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“Cling-cling-clang-clang.”

That was the noise my medals made after I finished the Spartan Sprint last year in Philadelphia. The course took me inside, outside, through, and around Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies play. It was a challenge from beginning to end, but crossing that finish line and posing for the professional photographer felt incredible.

A few sips of the free beer at the end was an added bonus.

As my friend Gene and I walked back to the car to make the trek home, my medals joined a chorus of others clinging and clanging as other racers left the course. Behind my finisher medal was the Sprint portion of the coveted Trifecta Medal — once a runner completes all three races in the Trifecta, the three pieces make up a Spartan helmet.

“Cling cling-clang-clang.”

Call it my perfectionist attitude, but it drove me nuts knowing I had only a third of the Trifecta medal. That noise almost taunted me, as if to ask “is that all you got?”

All it took was that one race to get me hooked.

Since I ran the race in September, that meant I had until Dec. 31 to finish the Trifecta medal and run the other two races. That just wasn’t happening.

This year? Well, that’s a different story.

I had an appointment with an orthopedic doctor last week for a nagging shoulder injury stemming from a backyard paintball war in 2008. After getting the all-clear to keep lifting, only one question remained.

“Am I good to start training?”

Once the doc gave me the OK, I signed up the next day.

I bought the Spartan Trifecta Pass, which enables me to sign up for the three races to earn the Trifecta medal. The three races come in different lengths — the Spartan Sprint is over 3 miles with over 20 obstacles, the Spartan Super is over 8 miles with over 25 obstacles, and the Spartan Beast is over 12 miles with over 30 obstacles.

I have until the end of the calendar year to finish all three races and earn the Trifecta.

After looking at the race schedule and considering all options, I’m starting in reverse order — the first race I signed up for is a Spartan Beast in Chandlersville, Ohio, on May 20.

A few people close to me gave me that typical “are you crazy” look when I told them my plan. I won’t lie, that same question crept into my mind once I got the confirmation email. The race is still a few months away, but once I got that email, pre-race jitters were already making themselves known.

Thanks to some advice from friends and family that do run regularly, along with some added insight thanks to the wonders and powers of Google, I put together a running schedule to complement my lifting schedule. The schedule gradually takes me from 2- to 3-mile runs to a respectable 13-mile run about halfway through.

My first running session came last Thursday. It was a 2-mile run that I decided to do on a treadmill to avoid the brutal cold, but I still dreaded it. I was convinced I’d be out of breath and wheezing within a matter of minutes. After 10 minutes of stretching and a 5-minute warmup, I turned the speed up on the treadmill, turned up the tunes, and prepared to eat the ultimate piece of humble pie as I started running.

Or so I thought.

About 22 minutes later, I had run the entire 2 miles without stopping at a pace of about 11 minutes per mile. Even more shockingly, I felt surprisingly good as I stepped off the treadmill.

I’ve read that 9 to 10 minutes per mile is ideal, but the fact I pulled off an 11-minute mile absolutely floored me.

Another huge thing I learned from last year’s races is to not let adrenaline get the best of me. In both races, I ran a lot quicker than I should have, and I got gassed pretty quickly.

This year, it’s all about endurance and keeping that adrenaline under control.

As I made the drive home after the run, it dawned on me that I literally just ran only about a sixth of the actual length of the Spartan Beast, not including any obstacles and the dreaded 30-burpee penalty for any obstacle I can’t complete.

In some sense, it’s a daunting prospect to know that I’m training for the hardest physical task I’ve tackled in a long, long time. Even after I finish the Spartan Beast, I still have a Spartan Sprint and a Spartan Super to complete.

When I got home from the first run, I pulled my Spartan Sprint finisher medal down from my mirror. Behind it, the Sprint portion of the Trifecta medal knocked slightly against my finisher medal.

“Cling-cling-clang-clang.”

I remembered how good it felt to accomplish something I had never done before, and that sense of pride in saying “I did it” when I first got that medal.

I can only imagine what it’s going to feel like when I earn this Trifecta Medal.

Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!

Logo of the Spartan Trifecta.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Trifecta.jpg.optimal.jpgLogo of the Spartan Trifecta.

Kellar
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Kellar.jpg.optimal.jpgKellar

By Travis Kellar

[email protected]

Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews