Spartan Race

 K and I competed in the Spartan Race, an obstacle course series that travels the world bringing together athletes, mud, barbed wire, and ropes.  It was a half marathon (13.1 miles) with an obstacle at least every mile.  The elevation gain was purely insane with steep dirt slopes, winding through bush and plenty (actually, an overabundance) of mud pits. Even the Spectators were required to sign a waiver form!

The course and pursuant obstacles are not posted anywhere before the race, so nobody knows exactly quite what to expect.  Even from the spectator stand the course appears relatively... well... gentle.  We finished in 3 hours 24 minutes. We conquered the following:

• Barbwire rock and mud pits requiring army crawls uphill, on rocks, and utilizing log rolls.
• Monkey bars
• Taping our ankles together and jumping, rabbit style, though tires for 100 meters (all different sizes, of course)
• Climbing  up a 7-meter rope to ring a cow bell- from a 4-ft deep pit of mud
• Climbing army webbing both up and down 10 meters- after which we dropped to the base and steadied the webbing for the next contestant
• Pulling a chain with a cement block attached to the end up and down a steep hill
• Balancing on upright logs, and jumping from one to another
• Marksmanship (i.e. guns)
• Javelin throwing
• Filling a 5-gallon bucket of rocks, climbing and descending a hill, and dumping the rocks
• Carrying weighted bags on our backs
• Flipping tractor-sized tires over end to end (and back)
• Running up a wetted ramp while clinging to a rope
• Crawling, falling, and walking through numerous mud pits

The Fans
Thanks to T, los ninos, and our ever diligent Mommers for watching, cheering, and warning us along the race. Mom was the pro photographer for the day, and stayed the duration of the entire race

 

  The Pit Crawl

 Other Obstacles- in view of the Spectator Stand

 The Pit Log-Roll

 One of Numerous Mud Pits

 The Final Beating

  The Finish Line... finally