Double Down

Yay for Warm Weather!

Spring is almost here and I’m literally jumping for joy over the nice weather! This past weekend I did two back-to-back events. With another big event coming up this weekend (Canyonlands!), I want to get all the details down before I forget them.

#13

Date: March 13^th

Type: CrossFit

“Distance”: 14 minute AMRAP – 50 wall balls, 200 single-unders 

As luck would have it, my 13^th event fell on Friday the 13^th.  #13 on 13. What could possibly go wrong?

Unlike last week, when I read the workout and cried, this week I jumped up and down with excitement because I could actually do everything in the workout! (The scaled version, that is. The regular version is only made for super humans.)

I felt like the workout was made for me, someone who's been spending the last years building up a good amount of endurance, but not necessarily much strength. Essentially the workout was all about fitness and knowing how to stay just a hair below the red line for 14 minutes. That, I can handle. Fitness, I've got. Strength and athleticism? Well, I’m still working on those. For those of us doing the scaled version, the workout was 50 wall balls with a 10 lb. medicine ball (google it if you’re curious) and then 200 jump-rope single-unders. Repeat that for as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 14 minutes.

So how did it go? Generally I start these things too slow and then pick up my pace when I realize I have more to give. I didn’t want to let that happen this week so I went out as fast as I thought I could handle and then tried to hang on. I was definitely feeling it towards the end but, overall, I think I did a good job of staying consistent and giving it my all.

During the workout, the girl next to me was a few reps behind me but was generally keeping up, so that made me think I was doing a pretty good job of keeping an average pace. On top of that, my judge, who is also one of our coaches, was super excited about how I was doing. But, he’s generally pretty excited so I didn’t think much of it. It was a tough workout and I was happy with my effort and that's all that really matters. 

15.3

I entered my results over the weekend and then on Monday I took a peak at how I stacked up. To my surprise, I kind of crushed it. 

Those of you who know me probably know I don’t toot my own horn very often. So when I say I kind of crushed it, I kind of really crushed it. For this entire competition, I’ve been hovering around 3^rd to last place out of the women competing at my gym. I checked the results for 15.3 and out of all of the women who did the scaled version (which was most of us), there were only three who beat me.

WHAT?!????  

I guess I’m not so terrible after all. 

#14

EGB Shwag

Date: March 14^th

Type: Run

Distance: 7.77k

Shwag: Cotton-poly race shirt (I love cotton-poly!), a cowbell, allergy medicine, and men’s deodorant

Race #14 was the “Erin Go Braugh” in Westminster, a 7.77k, which I think means it was just under five miles. Let’s go with that because I can’t be bothered to do the math.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and we had a great turnout for this one. Special guest stars included: Jen S., Bob M. Steph and her sister, Akiko, and the IPA endurance crew. It was great to have so many of you guys at the race!  

Bob, Gigi, Me, and Jen S.

The run itself was a pretty standard Colorado run: beautiful bright blue skies, snow-capped peaks in the background, etc. etc. It would have been a nice run on its own but I had the added bonus of getting to run with Gigi for most of the race! Gigi and I used to run together a bit more, before our training and race schedules took us in different directions. It was so nice to run a few miles with her again and catch up a bit.

I was feeling oddly okay after the previous day’s event but, with Canyonlands coming up the next weekend, I decided to take it easy. Gigi and I cruised at a conversational pace for most of the run until I felt the pull of the all-you-can-eat Lucky Charms at the finish line and then picked it up a bit in the final kilometer. I wouldn’t typically eat Lucky Charms, not even the fake “healthier” Lucky Charms from Whole Foods. But, St. Patrick’s Day comes only once a year and, as we all know, the Charms are magically delicious so I couldn’t resist helping myself to a bowl or two at the finish line. (I take all-you-can-eat very seriously.)

After finishing the race, we basked in the sun a bit before heading home. After so many races in questionable conditions, it’s nice to think we’ve maybe turned a corner and will hopefully get to enjoy some good weather for a bit. Of course, I’m not naïve enough to think that it won’t snow again. I mean, this is Colorado. But a girl can dream. 

Speaking of dreaming, I had a lovely little nap after the race and when I woke up, the previous day’s workout plus the run all hit me at once. Ouch. Good thing I had a rest day planned for Sunday. Even though part of me wished I had gone for #15 on the 15^th, rest days are important, and they’re especially important when they involve bacon sticky buns! Actually, any day is important when it involves a bacon sticky bun. 

Mmm... Bacon Sticky Bun