Sunday, October 20, 2019

Ghost Train Trail Race

I wasn't prepared to love Ghost Train, but I did. I woke up this morning at 5:15 a.m. completely unenthusiastic about the prospect of driving up to Milford, NH to run a 15 mile trail race. It was dark and cold; I was nicely spooned around my boyfriend in bed. Did I really want to haul myself up and go run for a few hours? Yes, of course, I did. Kind of.

Ghost Train, put on by TARC, is both an ultra run and a 15 mile trail race that utilizes the Granite Rail Trail between Milford and Brookline, NH. The course is an out-and-back along a flat well-groomed section of trail that is more run-able than anything I have previously encountered in New England. The ultra starts on Saturday morning and has runner complete the 15 mile out-and-back as many times as possible, with a 100 mile option (and turn-around in the trail to indicate it). For the more mild among us, there's the 15 mile trail run, which joins the ultra in medias res at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday.


I left my house bright and early and arrived in Milford, NH about an hour before the race was scheduled to start. Since check-in took about two minutes, I waited huddling around the fire and checked out the scene. Awesome aid station? Check. Helpful volunteers? Check. People who looked way good considering they had been running since 9:00 a.m. the day before crossing a timing mat? Check. Yes, it was definitely an ultra.

A few minutes before the 8:00 a.m. start the group of 15 mile and relay runners made its way to the starting line. The weather was just getting sunny, but it was crisp and cold with temperatures hovering at 30 degrees. I huddled down into my quarter-zip fleece as we waited through some brief announcements. Then, with little fanfare -- just the way I like it! -- we were off.

I didn't have any real race plan going into Ghost Train. This was a chill end of season race for me; honestly I was just curious about the course, which I had heard was flat, and about what it would be like to see so many folks going for 100 miles. I hadn't been running distance much lately, as I've been focused on obstacle course racing and getting my speed back after doing a 50K and a 6-hour race this summer. The longest I'd run since mid-August was around six miles. However, I was definitely sick of the run/walk that had dominated ultra training. I remembered, with a glow that only a false vision of the past can take on, running 10:30 miles for the entirety of the Wineglass Marathon the fall before, or running Fort Hill Half Marathon at 9:45 pace the previous April. I had been working hard to get my relative sense of speed back, but I hadn't been running long. How would this go? I promised myself that I would run the entire first half. Then, if I was COMPLETELY DEAD I could switch to run/walk, but I really wanted to prove to myself I could run -- and only run -- a long-ish distance again. The trick was to run easy, at a comfortable pace and take a break at the aid stations if I needed.

All the said, the first mile or two of the race I was still not in race mode. 90% of me still wished I was home in the warm house with my loving boyfriend. I was freakin' cold out after all! But soon I got into my groove.

Two things helped. One was that the Ghost Train course was amazingly run-able. I am used to courses that say well-groomed and still have roots everywhere and rolling hills that keep my pace down into the 13:00 to 14:00 range. But these trails were so easy to run! I jogged along at a super easy 12:00 pace and looked around. It wasn't the most beautiful course, but it was a lovely run through the trees and the going was easy.

The second thing that helped was that Ghost Train had a super fun vibe. The fact that the course was an out-and-back meant that you got to see people and cheer them on all the time. Cheering on the ultra runners who were trying to hit 100 miles was epic. Plus, Ghost Train really went all in on the Halloween theme. You didn't go more than a half mile without running through dozens and dozens of carved pumpkins or without passing a skeleton showing you the way. Even the road crossings were fun -- about a mile into the course we went through a tunnel under the road that was super festive with lights.


It was a little over the two mile mark when we hit the first and only "technical" and hilly section of the course. There was around 300 feet in elevation for the entire run and I bet a bunch of it was here. Nevertheless, it was a pretty easy climb. I switched to a fast walk for the hills (totally allowable in the trail running community and even by my run-the-entire-race plan). The race organizers had made the hill fun though. Everywhere, pinned to trees, were plates with jokes, motivational phrases, or short anecdotes. I was glad to slow down a little to enjoy them.


The hill done, it was back to running. I was moving along at a good pace and beginning to actually enjoy myself. I hadn't had the opportunity to run long in a while and, while I was enjoying my speed work, it was nice to get to mix it up. I was feeling good by the time I reached the first aid station at the three mile mark. I quickly stopped to use the restroom before continuing on at an even pace. The trail continued straight onward making it easy to keep up a nice easy run and get into the zone.

Before I knew it, a few miles had passed. I saw a lake to my right, and, next thing I knew, I was nearing the turn around at Camp Tevya, where all the ultra runners had set up their tents. The trail ended, and I found myself running along a paved road adjacent to some summer cabins, shuttered for the fall. I ran past runner taking a break in their tents and past the aid station -- the turn-around was at the end of the street. There, I crossed a short covered bridge, ran a tiny half circle around a pumpkin, and began to head back. Adjacent to the aid station was a timing mat that I crossed to get my slight-more-than-half-way split.


Even though I hadn't been running great distances I found myself feeling pretty fine. As per my plan, I was taking it easy. I'd skipped the second aid station and instead had been consuming some ProBar Chomps I had brought and drinking Tailwind. The race cut-off was four hours; having reached the half way point in around 1:30 I was well ahead of that, and figured I'd just keep moving along. I wanted to keep up the good running I was doing as long as I could.

At just around the 10 mile mark I felt my energy begin to flag a little. I wasn't feeling bad by any stretch, but my legs were getting a tiny bit tired. I had registered for Ghost Train for fun, nominally, I reminded myself. I was running well and didn't have any performance goals beyond "keep running." The decor at Ghost Train was so entertaining that I decided to do something I basically never do at races and allow myself to stop for a second now and again to take pictures, hence the four images in this blog post. I also told myself that I only have two miles to go to the aid station and from there it was an easy 3 miles to the finish. I run five mile all the time -- this wasn't so bad.


Past mile 11 I decided to treat myself by adding some music to my run. I popped in my AirPods and put on my Spotify "On Repeat" playlist (quietly, so I could still interact with fellow runners). Pumped up tunes filtered into my ears, and instantly I perked up. It was a distraction I had needed; the flat run-able trail was great but it was also a bit monotonous after over two hours and the music helped. I was feeling pretty much fine as I arrived at the PowerLines aid station, so I quickly refilled my water and kept on moving. I had about half an hour of running to go, and I was ready to get this done!

In what felt like no time at all, I was back to the hill. I climbed up and over, again enjoying the messages posted on trees along the way. I went through the tunnel with the festive lights and knew I had 0.5 miles to go. I was running well. After all this time run/walking my long runs, I was pleased that I was running almost an entire long run (minus walking the hill), and that I was feeling good.

I crossed into the finish area and across the timing mat with an elapsed time of 3:01 and a moving time, which is what you can see on Strava (below), of 2:28. I celebrated by eating half a grilled cheese and some avocado wraps and purchasing a Ghost Train hat for $15, since registration didn't include any swag. Plus I was happy to purchase swag: the race was $25 and proceeds from the race and the hat all went to support trail maintenance.



I ended up having a better time at Ghost Train than I anticipated. The vibe was excellent, the decorations stellar, and the trails were so pleasingly easy to run. I have loved working on getting my speed back over the past few months. This run reminded me how fun running long can be -- having adventures in new places and seeing new things is part of the long run experience. 15 miles is a nice distance; long but not too long. I am currently finalizing my 2020 season and will definitely consider if the 15 mile Ghost Train can fit in my schedule again.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Rugged Maniac 2019

If you’re an obstacle course racer, chances are that you’re aware that Rugged Maniac is a fun time. The 5K, 25 obstacle event features unique and enjoyable obstacles at a do-able distance. It’s a great introductory race if you’re a diehard who wants to bring your friends.

My first Rugged Maniac was two years ago. Though I can almost always be found hanging out with my NE Spahten teammates, Rugged Manic 2017 was an opportunity to race with some of my fellow Amherst College employees. I missed the race in 2018 because I was running the Wineglass Marathon at the time. As a result, I was excited to be able to take part in 2019.

Race day started early with a bike ride over to Coach’s house to meet him and Chief (i.e. Chief of Police!) for a carpool to Southwick’s Motocross 338, the race venue. The ride over was certainly festive with Chief revving the engine of his super cool Mini and Coach playing Tool on the car stereo. When we arrived at the venue things were quite organized. Parking was $10 and right near the festival area. We arrived about half-an-hour before our 9am elite wave and had no issues whatsoever with being ready in time. Registration was a quick walk from the car and took all of a minute or two. I was issued a bib (no chip timing for Rugged) and t-shirt. The volunteer wrapped two wristbands around me to signify that I was over 21 and eligible for a free beer.

Rugged Maniac offers free bag drop, but because the car was so close, we opted to head over there to leave our t-shirts and change our shoes before the race. From there, it was off to the starting corral.

Though Rugged Maniac is, as I mentioned before most famous for being a fun introductory-level OCR, Coach and Chief were eager to race, which meant that we were running the elite heat. There was some minor hoopla and “interesting” announcements as we waited. I tried to get jazzed up. I had run the 5K race in 42 minutes two years prior and was curious to see how my finish time this year would stack up. I certainly was not quite as fast at the moment, having devoted the summer to ultras, but the last couple of months had me back on track training for speed. I was working my way back up to being faster.

Rugged Maniac has been at Southwick’s Motocross 338 for an amazing 10-years. As we took off to tackle the course, I reminded myself from last year of what to expect. The first mile took us along trails in the woods and was fairly fast without too many ups and downs and few obstacles. The second mile definitely would slow things down as we hit the many hills and sand of the motocross course as well as an increased concentration of obstacles. The last mile was all about hanging on!


The course featured 28 obstacles. They were, for the most part, fairly approachable to anyone of a modest fitness level, though there was a rig that was a bit of work. The obstacles were certainly enjoyable. I was pushing through the course but still had time to appreciate that Rugged Maniac is nothing if not a good time. Here’s a bit of detail about the 2019 obstacles:

1. Shoe Catcher: Standard mud to run through.
2. Jacob’s Ladder: Large a-frame ladder with big rungs to go up and over.
3. Barricades: Wall with a rotating pipe on the top to add a bit of challenge.
4. Pull Your Weight: Hoist.
5. Quad burners: Climb a pile of dirt and scamper down. Again. And again. And again.
6. Claustrophobia: This obstacle featured trenches racers had to crawl through with a tarp on the top.
7. The Trenches: Jumping over these gaps would have been great. I almost cleared each one but didn’t quit make it, requiring a scramble on the far side.
8. Antrigravity: Jump across a set of trampolines to a cargo climb. Hilarious.
9. Hell and High Water: Racers had to traverse a set of floating platforms in the water, grabbing ropes from above to help keep balance.
10. Mind the Gap: Climb and inflatable and slide into a pool of water. The water went right up my nose. Yuck. Also, it was f-ing freezing.
11. Pole Position: Short climb to a platform and then down a fireman’s pole.
12. Jump Start: This obstacle required racers to jump to clear an inverted wall and then grab the a-frame ladder above. I actually didn’t get enough speed on the first attempt and had to run at the wall again to clear it.
13. Iron Curtain: Run through some hanging curtains (a la what you see at the carwash) before crashing into a pool of water. I was glad that Chief warned me the pool would be deep because I submerged.
14. Commando Crawl: Barbed wire crawl.
15. Leap of Faith: Usually when I see an obstacle of this name on a course map, I assume I’ll be jumping from a really high platform into a deep pool of water. Rugged Maniac makes this more accessible. It’s a water jump but from a ground-level platform. The water was wicked cold though. I think I must have looked panicked when I surfaced because it seems like Chief’s first responder skills were kicking in and he was looking at me as if I needed rescue. I made it, but my muscles had definitely tensed up and it took a little while to catch my breath and get going again. I truly do poorly in the cold!
16. The Drop: This was the first water slide on the course. It was fast, and water decidedly went up my nose. Did I mention the water was cold?
17. Head Scratcher: Another barbed wire crawl. Muddy and wet.
18. Barzan: This was a legit challenging rig. It featured a set of horizontal pipes to shimmy along with your hands. From there, it was on to some swinging trapeze-style pipe before going back down along another horizontal pipe. After finishing the rig, we had to scramble up a pile of dirt. I had been pushing, and felt a moment of nausea. I took a brief moment to regroup.


19. Pyromaniac: Not one but three fire jumps! Of course, this is all for the epic pictures, and while my photo isn’t the most epic ever, at least I can say this obstacle was warm. And a big thanks to Chief for hanging back so we could do this together!


20. Full Tilt: Loved it! Full Tilt was a set of monkey bars on a center pivot. You made your way up to the center and then the entire thing shifted to send you downhill.
21. Slippery Slope: After a short uphill jog, racers encountered Slippery Slope, an inclined 8’ slip wall with an a-frame rope at the top. My first attempt didn’t quite get me the height I needed, and I slid back down. Take two was much better. I ran, grabbed the top, and pulled myself up and over.
22. Sled Dog: Traditional sled drag with a weight plate on a rope. Drag it to you and then walk it back.
23. Fenced In: A water and mud crawl with a fence overhead. You’re definitely going to get close to that gross water, though I’m pretty sure Rugged Maniac added quite a bit of bleach to all their water obstacles to get us started.
24. Feed the Beast: Hehe! Inflatables. Let’s admit it; they are fun and also muddy and gross. But whatever; I love them anyway. Feed the Beast is just what it sounds like: It’s an inflatable monster (see stock image below). Racers haul themselves inside up and over a few set of teeth, before navigating some inflatable pillars in the stomach and then sliding out through a rear tunnel.


25. Off the Rails: An uphill zipline with a rope to hang from. Racers must run, grab the rope and travel up the incline to ring a bell before dropping into the water. In my first effort, I narrowly missed the bell and ended up sliding back down to the platform. I gave it more speed on attempt two and made it. Almost to the finish line!


26. The Warped Wall / Mount Maniac / Accelerator 3.0: This warped wall is tall. I was lucky that a fellow racer at the top pulled me up after I got a running start. From there, it was up the Mount Maniac inflatable before crashing down the super long slide. As you can see from the photos I really made a splash.




I crossed the finish line with a time of 52:25, quite a bit slower than my time the previous year, where I finished in around 42 minutes. Clearly a summer of running long and slow makes you, well, slow. I am glad to be working on speed again in my training. Coach and Chief crushed it, finishing in 35:10 and 50:00 respectively. Well done, folks! Both of them trained hard and pushed hard on course. It was a competitive field this year for the 10th anniversary of Rugged.

Rugged Maniac is a solid race. It's a wonderful entry-level event at an affordable price. It delivers on the fun and, if you want to race hard, on challenge. The obstacles change enough year-over-year to be good for repeat racers. The race-day organization is on-point -- quick check-in, plenty of bathrooms, and a hopping festival area. Rugged Maniac is a good party. It was fun to sit on the bleachers, enjoy a post-race beer, and watch the other racers tackle the course.

2020's Rugged Maniac is already open for registration, and I have the race on my calendar. Since it's the weekend before OCR World Championships I have no big goals but plan to go and just have fun. Because really Rugged Maniac is a good time no matter what.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Bonefrog Boston 2019

For the second year, Bonefrog, an OCR brand run by Navy SEALs and local to my area of Massachusetts, hosted its Boston event at Carter & Stevens Farm in Barre. The farm is about a 40 minute drive from my house. A few weeks out from the event, I noticed I had a free weekend and that there was a 30% off coupon posted on Facebook. Why the heck not? I find Bonefrog to be an enjoyable race and a quality brand. The Barre venue wasn't going to be a horrible beat down -- there simply isn't enough elevation or acreage to have it be too horrible. I clicked register for the six mile Challenge. (Note: Bonefrog also offers a three mile Sprint and Tier 1, where racers do both the Challenge and Sprint loops.)

I arrived at Carter & Stevens at around 8:15am, an hour in advance of my start time. Parking there is always offsite with a bus ride in. There are also a set of locals who offer race parking on their property within walking distance to the event -- the minus being that this is money lost by the race company; the plus being I get sick on that bus ride. I opted to park a quarter mile walk from the venue and half mile from the festival area. It is of note to mention that the festival area at Bonefrog tends to be kind of dead. Bonefrog is all about the race. There's no party happening, in sharp contrast to Savage Race, the last race I did in Barre. I didn't spot any vendors, and there were no food trucks. This was going to be a race and head out experience.

Upon arrival at the festival area, I immediately hopped in the line to pick up my packet. A good thing. The line was long. Extremely so, with a wait of upwards of half an hour. I chatted with the people near me in line about other races, which helped the time pass. After I grabbed my bib, I quickly checked my bag for $5 (no line there), and then headed to the starting line. Bonefrog has struggled with logistics in the registration / bag check area before, and it would be great to see them address this and get the lines better managed. Last year, there were issues with bag check and the restroom lines being long; this year, it was registration. On the plus side, many of volunteers are members of the armed services and their participation really adds to the ethos of the race brand.

I had just a couple of minutes to spare. There were some quick announcements at the start and with no fanfare our small heat was off. The Challenge course measured in at over six miles with 30 obstacles. This was slightly longer than last year. Again, the course made up for some of less-than-ideal logistics pre-race. The obstacle placement was good. I felt like they padded the miles a bit compared with last year, but it wasn't excessive. Bonefrog has had some issues with course markings in the past, but I found they had done a really good job this time, and I didn't once worry about getting lost. The course was fairly flat with just one short climb. It is pretty run-able, especially in the woods. I had to power hike in some of the cow pastures just because the ground was so wildly uneven. There was some single track that got a little congested, but this was mitigated by the small number of participants. I love a flat and fast course, and appreciate that I can experience this in Barre.



Bonefrog has some solid interesting and fun obstacles. The mix is good, though a bit heavy on the rigs, so if those aren't your jam, take note. I enjoy rigs, so I tend to be a happy camper at Bonefrog. This year, some of these rigs were a bit unfriendly to shorter racers like me, which was a bit of a bummer, but I did my best. The open wave does have penalties, but they differ from obstacle to obstacle -- 25 squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, or burpees are common. If you can do most things, you're in good shape.

I have complained about back-ups with Bonefrog in the past, which is especially a bummer due to their small numbers. This year was a bit better, which one big back-ups. The only significant back-up was at Kraken, where I waited for four minutes before deciding to do a penalty and move on. I was hoping to finish in the top of my age group and use this race as a qualifier for the North American OCR Championships next year. Back-ups are really a problem in that case because they can be inconsistent from wave to wave and lose you serious time. I had really been pushing my pace as much as possible and didn't want a wait at an obstacle to end up jeopardizing my chances at qualification.

Here's a bit more about the obstacles at the Bonefrog Boston 2019 event. They were a similar selection to last year but the order was nicely adjusted to add variety.

  • Night crawler: Low crawl.
  • Mike / Murph: The obstacle has a ladder wall with a rope down the back. Go up the wall, across a short platform and down a rope.
  • Siege Wall: Slip wall.
  • 1st Phase Wall: 6' wall.
  • Rope Swing: For this obstacle, you jumped from a platform, only a foot or so off the ground, to a rope in front of you and swung across. Kind of fun. 
  • Ship Boarding: Skinny ladders. I climbed this from the side and found that I had no problem.
  • Dirty Name: Otherwise known as "Gut Check," this obstacle has a lower log from which you jump and then pull yourself over a higher log. I am not a fan of this obstacle, as I've seen people hurt themselves on it. I climbed up the side supports -- hey, I want to live to race another day.
  • Get a Grip: This obstacle is a perennial challenge for me. Hanging from the rig were ropes with plastic handles attached. You had to swing from one to the other to get across. I have yet to make this and think that increasing my strength so that my arms are at 90 degrees might be the only hope here. 
  • 3rd Phase Wall: 10' wall
  • Swingers Club: Another rig, this time with ropes with small balls at the end. I was able to grab above the balls, which gave me the ability to swing across. This was tough, and I was glad to make it last year and this.
  • Normandy: Low crawl.
  • Viking Tables: Also known as Irish or Russian Tables, this obstacle is a horizontal rectangular prism that you have to hoist yourself up and over. 
  • Red Wings / Extortion 17 / Medal of Honor: These were three PT obstacles that had racers recalling fallen servicemen. We did dips, burpees, and pull-ups while reciting officers' names.
  • Frogman: We had to wade through a ankle deep stream. Okay, yes, my shoes got wet. A bummer but not much else.
  • Walk the Plank: This was a wobbly balance beam, right on the ground. Stakes were low, but I wanted to make it, so I focused and gave it my best balancing effort and hurried across, which wasn't too bad at all.
  • Cliff Hanger: An inverted ladder.
  • Kraken: Cargo net climb to a cargo net up high that you rolled across and a cargo net down. This was actually before the carry on the course and, as I mentioned, had an unfortunate wait, likely because of how the Sprint and Challenge courses had converged at this point. I did my penalty because I was losing time and getting stiff. 
  • Brute Force Carry / Low Crawl / Dry Hole: A carry with a twist. We grabbed canvas bags filled with around 40 lbs of sand which we had to carry along a short loop with three thru walls of increasing height with a crawl in between. Kept things interesting!
  • Strong Hold: Another interesting rig! Strong Hold featured a section of u-shaped monkey bars, which transitioned to two sets of straps, followed up another set of u-shaped monkey bars to a final grip and bell. The reach to the first strap was a bit challenging, and I ended up too low down on the straps to be able to make it to the final u-shaped bars. I had this same issue last year, and it's a bit frustrating to not be able to make that last reach, which is almost farther than my wingspan. I think I need to practice more with my Force5 grips to get better strength for having my arms pull me up on holds like this -- it's the only hope.
  • Rolling Thunder: This obstacles features tires on a horizontal pole. It's deceptively challenging and I was glad to see it at the end of the race where it didn't cause a back-up like last year. I sometimes struggle on this one, but made it in the first go.
  • Guillotine: This obstacle was neat! A balance log led up to a wall, which you went over before heading down another log. The logs were slippery.
  • Cargo Net: A huge A-frame cargo net.
  • Rope climb: Standard rope climb to a bell.
  • The Chopper: What a fun rig variation. There was a ring, which led to spinning horizontal 4-barred "chopper" -- this sequence repeated twice before racers reached the end. Last year, I did really well on this obstacle because Bonefrog address height concerns by bringing in boxes. This year, they had racers swing from the ground to the first chopper, which was really hard. After many attempts I made it but I was at almost a dead hang. I did make it 2/3 of the way across before my inability to get any momentum meant I couldn't muscle through any more. I was tired. I had pushed on the course to go as fast as I could to place in my age group and my arms just gave out.
  • Dead Weight: Classic hoist.
  • Black Ops: This obstacle has you climb up a rope wall and then traverse a set of monkey bars before landing on a platform and climbing down a ladder. Here's the thing. The monkey bars were just too high up this time and I couldn't reach them. In past years, I've either had no problem or had someone boost me. I could have climbed the side of the scaffolding but that would have meant cutting someone, which didn't seem fair. A lame way to finish the race, but I had to roll across the net and climb down.
I finished the Bonefrog Challenge in 2:00, good enough for second place in my age group, making this race a North American OCR Championships qualifier for me, which is pretty exciting. My overall impression of the event was the same as last year. This event is solid -- overall a middle of the pack experience. It was not overly outstanding, but it was decently good. Some of the logistics could use tightening up. Bonefrog is a "sometimes race" for me, but one I really do like to get on the calendar if I can. Hopefully 2020 Boston works. I do love racing this one hard on a run-able course and hope to improve on some of the rigs. Now, can you just make it a tiny bit easier for me to reach.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Anchor Down Ultra 6 Hour

I don't change plans. Which is why I surprised myself last Monday afternoon when I sent an email to my coach with the following message:

I spent a lot of time at NorAm thinking about the 12 hour Anchor Down Ultra (7pm - 7am) and the more I thought the more I realized that I needed to switch it up. The reasons are this: (a) I signed up for ADU because it was what my Ragnar Trail team was doing and I wanted to have fun with my friends this somehow (b) switched into something else where I was like "I should be brave and do the 12 hours." But the truth is that bravery is also knowing that is right for you and taking a step back. I had been dreading the 12 hours ADU. NorAm kicked my ass and I didn't want my ass kicked again -- I wanted to have a good time, just as I originally thought before I got it into my head to do more more more. So...I emailed the ADU race director and am going to do the 6 hour race (7pm - 1am). It's around 20 miles to count as a finisher, which is still plenty, and then I can have time to cheer for my team, spend time with friends, and not run myself into the ground. I thought I might be disappointed in myself for "quitting" but when I got the confirmation from the RD I was nothing but happy and relieved. Now, instead of dreading ADU, I am kind of looking forward to it.

I was changing my plans. It turns out, I think I made the right call because Anchor Down Ultra ended up being one heck of an adventure.

The truth is, I wasn't feeling up for much of an adventure on Friday morning. I lolled around the house with my boyfriend, Ben, somewhat apathetic about my upcoming trip to Bristol, RI and Colt State Park where ADU was to take place. But remember, I am reliable. So at 2:30pm, I hopped in the car to head out to Bristol.

What should have been a trip of about two hours, morphed into three with traffic, bringing my arrival time back to 5:30pm. No matter -- I still had 90 minutes before the 7pm race start. I arrived at the park, where ADU signs helpfully directed me to where to put my car. I unloaded my backpack, tent, food, and sleeping bag and pad and headed over to the camping area. On the way, I picked up my bib and finishers t-shirt from the HQ tent. This went pretty quickly -- I was only in line for five minutes, 10 max. HQ as also selling some pretty sweet swag like patches, hats, and t-shirts for anyone who had pre-ordered. Compared to the previous ultra I did, Vegan Power 50K, this race was less grassroots and more pro-level. Yet, with a field capped at 200 competitors, which sells out almost immediately, the race still retains its small intimate feel.


After registering, I gathered my gear and made the short walk to where my NE Spahten teammates had set up camp. With some kind help, I got my tent quickly up. Then, I slathered on Body Glide and RunGoo, changed into race clothing, and organized my gear. With aid stations ever 1.25 miles on the 2.45 mile ADU loop course, I didn't strictly need to carry my hydration vest, but I was used to it, and this would limit stopping. Plus, I could eat what I used during training (Probar chomps) and fill on of my jugs with Tailwind for some caffeine. Since the 6 hour race was from 7pm - 1am and I usually go to bed no later than 10pm, caffeine would no doubt be welcome. I also grabbed my phone and earpods in case I wanted to listen to an audiobook or Spotify during my race. 

By now, it was 6:45pm and time for the pre-race meeting. I headed over to the start line where the race director reviewed the race's new inclement weather policy and some other notes about the course. The race was automatically timed with chips in the bibs, which tracked how many laps of the course you ran. In order to be a finisher for the 6 hour race and receive a medal, you had to complete eight laps of the 2.45 mile course (19.6 miles), for 12 hours it was 16 laps (39.2 miles), and for 24 hours it was 20 laps (49 miles). Any runner in the 24 hour race who completed 100 miles would receive a buckle.

With the race director's comments concluded, we had just under five minutes until the race started. I seeded myself in the starting corral and queued up my watch and timer. I was planning to do 3/2 run/walk intervals for ADU and had prepared my watch to indicate when to switch from one to the other. The sun was still in the sky and the weather was mild if humid. I was as ready as I could ever be to crank out some miles. With the rest of the 2019 ADU field, I ran through the starting area, under hanging lights and with torches on each side.


The ADU website describes the 2.45 mile course in the following way:

Held on one of the hottest days of summer here in New England, this 2.45 mile loop course will challenge you to run as many complete loops as possible in the allotted time in the race of your choosing. You'll have access to aid every 1.25 miles, with full access to your gear and/or tent every 2.45 miles at the exchange point. The course is mostly flat with a few rolling hills. Technically speaking, the course starts at sea level and the highest point on the course is roughly 26 feet above sea level, with just about 56 feet of gain on every loop. Although the course is considered very "run-able" by most runners, it can pose a challenge to someone with limited trail experience. It is highly recommended that athletes taking on ADU for the first time spend a good amount of time getting used to time on their feet on rooty terrain that we are so accustomed to here in Southern New England. With some basic trail experience and marathon experience, this is a great first time ultra for someone willing to take on the challenge. However, the "grinding" course proves punishing enough even for the most accomplished endurance athletes. 

 The terrain breakdown of the 2.45 mile loop is comprised of: 
   1.5 miles of pavement
   .90 miles of trail
   .05 miles of grass. 


We started the race by heading into a section of woods for about a mile of trail running. Indeed at 7pm, with the sun still up, the trails were very run-able. There were roots, but it was easy to spot them. With a 200 runner group-start, the trails were a little crowded for that first mile, so instead of doing my 3/2 run/walk just yet I ran the first mile at an easy 12:30 pace going with the flow of traffic. The trails were fairly well groomed and ADU branded flags marked the course well, along with the some fun "inspirational" signs. 

At around the one mile mark, the trail emptied out onto the asphalt of a parking lot, which racers quickly jogged along before turning left to face the water.


The half mile plus that we ran along the water was absolutely my favorite part of the run. On the first lap, the sun was setting and the light on the waves turned them into fiery tips. In the distance all around the water were the lights of nearby towns and cities casting a glow into the sky. At around the half way point, I ran past the mid-loop aid station. No need to stop yet.

After running along the water, we turned from the coast toward an inlet of water called Mill Gut. We made a road crossing where a group of energetic volunteers cheered and helped watch for the limited park traffic. The course then joined up with a bike path that tracked along the edge of the water. When I spotted the parking lot where I had left my car, I knew the end of the first lap was in sight. I headed into the chute and immediately out for my next lap.


For the first two laps of the course, I was able to run without a headlamp and snacked on some chomps as I went. At the end of my second lap, it was starting to get dark. I'd been out on the course for about an hour, and had consumed a light dinner pre-race, so when I finished up my second lap, I headed over to the main aid station where I scarfed down some watermelon before heading out again.

I also put on my headlamp for the section of the course in the woods. It turns out that if you're someone like me who doesn't run trails all that regularly at night, roots that are no problem in the day become a bit of a challenge at night and can slow you down. I took it easy in the woods before coming to the waterfront where I could run more freely.

By the end of lap three I had run just over seven miles and had developed a little bit of a routine. I would do my 3/2 run walk, using more care in the woods. After each lap, I would text my boyfriend when I finished up. I also started checking in at the aid stations more. I had heard legends about aid stations at ultras with their plethora of snacks -- everything from GUs, to M&Ms, to PB&J sandwiches, to pretzels, to fruit. The Vegan 50K did have some nice snacks but nothing compared to the buffet at ADU, which the wonderful volunteers were happy to help you with. I said a quick, "Hello," to my NES teammate, Jess, who was staffing the aid station, ate some watermelon, and thanked a volunteer who refilled my water. Then I was off again.

The next few laps passed uneventfully. It was getting late, and the sun was down. I was somewhat sleepy, though not nearly as bad as I thought I would be. I alternated drinking water (mostly) and some Tailwind, more for the caffeine than the calories. I also made two amazing discoveries: Ramen noodles and running without my headlamp. 

I am a staunch believer in the tenet "nothing new on race day," which is why at first I ran right past the Ramen noodles offered at the North Point aid station. Yet by lap five I was willing to break my normal rule. I was, in an odd way, having fun at ADU. Sure it was hard work running at 11pm, and I was tired, but the experience was also novel -- I mean, when does one ever run at 11pm!? I had decided going into ADU that this was going to be my last long distance race for quite some time. Long running and I were going on a break while I took time to devote myself to obstacle course racing. This was my last hurrah. I wanted to enjoy it; I wanted to have fun. This is why I was doing the 6 hour race, right? So I was going to live dangerously; I was going to eat some Ramen noodles. And I'll be darned if those Ramen noodles weren't the most delicious food I had ever had. Every lap, until the end of my race, I snagged a cup of hot salty broth chock full of noodles and downed it. 


The other great discovery was that I could run the 1.45 miles along the water without my headlamp. This was approved as okay by the ADU rules and was amazing. I dislike running with a headlamp. Let's all admit it; headlamps feel horrible on your head. Plus, the bobbing around of the light is annoying. The section of the course along the water had entirely smooth sidewalks and was free of vehicular traffic, making visibility a non-issue. As a result, it was perfectly safe to run without a headlamp. My eyes easily adjusted to the dark, and, with the ambient light from other runners and the moon (when it wasn't hiding behind ample clouds), it was easy to run along. Hands down the best memories I have of ADU are running quietly in the dark along the water listening to the gentle hush of the waves against the rocks.

In order to be an official finisher for the 6 hour race, I had to complete eight laps. I got in from lap seven around 11pm. I had one more lap to count as a finisher. At present, I had run over 17 miles. I had two hours left. I grabbed some watermelon from the aid station, but I was tired. My left foot had begun to throb from being knocked against a bunch of roots in the woods. It was late, I'd been up for hours, running for four of them, and my legs felt quite fatigued. Okay. "So what would make this better? What would make it as enjoyable as possible?" I thought as I jogged into the woods. How about walking. I was running slowly anyway. This could be my last loop on my last long run for a while. How about focusing on taking in the moment? And I switched to a fast walk. It helped.

It was 11:45pm, and I had just left the North Point aid station, consuming my cup of Ramen noodles. I had decided to put some music on to keep me awake and motivated. I was half way through my first song ("Highways" by Alpha Rev) when my phone rang. Odd. It turns out it was my bff, Serah, who my phone had somehow emergency dialed when I was out on my lap. She had been at a concert and when she saw I had called so late (i.e. way past my bedtime, though definitely not past Serah's bedtime), she was concerned. I explained that I was out in Rhode Island running as much as I could from 7pm - 1am and was currently doing some walking. We chatted for a while, a lovely way to lift my spirits. 

A little before midnight I arrived at the finish line. Eight laps complete. I was officially a finisher. And yet... I had one more hour to go. Couldn't I do more than the minimum? I knew I couldn't fit in two laps, but I definitely could do one. Plus, pizza had just arrived. And didn't I want a slice of pizza? And certainly didn't I want to avoid going to bed on a full stomach? Before I could think about my decision, I grabbed a piece of mushroom pizza, donned my headlamp, and headed back into the woods for bonus lap nine. 

I'd be lying if I said lap nine didn't hurt. I was tired, my left foot and knee were acting up a tiny bit from the bumping of roots (though they are totally fine now -- not to worry). I walked as fast as I could, which wasn't too fast. I was moving though, and I was doing more than I had to do. I was going to cover all of those six hours! I relished the novelty of being up so late (after midnight!) and doing something so wild (running in the dark in loops for hours in a small park in Rhode Island!). Was it crazy? Sure. But it was also kind of a blast. I was pushing myself, but with no goal other than my enjoyment in mind, it was a push that I was mentally into. We race to challenge ourselves, but we also race for fun. I was racing for fun above all at this race, and I was totally happy with that decision. 

5:41:05 after I started, I crossed the finish line of ADU. It was just before 1am. I had run and walked 22 miles. I was dirty and tired and happy.


I wanted to get out of my sweaty clothing and off my feet for a second, so I headed to my tent to try to clean-up a tiny bit and change. After a quick turnaround, I headed back to HR to get my official ADU finishers medal. It was after 1am, and I was ready to call it a night.


Anchor Down Ultra 6 hour wasn't the race I originally planned, but it was the race I needed. After a year of logging miles and more miles I somewhat fell out of love with running and forgot that running is a hobby. It's a fun adventure. ADU was, for me, somewhat of a party. It was an opportunity to re-embrace running without any performance goals or desire to challenge myself. I will admit, there is a time for that. It's fascinating to do something with your body that you didn't know you could. It's also great to say, "Hey, that's not what I want to today," and decide that "play" is an important part of any athletes life. 

ADU was a blast! I ate Ramen after midnight, ran in the pale moonlight, and remembered the role of running as a source of happiness and joy in my life. How did I like ADU? I loved it.

(Note: Sunrise and night runner photos cutesy of ADU's FB page and taken by Jonathan Packer Photography.)

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

North American OCR Championships 2019: Team Relay & Charity Open

Sunday of a race weekend is always tough. You're sore. You're tired. You're probably "hangry." Perhaps you just want to get home and settle yourself on your coach under your cat with a book and some tea. And there's one more day of racing.

The final day of the North American OCR Championships featured the team relay and the charity 7K events. The team relay allowed for groups of three, where participants specialized in the areas of speed (i.e. climbing the mountain), strength (i.e. doing some heavy carries), or technical (i.e. rigs and obstacles). This was my third year as a member of the team Tiny^2 + 1, which consisted of Niki on speed, Steve on strength, and me on technical. My body was one massive ache. This was going to be an interesting day. 

The co-ed team wave was scheduled to go off at 10:15 a.m., leaving us time to coordinate checking out of our rental and heading over to the venue. For the third day in a row we had some really nice weather. It was sunny with mild temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s.

At 10:15 a.m., Steve and I saw Niki to the starting chorral and cheered as she went out for her leg of the relay. Last year, the team relay had taken us around three hours, so I knew there was some time to kill. That being said, we anticipated being faster. Niki had recovered from her injury, plus the speed section was not quite as long. In fact, the team relay seemed to be much better balanced that last year. The speed section was a reasonable distance, the strength portion was beefed up with more obstacles than just one Wreck Bag carry, and the technical section -- always the strongest design-wise in the past -- remained much the same as past years and was a portion of the 3K course.


I used some of my free time at the venue to do some shopping. I have been talking a lot about having 2020 be all about training for OCR and, with no good OCR gym near my house, I wanted to get some gear. I ended up at the Force5 tent where I got a good deal on some rings, a t-grip, a pipe, and a short rope, all of which I can attach to a set of monkey bars at a playground near me for some quality grip and swinging training to keep up my obstacle fitness when I'm not at races. 

After dropping my purchases (seriously the most shopping I have done all year) in my car, Steve and I headed up to meet Niki. I made a quick detour to the restroom on the way and was below the transition when Steve zoomed by, Niki having arrived seconds before and ahead of her projected time. We were definitely on schedule to be faster than last year, if our non-competitive group cared about such things. Nevertheless, Niki ran an awesome race, and I was excited for her!

Steve was out on the course, which meant I was up next. I checked my bag for $5 and headed to the team exchange point where a bunch of NES folks were hanging out. We chatted as I waited for Steve. Niki spotted him as he set off for the Wreck Bag carry, the final portion of the strength section. She ran up the hill to wait. About 15 minutes later, they were charging down the hill. Steve handed me the timing chip. I attached it to my ankle and jogged off. 

Every step hurt as I ran. My quads were slabs of pain. My biceps and back ached with each impact. I arrived at La Gaffe. My body was so stiff from the last two days that I couldn't really get my legs around the pole. I tried with all my might to climb high enough to ring the bell and kept sliding down. No go.


From there I made my way to Underdog, which had been adjusted again for the third day of racing, this time with a rope, to monkey bars, to a pair of vertical cargo nets (instead of just one). A bunch of NES folks were around cheering me on. With their encouragement, I hauled myself up and, using painful hands, made my way across the monkey bars and to one net and then the next. I rang the bell. I had made it. 


Skull Valley and Gibbon did not treat my aching body well, but I knew that after Stairway to Heaven, I might have a fighting chance. I made several attempts on Skull Valley, where I made it half way, and then on Gibbon before heading up the hill to do a low crawl and then examine Stairway to Heaven. In my tired state there was just no way, though I tried.

The rope wall with the oddly positioned rope was next. It took almost max effort, but I dragged myself up and over and ran down the hill to the next obstacle. I was starting to warm up a little and even though every step hurt, I was at least able to get some response from my body on the obstacles. 

I tackled the balance logs and ran down to Little Foot. A bunch of NES friends were hanging out at the obstacle and shouting for me. Having everyone there gave me such a mental boost. I love how supportive NES is for everyone. The camaraderie is great! With all this encouragement, there was no way that I was going to miss Little Foot. I sailed along, rang the bell, and hopped off at the end.


Over Under was next and, once again, happy to be enjoying the company of my team, I zipped through.


Next up was Tricky Swiss. I made my way along, though my arms were feeling pretty beaten up. After finishing with a bell ring, Niki and Steve joined me for the last three obstacles that we were supposed to complete as a team.


We slid over the parked cars for Car Jacked and then ran through the center of the Stratton village to Urban Sky. In order for a team to keep their bands, all athletes had to make it through the team obstacle. (Note: I have heard some back and forth on this. Some reports say that everyone loses their bands if the team doesn't all get through Urban Sky; other reports say that if you have your band getting to Urban Sky and make it through as an individual that's fine, even if other teammates fail.) I knew that with my hands and arms the way they were, I wasn't going to make it far on Urban Sky; however, there was little pressure beyond the want to do one's best as all three of us had already lost our bands earlier on the course. Niki and I gave Urban Sky a try and didn't make it super far, but Steve nailed it 100%.


The last obstacle was the giant slip wall. Unlike during the 3K and 15K, there were no ropes for you to pull yourself up. Instead, we had to make a pyramid of people. Steve and Niki sent me up to the top first. From there, Niki was able to grab my legs and climb up. Finally, I held onto Niki from over the top of the wall as Steve used her to climb up. It was probably the most efficient we've ever been on the final wall!


We crossed the finish in 2:12:21, our fasted team time yet.


NorAm Championships and OCRWC always finish the weekend with a charity 7K fun run to benefit a local non-profit, in this case the Stratton Foundation, which provides support for families challenged by poverty through efforts like food banks, educational support, and clothing. 

The truth is that by the time the charity run comes along, there's next to no one on the NES interested in tackling a trip up the mountain again. This is true for many other athletes as well. The goal here is to give money to charity. Running the exact course is not important since the "7K" is not timed in any way. 


As with past years, we opted to stay at the bottom of the mountain and walked around 1.25 miles in just under an hour. This was a time to goof off. Niki, Steve, and I headed out with a fellow NES member, Adam, who had stayed at the same house in Stratton with us over the weekend. We were a motley crew, bumbling along, legs and arms not quite working right. 

The 7K course is basically the same as the team relay, and we more or less covered the same ground as I had just raced. It was a fun time to hang out and recap the weekend's festivities.


NorAm Championships is one of the premiere events in our sport, only topped by OCRWC, in my opinion. It is such a privilege to get to race at this event. 2019's NorAm races were not the athletic success that I had in 2018, but I think I learned a lot. I learned how I'm not the kind of athlete that can be ready for both ultras and OCR if I want to do well at the latter. I also was reminded of how OCR is my real passion. I cannot wait to begin training for 2020 so as to be more obstacle dominant. One of the first things I did upon returning home was to email my coach at Hart Strength & Endurance Coaching to chat about my 2020 training goals. What better can be said about an event than that it inspires you to train harder and with more specificity?

As of the writing of this post, the 2020 location for NorAm OCR Championships has yet to be announced. OCRWC tends to move every two years, and NorAm has been at Stratton for two years, which leaves me anticipating a change of venue. That being said, there's no reason that NorAm has to follow any two year rule. I would love to race age group at NorAm in 2020, pending a location that doesn't require lengthy travel -- Stratton would be great. Either way, I will always watch how this event unfolds and will spend the next year training with the idea of addressing gaps I saw at this event. If NorAm OCR Championships is anywhere I can get to in 2020, I want compete and crush it!


(Note: NES photos credited to Vince Rhee.)

Monday, August 12, 2019

North American OCR Championships 2019: 15K

40 obstacles. 15 kilometers. Over 3,000 feet of elevation. The 2019 North American OCR Championships 15K beat me down like very few races have.


Saturday morning dawned perfect for racing. Temperatures were in the 50s and wouldn't get out of the mid-60s. There was a mix of sun and clouds. I was sore from my efforts of the previous day, but I was determined that I would give the 15K race my all.

The women's 30 - 34 age group had a great start time at 9:15 a.m. I headed to the NorAm venue at Stratton Mountain about half an hour before my wave start -- I was staying a quick five minute drive away in a house with a bunch of my fellow NES teammates. Having half an hour free allowed for time for some pre-race mental focusing, bathroom usage, and to check my bag. I also purchased a pair of NorAm goodr sunglasses. I've been wanting to get prescription glasses with transition lenses for running but, at the moment, can't justify the expense. These $25 running shades fit the bill.

I joined NES friend, Niki, in the starting corral. As I mentioned, we were a bit beat up from yesterday but we were going to get this done. In fact, Niki and I ran most of the race together, true battle buddies. While the first half we kept leap frogging each other, the second half we were in lock step.


The 2019 NorAm course was somewhat similar to last year. The race started by taking us up a short climb, after which we did some low hurdles. Then it was up, up, up. In fact, the first three kilometers (around two miles) was mostly climbing with only one obstacle, a ladder wall called Confidence Climb, to break it up. It was a slog, taking an hour to get from the base of Stratton to the summit. Like last year, I was not enthusiastic about starting the race in this way; however, listening to an interview with race organizer Adrian Bijanada has given me at least an understanding of how necessary this climb is so that obstacles can be effectively and safely placed.


Finally, after a grueling hour, I reached the summit and was brought face to face with Skitch, an obstacle where you had to take two hooks and move them along a horizontal pole to the end. I hadn't worried too much about Skitch, which I got with limited problem at NorAm in 2018 on the 3K and 15K courses. Mistake. Skitch of 2019 had some slight adjustments that had an impact on my performance. Unlike the previous year when I had been easily able to slide my hooks along the horizontal pole, my hooks this year would not move an inch. I kept falling off and falling off. We were only 3 miles into a 9+ mile race and only at obstacle three of 40. I had to move on. As on Friday, I was displeased at losing my band so soon and renewed my commitment to adjust my training for next year to resume more OCR and decrease my ultra running.


I quickly tackled a slant wall before heading over to the Force5 rig from last year with a trapeze, t-grip, wheel, t-grip, and trapeze. I had nailed this last year. The reach to start seemed a bit more this year (or perhaps it was me) and already my arms were extremely pre-fatigued from the previous day. I didn't have it in me.


Up next was a low rig with monkey bars, a t-grip, and a pole. I was prepared to do well here, having
done just fine on the low rig last year. But again I failed.


These early failures gave me a lot to think about as I headed back down the mountain. Training specificity matters, and I was not as prepared for this race physically as I thought I had been. I needed a plan for next year. I was composing an email in my head to my coaches and thinking about acquiring new tools -- perhaps a set of rings to bring to the playground near my house? That being said, I remembered my mental training efforts and didn't beat myself up or "live in the past." The race was ongoing, and it was important to be focused on what was important now. Doing as well as I could do in the present.

Midway down the hill I made my way up and over the big ramp and over to the next rig. This rig was similar to last year but instead of having rings hanging from square monkey bars, you had to be able to kip up to the bars. Another failure. I headed over to the short farmer's carry, which went off without incident. Then it was over to hi/low, a basic obstacle where we had to walk along with our hands on a pole and our feet on the other. We did some crawl jacks, and continued to head down the mountain to meet up with the beginning of the 3K course from the other day.

Racers crawled over the 8' wall and were back at the a-frame with rings, Valkyrie. My luck was no better than the previous day, despite a few attempts. I was beat. After a 6' wall, the Wreck Bag carry was next, longer than the previous day. Instead of terminating at the crawl, we had to continue up the mountain a stretch. I labored up, and it was agony. At the top, I sat down for a second and decided to drag my Wreck Bag back down -- I couldn't stand the idea of it on my shoulders for one more second. It was slow, but it worked. I made the carry in 15 minutes, not bad for someone as small as I am who traditionally takes ages on carries.

Next was La Gaffe with its set of three poles. I did a way better job here than the previous day and made it through on my first try, transitioning to to a high point on the wood post to make the last swing possible.

I jogged over to Underdog, which had been adjusted from the previous day, the cargo net now hanging vertically instead of being strung up horizontally. This actually worked to my advantage! I climbed the rope, made it across the monkey bars, and sat myself in the net to rest. I swung myself under and did the last monkey bar to hit the bell. Finally; a success!

Skull Valley followed, though, alas, my grip was toast at this point and I didn't make it through like the previous day. I was, again, unable to get Gibbon, but after a few attempts knew to continue on. Niki and I made our way through the crawl jacks and jogged up the mountain a little bit. It was time for Stairway to Heaven, where I would not be any luckier than the previous day. I was, again, racking up obstacle failures, but I was getting so tired, it was hard to figure out how to be successful.


We started climbing again for yet another trip up the mountain, though -- thank goodness -- not to the summit. There was a basic through wall and then trapeze, a rig with trapezes and monkey bars. I was tired but determined and, somehow, made my way across. Obstacle complete!

Niki and I made our way to Top Shelf, a wall with a rope tied to a trust above it. We climbed our way up the wall and then over the very top of the obstacle. With our tired grip this was not an inconsequential obstacle. We ran up the mountain some more and by ran I mean walked and by walked I mean slogged. At the top of the slog was Triumph.


Triumph is the updated version of Dragon's Back. If you read my recap of the 15K from 2018, you'll know that Dragon's Back sparked huge fear in me. I eventually made it last year. I wanted to keep my band, and I was determined to make it. This year, I was exhausted, and I could not bring myself emotionally to get up there. (I had also spent Sunday night cowered in fear as bats circled my house over Ben and my heads and that contributed to not being willing to be so fearful again.) While it is some kind of failure that I didn't get up there, in my mental state it was all I could do to move on. Let me be clear: This race sounds like failure after failure, but I was, in fact, trying much harder than at most races where I have been more successful. It's harder to keep focused, positive, and moving during a hard race than one where you're cruising along. It took great mental and physical energy each time I came to an obstacle to try it with all the effort I had.

Next, I ran over to the rope climb, which was a quick vertical gain. Then it was over to another rig, starting with a horizontal pipe and then some monkey bars. I made it along the pipe but my grip was too trashed to move on -- I kept falling off.

This was immediately followed by a 50 pound Wreck Bag hoist, which was, fortunately, not too tall. We then moved fairly immediately again to some metal ladders before starting to head down the hill. We hit an inverted wall, which took all I had to get over. From there, we continued down the mountain to meet up with the 3K course for the final part of the race. Before that was a gapped ladder wall, which Niki and I did in perfect sync, impressing passerbyers.

We met up with the 3K course at the rope wall. This wall had the rope at an awkward placement and took some effort the previous day. I tried but ended up coming back down. I almost never have problems with walls, but I was that drained. From there it was over to balance logs, which we crossed without much issue. At this point a brief rain shower started. It was cold and wet. We made our way to Little Foot. With the wet, I slipped off on the second traverse. I was almost ready to give up, but the volunteer on this obstacle was amazing. He gave me tips and told me that I could do it as I made my way through. With his encouragement, even in my super tired state, I made it. I was so grateful and happy. Kudos to that guy for his help. He assisted my race for sure.

We jogged to the over under obstacle, which was soaking wet metal. I had been able to make this obstacle the previous day. I dragged myself along the wet obstacle and transitioned to the under section and did alright. On the second transition to get back on top, right near the end of the obstacle, I slipped off the wet poles. I was too tired to try again.

Niki and I made our way to Tricky Swiss with it's swinging walls with holes and rings. At this point, my body was so tired that it was shaking everywhere. I made it through the first set of walls, across the rings, and to the second set of walls. I was hanging from the last set of rings when my grip just entirely gave out. I could not try again even though I had been just one wall from the end.

We had only a few obstacles left -- I had rarely been so relieved to almost be done. We ran over the car for Car Jacked. Then we made our way through the Stratton Villiage and to Urban Sky. I was still shaking from fatigue and was able to do not much more than hang and swing a tiny bit.

There was one obstacle left: the last slip wall. Niki and I jogged over. I made it over and cheered Niki on as she made a few attempts. The announcer called our names as we crossed the finish line. I was exhausted and beyond pleased to be finished.


NorAm's 15K course challenged me like few other races have done. I was completely wiped out by this course. The elevation and the obstacles were hugely challenging. My training was not quite right to dominate this course -- having been better aligned for ultra running this season -- and I think that was a part of the difficulties of the day. To be honest, this was a bit inspiring. It reminded me of how fun it is to do OCR when you've trained for it. I am so ready to switch to training that is 100% (or nearly 100%) focused on OCR. I want to swing with a sense of flow, climb strong, and enjoy doing well at OCR competition. 2020. I think we have a goal!


(Note: A huge thanks to all my fellow NE Spahtens who provided awesome pictures for this post.)