Team MBG 2013 Spartan Race Recap

MBG Ready to make our mark!

In 2012 Team MBG competed in its first Spartan race in Vernon, New Jersey. Sixteen members faced a very challenging course and all sixteen meet the challenge and completed it. It was a race that challenged you mentally and physically. I was hooked because Spartan racing gives you an opportunity to validate your training and the way you approach life. Will you commit to a race and push yourself further than you thought possible? I realized that we could use this race to set goals, put our method of training to the test and bring the gym closer while doing this. In January I attended a Spartan Group X certification to gain a better understanding of the philosophy of Spartan Racing. Immediately it was apparent that our training philosophies were very similar. The biggest thing I took from the certification was the mental approach to training and how to develop the fearlessness and grit in our members. I made a decision to attempt to elevate our performance and improve upon our 2012 showing. With the work ethic that already existed in the MBG family and my newly attained knowledge I felt that 2013 was going to be a good year for us.

Citifield
Our 2013 campaign began with the Citi Field Ballpark Spartan. This was part of the Ballpark series and took place in the stadium that the New York Mets play in. I wasn’t sure what to expect being that obstacles and terrain would be limited. We had 15 members participate in a race that was just around 3 miles. It was cool to be running around a major league stadium but I did not enjoy the race. It was cramped and lines for obstacles existed. This is a race that is geared to enjoying the location and not competing.

Tuxedo Tri-State Spartan
In June we had 20 members travel up to Tuxedo, New York. This was a sprint and it offered a challenging course and terrain. We did very well and finished 1st in the team standings. We also had a great barbecue afterwards thanks to Allison. The one thing we realized was that we had to come up with a training program that specifically addressed running. We also needed to duplicate obstacles in the gym so we could practice and become more proficient.

Pennsylvania Sprint
This race was in July and we had 9 members run this race. It was a great course with Spartan worthy terrain. We had another good performance and finished 2nd in the team category.

Tri-State Super
In early September we returned to the place where it began for us in Vernon, New Jersey. This time we were better prepared physically and mentally. Eugene had all our members on an 8-week training program to get our legs ready. We showed up with 26 members and had a fantastic day. Last year we finished just under 100 as a team and this year we rocked it and finished first! It was our triumphant return. The course was shorter than 2012 but we were ready either way. We also had a really good time with a post-race party at Burrito Bar.

THE BEAST!
This was a race that was worthy of its name. Team MBG had 8 members take on this race. Two members raced on Saturday and six on Sunday in the elite category. The members racing on Sunday had to deal with the fact that it rained the night before and were faced with a course made even more challenging by the mud. The obstacles were harder and longer than we have ever faced with multiple trips up the mountain carrying heavy loads. We also were faced with numerous water obstacles that required us to swim on a day that did not see 50 degrees. Many of us experienced severe cramping. It started around mile five for me and was so bad I couldn’t move until they subsided. Just when you got your body warmed up and working properly we were back in the water. In true MBG fashion we all finished. It took us between 5 and 7 hours to complete. We had our first podium finish with Kerry winning the elite female division. Chelsea just missed it with a fourth place finish. Eight members earned their Trifecta Medal by completing all three distances in one season. The course was brutal and in the wise words of Tommy it was “The toughest thing I’ve ever done!” We did have a lot of support that was desperately needed from Sal, Dianne and Lorraine. Without their words of encouragement we may not have gotten through the very difficult water obstacles.

In all we had 46 members compete in a Spartan race this year. They all finished. Two more worthy of mention are Dan and Jen. Dan signed up for the Super Spartan 3 days before the race and then jokingly asked Eugene for a condensed running plan. We all know how tough he is by the way he trains every day. He crushed the course coming in 1st in his age group. Jen broke the tip of her finger days before the race. She did not let this derail her and completed the Super. Both of them are examples of the grit and determination of the people who train at MBG. What will MBG do in our 2014 Spartan campaign? Time will tell but I can guarantee you that I will make sure we are ready and any areas that are weak will become strong!

Great Job!
Jimmy