Tough Mudder Chronicles - Looking to Soak in Some Support

[lookingforme]

Hi All,

I very recently signed up for a Tough Mudder event in December while on a temporary high from getting some good news. Now it has become glaringly obvious that I stopped believing I can do it, mainly because I haven't slept at all well in the last 7 days, which has made me skip training, let alone the last....well there's a whole chunk of time where this has been an issue but at least before, I got up and did stuff.

I do know that I still want to do it, if only not to regret pulling out (may not be the best reason, but still is a reason I can understand - one less regret).

I suppose what I could do with is some support from the mental health support team that's around here in all of you. I already have the support system in another social network, but rather than constantly reminding me that they, or we are all team no excuses, get it done, maybe a little more sensitivity on the days where I couldn't get up, and am already hard on myself. And who knows, maybe my chronicles will help inspire also?

That's me. What do you think?

Joelle out.

[james1]

Hey Joelle, I find myself replying to a lot of your posts!

I think it's awesome that you signed up, even if it was during a good moment and now you're kind of regretting it, haha. I managed to sign myself up to a 14km run and a half marathon during highs, as well as a volunteering thing which means I might need a day off work (before asking my manager). Oops.

Is tough mudder a team event? If so, you can try organising team training sessions. I also try to drag people I know at work/friends into running sessions so I can't back out of them.

Exercise is really good for giving us the right chemicals (I honestly dont' know which ones) to make us rise out of depression and do stuff. So I think it's the perfect thing to sign up to accidentally 😉

James

[lookingforme]

Hi James.

I don't mind if you don't mind 🙂

I spent the entire day out, got some new workout gear. Some on an impulse, one item (a punching bag) was prescribed by the psychiatrist, and I needed some. I'm pretty tired out after that because it is like 54 degrees out today. So, training plan and study plan will be made today, and I just want to stick to it. I feel like everything will be a little more doable if I see the plan and slowly achieve the little things, big things will come from them.

Haha, well, you'll let your manager know eventually, I'm sure.

Tough Mudder can be a team event, but I don't know anyone here so, I'll be on my own. Though, I am given to understand that everyone who does it is always ready to encourage and help you. Sort of like when you're doing the 1000 steps in Melbourne.

Those chemicals are called endorphins, and I am fully aware of their capabilities. I know I want to do it, below all the other mess in my brain. Tomorrow will be exactly 20 weeks, so tomorrow I start to train. When are your marathons?

[lookingforme]

Day 1: Strength/Resistance/Plyometrics Training mixed in with Swimming in the pool.

A success but probably the first time I was grateful that my tub of protein powder is almost empty.

Day 1 of training is complete! I am supposed to let that soak in and celebrate it but I've already moved on to how I'm supposed to study now.

Ah will, micro baby steps, Nano even.

[james1]

Congratulations! That sounds like quite a bit. I went for a short run today for ~30 minutes. Unfortunately I hurt my foot about 2 weeks ago and I'm going to have to take it pretty easy, because every time I run, I can feel it the next day.

Mid august is 14km, then mid september is 21km. I'm hoping to start swimming again around then as well when it gets warmer. It's been super cold recently (for Sydney).

Are you following a training plan? I'm doing 3 days of short runs, 1 long run day, and 1 "other" training, leaving 2 rest days - but usually I try to at least do a light walk/jog on one of the rest days.

[lookingforme]

It was quite a bit, I'm sore now haha. I expect I will be for the next 6 months...

You better take it easy on that foot, how did you hurt it? Did you get it checked? It's quite easy to fracture the metatarsals, so any stress could be making it worse. I have to do plyometrics in the pool because I'm not allowed to jump or squat around gravity because of my knee. I have to ice it straight after a run or I get a very significant ache for a while.

Wow, so soon. I'm not at all as run fit as you are...or fit at all really. I have to fit all my exercise around my study and work, so it's a 4 am workout usually. The plan is 2 days bodyweight exercises, 2 days running, and building up length rather than working toward speed. As long as I can cover about 19/20 km by November in one hit, I should be fine. And once a week, strength training with weights or swimming combination. It's the Joelle method haha. Of course, a cutting diet because the lighter I am doing monkey bars, the better it will be I think.

It's super hot here, 35 degrees with 65% humidity at 4 am, so that's what I sift through.

My goal is to complete it more than compete for a win, you know?

Thanks for replying.

[james1]

Aha, that morning soreness is all too familiar.

I'm not sure. I started giving "minimalist running" a go and it was going really well and I was enjoying the different running style, until I jumped from 5km runs to 7km then 14km, haha. I think that's what did it, so I'm just taking it nice and easy again back down at 3-5km. I've done the half twice before so I know I can do it.

Sorry to hear about your knee. Has that been a chronic thing?

Oh boy, that weather and time is atrocious for training so I'm impressed you're even training. For me, it'd be like: go outside day 1, bath for the next 6 days. And yes, endurance is really what I'm looking for too. I'm totally cool with being slow, haha.

James

[lookingforme]

Ah Minimalist Running, how is that? Wanted to give it a shot too, not for all runs but just to be more aware of my foot strike. Yea, I guess, best to take it slow and build up to the distance when making the change. That's cool, you've done it twice. Colour me impressed.

Nah, I was out on a run and I injured it back in 2013. When I decided to start running, I went to athletes foot and they fitted me for these shoes because I'm a bit flat footed, and I went out and I felt like my feet were slipping, I'd get the worst shin splints, and I felt like I was striking my heel on pavement too much. But I thought that;s what it was supposed to be like. I got used to it, and on an 8km run I was running back and down a hill, and my heel struck pavement, and since then my knee started clicking on and off and I couldn't climb stairs. I took it easy but it never went away, and it started to hurt to have the weight of my bed sheet on it. The surgeon said if I ha waited a bit longer I would have stuffed it up. Had surgery but it hasn't been the same. I do have patellar tendinosis and the backs of my patellae are abraded, hence the no squats or jumping on dry land. I'm going to say it's chronic now...

I have to train or study, haha, so I have to be up anyway.

Haha, being slow is great.

[lookingforme]

Alright, Day 2 of training is done.

3.28 km in 32 mins. Doesn't sound impressive but overall, fewer steps and greater distance = a faster Joelle. Only...16.73kms more to catch up on. Is that all?!

[james1]

Congratulations! Keep the effort up and you'll be doing 20km in no time! That's what I did for my first half. Making sure you get the kms in your legs over the week is all it takes, and you feel pretty amazing afterwards. Do you use any of the running apps? I've been wanting to try one called zombie run where you run from zombies, haha.

Minimalist running is interesting. It's difficult to start - oh my gosh, my calves felt like they'd ripped themselves off the first time - but literally just doing short short runs in them, and mixing up running and walking, helps to break it in. I don't know how helpful it really is, but I wanted to give it a go because I tend to be a mid-foot striker anyway. I've actually started trying to do more barefoot walking as well. I love the looks I get when I walk onto a train or shopping centre barefoot, haha. People just look so confused.