Thursday, January 26, 2012

Tough Mudder! - March 31st

So, I signed up for this little event called the Tough Mudder.  Maybe you've heard of it?  Ten mile course, 20+ obstacles and mud.  And, as a few friends were quick to remind me (while telling me I was effing nuts for signing up for it)... fire and electric shocks!  What else could you ask for in an endurance event?  Sure, some 5ks offer hot chocolate at the end of the race ("Because I earned/burned enough calories to deserve something sweet..."), but the Tough Mudder serves up beer to its participants ("Because I just ran through fire and live wires, damnit!").

While I have been training at CrossFit White Rock for ten months now, the prospect of a ten mile course started to get in my head.  We never run more than a 5k, and even then, we only do it once every few months.  Our WODs contain a lot of 400m, 800m and 1 mile run segments.  But, I started wondering if I needed to supplement my training with long runs each week.

This past Sunday, I decided to do a one hour run and measure the distance.  We'll call it my best/worst run in quite some time.  Not sure of what to expect from my body, I decided to keep the pace steady while keeping my heart rate between 160-170.  I surprised myself.  I had more fun than I thought I would... and I logged 6.25 miles in 60 minutes.  Based on this, I don't think I really have to modify my training as much as I thought I would have to.  CrossFit metcons rock!

On the bad side of things, while I ended the run feeling strong (like I could've gone a few more miles), I had to ice down my Achilles' and knees.  They were sore through the next day.

By Tuesday, my outlook on the whole ordeal was greatly improved.  Another member at CFWR approached me after our WOD and said he was doing the Tough Mudder... and heard that I was, too.  One of our coaches overheard the ensueing conversation and said he would sign up, too.  Boom!  That was the sound of a kick-ass team forming.

I learned that I wasn't the only one feeling trepidation toward long training runs.  We are working up a once a week running supplement to our training that will alternate weeks of 400m intervals, 800m intervals and long runs... maybe even trail runs.

I'm fully confident that I will be ready for whatever the course has to throw at me come March 31st.

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