Spartan Beast 2014 World Championship - Killington VT

"It's simply the longest, most physically grueling, most mentally challenging, and at times also the most emotionally draining event in OCR." - The Mudman Report 

Two days after finishing the Beast, I have a couple of thoughts that stick out in my mind. 

The first is that I can't believe that I actually did it. I started this blog shortly after the 2013 Super Spartan with the goal of working for year to get to here and, to be honest with you, there were times that I was scared. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and the videos and NBC coverage of this event made me think that there was no way that I was going to do it. Over a year of training later (with hardly or no extended period of time off) and I made it.

Second thought is that I now have a tremendous amount of confidence in my physical abilities. I will never be intimidated by anyone at the gym. There will always be people that can lift more, or are better sculpted, or can run further, faster, etc., but unless you have done a Beast, you have not done a Beast. Also, other events pale in comparison. Wearing a 1/2 or Marathon shirt. Ha. Good for you. I will also have a difficult time taking the members of my Tough Mudder Legion group seriously.

Lastly, I consume workout and nutrition web sites and articles and books and ideas non stop. I am a junkie. Completing the Beast tells me that what I do works. I am at peace with my process as I reflect and see how the different types of training helped me in different areas. I will always improve and perfect it to address my weaknesses (upper body strength, running and balance) but I know that I have built a solid foundation.  

To write this recap as a story, my wife, 2 year old daughter and I drove up on Friday. The entire town of Killington, VT was filled with Spartans. I was in heaven. I have the hardest time finding people to do races with me or even knowing what a Spartan Race is and now I am in a town where everyone is not only a Spartan but prepared for the hardest race in the series. I am with my people. 

We went to the Lookout Bar (not recommended since the food was very slow but I am sure is great to sit down at the bar for drinks) for dinner the night before and it was great to see everyone there wearing their Spartan gear and getting pumped up for the next day. I can also tie this into breakfast the next day at Wally's where everyone was wearing their finisher shirts, some had on their medals and almost everyone was having a hard time walking properly. 

Overall, a great experience throughout the town and is the reason that next year I want to do the Killington Beast again instead of another Beast in another town. It is the experience. 

Spartan Beast by the Numbers:

Link to analysis: http://solovieva.com/2014-spartan-race-world-championship/ 

• 16.01 miles or 16.6 depending on whose data you take.
• 6,250 feet elevation change or 8,300 elevation gain and 16,600 change
• Out of 6 hours and 49 minutes one analyzer spent on course, only 9 minutes were spent on flat terrain
• 35 obstacles - 240 penalty burpees for me
• Finishing time of: 8 hours, 12 minutes, 54 seconds
• 35% overall
• 40% men & men 40-44
• Unofficially, 26% of people who started did not finish

Obstacle by Obstacle Breakdown:
First off, there was a lot of running / hiking up this very steep mountain. The video and my commentary do not come close to capturing the grind it was to get from obstacle to obstacle. 

• Over-Under-Through - Easy warm up
• 6 Foot Walls - Easy, next.
• 50# Sand Bag Carry - A lot easier than expected. The route seemed short and not up a steep incline at all. The Sprint and Super sandbag carries were more difficult. I was gaining a lot of confidence at this point. I was starting to feel sorry for the people who were not knocking this out easily since I knew things were only going to get tougher.
• 80# Bucket Carry 1 - Again, a lot easier than expected. Incline was not bad and distance was not too tough. More people resting were going to have problems. 
• Traverse Wall - Nailed it! This is an obstacle that in my previous five Spartans I have never completed. I took off my hydration pack to adjust my weight and got across very cleanly and quickly. I was pumped now and my confidence was soaring.
• Tarzan Swing - The water to swim out was cold (51 degrees) and most people waited for life vests. I went without as I am not a great swimmer but I can swim. Mostly doggie style out to the ladder. No problems getting up the ladder although I felt my muscles tightening up. Once I got to the top of the ladder I switched myself around to face the hanging ropes. One hand on the rope and one hand with feet on the ladder I prepared myself to swing to the next rope. As soon as I let go of the rope to swing I lost my grip on the rope and fell into the water. Oh well. Swam to shore (not easy) and did my first 30 burpees. 
• Water Walk - Now we had to walk along the water line where it was extremely rocky. Everyone was in single file and moving very slowly. Myself and other went a little further out to move faster and probably swam half of the distance. I was in no mood to plod step by step. The dangerous part of this obstacle is that you could not see where you were stepping and you were walking on large, sharp rocks. To tell the truth, the further out you were, the better off you were since you could swim over the rocks instead of slipping on them.

At this point there was a long stretch to run. I tried to run as much as I could, and did a lot, but my legs were cold from the water and it was tough to get good momentum. It was at this point that I realized the value of my Underarmor quick dry shirt versus my Old Navy clearance rack shorts that were not drying so quickly. 

• Atlas Carry - The stones were heavy (120 pounds) as they have been this year as compared to last. I took one from someone coming back from his five burpees, walked across and did my burpees. When picking up the stone again I used too much back and not enough legs. I made it across just fine but am glad that improper form didn't hurt me for the remainder of the race.
• Muddy Barbwire Crawl - Very muddy. Wires were not too low. No rocks here. No problems. 
• Log Carry - The logs were big and heavy. The incline was steeper than the previous two carries. I had to stop twice on the way up to get the log positioned properly on my shoulder. I favored my strong side, the right. Coming down I was all left. 

Thinking back to videos from last year, there were three carries up the mountain. We just finished a third carry. Are you kidding me? We are done with this? This is no problem! My confidence was soaring. Little did I know what still laid ahead..... 

• Pegs to Balance to Pegs - Okay, this was ridiculous. I am terrible with balance. I waited 10 minutes to at least try and made it two pegs. Only half way to the balance beam and if I finished that would have had to do four more pegs. So I waited, took two steps, fell, and went off to do my 30 burpees (60 total). I regret wasting time but I had to try.
• 7 Foot Wall - I cheated and put my foot on the supporting beam. I have had problems with walls my last three races (BattleFrog, Super & Beast) and it is something that I have to put some more work into.
• Cargo Net - This was after a long hike up the mountain. Easy. Next.
• Big Cargo Net - More marching up the mountain to get here. Easy. Next. 
• Tractor Pull - Not a problem at all. This was the first time I had to pull the cement block downhill before coming up the hill. Nothing I couldn't handle.
• Memorization - This sucked. For the next I don't know how many more hours running through the woods and up and down the mountain and over obstacles I kept repeating to myself "Kilo-653-6210". I didn't want to think about anything and I hated having to listen to anyone else speak in case I would forget my number.
• Spear Throw 1 - Missed it. Even tried it twice at an open hay bail. It was windy and both my throws sailed left with the wind. 30 burpees (90 total)
• Inverted Wall - This was after a long trek down the mountain and at the base. There was a water station there and I took a minute to eat. Probably my third eating break. Easy to get over the wall.
• 80# Bucket Carry 2 - This one was a bit tougher since I was a bit more tired and the hill was steeper. Nonetheless got through it with minimal rests. Also realized that this was our fourth carry and when I was at the top of the bucket hill loop I saw far away in the distance the dreaded white sandbag carry up the mountain. At this point I knew things were tougher than last year.
• Tire Pull - Saw an open one and tried to pull it up. It didn't budge. Someone else told me that no one was able to move it. So I went to another position where a guy was finishing. He dragged the tire down to the starting position and told me to watch out for the boulder that I gets stuck on. I tried with all my might to pull it up but couldn't budge it. I went down to make sure it was not caught, came up and still couldn't move it. I was ready to give up on the obstacle but as I was walking away I tried a third tire, one with a worn path, and was able to do it easily. Lesson learned for the future. Pick the tire drag with the most worn track.

I think that it was here there was a devastating downhill. At some point I was sliding down the mountain on my ass. 

• 50# Sand Bag Carry - This was rough. We were told that they were 50 pound sand bags that we carried for .4 miles. That is okay. The uncool part of this obstacle is that the ascent was extremely steep and slippery and there was no way to get up cleanly without a sand bag. There was a portion of this obstacle that I just slung the sandbag forward, took a few steps and threw it forward again. The downhill was not as bad and I think that I made it most of the way with the sandbag on my shoulders. Putting this obstacle in the rear view mirror was such an accomplishment.

Another punishing climb up the mountain.

• Platinum Rig - 2 rings to 2 free floating monkey bars to 2 thick square bars to a rope to rings that you navigated with your feet. Great obstacle and I wish I had done it better or at least a little differently. I got past the rings, past the monkey bars and lost my grip on the thick square bars. I should have tried to jump up and continue from where I was but I proceeded to go to the burpee station (120 total). Great new obstacle. I like it and hope to see more of it.
• Tyrolean Traverse - This came after another long and steep decline. This was another obstacle that I was hoping to get but was afraid that I couldn't make. Nailed it! Actually started on the rope and in less than five feet my legs slipped off the rope and went into the water. I still held on with my arms and picked myself up and back on the rope. This was the best thing that could have happened since my legs slid nicely once my calf sleeves were wet. I was making great progress and had to look to see how far I had come and realized that I was almost there. The end got a little tough but there was no way I was not making it to the bell. Once in arm's reach I banged that bell so hard that the cord it was dangling from wrapped around the rope several times so that the bell was not hanging anymore. I feel sorry for the next person on that rope. I tried to fix it but couldn't. Anyway, I was pumped that I completed this obstacle. Not perfectly since technically my feet should never be allowed to touch the water, but, I never let go, lifted myself back up and completed it. Victory! Another highlight of the day and testament to the work that I have put in.

Another long run and then there was the Memory test. I was so relived not to have to continue repeating that stupid KILO 653-6120 in my head anymore. As you will be able to tell by the remaining obstacles, the running was mostly done and we were at the base with "only" the apparatus obstacles left.

• Rope Climb - Never got going on this one. Couldn't get my feet caught to go up. 30 burpees (150 total).

• Spear Throw 2 - Missed again. 30 burpees (180 total)
• 8 Foot Wall - Okay so I put my foot on the side support to help myself up and over. Somebody called out "cheating". So, if someone gives me a boost that is not cheating? Next obstacle..
• Rocky Barbwire - The first one was very muddy. This was dry, rocky & hilly with some very low barbwire. Got through it no problems.
• Mud Pit - 2 or 3 rolling hills of mud. No problems. Next obstacle.
• Rocky Barbwire 2 - More of the same. No problems. Next obstacle.
• Under Wall - Usually you have to fully submerge yourself but this had a gap between the water and the bottom of the wall. This meant that I didn't have eyes covered with mud or the taste of mud in my mouth for the next hour. The challenge was that my hands got wet and this caused a problem for....
• Pipes on Chains - My hands were wet, or at least not fully dry, the pipes were wet and I didn't get that far. Under better conditions I would have completed this obstacle. 30 burpees (210 total)
• Hercules Hoist - Not a problem hoisting the 90 pound bag up to the top of this apparatus. Never a problem for me although it is for some. Next obstacle.

• Up & Across - You had to go up, across and down this monstrosity. Easy. Next obstacle.

• Monkey Bars - I didn't have anything for this. The second bar where you had to go up killed me just like at the Super. 30 burpees (240 total).

One last climb up a steep part of the mountain over tree stump debris. It was tough at this point. Made it up and down the steep descent bringing me to glory....

• Fire Jump - I waited and let other people go first so that I could get the best picture I could. I have been practicing my pose for two days.

I was across the Finish Line and saw my wife and daughter from afar. I waited in the pit as they got closer to the retaining bars and lifted my daughter out of her stroller once they were there. It was great to share this moment with them as my wife has supported me through this long journey. I am so glad to have this picture.

We tried to stay as long as we could but I was tired and cold. We went back to Chalet Killington where I washed off and went into the lounge where I ate a quart of chicken fried rice, some pizza that Ashley got from the bar across the street, and drank 4 Long Trail beers Ashley bought from the store earlier in the day. I watched my daughter and chilled with a college football game that I didn't care about. 

The next morning I went to the breakfast area and swapped stories with another guy who did the Beast the day before. Then we were off to Woody's breakfast and lunch diner where the entire place was filled with Spartan Beasts wearing their Finisher shirts and some their medals and most could not walk due to achy legs. 

And I picked up the local paper and saw this...

We are kind of a big deal.

I had a great time and feel extremely accomplished. I can't wait to do it again next year.