Spartan Kuching Pre-Race Assessment

It’s two more sleeps until race day. After a disastrous Beast race, I confess that I am not feeling very confident about this one. I know it is the Sprint, the shortest and easiest of all Spartan races, but I am still nervous. Kuching is a wildcard – a new race venue that no one has ever encountered. After the terrain we faced in Tambun, I don’t dare underestimate what’s coming. I still get flashbacks from those inclines.

Now that the race map is finally out, it’s time to do a little pre-race homework…

Spartan Sprint Kuching

All things considered, this round looks quite promising. Definitely not as fear-inducing as Tambun, but I still hesitate to waltz in with overconfidence and shoot myself in the foot. We’re entering under Age category this time so there is no escaping the burpee penalty.

Race Elevation

Race elevation looks kind. The last hiking training session I took the Jungle Babes on was harder than this. I think we will be okay with the terrain.

Obstacles List for Spartan Sprint

Only 20 obstacles this time, less than my first Sprint:

1. Hurdles ^
2. Overwall ^
3. Barb Wire
4. Dunk Wall
5. Vertical Cargo
6. Inverted Wall
7. Plate Drag
8. Monkey Bars *
9. Atlas Carry *
10. Z Wall
11. Memory Wall ^
12. Sandbag Carry
13. Bucket Carry
14. Spear Throw *
15. Rope Climb *
16. Multi-Rig *
17. Hoist *
18. Slip Wall
19. A-Frame Cargo
20. Fire Jump

* Obstacles I failed in the last race.
^ Obstacles I’ve never done before in a Spartan race.

Only three unfamiliar obstacles, but they don’t sound too challenging. Of the six obstacles I failed in the Beast, I have successfully completed three of them before in the Super. I am hopeful that I will finish with my best scorecard yet but I wouldn’t want to count my chickens before they hatch.

Hurdles

Okay, so these are not the hurdles I had in mind. They’re also higher than I had imagined. It comes up to his chest and I have long legs, so I think I should be able to manage this.

Overwall

I’ve looked it up and it looks pretty much like the 6/7/8ft wall. I don’t know why they give it a different name when it’s just a variation on the same theme. Unless I’m completely mistaken and this is not what it appears to be.

Memory Wall

I’ve read about memory tests for the Spartan Beast, but I’ve never had to do one before. In a nutshell, you have to remember a series of numbers and repeat them later on in the race – or so they tell me. Based on this image I found through Google, that sounds about right.

What you need to memorise: one word from the NATO phonetic alphabet and seven numbers. Given that the short term memory can handle, on average, 7 objects, this should be manageable. Unless your brain is overtired from the exertion from the race, which can affect memory (oops, that’s me), this should be a burpee-free obstacle.

Atlas Carry, Rope Climb, Hoist

I failed these three obstacles in the Beast but I got through them in the Super. Since the Sprint is an even shorter race, I’m hopeful that I will be able to manage them this time.

Monkey Bars, Spear Throw, Multi-Rig

I know it sounds defeatist to write these three off before I’ve even tried them, but I won’t kid myself. I’m pretty sure these three obstacles are 90 burpees waiting for me. That doesn’t mean I won’t try my best to pass them, though.

All in all, race day isn’t looking too bad. Fingers crossed that I have analysed it right and will have a good post-race report to share. Watch this space…