Has anyone done one of these?
What did you think and how hard was it compared to a 70.3?
Is there a Slowtwich type forum for obstacle racing?
Thanks
I did a Super Spartan - 9+ mile race a few years back in South Florida. I did not find it terribly difficult as compared to a 70.3. About 2- 3 hours worth of ‘racing’ depending on whatthe back log is at the obstacles when you arrive. I don’t imagine the extra 2 or so miles and 3 obstacles is likely to have a huge impact on the level of difficulty. It was hard to race full out as the alot of the running was done on narrow singletrack mountain bike trails with a lot of roots. In effort to make sure I did not trip and break an ankle, I was somewhat deliberate in my running pace. It is often hard to race these events due to the backups at some obstacles. The only obstacle I had difficulty with was a plywood vertical wall with little pieces of wood attached (thinking climbing wall) the you had to go end to end on - not vertical. This was immediately after coming out of the mud pit so it as well you are covered with mud - hard to get a foothold or grip. I guess if you are into rock climbing it would not be terribly difficult, but not my thing. It was fun, but I have not gone back to one since as I spent the whole time running thinking don’t roll and break an akle and potentially ruin a whole season of triathlon.
Is there a Slowtwich type forum for obstacle racing?
Thanks
If there is, I would imagine it is full of even more weirdo’s than ST.
I did the beast in SC last year. It was fun. Substantially less taxing than a HIM, but I feel it’s also less competitive which may have made me hold back.
I had a good time, but I decided it was probably my last obstacle course race. I rolled both ankles (able to run through it) and got a nasty bit of rope burn on the back of my ankle from crossing a lake. I ended up off of my feet for 4 or 5 days. I also timed it poorly 2 weeks before a marathon.
I did a Spartan Beast last month. I have never done a 70.3 so I can’t compare it to that. I have done a couple marathons though, and I think the marathons were harder. The Beast was definitely a challenge though, and I think runners have the upper hand, especially trail runners. There are a lot of people who do mostly strength training on the course, which is good for the obstacles, and not so great for all the running and hills. But even for an average person (me) with little upper body strength, the obstacles were still doable.
I wrote about my experience doing the Spartan on my blog (both the good and bad). Check it out if you are interested!
http://www.tasteofdivine.com/spartan-beast-race-report-monterey/
The toughest part will be dodging around the p90xers and crossfitters on the run sections and not having them step on your face to get over obstacles. They’re fun, especially with friends. If you sweat your time it can get frustrating cause of bottlenecks. But they’re fun with the right company and attitude.
Yeah…definitely a lot of bottlenecks on the single tracks!
The one I did there were few single tracks, though some, depending on creativity. Depends on the course. But there were bottlenecks a couple of the obstacles, some manageable, one way too long. It was Tough Mudder, which is similar, but not identical. I’ve done two of their courses which were so different (terrain wise) that they covered most of the specturm.
I think these are run pretty similarly, with wave starts. Often the earlier waves give you a faster course do to less accumulation of stragglers.
** I spent the whole time running thinking don’t roll and break an akle and potentially ruin a whole season of triathlon**.
^^^^^^^This.
Yeah, a pretty big injury risk.
Comparing long course triathlon racing to obstacle course events, is like comparing the WWF to the UFC.
I have had a chance to do a couple of Spartan races since I originally posted this question. Interestingly enough Joe DeSena one of the founders of Spartan Race is a multiple Ironman finisher and has said in a couple interviews that a lot of how his series runs is based on the Ironman races. I have found these races to be quite a bit of fun and a nice distraction from triathlon for the end of this summer. I am pretty much a midpack triathlete and obstacle racer.
So here are a couple of things I have learned:
- Tough Mudder - untimed / encourages groups working together / not a race /// Spartan - chip timed / it is a race
- The effort in these races is widely variable based on what you are doing at the time. Probably more similar to the highs and lows of bike racing than triathlon
- It pays to watch some videos and learn about the common obstacles - there are a couple of tricks to make them easier
- practice your burpees prior to race day. Cranking out 30 mid race sucks (most people seem to cheat these by the way)
- It is worth doing some hill work, many of these races have sections so steep it is impossible to run - both up and downhill
- I have found if you get a chance to pass people it is worth picking it up, things tend to get bogged down in the single track
- sometimes there is a wait at the obstacles - very frustrating - if you truly want to race all out - go in the elite wave
- As other people said above some of the trails are a bit rough with roots, rocks, etc - As a former cross country runner that really didn’t bother me
It will be interesting to see where this sport goes in the future. The are wildly popular now with over 10000 people racing over the course of a weekend. Spartan is trying to establish a competitive sport with uniform racing and rules but I don’t think they are 100% there yet.
I’m also interested to see where the sport goes in the future. When obstacle races first started popping up, I thought it was going to be a fad. They have been gaining in popularity though. Even though some of the smaller ones have come and gone, it seems there are a few main players in the business that might stay for a while.
I did the Spartan Beast in Vermont, said to the be the World Championship last year. This event was 6 weeks out of my IMFL and I have to admit I was more sore and exhausted from this race than IMFL, mostly because I was specifically trained for IMFL and not the Beast, but nonetheless it was a very difficult event. That being said, it is what you make it, if you walk the course its not hard, but if your goal is to compete to see how well you can do against the pros, then yes its a hard event. The Spartan Beast, Super, & Sprint races do not compare to the Tough Mudder and the Warrior Dash. The former are group setting races, while the Spartan races are timed events where you see how well you can do, plus there is prize money at the end of the Spartan races, which always brings out the big boys. If you are interested in an Obstacle course race of this magnitude, I suggest racing in the Elite Heat, its a blast. Just a bunch of highly competitive people going balls to the wall for the entire race, but are always looking out for each other. Plus its fun for triathletes to pass the muscle bound crossfitters who think they are all high and mighty.
I’ve done two super spartans (8-9 miles), and I’d compare them to an Olympic in difficulty - I was 1h 45m in one, and 2h 20m or so in the other (the 2nd one was all hills). The guys that win these things are in insanely good shape. I was in great tri shape in 2012, and the elite winner still beat me by about 35 minutes (I did a 2h 8m olympic that season, and the fastest elite was about 10 minutes faster).
I haven’t done their competitors’ races (TM, Warrior Dash, or local races), so I can’t compare.
The vibe I got at my 2012 spartan race in AZ was very similar to a tri - you’re there to compete and race. The vibe at the 2013 was much more “let’s process these people and nickel-and-dime them as much as we can before the fad fades”. 2013 had much more obstacle repetition, more lineups, and had cash-only pay parking a mile from the event.
In 2012 I was in the first or second non-elite wave - there aren’t any lineups if you go in an early wave. Even in 2013 when I went in a mid-day heat (probably like the 12th heat of the day), I didn’t find that many lineups. If you get into really good burpee shape, you can usually just offer to do burpees instead of an obstacle.
It is very possible to cheat - one of my friends was injured, and just walked around the obstacles he couldn’t do. That said, I didn’t really personally notice anyone cheating around me (and I’ve rewatched it on gopro once or twice).