My First Spartan Race: What doesn’t kill you will make you unbreakable
I have always enjoyed pushing myself to my limits, not necessarily physically, but by putting myself in uncomfortable or awkward situations just to see how I would do.
Years ago, when I first heard about the Spartan Race, I was immediately interested, but it took me some time to finally take the plunge. Looking back, I wish I had done it sooner.
I signed up for the race with three goals in mind:
- to challenge myself physically and mentally,
- to visit a new state,
- and to experience something new and exciting.
The race was taking place in Utah.
That specific race is rated 3 out of 3* in Altitude, Elevation Gain and Weather. It is rated little over 2 in Terrain.
*One the scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being the hardest and 1 being the easiest
Overall it appears to be one of the hardest 5K Spartan Sprint courses.
As the race day approached, I began to feel a mix of excitement and anxiety.
The idea of actually completing the course seemed a little crazy, even though I had trained for two months, doing strength training and running (although not as much as I should have). I worried that I wasn’t prepared enough, that I wasn’t fit enough, or that I wouldn’t be able to complete the course. But then I told myself, “Ah, forget it, what’s the worst thing that can happen? If it takes me 10 hours to finish it, so what…?”
I decided that as long as I finished the race, I would be super happy.
On the way there, I got stuck in a bit of traffic, which gave me an opportunity to enjoy the amazing landscape.
The area was beautiful!
As soon as I arrived at the race venue, I was struck by the sense of camaraderie and excitement. It was amazing how many people were there at the race.
As the race began, I started to feel even more anxious, but then the “Ah, forget it, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” mood kicked in.
There were only a handful of obstacles in the beginning, followed by a stretch of walking/running uphill and then eventually downhill.
The trail was a mix of dirt/sand and rock, so at times it was easy to slip and fall.
Due to how strong the sun was, 1 mile going uphill felt like 3 miles. The total elevation gain was almost 1000 feet.
As soon as I thought I had conquered the hill, I turned around the corner, and there was more … hill.
There were times when I thought it actually MIGHT take me 10 hours to finish, but then I’d quickly tell myself, “One step at a time.”
One of the most “fun” things about the race was that the obstacles were mostly placed close together and they were roughly 2 miles in. So you would run/crawl/walk uphill for about 2 miles and then, when you were already exhausted, you had to do a series of obstacles.
Even though the whole course was 5k (slightly over 3 miles), the distance felt more like 6 miles because of the elevation and the heat. Then add the obstacles, and now it feels more like 10 miles of regular running.
Some of my favorite obstacles were the sandbag carry, the bucket carry, and the barbed wire crawl.
I always thought the barbed wire crawl was easy … silly me.
But after doing the race I ended up with scratches and bruises lasting a week.
Turns out it is actually quite hard to drag your own body under the barbed wire. If you are a tall person, it is even harder because you don’t really fit under it, you cant walk on your fours, because the wire will most likely scratch your back. For that reason, most people did the barbed wire crawl by rolling under the wire. But it is also not as easy as it seems.
Because… dust. There was a lot of it
This obstacle will get you covered with dust, you’ll have dust in your mouth and ears, and literally everywhere else. The ground is mixed with rock, so your hands, knees, and shins hurt a lot because you use them to crawl.
Like I said, I was very proud of the bruises I got because it was a very tough one.
There were also two very similar “cargo net” type courses. They were not particularly difficult. I actually found them to be kind of fun.
There were many other obstacles, but I won’t give them away. You’ll have to go and conquer them yourself.
My first Spartan race taught me some valuable lessons.
First and foremost, I was reminded that I was capable of more than I ever thought possible.
I also was reminded that it’s essential to take risks and try new things, even if they scare you. There were moments during the race where I sort of hated it because of how hot and exhausting it was, but I hated it only for a second. Once I crossed the finish line, I felt that it was totally worth the pain.
Finally, I was reminded that there is something incredibly inspiring about getting through something really tough.
Winning is great, but even if you don’t (compete to) win, the real reward comes from pushing yourself beyond your limits and persevering even when things get tough.
Participating in my first Spartan race was an incredible experience that taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of. I came back from the race feeling energized and inspired, ready to take on new challenges and continue pushing myself further. I’m now training for my second Spartan race, and I can’t wait to see what other obstacles I’ll overcome and what other lessons I’ll learn along the way. If you’re looking for a way to challenge yourself and discover your own strength and resilience, signing up for a Spartan race is an excellent place to start.
