A Stay-at-Home Mom's Viewpoint on the Sun Peaks Spartan Race
Ultra Beast from the Top of the World
-Jessica Bleasdale
I feel kind of silly writing this review of the the Sun
Peaks Spartan Race Ultra Beast. I am not a top tier athlete nor a long time
runner nor a marathoner nor a personal trainer nor someone even with an
athletic background. There has been lots of chatter before and after the race
that the Sun Peaks Ultra Beast wasn't as hard as Vermont, wasn't long enough,
wasn't good enough, wasn't challenging enough, and countless other derisive
comments. Let me say quite frankly as a stay-at-home mom who began running a
year and a half ago and have been training my butt off harder than I ever
conceivably could have imagined, the Sun Peaks Ultra Beast was the greatest
challenge on which I have ever embarked. And this is the magic of the Spartan
Race brand. Anyone from any walk of life can do the training, do the necessary
hard work, do whatever it takes, and earn that feeling of success when
completing a race which makes the Spartan Race motto "You'll know at the
finish line" so appropriate, particularly in my case at this race.
This review is not a highlight of the technical aspects of
the course nor commentary on how this course does or doesn't stack up against
other races. There are plenty of other athletes who can provide that type of
review. I will give a lowdown on how I made it through the course and what it
took for me to prep for the race. This recap and review is for the athletes
just like me; those who dare to dream that they can achieve things they once
thought impossible. It is for those who self doubt but don't back down. It is
for those who are willing to step outside their comfort zone and train hard and
willing to do whatever it takes to turn dreams into a reality.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't completely intimidated
lining up in the starting corral with some absolutely stellar athletes. The
race was capped to 100 racers so the calibre of athletes in this one group was
extraordinary. In the pre-race inspiration speech the announcer gives prior to
a Spartan Race it always includes a statement along the lines of "Now look
to the Spartan on your left and look to the Spartan on your right,...."
There was a running joke among the Ultra racers that as you looked to the
people left and right of you that chances are in this race they would not
finish it. This reality really set in with me as I waited for the race to begin
and every fibre of my being wanted to succeed.
I will give a brief lowdown on the course from the
perspective of a back-of-the-pack racer. Originally we were given 9 hours and
15 minutes to complete the course. This time cap was extended by 1 hour as they
had made the course distance longer in the days leading up to the event. If you
want to see a good video race recap I recommend the one done by Adam Kwitko from
Get Out There Magazine who provides a glimpse into the terrain and obstacles of
the course: http://youtu.be/eu13yrgbasQ There are lots of conflicting GPS
reports on the actual distance of the course. Most racers GPS watches clocked
the Ultra Beast course anywhere from 44 - 50km. The race organizers stated the
course was 47km. It was 2 laps of the Spartan Beast course, with a drop bag
tent in between for racers to re-fuel, change gear, and whatever else necessary
before heading back up the mountain for a 2nd lap. This race was on a mountain
so cumulatively we climbed nearly 10,000 feet of elevation. There were 58
obstacles to contend with on course which included 2 memorization obstacles
just for Ultra Beast racers. I am quite certain I am not alone in being able to
easily recall the 4 Prime Ministers - King, Campbell, Trudeau and Deifenbaker,
and the 4 Ski Runs - Cahility, Sundance, Grannie Greens and 5 mile, which we
had to memorize on the first then subsequent second lap of the race. There were
your standard Spartan Race obstacles such as a rope climb, over-under-thru, 8ft
walls, spear throw, monkey bars, sandbag carry, traverse wall, tractor pull,
inverted wall, and the like. Some highlights (and lowlights) of the obstacles
included an ungodly long bucket carry winding up and up a very rooty and narrow
trail, quite a long trench of logs under which we had to crawl along sharp
rocks and muck through a tight fit, an awkward log carry up and down a
mountain, the absolute heaviest tire drag I have ever experienced in an
obstacle race, and the log jam which we had to make our way through that seemed
to be a time sucker of sorts. There was some leg burning elevation including a
9km run straight out of the starting gate up to the mountain top appropriately
called 'Top of the World', some quad-busting-knee-popping steep downhill, great
switchbacks, and some sweet single track technical trail which were a delight
to any avid trail runner.
This race did not go as I had planned, which happens to the
best of us sometimes on race day. Originally I was going to do the race with my
husband, Chad Bleasdale and my teammate and friend, Jen Aragon. But neither Jen
nor I were healthy heading into the race so my husband in fine form headed up
into the mountains well out of sight from the get go; we had all made a pact
that no one had to stay together because it was most important that no one hold
each other back from completing the race. A trip to the doctor after the race
gave insight into why I wasn't feeling in fine form as I found out I have an
RSV respiratory infection that causes pneumonia, and a sprained ankle I must
have gotten on my last training run before the race. But race day is not the
day to make excuses and plod through the race I did. After a little over 10
hours on the course we did it; we actually crossed the finish line. Sore, tired
dehydrated, hungry, bruised but none of that mattered because we completed the
Ultra Beast to earn our Spartan Race belt buckle medal and our place in Spartan
Race history.
I learned some good lessons from this race:
1) A race should always humble you. If you find a race easy
then you did not give it all you had. You could have run it faster, you could
have ranked higher in finishing, you could have doubled up on obstacles, you
could have run the race blind-folded, etc. A race company provides the
framework for the course and the athletes provide the true grit it takes to
make it an exciting challenge. It is important to take pride in completion of a
race as it is well-deserved; however it is never necessary to knock down the
accomplishments of other people just to make oneself feel superior. I am
grateful to those who celebrated my success even though they are far superior
athletes as they knew this race had its own challenges and knew this was a huge
undertaking for me. I am truly humbled by not only those who finished the race
hours ahead of me but also by those who had to DNF the race as it easily could
have been any one of us in their shoes on a different day.
2) Mental training is almost as important as physical
training. This is a hard concept to fully appreciate until competing in a race
of such magnitude. Being out in training runs or races for hours and hours at a
time leaves lots of time for the brain to churn and create self-doubt. A human
body is capable of so much more than what seems possible especially if you do
not let your fears sabotage your potential.
3) To run a mountain race you have to train on mountains.
Sounds obvious of course but it can be really hard to mimic the race course if
you do not have access to similar terrain and elevation. On this race I saw
full grown men on hands and knees puking in bushes because this race was so
taxing in terms of incline. On that last dreaded incline on the 2nd lap I saw
one racer on his hands and knees trying to make it up the mountain. For nearly
90% of my training runs I did them with my husband and our 2 children in
strollers. We had to get creative with our training so often times we would run
gravel logging roads up mountains pushing the kids in strollers which was an
exercise in both strength and endurance.
4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Did I mention you should
hydrate? I was not properly hydrated going into the race. I know that now. On
race day I went through 4L of electrolyte water plus pitstops at water stations
and I still finished the race very dehydrated. In all my time thus far with
running and racing I had never experienced cramping. But I did cramp up in this
race on multiple occasions because I was not properly hydrated.
5) Rest, rest, rest. This is easier said than done as a Mom.
The night before the race I was up all night with my 5 year old who decided
that was the night he did not require any sleep....ugh. But truthfully I was
not getting the proper rest I needed leading up to the race. At least 2 weeks
before the race I should have set an early bedtime and stuck to it as part of
my pre-race training plan.
6) Run smarter not harder. By the time race day came around
I had a pretty good idea what my capabilities are and where my strengths and
weaknesses lay. I know that gunning it up the mountain to try to keep up with
the front runners would have been futile. I walked when I needed to walk, asked
for help when I needed help, ate when I needed food, etc. A race like this is
not about what anyone else is doing but rather what is going to work for you.
Simply put just run your own race. I was the farthest thing from the fastest
but I did finish.
7) Be prepared. To take on a massive undertaking requires
proper training and planning. There are lots of free resources and blogs from
which to glean training plans and gear prep when deciding to take on an Ultra
Beast. Of course nothing guarantees completion of a race but it sure helps to
set yourself up for success by following a proper training plan, asking advice
from people who have done an Ultra Beast before, and having support systems in
place to offer guidance, support, advice such as running clubs, or teams like
mine such as the Canadian Mudd Queens, or Facebook groups of like-minded
racers. One blog in particular that I found helpful for tips on everything from
training, to drop bag preparation, to how to avoid a DNF is by Ekaterina
Solovieva http://solovieva.com
8) Practice the obstacles. Again kind of an obvious and
self-explanatory point. But truly one of the worst time suckers and energy
drains of an obstacle race is blowing your wad on trying an obstacle only to
fail and have to do the penalty of 30 Burpees. Yes, Burpees are bound to happen
at an obstacle race especially as you get more tired. However if you can hone
in a few tricks on certain obstacles then you have a greater chance of nailing
the obstacle on course. I repeatedly watched a video on YouTube on how to do a
"j hook" while doing a rope climb, got my husband to hang a piece of
rope in the yard, and practiced until I got it right. Head to a local
playground to monkey around, make some stuff for your backyard on which to
practice, head to a Crossfit gym or other similar establishment who use various
obstacles as part of the workouts, or attend obstacle training camps. With the
rise in popularity of obstacle racing there are many more opportunities to
practice obstacles.
9) Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. If I
said this once to myself during the Ultra Beast I must have said it a million
times. There were definitely moments I wanted to quit or thought I just
couldn't possibly go on. But I would tell myself I just had to keep moving
forward by putting one foot in front of the other. There were times when I did
not even lift my head to see how much further I had to go up a mountain but
instead looked at my feet and told myself to just keep moving. It comes back to
the mental game these types of races can play on oneself. For every self doubt
voice in your own head there is a supportive voice that can encourage you to do
great things. When I reached the 'Top of the World' during the second lap we
were told we met the time cap by 1 MINUTE!!! I cried both tears of joy and
exhaustion. These races can pull the very best out of you if you just keep
moving forward.
10) Be proud. You crossed the finish and deserve to
celebrate. The couple of days after the race I allowed a handful of naysayers
to diminish my shine of feeling like I accomplished something great. It was
being said by a few that the race was a walk in the park and way too easy in
comparison to the Vermont World Championship course that took place one week
prior. My friend and fellow athlete (one of the best in North America) Frank
Phipps said it best "I wish all over the Spartan world we didn't have to
compare against other races...Each one is unique in its own right...yes some
are harder than others. Vermont will always be the godfather of hurt but who
wants Mon-Fri 9-5 races anymore?!" I was reminded by the hundreds and
hundreds of people who have celebrated and congratulated my accomplishment that
it is a big deal, I do deserve to say I finished an Ultra Beast, and I have
inspired others to take on greater challenges.
From a constructive standpoint there were some logistical
elements of the race that need some work. When we registered for the Ultra
Beast racers were told upon completion we would receive: 1 Sun Peaks Ultra
Beast Belt Buckle, 1 Ultra Beast glow in the dark medal, 1 Ultra Beast
finishers shirt, 1 regular finishers shirt, 1 Beast shirt, and 1 Beast medal,
as well we would receive a special piece of Ultra Beast swag, and that the race
counted towards a Spartan Trifecta. By the time the race had ended we received:
1 Ultra Beast finishers shirt, 1 regular finisher shirt, and 1 Vermont Ultra
Beast belt buckle. Apparently there was a mix up by the Medal Manufacturer in
China who accidentally sent Western Canada Spartan Race the Killington belt
buckles instead of the Sun Peaks belt buckles. I have been assured we should be
receiving these by mail. Also despite my multiple email messages prior to the
race, they had no record of my accomplishment of a Double Trifecta so they did
not have that medal available for me, nor did they have the new Trifecta medal
for me.....so I have been told these will also be mailed to me. And
disappointingly nothing ever came of the the "special Ultra Beast
swag" we were supposed to receive.
The positive things I have to say are many. First, kudos to
Western Canada Spartan Race for having the balls to put on the inaugural
Canadian Ultra Beast race, which is only 1 of 3 Ultra Beast races to take place
in the entire world (USA and Australia hold the other 2.) Secondly, the
volunteers were amazing and their encouragement throughout the race was superb.
Thirdly, racers participating in the Spartan Beast were told to look out for
green arm bands that would distinguish the Ultra Beast racers and to give Ultra
Beast racers priority on the trails and obstacles. The Beast racers were both
accommodating and very supportive in their words of encouragement. Fourthly, as
Jen and I came down the mountain to the final obstacles we could hear so much
loud cheer from our fellow Canadian Mudd Queens teammates and racing friends
and Spartan Race staff that I was overwhelmed with joy by their love and
support. We were so exhausted we had to take the penalty of 30 Burpees on the
final rope climb but members of our family and team and friends dropped to the
ground to do the majority of our Burpees for us. This compassion is what makes
fellow racers an obstacle racing family. Fifth, to have fellow Canadian Mudd
Queen Jen Milligan, who is one of the best obstacle racers in the world come
out long after she had finished her race to put my medal around my neck was a
touching moment to me and one I hold dear. Sixth, our friends from Mud Mulisha
who brought Jen and I each a post-race cold beer to toast our victory as the
beer gardens had long since closed up. Seventh, having a great friendship with
my fellow teammate Jen Aragon with whom I raced side by side on that mountain
all day. This will be a lasting moment in our friendship for years to come.
Last but certainly not least, to be greeted by my husband Chad Bleasdale who
was already wearing his Ultra Beast belt buckle come give me a great big hug
and kiss to celebrate all the hardwork that we did in training together as a
family that culminated in both our success at the Ultra Beast will forever be a
special moment in our marriage. Our commitment to Spartan Race has made our
commitment to each other in our marriage even stronger.
Big kudos to everyone who stepped up to the plate to conquer
the mountain that day. Such amazing athletes and competitors, and I am very
blessed to have friends and teammates from the Canadian Mudd Queens, Weeple
Army and Mud Mulisha. It was a great day to slay the Ultra Beast.
