Email   Print   Share By Sgt. Stephanie Woodson, 13th ESC Public Affairs

Facebook Digg Delicious May 24, 2012 | Sports

Competitors of the Spartan Race try to climb to the top of the rope without falling down, while other competitors catch their breath before they begin their climb May 19. Courtesy photo

Spartan Race competitors try to make it under the barbed wire obstacle course quick and with no injuries May 19 . Spartan Race is designed to test resilience, strength, stamina and the ability to face adversity. Courtesy photo

Sergeant Desmond Matthews, a mission support order clerk from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a team of Soldiers from 4th Special Troop Battalion

participated in the Spartan Race Saturday in Burnet.

“I normally run 5k where we just run on the road. I wanted to participate in a race more challenging than a 5k, so I got online and started researching races in Texas,” Matthews said. “I began to ask around if anyone was interested and a few Soldiers from the 4th Special Troops Battalion responded.”

“We began training in mid-May. I was so nervous while I was training because I knew people had started training for this race months ago, and I just started running six months ago when I joined the Army,” Pfc. Andrea Santos, a human resource specialist awards clerk from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th STB, said.

“Spartan Race is all over the world. The race is in London, Canada and two weeks ago they had a race at Fort Carson (Colo.),” Matthews explained. “I’ve been participating in races for over a year. Preparing for races gives me something to do on the weekend and at the same time, I stay fit.”

“Being a noncommissioned officer, I do not want to be out of shape, overweight or tell my Soldiers to do something physical that I’m not be able to do,” Matthews said.

There was a race that started at 9 a.m. where people were competing, but he insisted that the race he has entered was just for fun.

Spartan Race is designed to test resilience, strength, stamina, quick decision making skills and the ability to face adversity. Participants are required to create a team of a minimum of four people. Team members are timed individually and are not required to cross the finish line together, according to the Spartan Race website.

The fastest four times of the team are used to calculate the team’s finishing time. A prize is awarded to the team who finishes top. This race is for adults only, but they do have junior Spartan race for youths.

The first mile-and-a-half was rocky and running straight uphill. There were more than 15 obstacles throughout the whole course, Santos explained. They raced through natural terrain obstacles, rivers, rocks, climbed walls, navigated underwater barriers, pulled cement blocks on chains, pulled cement blocks on ropes and carried weights, she said.

The most memorable moment was toward the end when they came to an obstacle and they had to climb a rope with knots in it, Santos said. Everyone underestimated her group because some people in her group had on pink tutus.

“I felt good after the race. I never did anything like this before and I was glad I didn’t pass on the opportunity,” Santos said.

It was a memorable experience and given the opportunity, Santos and Matthews said they would definitely do it again. They are already preparing for ‘Warrior Dash’ in November and plan to race in the ‘Run for your Life’ in December.