Spartan Race
On the weekend of October 23rd my son and I took part in a Spartan Race, which are races where, besides running, you have to overcome different types of obstacles. Igna took part in the 2-lap version of 1.6 km and 10 obstacles, and I did the version of 10 km and 25 obstacles. It was an intense and unique experience, and I ended up learning and reflecting on things that are hard to anticipate.
First of all: preparation. I had signed up for the race 4 months earlier, and little by little I prepared by developing arm strength and endurance. It’s incredible what 10 or 20 minutes a day can do for your physical condition. Small changes in your routine, sustained over time, can bring great results. Also, I think it’s a good philosophy to sign up for a goal without being prepared, because putting a date on it forces you to change your routine and do things to make it happen. I surely wouldn’t have done any exercise if I hadn’t signed up for the Spartan Race. And if I had known how hard and challenging it would be, I wouldn’t have signed up. But I did, and I realized that I had much more physical and mental endurance than I thought. Personally, I find it hard to keep routines over time without having a clear objective or goal, so I need to keep renewing my goals over time.
Second of all: a team is always better. I was fortunate to be accompanied in the race by Julio, a friend from work. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to finish the race without Julio’s company and encouragement. I was surprised that we had different strengths and weaknesses, and that each of us found different challenges more or less difficult, so we complemented each other well in giving advice and supporting one another. A lesson we constantly relearn: differences make us stronger as a team.
Another aspect: blessed ignorance. At the start, when we ran across a stretch of mud and water, I thought about how uncomfortable the rest of the race would be with wet shoes. I didn’t know that minutes later I would have to fully submerge myself in a water pit to pass under an obstacle. That was the theme of the event: each obstacle was harder or more demanding than the previous one, in a progression that seemed to have no end. Had I known everything I would have to do, I don’t know if I would have signed up for the race or if I could have finished it; it would have been too overwhelming. Facing obstacle after obstacle, step by step, is a strategy that lets you conquer any challenge.
Finally: mental strength over physical I liked seeing that in the race there were all kinds of bodies: more or less toned, thinner and bulkier, men and women, all united by a desire to better themselves. The race was run more in the head than in the feet: the obstacles were designed to test both your physical and mental strength. And I think that beyond the medal, I take away lessons about my perception of myself, of my self-imposed limits, and of how to overcome them.
