bonefrog is what bonefrog does...

my first ever obstacle course race just had to be the Navy Seals bonefrog. 

Charlemont, Mass 5/21/16

my buddy Tracy. she talked me into it! i blame her.
just kidding! :)

it's probably a good idea that i signed up for the 5k sprint and not the longer runs. 

was it worth it? i'll tell ya later.

i have been doing HIIT, weight lifting, running, 5K races, and other various exercise routines for about 4 years now. i thought this would be no different from anything else i've done before. 

it started out that way anyhow. 

the ascent

going up?

half way up thunder mountain
night crawler obstacle

the obstacles were challenging, yes. most of them were getting over walls, which were either solid or mesh straps, or wooden beams, etc. climbing thunder mountain was exhausting. especially the last half...almost straight up. of course, you had to come back down said mountain. i think going up was a lot easier! almost got run over by a boulder. no shit. 

at the top!

31 burpees for 31 fallen heroes. 

when you were done, you had to yell, 

"the only day harder than yesterday is today!"

BOO-YAH!

1st phase wall

2nd obstacle

after climbing the mountain

Tracy ringing the bell. i skipped this one.

other obstacles were running (or walking in my case) up a hill and back down with a metal ammo locker on your back, 

pulling a weighted sack up ten or more feet and lowering it back down 

(don't drop it!), 

climbing a rope ten feet to ring a bell, 

swinging on handles from one end to another 

(don't ask me how far cuz i skipped that one...which cost me 25 push-ups--no problem), 

pulling yourself along a rope that stretched out over a pond of freezing cold water where the only thing out of the water was your hands and head. 

brrrrrrrr. 

up and over and under and up and over and under a series of walls in the mud, you just got filthy; then wading through waist (in my case chest) deep water and climbing over buoys in that water to the other side of the pond 

only to climb over another stone wall and run through a snow making machine! 

then monkey bars so freakin high, i couldn't even jump to reach them...

so i skipped that one too. that cost me 25 squats with a 35 pound sand bag on my back. 

which was really nothing. 

then came the log obstacle. 

this was the best picture i could find on the internet.

just looking at this now, i'm thinking the same thing i thought when i first came upon it. no problem right? i can do that. but i'm also just 5ft tall. and the drop from that top log...well, that's what got me.

this was the third to last obstacle. we were nearing the end. as i watched everyone before me go over, i planned my attack. i'd stay on the right side and use those braces to get me from one log up to the next. easy peasy. until i got to the top and saw no way down except to jump. 

well, this 5ft nothing body of mine wasn't about to just jump. i knew it was too high for me to do that. so i thought if i could just hang down and drop, i'd be ok. 

then i slipped. because after everyone before me had gone through the water, mud and more water obstacles, the logs were wet and muddy. and slippery. so....yeah. 

down i went. i really tried to land on my feet, but my left knee buckled upon impact and my legs went out from under me. and wham! i came right down on my right SI joint. i could feel it right up back and down my leg. i thought i'd never walk again. took my breath away. 

my friend Sarah helped me up. i thought if i could just get up, i could walk it off. after i stood up and caught my breath, i started to walk slowly towards the next obstacle. my left knee started feeling better already. but my back....well not so much. 

i skipped the last two obstacles. even 'rang out' and said i quit. i didn't deserve any medals. i could never be a Navy Seal. but i hobbled my way to the finish line with half of my team and collected an "i finished" medal. i felt like a fraud. the Navy Seals that actually go through a whole lot more training and torture than any obstacle course can dish out deserve the medals. holy moly! 

hobbling over the finish line

i got cleaned up and changed. hit the med tent for some NSAIDS and ice. then came the long 2 hour ride home...in a car....sitting. i think that made my back a whole lot worse. but i had to get home right?

that night i spent a few hours in the ER. X-rays revealed nothing was broken or fractured. which is a good thing. but what then? most likely a strained ligament or sprained muscle. or both. or more. who knows. i'm still in pain a week later. can't even bend over to tie my shoes. i guess i really did a number on myself. having scoliosis doesn't help any either. 

i'm sure i will heal, eventually. my pride is hurt a little too. but i'll answer the question above...was it worth it? 

i say heck yeah! i probably should've trained for this race. and perhaps started out with an easier course before tackling the bonefrog. but i challenged myself. i challenged my limits. and for me, that's a win.