To jog your memory, or for new readers, the Extreme Rampage in this same location back in 2012 was my second OCR. It was also the first ER race to be held. Here are my recaps on that race: recap and additional pictures.
This race would be ER's fourth race to put on and my third to run in. Each race has improved with the quality and organization. That is a good thing!
I showed up early for the race as usual, yes, because I am crazy like that. I like to get accustomed to the environment and warm up a bit to get into my "zone". I know, it sounds silly, but racing is just as much mental if not more than physical. Going into this race I knew I had a target on my back after taking first overall at the last ER race in Clay City, KY.
I wasn't sure what to expect and wasn't sure how I would perform. I didn't think I would do as good as the last one because this was mostly flat and it was a shorter distance. I tend to do better with more hills and longer distances. So my goal for this race was to finish in the top ten. Of course I always want to try and win, but top ten was my realistic goal.
The weather was perfect. A little chill in the air, but the sun was out and felt fantastic. Especially compared to the cold, torrential downpour experienced last year. Soon I heard the microphone pop on and call racers to the start line. There weren't many there, maybe 50 for the early heat, so it was nice to not worry about being overcrowded and fighting for a spot close to the front.
Here is where I usually go through each obstacle, but honestly it has been so long that I can hardly remember what they were. So instead here is a list from their facebook site with the obstacles. I am not sure that all of them were there or in that order, but it is what it is.
There were a few obstacles that stood out to me. The first was the tire carry. I had never run with anything other than a sandbag or two before. The tire carry was new to me and a good challenge. Thinking back on it, my form could have been much better, but it was my first time for this and I will learn to improve next time.
The other memorable thing was the amount of creek running there was. It wasn't good or bad, but there was a lot. Some spots were very shallow and slippery and others were deep up to your shins/knees and just zapped the energy out of you.
The National Guard challenge was a low crawl under a cargo net (pretty typical) but then you had to continue your low crawl (army crawl) through grass quite a ways to the barb wire mud pit. That was brutal and tiring.
After that was the VIP carwash. That was my only complaint! I loved the idea of the car wash; it is unique and a good way to advertise a sponsor. What I didn't like was that it was completely full of bubbles. Wait, that was okay. But then once you got into it you ran straight into bungee cords that made you drop low to a crawl. That is fine and all, but you didn't know about that part and couldn't see it. Needless to say when you are inside of a huge tunnel with bubbles everywhere (literally full of them) it makes it to where you can't see or breathe. I started to panic a tad bit when I tried to wipe my eyes and it didn't help and then tried to take a breath and only inhaled bubbles. Finally I just said to hell with it and pushed through crawling as fast as I could until I could see daylight.
After the carwash was a dash to the finish line. I am sure I was very graceful as I tried to catch my breath and not throw up all the bubbles I just consumed.
Before I get to the results, here are some pictures. Side note: the delay of this post was waiting on pictures to be posted by the event. They were, but none from the earlier heat(s). Many have asked about this and the last statement was that they would be up soon. But that was on September 17th and we haven't heard anything since. So without further ado, here are the pics my mom took from her iPhone (thanks for coming mom!):
Right after the tire carry:
Somewhere toward the last 1/3 of the race:
Climbing a tall wall:
Running after the wall:
After the carwash:
After the finish:
After the finish without bubbles:
National Guard sponsor pic:
So, how did I do? When I finished, I was pleased with my finish, but I thought I could have pushed myself a little harder in certain spots. Here are the results for the non-elite racers:
Yep, I took first overall in the "default division". What does that mean? It is hard to explain, but there is a group of elite racers that race for prize money, etc. I don't sign up for those for two reasons. First, it costs more to register and I am cheap. Second, I don't race for prize money, I am not a professional, I do it for fun and to challenge myself to push my limits and see how I do.
So how did I stack up to the elites? If I were in the elite category (or if their results were combined in with the "default division") I would have finished 4th overall. Not sure why, but the Clay City results included the elite racers with all others and this time they did not.
I am proud of my time and proud that I took first (or fourth depending on how you look at it). I like that this race series is a local event. My only complaint is that the race organizer follows up when he says he will and follows through with what he says he will do. The ER website (FAQ) says that awards will be given to winners of age groups, etc. and none have been given out (even after lots of emails/facebook messaging). And also the picture issue mentioned above. Hopefully the race series will stick around and continue to improve. Overall a good challenge and race.
Next up is the Refuge for Women Run for a Reason 5K...
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