2019 Spartan race Trifecta WC

Just over a week ago I was in Greece for the 2019 Sparta Trifecta WC and boy it didn’t disappoint. I travelled over with my fiancé on the Thursday before the event so I could get my bearings before my biggest race weekend this season. A couple weeks prior had been offered tickets for the obstacle racing world championships in London but I decided against it as this event meant so much to me.

Our accommodation was a luxury apartment on the out skirts of Gythio, a small town on the coast 40ish minutes car journey south of Sparta. Initially I was worried about the car journey and parking e.t.c before each race but was pleasantly surprised at how quiet the roads were. Parking was a breeze, plenty of free parking spots close to the main square and race start location. It also transpired that other members of the UK pro roster were staying in the same hotel as us so we shared driving which always helps!

Our first trip to Sparta was to take a look around and collect our race packets. I parked the car and we all headed to the main square to collect our race timing chips and see what was going on around the area and finishing stage. I was sort of excited for this race weekend but didn’t have the usual “racing buzz” that I usually get. Until now…

As we got closer to the square the Spartan branding became more frequent and the music became louder until we reached the awards stage and main festival area. The first thing I noticed was the list of competitors that had qualified for the event, showing names and the country they are representing. To me its the little things like this that really make Spartan stand out from the crowd.

The merch tent was good, with a wide selection of Trifecta WC clothing and souvenirs. Spartan had also organised all Pro roster athletes to collect a “Spartan Pro” trucker cap if they could not attend Tahoe (they initially handed them out there) which was a nice touch (coolest cap ever!!). Possibly the only negative of the weekend was the 2 hour Que to grab our timing chips. The que was so big it looped around the entire square, however Spartan had thought ahead (assuming they knew it would be a lengthy process). The legend that is Spartan Phil was on hand with his usual banter, inviting queing racers to partake in challenges for some free Spartan swag.

The challenges included jump burpees, pull ups and dead hangs, all of which kept us entertained and not looking at our watches. Naturally with 3 big races coming up I didn’t want to attempt any but looking back I kind of wish I had. Hats off to Natasha who got in there and smashed the Burpee challenge. The atmosphere was great! A great turn around to what could have been a very long boring wait! My intention was to stick around for the parade of nations, I think if I had of stayed in Sparta I might have done but a lack of sleep the night before combined with a late start time and a long drive back to the apartment saw me head off early to prepare for the next couple of days and try to get some much needed shut eye.

The Super.

Saturday came round quickly and soon the first race of the weekend was upon us. 9 miles and 30 obstacles awaited us around the local olive and orange yards. After warming up we approached the start line were the world top 10 males got called into the pen. Spartan pros have a separate entrance so after the first 10 are called we are all ment to slip in behind them before the non pro elites join the back of the pack. There was slight confusion tho and this didn’t happen which left me Jesse and Jack at the back of the pack. A brisk march as a pack through ancient Sparta before the race began at the top of the cobbled stone path straight into a steep descent through part of the town. My plan was to go easy on the Super. Figure out the terrain and see what standard the competition was. From that first downhill section I very quickly realised it was high!! I ran smooth and controlled, glancing at my watch. After seeing that I was running at 5:30mm and they made me look like I was jogging, I decided to just “run my own race” and prayed that the initial adrenalin from the epic start would wear off. I felt strong and controlled as we hit the first few obstacles before running through the ancient river. it was early morning and the temperature was already climbing so this was a welcome sight!

I started to overtake other racers when we hit the hills and carries. there was also a lot of downhill running in the super which was surprising and actually quite fun, after working on this through the year I felt a lot more confident than usual not losing many positions.

As always there was a great mix of obstacles testing strength, endurance and grip, along side some stunning scenery. I particularly enjoyed the 2 sections through the first small town early in the race and then the city of Sparta at the finish. The locals cheering us all on really made for a special atmosphere. Cheeky old school “fill it up yourself” bucket brigade made an appearance too, which was made harder by routing it through the river.

The spear was my only fail on this run; it struck the target bang in the middle but then fell straight out which was a little devastating, but overall I was happy with how the race went. I came to the finish line in 38th place with 30 burpees.

The Sprint

I kept myself hydrated and focused ahead of the next race. Keeping covered from the sun was also part of the weekend race plan. Hence nutrition payed a vital part in my post/pre race recovery time, the easy to take recovery tablets went down well with a pre made green stack. I kept moving for a couple of hours then headed out for the Sprint. I knew this would be a real fast and furious race having a longer period to recover for the beast the next day. The same start system applied but this time the mistake was rectified and me and the guys good a decent place in the pack. Less elevation and mileage in the sprint mixed up the field a bit with the poor hill climbers gaining advantage on the flats. The dunk wall was a welcome sight with the temperature rising, a chance to lower the body temp and recharge the legs.

Having the spear fall out earlier in the day I gave it full beans for this one. too may beans perhaps… Skimming the top of the target before the spear crashed to the ground. Back to the harsh rocky burpee pen for me! I really took my time with the burpees for both the sprint and the super knowing how good the form has be at a world championships. This actually helped when I completed the 30 and ran on, I can smash 30 burpees out fairly quick but always feel gassed afterwards. I guess it depends on the location of the failed obstacle in relation to the finish as to how fast you should do them. I crossed the finish line in 36th – a small improvement from the super.

The Beast

I woke up to a nice surprise on the morning of the beast. In previous years the top 20 elite male and females gained staggered start status. The fastest combined time of the sprint and super goes first followed by second, third e.t.c with a time handicap. This year they had upped the staggered start to the top 40 males so my combined time ment I made the cut with the 34th fastest combined time. This was an opportunity I was not going to waste. A quick shout out from Spartan Phil and I was off.

It was a little surreal for me having never started a race in that format, hard to judge pacing without a pack to stack up against but I also enjoyed the send off. after a couple of minutes I caught the female who had been sent off ahead of me and soon spotted the next male. This really gave me a boost and the adrenaline kicked in.

By the time I had got to the slack line (around half way) I had made up a good few places. I’ve never done the slackline before (not an obstacle in the uk) and wasn’t really sure how to tackle it. I stood on the frame then started crossing but too slow and I fell straight off. All my previous hard work unraveled as I done my burpees and watched the competitors I had previously passed do the obstacle with ease. Just after was the slackline came the beater. Another obstacle that doesn’t feature in Spartan race uk, which was a nice touch.

Another unique feature of this event was the double carry. nope, not 2 items at once but a figure of 8 style loop. You firstly had to carry a sand bag around the first part, deposit it into a container then pick up an anchor chain before completing the next loop. Once the chain carry aspect was complete it was back to the sand bag carry to complete the loop before running on.

The “spartan ridge” had some of the most amazing racing scenery I have every had the pleasure to race on. lots of up down technical running was an incredible experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. Shortly after this we rejoined the Super course to finish of the race. My tactics didn’t change on the spear again, still stuck in my head that I had to go full power it went over the top of the target.

A few changes had been made for the final section through Sparta to make them harder for the beast. The multi rig was made double length, The herc hoist made heavier and the monkey bars altered to be varying heights. A fine way to finish an epic race weekend!

I crossed the line in 28th place securing me 31st place in the championship. A huge thank you to my Coach Alan, Dryrobe, Hence nutrition, Craft sportswear and RXBAR for supporting me in the build up to this competition and throughout this race season. It’s been a good one!

2019 regional series finale.

I began this weekends racing with the Spartan race Super regional champs final race at Marston Lodge, Market harborough. Currently sitting in 5th in the uk rankings i knew a podium finish was a must to repeat last years 3rd place ranking. Although feeling nervous in the week leading up to it I woke up feeling great, Confident and ready. I had a good night’s sleep and the venue is fairly local to me so i was good to go. I knew the field would be strong and it was! Some of the best ocr/Spartan racers in the uk and some europeans showed up at the start line. I felt i ran well throughout the race but couldnt keep up. There was a lot less switch backs in this years course which i favour. A fair amount of elevation but none of the repeated steep climbs that i like. I gained ground every obstacle and steep accent but as soon as the long running sections started coming i was quite simply outclassed. Ive been working hard to up my flat running speed and whilst i feel i have improved there clearly is still a long way to go. Coming into the final stage of the race in the event village i could see Daniel Corner crossing the line for the win with Tom Tweddel a minute or so behind him. Then a large pack on bucket carry. I crossed everything praying for a mass spear throw miss but as only 1 missed the spear and my series was over finishing in 6th place overall. The 3 race regional champs has its pros and cons but personally I would have preferred a 5 race series with the majority of venues featured (and no I’m not just saying that because it didn’t work out for me this year :p ).

Spartan seem to have a new course setter this year. One that I am yet to adapt to. Less carries (so far only had a max of bucket and sandbag carry per race) and less gruelling switch back hills make it easier but harder if that makes sense – for me any way. More time is spent on moderately flat ground at full pace. There seems to be Just 1 of everything also. No double bender, no triple 12ft walls. It makes for a much faster race, which is perhaps why they have gone down this route. Time to alter my training and mind set!

The next day was soon upon me. A much smaller field for the Elite sprint. Similar course set up but without the long running sections so I fancied my chances. A fast start again today but with the intense obstacle heavy start I managed to keep in contact with the main pack for the majority of the race, slipping briefly into 2nd place just after the herc hoist but this didn’t last long. I managed to hold onto 3rd place until the bucket carry but was over taken. A clean run left me less than a minute from 1st place, which shows the level of competition and standard of athlete is great at the moment. I must admit I felt pretty low to not have achieved a top 3 for Marston having 2 3rd places there last year. I do however think its done me a great deal of good. I’m still running great this season, I’ve just been unlucky a couple of times and need to tweak my training a little to compensate for the new style of course that spartan seem to be laying out.

It also made me realise just how much support I have out there! Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement, its what keeps me racing. A big shout out to Mum for coming along to cheer me on Saturday and Sue and Cherelle for cheering me on Sunday.

I also had the joy of doing something I haven’t for a while; did a lap for fun with Sue and Cherelle! As much as I love racing It’s nice to cruise round the course and help others. It was great to the progress both Sue and Cherelle have made since I ran with them last. Its also a good idea to have a practice on the obstacles and try out different techniques that may be a bit risky during the race.

As always Craft sportswear provided me with exceptional kit for this weekend. the 2 layer shorts worked a treat, keeping my muscles compressed and legs cool! They also dry out quickly which I always a bonus.

Aston down, socks and wet wipes!

Well what a weekend of close fought battles I have had down in Gloustershire full of highs and lows and everything in between. I did have this blog completed last week, but somehow managed to delete it :/.

Saturday saw me take on the Spartan Super race in the Elite category. 8miles, 25 obstacles. It was a hot day with the temperature around 17 degrees so not much need for a warm up which was nice for once. Race started fast as always but kept my cool and just went with the flow. I couldn’t wait to get to “Death valley” so I could get to work on the hills, sitting in around 5th place until I reached it. I caught up with Luke De-Benedictis who was in 2nd place at the end of the valley and the race was on!

We both blasted round the bucket carry, I could hear Luke breathing down my neck towards the end of the carry route before a great little sprint at the end put him back in second place. The last stretch was a sprint towards the spear throw, Luke arrived first sinking the spear. I arrived just after also nailing the spear which led to a “herc off” and an exciting finish with the top 3 just 40 seconds apart. Well done to Jason Brunnock for the win and Luke for nabbing 2nd place! Happy to take home another 3rd place.

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Mammoth wipes for sending me some product to try. I was a bit sceptic at first but after learning that the wipes are biodegradable and the packaging can be recycled all was good. You get 2 very large (towel size) wipes in a re sealable bag for £4.99. I must admit that I was quiet impressed with how moist they stayed given the size of them. The sealable packet means they are a great addition for any double race weekender. I wont be surprised if they start appearing at obstacle races across the country. Check out https://mammothwipes.com/ for more info!

Sunday had a bit of different vibe for me. After really going hard chasing the others down in the previous days Super my legs felt surprisingly good. I met one of my sponsors (Luke from Hence) in the event village early on to work out the best locations to get some footage and he went of ready for the race to begin. The race started of fast which seems to be the trend this season. I came into view in around 12th place or so as the pack headed up to the first obstacle. Which was just before death valley. I knew time was short and there was only so many hills I would be able to use so I took full advantage of them moving up 4 or so positions on the first climb. This trend continued through the valley before I emerged again in 2nd place. This time the ending wasn’t so good for me. Time seemed to stop as my spear flew through the air and seemed to flick out at the last second skimming the left hand side of the bale.

I sprinted to the penalty area and begin what seemed like the fasted set of 30 burpees I have ever done. Mid way through Jesse arrived, taking his time and sinking his spear. I was down to 3rd place. Then my day went from bad to worse as 4th place arrived at the spear throw when I was on my 25th burpee. Of course he had to hit it, which he did and began the herc hoist. when I finished my burpees his bag was approx. 1/2 way up. There was still time. I gave it my all lifting that herc bag as fast as I could then got rope burn from braking the rope on the bags descent. But my fate had already been decided, Finishing 7 seconds from the podium which included walking to the finish line from the fire jump. Every race means a lot to me and looking back I should have sprinted to the very end. Still happy with my performance knowing that 7 seconds from the podium with 30 burpees isn’t too shabby. Im on my 19th Elite Spartan podium and would love my 20th to be special. Prehaps all things happen for a reason. I guess we will find out next race. Congrats to Luke and Jesse for hitting the podium up yet again.

On a positive note I finally came away blister free this weekend! I have tried various types of running socks through the many years I’ve been racing but none have compared to the Craft greatness mid sock. Even after Saturdays lake crossing they dried quickly and are also extremely breathable due to the upper mesh style panel. Another great factor seems to be the durability, even running through woodland with brambles and bushes they have emerged un scaved which is unusual for a pair of my socks! As they come in a pack of 3 its great to be able to use them for pretty much all of my various training activities!

Next stop Marston lodge for the final regional champs race. Next blog then!

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves. — Edmund Hillary

Welcome to my blog. It’s my first one so not really sure where to start to be honest, so I think a quick recap might be best! I’ve been in the obstacle racing scene for around 7 years or so. I was egged on to do my first event by my brother who was taking on a spartan race with some work colleagues. At the time I did Muay Thai boxing once or twice a week so had a little fitness base but didn’t run that much so this was a challenge for me. One race and I was hooked. determined to do better at the same event next year I went away and worked on my weaknesses. When I returned and competed I got the 8th fastest time overall (out of elite and open) running in the open wave category. As the years passed I gained more and more experience and my obstacle efficiency drastically improved before landing my first Elite spartan podium finish with a 3rd place at Peterborough Sprint (5km+ with 20 obstacles), Followed by a 2nd place finish the next day at Peterborough Super (13km+ with 25 obstacles) back in 2016. Since then I have committed more of my time to obstacle racing. I train 5 times a week, eat healthily and have given up alcohol. In 2018 I was asked to represent GB at the Spartan world team championship event in North lake Tahoe in CA, America along side Jonathan Albon and Jade Skillen. We took home 7th place out of 31 nations which I am very proud of! Along the way I have picked up some great sponsors who help my training and performance.

My proudest moment is either winning the Perth Ultra in just over 5 hours – still cant believe I did it, or placing 3rd Male in the 2018 UK & Ireland Spartan regional championship – despite having 2 “rubbish” races where it all went to pot.

In my blog I will be talking training, reviewing races and checking out various products.

Thanks for reading!