Ruck Review: GoRuck Light Washington DC Class 326

 

The GoRuck gods couldn't have planned a better day. It had been raining the entire week leading up to our second GoRuck Light! It's funny how Justin thinks I'm crazy for doing these events, but I think he's crazy for not wanting to do it!

 

Here is a shot of our group awaiting our instructions.

 

 

 

Look at this sexy set of team weights!

 

 

 

Warming up with some PT! Doing the wheelbarrow with a ruck on is no joke! Holy ab-strength Batman!

  

 

Jill holding it down with the 20 lb sandbag.

 

 

Me buddy carrying the 120 lb.(?) sandbag. The important thing that you need to remember during these carries is that you need to share the load with someone the same height as you! It seems like common sense, but whenever someone needed to get relieved you needed to find someone the same height as the person carrying the weight or you were SOL.

 

 

Working on our people carries! Cadre Dakotah taught a few different ways to carry people. Although you can't see her face, we're carrying Jill. I got carried this way as well and it is not comfortable. I also got fireman carried (carried across the shoulders), even though I tried to hide! LOL! There were plenty of lighter girls than me! Come to think of it, none of the methods of carrying people are very "comfortable"...

 

  

 

Here's a shot of Aaron and his various weights! Can you believe he carried each of us? For what seemed like a really like long time...and uphill too!

 

 

We ended the day with a bucket of ice cold brews! They definitely hit the spot on a hot day.

 

 

So with two GoRuck Lights under our belts, the only thing left for us to is a GoRuck Challenge (basically twice as long and carrying twice the amount the weight). During the BOGO Buddy pass sale, Jill and I also signed up for the Challenge on September 12. And we get a special patch too! Woohoo!

 

 

 

We'll probably start training for it next month, but here are some things I want to accomplish with the

• One-person carry someone more than a couple of feet - it's a strength thing. Enough said.
• Step up my PT game - I need get my bear crawls, flutter kicks, etc. on lock--the key is to be prepared for everything!
• Ruck a little faster - my little legs take twice as many strides as taller people so I need to learn how to take twice as many steps without wearing myself out

I think we might try to shadow (follow a group of ruckers throughout the duration of their challenge) another GoRuck Challenge before ours to get a feel of what it is like. But if we don't, we'll just have to have faith that we've been training right!

 

To see the review our our last GoRuck Light click here!

Race Review: Nike Women's Half Marathon - April 2014

Yes, I know the title says April and we're in June...don't judge me! :P

 

Random fact...did you know that my race/fitness related posts are some of the most read posts on my blog? I think it's kind of funny because I am by no means a fitness guru, but if you like reading about my attempts at fitness grandeur I'll keep writing about it ;)

 

The Nike Women's Half Marathon is one of those races you sign up for (months in advance via lottery), then it sneaks up on you when the race day finally arrives. I know I always say that, but I seriously think it's true in this case. It doesn't seem too long ago that I ran the first Nike Women's Half in DC last year. Anyway, this time around I was able to recruit my sisters and two of my friends to join in on the fun.

 

Although they had early packet pick-up at several suburban running stores, my sisters and I opted to go to the official expo at the Georgetown Waterfront (same as last year). And you know, it was glitzier than ever.

 

They had a lot of lcool signs like the one my sister's standing next to in this picture below.

 

 

They even had a light up map of the course, which was similar to last year's (with a few differences!). Instead, of tackling the U.S. Capitol at the end, it was one of the first stops of the race.

 

Of course the expo was crowded, but that is to be expected since we came on the last day (during the last hours too)! They had Nike outfit displays, as well as Luna Bar and Nuun tasting stations. They even had a booth where you could get your running supplies (e.g.: GU gels, hydration belts, etc.).

Can you believe we had to wait in line to take this picture? I guess it was better off because there was someone taking it for us and there were no other people blocking our shot.

 

 

Here is the wall outside of the Nike Georgetown store with the names of all the runners. It is always fun to find your name on the wall, but this time we just opted to drive by.

 

The morning of race day Judy and Jill decided to snack on some of the volunteers' food, LOL! I didn't actually take any pictures during the race, it's really not my style (AKA: I'm too busy huffing and puffing I can't focus!) but I can tell you about it!

 

 

First of all it was really organized! Although they didn't have multi-wave starts, they did have somewhat of a staggered start so everyone wasn't stampeding all at once. Of course, it got a bit crowded around Hains Point but that is to be expected with the number of runners and the narrow streets. I had to go to the bathroom within the first two miles *wah, wah* so that definitely slowed me down. Not like I was expecting to PR, but still...

 

There was plenty of crowd support and entertainment along the way. My favorites were the Chinese dragon dancers and the all-female drum band, Batala. There were plenty of snack stations along the way providing Luna Bars, Clif Bloks and even chocolate! I couldn't even think of eating anything while running so I squirreled away all my snacks in my hydration belt.

 

Speaking of hydration, water and Nuun hydration beverages were available at nearly every mile! You didn't have go very far to get a drink.

 

But of course the Tiffany's necklace is what makes it worth it in the end! Me and the famous box! 

 

I have to admit I wasn't as prepared for this race as I should have been. I did train as hard as I should have. I was thinking that this was going to be my last long distance race. But...with my terrible finish time, I feel like I need some redemption. I can't let my running "career" end on low note, can I? I think I might enter the lottery for the Nike Women's next year and if I don't get in maybe run the Marine Corp. Historic Half since they are around the same time.

 

After the race, the runners, our significant others and our supporters went out for brunch at Medium Rare on Capitol Hill. The tasty food and bottomless drinks were the perfect finish!

 

Team will.run.for.dranks (minus Meaghan who was there in spirit!)

I really loved running this race. I really liked how they were able to keep it super organized despite the large number of participants. They utilized technology by personalizing video screens with your name and words of encouragement as your ran by. I liked all the hydration, snack, and entertainment stations along the course. The actual course can't be beat either! Since it is relatively flat I'm sure a lot of people were able to PR (not me this time). One thing that I didn't like was the shirt. Although, it was dri-fit, it didn't say "finisher" and only had one screen print color (white). One small negative, in an overall terrific race.

Ruck Review: GoRuck Light Baltimore Class 119

Hello everybody! I am finally getting around to reviewing my GoRuck Light experience! We had such a great time! Jill and I are already planning on doing another Light in preparation for a GoRuck Challenge next year (perhaps the Independence Day or September 11th ones--they're the popular dates in DC).

 

GoRuck was unlike anything I had experienced and I liked the fact that it was team focused. Our group consisted of people of various different fitness backgrounds. There were some people that had never done a GoRuck before, while others had done several. About a third of of our group were former military, another third were into ultra-sports (e.g.: Spartan Death Race/World's Toughest Mudder), and another third were crossfitters like myself. Of course there was some overlap between those categories and there were also some that didn't fit into any of those categories (like my sister!) but you get the idea.

 

Now that I got some photos, let me walk you through some of things we did!

 

We had to get up super early in the morning to make the 7AM meetup time in Baltimore at the steps of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Here is a shot of us getting our weight checked by Cadre Chris.

 

 

After getting our bricks checked it was on to our first challenge. One person was assigned our team leader and it was his job to guide us to our next destination. Of course, the Cadre threw us a curve ball and said that we had five casualties that we had to carry along the way. That meant five of our team members had to get on another person's back and be carried for part of the way (the girls were in high rotation for being carried). There is a certain technique behind carrying someone like this. 

 

 

"GoRuck--Where you put your hand between someone's legs and then ask them their name." LOL

 

That's pic above is me. And boy is it uncomfortable (I'm sure for all parties involved!). Here is a shot of Jill being carried, too. I actually carried another female, but I couldn't carry her too far :(

 

Along the way, the Cadre would announce that we would have to pick up additional weight (aka: demo) in the form of sandbags found along side the road.

 

Me being a road guard!

 

Cadre Chris with his family (aka: the "Soul Crushers")

 

Here we are lined up doing push-ups. I don't know what they are called but they were freakin' hard! Basically the person in front of you put their legs on your back, then you put your legs on the back of the person behind you and then you push-up at the same time. I had never done them before so they were super challenging!

 

 

Doing the flutter kicks. Man was PT rough! Need to work on that for next time!

 

 

Jill walking along the guys' abs of steel!

 

After our first PT session we were on our way to our next destination with a new team leader. One of my teammates enjoying some ACRT--Advanced Cellular Repair Technology (aka: beer) along the way :) And yes, he's wearing a suit!

 

This newly assigned mission didn't require as many casualties, but we still had to carry some people.

 

Here is a picture of our team awaiting our next instructions.

 

 

One of my teammates who had completed a GoRuck Selection (the hardest of the GoRuck events with the lowest pass rate) said that he had carried more people during this GoRuck Light than he did during the Selection (which can span over a few days!) I guess it depends on what Cadre you get and what he is in the mood for. ;)

 

Here's Nicole being a bad a$$!

 

Here's a shot of me holding one of the many team weights--a sandbag. We had several team weights including a 65 lb sandbag, a weighted pvc pipe (which was super awkward to carry), the GoRuck flag, the American flag, and various sandbags we picked up along the way.

 

So that is just some of the things that we did. We did a ton more but if I talked about it all it would take an entire day! Plus, wouldn't you want to experience this fun yourself? ;) What was supposed to be 4-5 hours, 7-10 miles turned out to be almost seven hours and about 11 miles of good livin'. Under promise, over deliver indeed! We explored various neighborhoods of Baltimore all the way down to the Inner Harbor and back up again. We got wet (via: Harbor water), got dirty (via volleyball court), and had a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it again!

 

Go...Ruck!

Go...Ruck!

Good...Livin'!

Good...Livin'!

Easy Day...All Day!

Easy Day...All Day!

Race Review: Purple Strides 5k

Last weekend, I ran the Purple Strides 5k in Washington, DC.  I had originally signed up with a couple of friends, but unfortunately  they were unable to run the race due to some schedule conflicts and other circumstances.  As a result, I had to run the race by myself. :( I didn't mind it too much because I typically think of running as more of a solo sport anyway. Whenever I do run with other people (my sisters, Justin, etc.), we usually end up separating. Maybe next time ladies! :) 

Here's a shot of the starting line with the view of the Capitol building.

 

You could feel the energy of the crowd! Even in the early morning on a weekend! ;)

The Fabulous Bel Airs were really great! The band generously volunteered to perform their awesome music for the event because the bandleader's father had been affected by the disease. 

This pre-race festival had something for everyone. Paul Mitchell sponsored a booth with games for the kids, and the Washington Kastles had set up an area where people could play an impromptu game of tennis! Pretty cool!

 

Sorry I don't have any shots of the actual course. I usually don't take many pictures while running, especially if it's a short race like a 5k. I will tell you that the course was fast and flat, with runners moving in a "down and back" direction. Because the course was a "down and back", the cool thing was that race volunteers were able to serve water on both sides of the course. Typically, 5k races will only have one water station, so two water stations was much appreciated. And let me tell you I needed that water with the humidity! Although the race started around 8:30 AM, it got hot really fast! I don't know why I sign up for these summer races. Maybe it was a good thing that they didn't have mile markers (until the last mile) because I felt like I was seriously dying. Give me a fall or spring race any day!

My whining aside, I actually got a PR this race! Go me! I finished in 34:25. :) I beat my last 5k time by nearly five minutes! Definitely not that fast by super human standards, but fast for me considering that I'm more of a slow and steady type runner. I was really proud of myself, and to celebrate I hijacked the photo area and took some pics.

Me in my head to toe purple ensemble!

Although the weather was pretty hot, and I didn't get the technical tee that I usually like, I would have to say that this was a pretty good race for a great cause. It was an easy course to run (probably good for first timers!), and the energy of the crowds and activities were incomparable! I would consider doing this race again (temperatures pending ;).

Race Review: 50 Shades of Cray and the Baltimore Color Run

On May 11, my friends, sisters, and I ran the Baltimore Color Run. Our team consisted of the same crew that did the Lozilu Mud Run last year. I had never done a color run before so it looked pretty interesting. By the way, I use the word "run"quite loosely because this race is more for the fun aspect with it not being timed. I jokingly called it the "Color Frolic," but for those who don't typically run, this event just might be the gateway into more serious races, so I'm all for it. :)

Here's a before shot of our team, "50 Shades of Cray!" So fresh and so clean!

Here's a shot of the Beltrano sisters and our colorful socks! We all wore fun colorful knee high socks which was a nice touch!

N.J. made me a special shirt because it was my birthday. It says, "It's my birthday today! Wish me a colorful day." What made this a funny shirt was that a lot of people wished me a happy birthday while I was running the course and I didn't realize they were talking to me, LOL!

When the race was about to begin, there were a ton of people at the starting line, waiting to get the show on the road. Unfortunately, they were doing a wave start so it was taking FOREVER for to get started. Unlike the Nike Women's Half that I did a few weeks ago (where I wished there was more of a wave start), for a race of this nature, I didn't feel that it was necessary to make people wait to start running. After about thirty minutes of waiting, my teammates and I went "rouge" and broke through the barricades and started on the course, and many people followed suit.

 

After we got started, we made our way through the course, which was between Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. 

One important thing to note is that in order to get really colorful, you have to run kind of slow through the color stations. That way, the volunteers can pelt you with powder, thus saturating you with color! Also, the sunglasses, while cute, also were functional as they protected our eyes from the colored powder!

 

The atmosphere was friendly and the crowds we're energized. I would also like to note that there was adequate water stations and port-o-potties on the short 5k course because I had used both within the first mile of the race! 

Thanks N.J. and T.H. for the all the cool photos!

Luckily, the rain stayed away for much of the race while we were running. Toward the end of the race, it did start sprinkling a little harder; however, we made it back to the car just in time. Although the beginning of the race got off to a rough start due to what I thought was an unnecessary wave start, it was a fun way to get my birthday started off right!

Race Review: Inaugural Nike Women's Half Marathon DC

Finally! I have a moment to write a race review for the Nike Women's Half Marathon that I ran a few weeks ago. I'll try to make it short and sweet. :)

First things first is the race expotique. The expo was at the Georgetown Waterfront the Thursday-Saturday before the race. Anticipating the large crowd size that Georgetown normally has over the weekends, I decided to pick up my bib after I got off work on Thursday. This move proved to be beneficial, as I didn't have to wait in line for anything. It's kind of neat how they set up this tent on the waterfront. You wouldn't even think that there was a fountain/ice rink underneath it.

Because this was my second time running the Nike Women's (having done so before in San Francisco two years ago), I had managed my expectations about what the expo was going to be like. Based on my prior experience, this expo is more of a "Nike Fashion Showcase", highlighting the latest and greatest of Nike design. If you needed your pre-race supplies, you would probably be better served at one of the many running stores located on M St. On the plus side, Luna had a great booth where you could create personalized signs, and of course they were giving away plenty of snack sized Luna bars. Yummy!

People getting their hair did...

Now on to race day! Because I was pretty much flying solo on this one, I had to take the extra initiative to make sure I didn't forget anything on race day. With no one to provide me reminders that morning, I forgot two things: 1) To eat (ack! I ended up eating a GU gel); and 2) I forgot my corral bracelet. The corral bracelet was just a colored bracelet (kind of like the ones you get at a bar to indicate you're of drinking age) that indicated which corral you were in. Unfortunately, I forgot mine and had to start the race in the very last corral (aka: with the walkers). wah wah. For future reference, I hope they begin putting the corral designation on the bibs, versus an extra accessory (e.g. bracelet) you have to put on/worry about on the day of the race.

Here's a shot of the crowd before the start. The race was well equipped with Luna bars (which I didn't eat while on the course, but just hoarded for later :), Nuun electrolyte beverages, Clif Brand Shot bloks (delicious, just like gummy bears!), and of course water. The entertainment was great and the crowd support was good too. One of my favorite signs said something along the lines of "Binders full of runners," LOL.

One more suggestion I would make would be to have more of a wave start. Each wave pretty much started one after the other consecutively, which caused major backups for the the first five miles of the race (nearly half!). Please remember that Haine's Point is narrow, so weaving in and out of crowds is not very ideal in this part of DC course.

At last I reached the end while shaving off nearly 15 minutes on my previous half marathon time. Woohoo! Here I am with the tuxedoed Tiffany's necklace deliverer, showing off my old necklace with my newly earned one in the box. 

Because I finished earlier than expected, Justin and Kos weren't ready to meet me at the finish line.  While I waited on the boys, I decided to get my face touched up at the Bare Minerals trailer. I just needed a little something to get the dried sweat off my face to make me somewhat presentable for brunch downtown. 

So that's my review of the Nike Women's Half! But here are some other fun things that happened that weekend!

Jill and I saw Kaskade for his "It's You, It's Me" tour at U. Street Music Hall. I've been listening to Kaskade for nearly a decade (!!) and for this tour he was playing all of his old school deep house tracks. The show was so good!

Bathroom selfie!

I couldn't get a decent picture of Kaskade in the DJ booth for the life of me...

But one of his Twitter fans shared this pic collage of him in this awesome t-shirt. Puppies FTW!

Also, Justin's friend from college Kos came to visit for the weekend.  The boys were out drinking the whole weekend, catching up and sharing memories of their "glory days".  Although Justin and I enjoyed his company greatly (we love getting out-of-town visitors), I believe the Frenchies topped us and soaked up all the attention they received from their Uncle Kos.  Below is a shot of the guys passed out after we came home from brunch, following the race.  After a full stomach, the Frenchies knew it was prime time to pounce and take advantage of some couch time.

As the picture above indicates, we had a so much fun that weekend, we had nothing left in the tank by the time we made it to Sunday night.  Unfortunately, the schedule busyness would not end there with the Kentucky Derby just around the corner and another trip to Louisville on that following Thursday.  Stay tuned for the details on our Derby weekend :)