Orange Pain....A Tough Mudder Kansas Recap

Before the race

Now, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted.  I am WAY behind.  I have this post to finish and I have Spartan Race Nebraska that I have already run 2 recap, and I have a Tiger Balm review and giveaway to post, but for now let's get down to the meat of Tough Mudder Kansas.

So, picture this if you will.  You are at a friends birthday dinner and you know that afterwards you are all going to go out somewhere.  Now picture everyone else around you having a drink or 3 while you are drinking water in order to make sure you are hydrated for your run the next day.  Well this was me the day before Tough Mudder.  Now picture looking at your alarm clock after you set it for 4:15 A.M. so that you can get ready and drive for 3 hours to meet up with the rest of the group that is doing the run with you.  And then reading it say 12:13 A.M.  Yes, again this was me.  Now, after you do get to sleep imagine waking up and looking at the clock at 2:00 A.M. and thinking you overslept only to realize that you've barely slept.  I did that until my alarm finally went off about every 20-30 minutes.  Even know I was only running on a few hours of sleep I was still pretty energetic.  I think I was really excited about the run.  So, as my wife lay there sleeping I finished getting myself ready.  I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me to Topeka and I was ready.  The drive down was quiet to say the least with nobody else with me.  It was a pretty cool sunrise, and I think I got myself a little worked up as I was going down.  I got to see the stars, then I got the sun come up, and I even got some really cool pictures of the sunrise.

Once I got to Topeka I was able to find my friends pretty easily once they gave me the address.  We all met up at one location to get our gear on and headed out.  With my friend's inaccurate GPS they plugged in the address to the raceway and it lead us one way, and as we were going it told us to do a u-turn.  Then a few moments later it told her to do another u-turn.  So, my buddies wife used her GPS and it told us to go another way entirely.  So, instead of relying on the GPS we stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. Most of us wanted to get some water for hydration anyway and we asked the gas station attendant and he told us that the GPS would lead us wrong and told us how to get to the raceway.  Once we got there I realized that as usual I forgot my waiver form at home. So, I had to go see find in new one while everybody else got their bibs.  We met up with the more people that were running with us and we were watching some of the competitions.  There was one where people were doing tire flipping and pull up for the fastest time and all of our team said that they were not going to wear themselves out before doing a 10 and a half mile obstacle course race. We got some pre-race pictures done, got our bags checked, and decided to go line up

In order to get to the starting position they make you do a wall climb.  I don't know if anybody has watched the Tough Mudder videos or heard the speech that is given, but the MC that they have on those videos is actual one to get you pumped up and going.  I think that it is so awesome that they recognize all of the military members before you even start.  Past and present.

As the race starts the very first thing we got to run through was the shower.  And that's only because right after that you get out of it you get to jump over fire.  Who doesn't like jumping over fire.  One obstacle of this race that was very present, but well used was the concrete barriers.  It's a race track and they are everywhere,  And they use them, and use them, and use them, and use them again.  I lost count at how many concrete barriers we actually went over.  The cool part is is that you actually get to run on the race track.  So a race on a race track; not quite the purpose they intended for it but still pretty cool.  I will tell you for anyone that's looking at the videos that the ice water is really, REALLY COLD!!!  It really does take away your breath. Your best bet is to jump in, get under the barrier, and get out quick.

I will admit that all of the obstacles were challenging, but I am proud of myself of how well I did on some of them.  I completely expected to fall on "Funky Monkey" and I made it all the way across!  Now I'm getting ahead of myself because "Funky Monkey" was towards the end, but it's one of the ones I totally expected to fall.  I know my daughter Bella is loving the fact that her dad can do the same thing that she likes to do.  She loves to go across the monkey bars at school.  I will also let anybody know that the "Mud Mile" is a mess to go through.  It takes forever and there were shoes everywhere.  I can and can't believe how many shoes I saw off to the side from people digging out shoes that they thought where there's.  They were throwing them out so they can finish the obstacle to come back to only to find out that it wasn't their shoe(s) that they dug up.  "Walk the Plank" was a-maz-ing!  It was such a rush to jump off and land in that water.  There were several people who were sitting there saying, "I don't think I can do this! I don't think I can do this!"  I told them its just 2 feet and I jumped.  Technically I wasn't lying...you do jump in with just two feet.

To kind of skip around I knew "Everest" was still coming up.  It is one of the last obstacles  and I know that at other events that I have always done fairly well at.  I generally have been able to get up them in my first 1 or 2 tries, but I knew "Everest" was going to be a challenge.  Especially since I've already rubbed out several leg cramps to this point in the run.  So, as I started to run and made it all the way to the top I grabbed a hand.  I grabbed another hand  and started to make my way up.  As I was walking up the wall with assistance my grip failed and down I went.  Now I was determined to get up this wall so I went back to the gate for another try.  I ran and made it up the wall to my waist and was at the top, but I wasn't able to quite get over and my buddy Aaron and the volunteer hesitated as I reached out for their arms.  So, I went down again.  Now I am on my third try and they always say 3rd time is the charm.  So, my 3rd time I ran up to the top got my grip and got 1 leg up to the top.  My right leg was up and what would happen as I'm pulling up.  My right calf cramps really bad!  I lost all mobility in my right leg so it went limp.  I lost my grip and I tumbled down.  Only this time I knew I wasn't going to be able to make another attempt.  I limped off to the side of "Everest" and sat down.  I looked at my calf and the cramp was so bad that I could see what looked like a finger in my calf so I knew I needed a minute to rub it out and let it get better.  The medic came over to check me out to see if I was okay and offer me some water.  I politely thanked him for his help and waved him off and let him know that I would be okay.  I just needed a minute to let the cramps subside.  He asked me if I was sure and I said I was fine.  I just needed the time to let the cramp go away and that even if it didn't the finish line was right there.  I was less than a quarter mile from finishing my first ever Tough Mudder and I was going to finish and earn my head band.  Just like I thought within a minute or 2 the cramps subsided enough that I was able to get up and finish.

All that stood between me and the finish line was "Electroshock Therapy" and I wasn't stopping.  With my buddy Aaron and his wife Spring with me we kept going.  We didn't stop even as we were looking at the dangling electric wires.  We made it through and none of us got shocked!  Naturally we were "shocked!"  So as I limped to get a Clif bar and some water someone placed my orange headband on my head and I knew that I've completed an amazing feat.  I had finally joined the ranks of those that had finished earlier.  I finished it with some of my closest friends and I thought I couldn't have a better group of friends to complete this with.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Goals...NO...Expectations for 2013 w/ 2012 recap

Here it is almost the middle of March and I'm finally putting my goals for the year out.  Is that the procrastinator in me or the father of 5 kids in me?  Either way I'm still getting it done.

Even though I was new to running this past year I would like to have done some more formalized runs.  I did 3 total runs in 2012, and they were all in the last half of my running time in the year.  I am going to try to double that this coming year.  And with some many choices in the Greater Omaha Area I don't think I'm going to have a problem getting that accomplished except when funding is the issue.  Remember....father of 5!  So, anyone want to sponsor me to do any runs?!  It's a dream to get runs paid for by every runner, but most of us have to budget it in to feed our addiction.

The first run I did was The Glow Run 5k in Omaha, NE that was put together by the KC Running Company.  I ran this on August 18th, 2012.  Now this was my 1st organized 5k, so I was already nervous about it.  Beyond that I had my brother-in-law running it with me, my oldest son, 2 of my nieces, and my nephew.  Not to mention I had some friends and a co-worker that were also running in it.

The second run I did was Mud Factor.  This was held at Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, NE.  I ran this with my buddy Brian.  This was my 1st 5k Mud Run.  I will certainly be doing more of these.  And this is returning May 4th, 2012 so I may be doing it again!  We ran it after my buddy Aaron and his wife ran, but we met up in the beer line afterwards.  It was a good time except for the missing water slide.  The main obstacle everyone looks forward to in this run and they didn't have it.  Afterwards they publicly apologized and promised to have it in the 2013 run.

The third and final run of the year was the Virtual Half Marathon as part of the RunningNerds "Winter Blast Series."  I had never ran father than 8 miles in one day so I was really pushing myself, but I was able to do it.  And I finished right about the time that I expected I would. My time was 2:39:36.  The first half I was actually ahead of my normal pace.  I usually run at an average of 5 mph.  And that's what I finished around.  The first half I was just over 6 mph.  I wish I could have finished at that pace, but a pain in the bottom of my right foot told me otherwise.  So, I had to slow my pace and finish where I originally expected to. But hey, I finished!  If you would like to read on that and see pictures from the day you can read that review HERE.

This year I'm not only looking to re-tackle Mud Factor and The Glow Run, but I'm also looking to add to my run list with some new runs.  I am going to be running one that will really test me since it's basically a half marathon mud-obstacle run.  It is called Tough Mudder.  The other is similar to Mud Factor, but much harder.  That one is called the Reebok Spartan Race.  I have several other runs that I'm looking at through out the year as you can see that I have listed in my "Possible Future Runs" that I may add to the list that I am doing, but there are the few that are a certainty.

I first looked at Tough Mudder as one that I couldn't possibly do or be ready for.  After tackling Mud Factor and doing the Virtual Half I told myself to stop telling myself that I can't and know that I can!  The makers of Tough Mudder slogan it as "Probably the toughest event on the planet."  Well, I am putting myself up for that challenge.  I will be running it with several friends in the Kansas City event (actually being held in Topeka, KS) on Saturday September 21st, 2013.  Tough Mudder is a run that supports the Wounded Warrior Project.  This project is to help those that have served our country with the aid that they may need to help in their daily lives.  Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course that is designed by the British Special Forces.  They are designed "...to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie."  Some of the obstacles featured are the Arctic Enema, Berlin Walls, Electric Eel, Electroshock Therapy, Everest, Fire Walker, Hangin' Tough, Twinkle Toes, and Walk the Plank.  You can read about all of them and see examples on the Tough Mudder obstacles page.  After looking at all of the obstacles I'm more than ever committed to running this!

I also have the opportunity to run a race for free this year.  I was persevering and patient enough that I was the 500th "like" on the Facebook page of G.O.A.T.z (Greater Omaha Area Trail-Runners).  And they were running a "contest" for the 500th person to get a "surprise."  They also have a Facebook Group here.  There will be a "staggered" run this coming June they are calling "The Dizzy Goat." It's going to be run at Schramm Park State Recreation Area on June 22nd.  They runs are going to be staggered because they have 3 different "lengths" that you can run.  The lengths are measured in distance, they are measured in time!  You can run a 12 hour run, a 6 hour run, or a 3 hour run.  Now, based on my endurance I can probably muster the 3 hour run.  I was able to run the 1/2 marathon in under 3 hours, so I figure I can run at least 15 miles in this time.  Now to get my training going if this is the run that I choose.  You can read more about the run on the page for it. (http://www.goatztrailruns.com/dizzygoat)  They are also bringing another run series called the "2nd Annual G.O.A.T.z Trail Runs and G.O.A.T.z 50k."  This is Omaha's 1st Ultramarathon.  In 2012 this run sold out with a cap of 300 participants.  In 2013 the cap will be 500 with a limit of 250 on the 50k portion.  They will also be holding 5, 10.5, and 21 mile runs on the same course at the same time.  Now, this run is taking place this October so I already know I can do the 5 miler, and the 10.5 miler but will I have the ambition to hit the 21 miler if I decide to run this one instead?  I guess I have a short time to decide.  I don't have any runs scheduled in June yet except the possibility of Warrior Dash so June may be a possibility over October.  If you have a recommendation for me between the 2 runs, please comment and share your thoughts.

I do have a run that I will be unofficially running.  My main reason for running it will be that 2 of my kids will be running it and parents are allowed to accompany their kids for safety and taking pictures.  It's the Muddy Heroes 2k/4k that I posted about earlier this month in my Mud runs for kids! UPDATED post.  If you want to read more you can check out my post or the website for the run. (http://www.muddyheroesrun.com/)  Unfortunately only 2 of the kids old enough to do anything at this run will be able to do it.  2 of them will be at their mother's house on visit so they will have to catch the next one.  But, we will be sure to take lot's of pictures and even provide a recap.  Maybe I can get a video of my kids giving me their own recap!  Oooh, 2 points for me for the idea!  This run will be May 18th, so the recap will be shortly after.  Since I'm getting married to my amazing fiance in mid-June I will have to be on top of this one.

I also have a list of runs that I am registered for, runs that I have done, and ones that I am contemplating doing.  It's the "Past/Future Runs" tab just below the header.  I need to update this page so that it includes the results for the timed runs that I have completed.  I'll get to it....eventually.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Mud runs for kids! UPDATED

A short post today, but one that I think is a very cute idea so I had to share.  My kids are always asking me when they can do a mud run like mom and I have done.  They know I have several that I'm doing this year and they keep asking which one they get to do with me.  They generally have and age limit so my kids being the ages that they are wouldn't be allowed to run it.  However, there are some popping up that are specifically for kids!  And this has my kids REALLY excited!  The two I'm going to post about are Muddy Heroes 2k/4k and Spartan Kids!

UPDATE: Muddy Heroes now has a special "Heroes in Training" area that will be available for children aged 3-5 that will cost $10 and will not require advanced registration.

Now, most runners any more have certainly heard of the Reebok Spartan Race.  Well the awesome people at Spartan have come up with a scaled version for the kids they call Spartan Kids.  They have 2 different age groups for this run; a 1/2 mile Jr. Spartan race for kids aged 4-8 and a 1 mile Varsity Spartan race for kids aged 9-13.  The cost of each is only $25.  So, this isn't that bad considering other runs charge the same price as an adult for kids to run.  They still get their ceremonial t-shirt, medal, and sense of accomplishment.  They also provide them with a mini festival area with games and challenges.  Instead of supporting the Homes for Our Troops like the adult version the kids version raises money for the Kids Fit Foundation.  Each is a great charitable organization to help out.

The latest one that my fiance found is called Muddy Heroes.  This is a 2k/4k run for kids aged 6-16.  This is also a scaled down mud run, but it has a little longer distance than the Spartan Kids run.  The distances roughly translate to 1 1/4 miles and 2 1/2 miles respectively.  This is a new run and is in the Omaha, NE Metro area.  The actual run will be taking place in Greenwood, NE.  This is just outside of Omaha so we'll still call it Omaha.  Now I'm still trying to find out what charity (if any) this run supports, but I will update once I find out.  I have sent in request to the group to find out.  The race promises to be "A fun, muddy, and obstacle filled 2k and 4k race course for kids age 6-16."  In their FAQ they do say that parents are able to run along with the kids and take pictures or even do the obstacles with the kids if you so choose.  I'm not sure if my kids will do the 2k or the 4k, but we may have one doing the 4k and the other doing the 2k.  Details on our experience to follow after the run has been complete.  This will be taking place Saturday May 18th, 2013.  So just a couple of months away.

I really like that they are including a kids version of these runs.  This not only makes my kids very happy, but it makes for a very happy mom and dad because they now get to feel included.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!