Thursday, March 31, 2011

This Crazy Pace of Life

Let it be known now, that I am a dork. It is my daily goal to be in bed by 9pm every week night, 9:30 at the latest, otherwise I am just not a productive person the next day. At least when it comes to taking care of kids. Now don't get me wrong, if you send me to Vegas, I will tear it up. Who needs sleep in Vegas? But it must have been no later than 8pm last night when I could hardly form sentences and carry on a conversation with my roomie. At least he got some entertainment out of me. Mumbling about doing double unders and trying to teach him how to bake biscuits. I am going to blame my general dumbness on my complete lack of organization this week. I, like Katy, am an OCD organized kind of girl. I like my schedule and routines and don't stray far from it. If I do, things just don't get done.

I had a plan today, which was mistake #1 with a baby. My "glamazon in training" partner was throwing a wrench into my plans of grocery shopping and cooking early so we could enjoy a nice long walk on this gorgeous, sunny, 80 degree day. Anyone with a kid knows, you have to roll with the punches. Our trip to the store was the highlight of my day because I am still starving, I love to cook and came up with some great meals for the next few days. Eggplant Cabonata over mahi mahi tonight. YUM! Enough with the digression before I have to make myself something else to eat. We never made it for a walk today because my little glamazon was pooped out from this weeks training and napped for almost 3 hours this afternoon. Even though she isn't the one wearing the 40# backpack, pushing the stroller up hills or trying to figure out how to balance it all while picking up dog poop in the middle of the sidewalk, she is working hard with a smile on her face. Tomorrow is another day. Today was a day off that was well deserved for the both of us. And when I say a day off for me, I mean from the gym too. I spent the evening playing 2 hours of beach volleyball with my friends. Ahhhhh, I love Southern California.

Naptime was get organized time. Lists were made, searched for stuff I need to buy for the race, emails sent to friends to spread the word about Team Glamazon, plans for workouts and hikes made for the weekend. It was certainly not as exciting as Katy's big shopping day, but guess what.....BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKET! Cross that off the list.

TIger Balm is not a one man job.

Ya know I have all these good ideas for things to write throughout the day and by the time I sit down to write, I'm dumb again and can't remember what I was going to say.  today was awesome actually aside from the pinched whatever I have in my left whatever muscle that is back there on my back some place ...I feel decent.  THATS not why it was awesome.  My day was awesome because  I GOT TO SHOP TODAY!!!!  Now...I know what you are thinking Sarah (how do you guys feel about me directly addressing my best friend? I'm OK with it) "OMG tell me about the new William Rast jeans, L.A.M.B. shoes, must have mascara or amaaaaaazing lip-gloss you bought"  well I WOULD only none of those things made it into my "cart" today.  What was there instead was a pair of Inov8 trail running shoes, a 40# weight vest, a Petzl and two E-Tools...yes that's right...I BOUGHT military issued gear...she is so disappointed right now I can feel it and she lives in Washington...please don't un-make me Jetts Godmother.  I have no clue what will be on the gear list so I am winging it.  All of you that live in my AO be fully prepared to have your garages ransacked for whatever last minute items I can't find in my barn.  It's just me let it happen.
So today the weight was upped in the pack to 40# my lovely gym assistant Alaha refused to let me slack when I said "meh I can stick with 35# no bigs" the jerk went running off to grab a nickel and threw it in my pack...it's a good thing she's pretty otherwise I'm sure  I would have at LEAST pushed her down.  I returned later this evening,  to what is quickly becoming my unhappy place, to complete 4 rounds of:  50 double unders, 20 evil wheels, 15 chin ups and 5 power cleans with 135#.  This all at the suggestion of Loo.  Like the rest of you , I will agree I think she is mad at me for SOMETHING.  All I can say is it's AMAZING how slowly you will power clean when your traps, much like Libya, Syria, Egypt and Wisconsin, go on strike. Then finished it off  that nonsense with 10 minutes walking with 2/20# kettle bells, one in each hand.  They seemed light so that was uplifting.  I do feel stronger.  Still a little misty but it's getting there.  People are offering to help in any way they can.  My beast of a boss comes into my cube everyday when he has to go to the other building for a meeting and assumes the position to be fireman's carried...I probably should take him up on it but I'm pretty sure the ManTech head dude will frown upon it.  That guy already doesn't like me.  I have also lost 5# in 5 days which is bad so I am going to have to you guessed it eat more YAY!!!
I think it was like in my first post or something I said "Right now we are excited about the thought of humping with weighted rucks, climbing the step mill with weighted vests, farmers carrying giant kettle bells for miles on the treadmill, perfecting our wood chopping skills..." have to admit excited is not the prominent emotion.  Man sorry guys but I am a big fat liar...well my dad already knew that but the rest of you I bet are SHOCKED!!
I am retiring to my couch to start and finish a book I have to have read by my book club meeting on Saturday.  That's right I am a member of a book club I am fancy.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Muck and Mental Mire

Hahahaha....man Loo cracks me up.  I felt like I was being scolded in her Blog post.  Actually...for all intents and purposes (YES that is the phrase all of you dummies that say "for all intensive purposes" you're dumb) I pretty much was.  I know that IDEALLY the first person you text in the morning is supposed to be some boy you heart and have missed while asleep.  You're supposed to awaken with a smile thinking "oh my love I can't wait to tell you how wonderful I feel this morning basking in the beauty that is our relationship and how I spent all night dreaming of your love" Eff all that noise.  I wake up and the first person I think to text is a chick on the other side of the country...it makes me WAY happier!!! She ALWAYS responds and I don't have to try and figure out her hidden subtext.  I SWEAR I try to wait until I know she is awake but sometimes...I forget.  This AM  before I had boots on the ground, the message was "Dude...I feel like I fell out of a helo" to which I received a prompt reply "welcome to my life". 

Have we mentioned that Loo and I have actually only seen each other in real life twice in our lives? Granted there was a period of FB stalking on both of our parts that took place before our accidental meeting...or person crash, but REALLY there was only the two times.  Once "The Blur" and the other a cocktail hour where we coined infamous phrases and tried not to be awkward...again that story...all in due time...all in due time.

Digression...So yes, I felt like I was dumped from a CH-53E Super Stallion when I woke up this morning.  I slept like crap for reasons I can only say are sheer anxiety.  I woke up at 0240 starving and making lists feeling like I have no idea what I'm doing and wondering when the "handle" on all of this is going to show up.  I have mild OCD.  I can't stand disorganization and I am really mega disorganized right now...I have no schedule for training and its bugging the crap out of me HOWEVER I decided on the drive home in the freezing rain that is falling currently that the positive mindset that I always preach to people when I train them needs to be injected into my noggin but I'm making the excuse that its week one I am supposed to be scared...it's the fear that makes you train right? And now that it's like REAL and Loo and I plan on spinning this whole ordeal into a book deal, radio show and or reality TV series I GUESS buckling down needs to happen like WHOA!!!

On an unrelated note we are already discussing the post race drunken ops that will be executed up and down the East Coast.  The Loo and Katya shit show will be mobile so anyone interested in watching us pick up randos and carry them around in heels and skirts feel free to show up.  We OBVI will keep you posted.

The Time Zone Issue

Okay, so everyday for the last week I have been receiving text messages from Katy starting promptly at 4:30am. They are about new developments in our race, the fact that she just ate AGAIN, or that the girl is already on the stepmill and working out. Katy- 7:30am for you is 4:30am for me! Turn off my phone you say? Not an option. I continue to check it every morning and begin my guilty feeling that this chick is already working out, roll over and hope to fall back asleep for another hour before I have to wake up for work. But this morning was different. I fire back a response instantly. Why you ask? Because at 4:30 this morning I was raiding my fridge devouring a jar of pickles and leftover chicken breast. Yes, I am starving all the time too. I can't stop eating. I feel like a baby that needs to be fed every 2 hours. Not only do I need to be concerned with how much money will be spent getting me to this race and purchasing all my supplies, but now I need to consider the drastic effect it is going to have on my grocery bill. I am just throwing this out there.....anyone who would like to adopt me and feed me for the next few months, I am cheap labor. Need a tree chopped down? Have some heavy rocks that you want moved? Need a swimming pool dug out in the backyard? Make me dinner and I am yours! Katy has already promised me cupcakes for our post-race celebration when we finish. Dude, I want pancakes. With lots of butter and maple syrup. Anyone who knows me won't judge my pancake obsession.

Let's talk about my hike yesterday with the stroller, the dog and my weighted backpack which holds 35 pounds of weights and the book The Purpose Driven Life. I threw that in there hoping that through osmosis I will receive some divine intervention and guidance about me doing this race. I am guessing I covered a total of 8 miles or so, and kept up a decent pace except for when I got stuck behind a gaggle of nannies that were gingerly strolling along their way to lunch at a bagel shop. I want to have lunch at a bagel shop! About 2 miles later I pass 2 moms enjoying an early afternoon cocktail in their front yard while they watch their kids scamper about and play with their legos. I want to bask in the sun and drink cocktails while the baby plays! I stopped at the next block and seriously asked myself, what am I doing? Will I always be like this? The answer is YES. I continued this conversation with a guy from my gym later that evening. Why do we have a workout problem? Is it really a problem? It could be worse.....we could be drug addicts, alcoholics or obese over eaters. I say working out and pushing your limits isn't a problem at all. It's an admirable quality. I will be like this until my body fails physically, ridden with arthritis and constant joint and muscle pain. Until then, keep slugging back the fish oil and keep going!

My crossfit gym is now a buzz with me doing this race. We have a coach named Jesse who writes a blog called the Danger Wod. It is filled with nonsensical, dangerous and absurd workout ideas that should never be attempted. The Death Race seems to be a bunch of Danger Wods all thrown into one day. The guys are visiting the site, watching videos and think it is all together a ridiculous idea. I have multiple volunteers that will let me push them in a wheelbarrow, will sit on the prowler sled as I push, or even be worn as a backpack while enjoying a hike. Who doesn't want to wear a boy like a backpack? In case you all didn't know, Katy and I have this desire to squat boys and hurt their pride. Yep, throw them over our shoulders and squat them. Doesn't matter if it is in a workout, at a comedy show, in a bar. I recently took it so far as to ask a police officer on main street while he was on duty to let me wear all his equipment while I attempted to squat him. Pushing the limit? ALWAYS.

So, I realize that Katy's blogs are awesome, humorous, and eloquently written. Sorry, that I ramble and tend to not make sense. I was an art major in college, I have worked with kids for the last 10 years. I have mush for brains because I spend my days singing nursery rhymes, the ABC's, watching Sesame Street and carrying on conversations with babies that don't answer me.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

550 chord anyone?

Ok so I have salsa all over my face from the half a flank steak, part of a chicken breast, entire bag of green beans, half a bag  of kale, half an avocado and black beans I just ate in approximately 43 seconds...If this is ANY inclination of how fast I will finish this race eff it...who needs to train I'm ready. 
Every morning for at LEAST the last two years I have set my alarm clock for 0500 in the HOPES I would get up and do my met con/cardio training in the dark where it belongs and save my heavy stamina /endurance stuff for later in the day where I can focus on it.  For at LEAST two years when that alarm goes off at 0500 I reach over and reset it for 0700.  You think I'm kidding but EVERYday I set it...EV-ER-Y-DAY and I can say with the utmost gravity  it has happened like MAYBE twice I have gotten up and I PROMISE it was only because I told someone I would meet them there...I am NOT self motivated and again ask Sarah she can pretty much vouch for anything I ever say.  WELL ladies and gentlemen I am here to proudly say that THIS morning when that alarm went off at 0500...I re-set it for 0700.  UUUGGGGGGG DAMNIT KATYA!!! WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO GET OUT OF BED!!! So instead of splitting my two-a -days into two-a-days... yea that's right...I have to suck and try to do it all at once. 
Today was some mess of an AMRAP inside of and AMRAP 30 minutes of rowing a 1000m and then in the time it took to do that do AMRAP 20 weighted step up and 20 sit ups  (my French bull dog just ate a giant flying bug he is staring at me chewing it...it's hilarious I digress) Then just because I'm wicked smart I did 4 rounds of 3x225# dead lifts 5Xwall kisses 10XKB windmills on each side.  Honestly I feel awesome except it's like 8pm and I smell like ammonia.
On an up note The Borders in my awesome town is closing so all their books are 60% off including the next book on my list for book club that I found in the adult section...ok that's a lie I found it in the sociology section but that's not really funny so I changed it...
So now that I have fed and can focus I am going to start my list of things I think I might need for this race.  Yes it's a ways out and NO I haven't gotten the official gear list but I am making an attempt to get ahead and I really like making lists.  Duct tape, 550 chord, barbed wire gloves, steel wool and a battery, chap stick, snacks, my petzel I'm taking suggestions from everyone following except my Dad's sister Dee Dee I'm not going to pack dignity or my nuns' habit so don't bother suggesting them!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Reality has hit

I cursed at my alarm when it went off at 5:45 this morning. My weekend was over and where did it go? As I attempted to sit up in bed painfully sore, I remembered. It was spent throwing my body around on the beach, lifting weights, running, carrying weights on a stepmill and treadmill, doing pullups and pushups, sweating. Then I checked my email with sleepy eyes. I cursed myself again. It's official. I have been accepted as a registrant into the race. There is no turning back. I read the next few emails that I received from "the undertaker". I haven't even gotten my morning coffee yet and I have a stomach ache. This is real.

I better find a local newspaper and get an article written. ASAP. Add it to the checklist. Time to purchase a plane ticket. I need to figure out when and how to squeeze more workouts into the week. If you didn't know, I am a nanny and work 10 hour days. Guess who my newest training partner is going to be? Yep, that's right. Little Emerson. When she naps, I will have to hit the stepmill and do pushups and burpees in the garage. When we go for a walk with the dog, I will be wearing my weighted backpack and searching out any hills I can find. She weighs only 16 pounds, but I will be wearing or carrying that child wherever we go. I better start filling her pockets with rocks.

My planned hike yesterday didn't happen. I drove to the canyon, bucket of gravel in hand only to be stopped by a park ranger at the gate. There had been a good amount of rain that day and it was still slightly drizzling. He said there were mudslides and unsafe hiking conditions. Meh. I told him those were ideal training conditions for me! He laughed at me and my bucket, and told me to try again when things dry out. Boooooo! Game plan after work: Hike the muddy canyon.

My mind is racing and scattered with all that needs to be accomplished. Lucky for me I have a bad ass partner on the east coast that is pretty much running this show right now. She is a Glamazon for sure!

Nap time is over.....time to trek around Corona Del Mar. Honk at the crazy nanny if you see me along the way!

STARVING

STARVING ... I'm STARVING.  I wake up STARVING.  I sit at work STARVING. I eat STARVING.  It's only been a few days…three now I think and I have to say…I’M STARVING.  Just all day…I am starving. I wake up at 0300 trying to gnaw my left fingers off (I feel like I use them less so it is a good place to start).  I am not sure how I am going to cope with this new metabolic rate I simply don’t have the time in the day to make snacks and I fired my personal chef last week for substituting plain old grape tomatos for Heirloom tomato’s YES THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!  I have a new affinity for food porn on the food network and for the first time ever Bizarre foods with what’s his face don’t seem too out of the realm of possibilities….SERIOUSLY I’m hungry…right now in fact…I could eat any number of things that used to have eyes and a soul.  Ugggg…I know I will adjust and I know I will have to increase my caloric intake but GEEEZE so soon?!?!?! And for the record there is NO cuter accessory to  womens outfit than a giant plastic gallon jug of water…look into it ladies.

It has been really starting to sink in that I have actually committed to this race.  We are slowly getting “followers” and have gotten a few contributions for the Wounded Warrior Project (again PayPal to GlamazonsForWWP@gmail.com  I am still working out that whole receipt thing so if you get something that looks like a bill from me sorry its marked as paid on the account I’m just kind of dumb is all)
I have also been getting some really good ideas and helpful hints from those around me.  Decent trails to hike, tips on how not to cut off my toes with an ax.  I was offered legos from Dayspring and Ryan (hopefully Cormack will be OK with letting me borrow them) so that I can practice diagramming and rebuilding formations.  A few folks have just started tripping my when I’m not looking to prepare me for falling and regaining my balance.  Little do they know and anyone who has trail ran with me (Sarah) can attest…man I fall all the time I am WAY used to it.

I have been asked numerous times “are you ok?” while trying to get up from the floor with an adidas weighted pack.  I have been stopped a few times at the local Sport and Health and asked “Ma’am…someone notified us that you are trying to steal weights…please open your bag” I am in fact not trying to steal them just walk around with them on my back but I can understand the concern.  When you walk into a place and just start shoving whatever you find lying around in your back pack eyebrows raise.  Its gone so far as to be given permission to borrow a couples 35lbs child complete with back apparatus to hike up a mountain on weekends “You can just carry Dustin on your back he loves it just watch out for the African bees”.
Thats about it for me today...I have some kids coming over and they will feel the pain that i felt today...wheelbarrow pushes to "get the mail" box jumps and stairs...sorry kids...you didn't ask for it but yer gonna get it!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday Funday

You are killing me Katy. I feel this immense amount of guilt by the time I roll out of bed at 7am this morning to see 15 new facebook messages about what you have already accomplished for the day and then I read your blog. On top of the guilt, I now have anxiety ridden stomach cramps and need to get an article published ASAP. I like my eyebrows right where they are thank you very much. I will not quit this race before it begins. Even though I was born to carry hay bails around, I would prefer to not start this race behind the eight ball. Lets add scramble to find a local newspaper to write about me entering the death race on my list of things to do.

My trip to Home Depot was a success. The back of my car is currently equipped with 5 gallon buckets and 50# bags of gravel for a hike. I am considering purchasing a wheel barrow and cinder blocks to push around town, maybe even the beach. Unless someone knows of someone that will let me borrow one for the time being? I figure that I will be making weekly trips to Home Depot to buy useless stuff that I may never use again after training for this race. But being the Wooer that I am and sharing my life story with the employees there, they reassured me that I should save my receipts and just return anything I don't break. Yay! The thought has crossed my mind to stop at construction sights to volunteer to help move stuff and doing heavy lifting. Yes, I will be that crazy girl if I have to be. And I am still trying to figure out where I can chop would in SoCal, being that I live 2 blocks from the beach and people might think I have lost it if I attack a palm tree. People around here buy a bundle of twigs for $10 to start a bonfire at the beach. Now that is crazy to me!

Fortunately for me, we didn't get snow out here in SoCal, but we have rain. Rain that I would prefer not to deal with on my first planned attempt to hike a canyon with a 5 gallon bucket full of gravel. Looks like I will be going this one alone because my friends don't love me that much to hike in the rain. My pre-hike decision to swing by my crossfit gym for a wod turned out to be a great start to my day. Totally last minute and unprepared, and considering my legs and shoulders are toast from yesterday, I decided that doing Murph was a logical workout to complete. Another guy decided to join in the fun and I suffered. The great news is, I made it with doing a little extra running and the rain subsided by the time I finished. There might just be a dry hike in my future today!

The Penalty

GOOD MORNING snow you are going to be REALLY conducive to the mess of CRAP I had planned today!!! Thank you for making it too cold to carry an ax or a sledge hammer and thank you for covering up all my gravel in my driveway that I was planning on using to put in a bucket and walk around in the woods with... you're LITERALLY the best!  Did I mention snow that its MARCH!!!  OH and before I forget it's my sisters birthday today everyone so sing to her.
The military teaches you a lot of really useful things.  For example I can take apart and reassemble an M-16 A-2 service rifle with or without a 203 grenade launcher attachment with ease.  The need for that skill pops up more than one would think in your adult life.  I was also taught the best thing to use to clean glass and mirrors is newspaper and that walking in a REALLY straight line at the same pace as 50 other people makes for a lovely visual.   Uggg I just forgot my point...OH there it is the MOST useful thing the military taught me is how to be mutha effing flexible and quickly adapt to kaleidoscope plans.  I had a plan for today.  I actually wrote it down but as I said I woke up to snow and bitter cold so I have to semper Gumby it up sick for today.  I am almost positive that the ruck step mill climbing and tread mill farmers carry is just going to be a daily thing so I won't bore you all with that anymore just assume it happened.   As for what other barbaric escapades I partook in well...100 pull ups 30 with weight, tried to walk on my hands but i can't so...and a lot of shoulder stuff.  One arm Kettle Bell snatches push presses , bottoms up presses, push jerks happened.  I assume a strong back and shoulders and forearms are going to come in handy for this thing soooooo.
oh I should mention the reasons we are writing a blog about this nonsense and forcing the people we know and love to follow it...it's actually NOT because we are self important though as we all know (and I can only speak for myself) I am kind of self important and I DO know that Loo and I love ourselves very much...we kind of talk about it to ourselves a lot BUT here is the deal...well ONE I am trying to do that whole fundraising thing I guess I should say the unselfish reasons first to make me sound like a better person but the OTHER is the penalty...oh man the PENLATY...I'm probably shooting myself in the foot and Loo is going to shoot me in the face as I have yet to tell her about the penalty...I guess this is as good a forum as any for her to hear the bad bad news.  We are required   to get an article published in a local paper about our participation in this event.  If we don't get an article published in a local paper about our participation in the race we have three choices.
#1 - Drop out of the race.   You will not start the race.
#2 - Show up clean shaven from head to toe.  All body hair must be removed by 6:00 p.m. June 24th.  This includes eye brows, pubic area, and head.  ALL hair must be removed and if that is done you will not have a penalty.  You will start the race with everyone else.    
#3 - You accept your penalty and you move a hay bale from Amee Farm (800 feet elevation) to the top of the mountain (2,300 feet elevation) via "The Ravine"  Hay bale must be on top of the mountain by 5 p.m. on the 24th to allow you to get to the mandatory meeting by 6 p.m. on the 24th.  The dudes that created this abortion of an event  did the exact route with one and it took 3 plus hours One ended up with some sort of insect infestation on his arms, chest, and neck for a week, and the other dude popped a blood vessel in his eye.  Note: They  double teamed the hay and it took 3 1/2 hours.  we would  be going one on one so.... OH and we Must reach summit by 5 p.m. and return by 6 p.m. to start the race with everyone else. ..that's right you have to do it BEFORE the race.
So there it is.  Sorry Loo better you heard it from me I guess.  That is all I have to report for today I'm going to go change and watch hours upon hours of Americas Next Top Model to balance out all the manly things I did today.  If you would like to donate to our cause you can make a paypal trans action to GlamazonsForWWP@gmail.com  you will get an invoice for your donation and we will say nice things about you to people on the street.  I just realized I should have put that at the top as it's more than likely no one is going to read this whole thing.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

What? Where? How? Why? Are you crazy????

It's plain and simple.....I HAVE BEEN DOOPED! I have somehow managed to have the wool pulled over my eyes and was quickly and easily convinced that it was my destiny to compete in this race with Katy. "Listen...LISTEN...I'm dead serious I just registered for this BAMF race June 25th...the dude will give me a 2 for 1 registration if I can get a friend to do it with me...uh...i SUPER think you should come play, its BAD ASS and free (minus the plane ticket) Its not even really a race so much as like a hike and other terrible things...uh....if you read the competitors and the people that finish like NO chicks have done it really...which I think is UBES lame sauce...let it marinate...dude....I'm dead balls doing it...Team Glamazon would disrespect that thing. Put your serious pants on, read about it and give me a final ye or nay. I kinda think it might be amazaballs if we did it, wore our shirts and took LOTS of pictures!!!!" With an invite like that, who wouldn't be SOLD? No chicks really do it? The seed was planted.



The entire reason I know Katy is because I was dooped. I am beginning to think I am a little naive, maybe a little dumb, or choose to ignore common sense at times. I have only met and spoken to the girl once (actually twice), but we refer to our first encounter as "the blur" and it will eventually become one of the greatest stories told. Our chance meeting was more like an epiphany that changed our lives forever. It rings true that everyone and everything happens for a reason. So the logical question is why are you doing this insane race with a girl you hardly know? Why the heck not is my response.



The more I get to know Katy, the more I am learning that we are scary similar in more than one way. I am a competitor and very driven. I am always in it to win it. Like the boys at my gym say "go balls deep". I can't stand sitting idle and have the hardest time resting or relaxing. I do not have an off switch. And I love a challenge. I ruptured my achilles tendon playing volleyball by age 24. Back on the court playing after 4 months, back to the beach in 6. I joined a crossfit gym in August and by January they asked me if I would consider entering a competition. Why not register Elite and run with the big girls? Done. It doesn't have to be athletically related either- I have even been known to drink a few guys off barstools in challenges. If you tell me I can't do it, I will prove you wrong.



And where does this work ethic and competitive nature leave me now? With a terrible gut feeling of what did I get myself into and scrambling to get my butt training. I need a plane ticket to get there! What shoes do I wear? I need a weight vest for workouts and a ruck. Do I need a ruck? What actually is a ruck? How do I train for this? When do I train for this? Somedays I can barely make it to my crossfit wods after a long day of work. The thought has already crossed my mind that I am going to be known as "the crazy nanny" who wears a weight vest and pushes the stroller around upscale Newport Beach, CA searching for hills to climb. Whatever I have to do to get things done, it will happen.



After a long week of trying to set new PR's on my lifts and squeezing in stepmill workouts whenever I could, I realized this weekend was the start of something epic. My weekends will now be filled with crazy ideas and long workouts. My Saturday started off with 3 hours of competitive beach volleyball, which for those who have ever done it, you know that alone is enough to tire you out for the rest of the weekend. I felt like I was dragging a dead horse by the time I got to my gym this afternoon. I think the real test of it all will be how much craziness can my gym tolerate out of me? I was told 3 times today to stop doing what I was doing. Since I don't own a weight vest or ruck yet, I decided doing a farmers carry (using 15# dumbells) on the stepmill was the way to start. WRONG. I dropped the weights twice and managed to fall off once before they told me to stop. That lasted 20 minutes. Another 20 without the weights and it was onto dreaded handstand pushups. I always get yelled at for those, but at least I got a good amount done today before I was told to stop. With exhausted shoulders, I finished my workout with a farmers carry on the treadmill, going heavier with 25# dumbells. I kept up a good pace and incline for 35 minutes before I was told I was endangering other gym members. Haha. I will be back tomorrow my friends.



I apologize for my rambling and non-sensical thoughts.....but if you ask me, there isn't a lot of sense invovled in this whole situation. We are all along for the adventure.

It SUCKS

Well as Loo and I are not blog-saavvy (no i can't spell savvy) we are still figureing out the best way to go about this.  I think we will just post individually to this mess  until we figure out what we are doing...but dont hold your breath...we are running a death race we don't know what we are doing. 

So today was an interesting wake up call.  After spending yesterday conquering 30 minutes climbing up stairs with a 30lbs pack on my back then walking at a 15degree incline for 15 minues with sed ruck then running for 20 minutes minus weight...today was the opposite of a cake walk.  So what...that would be a steak run??? No idea feel free to give me ideas.

Today was filled with kettle bells jiu jitsu and ruck climbs again.  After i spent time at the globo gym I decided i would figure out how to chop wood....it turns out...there is a reason big burly men do it.  It sucks...and ya know what else ... when you miss the wood...it sucks and when you DON'T miss the wood and the ax gets stuck half way in the log...it sucks.  The only thing that keeps me going is knowing there is an unfortunate girl on the other side of the country who is trying to figure out the best way to haul buckets of gravel...lucky for her i am three hours ahead of her so i can tell her "hey Loo from the future just so you know it SUCKS"

SO as day two of "what are you thinking" comes to a close I will apologize for this not being all that interesting I'm banking on my PIC making up some good stories to pick up the slack!!!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

"The Decision"...the best idea we ever had

There have been many times in my life where I have thought I was pretty tough or strong or in general Bravo Alpha.  I have come across events and thought "huh that looks like funsies" or "meh that would be a cake walk" or "Not worth the effort to try...too easy" something along those lines.  This is NOT one of those times.  I stumbled across the Peak Death Race a few months ago probably by accident.  It is more than likely I was looking for a  website on which to purchase shoes or headbands and http://www.youmaydie.com/ popped up.  I watched the video and thought "self you will NEVER do that". That was my first mistake.  It turns out I have this small competitive problem.  I am in greatest competition with myself.  I once told myself I would never run a marathon so three days later I ran a marathon, toldd myself I would never compete in a jiu jitsu competition so I did several.  hell I told myself I would NEVER joing the military so...enlisted in the Marine Corps.  I knew the second the thought passed through my head...damnit Katherine now you have to run the Death Race.  My second mistake was contacting he who shall be known as "the Undertaker" and expresing my interest in the event.  The only good idea I have had was tricking my friend and newest partner in crime Laura to participate with me in this what we will now refer to as the best idea we have ever had.  There is an interesting back story about how it came to be that Ms Svette and I are now in each others lives and maybe sometime in the future we will blog about that but for now we will stick to this topic...though I will tell you...its one of the better stories you will hear. 

This all transpired yesterday.  Me re-finding the link, contacting the undertaker, registering, forcing Loo to register with me and setting the wheels in motion.   

Loo and I are still in that euphoric glow stage of this decision.  We are excited about all the things that we have no idea are about to transpire.  Somehow in my mind this will just be a lovely stroll through the mountains of Vermont this dillusion cements the fact that the gravity has not even come CLOSE to setting. We are excited and motivated and cant wait to start preparring for this event.  Right now we are focused on the thought of humping with weighted rucks, climbing the step mill with weighted vests, farmers carring giant kettlebells for miles on the treadmill, perfecting our wood chopping skills and of COURSE figureing out what we are going to wear.  Come June 25th we will venture up to Pittfield, VT and put our tenacity to the test.