Preface - This race was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done in my life.
Morning and Pre-Race
The day (Saturday, September 16) was an early start at 5 a.m. with a quick breakfast of oatmeal and fruit. I opted for this approach because I felt the breakfast burritos a little too much during the previous race. After making sure my bag was packed, Kevin picked me up at 6 am to start on our 5 hour trip to Killington, Vermont. The drive itself was pleasant but long. I had never been to Vermont so I really enjoyed the scenery.
(Wake up time)
We got to the mountain around 11:15. After parking and getting checked in, we had about 45 minutes to get warmed up and prepped for our 12:30 start time. For reasons that will become apparent soon, no amount of preparation was enough.
(before photo)
The Race
This year's Killington Beast was a little over 14 miles and started immediately uphill. The entire first three miles were a zig-zag up the right side (looking up from the lodge) of the mountain. A few days before this race I was laying in bed with a sinus infection–I was not in the best shape. The first hill was excruciating. Three miles in I was ready to quit. The straight climb up the mountain was killing my legs and any amount of nutritional preparation I had for the race was used by the time I got to the top of the mountain.
The only reason I finished this race was Kevin. He didn't let me quit and didn't give me any excuses to stop. However, even he could see the pain I was going through only a little over an hour in. There was no improvement until I had my first gel pack. Gel packs are essentially a mixture of sugar and electrolytes to fuel your muscles. This was at about mile 5 when we first took these.
Around mile 6 we were back to the bottom and had to tackle a water obstacle. It consisted of swimming to a bridge and climbing up a rope ladder to traverse under the bridge to ring a bell. I missed the obstacles but felt rejuvenated in the water. The water was like a light ice bath for my legs which were already burnt out. Boy did I need that for what came next.
After the water obstacle came the second ascent of Killington. This time the course took a more gradual but longer incline to the top. Most of this part of the course was through the forest. The entire ground under our feet was mud. Some places your feet would sink up to a foot. Through the next several miles of slipping and hard going my legs started to give out again. This time the cramps though were unbarable. The last half mile of the ascent I could only go about twenty feet at a time.
When we got to the top we encountered an obstacle. My legs were so cramped that I had to sit several minutes before tackling the obstacle. I also wanted to take another salt tab but couldn't because my mouth was so dry.
The medics at the top told us we only had a half a mile to the next water station. That was a lie. For at least a mile, all I did was complain to Kevin about my need for water. After two more obstacles, we finally made it to the water station where I was able to ever so slightly improve my physical condition.
The way down the second time was slow going. At this point, we were about five hours in and my body was already spent. The trail also was at times a narrow path, so passing any slower participants was dangerous at best. We made it down only to have to do the first sandbag carry. Every step at this point was a challenge. The whole time I thought to myself, "If I just walked off the course, this could all be over now."
Either my stupidity or my pride took over and I found myself climbing the mountain for the third time. This third ascent was definitely the worst. It was a mile straight up a black diamond ski run. The whole time we were climbing you could see people off to the side of the trail burying their heads in their laps or looking out completely exhausted. The organizers had saved the third climb for five hours into the race. The cramps at this point were beyond anything. Every step felt like I was carrying one hundred pounds. After an hour of pain, I made it to the top.
By this point, I knew the worst part was over. That little mental boost gave me what I needed to finish the last hour. The gel pack might have helped as well. The last few miles of the course was a black diamond run descent (lost my big toenails to this) and a whirlwind of the last few obstacles. All I could focus on was finishing the race. By the time we got over the last few obstacles and crossed the finish line, the sun was setting.
All told, it took us seven hours to cover that 14 miles. Seven hours that I am not likely to forget for a few years.
Post Race/Ride Home
After the Race, Kevin and I collected our checked bag. We tried our best to wash our muddy clothes and bodies in the "shower" (AKA cold water hose station). The lactic acid was already setting in. With useless calves, shins, and quads, we did our best to hobble (think how the tin man walks in the Wizard of Oz) to the beer station to claim our free drink.
By the time we got back to the car it was already 9 pm. We had a 5-hour drive ahead of us. I did my best to make light of my experience and make sure Kevin didn't doze off at the wheel. I can confidently say we both had a great time listening to me bitch about my experience in a very animated fashion. It was 3 am by the time Kevin dropped me back off at my apartment.
21 hours, thousands of calories, pain, and a great experience later, I was finally done with my first Spartan Beast.
Final Thoughts
Now that is has been over a week since the race, I actually am very appreciative of the experience. I found myself yesterday telling Kevin how we were going to do six races next year (Yikes!). I actually want to go back to this race and tackle this mountain again, albeit after a year of serious training.
I am privileged and thankful for the fact that I get to do these races and that I get to share these experiences with great friends.
Next up is the Super in November!
Here is a link to my post about my first race.