My First Ultramarathon?! – Part 10 (Forget It, Let’s Just Burpee Out Of A Lot Of This)

October 24, 2014

Aurora gently letting down the bag from the Hercules HoistPicking up from last time

So, I was stressed to say the least. I started the race with the intention of continuing to do as many obstacles as I could, just as I’d done in the Beast.

The volunteers were a lot more lax as the day went on. I’m thinking it was ’cause they wanted to be kind as we made our way to the same things over again (only this time with more mileage under out feet). They also probably were being so lax because of the temperature, and racers getting cold and such.

When I’d gone to gear check to change from the Beast to the Super, I heard people saying, “I’m done. Just give me my bag.” People were cold, and tired, and quitting. So, I think the volunteers were sort of like, “Good on ya for just getting out here again. Do whatever you want.”

Early in the race, there was this thing where we waded through waist-deep mud, climbed out onto a little mound of mud, and then did that again two more times.

Because it was so cold, and everyone was already wet from their first race, the volunteers were all, “You can skip this if you want.”

Of course in my whole, “no, I am so in this” attitude, I got in the mud anyway. As I shuffled along while trying to run with my sopping pants, I realized it maybe wasn’t the greatest idea to get in the mud. It was cloudy. So, the sun wasn’t going to be drying me off anytime soon. And I’d just spent almost half an hour getting warm – just to undo everything. Aye, aye, aye. Good job, Aurora.

As much as I didn’t want to do it, because it felt like a lame way out, I totally burpeed out of anything that was long. Carrying gravel in a bucket? I think it’s doable, but it takes too much time to fill that bucket and walk around. Get down for some burpees.

Throughout the day and night, my burpees were getting less and less burpee-like and more like stepping one foot back at a time, and not getting totally into a plank, but more like a very low downward dog… Also, as everyone got so lax as time went on and on and on, it’s possible I may not have been totally counting exactly 30 every time. There was even an instance where someone running with me asked “how many more do you have?” And he took 10 for me. (Thank you, sir!)

I felt kinda lame and kinda weak when I saw people giving their all in the longer obstacles and I went by them like, “no thanks!” I know Spartan races are full of supportive people. So, I don’t think anyone was working to make me feel that way – but I certainly put it on myself.

[Sigh.]

And this where I’ll pick up next time.

 

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