Lazeegirl Challenge #2 Tough Mudder

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  • No, you're not getting it wrong, Lirish - it's supposed to be blog style, in the hope that it encourages comment from other people, but if not, a "following" of people who read it.  Last year, when I was totally new to running and forums, I found out that more people "followed" what I wrote than actually posted.  I only realised when I stopped writing and people started to leave messages to express their worry.  I also had runners who would chip in here or there with advice.  They are not doing that yet because this is quite a specialised thread, but more than that, because I have not written anything about running yet.  But as soon as I start to write about my running foibles again, I'm sure(!!!) "they" will appear here with their words of wisdom....but if not, that's okay.  In my marathon last year, people told me they recognised me from my thread.

    So, tell me about your name - were you born in London of Irish descent or moved to London from Ireland?  When I moved to London (Scottish, aged 21) people used to ask me what part of Nothern Ireland  I was from - usually Irish people!  I studied in Ulster for many years after that so it was funny to compare the things we say in West Central Scotland with how people speak in Ulster - there are so many similarities!  And we are all direct, forthright people.image 

     So what brings you to Runners World?  Do you have a specific challlenge this year?

  • Morning Lazee Girl - glad to hear you're having fun! Keep it up!

    The Cape Wrath Challenge is the culmination of a weeks running events at Durness on the far north west coast of Scotland. People go for the full week and there are various races throughout plus other activities or just for the final day and the challenge itself. The full challenge is a marathon from Durness village out to the lighthouse on Cape Wrath (most westerly point on British soil.) Its wonderful! You have to run about 3 miles then get a boat over to the peninsula, run out and back to the lighthouse then get a boat back to the mainland and run the final couple of miles back to the village (uphill!) it's a killer after sitting in the boat LOL image

    There is a huge celebratory ceilledh in the evening and a fantastic meal. Its a brilliant, brilliant event. You can do the challenge as a team of 2, 3 or 5 or as an individual.

    The cape is a wild and beautiful place - stunning scenary, hilly though not too much, green/blue water, massive skies, white sand beaches. Brilliant organisation - one of my favourites!

    It is remote and half the challenge is the travel to get there and the camping. Its in May - when the weather is usually (though by no means always!!!) statistically more settled.
  • It sounds wonderful, Tigerlilly!  I was just thinking about lighthouses the other day...I must look it up.  Not that I'd be able to do it this year....
  • Lazeegirl- 10k races near Glasgow in the spring...........Polaroid series 19th may- 12th june in  Helensburgh, Clydebank, Dumbarton, Balloch- the first 3 are on a thursday night, last one on a saturday, along with kiddies races at the last one- I don't know if the little'uns would want to join in n, but would be great if they did. All quite big races, 400-800 runners, chip timed, wide range of finishing times, check on their website.

     Glasgow wimmins 10k is at about the same time as these- 13 may- so this can end up being a busy running month if you do them all- it's an amazing event, though I think it's a bit expensive for what it is, and the logistics of travel are bad with the numbers- depends whether you can get a train in. I'm sure you get a discount if you enter wimmins 10k and GSR together.

    If you want something much sooner, there's the buchlyvie 10k -21st january- tends to be a bit muddy

    Glasgow half- yes, do it!

    Great to hear you're enjoying the start back to running- remember to take it slowly to start with!

  • Hiya Tricia,

    Thanks for those tips.  I was thinking about the Glasgow Women's 10k because that looks more like a "fun run" than a serious 10k and you get £5 off the GSR (so £40 for both, which isn't so bad).  The 21st of January is FAR too soon!  I'd barely walk that.  I was hoping for a 10k March or April though...

    I managed to get out for an hour run/walk today.  It was great to be outside again.  I did a few sprints with fast walking in between.  I want to get confident in the distance again and get used to my heart rate being raised for more than 20 minutes.  It will be a long road back to fitness!  But I'll need to do it.  I want to be fit and healthy and there are no shortcuts.  I want to try and make it a habit this time.

    I did a few half press-ups earlier - I can now do sets of 5!  So there's an improvement already.  I could barely do one or two before.  I did some half sit-sups and another exercise, that they showed us at the military fitness class, to work the obliques.  I keep teasing my older children that I'm going to be wearing belly tops to show off my six-pack in the Summer!  image  My daughter says that if I do, she'll "die of embarrassment!".  Heh heh, that's surely part of a parent's job description to embarrass their children!  Hey, if I managed to get a six-pack, I would probably do it...image

     I'll need to post some 'before' and 'after' photos on here!  But I'm not posting the 'before' until I've improved dramatically.  So you'll all have a long wait. 

  • Aaaaaw get the pics up lg image
    Well done on how your progressing though, keep it up.

    I think I might be getting into a bit more bike action this year, just brought a new bike.. its supercool.
  • Lazeegirl - the CW challenge is just what Tigerlily says! There is a HM, a hill run, a 10m cross country and a beach run in the days leading up to the marathon itself. This will be the first year I hopefully do the whole thing. Numbers aren't huge but it is a great event with beautiful scenery and also great soup and cakes after each days events as well as social events. The meal at the final ceilidh is amazing too.

    Last year the weather was awful though and the marathon got rerouted to the mainland but it's fantastic running up to the lighthouse on the Cape especially if it just appears out of nowhere in the fog as it did year before last.

    You don't have to camp either there's quite a few B&B and self catering options if you book early.

    Sounds like you're doing well, dont think I can manage press ups!

  • Oh Elspeth... it's not the same if you don't camp image LOL
  • You men and your bikes!  Is it a mountain bike, perchance?  I went mountain biking last year in Glentress (not sure if I wrote about that?) on a borrowed bike and it was great, coming DOWN the mountain and doing the "table tops" especially and berms?  I didn't enjoy going UP the hill though.  You need to be fit for that!  Just watch out Squeakz that you don't end up loving it too much or we'll be losing you to the mountain biking forums when you give up running altogether in favour of going out on your bike! image  I've seen it happen.  Then next you'll be wanting to buy a van to transport your 3 bikes around in (because one won't be enough forever).

     Elspeth - I had a look on the Cape Wrath website and the place looks charmingly remote, but I don't think I could run after a ferry crossing - I get really sea sick.image  And bus sick!  I remember the story about the cafe owner in the press about her going for a turkey to Inverness and then being cut off from her home for a month, poor thing.   I'm really impressed that they can manage to offer so much fresh variety in their cafe.  It would be a great place to visit.  I'll have to put that on my 'bucket list'.

     Well tonight I'm making a huge vat of homemade vegetable soup and a load of other healthy dishes to keep me going for the week.  But while I was out, my mum came round and stocked my fridge and cupboards up with things she didn't use over New Year, including dips - one of my downfalls!  If there's a multi-pack of crisps or a tube of Pringles in the cupboard too, then all my well-intentioned plans will be ruined! image

  • Nahh its a road bike, lacking mountains here in London.. lol -- really excited about it though, like a kid at christmas
  • Gosh, biking in London - sounds dangerous!  But I'm sure you'll have a great time.  I think everyone should have toys, no matter how old they are.   Are you going to cycle the commute to and from work now then? 

    Talking about that has just reminded me that my Christmas presents to myself - the pull-up bar and the push-ups thingamys haven't arrived yet...I tried to do a pull up in a children's playground, but I was totally feeble -didn't manage anything like 1 pull-up.  I need to practice on monkey bars too.  That's one of the obstacles on the course.  I was thinking about this today as I was out for my walk-run, that one the way home from school at lunchtime and home time, my brother and our friend used to run the mile from school, over some hills and through a swing park (with a course of monkey bars).  I was good at them then.  We had our own little obstacle course that we completed every day.  Imagine if I got to be as fit as I had been at primary school?  That would be great.image  And it was good fun too.  There just doesn't seem to be as many monkey bars around nowadays though...

    I can go to my military class on Tuesday, Thursday  and Saturday this week, which is great.  I'm also going to fit in another 4 mile run-walk on Wednesday.  JogScotland starts back on Sunday, so I hope to start that too.  I think I better leave Monday and Friday as rest days for now.  I don't want to overdo it too soon.

  • Wahey - I've just done my very first ever full press-up!  In fact, I managed 2!!!  image

    I can now do the half press-up in sets of 5 (only up to 3 sets, mind you).  But it just goes to show that it's true:  press-ups are just practice.    I'll have to do a few before bed every night now. image

  • Aargh, it's only the 10th of January and I'm flagging already!  I'm don't feel "full of the joys" of getting fit today.  I'm going to have to drag myself to my military fitness class tonight....

    I've just had a look at a Tough Mudder video to motivate me: North Cal Tough Mudder Oct 2010  That's cheered me up a bit - it looks great fun and all of the competitors are SMILING!  But that's only a 7 mile obstacle course that one.  Thay had it easy.image  But compared with the faces on the marathon runners I saw last year (as they passed mecoming the other way in an out and back course) - the Tough Mudders to look as though they're really enjoying themselves.

     I was trying to find a video I'd seen of two girls who ran together and made it look dead easy.  That's the kind of look I'm aiming for, but instead, I'm bound to look like I'm dying all the way round.

    My little boy's throwing my fitness ball around the living room at the dog.  They're having a great time with it, but I haven't used it much.  I'm sure it's the second one I've bought.  Does anyone actually use fitness balls, regularly? 

  • I do (sad, but true!) .... core fitness LG. I use mine twice a week plus I sit on it to watch telly or to type - you have to engage your core to stop you falling off it! Other than that I throw it at my OH every now and again - just to keep him on his toes! image

    Don't flag now LG - keep up the momentum. All those fit army types running round the park with you - there's motivation! image
  • Well, Tigerlilly, funny you should mention that - the fit army types...I'm in the lowest class, with a bunch of middle aged women (like me!).  The fittest class, the Greens, is full of the fit men, but how on earth am I going to get to meet them?  A-ha (a "eureka moment"), I'll just have to become super fit, join their team and do 50 press-ups a time alongside them.  Ach, it's a goal, if a bit of a far off one for now.  But least that has given me a bit of motivation for tonight:  I'll be able to check out the fit men when we all line up at the back of the transit to collect our team vests.  If any of them look particularly gorgeous, that migh spur me on to joining that Green team a bit faster.  Thanks TLimage
  • A little less talk and a little more action (baby!).  I'm going to do some press-ups and sit-ups now and then take the dog a walk.

    I've started a new eating plan called 'Fast-Five' which should actually be called 'Fast-19' because you fast 19 hours a day and only eat in a five hour window (usually 5pm-10pm).  It's actually close to how I used to eat for many years naturally, when I'd often forget to eat for hours.  The hardest part so far has been not to have the milk, sugar and Belgian hot chocolate that I have in my coffee every morning!  Plain black coffe.  Yuk! 

    I'm going to have to eat before my class tonight though and not JUST before it, so I'm going to break the fast an hour earlier than the plan.  It's not as dodgy as it sounds because you just eat what you like during the eating window. 

    Has anyone else tried a fasting plan while training? 

  • Stop right there LG - call me old fashioned but any eating plan which involves fasting is just plain WRONG!! image

    Seriously LG To go 19 hours without food surely cannot be a good plan? Firstly, it is not something you could not keep up and still train effectively. Secondly healthy eating is for life. Healthy eating is not a "fad" like a "diet" - God I hate that word! It immediately gives the impression you are denying yourself something. Don't diet - eat healthlily. Thirdly, it is difficult to make too many changes in your life at one time. It is better to make one change - "I am going to exercise regularly" and THEN change you diet gradually. You will probably find that as you get fitter the diet change becomes a natural process anyway.

    Not have milk in coffee? Ugh! Why punish yourself? Don't sweat the small stuff LG!

    image
  • Edit - "not something you COULD keep up and still train effectively...."
  • Well TL - the thing is, you don't deny yourself anything at all, once you break the fast, you eat what you want, as much of what you want.  The guy who wrote the plan - an ex-marine and qualified doctor - did a lot of research and other researchers have found that "intermittent fasting" actually helps you to live longer (well the trial I read about worked on rats anyway image).  Fasting is an ancient custom - religions have used it for centuries.  Proponents of fasting claim that the way we eat nowadays - 3 or 4 meals a day - is culturally programmed, rather than natural.  Slogans like, 'breafast is the most important meal of the day' is a myth perpetuated by companies which sell bread products and cereals.  The way we eat just now - set times for meals - is not governed by our need to eat (I think they call it "somatic hunger" where our stomach is rumbling) but but what they call "limbic hunger" (more like, "I fancy a biscuit, oops I've eaten 4!").  Limbic hunger is not true hunger.  And eating at set times is not what our body needs.

    The guy who wrote the fast-5 plan says its more natural because in ancient times, when there was less food storing facilities (except for curing), man had to hunt for animals (a physical activity) and that animal, once killed, formed the basis of meals, which had to be cooked and eaten fairly quickly before it went off.  humans had to be able to go for several hours without food without it affecting their physical performance too much.

    But that point aside, he does caution against any marathon training whilst on the plan!  So you are perfectly right.  I would not train if I had not eaten anything all day.  I will only be doing exercise AFTER I have eaten a meal.  I will probably have some soup afterwards too.  I'm not going to deprive myself or take any risks.

    Thanks for your concern though.  The thing I like about the author of the plan is that he makes no money from it!  He detests the money made through the diet industry (and he too loathes that word).  He gives his plan away as a free ebook and seemingly has done for years.

    I just thought it would be a good way to stop myelf eating the huge amount of junk I seem to have been eating lately.  But I'll see how I go.... 

  • Nah! Still not convinced. It doesn't make sense to me at all. To me breakfast IS the most important meal of the day - not because the bread/cereal companies tell me it is but because I've just fasted for 9 hours and I'm hungry. Still, each to their own... image

    The ancient man thing.... still not convinced! Ancient man was a hunter/gatherer - a large part of his diet would be vegetarian gathered as his nomadic lifestyle dictated. I doubt they would go 19 hours without eating except in exceptional circumstances. But that's by the by. Just make sure you eat enough to support your training and still have the energy to look after your kids and the dog image And enjoy the session this evening image
  • Well TL, you might have been right about meeting a fit man at the military class after all!  As I handed back my vest at the end tonight, a man stopped to chat, said he'd seen me last week and mumbled something about giving me his numberimage before someone else spotted him and joined us.  Roll on the Summer when I can be that brazen hussy in shorts and vest with a toned body to show off! 

    The class tonight was hard going, but really good fun.  I asked if anyone was doing Tough Mudder and one of the coaches said that some people in the green team were doing it.  A number of them are also doing some 5k Spartan race, but I don't know the details of that...

    And I think you're right about the hunter-gatherer thing because I read the whole Jean M. Auel series about Neanderthal Man and Cro-Magnon and they were definitely hunter-gatherers who ate fruit and vegetation too (and that's where I read they also cured meat)...besides, even after a normal dinner tonight, I was still really hungry by the time my class finished.  I'm not sure I'll keep it up.  The good thing was, after eating my dinner so late and a bowl of soup after my class, I didn't feel like eating my usual 6 packets of crisps.image  That's 936 calories a day, without the dips I usually have with them!  I know this is my biggest problem.  The salt and fat intake from them can't be healthy either.  If I could give up the crisps and dip habit, I'd be fine.

    And it seems I don't need any weight loss.  I weighed myself in Boots tonight while waiting for a prescription and it said my BMI is 20.5, so is in the healthy range.  I just wish I didn't have a spare tyre/muffin top.  But after all the killer ab exercises tonight, that might go with exercise anyway.  I also keep telling myself that I now look less wrinkled with a bit more fat on my cheeks.image 

  • Hello. Welcome back.

    I was considering doing the tough mudder down south. I did the BMF 10k which is similar. The obstacles aren't too bad, I found the hardest thing to do was run/walk uphill in very slimy mud. Just couldn't get any grip in some sections.

    Getting chest deep in muddy cold water is not for the feint hearted and takes your breath away.

    Good luck and good to hear from you again.
  • Hiya Tim,

    Glad to hear from you too.  How do you train for obstacle races?  Do you need good upper body strength?

    Your message made me think about how I'm going to get to the Tough Mudder event in Scotland on the day because it's in Dumfriesshire, which is quite a bit away from me.  I'm not sure I want to drive there and back on the day...I might look up one of the caravan parks near Dumfries (maybe I could pitch a tent nearby).  Aargh, the logistics of taking part in stuff. 

    I wish I had a (I won't spell this correctly) chauffer!  but this is again something I need to oversome (not the bad spelling, but my fear of driving anywhere more than 10 miles from home).  I actually passed my driving test in the South and I used to drive from Bedfordshire up to Glasgow, and the same when I lived in the North, I'd drive back and forth between Manchester and Glasgow to visit family, but now that I have moved back to Scotland, I don't drive anywhere on motorways.  I haven't explored any of Scotland as an adult.  It's ridiculous, like some silly mental block!  I will need to force myself to drive to different places for day trips.   I'd best start with the road to Dumfries!

    I'm not so worried about the mud, but the tunnels.  They looked so short and easy on the video I watched the other day of the North Cal (?) Tough Mudder and the competitors looked as though they managed them with no problem at all, but I'm really claustraphobic - even putting a pull over waterproof jacket the other night had me in a panic because the zip was done up and I couldn't get my head through.  That's another thing I need to work on...I'm terrified of electric shocks and don't much fancy the stinging nettles either.  Jeez, it's all starting to sound a bit daunting! image  But I'm still going to go for it.

    I even managed a few more full press-ups this morning!  I'd best get those "before" pictures taken quick before I transform into my new Madonna-esque figureimage

    What do people wear in before and after pictures?  I can't post pictures of me naked/in my underwear on a public forum...but I do want to show muscle changes.  I'll have to 'google' other people's.  Any ideas?  And do you just take a phot of yourself in a full length mirror? image  It's starting to sound a bit seedy already!

  • Obstacles wern't as bad as the ones I've seen in the Tough Mudder. Nevertheless we went round in a group of 4. Before we started I said that it was pointless running it as fast as possible as we would never get 10k PBs and it would be more of a laugh in a group.

    It took us an hour and a half!

    The girl we were with fell over in the first mile. Face first into a mud patch. From then on in it was just hilarious we couldn't run for laughing.

    There were loads of BMF staff helping people over high obstacles etc. Very well organised and the emphasis was on fun.

    Its not like you get disqualified for missing an obstacle. You just have a go, fall off and paddle to the next one.

    Regards clothes - I just wore white - shows up the mud better - take a bin liner and chuck everything in. Everythinig will get ruined. Shoes tend to be cleanable but everything else will be stained.

    Press ups and chin ups get easier once you have mastered the technique. Just keep trying.

    I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of myself naked to send to you either. I would wear your swimsuit.

  • TimR wrote (see)

    I would wear your swimsuit.

    I mean you should wear your swimsuit for photos.
  • Ha ha, Tim - that's hilarious! I have no idea what you look like, but just imagining a man in my swimsuit was great. Thanks for cheering me up!
  • I'm still stuck with the image of TimR wearing your swimsuit.

    Not female, so maybe not the best resource here, but wouldn't you be worried about snagging and then losing your bikini bits?

    The grumpy marathoners you refer to earlier included me, and I can tell you it was that #@!# headwind. I couldn't even mentally process seeing you until I was way too far down the road to wave.

    Anyway, happy to hear that you're still at it and possibly gonna pull in training. Do listen to your body with respect to diet.

  • Hiya Rennur - nice to hear from you!  I had to take TL's advice today (and yours here) and listen to my body.  I was feeling like crap after a few days' fasting.  I looked lousy too.  Then I started to get blurred vision (sounds worse than it is, because I get migraine aura without the headache even without fasting) but read low blood sugar can bring that on, so I decided it wasn't worth making myself ill.  I suddenly remembered that when I was really skinny (and went for ages regularly without eating) in the past, I had no energy and felt rubbish!!  Far better to be healthy than waif-like, I now realise.image

    I wasn't looking forward to the class tonight - I've been a bit lazy since Tuesday, but what a bloody workout I got!  Fourth different instructor tonight and the toughest yet!  At the end, Superfit guy told me he's a runner and that a load of them are doing a 5k Spartan race and they've asked me to take part.  It's in August, so I might look into it.  If I survive Tough Mudder in July!

    I've hurt my knee tonight though.  Again.  I curse my genes at times - I've never had good knees...I'm just hoping that it's better soon because I want to do my class on Saturday and join Jog Scotland on Sunday.  But I'll be eating plenty...

    Oh and I might not "pull" in training, but I have bought a ticket for their "trooper social" on the 28th, so watch this space! 

    Did you mean - do I worry about, "sagging" rather than "snagging"?  I don't worry about Tim snagging my swimsuit.  It would be well worth it!

    I do worry that my new-found curves will disappear altogether (I hadn't thought about sagging) because I'm just getting used to having them.  People have asked me recently if I've had a boob job since gaining weight! image  But only because I was so flat-chested before.  It's a pity you can't choose which bits go with weight loss:  I just want to lose my spare tyre and keep everything else!

    I actually managed full press-up tonight - sets of 5 at a time.  Can't believe that.  Only a week (or 2?) ago I had never in my life even managed one.  I'm probably still not going down as low as I should on my arms, but I'm getting there.

  • A gentleman would not comment about sagging.

    I was thinking about a tree branch (or maybe someone named Tim) snagging said bikini top and forcing you to cover up with mud.

    Good job with the pressups! I have to think that upper body strength will help with the TM.

  • I intend to get TOTALLY covered in mud, Rennur! 

    I'm a bit gutted today - decided last night not to go to the military fitness class this morning because my knee was still sore and I'm still having trouble getting up and downstairs.  I've got a tube bandage on it and I'm hoping it will be better by tomorrow because Jog Scotland starts then.  I missed their "roadshow" so need to go along tomorrow to register for this new 10-week block.  I feel really lazy not doing anything for a couple of days, but there's nothing else for it...ach why is it that as soon as you try to push it just a bit past sedentary, the body displays its limits? image  Well, my knees always seem to anyway...

     Serves me right for doing nothing for the past 20 years, eh?!  Hopefully, I'll still manage Tough Mudder!

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