I am a Spartan!

This past Saturday was the Super Spartan race in Vernon, NJ.  It was the 8 mile obstacle course race that I signed up for a few months ago after a nudge from some of my Shaolin Killa Beez teammates.  Truth be told, I am a slave to race peer pressure.  I knew it would be a tough day because my BFF (since we were 5 had already scheduled her birthday festivities for that afternoon.  However, I thought I could make it work.

Of course, that included an obstacle course of logistics to handle before the race even started.  I dropped off my kids at my mom's house (in the opposite direction and over a bridge) at an ungodly hour of the morning.  After grabbing a bagel with peanut butter, I headed back over the bridge to carpool with my teammate Tara.  The ride itself was about an hour and a half to Vernon, NJ and we talked the whole way about how difficult the race would be and the rumored additional miles added to the course.

When we got there and parked (about a mile from the start area) we saw the mountains and knew it was not going to be an easy day...

Just parked

And then we looked up (gasp)

Meeting up with the team

...and once we started running walking quickly, in the 10 a.m. heat, we quickly realized that we were right.  Right after crossing the starting line you literally start going uphill, and not a slight uphill, no, it was more like walking up a wall that kept going and going.  At some point we hit a plateau and some really small walls to go over... and then more mountains. Some nice trails... and then more uphills.  Then we went some very steep downhill, which ended at a cliff jump where I jumped 18 feet into 16 feet of water.  Needless to say, it was not fun.  Admittedly I panicked, but I still jumped.

After the jump, guess where we went? Back uphill!  And some point when we couldn't walk up any higher, we had to climb up a steep mountain.  There were literally rocks rolling off as you went up and once you got to the top, you were greeted by a cinder block on a chain which you had to carry uphill.  It was like walking a pet rock... in hell!

We had a bunch more fun obstacles (like 30) including walls to climb over, a lake to swim across and under, a traverse to climb (over a swampy lake), and some others that I've mentally blocked out.  About two thirds into the race (not that we had any idea how far we'd come or how far we still had to go), we started to descend for good.  By this point, we were physically and mentally exhausted.  It was so exciting when we emerged to the final obstacles.  There was spear throw, which is nearly impossible and should be called "just do burpees", the rope climb, the crawl under barbed wire (which went on forever), jumping over fire, and then the gladiator (who was pretty easy on the chicks).

Empty ropes

Me in the wet muddy ropes 5 hours later

Spear throw aka Do Burpees dammit

Can I make this my driver's license picture?  Hi, I'm bad ass and still smiling. 

The best part about the finish (aside from being done) was that one of our injured teammates-turn-volunteers, Janet gave us our medals.

Teammates Billy and Janet - that's love, they are married 

Me and Tara delirious at the finish line

It took us 5 hours and 19 minutes  to finish as a team.  The course was apparently around 11 miles (not funny Spartan organizers!).  It was humbling and likely in the top 3 hardest things I have ever done (behind childbirth and tied with marathon #2).  If you want to see exactly what the course looked like, there were two men who held cameras as they completed the course.  Here is a link to the first part and then you can see the others from there.

Happy Spartan!

I did eventually get to my BBF's birthday... much later than expected and much dirtier.  I showered, got dressed and ate everything in her house.  Seriously, everything!  Plus cupcakes!

Happy birthday Suzie!

Sharing is Caring: Are you a Spartan?  Or have you done other mud challenges?  What was your experience?  Do you want to?  

I am already registered for the Spartan Sprint in June 2013.  It's the 3 mile version of bad ass.  I know you are tempted.  Go for it! ;)