PentaHexathlon

This started out as a suggestion from a friend of mine who was doing it was some guys on a fitness forum. It started out as a Pentathlon (5 events), but my son and I added a sort of half event. The main 5 are: Pushups, sit-ups, broad jump, sit and reach and a 1 mile run. My son and I added a "fast lap" 1/4 mile sprint to the mix. Since the fast lap could be in conjunction with the mile time, I'm not it qualifies as a separate event... but maybe. You be the judge.

The idea behind this is to retest after a period of time, typically 2 or 3 months (we chose 2) to map your progress.

Rules:
Events can be run in any order, but must be in the same work-out session. i.e. no doing pushups one day and sit-ups the next, or running the mile in the morning and doing the rest an hour later. Try to limit rest in-between exercises to no more than 2-3 minutes.

Pushups:
Max pushups in 2 minutes, rests must be in the up position. Downward dog rest is OK. If you take a knee or rest on the down, you're done.

Sit-ups:
Max sit-ups in 2 minutes, rests in the up position. Body must come full vertical (no crunches). Feet can be braced under an object. Arm position is your choice, but no momentum swinging.

Broad Jump:
Measure from tip of foot in start to rear of furthest back heel on landing.

1 mile run:
Pretty self explanatory. Run one mile for time.

Fast lap:
Run your quickest 1/4 mile, or one lap. Can be combined with 1 mile run. My watch doesn't have a lap feature, so I run this separately.

Sit & Reach:
Toes are 0. Anything past toes is positive, i.e..e 1.5" (or centimeters if you're into that sort of thing). Anything before the toes is negative. You can make a simple box to do this, which is helpful if you're in the negative area. I put a tape measure on a speaker box I have that's just the right size. I also do this with my shoes off, and therefor save it for last.

My initial numbers back on July 12th, 2012:
Vitals: Wade, M, 38, 6' 2", 182 lb.

Pushups 49
Sit ups 40
Broad jump 6' 9"
1 mile 8:30
Reach + 5/8"
*note we hadn't  instituted the Fast Lap at this time.

Retest on  September 16th, 2012:
Vitals: Wade, M, 38, 6' 2", 182 lb.

Pushups 53 (+4)  
Situps 52 (+12) 
Broad jump 6' 5" (-4") 
Mile 7:50 (-:40) 
Reach 0 (-5/8") 
Fast Lap 1:31.04

Backpacking trip - Camp Axe Rock

Last wekend, Bill, Lucas and I decided to make the rough climb to the high camping spot that Lucas and I had scouted out in July. That trip we made camp at Horse Brush, about a 2 mile mild hike in from the road and then struck out with day packs the next morning for the tougher 2.3 mile ascent of the mountain.

Low camp's namesake

This trip we took off work early on Friday, determined to make the full 4.32 mile hike to the top and camp.
About a mile in we caught a little bit of rain, that managed to stop about 2 minutes after we got our rain gear on.

Lucas doing his hunch back impression

After passing Horse Brush, the trail begins to climb. Slowly at first, then it gets quite steep. Soon you're doing, what I call, the Himalayan Shuffle, where you can take about 15 or 20 steps, then have to stop for a few seconds, and repeat this process... for a couple hours.

Land of Lunges

Those aren't just pretty rocks, that's the trail

All told the trail rises over 2,200 ft. in elevation in about 2 miles of length. Combined with 40+ lb. backpacks and you really feel the pain. Lucas called it "The toughest hike I've ever done.". It was rough, no doubt, but Billy and I have been conditioning ourselves pretty good, so we fared a little better.

Billy likes backpacking

Lucas is thinking about throwing up

At the top, we made camp. Lucas had to take a break and barf so he wouldn't die, so Billy and I hiked back down the trail about a quarter mile to fill up a 2.5 gallon container with water. By the time we got back, it was nearly dark. Lucas rustled up some grub, we ate and went to bed pretty early.
At 11:30, Billy and I woke up simultaneously to a strange sound. Groggy from sleep, Billy says, "What's that?"
"That's a chopper." I say and turn to go back to sleep. Then it dawns on me, as the bird lights up our tent with a spot light, WTF is a helicopter doing up here? We're 4.5 miles from the dirt road, which is 8 miles from the nearest small town, and we're on top of a mountain at 10,400 ft. elevation.
The bird leaves just as fast as it came and we stay up a while wondering what that was all about. Lucas managed to sleep through the event and questioned us, thinking we made the whole thing up. Probably the strangest thing that has ever happened to me while camping.

The next morning we dawned our day packs and went down to the other side of the mountain to see what we could see. This side of the mountain was steep, but not nearly a long as the other side. We connected with some different trails and spied some really cool campsites we plan to hit next year.

Some rocks that promised some interesting future climbs

That afternoon we hung around camp, got some wood ready for the fire and built up our "couches". Then we just sort of hung out and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Wood and rocks

"Whatcha thinking 'bout?"
"Camping stuff I guess."

That evening we ate some food, had a couple drinks and sat around the mountain TV set. We stayed up pretty late, watching the stars and waiting to see if the chopper would return, but it did not.

Billy's a big fan of the "stump fire"

Lucas demonstrates the power of Axe Rock

The fire was so hot, I think it crinkled the polarized
coating on my glasses

The hike down the next day was probably the roughest part for me. I'm in desperate need of new boots as my dozen year old Danners allow for way too much movement and really hurt my toes on the downhill. The headache from too much bourbon didn't help either.

But we accomplished our mission and got a lot of exercise in the process, hiking over 15 miles total, and over half of that with 40 lb. backpacks on.

Good times.

"Ye Olde" the ultimate walking stick

Gear review: Nike Alvord 10

I picked up a pair of Nike Air Alvord 10 Running Shoes, because the trainers I've been racing in weren't cutting it, especially on the steep hills.

Initial Impressions
I broke them in on the Manitou Incline which consists of a 2,000 foot elevation ascent over a 1 mile distance, then a 4 mile downhill run. After that I ran them in the Muddy Buddy to a 3rd place finish, in the Devil Dash, the 2013 Spartan Military Sprint and the Rugged Maniac. All very different events, and all with great results.

I ran the Spartan last year in my trainers and this year in the Alvords. Also, last year, my trainers at Run For Your Lives and the Alvords at Rugged Maniac. While the last 2 are different events, they were at the same venue. So I have a couple of direct comparisons with the 2 different shoe types. The Alvords are miles above the trainers (also Nike, for what that's worth) when it comes to mud and steep hills.

The tread is equally at home plowing up and over slick mud mounds as well as running down steep gravely hills. They stay laced up and they breathe enough to let the water squish out. These shoes also have enough cushion to help with hard downhill pounding.

Post Spartan Military Sprint.

I have wide feet and bought a normal width pair, not knowing at the time that wide sizes were available. When I first put them on, they feel tight on the sides. They do stretch a bit with use, but getting repeatedly wet and drying in the sun makes them a little too tight when I first lace them up. If I could do it over again, I'd hold out for the wider version.
They do seem to run a little small in length as well, so if you are buying online, you might consider going a half size larger.

They clean up well and look none the worse for wear after a several obstacle races and training days. I'm generally happy with them and they are a decent shoe for the price. I'd consider them an entry level to trail running/obstacle racing shoes, and a good way to break into the sport without breaking the bank.

Pro tip: After a mud race, rinse your shoes liberally with a garden hose until the water runs clear, then hang them out to dry (I put mine on our deck's roof so the dogs won't be tempted to eat them). A washing machine seems to leave grit and using a clothes dryer can shrink the insoles.

Long term observations
Having had these shoes for a full season and a half, I've come to the conclusion that they have shrank. When I first bought them, they felt a little tight in the width, but as I mentioned above, I have wide feet. Now, some 10 races later, they are considerably uncomfortable in width and also length.

In may of this year, they were fine. By August I started noticing they seemed tighter than I remember. Now in October, they feel crushing, especially on my left foot where I have a bunion. As my dry wether shoes, that I've ran and trained in for the last 2 years, don't feel any different, I can only guess that the repeated soaking and drying has shrunk the Alvords. I had no foot or toe pain early this season, but now at the end it's gotten bad enough to wear I've lost a couple toenails, even after a relatively short sprint type obstacle race.

Conclusions
For the casual racer or dry only trail runner with normal or narrow feet, these are a decent shoe and will likely serve you well.
If you have wide feet, bunions, Morton's toe or some other malady, you might want to look for the wide version, or step up to a shoe with a wider toe box.
In either case, by careful when sizing and consider going a half size or more larger than your normal street shoe size.

They are well made and tough. Mine show little wear after over 40 miles of hard racing. The shrinkage issue is bothersome however, so take great care when sizing, especially if you plan to get them repeatedly wet.

Devil Dash results

Devil Dash was last Saturday, September 1st, in Lyons, CO.

As usual we lined up towards the front in the first heat. It was hot out, but not too hot.

Ready to rock.

We chatted a bit with some people up front. One girl who came in 2nd last year and was determined to come in first this year. Much of the course is hidden from view from the fair grounds, so we only had a vague idea of what to expect.

We jumped out in front but were passed when we hit the tire pile known as "Hell's Rubble". It's just a pile of random tires and looks like a good way to tweak a knee or ankle. Amazingly this one kid flat out sprinted over the thing.

In awe of the kid sprinting over the tires.

Past this we run into another tire obstacle, some creek running and a flat cargo net that I would've made record time on, but I had been passed by a few people and got stuck behind one of them here.

Easily the hardest part was the incline known as Hell's Hill Climb. Very steep and very long. I stopped to catch my breath about 3/4s of the way up and it really affected my finish. More people passed me and I got stuck behind them on the downhill where I was moving faster than most.

Powering through this makes all the difference.

After the incline it was relatively smooth sailing. It's a steep downhill that you can kill if you're comfortable running downwards, then a nice gradual mile or so through the last couple obstacles and into the mud pit.

I seem particularly angry at this mud pit.

Watch your hair in the barbed wire ladies.



Billy emerges from the pit.

A short sprint after the mud pits to the Ring of Fire and you're at the finish.

Nadia crossing the finish line.

Then you can revel in your glory with another race under your belt.


After the race we get some beers, cheered on other racers and chatted with some new friends.

The girl in the pink shorts and the guy at right in the grey shirt
were in first place after the first heat.



These hard chargers ran in pants, boots and full plate carriers.

And of course some hanging out with old friends too.

When all was said and done I came in at 117 overall (out of 1,105 finishers) putting me just outside the 90th percentile, which puts me lower than the last few races percentile wise. Billy finished nearly a full minute ahead of me, putting him at 93rd overall and finishing in the top 8.5%. Nice work Billy!
I'm a little disappointed with my finish, as I know I could have pushed harder, especially on the incline.

Before we left, I ran into a guy I had met at the Spartan getting ready to race his heat. After his start we talked with his wife a bit, who just happens to be the venerable April Luu, winner of this years Devil Dash, Warrior Dash and the Spartan Military Sprint in the women's overall class. This girl is no joke and since I didn't get a picture of her, I'll leave you with a shot of who she reminded us of.

That's Vasquez in Aliens, n00b.

As always, good times, great people and a fun racing experience!

Some photos (the better ones of course) courtesy of http://www.photo-paragon.com/

Gear review - St. Jude mechanical aortic heart valve

What? A aftermarket heart valve review? Seriously?

That's right kids, I'm actually qualified to review such things. Just about 3.5 years ago (March 2009), I had my fleshy, defective aortic valve replaced at the tender young age of 35. In it's place, I got a nice shiny new mechanical valve from the good people at St. Jude Medical.

This is what resides in my chest.

My leaky valve was well on it's way to putting me 6 feet under. My Dr. said maybe a year before I experienced congestive heart failure and death. So, as terrible as the surgery was (and it was no joy ride), I'm very glad to still be around and enjoying life, friends and family awhile longer. In fact, it may sound trite, but this was maybe one of the best things to ever happen to me. Not only did it extend my life, but I found a renewed joy in experiencing it. I never ran races, hiked big mountains or climbed rocks before. Now I know life is short and you have to get out there and live it while you can.

Who wants to see an x-ray of this madness? I thought so.

The ring in the middle is the new valve. The "butterflies" are metal wires
holding my sternum together.
The long  strings are the wire pace maker leads. Good times!

Since the surgery my heart has shrunk, in a good way. The leaky valve had put me on the high end of a normal sized heart, as it was being overworked. Now I'm nicely in the middle range of normal. My only real complaint is the noise. It's like having a clock ticking away in your chest sometimes. You get used to it, but sometimes if I'm having a hard time falling asleep I'll hear it and I'll have to flop around to find a spot where my heart will settle deep into my chest and muffle the ticking. Usually this is flat on my back. But it's fun at parties. I've had several people tune in on it and say "I can hear you ticking!".

Also, as a result, I have to take warfarin, an anticoagulant, to be sure there's no nasty blood clots and/or strokes in my future. This hasn't been a problem for me however. I've gotten a couple good cuts and bumps and haven't noticed any increased bleeding or bruising. It took several months to really get it dialed in, but it's been steady for a good while now. The trick is to be consistent in your diet. If you decide you're going to start (or stop) eating a bunch of vegetables, then you'll want to keep a close monitor on it. I rarely have to have a blood test more than once a month and I don't even really feel them anymore.
In contrast, while I was in the hospital, they were doing blood draws every 6 hours... for 8 days!

So there you have it. The first of the big obstacles I've overcome. Hopefully some of you stumbled across this post searching for info on a mechanical valve that you, or maybe a loved one, needs for an upcoming surgery. If so, poke around a bit and see that open heart surgery isn't an end, but a beginning to many great things to come. You only get one shot at this thing called life (unless you're a Buddhist, I guess), so get out there and enjoy it!

Thus ends the Big Obstacles motivational post for the month. ;)

New adventure - rock climbing.

Always looking for new ways to enjoy the outdoors and stay fit, I tried my hand at rock climbing for the first time ever today.

Now that my son, Kellan, is old enough to do some serious adventures, we took a beginners class from ApexEx up in Boulder, CO together. Our guide, Craig, was super cool, knowledgeable and patient with our n00bness.

After fitting up our harnesses and super uncomfortable (by design) climbing shoes, he showed us how to tie the figure 8 knot.


Photo courtesy of chockstone.org

Using such unforgetable terms as "choke the alien head and poke it in the back of the head". Which I will now always think of whenever I tie this knot.

I was amazed at how quickly we were climbing, belaying and lowering each other. It was just the 3 of us for an hour and Craig was going to advance to doing a multi-pitch climb, when he got a message on his phone that some late shows were on their way. Soon after a couple of 20 something young ladies showed up, but they had some previous climbing experience, so soon we were all up to speed.

Unfortunately the multi-pitch climb was abandoned, but we then began to send up 2 climbers at a time on the 3 ropes craig had anchored. Unfortunately, Kellan didn't get an opportunity to lower anyone. Being 90 pounds soaking wet with bricks in his pockets, Craig was going to show us how to use a ground anchor so he could lower my 180 pound frame, but with the new comers we didn't get to it. Instead, we got a chance to do some repelling instead and that was very cool as well.

Another cool thing we learned, which is common in some team shooting drills as well, was the command and confirm terms. A 3-2-1 structure, based on syllables. The idea being that, even if you can't hear the exact words said by your partner, due to wind or distance or whatever, you could pick out the syllable count.
3: On Belay! Said by the person belaying the climber signaling that he's ready. 2: Climbing! Said by the climber, signaling he's ready to ascend. And 1: Climb! Said by the belayer, confirming a go ahead to ascend.

We had a great time and look forward to learning more and climbing more together. If you're in CO, and interested in rock climbing, check out ApexEx. They hav some great prices and our guide, Craig, was top notch!

Tips and tricks for obstacle racing

Allow me to share with you a few things I've learned running on the obstacle race circuit. Also be sure to check out my race checklist for more tips on what to bring. This post will focus more on the race experience itself.

• Train regularly. This doesn't have to be "race training" with tons of miles running endless laps around your local track. Just work out 4-5 days a week. Don't expect to start training a week before a race and do well. Make being fit an everyday part of your life. Cross-fit type training is great. Throw in some high intensity cardio, jump rope, boxing, running etc. and you'll be good to go.
• Practice explosive movements. Jumping, high and fast. Plyometrics. Learn to be quick and strong.
• Upper body strength. This is more important on tougher races like Spartan, but isn't going to hurt you anywhere. Think pull-ups, rope climbs, monkey bars.
• Get some good gear. Sure you can run in a pair of old tennis shoes and cut off jean shorts, but getting quality gear goes a long way.
• Run the first heat. This is huge if you want to be competitive, and absolutely necessary in some races to be eligible for trophies. Many people are intimidated by the first heat (I was), but it's the way to go.
• Commit to the obstacle. Your best bet to pass people, especially the hard core runners, is to complete the obstacles quickly and cleanly, but...
• Know when to take your time! I've botched some "easy" balance obstacles by rushing too much. This is especially important for races that invoke penalties for failing.
• Steady pace wins the race. Most of those guys who charge full blast right out the gate will be walking at the first hill. Race smart, know your pace and keep it steady. You'll be passing those guys soon.
• Prepare. Don't drink 6 beers the night before the race. I try not to drink alcohol for at least a week prior to a race and I start to pre-hydrate and carboload 2-3 days before the run. Clear your head and focus on the task ahead.
• Run down the damn hills! I can't believe how many people I see walking on downhill sections. Yeah, you're tired, but it's not that much more difficult to run downhill.
• Push yourself. There's nothing more frustrating than missing a placement by 10 seconds. If only you'd "insert tried harder detail here", you'd have placed 3rd! That said, don't kill yourself out there either.
• Breath from your gut. You distance runners know this, but I learned it the hard way. In fast paced races with obstacles, it's common to breathe shallow and get a stitch in your side. If you feel it coming on, take some breaths from your diaphragm.
• Don't alter your routine. If you don't normally do something, don't do that before a race. I don't normally drink energy drinks. Before the Muddy Buddy I decided to drink one. I felt "off" the whole race with serious nervous butterflies in my stomach. Not fun. On the other hand, if you drink coffee every morning, do so on race day as well. Otherwise you may feel very tired. I know I do.
• Embrace the suck. I often ask myself, at around the first mile mark, "WTF am I doing out here?". Embrace it, push through and get your mind right. Inevitably you'll get that rhythm or 2nd wind soon after the suck phase. Don't stop, never quit, it's worth it at the end.
• Wait for a Groupon, Google offers, Living Social, Black Friday, etc. deal. Signing up a full year in advance for Spartan, at $40, was more expensive than their Groupon deal 6 months later. Unless you have to run a certain race and a certain heat, bide your time. They want to fill up spots, so deals are out there if you look and are patient. 
• Have fun! Hey, I know this post sounds rough and all "Go, go go!", but that's because that's how I motivate myelf. Don't forget to have some fun out there. Meet some people. Run with a friend. Stick around and swap stories with other racers in the fairgrounds. If you see me, buy me a beer. ;)

I hope this had been somewhat informative. Hopefully it has helped you in some small way to get a better finish at your next race. If you've some tips and/or tricks or your own, drop me a comment!