Spartyka Warrior Challenge

 09 December 2012

The Spartyka Warrior Challenge is a beach based obstacle course that I have now navigated twice. 

Though I really had a great time at the 2011 installment, it took some taunting and peer pressure from my good friend Paul to drag me back to Virginia Beach to make another go of it. 

The reason for my hesitation was due to the fact that I had turned away from doing obstacle courses in order to focus on my marathon efforts.  However, occasionally you have to step out of the norm and do something different, particularly when a buddy wants to go all in.

Once I decided to repeat the event, I began to get excited.  I performed really well there in 2011, with a finish time of 26:33 that landed me a third in  the age bracket.  I knew that I was now in much better shape and would likely be faster than I was the year before. 

Upon arrival, my ambition was halted with the news that the event would be a untimed and a noncompetitive event.  I allowed this news to take my hype from me for a short period of time, but then I remembered what the draw to the event was for me, an adventure with a buddy.

I had three family members come out to support me, a good reason for me to showcase my ability with a genuine effort on the course.  Paul was going to have a great time as he was prepared to execute the course with his wife in what was certain to be an extreme couples outing.

The race was delayed due to rain but that just gave us more time to figure out how to use the elevation training mask, which had proven to be the hardest portion of the 2011 race.

 Once the ceremony commenced and the start was sounded, it was familiar business. I utilized the same game plan that I used the year before, start hard while no one can breathe, with hopes that once on the sand the separation would be too much for anyone to recover from. Just as it did the year before, the aggressive approach to the early portion of the race where the restricted breath caused suffering for all gave me a clear advantage.  The front seven ran away from the crowd.  Slowly, it became clear how it would all pan out.  The course was comprised of the same obstacles that were previously presented; however, the order was changed.  It seemed as if more thought had been put into the accumulative effect that the athlete would be forced to endure via a compounding scheme.

I finished completely exhausted.  This speaks to the level of difficulty--I mean after all, I am a solid marathoner.  A 5K course should not begin to tap into my conditioning, but I am glad that it did.  I have no idea what my finish time was.  However, official or not, I know that I was 7th overall, because I do keep score. 

My buddy and his wife finished some time later, grinning ear to ear and sporting the kind of swagger that comes with a strong sense of accomplishment.  They were cute as they recapped a piggyback ride during the ammo can carry, a shared sand bag, and assistance over the wall for his wife.  They crossed the finish line hand in hand.

I am glad that I came, it was an experience that was every bit as good the second time through, despite the lack of officiating.

The primary beneficiary of this event was The Wounded Warrior project

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

I sincerely hope that this event continues for years to come.

Three Bridges Marathon

 3rd Annual Three Bridges Marathon

On 02 Dec 2012  (The Ragged Mountain Running Shop) hosted the 3rd annual Three Bridges Marathon in Central Va.

(Host Organization)

http://www.raggedmountainrunning.com/

This race is one of those intimate small runs that is designed for the local runners of the region to give a late effort at qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  To me this implied that it would be a small fast field.  I was not disappointed.

(The Field)
The marathon only had 50 runners, 21 of who had finish times under 3:30.  I point this out because I was number 21 and my goal was to be under 3:30 (an 8 minute pace for the duration of the distance).  In most circles sub-3:30 is considered a solid completion time that will set you apart from a large majority of the field, but on this day my personal record of 3:29:42 barely put me in the top 50%.  All and all, I was roughly average in this field and oddly enough that fact seems like something to boast about.

(The Course)  Detailed course map.
It is fair to say that the course was not what I expected.  The race started on an old country road on a cold morning near Whitehall Vineyards.  It consisted of a 2 mile feeder road then an out and back on a three mile stretch of rural road. The course lent itself to being fast; it had a constant gentle grade in one direction.  This meant that every three miles it changed from moderate incline to easy decline.  Oh, and as advertised, the mile markers were clear and accurate. 

(The Character of the Race)
This race was super intimate and super friendly.  The organizers kept it simple: a clock and three aid stations.  The supporters were able to offer smiles and cheers for the people that they came to encourage no less then 5 times, so at no point was there a lack of audible motivation.   The racers themselves got to know each others' faces very well as they nodded, waved, or even cheered for one another at every turn.  At the finish line congrats were heavy and a tailgating style area offered everything from brats and burgers to chicken noodle soup.

(Charity Beneficiary)
The event raised money for Meals on Wheels.

Since 1977, Meals on Wheels has been delivering hot, nutritious, lunchtime meals to people who are not able to prepare meals for themselves and who have no one to prepare meals for them. An entirely independent, local non-profit, Meals on Wheels receives no government funding for our operating budget, but instead relies on local businesses, individuals, and organizations to support our home-delivered meals program. Last year, with the help of 300+ volunteers, Meals on Wheels delivered over 63,000 meals to our homebound neighbors. In 2011, the Three Bridges event was able to donate $4000 to Meals on Wheels.

Meals on Wheels

 

 (Community Beneficiary)

RMR Olympic Development team is a multi-faceted organization whose primary goal is to provide post-collegiate athletes with an environment and community in which they can develop both professionally and personally, ultimately in preparation for national and international level competition.

RMR Olympic Development team

 

 

 

This event is one that I will remember.  Its simplicity, intimacy, and professional presentation made it one to keep on my schedule for years to come. 

 

I would also like to says congratulations to an amazing 38% of the field for qualifying for Boston.

Potomac River Run Marathon

On 18 Nov 2012, an intimately sized race that featured beautiful foliage and scenic views of the Potomac river took place in memory of Dean Shulman. 

This race has been referred to as the easiest marathon in America.  Though this fact could be debated, I would be willing to go on record saying that it is the most user friendly marathon in America.  The race allows the participant to tailor the experience to their personal needs or wants in a unique way.  Let me explain.  You can run the half marathon or the full, you can have an early start or a slightly later start, and the race is run twice a year, so you can run in the fall or in the spring.

The course itself is a out and back set on a 6.6 mile stretch of the historic C&O canal towpath that begins and ends at the Carderock Recreation Area.  The race surface is gravel and packed dirt, with a minimal elevation change occurring only when needed to cross over the locks.

   

As with most races, the event organizers elected to contribute proceeds and raise awareness for a program that does great things for people in need.  The "Buy a Brick Foundation" was the more than deserving charity partner in this instance.

Learn about the Buy a Brick foundation: http://buyabrick.com/

I experienced both of the 2012 installments of this race.  In the spring, I accomplished the full marathon with a time of (3:38:02) and I came back in the fall to accomplish the half in (1:36:08).  Both instances were well worth the price of admission and the 4 hour drive each way from my home in Central Va.

This race will always be special to me because of the organizers, the atmosphere and of course my first ever....drum roll please......first ever over-all half marathon VICTORY!!!  Okay, I got it out of my system, it may never happen again, so please forgive the public celebration.

 Many thanks go to Jay Wind of the Safety and Health Foundation for the amazing experience at the Potomac River Run Marathon.

Learn about The Safety and Health Foundation http://www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/index.php