Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable-Spartan Round 3...Part 3 The BEAST!

My "ug" face?

Hey this ain't bad!

Okay so far I haven't talked a whole bunch about the whole "comfortable being uncomfortable"
thing.  Yeah, there were times during the sprint and super in Ft Carson that it wasn't comfortable, there were times you had to push through and just get it done, and sometimes that it hurt.  But where did I have to truly get "comfortable being totally uncomfortable"?  The Beast in central Florida in early December was as much a mental test as much as it was a physical test...and believe me it was a physical test!  The beast is a 13 mile, 26 obstacle test of not only your body but your mind.  I didn't train too much for distance going into it.  I knew I had run a half marathon before and that it was in me to get it done.  I also knew that in typical Spartan form, you'd be running a short distance then stopping for an obstacle.  So not continuous running but short bursts.  You catch your breath at the obstacles.  I'd been practicing the rope but wasn't confident in that.  The rope diameter and slickness is quite the variable.  I hadn't done as much upper body as I should have but I still knew that many of the obstacles were within my reach and that the typical monkey bars, multi rig, and rope climb were nearly guaranteed burpees.  It was going to be a cool rainy day which isn't the best of conditions to run in.  Cool"ish" is good....cool while being wet...not so good especially for the muscles.  Back to the start of the race.

Thanks Spartan for cutting me out!

I got off to a pretty steady start.  Running, jumping over things, crawling under things (oh my the barbed wire crawl was LOW! My new friend Craig and I were amazed at how low it was!) and I was feeling pretty good.  No burpees through the first 4 miles or so...I think.  Bucket brigade was easy-nothing is as hard as Carson was!  I had a scary moment on the tyro traverse.  First off, the obstacle is much harder than it appears!  I had never done it before but had watched several videos on it and had already decided my approach.  Pretty much you are dragging yourself along a rope for-ever, or for several feet (I don't know how long but it was a long rope!).  You're upside down, hands and legs crossed over the rope, and you're trying to pull yourself to the bell on the other side.  Got going, was okay ish.  I was having to alter my technique some as fatigue set in.  I had gotten about 3/4 of the way across and my arms were pumping out.  Letting go to grab the rope gave me the feeling that the other hand was just going to let go.  But I kept hearing encouragement from others and I was SO close I could see the bell that my stubborn side was not going to let go of this rope.  I got to the end and reached out with one hand to hit the bell and that's when my arms/everything gave up with essentially no warning (because if I had one I'd have let go with my legs first).  Nothing left so I fell straight on my back and it was farther down than I expected and I hit my head on the ground.  That was jarring.  And it ticked me off too because I was so close and now I was evaluating myself to make sure I wasn't too hurt to continue.  I rolled over to my belly and took a moment, or two, or three to make sure my head and back were still in their rightful spots.  Another kind racer stayed with me and helped me up...the volunteer who had been cheering me on was left speechless or frozen, not sure which.  So I got some water and kept going.  My arms were feeling useless, just hanging from my shoulders and I knew I had SO many upper body obstacles to go!  Did my stubbornness just cost me the chance to attempt the rest of the obstacles? Sure hope not.  The next obstacle was the bender which I was able to do no assistance (want to know what these obstacles look like? Tyro Traverse Bender) But I used up even more of my upper body strength by then.  I got to Twister as it was starting to mist.  I had done this one in CO but I slipped right off as they were wet and my arms were toast.  30 burpees.  One log carry down and then it's on to the Z walls.  I tried it twice, only because each time I made it almost to the end and slipped off.  30 burpees.  After the stairway

obstacle and a few more carries, I was starting to cramp in my hamstrings some.  Nothing bad...yet.  I got to the monkey bars and made it 2 rungs from the end and slipped off.  I was so sad and happy at the same time.  That was BY far, BY FAR, the farthest I have ever made it on the monkey bars and I had more left in me but it was too wet to grip by then.  Grrr!  30 burpees.  Now my hamstrings are starting to cramp more and more.  Walking didn't make a difference so I continued to slow jog.  Might as well get this over quicker!  I think by now it's mile 10.  I got to the spear throw and really was cramping as I waited in line.  I broke the rule that all moms tell their kids...don't take drugs from strangers! Haha.  A nice guy noticed my uncomfortable state and had salt tablets in his bag so I took them.  Sorry mom.  I, for my first time in 5 races, stuck the spear throw with my unconventional technique.  I knew my technique would pay off one of these days.  I was always so close in the past.  The salt tablets didn't really do much for me as I started to cramp really bad...in my groin, both sides. That is the worst pain I have ever been in on a race.  Now I'm super uncomfortable and now I need to accept that this is what's going to happen for the next 2-3 miles and I needed to get okay with it and find a way to move on.  I was praying, I was cursing, I was willing the pain away but it sucked.  (Although that was only a small preview to what was going to happen AFTER I finished).  After some more walls and carries it was on to the Z walls and Olympus (failed, by this point I'm wet and cool and cramping and it was all about finishing).  60 more burpees (and I had completed those two prior to this race but in nice 70 degree dry weather).  Some mud, some walls, a slip wall and a dunk wall and it appeared the end was near.  Ha!  Spartan said nope, gotta go out for a few more miles.  They strategically placed the dunk wall near the festival area so you saw the finish line but then it cut to the right and took you back into the woods.  More walls (Spartan likes walls), the herc hoist (that one has always been easy), the cargo climb, and then the rope climb.  That rope was thinner and slicker than the one I had at home.  30 burpees.  That would be the last of my burpees though.  Another climb and a fire jump and I was done in a time of 4:16:32.  Respectable, especially for my first beast and in the state my body was in.  After I got rinsed off (damn that water was cold!) and changed, I, unfortunately, really started to cramp in my groins.  To the point I could not stand or walk...however I could cry as I knelt to the ground. (I only halfway kid!)  So while I waited in line for my t shirt, I kept kneeling to the ground.  The only thing I could do to help with the pain.  I got some Gatorade and a banana and bought a much deserved trifecta jacket and then it was a LONG walk back to the car.  I was shuffling and then stopping to kneel ever so often and...ug...man that was a long walk back.  Made it back and put on nice dry socks and shoes and then got ready to go back to the hotel.  I stopped and got icy hot and epsom salts on the way.  I was a mess!  I got to the hotel and could barely get to my room.  Stairs made me cry.  Every muscle was seizing up.  I was hydrated but the lack of electrolytes, the wet and cold, and the numerous walls on the course (if you've done these you'll know the toll it was take to your groin area) were doing me in.  Trust me, I wondered if it was all worth it.  I took a good shower then soaked for 20 minutes or so in epsoms.  Got dressed and headed out to eat with some new Spartan friends and ate a lot of food!  I was actually feeling pretty good till I got back to the hotel and...stairs!  Stairs were the devil.  I bought some ice and took an ice bath (okay, that was also an interesting experience!  Yeouch!)  I was so sore the next morning-my groin, my core, my legs, my body-and spent the day in Clearwater walking the beach, watching the youth beach soccer tournament (did you know there was such a thing?), and sleeping on the beach.  Before you get jealous, the wind chill at the beach was 40 degrees!  I stuck my feet in the Gulf of Mexico which felt nice and warm and then made the drive back to Mulberry.  Monday I headed to Disney World and spent the day in Epcot doing my favorite ride Soarin (twice!) and meeting up with Donica and Emilie.  It was a great way to end the trip!  The 2 hour wait in security at the Orlando airport and nearly missing the boarding call and spilling sprite on my pants and sitting in wet pants for the flight and not getting breakfast that morning?? Sucky way to end the trip so I'm calling the trip over at Disney World.

My new Spartan friends....
While wearing my 4-0 wristband (it's a facebook page I am a part of) I was able to find other Spartan 4-0's and be found by others out on the course so that was super fun.  Craig was a guy I met who's from Maryland and he and I chatted often along the race as I sometimes passed him and he sometimes passed me.  We had quite the time at the barbed wire crawl!  I met Karen on the course and at the restaurant and she was a super enthusiastic presence on the course!  Saw a guy named Ed who I met at the after party in Colorado.  Ate dinner next to a few other young guys with whom I had great conversation.  It's out of my comfort zone to just show up at a place I've never been and meet and greet and mingle with folks I don't know but Spartan has pushed me to do those types of things.  To get out of my comfort zone, to be, at times, completely uncomfortable and recognizing that there was nothing else to be done but accept it and move forward, to try things that scare you because the reward is unimaginable.  I wasn't sure if I'd do a trifecta or even a spartan again in 2018 ($$ reasons)...and then I saw that they are coming to Attica, IN so it's on like donkey kong!  Here's to doing it again but doing it as a faster, stronger, better person than last time.  Until then, Aroo!

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable-Spartan Round 3...Part 2 the Sprint

 After a night filled with noisy hotel guests in the room upstairs, it was back to Ft Carson for round 2 in the "hills" of Colorado.  There was definitely a feeling of confidence that goes along with knowing exactly what you're undertaking, although I knew exactly what I was getting into and how much some of it might hurt.  The bucket brigade hill and the constant up and down hills would probably feel worse the 2nd day.  What I found interesting was the people I'd be running alongside.  At the super, people were focused, having fun but still focused on the miles ahead.  The sprint was a lot more of a relaxed atmosphere but everyone seemed to be in their little groups that they were running with.  No interacting with others.  It's not that it was anything bad, just a very interesting difference in the atmosphere of the 2 days.  Personally I liked the atmosphere of the super plus I liked that these people were more than likely very dedicated- kind of like the difference between showing up for a 5K and a marathon.  It felt like there were more helpful folks, encouraging words, dedicated racers for the super and the sprint folks maybe weren't as familiar with the incredible atmosphere of Spartans.  The encouragement, helping each other over the walls, giving great words of encouragement as you went along the course are all things that brought me back to running Spartans.  A lot like the atmosphere of camp.  You aren't necessarily trying to outrun the person beside you and you're cheering them on and helping them out because you want them to succeed too!  You want everyone to be successful!  So I did my best to show the folks out on the course the "spartan way".

There were obstacles that were cut out as they shortened the course from 9 miles to 5.  No z wall, fewer carries, but still all the hills, including the one at the end.  Ug!  But that hill wasn't as bad the 2nd day because I knew where it ended this time and in this case, that was a good thing.  However my grip was nonexistent Sunday.  After making it the entire way, fairly easily, on the Twister on Saturday, I barely made it halfway.  The bucket brigade was shorter but a lot more loose rocks as folks lost rocks when they dropped their buckets.  I slipped and ended up with the ugliest bruise on my thigh along with a few cactus thorns in my butt.  Olympus was super tough with my worn out hands and while I made it to the end, I actually whiffed on the bell but they said I made it. ;-)  I  did more burpees Sunday even though there were fewer obstacles.  I failed the same ones as I did Saturday plus the ones for the twister.  I was just too worn out to do it again.  My legs were good...it was my arms.  I knew that was my weak point anyways.

It was another gorgeous day in Colorado and a great day to race.  I was a little slower per mile, mostly due to the bottleneck at the obstacles (another reason I liked the super, fewer racers).  But still a very respectable 2:13:21, still over an hour faster than my very first spartan sprint in Ohio.  Overall, a great experience in Colorado.  I'd do that race again if I could.  Probably won't for at least a year or so...traveling during the late spring is hard with the job but if it lines up with Mother's day again I might.  I got super lucky too with the weather.  It was in the 80's while I was there...and it snowed 2 days after I left!  I came home with 2 medals, 2 hard earned pieces of my trifecta journey.  Now there was going to be a nice break..haha who am I kidding, summer camp was around the corner...but the last piece of my trifecta journey would come in early December.  I got to visit the beautiful Garden of the Gods and the Olympic Training Center before I left for home.  A great trip out west for sure!