Spartan Super Recap And Catch Up

Happy June!

This past weekend I completed my 3rd Spartan Race! The Super a 13-15km obstacle race, which once again left me contemplating if to run the Beast, Spartan’s 1/2 marathon again. 

I wasn’t sure if going to run. Spartan Race Espana weren’t putting on buses from Barcelona city centre as they have done in previous years and with no car or knowing anybody who might be running any of the races over the weekend well enough at my gym to ask for a ride, put me in a little bit of a spot. P’s still here and decided last minute to run it, so I had transport and competition. I had an hour and 15 minutes head start, but I didn’t want him overtaking me or running it faster than me. I got 1 out of 2. He didn’t catch up but with longer legs over the hilly terrain he beat me by 28 minutes. Little sh*t and he hadn’t trained for it. Plus he did all the driving while I feel asleep on the way back and started to wash the mud out of everything while I hid shaking of a migraine (yes, complimenting!)! I’m actually glad we ran at different times. I prefer running on my own and I kinda enjoy running the races on my own. I need help at walls but there’s always help somewhere, I enjoy the competition is myself and only worrying me during the race so to speak. That’s not to say I don’t help others along the way. I can run and pick how to do obstacles my way. That’s just how I am. Even if we had ran in the same wave, we would have spilt up. I think that’s the plan for the next one, playing tag.

Anyways as it’s a Spartan Race and week recap catch up, backtracking to a week ago Friday…

A morning run along the beaches, catching up on blog work and the zoo!First flamingo chick of the year!

Saturday, I didn’t want to go far. AJ had a allergic reaction to his medicine and had licked nearly all the fur from his back legs and random patches elsewhere. Friday he’d tried to remove the bandages which resulted in his paws swelling up. Thankfully they went down and socks between the gauze and self adhesive bandages works – no swelling paws. Unfortunalty for him, he’s had to wear the collar of shame to stop him licking the front paws all week. I’m changing the bandages daily and letting him have a few hours in the morning and evening, collar free to clean. He’s getting better slowly. So Saturday saw few Tone It Up workouts, attempt at spray painting a clock and the beach. Diesel cooling off

Sunday, race day! I don’t think I got much sleep as I didn’t want to miss my alarm.

Passing Monserrat Catalunya’s pretty country side You have reached you destination 

We arrived at Les Comes, Suria an hour before my wave which gave enough time to change, walk to the reception area, pee 50 times, remember this time to put the headband over my ears to avoid sticky out ears and find the start. Spartan this year switched up the normal starting place and made the start of the route with steep hills. They were the ones from the end of the Beast last year. The mud started straight away through a muddy stream before up into the hills/mountains. My thing with them is to walk up, run down. I’m glad I ran with my hydration pack as it was hot. Most aid stations I got it topped up with welcome cool water. Along the way when it gets flat are obstacles. Some taking advantage of the the terrain, others man made. The walls I needed help with and I only did 45 burpees or 50 all up. 5 in one obstacle. Every obstacle you fail or which aren’t must complete, the forfeit’s 30 burpees. I managed the upside monkey bars a new obstacle okay. I swear as you got closer to the bell, the bars got slightly further apart. When you have little legs like me you’re thinking please don’t fall, please don’t slip! The Herculean Hoist I was fine on with and I aced the monkey bars unlike last year (they were too slippy!). I almost lost my grip, kept calm, got my swing back and didn’t fall into the mud pit! I had help with another new obstacle the Olympus, based up upper body and grip strength, crossing a 75-80 degree wall like a peg wall minus the pegs, using chains, holes and grip holds. The javelin was burpees and the rope climb forfeit was just 15 burpees. Woot Woot!

While I hadn’t been training muscles ups for this one, which I should have done, I felt stronger than my previous 2. My first Super I didn’t know what to expect, the Beast was hard with the hills and this one I ran more. Towards the end people starting walking down the hills and on the flat. I walked a bit on the flat, however knowing P was hot on my heels and not wanting to get caught up in the mentality of walking because others were, I ran the hills down the gullies. It’s crazy, I’m running my myself, see no one for 5 minutes, come across an obstacle, see people, then everybody disappears again until the last stretch. The terrain was the hardest bit and like my first Super it had me thinking I can do more, I can run the Beast! I realised later this is because I wanted more obstacles! 

The communal cold water camping style shower water wasn’t so freezing this time. It was perfectly cool enough to provide relief after the mud and dust. I was grateful afterwards for them this year providing separate male and female changing tents. Maybe they did last year, I didn’t see them. Some people stripped right down showering, most like me it was another obstacle getting all the mud off while not revealing, hence I was gratefully for the female changing tent.

This guy ran in a bear costume. I remember passing him, nodding, smiling and running on. I think he was running for charity. Hats off to him running in a bear costume adding more weight in the mud! 

After a celebratory pineapple juice and 0% beer we went to the beach! The only place to sleep off the run. Except we choice Castelldefels which has gorgeous silky soft sand that gets everywhere and when you’re hot, tired and have a migraine starting it irritates. The solution, 1st sea dip of the year!

Monday, my shoulders and quads, mostly my quads were doing some loud talking. No gym. Instead an hour’s Yogaglo, a short bike to get the blood moving and as no gym, the zoo. By Tuesday I was still sore, but needed a gym fix to feel like everything was tightened up and mentally not start to go crazy. Running Wednesday my quads were a little grumpy and by Thursday back to normal. This guy had killed a magpie which the magpie’s friends weren’t happy about. They went into full attack mode, pecking the wolf, harassing it. The wolf ignored them, excitingly showing its pack it’s bounty. 

What’s your favourite type of races to run? I prefer trails or obstacle races. Running flat or on concrete gets boring for me. As I can’t run trails much, I run the beaches. Kinda the same!