70F and rainy and misty.
It was quiet... I got there early around 6:30 and had a chance to christen unused portpotties! small joys right?
It was good to be back and I was ready to take on the mountain with 1 year of races and rigorous mental and physical training in the books.
The start is left of this, roughly following the chairlift path straight up.
I took off in the middle pack of the pack, which ended up costing me time in the single-path climb in the woods... no room to pass people and I had more to give on the way up.
HUGE difference this year though... no stops, no rests on the 3/4 mile climb straight up the mountain.
This was the race loot... this year a headband with my number on it. AWESOME!!!
It was a massive of bodies as people were doing penalty burpees. The spear throw is 90% technique, 10% luck... but mostly skill. My strategy was as always... throw like a large dart with a small (maybe 15-20 degree) arc. Left hand guides the front for aim.
PLUNK. Dead center of the target and stuck. Off I went, passing more people.
Then monkey bars that got me last year. ZOOMED through. No bubbles no troubles.
Then the Hercules hoist... no problem... then down the mountains in the trail... treacherous so not full-speed but I ended up doing 7ish minute miles down regardless.
The order is fuzzy in my mind of course, but the moats, a wall climb, then the balance logs... here was my first spill... about halfway just a mud slip and POW... close to a bad fall but caught myself thankfully. 30 burpees.
Off I went... barbed wire crawl, more walls... and the dreaded pancake hill.
This was a major mental/physical barrier last year. Straight up a black diamond with loose gravel and rock with a 40lb sandbag.
Off I went. Head down. Completely committed mentally to the task. I never stopped. Just kept grinding... passing dozens who were on their knees or resting or sitting on the sandbag trying to get their wind.
If there was a picture of me it would have been something... sweat POURING off my like a faucet and drool coming out of my mouth like an animal. Made me laugh, but I never stopped. Mentally I'm such a better athlete now.
Then down the hill again... then the water-slide into the lake and a swim across. It was really refreshing. Under 3 sets of floating obstacles... no problem... then out and to the next section.
A new one: don't know what it's called by it's sick. A moat thigh high... then a wall tilted toward you at a 60 degree angle. Some wooden planks on it just enough to hook your fingertips in.
So they pull up, put your feet on the wall, then up. Once you get close to the top, gravity takes your feet off the way and you're hanging above the moat with with your finger grip and you simply have to yank yourself up by brute force. It was tough, but I did it. Very cool, then slide down the other side.
What else?
Tire flip, more barbed wire, rope climb out of the moat, more barbed wire just at the end, then the slippery wall (no prob) the gladiator pit, then the glory of the finish.
1:21:30.... 49min faster than last year. Completely crushed it... even with 2 sets of burps.
I couldn't believe it.
Got my medal then waited for the rest of TeamKASA...
First came Novia at 1:32... then Zim at 1:55, then Novia's brother, Martin, at 1:58
It was clear he had a rough race... he was pale and green at the same time and looked like a zombie. He had a few bouts of puking on the course. Guess which one he is?
Ha Ha! These young kids... I was the oldest of the group and fastest... but mostly it was just great to improve so much.
233 overall on Sat.... top 4% !!!! 30th in my age group overall.
Met the top 5% goal, the burpee goal, the pancake hill goal, the time goal. All success.
3/4 of the team... Martin was puking to the left. #truestory
Selfie:
The aftermath in the driveway:
The knees (the elbows look the same)
Next race, Virgina Super in August... then onto Killington for the Beast!
anyone wants a discount to a future race, let me know! valentine72@gmail.com
