Post Ragnar Spiritual Reflections

Before the race, we had to guesstimate our pace...I reported my pace. My captain calculated my exchanges a minutes LESS! I text her, especially after the accident (I wasn't able to train as intensely as I had planned) that I was almost positive I was going to be slower.. . I text her sometime before we started and said I felt my first leg was going to be longer.. By, like..30 minutes! She had confidence I'd be fine, even suggested I'd go faster.

Leg 1, very hard, 550 elevation, 8.7 miles.... Finished EXACTLY when she predicted, 19 seconds/mile under the pace SHE listed...1:19/mile less than what *I* listed.

Leg 2, easy, 4.4 miles, finished early, 1:10/mile less than what she listed, 2:10/mile less than what I thought I could so.

Leg 3, moderate, 4.3 miles, 1 mile left, (just after we'd exchanged texts) had to call and clarify where to go..my map wouldn't load..i lost a few minutes there...and my right knee decided it was done... it's the one that got hit in the accident....I limped my last mile.....I paused, half knelt, cried, and said a prayer out loud.I stood up and hobbled the last .8ish miles. I finished..I'd just finished my ENTIRE contribution, though the worst I'd done the whole time cuz of my dumb knee....

I cried..I looked at my time....0:16/mile seconds UNDER my predicted time.

Overall, my average pace was 0:35 seconds LESS than my captain put... And 1:35 less than what I put.

Sometimes we need the push in the right direction because we underestimate ourselves. Sometimes, it seems impossible. The challenge isn't something we would desire or even consider doing in our WILDEST dreams (do i LIKE running!?!?!?) sometimes we need to get uncomfortable to see what we're made of... So WE can know we're capable of more. Of doing better. It might be downright scary. It might seem downright impossible. Through people believing in us, we don't lower the bar on ourselves and achieve *our* impossible. 17.52 miles under a 13 minute pace... Even the Celestial Kingdom. 

Don't sell yourself short. You can do hard things when you run with Christ.

A ps to my testimony: leave who you are at the start line so you can finish as you are to become.

Sparkle on.

2020 Ragnar del Sol Background (part 1)

Ok - so...if you know me in the slightest, you probably had to do a double take on the title of this entry! Bahahahahahahaha! Amanda? RUN!? She HATES running! I was that girl in middle school that the PE teacher didn't like cuz she'd WALK the mile. I'm that girl on the OCR course that's walking and has NO problem with a long time cuz...I HATE running. Well, let's be real for a second - why does anyone ever actually detest anything?  I'm GOOD at drinking chocolate milk and eating Oreos...is that something I detest or enjoy? If you guessed enjoy - you nailed it!

So - here's how it went down...I had this friend who did the Ragnar trail races and said I could do the 2019 race with him if I "proved my worthiness" - well, through a sequence of unfortunate things, I didn't get to race ...k, I'm about being open and honest, so here's the gosh honest truth...I was carrying around a bit of bitterness and happened to be asked by a dear friend if I wanted to do this race with her. WITHOUT hesitation - YES! I would love to! Ba Bam, I just committed to doing the thing I least like doing on a consistent basis.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE racing - the feeling of accomplishment, bragging rights, perhaps inspiring someone who didn't think they could do it into even just contemplating trying something new and outside of their comfort zone - and the t-shirts and cool medals. As a "non-athlete" who always wanted to go out for sports but wasn't ever allowed, now in my 40s (gag) it's FINALLY my time to be able to do these things.  Starting new habits, though, is hard. No matter who you feel you have something to prove to or whatever - the main person you should prove ANYTHING to is yourself. Self? You never thought you'd be doing a road race, running even, let's see what you're made of!

So - the invitation was around Thanksgiving...so, I ran here and there...but nothing consistent. By the time Christmas was rolling around, I KNEW I had to get my act together because it wasn't the solo Spartan or mudrun I've done in the past - this time, I had a TEAM that I was running with. That was motivation enough for me...I think that's my biggest motivation: if someone is depending upon me to do something, I'll be the LAST person to let them down. So - I put together a training plan.

Ugh...I don't like the next part of what I'm about to say - so up to this point, I was running 2-3 times a week...throw in some crossfit here and there....well, New Year's Eve I had something happen by way of an accident which put me back on my training.  I wanted to run that day because it was a running day - but I was advised not to.  I'm glad, looking back - the adrenaline was still pumping through me, so I might have done more harm.

I was so bummed - at this point, my goal for my first Spartan this year (Chino) was just to finish - given my physical state, etc..hence why I wasn't super disappointed by the 4:30 finish time. (That's hours).

I text my team captain and told her what happened...I couldn't have been with a better group of ladies - honest!

So, I think I ran a couple short runs before the race ...so I was grateful for my training during the previous months, even though it was off and on - it really helped me!

Sparkle on.

Spartan Chino, CA

So, I'm about two hundred weeks behind on this race report!

This was the first Spartan of the season for me!  I was stoked to be able to take my racing season on the road and nervous at the same time! I'd only raced one venue up until this time - and that was AZ! I had NO idea what to expect.

 Along the course, I found a great duo of friends who where there running their first Spartan!  We chatted along the course and had a blast. I promised them I would stick with them the whole time, and I did.  We came upon an obstacle I hadn't seen before - a slip wall! Big aluminum thing...maybe a 45 degree angle with a rope to help you up. Well, it was ..awesome...not! I tried to get up the wall and at the top, I sliiiid down.  I decided to do what I tend to do - watch. So, I noted technique, etc....tried again. I slid down AGAIN! But, this time, I felt some heat in my hands.  I didn't think anything of it until I looked down - and then I saw the 4 tears/rips...OUCH!  I think my hands went into shock for a moment because I couldn't feel anything - at this point, I was repenting for any time I'd made fun of people for having gloves on the course.  I'd always been "Be tough - gotta do the course nekkid" - UNTIL my hands hurt so much I couldn't grasp things I took for granted....yeeeeooowzers!

When I looked forward to monkey bars because the coolness of the bars...you knew something was wrong!

 Regardless of my crazy, slow pace - one of my course mates actually got taken away by a medic, and a lovely Italian lady had some serious cramping towards the end of the course and all I understood was "pickle juice." K - side note - pickle juice is a real thing! Though my other racing non-Spartan friends thought it was nuts - I'm at home with my fellow Spartans and they totally get it.  It's a funky taste, and no - it's not green, but still vinegar-y and salty - and supposedly helps with the cramping. Never turn down a shot of pickle juice on the course!

I actually had a PR on the monkey bars! I usually drop after the first or second bar, this time I make it between the 6/7...or 5/6, I don't remember!

I think I finished this one in 4:30 ...so, it was slower than my first Super (which was my first Spartan ever  - back in 2018), but I took it easy and enjoyed the time.  I also had many many penalties to pay - I wasn't confident with doing burpees, so because I'm trying to make this year my best and progress - I did squats, sit ups, lunges - I think that was it this time.

I LOVE chocolate milk.  I have run the Cap City half marathon in Columbus, Ohio three times - the organic chocolate milk at the end of the course - AHH! BEST. EVER!

Sparkle on, my people, sparkle on!

Ft. McDowell, AZ Spartan

Greetings! I'm SOOO behind in reporting my journey, but I promise I've thought about this every day! Nothing like a Sunday afternoon to play catch-up.  I'm going to go in reverse order with my race reports!

Back on 15 Feb, it was time for Spartan, AZ.  I got to meet up with one of my friends who came down from Colorado!  She's stinking amazing! I partially blame her for signing up for as many races as I have this year. I remembered her racing agenda from last year and got caught up in the excitement..and found myself signed up for (or having paid for! 9 races - ack! Haha. But I'm grateful for my awesome racing buddy :D)

I get nervous before each race, and this one was no different. I get the nervous tummy, make sure I go to the bathroom right before I head into the chute and when we take off - it's no turning back!

I was SO proud of us - we jogged MOST of the way.  It's been about 5 weeks now, so I don't remember ALL of the details - Mt. Olympus - it can be done when you have some beautiful friends that support you and you become professional piggy back ride givers!  The rule with that obstacle? DON'T touch the ground!

There's an obstacle called the Z wall that's pretty simple - in theory! However, after attempting it 3-4 times - having not ever failed it before, I fell prey to the penalty area.  I have NO IDEA what happened, but I moved on.

The rope - still kicked my butt - BUT - FOR THE FIRST TIME, I completed the bender.  You're gonna have to do some crazy Googling for some of these - but this one I've NEVER done before. One of the crazy things about these OCRs - kind of like right now, you use whatever you can to get what you're aiming to accomplish, accomplished. I got to the top...and I got STUCK! Haha, nothing like making it up and not knowing how to let go, fearing falling, and trying to break your leg free and wrap your body, as it's woven in and out of metal bars a million feet up (ok, not a million, maybe 20!) Somehow, I wiggled and wriggled and my left leg out and flipped it over the top!
 (Not my photo, courtesy of the Google)

Another personal win was when I did something called the Beater - it starts with monkey bars, then goes into this weird twisting sort of thing...I'll leave you to your Googling with that one - but I was so excited because I actually made it to the first part of the twisting handle-things!

Close to the end was my demise - well, the part that I was fearing the WHOLE race - the aluminum slip wall that ripped apart my hands in California....I approached it with some trepidation, but for whatever reason!? it wasn't as slippery as it was in Chino?! And - up I went! I think when I got to the top I freaked out so I flopped and my racing friend helped me over - but I was STOKED cuz my hands were in tact!

Overall, it took us 3:16, so I knocked off an hour of my race time. We really wanted to do it under 3, but things happen. I'm SUPER proud of this time because it's my best super ever. EEEEHHHVEEER!

Sparkle on, my people. Sparkle on!