As I completed the Texas Super last year, limping across the finish line with a sprained ankle, I was able to say I completed Two Hurricane Heats, Two Sprints, Two Supers and the first ever Beast. That was just my first year of Spartan Races and I saw myself inducted into the Trifecta Tribe…a really selective group who completed the first ever Trifecta in 2011. Having just acquired a season pass, I decided that I would set my goals high for 2012…to chase a Triple Trifecta. I knew there would be plenty of obstacles in the way, the biggest one being the traveling I would have to do in a short amount of time.
My first race wouldn’t be until June and with the race season ending in December, I had just Six months to complete Nine different Spartans. I would go to all the venues I went to the previous year: New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Texas. The Staten Island Super was moved to New Jersey and with Massachusetts and Virginia within driving distance, it seemed possible. This left the Midwest Super and the South Carolina Beast looking to stand in the way of my goal. Attempting to minimize the hassle and cost of flying, I decided that I drive out to Illinois and would fly to SC. Luckily I have some crazy friends who live in Massachusetts and the Nine of us made the road trip like the Storm Chasers did the previous year.
Having completed One lap with my shield in Tuxedo, NY, Two laps in PA with the LLS Team in Training and Team Dial for Men and Three laps in MA along with the HH, my Three Sprint requirement was completed early on. I would follow this up with a HH and a single lap at the Mid-Atlantic race, just Forty-eight hours after taking my NYS Boards exam. Not wanting to slack off before the Ultra, I ran the NJ Super Three times…being told I was crazy by many of my Spartan Family which is an accomplishment in itself. So with Two Supers down, I travelled up to Killington to go after my first Trifecta of the year…and my first marathon…
After Eleven hours and Twenty-four minutes of being on that mountain, I crossed the finish line and claimed my Beast, Ultra Beast and Trifecta. Limping through the SC Beast, my first Beast outside of VT, I was able to claim my Double Trifecta and a Relay Medal while sweeping the course. This just left One Super and One Beast to go!
The week leading up to the Mid-West Race, I decided that I needed to rest my knee and made the tough call to sit out of the Friday Night Hurricane Heat to make sure I could race the next morning. It may have been near freezing that morning but it didn’t seem to lock my knee up while I ran and I was able to place 40th that day, my best finish at the time. Super medal earned and Kids Race medal for being the rabbit. Just One More Race To Go!
Or so it would have been if not for an unexpected race that was announced mid-season. The Fenway Park Time Trial…the first OCR in a ballpark. So naturally, I had to be there. This was more than a race but a chance to get a sense of normalcy after Hurricane Sandy hit my area the day after I returned home from the Mid-West Race. After Three weeks of debris clean up all around the island and trying to help out as much as I could, it was a nice change of pace being able to race again and be with close friends for a weekend. I would finish the course Four times that weekend and on Sunday, finished in 7th place overall, my first top ten finish.
Now it has been Six months and I have been to Nine different Spartan Races. I have had Six perfect race venues, not failing a single obstacle. I have only failed Three obstacles this year and did an additional Two sets of Burpees during the Ultra instead of getting back in the water (much better option in my opinion). I currently have Twenty-two medals hanging up on my wall, two Hurricane Heat dog tags and I plan on adding two more from Texas. It has been a great journey and I am both excited and upset that this amazing race season will be coming to a close. Triple Trifecta…I am coming for you! Earn Glory!
-The Spartan Wolf
