SPARTAN RACE REVIEW BY PAUL CATHERALL

19th March 2022, a date that has been ingrained in my memory since the end of 2021.

It’s not a loved one’s birthday, not anniversary, it’s the RETURN of Spartan Races in the Philippines, and, I have been looking forward to the return of this event since the start of 2020!!

Let’s go back a few years, starting 2019. In 2019, my wife and I completed our first ever Spartan Trifecta.

What is a Trifecta?

Well, within the Spartan race family there consists a smorgasbord of different races that anyone can enter, ranging from a 12 hour hurricane heat down to a sprint, which is a 5k run with 10 obstacles.

The trifecta that we completed was the sprint, super and beast. These are runs with varying distances of 5-10 and 21k with obstacles from 10 up to 30.?

The feeling of crossing the line after the Beast (21k with 30 obstacles) at the end of 2019 was, honestly, one of the best feelings in my life; such a huge sense of achievement.

After that, I couldn't wait to get started in 2020!

Then, COVID hit!!

Fast forward to January of this year, and I committed to four Spartan races, so far, and I’m writing this 4 days after I finished my first ever 10k trail run.?

In terms of training, I started training (with the focus on the race), early January.

The training consisted of two days cardio, two days legs, two days upper body and then one day of stretches.

I have to be honest here. I have NEVER been a big fan of stretching, pre or post event/game, whatever. I could not have been more wrong.

Now, I look forward to my stretching before and after my workouts. They are, possibly, the most critical aspect of my training and, certainly, the most important lesson I learned.

RACE DAY!

The race took place in Baguio, a city in the north of The Philippines, with a much cooler climate than Metro Manila.

The course was set in the hills and grounds around the famous Camp John Hay, a wonderful setting for a 10k trail run, even better if you are sightseeing!!

Before the race, I was able to soak in the atmosphere. Hundreds of Spartans mulling around, stretching, talking, worrying, getting in the “zone”, finding their teammates, fixing their phones and headsets, and, of course, wearing the famous Spartan headband, with their Spartan number.

“This is it”, I thought to myself, “We are back!”.

At 10 am, sharp, the race starter pulls together the different waves. It’s based on age, so the younger folks go off first, and then oldies, like me, go off last.

The start is one of the best parts of the race. There is the standard Spartan chant that fires everyone up before they go! The feeling of togetherness, of being in this one moment of time, together, takes some beating!

10:15 am, and away we go!!

I would like to say that I hit the trail with the speed of the Road Runner, who has seen some seeds ahead, while trying to stay away from Wile E. Coyote. I think it’s more fitting to say that I hit the trail with the speed of Porky Pig.

The climbs were hard, the views breathtaking, the effort was far more than I imagined.

Everyone was encouraging each other, whether you had done a Spartan Race before, or if this was your first time, it didn’t matter. We knew that we were in this together, for the first time in over 2 years. And, there was also this tangible sense that this would not be the last time that we would be in this position.

Over 4 hours later, we crossed the finish line. Exhausted, but with a huge sense of achievement.?

I have taken many things from the first race of 2022, the teamwork, the training, the commitment, the fun, all of it. My lasting memory, and one that I will take into all races, is that the t-shirt says “FINISHER”, there is no mention of your time taken to complete the race.

For me, this speaks the loudest. In any aspect of life, it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get to your goal/your finish line/your fire jump.

The fact that you “finished” is all that matters.

AROO!?

Thank you for reading my first ever article!

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