Picture of the week ~ Overcoming obstacles

Portland Sprint Spartan Race 2016

Portland Sprint Spartan race results 2016

The Portland (Washougal, Wa.) Sprint was a first time race for me and my husband. I had been there 2 years ago to spectate my daughter and her family for their first Spartan race. You can read about that day's event HERE. That was the year of the epic water slide and uphill barbwire crawl. This year the water slide was there but was only as a side attraction and not part of the course.

We decided to stay two nights at a hotel this time and enjoy our weekend in a bit more luxury. This would be the first race we would do on our own.

The view from our hotel window in Washougal. 

There was a detour route for driving to the venue, so after we got settled in the hotel we drove out to see what we would encounter in the next day's morning drive. It was pretty direct and a better route than I drove 2 years ago. That year we had a dirt road that seemed to go on endlessly because of the traffic backup.

We got an early driving start to the venue Saturday am, so we could get our packets and relax before our 9am start. We were relieved to see that the traffic wasn't bad.

We didn't have any friends or family along to take photos on the course this time so we were only able to get the official photos of us on the course.

The course had the typical Spartan race obstacles: short walls, high walls, atlas carry, sandbag carry, bucket carry, tyrolean rope traverse, Z wall, rope climb. short cargo net wall, stairway to sparta, A frame cargo net climb, water dunk wall, barbwire crawl, spear throw etc. The barbwire crawls were interesting, there were 2 of them and somehow we didn't make it in any of the official photos. Anyway they were short rolling hills that were muddy and the first one was slick and very fun to slide down on the downhill side. The bucket carry was intense. It was very short, but pretty much straight up and straight down. I was pleased that I was able to get over all of the shorter walls by myself and I conquered the slip wall finally. I wasn't afraid and needed no help, quite a change from my first Montana experience. I was shocked to see that this years NBC Montana TV race coverage showed my struggle face again. I guess they really like my struggle face. Here it is again if you hadn't seen it on my past blogs or on TV. Epic, I guess.

Montana 2015

My husband improved from Montana & was able to complete the Monkey bars at this event. We shared doing our penalty burpees on failed obstacles. It was nice to be a team with my husband, he helped me and I actually had opportunities to help him. Just as in life, we are there for each other as friends, encouragers and helpmates. Yes I'm getting mushy, this year marks 45 years of marriage for us.

Our official photos:

and jump photos from a different camera/angle -

Finishers!

Free beer for finishers -

We are Spartans!

Endomondo stats:

 total miles - 5.19

minimum altitude - 205 feet

 maximum altitude - 919 feet

total ascent - 1916 feet

total descent - 1903 feet