Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Gladiator at the Rose Bowl 2016

The last weekend in August, I hit the Gladiator Rock n Run at the Rose Bowl.  I was actually surprised it was this early in the year since it is usually in October.  But I figured with it being that early, I wouldn’t have to worry about being cold at the start.  In fact, I figured I’d have to worry about the heat.

I was wrong.

We actually had a cool front move in, and it was foggy that morning.  I did warm up when I started to run, naturally, but the first time I hit the mud I cooled right off.

But that didn’t keep me from having fun.  The 10K option was back this year, and that’s the one I did.  I always enjoy the back half of the course.  After I’d signed up, a friend wanted to do it with me, and he signed up for the 5K.  I was hoping to try to meet up with him where the two courses come back together.  He started in a later wave, and it wound up working out perfectly.  I waited for about 5 minutes and there he was.

I do feel some of their obstacles are getting too big.  For example, their slant wall was almost vertical, which is very hard to climb with wet and muddy shoes.  Likewise, the ropes get slick and are almost impossible (not that I could climb them anyway, but still).  However, I just skip those obstacles and move on.

Because, the course is still fun over all.  As I said, I love the back 3 miles, so it is worth getting up early to enter the early waves and do that part of it.  I also enjoy getting to be in the Rose Bowl.  I actually did a little training on stairs this year, so my legs weren’t quite as bad as they usually are after we do the stairs there three times.  They were still bad, but not as bad.

It was a fabulous day.  I just can’t quite get over that cool weather, however.  Fall is coming much too quickly for my tastes.

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