Kudos to the Bold r Dash team for putting on another awesome event!  I enjoyed the course so much that I decided to do it twice!

Actually, that was the plan all along…just as it went for Tuff Scramblers last year, I wanted to push myself and race it, then do it again with my beloved crew.  Here’s the rundown as I remember it 2 weeks later:

The elite heat went off at 9am.  My plan was to try to hang at the front of the pack and see how I felt.  Well, that’s kinda how it went.  Like Tuff Scramblers, I was in the lead…except for a much shorter time!  The field had some serious runners and although I’m accustomed to the hills and pretty quick on the obstacles, the ultra marathoners and gazelles who finished before me were clearly more conditioned.

About a mile into this I realized I was definitely not going to be the first to cross the finish line so I decided to run “my race.”  I pushed hard on the hills knowing that I could probably recover on the (rare) flats and descents.  I estimate my heart rate was between 180-200 the entire time!  On the obstacles I aimed for efficiency and focused on maintaining fluid momentum.  Having MovNat skills in my quivers gave me a lot of confidence to attack the walls, ropes, nets, tires, ladders, hurdles, balance beams, etc. with speed!

I got passed again at/around mile 2 by a couple of young gazelles who bounded up the hills.  It’s funny because I always focus on and preach efficiency of movement.  Well, these young legs had energy to waste!  It was quite impressive and humbling at the same time!

The hardest part of the event was running solo on the soft terrain in the trails.  I really wanted to stop and give my legs and lungs a break.  However, the spirit of Los Neuty Osos would not let me!  “I always push people to do their best…they always have more to give…so do you dammit!”  I’m proud that I never stopped running even though nobody was looking and I really, really wanted to!

The best part of the course was the final 1/2 mile!  After the slippery slope was a sweet tire swing obstacle that reminded me of the chain hang at American Ninja Warrior, then I superman-ed the slip n slide, dragged some chains and tires, did some sac hopping, and finally crawled through the mud before tumbling over the finish line!  I was the 6th one to cross…eh…not too shabby.

So before I get into the team’s experience, here are my personal conclusions:

• You really can be good at running without running (that much).  If you want to be really fast or competitive however, you have to run a little bit (more).  In looking through my training logs for 2013, I’ve averaged roughly 2.75 miles/week running.  And that’s a lot for me!  I think if I wanted to do these events competitively I would add in a 2-5 mile trail run as well as some 0.5 – 2 mile time trials here and there.
• Hill training is the absolute best bang for your buck!  I haven’t run 3 miles consecutively since Tuff Scramblers.  Unless I decide to implement the competitive training plan above, I won’t run 3 miles consecutively again until the next race.
• I’m so glad I’ve found MovNat!  I foresee myself doing it until I die.  It’s practical and sustainable and fun!  It’s also extremely relevant for mud runs.  One of my long term goals is to do a Free Tough Mudder (no cost if you’re 80 or over).  By then it will probably mean a savings of $1,025.  (Math check: $150×1.04^49)  Stay tuned!
• Proficiency trumps fitness.  I doubt I was the 6th most conditioned person to do Bold r Dash but I bet I was in the top 6 in terms of movement efficiency and skill.  When you reach a certain level of fitness, it’s really hard to see significant gains.  However, many of us have lots of room for improvement in how we use or direct our energy.  Plus if you focus on proficiency, your safety will naturally improve, which will affect your longevity, so you can do Tough Mudder when you’re 80!
• At LbF, we are minimalists!  I remember a long time ago reading Brad Pilon’s elimination workout. ” What am I going to do if I’m not working out everyday?” I asked to myself with great concern.  Several years later the answer is “whatever I feel like!”  My personal sweet spot is 2 workouts/week with 1 rest week/month.  I detailed it in the LbF prescription for an effective and efficient training program.  For the record I count our sessions at Neuty as a workout and I workout on my own 3 times per month.

Ok that went a little deeper than expected.  Anyway, after crossing the finish line with a bunch of my teammates cheering me on, I had about 40 minutes to change, drink some water, and assure everyone that it was a piece of cake despite the lack of color in my face and look of extreme exhaustion in my eyes.  We went off at 10:15am.

Just like Tough Mudder, it was so awesome to see a sea of LbF green take on the course.  We didn’t all stick together though since this was more of a race than a challenge.  As expected, several cliques formed and we ran into each other a bunch of times on the hill.  I spent the 2nd go ’round with my good friend Becky.  The entire team agreed that we would not skip any obstacles.  These challenges are what these events are all about – overcoming fear or doubt and proving to yourself that you are indeed a badass!  I’m happy to report none of us skipped any obstacles!  We may not have succeeded at every one, but we all tried every single one.  Towards the end of the course it would’ve been easy for Becky and me to sneak around the tire hurdles or the slippery slope or the crazy ladder walls, but she wouldn’t have it.  I’m so proud of her for conquering Bold r Dash!  Badass!

So overall it was a fabulous day at Yawgoo!  All 23 of us made it through safe and sound and had a blast!  I have to say, I am part of the best networking group around!  We had a bunch do Bold r Dash on the Beach.  When Bold r Dash on the Mountain came along, I was pleasantly surprised that several from Team Laid-back Bizness would be in again!  And they brought friends!  It speaks of the integrity, commitment, and perhaps questionable judgement of my fellow Citybiz BNImembers!  Thank you!