I registered for the race a couple of months ago, and was able to round up a team with three other girls. I checked out videos of past events, and read about it on the Metro Dash website. I felt like I was in good physical condition, and that I would be successful at this kind of challenge.
I began seriously training for it about a month prior to race day. I added deadlifts, pushups, dips, rows, assisted pull ups, burpees, box jumps, and even flipping tractor tires, hurdles, and climbing walls to my regular routine. I knew the race would be continuous, so the last week before the event, I did these kinds of exercise without breaks in between. I felt ready.
I didn't work out at all the day before the race, and I made sure to eat lots of nutritious food to prepare my body. I got plenty of rest, and headed up toward Atlanta the morning of the event.
We arrived about an hour early, checked in, and proceeded to watch other competitors attempt the course. Hardly anyone was running. Everyone seemed to be going at a leisurely pace. I know the race is about time, and I intend to push myself as hard as possible.
We noticed that there were a few obstacles that not many people were able to finish successfully. One was a series of hanging ropes with handles at the bottom of each. Participants were required to swing from handle to handle until reaching the last one in order to complete the obstacle. Another was a wall with a rope hanging from the top that we were supposed to climb over.
If you could not complete an obstacle successfully, the rules state that you must complete a set number of burpees in order to go on to the next challenge. Almost all the athletes were doing burpees beside the two previously mentioned obstacles. They looked extremely tough.
Our team lined up to race. I was pumped! When the start whistle blew, I ran to the first obstacle, which was flipping tractor tires a certain distance and back. Piece of cake. I ran to the next one, carrying a large, heavy medicine ball a set yardage and back. The following one was picking up a huge stone ball and running with it. By then, I was more than a little winded. I kept pushing on.
Next were box jumps. I've practiced these in the gym numerous times. The first two were relatively easy, and then my legs didn't want to work for the third, and highest, box. I had to take a few seconds rest to recuperate because I was determined to complete each challenge the correct way. I didn't want to just step over it. I waited about ten or fifteen seconds, and then attempted it again, this time successfully! I went on to leap up onto three more boxes, the proceeded with the race.
Then, we had to pick up a sledgehammer and a tire and run a set distance and back. It was a little awkward, but not too bad. Next up was the rope ladder. It was quite a bit more difficult than it looked. The whole thing was shaking, and the rungs were spaced further apart than I would have liked. Pulling myself up onto each level was a challenge, but I made it to the top without having to rest. Now we understand why everyone was walking rather than running. This is tough!
Next were the dreaded monkey bar type things. You had to be more like a swinging monkey to complete this one! I hadn't seen even one person get all the way to the end, but I gave it my best shot. Didn't make it. Burpees it is! Now, I had seen quite a few people make it over the wall using just a rope, even a few women, but I guess I didn't have the right technique. I attempted it twice, but to no avail. More burpees.
Then we had to make our way over a series of ropes around two feet high. That wasn't too unpleasant, but I had to lift my leg up super high to get over. Good thing I'm flexible!
Next were cargo nets. They were not hard at all, but I had to wait for several minutes, literally, while some girls tried to make their way across it. I didn't want to just run over them. That set my time back, but I wasn't too upset about the recovery time I was able to get!
Then came the hardest part for me: the rope traverse. It was just a horizontal rope that we had to shimmy across using our hands and legs. I had never done anything like that before. There must be some kind of technique to getting across quickly with minimal pain because a couple of my team mates made it across without a problem. Not me. I wrapped my hands and ankles around the rope and slowly made my way across. After about three hoists, my biceps were on fire, but I kept pulling. I was using nothing but upper body strength. It seemed the fastest way, but there must be a method to use your legs too.
When I was only about six feet from the end of the rope, my arms were toast, but I refused to give up. I wrapped my arms around the rope to rest for a moment, which helped get some strength back in my biceps, but made huge bruises on the insides of my arms later. I gave it one more pull, and had to rest again. There were other contestants dropping around me, unable to hold on, but I refused to let this obstacle beat me!
By then, there were spectators and other competitors yelling at me to keep going, that I only had a few more feet, and that they knew I could do it! I can't let all these people down! I HAVE to hang on! After a few more grueling minutes, I made it! It was complete torture, but I finished! I had never had such a pump in my biceps, and my arms felt like noodles. I will need lots of practice doing that if I attempt the Metro Dash again next year.
Next up was the 12 foot wall we had to somehow make it over. My body was spent from the rope, so I had to take a little break. They had me go first so I could sort of rest until I had to help them over. I made it without any major issues, and walked back around to help the other girls over.
Continuing on, we had to do a farmer's walk with kettlebells, run a set distance and back carrying a 50 pound sandbag, and finally the sled pull. Those were all challenging and tiresome, but manageable. I was so relieved to cross the finish line!
Our times were monitored by a bracelet we wore with a tracking chip. My time was a little over 18 minutes to finish. I remember hearing that the average times were between 10 - 15 minutes, so I felt extremely defeated as I packed up to leave. You can't argue that we all gave it our best shot though. My arms felt like Jell-O, and it took much longer for my heart rate to return to normal than it does during my regular workouts. This race is no joke. All four of us were totally pooped!
A few days after the race, I received everyone's results in an email. We didn't enter the elite division, which is what you have to register for to be eligible to win. It was our first attempt at the Metro Dash, and we knew it would be difficult. The fastest female in the elite division finished in 20 minutes. Seeing that made me feel great! Everyone on our team completed it faster than 20 minutes. We would have all been the winners. We will definitely enter as elite athletes next year!
Coming next: Steak Dinner!
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