Recover Your Stride: 2014 Reviver Challenge

Last Saturday, I competed in my first obstacle course type race at the Reviver Challenge in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It was a short enough run (2.5 miles) that I knew I could do it, although I had no idea about doing the obstacles. I have only run 4 miles (2 last week) since my last snowshoe race, so I was hoping that the ElliptiGO miles I have been doing would pay off.

I had a special reason for doing this race, last year my sister Joy and her best friend Mike were working the wall at this race encouraging racers to get over it. Two days later, on his 50th birthday, Mike passed away. My wife, Sarah, and I were going to support my sister, Joy, at the newly named "Mike's Wall" this year. I was going to race the course with my two daughters, Emily and Hannah, my niece, Jenna, and Hannah's friend.

Photo: Reviver would like to honor a very special friend who may have helped you get over the wall last Saturday. That's the kind of guy he was - always helping someone over an obstacle while fighting his own with faith and courage. Rest easy with God Mike. While many of us are crying down here, I'm sure you are up there laughing with HIM now. Or HE is laughing about something you're saying. : )

Mike and Joy at last year's Reviver Challenge

There were three races (all the same). I started in the first race which was for the faster racers. Soon after starting we had to climb over a pile of tires and then crawl under a monster truck. Already, my lack of running was showing as I was way back from where I used to be at the start of a race. Then we had to run up a really steep hill. Well I ran, but most of the other fast starters were already walking. I recall a tube we had to go through. I had to get down on my hands and knees and they had watered the grass and mud inside the tube so I got a bit muddy. Then it seemed to turn into a running race. I ran like an old man, but continued to pass people. Eventually we left the road and headed into some woods. It seemed that we ran about a mile on rocky trails. I didn't think there were many hills in Rhode Island, but this was hilly. It reminded me of a tough snowshoe race, except there was no snow. There were plenty of steep sections to climb and again, most people were walking as I ran (ElliptiGO training?).

The trail was covered with rocks and I found that it was just like a snowshoe race zig-zagging up and down and through the trees. My hip (or balance) won't let me run downhill safely. I had to be very cautious and almost tip-toe down the steep sections. Of course, all the runners I passed on the uphills would bounce on down the hills and fly right by me. I did notice a couple of older gentlemen (about my age) and decided to key off them. They would get ahead of me on the downhills so that they were out of sight and then I would try to reel them in on the flats and uphills. Eventually we made it down the final hill and right into Mike's Wall. Happily I found I could get over it easily, and headed off to the two smaller walls and the other large wall. There were other obstacles: trees to zig-zag through, two more mud tunnels, sacks of sand to carry up and down a hill, an inner-tube slip and slide, and a long stretch of two by fours nailed into sections of trees that you had to cross, some balance beams, and other things I probably forgot, plus zombies and people shooting water guns. It was all pretty much fun and I enjoyed all the obstacles. Somewhere along the way I had passed all the older looking guys, but there were two more races to be run. My daughters ran in the second race and I was at Mike's Wall cheering on the competitors in that heat and the final and largest heat.

Later at the awards ceremony, my name was called for winning the 50-59 age group. I was thrilled as I had a secret wish to try to win it for Mike. It was his age group and he never got to enjoy one day of his 50s. I really enjoyed running the race. I ended up in 43rd place out of almost 700 racers (results). This is a fun family race, so lots of kids were entered. I look forward to racing it again. I will say that every competitor looked like they were having a great time!