Mud Runs and Building Guns

[Charlie_Quinn]

Greetings Nerds! 

 

I was an Ranger up to a few months ago under the name BlimeyCharlie until for various reasons, I disappeared into the Nethersphere. Well now I'm back, with a new name and a heck of a lot of Mud Run's under my belt!

 

The good news is, I didn't quit my fitness goals during my time away from here and in fact, I think I'm probably fitter now at 34 than I ever was in my 20's, or even in my teens. This is one of the reasons for the name change, I feel like a completely different, happier, fitter person than I did a few months ago.

 

A little bit about me. As you can see from my signature, I'm an OCR and Mud Run addict. I also love lifting and body-weight exercises. I'm not a big fan of running but as it's a big part of OCR, I push myself to do it as much as possible. I try and do trail running if I can because road running = BORING!

 

I plan on doing a crap ton of OCR events next year and have already signed up for 3 (season pass, bitches!) but I don't have any events scheduled till Spring (except for a Ghost Run before Halloween, who can resist running through the woods in a Halloween costume searching for a marshmallow man?). So now I'm entering what I'm classing as "Winter Training" to get myself as fit as possible so I can smash my events next year.

 

Stay tuned for bitching about cold, rainy runs, new PR's (I hope!) and any other random junk that happens to pop into my brain.

 

P.S - Feel free to shout at me to "get my arse out running / to the gym" if I'm being a lazy S.O.B

[Charlie_Quinn]

I started the week out yesterday with a very easy run. As most of last week was spent laid up in bed with the flu, I hadn't done any running since Tough Mudder on Sept 26th. My sinuses are still a bit stuffed up so I didn't push myself and just did 3.5k at a very moderate pace. I thought I would feel more tired and worn out than I did so I think I'll be OK to do a 5k on Saturday. 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Tuesday 6th October

Strength training day. I hadn't lifted heavy in about a week and a half. After telling my husband that I didn't need a spot, I ended up screaming for him to come and rescue me when I got stuck during my first squat! Guess it's not a good idea to try going back to my usual weight after a short break! I knocked 5kg off and got through the rest of the workout without getting squashed.

 

Workout Log:

Barbell Squat

5x5 @ 51kg

 

Assisted Chin Up (with smallest resistance band)

5x2

 

Barbell Row

5x5 @ 31kg

 

Hopefully going swimming tonight.

[Charlie_Quinn]

 

Went swimming yesterday. Was a little difficult with a blocked nose but managed to make it work without drowning or swallowing a ton of water. I'm definitely getting more confident in the water and becoming a stronger swimmer. One of these days I'm hoping to get the courage to dive into open water. I did a water slide into a lake at One True Grit about a month ago and it was a major achievement for me and such a rush. Now I just need to build on that confidence.

 

I had a craving for some chocolate soya milk yesterday so went into the local health food shop and found this:

 

Had to buy it because of the name and well, chocolate orange? Hell yeah! It tasted like liquid Jaffa Cakes. Amazing!

[Raxie]

Hiii! Welcome back

[EricMN]

*stalking*

[Charlie_Quinn]

Hiii! Welcome back

 

Howdy! Thank you, it's good to be back.

 

*stalking*

 

All stalkers are welcome!

[Charlie_Quinn]

Got a few days to catch up on!

 

Thursday 8th - rest day so nothing to report.

 

Friday 9th

Strength training day. Unfortunately it's that time of the month when my ovaries decide to play keep-away with my strength gainz, so didn't do as much or as well  as I would have liked.

 

Workout Log:

Assisted Chin Up (with smallest resistance band)

3x2 reps - tried more but it just wasn't happening!

 

Bulgarian Split Squat

1x5 reps each leg @ 16kg - lost my balance. Do not try barefoot! It doesn't work!

2 x 5 reps each leg @ 16kg - with shoes on!

 

Overhead Press

4x4 reps @ 26kg

1x3 reps @ 26kg

 

Push ups

3x 5 reps

 

Saturday 10th Oct. Warning, long story ahead; tl/dr summary at the bottom!

 

Parkrun Day! Parkrun is awesome. If anyone doesn't know what it is, it's free, timed 5k runs that happen all over the UK (think there a small number in the US and quite a few in Australia as well). You just register, turn up at any event, run and they text you your time.

 

I wasn't expecting to do very well today. One week after being sick, I was planning on going along, plodding through my run and just making sure I didn't take any walk breaks. It was a chilly morning so I wrapped up in my warm gear and cycled down to the park. The weather warmed slightly by the time I got to the park so I decided to take my long sleeve baselayer off and just wear my Dirty Dozen finisher T. Glad I did as the sun started to come out as we made our way to the start line at the top of the park.

 

The whistle went and I crossed the start marker, being careful to not start off too fast - my usual mistake meaning I have to catch a breather with a walk break half way round. The usual speedies overtook me and I settled into my usual place of somewhere in the middle of the group. I plodded on for a while, trying not to sing along to the Metallica and Stonesour playlist I've selected; when I felt my running watch buzz to let me know a mile had gone. I look down at my watch to get an idea of my pace, 09:44 - :Wait WHAT!?

 

OK, so maybe I started out a bit too fast? No, I don't feel like my lungs are dying and this pace feels pretty comfortable, so lets see how this goes shall we?

 

Another mile later, buzz. Average pace: 9:38. By now I was starting to feel a little tingle of excitement. Could this be the day I get a sub 30? I didn't feel tired, my legs felt good and despite a slightly running nose, I was feeling good. OK, lets just keep this pace going and check the time when we get to the last 1/4 mile.

 

A surprisingly short time later, I'm on the home stretch, I just have to round the corner and then it's the final straight. Time to check my watch. 27 minutes have past. I can do this, I just need to speed up a bit. Run...fast...now! I sprinted, as fast as I could manage; pulling as much air in to my lungs as I could. Finally, I was there, the finish line. I took my token from the volunteer (how you get your official time) and stopped my watch........

 

29:37 - I HAD DONE IT! 

 

My official time came in by text a few hours later.....

 

29:34 - EVEN BETTER THAN I THOUGHT!

Plus, I was 10th place out of my age group!

 

To do this after getting so close recently (my previous PR was 31:11) and after a week of feeling like crap, makes me feel so happy. It's such a huge boost to my confidence in my running ability,something I've always been unhappy with. And of course, now I want a sub 25min!

 

tl/dr - I got my first sub 30min 5k today, this makes me unbelievably happy. If anyone wants me, I'll be in the woot room.

[Charlie_Quinn]

Sunday 11th October

 

Got up ridiculously early yesterday morning to watch the MotoGP but ended falling to sleep on the couch half way through! Went back to bed afterwards and had a bit of a lie in followed by pancakes made by the Hubby. Bliss.

 

It was such a lovely day yesterday we decided to go for a leisurely cycle. There is a lovely cycle route near us that takes you through moorlands and a nature reserve. Saw some sloes ripening on the trees so might have to go back in a few weeks to pick some. Want to try making some sloe gin!

 

Strength training was done when we got back. Workout as follows:

 

Hollow hangs (pull up drills)

2 x 20 secs

1 x 25 secs

 

Barbell Squats

4 x 5 reps @ 53.5kg

 

Flat barbell benchpress - my training log told me I hadn't benched in a month!

16kg x 16 reps - warm up with empty bar (yes, my bar is an odd weight!)

31kg x  5

31kg x 7

31kg x 8

31kg x 5

[Charlie_Quinn]

Monday 12th Oct

 

Went for a 10k run in the evening. Picked a hilly route and managed 4.5 miles before I needed to stop and have a walk break. If it was a flatter course I think I would have been able to do the whole thing non-stop but the last hill killed me!

 

Distance: 10km

Moving time: 1:08:17

Average Pace 6:46/km

[Charlie_Quinn]

Tuesday 13th Oct

 

I felt a bit bluugh when I got home yesterday. I started lifting but the session ended rather quickly. My lower back was still feeling a bit sore from my long run on Monday so I decided to lay off the squats and deadlifts and just do some mobility work on my lower half. Spent about 15 mins stretching my glutes and foam rolling.

 

Workout log:

Flexed arm hangs (pull up drills)

20 secs

15 secs

20 secs

 

Overhead Press

4 x 26kg

5 x 26kg

3 x 26kg

This is the point I had my "f**k it, I got nothin'" moment

 

Decided to at least try to do a bit more and finish off with:

Knee Push Ups

2x10

[Charlie_Quinn]

Just signed up for another OCR next year. That's 4 already. I think I've got an OCR problem!

[Balthazar]

I wondered where you had gotten to! 

 

so this is where you've been hiding?

[Charlie_Quinn]

I wondered where you had gotten to! 

 

so this is where you've been hiding?

 

I'm just hanging out here for a while, patiently impatiently waiting for the next challenge to start!

 

Wednesday 14th October

 

Yesterday was a forced rest day, cos OMGEEEE SO TIRED!!

 

Plan for tonight is to go for a run but I'm not 100% sure that's going to happen. I just want to slam my head down on my desk right now and catch some Zzzz. 

 

If I can't convince myself to go for a run, I have a back-up plan. The Hubs has recently taken up cycling and has one of those fancy-pants turbo trainers. Might have a go and doing some HIIT training on that instead. 

[Balthazar]

feels a bit like being Napoleon on Corsica dunnit

[Charlie_Quinn]

Thurs 15th Oct

 

Did HIIT training on the bike. 

 

Charlie_Quinn's review of HIIT Training:

 

 

that is all.

[Pat]

I like the idea to run trails instead of flat roads or worst, a treadmill. If it wasn't freaking winter already I would want to try that! It seems like a fun exercice.

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

You can still trail run in winter. You just have to wrap up warm and wear the right shoes! The darker evenings are the only thing stopping me doing it more.

Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

[Charlie_Quinn]

Few days to catch up on, I have no idea where the weekend went! Actually that's a lie. It got eaten up by the TV and PS4.

Friday 16th October

Did some lifting after work. Had the house to myself as The Hubs was away so cranked up the cheesy music and danced around like a nutter in between sets. Don't have my workout log to hand so can't log my workout right now.

Saturday 17th

Went to Parkrun and weirdly did exactly the same time as last week. It felt like I was slower this week so not going to complain, consistency and all that.

I've volunteered to marshal to Parkrun on halloween. The race director is trying to encourage people to dress up so I've said I'll wear my costume from the run I'm doing the night before, which means I'll be cycling down to the park at 8am dressed as a zombie. I'm going to get some strange looks!

Sunday 18th

Should have lifted today but got a bit lazy. Spent too long gaming and prepping halloween costumes and lost track of time. Will have to make up for it tomorrow.

[Charlie_Quinn]

Monday 19th October

 

Lifting day. Felt very tired after a late night on Sunday but forced myself into the home gym after work. Glad I did.

 

Workout Log: 

Barbell Squat

5x5 @ 53.5kg

 

Bench Press

5x5 @ 31kg

 

Assisted Chin ups (smallest resistance band)

2x3

1x2

+ 1 negative chin up @ 20 secs

 

My elbow joint on my right arm is feeling a little sore this morning so I may have to go easy on the push/pull exercises for the rest of this week. Annoyed about that as I'm starting to feel like I'm making slow progress in my chin ups.

 

Even more annoyingly, the Halloween party we were going to has been cancelled. I've spent weeks making a giant Harley Quinn mallet to go with my costume and it was all for nothing. I thought about wearing the Harley Quinn costume for the Ghost run on the 30th instead of the zombie costume but it's not a very practical costume to run in. Guess it's going away until London ComicCon next year.

[Raxie]

Even more annoyingly, the Halloween party we were going to has been cancelled. I've spent weeks making a giant Harley Quinn mallet to go with my costume and it was all for nothing. I thought about wearing the Harley Quinn costume for the Ghost run on the 30th instead of the zombie costume but it's not a very practical costume to run in. Guess it's going away until London ComicCon next year.

 

Oh man that is seriously a bummer!! I think you should still just walk around in costume on Halloween, or all week.  You know, go grocery shopping and stuff. 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Oh man that is seriously a bummer!! I think you should still just walk around in costume on Halloween, or all week.  You know, go grocery shopping and stuff. 

 

That thought has crossed my mind! I'll probably just hang around the house in it and drive my husband nuts with my Harley Quinn impression.

[Charlie_Quinn]

Tuesday 20th Oct

 

Did a 25 min tempo run. My running has been feeling really strong lately and I'm starting to enjoy it more than I used to. It's such good stress relief at the end of the day and nice to just be alone with my thoughts, even if it's just for half an hour. The glute stretches I've been doing have really helped with the lower back pain too.

[Balthazar]

 

Even more annoyingly, the Halloween party we were going to has been cancelled. I've spent weeks making a giant Harley Quinn mallet to go with my costume and it was all for nothing. I thought about wearing the Harley Quinn costume for the Ghost run on the 30th instead of the zombie costume but it's not a very practical costume to run in. Guess it's going away until London ComicCon next year.

 

we had this one year, now I just always run a Halloween party rather than attend, that way I know it won't get cancelled

[Charlie_Quinn]

we had this one year, now I just always run a Halloween party rather than attend, that way I know it won't get cancelled

 

I was actually going to co-host a party with a friend this year but we decided against it when this person said they were going to do one. I don't mind them cancelling it, but 2 weeks beforehand when people have brought costumes is a bit crappy.