Granted, I really wasn’t personally affected by the things that went wrong, but people I care for were.  I think it is important to remember though that this was a race for a good cause, run by volunteers, and it only cost $10 for an entry fee.  And we got tee shirts, some fruit, and water to boot.  Not too bad of a way to spend a Saturday morning with my boys.  And for anyone who has a real gripe with the way things went might consider volunteering to help out next year.  I am sure they can use the help. 

 

Race Results are available here. 

Photos of the event were taken by Speedy Banana.  There are loads of great pictures that can be viewed and purchased here.

Rugged Maniac is Coming to North Florida

Rugged Maniac is coming to North Florida.  If you haven’t registered yet, time is running out.  This mud run will be held in Waldo, a little town situated nicely between Jacksonville and Gainesville (GO GATORS!!) on Saturday, February 16 (Happy Birthday Dad!).  Registration, however, closes at midnight on February 8^th, which is in roughly 48 hours from this posting.  There is no time to waste.  Get a few of your friends together and commit to getting this thing done.  Sign up at RuggedManiac.com and be sure to use the Rugged Maniac Promo Code TC0001 to save an additional 10% off your registration fee.  What are you waiting for?! 

My eldest son and I are really looking forward to what is going to be our first mud run of 2013.  We will be running in a morning heat so here’s hoping that it won’t be too chilly.  After the run, he and I will be sticking around to put in some volunteer hours.  In exchange for our four and half hour shift we get to run the course for free.  What’s more, I get to peek behind the scenes to see what all goes into putting on one of these amazing events.  I am pretty excited about that part too.  I am not so sure about my son, but I am sure he’ll find some fun in it as well. 

While it may be too late to start training for an event like this, I did find this link to The Rugged Regime (printable version) which can be used to get yourself ready for any mud run event.  However, if you feel like you are somehow not in shape enough to run the course, I wouldn't worry about it too much.   Events like these are about having fun, getting muddy, and….having fun.  There are plenty of people who don’t run the whole course.  There isn't any shame in that.  What is a shame is not giving yourself permission to go get dirty just because you may not be able to run 3.1 miles.  I tell myself and my boys: “Challenge yourself….you may just be surprised.”  But the most important thing is to have fun.  If you don’t have fun and you don’t complete the course (either because you can’t do all the obstacles or you can’t make the whole run), then there is little chance you will ever try it again.  However, if you are having a blast and you don’t complete the course, you will remember the fun and are more likely to try something like this again in the future.  Like I said, people walk, people skip obstacles.  There is no shame.  The real shame comes from not having fun. 

A few other things about Rugged Maniac to consider:

• It is (only) 5K which is (only) 3.1 miles.  That’s long enough to be a challenge, but not so long that you need to take a vacation to recover from it. 
• Rugged Maniac prides itself on having some of the biggest obstacles in the industry.  AND there are twenty of them.  This is a course saturated with fun, challenging obstacles from cargo nets, to climbing walls, mud pits, tubes, tunnels, and even a 100 foot water slide.  Tough Mudder has 20 obstacles too, but they are spread over a 10-12 mile course.  Warrior Dash only has 15 obstacles at last check.  Spartan Race varies in course length, but they have 20 obstacles as well.  I am not suggesting that any of these other races aren’t worth doing.  What I am saying is that if you don’t want a crazy long run, but you do want lots of fun challenging obstacles, Rugged Maniac is the race for you. 
• After the run, there is the festival featuring live bands, mechanical bulls, adult-sized bounce houses (OH-YEAH!!), a chance to get muddier in tug-o-war, food, and plenty of cold beer to cool you down. 
• Rugged Maniac also prides itself on having the highest percentage of female runners of any national obstacle race in the industry at a whopping 55%! 

Again, registration for Rugged Maniac in Waldo, Florida is closing on February 8^th at midnight.  Remember to use Rugged Maniac Promo Code TC0001 during checkout to save 10% on your registration fee.  We hope to see you there!!

(If you can’t make it to Waldo, the Rugged Maniac Promo Code TC0001 is good at any US Rugged Maniac event.)

www.ruggedmaniac.com

The Start of the Perfect Week

It is a little past midnight and I just finished my workout.  That is, I just finished my strength training part of it: Bowflex Routine Green (see below) and Medicine Ball Routine A (also below).  I ran a bit more than five miles before dinner.  I was going to go for ten but time got away from while cleaning the garage and I could only fit in five miles.  My plan was to run five miles tomorrow so I will just tack on the additional five I didn’t run today and call it all even. 

While these may seem likes games I am playing with myself, I am really just trying to make a goal: the Perfect Week.  A few weeks ago I ran 50 miles over the course of seven days.  I hope to repeat that again this week.  I will actually run more than that because I am not including the Step Up 5K! I am running on Saturday with two of my sons in my personal total.  In addition to logging 50 miles, I am adding the challenge of doing all my strength training routines.  I had taken an extended break from the Bowflex around Christmas and have been easing myself back onto it for the past two weeks.  We have Rugged Maniac in two weeks and I need to be ready for that too (don't forget to use promo code TC0001 when signing up to save 10% off the registration fee!).

I figured that today was a good day to begin my ‘perfect week.’  Earlier the Ravens beat the 49ers in Superbowl.  I don’t remember who played last year, nor do I really care.  What I do remember is that after the Superbowl last year I checked myself into the hospital under the false belief that I was having a heart attack.  That was the start of this journey. It is a matter of personal satisfaction that I am still on the path and making progress every day. 

I use a PR1000 Bowflex machine.  There are two workout routines that I do: Green and Yellow.  I used to have a third, Red, but I have stopped doing that routine since I began running in earnest.  It was tough on my knees and I feel pretty strongly that I am working my legs plenty while running.  My Green routine is focused on my chest, shoulders, and abdomen.  The Yellow routine is all back and arm exercises.  I was up to 105 lbs of resistance on most of the exercises but my resistance bars are rather stiff due to the cold so I dropped 10 lbs off my regular ‘weight.’  The manual for the PR1000 can be found here.

 

 

The ball I use is a 15 pound Title Boxing medicine ball.  I have two routines that I do with the medicine ball as well: A and B.  Routine ‘A’ consists of exercise performed while lying on the floor on a yoga mat.  Routine ‘B’ is performed while standing.  These exercises are more like general calisthenics and provide good muscle toning. 

 

 

Bowflex Routine Green (chest, shoulders, abdomen):

• Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Incline Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Flies: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Decline Bench Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Seated Shoulder Press: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 80 lbs.
• Trunk Rotation: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 80 lbs.
• Front Shoulder Raise: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 60 lbs.
• Reverse Flies: 12 Reps, 3 Sets, Resistance 35 lbs.
• Scapular Retration: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Crossover Seated Deltoid rows: 20 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.
• Seated Abdominal Rotational Crunch (3 part): 25 Reps, 2 Sets, Resistance 95 lbs.

Medicine Ball Routine A (15 pound ball, 13 Reps, 3 Sets each):

• Lying Overhead Lift
• Overhead Tricep Curl
• Lying Vertical Thrust (lying)
• Rotational Crunch
• Fly

 
Day one…..off to a good start. 

Save $5 on Color Me Rad

Color Me Rad is coming to Jacksonville on April 6!  B and I will be running this race and are really looking forward to it.  It is time to get our color on.

The next price increase goes into effect after January 18.  Register HERE to reserve your place in this super colorful event. 

Even if you miss this deadline, this is still a VERY affordable race.  We hope to see you there. 

Getting Infected

     

I had been toying with the idea of doing a mud run.  I spent a few years in the Army and I always enjoyed the obstacle courses.  I knew some people that had participated in a few local mud runs and they all seemed to have fun.  To top it all off, I share the public’s current fascination with zombies.  So when David offered to let us join him for Run For Your Lives, I told him I would give it some serious thought. 

When I got home I asked my oldest son if he wanted to do a zombie run.  “Sure,” he said.  He too is a fan of zombies.  After another moment or two he said, “What’s a zombie run.”  I explained that it was like a mud run but with zombies chasing you.  “Cool.”

So we were sold.  However, we still didn't know exactly what we were in for.  What I did know was that needed to get off the elliptical and start actually running outside.  Not knowing what kind of terrain we would be running on, or the obstacles, the first run we went on was a 3.5 mile course that took us through a wooded path, down a grassy path and then out onto the streets.  Because my knees were in no shape for running on pavement, or so I thought, even on the streets we kept to the grassy area next to the sidewalk.  At the halfway point was a construction zone with a large dirt mound.  Being that we live in North Florida, I figured this was the best way to train for a hill run as everything else around here is flat. 

I remember getting back from those first couple of runs proud of myself for having made it, drenched in sweat, and completely out of breath.  It is a little funny to me now because I run that distance for my ‘short’ runs.  I’ve come a long, long way. 

The next week when I told David we would be happy to join him, he asked if we had watched any of the videos.  I told him we had not.  David suggested that we watch some YouTube videos so that we know what we are in for.  Now we were really excited for the race! 

Watching the videos revealed a few things about Run For YourLives.  First, it was going to be amazing.  As expected, we would need to be able to run the course and do the obstacles.  What hadn’t really occurred to us was the need for burst speed.  Running is one thing; getting chased is whole other thing entirely. 

During the coming weeks I ran on the weekends, played soccer with the kids on two nights, and did an hour and ten minutes on the elliptical on the other three nights.  The running was getting much easier and I started to remember why I used to like running.  I looked forward to those moments, challenging myself to make it over the dirt mound four times, then six, then eight, ten and finally twelve. What I truly enjoyed was the headspace, some time with my thoughts.  As it turns out, running calms me; it has a meditative effect.  It is that calming effect that leads to the itch that must be scratched.

The race was set to take place on November 17.  By the time the 16^th rolled around, we were physically ready for the challenge.  What started to get into my head was the Zombie factor.  I am not easily spooked but the zombies were starting to concern me.  I wasn’t afraid of them in the conventional sense but the chase had me worried.   I didn’t want to fail; I wanted to finish without be infected.  My son and David had similar apprehensions.  The only one who seemed unphased was David’s boy.   

When we checked in on race day we were issued our timing chip, our runner’s bib, and most importantly our health pack.  The way Run For Your Lives works is that runners are given a belt that has three flags on Velcro tabs attached to it.  If you lose all your flags, you are infected.  Along the course there are health packs with additional flags to revive you.  All you need to do is finish with one flag.  One flag.  Just one. 

We were in the third wave.  Walking around before the race we learned a little more about what we were in for and how we might survive.  Originally my plan was to just flee.  However, by watching a few runners on the course, it became pretty obvious that a spinning dodge was a pretty successful strategy for the lurchers.  Turns out there are two types of zombies: lurchers and chasers.  Lurchers sort of stand in the path and lunge at the runners as they try to dart past them.  The other type of zombie is the chaser.  Pure speed and a meat shield work best against these particular zombies. 

Another thing we learned was that we should have been wearing tutus.  Hiding your flags, rolling them up in your belt, or stuffing them in your shorts are all considered bad form if not outright cheating, but losing them in a sea of toile seems like a perfectly legitimate strategy regardless of its effect on your pride.  It is, after all, about survival.
 

The third thing we learned was from another runner.  This guy had just finished the first wave.  He was a smallish, wiry guy that looked like he could run and run and run.  He also bore striking resemblance to Tony Stark of Iron Man fame.  David asked him how it went.  He told us there were bunches of zombies out there, way more than he expected.  He also said they were fast, really fast.  To his point he admitted that he had been infected.  This actually put me at ease.  I figured if this guy managed to lose all his flags there was no shame if I lost all of mine.  The stress was off and it was time to have fun.

When the runners are corralled for their waves, you are assembled in one of three chutes.  We were in the ‘main course’ chute, for no other reason than that is the one we picked.  The other choices were ‘appetizer’ or ‘dessert’.   The run started out somewhat slow.  The strategy of quite a few ‘runners’ was to walk the course and just sprint through the zombie zones.  Soon after coming out of the chute we ran into our first group of lurchers.  The path was quite wide and evading them was fairly easy.   After that the path narrowed significantly and the zombie count increased.  It was through this section that David became little more than a red streak on the video I was trying to shoot.  I honestly didn’t know he could run that fast.  My son and I got separated around this time, but I heard him yell “COME AT ME BRO!” to one of the zombies.  Soon after he caught up with me and let me know that he had lost his first flag. 

Throughout the course there are infected zones and places where you are just running, or walking, as the case may be.  The zombies are expertly made up.  Some of my favorites were the requisite creepy clown, a bride, and a host of hospital personnel.  There were also some fast food icons (Zombies HATE fast food…they are too hard to catch), one of which was Colonel Sanders.  This was the only zombie that talked during the whole course but he was playing the part brilliantly taunting the runners and then chasing them down.  There were also the obstacles to contend with.  I was quite pleased with the level of difficulty of the obstacles.  They were difficult enough to present a challenge and provided us with the opportunity to get wet, muddy, and covered in sand.  I found that the maze was particularly difficult, especially because there were zombies in it.  The one obstacle that I perhaps didn’t find difficult enough was the shock room.  Inside this enclosed space there are a bunch of shocking wires hanging from the ceiling.  It is dark and foggy as well.  My son and I were both able to get through without being shocked at all so it just seemed a little too easy to navigate.  I do think that there may have been some life packs hidden in there though and maybe looking for them would have been a good idea.  We didn’t see any life packs on the trail itself, although I did hear that some of the tutu clad ladies found two. 

My son had lost all of his flags about two-thirds of the way through.  At that point I had just one left and kept it hanging down behind me.  Now that he was infected and no longer concerned with his own flags, my son set to work at being an excellent meat shield.  While you can’t touch the zombies, you can block them and he was doing a tremendous job of keeping me safe.  I was about 150 yards from the last obstacle and it looked like a pretty clear run to the end.  My son had fallen behind a little when I heard him yell,  “WATCH OUT!” As I turned to see what was happening, a zombie came running at me at full speed and snatched my last flag.  Not only are they fast, but they are sneaky too!

In the end, all of us were infected.  We really didn’t see too many people in the early waves that weren’t.  The tutu ladies made it through uninfected along with a very few others.  Perhaps another strategy is to run later in the day when zombies aren’t so fresh.  We had a blast though and are already making plans to do it again in Orlando and maybe Baltimore as well.  Since RFTL, David and I did Mud Crusade and Color in Motion.  Both were good times, but Run For Your Lives will always be the one that infected me with this itch that must be scratched.  

The itch that must be scratched.

This running thing, this itch that must be scratched, is new.  I have always liked to run.  At least that is what I believed.  Now, looking back, I think what I liked was the idea of running: the movement of oneself through space and time with the positive outcome of fitness without machines.  It is simple and it has a purity about it.  This time last year I would have clicked the thumbs up icon on Running’s Facebook page  and carried on with what I was doing.  It’s not like that anymore. 

 

Eleven months ago I was fifty pounds heavier.  While not technically morbidly obese, I was fat and woefully out of shape.  I had bad knees, a bad back, low “good” cholesterol (an excellent explanation of cholesterol, and why low “good” cholesterol is bad, is available  here ), had just gotten off the cardiac ward at our local hospital, and, at 42, was about to be put on Crestor for the rest of my life.  Knowing that I am not one for pills, my doctor gave me another option.  He told me that getting my heart rate up to 140 beats per minute for half an hour four times a week could help improve my good cholesterol.  He gave me four months to get my HDL from around 15 to “somewhere at least close to 40” which is where I needed to be.  Otherwise he was going to have to recommend the pills.  In the words of my 13 year old: “challenge accepted.”

 

I didn’t start running right away, or jogging even.  I didn’t even think running was a possibility.  My knees constantly bothered me and I was told I have “significant cartilage loss” in both of them.  What I started doing was riding my old Nishiki Prestige road bike in the garage on a RAD Cycle bike stand.  The doctor said half an hour, so I did an hour.  The doctor said four times a week, it became a daily routine.  Getting my heart rate up to 140 bpm was relatively easy given how out of shape I was.  At my May appointment I had lost thirty pounds and my HDL was well above 40.  No pills for me.

 

There were three other things that did during this time that, along with riding the bike, contributed to my success.  First, I started really watching what I eat.  I used the LoseIt! app to track my caloric intake and exercise burn (more on this later).  I also  dusted off the Bowflex machine I had purchased with good intentions the year before and started to use it.  The third thing I did was stop drinking alcohol.  I was not a heavy drinker, but I was a lazy drinker.  A glass of red wine a night, which some suggest has cardiac benefits, made me just relaxed enough that I didn’t feel like doing any exercise.  I figured any benefit I was deriving from wine was being expunged by the fact that I was sitting instead of moving while I was drinking it. 

 

The only downside to the weight loss was that riding my bike for an hour made my backside sore….really sore.  I had purchase a gel seat cover which helped, but I was looking for an alternative.  I had to go to California on business at the beginning of June.  The hotel I was staying at had an exercise room but no stationary bikes / spinning machines.  What they did have were treadmills and elliptical machines.  Because I weighed less, my knees hurt less but I was still afraid of the impact on a treadmill so I decided to to give the elliptical a try.  Suffice it to say I was sold on the experience.  I got a great workout, burned lots of calories, and, most importantly, my butt, or my knees, didn’t hurt when I was finished.  When I got home I found a nice NordicTrac on Craigslist. 

 

I have coached soccer at the local club for a number of years now.  During the spring season I was able to huff and puff my way through some scrimmages with the kids provided they let Coach have a few breaks during the game.  By the time the Fall season rolled around I had lost another ten or fifteen pounds and was actually able to run around on the field with the kids.  My knees didn’t bother me which I attributed mostly to the fact that I was running on grass.  At the end of practice I usually have the kids run the length of the field.  I had taken to joining them and was holding my own.  After practice one night my assistant coach, David, said, “You should do the zombie run with us”

“The what?”

“Run For Your Lives.  My son and I are doing it.  It’s like a mud run but with zombies.   You should do it.”

And that is when I got infected.