Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The Wolfpack
It all started with a race that would not happen. OCR100 was its name, and it was supposed to be a tough challenge with one hundred obstacles in 2.5 miles. But from the start, it didn't feel right. There were some of us who thought this race was shady and wouldn't happen. Ed Lorenzo, owner of Fit Lorenzo, an amazing place to train for OCR's and American Ninja Warrior, started a group thread to voice his concerns. Included in the thread were Ashley Overcast and Vivien Henderson, two fierce competitors in OCR, as well as myself. We were out to find answers to whether this OCR100 would come through or disappear. But then something happened.
I am the type of person to make sarcastic and goofy comments, and often get strange looks or reactions. Honestly, that's why I make them sometimes. But in this group, I wasn't the only one making these jokes. We all had the same off, slightly twisted sense of humor. This ongoing conversation quickly became a highlight for me, making me laugh throughout my days. It wasn't all about the comedy though. We all shared some common core values that brought us closer together. We believed in working hard to get what you want. And not just working hard, but pushing yourself to your limits to become better and stronger. I knew that these were the people I needed to surround myself with because they would make me better. Not just as an athlete, but as a person. As we became closer, we became the Wolfpack.
Ed is very involved with American Ninja Warrior and it was about to take a lot of time out of his schedule. To prevent him from having to deal with reading hundreds of messages in our thread each day, we three created our own thread. Although he was busy with his ANW and not part of our every day conversation, Ed is still very much part of our Wolfpack and will definitely be welcome back in the daily conversation when he has the time.
Ashley, Vivien, and I kicked our OCR season into high gear and had some very successful events. I got much better, and I know it is due to them. I cannot stress enough how amazing it is to have a close knit group of friends to support you. OCR people are the best, and these two women are the best of the best. They lift me when I'm down. Sometimes they don't even know I'm down, but talking to them lifts me up all the same. They inspire me. These are the strongestwomen people you will ever meet, and I'm not just talking about bench presses and dead lifts. They push themselves to be their very best, but at the same time are selfless to a fault. If they know there is something they can do to help you, they will. No hesitation. As a single father who has raised a daughter just about to become an adult, I often worry about how good of a job I have done. I want her to be the best person she can be. I want her to be like the women in the Wolfpack.
We all like to be independent and do things on our own. But if you can find a small group of people whose motives and drives line up with yours, whatever they may be, hold on to them. Use them to lift yourself to greater heights, and do your part to lift them too. As a unit, you will be capable of so many incredible things. For me, I need to laugh and to make others laugh. I need to stay accountable with my workouts and keep pushing to get better. I need somebody to tell me to rest my injury, but understands why they still see me at the next race anyways. I need to have conversations that can switch back and forth from intelligent to inappropriate. I need to see the inspiring examples of what a person is able to accomplish, despite all types of adversity, all the while keeping a smile on their faces. I need the Wolfpack.
I am the type of person to make sarcastic and goofy comments, and often get strange looks or reactions. Honestly, that's why I make them sometimes. But in this group, I wasn't the only one making these jokes. We all had the same off, slightly twisted sense of humor. This ongoing conversation quickly became a highlight for me, making me laugh throughout my days. It wasn't all about the comedy though. We all shared some common core values that brought us closer together. We believed in working hard to get what you want. And not just working hard, but pushing yourself to your limits to become better and stronger. I knew that these were the people I needed to surround myself with because they would make me better. Not just as an athlete, but as a person. As we became closer, we became the Wolfpack.
Ed is very involved with American Ninja Warrior and it was about to take a lot of time out of his schedule. To prevent him from having to deal with reading hundreds of messages in our thread each day, we three created our own thread. Although he was busy with his ANW and not part of our every day conversation, Ed is still very much part of our Wolfpack and will definitely be welcome back in the daily conversation when he has the time.
Ashley, Vivien, and I kicked our OCR season into high gear and had some very successful events. I got much better, and I know it is due to them. I cannot stress enough how amazing it is to have a close knit group of friends to support you. OCR people are the best, and these two women are the best of the best. They lift me when I'm down. Sometimes they don't even know I'm down, but talking to them lifts me up all the same. They inspire me. These are the strongest
We all like to be independent and do things on our own. But if you can find a small group of people whose motives and drives line up with yours, whatever they may be, hold on to them. Use them to lift yourself to greater heights, and do your part to lift them too. As a unit, you will be capable of so many incredible things. For me, I need to laugh and to make others laugh. I need to stay accountable with my workouts and keep pushing to get better. I need somebody to tell me to rest my injury, but understands why they still see me at the next race anyways. I need to have conversations that can switch back and forth from intelligent to inappropriate. I need to see the inspiring examples of what a person is able to accomplish, despite all types of adversity, all the while keeping a smile on their faces. I need the Wolfpack.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Warrior Dash 2015
OK, OCR season is officially underway for the year! I did run a small race last week, The P.I.G. Race, which stands for Perseverance, Integrity, and Grit, a 12k where I picked up my first overall win! But this was the first big race where there would be people coming from all over to run. The top 25 people in each of the competitive waves qualify for the Warrior Dash World Championships, and that was my goal. I missed out on this last year, but have worked very hard in the last 52 weeks to get better.
The weather was in the 40's, very cold for us in Florida, and my wave began at 8 am. I tried to will the sun to rise faster to heat up the course, but it didn't work. This was going to be a cold race. Within the first mile, after a pretty good start for me, I hit the water for an obstacle and realized I couldn't touch. Looked like I was going to have to swim to the obstacle. Swimming is a major weakness for me. I can survive in the water, but I am not going to travel very fast. Not good when it's cold. I get to the obstacle, basically a floating cargo net. When I go to jump off to get back into the water, I sunk pretty deep over my head. For a moment, I wondered if I was ever going to come back to the surface. I did, and SLOWLY trudged my way to shore, frustrated as person after person passed by. When I got out of the water, my body did not want to run, but I had to. I still had more than 2 miles to go! Finally I shook it off, and started trying to regain some ground.
I won't do a play-by-play of the entire course since I have attached a link to my GoPro video footage, but I was able to finish 11th place male in my wave and qualify for Warrior Dash World Championships! I wish I would have been able to keep something that said I qualified, or smart enough to hold the card we got up to my GoPro before I handed it in to the people reporting the results. Oh well, at that point, I just wanted to warm up!
With any race, there are ups and downs. I wish there would have been more challenging upper body obstacles. There were monkey bars and rings in the festival area, but none on the course! The obstacles in the race mainly consisted of crawling or climbing over things. I get that Warrior Dash in geared more towards beginners, but there were monkey bars on last year's course. Other than that, it was a great time. The OCR community is such an amazing one, and I was very happy to see so many people that share in my love for the sport. It was also exciting to root friends on and see them qualify for the Warrior Dash World Championships too!
Overall, I had a blast because I was around some of the best people I know. OCR brings so much out of us. Maybe it is because the races take so much out of us. It is strange how much of a reaction I get when it comes to other people and their success. I am so happy when I see a friend do well, and so upset when they just missed out on where they hoped to be. I struggled to watch one of the most fierce competitors I have ever met forced to be a spectator because of an injury. But I also know that the people I surround myself with are fighters and, though this may not have been their day, they will be back stronger, faster, and ready to conquer whatever is put in front of them. I can't wait to be there to watch it happen!
Below is the full race, with the running parts sped up so you can see how the entire course was laid out.
Click here for my full run from Warrior Dash
The weather was in the 40's, very cold for us in Florida, and my wave began at 8 am. I tried to will the sun to rise faster to heat up the course, but it didn't work. This was going to be a cold race. Within the first mile, after a pretty good start for me, I hit the water for an obstacle and realized I couldn't touch. Looked like I was going to have to swim to the obstacle. Swimming is a major weakness for me. I can survive in the water, but I am not going to travel very fast. Not good when it's cold. I get to the obstacle, basically a floating cargo net. When I go to jump off to get back into the water, I sunk pretty deep over my head. For a moment, I wondered if I was ever going to come back to the surface. I did, and SLOWLY trudged my way to shore, frustrated as person after person passed by. When I got out of the water, my body did not want to run, but I had to. I still had more than 2 miles to go! Finally I shook it off, and started trying to regain some ground.
I won't do a play-by-play of the entire course since I have attached a link to my GoPro video footage, but I was able to finish 11th place male in my wave and qualify for Warrior Dash World Championships! I wish I would have been able to keep something that said I qualified, or smart enough to hold the card we got up to my GoPro before I handed it in to the people reporting the results. Oh well, at that point, I just wanted to warm up!
With any race, there are ups and downs. I wish there would have been more challenging upper body obstacles. There were monkey bars and rings in the festival area, but none on the course! The obstacles in the race mainly consisted of crawling or climbing over things. I get that Warrior Dash in geared more towards beginners, but there were monkey bars on last year's course. Other than that, it was a great time. The OCR community is such an amazing one, and I was very happy to see so many people that share in my love for the sport. It was also exciting to root friends on and see them qualify for the Warrior Dash World Championships too!
Overall, I had a blast because I was around some of the best people I know. OCR brings so much out of us. Maybe it is because the races take so much out of us. It is strange how much of a reaction I get when it comes to other people and their success. I am so happy when I see a friend do well, and so upset when they just missed out on where they hoped to be. I struggled to watch one of the most fierce competitors I have ever met forced to be a spectator because of an injury. But I also know that the people I surround myself with are fighters and, though this may not have been their day, they will be back stronger, faster, and ready to conquer whatever is put in front of them. I can't wait to be there to watch it happen!
Below is the full race, with the running parts sped up so you can see how the entire course was laid out.
Click here for my full run from Warrior Dash
Friday, January 23, 2015
OCR Withdrawal
It has now been 69 days since I last ran in an obstacle course race. SIXTY-NINE LONG DAYS. Yes, I have run races every week since then, but there have been no obstacles, no mud, and so much less fun. Is there anybody out there that struggles with OCR withdrawal like I do? Have you run in a 5k through a trail, wondering why we don't go into the woods? Have you gone for a bridge run to practice hills, only to end up running while balancing on the concrete barriers that are there to protect you from traffic? Do you find yourself extremely excited when you come across a playground because there are monkey bars to practice on, even though you look strange because you have no kids with you? If so, you may be suffering from OCR withdrawal like me.
I understand why there are no OCR's this time of year. It is winter. It is supposed to be cold, so nobody wants to jump in water or mud when it is freezing out. But I think it is harder for me to deal with it because I live in Florida and it has been in the 60's and 70's the last couple weeks. If I looked out of my window and could just see snow, maybe I would cope with the reality a little better. But when it is beautiful out, there is nothing more I would rather do than to push myself beyond exhaustion running, climbing, jumping, crawling, sliding, and swinging through an obstacle course. That, in itself,
makes some people think I'm crazy. The fact that I am sad when I haven't done one in a while probably makes them think I am even crazier. That's OK. They are the ones missing out on these amazing experiences.
The good news? My withdrawal comes to an end soon! I am about to relapse and binge on OCR very soon. I don't need an intervention or rehab. I am going to get my OCR fix and I can't wait! Tomorrow, in fact, I run a race called the P.I.G. Race. It doesn't sound like much. We shall see. I hope to be pleasantly surprised. But at this point, I am road raced out. I need some obstacles in my life and I'll take what I can get. In the next couple months, I can look forward to Warrior Dash, Spartan, BattleFrog(s), Mud Endeavor(s), Dirty Foot, Savage Race, and Monster Challenges! Who else out there is so ready to end this OCR drought and get ready to see what you are made of? Watch out 2015! It is time to get dirty!
I understand why there are no OCR's this time of year. It is winter. It is supposed to be cold, so nobody wants to jump in water or mud when it is freezing out. But I think it is harder for me to deal with it because I live in Florida and it has been in the 60's and 70's the last couple weeks. If I looked out of my window and could just see snow, maybe I would cope with the reality a little better. But when it is beautiful out, there is nothing more I would rather do than to push myself beyond exhaustion running, climbing, jumping, crawling, sliding, and swinging through an obstacle course. That, in itself,
makes some people think I'm crazy. The fact that I am sad when I haven't done one in a while probably makes them think I am even crazier. That's OK. They are the ones missing out on these amazing experiences.
The good news? My withdrawal comes to an end soon! I am about to relapse and binge on OCR very soon. I don't need an intervention or rehab. I am going to get my OCR fix and I can't wait! Tomorrow, in fact, I run a race called the P.I.G. Race. It doesn't sound like much. We shall see. I hope to be pleasantly surprised. But at this point, I am road raced out. I need some obstacles in my life and I'll take what I can get. In the next couple months, I can look forward to Warrior Dash, Spartan, BattleFrog(s), Mud Endeavor(s), Dirty Foot, Savage Race, and Monster Challenges! Who else out there is so ready to end this OCR drought and get ready to see what you are made of? Watch out 2015! It is time to get dirty!
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