The GORUCK Challenge

What inspires you? 

Can you accomplish something bigger than yourself? 

Do you feel like you have accomplished your full potential both mentally and physically?

These were questions I was asking when signing up for my first GORUCK challenge.

Running over 15 miles with backpacks filled with bricks, rolling around in the sand, getting splashed by the waves of the ocean, lifting a log that was never meant to leave the ground and carrying your team members across your back. In a nutshell, this is a brief description of some of the physical aspects of the challenge, but it is much more than that.

Its about the team, your size is nothing, it is all about how the team works together to overcome the metal aspects of the challenge.

Your tour guide Jason, the owner and founder of the GORUCK company, will take you on a guided tour, help you bond as a team and survive as a team. No matter what, you will leave as a team or you will quit as an individual. 

For this challenge, it does not matter what size, age or sex you are, this challenge will push you beyond your mental limits. This is much more than a physical challenge. You will go farther than you expect. When normally you could go 10 minutes, Jason will push you to go 2 hours.

When you are at your lowest, most physically drained, sick, limping, cold, tired and beat up so bad you can barley stand, your team member picks you up and give you the strength to keep going. That is what this challenge is all about.

I'm not sure if I will have an opportunity to do another challenge, but the memories this challenge gave me will last a lifetime. The best part about GORUCK is that you come in as individuals and leave as a team. Oh yea, the GORUCK tough patch is pretty cool too.

Its getting better

Last week was a good week, running is getting better and I've started riding my bike.
I like riding my bike to the gym, it's an easy ride and its good cardio before I start the weights. At the gym I'm doing some physical therapy and weights which has been helping me maintain strong legs. Running 3 1/2 miles is easier, my knee still feels a bit tight after that but there is no pain. As long as I stretch I feel ok.
The GORUCK challenge is 2 weeks away, I am very excited, I know I am doing all I can and I can't wait to experience it with my teammates. Hopefully I don't end up being a weak link.
Not much else to post here:
Another hike tomorrow with Dolly - 11 miles
Only 8-9 more days of training left until complete rest until challenge day.

To run through the pain or not run through the pain?

The last 4 days I have been sick and congested, unable to do any sort of exercise outside. This morning I finally felt good enough to get out and try another run to start my Easter Sunday, especially since I would be eating a lot of rich food.

Stretching thoroughly I then headed out while it was still very cloudy and gloomy outside.  The first 2 miles, no pain at all. After mile 3 I could feel a bit of pain and stopped after 3 1/2. I was disappointed with today's run, I wasn't able to progress and I was feeling some pain today at the Easter party.

I was talking to my future sister in law today and she said after the party she was going on a 7 mile run, I envied her. I want to do that again. I felt like I could explore and go places on foot I hadn't gone before. I just feel stuck. I always felt so accomplished when I ran a long distance.

Don't get me wrong, 3 1/2 miles is an accomplishment; but, right now it doesn't feel like it because 6 miles used to be an easy run for me.

"All in time, all in time."

That's what I keep telling myself

Hike update

The hike around Lake Chabot on Tuesday was a success. All 11-12 miles was pain free and no trouble with the knee. The hike took under about 4 hours and was a lot of fun.

However, I did not carry the goruck bag with bricks. I thought it would be better to take it easy at this point in training and not create another flare up of pain. Basically, if I am going to re-injure myself it will be at the goruck challenge and I can deal with it then. No sense in pushing myself too much right now.
I wish I had been drinking more water during the hike, I was really dehydrated after. Lessen learned. I had really only taken about 2 sips of water the whole time, no bueno.

Other than that this week has been mostly resting from a long weekend of work, hopefully tomorrow and the rest of the weekend I can be active each day. I want to keep working on my distance running and strengthening my legs.

A great day back in training

I was finally able to run past 3 miles today, pain free in my knee, the stretches before my runs are really helping. I ran at the elementary school by house and there was baseball practice on both fields. I basically run around the school which is about a 1/3 mile per lap. It felt great to have the sun at my back and hear the kids. I played t-ball when I was the same age, it was nostalgic.

I've also been working on 4 core exercises: pull-ups, push-ups, air squats and lunges. These are really helping me strengthen my core, legs and major muscle groups.

I've found a significant pleasure in doing pull-ups and lunges. I've always envied people who can just go up and do 10 wide grip pull-ups. I can do about 4-5 per set now (much better than the 1-2 per set I was doing in January) and working my way up. I've never been able to do them.

It's all 1 day at a time, hopefully I can hike longer distances and be pain free. I'm planning on hiking Lake Chabot on Tuesday morning, we will see how it goes. I'm hesitant to bring my rucksack with me, I'm feeling the extra weight might be a bit much this early.  I still have about 30 days until the goruck challenge and the less I aggravate my knee right now the better.

It sure is hard to stick with the diet with all this Easter candy around, those little mini chocolate Cadbury eggs are my weakness for sure. I could eat those all day.

Have a great weekend everyone.

A new start for the year

It has been an interesting start of the year so far, already a lot has been done on my part but still much more ahead.

On Jan. 2nd I ran a 1/2 marathon at Lake Chabot, very difficult with the hills, rain and mud. But a success. I was able to finish in under 2:20

I spent most of Jan. and Feb. training at least 3 days a week running, doing push ups and learning how to do pull ups. I felt great, an easy run was 6 miles and runs 10+ miles were getting easier with quicker recovery times.

In March I even did another Mission peak challenge and was able to get to the 3rd bench in record time.

But as of now, I have hit a road block, a knee injury, an over-use injury to my right IT band which is also known as "Runners Knee." .

It has been almost 3 weeks and have been very frustrated with the setback. Especially since there are some big challenges coming up this Spring/Summer. More exclusively, The GORUCK challenge which I have been looking forward to since November.

I have been doing various rehab work and stretches since the injury. I've gone on a few runs here and there only lasting 20-30 minutes or so. I feel fine walking but running is on and off pain. I guess my fear is that the injury could become chronic.

All I can say is that I'm doing my best, I don't feel like I'm in prime condition like I was in February but I still feel confident. I was able to do the Big Sur Mud Run only 3 days after injuring my knee, although it was painful, I was still able to finish the race and even beat my time from last year by 2 minutes.

Hopefully my injury will continue to get better as time goes by regardless of all the events coming up.

Mission Peak Challenge

Mission Peak
Elevation 2517ft. above sea level

Challenge yourself!! Back in early June, we decided that we did not have the endurance that we wanted. When you suck, get your ass off the ground and make something go right.

The scoop: First person to the 3rd bench at Mission peak wins.

The stakes: Loser drives and buys beer for the winner at The Englander (a local gem in San Leandro).

The setting: September 11th, 2010.

The race: not only a physical but mental challenge. You need training, strategy and determination to win. The early morning was brisk, cool and blue skies ahead.

The details: Honor system, no shortcuts and no cheating. It takes a lot of guts to try and race this mountain. Mission peak is the highest point of the Fremont area with a very steep climb to the top.

The results: At the start line by the gate we were dead even until about 3 minutes where Daniel's speed came into play, he gained about 20 yards and I was eating his dust the entire way. He felt so close but miles away at the same time. Making up that measly distance on that incline was just to tough for me to overcome this time. I must have run about 30-40 seconds behind him at the finish. He fought a good fight and I give him all the glory on this one. I've tasted defeat, and it tastes bitter. Hopefully next year there will be a rematch.

The Winner "Dan the Man"