Being a Warrior: Spartan Race (8/28/10)

Event - 5K Obstacle Course
Location - Amesbury, MA
Goal Time - 30:00
Finish Time - 35:17 (216th)

I try to find different races sometimes. Well, this one fit the bill. It was a 5K trail race with 16 obstacles throughout.

Our wave started and there was a charge up the hillside, past a water cannon and then jumping over a fire pit. Once over the hill, the race became a common trail race with a random obatacle thrown in every now and again.

The first difficult obstacle was the mid pits. We had to run (or walk) through knee deep mud. At least twice people in front of me had to turn around and come back because they lost their shoes.

Included in the remaining obstacles were eight foot walls, cargo nets, hurdles, etc. The next hard one was the traverse wall. In the traverse wall, you had to climb across about 20 feet. I found it nearly impossible and, instead, did the push ups to move on.

The very last obstacle - right before the finish line - was three "gladiators" with the old school American Gladiator pugil sticks. I had watched this while waiting for the gun to go. It appeared that everybody tried to run around the gladiators and ended up getting tripped by the gladiators as they went by. I determined I could do it another way once I got there.

With the finish line in sight, I put my tactic into action. Instead of trying to avoid the gladiators, I ran straight at them. This, sure enough, confused them. They weren't sure what to do with Jesse charging out them and I wasn't tripped - finishing strong.

Tino Pai!!!!

Jesse...