The Divaist Diva of them all

We asked Shae Ranier a couple questions following her victory at the SHAPE Diva Dash. Check out her answers....

 

What did you do to prepare for the Diva Dash?

        I have been running and preparing for the Xterra Triathlons and figured this would be perfect to coincide with trail running.  In some of the xterra races you have to jump over logs, climb stairs, and run on crazy and suprising terrain.  So with my off road triahtlon training and trail running races, I was ready for the DIVA Dash!

What was your favorite obstacle?

        My favorite obstacle was the tire run, even though it hurt really bad afterwards to run uphill! I would also have to say the "lilly pad" obstacle was fun too!  After the first jump and then waiting a second to get balance,  I figured it was easiest not to wait and use the momentum of the tube going foward to go ahead and make the next jump.  It used core and stabilization on the runner's part. 

What advice do you have for Divas that want to perform better?

        My advise for future DIVA's is to have a good running base of at least a 5k, and be able to do whatever physical obstacle comes your way.  Circuit and strength training is a good way to introduce the physical aspect.  If you are new to running, I would suggest you take full advatange of the preparation classed they have available in your area through local running groups and companies.  As far as the mental aspect goes with this race, you have to be prepared as any race,  that it is going to hurt but it is only temporarily!

Who are you taking on the trip to Aruba?   

       I had a mission coming into this race, I wanted to win a honeymoon for our upcoming wedding in September, so I will be taking my fiance' or husband depending on the date of the trip!

Spunky is Single

She's been around the block a few times. She's slightly past her prime yet still acts as spry as she was in her youth. Some might call her a cougar. I still call her Spunky. Spunky Brewster.

She's my hand-me-down townie bike. Before moving out to Colorado my loving friend Jeff bestowed this beauty upon me. His disclaimer at the time was "this is my old cross frame with all of my old original road components on it. She's got a lot of stories. Have fun!"

And fun we have had. So much fun that I might have worn ol' Spunky out for good. Or not? Awhile back she started getting really sassy in the shifting department. Depending on the day, she may or may not decide to move the chain from the middle chain ring. Despite all ordinary efforts to keep her running smoothly - new cables and housing, basic adjustments, the occasional lube - she finally put her pedal down and practically screamed out, "THIS ISN'T WORKING! I WANNA BE SINGLE!"


So begins a new chapter for Spunky. She did it. She's single.


Here's a little recap of our ladies' night in the garage.

After gazing sympathetically at Spunky's old worn out drivetrain, I knew what needed to be done. My mental list played out: Whiskey and chocolate? Check. Spacers and chain tensioner? Check. Hacksaw? Check. Let's do this.

Yes, a hacksaw. I had neither the know-how nor the patience to figure out how those shifter cables are all connected inside the shifter levers. All I knew is that this girl no longer needed them. After confirming that I was, in fact, about to attack the shifter cables and NOT the brake cables, I whipped out my trusty rusty hacksaw and went to town. After an inordinate amount of effort and sweat, I finally sheared off those cumbersome cables, at which point Spunky let out a huge sigh of relief. Next I yanked out the cables and housing, removed the derailleurs, and low and behold we were well on our way to singledom.

The rest was a breeze. For such a dirty girl, Spunky's bottom bracket has never been so clean. We de-greased, we lubed, and we rejoiced. We ceremoniously tossed out that old cassette, replacing it with a shiny red chain tensioner.

Right around midnight we finished up. My little Cinderella got a new lease on life. I went to bed with a huge smile on my face, and woke up yesterday to find my girl waiting patiently, proudly, to take me to work.

PS - although she sure is enjoying her newfound freedom and weight loss, she is still very interested in meeting other bikes. Don't hesitate to call and ask her out - I'm sure she'd love to go on a ride.


- SS

What happens with 3000 ladies get together for a workout?

Adventure Fit put on a new event this year - the SHAPE Diva Dash, a women's only obstacle adventure run. It was a HUGE event with 3000 'Divas' climbing, jumping, splashing, and dashing at 6 obstacles on a 3 mile course.

We'll soon be reporting some fun stories, more photos, and behind the scenes action.

With the huge success of the 1st ever Diva Dash, we'll be taking it to new cities soon. Ladies, spread the word if you like ADVENTURE, OBSTACLES, COSTUMES, and FUN, the Diva Dash is for you.

Team Adventure Fit!

We rallied the troops and put together a team this year! Rider profiles coming soon. In the meantime - here are some shots doing what we do....