Full Potential: (inspired by the 2012 Olympics)

These Olympics make me want to get faster,stronger, better, and more dedicated. I feel like I can relate to the athletes who train for a living. I'm sure I would dig that lifestyle to search, and really find my true potential. Along with many others I'm sure, I've always loved the idea of finding my full potential after training harder than I ever have.
Where would I end up, what could I do, where could I go?

Then I think full potential in what? I'm a runner so there's an idea, but I'm not a short distance runner, and I wonder if I'd ever want to be an elite marathoner...that's one skinny me! Maybe a Tri, perhaps that's where I could decide to reach my full potential!
You see, these games inspire that in me, like minded athletic individuals who decide that full potential is possible, full potential is hard work, but I feel as if you can keep working at full potential for years, and never be certain, or decide that you've reached it. The best you can be.
Almost like my 7 years working for Boston to finally qualify. Then I qualified for Boston at 3:02:48, I PB'd and thought "I can do better", same race next year 3:01:01.

Is full potential something we choose?


I don't know, but I think so!

Enjoy the Olympics!

D

Spartan Beast:Mont Ste Marie

Yes..Another Spartan...

I'm not sure if you've heard of the Spartan Race motto, it's basically: "we tell you nothing about the course, we treat it like life, you never know what obstacles will get in your way"
This was cool for their 5k sprint, this was NOT cool for their 21-25Km course. (Should have at least been a pop up upon sign up "Warning you should be able to run....this much, or be trained to run this many hours, etc.") 
I signed up for this race last minute, registration was closed, but for some reason I was still able to enter. At this point, I'd been running a bit, though I really came down after the Ottawa Marathon in late May, it was my second marathon in 6 weeks. I decided to let my body recover, and stop heavily training, and with my current regimen, I'd say I was ready for 20-25Km. 

Canada weekend was upon us, after our portage trip to Algonquin park was cancelled, I had my best pal ask me if I wanted to join him and his girlfriend at her parents cottage. It sounded like a great idea, and fancy that it was in the same area where the Spartan Race would be hosted on the Saturday. It's hard to be in a place where a race is that you've thought about and not get the chance to run it. You feel left out, so I indulged my urge and signed up on the Thursday. 

After my experience with the Spartan Sprint in Ottawa, I was looking towards a tough course with a lot of mud, and a lot of trying obstacles. I wasn't entirely wrong, though the hills should have been my main priority.  

I reach the course an hour before my start time, I'm quite nervous, and hoping that energy will survive me through the next few hours. I'm running at the 12:30 heat, which is the second heat. I'm not too excited for this, knowing they'll be slow runners in the first pack that I'll have to wait behind in line for obstacles. 

I head to the start line to get in front, and who do I recognize? The guy who got first in the Spartan Sprint! He's only ever raced Spartan Races, I think about 4, and it turns out that he makes for a pretty good Spartan. He's always in the top 10 with all 4 of his Spartan runs. He's got a "refuse to lose" attitude. I'm getting pumped up just talking to him, he's so motivated to win, just before the start we bump fists and say "1" and "2". This is my run right, I'm the long distance, Boston Marathoner, I got 3rd in a 5K Spartan race. This will be a piece of cake, right...??  WRONG! 

As experienced as I am at this point, I can still get ill conceived notions of being more fit than I actually am. Though, I did feel in good 20K shape, I was missing out speed, and hills, two most helpful strength requirements for this event. Another thing experienced runners gain is the ability to toss a terrible race, and come back stronger next time, well...mostly being a competitive lad,  I've had to build up to this point. 

The gun goes, we're immediately climbing a mountain, five minutes later we're still climbing, by twenty minutes of steep climbing up an everglade back country ski route, we've made it to flat ground barely 2 kilometers in. By this point my legs are shot, along with my attitude. My friend has passed me in a fury for the front, and as much as I'd like to catch him, I can't catch my breath. Onto some single track up hill, where we continue our climb for a while, and then down the mountain over rough terrain, and a lot of steep declines.

I could spend a while analyzing this one, but to conclude. We did this climb on different portions of the mountain about 5 or 6 more times, up,down, around, sideways, backwards,etc. The obstacles weren't really an issue: Holding a kettle bell out 15 seconds, climbing walls, crawling 300 meters of barbed wire downhill, crawling through tubes, crawling in squat position uphill under army mesh, spear throw, squat lifts with a sandbags tied to a wheelbarrel, chin ups, block carry, sandbag carry, rope climbs, rope ladder climbs, board walk, fire jump,etc. But...mostly hills. 

I like to have fun on a race, I like to be miserable through some points, but with some fun mixed in, there wasn't much opportunity for fun here. I give this race a 2/5 for being so extreme that unless you were heavely trained for hills, your legs were completely deteriorated by the end that running became improbable. I meant over 20-30 people on the course, all of whom wished they knew what they signed up for, because along with me, they wouldn't have signed up, because the race should've been called "how many times can you climb up and down this mountain?" Would I do it again? "Yes" BUT, I would come prepared, and in extraordinary shape (hilly/Boston Marathon shape), not just a last minute sign up, as I had to walk most of the race, I hate walking...unless it's with my puppy :) 
"You Live, You Learn"    

Till next time, enjoy the outdoors! 

D