GORUCK 50 Mile World Rucking Championship AAR: Kassandra Marin

Finish line with Cadre Mocha Mike and Cadre Igor

 

This blog is written by Kassandra Marin, and reposted from the MTN RNR Marin blog.

“I’ve been with a lot of you; I don’t mean sexually…but…at events…” Cadre Mocha Mike talking camaraderie and competition.

FRIDAY NIGHT, 19 NOVEMBER, WASHINGTON D.C.

Check in

Check-in and start point was Folger Park, about a block away from Capitol Hill, and started at 7pm. It involved making sure we had all our mandatory gear and the right weight for our ruck plates; men: 30lb plates, women: 20lbs (plus the weight of your ruck, water, food, battery packs, clothes…) My husband and I planned on getting there closer to 8 when the safety briefing would be held so we didn’t have to wait outside in the cold for so long. Despite it being 70* in DC the day before, Friday evening had a high of 40* and overnight it would dip into the 30’s; the less time I had to spend sitting still outside and exposed, the better.

Sightseeing during the daylight hours

GEAR

I wore a thick pair of leggings with pockets, an Altra hi-viz hoodie as a base layer, Nordic skiing top, plus a NorthFace fleece and beanie to keep warm. I needed it while we were waiting around, but the top 2 layers came off shortly after 1 mile in. I was never too warm, but as long as I kept moving, I was warm enough.

Snug n smug

Foot choice was hard. A few months out I was planning on Altra Riveras since they are plush and the uppers are warmer. As I started doing some longer rucks I realized I move faster in Escalantes…but the fastest in my Escalante Racers. I had logged at least 1,000 miles in 3 pairs of Racers over the last year and it’s been my go-to for all other road races, so even though I probably wouldn’t recommend them to the typical runner/rucker, I knew they’d probably be ok for me.

Food: I had a hodgepodge of stuff. 4 HoneyStinger gels, some Bobo’s peanut butter oat bars, powdered pedialyte, trail mix with dates and dried blueberries, and HoneyStinger hydration mixes (some with caffeine). I really focused on getting enough fluids…cold weather is deceiving; just because you’re not hot doesn’t mean you don’t need to drink! I also grabbed a clementine from every checkpoint. This seemed to work out really well. I passed by several gas stations but never felt like I needed to buy anything extra.

While awaiting our pre-event meeting, I had the chance to meet the other badass ladies, including Emily McCarthy! She was a ball of energy and so positive; the type of person always up for a challenge and whose smile draws you into signing up for Type II Fun.

THE EVENT ITSELF

Being the inaugural event, we had no idea what to expect other than covering 50 miles at night. No clue how many checkpoints there would be, or where. I bought a tourist map beforehand and tried to get familiar with the area in case it was like a Star Course and I’d have to get to multiple locations and create the shortest/fastest route possible…but luckily that wasn’t the case.

We were given a lat/long and had to figure out the location and the best route to get there. The cadre STRONGLY SUGGESTED (with a firm foot stomp, drawing our undivided attention) that we show them where we were heading before leaving each checkpoint. Good thing we did because one of the printed points were off by a couple decimal places and we would have ended up in Richmond if we weren’t corrected!

It took me a while to plot out the point and get my route. I ended up typing the coordinates into Chrome and then pulling up Google Maps from there. I had a few other apps for walking routes but Google Maps was the simplest and what I was familiar with. It kept defaulting to driving directions which was annoying, but the walking routes were great. It gave me an ETA and I’d make it a game by seeing how much time I could cut it down by.

Jody (who finished 2nd!) was with me here, she was really fast! I liked the bridge all lit up. The lights were shut off by 3am when I came back through here. Shortly after this Brandon and Ken caught up to me (we went off in waves, I was wave 2, teams were wave 3) and they were cruising at sub-9 minute pace. I let them pull me along for a bit before wishing them good luck as they were shooting for finishing in under 10 hours. I decided at that point I’d aim for 12 hours and that should be sufficient for a stout 1st place on the women’s side.

I don’t trust porta-potties. Especially at night.

DCA – Reagan. Still a pilot at heart. Showing Elvis where I was rather than typing it in text. My hands got cold when I took my gloves off.

I spent a lot of time on this trail.

The coordinates to the first CP led me here…into the woods. The cadre were out in the parking lot I flew by.

I saw a man juggling while riding a unicycle on a basketball court at midnight. Made me feel a little bit less of a weirdo.

Tired brain at 4am: everything looks like the White House and smells like Old Bay.

Alexandria, VA. All these street names had something to do with royalty. This was one of a couple out-and-backs and it was a morale boost to see the top guys coming back as I was headed out to Jones Point. A lot less homeless people on this side of the Potomac.

Creepy icy bridge! I chuckled to myself as I imagined slipping and being a turtle stuck with my ruck on my back. This is where 1st place Mark Jones passed me (on an out and back). Ruck Jesus (Patrick Mies) was crewing for him on a bike and after I said “nice work” they replied “oh shit a woman!” Yes, I will take that as a compliment.

I think there were 7 checkpoints in all. It was really helpful only knowing what our next waypoint was since it was easier to digest “7 miles to the checkpoint” over “35 miles to go.” CP 5 was back at the start; I think this was mentally a hard place to be because we still had about 15 miles left to go but had already traveled 35 miles. The last out and back was absolutely strategically sadistic and I appreciated whoever’s evil mind came up with it; 7 miles mostly uphill on Massachusetts Ave NW, to Connecticut Ave NW, to Chesapeake St NE and Reno Park – CP 6, and then 7 miles back downhill to the finish. This is where the sun started coming up and I saw a bunch of black squirrels. I got pretty excited and they made the uphill suck way less.

I texted Elvis as I was getting close so he could get Skylar up and out of the hotel. So glad he was able to capture some pics and drive me back from the finish because even though the hotel was only 1 mile away, I was NOT game for carrying my ruck any more than I had to.

Feet from the Finish Line. Slowed down so Elvis could dig out his camera. My feet and hip abductors were sooo ready to stop.

1st place patch! This holds some value to me but my daughter already commandeered it for her pink ruck….

TRAINING

So how did I train for this event? Of course I logged miles rucking, but it’s important to note that I started rucking over 10 years ago. I got pretty strong and quick carrying 40lbs to break the unofficial course record at the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range in NM. I was 20 and my husband had deployed to Afghanistan. I was living just outside of Fort Carson and my neighbor Kristin (now my best friend) had set the record the year prior.

Seemed like a good challenge and training kept me from feeling bored or lonely. For that I’d ruck 3 miles to the gym, get on the stairmaster for a bit and then lift heavy, and ruck home…usually with 50lbs of rice on my back. I’d sprinkle in trail runs up Cheyenne Mountain and the Incline in Manitou Springs once or twice a week too. It hasn’t been much different all these years later! Most of my mileage is sans-ruck and focused on elevation gain, but I like variety and being versatile.

Badass bestie at Bataan ? – she broke my course record to take the title back recently

WHAT’S NEXT?

I don’t know! In the past year I ran well at Mount Washington and Pikes Peak, represented Team USA in the Beer Mile World Classic, and now I can add World Rucking Champ to the list. I’m looking forward to a winter of solid training and maybe coming back for the Millennium Mile on New Years. I’m open to suggestions!

FROM THE GORUCK EVENT PAGE:

“GORUCK Rucking World Champions Finishers and Participants,
I want to say big congrats on all those who came and conquered this tough and challenging course. At the height of this we had 186 participants signed up, 135 were expected to show, but only 64 actual stood freezing at Folgers Park in Washington, DC Friday night.
We finished with a total of 59 participants. The breakdown was 7 women in the individual category, 26 men in the individual category and 13 teams of 2 in the Team Division.
The course was challenging with an average of 50.5 miles.
Big shouts to the following:
Men’s Individual
Mark Jones 1st place with the fastest time overall and in the individual category with a: 9-Hours,28-Minutes,48-Seconds
Blair Faulk 2nd place with a 11-Hours,15-Minutes,00-Seconds and 5th overall
Frank Gloor 3rd Place with a 11-Hours,25-Minutes,42-Seconds and 6th overall
Women’ Individual
Kassandra Marin 1st place with a 11-Hours,33-minutes,30-Seconds and 7th overall
Jody Shoup 2nd place with a 13_hours:48:Minutes,30:Seconds and 13th overall
3rd Place was a tie and the prize was split 5-way between: Jennifer Lee, Shannon Bass, Emily McCarthy, Anna Edwards, Molly Donahue
Big Big Shout to Jennifer Lee who did her 100th event this weekend as well at the debut of the GORUCK RWC DC 001!!!!
Team Division
1st Place: Brandon Petelin & Ken Letterle with a 9-Hours,29-Minutes,00-Seconds and overall 2nd place, these two have been crushing the DC star course for 4-years look forward to see them at our 5th Anniversary May 13-14, 2022.
2nd Place: Dennis Lesniak & Mike Wisler with a 10-Hours,14-Minutes,13-Seconds.
3rd Place: Caleb Hancock & Mac McClenathan with a 10-Hours,25-Minutes,00-Seconds
Again Big Big Congrats to all you finishers!!!”

V/r
Cadre Mocha Mike

– Kassandra Marin

24 comments

  1. Muriel says:

    I have been exploring for a litgle for any hiyh quality articles orr weblog posts on this sort of area .
    Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled uppon this site.
    Studying thgis information So i am happy to show that I’ve a very just right uncanny feelling I came upon just what I
    needed. I so much no doubt will make certain too do not put
    out of your mind this website annd give itt a look on a
    relentless basis. http://Boyarka-Inform.com/

  3. Nordvpn Coupons Inspiresensation says:

    Hi there would you mind stating which blog platform
    you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but
    I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m
    looking for something completely unique. P.S Apologies for getting
    off-topic but I had to ask!

    my site; Nordvpn Coupons Inspiresensation

  6. vpn says:

    I think the admin of this site is really working
    hard for his web site, as here every information is quality based stuff.

    My blog: vpn

  10. vpn says:

    Hi there! I simply would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent information you have here on this post.

    I’ll be coming back to your web site for more soon.

  12. https://tinyurl.com/yneylc4d says:

    Excellent blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers?
    I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything.

    Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for
    a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused ..
    Any tips? Bless you! Eharmony special coupon code 2025 https://tinyurl.com/yu2htvml

  24. Empfohlene Ernährung während eines Deca/Dianabol Zyklus says:

    This disruption results in a lower in the production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating
    hormone (FSH), both essential for sperm production. Blood
    exams can be utilized to monitor the results of steroids and determine any attainable negative effects.

    A kidney and liver perform take a look at, and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) take a look at, are among the exams included in our Full Well Being Profile (£195) which will determine quite a few steroid adverse results.
    In addition, we provide post-cycle remedy (PCT) medications and a Full
    Hormone Profile (£165) to give you more control over your
    well-being and life-style. Persistent AAS abuse must be suspected in a affected person who’s presenting with muscular physique with latest onset of gynaecomastia
    and hirsutism together with male infertility. The analysis of fertility in testosterone abusers wants an in depth work up together with medical history, bodily examination, laboratory investigations, and imaging to evaluate the impact of
    AAS use on fertility parameters.
    The mechanism of toxicity stays poorly understood, however it has
    been instructed to outcome from AR activation in liver cells, resulting in an elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
    (11). Due To This Fact, AAS with adequate resistance to hepatic
    breakdown and efficiency to activate the AR are vulnerable to incur liver damage.
    The scientific relevance of increased biochemical markers
    of liver damage in response to AAS use remains unknown.
    Given that nearly the entire body’s creatine is saved in skeletal muscle, an increase in muscle mass will increase
    the day by day production of creatinine and can subsequently elevate serum creatinine ranges with out impacting
    GFR. The eGFR based mostly on serum creatinine levels is therefore an underestimate in muscular populations.
    Alternatively, therapeutic phlebotomy may be considered for many who, against better judgment, proceed AAS use for extended periods of time.

    Nonetheless, it stays to be decided whether or not therapeutic phlebotomy affects clinical endpoints similar to MACE
    and VTE or solely ‘treats’ a laboratory abnormality.

    These results were additional popularized by the writer Paul de Kruif in his 1945 guide, ‘The Male Hormone’ [10].
    Early documented makes use of of AAS in aggressive sport embrace the 1952 German rowing group and
    the 1954 Russian weight lifting team [12]. Widespread adoption amongst Olympic athletes prompted the Worldwide Olympics Committee (IOC)
    to start screening packages for AAS and their derivatives within the Nineteen Sixties [13].
    The use of AAS was explicitly banned starting in 1967 and in 1999 the World Anti-Doping
    Company was established to assist the IOC battle against illicit doping [14].

    Regardless Of this, AAS utilization continues to be pervasive throughout sport and, in recent times, has more and more been adopted by
    younger men who are not professional athletes but merely desire
    to improve their physique [15]. Since testosterone isolation and characterization in 1935, many derivatives have been synthetized, which properties differ from these of testosterone.

    In distinction to these findings, FISH sperm evaluation revealed XY and chromosomes 1 and
    9 disomies, suggesting anomalies within the meiotic process and genetic harm among
    AAS users [30]. Apoptosis has been reported to play an necessary position in the regulation of germ cell populations in the adult testis.
    Recently, the correlation between apoptosis and excessive AAS doses and
    workout routines has been experimentally assessed in animal fashions.

    Testosterone has been found to extend ovarian cancer cell viability by way of telomerase expression, activity, and phosphorylation, and by blocking phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway inhibitors (Salerno et al., 2018).
    Alterations in telomerase exercise are on the basis
    of stanozolol-induced DNA-damaging results, and AAS effects are linked to dosage and frequency of
    administration (kara et al., 2017). An increase in testosterone ranges caused by Anavar can negatively have
    an effect on the feminine reproductive system in numerous
    methods.
    As A Outcome Of of the negative results that THC, the
    energetic ingredient in marijuana, can have on fertility, you (and your partner) ought
    to cease all use whereas you’re making an attempt to conceive.

    If you’re taking any of those medications and are having trouble creating a pregnancy, it’s important to see a
    urologist for semen testing. Opioids, which work together
    with your nerve cells to scale back pain, include both illegal
    road medicine and prescription medicines for treating ache and
    dependancy. Urologist Sarah Vij, MD, walks you thru a variety of the
    commonest substances — from antidepressants to opioids — that may have
    an effect on fertility in men.
    Leptin receptors have been recognized within the hypothalamus,
    in the anterior pituitary and in the ovary [8].
    In-vivo studies performed in people reported a mild enchancment of
    hypothalamic amenorrhea after therapy with recombinant leptin [16].
    Research carried out in physically lively girls observed lower leptin levels in all exercising groups compared to the sedentary one [11, 14]; as nicely as, decrease leptin ranges
    have been reported amongst amenorrheic compared to biking exercising girls [17].

    References:

    Empfohlene Ernährung während eines Deca/Dianabol Zyklus

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *