South End Pub Runs & RACE REPORT: Rugged Maniac Charleston, SC 2018

TRAINING LEAD-UP:

Monday, Mar 5
I have kind of wanted to try joining a running group for many years.  I always hesitated, because it would require driving somewhere, and they normally run on roads that are hard, and the availability of the right pace group for you may not be there.

One turned up on Facebook, though, and it was called the South End Pub Run.  It offered a beer punch ticket, and it wasn't too far from work, so I gave it a try.  I'm glad I did!  Starting from the Ultra Running Company, you could choose a 1, 3, or 5 mile route.  It was partially on the rail trail (which runs parallel to our single-line metro) and partially through quieter streets in South End.  This was the last Monday before daylight savings, so it was a run than was darker than planned, but it was really pretty, with the lights of uptown in the background.

We ran by breweries, restaurants, and fitness class providers.  I settled behind the lead pack and followed them through the course.  We sped up quite a bit as we went on.  We didn't follow the planned route completely, so we ended up with 5.7 in 48:02, 8:27 ave.  Afterwards, we got our well-deserved beers, at Pop the Top, which has an excellent selection of beers from state breweries even I haven't heard of.  Sours are great post-run.

 

Splits> 9:06, 8:59, 8:22, 7:54, 8:02, 5:34 for 0.7.

Blaze Pizza offers 1 free pizza ticket as a raffle per 10 participants, and the run was co-hosted by Black Men Run.  I enjoyed the company, and getting to explore South End.

Thursday, Mar 8:
Treadmill run, 2 degrees of incline.  6.0 in 48:10, 8:02 ave.  The treadmills were acting up today... two of them stopped working mid-run, but third time was a charm.  Warm in the gym at first, but got better after a little while.  So tired this morning.

Friday-
The next morning, woke at 2:15 am, not sure if I slept much before work.  The next day, after work, watched 10x 1 hr episodes of Altered Carbon - the whole season!  Slept at 2am.

Saturday-
Slept, ate, watched tv... mostly slept... the whole day gone.

Sunday, Mar 11:
Trail run with the Zombies, Run! app on.  Mini Clif bar @ 2 hrs because I was bonking and had started walking the hills.  Had to push myself to keep running.

Monday, Mar 12:

Back at the South End Pub Run!  It was threatening to mist rain, and it was chilly, so the crowd was a bit smaller, but at least we were past daylight savings, so it was light out.  I led with this speedy guy.  It was supposed to be a recovery day, after doing the trail run the previous evening, but I can't help it.  We cut one part short when we were trying to find the right route, but we made it up with an extra loop later.

Splits> 7:42, 7:36, 7:25, 7:19, 7:30, even including some pause time at stoplights.  I didn't realize it was such a progressive run.  I thought I had been bonking, but it was really just speeding up.

After such a speedy run, I ended up resting the rest of the week, in preparation for Rugged Maniac, in my hometown.

RACE REPORT:

I ran in the 9am competitive heat. I went with a sports bra, but went without calf sleeves because by the time I realized that I hadn't put them on, my shoes were already on.  I did have arm sleeves.

They introduced some new obstacles this year.  I'm not tall, so I was worried about Pole Position, which is kind of like an Irish Table, followed by a fireman pole down, but I was able to get up, fortunately.  They also had an uphill zip line, where you had to use your momentum with a running start and some body control to hit the bell at the end... it was challenging, but it was so satisfying to hit that bell!  

Got 2nd this time! 1st was way ahead of me, though.

Rugged does a good job of having good craft beer, and activities like stein hoisting, corn hole, and a mechanical bull afterwards.

They didn't have official podium pics this year, but a random guy with an OEW LB jersey came up to us afterwards and asked if we could do our own podium shot on him.  This guy was able to hold three of us on him arms and on his shoulders!

POST-RACE:

I spent the rest of the weekend with my parents.  My dad and I went on a run at the beach afterwards.  It was his first run in like 6 months, since he was away in Taiwan, so we ran/walked 2 miles.

 

We also shopped at TJX and Marshalls, which is what we always do for fun.