Kansas City Ladies Get Down and Dirty: The Adventure Girls’ Ruckus Experience

When Willow Lundgren was growing up, she wasn’t hosting tea parties, wearing puffy pink princess dresses or collecting Barbies.

“I’ll admit it,” she says. “I was a Tom Boy as a kid.  But if I added up all of the mud I’ve ever had on my body during my childhood, it would never add up to how much mud I encountered during Ruckus Kansas City.”

Willow was one of the seven members of a team known as the Adventure Girls.  The team was made up of a group of Kansas City girlfriends who enjoy going on adventures and getting a little down and dirty every once and awhile.  Some of them, as a matter of fact, have even trained for the rigorous runs such as Hospital Hill in Kansas City.  But according to members of the Adventure Girls team, nothing could prepare them for the challenge of Ruckus.

Together, the seven women pushed through the 4-mile Challenge course at Ruckus and finished with a time of 1 hour and 19 minutes.  But the Adventure Girls weren’t pushing for a specific time—they simply just wanted to laugh, create some memories and have some muddy fun.

One of the members of the Adventure Girls was Julie Meers, senior vice president of Missouri Bank.  Any other day, she’s a blazer-wearing, high-profile Kansas City business woman...but during Ruckus weekend, she turns out a muddy mess.

“We all achieved something individually during Ruckus, but we finished together,” said Julie.  “We sang songs, we got muddy and we loved every minute of it.” 

Her teammate and friend Willow (of InvenQuery), thought the same. 

“Ruckus is somewhat of a metaphor for life,” she said.  “In life, you come up against obstacles that look very intimidating.  But then, once you convince yourself to do the best you can and commit, you can overcome anything.”

So will the Adventure Girls come back for round 2 of Ruckus Kansas City next year?

“We all agreed the moment that Ruckus was over, that we would do it again next year,” said Julie.  “I would plan my schedule around something like this!”

Want a similar experience to what the Adventure Girls had?  Join us in St. Louis on May 5^th for Ruckus!  Register today and prepare to bring out your inner-Tom Boy!   

Winning with Pinning: Ruckus is on Pinterest

Did you know that Ruckus is now on Pinterest? We’re posting some of our coolest pictures, connecting with our fellow “Pinners” and are creating bulletin boards full of Ruckus information.  Visit us on Pinterest to learn about Ruckus training, recovery, health and nutrition, and the different cities we will be taking over this year.

Check it all out at http://pinterest.com/ruckussports. Win and Pin with us today!  

The Countdown Continues: 25 Days until Ruckus St. Louis

Can you even believe it?  We are only 25 days away from Ruckus St. Louis!  That means that you only have 25 days to get ready for muddy trenches, swinging ropes, mounds of tires and Mount Ruckmore—our coolest obstacle yet. 

Are you getting in Ruckus shape?  Here are a few quick tips on how to train for Ruckus when you’re just 25 days out:

25 Days Out for the 2-mile Heater: 

For all of you sprinters out there, the 2-miler heater may seem short, but it’s a toughie!  The 2-mile heater consists of more obstacles and less running, so we recommend trying out some of these cool exercises to prepare for your Ruckus experience:

• Weight lifting:  During the Ruckus Heater, you need to be prepared for some heavy lifting.  Get those biceps and triceps in shape and hit the dumbbells at the gym.  Strength training is one of the best exercises you can do to prepare for this obstacle-heavy run.
• Body weight exercises: Ruckus implements a lot of body weight challenges, so make sure to work on our pushups, pull-ups, planks and more.  The more body weight exercises you do, the more prepared you will be!
• Playground exercises: Head to the school playground (hopefully not during recess) and try out the monkey bars, balance beams and slides.  Get your hands prepared for some blisters, because the Ruckus Heater will bring them out!

25 Days Out for the 4-mile Challenge:

Ruckus’ 4-mile Challenge takes all of the innovative obstacles from the 2-mile Heater and adds a little more fun (AKA running).  Therefore, in order to prepare for the Challenge, you need to get ready with:

• Endurance: Be sure to prepare for the Challenge by beefing up your endurance workouts.  Go on long, slow-paced runs, but incorporate short sprint bursts as well.  Try running some hills, too.
• Body weight exercises: Just like the 2-mile Heater, the Challenge will bring a lot of obstacles that require muscle.  Do pushups, pull-ups and planks every day and you might make your way to the Champions Heat!

25 Days Out for the 8-mile Champions Heat:

Ruckus’ 8-mile Champions Heat is a doozy, and it’s something you can’t really predict to be in or not.  If you’ve done a Ruckus Challenge before, we suggest that you come prepared for the Champions Heat—you might just make the cut!

• Even more endurance:  If you qualify for the Champions Heat, you’re going to need a lot of endurance to make it through the day.  That’s because the Champions Heat takes the best of the 4-mile Challenge runners.  So get that endurance training going!
• A lot of everything:  In order to succeed in the Champions Heat, a RuckStar needs a little bit of everything; sprints, endurance, body weight exercises, weight lifting and overall athleticism.  Do a little bit of everything this week to prepare yourself for muscle confusion! 

25 Days Out for the Ruckus Mini:

Like we said, Ruckus is for anyone from age 2 to 92.  And if you’re under the age of 15 and are signed up for the Ruckus Mini, it won’t be too difficult to get in Ruckus shape.  After all, you’ve had hours of recess and intramural sports to practice.  Keep using up your endless energy to get into the best Ruckus shape possible—try out some monkey bars, climb up the slide (if you’re allowed!) and get those running legs moving!  It shouldn’t be too challenge, because you’re a little ball of energy, aren’t you?

We’re 25 days out!  We hope you’re prepared to bring it on May 5^th in St. Louis!   

Ruckus Kansas City 2012 Photo Recap: Some of our Fav Shots

If you joined us last weekend for Kansas City’s muddiest, craziest, most chaotic mud run yet, you may want to relive the moment.  Lucky for you, we are providing a sneak preview of some of the coolest pictures from Ruckus Kansas City.  Take a look below and be sure to Like us on Facebook to see more photos from Ruckus Kansas City.  

You've been warned: There will be mud.  

RuckStars face Mount Ruckmore head-on. 

When we said you'd get messy, we weren't kidding. 

That's one way to climb the Ruckus ladder.

Because mud really brings out your eyes.

Facing your fears.

Big or small, Ruckus is for all.

Finishing up the obstacle course with a slide down Mount Ruckmore.

Blazin' her own trail. 

The chance to compare bruises.

Start with a run.  Finish with a crawl.  

Don't just run Ruckus...slide Ruckus, too.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Who says dudes can't enjoy a mud mask?

Sometimes, tires aren't meant to roll.

Ruckus KC: For ages 2 to 92.

Redefining "laydlike" at Ruckus KC.  

Hang in there, RuckStars!

Nothin' but net during this Ruckus obstacle.

The bruises will fade, accomplishment won't.

Sometimes, the path to enlightenment has barbed wire.

Mount Ruckmore: Redefining "slip and slide".

Ruckus Team bringing you the biggest, best obstacles in KC.

Prepare for Ruckus Mini!

Swingin' from rope to rope.  Tarzan would be proud.

It's a whole new take on "recess".  

Giving their manicurists a run for their money.

Pre-mud jump!

When obstacles are in the way, don't go around them. Climb them.

Spidercrawling through this Ruckus challenge.

Still glowing after ropes, trenches and monkey bars.

Because you and your friends should have something to talk about.

Overcoming obstacles...with leaps and bounds!

Pat yourself on the back (as soon as you can lift your arms again!).

Proving that life is short and it's important to stir it up!

Make some noise!

The bruises will fade, achievement won't. 

Making those reps mean something!

A victorious slide down Mount Ruckmore (Hey, nice pants!).

Ruckus: Because everyone should know the meaning of OMG.

Seem like an event that’s right up your alley?  Register today for Ruckus St. Louis!  We will have the same photo coverage for the St. Louis event—and it’ll be an obstacle course you REALLY don’t want to miss.  After all, how many chances to you get to slide down Mount Ruckmore?  Or climb up a mound of tires?  Or swing across a mud pit like Spiderman?  Come out and play on May 5th. 

2012 Ruckus Kansas City Recap from Participant Ryan Falkenrath

This blog is brought to you by Ryan Falkenrath, Kansas City Endurance Sports Examiner and participant in the 2012 Ruckus Kansas City obstacle course.  Ryan has participated in multisport events in the midwest ranging from 5k's to 1/2 ironmans and marathons since 2001. Ryan's advice has helped many midwest athletes prepare for their first or 20th event, ranging from equipment topics to course strategies. Check out his Man Vs Triathlon web site, Facebook Page or contact Ryan at falkeetriathlon@hotmail.com.


If you have been following the blog here lately, then no doubt you figured out that Ruckus Kansas City came and went last weekend...

It was only the second time I have ran an obstacle course race.  Ironically it was the second Ruckus race.  I guess you go back to the well for a good thing.

Preview
My goals were simple.

1. Don't hurt myself
2. Don't hurt the knee any further
3. Try and get to the Champions Heat
4. Get in front of my heat to avoid lines at obstacles 

Pre Race
It was a nice experience having my heat at 11:20am.  I had time to sleep to a decent hour, get a run in to the grocery store and get completely prepared.

Em was suppose to run with me, but she needed to cover some stuff for work and missed out!  Lame.  =)

So I was on my own.

It was simple.  Pack long socks for rope burns.  Pack trail shoes from last year that will be worthless after the race.  Pack the ace knee sleeve.  Then, I was out.

The race was not the same...
The course was obviously different than 2011.  They had a large tower structure dubbed "Mt Ruckmore" set up in the middle of the finish area and the course was run the opposite direction as 2011.  They had different obstacles, they built the rope / pole army crawl obstacles with more lines for less congestion and they kept some of the staples from last year.

My mission was to get out ahead to avoid lines at obstacles.  It worked as I burned out ahead of my group and let the field catch up with me as the race went on.

Overall I had a great time and gave 100%.  Some new LESSONS LEARNED.

1. High socks - they will  slide down in the water / mud pits unless you tape them up.
2. Find a place for your keys and don't take them with you.  I put mine in my socks and was worried about losing it when in puddles and my socks starting slipping down.  I had to be careful in the mud pits and couldn't go full steam.
3. My knee sleeve kept sliding as well.
4. My shorts kept falling, too.  Tie the shorts and tape all clothing that may slide with water.  My shorts absorbed too much water and did not have a tie string, so they kept sagging and I had to keep pulling them up.  Kind of a pain.

The course wasn't the problem as much as my clothing issues.


Results
It's hard to compare to 2011.  The course was different.  It was fundamentally the same distance and same amount of obstacles.  There was less mud this year as well.

I finished in 39:34.  That was good enough for 131 overall.  I missed the Champion heat by 2 minutes, which was probably a good thing since my heat was at 11:20am and the champion heat was at noon.  Not good planning.  If I'm there in 2013, I'll go for earlier for less congestion from previous heats, less course wear and more time to rest should I make the champion heat.

In 2011 I ran it in 39:34 and that was good for 139 overall.  I felt in better condition to run it this year, but I had more issues with clothes that slowed me down. 

The dude that won overall ran it in 27:28.  That's serious.  He also won last year.  Jerk.  =)

Results HERE. 

Some lessons to pass on....
The lesson is trying to find the five fingers type of shoe for less mud and water in the shoes,  more form fitting clothing and use my feet to hook over ropes and pole crawls to avoid needing long socks.

I also did not wear gloves and it seemed to work out just as good as wearing gloves last year.

More tips HERE.

In wrapping it up...
I wasn't going out to win it.  I wanted to be competitive and have fun at the same time.  Due to clothing malfunctions, I think I could have done better.  I'll have to implement my lessons learned and see where that gets me.

Check out my TECHNICAL REVIEW HERE.  It's more of a review of different areas of the race more than my recap of my experience.


Congratulations to Ryan for finishing Ruckus Kansas City!  Want to try Ruckus for yourself?  We'll be in St. Louis on May 5th.  Don't miss it!  

Ruckus Recovery: 3 Do-It-Yourself Ice Packs

For those of you who ran in Kansas City Ruckus on Saturday, you may be hurting today.  It’s inevitable: Ruckus is a challenging, difficult course and you’re bound to be a little tired, if not sore, a few days after the completion of the race.  So what can you do to soothe those aching muscles?  Try any one of these three DIY ice packs and jumpstart your Ruckus recovery!

1.  The Slushie

There’s nothing like cooling down in the summer with a delicious slushie.  But slushies aren’t just refreshing to the taste, they’re also refreshing to the touch!  Try the Slushie DIY ice pack and heal those aching muscles in no time: 

                              STEP 1:  Fill a zip-top freezer bag with 3 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol

                              STEP 2:  Toss the bag into the freezer

                              STEP 3:  After about 20 minutes, take the bag out and apply to aching area

2.  The Wet Blanket

Although being a “wet blanket” may have a negative connotation, this DIY ice pack is sure to leave you feeling positively refreshed (and maybe even geared up for Ruckus St. Louis!):

                              STEP 1:  Wet a small towel with cool water

                              STEP 2:  Wring out and eliminate as much water as possible

                              STEP 3:  Freeze for 20 minutes and apply ice blanket to the skin

3.  The Side Dish

The third DIY ice pack is a classic—it uses frozen vegetables to help you recover from Ruckus!

                              STEP 1:  Take a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer

                              STEP 2:  While in the bag, break peas apart

                              STEP 3:  Wrap a light towel around the bag of peas & apply for 15 min

Want more tips and tricks for your Ruckus recovery?

Follow us on Twitter! @RunRuckus

The Ultimate Ruckus Pump Up Playlist

After a muddy, physically challenging and super successful Ruckus Kansas City on Saturday, we received some great feedback from many of our RuckStars.  But one of the comments we received was quite unexpected—the impact that our music made on the Ruckus community before, during and after the Ruckus obstacle course run.

 

Before each Ruckus event, we put together a playlist of songs that we think our RuckStars need in order to stay pumped up before the race, motivated during the race and celebratory after the race.  Then, we blast it on our giant Ruckus speakers for the entire community to hear.

It has been proven time and time again that good music has a positive effect on exercise.  Music acts as a mood enhancer, helps with synchronization and assists with overall bodily coordination.  That’s why we created the ultimate playlist for our Ruckus attendees—so that we could help them achieve all of their Ruckus goals!

Want to bring out your inner RuckStar every day or listen to some pump up songs in preparation for Ruckus St. Louis? Download some of these songs straight from iTunes, hook those headphones around your ears and crank up the volume!

1. Paradise by Coldplay
2. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men
3. Midnight City by M83
4. Got it All by Portugal, The Man
5. Good For Great by Matt and Kim
6. Levels by Avicli
7. Tongue Tied by Grouplove
8. Colours by Grouplove
9. Little Secrets by Passion Pit
10. Hello by Martin Solveig
11. Lay Me Down by Dirty Heads feat. Rome of Sublime
12. 1901 by Phoenix
13. Gucci Gucci by Kraychaen
14. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by Coldplay
15. Beautiful People by Chris Brown
16. Sail by Awolnation
17. The Machine by Florence and the Machine
18. Hate To Say I Told You So by The Hives
19. Come As You Are by Nirvana
20. Disparate Youth by Santigold
21. Moneygrabber by Fitz and the Tantrums
22. Punching in a Dream by The Naked and Famous
23. Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun
24. The Joy Formidable by Whirring
25. Young Folks by Peter Bjorn & John
26. Help I’m Alive by Metric
27. I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc
28. Time to Pretend by MGMT
29. Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals
30. 40 Day Dream by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
31. Helena Beat by Foster the People
32. Hang Me Up to Dry by Cold War Kids
33. Gold Lion by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
34. We Found Love by Rihanna
35. Not Your Fault by Awolnation
36. Feel So Close by Calvin Harris
37. She Wolf by Shakira
38. King Without a Crown by Matisyahu
39. Obstacle 1 by Interpol
40. Electric Feel by MGMT
41. We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire
42. Kids by MGMT
43. Lisztomania by Phoenix
44. Icky Thump by The White Stripes

We would be surprised if these songs don’t motivate you to sign up for Ruckus St. Louis!  So why not register right now?  See you on the obstacle course with the music pumping!