Sweat Report - Workout Weeks in Review (3/3 - 16 /2013)

3/3 - 3/9/2013

TOTAL TIME: 6:55
TOTAL DISTANCE: 19.82 mi
TOTAL CAL: 4958

03/03/13: Power-walking - 6.76 mi, 1:41:47. 1044 cal.

03/04/13: Kickboxing class - 1:00:00, 558 cal.

03/06/13: All Cardio exercise - total 45:00; warmup - 5:00 (stairclimber); stationary bike - 20:00, 7.57 mi (22.7 mph), 328 cal; elliptical - 20:00, 1.19 mi (pace 16:48/mil), 325 cal.

03/09/13: SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA!  (1st obstacle mud run) - 3:28:15, 4.3 mi, 2703 cal

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3/10 - 3/16/2013

TOTAL TIME: 0:30
TOTAL DISTANCE: 1.8 mi

03/13/13: Walking - 35:00, 2.0 mi.

MY GREAT ADVENTURE - GEORGIA SPARTAN SPRINT 2013

Well, gang, I did it!  This past Saturday (3/9/13), I finished my 1st mud run/obstacle course - the Georgia Spartan Sprint. 

I was very excited when I crossed the entrance to the race area Saturday morning.  However, as it drew closer and closer to the start of my wave (10:45 am), I really was feeling intimidated - I don't swim so if I got 'in over my head' (literally for me) in one of those water traps, I felt it would be all over for  me! 

 

 

Once the gun went off, I decided not to run hard - my one and only goal was to finish the race. I didn't plan to make any PRs this day other than TO FINISH. With the very 1st obstacle - crossing over a highway barricade while being doused with ice cold water from a high pressure fire hose - to the very last one - crawling under barred wire through thick Georgia mud - it certainly proved to be my greatest adventure to date. 
 

The course was not without its struggles for me - most of the water traps I by-passed to do 'burpees'; I attempted the 1st 2 or so such traps (1st walking through a 'shallow' creek, then through a 'small swamp') and I just couldn't do it.  When I first stepped into that creek, I began hyperventilating  - gasping for air - and panicking so I took my chances walking along the creek banks.  And I definitely said NO to walking through the swamp - I found a path in the wooded area alongside the swamp.  My only concern then was if this would be more hazardous (like being quicksand).  Thankfully, it wasn't (WHEW).

Oh, BTW you see that huge structure in the picture below?  Well, that was an obstacle that had to be conquered too.  You climbed up a web of ropes on one side in order to get to the other side by crossing the web of rope over the top stretched between to the 2 towers.  Another fear of mine is heights so you can only imagined how I felt at the top of that monstrosity! 

I fared OK when it came to climbing and crossing walls - well about 75% - the highest wall I did climb was  7 ft. I couldn't get over an 8-ft wall and an incline wall and there was that incline wall to cross after crawling through the 1st of 2 mud traps. 

 (You know, people paid good money to punish themselves - LOL!)

Anyway, I finished under in 4 hours - I have to brag on myself.  I must say I was certainly in good company.  The lady in front of me crossing the finishing line is 69.  Perhaps the most heart-felt and truly inspiring people I witness was Michael Mills (he's the guy in the last picture on this page).  You can't complain about your feet hurting when you see someone crawling through the mud without them.

 

One off the Bucket List - My 1st Obstacle Race (Spartan Sprint GA - 3/9/13)!

I DID IT!

NO TURNING BACK NOW - ON TO VICTORY (SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA, 3/9/2013)!

How I'll feel in the next couple of hours or so  ...




THE TASTE OF TRIUMPH!

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA EVE!

OVERCOMING!

YOU'LL KNOW AT THE FINISH LINE! (video)

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 2 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA

You're Smiling, REALLY?

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 3 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA!

FACING THE BARBED WIRE!

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 4 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA

HANGING IN THERE ON THE ROPE TRAVERSE!

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 5 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA!

FACING THE GLADIATORS!!

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 6 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA!

THE FIRE PIT!

COUNTDOWN TO MY 1ST MUD RUN: 7 DAYS TO SPARTAN SPRINT GEORGIA!

MUD! OH YEAH!

ARE YOU SPARTAN TOUGH? (translation - I MUST BE CRAZY!!)

Next Saturday, March 9th, I will embark on a 1st: running in an obstacle mud run - Spartan Sprint Georgia.  When I first registered for it, I thought "Hey, this is cool".  Several of my friends had done a similar race a couple of years ago and they said it was a total blast!  But as the date for the race gets closer, I'm getting a little anxious (it doesn't help to watch videos of the races).  I won't have any friends running but I'll have family there to cheer me on because -

I AM SPARTAN TOUGH!!!



ARE YOU SPARTAN TOUGH? (video)