Transmountain Challenge

It's been about two months since I completed my last half marathon before surgery. I wanted to cross Texas off my list of states so I headed to El Paso to knock out the Transmountain Challenge. 

I hit a small brewery in Las Cruces, NM for some chos and peach beer. Pretty good! This was their Xsmall plate. Perfect for just me.

I made it down to the Golden Horseshoe that Mom and I hit a few years earlier. Kind of a gross place, but you can find great deals. Also helps if you speak Spanish. The only thing I could remember from my recent trip to Tulum, MX was asking how much; however, everything was appropriately marked and I just did a bit of nodding to get through it all. 

I later hit a little dive called Taps down that direction as well. The chos were even better. 

I probably shouldn't have drank all the beer but I considered it carbo loading. I headed back to my hotel and prepped for the run the next morning.

Parking was a bit of a mess because half the roads were shut down. You had to drive around the barricades to park which wasn't exactly intuitive. 

The morning wasn't terribly chilly. The first mile or so was relatively flat. Heading into mile 2 my running partner slipped on some rocks and almost ate it. He tweaked his ankle a bit but managed to keep running. We maintained a 2:1 run/walk interval for most of it until we got to the crazy steep parts of the hill. It was about 6 miles of uphill. I wanted to die. The breeze was chilly, especially after you work up a sweat. My hamstrings (what I've always thought to be ischial bursitis is actually torn hamstrings after 3 years of misdiagnosis) were killing me with the uphill! I was actually walking faster with less energy than running so we skipped a few intervals and reversed them for a bit. The scenery was pretty though.

Down hill was AWESOME! It felt good to work different muscles. We even managed to make up for some of our lost time from the hill. 

On our descent, this pack of runners ran by us when we were on a walk interval. They shouted something about not giving up trying to be encouraging. It really was just annoying. If I stop, encourage me. If I'm walking, keep your mouth closed. We dusted them on our next run interval and never saw them again. 

About mile 10-11 is when my posterior tibial tendonitis started to kick in. I slowed way down. We still managed to finish in roughly 2:37 which given the hill really isn't that bad! I should also mention we dressed as foxes....what does a fox say by the way?

I managed to get back to the hotel before checkout so I could get in a quick shower. I hopped in the car and headed straight back to Tucson. 

For a final race, I'd say it felt pretty good and deem it a success.

Chips and Salsa Half Marathon (THE BIRTHDAY HALF)

The week before my birthday, I decided I had to find a half marathon on my birthday.  Besides, it's not like a birthday falls on a weekend day every year.  I found the Chips and Salsa Half Marathon in Albuquerque, NM.  Since NACHOS are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOOD, and chips and salsa is a close relative, I thought this would be perfect.

As is typical for my running adventures, no one could or wanted to go with me. Bleh and boo hoo and all that jazz.  As I was getting ready to head out, I thought I'd Google some things to do.  I found a list that named Downtown ABQ as a good place to hang, so I expanded the list and noticed Hot Yoga Downtown Albuquerque studio.  I've always wanted to try it because I want so desperately to LOVE yoga - I know my hammies certainly need it!  And guess what! They had a class I could actually make...provided I got my ass in gear and got out the door.  The only down fall was my yoga mat was at work (we do lunch time yoga at work once a week).  So I really needed to move because it would still take less time to find a local Walmart and grab a cheapy mat.  That is exactly what I did.

I took the back roads to ABQ.  It took the same amount of time but was about 60 miles shorter than taking I10 all the way there.  I made it to Walmart quick like, grabbed my packet and headed across town.  The interstate system through town was pretty awesome unlike Tucson, so it was easy to get around.

I told the studio I was new to Hot Yoga and visiting for a run. Another guy who walked in with me was also new to the studio and Hot Yoga, so that made me feel a little better. I thought he'd be a pro either way since he showed up in all Lululemon men's gear.  I'd done little research on Hot Yoga...so I had an "Oh crap" moment when I realized it was 90 minutes, but thankful they had a shower (which is standard). I was also thankful that I'd brought my EcoVessel with me to keep cold water in...which I drained with a quickness in the hot and humid room.

As we started going through the flows, Mr. Lululemon started sitting out more and more. I was happy I was hanging although not going as deep as some of the other people. I know it is about some zen meditation, but my miniature competitive streak was still happy. I finished. I was oh so thankful for the relaxation at the end!

After a quick shower...undressing was the slow part. It's hard to peel wet clothes off, I decided to hit the Lululemon store...mainly because I was jealous I didn't have fancy Hot Yoga gear.   The dressing room attendants were awesome.  I chose a pair of Groovy Run Shorts with a pretty cherry blossom pattern.  It turns out the people at Lululemon were volunteering at the race the next day too.  They promised to remember my name and cheer me on. I thought it was sweet.


In my search for ABQ activities, I stumbled on a Mexican restaurant called El Pinto.  Apparently many famous people have eaten there and loved it. It also happens that they have America's Best Nachos according to the Wall Street Journal in 2006.

So here they are! This was a huge portion (and only a half portion at that) with a bit of something on every chip and all very fresh. However, they lacked any real complex flavors. It was simply freshness and nose watering jalapeños.

After my carbo nacho load, I headed to the hotel and prepped for the next day. I got very little sleep due to the storms and the stupid flood mass alert siren on my phone. Bleh.  I managed to crawl out of bed, eat a little something, pack the car and head to the race with a little time to spare. 

I expected the race to be small but I was a bit frustrated with the lack of organization. Most people couldn't find the start line...and none of us could figure out the map. Once we found the start line, we realized we were facing the wrong way...which caused the race to start late since we all had to flip around.  The race director ensured us the course was well marked.  And it was.

The course wound through a lot of neat neighborhoods.  There were many gorgeous houses that I fantasized about owning some day. I even spotted some hot air balloons which always makes me smile.

There were plenty of water and Gatorade stops along the way, but no fuel, gels, snacks, gummies, whatever.  Make sure you bring you own if you ever do this race.

At the second water stop, I saw a hot dog.  The hot dog looked familiar... I was just happy to see someone else dressed up since I only saw a taco racing...and of course I had my sombrero and mustache.  As I passed the hot dog, a girl yelled my name and sure enough it was the crew from ABQ Lululemon!  They remembered me!  It was pretty awesome considered I was wearing a hat, had no name on my bib and wasn't wearing my new Lulu shorts and they still found me!  It made my birthday pretty special since no one else was there to cheer me on.

Around mile 10, my ankles started to hate me and I gimped along the last three miles trying to do a 2:1 interval without a timer.  I need a backup app for that (one that won't mess with Nike+) for when I leave my Gym Boss at home.  As I approached the finish line, people were standing under it holding it up for me.  I hate those things.  It's not the first one to collapse on me and ruin my final moments of a run.  I'm pretty sure I finished close to last with 2:53 (even though there was a 3:30 cut off). 

I then made my way over to the snacks.  Water, granola bars and fig cookie bars...and wait for it....wait for it.... HALF A BURRITO! WTF?! NO chips and salsa?!?!?! This was a Chips and Salsa Half not a Burrito Half! Oh well, I was happy to have half a meal in my tummy for the drive home.

 

As you can see the bling isn't too terribly spectacular.  You'd think they'd do more since it was the 10th anniversary, but oh well. I did at least have the opportunity to double dip and earn my virtual Birthday Bash 5k medal.

Once I got back into town which took a bit longer due to the flooding (I'm sure the car floated at one point out on the reservation), a friend took me out to Blanco's for nachos (of course).  They are tied for number one nacho spot with Sir Vezas.  I had a couple of margaritas (hello Mango Jalapeno) and birthday flan!

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Shinanigans

I took off on Thursday for Disney to do the Dumbo Double Dare (10k Saturday, 1/2 marathon on Sunday).  My hotel wouldn't let me check in 45 minutes early so I caught up with the Endurance Sports Connection crew to help them schlep stuff from hotel to hotel and pack swag bags for our meet up.  The bags were PHENOMENAL! We stuff 500 of them in a little under two hours.  Loads of freebies (I'd say better than the expo)!  When we finished, we went to Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel for some food and drink. Good times! We congo lined around the restaurant and likely earned some weird looks as we slowly but surely took over about half of the outdoor seating.

While hanging out with random ESC people, we learned that there was a 2 mile power walk through California Adventures in the morning for resort guests.  I stayed with a wonderful bunch of people at the Grand Californian so we could hit power walk.  I did run over and finally check into my hotel so my roommate had a place to sleep.

I ended up doing the power walk in my race clothes and managed to not smell TOO bad for race day.  Then I hit the INSANE expo.  I probably waited around an hour and a half to get my shirts and bib, another hour and fifteen to have my ankle taped and another hour to purchase race merchandise.  My feet were killing me!!! Not a good start for the race weekend!  I did manage to wander around Disneyland for a bit by my lonesome.  I hit Indian Jones and Pirates and called it a night. 

The fireworks...those suck...  I'm so used to going to bed early and the race was early.  They went off around 9:30 and made me jump out of my skin!!!  My roomie came in shortly there after.  I felt bad that I was half asleep when I met her but oh well. 

The next morning was EARLY for the 10k.  I was Vanellope von Schweetz.  The 10k went well.  I ran with a couple of people for ESC on a 2 min run/1 min walk interval.  We actually finished around 1:18 which wasn't bad.  We managed to stop for some pictures, but I wasn't really digging the characters.  It wasn't like WDW.  It seemed to lack the more classic characters.  It was princesses and Pixar... I'm just ho hum about both. I want LILO and STITCH and Wreck-It Ralph and of course the Fab 5.

Once the race was finished, I attempted to find my way back to the hotel.  I am incredibly directionally challenged so I wasn't shy about asking an officer how to get back to the road I needed to be on.  HE WAS WRONG! I spent about an hour and a half walking in a weird circle trying to get my GPS on my phone to work!  I finally made it back to my room around 10:30.  I got cleaned up and headed to the park.  I was supposed to meet a friend.  His phone died and so I ended up wandering the parks alone most of the day until another lady from the group came and wandered with me.  We left around 7 and I again tried to sleep through the fireworks.

Then I did something REALLY stupid.  I hopped in the car with another lady and we drove to San Pedro where we registered for another half marathon on Monday called Conquer the Bridge.

The next morning was even earlier for a 5:30 race.  Have I mentioned how much those fireworks SUCK?!  I lost my 2:1 group due to a bathroom break and somehow never managed to catch them.  Well, actually, I passed them at some point.  Oh well.  I managed to take the shorter route back to the hotel this time. 

Of course I had to hit the park one more day!  I went to California Adventures and enjoyed a few single rider lines and fast passes. My roommate joined me later and we had a good afternoon in the park.  We followed that up with the hotel hot tub because I knew I was going to need all the help I could get for the back-to-back half marathon I was about to complete!

Yet another early morning on Monday so I could drive up to San Pedro.  The good news is there was no traffic because of the holiday.  It was cool by the Los Angeles Harbor.  I should also point out this was my second race (first was Vegas Spartan this year) where I ran in just a sports bra instead of a shirt/tank.  I was self conscious, but I was also cheap and didn't want to buy yet ANOTHER shirt on my emergency run to Target for race clothes.  We managed to get on a local news station as we ran by the start...which really made me regret not wearing more clothes.  I warmed up quick once the race started.  The misty air, temps and lack of crowd made this an AWESOME race.  I kept with the 2:1 interval minus going uphill on the bridges.  The whole bridge concept was neat...mainly since it is rare that it is shut down for event traffic.  It stayed in the perfect temperature and overcast range until about the time we went back up over the Vincent Thomas Bridge which was probably around 8:45 or so.  By that point the 5.3 milers had started and it was almost like being at the Disney races all over again.  We actually managed to shave 30 minutes off my (I say my since I finished alone and I'm not sure what my partner finished in) Disneyland Half Marathon time.

I've been on a runners high for almost two weeks... the next race is set for my birthday (September 15th).  I'll be running the Chips and Salsa Half Marathon in Albuquerque, NM. I can't wait...chips and salsa is a close second to nachos and since they are my favorite food in the world, this race seems like the perfect way to celebrate my birthday!

Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight 10k

I opted for the 10k length of the ET Full Moon Midnight races for two reasons.  The first is that I wanted to be relatively functional to avoid any buses that smell like shit.  That was terrible last year.  I can understand BO but smelling an overflowing toilet for three hours was not my idea of a good time.  The second reason later developed in the form of posterior tibial tendonitis.

I got up early and headed to Vegas.  I ran some errands once in town.  I had read a bit about some SwiftWick socks and thought since the running store was closer to my hotel than a local running store is to my house that this was a great opportunity to run and grab some.  I checked into the hotel and headed to Fremont Street for lunch.  $1.25 hot dog.  It's a must.  I don't know why...but I crave hot dogs the instant I hit the city limits. I also went to the Main Street Brewery and ordered a flight of beers.  Carbo load right?  Hey, it was still early.  Not like it would still have an effect.

Later, I headed to the expo to get my packet and bus tickets for my spectator.  He was cranky, but I was still happy to have someone there cheering me on.  The expo is always simple and cute.  While it was crowded for such a small race, the lines went quickly.  The race director, Joyce, seemed bombarded but managed to get everyone taken care of.  Of course, I had to get details on the costume contest.  I HAD to enter the costume contest!!!

I managed to do a whole whopping 2 laps in the pool at the hotel and get in an hour nap before starting to munch on my final meal.  It wasn't very exciting - cold sweet potato hash and sausage.  I munched off someone who had that pre-race before and since I'm semi paleo/whole30 at the moment, I thought that would be a good idea.  It was just OK.

The bus ride took about 3 hours.  The 2-2.5 hours from Vegas is really only if you are driving yourself. Despite the bus being marked quiet, it was rather chatty so not much sleeping going on.  We stopped for the marathon drop, but no one got off the bus since it was a 10k only bus.  We made it to the Lil A'Le' Inn by 11:45.  It took all my will power to NOT buy a beer before the race.  I love my beer.

The costume - lets talk about the costume! I rocked a metallic blue spandex suit.  I had loads of sparkly blue makeup on and a green tutu.  I wore the green tutu mainly to cover the fact that I had a zippered crotch (this isn't a "normal" costume based on some of the strangely posed models).  Of course even though I had short shorts on underneath, I still couldn't use the zipper.  The tutu also matched my spiffy glasses.  The costume was super hot, but once outside in Rachel, it felt good!

Anywho, I won Best Female Costume.  The Nevada shaped rock in my hand was my trophy :)  I was super excited.  I didn't run but maybe a 1/4 mile in the glasses, gloves and with the ray gun.

The first 5k was a PR for me.  About 31 minutes.  The second half was a bit slower since my tendonitis started to bug me.  I finished in about 1:13.  My GPS said it was only 6.18...so I wandered around the parking lot for a minute.  Then I went and claimed my breakfast.  It's good when you are hungry, but any other time it would be horrible.  The veggies were dry, hard boiled eggs were over cooked, but the rest was good.  I wish I was more of a biscuits and gravy person...but eh.  It just doesn't do it for me.  Plus, I was trying to avoid that doing some of the semi-Whole30/paleo diet stuff. 

Now....how will I out do this next year?!

So Much Physical Therapy, So Little Time

Well, I knocked out my class (because I pretty much gave up my social life) in about eight days.  Yes, that quick.  So quick that the college wouldn't let me take my final exam yet.  I begged and pleaded and they are letting me take it next week.  It's amazing I accomplished so much given that I am now up to three physical therapy appointments a week.

Posterior tibial tendonitis therapy is going well.  I walk backwards a lot trying to stretch it out and train myself to have an arch that isn't really there.  It seems better...especially after the tri and the running experiment I did there.  I've been instructed to walk 4 minutes, run 1 for about 20 minutes a day, but I still HATE walking.

Now, the ischial bursitis....it's looking like that isn't really what it is.  It's looking like a pelvic floor issue even though I don't experience all the urinary incontinence issues.  I've been given the assignment of leg lifts against a wall, band exercises and kegels (TMI?), then they can work on my SI joint which may be part of the issue, and straightening my hips and tail bone (I don't want to know how they fix the tail bone *shudder*). 

So far, I've managed to do a whole lot of PT, finish my class and still make a whole lotta healthy foods.  I'm starting to tucker out.  Whole30 has to wait till vacations are over anyway.

Tri To Help - Mesa Edition

Last weekend, I completed my first triathlon - Tri To Help in Mesa, AZ.  For people who have never completed a triathlon, this is an EXCELLENT start.

My ONLY issue was I thought they needed signage.  I know it was a VERY small even (limited to 8 people per wave), but I was still LOST walking around.  It probably wouldn't be like that at every event, especially if you attend the YMCA - oh yeah, it was held at a YMCA.

The awesome thing - it was mostly indoors.  First, you grabbed your score sheet and some Activate, then headed to the locker room to prep.  Once you meander to the pool area, they marked your calf and arm with your number.

The swim was 10 minutes long and the water was super warm.  I'm a terrible swimmer even though I have been practicing.  I hate sharing lanes because I'm terrified I'm going to knock someone out...sure enough I was the only one who ended up sharing a lane.  The guy was big so it didn't make a lot of sense to me how that was figured out.  He had a huge wake which threw me off my game a little bit, but I survived and managed 16 one-way laps (that's how they count them).  They marked my sheet 15, but the hash marks were 16 and I know I was an even number based on how where I was when I finished.

I then had 10 minutes to change into my cycling gear and get to the Spin room.  I clearly need some better gear - like the kind that glides right on when you are damp.  I used a camp towel which is great for light drying, but not so great for the heavy stuff since it feels like it just pushes the water around till it evaporates.

The biking wasn't so bad.  It was hard to get comfortable and you obviously lose time if you have to stop and adjust your bike every so often.  Plus, there was no tension on the bike so I bounced a LOT.  My poor butt killed me pretty much all week.  I was still happy with my pace and made it about 8.34 miles before time was up.

Next, you had 5 minutes to get down to the treadmill.  I managed to run to the locker room and get my iPod and head phones and get my ankle brace on just in time.  I've never been so frustrated walking before though.  I wanted to run so bad.  Oddly enough, at a 4.2 mph pace, it was more painful on my posterior tibial tendonitis than running felt.  The last minute and a half I gave up and broke into a run.  It was GLORIOUS! I'd missed it so much.  And for some reason, I find it easier to run on a high tech treadmill.  It wasn't nearly as annoying as being at home doing it.  Maybe it was because it was bigger, more roomy, not as claustrophobic...  Anywho, I made it 1.42 miles in 20 minutes.  Not bad for mostly walking.  I am short afterall.

There weren't a lot of women to compete in this - 22 I believe.  I placed 14.  I'll take it and maybe next year, I'll do better.  I'm still pleased with my first time results.  However, it did not cure my nervousness about doing one outside with "real" transitions.  There is one coming up in April that will be local.  I look forward to it (pending ankle surgery decision/outcome).

Finally! Last Class!

My final class for my Public Administration Certificate starts today.  I've already petitioned for graduation.  I'm excited and annoyed at the same time.  Since it is an online college, I've gotten REALLY good and fast at hunkering down, giving up my social life and focusing on nothing but homework for about 2-3 weeks.  I can knock out a ten week class in as little as 11 days (that's my record, next best is 17 days).  But this next class does NOT look fun AT ALL!  Typically there are 8 assessments and a couple of assignments/papers.  This one has 7 assessments, 6 assignments and a final exam! Ick. And more ICK!  I'd love to knock this one out in 3 weeks or less because that is exactly how much time I have until I leave for Vegas!  DEFINITELY not going to take until October 6!  Eww.  I remember taking the full 10 weeks for my first class.  I feel like I'd still have been in

In the mean time, physical therapy is going to be a HUGE time sink.  Especially since I am going to be going two to three times a week since I'm so broken.  I start a new one next week for my ischial bursitis.  The new doc thinks maybe a possible "pelvic floor" issue.  My previous doctor came up with that but her staff SUCKED and NEVER got me any info on a PT person for it....twice.  I mentioned it to the new doc and he agreed.  BUT I don't exhibit ANY of the symptoms...so it just annoys me.  To add to my annoyance, the questionnaire asks all about if I have issues peeing and pooping and holding it in or getting it out. NOPE!  Also, it is typically an issue for women who have given child birth - NOT me... Bleh.  I feel like I'm throwing money down the drain.  Stretching my hamstrings does nothing for me.  The prednisone I got for my tendonitis has been nice, but alas, yesterday was my last day on it.

So I suppose if I'm gone for the next two weeks, homework is where I will be.  Hopefully I can get some extra workouts in...gotta look good for Vegas.

Contemplating the Whole30

So last night after I ate the last of the Cheerios, I decided I needed to actually cook dinner for a change.  I just haven't had a lot of time for cooking anything fancy and I'm beyond burnt out on my typical favorite meals.  I keep thinking about paleo because all the cool kids are doing it. I just hope not to be one of those arrogant people I read about on blogs...like oh my life is so hard because I want this but it's not paleo - well go eat it anyway! Or the I can't go so and so place because they don't have anything paleo.  Or I only feed my family paleo and nothing else.  Hey, there are some AWESOME non-paleo foods out there (milk chocolate, cheese, more cheese, maybe some occasional chips and occasional hotdog)!  While I can't see anything wrong with paleo other than missing out on some of my favorite foods, I just don't understand why people make it such a black and white lifestyle. 

Here is what I want to do: eat healthy.  I've been looking into some simple recipes.  The thing that I'm frustrated with about most of the recipes I'm finding is that they aren't simple.  Anything more than 3 spices to measure out is complicated to me.  I stumbled on a blog called StupidEasyPaleo.com.  The recipes looks yummy and relatively simple although a lot more elegant than I'd ever care to try.  While trolling around her blog, I stumbled on the Whole30 information.  Semi paleo based, probably a little more restrictive, but they have all kinds of shopping lists and meal planning available.  I decided to get the book and start there. 

My only issue with this is that I have three major hiccups in completing the Whole30 in 30 days - Las Vegas/ET Full Moon Midnight 10k, Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare and my trip to Tulum, Mexico.   If I'm traveling, I will indulge! I know I will.  I MUST find epic nachos everywhere!!! 

In the mean time, I want to soak up some information (between soaking on the last class for my certificate and mopping up my sweat after a tough workout) and try to eat better.  The last couple of weeks have at least been filled with more fresh food than junk food (OMG VEGGIES).  Hopefully, I can get a bit further away from some of the convenience foods (Cheezits, granola bars...those are my two "at work" options).

Anyone out there tried the Whole30?  Recommendations for starting?  Epic fail to pause it for travel?

Slosh Pipe Done!

The pipe I got for under $4 measures about 6' x 3". I know they should be longer, but I'm rather short.  I thought something smaller would be a good start. I glued on a white PVC cap on one end (they are cheaper) and bought an adjustable steel cap for the other end. With the testing so far, it holds :-) I filled it about 3/4 full with water and a splash of bleach. The whole project costed under $15 (I already had the PVC glue from my DIY irrigation). Not bad for a 20-25ish lb weight. I foresee some sore abs!

Gym Under Construction

I belong to a Facebook group... It is geared towards women and obstacle course racing (OCR). Someone wanted to know if cross fit boxes were worth it. Since I'm broke and all of my credit card debt is related to racing, my answer is: it may be worth it, but I can't afford it (this is where I laugh and say I need a husband or a better job).

This put me in the mood to start myown "box" at home as it related to my previous blog post.,.

First off, I went to my favorite thrift shop in search of belts for yoga bag straps (for making my yoga mat bags out of the left over denim from my sand bags out of old jeans). I found the handmade, adjustable kettle bell! I behaved and didn't buy it but still I was in shock and awe that it was there. My first though was, "well, it must suck if its here." My second was, "that's 40 lbs of weight for $15!"  Still I was good because I knew I was going to build other things today!

Side note, my workout today - 25 lb sandbagged 4 mile walk, followed by  a nice nap because I couldn't bring myself to go try my freebie pass at LA Fitness. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I knew the lanes had just switch from 100 m to 50 m and the local pool would be semi empty. I drove down quick like and did a slow 1/2 mile swim to test my new goggles and practice my dog paddle skills. Once I finished I hit the thrift shop. 

At the thrift shop, I scored an aerobics step for $4 and (HUGE AND) a Michael Khors sequin tank top. For a dinky sequin wife beater - you know that would have been MAYBE $12-20 somewhere. But it was MK! $6!!! Score!

Then I ran to Home Depot. I bought a half sheet of plywood since I had enough left over from the glorious Murphy bed to make a plyo box, caps for my slosh pipe (I got a deal on a broken piece from a dinky hardware store 6' x 3" for under $4), 200' of rope, and supplies for a spear! Finally! The spear!

My friend Daniel (one of my favorite builder friends - I have two - and one who helped with the first two days of the Murphy bed build) came to help. We managed to make the 18" x 20" x 24" box. There was one miscut along the way...probably related to the vodka soaked watermelon, but we managed to epoxy fix it. Probably not smart for a heavy person, but I anticipate a lot more stepping than I do jumping due to my ankle issues and I'm lighter than a guy. Lots of glue and lots of screws and we ended up with this.

I'm rather proud of it. Labeled almost all of the sides. Killed a sharpie marking all of the sides. But...not only is it an awesome plyo box and huge stair stepper, it makes an awesome step stool.

Now, I have a knock off TRX from Woss Enterprises or something or other. It's great. TRX is very commercialized. You pay a lot of money for one of those. And -  I think they are worth it...for a gym. At home, you don't need something that heavy duty. I like that they have kind of a stopper loop (like my tech term there?) but that is really all my Woss is missing! People aren't using it 3-4 times a day 7 days a week. It's just me and I use it 1-3 days a week for a few minutes and to help with balance (I really need to get back on that once school is out...again....).  Sooooo... I have a hook in my gimpy vaulted ceiling in my living room. Yes, everyone that walks in thinks my Woss is a sex swing. But it's the highest point I have. That is until I scrounge up some cash and ask the ex-neighbor welder to build me an A frame type structure off the peak for climbing. Of course that's if he doesn't want to kill me for turning his barking dogs in as abandoned dogs.... Long story.

So, Daniel and I also set out to try some of the braiding techniques Id posted earlier. Maybe it was the drinks. Maybe it was that we'd been outside messing with  the box in the heat. Maybe it was that the instructions sucked! We couldn't for he life of us get anything going that remotely looked like a decent braid for weaving 8 strands of 3/8 poly rope together! I gave up and googled a tutorial on braiding 4 strands. This was because I had 2 100' ropes I'd cut to 50' then doubled to 25'. That was really my best option at this point. He got it and he braided the WHOLE thing while I untangled the ends.

Here are my gimp instructions.

Supplies:

2 different colors of 100' rope

Lighter

Scissors

Zip ties

Duct tape

D ring or something you can attach it too and hang it from 

While we were trying to figure out the instructions for braiding 8 individual strands, we had rolled up the excess rope and zip tied it. It made the untangling a bit easier. We also laid all the rope out straight and sprawled it out up top and taped it to keep it straightened out. When we came up with the 4 braid idea, we also bundled the sets of two ropes together with a loose zip strip. We slid this down as we got further down the rope and unwound it. Once they were unbundled, I duct taped the ends to the wouldn't get retangled as we threw the ropes around braiding them. 

Make sure you burn the ends when you're done. This will help to keep them from unraveling. Don't cook your fingers shaping the rope ends either (speaking from experience).

Once we were done braiding, we duct taped all of the ends together. I put a zip strip over the ended too just for an added measure. 

I did a group burn after that hoping some would melt together for added protection from unraveling.

Here is the final rope.

The other style of braiding was coming out too flat anyway. I like that this is more round although knobby. It will make a good starter rope. It has some stretch to it, but I think it will settle eventually.

In the end, 25' shrunk down to 19'. Not bad!

Sand Bag Workout for under $35.00

After reading through a lot of the GoRuck info (because I'm totally obsessing over completing one), I noticed they are now allowing you to use sand bags instead of those bricks!  I did a 3 mile walk with those bricks.  It sucked.  I don't care how much padding there is, they still seem "sharp." My back was tender the next day! I was having a hard time imagining walking, jogging, trekking, doing pushups and bear crawls for 8-10 hours with that digging into my back.

Considering I don't know how long it will take for my ankle to heal and I don't want to spend a whole lot of money (because there are race entries to buy!!), I decided to do some research on making my own sand bags.  Sand bag systems which include a duffel bag of sorts and a number of empty sand bags designed to hold 5-20 lbs of sand each are EXPENSIVE!  The cheapest one I found was a 60 lb set for $42 on eBay which actually seemed relatively reasonable, but I wanted more options and combinations than what the kit provided. Even the "sand bells" that we carry for an obstacle in a Spartan race are $20+...IT'S A SAND BAG!!!!  Then you have to go buy sand.  Sand is relatively cheap, but still!  It just seems crazy how they are priced.

Here is the supply list:
Zip lock baggies (gallon and quart sizes)
3 mil contractor trash bags
Duct tape (I used two 10 yd. rolls)
Sand
Scale
2-3 pairs of old jeans (men's work best - bigger legs)
Velcro (I used "industrial strength" which was sticky back...and not to friendly on the sewing machine)
Sharpie
Sewing machine and all the notions that go with it - thread, scissors, tape measure (if you're picky), pins if you want everything to hold still (I hate pins).

My first task was to fill the zip locks full of my desired weight of sand.  This was kind of a two step process.  I'd fill one zip lock, weigh it, then dump it into a NEW zip lock because dust was getting in the zipper and making it break.  The purpose of the zip locks was mainly for form since I thought using a HUGE bag would be difficult when it came time to shape.

Next, I taped the top of the zip lock closed with duct tape.

Remember to squeeze the air out before you duct tape them shut.


With a 60 lb. bag, I ended up with 5 10 lb. bags, 1 5 lb. bag and 1 3 lb. bag.  I'm going to guess that since my digital scale only did 1/2 lb. increments that some of them could be off by about 1/4 of a lb. to cause only 3 lbs. to be left.  Oh well.



Next, shove the sand bag inside of a contractor trash bad and start rolling into a neat little package.

Yeah - spacing/layout sucks...one day I'll care enough to learn HTML to fix it.

Eventually, it will roll up into a nice neat little package.










Getting smaller.  Press the air out.

Now wrap it in lots of duct tape! You could cover the whole thing but I really just wanted enough to give it some shape and hold the rolled parts of the bag in place while sealing the final edges.

The jeans - kind of a crappy picture, BUT they are jeans...and I think everyone knows what they look like.

The reason they almost look new is because my friend works for a clothing retailer.  These were returned because the back pocket rivet was ripping out of the pants leaving a hole.  They were going to be trashed, but he rescued them.










Next, measure.  You could be technical and account for fancy seams and hems and such...but I plan on beating these.  They will almost ALWAYS be inside of another bag, so I wasn't really picky about it.  This was how I measured: Lay out everything on top of the jeans and cut with a little bit of hem/finishing room to spare.

Flip the jeans inside out to prep for sewing.

If you are starting to reach the upper thigh part of the jeans, you may wish to add a seam for more of a straight line.

It's really a lot more straight looking, I swear.  I just did two rows of straight stitch.  I don't really know my stitches...and even after 15 years using the same sewing machine, I still don't have a clue how to really adjust everything to make it do the fancy stuff.

This was the already finished bottom of the jeans.  This worked well for my quart sized bags of sand (5 lbs. or less).

Next, stick on your Velcro.  Since I knew it would be holding a bit of weight and I MIGHT some day add some nylon straps, I wanted to make sure it stayed so I sewed around all of the edges of the Velcro.

When I had two unfinished edges of denim, I stuck the Velcro over top of the top unfinished edge thinking it might help with some of the "catching" of the bag and subsequent unraveling should I take the sand out.

Once you flip it back right side out and stuff your sand bags into it. Here is what it looks like.

I used a sharpie to write the weight on the outside.  It wasn't like they were designed to hold much more than that so I didn't have any issues permanently marking them (sometimes I have commitment issues). 

I really just need one more pair of jeans to cover my last sand bag, but you could always use a larger portion of the leg and stick two sand bags in tight for a 20 lb. bag.

This pic reminds me of minions for some reason....

Now to wait for my back ordered duffel bag from Amazon - worst case, I pay the extra $1 and get it in OD green. I just like black because pink accents look better on it :)

Cost:
Duct tape: $4.00
Sand: $4.00
Trash Bags: $16.00 for a box of 32. I used 7 bags for a total of $3.50.  You could probably use regular trash bags and just add more duct tape too. 
Industrial Strength Velcro: $8.00
Baggies: Had them. Won't miss them.
Sharpie: Had it.
Jeans: Donated.
Duffel Bag: $14.00

Grand Total: $33.50

Now....what to do with the left over butt of the jeans... maybe a Kindle case or a bag or a yoga mat carrier even though I HATE yoga!

Oh - and for those of you who ended up with the sticky Velcro

Results Are Semi In

It was great thinking it was a pinched nerve (easily fixable) in my foot. However, I picked up my MRI results. The verdict says posterior tibial tendinitis. Now....meet with the doc and get a plan of action. I'm doubting surgery. I'm semi happy about that. Maybe some PT which  more times than not has eaten my money rather than help. But I could potentially recover faster and get on to the next big plans....,

Waddle, waddle

Whatever the ankle issue is, it hurts. Originally it was posterior tibial tendon insufficiency and I had a cortisone shot. I've had the MRI but I can't get in to see my doc for another week about the results. I read something about the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.  I always thought it was elsewhere but it kind of describes the pain I'm having. In the mean time, I've flipped all my straps around on my boot from the previous surgery. It's hot in that thing! But my ankle feels better with it on.

Anywho. I've slept funky because I'm at war with my pillows. I can't quite turn my head. So I decided to go get my back put into alignment. I like my chiropractor but he's a bit strange and always points out where my breasts are in relation to my shoulders and hips. Ahh so the ankle. He thinks its a pinched nerve. I would love for it to be a pinched nerve! He did some ankle jiggling and I will say I was able to do my workout with a bit more impact but I don't know that it was because of the ankle realignment jiggle or because I rocked the boot all day. He told me it could take 3 days for the pain to go away. Fingers crossed he's right!

In the mean time, my MRI results will be ready today (once everything opens since it is 2:30 am and I just can't sleep right now) and I'm hoping the report the comes with it says a little something so I know what's up instead of waiting another week for my doc appointment.

Well the dog just plopped on me so I'm guessing that's the cue I'm supposed to go back to bed.  I'm busy fantasizing about my version of a GoRuck bag, good ankle mojo, hiking in Mexico and tossing frogs into the backyard of the THREE (they keep multiplying) barking dogs. Bet they won't bark when they are stoned off their ass!

GoRuck Anyone?

I keep thinking about a GoRuck now that I've finished my Spartan Trifecta...  I wish I had this uber big following so that someone could tell me all about it.  The site says the one in Tucson starts at 1:00 am.  1 AM!!!!!!!!!  Still sounds fun even if sleep deprived and a good way to practice for the Spartan Death race even if not nearly as long. 

Here's hoping my ankle gets better so I can sign up for it!  Oh, that lingering cough can go away too!  I called my doc in Utah and she wanted me to go for blood work.  SERIOUSLY?  For a COUGH?  She's nickle and dime-ing me to death over these co-pays.  I switched docs.  She diagnosed me with post-nasal drip associated with allergies.  Can you imagine getting blood work over that?!  We shall see about the new meds.

In the mean time, I'm rocking that old medical boot from my surgery (other foot this time) trying to help my ankle rest.  I really should do something spiffy to this thing so it's not all black, boring and ugly....

Ooops...totally derailed there.  Anyway, I have a pack, an awesome head lamp and even taped up some bricks for the GoRuck should I manage to pull it off.  I wish I knew how it compared to a Spartan.  While it sounds tough, it sounds a lot more friendly.  Wish me luck!

Crazy Back-to-Back Runs

On June 28th, I flew into a teeny tiny airport in Ogden, UT.  I tried to sleep on the plane, but being in the middle seat SUCKS!  Does ANYONE like the middle seat?  Maybe if you are flying with two other people who don't mind drool on their shoulder because they are close friends or family or if you're a polygamist with a wife on either side, but otherwise I can't think of any reason to like the middle seat!

Anywho, after a small car rental issue (because no matter how small Ogden seems to me, it is large enough to have TWO Ogden Enterprise locations...oops) and some super awesome pizza at Tony's, I managed to squeeze in a two hour nap at the hotel in Park City.  Notice I'm naming all of the towns?  That is because I was all over...and feel that is necessary to stress this for the dramatic effect of the story.

I got changed into my race gear and headed for Provo where I would be doing the Provo Glow Stick Run at 10:00 pm.  Yes, PM, as in with my ankle issues I was expecting to finish around 1 AM.  And then..run a Spartan Beast (12+ miles and 25+ obstacles...and an unimaginable amount of hills) in the morning.  Packet pick up was easy, mainly because it was a very small venue.  We got a local to tell us where a good coffee shop was since we had some time to kill between packet pickup and the race.  I had a really fantastic (but bad pre-race) honeydew frappe.  YUM.  It just so happened to be next to a running shop too...how convenient. 

Eventually, we are back at the race start snapping glow sticks and getting ready to run.  I wished it would have started at 9:30 or 9:00 instead of 10:00 mainly because I knew I was going to finish late, but because as you got deeper into the course, it was INSANELY dark.  So dark, my headlamp wasn't providing much in the way of light.  I could see maybe 10 feet in front of me and was semi-blinded by the amount of stuff floating in the air.  It was like running through a haze.  Needless to say, I've bought a new, bad ass headlight (with a red light on the back) since this. I figure it will come in handy for the ET 10k.  It was a bit painful.  My posterior tibial tendon insufficiency (or pain in the ass ankle issue as I call it) kicked in around mile 5 and my ischial bursitis kicked in right with it.  By mile 10 I had the start of a blister (so much for blister proof socks).  I gimped my way to the finish in 2:52 minutes.  The cool thing was I came in 12th in my age group.  It just sounds awesome.  Really awesome, until I say there were only about 115 runners.  Oh well.

Then there was the hour drive back to the hotel in Park City.  Bleh.  The other person who was meeting us there for the Spartan was already asleep.  LUCKY.  I was out cold by 2:30 am or so and back up at 6:00 even though alarms started at 5. More bleh.

Off to Spartan.  I was sore.  My ankle and butt hurt.  I was exhausted.  I needed more sleep and it was about to get hot.  I did more burpees than I care to admit, but I just didn't have the mental focus to pull it off.  Plus, after having the plague, I was still coughing...STILL! I was drained. I just wanted to finish and get my Trifecta.  I did...in about 5:19. 

The following day, we hit the Olympic Park in Park City.  I opted for a cheaper pass since I was still exhausted.  I could have ziplined all day and been happy.  I also passed on the bobsled track again.  First it is expensive.  Second I felt I really only needed to do that once in my life.  The other people I was with did more rides and courses.  I did the lower "hard course" (I can't keep all the names straight), but quickly decided I didn't want to work that hard after a Spartan.  The zipline was relaxing, until you walk off a platform for a 65' fall.  Bit creepy and I mildly panicked for about 1.5 seconds until the spindle at the top grabs to slow you down.

All in all I would say it was a good trip even if it was painful.  On the way back our flight was delayed about 3 hours so I was even able to knock out some homework.  It also got me thinking about other races a few days later.... Hmmm  Death Race anyone?  Maybe after I know more about my ankle.  At the moment, I'm totally envious of my friend who just signed up.  I know I'd whine and cry the whole time, but at the same time, I'd also be thrilled to give it a shot.  Now, if I could just get another job to pay for it all....

The Plague

I'm pretty sure I jinxed myself.  I got a wild hair and decided to register for a half marathon the NIGHT BEFORE my Spartan Beast in Utah.  This is at night (which yes, I already stated, but OMG what was I thinking?!).  I might get maybe 4 hours of sleep.  The Beast, well the Beast is 12+ miles, hilly and 20+ obstacles! 

Flash back to the Utah Spartan Beast 2012.  I was SO sick, but after having all the training time and money sunk into the trip, I wasn't going to skip it.  I slept on the plane...I actually had a flight change (boo) so it was a broken sleep.  I stopped at a Walmart I passed on the way to my hotel and bought a bunch of cold/allergy meds.  They helped a little, but not much.  Then I vegged around until I could meet up with my friends for dinner. 

That night, there was a dance team staying in the hotel...and they danced ALL OVER the floor above me ALL night long.  I was so exhausted the next morning.  The meds were helping, but I still felt icky. 

We made it to the run.  It was already hot.  I managed to run the first mile or so before I was thinking I should take it easy.  My bursitis and knee were killing me. It took me almost 5 hours in the heat. I also had a waist pack on which made it hard to roll under the barbed wire....it was more of a scoot.

Now, that I've relived last years night mare...here is the jinx. I'm sick. Again. The only good news is that it knocked me out for a week two weeks before. I have about 4 more days to kick the left over cough and stuffy nose. Wish me luck!

Where Everyone Knows My Name

We have this adorable (and popular with the old people with canes and walkers) thrift shop in Catalina, AZ called Golden Goose. I find the most awesome stuff here. Today, I'm stalking a queen mattress for that bad ass Murphy bed I built. Since, everyone knows my name here, they mentioned there could be a queen size mattress coming in. So here I wander waiting to see. It would be super spiffy to get that room done!

And the verdict is the mattress is too thick, not flip able and saggy. Bummer.

Wheeeee

I'm liking the easy mobile interface and feel like sharing.

I officially think my brain is in overload and maybe I need to quit these crazy dreams of a yet a third job. I copied the blog over, learned to use a new piece of equipment, day dreamed about a pallet bed, moved a couple computers, cleaned house... brain fried! Granted, I have one REAL full time job, a 2 hour a week part time job and an independent consultant pyramid scheme job. I say third because the part time and consultant job are a joke. They almost count as one. Kind of screwed up the 2 hr one but the boss didn't double check me. Hard to get it all right after a 10 hour day that started at 4am on something I haven't done in months! I always forget something anyway!

Now that I'm done whining, I think it's cuddle time with the Kindle and critters :-)

First REAL Post on the NEW Blog

Well, I decided to move everything over to the FREE blog (sorry for the copy and paste .  Who needs a fancy URL for just random rambling.  It still says Disordered Zen on the page!  I figure I should really just save my money anyway.  So many runs, so little money.  Do you know how hard it is to find a retail job when you have a whole lot of frames papers that say you went to a school for a really long time?!  Plus, I'm contemplating that really wicked ankle surgery on my right ankle if this tendon issue doesn't clear up.  I've managed to get a cortisone shot which puts my pain at a hit or miss "2".

So far, I like the design better - even if it is a bit yoga-ish (and I despise yoga). Meditation, yoga, running, whatever it takes to bring peace and order to a person's life - that seems to fit the visual for the blog! Plus, to many, running doesn't exactly have a zen like appearance.  I also need to put all the contact info and links back up if I can figure that out.  I think my brain might be tapped out for the week though.

As for my non-running time, I have been building stuff around the house. YES, I'm a girl, but I have all of these spectacular visions.  I just did a MASSIVE, queen sized, horizontal
Murphy bed a couple of weeks ago - from scratch, without a real plan and I do have to say it came out FANTASTIC!  I just need a mattress for inside and to install the latch.  I should also add that the building process required me to be rolled up into it EIGHT times. NOW, I came across a HUGE, wooden pallet that just happens to be full sized.  So I think I'm going to mod it and make it into another sort of rolling, portable Murphy bed.

Now, lets go back to what started the beds. I have a TRX hanging in my living room.  Regardless of what you tell people, they look at it and automatically think it is a sex swing.  I HATE that I have to pick up my workout gear every day.  Sometimes, I just don't have time and it makes it much more convenient for the next 4 am workout.  I decided I wanted my spare bedroom to be a workout room.  If the bed was on the wall, I'd have a decent size floor space to workout, PLUS my treadmill is in there.  I know Buddha (my obnoxious chihuahua) will miss licking the sweat off my face when I do pushups, but he sleeps through a lot of the 4 am workout anyway!  I could have just pitched the bed all together, but I recently just got into contact with my step sister who I hadn't talked to in almost 17 years.  She came to visit me back in April.  We had a blast (minus her plaque she had while we were in Vegas - of course I had to take her to Vegas).  She needs a place to sleep!  I also have two nieces I've never met and would love for them to come out and visit too.  Yes, it would be cheaper if I went there but I'm afraid I'd actually become an Idiot Out Wandering Around (yes, that is what Iowa stands for in my book).  I also think that I've missed all the good runs out there near Cedar Rapids.  There is a Marion one in May.  I digress.  So, this new pallet bed that I'm making will be a place for the girls to sleep if they ever make it out here.  It will be portable.  I'm excited.

I suppose I should get back to updating and transitioning over!

Rockin' the Tape

May 20, 2013

Well, I have an angry posterior tibial tendon and I’m bored with my shoes.  I typically wear Brooks Adrenaline GTS NARROW shoes with Power Step Max insoles.  I’ve already had one ankle corrected, but the “good” one is the one that is having the tendonitis issue.  It’s annoying and frustration.  I want to run.  I also want to wear REALLY cool shoes. I just bought the 13s, but I really want to take them back and maybe try some Newtons so I can work on correcting my form.  I’ve read they have some stability ones that might be a decent option for my poor feet.  All the show whining aside, I can’t run right now ANYWAY, so I’m not sure why I’m obsessing over shoes.  Instead, I should be obsessing about the different colors of KT tape I need in order to match my outfits!  Black goes with everything, but I hear the pink calling me.

In the mean time while I’m pouting over not running, I’m trying to work on my cycling and swimming. I hate having water in my face so I’m struggling with that.  I also know that running and biking are the two worst things I can do for my bursitis.  What’s a girl to do other than go stir crazy and practice burpees?!  Here’s hoping I can get in a few good runs before I give in and decide to have another ankle surgery.  I’m just feeling like there isn’t enough KT tape in the world for me right now!