Spartan Sprint-The End and the Beginning

More than a week has passed now since the sprint and it's time I quit putting it off and write some thoughts about it.

It's been a long time since I even ran a 5K and the first time ever in an event this big (by big I mean with nearly 4000 participants and goodness knows how many spectators). So the pre-race jitters got to me and by Friday afternoon I was a basket case. There was a pre-race event Friday evening at Sportsman's Ski Haus in Kalispell at which you could pick up your race packet and save time on Saturday. Would I find my race packet? How would I negotiate the crowd at Sportsman's? Will I lose my kids in the crowd? What the hell am I doing?!!!

Finding my team captain (Rose), my packet and a beer calmed me considerably. I also threatened Brendan that if I saw him more than 10 feet from a parent at any time he would not be allowed to run the kids Spartan Sprint. Wow! I should do that more often. Didn't lose track of him once. Rita and Anthony are really good for staying with us. Couldn't help laughing at the warning on the race packet.  Nice!

Early to bed and early to rise. I was at the Nicholson's house at 7:20 am for a 7:30 departure. Here we are, all geared up and ready! Rose and Rogun in front.  In back, Suzanne Loviska, Casey, Francis Loviska, Mason, me.

We arrived at the venue just before 9 am.  Just in time to see the "elite heat" racers finishing.  We proceeded through the marking station, checked our bags and headed into the crowd.  I wandered away from my team periodically to visit with the North Valley Hospital team and give my co-workers a hug and high five.  They also let me photo bomb their team picture (need to get a copy of that). I could have been on the team, but I wanted to stick with Rose's team, since she's the one who started my on this journey back in August.  I also ran into several people I knew from St. Matthew's church and other places.  It helped pass the time to our 10 am start and helped with the jitters.  It was great to give and receive encouragement to and from familiar faces.

Just a word here about team.  I knew this would happen, but just because you know something painful will happen doesn't make it any less painful when it does.  I knew I would be on my own in this race, the rest of my team being much more fit than I, and other than the people you see above, was comprised of people I didn't know.  It still sucked.  We started our heat at 10 am.  We jogged down a trail and around the corner and waded through a muddy pool, the first obstacle.  And that was the last I saw of my "team".


I was in no hurry, not being in it to win it takes a lot of pressure off.  My goals were simple: finish, be safe, have fun.  I am super glad I followed some recommendations that Rose e-mailed to the team.  I carried a camel back pack with a liter of water, energy bars, energy gels and some quench gum.  It added not much beyond 2 pounds and was worth every ounce.  There were only 2 water stops on the course, something they should correct next year.  I never got dry and when my energy flagged midway, I took a gel and was fine.  I was also able to offer these things to fellow Spartans who were looking a little weary.  And there were a lot of people suffering from not having enough water. 

I made a new friend and we became a team along the way.  John will have to remind me exactly when we started talking and he learned that my team was long gone.  I think it was somewhere around the third obstacle, the monkey bars.  Let me tell you how cool John is.  This guy is like myself, a reforming couch potato.  He ran the Hurricane Heat that started at 6 am and finished around 9.  In that heat you get a preview of the course and get to do the obstacles with no penalty burpees.  I think the water obstacles are also not yet full, but John will have to confirm that.  So this guy had already spent three hours running around this mountain and was at it again with full on water obstacles and penalties for missed ones.  A total of almost 10 miles of hiking plus obstacles and burpees.  Yikes.

Anyway, he decided  we were a team, for which I am so grateful, and let me know we would finish the race together.  Awww.  I removed my team identifying "eye black" and forged ahead.   Right after the next obstacle, the rope pyramid, I rolled my ankle (my wonderfully un-sturdy right one that I had surgery on two and a half years ago), which sent a nice jolt of electricity into my foot to wake me up and pay attention. 

Carrying sand bags up and down the hill.

So on John and I plodded.  Every time I got a case of "let's run now" John pulled the reins and reminded me that my ankle was more important than time.  He gave me a boost over walls, I waited while he caught his breath on the hills.  Any time we saw a fellow Spartan in need, we gave a boost, a drink of water or just encouragement to keep going. And during all this I learned that he was one of Karl's training partners in the Parisi class that Karl was in until Karl hurt his back and we decided Spartan could wait.  I also learned that he is working toward a degree in nursing.  I met his lovely wife, Julie, as I rolled over the rope bridge and she took pictures.  Next year I hope she and Karl will be running and rolling with us.

At the top of one hill we stopped for a few minutes to look at the herd of elk.  Most people I ask didn't even know there was a herd of elk there.  Stop and smell the roses folks.  You'll see a lot more.

We crawled under the muddy bridge and walked to the "slippery wall".  I remember a volunteer yelling "you're almost at the last obstacle you can run!"  Well no, the ground was mushy and quite uneven and I like my ankle thank you.  We made it over the wall and down the other side.  Now just the fire jump and the "Gladiators".  We stopped for a moment looked at each other, fist bump, and ran to the finish.  Managed to stick the landing over the fire thank goodness or I could have been toast.  I heard Karl, Rita, Anthony, Rose and Rogun cheering for me as I finished. 

The last obstacle

I do appreciate Rose for staying until I finished.  Especially nice since her poor son, Mason, ran the race after being sick for a week.  He would be diagnosed with whooping cough two days later.  Poor kid was curled up in a ball in the dirt.  Thanks for toughing it out!

All told the race was 4.9 miles long with around 15 man made obstacles plus the natural ones in the mountainous terrain.  Here is the trail map.

John and I got some pictures together, thanks to Julie and then I went and met my family over by the finish line.  Brendan came running up behind me and threw his arms around me, then Rita and Anthony wrapped themselves around my muddy legs!  My fan club!

I had an absolutely wonderful day and can't wait for next year.  Things will be different the next time. For one, I am aiming to be 30 pounds lighter and a whole lot stronger.  I would like not to do so many burpees next year!  I will also form, or be part of, a team that wants to run as a team.  The camaraderie is an important aspect for me and something I remember fondly from training exercises in the Army. 

I finished ahead of the person I most wanted to; the couch potato I left behind last August.  Don't tell her, but I am getting rid of her clothes as they don't fit me.

  I started training for Spartan 2014 on the Monday after the race.  Bring it!!

This video is on You Tube.  It shows you the terrain and the beautiful scenery.