NJ Spartan Beast

The Beast. 
That's what this was alright.


So - 2 weeks ago I signed up for the NJ Spartan Beast. I had planned on doing a different beast later in the year, but this just made more sense logistically, so without specifically training for it I took the plunge. I did SC last year and made it through, but that's like comparing apples to oranges.

Not so great picture of the start, straight up the mountain
Entered Mountain Creek ski resort. Parking and traffic was fine, they did a good job planning everything. I was there super early and actually witnessed the first male elite finish the race, in some ridiculous time like 2:30. Inhuman! My turn to go was 10:00. The wall just to get into the start corral was higher this year and I actually needed help to get over it. The start sent you straight up the mountain with snow on it. As for the snow on the course, it was definitely a scare tactic because it was just them turning on the snow machines in certain places. Everywhere else was snow free and it was actually a warm and sunny 70 degrees. Dressed perfectly in a short sleeve and capris. Anyway - off we went, straight up a hill that did not end. It was seriously a mile of nothing but uphill. Mixed in were some snow hills to climb over. Then a little while later we encountered some log hurdles to hoist ourselves over. At one point we were under the chair lift which was just straight up rock climbing. None of us were moving very fast. I knew this race would be mostly hiking, very little running. My goal is simply to finish - having never done a mountain race I did not want to burn myself out trying to go for time. 12.3 miles plus obstacles = just over 13 miles. 4800 feet of elevation gain

Finally we reached the summit of the mountain and wow, what a view. I admired it for a second before moving on. I had started talking to a fellow racer and wound up doing the entire race with her. Her name was Ashleigh and she was there with her boyfriend, who I vaguely remember seeing when we first met up but he went ahead and kind of left her behind. She was just coming off of a back injury due to car accident and planned to take it slow. I felt bad that her boyfriend left her behind and I also wanted some company. So we ended up talking and found out we have alot in common. At the top of the mountain there was a cargo net climb, at which I accidentally kicked her in the face. I felt awful about it but she assured me it was ok. Down the mountain, encountered the log hop. We were gonna help each other across but the volunteer was a jerk and said no helping. Booo. We both fell off and did burpees - squats for Ashleigh due to her back injury. Not long after the logs was the Rig, or "Multi Bars". It's basically a pipe you have to shimmy across, then grab onto 2 ropes, then grab onto another pipe. I got across the pipe (sideways - whatever works, right?) but when it came time to transition to the knotted rope I fell off. Damn, already 2 failures. Thankfully the Spartan gods put my favorite obstacle up next - Herc hoist. I seriously considered doing the mens, if it wasn't a Beast I would have. Demolished it and swore to myself to do the men's weight at all Sprints and Supers.  At some point early on in the race we were given a code to memorize and we would be tested on it later. Mike 025 5788. Also early on in the race was a nice muddy river to wade through. It was cold but it felt great.. the men didn't seem to agree with me however because I heard alot of nice high pitched shouts.

A spear throw made it's appearance early on. Nothing new here, I didn't get it. Then the monkey bars. They seemed really far apart this year! I got halfway through and lost my momentum. I was hanging there for a few seconds, and I knew that if I didn't get my momentum back I would be done for. So I swung my whole body forward and reached for the next bar. Got it. Proceeded to fly through the rest of them. Not a couple seconds after I finished I heard my name. Ashleigh was halfway through and needed help. I got underneath her and she rode on my shoulders to complete her monkey bars. Yay, we both did it and I am 5 out of 6 on monkey bars at Spartan races. My victory was kind of short lived, because the next obstacle was the traverse wall. Now they are doing them in a Z shape so you have to navigate corners. I have never completed this. Ashleigh held me up while I moved across my wall. Trying to figure out my foot placement for the corners was tough but she was giving me guidance along the way. Navigated the blind corner, but I felt my strength failing me. Got about 2 pegs from the end when my right foot slipped and I fell off. I was so pissed off. But I learned an important lesson - I took too long. If I had gone faster I would have had more grip strength, but by taking too long I wasted alot of energy just holding on to the thing. Ashleigh didn't need any help because she's a champion. Seriously this chick is good at obstacles. We descended a hill again to find a random hay bale to climb over (really? this is considered an obstacle?) then turned the corner to find a water station. Then, up the mountain again and there it was. The goddamn bucket carry. I hated life when I did this last year, and this bucket carry was a freaking nightmare. For one, the volunteers were super strict about filling your buckets. People cheated anyway, but I filled mine up because I did not want to be forced to repeat the obstacle like they were threatening to make you do. Straight up the mountain. I had to take so many breaks, a break every few feet!!! It was killing my hands. A plastic Home Depot bucket with pounds of muddy rocks in it isn't fun to carry by the bottom. I felt like I was in hell. This took me so long to do, but at long last I was dumping my rocks back into the station and said goodbye to that damned bucket. This obstacle took alot of energy out of me and killed what strength I had in my forearms. But we were almost to the halfway point! All we had to do was 1 more of what we just did!


Walls, 10 or 12 feet?
We turned the corner and it was time to climb the mountain again. A little ways up the slope was a plate with a sandbag on top of it that we had to drag through snow. There was a line so I chose the plate on the end with no one at it. I soon realized why no one was using it. It was the hardest one because it had the most snow. The plate kept getting stuck in the snow and I actually needed help getting it back down the hill. Sometimes the path less traveled isn't always the best. More climbing - Ashleigh had a somewhat amusing angry meltdown, then calmed down a bit and felt better afterwards. Another summit reached, time for some barb wire crawls. This one wasn't too bad, but it ended just in time because I was starting to get tired. Had a very motivating volunteer who pushed us to keep going. Time to cool off in some mud hills and pits. Maybe I'm weird but I always appreciate the mud and water obstacles. They're fun! If memory serves, this was one of the flatter areas of the course. Soon it was time for the sandbag carry, it was an easy one but it was very long. Probably half a mile at least. The hill descents did get a little tricky with footing at times. I think at my next race I will do the men's weight. We were now in a relatively flat, wooded area. Up comes the memory test. I got a bit of stage fright and transposed 2 of my numbers, but on the next guess I got it right. Ashleigh heard me say "MIKE" and it screwed her up, but the volunteer was cool and gave her another try. We passed through an area with cabins, some type of abandoned kids playground, then approached the inverted wall. I dunno if it was the 9 miles of insane climbing and obstacles, or the fact that we already climbed 2 walls, but I couldn't do this one alone and had to get a boost. Ashleigh almost fell off but she saved herself and got over. Instantly following was the Tyrolean traverse over dry ground. I tried, but I just can't get it yet. Following this was some more nice cold water to walk in, we were approaching a lake and even got to cross the dam. The trail got kind of monotonous for awhile, then we climbed even more. Very rocky, lots of fallen logs to climb over/under, then we wound up on another summit with an A frame cargo on top. Climbing a mini mountain on top of a mountain. The view at the top was amazing.


Rope Climb
Atlas carry somewhere in here. I think because it was so late in the race I had a harder time with it, but I got the stone where it needed to go. We began another steep descent with snow, down to the big walls (pictured above) They are either 10 or 12 feet, got help of course. Immediately after was the rope climb. This rope was drier than SC. I got up the first knot, got my feet on the second but they slipped and I fell into the water. But I'm getting better and better every time I attempt it! Ashleigh's back seized up so she didn't make it either. Next we did the under water wall followed by the slippery wall. I swear they made this thing taller. I got up it with no problems. We were in the final mile. But ahead of us was a true test...
the long barb wire crawl, uphill in the snow. The snow part wasn't bad, just made my hands cold and painful, but halfway through it got muddy and very rocky. This thing nearly broke me. I took breaks. At one point I considered just standing up and walking out. It sucked all the energy out of me. Every move I made hurt. My knees, elbows, everything. I heard several grunts of pain and frustration from everyone around me. People getting their skin stuck on barb wire, cramping, etc. At the very end I was so relieved it was over, but when I went to stand up it happened - Calf cramp. I couldn't move for about 30 seconds, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Ashleigh helped me stretch it out and once the pain faded a bit I moved out of the way and got on with the race. Last climb, also the worst climb. This slope was absolutely brutal. I had zero energy left. Ashleigh had to stop often because of her back, she was crying a little bit it hurt so bad. Her morale was gone and she was ready to quit. I helped her up and told her I wouldn't let her. At this point it was all about putting one foot in front of the other. The final descent was hell on my knees and my hip. We reached the bottom which held a Tarzan swing above a mud pit, a fire jump, and a water pit to cross. Then, the finish line. We crossed at the same time, the green medals were ours. 7 hours, 13 crazy miles, 33 obstacles. My greatest challenge to date, and I won.


Ashleigh was reunited with her boyfriend, and I was united with my free beer (Shock top!!) hung out for a bit, got cleaned off and on my way back to the hotel. Well first I went to Applebees for dinner, not a place I usually like but I saw they had brisket nachos so duh, of course I had to go.



They were good except for the brisket itself, it was all slimy and unappealing. I picked around it mostly.. and only ate about half of what you see here, lol.


I had a great time. It was brutal both physically and mentally. But it was also fun to experience it all. Ashleigh and I randomly met at mile 1 and were kind of there for each other through the whole thing.  We talked the whole time which helped take our minds off of the tasks ahead of us. I failed alot of obstacles but kicked ass at others. I did my best and finished all in one piece! 


I'm sore and bruised today, but feeling good.

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