Spartan Race Report By Klaus Fritzsche
Jun 19, 2011
Spartan Race Report
By Klaus Fritzsche
On June 19, four FMCT Falcons got together for an event that took us, shall we say, a few steps beyond the traditional. Well, maybe more than a few steps!
The team was supposed to be Judy Kuban and her daughter Melody, Klaus Fritzsche (me), and Ryan Hader. Colin Moore had come along to capture the highlights on camera. However, 30 minutes before our heat, Ryan called in with car troubles so Colin decided to fill in - he had brought running shoes after all! Thankfully, Rosanne agreed to take over Colin's spot behind the lens.
" So Colin, when's the last time you ran?"
" About 18 months ago"
" Are you sure you're up to this? It's only 5k but there are hills and obstacles and we don't know what!"
" I'd rather do it and hurt afterwards than sit on the side lines and wish I had tried!" said Colin.
Sounds like that good old Falcon spirit to me! ( I didn't know until then that Colin has a bad hip joint due to Osteoarthritis)
So we lined up with some 300 other Spartan Warriors, us looking very cool in our matching shirts and head bands that Melody had brought.
And we were off! We had previously learned that this was not so much a 'team' event as an individual race so it was every man/woman for themselves.
We ran about 300 meters and then climbed a steep rocky hill, followed by a short trail and then down a slippery, grass slope. After another short distance we were forced off the road into the muddy, rocky edge of a nearby lake - just long enough to fill our running shoes with muck. Next we had to pick up a car tire and run up a steep grassy hill with it and carry it down the other side. I thought I could slide down in the tire but that didn't work!
Up next was a wooden trough about 20ft long - full of mud and over-laid with barbed wire. I started laughing! By the time I had crawled through this I was covered.
Fortunately some of the mud washed off at the next station. Here we had to lug a bucket with about 2 gallons of water around a bog up to our knees in water and mud.
With shoes now totally packed with slime we had to scale a 6ft wall and then follow a path that took us through a grass field and up another very steep hill before plunging into the forest for a little trail running.
The first taskmaster in here ordered us to drop and do twenty push-ups, the second had us climb a rope before continuing. The third had us go over a rope wall, then there was a bunch of netting to jump through.
As we burst into the sunlight again I was thinking 'this is too cool - what's going to happen next?'
Down another steep hill and we came to a station were we had to hurl a javelin-type something at a hay bale. Hit it and move on - miss with your only shot and it's 30 burpees for you. Well I missed and watched some of the guys I had fought to pass hit their targets and scamper off! Damn!
The next obstacle was an 8 ft high plank wall that had to be breeched. Next was a station where we had to drag or carry 40lb concrete stones around a 50ft track. That one was really good for the heart rate!
Next was the wall of fire to jump over, followed by another of those mud troughs with the barbed wire, except this one was filled with ice and mud. You know it's really hard to crawl flat on your stomach over muddy ice cubes, especially when there's a guy there with a shovel throwing more of the stuff at you!
On to the finish line but first we had to clamber over a wall made of straw bales and then up a steep ramp covered in wet plastic sheet with a rope hanging down to help us up. Down the other side and off to the final gauntlet - a pair of gladiators trying to knock us off our feet with weapons that looked like over-stuffed clubs!
And then we were done!
What a hoot! Can we talk anyone else into signing up for next year?
The results were as follows:
Colin - 45:30
Melody- 38:25
Judy- 35:18
Klaus- 27:49
The final results had us starting in the wrong heat so all our times showed 30 minutes more than correct. Hence our placing among the 1882 participants is unclear.
But who cares, it was way too much fun to worry about that!
As an added attraction they organized an impromptu 'best abs competition' for guys and girls. I'm pleased to say that yours truly represented our gender pretty well ( made it into the second round of cheering..! ) amongst a predominantly younger group of competitors!
