The BEAST

I've had a few of days to look back on one of the most difficult races I've completed to this day - the Reebok World Championship Spartan Beast - a 14+ mile 12,000'+ elevation obstacle race held at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. This race tested me both mentally and physically - it was a painful, bloody, cold, and cramp filled torturous challenge - but all can think about is that I can't wait to do it again.

Photo Credit Spartan Race

It's really difficult for me to write a full review since running a 14 mile race like this tends to leave my brain slightly scrambled, but I'll do my best to piece it together. First - perfect weather for a race. Not too cold not too hot. Loved it. One of the best times of year to be in Killington and New England (although I do prefer snowboarding down the mountain to running up it).

1 mile 65lb sandbag carry

We started a few minutes later than the normal 8am elite start time due to the NBC Television presence and some introductions of the incredible athletes from around the world. Then it was game time...Aroo! Aroo! Aroo! - and we were off. The first two miles were pretty much completely uphill - as expected and very difficult. There were the normal walls, over unders, etc. There was a tire drag on a chain then a pull - I live for the upper body portions of the race. Around mile 4 or 5 (it's honestly become a blur) we got to the dreaded sandbag carry. This was no ordinary 40lb sandbag carry up a hill and back down.
This was a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BEAST sandbag carry and it lived up to it. The sandbag weighed 65lbs and the carry was up one of the steepest slopes Killington had to offer for A FULL MILE - 1/2 mile up and back down.

This was also the part of the race that my better half, Gretchen Krueger, caught up to me - I think (still blurry). We decided to stay together for the remainder of the race - also with my buddy Keith. During the next couple miles there was a spear throw (which I was thrilled to have NAILED - Gretchen made it too) and a few other obstacles including a pretty long barbed wire crawl.

Barbed wire scratches

At mile 7ish we got to the rope climb, inverted walls, another barbed wire section (one of 4 barbed wire crawls). I was wearing my Ultraspire Omega hydration vest and I did not want to shred it on barbed wire, so every time I went through a barbed wire patch I would take it off and roll with it. This is how I got scratched up pretty bad during the race. I was also starting to cramp up in my legs from the cold muddy water.

After the barbed wire we had to cross a pretty cool raised ladder to a cargo net then back down. We also met up with a good friend and great guy, Rob Butler - owner of Shale Hill Adventure Farm. Next was the real water portion of the race and the start of crazy cramps and hypothermia. A brief swim into the late September chilled waters of Killington's runoff led to the second rope climb of the race - the rope is attached to the bottom of a 20' high bridge. That was not too bad. Then we had to run around the lake to the traverse wall. Legs were very cold and slightly cramped but still did it no problem. THEN was the hard part - another swim to the bridge and another rope climb followed by a tarzan swing on very short ropes to a bell ring. Gretchen went first and I cheered her on. I really thought if anyone could make it, she would. She got to the second rope of the swing and fell.

Swim - rope climb - Tarzan swing (mile 7) - Photo Credit Spartan Race

This is also something on a normal day I feel I would be pretty good at - I did not make it either. When I swam across the lake to the other side to meet Gretchen, she was holding her hand and practically in tears. Uh oh...

Her pinky was purple and white and turned to the side. Four different people looked at it and said "yes, that looks broken." We thought it was broken. We were freezing. I felt sick that we would have to stop the race. I could not imagine how Gretchen would continue the race and all obstacles with her finger looking like that and I asked her repeatedly if she wanted to go to the medic. If she did, that was it - race over and she would be DQ'd. If she went to the medic I felt like there was no way I could continue racing while my hurt wife was in the medical tent. I'll be honest - I was so cold and miserable at that point I almost wanted her to say "ok, let's go to the medic." It would not have taken much to twist my arm to drop out at that point. But Gretchen is tougher than anyone I know and she said "no, let's keep going." I was amazed at her fortitude. I'm a baby - if my hand looked like hers I probably would have dropped out. Luckily it was just sprained and freezing cold because once we started moving for another mile or so we all warmed up and her hand was ok.

Photo Credit Spartan Race

After a 1/2 mile bucket carry up the mountain (5 gallon bucket filled with rocks) and some actual fun running (not climbing) for a few miles we were routed back to the water again around mile 9. This time for the tyrolean traverse - a 40-50 yard rope strung over the lake which you have to climb under or over to ring a bell. I went first this time and made it no problem. I go underneath and rest my calves crossed and pull using all upper body.

Gretchen went next with the more conservative technique of staying on top of the rope. That way takes longer but uses less energy. She made it and so did our friends. The rest of the race was pretty straight forward with more running up hills, down hills, a few walls to scramble over and some other obstacles...More barbed wire...this time uphill.

After race pose with Beast & Trifecta medals

The last major obstacle was another sandbag carry for about 3/4 of a mile. The slope was much less steep and the sandbag was only 40lbs, so it seemed easy after what we had just been through. Last was the fire jump and gladiators - Gretchen and I held hands over the fire and rushed the gladiators together. It was a great feeling to get that medal with my wife. It's funny - I still don't really like to run, but I LOVE to finish a run or a race. This race was really satisfying to finish especially after the debacle from last year with the "lost tribe."

The other incredible highlight from the weekend was seeing my Spartan Family and VPX Team Xtreme family. I have made lifetime friendships with people from literally all over the world and it is such a great feeling to get together with friends who share the same passions.

VPX TEAM Xtreme

VPX Team Xtreme Spartan Race Giveaway

Gretchen and I were recently sponsored by a very cool company - VPX Sports. We are now sponsored athletes in the "VPX Team Xtreme Obstacle Racers" division. This means we'll be getting to try all of the supplements and products that VPX Sports makes and we'll be representing VPX at all of our races. 

I was able to set up a giveaway on the Team Xtreme Facebook page for a free Spartan Race. If you saw my recent post about Spartan Race, you know that we are huge supporters of Spartan Race and I was lucky enough to be able to get a free race code to use for this giveaway.

There are some incredible races coming up over including the "Ballpark Sprints:






SPECIAL OFFER -- race in all of the ballpark Sprints this year and get a free season pass for 2014!

Enter the free Spartan Race giveaway here:

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Free Spartan Race Anyone?

UPDATE: Congrats to Lisa Ward for winning the FREE Spartan Race!

Of course you know I'm a supporter of all things Spartan Race. There are amazing races coming - Utah June 29th - A BEAST. Pennsylvania July 13th & 14th -A SPRINT, Miller Park, Wisconsin Sept 7th - A Stadium Series Sprint, and of course in my hometown of Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 28th - another Stadium Series Sprint.

I've been working on a blogger outreach program to help generate some buzz and interest in Spartan Races and the upcoming season. I now have the opportunity to provide someone with a free race in any open US heat. Just click the widget below for a chance to win. You can also get 15% off of registration for any Spartan Race here.



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Spartan Sprint

Spartan Sprint - 3+ MILES / 15+ OBSTACLES. The challenging sprint obstacle trail races are a great way to get off your couch and start living. From beginner trail racers and mud run participants to hardcore warriors, tough guys and marathon runners, they all come out to test themselves on the insane obstacle races! 99.9% of all people who try this event will finish, and 100% will have their thirst for mud & trail racing fully satisfied! Top 3 Males and top 3 Females at each Spartan Sprint qualify for a free entry into a Super Spartan of their choice.

Super Spartan

Super Spartan - 8+ MILES / 20+ OBSTACLES. The Super Spartan obstacle course race provides an 8+ mile battlefield of insane mud running with 20+ obstacles to test your physical strength and mental resolve. This mud run of an endurance race will have many trials to push you to your full potential! The good news is that after you complete your painful journey, there will be live music and a catered meal to soothe your aching joints. Top 3 Male and Female finishers at each Super Spartan race qualify for free entry into the death race.

Spartan Beast

Spartan Beast - 12+ MILES / 25+ OBSTACLES. An obstacle course race from hell. If you have done any race anywhere in the world: whether a mud run, fun run, olympic run, bike race, death march or any kind of event claiming to be the "toughest race on the planet" you will be happy to know that this is where it ends..THIS IS THE SPARTAN BEAST...Step up and get out of your comfort zone on our +16k beast of an obstacle course race; many will arrive, but few will leave!

Texas Beast - Conquered!

My 6th and final Spartan Race for the 2012 season is now complete and it was an incredible way to end the year. My only regret from the race is that my wife Gretchen wasn't there to share it with me. This was the first race that I've run without her by my side - one of us had to stay home with the kiddos and the dogs and Gretchen urged me to go.

After running the PA Sprint, VA Super, NJ Super, VT Beast, and the Carolina Beast, the Texas Spartan Beast was definitely a challenging one. It ended up being 13.5 miles total and the Texan terrain at the Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose Texas was utilized to it's fullest extent by the sadistic Spartan Race course director Mike Morris. The race started off on some very sharp, dusty and rocky cactus filled soil. The one "hill" on the course grounds was used over and over and over again for the first 7 miles of the race. Up and down the steep hill was the theme for the first half of the race -  both the bucket and sandbag carries took place at the steepest areas. The obstacles were the usual medley - cargo nets, rope climbs, 6-8' walls, barbed wire, atlas carry (with mandatory burpees) and even a 100+ yard swim across a 25' deep lake. After the swim at around mile 9 came the dreaded tyrollean-traverse - a taught rope between two high points that you must climb across. This dreaded obstacle causes burns on the chests of people that choose to take the "above" route, and lots of falls for those who go under. I hung underneath with my calves crossed and pulled myself hand over hand until I could ring the bell. With my forearms burning and that obstacle complete, the rest of the course seemed pretty straight forward.

Tire flips, running, more walls to jump over, more barbed wire to crawl under and the traditional end of the race obstacles - traverse wall, spear throw (I nailed it), soapy wall with rope and the gladiators. I made it through them all with no penalty burpees (a first for me) and my official time was 3 hours 4 minutes. For me that was great. I honestly wanted to do the race again the following day, but my flight home was scheduled a bit too early. All in all it was a fantastic race - I got to hang out with some great Spartan friends and complete another Beast. Bring on 2013!

Redeemed!

I did it. Not that I didn't think I could, but it's official and felt great. I completed the South Carolina Spartan Beast this past Saturday - a 13.2 mile race in the middle of nowhere'sville South Carolina, giving me a trifecta of Spartan races for the year (completion of a Sprint, Super and Beast in one year). This was my 5th Spartan race for the 2012 race season - The PA Sprint, Virginia Super, NJ Super, and the Killington Beast. After the Vermont debacle 3 weeks ago, this really was redemption. And to top it all off, I did it on my 39th birthday followed by my 12 year anniversary on Sunday to my beautiful wife Gretchen.

The weekend started on Friday with a long 10+ hour drive from PA to South Carolina with my buddy Jason Moss and friend Heather Powell. Gretchen flew down with another friend of ours who is a flight attendant and had a buddy pass, then meeting us at the hotel. The 8am elite start on Saturday morning came quickly and we were off. The air was pretty chilly, but after a mile or so I was sweating as usual. I really loved this course. The up and down hills were short but steep, the terrain and obstacles were fast but challenging. Thinking back on it, I could have completed it faster, but I always think that after a race. The barbed wire crawls were pretty brutal - up hill and long. I did mess up on the traverse wall (a first for me) and had to do 30 burpees. It was pretty slick and freshly painted. The tyrollean traverse went well this time after having experienced it in two other races. All in all a great day. The photo above is very meaningful as well because it's the first time in all of my Spartan races that I nailed the spear throw. Not having to do 30 burpees at the end of the race was a welcome birthday present. Then it was over and time for the looooong 10+ hour ride home. Always a let down when its all done after thinking and prepping for a race for so long. It was great to see so many amazing people who travel from all over to compete in these races. Like a welcoming family. I'm still feeling the high from the weekend and look forward to seeing the action photos from Nuvision in a few days. Next up....Boston Fenway Sprint or Texas Beast?

 

Redemption Time

It's taken me a couple of weeks to circle back to this. I never followed up my previous post about the Killington VT Spartan Beast for a couple of reasons -  disappointment and embarrassment. I've been training almost 7 days a week for the past 2 years for various races culminating in the biggest one of all - The Spartan Beast in Killington VT - a 13+ mile race from hell. I was ready physically and mentally (for the most part) for the challenge. What happened on the mountain was unexpected and disheartening.

The start of the 8am race was crowded with Elite racers and Ultra-Beast racers.  It was sunny and chilly - perfect racing weather. After the opening ceremony and the reciting of the Spartan creed, we were off. Gretchen and I ran together briefly through the mud pits and water spraying until she started to pull away in the second mile. Heading up the steep mountain through the woods, the crowd started to spread out a bit. By the time we got to the top of the peak, Gretchen was a minute or two ahead of me and it was time for the first downhill portion of the race.

I'm still not entirely sure where it went wrong, but what I think happened was this - Someone missed a turn off to the left of that downhill portion, and a huge crowd (including me) of 60-80 people kept going straight. If we had taken the turn off, we would have gone back towards the start of the race where there were a good number of obstacles for a 3 mile loop connecting back to the same downhill we were running on. This is why none of us realized we had done something wrong. The flags continued on that slope and we ended up at the sandbag carry at the bottom of Bear Mountain. I completed the sandbag carry, the ski sled pull, and the tyrollean traverse across a lake. Thinking back now, it was odd that the volunteers didn't seem ready for us, but we kept going. Then it was time for the steepest climb of the race - through the woods up Bear Mountain to the highest peak. It was beautiful and challenging, and once at the top it was time for a quick rope climb. After the rope climb (this was about 8-9 miles into the course) we were stopped by the course directors - they seemed unsure of what to do. They informed this large group of racers that we had missed a portion of the course and had 3 options: go back and do it again, come back tomorrow and do it again, get an entry into another race. I opted to finish out the remaining 2-3 miles of the course (with my chip clipped) and would run another race - I just could not see myself going back down that mountain and coming back up again. We were also leaving early the next day, so rerunning the course was not an option the following day. I was very discouraged to go out like that after so much training. They did give me a medal, but it's tainted for me and won't count until I complete a beast. The plus side was that I was able to see Gretchen cross the finish line for the first time after me though and get some good photos of her :) I'm always so proud of her.

Gretchen and I are now registered in the South Carolina Spartan Beast this coming weekend. The race is on October 13th - my 39th birthday, and the following day is our 12 year wedding anniversary. This is our 5th Spartan Race this year - PA Sprint, NJ Super, Virginia Super, Killington Beast. It will also make my trifecta official. BIG weekend. Redemption time.

Road to the BEAST

Five more days to the toughest race and challenge of my life - the Spartan BEAST - a 13+ mile race up and down Killington - described as a race from hell. I never in my life thought that I would ever be doing anything like this. Up until May of 2011 I had never run in a race before. In fact, I hated running and did all I could to avoid it. Even in high school when I was forced to run 2 miles before wrestling practice I would completely dog it. So...After a night hanging with some friends last April, and after a few or more adult beverages, I was peer-pressured into registering for a 5k Mud-run. I trained for a few weeks by adding some runs into my normal workouts. I think the most I ran in training for this race was a 1.5 miles at the most. It was nerve wracking having this event hanging over my head, but I completed it with my wife (who has always loved running) and some good friends. After finishing this 3 mile and change race I felt great and I wanted more - I was hooked. We registered for a Spartan Race at Blue Mountain the next month. The race looked challenging and Gretchen and I decided to register in the earliest heat so we could get on the course early. Neither of us realized that we were in the "elite" heat of the race. Amazingly, Gretchen took first place and won a bad ass sword and the respect of a lot of people. I was and still am so proud of her accomplishment. I finished about 15 minutes after she did and again felt great. The carnival-like atmosphere and the excitement of that race was unlike anything I'd ever done or experienced - I loved it.

I decided to up my running mileage and we registered for a couple more races. They were all great, but didn't really compare to the Spartan Race.This year we did the Tough Mudder, the PA Spartan Sprint (our kids even ran in the kids race), the Virginia Spartan Super, the NJ Spartan Super....all leading up to this. The BEAST where after finishing we will get the coveted Spartan trifecta medal. I'm nervous, excited, and anxious. I've been training hard - hitting the gym 5 days a week and running every 2-3 days all year and eating clean, but this will be the big test. Gretchen and I will be driving up to Killington this Friday morning for the early morning start on Saturday. Killington is actually where we went 11 years ago after our October 2000 wedding for a snowboarding honeymoon. This will be a bit different.