Las Vegas Spartan Super | Race Recap

Spartan Races are some of my favorite races ever! I’ve done more Spartan Races than any other race, with a total of 9 races – 2 Beasts, 4 Supers, and 3 Sprints! I love the Spartan Races because although they are challenging and tough, there is a great spirit of camaraderie and fun too! And you can’t beat that feeling of accomplishment when you conquer obstacles you trained so hard for. Plus: free beer at the finish!

I hadn’t planned on running the Las Vegas Spartan Super this year because I’m a wimp. The race was scheduled to be at the same location as last year and the course was super sandy and I remember how much I did not enjoy trying to run 4 miles or so in sand. But, when a friend of a friend found out she couldn’t run it just 2 weeks before race day, I jumped on the opportunity to have her race deferred to me! I couldn’t resist. The 8 + miles wouldn’t be a problem because I’ve been training for the Zion Half Marathon coming up April 1st. The obstacles and sand however, were a whole other story! Although I knew I couldn’t get myself in top shape in just 2 weeks and I knew my upper body strength was nowhere it had been, I didn’t think it would be so hard. But, yikes did I struggle! It was especially sad to struggle on obstacles that I don’t normally struggle with. I had a lot of help from my teammates and fellow racer on course. Like I said, all that help and support from fellow Spartans is what makes me love this race series! My teammates and I finished strong and for 3 of the 5 of us, it was their first Spartan Race ever. Seeing my friend conquer obstacles she didn’t think she could was so awesome and really made that race special for me!

This race was such a wake up call for me. Like I said, I finished the race and I had a ton of fun running it but deep down I know I can perform better. So, what do you do when you don’t run your best race? You literally wash off the mud and sign up for another one! In my case, you sign up for the Spartan Beast + Sprint coming up in October in Big Bear Lake, CA and aim to get that Trifecta one more time. Let the training begin! AROO!

Have you ever ran a Spartan Race or OCR? What’s your favorite race series?

Spartan Super Las Vegas | Race 4 of 14 for 2014

I did it!! I completed my first Spartan Race and I must say, it went better than expected. I completed the Spartan Super in Las Vegas. I don’t want to do a long recap of each obstacle but I will say that I totally missed the Spear Throw, Traverse Wall (my foot cramped), and Rope Climb (honestly, I didn’t try hard with this one because sadly I made up my mind that I couldn’t do it). I also had some help with the monkey bars, bucket brigade, tire pull and of course, getting over those 8 ft walls! I’m super proud I was able to do the Hercules Hoist, Tire Flip, and well, basically just get through the whole thing. I’m wearing my bruises with pride 😉 I’m also super proud of my little guy. He did the Spartan Jr. He’d been running and “training” for his race too and seeing him so happy complete his 1 mile race and get his medal was just awesome!

I had a great team of guys and I will admit, being the only girl on the team, I was a bit nervous that I’d either slow them down or that they’d leave me behind. I’m glad to say that neither of those things happened. They helped me with obstacles when needed, we encouraged each other, and stayed together as a team. AROO!!!

Huge thanks to our support team who kept up on the spectator course to make sure we had enough water, coconut water, and even snacks!! Special thanks to my hubby for taking pictures throughout the course & my sister who always supports me in all I do! I love you so much xoxox

The final obstacle - Fire Jump! Then free beer :) — The final obstacle – Fire Jump! Then free beer 🙂

I got done just in time to go see my son do his Jr. Spartan Race! So excited and proud of him!

I am quite tempted to go for the Trifecta, complete the 3 Spartan Races in one year – Sprint, Super, and Beast! I signed up for the Spartan Sprint in Southern California this September, but logistically speaking I don’t think I”ll be able to make it to one of the Beast events..we’ll see 😉 I’m really excited for the Sprint in Temecula, not only because it’s wine country, but because my hubby will be joining me on this one and the wives of 2 of my teammates will be joining us too! I’m calling it the Couples Spartan Retreat 😉

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!!!