started to experience either some knee swelling, in
never end. Even more burpees (notice a pattern?). More
particular when I played in my basketball/football
hills. More obstacles. We were just about to finish our
leagues here in Florida. I was nervous because I
first lap, as I was crawling under the barb wire, I heard a
wasn’t able to do a lot of running/training leading
girl start screaming. I looked over and her hair was caught
up to Vermont but I was confident I would finish…
in the barb wire. I didn’t
that was my one and only goal…just finish.
see a green armband on
her (meaning she wasn’t an
The trip there went great and I was able to
Ultra Beast runner so she
spend some time with some awesome people
was just a few feet from being
before the race (shoutout to Doug, Michael,
done for the day), so my
Eddie, “Other” Eddie, Matt and Janice). I
first instinct was just to leave
spent the night before trying to ice down my
her. I instantly felt checked
knee and then the big day was finally here.
(convicted is more accurate), so
Race Day
I went back and helped for a few
There’s a lot to cover but I’m going to
minutes until she was untangled.
skip a lot of details and be brief. I was really
I finished my first lap, ran to the
nervous on the walk over on the morning of
dropbox with Michael, changed
the race. However, before you know it we were
shirts, threw down some energy
jogging towards a freezing cold mud pit just a
stuff and a few handfuls of trail
hundred feet or so from the starting line. The
mix and headed out for lap two.
day started to carry on with crazy unexpected
Within just a few hundred
hiking hills, typical Spartan obstacles and the
feet we bumped into Matt B.
constant mind game of body strategy (how
Davis, who I had previously
much to drink, when to eat, what to eat, how to
known from his blog radio
attack obstacles, etc.). It was clear from the start
show about obstacle course
we were in for a long day but I was still confident
racing, and we headed out.
we (the group I was in with Doug, Eddie and
We assumed we were the
Michael), would finish. Then the problems started
last Ultra Beast runners so
to set in. Eddie cramping. Doug’s knee.
it was nice to be in a group
Tough obstacles. Burpees. More
of more than two of us.
Burpees. Freezing cold water.
7
Ridiculous
As we started lap two we kinda recapped our day, talked
climbs that I thought would
about strategies, hopes, obstacles, joked, laughed…all
Long
Swims.