Spartan Super: Part 1

This weekend I was scheduled to run a Sunday Spartan Sprint, and Dave was scheduled to run the Super Spartan (8 miles!). We set off Friday evening, checked into our hotel, and woke up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to the event location.

8 + miles.... 20+ obstacles....  :)

On the way there, Dave and I half-jokingly talked about the possibility of me running with him in the 8 miler. After he expressed some serious excitement about having a running buddy, we both looked at each other and I said "If they let me sign up at the event, I'll do it with you!"

I wanted a challenge. Mind you, I'd never run more than 6 miles and all of my mud run experiences have been 5K distances, but I wanted to see what I was capable of. I knew I was capable of running another 3 mile obstacle race, but 8 miles? I had confidence, but this was definitely a significantly larger accomplishment. And of course, once I walked up to the registration tent, they let me sign up in the same wave as Dave's. And excited panic immediately set in.

3.5 hours and 8 miles of ridiculously steep hills and amazing obstacles later, Dave and I crossed the finish line. It was an amazing feeling having finished the longer distance.... and never having a moment of thinking I cannot do this. Sure there were moments of exhaustion, leg cramps and fatigue, but never any doubt that I would cross the finish line. I felt extremely proud of both of us.

^^ One of the obstacles from the race... The horizontal wall-climb. You must climb to the other side of the wall using only those little blocks you see there, and ring a bell at the other side to announce you've completed the task!! I made it across this one, and it was so much fun!

Photos of the actual race are obviously not posted yet, but we got to take plenty of photos at the event and in front of the Spartan Race signs. (We have two medals on because if you did 40 burpees after the finish line you got an extra medal) After completing this race (which is the mid-distance race), I think I want to try for the trifecta - which is completing all 3 races (4 mile, 8 mile, and 12 mile) in one calendar year. It's only January and I already have the 8 miler under my belt. I can do this!!!

I can't wait until the photos are posted! I'm sure there will be plenty of hilarious photos of us crawling thru the mud... I will definitely be sharing those the second they are up. :)