This past weekend I completed my second Warrior Dash, first being in Mississippi in April. I am thrilled with the results.
A little over a year ago I learned about Warrior Dash, it’s a 5k race, with multiple obstacles during it. Running a normal 5k has never really interested me, same with any other event where you just run a path that is mostly flat or smooth. These Obstacle Race, or Adventure Race … now that’s interesting.
In December 2011, I figured out that I could and would do the Warrior Dash Mississippi 2012, and started running from time to time. It was just me going off and doing stuff. Then at WD:MS I discovered that my issues is not the WD obstacles, it’s the distance & I was happy I fished, but sad with my time of 57:28.65.
Fast forward to this past weekend. I start out. I hold myself up and don’t burn myself at the beginning. When I cross the finish line I felt good about the result, my wife informed me it was around 46 minutes after the hour – we started in a wave at the top of the hour. So I was sure I was at least 10 minutes quicker.
44:03.40 – my official time is very pleasing to me. The time difference being 13:25.15 less is wonderful.
How?
In thinking about it, there are basically four reasons, three I controlled & would do again:
- New Training
- New Diet
- Course Speed
- Ankle Weights
New Training
Where the first time I just ran, and generally did either a 5k or 5m each time I went out, this time I used an app that really coached me: MiCoach
This app made by Adidas allowed me to set the race date, the general goal, and when I wanted to train.
I set it to be about 11 weeks out, 5k, and three days a week (M, Th, Sat).
Generally I also trained one additional day per week in some other way, in a 30 minute interval training. This was good, but I made the interval training & it needed work.
Next time I am training for a race I would do about the same time frame, but make it for a longer race, so a 8k or 10k for a 5k Challenge Race. Because I still walked more than I really wanted to.
New Diet
This started later on, but I know it caused me to be at least 10 to 20 lbs lighter with this second race.
The general rule is to cut many of the carbohydrates, and focus more on meat & vegetables.
The thing that got me really to consider it was an interview with the author of Why We Get Fat on EconTalk.
Shortly after I meet with my Dr & decided on something similar to Atkins, Paleo, or Keto.
Course Speed
Looking at WD:MS & WD:TN – there was simply less mud on the WD:TN course. The first 1.5 miles were pretty much just running on grass in TN. By that point in MS there were multiple huge mud puddles and one or two obstacles.
I don’t know how much the change of course affected my time, but I know it did.
Ankle Weights
After about 2 weeks of training, I started wearing ankle weights. Each week or two I added a little more.
Why? Because last time within the first half mile my feet had mud & water weight added to my shoes.
This time, during the muddiest stretch of the course, I passed someone who commented on the weight of his shoes. I just smiled and keep moving, because my shoes were lighter than my body was use to.
One thing I’ll do different along these same lines is to find a way to simulate running in mud. It might be that I’ll actually run in mud – my running was already off road – or on ice, or something on my shoes to increase my ability to deal with a lack of traction.
Thanks to Lauie Nation, Helen Nation & Anyone else to captured pix I used here.
What’s Next?
I am thinking I want to try a different obstacle race & am looking for others to do it with, because many of them are better as teams:
Run for Your Life – 5k with Zombies chasing you – near Nashville March 30th.
Spartan Race – 3+ mile near Charlotte, NC March 23rd & 24th
Tough Mudder – 13+miles in Tennessee May 25th & 26th
Gladiator Rock N Run – no news on future events
Zombie Buffett 5k – not sure when future events will be
Are you interested?
