Hero Rush at 20 Weeks Pregnant

Two weeks or so ago, I found myself on Google, not doubting my decision to run the Hero Rush NY East on Saturday, May 18, but wondering what other 20+ week pregnant women who had run it had thought about it.  Interestingly, I didn’t find any blogs, stories, or information on the race at all.  Of course, this obstacle course race is relatively new, and there is more discussion on pregnant women running the Spartan Sprint races around the country.

So, in the spirit of a pioneer, let me share with you my experience of the Hero Rush obstacle course race as a pregnant woman.

First of all, my training transitioned from road racing/running to cross country running around the beginning of April.  While I probably should have transitioned earlier to running on rough cut grass through fields, I had been running hills for since August of 2012, so I was pretty used to hilly surfaces and the affects it had on one’s breathing and speed.  I had continued to run hills even pregnant, so I was ready for the endurance aspect that this race would require.

I also lifted weights.  I’ve been lifting since August or September of last year, so I knew a few trips as well as my limitations.

[Enter Pregnancy]

Pregnancy changes how you work out and how you train.  Adding in a new life completely dependent on my own for life and breath and sustenance suddenly shifts priorities.  I’m still pushing myself.  I’m still not letting myself slide and relax too much, but my focus has gone from pushing myself to all limits in both running and lifting to now running and lifting with a focus on breathing, endurance, hydration, etc.

[Enter Chenango Fire]

Our local fire department (where I’m the secretary and Adam’s a captain, training officer, chaplain, and board member) has been making some amazing changes.  Our chief, Dave, has made some amazing strides to change his lifestyle to be more healthy.  In doing so, he has lost 100+ pounds and gone from One of our assistant chiefs, Russ, has also lost 50+ pounds and made some amazing changes to his life.  Health is contagious.  The guys have developed a workout group and a lifting plan, and they meet 2-3 times a week to lift.

[Enter Hero Rush]

Adam ran the Hero Rush obstacle course race last year, and with all the changes taking place with our fire department, we gathered a group of 12 of us to run this race.  The whole course has a firefighter/EMS theme, so the obstacles involve ladders and rope and hose and fire and lots of flowing water.  The course this year was 4.74 miles and had 18 obstacles.  (Check it out here and sign up to run one—so fun!).

I ran a Tough Mudder last year, so I kind of knew what to expect.  (However, I wasn’t 20 weeks pregnant at that time.)  There would be a good bit of running with long stops at obstacles as you waited in line, some heavy lifting and maneuvering through/on/over/under obstacles, and the temptation to race hard and finish first.  Pregnancy was not going to allow me to push myself the way I wanted.

Adam ran the race at the 9:30 am wave (If you’re unfamiliar with large races, they often release runners in waves in order to avoid bottle necking at obstacles).  He ran it competitively and finished 2^nd overall with at time of 36:59.   After he finished, he was able to tell me which obstacles he was uncomfortable with me doing.

They did have a little handout, so I had somewhat of a description of the obstacles offered and in my stubbornness, I wanted to try them all.  There was one obstacle, however, that included some water I had anticipated to be ice-filled (although I later found out it was just cold water and not filled with ice like the Tough Mudder), and that didn’t seem like a healthy idea, considering how hot it was outside.  My poor child doesn’t need a brain freeze en utero.

So, we ran and I took my time.  My miles were a lot slower than I trained for, but I focused on not being out of breath and then giving my all to the obstacles.  I managed to do the 2-tire carry, the high-rise pack obstacle (carrying hose for a bit), Hoarder’s Hell, and numerous others.  I only skipped the ice water bath (that was intentional).  Then, we came to one obstacle (ladders or dangling hose to climb with a balance skill where one must walk down a stretched out hose on the other side) and the line was so backed up that our team got permission to skip the obstacle to avoid being held up for literally 15 minutes.  The only other obstacle I skipped involved climbing up a vertical large tube.  There were random holds and ledges inside the tube by which to boost yourself up to the top ledge where there was a large tarp slide down to a shallow pool. I was in the process of trying to get up the vertical tube when I realized the only way to access the next hold was jump onto my stomach and pull myself up that way.   Obviously, that wasn’t an option.  So, I backed down, helped another girl up, and skipped that one.

I ended up finishing with a time of 1:02:04 and was happy with it.  I wasn’t the first in our group to finish.  I wasn’t the last in our group to finish, and overall, besides a quick pee break in the middle of the run, I felt great!  The little man was still and cooperative.

Overall, I am happy with how the race went.  I felt energized and in great shape to have made the decision to run this race.

My next race is a very flat 5k with my law firm (I’ll be 24 weeks) and then I have another obstacle course race, the Spartan Sprint, at 28 weeks.  I’ll keep you updated on how I feel and how that goes.