Las Vegas Spartan Super - Overcoming obstacles

2007 World Champtionships

One of the reasons that I really love and admire Kara Goucher stems from an article that I once read about her.  For those of you in the dark - she is a Olympic athlete that has competed (and kicked butt!) in distances ranging from the 5000m to the marathon.  She came in 3rd place in her first marathon in New York, posting a time that had beaten the infamous Deena Castor the year before.  Here is the kicker.  Despite being arguably the best Female American Distance Runner of our decade, she constantly wrestles with self doubt.  When she steps up to a line, she still has negative chatter going on in her head.  Voices tell her that she isn't as good as the world class athletes that she races against. 

You can read the full article here - It's a good one!

Well here is my confession - I relate because I struggle with the same thing.  And I say currently struggle because I don't know that it will ever completely go away.  However, I have made HUGE strides in the last year, particularly in the last few months, and I think it's showing in my race results.  I started out the year with 2 x 4th place finishes, and moved up to a 3rd, then 2nd, then 2 x 1sts.  It seems as though the methods I use help me to shut out the chatter and be able to compete like I know I can. If she can conquer it, so can I. 

Spartan Family - Orla Walsh, Margaret Slatcher
TyAnn clark, +Amelia Boone

This year's Las Vegas Spartan ended up in my favor, and I'm thrilled with how my body performed.  Normally going into a race and knowing that I was going to have to compete with people like Amelia Boone and Rose Wetzel would leave me feeling completely nervous and nauseous all week.  Honestly it used to be that bad!  But I was actually relaxed and happy, not allowing the race to consume my thoughts.  Even Fri driving down, I was just looking forward to having a good time with the fam.  SO UNUSUAL!

I'm not gonna lie - I WANTED THIS WIN - BADLY!  Toquerville, UT is 2 hours away, so this was kind of my local race.   I had lots of friends, family, and support in the audience that day, and I wanted to do it for them. I was especially excited to see one of my trainees complete the course.  Click here for her story.
 Images of my kids watching influenced much of my performance!

After the ladies were sent off, a group of 10 or so pushed the pace and fought for running ground.  After the first mile, we were down to 4.  Rose Wetzel, Amelia, Boone, and KK Stewart were the other 3. 

One of the things that helped me in this race was experience in long distance running.  Having run more 10ks to marathons than I can count has helped me to know how much energy to expend in order to have some left at the end.  So when we hit things like the bucket carry, all 3 girls got ahead of me.  I tried to go strong, but not as though I'm finishing a workout for time.  I tried to evenly expend my energy.   Within the next half mile I caught back up.

The Painted Warrior loads his shoes with sand as he

 crushes it down the hill.

The course was actually a last minute change (not on Spartan's part -their last venue was cancelled for them) and I'm sure it won't be the one they use next year.  It was extremely rocky, and at many points we were jumping from rock pile to rock pile over small ditches.   My new Reeboks made specifically for obstacle courses performed amazingly, but nothing could keep out the sand that was dumping in from the top as you ran down hills.  Then we would reach a gravel/sand hill and have to climb.  Kudos to race designer Chad Brooks for managing to squeeze as many "hills" in as possible. 

At this point, we reached something called The Gamble.  We are told beforehand that the longer route is flatter and easier, and the shorter, harder.  I had already decided to go left (short) because it's served well in the past.   It seems I chose correctly because a mile later it was only Amelia, Kk, and I.  Rose unfortunately had gone right and we didn't see her for a while.  Amazingly she did catch back up to KK pretty quickly!


Amelia and I spent the next 6 miles trading off leads.  I would get slightly ahead of her on running, and she would catch back up in most of the obstacles.  I honestly had been hoping just for a place on the podium in this race.  I don't know if I ever believed that I would be on top of that podium.  So when Amelia and I were fighting for first and second, I decided I wasn't going to let her have it.  I was going to fight to the death!  My race mantras were "Be Epic, Inspire, and have Courage" and I kept repeating it.  If my pace on my garmin wasn't what I thought it should be I pushed harder.

We went through tire drags and pulls, tire flips, and a super gnarly barbed wire crawl.

Amelia throws first

At the heavy sandbag carry, Amelia gained some ground ahead of me as this is in her wheelhouse.  But I was right behind at the spear throw.  You can never be relaxed and confident that you've got it in the bag until you pass the final test (and I'm convinced that the spear throw is a mental challenge).  I may have been throwing some negative vibes Amelia's way because she missed it!  And gave us a few (understandably) choice words along with it.  I knew I was going to make it.  The hay bales seemed huge and practically right in from of me.  I delivered!

I seal my fate

One mile left, and I was pushing to the finish to leave no room for doubt.  One more sandbag carry, and Amelia had already finished her burpees when I finished the first lap.  Really??  I could see the finish line and see my friend Justin finishing up right in front of me.  I told him to help bring me in because my energy was failing and he pushed the pace for me. 

Last obstacle that could change my game - Traverse Wall.  You fall off - you get 30 burpees (and I would definitely lose first place).  I took it slow and steady, and made it to the end.

I couldn't suppress the grin on my face as I finished the last barbed wire crawl, water dunk and slippery wall.  I could hear my family cheering and tears came to my eyes.  This was a big win for me!  Amelia came in second and Rose with an impressive comeback in 3rd.

My rock and Love of my Life

Love my mom!

I got to spend the rest of my day watching all my peeps from my crossfit gym and obstacle training group come in.  So many first timers, and so many finding out what "You'll know at the finish line" feels like!

WANNA READ MORE RACE RECAPS?
Follow Amelia and I battling it out at the Atlas Race - Temecula, CA
 

Running Death by Burpees

Death by Burpees

Ok  I've seen workouts involving burpees that are a lot worse (hello Crossfit Games 14.5), but I like this one a lot.  Mostly because I made it up, but also because anyone can do it anywhere.  If you are a hiker, runner, crossfitter, or OCR athlete, use this to learn how to push hard through fatigue. Whether you are at the tail end of a marathon, or running after coming off an obstacle, you will be able to deal with the tiredness easier.     

Vermont World championships
My chest made it down - I promise.

First off, this requires correct burpee form - hands up with jump at the top, chest goes to ground in the push up position (can be done on knees). 

I really like workouts with variety as I go along.  This one is great to add into a longer run. 

Beginners - You can start by run/walking after each burpee  section and/ or starting with fewer burpees.

Intermediate - Run after each burpee section, jog and recover between sets

Advanced - Sprint after burpees, try to maintain race pace through recovery (more of a slower tempo run pace) 

This will be less intense than a track workout which typically have shorter breaks - It's designed to train your legs  to move faster through longer miles.  The 1/2 mile spread is pretty typical obstacle spacing in an obstacle course race.



Begin!
1 mile warm up
30 burpees
30 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery (I ran at a 6:45 -7 min mile)
25 burpees
40 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery
20 burpees
50 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery
15 burpees
60 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery
10 burpees
70 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery
5 burpees
80 sec sprint
1/2 mile of recovery

Enjoy!

Tapering - The best workout before a race

Tapering - reducing one's training in preparation for a race.  AKA being forced to do less of what one loves for an entire week.

After coming from the running world to obstacle course racing, I'm somewhat surprised at many of the racers' views (or lack there of) on tapering pre-race.  Most have a less favorable view of cutting back.  I get it - It can be the hardest part of your training.   However there are huge benefits to allowing your body to build during the week or 2 before the race.  Studies have shown that you can improve time by 2-8%!

Your goal in a taper week should be to reduce fatigue and maintain fitness- not to have any physiological gains.  You should not be trying to set PRs (personal records).


A running tapering schedule involves cutting out weight lifting up to 2 weeks before, and significantly cutting running miles.  This will not work for obstacle racing. 

The upper body has to have some sort of maintenance program before race day.  The sport is new, and there's not much out there in the way of programs, so I've had to experiment with different taper weeks over the last year. 

Take a look at what I do -
This may or may not work for you, but here is what I do.

***Remember that this is a scaled back version of my typical week. I typically run about 30 miles a week with 3-4 crossfit/strength sessions.  If this looks like one of your hard weeks, do not follow this to a "T".  Reduce miles, do less sets, etc.

***Trying to gain fitness this week will do you more harm than good - It's better to go in undertrained than overtrained. 

***Keep intensity, but reduce sets and reps.


Mon
Full Crossfit class - but will avoid anything that will make me sore (100 heavy deadlifts or something of that sort).  I avoid heavy squats and most leg work as a general rule as well.  I then add 2 sets of 8 reps of heavy Bicep curls, Tricep dips, Bench Press, Pull ups
Practice - spear throw

Tues 
Track workout after warm up, with equal time recovery - 6 miles total
Sprint 2x800m
2x400m
2x200m
Practice -spear throw

Wed
Run - 5 miles - stopping every mile to do 15 burpees
1 set of Pull ups, Tricep Dips, Bicep Curps, Bench Press, Bent over row
Practice - spear throw

Thurs
Easy 3 miles or rest completely depending on how I'm feeling

Fri
Easy 20 min - adding 3-4 x10 sec sprints

Sat
Race!

Remember to hydrate, sleep well, stretch out, eat clean, and relax as well. 

Spectrum 10k Race Report

Spectrum 10k Race Report
I was going to start this blog out saying
"I think I could've done better here" or "Here's where I should've improved" - But quite frankly I'm surprised I did as well as I did. 

I raced the Georgia Atlanta Spartan Sprint last week, and I was still pretty fatigued.  And add to that 3 other races in 6 weeks, I was due for a break.  Two days before the race I tried adding a measely 800 m at race pace into my run, and I was just too breathy to complete it.
Plus, I didn't feel like I had the "fight" in me - It usually takes a few weeks to get that back after racing
So I came in with no expectations (well maybe a little) and a hope to be able to hold a respectable time.
 
You start the race halfway into the BREATHTAKING Snow Canyon Park. 

Seriously Amazing!

A bus shuttled us in, and it was quite nippy at the starting line.  I got a 1 mile warm up in and chugged some MAMA CHIA. 

Standing at the starting line felt a bit foreign - I hadn't ran a 10k, or a non obstacle race, in over a year.  i hadn't trained for this - tempo runs and most street runs weren't even part of my workout anymore.  I stood there with my running center girls - Amber Green, Marci Jacobsen,  Jessica Brazzeel  and it felt good to be part of the "family" again. 

I'm not gonna lie - it was a far different starting line than a Spartan obstacle race.  The men and ladies had lean runner's bodies - not the bulging muscles that I was accustomed to at Spartans. And there were a lot more shirts on. 

So we started off - and it felt GOOD to be able to get into a rhythm and go.  The first mile has a pretty good downhill, and then they roll after that. It is ran through a BEAUTIFUL Snow Canyon State Park, and then out into surrounding neighborhoods.  The second half has more inclines than declines. Here are my splits.
5:20
5:44
5:40
5:55
6:18 (eke!)
6:05
So the wheels came off a little at the end,and I was feeling the past week's fatigue. I ran a little too conservatively on the downhill portions to make up the split between 1st place (Amber Green) and I.  She really took off from the get go, and I just couldn't close the gap. 
But considering how I felt 2 days prior, I need to be SUPER happy with my performance and chalk it up to a great training run. 

I have to say the finish line goodies were wonderful for my sweet tooth:)  Lucky Charms, Popsicles, bananas, grapes, yum.  And I loved being clean!
 
So I came in 2nd place and a $50 gift certificate to St George Running Center!

The Treadmill Workout That Will Make You Faster

No one was happy to see this hill at the
  2014 Vermont Spartan World Championships
which included a mile long 65lb Sandbag carry

Wouldn't it be nice to approach a hill in a race, and actually be happy to see it? 

Due to workouts that included the one below, I have made uphill running my strength.  I know I can use the opportunity to pass opponents. 

Uphill running will strengthen your legs and make you faster on the flats and downhills as well!

This is the Treadmill workout that will push your running abilities to the next level.  You HAVE to use the treadmill because it will not let you slow down when you get tired.  This workout done on your own outside will not give you the same results.

BEGINNERS - You will need to perform each interval at a slower speed (maybe a quick walk). Also keep each interval very short with a longer recovery.   Your beginning pace may be in the 4 mph region. 

INTERMEDIATE -  Aim for a pace  around 5-6 mph

ADVANCED - If you can easily do the  1 min interval at 6.5 mph, find a pace that challenges you.  The  early intervals might feel like cake, but they get hard really fast. 

Inclines will be ran at 12-15%.  Yuck, I know  These are your speed workouts, so you should not be able to talk.  Start with just a few inclines, and build on every week. 

Do .5 -1 mile warm up

Incline 1 min
 rest 30 sec
 repeat 2-4 times

Incline 2 min
 rest 1 min
 repeat 2-4 times

Advanced:  Add these

Incline 2.5 min
 rest 1.5 min

Incline 3 min
 rest 1.5 min

Rest can be done two different ways.  You will be able to add more intensity if you jump off the treadmill between sets.  You can also lower the treadmill and walk/slow jog between sets - This is a lot more work but also helps you to develop more of a rhythm.  Find out what works for you. 

Make sure you pick a speed that you can maintain - You most likely won't be doing this at 9.0 (or even 8.0).  Focus on shorter, quicker steps while keeping the torso lifted and core strong. 

For the insane athletes:   Add 30 burpees at the end of each set. 

Complete a slow jog at the end to help clear lactic acid out of muscles. 

WARNING - This workout will not help you develop a love for running.  You will love the results however!

Enjoy!  Let me know how much you loved/hated this after you are done.


You've trained for that race.  Here's how to taper beforehand.

Eating Like a Pro on a Mom's Schedule

The Daily Dilemma

It's 5 pm, and I'm standing (again) in front of the fridge trying to figure out what I'm going to fix for my family and myself. Sometimes I'm motivated enough to whip up a nutritious protein-veggie meal. But I also have those days that I let my 7 year make everyone ramen noodles (Don't worry - I throw frozen peas in there to bump up the nutritional value).  Preparation may come much easier to some, but I definitely struggle.   

Based on my training and occupation, I could be considered an pro-athlete.  I have to be more concerned than ever about what I put in my mouth.  Thankfully that usually translates to healthier food for my kids too.  I just try to make those "other" days more and more spread apart. 

I do have a few things that work for me.  

Here is how I, as a busy mom, have found ways to eat healthier. 

Planning and Preparation
On really, really, really good weeks, I will have taken a day and planned my whole week's menu.  I will then go to the grocery store and get all the ingredients that I need for those meals.  This is the perfect way to guarantee success.  Because the hardest thing to do is decide what to make at the last minute.

I usually take time to find a couple new recipes when I do this to change things up. 

I'm a little bit of a food snob where I don't really like old food.  I know athletes that prepare an entire weeks worth of chicken and vegetables, and then put it in cute separate containers.  I applaud such people, but I personally can't stand the taste of dried out chicken from 4 days ago.

This section is short because, let's be real, this happens every 2 months or so. 

When I am in the mood to cook, I REALLY cook. 

 I make much more than my family can eat so that I can have it lots of extras.  My husband can take it to work and the kids can eat it with me for lunch. 

This doesn't work for everything, but my favorite thing to do this with soups. No matter the time of year, soups hold up extremely well with time.  And the ingredients stay nice and moist.   They can also be frozen!

Here is one of my delicious healthy soup recipes. 
Tortilla Chicken Soup (scroll down to bottom)

Yes it will probably take you over an hour to make, but they can last you for several meals!  When I cook the chicken soup, we usually get a dinner and 2-3 lunches out of it. Most soup tastes better the next day anyhow. 

Too busy at night?  Use your crockpot and make it in the morning. 

I don't buy what tempts me 

Somehow that candy bar made it from the grocery store to your kitchen drawer. If you can tell yourself "no" 10 different times at the store, than it will start to become habit.  Eventually you won't even go through the denial process. 

Nothing makes me more sad when I train adults that tell me they are having trouble getting their snacking under control while they simultaneously hand out Cheetos and donuts to their kids.  They somehow feel that they have these amazing super denial powers when unhealthy snacks are around them.  If you have a sugar problem, for heaven sakes so will your kids/ significant others if you keep buying crap for them.

Kids can be perfectly happy eating grapes rather than fruit snacks. They actually will eat string cheese or carrots and ranch instead of chips if that's what you give  them. I used to feel bad that my pantry was not stocked full of Costco snacks- that somehow that made me a lesser mom. This decision has helped them make better food decisions. Most of the time, my children will head to the fruit drawer of the fridge when they want something. 

Go ahead and avoid that entire aisle at Costco. 

I am just as much as a sugar freak as anyone I know. I will eat ANYTHING with sugar in it. I don't even like thin mints but will eat them if they are in the house.   

So just don't tempt yourself because, if you are anything like me, you will lose. 

I have go-to meals that are easy

 

This is where I'm at most of the time, so I've had to cope with my own lack of planning abilities.

Going back to the 5 pm fridge standing, have something that is easy that you know is a winner. I suggest making a list and putting it on your fridge

Here are some of my easy go-tos. They are not going to be mac-n-cheese easy, but with practice won't really take that much more time.  (btw I'm not afraid of cheese in a healthy diet)

-Spinach/tomatoes/feta cheese/eggs - Sautee spinach and diced tomatoes in olive oil,     add eggs, top with feta cheese - Wrap these in homemade or refrigerated tortillas with cheddar or swiss cheese and kids won't even notice the veggies. Cook extra and save in the fridge for a quick lunch the next day

-Quinoa/broccoli/cheese - Cook Quinoa and broccoli separately, combine and add cheese

-Frozen bag of veggies with sautéed chicken (plus rice the night before long workouts). Costco brand of veggies is pretty decent tasting

-Bagged salad with beans/nuts/ cheese thrown on for protein. Great with leftover meat of any kind

-Baked chicken with tomatoes and veggies - (throw a can or 2 of Italian diced tomatoes over a layer of zucchini and frozen chicken, season with basil,garlic,salt,pepper, put in oven for 45 min)

-Sweet potatoes

-Whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and sautéed veggies. 

Shakeology

Yes this is my shameless plug for the shake that I use, and have believed in for over 5 years. Almost daily I drink one for lunch or a snack because the ingredients are overwhelmingly top notch.  And it is so easy when I don't feel like cooking.   It has 80 different ingredents including chia seed, wheat grass, flax seed... Just check it out for yourself here.

                                                                    
Recipes

Tortilla Chicken Soup

This soup is a favorite in my household - My kids even get excited! I usually double this for a family of 5 to make leftovers.

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 med green pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno
3 med carrots, chopped
3 med celery, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
3 cups cooked chicken
1 can tomatoes canned -italian
2 tbsp lime Juice
2/4 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 avocados
canned black beans

Notes / Directions

soften onion, green pepper, jalapeño, carrots, celery
stir in chili powder
add chicken broth and water

add chicken

stir in canned tomatoes
boil/ reduce to med - simmer 10 min
stir in
black beans - drain/ rinse
lime juice
salt
cook 1 more min
serve with avocado chunks, cheese, homemade corn tortilla strips

 

http://www.shakeology.com/tyannclark

Training through injuries

To Rest or Keep Going

I have to preface this blog post with the following disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional.  Please realize that statements made come from my own personal experience and from statements, recommendations, strategies, and methods used by other professionals throughout my life.

        It seems as though injuries have always gone hand in hand with my athletic endeavors throughout my life.  I suffered though back issues in Jr High during basketball season.  I encountered a knee injury and tendonitis after slicing it open in high school.    In college, my running came to a hault after I acquired and couldn't beat IT Band syndrome.  Post baby, the injuries stacked up - Hamstring strains, knee pain, shoulder pain, Plantar Fasciitis, back pain, carpal tunnel, neck pain, hip pain, severe ankle sprains,  Piriformis Syndrome.  Seriously - name your injury - I've had it. 
         I've always wondered if something was wrong with me.  Maybe I trained too hard.  Maybe the alignment in my body was all wrong.  Maybe I wasn't designed for athletics.
         But I love to move my body!  I love to see how far I could push my muscles - my mind was willing.  I knew there had to be more to it.

Running with Strength Tape on my hamstring

         As a fitness professional, I know that I'm not alone.  I know that almost everyone around me has something on that list, and many don't know what to do about it.  And many spend 1000s of dollars with doctors trying to fix their problems
         At 33 years old, I feel like the knowledge that I've accumulated helps me to discern bad pain from good pain, and has given me methods to deal with injuries before they come, or even head them off all together.  I hope that some of these methods will help others learn to deal with their pain.  Here is a checklist that you can go through to discern what to do.