Tough Mudder Tuesday: The Last Mile

First off, I ran Color Run this weekend, which was a glorious 5K full of powdery paint you got blasted with every kilometer or so. I'm still trying to get it all out of my ears and nostrils, and I have a giant bruise on my bicep from when I got shoved into a pole trying to avoid bad parents with strollers letting their kids inhale mass quantities of paint.

Secondly, it's over halfway through July and I keep plugging on my three miles and training. I try to end every Tough Mudder circuit training workout with a cool down mile, and no matter how many I run beforehand, that mile is the worst. I remember going to a yoga class a few years ago, and the instructor tried to explain how so much of a workout is mental. Your body usually won't physically give out on you unless you let it. Your legs will keep running; your arms won't fail. Seeing as I'm pretty sure I've actually had my legs fail when I was lifting during a CrossFit WOD, I might disagree with that as an overarching theory, but I do think it has some grounding when we're running.

The last mile is the worst. I get on the treadmill (or I'm a little over two miles into the trail around the reservoir) and I tell myself I only have to do half the mile. And then when I get there I realize it's just half a mile, and it's pretty pathetic if I can't run that last half. And I either sit there staring at the distance on the treadmill or praying that the last park around the reservoir will come up, and eventually it does. A lot of this training has been completely mental for me, and that last mile has been one of the biggest tests of how much I'm willing to put into this ridiculous obstacle course. As opposed to those pull-ups. Those are all physical, and I still can't do them.

Playlist additions: I've started running to Incubus' A Crow Left of the Murder on shuffle, which probably won't do much for anyone unless you are were hugely obsessed with Incubus. There's always Wiz Kahlifa and Willow Smith for when you're doing high knees and burpees. Those have always been two of my favorite songs to box to, and they both work pretty well for plyometrics.

Tough Mudder Tuesday: Sports Bras

Sorry I've skipped a few weeks. I'll try and back post a few so I can look consistent :)

not reassuring.

Training Update

Tough Mudder training has been going surprisingly well, ever since I kicked up my workouts since turning 25. I generally run around the reservoir a few times a week (sometimes more easily than others), aim to box twice a week, and I've recently introduced the actual Tough Mudder bootcamp into my training. I started with "Mudderling," figuring I'd start easy since the cut-off point is the ability to run three miles easily, and while I can do it, it ain't always easy.

Mudderling workout, at a glance, doesn't look too bad, but once you're in it, it feels truly terrible. I haven't experienced two such tortuously long minutes since the last minutes of my shifts at Coldstone when I was 15. Almost anyone can do jumping jacks, burpees, and ladder climbs, but two minutes will feel like five. LIKE FIFTY.

That being said, I can generally get through most of the circuit, albeit some parts more slowly, but I still have to drop to my knees after a few pushups, my ski jumps are the slowest lowest ski jumps in history, high knees for two minutes feels particularly hard after a minute of leap frogs, and I still can't do a pull up, so I fake it with a chair so one leg can help my arms out. Oh, and I figured out you can't grapevine on the treadmill. On that note, it's best to do the workout when no one's around, unless you're like my boyfriend and even running in a gas mask that makes you look like Bane doesn't faze you. Then go right ahead. I do them in my apartment gym, and with the exception of a jump rope, I have everything I need to complete it.

Sports Bras for Training

On to the note of sports bras, and only because I got into this conversation with a DD at boxing a week or so ago. The best sports bras I have ever found for keeping your boobs in check (I'm a D, for reference) are these C9 by Champion reversible sports bras I bought forever ago, which I havent been able to find since, most likely because no one takes off their sports bra and goes "oh yes, I will wear this tomorrow, but just flip it inside out." I don't know if it's the extra fabric or what, but these got me through dance practice (yes, they're that old), soccer, and now get me through running and boxing. The looked similar to these, which I have yet to try since I'm so attached to my old ones. I have tried other allegedly "high support" ones from Champion and have been unimpressed, although they tend to work well for light jogs...just not the bouncing of boxing.

Another model I've had good luck with is the Ta Ta Tamer from Lululemon. It has the most special ed name, so much so that I feel ridiculous when I recommend it to other people, but it keeps your boobs looking like two separate entities, and I haven't had any problems with the straps sliding off. It does have hooks, which can be slightly uncomfortable on the spine if you're doing ab work. Another minor thing I haven't been crazy about is the underboob band (technical name unknown). Sometimes when I'm running my rib cage feels really constricted. Maybe that's just user error and I should up the band size, but it feels too loose starting out with it hooked one wider.

One final note about the Tamer: It retails, like all of Lululemon's clothing, at a ridiculous price ($60), so buy one you REALLY love the color of, and don't throw it in the dryer. Actually, don't throw any of your nice workout gear in the dryer, which i just learned, and which makes washing your gym clothes a huge pain in the ass because you have to find spare doors to hang your wet pants, bras, and tops from.

Any suggestions for reasonably priced sports bras I should test drive?

Tough Mudder Tuesday: Running Playlists

I'm uber particular about the type of music I listen to when I'm running. I need something with insane BPM, and if it was emo angsty music I listened to in high school, even better. If it somehow relates to someone who treated me terribly when we dated/hooked up/I was hoping we were dating but they would talk about other girls in front of me all the time, THE BEST (I didn't make good choices in college).

That being said, I also get bored extremely easily, and I'm tired of most of the music I pound the pavement to.  Please feel free to share suggestions in the comments, and, in the mean time, these are a few of my running go-tos. As I mentioned, most of these songs are terrible.

My running playlist:

• 30 Seconds to Mars: This is War 
• AFI: Carcinogen Crush
• Acceptance: Over You
• Fefe Dobson: Watch Me Move
• Fiona Apple: Fast as You Can
• Foo Fighters: Best of You
• Gnarls Barkley: Gone Daddy Gone
• Head Automatica: At the Speed of a Yellow Bullet
• Jimmy Eat World: Let it Happen
• Kelly Clarkson: Since U Been Gone (truly awful!)
• Linkin Park: Bleed It Out
• Lola Ray: Automatic Girl
• Motion City Soundtrack: Everything is Alright
• Sugarcult: Pretty Girl (The Way)
• The Walkmen: The Rat
• We Are Scientists: It's A Hit
• White Rabbits: The Plot
• anything by Girl Talk. I used to run to the whole album.

As for training status, I took a week off last week since I had so much going on with my birthday, but the runs around the Reservoir have boosted my stamina, and I'm up to doing three miles of intervals. Trying to add a mile on each week, and alternate cardio with weights days. I'd like to get up to eight miles before the race, but I'll settle for five if I can run it through hills. Still can't do a pull up, but my biceps are looking mildly impressive.

In terms of nutrition, I had tiramisu for lunch so....there's that. I'm this thing called "poor" this month with vacations and weddings. I've got some kale and apples chillin in my fridge I'll make into something substantial tomorrow. Eventually I'll get a post up with some of my favorite healthy recipes.

Related musings:

• Watch American Ninja Warrior. It will make you want to do really bad ass things. It will also make you feel less bad (if you're a woman) about having no upper body strength, because most women don't even get past the first obstacle, which involves leaping. Or it will make you feel really bad?
• I really liked watching Roni's video over at Roni's Weigh, because the entire course looked less daunting, and I was feeling really overwhelmed after looking at the obstacles again. Check it out here. She also has a rundown on her training plan.

Tough Mudder Tuesday: Running the Lafayette Reservoir

I am not a runner. I'm envious of people who can say that they are. That they get "in the zone." That those six, or 10, or 15 miles just fly by. I usually spend the first mile waiting for it to not feel terrible, and then the next two hoping it's over. And yes, I max out around 3-4 miles, and I'm supposed to run around 11 for Tough Mudder.

If you're like me, and hate running, and feel like you're dying...try the Lafayette Reservoir. It's not nearly as pretty as running the trail around the lagoon at UCSB (but let's get real, what is?), but it's a nice semi-challening three-mile trail. You'll get some gradual hills which will require you to furiously pump your arms to get up them, and plenty of downhills to catch your wind again. I wrote wine and that sounded way more motivational. Go early so you don't hate yourself in the heat.

They also rent out paddleboards there! So much fun!