Tri State Spartan Beast Results 2016

Well… the first race of the season is over and what an awesome race it was!! I finished the Tri-State Spartan Beast with a 4:45:58 time. I am definitely happy with that time, but of course it can always be better 😉 I'll get into my time and placement a bit more below, but first a bit about the race!

Oh and if you did not know you can get the results from the official site here

Also this post is a work in progress… so stay tuned for more!

Quick Links:

• Race Obstacles Review
• Race Obstacles Details & Tips
• Sweet Picture of Course from my Garmin GPS Watch

Spartan Beast 12+ Pfft!!!

They always have the + in there lol! So just how long are Spartan Races & how many obstacles?

• Sprint 3+ Miles & 20+ Obstacles
• Super 8+ Miles & 24+ Obstacles
• Beast 12+ Miles & 30+ Obstacles

Yeah so about that +… it could mean a few things, but usually it means they are tacking on a few miles. This year the Beast ended up being just about 15 miles! There was mile marker 14 on the map with some race left to go and my GPS watch clocked in at 14.67. Regardless few more than 12…. and I don't even know how people were doing the ULTRA which is running it twice!!

Click Image For Bigger Size

Obstacles @Tri-State Spartan Beast

I only failed 2 this year and I was mad about that! The Z-Wall & the Multi Rig!! It can be really tough to do these if you have never done them before so below are some tips that I have learned to help you out! Also I am trying to remember some of the “Classified” obstacles, but I am drawing a blank so if you remember some leave a comment below! I also probably have some of the “classified” obstacles in the wrong position because I am remembering them as I go.

Also this is my 6th Spartan race. Not a pro lol by any means, but definitely have picked up some good tips along the way.

• Hurdles – Details & Tips Below
• Over Walls – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• 6′ Wall – Details & Tips Below
• Log Carry – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Multi Rig – Details & Tips Below
• Rope Climb – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Farmers Carry – Details & Tips Below
• Ball Shrinker – Details & Tips Below
• Tyrolean – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Z-Walls – Details & Tips Below
• 8′ Wall – Details & Tips Below
• 7′ Wall – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Slip Wall – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• O-U-T – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Inverted Wall – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Spartan Sled – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Classified – Details & Tips Below
• Monkey Bars – Details & Tips Below
• Herc Hoist – Details & Tips Below
• A-Frame Cargo – Details & Tips Below
• Dunk Wall – Details & Tips Below
• Fire Jump – Details & Tips Below

Obstacle Details & Tips

Hurdles

• This was basically a “hurdle” – Looked like a few 2×4’s glue together! Ha reading last years review of the race same thing basically happened. This year I was trying not to kick anyone as I flopped over and fell off the thing. Almost finished before I started!!
  • #1 Tip: Wait an extra few seconds to make sure its clear and you want tangle up with anyone.

Over Walls

• Smaller walls to hop, straddle over.. prob about 3-4ft high?
  • #1 Tip: Play it safe, don't fly over it.

Classified “Barbed Wire Crawl”

• Crawl under barbed wire. I have to say the barbed wire def looked hire than usual which is fine by me. I see a lot of people roll which is definitely the fastest, but I dunno I just can't do it for more than a few feet and I am spinning!
  • #1 Tip: If you have knee protection go nuts crawling. If not you might want to take it easy and go slow unless you don't care about shredding your knees. I do a combo of some rolls, some dive bombers, army crawl,. and this time around I actually went feet first for some parts which was a nice relief.

6′ Wall

• Just that.. a 6′ wall you need to get over. In elite and competitive heats you must get over by yourself. I believe there is a 2×4 that woman can use to get a boost, but not 100% sure
  • #1 Tip: I always just to muscle my way up! I can usually do it, but it comes with a price. Huge expenditure of energy and I get banged up! By accident I basically did this…. watch at the 30 second mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERmEH1DESvw The 6′ & 7′ walls I had no problem, but the 8′ wall is where it got tough. I tried with all my might to muscle up and I was at that point of having nothing left still trying. Some how I went at it again and my leg somehow swung up like in that video and bamm I was over it! Looks like I am following that technique going forward 😉

Log Carry

• Pick up a log, carry it up the hill, carry it down the hill!
  • #1 Tip: Look out for other people dropping their logs and rolling down. Seriously! Last year I swear I had the heaviest log ever! It was totally water logged lol. This year I was strategic, I saw a smaller guy putting back and log that was not as thick, but a little longer. It was the perfect fit! Be strategic, work smarter, not harder!

Classified “Bucket Brigade:

• Oh man this is always a tough one! You are going to burn up that grip strength and your quads!! You get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with gravel… just about to the top. You then have to carry it up the mountain and down the mountain. This year it seemed longer and was def tough. I have some good tips though that have helped me get through this.
  • #1 Tip: I saw a lot of people putting the bucket down or stopping and just holding it. It takes a lot of energy to get the bucket back up or just stand there holding it. What I like to do is almost get in a lunge position and hold the bucket on my one leg. Give a 10 second rest then start up again. I just do that until I make it. BONUS TIP! On the downhill part you can do the same thing just make sure you turn around and face up hill doing it.

Multi Rig

• Long bar to some rings, to some knotted rope to the bell! So mad I failed this one
  • #1 Tip: Get a good swing going and keep those arms bent at 90 degrees if you can. If you let your arms fully extend you are screwed. If you have never done this before watch how others do it then go for it!

Rope Climb

• Good old fashion rope climb. This was the first time I have seen that there was only 1 rope type and it was not above water. So there was NO knotted rope, only a straight rope and it was probably half the thickness of a regular climbing rope which makes it tougher. I was glad I had been practicing some rope climbing techniques.
  • #1 Tip: All I can say is learn the wrap technique and rope climbing will be a peace of cake! Here is a video that lays it out for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycCfAkB2vhA

Classified “Plate Drag”

• Almost like a small wheelbarrow with a sandbag in it attached to a rope. You need to sit and pull it towards you. Sounds easy enough!
  • #1 Tip: Same principal as the herc hoist… pull with 2 hands. Also before you choose one to pull make sure the edge has not dug into the dirt. I saw this happening all over, as you pull the front edge was getting stuck making it twice as hard to pull. Try to pull up on it…

Farmers Carry

• Big logs with chains attached. Go down and bag with the logs.
  • #1 Tip: All you can do is really train by doing some farmer walks with dumbbells at home so you have the grip and leg strength. Bend at the knees, bring them up and walk! If you feel like your knees might buckle drop em and start again. Don't injure yourself.

Classified “Barbed Wire Crawl”

• Crawl under barbed wire. I have to say the barbed wire def looked hire than usual which is fine by me. I see a lot of people roll which is definitely the fastest, but I dunno I just can't do it for more than a few feet and I am spinning!
  • #1 Tip: If you have knee protection go nuts crawling. If not you might want to take it easy and go slow unless you don't care about shredding your knees. I do a combo of some rolls, some dive bombers, army crawl,. and this time around I actually went feet first for some parts which was a nice relief.

Ball Shrinker

• Although this happened when I was married oh so many years ago… 😉 I can only imagine they are taking about walking through the water waste deep, and yes I can recall saying “I cannot feel my balls” as I got out! LOL
  • #1 Tip: I know you want to get out as fast as you can, but there are rocks and holes and all sorts of stuff you can't see. You gotta take it slow or risk turning an ankle!

Tyrolean

• Shimmy across a rope to ring the bell. Well I passed this, but I FAILED… You can click here to see my original burns from my first Super Spartan. You can see my new damage here & here. I should learn some technique to this one, but it is one of those obstacles that can be tough to learn if they only time you try is during the race.
  • #1 Tip: Learn proper technique or wear longer socks and just slide your way to the bell!

Classified “Sand Bag Carry”

• Pick up a sandbag and carry it up a hill, the side of a hill, and down a hill
  • #1 Tip: All I can say is practice lifting some heavy stuff up on your shoulder and walk around with it. I did a lot of lunges with an empty keg overhead and had a 50lb salt bad that I would toss on my shoulders and go up and down my driveway with. Be sure to practice putting it on both shoulders. I see people holding it and to me it just seems like a waste of energy.

Z-Walls

• Small 2×4 blocks on a wall you need to get across and the wall is like a Z. I was mad because I even built one in my garage!! My grip was solid, but somehow after I turned the first corner, my foot just slipped!
  • #1 Tip: Always have 3 points of contact. Work on grip strength and figure out what your stronger/dominant side is. I realized I need to lead with my right side 😉

8′ Wall

• Refer to 6′ wall above

7′ Wall

• Refer to 6′ wall above

Classified “Rolling Mud”

• Few hills up mud… down the hill into muddy water, up the hill, down the hill etc…
  • #1 Tip:Go down slow… you never know what is in that water…meaning a rock or a nice hole etc… My first Spartan race my buddy broke his ankle jumping into the water and landing on a rock. I am always cautious!

Slip Wall

• Slippery wall after running through some mud pits. You have to grab the rope to pull yourself up and over.
  • #1 Tip: Try to lean back a bit into it and plant your feet and walk on up!

Classified

• Still Trying To Remember
• Classified
  • Still Trying To Remember

O-U-T

• Over a small wall, under, and through
  • #1 Tip: Don't dive through the wall LOL!! I have seen that end badly!

Classified “Atlas Carry”

• Carry a big round atlas stone “ball” about 30 feet, then do 5 burpees and carry it back. I have read that the atlas stone weighs 100lbs, but nobody every knows for sure. It does not say on the Spartan site and they like to be sneaky! It was definitely heavy, but as a bigger guy it is an easier one for me.
  • #1 Tip: You want to squat down, get a good grip and get up and walk that thing over slowly! Don't drop on you toes. This is one of those obstacles where you need some solid grip strength for sure!

Inverted Wall

• This is a wall that is inverted… tilted toward you!
  • #1 Tip: Just make sure to get a good grip and plant your feet well. Stay close to the wall.

Classified

• Still Trying To Remember

Spartan Sled

• Bar attached to something like a wheelbarrow without wheels by a rope. Pull it down and back
  • #1 Tip: I saw people trying to pull it like a horse, but for me it was just easier to grab the bar and pull it backwards.

Classified “Plastic Barrel Slide Over?”

• Not even sure what to call it, but basically it is a few giant plastic tubes you have to jump/slide over
  • #1 Tip: Don't assume it is easy. Make sure where you start is not covered in made because it gets pretty slippery since its rounded.

Classified “Cargo Rope Climb”

• Climb up and over cargo rope. This is vertical, so when you get to the top you want to be careful.
  • #1 Tip: At the top try to lay your stomach down as you flip to the next side. Makes it a bit safer and easier if you have never done it before… and watch where you put your feet.

Classified “Spear Throw”

• I love the spear throw… I am 5 for 6 with it. There had to be just about a mile and half left when this obstacle came up. I nailed it and got my adrenaline pumped up! I flew down the course to the monkey bars and was passing a lot of people! Felt great! Everyone has a tip for this obstacle, but I think mine are pretty solid.
• #1 Tip:
  1. Make sure that rope attached is in front of the fence
  2. Spit on your hands, rub them together… “helps grip the spear”
  3. Try to get in balanced in your hand with just a slight more weight on the back end…
  4. Don't try to throw it like a baseball or hold it like a dart
  5. You almost want to throw it as if your were turning your hand with your thumb going down versus your thumb going up like when you throw a baseball.  All I can say is try it out.. it works!

Monkey Bars

• You know what they are. These are a bit staggered some higher and lower and farther apart.
  • #1 Tip: Always make sure you are arms are close to 90 degrees. Depending on how strong you are if you let your arms fully extend you might not make it, unless you have a good swing going…

Herc Hoist

• Roped tied to a sandbag… I have read it is 100lb 0 135lb for men and 75lb for woman. If you are light this could be a tough one for you. I thought you had to do this from the seated position, but I am not 100% either way I did it sitting down lol
  • #1 Tip: If you are allowed to stand up which I saw a lot of people doing, then the best way is to reach high with both hands and pull down taking advantage of your body weight. Never tried to pull down with one hand… reach high with one then the other and pull down with both, then start again.

A-Frame Cargo Net

• Cargo net to climb up and over.
  • #1 Tip: Go slow and watch your foot placement.

Dunk Wall

• You have to go completely under water and out the other side. They must have been filling it with ice because that water was cold!
  • #1 Tip: Close your eyes and get under it!

Fire Jump

• Jump over the fire to the finish line & get your Fit-Aid workout drink from the overly obniquous dude giving them out LOL!!
  • #1 Tip: Jump over the fire not in it… also try to see where the camera is and do something cool for the picture. This time around I don't think I did!

MY GPS Watch Map

My big Christmas present was this sweet Garmin Forerunner 920XT! It is a great watch. It is not too big or bulky like some I have seen and I wear it a lot. Counts steps during the day, will vibrate and tell you to MOVE if you have been sitting too long. Ties into myfitnesspal all sorts of stuff! I was hesitant to wear it to the race for a few reasons.

1. I could hurt myself lol. I know sounds funny, but I've done it before. If you wear the watch with it facing up and you try to go over a wall or something where you are bending your wrist, that part is going to dig into your wrist. Been there done that! So I wore it so the watch face was facing down.
2. I didn't want to break it or damage it. It is a cool watch and I like to wear it around. If you have every worn a watch to any obstacle race, you know that thing is getting banged up and full of stuff and no matter what you do it is not getting 100% clean! lol. Well I wore it, it got banged up, scratched up, mudded up etc…., but it was well worth it because I was able to get a sweet map of the course below!

Click On Image Below For Bigger Picture