trial of miles; miles of trials

Barbarian Challenge

Previous MonthRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesAleph's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2011201220132014201520162017
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

CA,USA

Member Since:

Nov 01, 2011

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

runner since 2003.

Short-Term Running Goals:

 

9 sept 2017: imogene pass.

Long-Term Running Goals:

WHO RUN THE WORLD? #girls

Personal:

Like the founder of this blog, my name is Sasha. I live in Utah most of the time, but sometimes I live in other places. My partner in life and running is a year-old blue heeler (ACD).

I most prefer to run in the forest, but anywhere is fine. I don't usually train for anything in particular. I just like to run.

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Mundial Team Lifetime Miles: 24.00
Copa Mundial Lifetime Miles: 12.00
Lunarglide Lifetime Miles: 26.65
Total Distance
7.90
Asics Miles: 4.20Merrells Miles: 3.20
Race: Barbarian Challenge (4.2 Miles) 02:15:00, Place in age division: 85
Total Distance
4.20

We entered the Barbarian Challenge in March, as a horde of 8 with soccer girls plus a few boyfriends. I walked it, since I'm just now allowed to run again and I knew I'd overdo it if I let myself run. Anyway, over the course of a few miles we did the following:

- climbed over wrecked cars

- crawled under live wires

- waded through water (like half the time)

- climbed 3 gnarly hills

- climbed over 15-foot high walls

- carried sandbags

I sustained two major (not really) injuries:

- giant, hugely swollen bruise on left forearm... from the slip 'n' slide, no less.

- similarly swollen and ridiculous-looking bruise on left shin. Fortunately, it seems to have been just below where the break was-- a few weeks ago I slammed my broken right shin into a metal boat while teaching sailing class and it was NOT. GOOD.

You know what the most frustrating thing in the world is? WALKING a competitive race. But I'm glad I did it. My shins didn't hurt the next day. Now that I'm closer to being able to run again, I'm realizing how awfully out of shape I've gotten! Sure, I can swim a mile and do six pull ups, but I'm also getting a little chubby and I haven't been as careful to eat well in the last few weeks. Not being able to run makes me kind of apathetic and disinterested in my own health. So that's the goal for the week: back to normal. I ate chia gel for breakfast so that's pretty decent. Hope everyone has a great week.

Asics Miles: 4.20
Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

elliptical: 

10 easy to warm up
6 pullups and 15 sit-ups on the incline

10 minutes quick, 15 more sit-ups

30 more quick, then 10 to cool down

 

I tried to watch "Get Him to the Greek" while on the elliptical but it really doesn't work for me to do that, so I went back to listening to rap music because I love it. No shame.

Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Since I do like to entertain y'all with the philosophical side of my athletic pursuits: when I ran the BC on Saturday, one of the other women on my soccer team decided to hang back and walk with me, since she's" not in running shape." She is the same person who told me last fall that she was looking forward to running a 5k, which just made my jaw drop. If you can play a full game of soccer, you can run a 5k! Maybe not quickly, but you can absolutely do it, no question.

I digress: we have another friend, K, who very much has the "runner's build" -- slender, well-built, with good posture and very long legs. K and her boyfriend removed their shirts for the race, and since I was with them, I did too. When we three walked over to join the rest of our "horde," they gave me funny looks, so I got really self-conscious and put my shirt back on. Later, during the race, my fellow walker and I got to talking about the acceptability of removing one's shirt in public places, particularly in the context of racing. My friend -- her name also begins with a K, but let's call her L -- told me that she used to take her shirt off when she wanted, but doesn't anymore now that she's a little older (a few months shy of 50). I can tell from L's build that she, like K, has been slim, if not skinny, for her entire life. You know how people on the internet are always yelling about how skinny is just normal for some women, and people shouldn't assume they have eating disorders? K and L are the kind of people they're talking about. So I sort of related to her feeling, but in a different way. I am half-Guatemalan, so I'm very short and slightly stocky in the way that Latin American people sometimes are. I put on muscle with very little difficulty, but I just will never have that long, slender, all-American build that is so prized in the South (ha ha, and everywhere).

Real talk: fast distance runners are often pretty thin. And they are expected to be thin, which I guess is fine except for these two things that happen. First, people who are thin are seen as more disciplined, accomplished, responsible, and admirable; regardless of what they actually do with themselves. Because, real talk, some people look like that without running. Some people look like that because they are Scandinavian, or because of a gluten allergy, or because they do a lot of cocaine. Second, it is then "embarrassing" to let the world see that you are not their image of an athlete, because then everyone will "know" how lazy and irresponsible you are. It is not even slightly unusual for someone to make a comment about some person "inflicting" their body on the world by wearing a short skirt, tight shirt, etc.

Mostly, I let this stuff go, because it's not my problem and also because you do see some pretty unfortunate combinations of very unhealthy people and very unflattering outfits in the high summer in Huntsville, AL. But where I won't stand for it is at an athletic event. A thousand people showed up at that race course to put themselves to the test. They should be allowed, within reason, to outfit themselves in whatever they want to wear. In that context, the athlete's comfort is above the spectator's opinion. It was late June and we were crawling through a mud pit and climbing dirt hills in the blistering heat-- I'm sorry, why should I keep my shirt on again?

Anyway, as I was getting all huffy in my head about this issue, L pointed out that K "works hard" for the body she has, implying thereby that K deserves her reward, which is taking her shirt off. That pretty much settled the issue for me: I don't believe in working out to make yourself look better. I believe in doing it to be more capable. I like being able to do pull-ups because I like climbing on things. I like being able to run ten miles because, uh, I like running ten miles. I like being the kind of person who puts time into my training and accomplishes things because I want to do them, not because I need approval from someone else. So about a mile in, I took my shirt off and stuck it in the back of my pants because IDGAF. What, I haven't worked hard enough to earn that privilege, despite the fact that I work out almost daily and have done so for the past six years? Sorry, DGAF.

About ten minutes after making this decision, the slip'n'slide-- a series of tarps set up over a bare rock face and hosed down with soapy water-- left me with a rapidly swelling bruise that got so big I looked like I had two elbows. Luckily, I had my soaking shirt on hand to wrap it, applying cool water and pressure at the same time. Voila! Good thing I didn't let ill-guided modesty prevent me from giving myself proper medical attention.

 

Oh, and-- for exercise, I swam a mile today.

Cheers, a.

Comments(3)
Total Distance
0.50

20 jump squat

15 incline sit-up

x3

 

20 minutes elliptical

 

6 bench press (50#? I forgot to check)

10 shrug (20# dumbbells)

x3

 

20 minutes elliptical

 

5 pull-ups (what is the difference between a chin-up and a pull-up?)

10 push-ups (I'm a wimp)

x3

 

10 minutes elliptical (cool down)

 

then I ran to the stop sign and back (probably half a mile total). The doctor said to start at half a mile and not increase more than ten percent each time. I am worried my math skills may not be up to the complication of 10% increase calculated from 0.25


Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Rest. Had to get up at 2:50 AM for work, so I am about ready for bed. Today's contemplative topic: why people suck at dating each other; seriously, is it that hard?

Bruises from the weekend are looking nice. I'd post a pic, but I have no idea how to do that.

Comments(2)
Total Distance
0.00

Well, crap. Looks like I'll have to throw out the Pose Method of Running book my mom bought me for my birthday.

One hour of basketball at the gym. I like to keep a bunch of sports in my rotation, as each hits muscle groups it can be hard to think of otherwise.

Scott Jurek's new book, Eat and Run, came in the mail today. I may be vegan by the end of the week, we'll see. He opens with a William James quote, I'm digging it already.

Heat wave this weekend. 109 tomorrow. Pray for our sorry souls.

Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Swam about half a mile. Really sore-- from basketball, I guess. Tired.

Add Comment
Total Distance
3.20

Despite my better judgment, I went hashing today. We started at 1, but it was only 100 degrees. The nice thing about walking a hash is that people get stopped up or turned around so you aren't really ever too far behind. I ran just a little of it-- maybe half a mile total. After the run we all got on inner tubes in a river and floated two miles down to where we'd left our cars. There were jello shots, but 1) I hate Jell-O and 2) it was melted anyway and 3) REALLY????!?! Anyway.

Earlier in the day, I went to the gym and shot and messed around for an hour. I used a  men's size ball, since I always had to in college playing coed intramural. I made one three-point shot and was inordinately proud.

Jurek's book is good.

Merrells Miles: 3.20
Add Comment
Total Distance
7.90
Asics Miles: 4.20Merrells Miles: 3.20
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: