If you build it, they will come… Chicago Super Recap

Nearing the end of the North American Championship series, we finally had a travel a ways EAST to participate. This was originally a strategic move for me (skipping Seattle) since I had seen the race online last year and new wet, muddy, and lush was not my ideal race atmosphere… if only I knew the trap I had set for myself 2 months ago. To participate in the NACS, you must finish in 4 of the 5 series races. If you race all 5, your worst score is dropped and your best 4 are accumulated for your series score and then you are ranked based on that score. So, by skipping race #2, I forced myself to complete all the rest to qualify. So, I boarded a plane and headed for the Windy City.

The day before leaving, my friend and greatest competitor Nono texted me asking if I had been watching the weather for the race venue. I hadn’t but decided to check then and there. Saturday (race day) was expected to be sunny with a high of 80, but ALL week leading up to it was RAIN. No big deal, we have dealt with rain before in San Jose. We were also threatened with rain in Big Bear. However, when my race buddies Romo and Jr and I arrived Friday night for open house, we were welcomed with a nightmare. MUD… and lots of it! Ankle deep just getting to the checking had our shoes and the bottoms of our pants covered to the point of absolute saturation. We explored a few obstacles including monkey bars, multi-rig, rope climb, and spearman. We glanced at the tire flip as well as people struggled to even get separation from the ground. Mud had sealed them down and I knew this might be the second venue I might have to burpee out of that one.

The next morning, we arrived for our race. The conditions did not improve overnight unfortunately and it was obstacle #1 just to make it to the venue welcome tents. After a sloppy warmup, we were in the starting gate. WAY more people than I have ever seen before forced me to be in the 3rd row from the front; my typical unfavorable starting position. As we started off, my chest was already being splattered by the “Brodie” of the men running in front of me. By the 0.25mi mark, a cluster of us had formed of familiar faces. Romo, Junior, Jacob and I were about 30 people back and we made a joke about how the “podium crew” was all hanging together in the back of the pack. We began to charge ahead to start making our kills. I picked up my pace as the track grew narrower and the mud thicker. Foot placement was both a crucial and challenging part of the race today and finding a line to take was a priority.

Through fields of corn, we approached overwalls and 6ft wall with minor difficulty (but more than usual due to the mud all over them). We rounded back towards the venue to 7ft wall and this one actually almost got me DQed. Just over 1 mile into the race, I almost made a costly mistake out of survival instinct that would have had my time chip removed. While trying to get over the 7ft wall, I slipped on the top, crashing my left rib into the wood (leaving a nice bruise) and began to fall off. I stuck my leg out to step on the support straps (BIG no-no) but caught myself before contact and pulled my leg in. I tried to re-engaged my elbow again and this time made the save and threw myself over the top. I think I made my first verbal something like “That was ridiculous” and it would quickly became a common occurrence.

Next up was monkeybars. The night before it wasn’t much of an issue, but today, with the added usage and the mod covered hands, it could prove deadly this early into the race. Turned out I was right. The first 3 rungs or so were VERY difficult to maneuver from the high mud traffic, but if you could make it past those few, the rest were virtually untouched! I could hear Romo shouting encouragement behind me as I crossed the last 2 and rang the bell. I passed the 10’s of people in the burpee box and continued into the unexplored section of the course.

After a quick jump over the invert wall, it was back to the corn fields. Right in the middle was hurc hoist. Soaked from the weeks rain, and hands gloved to avoid slippery mud, I was able to get it up with difficulty but up none-the less. On the small added “Super” section, I lost my footing and face planted into the mud. Covered in mud more than ever, I kept running as I scrapped what I could off.

Fortunately, there was a small river crossing where I took a second to rinse off my shoes and hands. To my surprise, Twister was next up and thankfully, my hands were now clean and nearly dry. Similar to monkey bars, the first of the 3 sections were the most difficult, and after getting past that section, the other 2 were much easier. I stuck to a 1-by-1 method (I usually do 2 or 3) across the whole obstacle. Through the mud, we rounded a corner into a paintball arena for the short and flat bucket carry. Jacob, who had managed a lead on me, was there to hand me his bucket directly.

I grabbed it and began to jog. I ended up running the full length of the loop with the 50lb-ish bucket off rocks passing 3 or 4 guys and finishing with my buddy Cameron at the same time. I passed him though on the short run that followed. Reaching atlas carry, I spotted for the first (and only) time Eric from the Fort Carson battles. We swapped 1st and 2nd that weekend and this was our first meeting since early May. He was already starting his burpees on the opposite side as I picked up my rock…. Or should I say TRIED to pick it up. Caked with mud, it weighted about 10lbs heavier and had zero grip. With every attempt, my hands came back holding only mud. I had to roll it up my leg and balance it on one knee while I did a 1 legged squat lift to get standing. After the 5 burpees, I had to do the same thing for the way back, but multiple times as I just didn’t have the finesse for the roll and squat as I did on the first effort. After that, it was just more mud… rolling mud that is.

Followed by the dunk wall which was actually another opportunity to “rinse off” my hands and shoes. But it only lasted a few seconds as a very wet and muddy barbwire crawl; the first of 2. From there, we broke out onto the second “Super section” which took us through several more paintball courses. The first was a castle configuration which we actually got to run up and through. Right at the exit though we were faced with Z-wall.

Typically a standard obstacle for me, the challenge was doing it soaking wet and shoes and hands covered in mud. I went slow and steady and made it to the bell successfully, passing yet another big crowd in the burpee box. Through the next mile, we crossed small rivers, mud puddles, and forest-like terrain. If it weren’t for the sticky, 6-in deep heavy mud, this would have been an amazing section to open up and let the legs churn, however, the opportunity was just not there.

8ft wall was next and for the first time ever, after over 20 races, I saw people doing burpees for a wall obstacle. I made it over the 8ft easier than the 7ft I think because

less people had the opportunity to get it dirty! It was another mile of forest running before bender which again, being covered in mud and large metal bars, made it

trickier than usual to mount and scarier to dismount. During that mile though, I was able to catch and surpass Jacob (who also took a spill in the mud while I was in pursuit.) A few switch-backs, we were met with the second barbwire crawl. Rolling my way through most of it, we were nearing mile 5.5 and I spotted a new rabbit I could chase down.

Stairway to Sparta and vertical cargo net made for some fun back to back climbs alongside a main roadway where the occasional honk was given for support. Hurdles took place right before the mile 6 marker. After making it over them, we headed back towards the “Sprint” course track. It was another near mile trek before we hit a unique obstacle; the hay bale traverse. These were large rolls of hay that were about 4ft tall and maybe 3ft wide. A quick climb and roll provided an opportunity to clean off my hands, but I didn’t take full advantage of it. Instead, I continued into a very thick area of mud which housed the Olympus. Nervously, I put on my gloves. I knew I didn’t have any foot traction left on my shoes for this so my typical method of leaning back and relying on my leg position was not going to be an option. Jacob had passed me moments before and I watched him go across using his knees for leverage. I opted to do the same technique. Halfway across, I had to stop and rest, letting my arms go taut, which felt good at the time, but may have led to my doom. With just two arm grabs to go, I slipped my grip and my knees came out from under me and I grazed the mud with my right shoe. This is a failure and I had to drop immediately and head to the burpee pit. It wasn’t the burpees that made me upset… it was the 8in mud put I was forced to do them in. It took 3 attempts just to get airborne on the jump because my feet were absolutely encapsulated in mud. I had to ask the referee if these counted because I literally couldn’t jump. I was told to “Do the best you can” and so I made the most of it. After about 12 “burpees” I finally found a rhythm and pattern that improved my efficiency, but I completely lost count because of it. Not wanting the time penalty like in Monterey, I just started from 15 and went to 30. While I was in the put, Nono finally passed me, as did Cameron. Once again, a failed obstacle assisted in losing position (as it nearly always does). Finally finished, and caked from head to toe, I ran off to the corn fields once more. Hidden between the stalks was plate drag. Once again, I saw something very unusual… burpees at the plate drag. The mud was proving to be a beast on even the most standard challenges. Junior was right in front of me at this point and I waited for his plate. He struggled with footing on the pull and used a wrap-around-the-arm technique that I later mimicked. On his drag back though, footing was even worse and twice he fell under the plate, dropping it on his feet. I watched carefully and learned how to and how NOT to do this so I wouldn’t end up in the impromptu burpee box. It was a success. Through the corn some more lead right to the rope climb. Romo was now visible as well (also passed me at Olympus) and we climbed our ropes together. I passed him on the run section though that moved us to the sandbag carry. Junior was already halfway done with his but was walking and I began running with mine. A few steps in, I heard him shout to Romo so I knew he was on my tail now again. I continued to run and finished the carry going as fast as I could. We were now at mile 8. I saw Cameron miss his spear throw as I approached and decided to take a risk. I have seen people try throwing the spear underhand and since I have been about 50-50 this year on the traditional throw, I went for the "granny shot" an nailed it! Thank you Cody Richardson! I passed 2 opponents (1 was my rabbit from the barb wire crawl and the other was Cameron).

Rounding the corner and 2 river crossings later, we were at the venue faced with the formidable tire flip. I tried just once on one I felt I could get a good grip on but it didn’t budge. That was all the reassurance I needed so I headed for the burpee box. Not long after, I was joined by Junior, and then Romo. Visibly exasted ad pissed off, we counted our 30 and moved on… never look back.

A quick climb, slip, and slide over the A-frame cargo net went directly into slip wall. Easier than I would have suspected, I was up and over. Two things left to go nearing the 2 hour mark on course… pretty long for a Super only 8mi long… The milti-rig was 3 rings-horizontal bar-3 rings and they increased in height with each group, requiring some back strength to get elevated before each transition. Rings to bar was no problem, but bar to second group of rings was tricky. I couldn’t reach the first ring to grip, so I used my swing to smack it forward, then, on its back-swing; I grabbed it firmly and swung on. The bell, following the other parts of the rigs pattern, was much higher than the rings and needed extra momentum and lift to ring. But with a leap through the air, the let out its deep “ring” and I was off to the fire jump.

I didn’t plan my jump very much this race, but I threw up an “X” with my arms to signify how done I was with this course. Not the most epic finish, but at least it was over. Right behind me came Junior, and Romo not far behind. Nono was already there though and greeted me with mush less vigor and enthusiasm as he normally has at the finish… I knew exactly how he felt.

We finished 5th and 6th respectively, quite a few minutes behind our age group leader. But we remain the hopeful top 2 finishers for the overall series title this year. We needed to just not lose dramatically, and we prevented just that. I did fall to 4th overall in the world for M25-29 but only because someone stayed Sunday and took first place in the Chicago Sprint and he now leads by less than 30 points so I am not worried.

I have the Arizona Stadium race coming up in 2 weeks and I am looking forward to it!

Until then, a special thank you to Past Parallel and II-VI OS for my support, gear, and time off! Aroo!