2015 Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon

"The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark." - John Muir
Wiseguy Creative Photography

I will try most any race once, but a race has to be pretty awesome for me to come back for round 2. One of those races is the Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon. This race consists of a 8.3 mile run, 5.5 mile downriver kayak, 18+ mile road bike up to Pinkham Notch, a hike up to the top of Tuckerman Ravine (or as high as safety will allow), and a giant slalom race back down to the parking lot at Pinkham notch. Racers can compete teams of up to 5 or individually.

Reflecting on last year's race, a few of my memorable take-aways included the following:
1)  Normally, you'd expect a huge spectrum of athletes at a race like this. This simply isn't true. There are no lazy people in this race. No people ripped of the couch by their buddies. This was evident to me when the gun went off on the first leg and the entire group tore out of the Storyland parking lot. Despite the long, cold winter, everyone has been training.

2) While this race in its infancy was once a race of a bunch of crazies on alpine gear running up Mount Washington, people today spend a lot of money on gear. Last year, I saw downriver kayaks worth 2 or 3K, 10K road bikes (yep, for real) and ski mountaineering set ups totaling 5K or more.

Ready to go. Taking off the puffy jacket
is always the hardest part.
Photo Dave Koenig

You could spend a whole lot of money getting fast, lightweight, energy efficient gear. Most, if not every leg, had some athletes capable of competing at the pro level (and many did) in their respective sport and have the equipment to support it.
...Or, you can show up with what you can get your hands on and hack your way through it.

3) Last year, in lieu of skinning up Mt. Washington, I opted to strap my skis to my pack and hike. Although the jury is still out, I felt last year that skinning would have been a faster option as the snow was slushy and I lost quite a bit of time slipping and struggling to find solid purchase.

Disclaimer (or, as it may be, excuses):
Running, kayaking and cycling have been challenges to training in our never ending winter climate here in Maine. I've tried to force myself out in subzero weather or to spin on the trainer in the basement with limited success. Instead, I made training substitutions knowing full-well that the vast majority of my success would fall on my mental fortitude anyway. So, I showed up on race day one-year-seasoned in my camo Spandits! looking to beat myself up a little.

Race Day:

The start of this year's Inferno. No one charges the start of a race better than Ken Lubin (right, blue ss top).
 Photo RDL Studios.

The running leg of this race is all on pavement. The first 3-4 miles go up a steep grade (and back down) and the latter portion is mostly flat. Before the race, I had a lot of anxiety about a flare up of

This guy, Ryan Place, won the run portion of the event running
 8 consecutive 5-minute miles. What is most impressive is that this
includes a hill that brought 1/3 of the field to a walk.
Photo RDL Studios.

my ever-present plantar fasciitis, but it remained relatively quiet for the duration. A direct comparison to last year's effort- my time was nearly identical (2 seconds faster). Despite being near the back end of the pack, I felt good coming out of the run and opted to skip taking the time to layer-up before the kayak leg at the first transition zone.

Adding a dry top for the 33 degree waters ahead. Photo Dave Koenig
(most awesome support crew ever).

This year's kayak would be interesting. While the river flow was about 700 cfs (cubic feet per second) last year, when we ran it the day before it was running at a mere 92 cfs. Rocks and gravel bars were constant and strategy would include figuring out a way to simply get clean paddle strokes without banging on rocks. During our practice run, my friend James put no less than 3 good-sized holes in the beater-kayak that he bought for the race. He would spend the better part of the evening repairing it with duct tape. 

Rockin the 25 year old blue Dancer. Wiseguy Creative Photography

On race day, the water level came up a little- but hazards and rocks were still going to pose a challenge- especially for anyone hoping not to destroy a nice kayak. While an old whitewater kayak was a slower option than a longer down-river boat, I was happy with my choice to borrow an old-school Perception Dancer from a friend (thank you Jeff Strunk). It was nimble and maneuverable, and I also knew that if needed it, my old combat roll would keep me out of any trouble that I might get into. During this leg of the race, I passed 15-20 paddlers, many hung up on rocks or swimming. Here, the wind would also pick up blowing up river, pushing boats off-course and slowing progress considerably. My outcome- 6 minutes lost from last year. Considering the conditions, I think that adds up to a better performance for me here.

Kovacs in his newly duct taped kayak. Photo Justin Deary.

There were some nice bikes in that heap. Sadly,
mine is not one of them. Photo RDL Studios.

I didn't feel cold until I got out of my kayak and started running to the bike transition. The sky looked ominous, the wind gusts picked up considerably and the clouds spit sleet down upon us. After peeling off wet kayak gear, I layered up with every item of clothing in my bike bag. Extra jerseys, bike shorts, hat, ski gloves. All of it. After a few failed attempts at remembering how my cleats fit into my pedals (I have only ridden a road bike one other time- last year's race), I pedaled off into the wind. In all fairness, I did ride my mountain bike significantly more last summer than any summer before- so I think I have become a better cyclist. The wind became so fierce that at times I was downshifting into grandma gear while pedaling DOWNhill just to fight it.

Twice, my bike skipped laterally across the pavement and once the wind almost grabbed my handlebars and threw them 90 degrees. Fortunately, my death grip at the time prevented certain disaster. I arrived at Pinkham Notch with my legs feeling pretty spent, but overall, still handing the fast pace of the race pretty well. Three minutes slower than last year. With the headwind, definitely an improvement.

Temps dropping. I am now wearing every layer that I have and making an
 exceptional fashion statement. Wiseguy Creative Photography.

At the Pinkham Notch parking lot, I changed into my ski boots with the plan to skin up Mt. Washington. Having hiked last year, I knew slush would create difficulties that I figured I could overcome with skins, and thought it would be nice to have the weight on my feet instead of carrying it on my back. Race directors had already made the call that we would not be able to safely ascend up the ravine on race day, so skins seemed like the logical choice. This was my first mistake of the day. The

Last year's setup with gear on my back
and running shoes for the hike.
This year I would try using the same gear
 but with skins on my feet.
Photo Dave Koenig.

second was that I got lost looking for the trailhead. I knew that we were not supposed to head up the traditional Tuckerman trail that most visitors were using,  but I just couldn't find a sign, a cone, or a volunteer anywhere to indicate where the trail was. In a sea of people, poodles, cars, and chaos, I finally decided to bookpack up towards the finish area to ask someone affiliated with the race to point me toward the trailhead. A few minutes and a couple of inquiries later, I was headed on the right trail up toward Tuckerman Ravine. It didn't take very long for me to realize that skinning was my other mistake. Conditions were firm, not slushy; perfect for boot packing. Additionally, my quads and hip flexors were absolutely spent from the effort on the bike. As I slogged up the hill, my quads took turns seizing up which was  excruciating. The bright side was that they appeared to be perfectly alternating: a beautifully synchronous symphony of suffering. I put up my heel risers to take off unnecessary stress and stopped to pop a few extra Hammer Endurolytes that I had tucked away for emergencies like this. Thankfully, surprisingly, they did the trick and cramps subsided within 10 minutes. The underlying problem remained, however. My legs were done. Put a fork in them done. Without a lightweight Ski Mountaineering setup, there would be no gliding effortlessly into the clouds for me. Only a festival of pain. It was a slog with what felt like lead-weights of telemark gear designed for descending, not ascending, attached to my feet. I yearned for any opportunity to move the weight off of my feet and onto my back, but alas, my shoes and ski-compatible backpack were left in the transition zone below. After what seemed like an endless snail-pace slog up Mount Washington, I crawled into the final downhill transition something-over-an-hour after leaving Pinkham Notch (interestingly, 5 minutes faster than last year, but I am pretty sure the leg was slightly shorter- so probably similar result to last year. Still lots of room for improvement here. Lots).

As I popped off my skis and began peeling off my skins, another racer overtook me for third place overall solo female. She bounded by on a Mountaineering setup like the ones I had been dreaming of for the last hour (OK, year, but who is counting?). She needed almost no transition- the skins can even be peeled off virtually without stopping. I would have loved to have chased after her. But alas, my gear was spread all over the ground and my hair was stuck in the partially peeled off skin of my left ski. Nope. I finished up my business of going nowhere while transitioning (which I thought was pretty speedy considering the flipping, peeling, clicking, and whining involved in getting on the trail). Quads ablaze, I headed down the Sherburne trail to Pinkham Notch. I arrived at the finish line with a 2-minute deficit to third place for women.

All-in-all, not a bad effort for a first race of the season. I have no complaints: this was a race of me vs me. A few kinks to work out, but 2015 has officially begun.

Camo girl rocking my thermal Spandits! Photo Wiseguy Creative Photography

So, my takeaway for 2015.

1) It was evident that the $1,000 winner-take-all cash purse (solo male and solo female) brought up the level of competition another notch from last year. Both men and women came in force, brought their A-game, and spent a little coin along the way on equipment. I have few choices to make about where I want to go in the future. I could choose to start saving, searching for deals, taking to the right people, and item-by-item put together a somewhat compatible set up to low-level elite racers. I could also choose to keep it old-style and keep things real with affordable, versatile, gear that I use everyday. In truth, paddling that old Dancer rocked my day. The jury will have to be out on this one for a while. After all, taking it to the next level requires commitment and brings a certain level of intensity. I can't say I won't look into it. I have nothing against nice stuff. James gave me a pair of lightweight adjustable poles and I haven't stopped marveling at them since I arrived home. They are so pretty I wonder if I should just hang them on the wall?

Less carbon boats this year and more sea kayaks. Photo RDL Studios.

2) I'd love to see The Friends of Tuckerman Ravine find a way to attract more recreational-level racers to this event. It is so well-put together, exciting, and fun. It is truly one of the best natural venues on earth. On the running leg, I passed two friends running together taking selfies with their phones of themselves laughing with the mountains behind them. They both finished the entire race. I'd love to see more people feel like this is an event they want to try. How often do you get to run, kayak, bike, hike and ski Tuckerman Ravine in one morning? Really, it is like a vacation in a day. 

Back to my point in takeaway #1... at what point do we get too wrapped up in competition that we forget to have fun? Sometimes you need someone there to laugh with you when you have your hair stuck in your skins.

besides....the coolest races always have the coolest swag and prizes. 

3) Any event I come back to for a third round of punishment has to be awesome. Looks like I'll see you all in 2016, with or without those upgrades I have been dreaming about.

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition (readers may feel free to use my code for 15% off of your first order) for making the best fuels and supplements on earth and saving my quads. Also a huge thanks to Spandits! for your awesome support (earning me the name "camo girl" this year) and also donating to the prizes at this year's Inferno. For readers, use code SPANDITSLOVE and tell them Shelley sent you for 10% off of your order at SPANDITS!

The next adventure on tap will likely be my first Spartan race in nearly a year in June (my first Super ever). There are lots of new venues this year, so there are lots of chances to get involved (check out the map below, wow). I'll be raffling off a free Spartan entry soon, so stay tuned.

Red means Sprint (3-5 miles), blue is Super (8+ miles) and green is Beast (12 miles). Lots of new venue options
to choose from. Click here to go to Spartan Race

Five good reasons to check out Spartan race- including a free race giveaway.

Looking for a different kind of challenge and goal for 2015? Here are some reasons to check out Spartan Race.

1) A chance to go somewhere cool. 

How about a Spartan Race cruise?

Sand, surf and obstacles await you on this one of a kind Spartan adventure. Join fellow Spartans March 6-9, 2015 when you'll be taken on a cruise liner from the Port of Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas for a first of it's kind Spartan Sprint! Can you say, "Best. Vacation. EVER!?" Don't Miss the Boat - Cabins are SellingFast!

2) They have something for the whole family. Click here to Register for a race near you.

Mission – At Spartan Kids Race, our mission is to inspire children to develop a love for fitness at an early age. We provide age appropriate obstacle course race venues and race arenas will allow participants to build confidence while enjoying a robust outdoor three-dimensional setting. Our races are for children aged four (4) to thirteen (13).  We have two age groups within our races acknowledging that Kids are at very different stages in their growth across that span of nine years. Our "Jr. Spartan Kids” obstacle course races are intended for kids 4 - 8 years old and are about a half-mile in length.  Our “Varsity” Spartan Kids races are intended for older Spartans Kids aged eight (9) to thirteen (13).

Each child will receive a T-shirt and Finisher's Medal. 100% of the proceeds from Spartan Kids race benefit the Kids Fit Foundation. As a leader in the movement to help children learn life-long health and fitness habits, the Kids Fit Foundation strives to raise awareness and develop programs that educate, empower and inspire kids to become and stay fit.
So remember, Spartan Races are not only limited to adult fun! Bring your kids ages 4 - 13 and they can participate in their very own Spartan Kids Race. Just like you, they will enjoy the thrill of the obstacle course racing similar to the adult race but with appropriately sized obstacles and challenges. 

 My whole family had a blast the Pennsylvania sprint

Why Spartan Racing for Kids – Our Ethos?
Spartan Kids is about a return to the childlike sense of adventure that we’ve lost while getting sucked up into "normal life" of over-scheduled and over organized activities. Spartan Races wants to keep this sense of adventure alive in our kids BEFORE they lose it.

Today, a typical child devotes an average 7.5 hours each day to entertainment media: TV, video games, cell phones, and movies.

Physical activity is essential in helping children control weight, build lean muscle, reduce fat, and develop strong bones, muscles and joints let alone developing healthy life sustaining habits. The challenges in a Spartan Kids Race are ideally suited to building a fitter, stronger, and healthier youngster.

More importantly, the sense of fun and camaraderie inherent in our races will help instill within your kids a sense of excitement and respect for fitness producing - in time - a more invigorated child.

Spartan Races are about building a healthy and active community of people. Spartan Kids Race allow us to help build stronger families, a foundation for all vibrant communities.

Fenway was an awesome family day with the kiddos.

Spartan Kids Race FAQs

Q: As a parent, do I have to pay a spectator entry fee?
A: No, if your child is racing, or if you are the guardian of a child racing, you do not have to pay the spectator entry fee.  Each family will receive 2 free spectator passes.

Q: If I have children attending that aren't racing, do they have to pay a spectator fee?
A: Children 13 and under are free, and as a family member of a child racing, they do not have to pay a spectator fee.

Q: Is the Spartan Kids Race a timed event?
A: No, the Spartan Kids Race is an untimed fun run.

Q: Will my child receive a medal?
A: Yes, upon completion, your child will receive their very own Spartan Kids Race medal.

Q: What are the heat times?
A: 1 mile: 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM
    1/2 mile: 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM

Q: What are the suggested ages for each heat?
A: ‘Varsity Kids’ > 8-13 years old, Jr. Kids > 4- 7 years old.

Q: Can my children run together if they're different ages?
A: Yes, we recommend children running together in the 10:30 / 12:30 / 2:30 JR. Kids heat if they are different ages.

Q: If my child's age puts them in the jr. varsity heat, can they run in the varsity heat?
A: Yes, the heat times are suggested due to age, but if your child is athletically able to run a mile, they can run in a varsity heat.

Q: Will my child get muddy?
A: If you are racing a non-stadium event, we recommend bringing a change of clothes as most venues do have mud obstacles.

Q: Will my child have to swim at any point during the Spartan Kids Race?
A: No, we do not include swimming obstacles at the Spartan Kids Race.

3) Lake Tahoe for the World Championships? Heck yes. Need I say more?

4) Joe Desena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race, and NY Times best-selling author, travels the globe seeking answers from experts like Sir Richard Branson, Steve Pressfield, Barbell Shrugged, and many more win his new podcasts. Joe interviews authors, academics, athletes, adventurers, CEOs on a mission to find the secrets to success in all aspects of life. 

Podcast linked here.

5)  A free entry. Everybody loves to win great free stuff.

So, if you're interested in challenging yourself and trying a new adventure, why not register for a free entry through Filthycleanliving. Just click here and adventure awaits.

Spartan Race Amesbury report and 2 SPARTAN RACE GIVEAWAYS!!

Morgan Mckay and I having some festival fun after our 8:30 AM heat.
 

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."

-Benjamin Franklin

Even though I generally go to great lengths to avoid short distance races of any kind, 2014 marks the third year in a row I have made the trip to Amesbury, MA for the Spartan Sprint. This race seems to be one of the exceptions to my "no running fast" philosophy that dominates my racing calendar. One of the most compelling reasons that I return to this event year after year is that I really enjoy having the opportunity to get back out on course for a second lap after the elite heat to give back a little to the community that has given so much to me. I love that I can complete the course with athletes new to the sport, lend a hand over a wall or a little advice and encouragement from within the trenches instead of just on the sidelines. The Amesbury race was my first ever Spartan Obstacle race two years ago and one I can't resist simply because I can cram in a weekend's worth of fun in a 24-hour period and get home to my family at the end of the day.

For anyone who reads this blog, it probably isn't a surprise that I generally try to find some lesson or meaning in every adventure I undertake. Some of the lessons teach me about better training, race preparation, nutrition or race etiquette; others are pretty spiritual and powerful lessons. The Amesbury race always provides a reminder of the first commandment of racing; it isn't worth doing if it isn't fun.

Jeffrey Bent attempted to teach Mogan and I how to do one-arm handstands. I think we need to keep working on it!

I arrived at the venue before my 8:30 AM start solo and warmed up for the women's elite in plenty of time. I was initially a little concerned that the elite heat would generate a bit of a circus now that NBCSN was there filming for their new Spartan TV series, but I was happy to find that it didn't feel much different than last year's event. I visited with some old friends, but most were all-business as the evolution of the ladies' heat

Spartan testing my SPANDITS! shorts and top at the Amesbury Sprint. They
rock! Not a single snag or pull after two laps of the course!
Pink hair would have been a nice touch too. 

has become extremely competitive. Since I have reviewed this event in years past, I won't give a synopsis of the obstacles at Amesbury this year. However, there were few twists and added challenges to the traditional obstacles to keep things interesting. For one, Spartan is done messing around with the elite heat. New to 2014: double sandbags and tractor pulls for all elite racers (meaning that we needed to carry two sandbags at a time as well as pull two chained cinderblocks, rather than one). The bucket carry up the Amesbury Sports Park required elites to carry a bucket of gravel 7/8 full with gravel up the steep slopes of the Amesbury Sports Park, compared to the 2/3 full of the open heats. An awkward 60-70 pounds in a 5-gallon bucket with no handles was pretty brutal. In a 100m ascent, I am pretty certain I had to stop to rest with my bucket balanced precariously on my thighs no less than 5 times. When I arrived at the bottom and dumped my bucket into the gravel pile, my fingers were nearly seized up from loss of grip strength. Spartan Race also tossed in a few challenges for all heats such as increasing the course length to 5 miles, monkey bars with varying heights, and thin, slippery climbing ropes with no knots, which increased the difficulty ten-fold for many. Although I fared well, I missed the spear toss (shocker) and the rope climb resulting in a whopping 60-burpee penalty. Ouch.

Happy with a top 20 finishing time out of 3,800
women to run the course, but
the real fun had yet to come.

My favorite part of this race is all of the familiar faces and fun at the festival and post-race shenanigans. I met up with my Canadian pal Morgan Mckay, whom I met nearly 2 years ago at my first Death Race where we became instant friends. Since then, we have raced and played together many times and have witnessed one another have both great successes as well as suffer spectacularly on course. Along with her friend Jen and fellow Reload Ambassador Freddy Rodriguez, we jumped into an open heat to tackle the course a second time, this time on our own terms. We stopped to socialize and made new friends, buddy-carried one another, fell into the deepest depths of each mud pit and attempted every obstacle with as much added difficulty as we could create for one another. We stopped to help strangers, flopped in the sand turning ourselves into sugar-coated doughnuts (oh wait, that was just Morgan), and we laughed a lot.

Helping 10-year-old Alex Hulme overcome apprehension of the razor sharp barbs of the barbed-wire crawl, assisting Spartans on the monkey bars and inverted walls, and pulling strangers suctioned waist deep in mud was particularly rewarding. Smiles and laughter are contagious, and I am honored to he in a position to celebrate the successes of each of these strangers in their moment of triumph.

The spirit of our second lap on the course reminded me of my first Tough Mudder back in 2011 and why I have spent the better part of the last 3 years running through the mud and under barbed wire. Back in 2011, I distinctly remember a moment where Lani and I looked at one another's mud-caked faces and instantly broke into uncontrollable laughter at the absurdity of it all; the kind of laughter that brings you to your knees gasping for air. This was one of the defining moments that changed it all for both of us. Somewhere on the hills of the Amesbury Sports Park, Morgan and Jen helped me find that moment again. Thank you ladies for that. There is nothing more important than finding opportunities to laugh at the ridiculousness that is this life. It is an even greater treasure to be able laugh in the face of enormous challenges. When obstacle racing ceases to be fun or challenging, I'll move on. Until then, I'll train like hell for the next one.

We collected lots of friends, both new and old, along the course. I am guessing that it was the two beautiful 25-year old women that drew the following, but it was spectacularly fun anyway!

Nope, don't know the name of the guy holding both my hand and Jen's, but as you can see, neither of us seem to care.

Life is short. If there is ever a time to get out there and chase fun, it is now.

Want some awesome, fun, Spartan Race-tested shorts like the ones I wore? You can customize your own material and length and support a small company. Made in the USA! Check out SPANDITS! and tell them Shelley sent you (and use my code SPANDITSLOVE for 10% off your order).

A huge THANK YOU to Hammer Nutrition for Hammer Gels, Mito Caps, Race Caps Supreme and Recoverite that fueled my awesome race and great day! The code in the upper right of this page will give you 15% off your entire first order with Hammer.

Check out the NBCSN coverage of this event Tues Sept 23 at 10pm EST. Now for the FREE Spartan raffles!

GIVEAWAY #1

Here is where you can enter the Reebok Spartan Race Cruise Sweepstakes! No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. Winner will receive a trip for two including airfare, a 3-day Spartan cruise, and an entry to the ultimate tropical island Spartan Race. Click here to enter! Sweepstakes ends Sept 22.

GIVEAWAY #2

Click here to win an entry to any US 2014 or 2015 Spartan Race through Shelley's blog, Filthy Clean Living. Raffle drawing is Aug 25, 2014

Thanks to Reload Fitness and Mud and Adventure for you support!

Spartans on NBC & Free Spartan Race Giveaway!

In the world of obstacle racing, today was a pretty big day. Reebok Spartan race has managed to do what no other obstacle racing organizing has been able to do thus far: bring  mainstream obstacle racing to TV. Spartan Race has partnered with NBC Sports to bring obstacle racing to television. While this is certainly not a new idea, Reebok Spartan race has succeeded where others have failed. NBC will be filming 8 professional ahtletes and 4 everyday Spartans at the Spartan Race World Championships in Killington, VT on September 21 for a 90 minuteTV special to air October 19, 2013. 

In addition, Spartan Race has launched a Get On TV campaign in which people will submit their story about how training and racing in Spartan Race has transformed their life for a chance to be featured on their special. For those of you who have exciting stories, here is your chance to get in on the fun. CLick on the casting link below to learn how to get started.

Click here to learn more about NBC's casting call.

In addition to creating a new opportunity to increase participation and viewership of an emerging sport, this announcement is also exciting as it is the next step in creating a standardized, legitimate competitive sport. Look out world, here we come! 

What do you think about this announcement? Do you think this will benefit the athletes in obstacle racing? Will it be interesting to the general viewing public? Share your thoughts!

In light of this announcement, it seems like a good time to invite you to get off your couch. I am giving away a FREE ENTRY to any upcoming SPARTAN RACE- click on the link below to enter. 

Click here to enter facebook giveaway for a free entry to a US Spartan Race.

Hope to see you there!

Gone camping? Try this workout using nature's gym.

You don't have to be tied to the gym to get a good workout. So go ahead, set yourself free.

In a recent conversation, my friend Tristy mentioned that she was excited to train for her first Reebok Spartan Race but was afraid that her training would be derailed because she has a strong tradition of camping in the summer. In reality, some of the best workouts can be done without a gym, weights or fitness machines. Since many readers have asked for some workout ideas, I thought it was a good time to post a workout that can be completed outdoors without weights or a gym using what is available. Campground workouts can be an absolute blast, particularly those with a scenic spot such as a beach, overlook, or picnic area. I love to do these early in the morning when the campground is quiet and sun is just rising. Mornings are also often a little less conspicuous in a busy campground.

Summertime camping trips with the family are unforgettable.

Stay tuned for another campground workout idea in the coming weeks. Have fun.







Start with a 10-15 min warm up jog. Often this can be a jog from your site to the beach, playground, or whatever spot inspires you.

neutral starting position

1) 50 air squats- remember to lead with your butt, not your knees. In regular English, this means you should imagine that you are beginning to sit in a chair, sticking out your butt, not bending forward. For the appropriate camping analogy, imagine you are about to poop in the woods and you want to keep your shoes clean.

bottom of air squat- shoulders over knees

neutral end position

2) 50 walking lunges- maximize your stride making a 90 degree angle with your front leg, have your back knee just gently brush the ground.

Neutral starting position

Forward knee nearly 90 degrees, back knee gently touches ground.

3) 15 burpees. Need I say more. Burpee any style that works for you. Mix it up if you do variations of the workout on different days.

4) 30 lateral (side to side) jumps. I like to mark out two lines spaced about 3 feet apart to use as a

guide. Starting with both feet at one line, jump up and sideways to the other side. When you land, you can work on your balance by just touching your feet together (variation 1), or you can touch your hand to the ground each time getting the glutes in on the party a little more (variation 2).

starting and landing position (variation 1)

jumping the gap

Landing position of variation 2.

5) 15 push ups- Modification option- start on your knees if you are not ready for full push ups.

6) 30 V- sit ups- legs straight, bring your knees to your extended arms and then bring both back to lying on your back.

7) 1 min plank. If you are new to plank, start with 30 sec if 1 min is too much. If you are more advanced, you can do leg lifts during the minute. A tough one is to bring your knee to your elbow out to the side.

Traditional plank position

Challenging variation: bring knee to elbow keeping back flat and hips down. Hold for 2-3 secs, repeat on opposite side.

8) 20 Rock swings (instead of kettlebell swings). Initiate this exercise with your hips (use them to thrust the weight into the air)- this is not an arm exercise, rather mostly a core and leg. If you can't find a rock, grab a stump, stick, piece of firewood, child's toy, whatever you can.

Starting position. I do recommend opening your eyes though.

From the bottom position, use your hips to thrust the weight upwards, not your shoulders or arms.

making funny faces are optional.

Finish with 10-15 minutes of easy jogging.

I recommend trying this workout as 30 minutes of AMRAP- as many rounds as possible. Minimize the amount of rest as much as you can. AMRAP workouts are great because they allow one workout to be suitable for many fitness levels. As you progress, more repetitions are possible.

One important thing to keep in mind is that it is necessary to keep mixing up your workouts. Just because a workout is great and fun doesn't mean you should keep doing it without making changes. Otherwise, your body will simply adapt to this workout rather than getting stronger over time. A few ideas for this workout to get more mileage might include:

-Instead of AMRAP, take the # of rounds completed and add 50% untimed. For example, if you completed 4 rounds in 30 min AMRAP, try 6 rounds with a little more rest.
-You can also add weight to some of the ex and reduce the number (ex. 30 squats holding a small rock).

If you'd like to see more workout ideas, you can follow me by liking my page on facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filthy-Clean-Living/313100732130687  as I will be posting more soon. Happy Trails.

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.- Amelia Earhart.

Training Weaknesses

Today's brief post is about training weaknesses.  As we prepare Shelley for the Fuego y Agua Survival Run, we have taken a look at where we can make improvements in Shelley's overall fitness and athleticism.

We know what her strengths are, Long Slow Distance.  Shelley can go forever, both physically and mentally, as she clearly demonstrated in her Spartan Death Race win.  It is important to continue to train to your strengths, after all, that is what is going to continue to bring you success.  Additionally, it is probably what you like to do, your strength.  It is much harder to get out of bed in morning to go do the workout you are not good at.

While Shelley has good balance and above average athleticism, she could use improvement in these areas.  When racing in variable conditions, it is VERY important to have sure footing.  In these races, every step is expended energy.  If a racer can limit the number of times they slip, loose balance, or have to slow or stop due to unsure footing, they will expend less energy and maintain a better pace.

With this in mind, we perform various foot work, agility, and balance drills such as using a agility ladder, lateral shuttle runs, karaoke, and balance drills such as this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqlUJgPC-eQ&feature=youtu.be

This drill starts with a lateral bound, working lateral power.  The landing builds lateral stability and balance.  The airplane builds posterior strength and the pistol squat builds quad and glute strength, all while improving balance.

Stay tuned for more on how to train for obstacle course races and improve your athleticism.

Fun with Turkish get-ups

Aaron Solomon NASM-CPT

Marketing, dignity and all things EPIC

A few weeks ago I decided to throw my hat in the ring for another ridiculously fun racing adventure called EPIC Racing Arena. Epic is an event that will take place in December 2013 that will put competitors in a large stadium and have them face off in front of a large audience. The obstacles will be huge and will require strength, agility, speed and problem solving and the winner’s purse will be enormous. There will be bands. There will be festivities. The competition will no doubt include the best obstacle racers in the world rendering the event unlike any other that has yet to be organized. I have met many of the founders and coordinators of this event and I genuinely believe it will be EPIC like no other.

After submitting my application, I received notice that applicants were encouraged to have a facebook athlete page as well as a blog to help market themselves for sponsorship. Working with Simple Brandz already, I understood how important it is for sponsors to gain visibility through their athletes’ blogs and athlete pages. They are, after all, businesses willing to give us athletes product and funding in exchange for some additional exposure. I enjoy sharing my racing experiences with fellow racers post-mortem as well as giving my family and non-racing friends a glimpse into my motivation for being part of a culture that they might otherwise think is crazy. This made creating the blog easy. I might even go so far as to say that the blog has given me an outlet I have been looking for.

The facebook “athlete” page, on the other hand, has been a little more painful for me. Promoting myself as an “athlete” hardly seems right. I am not a professional athlete: I am a mom and high school teacher. I do not ooze talent, strength or other athleticism that can justify such a title. I am determined, a little stubborn, OK at lots of different things, and I have found a niche out there for people who just simply aren’t good at quitting. Hardly worthy of a facebook “athlete” page, if you ask me. I did, however, set one up last week with the idea that this would be a way that I could separate my regular life from my obstacle/adventure running life. I hate blog-spamming my friends and family trying to determine who is genuinely interested in this crap and who isn’t. So I set up the page, invited my friends and from here on out I will phase out the inundation of all things muddy on my regular facebook page (unless it is really awesome, that is).

So this leads me back to EPIC. Shortly after starting my blog, I received my first challenge. The challenge was in the form of a short workout which was to be posted and shared on the EPIC website. The winner of this challenge will be the first athlete selected for the EPIC racing area event. The catch: you have to promote your own video to gain votes to win the challenge through shameless self-promotion.

Since the challenge was released, my inbox, notifications and facebook newsfeed have been slammed with “vote for me” pleas from my friends also aiming to be part of EPIC history. From a marketing perspective, this is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Aspiring competitors are providing free advertising for an event that they haven’t even been selected for. I get it. Business is business and these guys have found their way into the obstacle racing private groups, onto the personal pages of well-decorated athletes, and in places they have never imagined. Unfortunately, for me, this is where I have to draw the line. Self-promotion is something I have never been fond of and allowing a marketing plan to dominate my personal facebook page, my “athlete” page, or even a casual conversation with a friend for a vote is unimaginable. I want to gain entry to an elite event based on my abilities, my race resume and my accomplishments, not my ability to promote and plead for votes. To me, applying for entry to a race should not make me feel like I am running for prom queen.

So, I sit this one out. Don’t get me wrong, I really want to do this event. I know I can be a fierce competitor, and I have no doubts that this will be EPIC. However, I don’t feel that it should be up to me to convince anyone of that. If you see me at this event, it is because I am qualified to participate. Period. If I don’t make it, then I never deserved to be there in the first place.

I mean no disrespect to the founders of this new event. In truth, your marketing plan is genius. I also want my friends who are going head to head in this challenge (and future ones) the best of luck. You are all brave to put yourselves out there and I respect every one of you for taking the risks that you have. Please understand that I couldn’t choose between you, as I have never met another athlete at one of these races who wasn’t EPIC in their own way.