January 2017 AAR and look back
I just completed the 2017 Winter Run'N'Gun 20k challenge. Overall the physical challenge was greater than I expected. Final distance ended up being 14.9 miles according to my GPS. Before I get into details I want to take a look back at how I got into this and the early feedback I received.
Where I started:
When I started this thread in March of 2015 I had no idea what I was getting into. To put it plainly, I didn't know what I didn't know. My original motivation for doing the Run'n'Gun was age related – 30 years was on the horizon(go ahead and laugh) and I wanted to do something to combat this nagging voice in the back of my head which was saying I had pissed away any opportunity of being fit in my 20's. My goal was to avoid having regrets 10 years from now over what I might have been able to do in my 30's.
I naively thought:
- I was a "decent" runner
- I was in moderate shape
- The Garand was a suitable biathlon rifle
- I knew how to train
- All I needed was the "right gear"
I just re-read this entire thread and wanted to reflect on some things I had lost sight of:
Shortly after starting the OP I was surprised by the level of feedback. Lots and lots of free wisdom came my way. Re-reading it now I realize that there are nuggets of truth and wisdom laced throughout the thread and I ignored most of it to my own detriment. Regarding gear, the HPG Tara/Kit bag was one of the first things people mentioned and it's what I'm switching to for next summer. FOG already proved it's viability this race by using it and winning the 20k.
I'm also surprised by the number of things which I now consider to be fundamentals of training but forgot originally came from PF:
- Use sand for weight
- Use extreme caution when running with weight
- Incorporate rucking into weekly routine
- Reference SF ruck standards
SLG provided a huge amount valuable guidance. As I'm re-reading this thread I keep seeing things that he mentioned which I stupidly decided to learn the hard way. He also raised a red flag when I detailed my completely misguided perception of fitness and pacing before the first race. Again, PF wisdom was right and I nearly stroked out at the race. My early failure is captured in all it's glory on post #93.
All of this is a long-winded way of saying: holy shit guys, you were right. Thank you for all of your suggestions and tips. SLG especially – thank you for attempting to point me in the right direction.
Where I'm at Today:
The 20k race was hard, go figure. 15 miles of running wears on you, especially when carrying gear.
20k Training:
My prep for the race was a combination of bodyweight workouts (squats, pushups, pullups, planks, lunges), long slow runs(6-12 miles), sprints, and rucking (45lb pack, 3-15 miles). Some weeks were good with 5 workouts, other weeks were bad with only 2.
My biggest regret is not having spent more time doing the long slow runs. I had only worked up to 12 miles before the race, and only used weight while rucking or on very short runs(>3 miles). I don't think that running with weight is entirely necessary, but it is necessary to actually do the mileage and keep your HR up for hours at a time. I had some good long rucks in there, but my running didn't quite creep up to the 15 mile distance.
20k Shooting:
There were 7 stages for each 7.5 mile run. We were given 12 minutes after the first run to resupply water, mags, ammo, etc.My shooting hasn't changed much since I started running these events. I've done a bit more medium-range rifle stuff(600 yards), but I've definitely been shooting USPSA less and my pistol speed/accuracy has fallen behind a bit. I don't have my actual round counts from the runs (lost track of mags between runs) but I'm estimating low 50's for rifle and ~25 pistol for each run. There were 16 runners with 2 scores for each run, so last place was 32.
The stages:
10K ONLY Bonus I – Zombie Killer: Shooter must advance through the woods through several different firing points and get two hits each with rifle*on five 8" steel targets,*at varying distances from 25-75 yards.*(10 rifle)
This stage was straightforward. I got screwed on my first run. After I finished the RO proclaimed "That was a fast run.... aww shit! The timer died!" He asked if I wanted a re-shoot or for him to guess what my time was. I opted not to re-shoot because it was the first stage and I didn't know how the rest of the race would go ammo-wise.
Run 1: 0.92 minutes, 20k Rank: 20 ; 10k Rank: 50
Run 2: 0.58 minutes, 20k Rank: 3 ; 10 Rank: 8
Stage 1 – Advance With a Pistol: Shooter must advance through the woods to 3 different firing points, getting two hits on a 12" pistol target distances from 5-15 yards at each, then advance to the final position and flip 6 targets on a dueling tree from approximately 10 yards. (12 pistol)
Another straightforward stage. I resisted the urge to try and burn it down because I was focused on endurance and consistency for the event.
Run 1: 0.40 minutes, 20k Rank: 5 ; 10k Rank: 6
Run 2: 0.47 minutes, 20k Rank: 9 ; 10k Rank: 12
Stage 2 – Fast and Hard: Shooter will engage a plate rack with six 6" plates*from approximately 30 yards from behind a barricade, knocking down each*plate*through a different*hole in the barricade. *(6 rifle)
My first run on this stage was a little challenging; the plate rack was not designed for rifle rounds(especially not 308!) at 30 yards. The plates were tilted forward ~45 degrees greatly reducing the size of the target. I dropped a few rounds here...
Run 1: 0.75 minutes, 20k Rank: 7 ; 10k Rank: 11
Run 2: 0.58 minutes, 20k Rank: 5 ; 10k Rank: 9
Stage 3 – Rifleman’s Quarter Mile: Shooter must get two hits each on targets at 200 yds*and 500 yds. Size of targets is approximately 18"x30". (4rifle)
200 yards was a breeze. I was surprised to not hit the 500 yard plate on the first shot as I had just zeroed my rifle the weekend before at 600 yards. I had to aim low and left off the target to get hits. I got lucky and saw a splash off the top of the berm and quickly figured out where to aim. On my second run there was still a little guess work but I didn't waste much time. Maybe it's time for a more robust scope?
Run 1: 1.00 minutes, 20k Rank: 20 ; 10k Rank: 36
Run 2: 0.65 minutes, 20k Rank: 8 ; 10k Rank: 16
Stage 4 – War of the Rats Re-Visited:**Shooter must get two hits on a 12"x20"*target at 150-200 yds from rooftop, move inside and get two hits on the same target through louvers that will require a standing/kneeling position, drop down and get two more from the lowest point on the structure that will require a prone position. (6 rifle)
This stage was awesome! Climb onto a roof, hit a target, jump off, hit a target through louvers, reposition to a prone porthole and hit it again. Anyone young with good knees had an advantage here. I took the approach of jumping off the roof while others would climb back down the way they got up.
Run 1: 0.60 minutes, 20k Rank: 5 ; 10k Rank: 6
Run 2: 0.63 minutes, 20k Rank: 7 ; 10k Rank: 8
Stage 5 – Get Home Safe: Shooter must start this stage with his rifle placed on the ground at a designated firing position. On the "fire" command,*shooter must draw his pistol and*hit*two 12"*pistol targets twice each from approximately 10 yards,*holster*pistol, move to his rifle,*and engage a 12"x20" target twice with rifle at approximately 150 yds.* (4 pistol, 2 rifle)
***** At the end of this stage, shooter may take 400 yard bonus shot – 30 seconds to engage an approximately 18"x30"*steel target approximately 400 yds away. 30 seconds, only one round may be fired. *A hit or miss will NOT affect your score. *However,*those who make a hit*will get acknowledged with*a bonus at the end of the day. *****
On my first run I stupidly forgot to top off the pistol before arriving. I ran dry and had to run a painfully slow emergency reload from a closed top pouch... you coulda made popcorn while I fumbled through it. I did manage to hit the 400 yard target on both runs. There was a stiff ~15 mph wind directly crossing the line of sight. A lot of people missed this.
Run 1: 0.45 minutes, 20k Rank: 12 ; 10k Rank: 27
Run 2: 0.43 minutes, 20k Rank: 11 ; 10k Rank: 21
10K ONLY Bonus II*– Ammo Can Bonus Drill: Shooter must move two ammo cans to first line, engage two 12" pistol targets with*two hits each, holster*pistol, carry ammo cans to rifle line, and*engage a 12"x20"*target at approximately 150 yards from behind available*cover with*two*hits. (4 pistol, 2 rifle)
I don't know what happened to me on the first run. I missed probably 5 rounds before I finally hit the damn target. On the second run I was too exhausted to care and reverted back to fundamentals... and rocked it. Being the last stage after 14 miles of running I don't know why.
Run 1: 1.00 minutes, 20k Rank: 14 ; 10k Rank: 29
Run 2: 0.77 minutes, 20k Rank: 2 ; 10k Rank: 8
Overall shoot score:
Run 1:
20K - 10th place ..... 10k - 17th place
20K - 2nd place ..... 10k - 4th place
I'd say my shooting was mixed. First run sucked, second run was solid. I could have and should have done better. A better first run shoot score would have bumped me up to 4th or 5th place overall in the 20k.
20k running:
15 miles is long. The longest training run I've ever done is only 12.5 miles. The weather was merciful at this race- when I left in the AM it was ~35 degrees F and in the afternoon it was mid 40's. This was huge for me being able to finish.
I followed FOG's advice and took a slow pace early on that I thought I could maintain. Turns out the pace was right because my 2nd run was only 4.5 minutes slower than the first.
I ran solid the first 9 miles. At mile 9 I started getting muscle cramps... the first cramp was in my calf. By mile 11 I was getting major cramps in my upper legs. The cramps got significantly worse when I stopped to walk, so I attmpted to keep running instead. At this point though my heart rate was jacked. Anytime I was running my HR was hovering around 180-185 and would drop down to 160 when I was walking. The last 4 miles were really challenging trying to deal with my out of control HR and leg cramps. I took my remaining salt tabs and pressed on.
My HR was higher than I expected for the event. I spent most of the time with it over 166(2.5 hours). This is higher than normal for me. Perhaps I just wasn't at 100% this weekend?
My final ranking was 6th place in the 20k. My 10k combined scores earned 14th and 21st against the 10k runners.
Closing Thoughts
I owe a severely belated thank you to everyone who tried to guide me in the right direction. If any of you(SLG?) make it out to a future race I hope I can buy you a beer, assuming you drink the stuff.
This race has been an incredible motivator in my life. I've lost a good 30lbs of body fat since starting training in 2015. It sounds cheesy but I was desperately in need of a goal to keep me focused. I'm incredibly grateful that the crew in OK have managed to put on this event year after year. I hope they can continue to host; I'll continue to drive out from GA for as long as they do.
I've come a long way but I've still only scratched the surface. Guys like FOG and SLG are good at setting the bar high. I got stomped in the running portion of the race. I don't know how I'm going to get there, or if it's even possible, but I'm going to try and get there in the next few years.
My next goal is to run the 20k in the Summer and finish strong. I have no idea what that means... depending on who shows up, maybe it's top 3. If the summer race were today I think I'm on the hairy edge of being able to just finish. We'll see what kind of hurdles I can cross in 5 months.
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