Sunday, October 28, 2018

2018 Spartan World Championship Lake Tahoe!

I never thought about actually doing a Spartan race till I chatted with a Spartan Trainer at a race expo last year. I told him(Arnie) that I was apprehensive in doing a Spartan race, or any kind of obstacle/mud run type race, for fear of getting hurt and not being able to race triathlons. He said to me that I will get hurt with thinking like that and I should do one. The more I think about getting hurt the more I will get hurt. So, I signed up!
I went into my first Spartan race not knowing to much of what I was doing. It was a Super Spartan race which is usually 8+ miles of running on trails and 20+ obstacles to get over, under, through and lift/carry. It was so much fun. I felt like a scrappy fairy running and jumping and climbing! I went home happy and muddy. Days later I got the email. With my placement in the Spartan race I just did I qualified for the North America Championships! It was to be in Virginia. Hmm. Not too exciting. Then I get right away an email saying the I qualified for World Championship in Lake Tahoe!! I had went home after the race not thinking I could rank let alone qualify for anything. I got third in my age group, 50+!
My husband and I were way past due for a vacation so I registered for the race, found a couples cottage and left Washington for a week to go to Tahoe City, Ca on Lake Tahoe and Squaw Valley Ski Resort! The championship race I was doing was called a Beast. A Beast Spartan race is 12+ miles with up to 35 obstacles. Tahoe ended up being 13.5 miles with 5000 feet in elevation gain. Took me 5:27:19 hours to complete! (There are various distanced for Spartan. Sprint 3+ miles, Super 8+ miles, Beast 12+ miles and Ultra 30+ miles. Each location for a race will have different final miles and obstacle placement or different or new obstacles. I love the variation.)
The Spartan World Championship race was on Saturday September 30th. My start time was 8:30. Alfredo was volunteering and the volunteer director placed him, with a chair, at the start in the water fill station. Best place for him to see all action at the start of the race and to chat with people. I knew this would keep him busy and entertained all day while I was racing.
The Tahoe Spartan Beast was 13.5 miles running on trails, up and down a mountain, with 34 obstacles. (See map below. Sorry a little blurry)

















Saturday, October 20, 2018

God's got my back

   Well. I got fired Friday. Stupid excuses to get rid of me. I was mad. I worked hard and got no respect from a sad person. That's ok though. God has a plan for me. I sat and prayed and thought of what to do next. I text my part-time boss and in less than an hour I was fully employed again! I'm not writing this for myself. I'm writing this to anyone else out there who thinks their dreams are so far out there and to never give up. Never lose faith. Keep Jesus on your side and He will never, ever disappoint. 
   God's got my back. God bless and live life.