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.