1st Gladiator Rock N Run...

Last Saturday was the Gladiator Rock N Run and I’m still recovering a bit. 

I was really really nervous for some reason to do this one.  I think it’s because I was surprised at how sore I was and how long it took me to recover from the Camp Pendleton Mud Run which was actually quite easy.  I think I got a little cocky last year and wanted to amp up my races so I jumped at the idea to do 3 Gladiators in one year to acquire a “Beast Medal”.  My friend Fatima has turned into quite the runner/athlete and this is really the 1^st time I’ve pretty much had a guaranteed buddy to do these with so that has also not helped me in me slowing down.

Last year Fatima along with my brother, D and some other friends did this race and told me I would have loved it.  Well, I’m getting a bit older and my knee is really starting to get pissed off at me doing all these OCR’s and it seems I may not have a choice but to slow down.  This realization of course has come after the fact that I’ve signed up for a whole slew this year and still have 6 more to go!  Oh well.  Fingers crossed that I can get through them!

Anywhoo – I think I was nervous because of all these realizations.  Because my knee has been hurting me worse than ever.  Because I had not done this one yet and knew it was supposed to be pretty hardcore.  So the night before the race I got NO sleep.  It was awful!!  I tossed and turned all night long and had anxiety dreams about the race.  Crazy right? 

Race day arrives and I can only get one cup of coffee down since my stomach is in knots.  Tully is meeting me there along with Fatima.  I’m also going to meet all of these Weeple Army people that Fatima has convinced me to join.  D, Courtney and Shawn signed up but they are running later than us.  I had suggested they cheer us on at the Finish Line, but alas they did not. 

I get there in my usual really early fashion which I’m always glad I do.  And start to wander around as I wait for the others.  It’s not very big actually.  There’s a stage and only a handful of vendors.  I actually thought it would be a bigger deal.  I grab a free Obere lip balm and pop a squat and people watch.  

I also took a little pre-race before everyone gets there kinda photo:

Tully arrives first.  He’s doing an earlier competitive wave than I am.  Fatima arrives a bit later.  We do our usual pre-race stuff.  And of course take our pre-race photo:

The Weeple Army has a “tent” since we were the biggest team and I hesitantly put my bag with everyone else’s instead of bag check.  I meet one of the gals – a very hyper friendly girl named Joreen.  We chat a moment then I head off to cheer Tully on at the start line.  The MC is ok.  But Dan “Nitro” Clark comes out and gets the crowd really pumped up.  Then he pulls a volunteer from the crowd to demonstrate burpees with a cinder block.  The horn is blown and they are off.  I scream Tully’s name and root him on.  The 1^st obstacle is actually right at the start and it’s the tire run.  I watch until the wave has hopped through the tires then I return back to Fatima.  

Then apparently one of those Weeple People got a sneaky shot of us:

We get in line since we are the next wave and I meet Fatima’s friend David.  This is his 1^st OCR ever.  I’m pleased someone less experienced is with us.  He was super cool.  I also meet another Weeple – Joe Forney – a very hyper older guy who apparently does like one of these a week.  Then I meet Nancy another Weeple that Fatima met at some Gladiator Training Camp (they have these?!).  She was also very nice and very hyper.  I’m seeing a theme here.  We stretch and chat and Dan repeats the same thing I just saw him do and we’re off.  I’m also using a new type of knee brace so I’m a bit anxious on how it’s going to work.

Oh and there was this funny photo that I was actually trying to dodge out of but apparently didn't succeed:

I of course very carefully step through the tires but since it is right at the start it wasn’t hard.  I fall into my power walk pace and David is impressed.  He and Fatima slow jog to my walk.  Now as per usual the obstacles are fuzzy in my memory and they are nothing like what the website said so here we go:

First up the “Buddha’s Burden”.  The website said we have to carry 40lb bags a certain distance and drop them at Buddha’s feet.  The bags were like 5 pounds.  The girl handed me mine and I said “Seriously?”  Fatima laughed and said hers was heavier so we traded.  I think hers was 6 pounds.  We then ran around this circle so I of course swung the bag around my head like a cowboy and a smart ass.  The inflatable giant Buddha was also scarily weird looking.

Next up were the cinder block burpees.  Cake.

Next up was I think it was called “Hells Hills”.  There were about 5 or 6 muddy hills you climb up then into a muddy pool, then up, then into a muddy pool, etc.  Most people were having a hard time and slipping.  I surprised myself by scurrying up them quite fast.  I used my bear crawl technique and it seemed to really work.  I helped the Nancy person I met at one point then I scurried off to the end.  I waited for Fatima and David and David was quite impressed at my speed.  Yay!

Then I believe was the piggy back portion.  We basically had to carry someone piggy back a certain distance.  I told Fatima I would carry her because I know I’m much heavier.  David grabbed a random gal and off we went.  Fatima had me drop her about half way and I guess we were supposed to switch but I didn’t know that.  Oops!

Next up was a cargo climb.  Aced it.

Then I believe there was a wall.  That was when David started calling me a Mutant (X-Men) and my little ego soared.

Next up Monkey Bars.  I was the only one that got across.  I fucking ace the Monkey Bars!!!!!!!!!  They were longer than I’ve done yet and I did a little victory shout when I finished.  I was feeling glorious! 

After that was the Polar Bear Plunge.  Now, Tully had warned me about this one.  He said it was his least favorite and that I would hate it.  I don’t do well with cold.  Honestly the only reason I’m not doing the Spartan in December with my brother is because it’s in December and there’s some kind of Polar Plunge there too.  F that.  So we jump in and yes it is cold but I think I can take it.  We wade across and come up to a wall.  The guys are yelling at us to go under the wall, not over it.  So we have to submerge ourselves under water and go under this wall.  I hold my nose and go under.  When I came up I think my heart stopped.  This is also where a photographer was brilliantly positioned because they are catching all of the people coming up and out of the water and gasping for air.  HOLY SHIT WAS IT COLD!  I waded the rest of the way and up and out and tried to start walking.  I had to stop because I was shaking so bad.  David and Fatima stopped and turned around.  “Are you ok?!” they shouted.  I tried to nod.  I just needed a second for the violent shaking to stop.  Oh. My. God.  Luckily it was a hot day so it was only about a minute but DAMN!  They got a rad pic though!

Off we went.  We now came up to the “Tire Lunge”.  You picked up one or two tires and lunged in a circle.  They were not the ginormous tires on the website so this was no problem. 

Next up was the “Dumpster Dive”.  Now, again I was told there would be multiple dumpsters but there was just one.  I got into the thing just fine, but realized you did need help to get out.  A nice fellow racer dude offered a boost so I took it.  Plus I think the dumpster had been used because it smelled like ass and I wanted out of there as soon as I could.  Thanks fellow racer dude!  I hopped out.

I think after this was "Morning Wood".  You had to carry a telephone pole with a team around a circle.  Since there were only 3 of us we joined up with other people.  Awesomely enough - a bunch of large muscular men trotted up behind us and I immediately said "I want to be on their team!!!"  We were so Fatima and I being the only girls, and short ones at that, didn't have to do as much.  Tee hee!

Next up was the rope climb.  You climb up a really long rope and have to ring a bell when you get to the top.  I thought I would ace this.  I get up there and I could not get a grip.  The rope was muddy and wet and impossible to grip.  I tried and tried.  I went to another rope and tried.  Nope.  I gave up then turned around and watched Fatima do it.  So – I went back to try again.  Fatima was trying to teach me some kind of wrap your foot and step thing, but there was a growing line and I just couldn’t get it so I moved on.  You had to do 10 burpees if you didn’t complete and obstacle so I hit the dirt.  I later found out that I climb like a guy.  I guess most people do that rope foot thing.  It’s good for people who don’t have good upper body strength.  I really think I could have completed it if the ropes weren’t wet and muddy but I plan to learn that step thing before the next one in August.

I was pretty disappointed with myself because I’ve never not completed an obstacle.  As we approached the next one I again thought “Oh I got this”.  It was a plank thing.  They had 2 by 4’s going across a large muddy pool.  They had the board skinny side up and they were quite long.  No one was getting across and the crowd was quite vocal watching people try.   We were near enough to the finish line now that some spectators had wandered out to watch.  Fatima decided to skip it.  David and I got in a line.  This is where the old Jami athlete temper returned.  I’ll tell you what readers…I don’t know when the last time I got this pissed off was.  It’s been years.  It started out with some jackass cutting in front of me in line.  I didn’t say anything but whatever.  He fell off.  So I started across.  I was feeling super confident, felt the wiggle of the board and had it down.  I would have made it across.  As I inched along I could hear the crowd starting to cheer thinking I was going to make it.  This made me more confident.  THEN – the jackass who cut in front of me grabbed my board to help himself out of the pool because his puny wimp ass couldn’t get out alone and he jerked the board back knocking me off.  I was livid.  I let the guys working there help me out of the pool and Oh my lord did I lose it.  I flung the mud off me and screamed a slew of swear words at top volume.  I also immediately was looking for that jackass because I honestly think I would have attacked him had I found the bastard.  Fatima called out to me and I turned to her and screamed “I FUCKING HAD IT!!!! I WOULD HAVE MADE IT!!!!!!”  She tried to get me to come back and I shouted I had to walk.  I was so pissed!!!!  I can’t believe the anger.  Holy shit you guys.  The competitive Jami returned with a vengeance.  I got to the next obstacle and stopped to wait and breathe.  A little gal jogged timidly up to me and said “I know you’re mad, but you totally would have made it.  That asshole ruined it for you!  I would have been mad too!”  I smiled and thanked her and really realized how furious I was.  As Fatima and David approached I apologized.  I think it was the combo of disappointment in the rope climb followed by this.  

The next obstacle was called “Dirty Drawers” and you pulled yourself along these ropes but you dragged in the mud while doing so.  I patted myself on the back for wearing fitted shorts.

Next up was “The Beast”.  I think it’s a 12 or 14 foot wall that you climb up using a rope.  Again – I had seen the pictures and thought I’d be fine.  Well – here is where the most epic fall I have ever had happened.  Fatima and David conquered it after my fall you are about to read about.  David was below me to boost me if I needed it.  I climbed all the way up to the top.  Again – the rope was slippery and muddy but smaller so I was able to do it.  Once at the top though I couldn’t get that last move to get over.  They have dudes up there to help you but I had some kid who didn’t know what he was doing.  “Grab my left wrist!” I said.  But he wanted me to swing my left leg over.  We argued a bit but again, I didn’t want to hold anyone up so I swung my leg towards him.  I have no idea what or how it happened but all of a sudden I was falling backwards.  Fatima/David and Tully (who had already finished and was watching this fiasco) saw the whole thing.  As I fell backwards I slammed upside down now against the wall.  I then bounced and swung to the left a bit and slammed against the wall again.  This second slam the rope had wrapped around my left leg and pulled tight.  I dangled for a brief moment as it yanked my crotch area and left leg then I dropped straight down, all four limbs in the air.  My stage combat training came in handy at the end and I twisted and landed on my right side to avoid cracking my tailbone.  I then stood up – furious – and saw David and heard other people shouting if I was ok and flung the mud off myself, snapped I was fine and walked around to the back.  I then stood there breathing like a furious bull.  The adrenaline was pumping through me like wildfire and I was pissed.  I believe the disappointment in the rope climb followed by the plank incident and now this completely put me over the edge.  Later on Tully said I had looked like a broke down doll puppet falling in slow motion and then had this grotesque pause before I dropped.  David also apparently tried to catch me but since I bounced to the left he didn’t get to me.  The only thing I hope is somewhere that is on film.  It was Wipeout worthy.

I waited for David to scale the wall which he did (Did I mention how much ass this guy kicked for his 1st time!) and Fatima joined me at my side.  She was most concerned about my knee and thank GAWD the rope yanked my other leg.  I also want to mention here that the new little knee brace thingie seems to work!

We walked towards the last obstacle and Tully was there with a camera asking if I was ok.  I vented to him about the plank and how pissed I was and now I fell off a wall and he laughed, took the photo you see below (can you tell what side I fell on?) and told us to finish.

We crawled under the caution tape in muddy water (from barbed wire and mud at other races this was easy peasy) and I flew through it trying to do one last thing good and we headed towards the finish.  Fatima and David slipped their arms through each of mine and we walked across together.

I love this pic of Fatima and I.  I was trying to beat her! he he he!!  Obviously we were enjoying ourselves!

As we walked out and joined Tully, D, Shawn and Courtney were walking up.  As we chatted with them I started to feel where I hurt myself in the fall. 

We took some after pics:

Then saw an actual photo booth thing so we did that and I just love these pictures:

We grabbed our stuff and headed to the showers.  Fatima had to help me rinse off since my body was really starting to hurt and we changed and headed back.

Got some clean photos:

We all chatted and visited and stood in line forever to get our pics but it was fun to people watch and talk.    The trio finished just as we were getting our pics so we said hey again and found out they all actually just skipped “The Beast” all together.  Ha!  Maybe my fall scared them off.

We were getting ready to head out when we got a hold of Dan “Nitro” Clark and I got my celebrity photo

Tully found out he was 1^st in his age group but didn’t take a trophy picture.  Um you can’t let that bad ass thing slip by so we walked out together and I took his photo.

This was the hardest race I’ve done to date.  I have some lessons learned, some tricks I need to practice and learn, and some meditation I apparently need to do to curb the angry competitive Jami from coming out again.  The next two Gladiators I’m signed up for will be harder but I’m ready now.  I'm also not going to be cocky at all!!!!  This one wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be but there were defiantly some major challenges I need to work on.  As per always it was a fun day with some fun people!  I have a few doozy injuries but I think they’ll be healed up in time for my Mud Run next week!