Red Rock Relay

Destination 360
View of Cedar Breaks on Snow Van's First Leg

Last weekend I ran the Red Rock Relay. It’s a 186-mile, 12-person relay from Brian Head ski resort to Cedar City to St. George to Zion’s National Park. Each person runs three legs of the course, and your team keeps going throughout the night. We began on Friday morning and finished on Saturday afternoon. The 12 team members are divided into two vans, so one van can take some time to rest while the other van is supporting runners. 

I was in van #1 (snow van), and I was runner #6. My legs were 5.5, 5.5, and 2.1 miles long (my running distances, not my leg-legs). I think that was pretty easy compared with some other people’s legs. I think the longest single leg was 8.2 miles. None of my runs were at particularly hot times of the day either. My first leg was at about 11 am, but we were still up in the mountains at about 8,000 feet, so it was cool and windy. The headwind was actually a pain, but at least it kept me cool. That leg was kind of tough because it was all uphill, and the thin air made me breathe a lot harder. I think I ate too much before that run because my stomach felt kind of gurgly. I ate a couple of shot bloks and had some water as I ran because I didn’t want to bonk. It’s hard for me to find the balance with my eating. If I don’t eat enough, I don’t have enough energy, but if I eat too much, my stomach rebels.

My second leg was at about 11pm in the middle of the desert between Newcastle and Veyo (the middle of nowhere). The stars were incredible. I kept covering my headlamp and looking up so I could get a good look at the sky. That leg had a lot of downhill, so I kept a good pace. I think I did 5.5 miles in 47 minutes. It was not too hot and not too cold. I wore shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, which I peeled off (to short sleeves underneath!) after a couple of miles. I didn’t eat much before and had just a few chugs of water during that run. Tummy was better.

My third leg was pretty much cake, except for a steep hill, some ups and downs, and the rising sun blinding me. I thought I would have done it faster than my 19-minute time. I was really not good at pacing myself in any of my runs. I usually start out slow and do a negative split, but the race adrenaline always has me going out too fast and then not increasing my pace too much because I’m already tired.

So the important questions are: Was it fun? and Would I do it again? Yep, it was fun. That had a lot to do with the people in my van. You do not want to do this race with party-poopers, boring lugs, or crabby patties. The worst part was probably getting up at 3 am to go out and run again. Also, you really don’t run with anyone else. There are not a lot of people in this race. It’s just you and your deep thoughts. One leg is even called “Desert Solitude.” Would I do it again? Yes, I’d probably do it once a year. That’s enough getting up in the middle of the night to run for me. If I do it again next year, I won’t eat as much. (Running and riding races definitely have different food requirements. My running stomach is much more sensitive and should probably have less food in it.) And maybe I’ll actually train a little bit more. My crossfit legs weren’t tired, but my lungs were. Wow, that was a lot of detail, but if you’re ever van #1, runner #6 in the Red Rock Relay, it might help.

Born to Run

From Google Products Check it out

I just finished reading this fun and funky book by author Christopher McDougall. Highly recommended. Now I finally understand why a guy ran past me in a loin cloth, no shoes, and blond dreads in the St. George marathon  a few years back!

The book tells about the Tarahumara, a tribe in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, who can run ultradistances in sandals over insane terrain with nothing but some tortillas, chia, and pinole in their bellies.  Some eccentric Americans went to learn their secrets and race against them. The author tells their story and shares some amazing research about running and the way we think about our health. For instance, the more expensive your running shoes, the more likely you are to injure yourself running. Or how about this, people can maintain peak running speeds into their fifties. Lots of stuff that will blow your mind. After reading it I went out and ran in my barefeet and bought some chia seed. Now for some Vibram five fingers?

Practically Barefoot

Vacation's Over

I’ve been away from crossfit for a few weeks now. I thought I was keeping up somewhat by doing some running, riding, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and some push-ups and sit ups the odd time. Baby, I was wrong. I went back yesterday and did a pretty basic workout of thrusters and jump rope and it nearly killed me! I was wondering why I was paying someone to torture me. Please take me back to the beach and let me kayak…

I could really only manage 45 pounds for the thrusters because we did 5 rounds of 21 reps. I did singles with a few double unders thrown in for my skipping, and I was sucking wind. So much for my little jogs through the forest. I should have been doing some intervals I guess! High intensity has escaped me. And I was so worked, I wasn’t having fun. It’s the same feeling as when you start a new fitness program and you’re hating it. But for me, when I start seeing progress, I get motivated. So I think it’s going to take me a couple of weeks to get back on the wagon, and then I hope I’m growling with fury as I heave barbells around the gym…or something like that.

Workout of the Day

Vacation blogging is tough and the WODs have been too.

Today:

Warm up

Kayak 1000m with an eight-year old in front of you

Skill

200m walk on beach logs and rocks in bare feet

Met-con

10 mile hilly mountain bike for time
Bonus points
+10 for not falling off ladders or bridges
+5 for eagle spotting
+5 for not bear spotting (just some scat)

Cool Off

Canoe 4 children 2000m
Bonus points
+10 for not spilling the baby
+10 for retrieving dropped paddles (2x)

Crossfit vs. Sport-Specific Training

Photo: Kay Hutchings 

Crossfit, I love you. I truly do. I’m addicted. I love having the strength in my upper body that I’ve never had. My back is stronger than it has ever been since having kiddies. I rarely feel a strain in my lower back. Even my twin skin (which is more like a twin FOLD) seems smaller. But if I really wanted to get serious about competing in mountain biking, I’d have to hit the pedals and cut back the crossfit.

Last week I did another mountain bike race. I’ve only been able to ride about once a week. I’ve been crossfitting about 4 times a week. On the other hand, my sister has been riding about 6 times a week. I was strong enough to complete a tough race with two laps of a pretty steep climb, but my sister left me in the dust. Her time was 20 minutes faster than mine!! So I think that shows me that crossfit keeps me in good all round shape, but not sport-specific shape.

I came 4^th in the beginner category. It was decent, but I know I could do better with some more riding. Maybe I can do some more night riding? I don’t know. I’ll have to be creative if I want to fit it in. I’m really happy to spend the time at crossfit though, it is just making feel better, sleep better, and it’s kind of fun—in a strange way.

I also rode with my girlfriends from Salt Lake. That was even more fun than the race. We did a really fun trail in Corner Canyon. I did have quite a crazy wipeout on my downhill though. Maybe I should get some armor!

Overhead Squats

 At our gym doing an overhead squat. How about that form?! This shot makes my butt look big--or maybe it just is big. Is that all a girl can think about? Okay, I'll try to be less self-conscious about my body.

This is a difficult lift!! It might not look too tough, but if you've ever tried it, you know what I'm talking about. If you've never tried it, give it a shot. It's kind of crazy. On a lighter attempt than the one pictured here, I actually dropped the bar in front of my feet and fell on my bum.


In this picture, I am lifting 75 pounds, which was my max for the morning, and a PR (of course, since I've never tried this before!) For an overhead squat, you take the bar at shoulder height and lift it overhead. Then keeping the bar overhead, you squat down so your knee angle is beyond 90 degrees and stand back up. It is reeeeeaaaaaally hard to keep the weight steady. I had to concentrate, take a breath, hold my breath, keep my core tight, keep my arms straight, keep my weight on my heels, keep the bar over the mid-mass of my body, and keep my shoulders "active", which means kind of hunched up. So much to think about. It's worse than learning to swing a golf club. 

It's great to be stronger every week. Even though the weight I can lift is much less than what others can do, I get better every week. That gives me a lovely, little feeling of accomplishment and keeps me going. I'm also getting stronger with my one-band pull-ups. After our workout last week, I had done a total of 100.

Feeling Guilty for Exercising??

At least get out there with them.
From Freesurf Magazine

“I would feel guilty getting a babysitter for my kids just because I was exercising.”

These words were actually spoken to my friend by her neighbor. So I’m just going to go on about that for a minute. Would this same woman say, “I would feel guilty getting a babysitter for my kids just because I was going to a museum (or going on a date with my hubby, or spending some time with friends, or taking a class, etc?)” Would this woman say, "I would feel guilty taking my daughter for a bike ride because she should really be doing something better with her time?" I don’t know. But maybe she is not familiar with all the benefits of exercise. Here are a few:

1. Exercise improves your mood.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

8. Exercise can increase mental focus.

9. Exercise can improve digestion.

That’s just a little info. For more details check out

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676 

or

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/fitness/articles/2010/06/30/0630healthexercise.html

I’m not saying she has to exercise, but to make someone else feel badly because they are taking the time to exercise--that is a little weird and twisted to me. I think exercise helps me be a better mom by reducing stress, helping me have more energy for my kiddies, etc. I just want to take this woman by the hand and take her for a nice walk around a lake and see if she lets a little sigh of relief escape. Or maybe give her $20 to pay for a babysitter? Or maybe just tell her mothers don't have to be martyrs...