"A Spartan race is a series of obstacles of varying distance and difficulty ranging from 3 miles to marathon distances." The Spartan Beast is 14 plus miles of 35 obstacles held this year at Squaw Valley in gorgeous Lake Tahoe. It is the final hurdle to a Spartan TRIFECTA glory if you have competed in two other Spartan races before this one. For Cameron, his races consisted of the Spartan Sprint at the SF Giants stadium, The Spartan Super held in Patterson, California, and the Spartan Beast in Tahoe. I was privileged to be there while Cameron and his friends Matt and Jason participated in this last race. Cameron's goal was not to place, but to finish well with friends helping each other along the way. I am so proud of Cameron becoming a finisher!
Last year my son-in-law Brett became a finisher of three Spartan races as well, but I didn't realize what effort and endurance it took to do so until watching this beast of a race myself. Well done Brett! The test of endurance increases as the hours tick off and pure persistence, patience, determination, and will take over to the end of the race to do one more freezing dunk pond and one more climb as the temperature outside decreases to 45 degrees. Along the way, if an obstacle is too difficult, you can do 30 burpees instead, but even those are difficult when exhausted and pushed to your limit. And then there shines in the dark the finish line as you limp across with tears of pain and joy to know you are a finisher! Way to be a finisher Cameron!
Life is a series of obstacles and circumstances that we participate in and which take everything we have to endure, and endure well. Our goal is not to win the race, but to cross the finish line helping others to do the same with family and friends cheering us on.
In Cameron's own words,
Facts: 14.7 Miles
35+ Obstacles
Elevation gain: Roughly 4,000 feet
"Amidst the beauty of Lake Tahoe, I faced the most grueling physical challenge in my life. The race was more of a hike with breathtaking views. But my focus was on finishing the race. I found that the first 4.9 miles was easy. Soon after though, I realized how hard it was. The elevation alone caused cramps up and down my legs. Rolling an ankle( like always) did not help. The bone chilling cold was even worse going through 40 degree water. Oh, did I mention I had to be completely submerged at 7:45pm at night. We took about 7 hours and 30 mins to finish. At the end of the race, I couldn't stop shivering. I had never been so cold in my life. I have endured many things and I will continue to endure all the challenges life presents me. I will keep the Spartan mindset! Also a big shoutout to my Mom Charlotte for being there and supporting me!"
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