Spartan Build Crew: Palmerton, PA

Spoilers? I Don't Think So.
Today I helped build an obstacle for the Spartan Race. I was afraid to post this due to SPOILERS, but it is clearly on the list of obstacles as being at every race, so I am not concerned about "spoiling it", since it should be common knowledge.

This was my (our: Matt was there too) first volunteer experience with Spartan Race and we had no idea what to expect. All we knew is that is would be all day (7:30 am to 6:30 pm), and we would be putting in a lot of manual labor!

But what did YOU DO MissKoryBeth?!
I built the Hercules Hoist! Yes, that's it, one obstacle! I didn't do it alone, obviously. It's harder to build than you think! This was all day hiking (or bouncing in the truck) up the hill with tools, equipment, filling endless sandbags, tying said endless sandbags (which was surprisingly the hardest part), securing the tops, attaching the apparatus, assembling the 30 foot tall scaffold, staking it to the ground, etc. It was a lot of lifting (heavy sandbags), it was very hot, but it was so worth it. The team was amazing and it was so cool being around the behind the scenes.

Hercules Hoist?
Yes, it is one of the most common obstacles in the Spartan Race series. It involves hoisting a 70 lb (for women) or 115 lb (for men) via a pulley/rope in a controlled manner up 30 feet and back down.

Woman's Weight? Nah!
After we built the hoist, I was able to try the obstacle for myself. I got the woman's one on my first try. I was super pumped! I went to do another task then I came back and did it again, even better... my technique was improving... Then I decided to go for it (after some provoking from one of the builders, Ed) the men's version. It was hard, but I had my technique and my strength, and I wasn't going to give up. I got a little encouragement from the group and I kept pushing.

Totally nailed it! Up and down, controlled; and I felt awesome. Everyone congradulated me and Ed seemed to be a little surprised by my success. Later on he told me the course shouldn't be a issue since he has already seen how strong I am. I was so excited about how well I did I may just do the men's version during the race. AROO!

Free Stuff!
For every volunteer shift you work for Spartan you get a FREE RACE! That alone was worth it since races can be from $70 to $150 depnding on when and what you register for. On top of that I got A free sweatshirt, tee-shirt (It says "I helped build a spartan race" on the back: awesome!), free parking to the event (normally $10), and free lunch/snacks/hydration all day! Not to mention all the insider tips and a free glimpse at the course! Oh. And I also got FREE SUNBURN! (Coat up.... the sun hurts)