The lady and I enjoy running Spartan obstacle course races. We find it a good outlet for our pent up energy after working indoors for long hours, and it's a good excuse to stay kid-like in nature. Last weekend we had an event in Monterey, CA where we traversed a bit over 4 miles and completed 15 or so obstacles on the way to earning that wonderful t-shirt and free beer. Now, normally when we go camping we are not really concerned with needing toilets or showers, we make do with more primitive camping. We knew that on this trip we were going to need to wash mud and dirt off and be relatively comfortable to rest between events, so we chose a campground. Our itinerary for the weekend had me enrolled in a Spartan Hurricane Heat on Saturday night and then the lady and I ran the Spartan Sprint on Sunday morning. We were really thankful for the hot (yes, hot) showers at the campgrounds and it was worth all of the $32 per night.
I get this isn't your traditional overlanding journey. We try to keep it ∩northodox. PICS!!
We arrived Friday night around 2230hrs and set up camp in the dark. Not knowing our surroundings and trusting our Googleometer a bit too much, we eventually found the entrance to the campgrounds at the raceway. Checking in was as easy as stopping at a gate and checking in with the security guard. Our last name and campsite number were posted on a board at the guard house and it took us only a few moments to find the right site in the dark. We are fairly familiar with our equipment, and had little to no problems setting things up. Winds were calm, and while we had neighbors fairly close to us, there was very little noise going on. We woke up the next morning to a lovely marine layer surrounding us and setting a cold and damp mood.
We were steps from prime viewing of the uphill to the world famous Corkscrew turn.
I had a challenge ahead of me Saturday in the form of a Spartan Hurricane Heat. These events can last up to 6 hours and involve a lot of physical tasks, usually in a state of discomfort. Being cold and wet all day, then getting colder and wetter and more tired was not doing anything to positively prepare me for the challenge, so we beat it for the coast to try and take our minds off of it. We ended up finding the edge of the fog - warmth and sea in the same place.
It was pretty neat to look out past Lovers Point and see a definitive line in the weather. On our right was the dissipating layer, thick with cloud and moisture.
On our left was the reassuring and comforting warmth of the star we orbit and clear skies, a trend I hoped would continue into the afternoon.
We wandered a bit, building our happy energy and enjoying a beautiful oceanside community. A few pictures from our little stroll.
We sat for a time on Lovers Point, enjoying what we saw and feeling what we felt. There was a nice mix of avian and aquatic life around us and we got to watch a sea otter dive for a crab, then float on its back while opening the crab up on its belly. I tried my hand at animal portrait photography.
When it became evident to me that I was not going to be starting a new career as a photog, we hopped back in the car and drove along the coast for a while. We passed many public beaches and we were quite taken with the smaller homes that had amazing ocean views. Some were eclectic and I wish I had taken pictures, but often we need to have some memories not shared with the internet masses. I did pass one home on wheels I found interesting and supposed someone on here might own it, or know it's owner.
We putzed around the little town we were in (I don't think it was Monterey proper) and shopped a bit. After a time, we headed back to the camp to get ready for the nights festivities and found a lovely, if not a bit windy, scene.
I had an experience that night like I've never had before. I was emotionally beat up and broken and built back up and physically I was smoked. I have found I really like the endurance events before and after I participate - during them, I'm often questioning WTF did I do this for. I was able to get through, just barely and made it back to a much needed and overly appreciated warm shower on the campgrounds. A small luxury, but a huge refresh to my spirits. We slept soundly that night dozing off to the rhythms of a neighbors blocked airways and awoke the next morning rested and ready for a run.
Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post! Stay ∩northodox!
If you care to, you can find pictures and videos of the Spartan events on my facebook (Hari Ashton) or IG (@Boondocklovers).
I get this isn't your traditional overlanding journey. We try to keep it ∩northodox. PICS!!
We arrived Friday night around 2230hrs and set up camp in the dark. Not knowing our surroundings and trusting our Googleometer a bit too much, we eventually found the entrance to the campgrounds at the raceway. Checking in was as easy as stopping at a gate and checking in with the security guard. Our last name and campsite number were posted on a board at the guard house and it took us only a few moments to find the right site in the dark. We are fairly familiar with our equipment, and had little to no problems setting things up. Winds were calm, and while we had neighbors fairly close to us, there was very little noise going on. We woke up the next morning to a lovely marine layer surrounding us and setting a cold and damp mood.
We were steps from prime viewing of the uphill to the world famous Corkscrew turn.
I had a challenge ahead of me Saturday in the form of a Spartan Hurricane Heat. These events can last up to 6 hours and involve a lot of physical tasks, usually in a state of discomfort. Being cold and wet all day, then getting colder and wetter and more tired was not doing anything to positively prepare me for the challenge, so we beat it for the coast to try and take our minds off of it. We ended up finding the edge of the fog - warmth and sea in the same place.
It was pretty neat to look out past Lovers Point and see a definitive line in the weather. On our right was the dissipating layer, thick with cloud and moisture.
On our left was the reassuring and comforting warmth of the star we orbit and clear skies, a trend I hoped would continue into the afternoon.
We wandered a bit, building our happy energy and enjoying a beautiful oceanside community. A few pictures from our little stroll.
We sat for a time on Lovers Point, enjoying what we saw and feeling what we felt. There was a nice mix of avian and aquatic life around us and we got to watch a sea otter dive for a crab, then float on its back while opening the crab up on its belly. I tried my hand at animal portrait photography.
When it became evident to me that I was not going to be starting a new career as a photog, we hopped back in the car and drove along the coast for a while. We passed many public beaches and we were quite taken with the smaller homes that had amazing ocean views. Some were eclectic and I wish I had taken pictures, but often we need to have some memories not shared with the internet masses. I did pass one home on wheels I found interesting and supposed someone on here might own it, or know it's owner.
We putzed around the little town we were in (I don't think it was Monterey proper) and shopped a bit. After a time, we headed back to the camp to get ready for the nights festivities and found a lovely, if not a bit windy, scene.
I had an experience that night like I've never had before. I was emotionally beat up and broken and built back up and physically I was smoked. I have found I really like the endurance events before and after I participate - during them, I'm often questioning WTF did I do this for. I was able to get through, just barely and made it back to a much needed and overly appreciated warm shower on the campgrounds. A small luxury, but a huge refresh to my spirits. We slept soundly that night dozing off to the rhythms of a neighbors blocked airways and awoke the next morning rested and ready for a run.
Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post! Stay ∩northodox!
If you care to, you can find pictures and videos of the Spartan events on my facebook (Hari Ashton) or IG (@Boondocklovers).
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