“I don’t want to be a man,” said Jace. “I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can’t confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead.” “Well,” said Luke, “you’re doing a fantastic job.” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes The main goal in life is for every person to learn how to be an adult. Somehow, there’s an assumption that once the clock strikes 12 on your 18th birthday, you automatically get an up-the-ass injection of fairy dust and become all fucking grown up. Bullshit. I know plenty of men and women in their 20s and 30s (and 40s and 50s – hi, mom! hi, dad!) who often behave like 4-year old children. And no, it’s not just about your frontal lobes that do not finish developing until your mid-20s, but rather it’s about behavioral patterns that are established early in childhood and then re-enacted again and again, often unconsciously. Until we question them. And if I sound too Freudian for you, well… bite me! (oral fixation, anyone?] Perhaps, next time your anal retentive self throws a tantrum because you want a cookie, you’ll think of me. “But I don’t like vegetables!” “Gym is boring!” “I hate burpees (push-ups, running, moving, breathing)!” “I’m too tired to work out.” “Why do I have to?” “It’s his fault.” “She started it.” We whine, and stomp our feet. We sneak sweets from our own damn fridge, pretending it’s someone else. If we pick out the cookie dough chunks out of the ice cream, it doesn’t count. And then we feel bad and go into the disciplinarian parent mode. “No, you cannot have a cookie. You already had one with breakfast.” “You’ve been bad today. No dessert.” “You’ve been good all week. On our way home, we’ll get you some ice-cream!” (or pizza, beer, hash brownies… insert age-appropriate or age-inappropriate vice here). “Eat it! It’s good for you!” When was the last time that line worked? “You don’t want to work out today? Well, you have to. Why? Because I said so!” Right, because everyone knows that the best way to motivate someone to do something is to beat them into it with a stick. We treat ourselves as children, and then are surprised, when those same children start acting out. Grow up. Being an adult is awesome. Let me repeat that with some swearing inserted for emphasis. Being an adult is fucking awesome. Growing up is the best thing that ever happened to me. You can do whatever you want. You can eat Oreos for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. You can stay up until 3 in the morning. You can have three beers. Or six. Or twelve. . You can skip a workout. Or two. Or never start working out in the first place. You can use swear words in your blog posts. You can skip a shower. At least for a few days. Or weeks. You may get fired. Your partner will either leave you eventually or stop showering too. But the point still stands. You can not clean your house. [You can find more information on pest control here.] Still want to a be a toddler sometimes? Dress up. . [For Halloween, or for a special night of hanky-panky]. Bundle up on a cold night, and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate. Yes, with marshmallows. And next time someone guilt trips you about eating chocolate cake with their photos of wilted lettuce and a piece of protein substance that looks like it came from a chicken suffering from a major depression, roll your eyes at them and stick your tongue out. Then tell them to go parent someone else. Because YOU are an adult. YOUR TURN: Are you all grown up? What are some ways in which you sometimes act like a toddler? Signing off, SOLO ***** This essay was written in 2013.

My word of the year in 2015 is FOCUS. I want to focus on my work. I want to to focus on my writing. I want to focus on my health. Minimize the noise. Narrow in. Tune out. Single tasking is hot. Only. The. Essential. One. Thing. At. A. Time. Mission statement for 2015: Learn. Go somewhere new. Read old books. Do something stupid. DNF a race. Be a great coach. Be great, in general. Tell the story. Take the next step. Try hard. Cry in the process. Fall in love with my body just a tiny bit more than last year. Hugs, SOLO

“Don’t be a snob” was a piece of advice and a path towards self-improvement I have received a while ago from a helpful friend. He made the comment after I posted yet another “what the hell is wrong with people at my gym” rant. A snob? The dictionary I consult explains that “a snob” is “a person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class”. No, that doesn’t help at all. Enter Urban Dictionary, the source where you can look up things like “tramp stamp” and other social phenomena that leave you clueless. A snob is “anyone who thinks they are better than someone else based upon superficial factors”. I think this is warmer. But still not very helpful. Finally, I stumble across this definition: “Someone who claims to be of higher intelligence than others, understands the finer things in life, and generally deems himself/herself a higher being than most others; they often refer to the ‘lesser beings’ as peasant or philistines. In simple terms, snobs are wankers.” Hmmm… I am yet to refer to someone as a “lesser being”, or “a peasant”. Although I have to say, it is now incredibly tempting. So, let’s see… a) claims to be of higher intelligence than others Meh. I am definitely of higher intelligence than some others, when it comes to certain things. When it comes to certain other things (and certain others), I am as dumb as a post. Then again, this probably applies to most of you. [Oh, and it goes without saying that I am not allowed to operate any sort of machinery – including calculators – before I’ve had my coffee. Or maintain a coherent conversation for that matter.] b) understands the finer things in life Ahhhh. This is where I will gladly accept the label of a snob. A language snob. A coffee snob. A beer snob. A wine snob (in the making). A cheese snob. A gym snob. A squat snob. A proud snob at that. Of course, if you still want to call me out on something or suggest a path for personal growth, call me out on anxiety, insecurity, emotional instability, high need for external validation, and the compensatory behaviours such as arrogance and love of all things controversial. #WhatElseIsNew #TellMeSomethingIDontKnow c) generally deems herself a higher being than most others Unless we are in southern India, where I am literally higher than most other beings (like a foot taller, that is), then not really. Although, for the sake of full disclosure… I have to admit that it is incredibly difficult to NOT feel superior to the “bro possy” at a typical gym. [Random fact – Urban Dictionary defines “possy” as a “larger cycle of homies”. It is also hard to NOT feel superior to those who still use the word “homies”.] Aiming for gentleness and humility. Every day, damn it. It is the cross I bear. So, to answer the helpful suggestion “don’t be a snob”… I am not. Except when I am. Pass the 40-month old Parmigiano, will ya? YOUR TURN: Are you a snob? Your favourite “wanker”, Solo

Gang, meet my new favorite racing pants – Salomon Endurance 3/4 Running Tights. This is what I wore, while running Tough Mudder blindfolded, and you can bet your hams, I’ll be wearing these to the Championships in Vermont. While you will find your fellow peeps racing in anything from booty shorts (thigh gap mandatory) to full length running tights (hello, heat stroke), I find that 3/4 length ideal. Capris protect the knees from the brunt of the beating, while still leaving a bit of skin to breathe, and keep yourself cool. This is a take on running tights in between Salomon Trail IV 3/4 Running Tights and Salomon EXO 3/4, which is a compression pant. SPECS: This new running pant came out in addition to the regular in Salomon’s collection. The Trail Running Tights would be the closest relative, and these pants offer quicker dry time, and 3 pockets. supposed to dry quicker than the Trail 3 pockets, so 2 easy access in addition to one zipped PROS: Dry time. Awesome. I was actually quite surprised by how quickly these crops dry. In fact, Salomon promises quicker dry time than their closest relative, the Trail Running Tights, despite the tighter weave (see below). Weave. Finally! These racing tights provide a tighter weave than most cropped tights by Salomon, making them more appropriate for obstacle racing (hello, barbed wire!). My one complaint about the running tights was that they were very thin and light, which helpful on a run, would often snag and rip in more gnarly conditions. The Ultra Beast destroyed a pair completely. These babies, on the other hand, will hold up. Compression. These tights are not considered to be compression gear, yet you will definitely feel more… supported. Awesome for the jiggly bits, yet does not require sewing yourself into a space suit. Stripes. Stripes are hot. Just sayin’. CONS Transparent-ish. While these racing tights are significantly less see through than the Trail Endurance Tights, you still want to be careful about bending over too much. And, perhaps, choose some black underwear, instead of Tweety the Bird thong. Unless you have an agenda. In that case, Tweety away. Fit. These tights fit a little large. I had to go for Large, instead of my usual Medium. You may want to try these on first. Of course, it’s entirely possible that my quads are just bigger this year. #squatsareawesome *Update: I have talked to staff at Salomon Toronto, and they confirmed that these pants fit small, because of compression. The upside is that women’s and men’s pants are actually the same, apart from sizing. If Women’s Large is too snug, check out the men’s! I fit into Women’s Large or Men’s Medium comfortably. Cost. At $85 CAD, these are hardly a steal, and it is possibly to find a decent pair of capris for half the price. You don’t get the bells and whistles, however (see the pros), and I would say the price is comparable to competition, such as Reebok, Lululemon and other brands. CONCLUSION Overall, I would say the pros far outweigh the cons for these racing tights. These are my choice for obstacle racing this year. See also: http://solovieva.com/salomon-trail-iv-34-running-tights/ YOUR TURN: What are your favourite bottoms for obstacle racing this season? Are you wearing Reebok? Nike? Lululemon? Costco? Compression – yay or nay? Slightly compressed, Solo

Milan. I feel blasphemous even saying it, but… I kind of hate it. Milan smokes, wears high heels, skips breakfast and has a purse the price of my car. Milan and I seem to have very little in common. Even Duomo, the central cathedral of Milan, is gorgeous, edgy, sharp, leggy. It’s the fashionista of churches. Fashionista, I am not. I am comfortable in a gym. Any gym. Any CrossFit box or state of the art fitness centre, or dodgy neighbourhood garage with weights, or fancy upscale club with snobby trainers. Comfortable. At home. Know what I am doing. Look it. Act it. Feel it. As my best friend put it (in one of the best compliments I have ever received): “You can bring an eyelash curler to the gym, and nobody would question you, but rather ask how to use it”. In Milan, surrounded by high fashion and extra skinny mannequins, I am quite far outside of that comfort zone. And I wish I brought an eyelash curler. Too many options, too many people. Shoes – black, red, glittery. Lingerie – black, red, glittery. Purses. Sunglasses. Purses. Jewellery. Purses. Watches. My idea of luxury is a $500 GPS Suunto watch, currently decorating my wrist. This morning I decide to coordinate it with yellow, green and purple Salomon Scream runners. High fashion, bitches. Runner style. To be fair… Milan also talks. Talks a lot, and with her hands. Milan is opinionated. Milan is strong-willed. Maybe, we have more in common that I thought. And I have heard that the best gelato in the world can be indeed found here. In Milan. A little off the beaten path, but I am willing to make the trek. Since I’m not wearing high heels. YOUR TURN: Do you have a city that you did not exactly click with? Why? Why not? What about a city you clicked with instantly? Ciao, Solo

It was exciting to be off on a journey she had looked forward to for months. Oddly, the billowing diesel fumes of the airport did not smell like suffocating effluence, it assumed a peculiar pungent scent that morning, like the beginning of a new adventure, if an adventure could exude a fragrance. – E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly Starbucks. To me, airport smells like Starbucks. That, and also Chanel perfume from one of those countless duty free shops. Perhaps, because I almost always get a coffee at Starbucks and spray myself with Chanel perfume once I finally clear security and customs, find my gate, and perform a mandatory walk around (like dogs do before lying down). It’s that special dimension of time, when there is still at least 45 minutes before boarding, and you have nothing to do. Nothing, but stroll up and down the long hallways, leaf through overpriced magazines and paperbacks, and shop for snacks. Airport snacks! The best place on earth to get a $3 single serving bag of chips, and a $8 sad-looking tuna wrap. Price aside, it seems that all the flyers are destined to sustain themselves on a diet of protein bars and cookies. Fear not! I went hunting for healthy snacks on my last stint through couple of airports (Toronto, Ontario and Houston, Texas), and I did find some awesome options. Now reporting back to you! What have we here? Mmmm… orange-y salty crunchy things. How about this? Whattt? I’m recommending beef jerky? I know, I know. It’s not exactly health food. However, given (very) limited options, it can be a good protein-dense option. If you decide to go for it, stick to plain flavour (equals less crap) and keep in mind really high salt content – extra water before that plane ride! Here’s a pretty typical fare – cookies, Danishes, croissants – all only somewhat fresh, and mostly mediocre. Here’s what I found instead: What did you say? Walnuts taste nothing like cookies? Of course, they do not. My goal was never to find something that tastes LIKE cookies, but rather demonstrate that it is possible to find healthier options. But wait! There is more… Crunchy? Check. Sweet? Check. Oh, and check out those baggies at the top – whole roasted chestnuts. Have you ever had those? They are ah-mazing. And if you check the label… drum roll… ONE ingredient. [The ingredient is chestnuts, if you were wondering.] A little less crunchy, but also sweet! That’s grapes, by the way. And hummus with crackers to the left. Awesome. Salad can be a pretty solid option. You can play with what you have available. This salad below may be a better option – simpler ingredients, looks fresher – however, the protein content is lower. I also love Greek yogurt as a snack. Hell, if you are travelling with someone, get two, get one of those cookies, split it, crumble into yogurt, throw some nuts on top, and voila! Goes with coffee nicely. [Just kidding. Everything goes nicely with coffee.] YOUR TURN: Have you found some healthy snacks at the airport? Are you travelling any time soon? Be on the lookout and send me a photo! Happy munching and bon voyage! Hugs, SOLO

WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT TO RUN TOUGH MUDDER BLINDFOLDED? That’s pretty much the first question I get. Here’s how this all started… A few years ago I started coming up with one word at the beginning of the year, that would reflect my mission for that year. Some of my past words were “explore”, “create”, and “trust’. [Read more here.] My word for 2014 is “LIGHT”. Light. Fire. Torch. Energy. It’s about finding the light within myself, and especially, within others. My 2014 is about helping others to find their light. From teaching yoga to coaching to writing to becoming one of the guides to Rhonda, a visually impaired ultra runner, who is currently running from Tobermory to Niagara Fall in an attempt to become the first disabled athlete to run the entire length of Bruce Trail (880+ km). In line with the year’s theme, I launched Operation Light Within – a charity initiative to raise awareness for athletes with disabilities. It’s a fundraiser with a twist. Coz that’s how I roll. Part 1. On Saturday, August 16th, 2014, I will run Tough Mudder Toronto blindfolded. This will be a practice run as I will aim to learn from my guides what kind of verbal instructions are necessary and most helpful. Part 2. I will guide Rhonda, a visually impaired ultra runner, in her own first Tough Mudder (New Jersey) in October. All other athletes are welcome to run on the team. If you are an athlete with disability and require a guide or assistance, just give me a holler, and I’ll hook you up. The charity I chose as a beneficiary is Achilles International. They are an organization whose mandate it is to “enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics”. HOW CAN YOU HELP? 1. Share this. Think this is all kinds of cool and awesome? Me too. Please tell your friends, send them this link and spread the word. If you are running Tough Mudder Toronto, and see me on course, holler! If you hear others wondering what the heck is going on, tell them more. 2. Run with us in NJ. Save the date! Team Operation Light Within will run Tough Mudder Tri-State (NJ) on Saturday, October 11th. We’d love to have you. 3. Donate. GoFundMe campaign for Operation Light Within has been set up, and I would appreciate your help. I would like to make a donation of at least $1,000 to Achilles International, an organization that works with disabled athletes. [Why a $1,000? It’s a bucket list item. :)] I am currently arranging free registrations for Rhonda and the guides for the October event, however, I am looking for any financial contributions to help with gas, hotel and food expenses for the team. This is something I’d normally cover out of pocket for myself, however, having a number of people involved makes this a bit more costly. Follow this adventure on my FB athlete page and on Twitter @k_solovieva. #operationlightwithin Lit within, Solo

Narrow streets. Orange trees. Peeling paint. Hanging laundry. Pizza lunch. Pasta dinner. Pasta lunch. Pizza dinner. Leather boots. Skinny jeans. Smoking teenagers. Adidas sneakers. Fresh tomatoes. Fresh ricotta. Fresh fish. Fresh. Fresh. Espresso macchiato. Parmigiano Reggiano. Vino rosso. Molto bene. Ciao, bella. Come stai? Ti amo. Viva Italia. YOUR TURN: If you had to describe Italy in two words, what would they be? What about Canada? United States? Next up, I’m off to eat pizza at the oldest pizzeria in Naples. And maybe another pizzeria or two. #bucketlist Ciao, Solo

This week, Chicked Nation asks: #DearSolo, I am a single mom of two beautiful girls. I also work full time, and try to maintain some sort of social life. I feel like I am pulled in a million different directions on any given day. How do I do it all? At what point, taking care of my own health, and satisfying my own desire to train and race become selfish? Is it selfish? And if it is not, why does it feel like it is? Feeling selfish when taking care of ourselves must be one of the universal struggles that women experience. I have heard this sentiment from young and old, single and married, parents and non-parents alike. When working away from home, a woman often feels guilty that she is not spending more time with her children. When spending time with her children, a woman often feels guilty that she is not spending more time at work. It seems that we manage to find a way to feel guilty, no matter what we do. There is an answer. Although I don’t think you will like it. How do I do it all? You don’t. You pick and choose. It may be perceived as a controversial stance by many. Women are supposed to do it all. This is what a successful 21st century woman is, after all. Just watch some commercials. It’s easy to feel inadequate in comparison to a happy mom, who seems to effortlessly juggle working, cleaning and feeding a toddler wholesome meals made from scratch on a white couch, of course. (I’m kidding. Do not watch commercials.) I am not a parent, and I do not have dependents. However, I am a full-time health coach. I am also a blogger, and a yoga teacher. I prepare most of my meals. I do grocery shopping. I see my friends. I visit my parents. My friends ask how do I manage to train six days a week, and race as often as I do? You pick and choose. There are intentional gaps in my life. I do not read as much as I would like (although audio books come in handy here). I have to schedule visits with friends days, sometimes, weeks ahead. I often get my news during my commute to the gym. If I do not drive, I have no idea what’s happening in the world. I am often clueless when it comes to politics. I wish I didn’t have to choose. But I do. And certain things I intentionally chose to forego, to the benefit of something else. And, if in the future, my career situation changes, my family situation changes, so will my intentional gaps. You thought showering every day was important? Talk to any mother of a newborn to learn about how priorities change. My clients often ask – how can I do more? I already take care of three children, and two dogs. I work full-time, I sit on three committees at my kids’ school, and I visit my grandma at a nursing home twice a week. How do I find the time every day to exercise? I have to ask the hard question. “Your life sounds quite full and busy as it is. What will you give up?”. Free time does not magically manifest itself, and we all carve time out of the same 24 hours. What will have to go? Where can you cut corners? I often recommend to clients to keep a detailed timesheet for few days to see where their time actually goes. Try it for yourself – record everything you do from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed, in 15 minute increments. You may be surprised by what you discover. How much time do you spend commuting? How much time do you spend watching TV? How much time do you spend on social media? Is it selfish to take care of your health? Is it selfish to train and to race? Selfish is defined as “lacking consideration for others, and concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure”. On the surface, it may seem that training and racing is, indeed, a selfish endeavour. On the other hand, how good of a friend, mom, partner will you be, if you are miserable? When I stop training and racing, eating well, and taking care of myself, I am not a pleasurable person to be around. [Talk to me sometime after I have not slept for 24 hours. Not. Fun.] The concept of self-care is gaining traction in the fields of health care, and we’d do well to incorporate self-care into our lives also. Caretakers especially need self-care. As for balance… That can be many things to many people. Can you involve your loved ones into your decision making? Can you bring your kids to a race? More and more obstacle races are starting to offer options for children. Joining a team like Canadian Mudd Queens or the Weeple Army connects you to opportunities for carpooling and babysitting. Some of my friends with children discuss their wave times ahead of time, so they can swap watching the kids, while the other races. Can you talk to your partner about how many races a year he/she would be comfortable with you doing? You can turn some destination races into a vacation – think Vermont, Hawaii, New York – possibilities are endless. YOUR TURN: Do you feel selfish when pursuing your own training/racing goals? What strategies have you found helpful to balance it all? Last week, Anonymous asked if OCR was a good way to meet women. Here’s what Anthony Matesi, experienced obstacle racer and now Hurricane Heat Coordinator for the Spartan Race, had to say: #DearSolo, OCR IS a great way to meet someone. In my case, I was introduced by a friend, Sue Luck, to Kristine. We then finally met at the Dallas Beast. Running the course together removed all the normal barriers, guards and attempts to impress that we typically put on. No longer are you in a situation where you are worried about being proper or any of that typical first date silliness. You are raw. Running, sweating, possibly cussing, blowing snot rockets and whatever else comes with doing a race. Meeting Kristine at a Beast meant we spent 3hrs and 45minutes on course, lots of time to get to know each other. Followed by hanging out all day. It was by far the best first date ever and I didn’t even feel the need to go in for a kiss, yet. Fast forward almost 11 months later and I now live with Kristine. Now that’s an amazing first date! For those of you who missed last week’s column, check it out here. *** *** *** Few weeks ago, I became one of the admins for one of the largest online obstacle racing communities, Chicked Nation. As part of that role, I have launched a weekly advice column #DearSolo. Think Dear Abby, but SO MUCH COOLER. So, if you have a question about obstacle racing – hit me up. Send me an email, use Contact Me form on this website, tag me on Facebook or Twitter, just remember to use hashtag #DearSolo. Hugs, Solo

*MISSED PART OF THE STORY? Here are PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 and PART 4. Saturday, June 22, 2013 1130 hours, 21 hours into the race THE PURGATORY After the verdict has been presented, and a brain clearing conversation with Joshua has taken place, I wipe any traces of bacon off my face and put on my backpack. I “accidentally” forget the rock, but Chris Davis kindly reminds me that I am, indeed, missing a certain piece of solid mineral material. Thankfully, I gain a partner in crime – Matthew the UltraBeast. Yes, I guess if you are going to affiliate with anyone at an event called the Death Race, you better find someone with a fitting name. If I was stuck with someone named Daisy Duke, I may not have lasted as long as I have (no offense to any tough ladies and gents out there named Daisy Duke). Matthew earns a spot in the Purgatory by resting a 30-pound pipe he was carrying instead of a rock, on the ground. [Yeah, I don’t get it either – he brought the god damn pipe to the god damn farm, didn’t he?] Having survived the Inferno, the UltraBeast and I are off to Roger’s farm, aka the Purgatory. A rock and a pipe keep us company. Italian looks just a tiny bit disappointed to see me disappear yet again, but not at all surprised. The climb up the Mount of Hell on the way to the Purgatory is a walk in the park. Not. It’s a winding road, straight up hill, which keeps folding onto itself. We are looking for the specific address. The house number we were given is nowhere in sight. The UltraBeast is exhausted – that pipe is brutal to carry, and he’s had it for hours. I give him a break by resting the pipe across my backpack, while continuing to slowly walk up the hill. It’s not long before I have to give it back – the double-load is not easy, but he gets an opportunity to stretch his shoulders. Despite the long (largely vertical) walk, I am enjoying the company. UltraBeast’s sister drives past us, smiling and waving. Ten minutes later, she is driving back, no longer smiling. “It’s quite a walk still”, she frowns. “But you guys will be fine. Just keep walking”. We finally arrive at Roger’s farm. I expect to find rows of Death Racers holding a three hour plank, but instead I witness fifteen Death racers busily engaged in… yardwork. This is a special level of hell, indeed. Matt greets us. Our guardian angel. Our Cerberus. Like this: Only with one head and charming smile. All while dishing out punishment. Woof. We are put to work immediately. In this case, work means cutting grass, weeding flower beds and cutting down some smallish trees. Someone else is replanting flowers, chopping wood, and stacking in in the shed. The sun is beating down. The chores keep coming our way. As the woman living on the property mentions something about the roof, I break out into hysterical laughter. There are few things I know for sure: 1) this ain’t no obstacle race, 2) people are usually paid for planting and weeding other people’s gardens, and 3) I suck at landscaping. What I do not yet know is that we will be here for over 20 hours, and this little detour will ultimately cost us the finisher’s skulls. As I talk to Todd Sedlak, I get a glimpse into his way of seeing this event. “Joe really wants me to quit”, he says. “And he would do anything to facilitate this. He knows why I do these events. I can handle the physical challenges without any problems. I do these events because I like to be with my friends. And here I am. Separated from all of my friends, stuck on a farm with a bunch of strangers, doing someone else’s chores. I have chores of my own in a yard of my own forty minutes away. I might as well be doing that. I just want to make sure that I quit in good spirits. I want to get back, and then quit.” Those in Purgatory will only leave when they have corrected the flaw within themselves that brought them here. Todd is allowed to join the rest of the racers few hours later. Then we find out that he did, indeed, quit. Meanwhile, we earn the name Roger’s Landscapers. Sunday, June 23, 2013 After spending most of the previous day and all night at Roger’s place, doing various yard tasks, we finally head to the farm. The long walk depicts some sort of death march, as we are all sleep deprived. Many are hallucinating. In fact, at some point, I am confident that I see Italian in the crowd, and I start screaming his name. Ahhh… sleep dep – the cheapest hallucinogen you can get. It must be 2am. 3am? It’s pitch black. Somewhere out there, the other racers are heading out to the Bloodroot hike, and the swim at the frigid lake. We form two lines, facing each other. Burpees. Hundreds of them. We count together. Loudly. Dawn breaks. We are faced with mountains of wood – to be carried up the hill and stocked neatly for the winter. More chores. We form a line, and start tossing the logs to each other. This is actually kind of fun for a bit. I am forced to concentrate to avoid being hit in the face with a log – hence, it is harder to be bored. The excitement does not last long, and soon, I can barely keep my eyes open. A kind spectating soul asks if I need anything. Angela Emily had to drop during the first night after badly hurting her shoulder, and is now fulfilling the role of a guardian angel. I beg for coffee. The cup that I hold in my hands twenty minutes later is the best thing that happened to me in this race. Liquid orgasm. Stacking wood takes up most of the morning, after which we are finally allowed join the others. The next challenge – long barbed wire crawl through the creek – once with your pack, and once without. This is probably my favourite twenty minutes of the entire event. This is an actual obstacle. This is the shit I am good at. The rest of Sunday is a blur. I chopped wood again. The task - pick a hunk of wood. Chop into serviceable pieces. Present to judge. Go under the wall in a mud puddle - there and back. Repeat. Eight times. Once again, for a precious brief period of time, I feel like I am in a race. Specific task. For time. Go. After the wood chopping, I took about ten minutes to devour an amazing salad (ahhh, vegetables never tasted so good!) prepared by Italian, and take a nap. I hopped along a trail with both feet tied together for what seemed like miles. Next challenge is being explained - both feet are tied with a plastic zip tie, and off you go hopping along the trail towards the memorization task, and then back to answer the questions based on the task. If the tie rips (oh, so easy to do!), you start over. This was the point at which it also started to rain. I was cold and wet. The flask of brandy came in handy, and made me lots of friends. The latter was crucial - one of the new friends (hi, Patrick Mies II) shared a brilliant tip for the task - duct tape my feet together just a bit tighter than the tie itself, therefore, protecting the tie from sudden movement and falls, which were bound to happen. I headed out on a long (and fruitless) hike in the middle of the night towards the Iron Mine. I make a mistake of wearing a pair of shoes with aggressive tread, and pavement destroys my feet. They feel like hamburger meat, and every step hurts. I hiked up Joe’s mountain and back down in pitch darkness. By myself. Oh, did I mention I am terrified of the dark? But... I’ve lost interest in the event hours ago, and was moving on hate alone. I wanted to be able to speak about this event, and speak about it freely. Quitting would forever tarnish any commentary. Nobody listens to Ms. Sour Grapes. No way. TO BE CONTINUED… Hugs, SOLO

This morning – I run Tough Mudder Toronto blindfolded. TEAM ROSTER: 1. SOLO Three favorite / notable / awesome races to date? Spartan Death Race 2013, Spartan Ultra Beast 2012, desert half marathon (Israel) Next race goal? Run for the Toad 50k Trail Race Anticipated challenges? Tight spaces (that one is always an issue), especially those filled with water. Something about not being able to see them, makes them that much more anxiety-provoking. Jumping off Walk the Plank. Electric Eel - crawling across the slippery surface, filled with electric wires. Having a blindfold on for that long - a mindfuck of its own. Not being able to run at full speed. Having to rely on others. 2. Stony Three favorite / notable / awesome races to date? Most notable “race” -Goruck Selection (2013), nothing else compares... Next race goal? My next goal is go back and complete what I failed at Goruck Selection. How do you know SOLO? Goruck Challenge, Class #191 Anticipated challenges? I anticipate indecisive wording as a problem as Solo tries to complete each obstacle, we have to describe everything around her so she can develop a picture in her mind of what’s to come, and trying to not bump her head off too many objects, ha! 3. Pamela Three favorite / notable / awesome races to date? Having just discovered OCR in the late summer of 2013 I've only done a handful of races to date. But my three favorites are: Mud Hero, 5 Peaks-Terra Cotta and GoRuck Light. Next race goal? My next race goal is Tough Mudder Tri-State (after this weekend's Tough Mudder Toronto, that is!) How do you know SOLO? I read Kate's blog and follow her on Facebook. When she posted about doing Tough Mudder blindfolded, I contacted her to share about my Vision and Hearing loss, and my desire to run Tough Mudder as well. Anticipated challenges? Being Legally blind (my visual field is less than 15 degrees) I think the biggest challenge in running Tough Mudder blindfolded is the complete lack of vision. You will have to put your full trust in others to guide you successfully over, under and through physically challenging obstacles. There is a fear of the unknown...There is a feeling of isolation...This is not a feat for the faint-hearted! 4. Jamie Three favorite / notable / awesome races to date? World’s Toughest Mudder Championships 2012 – My first major race World’s Toughest Mudder Championships 2013 – A personal best in distance Fuego y Agua: Nicaragua Survival Run 2014 – By far the toughest challenge I have ever faced. Next race goal? 2014 Hunter Gatherer Ultra Survival Run & 2015 Fuego y Agua: Nicaragua Ultra Survival Run How do you know SOLO? First time I saw Solo was at the 2013 Mudnewton Race where she was wearing a frilly prom dress and carrying a cake the whole race. I was impressed and intimidated all at once. Anticipated challenges? The biggest challenge will be that the guides' verbal directions need to be descriptive and enough to help, not hinder your movements. I remember the hail bails at “Prison Break” and your poor nose… sorry. 5. Ryan Ryan is the gazelle is the team. He is fast. Like... if we forget something at the start line, and we are half way through the course, he can jog back and catch up with us, without bringing his heart rate up too much - fast. Notable / awesome races to date? World’s Toughest Mudder Next race goal? World’s Toughest Mudder 2014 6. Karen Notable / awesome races to date? Spartan Sprint two years ago - my first obstacle race - I'll never forget it. And Tough Mudder 2013 - met a lot of cool people there. Next race goal? Army Run in Ottawa (22 Sep, 2014) - road half marathon How do you know SOLO? Yoga Tree - she was my yoga teacher. Anticipated challenges? Guiding you correctly, so you do not smash yourself against anything. :) *Papa SOLO is joining us as well for his first ever Tough Mudder! He said that the biggest challenge he anticipates is persuading my mom that he will come home alive. I guess I should not tell her that he'd have to sign a death waiver. Follow this adventure today, August 16th on my FB athlete page and on Twitter @k_solovieva. #operationlightwithin Curious why I’m running Tough Mudder blindfolded? Read more here. **************************************** Operation Light Within is a charity initiative to raise awareness for athletes with disabilities. The charity I chose as a beneficiary is Achilles International. They are an organization whose mandate it is to “enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics”. Part 1. I will run Tough Mudder Toronto blindfolded. This will be a practice run as I will aim to learn from my guides what kind of verbal instructions are necessary and most helpful. Part 2. I will guide Rhonda, a visually impaired ultra runner, in her own first Tough Mudder (New Jersey) in October. All other athletes are welcome to run on the team. If you are an athlete with disability and require a guide or assistance, just give me a holler, and I’ll hook you up. HOW CAN YOU HELP? 1. Share this. Think this is all kinds of cool and awesome? Me too. :) Please tell your friends, send them this link and spread the word. If you are running Tough Mudder Toronto, and see me on course, holler! If you hear others wondering what the heck is going on, tell them more. 2. Run with us in NJ. Save the date! Team Operation Light Within will run Tough Mudder Tri-State (NJ) on Saturday, October 11th. We'd love to have you. 3. Donate. GoFundMe campaign for Operation Light Within has been set up, and I would appreciate your help. I would like to make a donation of at least $1,000 to Achilles International, an organization that works with disabled athletes. I am currently arranging free registrations for Rhonda and the guides for the October event, however, I am looking for any financial contributions to help with gas, hotel and food expenses for the team. This is something I'd normally cover out of pocket for myself, however, having a number of people involved makes this a bit more costly. Lit within, Solo

The racers registered for the Survival Run to take place in the Wales later this month received some bad news in their mailboxes this morning. The race is off. "To All Registered Celts Runners, I regret to announce the cancellation of The Celts 25k, 50k and Survival Run in Porthcawl, Wales UK on August 23, 2014. This was a very tough email for me to put together, and as a team, everyone on this project worked very hard to push past any obstacles to make this race a reality, but today we were forced to make the cancellation a reality. Unexpected land access, insurance and regulatory issues in South Wales ultimately prevented us from putting on the event in the originally planned location. In addition, our Regional Director became extremely ill at this crucial time during the development of these issues and has been bedridden for well over a week. With the accumulation of these issues, we realized there was no way to move forward with the event. We were fully prepared to go over budget to make the event happen, and we sent members of our team on a race reconnaissance trip to explore all options. As a last resort, a change of race venue was proposed and explored, but with just over two weeks before the race, we were unable to make it a reality. We value and respect your commitment, and we know a lot of you have been to several of our events. Please understand this cancellation only applies to The Celts and does not affect any of our other events in Texas, Mexico or Nicaragua. All other events are confirmed and have no regulatory issues. Nicaragua is on its 7th year, Hunter Gatherer on its 2nd year and Ultra Caballo Blanco on its 13th year. We are offering these options for your registration refund: A refund on your registration fee via Paypal or check by mail. An entry into any Hunter Gatherer Event on October 4, 2014. An entry into any Fuego y Agua Nicaragua Event on February 4-7, 2015. As a growing company in a small and innovative racing niche, we suffer from “learning experiences”, but our utmost commitment is to continue to produce awesome events and to bring together awesome people. Again, I offer my sincere apologies. Email me directly to josue@fuegoyagua.com and let me know how you would like to handle your refund or transfer. Sincerely, JOSUE STEPHENS Fuego y Agua Events LLC. Events Director I have spoken with Josue Stephens, and he added: "We canceled only because we ran into issues that prevented us from putting on the event in the originally selected location. We had issues with communication from our local RD, part of this due to his being very ill the past few weeks. By the time we found out many of the local landowners had pulled out from the agreement to use their land, it was too late to switch to another venue. We tried everything before cancellation, but, ultimately, it was the last resort." “Shirts were printed, medals made, none of those can be re-used for us”, Josue says. “Yet our responsibility is to get the racers their money back. Unfortunately, we cannot refund their travel expenses”. He reiterates that NONE of the other events are affected by this. The Celts was to be Fuego’s first event in the UK and the race organizers are very sad it did not work out. Yet, Stephens remains optimistic. “We will live to fight another day!”, he chuckles. “If I were doing this to make money, I would not have quit my day job”. While the race being cancelled is hardly anyone’s fault, it is a good reminder to those registering for a race – any race! It’s always a risk. Shit happens, and in the best case scenario, the race directors take full responsibility and a sizeable financial hit, as they provide full refunds and possibly transfers to other racers. In the worst case scenario, the racers never see their registration money again. This IS the best case scenario. I loved how Shannon Hulme, one of the racers registered for this Survival Run, handled the news: “Am I disappointed? Sure am. But given the amount of work that has clearly been put into the event I am confident Josue would have did everything possible to see the event go on. It’s clear by the fact that he is refunding entries and likely taking a huge financial hit that he isn’t out to screw anyone. So instead of crying about how horrible it is why don’t we all step up, go over and have a good time anyway? What draws us to these events is the obstacles and unexpected challenges, so let’s use this as an opportunity for self-supported training”. Hugs, Solo