The Spartan Beast, known for its punishing hills, will be the stage for the elite competition heat where the athletes will race head to head through the early morning mist on Saturday, September 20th. Racers will tackle a gauntlet of challenging obstacles, including wall climbs, aerial traverses over water, challenging rope climbs, and barbed wire crawls.
I was at my heaviest 185 lbs and Im 5ft tall. I tried the diets, joined a local gym but never attended- I just paid for it!I just could not figure out where to begin. A good friend of mine invited me to come workout with her, and after multiple invites and rejections, I finally agreed to go. It was just before my 41st birthday, in the heat of July in Georgia, I went for my visit to The Compound. What was I thinking?
We conquered the course with our team and were ready to tackle the Tough Mudder Virginia the following month. Again, we faced another big hurdle… Tropical Storm Andrea came through the night before and tore apart the course, flooding the James River (which was part of the course as well).
From being a very avid runner/cyclist/marathoner to hospitalized and bed ridden I became very depressed and to top it off I was unable to continue nursing school due to my absence.
The course was challenging, but what I loved most about it is that it was FUN! And I don’t mean fun thinking back on the course once crossing the finish line after having looks of anguish on my face for 40 minutes to an hour plus like I usually do.
Although running is not a passion of mine, it is great training for the obstacle course racing. The best thing about Obstacle Course Racing is that it provides a challenge for everyone from elite racers, to athletes in training (like me), to those just starting out. It fosters team work and encourages us to become better humans. I never believed in a million years that I would be able to complete a Tough Mudder or a Spartan race.
I don’t let diabetes stop me from doing things, I never have and I never will. It is just an extra obstacle that I have to face. Over the couple of years I have been doing OCRs I have helped a number of other people with diabetes learn how they can do these events or any other event. I don’t hide the fact that I have diabetes, in fact I will tell it to anyone who asks, ‘Why are you running with that pack?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ when I stop and a water station and start pulling things out of my pack.
Saturday morning we arrived at the venue and were met with a light fog and brisk temperatures. It was a toss-up between being cold enough to justify a shirt or not but I decided it ultimately wouldn’t be worth the added weight once caked in the red clay. I took the starting coral and anxiously awaited our cue to set off on the course.
"People may think I’m crazy, sadistic, relentless, maniacal, suicidal, all rolled into one, but they still seek me out, sensing somehow that there is a method to this madness. And that my tactics change lives, create opportunities, and yield results."
One of my favorite features is the “H20 drain”. The water almost instantly drains out after being fully submerged. Not only does the “H20 Drain” help drain the water out but the material of the shoe seems like it wicks out moisture. The tongue of the shoe will not hold any water due to the rubber material used.
