Las Vegas Spartan Super | Trifecta Tribe 2015

Woohoo!!! Saturday I completed my Spartan Trifecta for 2015 by finishing the Las Vegas Spartan Super. The Trifecta is simply earned by completing each of the Spartan Race distances, the Sprint (3-5 miles | 20-23 obstacles), Super (8-10 miles | 24-29 obstacles), and Beast (12-14 miles | 30-35 obstacles) in one calendar year. Gotta say it felt great to walk around afterwards with my 3 medals just clinking away!

On Friday afternoon I picked up a teammate from TeamGrinderGlam from the airport who flew in from Austin, TX to run the Super with us! We then drove over to Red Rock Canyon and met up with another teammate who had flown in from NY earlier in the week. It was the first time we all met in person and it was like we were instant friends, no longer just “instagram” friends 😉 We had a blast hiking, climbing the rocks, and taking lots of selfies at Red Rock before it was time to meet up with the rest of TeamGrinderGlam for dinner at Bucca Di Beppo on Friday night to carb up! It was a fun evening with yummy food, drinks, lots of laughs, and conversation.

Saturday morning came way too soon, but I had no problem waking up and getting ready! I was full of nervous energy! The venue was about 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas, almost at the California stateline in Jean, NV. There was no on-site parking, so we had to park across the Gold Strike Casino Hotel and then be bussed to the actual location. The lines were long but they moved quickly and the buses were constantly coming and going. Once we got to the venue, it was crowded. I’d already signed my waivers, so I went straight to my packet pickup line. It was a long line and it moved slowly, but we arrived early and had plenty of time to grab my packet, get the kids race packets too, put our bags away, and chill for a bit before our start time.

In my opinion the course was way better than last year’s Spartan Super here in Vegas. Aside from the first hilly incline and one other steep mountain side at the beginning of the race, the course was pretty flat and rocky. I was so grateful for all the trail running I’ve been doing because that rocky, uneven terrain is what I’m used to running on. The obstacles were the same Spartan obstacles I know and love! I felt really good out there on the course and got through most of the obstacles on my own and with a helpful boost over those high walls! My calf cramped up on one of the first walls, which was not fun but after some mustard and a bit of stretching it, I was good to go. I didn’t try the rope climb or multi rig obstacles and I failed at the elevated spear throw. Out of principle, I didn’t even attempt the tarzan swing. I mean, when your hubby breaks his ankle on that thing, I think it’s ok to skip it 😉 My goal for the next one is to train and practice a lot on the rope climb and face that fear and work on getting over those walls without help!

The kiddos ran their races while I was still on the course, so I didn’t get to see them run their Kid Spartan races. I was kinda bummed about that, but it was awesome to hear the excitement in their voices as they told me all about it. I could tell they were proud of themselves for doing it and of course, I was proud of them too! They rocked that kids’ course and they’re already asking when they’ll do the next one.

Huge shout out and thank you to my hubby! The guy woke up early to drive us to out there, stayed and entertained the kids while I ran the race, took pictures of the kids racing, and of me and the team. He even too pictures of my sister officiating the Spartan Wedding!!! Yes, a couple got married after running Spartan and my sister, who is a part-time officiant for Peachy Keen Unions, got to officiate the ceremony. It was pretty cool and yea, my husband did all of this with his foot in a boot because his ankle is still healing from being broken in January. Yup, the man is a trooper and I love him.

I just can’t explain how awesome it feels to run out there, face your fears, and get over those obstacles. Seriously, if you’ve never done a Spartan Race or any kind of obstacle course race, I suggest you give it a try! You may surprise yourself and love it, just like I did! xo

Fitness Friday | Spartan Trifecta

The day is finally here! We are heading out for Temecula, CA this morning and tomorrow I will be running the Spartan Beast and Sunday, the Spartan Sprint. Add in the Spartan Supe r I completed in April and I’ll have myself a Spartan Trifecta! Woohoo!!

That is of course, if I survive this weekend. I love that feeling after a race, you know the one where you feel amazing and awesome! Your body is sore and bruised but you still manage to walk a little taller. You’re on a major high from completing something completely terrifying. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment when you cross that finish line. Not too many things in life compare.

But, that feeling before a race….the self doubt, the anxiety, the nervousness! The feelings of maybe I could have done more, maybe I shouldn’t have had that ice cream a few weeks ago. Maybe I should have ran more during my training. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Then come the what ifs. What if I cramp up during the race? What if I hurt myself? What if I don’t finish? Well, it’s just enough to drive a girl crazy (and quite possibly her husband too!) Ahhh!! Yup, these thoughts are all running through my head right now.

Friends ask me if I’m ready and I just shrug, give a weak smile and say, “We’ll see!” Because, well, the truth is, we’ll see! I’ve trained hard. I’ve given it my all. I’ve been to tons of boot camps, practice obstacle races, elevation trainings at Camp Rhino. I’ve sacrificed sleeping in on the weekends. I’ve sacrificed evenings with my family. I’ve sacrificed time with friends. I’ve passed on dessert I couldn’t tell you how many times. I’ve been so sore that it’s been difficult going up the stairs. I’ve gotten bruised and scraped. All for what? For a medal. For bragging rights. For that feeling after a race. For me. For my kiddos who believe in me. For everyone who supports me. I do it because it scares me. I do it because it pushes me to try harder. I do it because I can. Because I never dreamed I could.

Spartan Up! – Aroo

My Thoughts Before Spartan Super Las Vegas…

What did I get myself into!!! I’m really excited to be running the Spartan Super tomorrow in Las Vegas, especially more so since I won the entry via the awesome Confessions of a City Eater blog! With the excitement however, comes major knots in my stomach and feelings of doubt and nervousness. I’ve been training hard, but of course, I could always train harder. There are some obstacles that down right scare me and I really hope my team doesn’t leave me in the dust! Today is not the day for self doubt, however. Today is the day to get pumped up and ready to give it my all tomorrow. I’m putting my big girl panties on, along with my mega cool funky leggings my sister found for me at Khols. OH YEAH! You won’t miss me on the course with those cool things! I’m geared and ready to have a good time. Tonight, I’m gonna carb up with a nice big plate of pasta (not Paleo, it’s ok, I’m not 100% all the time). I’ll also be taking my own advice from my post, 7 Tips for Conquering Your Next Obstacle Course Race, and packing all the essentials! Here’s a bit of what I’ve got to look forward to tomorrow! AROO!!!