Where Warriors fail, Spartans succeed...
What challenge? I've already completed 3 Warrior Dashes to add to my 5k & 10k resume. What could this race possibly offer that the Warrior Dash didn't? To find out I enlisted fearless Team XMW Marine Leader to join me in a trek to Indiana to find out.
Know when I finish? Ha! I'm a cocky fitness nut, I know "now"!
The Event:
Parking was a breeze, even though the shocks on my car disagree. Immediately upon arrival into the event we noticed a huge contrast with the Dash. There was no live DJ or band, people were drinking "responsibly", crowds were not as lively, etc. The Spartan Race did, however have some fun contests: dips, javelin throw, hammer throw, and others. A few individuals wore costumes, but not many. It was clear from the look in the eyes of most participants that blood would be shed on our journey today and staring fear in the face, we would not go quietly into the night...er morning. Aroo!
The Race:
Holy hell...only colder. Never again will I compare this to the Dash. The Spartan Race is a legit physically challenging obstacle run. Is that a 6 ft wall in front of me? Running start, and... ouch. Not quite. After failing on my 1st attempt I refocused, overcame my mental block, and vaulted up over the wall...only to find another 6 ft wall waiting...and another, and...a 7 ft wall. #Ugh, I mean, er...Aroo!
Most obstacles were fun, but highly challenging. I'm embarrassed to say I could not climb the slippery rope with my mud caked hands. Punishment? 30 burpees. Before the race was over, I did more burpees than I do in a whole week of Insanity training...LEVEL 5's! Can't hit the target with the javelin? Burpees. Slipped off the muddy climbing wall? Burpees. I'm thinking about starting my own BeachBody workout called "BurpeeBody". Aroo!
Exhausted from Burpee Bonanza, I was confronted by the mother of all obstacles... a 100 yard Army crawl in the thick mud, under barbed wire, and of course up hill for the last part. Yes, even Vintensity needed to pause at the top for a moment of reflection (and to pull a few Spartans out of the mud!)
The obstacles also included a river run (yes, in the actual river), sandbag carry (uphill), cement block pull, and of course an 8 FT WALL! Hell no I wasn't going to let the "mama" wall get between me and the finish. I took off on a sprint and smacked dead into the wall, but was still hoisting myself over via pull up. Ha! No problem. (as blood trickled down my bruised arm)
Seeing the finish line should've accompanied a feeling of relief, however, the 3 warriors holding jousting sticks, a ring of fire, and another wall (at least this one had a rope) stood between me and my achievement.
Final Analysis:
The Spartan Race is a "vintense" obstacle race that was well worth the investment. While the event was fun, it was more of a hangout and less of a festival atmosphere. The sell here is the challenging obstacles and testing your level of fitness. Spartan Races come in various distances and keeps a point system to track yearly results. I highly recommend the Spartan Race to anyone looking for a challenge. As challenging as this was, The Marine & I both finished in the top 1% overall! Stay tuned to future posts to find out what methods we use to train...Aroo, Aroo, AROO!
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