Adventure Racing & 9/11 Prep, GORUCK Force Multiplier - CLT 2021

TRAINING LEAD-UP

Sunday, Aug 8:

I met up with SB at Latta Nature Preserve for orienteering practice, so that we could build up skills before the 72 hour Sea to Sea Adventure Race that we signed up for with AT.  We wore 30# rucks, since we ruck, and because we will be carrying gear during the adventure race.  Weight, along with terrain, fatigue, night vs day, and a variety of other factors, influences your pace count, so it's important to practice under a variety of conditions to know what kinds of adjustments you need to make.

Latta, like some other parks in the area, has a permanent orienteering course, so we picked one section of it to try... the easiest one, to get our feet wet.  Since you can't un-remember something, we also wanted to be strategic in our decisions of when to use the course, to not burn up this nice resource wastefully.  

Some things we learned:

- Confirmed our pace counts. (CP2)

- Became more familiar with terminology and corresponding symbols for different landmarks (like gullies).  (CP3)

- Maps were made on a certain date.  Since then, new roads may have been added, or roads that used to be there may have become overgrown and decommissioned.  (CP5)

- Although the shortest distance between two points is the immediate direction towards the destination, it may be faster to use a groomed trail, even if it adds distance, because you don't have to worry about climbing over a bunch of downed trees and walking through soft and uneven terrain to get there.  (CP5)

- Sometimes, fences (or other landmarks) that used to be there when the map was made, is no longer there.  (CP5)

- Made use of backstops (like a road/trail, or a powerline) and attack points (CP7)

- Realized that some points you may only see when coming from or looking from a certain direction (like in a gully) (CP7)

- It can be helpful to spread out a bit to get more coverage in searching for waypoints, but still stay close enough to each other to not get lost or break any rules about buddy proximity.  (CP9)

- You can use "shooting off" to make sure you hit a certain handrail and take that handrail to the point that you want, vs trying to shoot straight on and miss the end of the handrail altogether and hope that your bearing is 100% correct.  We tried this with a fence, and it was a good idea, but the fence no longer existed.  (CP9)

- It is hard with a permanent course built long ago to know if you can't find the point because it's somehow disappeared or deteriorated, or if you can't find it because you just didn't find it.  Especially here, but even in normal adventure races with optional points, you should decide on how long you'll spend looking for an elusive point before cutting your losses and moving on.  There was one point that we never did find.  We attacked from multiple points, looked 360*, looked on the ground for a downed permanent control point, and tried to use terrain (hills) and water features and the power line clearing as references, but to no avail.  (CP10)

- It's nice when normal people walking on trails helps you ID where the trails are, when you're off-trail.  (CP12)

We covered 4 miles in about 2:23:19.

Monday, Aug 9:

Continuing with my Adventure Racing prep, I went kayaking for 6 miles in 2:14:41, experimenting with different sitting positions.  Sitting back is the lazy way and may be more comfortable for the back because it doesn't have to work, but sitting up allowed me to use my core to generate more stroking power.

Tuesday, Aug 10:

For PATHFINDER Rucklympics, one of the competitions was max situps in 1 hour.  I needed no breaks.  I completed 1,116 reps and made my neck very uncomfortable in the process.  Little did I know that it wouldn't end up counting for anything because the organizers quit on the competition at the end of it, which is really disappointing.

Afterwards, I did a 2 mile ruck for speed in 19:38 with 20# in the v3 20L using Ballistics.  This also counted for nothing, because it wasn't specified until afterwards that it had to be a strict ruck.  It sucks tearing up one's body for no reason.

Wednesday, Aug 11:

For a ruck club train-up for 9/11 events, we did a 1 mile warmup with a 40# weight vest, then some people had to bail because of lightning concerns, a 1/2 mile coupon carry with a 30#SB to the pavillion where we'd do our workout, and then a 1 mile ruck back using a different route because the flash flooding caused the original route to become an entire body of water where you could no longer see where you were stepping (curbs, ditches, etc), even though it wasn't necessarily deep.

It was pretty epic, and it's awesome when someone new comes along and embraces the hard core stuff that we do, too.

While we were waiting for some of the lighting to clear, we took the opportunity to do a little class on coupon swapping, too, since it was going to be Jen's first event.

When I had first arrived at the park, I wondered why they had closed off the gates to the parking lot.  I now realize that they're probably used to this, and knew that they had to keep cars out because they would've been surely been swept away if they had been in the lot during the flash flooding.

The workout was a 30 min AMRAP of 

- 5 SB 4-ct Ground to Shoulder

- 5 Burpee Over Sandbag

- 5 Sandbag OH Press

- 5 Plank 2-sided SB Pull-Throughs

- 5 SB Clean & Toss

- Then a lap up and down the stairs (or substitute 25 step-ups)

I liked this because the coupon ruck commemorated Flight 93, the 5's represent the pentagon, and the stairs commemorated the Twin Towers.  Maybe a 20 minute time limit would've been good for the 20th anniversary coming up, but I wanted a longer workout.

Aug 12-13:

I researched some more bike options at local shops, went to the range, tried a brewery near the range, and started getting book-smart about AR.

FORCE MULTIPLIER DAY 1

Force Multiplier is a 2-day event used to train people like personal trainers, ruck club leaders, and anyone else who wants to become technically proficient in doing sandbag and ruck training.  It follows the "train the trainer" concept (aka force multiplier), where experts train us, so that we can go on to teach fellow GRTs how to do the exercises in an effective and safe way.  I'm all about form, because you maximize your gains when you do the full range of motion, and you minimize the risk of injury.

The course was led by Jaala Shaw, a widely respected member of the GRT community.  She has been a Selection candidate multiple times, is a Crossfit Kids Program leader, GORUCK Tribe Kids leader, and an overall renaissance woman.  I had done the first part of the Bragg HH with her, but only had limited interactions then during coupons carries.  You sometimes wonder what a person who has reached such high levels of fitness may be like, if they'll be arrogant or have some hard-core persona, but I was delighted by how approachable and down-to-earth she was.  

Because this event was all about empowering leaders in various communities, Jaala and her helper coaches Grant and Chantalle also focused a lot on *how* we could effectively teach others, which was really interesting for me to learn about as someone who doesn't do this for a living.  

We had a great group of GRTs come out... trainers, ruck club leaders, and GORUCK enthusiasts, many of whom were my friends.

We learned the history of GORUCK, shared best practices for gear and clothing, learned basic movements, and took turns teaching basic movements to others in the group.  One thing I liked about the best practices discussion on gear and clothes was that Jaala gathered ideas from the whole group, since we've all had a lot of experience rucking in different conditions and had tips to offer.  

While going through the basic movements, we were shown how to teach it, what kinds of cues to focus on, variations of those basic movements, and modification options.  We were given hypothetical scenarios where a ruck club member had a certain limitation, and we were asked to suggest appropriate modification options, which could come in the form of adjusting load or volume, limiting RoM, or substituting for a different exercise that would still achieve the same stimulus.

Basic Movements:

- Squats

- Hinge 

- Carry

- Press

- Pull

During the lunch break, some of the guys had fun with the stuff that the crossfit box had lying around.

We learned about recovery and nutrition, with foam rolling, wrapping, and lacrosse ball action.

At the end of day 1, we finished with the "Force Multiplier" workout, where we got to put those basic movements in action.

There was an open-book multiple choice test that we got to complete overnight, too, to test our learning.

FORCE MULTIPLIER DAY 2 

We met up at Lake Normal State Park for a Timed 12 miler on the trails.  Because of the terrain, the usual time cap was bumped up.  The distance of the two loops was also a little short, which helped offset the conditions, although I needed a Timed 12 for PATHFINDER anyways, so I did loops around the parking lot at the end.

On the first loop, I missed the right turn and kept going straight at one point, so we ended up at a campsite and had to figure out where we were and backtrack, which killed some time.  I didn't make the same mistake the second time around, though.

I accidentally broke a friend, which I felt bad about.  

Our next test was Sandbag DT, which I had done before, but also practiced leading up to this class, to make sure I was confident and ready.

Our next module was about programming, which is a big and interesting topic.  Jaala provides 1-on-1 coaching to a wide variety of athletes, so she was able to share sample weeks of different levels of athletes' programming.  

We then broke into two groups to create workouts.  Ideally, it's no more than 4 exercises, because it's hard for people to remember more than that.  We looked for a balance of types of exercises.  We were sure to include a warmup at the beginning, and everyone had an opportunity to teach part of it.  While we were leading the workout, we sometimes had people who pretend-needed modifications.  We led a cooldown.  At the end, we got feedback from the coaches, too, which was helpful.

It was fun and different, getting to see this more "professional" side of sandbag and ruck training.  I've been involved in advising through PATHFINDER and leading in ways through ruck clubs before, but this put more science and psychology behind it.  I enjoyed it, got a lot out of it, and would definitely do it again!  Especially on the coaching side of things, there are always ways to improve, and new things to learn from the pros.

GORUCK Extortion 17 Tough/Basic in Wilmington, NC

Monday, Aug 2:

I did 5 miles in the v3 rucker with 30# plus water.  Originally, I was planning to ruck to the subdivision's fitness room to do stationary biking to start training for the Sea to Sea adventure race, but there were people in there, and I didn't want to catch COVID.  I watched videos and listened to podcasts related to adventure racing as I rucked.  I learned about what to look for in a good adventure racing bike.  It felt good to ruck for active recovery, since I had been sore in my feet and my pull-up muscles.

Tuesday, Aug 3:

After range day with SB, 

I got in the PATHFINDER Rucklympics Week 1 workout in 48:28.  It didn't feel too intense, I couldn't even tell what muscles I had worked afterwards.  Some members of our group were into it, though, so I did it to support them.

Thursday, Aug 5:

SB hosted a Cabarrus Ruck club event where she would lead us in a yoga practice.

I went to the local cycling store ahead of time, to see what they had available.  The pandemic made people gravitate towards outdoor activities, so the demand of bikes had risen.  Supply was probably impacted, too, with factories and supply chains around the world impacted as well.  There was a waiting list for the model that was the best fit that they had to offer, but if the wand chooses the wizard, this one didn't speak to me a whole lot when I test drove it.

Yoga was great.  It's cool seeing someone do something that they're really good at, and learn from them, especially when they're your friend!  During the class, we even got to attempt a headstand, which I think I did for the first time in my life.  That was a neat experience.

GORUCK EXTORTION 17 TOUGH

I wanted to do this event for a several reasons.

1) Cadre Dan was leading this event.

2) It was going to be Cadre Dan's 10th anniversary of leading Toughs.  

3) It was going to be my first time in Wilmington.  I've been wanting to get out here to do an event for a while.

I had built a team weight when nobody had one to offer, but a different one came up last-minute, and we went with that one, instead.

Bridget was there as well, since it's not too far from where she lives.  It's always fun doing events when she's there.  To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Cadre Dan was going to tell stories about favorite moments from his 10 years along the way.  

One example of a story is a Tough in Houston, where they went a long distance and expected an easy stream crossing to help them get home.  The river ended up being a raging one, but backtracking wasn't a great option, so they dumped their coupons, tested for a safe crossing, and got everyone through.

We started the event the way events used to begin - with a beer.  This was my first time officially *starting* a Tough with a beer, as opposed to finishing with a beer.  Some people pre-game with a beer, but beer makes me want to use the bathroom sooner than I otherwise would, so I don't do it.

It had been raining, so the tennis court where we started was wet.  As usual, the atmosphere of the event with Dan is pretty relaxed and genial.  We had a coupon : person ratio of 1:2.  I carried a sandbaby for the first 1/3 of the event only.  We did the Extortion 17 WOD 2x during the event, with breaks mid-way through both times.  

Our first stop was at the 5 mile mark at Halyburton Park.  Our second stop was at the 13 mile mark at Claude Howell Park.  By then, the morning was coming.  We celebrated another Tough tradition there, that I had not previously taken part in - Fireball.

The Extortion 17 WOD was a 31 min AMRAP of

• 8 thrusters
• 6 rows
• 11 squat and jump over ruck

alternating with a partner, who would do a 400m sandbag run in the meantime (we rested).

At the end of the event, while celebrating with a second beer, we took a picture in front of his trusty truck, which he'd be retiring.  This would also be the retirement of the 10# sandbabies, since he wouldn't have a good place to store them in his new home.

GORUCK EXTORTION 17 BASIC

The Basic ended up being unique as well, because we stayed in a single park the entire time, doing loops but with different combinations of coupons and going in different directions.  It wasn't boring at all, and I quite liked the format, as a way to change things up.  You always knew you were close to home.

I decided to go with ranger panties, which is rare for me.  Since it was threatening to rain and was pouring in the beginning, it was a reasonable choice.  We did our welcome party in the parking lot, and it didn't require low crawling or anything that would've made pants a better option.

During the event, we did the Extortion 17 WOD again, with a break halfway through for a history lesson, and half of a slick Robbie Miller WOD.

It was special being able to celebrate Cadre Dan's 10th with him.  He's one of the best, and has done a lot to make GORUCK what it is today.  His events are always unique and well-thought out.  No matter how many events you've done, you can always expect to be delighted and thrown something unexpected with him.

Asheville Spartan Super 2021

Saturday, July 31:

I signed up for the Asheville Spartan Super with SB.  I haven't been running much, so I wasn't looking for a fast time.  I mainly wanted to do it and have fun, so it was a great opportunity to do the race with a first-time Spartan racer.  She's done at least one OCR before, but it had been a while, and Spartan just has a different vibe.  They do a good job with the festival area and atmosphere, and it adds to the excitement of the event.

Tryon is one of the more fun venues, because they hold equestrian events there.  You can see the horse jumps and other obstacles on course, so it's unique.  Last year for the Beast, we got to wade through a shallow man-made pond that had large objects that made it feel like a miniature golf course.  The land and grass is pristine, too, because it's made for fancy horse events.

As we approached each obstacle, I'd give SB tips on how to navigate the obstacle.  What made me go from a struggling racer to one who could do well was discovering techniques that allowed someone with limited upper body strength and height to succeed.  I didn't necessarily gain any strength.  I just figured out the tricks.  You still need some strength... grip strength, and some pull-up strength, but nothing crazy.

Hurdles are a matter of getting as much of your weight forward past the upper part of the bar as possible, and then letting the center of gravity do the rest, after you get a good push up.

On the inverted wall, get a good simultaneous kick as you pull yourself up, get your forearm over the edge, and then get a leg over to finish it.

We had previously tackled rope climbs at Pete's.  It's about hanging long enough to get your feet clamped around the rope, and then you can just squat up.  Try to use 90% leg power, and only 10% arm power.

For water crossings, try to keep your hands dry by lifting them up and even clenching fists to prevent incidental splashes from getting your hands wet.

With walls including Stairway to Sparta, get a good jump, maybe an upward kick up, grab, and then most importantly, try to get an ankle up.  Once that's hooked over the wall, you can use your strong leg muscles to pull the leg back and your body up.

On monkey-bar style obstacles like Twister, Multig, Beater or changing elevation monkey bars, you don't have to keep L-shaped arms.  You can keep your arms straight and build up momentum with your legs to go the required distances between bars.  

Olympus is one that I am rarely able to complete.  Maybe there's more technique for me to discover.

On The Box, if you can get a foot on one of the knots, it can be like a little rock climbing hold to help you get over.  This one is challenging.

Herc Hoist is where you can get leverage from your squatting muscles if you put a leg on the fence and pull with your core and arms while you push with your squatting leg.  

Sandbag Carries, Atlas Carries, and Bucket Carries have become nothing burgers to me, since I've started doing GORUCK events with heavier coupons for much longer distances.

Z-walls are a matter of patience to get good holds rather than rushing it and potentially slipping on the muddy and sometimes rounded cornered pieces of wood.  Throw your hips as far forward as possible, like you would while rock climbing, so that your arms have less pulling to do.  Let your legs hold you up as vertically as possible, to put minimal stress on your arms.  

On Barbed Wire Crawls, rolling is faster and less taxing than army crawling.  You get dizzy, but you can mitigate that by trying to keep your face pointed forward as often as possible, like a ballerina does while spinning.  

For Rolling Mud, there's no sense in trying to keep your hands dry, because you meet the Dunk Wall at the end anyways.  If you get a good jump into the water and get some distance, that is less for you to wade through.

On the Slip Wall, look for dry spots for your feet to use as you walk up.  Get a good run as you approach, so that you can get as high as possible with your feet alone, without the use of arms.

On cargo nets, if you're tired, you can use the chicken wing approach and grip with your elbow pit instead of your hands.

The Spear Throw is generally a no-go for me.  I still need to work on that one.

Helix is similar to the Z-wall, in that patience, and knowing how to shift your weight effectively, help.

SB did awesome, and crushed most of the obstacles as if she had been doing this for years.  The monkey bar style ones were tough for her, but the rest were good.  This "other side of racing", getting to enjoy it with a friend, and help someone through their first time, and share knowledge from my own experience with a sport that I love, was really rewarding and fun.

After the event, I volunteered at Herc Hoist on course, followed by Rope Climb and MultiRig Tear-down.  The Herc Hoist was at the top of a hill, so I got to enjoy some great views as I shouted the instructions to the racers making their way up to the obstacle.  Women on the red bags, men on the black bags.  Don't drop the bag at the top, or else you'll do burpees.

To my delight, 5 different friends from the rucking world came through the obstacle while I was manning it.  It was fun to be able to cheer them on, say hello, and take pictures.

Sunday, Aug 1:

The next morning, I went out to volunteer again, since the drive wasn't super long.  I signed up for my first ever shift as an elite wave obstacle referee.  I was assigned to the Spear Throw, which was nice, because I got to practice during the down-time.  This was near the end of the race, so I had a while before the racers showed up.

The other referee for that obstacle volunteers and refs a lot, and he showed me a technique that ended up working well for me, at least fresh.  I hit it maybe 30% of the time, which is up from like 3% of the time.

When I got home, I did the APFT to kick off PATHFINDER Class 029.  I did 46 pushups (45 is the minimum to get a score of 100 for my AG and gender), 81 situps (min 76 for the 100), and a 14:02 run (minimum 15:54).  It was 83 degrees, so that wasn't bad for a warm day after racing and volunteering.  I did a 2 mile strict ruck with 30# in the v3 Rucker wearing Ballistics afterwards, in 26:48.

It was a great weekend!