Spartan Super Aston Down 22/6/19

Aston Down is one of me favourite Spartan courses, it has a little bit of everything, rolling hills, forest trials and of course ‘Death Valley’ which consists of a gauntlet of obstacles!

However the journey to Aston down is not something I look forward to, 2.5hrs and with a start time of 8.15am it was going to be a sleepy start line! Running tired has got to be one of the worst feelings, legs feel like to concrete blocks and hardly any adrenaline to buzz you up. I normally tear off the start line but couldn’t quite master it, fortunately I got in front after the first corner only to loose my lead by falling off Twister 4k into the race.

Putting me in 3rd it was time to play catch up, something that has been reoccurring feeling this season although I really didn’t feel this was possible today, the cambered hills that the course ran across made it very tricky to open up.

I finally reached 2nd place just over half way, eagerly searching for a yellow top of 1st female who also happens to be on the same pro team as me and good friends but today we were rivals fighting for the top spot… she was nowhere to be seen…

Until hitting Death Valley which is an opening full of all sorts, sandbag carry, plate drag, atlas carry, hang tough, balance beam and rope climb.. it really perked me up seeing her but she had quite a lead.

The sun was beating down by this point and I didn’t manage to catch up through death valley but I was making up time very gradually, it wasn’t until one of the last obstacles being the bucket carry I managed to pass, I think we both tried to say something to one another but it ended up being a mumble of acknowledgement!

We came out into the event village, I got to the spear first trying to unknot the string frantically wondering whether to let her throw first and without a second thought or much planning launched mine which miserably hit the floor beside the target, I ran to do the 30 burpees listening to the crowds reaction of her throw.. next thing I knew she was beside me too burpeeing… phew! All I had to focus on was cracking these out, lifting that hoist and sprinting to the finish line!

Hoist up and sprint to the finish line I couldn’t believe my luck with my result after such a sleepy start I was buzzing!