Race Review - PA Spartan Sprint Week #2

All races in my family are a family affair.  We support one another.  We show up, cheer, and most importantly, provide route support.  My youngest son Aaron gave me five at the top of Blue Mountain yesterday.  That was great.  My wife and other two sons were there as well laughing and taking pictures of the old man in the mud.  But they also take it seriously and when it's all over, out come the recovery drinks and food.

Because let's face it folks, OCR is a shock to the system no matter how well trained you are.  I've talked a lot about recovery so enough said for now.  What I want to tell you about is how much I love this course.

This is my third year running this location.  It is tough.  Just about every Spartan will tell you that.  This year, the course changed again and the first two miles were just about all straight up.  The initial run out of the gate was wide.  But that quickly transformed into a single-track through the woods the rest of the way up.  Rocky, exposed roots, downed limbs, trees, you name it, the natural obstructions were across every bit of this steep uphill and later downhill run.  This terrain is by far the hardest part of the course except one bit I'll mention later.

After two miles of uphill with only three easy obstacles along the way, you reach the top.  And your first water break.  Over the years I have noticed the Norm Koch strategy coming into play as each obstacle is placed with devious purpose.  The traverse wall is now always after a dip in the mud.  Maximum slippery.  What used to be a no-brainer simple obstacle is now a hold on for dear life.  I slipped and did my thirty burpees.

Thanks to a Super race the week before, a lot of new obstacles showed up for this race.  A short Tyrolean Traverse, a ring rig, a new swimming pond, and a ridiculously long back-to-back downhill then uphill barbed wire crawl.  For whatever reason, I became very nauseous during the swim.  Usually a powerful backstroke is very relaxing while gaining me a lot of time.  But I struggled out of the water not feeling too well.  That only got worse a short time later at the crawl where most people elect to roll.  After two rolls I was ready to blow.  And the wire was too low this year to bear crawl.  So I dragged myself.  This was after mile four where up until this point my time was really good.  But this two-hundred year death zone killed me.

So I decided to post that on FB and say Oh well, next year I will just burpee out of it.  No such thing.  It's a mandatory obstacle.  So I will spend the off season trying to figure out ways to do this without rolling or barfing.  Your suggestions are welcome.  Always improving, right?

If you'd like a comparison to Tuxedo, then I'll tell you that Palmerton is by far much harder.  It's the terrain.  But they are both incredibly fun races.  Which reminds me of my friends who ran both weekends, yes all three races.  And they had plenty of gas for more.  Incredible spirit, power, and ability.  My Mud Smear Award goes to fellow ABF team member Katie Crane Sidoli.  She smiles through it all and she's always ready for more.  Rumor has it she went for an eight-mile ruck this morning.  Wow.

Having family and friends on the course is wonderful.  It's a shame Spartan charges $20 for spectators.  I hope my family got their $80 worth.  I sure did as I got to hear their cheers, encouragement, and help along the way.  Blue Mountain is by far the best venue I know of for spectators to see a lot of the race from top to bottom.  You get to ride the ski lift up where fix or six obstacles are up-close for great photography.  The only downside to that yesterday morning was the mountaintop socked in with fog.  It cleared up later in the morning though.  Down at the bottom, access to probably ten obstacles is perfect for viewing and action shots.

Is it age or was it the killer crawl that knocked my percentages down this race?  I'm used to being in the top ten for age.  I dropped pretty hard to 25th percentile.  I blame it on that wire.  That gives me reason to train.  What other excuse can I offer?  My friend Charles "Jazz" Vassallo podiumed again with a first place finish for Master's Elite.  How many weeks in a row now buddy?  But even he asked in a FB post, "It's getting harder and harder.  What else can I do?"  I know he has all the support from his little girl and the entire Spartan community.

And you know what, we thrive on it.  One person posted yesterday that she had decided to end her life back in February.  But instead, she trained up for and did a Spartan.  And she found new life in a community of new-found friends/family who support her, encourage her, and help her find a purpose.  That's really what OCR is all about.