SPARTAN TRIFECTA 2019
March 2019, Las Vegas Sprint
July 2019, Utah Super
October 2019, SoCal Beast
I first heard of the Spartan Race the summer of 2016 before I left on my mission. One of my coworkers ran it and described how hard it was—it looked like loads of fun to me.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that I can do hard things. I started running in junior high and high school as a stress reliever. One of my friends ran a half marathon and I thought to myself, ‘I bet I could do that’—so I trained and ran a couple of half marathons. It was exciting to see how I could train for and accomplish these long distant races. But I got tired of running. The spartan race seemed exciting—not just running, but running over various terrain with different obstacles! How fun.
I left on my mission. A year passed, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the spartan race. August of 2017 I had my dad research and send me workouts so I could start training. It was exciting for me to have something to train for again.
I got home from my mission spring of 2018. I convinced a few of my friends to run the race with me the following March in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Sprint
I researched and studied and trained as best as I knew. I was equal parts thrilled that I was finally able to run this race I had been looking forward to, and scared out of my mind because I didn’t know what to expect.
The race was HARD. 3 miles through mud, up and down steep hills, not to mention the 20 crazy obstacles. The friends I ran with were much faster runners with stronger upper bodies. I was self conscious of the fact that I was slowing them down and frustrated that I had trained so hard to only feel like I couldn’t keep up.
But overall, the race was a blast. It felt a little insane; I was paying to put myself through this physical grief. But it was so fun. I loved running in the mud, climbing over walls, and working together as a team.
Utah Super
After the Las Vegas Sprint, I was excited and wanted to train for another race. There was a super (8 miles) in Utah in July, so I started training again immediately. I was going strong until about a month before the race. I stopped training. I was burned out. I went on vacation. There are a lot of reasons and excuses that I could make for why I stopped, but nothing changes the fact that I didn’t exercise at all the last month before the race.
The night before the race came and I was getting really nervous. Should I still run the race? Should I dip out? I was in NO physical (or mental) condition to run successfully. While I was mulling it over, I remembered a book by David Goggins that I had finished earlier. In his book he described that when we think we have reached our physical limitations, we have only reached 40% of our actual capabilities. So I decided to put that logic to the test and run the race. Not running would’ve been a major blow to my personal integrity.
Oh boy oh boy, I thought that the Sprint in Las Vegas was hard, but this was on another level. 2300 feet of elevation gain. 8 miles. 26 obstacles. We were literally running at the top of the mountains. I didn’t have a camelback and I was dehydrated. I was exhausted. But I did it! Proving to myself that I still follow through on commitments, even when I am horribly, horribly unprepared, was big to me.
I could hardly walk after the race, and vowed to never run again. These races weren’t fun—they were torture.
SoCal Beast
A week after the Utah Super, my parents and I went on vacation to Japan. We were in our hotel in Sapporo and I found myself once again putting on my shoes to go for a run. It had been so long since I had gone running just for the sake to run—not to train, not with any other reason but to clear my head and get outside. It was rejuvenating. I had forgotten how much I loved it.
By the end of our two week trip, I had made up my mind to sign up for the Spartan Beast. My logic was this: I had already ran the Sprint and Super and was one race away from finishing the trifecta… I was so close. Why not just finish?
I signed up for the SoCal Beast, bought trail running shoes, and had 10 weeks to train. The training was more intensive than the previous races because the distance was longer and obstacles harder. I devoted more time than ever before. I was working two jobs and back in school, getting an average of 4.5 hours of sleep a night, but I was all in. I was stoked more than ever before.
The race was in Southern California. My parents offered to accompany me on my trip, but I decided to go alone. I drove all day Friday, crashed in a hotel, raced Saturday, and drove back Sunday.
I was more prepared and more confident going into this race than ever before. The hard sacrifices of time and hours upon hours of training paid off. I was strong on the trails. I accomplished obstacles I’ve never been able to do before. I did so, so many burpees…and kept running. Other runners supported and helped me, and I did the same. We all cheered each other on. I was on the top of my mental game. I ran to the finish strong and proud. I accomplished the trifecta!!!
The drive home from the race was sacred. I allowed myself to feel proud—proud of all that I had accomplished, proud of the sacrifices I had made, proud that I didn’t let anything hold me back.
When I first heard of the spartan race, I never thought I would run more than one race, let alone finish the trifecta. I’m grateful and proud that I did. In this year alone, I have learned many profound lessons.
You can accomplish anything you put your mind to if you are willing to sacrifice.
I don’t know why I was so drawn to running a spartan race. No one close to me had ever run one before. My coworker mentioned it only offhandedly. But, for whatever reason, I knew I wanted and needed to run it. I also knew it was a big challenge, and if I dedicated myself, I could do it.
In my life, the main priority became training, especially in preparation for the beast. I hardly slept. I still worked hard in school and at my job, but I was dedicating all my energy, time, and thoughts to training for the race. It definitely wasn’t a long-term sustainable lifestyle, but for the 10 weeks of training, it was my life. And it all paid off. I realized that if what I am working toward really matters to me, I can sacrifice everything else to reach it.
Be kind and encourage yourself.
The previous races I was really hard on myself. I couldn’t keep up with my friends in the sprint, and I didn’t prepare adequately for the super. I let that affect my race. It slowed me down and made me unsure of myself. I knew going into the last race that I needed to change.
My mantra for my beast training was Trust the Process. I wasn’t going to get significantly stronger overnight. I understood that and told myself that my efforts were making a difference—because they were. It’s too easy to get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Everyday I reminded myself to Trust the Process. Just saying it kept me grounded and forward thinking.
During the beast, I only allowed positive thoughts. I knew I could accomplish the obstacles and run because of my preparation. I cheered myself on as I ran. It completely changed the race for me. I was happier, more willing to help others, and stronger.
Help others along the way.
One of my favorite things about the spartan race is the camaraderie that is formed with the other racers. We are all attacking the challenging course and difficult obstacles together. It wasn’t until this last race that I started offering help to other spartans—and it made running a much more enjoyable experience. I no longer felt like I was alone, even though I had trained and come by myself. I knew that if I couldn’t get over a wall, there would be a knee offered to help me up. When my calf cramped, there was someone offering me a mustard packet. Being able to receive help, while also sharing my strength, food, and positive attitude with others made me a happier racer overall.
It is amazing to look back on the events leading up to running spartan races, and the last year intensively training and running them. I know that it is no coincidence that I became so interested in them. I’ve gained more respect for myself and know that I can truly do anything as I sacrifice, am kind to myself, and help others.
I know that not everyone desires to do anything close to a spartan race. It is pretty crazy. But I believe that the things I’ve learned can also be found through challenging yourself in other ways. I’m excited to keep pushing myself as I train for more spartans and push myself in other ways.
