Spartan Race | Dallas, Texas Beast Weekend 21K
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
There once was a season in my life where competitive racing was actually a thing. Whether a long, endurance race like a Spartan, Tough Mudder or Triathlon or a team adventure race like a marathon or Ragnar Relay, I found immense joy in competition. Those days have passed me by, but they were some of the most enjoyable years of my life. From elite runners on unpredictable terrain at the Spartan Dallas Beast to the hot asphalt of the Marble Falls Triathlon, I ran 4-5 races every year for 4 years. Not only, was my fitness level the highest it had ever been, my adventure meter had spiked. A few of the races I participated in yearly were:
- Spartan Dallas
- Spartan San Antonio
- Tough Mudder College Station
- Marble Falls Triathlon
- Lubbock Mayor’s Marathon
- Ragnar Relay
Now, I certainly was not attempting to complete the trifecta world championship in Spartan or run the half marathon in 90 minutes. I was not shooting for any cash prizes or first place finishes. I simply wanted to compete, get really wet and dirty and be a part of the community.
Spartan Beast
Prior to my racing “retirement”, I was able to compete in the annual Spartan Beast in Dallas, TX in October of 2019. The term Beast is very fitting. There’s a reason Spartan is considered the world’s premier obstacle course racing. That’s exactly what it is. The Beast is an obstacle race complete with 36 signature obstacles and over 14 miles over running through rugged terrain, long stretches of water runs and plenty of southern hospitality along the way.
The Dallas Ft Worth area is not necessarily a haven for adventure. There’s Cowtown and the Stockyards, TCU and downtown. Close by, you have the historic center of Granbury and multiple other small towns that make up the metroplex. So, when the trifecta weekend approached, we were pleasantly surprised at the venue – Rough Creek Lodge.
As our start time approached, we nervously made conversation with a spartan race volunteer asking all of the pertinent questions.
“Where are the shortcuts on the course?”
“How do we get free entry next year”?
“In addition to water stations, was there a beer station on the course?”
“Are Spartan volunteers actually US government employees disguised to spy on us?”
​One of the coolest parts of the Spartan experience is when members of the US military and first responders, as well as US law enforcement begin their trek through the course. All race runners and attendees honor their service with a salute and the national anthem as they set off on their way. Talk about toughness. Anyone can run a Spartan race. When you run it carrying a 50 pound ruck, you are a new level of stud.
The Race
Donning my high socks, new shoes and the ultimate performance gear like a headband, compression underwear, and long sleeves complete with the Spartan logo, I headed for the starting line for one of the earlier am times of the day. There are three divisions you can compete in – Competitive, Age Group and Open. I chose to always compete in the Age Group division. This allowed me to have fun while also getting the competitive juices flowing. Further, I wanted to get on the course as early as possible. Every time a new wave is released, the mud is muddier, the obstacles are wetter and the trails are worse. The regular waves, Open division, also took their time more often. If you are attempting to compete or achieve a specific time, it’s much more difficult in the Open division.
Typically, in this particular race, there were about 4000 competitors across all of the divisions. There were usually around 700 or so Age-group competitors. My goal was always top 100 finishers of the age group and top 10% of the entire field. I didn’t care about any Spartan awards or podium finishes. I simply wanted to better than 80-90% of the field. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential to enjoying endurance races. Fortunately, I had adjusted my diet of the preceding weeks and months in order to compete as well as I could. The only way I was going to achieve the top 10% was to start fast, end fast and run fast in the middle.
​Starting Slow
As the US firefighters and first responders took off, I was overcome with gratitude for their service. I watched as men and women from across the country walked, jogged and sprinted the first few obstacles of the course. They were tougher than me. There was no doubt about that.
My start time was 8:30a. Race day was always slightly nerve-wracking yet highly anticipatory. As you stand in the mass of humanity waiting for the gun, you spot the food trucks off in the distance, the merchandise tent next to the finish line and the winners of the elite wave receiving their medals having just completed the course. Your stomach begins to turn. Your heads become light. You wonder if you’ve made the right decision to sign up. Then the gun sounds.
Those at the front take off in a dead sprint. After all, it’s those who win the fist 100 yards of a 14 mile, 3+ hour race that ultimately win right? I took off right in the middle. I knew it was going to be a long race, so I was content starting right in the middle. Further, I had a game plan, and I was going to stick to it. The first half mile of the race is always about settling in, ensuring you’re breathing right and getting your feet wet. However, you also have to complete each obstacle during this section. The last thing you want to do is miss an easy obstacle then have to break your stride by completing 30 burpees.
My goal had always been the “perfect” race. While this was a fairly new venue, the obstacles were familiar. You had the carries of the sandbags and atlas stones, the “grippy” obstacles like the Beater, Mulit-rig and Olympus, as well as the strength obstacles like plate drag and tire flip. However, there were always two obstacle that seemed to trip me up – the Z-Wall and the Spear Throw.
Perfection Failed
​I was running at a great pace early on in the race. I felt good, and I had gotten over the first several obstacles without any issue whatsoever. The Z-wall was coming up next. I had only completed this obstacle once out of 4 previous attempts. I knew I could do it, but it was the toughest one for me. Being a 14 mile race, missing one obstacle is not the end of the world. However, when you’re in a nice rhythm, 30 burpees can be demoralizing. I approached the Z-wall with caution and began the 30 second traverse. Within 3 steps, I had fallen. My goal of a perfect race was down the drain 15 minutes and 4 obstacles in. I couldn’t believe it.
Fortunately, I got to do 30 burpees. Eye roll. This was the one obstacle I wanted to complete, yet I couldn’t do it again. I finished my burpees and set out on my way again wondering if this was going to be the race that I ever regretted running.
Finding My Groove
After my failure at the Z-wall, I began to settle in over the next few miles. We entered some terrain that was fairly technical. This was a point in the race where inexperienced races tended to slow down to a crawl in hopes that their ankles would survive to see another day. For me though? This is where I wanted to speed up to get in front of anyone unwilling to take a risk. I began passing many of my fellow competitors in this stretch. Further, several of the more difficult obstacles like Twister, Sandbag Carry and Helix began to appear. These obstacles began to separate the pack pretty quickly. After about 5 miles, I knew I was running a good race. I had the hiccup on the Z-wall, but I had gotten through every other obstacles without any hesitation or concern whatsoever.
My grip felt great, my legs were strong and my lungs were working as they needed to be. So I continued on with my pre-race plan. Run fast at the start, then finish fast. And also run fast in the middle. Around the 8 mile mark, cramps began. While aid stations were available every mile along the course, they only offered water and, occasionally, pickle juice. For this reason, I had prepped the day before by filling my waist pack with GU gels and Clif chewables along with 3 tiny bottles of pickle juice. When the cramps set in, the pickle juice was a life-saver. I had run 8 miles before the pain of cramping began to make itself known, so I knew I was well over halfway. I took a pickle juice shot and a GU, then continued on my way.
The Pain and The Concern
​At around the 1 hour, 45 minute mark, the pain really began to set in. I had developed a twinge in my IT band which stretches from the hip down to the knee. The only remedy for this ailment is rest. Unfortunately, still had over 6 miles to go. Had this been a Spartan Super, the race would be over. The Spartan Beast still required my effort and attention for another hour and a half. In order to get the race results I was shooting for, I simply need to endure.
I figured this was a great time to take my first walking break of the race as I had plenty of time to get back on pace in the later miles of the race. This was also a great time to prepare mentally to test endurance for the tough obstacles awaiting me in just a short time. I walked at a brisk pace of roughly 3.7 MPH for a quarter of a mile. Then, I began running again. The pain in my knee continued while the cramp began to dissipate. Then, at mile marker 9, they came with a fury. Both hamstrings and both calves seized on me at almost the same time. It was as if they had taken a quick power nap and woke up reenergized ready to wreck my race.
I downed my second shot of pickle juice and ingested 2 more GU chewables. This did nothing for me. I knew, from this point on, it was going to take everything I had mentally and physically to not only finish the race, but achieve the desired results I had set for myself.
Finding My Stride
As quickly as the cramps and IT band pain set in, they went away. The pain just vanished. I have no idea how the body operates in most circumstances, so I didn’t question what was occurring. I used this as a pick-me-up of sortrs and leaned into my newfound energy and confidence. Over the next 3 miles, I raced well. I nailed every obstacle passing scores of competitors along the way. At this point in the race, burpees were an afterthought. I had trained hard on grip strength and endurance, so I knew I could handle any obstacles Spartan wanted to throw at me.
​As the race neared its end, I found myself face-to-face with the spear throw. The spear throw is an epic challenge of focus and concentration. It’s the most simple obstacle in that all you are required to do is throw a spear into a target from a distance of about 15 yards. However, I had never been able to complete this obstacle. I was zero for four in my Spartan racing career. This time, I was committed to hitting the target.
As I lined up my throw, the thought of burpees kept rumbling around in my thoughts. Burpees, this deep into the race, would be demoralizing. So I settled my heart rate and took aim. Bullseye. In jubilation, and partial disbelief, I set off on a dead sprint to the final 7 obstacles of the course. I knew I was running a pretty good race at this point having only missed a single obstacle, the Z Wall. However, I did not know what my time was. I don’t where a watch in these events. I simply run based on how I feel and at the paces I believe I need to attain.
The Final Push
Mile marker 12 came and went. Then mile marker 13. I was into the final push towards the finish line. The end of Spartan races will make or break your race. This is due to a host of obstacles, one after another, for the final mile of the race. Any failed obstacles would result in 30 burpees. At this point in the race, that was at least 2 minutes of added time each time an obstacle was missed.
I made it through the monkey bars, the rope climb, the hercules hoist and the multi-rig. I navigated the pipe lair, the slip wall and the tire flip. All that faced me now was the cargo net and the fire jump, a highly symbolic leap closing in on the finish line. My race had gone better than expected. I had projected failing 3 obstacles. I had only failed one single obstacle. My running was strong, and as I saw the fire glowing in the distance, I knew I only had a couple of minutes left in the race.
I got through the cargo net with ease and sprinted to the fire, leapt in exbueratixon and crossed the finish line wondering if I had done enough to achieve my goal of Top 100 of all age group competitors and top 10% of all Spartan competitors.
The Results
A couple of hours after the race had concluded, I checked the score.
3 hours and 13 minutes. Finisher number 99 in Age Group. Finisher number 212 of all competitors. This equated to the top 3.7% of all Spartan racers that weekend. I had done it. My goal was accomplished.
I was elated to see that the hard work paid off. As I began to dissect the race, I couldn’t help but remember the spear throw, helix and the multi-rig, all obstacles I routinely failed. I thought through the cramps and the pain. I thought through my running pace. Had I not have pushed through, I would not have finished in the top 100. Finished number 101 was a mere minute 30 behind me. That equates to one missed obstacle throughout the entire 3+ hour race.
The Lesson
The lesson I learned throughout this process was not about enduring through pain. It was not that I had prepared and developed skills in order to compete to the best of my ability. I had already learned this through previous Spartan experiences. The lesson was not about overcoming obstacles in life and other cliches that most people talk or write about after endurance events. It was not even about finishing strong.
The lesson for me was simple and transformational.
I simply had fun. Despite the pain, I had so much fun during the race. The obstacles were a blast, and the requirement of mental fortitude was an adventure. The only thing missed from previous race experiences was the joy of simply doing something hard for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, the training for months prior had made the race fun. The mental stamina developed over years of competitive events made the race enjoyable. I simply had never gotten to the point where I had fun competing. It was all about the results.
Then, in the one race where I wanted to do especially well and actually achieve a goal, I had the most fun.
This changed how I viewed competition in life. Finding joy in the process and having fun despite grueling circumstances now became forefront. This experience became one that carried over into my work and family life. Choosing joy and choosing fun when conditions are miserable and pain is present is how we develop the mental and physical fortitude to press on.
About the Author
John Claborn
Hi! I’m John. Author of the post you just read. I like to write about all things adventure. Mostly things to help people live more adventurous lives and care for their families in a more meaningful way. By day, I’m a COO. By night, I’m a rad dad of 4 kids that I don’t deserve and a husband to a woman I can’t understand how I got. My goal is to show freedom to people through adventure and experiences.
