Spartans make me feel strong, capable, brave, and powerful.

From the minute this race started (and that was pretty quick; we arrived JUST as our heat was departing so we literally hopped the four-foot wall into the corral and started heading straight up the mountain... oh, yea, you have to hop a four-foot wall to get into the starting corral because Spartans don't mess around), I was ON.

The elevations on this were insane. It took you up and down a ski slope, sometimes climbing and descending the same stretch of mountain several times. The day we ran it, it happened to be raining the whole day; so picture doing this in the driving rain as the trails (oh, yea, it's entirely trails) become so muddy that you're wading in puddles. It was intense.

The aid stations on Spartans could be improved in a single way: by having some kind of nutrition. When you run a Spartan Super (or Beast), you're going to need a camelbak for hydration, and water-proof race nutrition. I did Gu approximately every three miles and was mostly fine, but definitely needed some calories by the finish line. If they could have a banana station about halfway through, I think it would be such an improvement for the runners.

In terms of gear: don't wear anything on the mountain that you would be sad to lose. You will be muddy. You will be drenched in water head to toe. You will be climbing, crawling, and sprinting your way through rough terrain. You will get caught under barbed wire and rip your favorite pants. Don't wear your favorite pants. Also wear close-fitting garments that don't have any major pockets in which mud can collect because... it will. I've known many an unwary Spartan to be pantsed by the weight of mud collecting in their trousers. Wear gloves; batting gloves are perfect. You'll want them when you go to do your first set of burpees. Also wear knee protection; there's a lot of crawling to be done on that mountain and the rocks will tear up your knees and elbows pretty bad if you don't prep for it.

The best part about a Spartan race is the camaraderie. I've run them with large groups before, and I've run them with just one other person before. Every time, the other Spartans are there to give me a leg up when I need it. Make friends as you go and help others out; they will absolutely be there to give you a lift when you need it.