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Competing in a Pump and Run tomorrow (RESULTS!)


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Tomorrow I'm competing in a Pump and Run.

 

I have to bench press 90% of my own weight for as many reps as possible, and then run a 5K (3.1 mile race). For each rep, I get 20 seconds taken off my run time.

 

I trained for this back in 2001 but never competed in it. So now, I get a chance to do it without training for it.

 

These types of contests are fun!

 

I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Edited by robert
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Thanks guys, I'll be heading to be soon, because I need to wake up at 6AM and find my way over to Albany Athletic Club to register and start lifting. I already have my yerba mate in the refrigerator and I'll have my vega in the morning too.

 

Hey, it's running, I gotta take the Brendan Brazier approach. Stuff I learned from the movie

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I leave in less than an hour. Yeah, I think I'll be benching around 160 and hope for 15-20 reps. I haven't trained much for it, so it will be fun and interesting. I also haven't run much at all over the past few years, so it will also be interesting to see if I have to stop to walk. I've run a 16:46 5k in the past, but that was back when I was a good runner.

 

I'll know in a few hours, thanks for wishing me luck!

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I competed in my first ever Pump and Run today!

 

I trained for one back in 2001 but didn’t actually compete. The way it works is this:

 

We weigh in and then have to bench press 90% of our bodyweight for as many reps as possible. Then once everyone has lifted, we all line up and run a 5k (3.1 mile race). Once we’re done, we get 20 seconds deducted from our running time for each completed rep in the bench press. Older groups (40 and older get 30 seconds, 50 and older get 40 seconds deducted from each rep).

 

I was in the age group 39 and under.

 

I haven’t been training for this event much. I spent the last couple of weeks focusing on benching around 160 (90% of my bodyweight), but I didn’t put too much time into it. I competed in a bodybuilding competition a week ago as well. I haven’t run much at all in the past 5 years, and have only run up to 3 miles in a whole day twice in the past couple of years.

 

My goal was just to have fun and I LOVE competing so it was going to be a great event. A friend of my from the gym was also competing so I was looking forward to it.

 

I went to bed at 1:30AM and woke up at 6:00AM to get ready. Following Brendan Brazier’s pre-race program he shows in our movie, I had organic yerba mate this morning as well as some Vega, a banana and water.

 

I showed up in my Vega warm-ups (gear I have as a sponsored athlete) with my Vegan Bodybuilding tank-top underneath.

 

With my energy and enthusiasm, I volunteered to go first out of about 60 athletes. I weighed in at 175.6 lbs. (I know weak!) and was scheduled to bench 160 lbs.

 

Regardless of how silly it sounds, as I was preparing and as I was lifting I was saying Alex’s name (Daywalker, an inspiration for me). I was saying in my head (1….Alex…..2……Alex…..3…..Alex…etc.

 

I completed full reps and ended up with an even 20. I couldn’t quite get that 21st rep. It was my first ever bench contest. Then I sat back and watched for the next 1 ½ hours other competitors doing ½-3/4 reps as fast as possible, jerking the weight all around and getting more like 30 reps, some over 40!!! Being first, I didn’t know that was allowed. There was a judge saying “all the way up, touch your chest,” etc. But anyway, no big deal, I probably could have only done 5-7 more reps had I gone really quickly. There were others who did full reps too, but I’d say over 50% did not do full reps, and everyone did them so fast!

 

I knew I’d be in trouble because the lifting was supposed to be my strong event. There were tons of runners there, light in bodyweight and doing tons of reps at like 120 lbs and I knew they’d totally haul in the race.

 

My goal was just to finish the run without having to walk. I expected to be in the top 30 perhaps running 8-minute miles. I’m a bodybuilder, after all.

 

So to my surprise, amongst tons of good runners, I started out in the lead for the first 20-50 meters and then after 200 meters I was in 5th. Amazingly as we passed the 1 mile mark, I was still in 5th. I ran the first mile in about 5 minutes and 40 seconds! I had no idea what was happening. I’ve been the joke among friends because now that I’m a bodybuilder I get tired after just a few minutes of basketball. I had no business being in 5th after a mile.

 

For sure I’ll start to fade any moment. Well, that didn’t happen. At the 2 mile mark I was still in 5th place. I had been trailing the defending champion (an obvious avid solid runner) the whole race. Finally after a little over 2 miles I was passed by someone from behind me.

 

But I kept going even though my lungs were shot, I couldn’t breathe very well and I was hurting. Not to mention I had to pee so badly! My bladder was aching. Funny thing is that I only picked up the pace in the final mile and when I saw an opening, I passed the defending champion to move back into 5th place. And as runners know, when I passed him I gave a good 40 meter acceleration to break him psychologically. As soon as he saw me pass, I never gave him the opportunity to keep up or try to pass me back. I had my sights set on the guy in front of me.

 

At this time there was less than ½ mile left and my body wanted to quit. I really couldn’t go much more and wasn’t sure I’d finish. I drew upon the strongest muscle in my body. It sounds cheesy, but I’m certain my heart worked harder than anyone else. The whole race I was thinking of quotes from #1 hero of all time, Steve Prefontaine (PRE, America’s Greatest Running Legend). Phrases like, “somebody may beat me but they’ll have to bleed to do it,” and “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

 

I was in a lot of pain but as I ran up the hill and rounded the turn I could see the finish line 250 meters away. As I was fading I looked over my shoulder and the defending champ wasn’t in site. Even still, I kicked it up a notched and gritted my teeth, nearly crying, and flexed every muscle in my neck and I ran down the final stretch.

 

I never caught the guy who passed me, but I crossed the finish line in 5th place, something I had no business doing. There is absolutely no reason a bodybuilder who hasn’t run in 5 years should beat good runners who run 5-10 miles everyday. I’m still not sure what happened out there.

 

As soon as I finished I kinda fell to the ground and needed someone to help me up. My body was spent. Then 45 seconds later I walked out 100 meters before the finish line and spent the next 40 minutes cheering for everyone else as they approached the finish line. I was the only one who did that.

 

Then I reflected on what I was able to do in that race and wondered how it was possible for an out of aerobic shape vegan bodybuilder to do so well.

 

As I’m typing this I’m looking up at a poster of PRE, which is strategically placed above my computer. That man helped be somehow beat the defending champ.

 

After the race, I had 3 people come up to me asking me about Vegan Bodybuilding and requesting business cards wanted to check it out.

 

Results were posted and I was surprised to see that I had run a 6:02.9 mile pace for the 3.1 mile race, when I didn’t think it was possible for me to run a single mile in under 7 or 8 minutes. My official time was 18:45, a full two minutes behind my best 5k time of 16:46, but it was still great for a non-runner!

 

Of course, I did poorly in the bench so I waited for the tallied results.

 

I ended up 2nd in my age group (39 and under) in the run, and 10th overall out of 33 in my age group.

 

If I can just work on the bench a little more, and maybe go for a jog once or twice next year….lookout!

 

Still shocked with the run, I immediately phoned my mother, and then one of our forum members, and then Brendan Brazier, than my boss at Vega, then my website creator (Khan a former champion runner), then my Dad, then my running friends, and then some other friends. Then I bumped into my vegan friend Nettie at the farmer’s market and told her how it went.

 

Anyway, it was a ton of fun and I have no idea how I did so poorly in the bench and excelled in the run….that was Not supposed to happen!

 

Hope you enjoyed reading my race results

 

My friend Larry was 3rd in the over 40 age group and my friend Paul was the only guy over 60 (he’s 69, turning 70 in a few months) finished strong as well as I cheered him to the line.

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Simply awesome - a fantastic read!

 

With my energy and enthusiasm, I volunteered to go first out of about 60 athletes.

I can really imagine!

 

Regardless of how silly it sounds, as I was preparing and as I was lifting I was saying Alex’s name (Daywalker, an inspiration for me). I was saying in my head (1….Alex…..2……Alex…..3…..Alex…etc.

Wow, that's an honour!

 

I completed full reps and ended up with an even 20. I couldn’t quite get that 21st rep. It was my first ever bench contest. Then I sat back and watched for the next 1 ½ hours other competitors doing ½-3/4 reps as fast as possible, jerking the weight all around and getting more like 30 reps, some over 40!!! Being first, I didn’t know that was allowed. There was a judge saying “all the way up, touch your chest,” etc. But anyway, no big deal, I probably could have only done 5-7 more reps had I gone really quickly. There were others who did full reps too, but I’d say over 50% did not do full reps, and everyone did them so fast!

Pff, that sucks.

They should be strict, it's unfair this way! If you hadn't gome first, you'd have benched more and placed even better. It's no fun competing when people get away with cheating.

 

At this time there was less than ½ mile left and my body wanted to quit. I really couldn’t go much more and wasn’t sure I’d finish. I drew upon the strongest muscle in my body. It sounds cheesy, but I’m certain my heart worked harder than anyone else. The whole race I was thinking of quotes from #1 hero of all time, Steve Prefontaine (PRE, America’s Greatest Running Legend). Phrases like, “somebody may beat me but they’ll have to bleed to do it,” and “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

Hey, i thought I was your number 1 hero of all times?

I use phrases like these to motivate me, too But it only works with very high reps, or with cardio, when i lift heavy i have no time or concentration left for doing matras!

 

I never caught the guy who passed me, but I crossed the finish line in 5th place, something I had no business doing. There is absolutely no reason a bodybuilder who hasn’t run in 5 years should beat good runners who run 5-10 miles everyday. I’m still not sure what happened out there.

 

Then I reflected on what I was able to do in that race and wondered how it was possible for an out of aerobic shape vegan bodybuilder to do so well.

Isn't it obvious?

You're VEGAN!

 

Honestly, being vegan and eating a clean diet is a big part of endurance. David Wolfe wrote endurance is about inner pureness. I noticed a huge increase in energy and aerobic capacity when i turned vegan, without even working for it specifically.

 

As soon as I finished I kinda fell to the ground and needed someone to help me up. My body was spent. Then 45 seconds later I walked out 100 meters before the finish line and spent the next 40 minutes cheering for everyone else as they approached the finish line. I was the only one who did that.

I love your enthusiasm!

It's a shame when the audience does not cheer, i hate this attitude. At competitions, i'm often the only one cheering for the athletes.

 

 

If I can just work on the bench a little more, and maybe go for a jog once or twice next year….lookout!

Just bounce the bar up and down quickly next time

 

Hope you enjoyed reading my race results

Very!

 

 

This reminds me of my very first competition back in '97

It was called "Fitness Class" and it combined bench, bike (stationary) and bodybuilding contest. We had to bench 80% of our bodyweight for reps, then race the bike for 2min and see how far we get and then the posing, as usual. It was quite fun

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Great...I can't belive you can still run 5minute miles. I know a world class hurdler(Larry Wade) that can't do that. A shot putter beat him at my track camp in a mile run. That year he had the 3rd faster 110m hurdle time in the world and a shot putter kicked his butt(not me I'm affraid I just watched:) This was in 2000 so I'm a little iffy but I doubt they ran much faster than 6:30 and they didn't have two miles left. Anyway my best time is a measly 7:48...granted I was 290lbs and haven't timed myself in a mile for years but still back to back 6minute miles are awesome for a lifter.

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Thank you guys and gals. This was one of the most fun athletic events I've done in a while! And I LOVE bodybuilding. I used to be a runner long ago, even competed in NCAA, so it was that taste of the racing spirit that captured me today and I embraced it and absorbed it, soaking up the fun!

 

Alex....yeah, no worries about the bench, I didn't know any better. I was very first and didn't want to screw up. I got a good workout out of it

 

I really do think there is something to be said about being vegan and still being able to perform without even training. My body is more able to handle that kind of stress being put on it because it is fueled with nourishing foods.

 

You know what I like best, and what I like best about your feedback....is the cheering part. I love to cheer for others. Ask andesuma and davidtarrfoster....as soon as I got off stage last week I was in the audience cheering, "keep it tight!" "hit it!....hit it!"....right now guys, you gotta leave it all out there, squeeze hard!....keept it tight!....legs!....legs! Good, that'a'way.....mighty back!, etc." I also cheer from back stage and even on stage, high fiving my fellow competitors

 

I had a great time running faster than I thought possible, but I had almost as much fun standing out there cheering everyone else on. Sportsmanship is lacking sometimes and for me it comes naturally so it's genuine and people appreciate that. I know you are the same way, I can tell.

 

Thanks Jay - it felt good to run fast again! I could have done much better on the bench but I won't worry about it. I'll do this type of thing again I'm sure.

 

Thanks Potter man. Running can be a great time and I'm rediscovering that. So you know we'll be going on a trail run during the Vegan Vacation.

 

Queen of the Sea....I'll just say Happy Birthday...thanks for chatting today!

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AWESOME ROBERT!!!

 

You are a huge inspiration for me - a very big part of that is your extremely positive and enthusiastic attitude. Thanks for all the great work that you do and thanks for just being you!

 

Since critique as well as praise is needed for growth: Your singing & taste in music can still use some work!

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Excellent man, I am glad that your enthusiasm and determination has rewarded you here. I can well imagine the bench-press situation, people think they are tough guys for doing it rapidly and incorrectly, it bugs me. Same with press-ups. Brggrrrr... but even after that you still did amazingly, you wanna do it some more in future?

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Excellent man, I am glad that your enthusiasm and determination has rewarded you here. I can well imagine the bench-press situation, people think they are tough guys for doing it rapidly and incorrectly, it bugs me. Same with press-ups. Brggrrrr... but even after that you still did amazingly, you wanna do it some more in future?

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