Eating Dirt

6.10

AROO! Last Saturday, April 27th, I completed my first (maybe my only) Spartan Ultra. It was 14 hours of grueling trail running on the ski slopes of Mtn. Creek Resort in northern NJ, and I loved every minute of it. (An 'Ultra', in the endurance running world, is any race longer than a standard marathon's 26 miles...)

The race was 30 miles (my Garmin logged 32) with over 60 obstacles, and 10,500'+ of elevation gain. We ran, climbed, slogged through mud and cold water, ran more, climbed more, lifted, dragged and ran and climbed some more. All the while I know I was eating some dirt too... It was truly an experience of a lifetime.

[One power pantry item to note is the value of 'eating dirt'. I've been aware of this vital connection to the earth for many years, but haven't written about it yet. There is a whole body of research on the value of soil-based organisms, and being sure to include these in our regular diet. For some great reading on this, check out Dr. Josh Axe's article on 'Eating Dirt' here. He even has a book out which covers the topic in detail.]

But back to the Ultra:
Interestingly, I got to race with two well-know You Tubers, Mack and Damer of OCRKings, who posted a video of the NJ Ultra obstacles. Mack and Damer are accomplished OCR (obstacle course race) participants who travel all around the US, and enjoy the thrill of obstacle course racing as much as I do. Check out their post from this past week: Spartan Ultra - NJ, all obstacles. You'll see I didn't make their video...

Note that Mack and Damer didn't finish (!) - so they only went through the obstacles one time, and logged about 17 miles. They decided it was too cold, and tapped-out just past the half-way mark at about 7 hours. Granted there is about a 30-50% DNF (did not finish) rate on Spartan Ultra's, and there were numerous racers brought down off the mountain for exposure and hypothermia...

I trained faithfully for over six months for this race, but I realize my success comes from more than the training; my wellness lifestyle (with some Spartan guidance) gives me what I need to complete something like a Spartan Ultra. So it isn't about six months of focus, it's about a daily dedication to wellness.

Your bucket list surely has some great things on it as well, and hopefully 2019 is your year to check one or more of them off. Commit today to focus on those goals, develop the physical skills and necessary disciplines to succeed at it, and go get 'em.

By the Way

This race is likely a bucket-list item that I'll not soon repeat. I don't think I'm done running ultra trail distances, but the Spartan Ultra presents the opportunity to beat up your body, a lot. I got away with no broken bones, but I'm still healing from many abrasions and a nasty bone bruise on my right shin. It's all part of the race, and I welcomed every minute of it.