Seattle Beast Spartan Race 2017

My goal this year was to get a Spartan Trifecta. I had completed the Seattle Super in April, the Montana Sprint in May. I only needed a Beast to complete my goal. The Portland Sprint was just a fun extra one for the year.

Our (my husband and I) start time was set for 8:45 am, we got to the event site (Meadow Wood Equestrian Center in Snohomish, Wa.) early enough - we thought. The registration lines haven't ever been too long in the past, but this year they were long. We waited about 40 minutes before we even got to the registration tent. We started at 9:15, since that was the first slot available after we took care of our registration and bag check.

We have a few wristbands to put on before we start. One is a timing chip, start time band, then a bag check band, usually a free beer band (not this year, this year it was a free hard seltzer), and I always wear my Spartan wristbands for inspiration. Quite the accumulation there. 

Our daughter and son in law did the course with us so we have a few pictures of our day.

The course board didn't have any classified (secret) obstacles, so we knew what was before us.

Heading down to the sand crawl,

the River crawl,

the rolling mud and dunk wall.

One of the walls we had to climb over.

At the Atlas carry the course photographer agreed to do a Mother/Daughter shot of us. The angle makes my daughters arm look so buff. She is fit but the camera angle really showed her off!

I love the Russel Crowe movie "The Gladiator", here's my grass field like in the movie.

The bucket carry

The sand bag

my husband with his sandbag.

After the first water obstacles, the course was dry, which was a huge contrast to the other times I've been at this venue. Very dry and dusty. The slip wall was even dry, no mud!

There was a new obstacle at the end of the race. The ladder, a very high narrow climb. It wasn't fixed at the ground so it was pretty sketchy looking as people climbed it. Several people fell from this obstacle, they were closing it just as we were approaching it. We weren't able to do that one and there was no fire jump at the end, because of the fire hazard. So kindof a weird ending, but we attempted a clumsy jump anyway over the timing chip mat.

I've been having foot issues this year, so no running was in my training for this event. I did alot of biking and backpacking, and circuit/weight training which I found to be enough to complete the Beast. I've had my new orthotics for a couple of months now and they seem to be helping. As a matter of fact we went on a 6 1/2 mile trail walk/run today and my foot was happy. Running seems to be the key to keeping my weight down, so fingers crossed that I can get to my regular running again.

Beast Finishers! 

2017 Trifects

We shared our burpees, and helped each other through the course. I got to share my mustard packs and pickle juice with several people on the trail that were suffering from cramps. This is the atmosphere that I love, everyone looking out for each other making sure that we get to that finish line.

We are Spartan.

Garmin stats:

30 obstacles

total miles - 14.2 

total ascent - 2018 feet