Bourbon Chase, a second time around- recap

Bourbon Chase.

For the last several years I've always been drawn to this relay:

• 6 years ago the CEO and leadership team from my company ran it, loved it so much, they decided to see how they could bring a relay to Nashville. After reaching out to Ragnar Relay and helping form a sponsorship,  Ragnar TN came to  life!  
• 3 years ago one of my best friends joined a team and was trying to find a spot for me on his team, 1 month before the race there was finally an opening, but I had given up and scheduled another race that weekend. 
• 2 years ago I captained a team and a few days before race day 2 of our runners (they were married) had to bow out due to a family emergency. I agreed to pick up an entire runner and treat it as an ultra, but no one else was willing to run extra so we had to cancel- major bummer. 
• Last year I joined a team one week out and I can honestly say it was the worst relay experience I've ever had.

Needless to say when a mutual friend reached out to me in July to join her team, I was more than ready for a redemption. Considering the lack of mileage leading up to the race + tending a knee injury, I had mixed expectations of what my body and endurance could deliver.

Similar to last year the  weather was cloudy, rainy, and temps were continually dropping. The big difference this year, was instead of being in the 2nd van and runner 12 where I missed out on seeing the other van at major exchanges, I upgraded to van 1, runner 4.

Van 1 kicked things off at Jim Beam Distillery

For this relay we had 1 runner in our van and another runner in van 2 download this app, relay tracker to help keep tabs on when runners were anticipated to come in. 

It was pretty awesome because you put in everyone's name, each of their distances, and what they're average time was going to be (I said 8:15 for mine)  and then it did all the work. Below are just screen shots from google 

While a current runner is out on their leg it will tell you how many miles, what they're predicted pace is, how long they've currently been running, and when to anticipate them coming in. As you get 5 min in the window of when you're coming in, the "due in" time turns yellow. Once you pass your window it turns red. And as you can guess, when you pass off the baton you hit the exchange made button and it starts the countdown for next person. 

This was neat because our vans were synched on the app so it was easy to coordinate (despite them showing up late to one of the exchanges since it changed from last year). There were a few instances where it froze (bad cell connection), so make sure you're still looking at the time when your runner leaves. What made it slightly stressful was that your teammates knew if you were slower or faster than what you said, so it was more pressure to be accountable to hit your times (for me) 

Run 1: 5.2 miles / 8:25 pace 

By the time I was ready to run we were at our 2nd distillery stop, Heaven Hill Distilleries (not as grand as some of the others, and instead more of a distribution building) 

This was the run I was most nervous for due to the fact it was the hardest leg of all 36 legs. Bourbon Chase is unique in that each runner is rated from easy to difficult, along with each individual leg. The majority of the run looked manageable according to the elevation map, however it was the last 3/4 mile that was straight up hill that had me worried and told my team I'd for sure be walking. To take the edge off I took one of the volunteers up on their shots of bourbon they were giving out (and I do not like Bourbon) 

Going into the run I thought my mileage was 4.1 (it was originally when I first was assigned this leg), so I just went out a little quicker then what I normally run to make up for the time I planned on walking. 

Surprisingly my legs felt good and because it was so cold my breathing was in check. We weren't supposed to have headphones, but given this was my first 'race' since May I needed the extra motivation so I was going to chance it. The first several miles were spent constantly switching my 1 headphone into the ear not facing traffic (there were a lot of turns) as to not get caught #rebel. 

I was feeling great but was continually looking ahead for when this climb was supposed to start. I kept looking down at watch and even when it said 4 miles and no climb yet I started to get worried that I took a wrong turn since the run was just over 4 miles. I see a sign and start picking up the pace so I could read it--- immediate deflation when I see the "One mile left" sign. How was this run over 1 mile longer than I thought, and I still have the major hill to hit?

Since I was getting tired, I decided to just pick up the pace so I could take my time on the uphill--- so glad I did.  My calves were burning just walking up the darn thing. There was 1 runner ahead of me and I told myself that when he started running, I would start--- I did this off and on for a few minutes and decided to screw it and just walk until my watch read 5 miles.

Once it beeped 5 miles I started a shuffle until I could see the peak, then picked it up for a "strong finish" into the exchange (and my team was none the wiser!) 

Night Run - 5.5 miles; 8:04 avg pace 

Due to the continuous rain all day, the field that was supposed to be for vans parking was blocked off, thus the exchange officials were making vans drive through in a single file line which caused a huge standstill of vans 1/2 mile from the exchange point. One of my teammates agreed to hop out with me and we jogged to the exchange to make sure we would be there in time (good thing we did bc my van still hadn't made it to exchange for when I took off) 

As with all night runs, I felt GREAT. I opted to put my phone on speaker and hold in my bra - stillness of the night made it easy to hear, and probably  even more entertaining for people as I approached them (lot of kills on this run) I did manage to accidentally step in cow / horse poo (hard to tell), so I pulled to the side and used corn stalk leaves to wipe everything off.  One of the perks of night running is it makes hills more bearable to run since you can't see them ahead of time. As long as I don't psych myself out, I'm decent at hills since they are everywhere in Nashville--- this run didn't disappoint and its where I passed most of my kills. 

I knew I would be coming in sooner than 8:15 pace, so I texted my team just in case they were relying on the app. Thankfully I did because they were barely ready in time before I handed off. So happy and grateful the run went well and was painfree--- starting to feel like my mojo is coming back!!!

Last run 3.8 miles; 8:07 avg pace 

I couldn't have asked for a better lineup this race--- hardest first, longest at night, shortest for last--- the ultimate strategy for being pain free at end of relay!! I always like to save a "fun" outfit for my last run to keep me energized. Since I've only worn my stars skirt once, 50th state 1/2, I figured it was time to break it out again. 

My TN tank + pro compression USA socks completed my 'Merica outfit and definitely got a lot of cheers from other runners, spectators, and vans driving by. 

I'm not sure what happened on this run, but I had a hard time catching my breath. I did have to stop quite a bit, however I only allowed myself 10 sec walk breaks at a time. My legs were heavy, but still turning over and pain free, so it was just a matter of stopping occasionally, regulating breathing, then carrying on. 

As we approach the small town where my exchange will be made, this guy caught up to me, smacked me on my butt, and told me "nice work wonderwoman!" Unless you know me, don't smack my butt. That gave me all the motivation I needed and I pushed through and passed him in the final stretch. After I handed off the baton I turned around and told him I wasn't wonder woman and walked back with my team. Is it me or is just satisfying to "chick" douchey guys???

After we all finished our van 1 legs we made a beeline for the hotel where a hot shower never felt so good. We ate, drank, then made our way to the finish line to cheer on our team to the finish line. 

Ladies and men of team "Ball so Hard we ran our Hasselhoff" 

Group Photo 

Thankfully we finished early enough, 330, to go back to hotel while van 2 showered that I could catch a quick nap before we made our way back to the bourbon tent at finish line and then on to dinner. Every runner gets a wrist band with 4 tear offs for free bourbon tasting. I had 1 honey wild turkey with several ice cubes that I managed to choke down and 1 Woodford Reserve that made me almost vomit. I don't think I'll ever be a Bourbon gal, but it doesn't mean you still can't have fun at the race. 

This year was SUCH a different experience than last year--- no getting lost, chased by stray dogs, being in last place, having to skip exchanges, or finishing 1.5 hours before they close everything down. I knew 2 people on this team prior to race, and both were in van 2. Although relays are always fun with some of your best friends, I think they're pretty fabulous with strangers as well!!!

Thanks for redeeming yourself Bourbon Chase--- maybe we'll meet again next year!

Trails, Trivia, T25

Trails
If you haven't heard already, Elizabeth has organized a great group of ladies to round out the Nuun sponsored team to run in the inaugural Ragnar Trail Atlanta. Unlike traditional Ragnars, there aren't some locations that are easy flat terrain  and some that are hard... all trail Ragnars are filled with hills, rocks, sand, and whatever other obstacles can be challenging. This particular one is held in the Georgia International Horse Park which is laced with all the above. Here is a preview of what is to come

Barely a flat part in sight. I don't mind hills, but hills on dirt that you need to grab on to tree routes and constantly look at the ground so you don't fall, that is another story. I found a too good to pass up deal last week on clearanced out trail shoes, so I decided to hit up our local tough trails, Percy Warner, with a few of my friends who are on another team for Ragnar Trail.  With walk breaks included in our time we had an 11 min pace for our 4 miles and I felt like we were flying. Considering 2 of my runs for Ragnar Trail Vail Lake in November were 11:51 and 11:59 total pace... I call this a huge win. 

I was excited to go again this week and meet (for the first time) my teammate for Ragnar Cape Cod, Betsy, but it's supposed to rain. I'm not the most coordinated on trails, add rain to the mix and I'm pretty sure I might hurt myself. Come on mother nature please play nice!

Trivia

If you've been reading these past few months you know I'm an avid trivia player. Back in November me and a few friends who traditionally aren't on my weekly Tuesday trivia team decided to try the first ever Preds trivia  which was held at Bridgestone where our Preds hockey team plays. Everyone gets a discounted ticket that plays, and if you win first place your seats get upgraded to ICE seats and if you get 2nd you get the lower bowl. The first time around we tied with another team and won the tie breaker to get the ICE seats!!

A few weeks ago Sarah and I received another email stating they were going to do it again. Our November team actually consisted of an ex and all his friends, so I hardcore recruited all my weekly trivia members that were available, and a few others to get a diverse team. The result- again tied for first and broke the tie breaker to WIN ICE SEATS AGAIN!

The game we all chose is 4/10 and we actually were able to get all 9 seats together on the ice (last time they had to split it up into 4 and 3) It's nice to know how facts you think are useless that are in your brain can reap big rewards!!! 

T25

Today marked the end of my 4th week of T25. At first I didn't think I was noticing many results aka 'why aren't my abs chiseled yet', but luckily I've been tracking my weight and inches every Saturday. I don't have results yet from this week (obviously its friday) but as of last week I was down 6lbs, 2 inches off my waist, and 1.5 off my chest. I think the best part was one of my guy friends who I hadn't seen in a few weeks commented the other day that my frame "looked smaller"- I'll take it. Aside from results, I've learned 3 things about my body:

1.) My legs are strong. I've always had strong legs (mostly quads and calves) so some of the moves don't bother me. Just call me the squat queen. 

2.) My upper strength is very weak in comparison, but I have come a long way. For me pushups are not comfortable- its not the arms part, its actually my back. Yesterday  I was so proud that I could do 3 oblique push ups before I needed to modify-- baby steps. 

3.) I am naturally uncoordinated. After 4 weeks I'm finally able to do some of the moves that just seemed "awkward to me" I've also been trying to learn the dance /workout to Katy Perry's "Dark Horse"--- maybe someday I'll record myself doing it and post it. Let's just say I don't look sexual at all doing it and instead that I'm trying to hard. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about- here is the you tube video. It's definitely a leg workout, but the challenge is can you look coordinated while doing it? Some day...

Franklin 1/2 Recap (Left calf revenge!)

Franklin 1/2 marathon

TN 1/2 # 8

Lifetime half # 51

13 in 13 progress 9/13

Finish time: 1:58:11

When this race was announced I wasn't all that hyped to run it. A half marathon in June in our hilly back yard---- HEAT, HILLS, HUMIDITY... YUCK! What did twist my arm to run was that many of my friends were testing out the waters in this new race and I didn't want to miss out. 

This was the first annual Frankin 1/2 held in Leipers Fork (which is actually not Franklin) Leiper's Fork is a small town right outside of Franklin, and fun fact, its where Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban live. 

Leah, Matt,  Michael, and myself all carpooled to the race in the morning since we knew traffic was going to be an issue on the 2 lane roads that lead to the start. 

Leah's goal was to get 2nd over all female since we knew our friend Ashley would win it. Matt's goal was to place in his age group. I had no goal. My left calf has been bothering me for over a month now. Tuesday it was starting to act up and when Wed rolled around I had a limp. I went to the emergency room to rule out a blood clot (it runs in my family) and when that came back clear Leah said she would do some manipulation. 

Thursday she did some dry needle therapy on my calf (think acupuncture except instead of leaving needle in. you move it around the muscle over and over) The idea behind this is to create an inflammatory response in the muscle to accelerate healing. Your muscle may spasm and feel achy. Luckily no spasm but I wasn't able to walk afterward so I took my gimp self to bed and walking returned in the morning. 

Fast forward to race morning and I was just appreciative that I could walk pain free despite calf being tight. 

B came prepared with hydration vest (and too prepared with the long sleeve) 

On to the highlights...

The Good 

• Water / gatorade stops at every mile marker- so needed on this hot day
• The size- I believe there were roughly 1000 runners. It was never crowded on course and was easy to cycle through bathrooms and get refreshments afterward
• Course was a loop and extremely scenic 
• Free peaches at the end.... I had 4 I was so hot

• Between Leah and myself, we walked away with 12 jars of bischoff spread... lots of recipes have been researched on what we can do with this

• The Bling--- adore it

• Leah finished 2nd overall female- first in age group. Matt finished 3rd in his age group

The Bad

• Race officials announced 5 min till race start (which was scheduled for 7am) that due to large amount of traffic still awaiting to park, they would delay the start 20 min to accommodate those runners. You don't delay race starts in the summer in the south--- every minute counts. 
• Heat and humidity. IT.WAS.HOT- high for the day was 91 and pretty sure it reached it by 9am. I was sweating so much, that it was stinging my eyes that finally at mile 4 I took off my shirt so I could hold it and use it to wipe my sweat. I do not have the body to be running in a bra for a race, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. 
• HILLS, HILLS, and more hills. There were approximately 2 'flat parts' in the course, both in the 2nd half of race- everything else was either up or down.... but mostly up.  I knew it was going to be tough, but the heat definitely exacerbated the suckiness. 

in no way does this photo do justice, but just an example of an extremely long gradual where you don't see the top of hill

• A lot of people suggested to rename the half "Hot and Hilly Half" as it was that bad. (Matt's face says it all- unfortunately I did not get the make a bad face memo)

The Ugly

• Within the first mile my left calf was bothering me. Since we were running uphill right out of the gate, I attributed it to that and didn't dwell too much on it. 
• Right after the mile 5 marker my left calf started spasming which caused me to fall down. Luckily the folks at the water station had a walkie talkie and got a go cart person to come get me. I couldn't believe I was going to have my first ever DNF. 
• The go cart man was nice enough to massage my calf to help loosen it up and after a bit I decided to give it another go and try to finish this beast of a race (Plus I wanted the medal)
• I cannot tell you HOW MUCH I walked. Luckily I had a fast first 5 miles, so even though I sat out for a solid 10 min, I figured with my slower pace I could still finish under 2 hours. I knew Leah would be wondering where the heck I was since I told her I was aiming for a 1:45, so I texted Brian (he normally runs with his phone) to pass along I stopped running for 10 min but I'm back and that i'll finish around 2 hours... turns out he didn't have a great race too- had I not stopped I would have beat him given his time relative to mine. 
• I have NEVER in all my races been as hot, or as COMPLETELY DRENCHED as I have for this race- it was disgusting. 
• Race organizers waited pretty  much until the race was completely over before starting awards. Since both Leah and Matt received one, we had to still around till 11 for that to happen. We're all a bunch of tired, cranky runners who have been in the heat since 6:30am and just want to shower--- definitely a suggestion for next year to quicken things up a bit. 

Takeaways

• For its inaugural year, The Franklin 1/2 put on a good race. Aide stations were spaced perfectly and having big water stations in the finisher's area was a nice touch as well to accommodate the heat. 
• Medal was on point.
• Loved how they had many computers set up to type in your bib number and get a print out to see official time and how you placed. 
• My big suggestion would be to either start the race at 6am OR move the race to the fall. The entire course is surrounded by either trees (although there was no shade) or beautiful foilage. I think it would be breathtaking to run through while all the leaves are changing, plus it wouldn't be hot. 
• Lastly they need to shorten the gap for awards. If someone wins an award its because they are fast- it is unnecessary and highly annoying to have to sit around 2 hours after you're done with the race just to receive a plaque. 

The company was good at this race, but the running part I hated. I knew this would be a tough course, I just had no idea it would be my hardest race this year- and the hottest I've ever felt. Unless they move the start time earlier or get some seriously awesome bling, I think this is a one and done for me. 

Garmin Stats-  whats hilarious is looking at strictly numbers, race was decent- just goes to show there is more to what a watch says. I felt like death the entire time, and had just switched my watch to total time mode since I didn't care about my splits. I felt like I was going WAY slower than I was. 

Mile 1: 7:28

Mile 2: 7:31

Mile 3: 7:42

Mile 4: 7:44

Mile 5: 8:34

10ish min break at 5 mile mark

Mile 6: 8:37

Mile 7: 8:57

Mile 8: 7:53

Mile 9: 8:37

Mile 10: 8:30

Mile 11: 8:41

Mile 12: 9:03

Mile 13: 8:49

Mile . 2: 6:06

Great Bay Half Recap (State #39- New Hampshire)

Race:

Great Bay Half

State #39

Lifetime Half # 47

2013 Half #5

Official Time 1:53:30

Even though this was on day 2 of a double header, day 1 was surprise PR in Maine, I was actually excited about this race. The start was 11am (sleeping in), and since we decided to stay an extra night we weren't worried about late finish. The weather was supposed to be tolerable, my legs were feeling pretty good, and it looked like a pretty flat course.... (more on THAT part later)

After freezing our fannies off in Maine, B and I made it a point to hit up a thrift store for a decent throwaway to actually keep us warm for New Hampshire race. Even though it wouldn't be nearly as cold as the day before, it was better to be prepared than not. We found these precious gems at Salvation army for $5---- taking matchy matchy very seriously... (Liberty Mutual golf outing) 

The race start was at one of the schools, however we had to park in an industrial park, take a shuttle to the gym of a different school, then walk about 1/2 mile to the actual start line. Despite the late kickoff, it was still a bit nippy out, so we spent an hour in the gym stretching, staring at all the people in spandex (they LOVE to wear it in the Northeast) and admiring the beautiful paintings on the gym..

Home of the "fighting mules" 

thats a mule, prepping for a fight--- too funny

So let's get back to this whole "flat race" concept.... 

So here is where I digress... I've ran a lot of races... I'm pretty confident in my ability to read an elevation map. This is what is listed on their site--- yes there are a lot of zig zags, but if you pay attention closely, it never goes over 100 ft. Much to my surprise when I was standing in line for the bathroom before the race  I saw the back of last year's shirt saying "My legs conquered the hills of the Great Bay Half Marathon"--- what?!?!? I asked the lady if this course was hilly and her response was laughter, followed by 'it's all hills'--- knowing that I did read the elevation profile I thought maybe it was rolling hills and she said mildly "it's a tough course and if you don't run hills, you're in for a treat"---- that is my disclaimer for the race. 

After learning this new piece of information, I'm less than excited to run it. B and I decide to suffer through the cold and do bag drop so we can enjoy our awesome fleeces AFTER the race as well and brave the chilly walk to start line

There is no sugar coating this, the race was pretty negative for me,I wanted to just quit,and there was zero enjoyment during the whole time I spent running.  As to not divulge into too much negativity, here is the bullet version...

• I remind myself to go out easy, not get excited and just listen to my breathing. Apparently I wanted to hang with the 7:30 pacer so thats what I did.. only he was going faster and our first mile clocked in at 7:19... seriously?!?
• Once first mile hit it was all hills from then on out- at first I didn't mind, but then the tightness in my legs reminding me I ran yesterday kicked into full gear. That lethargic / heavy feeling coupled with not caring about pace allowed me to given in mentally and slow down significantly.

Scenery for large part of race, barren trees and hills galore ( i bet its GORGEOUS in fall)

• I'm pretty positive I 'officially' gave up around mile 6 which is when I introduced walking into every mile- although there really wasn't much to look at, I was trying to be good at 'enjoying the run' and 'taking in the scenery'

• One kind of different aspect was there were several spectators playing instruments along the course- one lady had a HUGE oboe. This guy was my favorite with his sweet banjo

• No matter how much I hurt or want to quit a race, there is usually SOME type of competitive streak in me, today was a different story. I can officially say that from mile 6 on, the only people I passed (that didn't pass me back up within a min) was in my final kick... thats right, ZERO.
• I finally figured out that most people running the race have this thing called 'strategy' where they knew the course was tough and conserved energy so they could make it through the whole race and finish with positive splits... what a novel concept, I may have to try that some time. 
• Probably the strangest thing I've ever seen on the course were belly dancers- I remember thinking "this doesn't motivate me at all, and the 2 guys sitting in lawn chairs filming them kind of creep me out" At least I know that if I gave up on running, I can always turn to learning belly dancing since apparently stomach size doesn't matter ;)

• The belly dancers were right at a turn around point to head back toward finish line (seriously the only flattish part of the course) I saw B on my way back and gave her a big thumbs down and shouted "worst race ever"--- she was looking pretty strong vs. my harlem shake shuffle I had started doing. 
• At some point in the last mile we left the boring trail and started heading into downtown where the scenery is exactly what you would expect a New England town to look like (pictures don't do it justice)

• I was amazed at the large crowd support the last bit of the race, literally the streets were lined. I somehow managed to have a kick at the end and actually passed 3 people----again, the only 3 people I passed the whole race
• I got my crappy medal and headed down to finisher area to wrap my sorrows in my yellow fleece and grab some food.
• The area they chose to host the after race refreshments was hopping and actually quite gorgeous

• Once B finished we got a quick photo by the water and headed to one of the 2 places that were handing out free beer!

• Although I love beer, after running I can't drink that much so in the time B was able to finish her 2, I had a measely 1 (there was no limit as to how many you could drink!) 

Afterthoughts of the race:

New Hampshire has potential to probably have some great scenic races--- Great Bay Half was not one of them. I think they need to put an accurate elevation map on the site so runners know what they're getting into when running (granted most everyone was local so they probably know the area) My garmin is currently dead so I don't have my splits, but I DO remember that miles 7,8, AND 9 were all exactly 8:57 pace... how is that for consistency. Although the race severely sucked for me and I felt like death running in slow motion, not disappointed that I was able to pull a 1:53... that is only possible from banking time in the beginning and is in no way a reflection of pacing for that. 

I highly recommend if you don't live in the Northeast to wait till later months to visit. Its such a beautiful area, however the wind and gray just put a damper on the scenery. Needless to say, I was so excited to return to Nashville and be greeted by sunny 80 degrees :)

State 39 done, next up, the big 4-0 is over a month away, in Maryland. 

Nashville Muddy Buddy (Race Recap)

For the last several years I've seen so many different types of adventure races popping up everywhere,  but alas my fear of getting hurt and not really knowing what to expect prevented me from ever signing up for one. 

This year I had the opportunity to have Nuun sponsor me and my 'buddy' Ashley to do the Nashville Muddy buddy, so I was excited for a new experience. As an added bonus, my parents were in town visiting for the weekend, so they helped to capture the new race we both participated in. 

For those who have raced with me, I'm not always the most prepared person. I don't pay attention to logistics, where the race location is at, how to get there, and elevation etc. When it came to the muddy buddy, I was even less prepared- after I committed and registered Ashley and I as "How I met your Runner", I realized the race isn't in Nashville at all- its in Ashland City, a full 1 hour drive from where I live to the middle of no where. 

Now i'm no expert on if ALL the Muddy Buddy series do this- but the few that I've read about aren't actually located in the city it's touting- i.e "nashville" but really in Ashland City. My advice if you are thinking about doing one is to investigate on the website to see the actual location. 

Onto the race 
I could sum this up real quick in 3 bullet points


It was hot
It was MUCH harder than we anticipated
Despite all that we got 3rd place because thats how we roll 


But alas, you know I have to go into some detail, so here we go...
Because this is a team event, you HAVE to check in together. I wasn't sure what the plans were with my parents afterward, so Ashley and I drove separate (stupid mistake). She had a little difficulty finding the place, got turned around a few times, but finally made it in time. (website said to arrive 1 hour before race start, so I was getting a little nervous)

Mudpit to the finish line (before race start) 

All checked in and ready to go 

The finish line and start line are in 2 different areas, so we had to make the LONG walk to start line and get the show on the road. Normally when I think of Muddy Buddy I think of the bike / run combo- neither Ashley or myself bikes, so we lucked out with the run / run option. We had no idea how this would work and just asked people around us at the start line if we stayed together the whole time (we were awesomely prepared obviously) 

Mohawk guys won it all 

Ashley and I are both competitive and have a hard time grasping the term "run for fun", so we signed up in the advanced category and for the earliest start time, 9am (which, by the way, is too late to start a race in TN, but the bike / run corrals started at 7:30 and every 1/2 hour till 9)

After reading Elizabeth's recap HERE from the Atlanta Muddy Buddy, we did something right by joining the first wave since we didn't have to wait to do any of the obstacles...i have a tendency to be impatient, so this worked out marvelously. 

Right before the gun went off the race announcer decided to throw in there that we would be welcomed by a giant hill midway through race. He proceeded to tell us it was the biggest hill out of all the Muddy Buddies, thus making Nashville the hardest course of them all. Considering we live here, Ashley and I weren't really phased by that build up ( we should have been) 

After the gun went off we just kind of jogged / ran off with some serious speedstars- maybe it was the fact that it was all on gravel / trail, or that it was extremely hot, but I felt like we were going SUPER fast-- too fast to hold our pace. Neither of us wore garmins as to not ruin them in the mudpit, so I have NO IDEA how spread out the obstacles were or how long the exact course was, but I was told it was 4.6 miles. 

 The map is as follows

The first obstacle required us to crawl under 2 barriers of netting- apparently I didn't get low enough and I lost my headband and had my hair get pull out of a bun into just a regular pony tail--- hopefully not a premonition to how all obstacles were going to be. 

Starting off we chatted and laughed commenting on how we both aren't the greatest at trail running.  We happened to pass this guy who cheered us on and then TORE INTO his teammate. I believe it went a little like "Way to kick some ass ladies. Hey, (to his partner) how is that walking going for you?!? I should have got grandma as my partner!!" I think the two were brothers judging by the age difference and the way the older one tore into him--- definitely made me appreciative of how supportive Ashley and I were of each other. 

For being an 'obstacle' run, there was actually quite a bit of running in between each strength/ agility test. After our 2nd obstacle, we entered the woods- it was awesome that there was shade, but hard on the knees as we had to take it really easy going down the gradual hills, watching for roots, rocks, divets--- trail running definitely keeps you fully engaged and I was not wearing the appropriate shoes for it. 

Sometime during our descent we finally reached the infamous hill--- i cannot accurately depict how intensely steep / long / difficult it was, but what I can say is that I've ran a LOT of hills both in training runs and races- this was the granddaddy of all those hills. I guess a more accurate depiction would be to say it was like climbing up a dirt mountain- no running was even possible, so we slowly made the climb up and up. Afterward our legs were toast and all energy was zapped. 

Our next obstacle was the one we spent the most time at considering it involved balance, apparently we both suck at it. There was about a 5 foot wall and on either side of the wall were beams attached. You and partner lined up on either side of wall and had to walk across the beams on your side, while only holding onto each- catch was you couldn't touch wall and the beams went up, down, and got thinner the closer you got to the bell. We fell off the first time and 2nd time once we got near the end I just told her I was going to make a large jump to touch bell--- a solid few minutes was wasted here. 

There was another balance obstacle quite a bit down the way that we had to do over again, but nothing nearly as long. In the instructions they said if you couldn't complete an obstacle, you could pass it. When we came to the traditional hanging knot rope you have to climb up, we both made 3 attempts, got no where, and said screw it and kept on. ( we were spent) 

A lot of our time was spent laughing about how tired and hot we were. We had to take turns walking - either out of aches and pains, or just plan old exhaustion. They did have water stations throughout the course, so that did help a bit. Toward the end I was cursing at the fact that I had NO IDEA how in the world I was going to run a marathon in September if I was this tired after 4.6 miles. After awhile it just became humorous how we thought this race would be 'no big deal', but infact it whipped us pretty good. 

I always wanted a jumping photo up--- amazed at the height we got on tired legs (only photographer we saw on the course) 

During our last walk break we could hear the announcer and knew we must be close to the finish line so we 'picked it up' in time to see my parents and the last of our obstacles --- I'll let the pictures tell the story 

Lightning Speed I tell ya 

Check out those deltoids... 

Climbing up the first wall with the rope...

over the wall 

and down the other side (this took a min to actually figure out, sad I know) 

Running over the next wall 

This one was all about momentum so you could overcome the fact that its steep and there are guys at the top pouring soap to make is slippery 

 no problem

both of us figuring out our footing on how to get down 

woo now off to the mud pit!!

Entering the mudpit 

in the shallower parts it was all hands and knees

we were trying to beat the only other people in the mud pit, team of all guys (which we did)

apparently laughing it up

Grabbing hands to cross finish line together 

FINISHED! 

Get this timing chip off me so I can wash off 

how am I that much dirtier than Ashley??

waiting in line for the initial wash off- not much luck 

I was INCREDIBLY thirsty. Unfortunately unlike the Atlanta Muddy buddy, we didn't have a Nuun tent, so I'm glad I brought my own. not sure about my drinking form there--- i guess like running form, it could use some work

We did it!

This is a forced smile. I forgot my ID (duh I forget something every race) so i'm waiting on Ashley as she gets her FREE 2 beers :(

Trying to get mom dirty and wet

I have great photographers / supporters (dad was there but no photos of him)

Walking to the showers--- I love this photo

Despite the soap and hose water, it didn't do much for the socks and shirt

After going through the numbers we realized that Ashley and I might have a chance to place. Majority of the teams in front of us were all males, or  coed teams. So we waited around longer than I would have liked to see the verdict...


whoops- 3rd overall. As luck would have it, awards go to top 3 teams :)
Official time was 54:35, winning time 52:18.

We figured it made a better picture to be on the 1st place box vs. 3rd. 

close up of the hardware 

best photo I could get of award (brown container you were able to fill up with mud)

All in all it was a fun time. I'm so appreciative Nuun gave us the opportunity to run this race, and although I probably won't do this particular one again, I'm open to other adventure races as they come around.

For those that are interested in Muddy Buddy's, Nuun is one of the sponsors, and they are sponsoring 2 teams in each event (bike and run, run & run) for every muddy buddy. Obviously sponsorships go fast, so I'd contact them if you'd be interested in checking out the race and their products. It took me awhile to get used to Nuun (fizziness), but it is the PERFECT go to for me after my run. I ALWAYS crave coca cola after long runs to satisfy my sweet-- now Nuun does the trick. I've only tried 5 of the flavors thus far, Pink Lemonade and tropical punch being my favorite. To be honest, except the iced tea and banana, they all sound great.  I'm told I need to try the kona kola, but I've yet to actually find that anywhere in the store.. my mouth salivates just thinking about it. 

Suggestions?

I'd also recommend finding someone that is your speed- you have to start and finish the race with  your teammate, so it doesn't benefit you to pick someone out or under your league.