My name is Helen and I am an OCRaholic. I have ran a few races, well quite a few actually, but until recently I had never ran a Spartan Race. My aim is to get my Spartan Trifecta (one race of each distance in a single season - 5k, 12k and 20k) and I started with the middle distance race, the Spartan Super, followed by the shorter Spartan Sprint, and I will be finishing with the Spartan Beast later in the year.
I’m not very good at burpees. I’m slow and they make me dizzy
In all honesty the Spartan Race’s scared me more than any other, because they make you do burpees, 30 of them, every single time you fail an obstacle, and I’m not very good at burpees. I’m slow and they make me dizzy. I also know that my upper body strength leaves something to be desired. I’ve never managed to complete a set of monkey bars in a race, nor climb a rope, both things I would be required to try at these races.
So I turned up at my first race, feeling a bit sick with nerves, and before too long was off running up a hill. This was fine, this was great in fact, a few walls to clamber over and crawl under, what was I so worried about? A bit of mud, some water to wade through, running through trees, I was loving it. The race looped you back into the event village, through some trenches and over a huge A-frame. I don’t like heights much, but this was well built and stable, maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all, then after a bit more running we came back round to the event village again and there was the traverse wall. No problem I thought, I did something similar at Dirty Dozen, I can do this… Turns out, no I couldn’t. I slipped off the walls and earned my first set of the dreaded burpees.
My upper body strength leaves something to be desired. I’ve never managed to complete a set of monkey bars in a race, nor climb a rope. This would only mean one thing…Burpees!!
Down I got and slowly and painfully jumped my way through my 30, finally over, I went to run to the next obstacle, which was right next door, and was, horror of horrors a set of low slung monkey bars over a pit of water. I grabbed hold, swung out and… SPLASH, straight into the muddy water. 30 more muddy burpees for me. I could have cried at this point, but I carried on, got a bit of pace up with some more running, and felt better again, that is until I hit the parallel bars that you had to use your arms to move across, I came, I swung, I slipped, I put my foot down. Fail, 30 more burpees!
I predictably messed up my spear throw and then fell off the Hang Tough
As expected the rope climb cost me another 30 burpees, but I’m pleased to say I managed the hoist obstacle without any problems at all and was able to carry on. After making myself dizzy rolling under some barbed wire I then did another 30 burpees at a water carry just to avoid the massive queue that had formed (This was suggested by the marshals). I predictably messed up my spear throw, another 30 painful reps for me, and fell straight off the hang tough obstacle costing me 30 more just before the end. Total burpees for the Super: 180
Arriving at the Spartan Sprint I wasn’t anywhere near as nervous, but having come down with a cold, I was still concerned about having to do burpees for failed obstacles, I just wasn’t sure how my body would cope. Still off we went, over some hurdles and some nice flat running through woods and mud, a few swims, a crawl, atlas stone carry, sandbag carry, barrel full of water to carry no problem, I was doing OK, then it was hello monkey bars and hello burpees, again! 30 down who knows how many more to go! I was going OK again until I hit the rope climb, but this was failed, again, and 30 more burpees were added to my total, I struggled through these and carried on.
Burpees may suck, but you can get through it
30 more were earned at yet another failed spear throw, but that turned out to be it. I struggled most at the Sprint at the final obstacle, a ramp with a rope that I had breezed up the week before, but it was really slippery this time and I kept getting right to the top then sliding all the way back down. I must have done it 4 times, but I didn’t want to do burpees at the finish line, and I wasn’t giving up at that point, so almost in tears, and with the help of some very kind men who gave me a pull and a shove, I finally made it to the top, earning me a huge cheer from the watching spectators, leaving me free to jump the fire and make it to the end. Total Burpees for the Sprint: 90
Down I got and slowly and painfully jumped my way through another 30 burpees
These races have taught me that you can do more that you think you are capable of, and that burpees may suck, but you can get through it. I really enjoyed these races and am looking forward, all be it with some trepidation, to the Beast later this year. By my maths, with 90 burpees at the Sprint and 180 at the Super my expected burpee count for that race should be 270! Lets hope not.
If you have been thinking about doing a Spartan race but have maybe been put off about the hype or the fear of burpees just remember, if I can do it, so can you. Give it a go!
Need some motivation or want to chat about your Spartan experience? Then head over to our Facebook group Team Muddy Race to chat with over 250 likewise mud addicts.
Images credit: Epic Action Imagery