Gettin' Dirty

I just got some amazing news! As if all the awesome things in my life weren't enough, I get to do a new mud run event called the Pretty Muddy. If you've never heard of this (or done a mud run!) then you seriously have to check one out! It's a women-only (sorry dudes!) 5k obstacle course with a party at the end! What's not to love? (Although, if there's a huge wall or rope climb I might miss having some strong guys helping me over!)

Logo courtesy of Pretty Muddy FaceBook page

If this sounds like it's up you're alley (road? trail?) then you should definitely join me in Columbus, OH on September 29. If you're not local then it's okay because there's FIVE more of these awesome events happening all over the eastern United States. So what are you waiting for?! Sign up now and use the code FitFluentialPM12 to get $10 off.

My goal is to finish with more mud than I did here!

 

So join in the fun and then like Pretty Muddy on FaceBook or follow them on Twitter (@PRETTY_MUDDY) for all the latest info and lots of fun chatter! You'll find me and lots of other pretties using the hashtag #prettymuddy. It's going to be a blast!

 

Now I've got to go work on my upper body strength because I KNOW that cargo net climb is going to kick my muddy butt! :)

 

 

 

Obstacle photo courtesy of Pretty Muddy's FaceBook page

 

Have you done a mud run or obstacle course? Are you going to join me at the Pretty Muddy? (Please say yes!)

 

Disclosure: FitFluential LLC compensated me for this campaign. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

Momma Said WOD You Out

I'm recovering better than I'd hoped from the Baker 50. I think the main reason is that I have trained hard for the last four months and my body has gotten really good at recovering. The flip side to that is that recovery forces your body to use nutrients to rebuild the muscles you just tore apart. I'm still taking my GNC Ultra Mega vitamin packet daily as well as my Energy Bits.

However, neither of those supplements contains the macronutrients, specifically the amino acids/proteins, that my body needs right now. My appetite is severely lacking for the amount of calories I burned and that's not uncommon following an endurance event. To make up for it I've been using Premier Protein bars and shakes as one of my daily snacks. I can't say enough about how tasty these things are! While a sandwich or a steak sounds horrible to me right now the chocolate peanut butter bar is like candy and I have no problem getting it down.

My package from Premier Protein

 

This is seriously not BS. My husband said, "You never post anything bad about a product on your blog." I thought about it and figured I should address his point. If I try something and don't like it then I don't post about it. I don't want to spread bad PR for a product just because I don't like it. If I truly believed something is going to harm someone or should be avoided then I would post that. But I won't just write a post saying I didn't like the taste, texture, colors or whatever about a product I was sent to try. Now that I've gotten that out of the way....

 

I've seriously recovered so well that I decided to get back on schedule and go to CrossFit today. I had no illusions that I'd be doing today's WOD but I figured some basic movements or skill work might loosen up the last of the kinks in my quads and calves. I decided to do a simple workout:

 

 

I chose to use just the bar for the hang powers (35#) and I used a little heavier band for my pull ups than I usually would. Other than that I just took it slowly and went at a comfortable pace. I finished in 22:15 which I didn't think was bad at all for 48 hours post-ultra. And I was right in that I felt much better afterwards.

 

Once I got home Shane filled up the baby pool and I splashed and played with Ash until Gem got home from her first day of school. After dinner Gem, Ash and I had a dance party to Kidz Bop in the living room. I am really happy that doing what I love doesn't have to stop me from making memories with my children. Now if I can just say the same thing about this semester of school....

 

What helps you recover? Do you use protein shakes or bars?

 

Disclaimer: I was given these products for review. As always. all opinions are my own.

Sorry If I Chicked You (Not!)

This was my second year doing the Baker Trail Ultrachallenge 50 miler. The Baker is a different race from most ultras in that you have to do the race three times in order to get the whole medal. The Baker Trail is almost 150 miles long so each year the race is held on a different 50 mile section. Last year I ran the North section and got my first piece of the medal. This year I got to experience the Central section.

The Baker medal once completed.

 

The week before the race I only ran two miles. I really wanted to run more but I couldn't seem to do anything but work. I ended up putting in 49 hours in the 4 days leading up to the race. Friday I ditched work and got a haircut instead and then came home to pack and head up to the packet pick up. This year the packets were being picked up at a private farm in Smicksburg, PA and was also where runners would finish the race. I decided to sleep in my Jeep at the farm to make race day morning easier.

 

 

New haircut to give me a mental boost for race day!

 

When I arrived at packet pick up I found that the family who owns the farm had made spaghetti and salad for everyone. To top it off they also had a refrigerator full of beer! I got my bib, chip, and shirt and took them to my Jeep. Once there I organized everything for race day and then headed back inside the farm house to eat and socialize. I sat on the deck with a cold brew and a full plate and talked to quite a few runners, both new and old friends. Soon enough it was getting dark and time to get some shut eye. I laid down the back seat of my Jeep and crammed a bag in the gap between the seat and the rear floor before rolling out my sleeping bag. I wasn't able to stretch out completely but I wasn't too uncomfortable either. I slept rather well for the conditions.

 

Representing Team Aquaphor!

 

In the morning my alarm went off at 4:30am. I quickly changed into my running gear and filled my handheld. I wore a camisole, shorts, gaiters and a pair of well worn road shoes. I carried nothing but water in a small handheld. I hoped travelling light would work in my favor on a hot day. I knew that this section is mostly rolling and winding country roads (gravel, dirt, and broken asphalt), as well as farm fields, Jeep roads, and about 8-10 miles of actual singletrack, technical trail. It would be relentless sun for the most part with no shade and hot asphalt under foot. A total 7, 318 feet of ascent and 7,056 feet of descent would add to the fun.

 

Elevation profile for the Cental section

 

 

A bus arrived at 6:00am to take us to the starting line. I hit the port-o-potty and then climbed aboard. The ride took twice as long as it was supposed to and I dozed on and off while the bus navigated the dusty country roads. By the time we reached the starting line it was almost 7am (start time was supposed to be 6:30am) and runners were nervously speculating about the toll the late start would take later as temperatures rose. I was just happy I wouldn't need a headlamp since I hadn't packed one.

 

The race director reminded us about following the yellow blazes and being safe on the roads. Then we were off! I purposely went out at the back of the pack. I wanted to go slowly enough to feel good and finish strong but still PR. I set a goal of running 13-14 minute mile average pace for the first half. A group of four runners, including me, settled in for the slow pace. The rest of the runners (roughly 100 this year - results aren't up yet) took off like it was a marathon or sprint instead of an ultra. I predicted that we'd see a high drop rate this year with the high number of new runners plus the heat. I learned that I was running with Steve, Michael, and Mad Dog. We continued as a group through the first three aid stations (mile 15) and added three more runners along the way.

 

After aid station 3 I took off a little and left the group. I knew I was almost 1/3 done and I thought it was time to start picking off more runners. Over the next few sections I picked off probably 5-10 runners, usually in groups of 2 or 3. I told myself I could start listening to music at the halfway point (mile 25.1) to motivate myself to get there. As I headed up the last large hill to the mid-way aid station I caught sight of a butterfly. I took my eyes off the trail just long enough to catch my toe on a rock and land hard on my left side. I looked down to find my knee bleeding profusely. I almost panicked but then I thought of all the stories I've heard of runners finishing despite much worse. I took a deep breath and pulled my eyes away from the gore. Then I got to my feet, dusted off and set off for the aid station.

 

 

My knee, looking better after being cleaned up.

 

At the halfway aid station the volunteers offered to let me use the sponge to clean up my knee. Knowing that there were people behind me who might want to use that sponge, I declined. I found a paper towel and wet it and used it to wipe away the worst of the blood and dirt. After that I went through the routine I used at every aid station in this race. I filled my water bottle, drank one cup of Gatorade or soda, and then ate a quarter PB&J or handful of trail mix. I never took a single GU or S!cap or anything except 'real' food. I also made sure to thank every volunteer at every single aid station. I checked my Garmin and saw that I was at exactly 6 hours. I made up my mind right then to aim for a negative split and a sub-12 finish.

 

After I left that aid station I pulled out my headphones and started rolling along to the music. It carried me pretty well and I started passing more runners. At one point I passed 7 or 8 within a mile or so. I was still feeling strong and happy and the miles were ticking off easily. I was having a blast moo-ing back at the cows along the way, waving to the Amish folks and just enjoying the sun and the breeze. Around mile 35 or so I caught a man named James who recognized me from this blog! (Hi James!) We leap frogged for awhile until I was finally able to pass for good. I think my awful singing probably kept him from catching me again!

 

By mile 40 I was starting to feel a little bit worn. A rock had made its way into my shoe and was digging into the side of my big toe. I kept wiggling my toe in hopes it would move somewhere less annoying but it never did. I was afraid I would lose too much time if I stopped to remove it plus I wasn't sure my shoe would go back on my swollen foot. I chose to ignore the pain and run with the sole purpose of getting sub-12 hours. I continued to play my game of choosing a 'victim' and passing them and then putting a large gap between that runner and myself before slowing again. It helped keep me going and kept me mentally strong. I never passed a runner that I didn't keep behind me for the rest of the way!

 

Miles 40-45 or so I ran with a friend of mine named Mick. He kept me in good spirits and kept pushing me. He took off after a bit and ran ahead. I tried to hold on to him but I know he's a stronger runner than I am still so I let him go when I got to the last aid station, approximately 4 miles from the finish. I went through my routine of refilling my water bottle, drinking some Gatorade and then eating a handful of chips. I took off down the road in the hopes of still finishing in 11 hours and 50-some minutes.

 

It didn't take long for me to realize there was very little chance of that happening. The last section is rolling ups and downs along gravel roads and some country highway. I was shuffle-jogging up the hills and then running full tilt on the downs but the runnable sections were getting fewer and farther between. The downs didn't seem to match the ups and the pace on the ups kept getting slower and slower. I pushed and pushed but when I realized I would need to do better than 10 minutes per mile for the last 2 miles I knew it was over. I had a vague hope that maybe the time on my Garmin was off from the timing clock and I would still barely make it but I knew in my heart it was futile. I set a new goal of finishing in 12:0x. I figured it would still be a huge PR and something to be very proud of.

 

The last mile is a long stretch of rolling highway and it seemed like it would never end. Runners who had finished long before me were driving out and waving and cheering which helped but I wanted to be done more than anything at that point. I finally saw the farm as I crested a hill. All I had to do was turn down the driveway and sprint it in! Right?! To my intense dismay I saw yellow arrows pointing not to the driveway but up a steep hill of furrowed farmland. I wasn't sure my ankles and knees would take a trip over a gopher hole so it was slow going. I finally crested the hill and saw I had to run down to a tractor lane, make a sharp left and then follow it to the finish. I picked my way through the old furrows and down to the tractor lane. I hit the tractor lane at 12:04 by my Garmin. I set out at the fastest run I could manage and crossed the line!

 

The race director told me my official time was 12:05:59! I made my B goal! Sub-12 will have to wait for next year I guess but it's still a huge improvement over Umstead in March and an even bigger PR over my time on the North section last year. I collected my medal, got a high five from one of the little boys running around the farm, and then headed for the food. As I enjoyed my pulled pork sandwich, cheeseburger and potato salad I relished knowing that I have trained really hard the last 6 months and it shows. I talked with a lot of runners who finished much faster than me but instead of feeling discouraged, I felt like I could get there someday! After I ate one of the volunteers patched up my knee (they had no peroxide so we used hand sanitizer - OUCH!) and I headed home. Now I just wait for official results so I can see how many runners I actually passed and where I placed. :)

 

 

 

I can't wait to see what next year holds!

GNC is my Friend

I never really supplemented with anything besides a multi-vitamin until this training cycle. Preparing the right way for a marathon left me feeling a little flat. I wasn't really tired but I didn't feel like I was firing on all cylinders either. Box jumps at CrossFit were getting tougher and squats were near impossible. My legs just didn't want to recover the way I needed them to.

That's when GNC stepped in and introduced me to their Ultra Mega Vegetarian Vitapaks. These simple foil packets are stuffed with everything your body needs to make it through the day in plant and whole food-based ingredients.

The first two pills in the packet (green solid pills) are the Ultra Mega Multivitamins. These contain no iron so if you're prone to anemia you may need an additional supplement. These two have a blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes derived from 26 fruits, vegetables, and phytonutrients. With things like vitamins C and E, selenium and green tea extract I am staying healthier and feeling better about the radiation exposure I get on a daily basis (thanks job!).

The two white solid pills are Calcium Citrate. This mineral keeps your bones strong by providing over 50% of the recommended daily value of calcium in a form that is readily available to your body. I've never had a stress fracture and I don't want to ever experience one so I really appreciate this addition to the line up!

The green liquid capsule is Flax Seed oil which is a vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are the ones that protect your heart and brain function. They also help maintain digestive and joint health, which us runners know is important! Nobody likes an angry stomach on the trail and we've all had aching joints at one point or another.

The last capsule is a white liquid capsule which is a digestive enzyme formula. These enzymes help your body to complete digest nutrients so that your body is able to make the best use of that diet you've worked so hard to perfect. You balance the macronutrients (fat, carbs, and protein) and this supplement will help your body use them effectively.

All in all, I've been having some really great runs since I started combining the Vitapaks with my EnergyBits. I keep a careful eye on my nutrition and hydration (with the occassional splurge) and then depend on an evolving regimen of supplements to do the rest. I really hope I'll see the difference on Saturday at the Baker 50 Miler!

Do you take a multi? Do you supplement? What works for you? What doesn't?

Bits and Bites

I've worked 22 hours in the last two days. My training is seriously suffering. Thankfully the Baker 50 miler is Saturday so fewer, shorter runs is good for right now. Between my shifts, getting ready for back to school (both the kids and I), training and life in general I should be falling down.

Honestly, I've never felt better. A few things came together at just the right time and one of those is EnergyBits. If you've never heard of EnergyBits don't feel bad. I hadn't either until they found me on Twitter and convinced me to give them a try (that wasn't too hard!). These 'tabs' are only 1 calorie per piece, contain 64% protein per tab, and are made from 100% organically grown Spirulina algae.

I was a little wary of taking algae. It just doesn't sound like something good but then I did my research and found that Spirulina is basically a super-food. According to EnergyBits website, NASA ran some tests and found that 1 kilogram of Spirulina is equivalent to 1,000 kilograms of fruits and veggies!

As you can see (maybe, that picture is tiny!) EnergyBits are packed full of all the good stuff. After a few 50 hour weeks I'm usually falling into bed exhausted, catching every cold that comes around and generally worn out. Not this time though! Adding EnergyBits to my diet has helped immensely. The tabs can be chewed or swallowed. They have a nutty taste and texture that isn't unpleasant. I think I'd still take them no matter what now that I've seen the boost they give me!

Have you tried EnergyBits or Spirulina algae? Would you take an algae supplement?

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Terrible Twos and Birthday Blues

It's been a hectic couple weeks. My laptop got a virus so I was computer-less for almost a week. During that time my littlest baby turned two (what?!) and I have been working crazy hours (averaging 45 hours a week). On top of working lots of overtime I'm also working weird shifts. I had to work 3am to 3pm the other day and tomorrow I have to start at 6am. It's definitely not easy to keep up with everything and work like that but I've got a little secret (or two).

Ash's birthday was fun but we kept it simple. We opened gifts at home and had cake (of course I had too much and my run stunk). That weekend we headed up to my grandmother's house and celebrated there by having fresh peach pie and peach crisp as well as farm fresh veggies and eggs and meats. I love having family that lives on a farm! We visited the horses, chickens and barn cats and then headed back home. I was scheduled for 19 miles that day but only made it 13 before bed time. I'm getting a little better about not being so uptight about missing miles. The fact that my 50 miler is in 5 days and I need to taper is helping me get some much needed rest too.

Yesterday we headed to the park for a fair. The girls had a blast. We played every game at least once and then hit up the bounce house and giant slide. There was also a petting zoo where Shane and Ash were both nibbled by goats. This convinced Shane that we need some type of pygmy goat as a pet. Sometimes I don't know what's going through his head!

Ash jumping



Gemma on the giant slide

Today we went to an amusement park and rode rides, played games and ate a ton of junk food. I think I'll avoid the scale until after the Baker 50! It was a really nice break from weekend long runs and marathon training though. Gemma got her face painted and Ash won more toys at the fish pond than we have room for. It was a great way to spend our last weekend as a family before school starts back up.

Gem's unicorn face paint



Now that I have my computer back I'll get back on track! I have to tell you all about my newest Ink n Burn gear, Energy Bits, GNC Ultra Mega Vegetarian vitamin packs, and Muscle Milk. There's been some crazy experimentation going on in my house!



Workin' Overtime

The last few days have been crazy! Friday was my last day with my job. I was a little sad to go but I'm SO excited for the future!

On Friday I got word that a magazine would like me to write 10-20 articles on running, cross training, choosing shoes, etc. I'll hold off on saying which magazine until I actually see my work published but I am over the moon! In fact, I'm so stoked that I've already written and submitted two articles and have the third in the works! I apologize if it takes me away from blogging for a bit but this opportunity is just too big to pass up!

I tried to celebrate by running but it was just too darned hot on Friday! I ended up with 6 miserable miles at a pace that barely counts. Saturday I wanted to race but once again it was just too hot! I rested instead and felt better for it. Sunday my plan called for racing a half marathon. I woke up at 4:45am and made breakfast. While I was eating I checked the weather and saw it was already 80 degrees with high humidity. I immediately crawled back in bed.

Luck was with me though! Midday some storms rolled through and the temperature dropped to 75. It was glorious! I headed for the treadmill to do a time trial on my own. If you remember I set my half PR (2:17) during the Savannah Marathon so I knew I could do better. I just rarely choose half marathons for racing. I set out at about a 2:10 pace and decided to see how long I could hold it. Around 7 miles I started nudging the MPH up .1 every mile or so. My treadmill resets at 100 minutes so I had to do some quick math when I hit 13.1 to figure out my time. 2:08:35! A huge PR and I didn't even have anyone to race! I really can't wait for Baltimore now!

13.1 treadmill miles done!

Today I started my new job. Well, really it's my old job. I'm back out in the field getting down and dirty with welders. I forgot how draining it is to be on your feet all day but it feels good not to be sitting in a chair for 9 hours too! I'm really excited to be back to a hands on job and have the ability to make overtime again.

After work I headed for CrossFit. Today's WOD was Tabata Something Else. If you don't know what Tabata is, you HAVE to try it! It's wicked hard! Basically you do an exercise as fast as you can for 20 seconds and then take a 10 second break and repeat until you puke, pass out, or die. For Tabata something else you do 8 Tabatas each of pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and squats. It's 16 minutes of pure Hell! I ended up with 73 pull ups, 67 push ups, 71 sit ups, and 101 squats! Plus I did a rope climb for good measure.

It's not easy to smile after a Tabata workout!

To make this week just a little better I arrived home to find a package from GNC. I didn't even wait to eat dinner before I ripped into it! Look for a review coming soon! Now I'm off to get the baby to bed so I can make the ViewSport Twitter chat tonight at 9PM EST. See you there!



Dedication vs Obsession

I had to let go yesterday. It was hard but it was also the right thing to do. After sweeping and pacing at Burning River 100 I was already tired. Running all night will do that to you. Then I went to CrossFit on Monday. I probably shouldn't have but I needed it (Yes, I might need to go to rehab for this addiction). Monday was a rough day. I quit my job and wasn't sure what I was going to do to make ends meet. Once again, hard but the right thing. Thankfully, I found something else Tuesday!

I've seen this on the internet but can't find the source. If you know tell me so I can link it!

Back to the stuff you actually care about. At CrossFit one of the trainers gave me a workout of back squats and GHD's (Glute-Ham Developers). This is a killer combo, especially when you just got done running 25 miles only 36 hours earlier.  I set my back squats at 55 pounds and got started. First set: 21 back squats, 42 GHD's. Second set: 18 back squats, 30 GHD's. Third set: 9 back squats, 18 GHD's. I finished in 12:20. Not too shabby!

On Tuesday I woke up sore, Sore, SORE. I waddled to my desk and the secretary laughed at me. I tried to walk regularly to work out some of the kinks. I couldn't believe how much my butt hurt! When I got home I decided to do my scheduled miles as a recovery run. It took me the whole 4 to start to loosen up so I went ahead and made it 5 so I had one mile that I didn't feel like a stiff, robotic mess. Average pace was something like 12:09 and I don't think I could have done it any faster.

Yesterday I was scheduled for 9 miles. There was no way I was getting up at 4am to get it done. I was just too darned exhausted. I figured I'd maybe swap my Thursday 4 for Wednesday's 9 and still meet scheduled mileage. Then I got stuck in traffic and didn't get home until 6:30. I ate some dinner and decided that I'd be lucky to make it off the couch to bed, let alone run. I gave in for the first time in 8.5 weeks and skipped a scheduled running day.

I paid some bills, cozied up with my water bottle and hit the sack early. I'm still not 100% today but I'm a lot better. So now I have to figure out what to do from here?

What would you do? Just skip the 9? Do the 9 miler today and move today's 4 to tomorrow? Do 4 today and 9 tomorrow? Fall off the wagon completely (just kidding - kinda!)?

Also, my coworkers talked me into not straightening my hair for once so I'm rockin' some messy curls! What do you think?!