11.30.2012

I am a Beast

For the number 12 race in the 2012 Challenge, I accidentally competed in the Spartan race in Sacramento. Okay, it wasn't an accident. However, I was always one of those people who kind of poo-poohed obstacle races, mud races and the like. But when my friend said that we could get a group rate of 13 dollars each (rather than the $150 they were going for), I signed up. I figured that if I didn't go, it was only $13 dollars.

The day before, it started pouring. Severe wind warnings were in effect. The girls I was going with were shooting emails and texts back and forth: should we cancel? It was supposed to rain all day. And be cold. Plus we had to drive to a place near Sacramento, which was about 2 hours away. Our race started at 8:30. Maybe we should just cancel.

It's funny how much less you care about a race when you pay $13 instead of $150.

However, I told them that I was still in if they were still in. I am a Beast. A little rain cannot get me down. The next morning we left at 5:30 in the morning. It was raining. One girl dropped out. Typical girls, we stopped to pee, and to get coffee, and to get gas. But we made it. It was raining. We stripped down to barely anything and got our numbers and peed again and got into the crowd at the start. Did I mention it was raining?

Then we were off! This was not supposed to be a mud run; it was supposed to be an obstacle run. But due to the heavy rains the night before, it was a muddy, wet mess. Even if this race were only to complete a half marathon through a muddy field, it would have been tiring. Add 2 obstacles per mile (or something like that) and a lot of burpees and you end up one tired pup.

The easiest obstacles for me were the balancing ones. The hardest was the 8 foot wall. The worst was crawling under barbed wire on your elbows and knees through rocky poop filled mud.

The first obstacle was a series of three water pits, ensuring that even if it weren't raining, you would be wet the entire time. The last was a rope climb, fire and gladiator combo that I barely remember because I was SO DARN HUNGRY.

The race took us 3 hours and 25 minutes. This was #1 out of 169 in my age, #11 out of 812 for gender and #220 out of 2967 overall (this means there were over three times as many men as women). The fastest person finished in 1:38. That is 7:33 pace WITH obstacles!

Afterward, we got naked in the parking lot (literally) and tried unsuccessfully to get most of the mud off of us and then went and ate a huge burrito and had a nice cold beer.

Because I am a beast. And beasts like burritos.

Spartan


Have you ever completed an obstacle race? If not, would you? Do you still do things even when weather gets in the way? 

Don't forget to stop by Jills for Fitness Friday!

18 comments:

  1. You are a BEAST! I ran my first mud/obstacle race this year and hope to run more next year!

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  2. Did you like it? I'm still quite against these! :)

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  3. Wow, seriously impressive! And you got first in your age group? Maybe you should do obstacle runs more often!

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  4. You're incredible! And muddy :)

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  5. Whoa! That is pretty beastly! That photo is just priceless. I've never run a mud run or an obstacle course. I'm not very coordinated to begin with so it just seems like I would be begging to injure myself or fall on my face repeatedly.

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  6. All beasts deserve a good burrito and a beer.

    Congrats!

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  7. I love mud runs almost as much as I love getting naked in parking lots. so much fun!

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  8. I think it's really easy to drop out of a race when the weather sucks. But, sometimes, if you just shrug off the weather issue, races can be a lot of fun in the rain, because you know everyone out there REALLY wants to be there and a sort of camaraderie develops! I haven't ever done a mud run or obstacle course run, but think it would be a lot of fun with friends!

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  9. Wow I'm impressed with your rankings that's awesome and to do it in those conditions, great job!!! I've done a shorter obstacle one but only cause I got a free entry if not I wouldn't have done it.

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  10. You ARE a BEAST! So incredibly impressed, Kyria! Wow FIRST! Awesome. Not at all appealing to me which makes it even more impressive for me!

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  11. Wait...POOP-FILLED MUD? You are kidding me, right? I hope you kept your mouth closed :S

    I am super impressed that you did this...and more impressed that you look so pretty when bedraggled and covered in poop-filled mud.

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  12. That is awesome! I watched my sister run a mud obstacle race this summer. I totally thought it would be something I could handle until I saw how hard it was for them. Very impressive!

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  13. Amazing! Apparently you must be a natural with obstacle races. Congratulations on taking first in your age group!

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  14. That is CRAZY. And awesome. It's crazy awesome.

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  15. Congrats! That actually sounds like fun to me.

    I've done one obstacle race, a Muddy Buddy with my husband, and it was really fun. No poop in that mud (or at least if there was I'd rather not know....)

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  16. You ARE a beast! I would not be deterred by rain if I had paid for the race, but if I hadn't paid much and it was cold and rainy, I might be tempted to skip... It depends on how much I cared about the race. I would never cancel on something I had trained for, like a 1/2 marathon, though.

    I have never done an obstacle course type of race and don't know that I ever will. most of the ones around me seem to be muddy ones and I have sensory issues with being really dirty/covered in mud...

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  17. Wow you are a beast! I think I would still race in the rain, not sure about an obstacle course race though! I would like to try an obstacle course race one day. I was thinking of doing the Tough Mudder next year but then I read that one obstacle is crawling under LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRES and you should "protect your head" when you're doing that. UM NO! Wtf!!! That is a little too intense of an obstacle for me. haha

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  18. You are a beast!! And you earned that burrito. Great job.

    I love that you say you 'accidentally' did the race. And awesome that is was only $13!! Fantastic deal!

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