Camp Pendleton World Famous Mud Run

It was my first time doing this race, and I ran in the timed 10k on Sunday June 5th(Meadow ran the open 5k).  Aside from a minor strain/tear of my calf about 1.5 miles in I did about as well as I expected.  I finished in 56:29 (I wanted to break 55, but more on that in a bit) placed 18th overall and won my age group.  There was about 20 obstacles over 6.5+ miles and about 500 ft of elevation gain.  My goal was to break 55 minutes, but that was when I thought it was a 10k, my watch said 6.9 on completion, but it's not always correct.  There were a couple loops for the heavy carries and a steep climb loop that they say adds a 1/4 mile, so I figure somewhere between 6.5-6.9 miles.  The obstacles were all variations on climb over, climb under, heavy carries, and mud.  None were particularly challenging.  The biggest problem was I had no 5th gear after straining my calf.  Overall I did what I set out to do, run a race during a long break between Spartan races and win my age group.

Las Vegas Spartan Super 2016

Another disappointing finish, okay, disappointing might be strong, but I didn't reach any of my goals.  I wanted to break 1:30 on what I thought was going to be a flat fast course, and flat it was, or the first 7 miles of this 8.2 mile race was.  However, most of the first 5 miles were in sand or a creek with water as high as my hips.  The course was still pretty fast with only 18 obstacles spaced pretty evenly throughout the 7 miles or so.  Then came the last mile and a half... the hardest 1.5 miles of any race I have ever "run" in.  11 legit obstacles one right after another.  if you weren't doing an obstacle you were hiking up steep inclines or slogging over muddy woop-de-dos on the motocross track.  Other than slowing me way down I still did pretty well through everything except the "bucket brigade" (my hamstrings cramped up) and the final obstacle, the"herc hoist".  I hadn't failed this obstacle in over two years, and I got it to about a foot from the top when my grip just gave out after a string of 6 grip driven challenges.  At that time I was sitting somewhere around 10th in Masters and 60th in Male Elite.  My 30 penalty burpees dropped me to 15 in Masters and 78 in Male Elite.  I came up just short of all my goals, didn't break 1:30, didn't get at least 195 points (I got 189) and I didn't run a penalty free race.  Time to regroup once more or watch my goal of being in the Spartan 300 drift away.  The way I figure it, I will need to average 210 points per race in my last two.  This will be a tall order, but possible.

Spartan Sprint SoCal #1

So my second Spartan race of the season did not go as well as the first.  It was a fast, but wet/rainy course 5+ miles with 23 obstacles.  I felt and ran reasonably well, but failed 2 obstacles, the monkey bars and the Cliff Multi-bar.  Because it was wet I over thought the monkey bars instead of attacking them the way I should, spent too much time on them and slipped.  I probably would have failed the multi-bar either way, but the rain didn't help.  The biggest problem was that I got sick on a GU pack around mile 3.  I had hoped to place top 10 in the Masters division of this very competitive field, and ended up 23rd.  My minimum goal was to get 180 pts and I think I got 177.  So over all pretty disappointed, but already training hard and feeling much better about the upcoming Vegas Super.

Spartan Sprint L.A.

After the disappointment of the Socal Sprint #2 I recommitted to my training.  Went back to speed work and going to MROC once a week.

The course was 5 miles of hilly trails and 23 obstacles out at Castaic Lake, north of L.A.  The first half was mostly up hill and the second mostly down hill.  The obstacles were definitely backloaded.  I would say 16 were after the halfway point and 8 were in the last half mile.  I ran my best race to date and won my age group, 2nd in the Masters Div, 27th in Elite Men, and 28th over all.  I don't know the final points, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 220.  That's one goal checked off for the year (top three Masters) and a good start on the Spartan 300.

2016 Season Preview

My goals for this season are 1. Make the Spartan 300 2. Place top 3 in Masters Division of a Spartan Race 3.  Run sub 5 min mile 4. Qualify for Spartan World Championships

Races I am scheduled to run:
Oceanside Turkey Trot
Spartan Sprint L.A.
Spartan Sprint SoCal
San Diego Half-Marathon 5K
Spartan Super Las Vegas
Spartan sprint SoCal #2
Spartan Beast Tahoe World Championships

Races I may run
Gladiator Rock n' Run Orange County
Pendleton MudRun

The Year in Review 2015

My racing season runs parallel to the Spartan Points Series.  So, more or less October-September of the following year.

I had several goals this year 1. Score more than 200 pts in a Spartan Elite race 2.  Get my Spartan Elite Trifecta 3. Make the Spartan 300 (top 150 men in the elite points standings) 4. Place top 3 in the Masters Division of a Spartan Elite race 5. Run sub 17 min 5K 6.  Run sub 5 min mile

I would say it was a mixed bag, but overall a let down.
I sprained my ankle 2 weeks before the my first Spartan Race of the season (2014 Malibu) so I started in a hole for the season standings.  I bounced back at the SoCal Beast and Sprint in January, but still failed to get 200+ points.  I reached my first goal of 2016 when I ran 16:56 at the San Diego Half-Marathon 5K, but a week later failed in my pursuit of a sub 5 mile (5:11 Encinitas Mile) .  In April I achieved my second goal and got 203 points at he Las Vegas Super Spartan.  That's when the wheels fell off, I slacked on my training and got sick at the wrong time.  In the end I had a terrible race at the SoCal Sprint #2 and fell about 80 points shy of the Spartan 300.

Here's to a better 2016 season.

EMG - 10/11/15

The road to L.A. Spartan Sprint begins today, and so did speed work

2 x 800 @ 2:45 2 min recovery
2 x 400   @ 1:23 2 min recovery

5 x 5 weighted pull-ups 15 lbs
5 x 5 weighted dips 40 lbs