Spartan Race Montana Recap

So..the race started when I was getting on the plane to head to Montana! The jittery flies in the stomach feeling started sooner than I had hoped! We got to the venue Sunday and I started to warm up. As the time came when the men started and it was now our turn to hop the taller than usual wall and walk up to the starting line, all I told myself was, “You will do the best you can do, you will leave it all out on the course, and you will have fun doing what you do best.” I try to be confident and positive for every race! So I see all my friends, give them hugs and high fives then we are off! Our pace starting out was faster than I had hoped. It was Rose, Amelia, Kate, and me. I knew these girls were my competition plus a few others behind us. We were cruising, I remember thinking to myself, but I knew we had the longest sprint course ahead of us. So we approached the first obstacle, monkey bars and I see Amelia fall off them! I couldn’t believe it! I had even talked to her earlier about the far distance there was between the bars and to be careful!  As I flew through them and ran passed her doing burpees, I was now in 2nd place behind Rose. Rose seemed like she was flying she was moving so fast. Rose and I started our first of several long and steep climbs, where walking was going to happen at some point, I just didn’t know when.  As we continued to the rope climb and log carry I was still in 2nd but could feel Amelia and Kate breathing down my neck. Then it happened, as we started the next big hike, the gazelle Amelia passed me with speed and fury only Hobie Call I thought possessed. Now I was in 3rd place and Kate was not far behind me. As Rose and Amelia pulled away, I was now in a battle for 3rd place with Kate. Kate and I ran together for most of the middle half as we crested the top of the mountain and went to go downhill, that is where I gained some ground on Kate. My downhill game is pretty fast and maybe close to out of control, but helped me keep my lead. Kate is an amazing athlete and I know her running game is fast as hell! We did a log carry, with another hill climb, to several wall jumps and the A-frame cargo net before we went down towards the festival area. We then had a long stretch of running to a few more obstacles and then the sand bag carry where Kate and I could have held hands we were that close. I pulled away again on the downhill as we approached the bridge and bucket carry. This was my opportunity to increase my lead on Kate and hit the podium. We had a short run to a vey long barb wire crawl, went over the cargo net, dunked under a wall and headed to the feared spear throw. Of course I get up to it with a great lead for 3rd and I missed the spear and started my burpees. I made it through my burpees to the last obstacle, the Multi Bar. The last time I did the multi bar in Colorado I fell off it! So I went up to It, knowing Kate was now hot on my tail. I started off with the rings and to the bar to the rope and kicked the bell! 3rd was all mine now and I wasn't going to give that away. What made this race even more special...it was mother’s day and my mother surely was with me and watching me the whole race! I have never cried crossing the finish line, but this race I cried knowing how much I loved, missed and knew my mother was with me! What a happy mother’s day to her that day. I would have to say that his was the hardest Spartan Sprint I have competed in to date. Bring it on Spartan! Aroo! Orla Walsh Photo credit Jennifer Willis