Kelli Saunders
Staff Writer
Mira Costa English teacher Cameron Chow and seniors Emma Anderson, Zack Saros and Natalie Young crawled their way to the finish line of the 2017 Spartan Race in Lake Elsinore.
The students participated in the eight-mile race on Jan. 28 where they were challenged to complete 25 obstacles throughout the race. These included spear throwing, crawling under barbed wire, rope climbing, and monkey bar obstacles. If the team did not finish the task, however, they had to do 30 burpees before continuing on with the race.
Photos: team completing Spartan race
“My favorite thing about the race was definitely the obstacles because each obstacle had its own little challenge within it,” Saros said. “Completing an obstacle makes you excited because there are tons of people who can’t complete them.”
The students had to work together to complete many of the tasks. For one of the obstacles, the men and women had to flip over a 300 to 400 pound tire separately. When the men were done flipping theirs, they went over to help their teammates. They also had to climb over walls that increased in size as the race progressed.
Click here to find out more about the race
“It was fun to play the role of coach and mentor and be there to encourage my students,” Chow said. “They were so focused and it was amazing to see their progress and the impact this race made on them.”
Two months prior to the race, Chow organized work outs to get them in shape for the event. They built up their endurance by running 6 to 8 miles, with burpees throughout the run. They also carried heavy objects and did push ups.
“The training we did as a team definitely helped, but the encouragement and our will to finish what we started is what really made the race one to remember,” Saros said. “It’s an exhilarating experience that I definitely want to relive.”
For over 4 years Chow has been an active participant in Spartan races. He began this hobby when he was no longer able to play basketball and needed something to keep him active and in shape.
“Ever since my first race I’ve been addicted and have wanted to keep doing them after that.” Chow said. “If you haven’t done a Spartan race it sounds crazy but it’s worth it knowing you have accomplished something that’s hard to do.”
Chow has competed in over 30 races. He usually runs with a team consisting of his brother and three other friends. One of the races called the “Ultra Beast” was a 32 mile long endurance race that took place in Lake Tahoe. Only half of the participants, including Chow and his team, were able to finish the race.
“The joy from the races comes from finishing and accomplishing something very difficult,” Chow said. “If you are able to finish something difficult it becomes something that carries into your daily life when you face challenges and obstacles they are easier to overcomes because you know you have already done something that is just as challenging.”
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