Spartan Sprint France Morzine 2016
This was my first Spartan Race of 2016 and my first race out of the UK.
I was extremely excited and equally nervous about this one before I even got to Morzine.

From the start race day did not disappoint, apart from the weather, we woke up to thunder and lightening like I have never seen before along with heavy rain that continued throughout the day. Motivational music was on the go, lots of commentating going on but my French is very limited so didn't have a clue what was being said 😝. Registration was quick as it was well organised and staff were super helpful, friendly and their English was much better than my French.

John was racing in the morning as he was doing the Beast, I had opted for the Sprint today and the Super tomorrow.

I went with John to the start line, the atmosphere was electric, everyone was buzzing and raring to go. French Flag coloured smoke and a count down from ten and they were off. Never felt so nervous for John racing and I waited nervously for his return. John completed the beast and in one piece, I was delighted and relieved to see him cross the finish line. I am so super proud of him for completing the course even with major cramps setting in.

It was a quick pass over of the bag and it was time for me to get to the start line, at this point seeing how broken John was and seeing people getting rescued by others at one of the water crossings as the water was so fast moving due to the severe wet weather I really wasn't feeling too good about what was ahead. The competition was also unbelievably fierce, I was on the start line surrounded by mega fit Europeans that were towering over me, I was full of doubt and fear, this was also my first OCR in a while, I awaited nervously and just had to suck it up until the count down. Smoke and a count down from ten and we were off. I was pushed and shoved from every direction, this was just what I needed, this inner Tartan Warrioress came out and I was off.

The first section of the course was a trail run into the river, the pace was fast and the water was ok at this point as they had us taped into the side of the river out of the dangerous fast moving section.

Out of the river and we hit some walls, I am quick over walls and was even quicker at catching a guys foot before he kicked me in the face as we were going over the first wall, he got a bigger fright than I did when I threw it back at him and told him to be more careful, I think he thought he had made contact.

Another trail running section lead us onto the Slack lines, oh my word, burpee central, I got on the extremely muddy and wet line and after a few steps fell off. So that was my first set of 30 burpees, chest down into the mud surrounded by at least another 30 racers, male and female. I had a good view of the other racers from my burpee station, obstacle completion was shaky.

I then ran on through the forest trails to the memory board, we had a code to remember that was linked to our number, mines was, well I forgot and that's that for now.

I ran on through another section of trail to the side climb wall, it was very wet and muddy and for me the holds where very far apart, the guy in front of me fell off, the guy behind me fell off but I was gripping on and kept making my way round, I got to the corner section, I had to leap around the corner as my reach was to short, I made it, ding ding to the bell and I was off, leaving many others doing burpees in the mud.

Next section was another trail run into a very cold water barbed wire crawl, body got a shock at this, it was colder than most Scottish water obstacles I have done.

After another section of trail it was the Spear Throw, as many of you reading this may know I have been practicing this loads. So I grabbed a Spear it was bent in two places, attached to a knotted muddy rope, looked up and down for a better option, not a single Spear was in and all I could see was a pen full of people doing burpess in the mud, I put this out my head, focused and gave it my all and yes, I missed, another 30 burpees in a cramped muddy pen.

Very muddy I ran onto the next obstacle, this was the Atlas Stone, it was lighter than the UK ones, only about 20kg at a guess, I had to do a carry about 30 meters put it down 5 burpees then bring it back, I managed this with ease.

The next trail section included a muddy barbed wire crawl then a trail run up a hill to the rope climb, the ropes where all attached to a wire in the trees, the ropes were about 20 foot high and all in a line and close together, it was tough as the ropes bounced as you were climbing them but I made it up and down super fast and was now in the lead. We then ran down hill and towards the river, the next section was by far the toughest for me, a double river crossing while carrying a log. The log was easy for me to lift, my issue was in the water, I weigh 47kg, this water was moving so fast it took my feet away several times, as it did to others around me, one guy even lost his log, he did try and get it back but with no luck. This section was changed for the Super, it had barriers to stop you and your log disappearing down the river. I have never been so scared during an OCR, the water took me down several times, I was gripping onto rocks for dear life with one hand while not letting my log go with the other, it was touch and go but I gritted my teeth and gave it everything and a little bit more and I did it.

The next trail section had four 5 foot overs, these were tricky but doable and I ran on. This first trail section had taken us away and then back towards the main event village. I knew what was coming up, the scary section of water that I had seen so many people get into difficulty with due to the fast moving water, people had been struggling and helping each other across, luckily as I approached to my absolute delight Spartan had made a very sensible decision and closed this section.

So now I'm in the events Village and still alive it was the huge Wall A Frame to tackle, this was another obstacle I seen so many struggle with, I had broken it down in my head, 7 foot slightly slanted wall with a huge Apex on top, there was a women's side with a foot bar but I was confident I wouldn't need that so I jump up the 7 foot wall then a climb and down, easy peasy, I could hear someone in the crowd shouting that's how you do it, go me.

After this the course took us into the town centre we climbed down into the river again off a bridge, we had to go back up the river against the water but we were at the side of the river and had a wire to hold onto, we then had short ropes to climb to help us get back out.

I then ran further into the town to the Hercules Hoist, man that was the heaviest women's hoist I have done to date, I even used my teeth to make sure I didn't let it slip, one slip and it was 30 burpees, no thank you, I did it and got a huge cheer from the crowd sitting in near by bars and lining the street and kept all my teeth.

I ran further up the town then down some steps, then I had a climb back up into the town up a huge cargo net, then I ran back towards the main event village, down some steps to be greeted by marshals that wanted my code, this was all rather confusing to me as I had never done this in the UK, I didn't know the code so it was 30 burpess, at this point girls were catching me and some of them remembered their codes and passed me. I got my 30 done and then had to pull my finger out as I only had a few obstacles left and only about 400m. I sprinted towards the huge slippery A Frame with water coming down off it and ropes to help you get up it. I made it up fast and down and was toe to toe with another girl, we made it to the next obstacle together, a net crawl down into the river for our final river crossing, luckily there was a wire to hold onto, I was just in front of the other girl as she went to pass me in the water but the water was too strong for her, I helped pull her back in towards the wire and we made it out and onto the final obstacle together, The Rig. I had only seen one women attempt this non other than Amy, she failed, it was so wet and slippy. As soon as I got on I knew I wasn't going to make it, I fell and I ran on to do my 30 burpees, I did them and it hurt, it was down to who was the fastest at burpess after us all failing the rig. This is one thing being tiny and lean helps with, burpees.

I wasn't quite quick enough to win but I got up after my burpees and sprinted towards the fire jump and a 2nd place. If my memory hadn't let me down it would of been a win, my memory is terrible, I know now what I need to work on next.

The placings for the sprint are as follows.

1st Jennifer Beaudoin
2nd Joda Quigley
3rd Myriam Halassi

Spartan Super Morzine 2016
It's race day number two and today the sun is shining. 9am Start for the Super Elite wave, we arrive for around 8am, the events village is buzzing with excitement. Registration and bag drop was quick and staff were super friendly and helpful.

Today John decided to run around at my pace as he was not wanting to risk any further injury. We both headed to the start line, I was super nervous, the girl I had helped in the water at the sprint passed with one of her friends, they both came and said hello and her friend said it was nice to meet me. I noticed a few other Elite women that had placed the day before on the start line, they were all looking sharp and ready go.

This was going to be a hot one, not that I am complaining, I race better in the heat. We are also before climbing at 1000 meters above sea level, so racing at that altitude over the weekend will also make it tough.

Music blaring, the commentator starts the count down, smoke in the colours of the French Flag are set off and then after the count down we are off. The pace from the start was noticeably slower than the Sprint the day before but by no means slow, the course to start with was exactly the same as the Sprint, a trail run into the river, trail into walls, trail onto Muddy Slack lines, fail again for me and many others, my first set of 30 burpees.

Then it was the memory board, side climb wall, cold water crawl, Spear Throw with a bent and knotted rope that was a fail again. We then ran onto the Atlas Stone carry, at this point I am just behind the lead lady Myriam, she won the Beast the previous day. We ran onto the wire crawl then the rope climb, this was extra hard today, the ropes were extra muddy and slippy but I did it.

More trail running lead us into the 5 foot overs, with Myriam still in my sight I flew over these.

Next up was the first river crossing with the log, the first section was easier due to a barrier in place to stop us and our logs being washed away down stream. Myriam was much quicker and stronger than me in the water sections, it was here she cleared her lead from me.

Out of the river and back onto the trails and then to my dread the river crossing that was closed in the Sprint due to safety was open again today. I made it over the first crossing and then headed further up stream, then we had to cross back over the section that had caused so many others trouble the day before, the two guys in front of me were struggling helping each other over, I had no chance, the water took my feet away from me, I was in trouble, John grabbed my arm I got my feet again and I was safe, I have never been so glad to get my feet back on dry land.

Next up was the huge 7 foot wall and Apex structure, my legs were burning after the water section but some how I had enough in me to make it up again at the guys section of the wall and then climb over and down, I loved this obstacle.

I then headed into the town centre, we had to climb down into the river, make our way back up the river then use ropes to climb out, we had a rope to help us up this section so it was still hard work but safer.

At this point I headed out the town and started the 800m climb that was to make the Super awesomely tough. The first obstacle on this section was a section of walls. Then more climbing up trailed forest to the waterfall cargo net crawl, I had never seen anything like it, you had to jump into a pool of water at the bottom of a water fall swim across then climb up to the top of the waterfall via a cargo net. At this point another women was catching me, I let her take the lead into the water and watched her to see how she got on, the water was fast moving and I was scared it would take me away with it, she managed but not with ease, others were struggling too. This obstacle had also been closed the day before due to safety, I decided to take the risk and jumped into the pool of water, I managed to swim to the net and then climb out, yippee, I am still alive.

Next we had more climbing up trails, I was deep in thought about what I had overcome and got lazy with my feet, the next thing I knew I was eating dirt, yes I fell flat on my face, the two guys behind me got a huge fright, I got up, felt a bit stupid sore and bloody and a bit like crying but I didn't and kept running. The next obstacle was a huge 10 foot Overhanging Wall, it had bars to use to help you get up and over but at only 5 foot and 2 inches it wasn't enough for me to reach. I had to get onto the bars feet on the lower bars, hands in the upper bars squat down then leap up and catch the top, I did, just and it was into some more climbing.

The next climb turned into a near vertical muddy crawl under a chair lift, another girl had caught me by the wall but I was able to keep pushing and kept my lead on her up the climbs.

I then ran up some more steep trail onto a crisp net, up and over and onto more steep trail running before we came to the longest sandbag carry I have done to date, I am fussing around 1.5 kilometres up hill, then down hill then back up to the start of the carry. I got clear of the girl that was behind me in this section, I was super proud of my climbing with this 30lbs, mega tough but I did it.

After this the course started taking us back down hill on steep muddy trails, I was working extra hard to keep my footing after my fall earlier.
The next obstacle we had to complete was tyre flips, 6 in total, I complete that's with ease, then we had a tyre drag then pull, this was much more testing weight wise for me but I did it.

I ran further down steep slopes onto the chain carry, this was awesomely tough, I felt like a total beast carrying that chain along, up a steep slope over a bridge then back down to the start, got a couple of awesome pictures taken too.

Some more trail running down hill took us onto the 8 foot wall, it looked huge to me, I stupidly tried to use the women's side to climb up and came off, 30 burpees, I should of just gave the guys side a go as that is what I am used to.

As I am running I can now start to see and hear the town, the end is getting near, I fly down into the town to be great by the Hercules Hoist, I found this easier than the sprint until my calf cramped half way but I still managed. I ran through the town down some steps then back up the huge cargo net. I then ran onto the massive Spartan Cargo Net Extravaganza, this was high and looked awesome and was manageable for all.

I ran on and I knew what was coming next, the memory test, I gave what I thought was my code but guess what? Fail, another 30 Burpees.

I was still in third position as I climbed up the rope of the Slippery A Frame. Then ran down towards the river for the final river crossing and then the final obstacle, the Rig.

I climbed down the cargo net and into the river, I crossed using the safety rope and then I was at the rig, wet and tired I made it about half way then fell, 30 more burpess, as I was doing my burpess I could see the girl behind me on the rig, I was getting screamed at to stop looking and get my head down and get my burpees done, I couldn't help but look every time I jumped up, I was half way through my burpees, I couldn't go any faster, if she made the rig I was losing my podium place and yet again losing my place due to my memory. It was so tense, loads of screaming and shouting going on, I kept working away at my burpess that where getting counted and monitored by not one but two officials, the girl fell of the rig, this was the same girl I had helped in the water the previous day, I felt gutted for her. I was on my final few burpess as she came across to do hers, I finished mines with delight, high fived the officials joined John who had smashed the rig and we sprinted on and Jumped the fire jump together, I did it, another podium, I was over the moon and greeted with hugs and congratulations from the other girls, we waited and also congratulated the girl that came in behind me too.

John and I got a quick wash then it was time for the podium presentation. I was first up on stage and was presented with another awesome bit of wood along with a Rebook voucher and goodie bag.

I later got contacted by Spartan to say that I would receive along with my free Reebok trainers some more awesome Reebok gear and a free race entry per podium.

John and I had a fantastically challenging time racing in Morzine, a huge well done to all involved with Spartan in putting on a fantastic weekend of racing, I think I experienced every emotion possible from start to finish.

Women's Super Podium

1st Myriam Essalki
2nd Amélie Tobar
3rd Joda Quigley

This was one of my favourite OCR events of 2014, we could not wait to head up to Aberdeen to do it all over again. More obstacles and a longer than 5k course this year with an added Ninja Challenge and Tyre flipping contest at the finish line, what more could crazy OCR people want.

Travelling to Aberdeen is about a 300 mile round trip for us, the furthest we have to travel to any Scottish OCR, our wave time is 12pm, the first wave of the event and the Elite wave, you had to race in this wave to be in with a chance of being the Glack Attack Male/Female champion. We had to leave the house at 8am, it was a glorious sunny day so the drive up was beautifully scenic.  

We arrive at the event site, Glack Hill, at 11am. Car Parking is in a field and a short walk away through part of Glack Wood to the main event village. The walk is well sign posted and before we know it we are in the events village, John got to the event village before me, he was in desperate need of the toilet facilities.  

The event village was well set out with everything we needed, toilets, changing, registration, bag drop, catering and merchandise. There was a great cheery atmosphere and we got to catch up with some of our OCR friends before registration. The registration process was quick and easy and all the volunteers were extremely happy and helpful.

Once registered we got our bags dropped off and our wave got called so we headed down to the start line. On the way down we passed the Ninja Challange, this got John very excited. At the start line there was a huge fire set up, a great way to help keep spectators warm and to heat up wet and muddy racers post race. A last call was made for wave one to make their way down to the start line then we went straight into the warm up. The warm up was done by Stix Body Blitz, a good mix of body weight exercises to get the blood flowing and the adrenalin pumping. The warmup lead straight into the countdown and then we were off.

The first part of the race was a short trail run up hill then onto a forest track that then lead down hill towards the first obstacle, this was a 5 foot log wall and then a crawl under a huge log. At this point in the race John was in lead and I wasn't far behind him. 

We ran onto the next obstacle, Big Ben, this was a huge cargo net Apex, this really took it out the legs but it was nice to get a break from running after a speedy start. We ran on through a wooded section to a cargo net crawl, a balance beam and then up and down some steep slopes called the Corrie Clamber. I was pushing myself all the way, feeling it tough as my body was still slightly fatigued after 50k of running and obstacles the previous Sunday. 

We continued a trail run through the woods until we hit Glack Bog, a thick and muddy bog section, this slowed me down a bit, it made tired legs even more fatigued. I was glad to make it though the bog still in the lead. The bog lead straight onto the Black Trench, a dark, muddy, wet and cold crawl through two tunnels. This section was relatively flat.

When we got out the Trench the trail run started to climb up again, this time leading us onto Hay Bale Hurdles, a set of three double round hay bales, this was tough due to the climb, my legs were screaming at me to stop but I kept going. At the top of this climb we were then running by the start area, spectators had the pleasure of watching us make our way through a Tyre Mangle and then through a very muddy Net Crawl. Very muddy we ran and jumped into the Open Tomb, this got us even more muddy, if that was at all possible.

The next section of the course sent us back down the trails again making our way over Lodgepole Lane, a series of fallen trees and logs to make our way over and under, in the middle of this was a house with a very small door to go through, creepy. 

Then it was Sheep Dip, a nice long jump into more dirty muddy water. Even more wet and mucky we had to climb up Quarry Climb, this was a rope climb up a slippery rock face. At the top we had a short run through the Tyre Gauntlet, a run through hanging tyres. We then ran up hill past the main event village and over Giant's Stepping Stones, stepping over huge round bails and then over a huge pile of tyres. 

Then we ran further up hill and that took us to the top of Wipeout, a long slippy slide into a massive pool of mud. I went down and plopped into the mud, as I plopped in the air plopped out and made a huge fart noise, a young boy watching shouted "that sounded like a BIG FART" I shouted back "it was" then jumped into another huge pool of mud, climbed out and ran on, shaking my muddy hands.

At this point I was still lead female and 2nd overall, I was fatigued and covered in thick gloopy mud but I kept going as much as I was hurting. The next obstacle was Timber, a climb over a massive fallen tree and then Devils Dyke, a big climb up a log wall. Then another climb up Guerilla Ramp and down via a cargo net. Next was the first of two carries on the course, Log Lift, we had to carry a log up and down a hill. I found this manageable and coming back down I was able to see I had no other competition in sight.

I ran on and came to a Spiders Web, I made it through and ran to what myself and many others though was the most physically demanding obstacle on the course, Hogs Back Ride, this was the heaviest sand bag carry I have ever done in an OCR up and down a hill. I started to make my way up the hill, the track was on a curve and I couldn't see the top, I was glad to get to the top and pick up my speed on the way down again, it nearly broke me.

So this was it, The Final Furlong, the home straight and it starts with a steep climb to the top of Glack Hill before we make our way down to the finish line. I was hurting all the way to the top and I was sick in my mouth. So glad to reach the top and start the final descent to the finish line, the last obstacle was The Final Drag, a very muddy cargo net crawl then a sprint to the finish. I was so glad to get over the finish line, I was done and I loved every minute of it, even if it did hurt it was worth it, the sense of achievement you get from completing an obstacle race is amazing, well done to everyone that completed the course.  

I was delighted that both John and I had won and we were both thrilled to receive our gorgeous sliced wood trophies and bottles of Moët. We got our picture taken and then hosed off by the lovely men at the Green Goddess. John then wanted a shot at the tyre flipping contest, as a team we had to flip a huge tyre as many times as possible in 1 minute. We got 21 and found out a day later that we won that too. John then went on to complete the Ninja Challenge (Quintuple Steps), he was the first person to complete it.

We then went and got ourselves changed into clean cloths so we could go and support our friends and other runners out on the course. My PT client Louise was running with her friend Kirsty in a later wave, they also both enjoyed the course and will be back again next year.

Glack Attack was attended by around 900 people who by entering the event all helped raise funded for Friends of Anchor a fantastic cancer charity.

The event is organised by the Ratcliffe Family who along with the volunteers from Friends of Anchor did a fantastic job of organising and running such a successful event. It was our pleasure to take part in such a hugely successful event that supports such a fantastic charity. A huge well done to all involved, we will be back next year and we would advise anyone looking to do the same to sign up quickly, this event always sells out. 

It was a glorious sunny day, a perfect start to our day at Trailtroopers. We had about a 40min drive to get us to the location, this was going to be our second year at this event, both John and I won the previous year so no pressure at all this year! 

The postcode given got us to the car park but if I am going to be honest and I always am in my reviews we parked further up the hill. The allocated car park was a good 20 mins away from registration, all up hill to make sure the legs are warmed up ready to race. It is a nice walk that took you on some of the race route so you get to see part of what's to come including the hill for those lucky enough to be taking part in the 10k.

Once we arrived in the grounds of the beautiful Overtoun House registration was quick and easy and staff couldn't be more welcoming or friendly, what a wonderful location for an OCR, a good mix of trails, fields, hills and natural water. Facilities on site included catering, bag drop, changing and most importantly toilets.

Our wave was the first wave of the day starting at 10.50am. While we were waiting we got a good catch up with our OCR friends, old and new. It was great watching the faces of the newbies as we told them what the race had in store for them.

We got called down to the start line about 10mins before we started and had a short bouncy warm up to some banging music, it was a good laugh and got us all psyched up ready to race.

Before we knew it we had the countdown and we were off. The start was a run along the side then the back of the house down a slight slope and under a cargo net. We soon got through and ran round the other side of the house, up some steep steps and onto the main track that leads up to the house, we made our way down the track and started hitting obstacles straight way, first we jumped over a ditch at the side of the track and under a log then jumped back over the ditch back onto the track. Next up was a spiders web through some trees just off the side of the track. I had taken lead female from the start and still had my lead after this section.

The next section was mainly water based through parts of the river, for me this was the hardest part of the course, the water was cold, deep in places for short people like me and very slippy under foot. Firstly we went down a steep slope into the river and through a long dark tunnel, visibility was very poor so this slowed us down a good bit, I was glad to get out the tunnel, then we went down into a deeper part of the river making our way through rock pools and then a full water submersion under a canoe, over a huge tree then out the river. Freezing cold we made our way into the woods and had to do a rope traverse, fail and the punishment was 10 burpees, I made it easily across even though I was lacking feeling in my body from the cold water, we then went up and over the top of a field and then back into the river over a log, back out the river, then through a field that took us back onto the main track. 

The first obstacle at this section was a tyre flip followed by a tyre carry, then over a couple of mini A-frames. We then went off the main track and onto trails which lead onto a few more river sections, not as deep or cold as the first water sections. 

This was the last of the natural water on the course, next up was the start of the steep climbing section of the course. We start climbing up on trails and then some stairs, it was getting steeper and steeper. When the trails ended and we got out of the woods we could see the main obstacle of the day, the hill. We start the climb up over logs, through ditches and the climb gets steeper with every step. The terrain changes to steep marshy hillside and also a long set of stairs set into the hill. On the way up we have slippery slope and a very wet and marshy net crawl then more climbing into a small part of woodland near the top. More climbing and then at the top of the woods there was a spiders web. We then made our way further up over the top of some chopped down trees and branches and then at last, we were at the top, time to start the awesome decent. 

This was my favourite section, a steep bit of hillside lead onto the first slide, soapy and wet we flew down, so much fun. Then it was a long gradual decent with a few boggy bits along the way, it was great to get the legs stretched out and pick up some serious speed. At the bottom we had loads of of obstacles to end the course. Firstly back into the river and through a small tunnel and back out. Then it was a short run into a tyre drag, log carry then onto parallel bars and A-line vault. Next up was a cargo net crawl, fast feet and then a traffic cone carry. This lead onto a wooden balance beam and a black out crawl, all these obstacles were fun and manageable, we took them at speed. The next obstacle was wooden panels to crawl under and through. At this point we are back at the main house, we can hear cheers from spectators and know the finish line is fast approaching. At this point in the race I am still lead female. I didn't see any other women on my way around. I traded places with a few guys on my way up but got ahead of a few nearing the top of the climb and kept my lead on the decent. I am sitting in 3rd place overall.

It's now time to tackle the final few obstacles. First up was a quarter pipe, I ran straight up and jumped off the top, then a barbed wire crawl, staying low I made it through unscathed. Then it was the huge second slide of the day. I ran and launched myself down face first, I went flying down the very soapy slippy slide jumped up and then over a 4 foot wall before a short sprint to the finish line. I was delighted to finish 1st female and 3rd overall. The best part of the day was my fiancé John being the overall winner of the day. He has been injured but his fitness is coming back strong. We got awesome dog tag medals, tee shirts as did all finishers, with a bottle of water and a banana. For winning we got amazing goodie bags that had products from NRG Sports Nutrition and Spa Day Passes to Cameron House Hotel.

I would like to thank everyone that was involved in the day, from marshals to medics, these events couldn't happen without you. The biggest thanks needs to go to Iain and Linda, we see how passionate you are about your events and your dedication and hard work pays off. It was a fantastic event for all the family. As well as the 10k, there was a 5k option and a kids 1mile race, they even had a Toddler dash. We had a fantastic day and we can't wait to do the Tinsel Dash at Chatelherault Country Park on the 29th of November. John and I loved the course so much on Sunday we ran it again in preparation for Bing Blazer ParkLife at Beecraigs Country Park this Sunday.

Well done Trail Troopers, you smashed it, awesomely tough event yet again.

This was the first time Total Warrior was coming to Scotland and we couldn't wait. We had heard only good things about Total Warrior and we were not disappointed.

We were up nice and early on race day as we had a 10am wave start, the first wave of the day, we were very excited to be one of the first few to take on the course. It took us about an hour to travel to the race venue, as we got closer it was very well signposted. The car park was very well manned and right next to the event village.

As we approached the event village we could hear the banging music, this was perfect to get the adrenaline going before we raced. Registration was quick, staff were very friendly and welcoming, this was a fantastic start and set for a great atmosphere.

The event village had everything you would need pre and post race, food, drinks, music, changing tents, merchandise, toilets and first aid. Once registration was complete we had a chance to catch up with some of our OCR friends before we raced, everyone was very excited and for a lot of them like us it was there first ever Total Warrior OCR. 

At 9.40am there was a shout out for all 10am wave starts to head down to the start line, we made our way down and at this point we could see the competition was going to be tough. Lots of fantastic athletes and previous Total Warrior winners. Total Warrior Edinburgh was 12k with 30 awesome obstacles, we couldn't wait to get started. On the start line we had the usual safety briefing and a short and bouncy warm up to some jumping music, this is all that was required as the first obstacle was designed to get the heart rate and core temperature up ready to take on the rest of the course.

Time was ticking away, then it was time for the final count down and after 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 we were off and straight onto the first obstacle - Leg It. Leg It was all about the legs running up and down hill 5 times across a field, as I said this obstacle was perfectly designed and placed to make sure you were properly warmed up and to spread out the racers before taking on the rest of the course.

After a short run we were out through the woods and made our way through the next obstacle Log Bog Jog, a muddy bog making the legs work even harder. After this we ran onto the first water obstacle Channel Crossing, I loved this, we had to climb up and jump off a number of floating containers into lovely cold water.

Next up was Mud Moguls, this was muddy mounds into pools of water, wet, slippery and loads of fun. Then onto more mud with the Cement Mixer, this was thick sticky mud to work your way through, another great fun obstacle, a great obstacle for those who love to get dirty.

So now suitably wet and muddy it was time to start using a bit of upper body strength and start climbing up Death Valley, a steep slope with a cargo net to help you on your way up. Then more upper body required for Swinger or Straight, this was either a side climb wall with holds or ropes. I went for the holds and made it all the way across, if you didn't you got wet as it was over water. At this point I was second female in the race, Kathleen Henderson, a fantastic athlete with Total Warrior wins already under her belt was in the lead.

After a bit of a run on Kathleen's heals it was our next obstacle Pole 2 Pole, an OCR favourite, over and under's, then onto SHOCKER, an electric wire run, I didn't get shocked, unlike most people I like getting shocked but I didn't this time.

Then it was onto my favourite obstacles of the course, Grand National, a series of 8 foot walls, I have worked hard on my upper body strength and it was put to the test getting over these walls. It was at this point I got my lead and kept it. 

Then we ran onto the Long Jump, this involved running and leaping as far as we could into a pool of water, great fun and the water was awesomely cold. 

Weave It Out was the next obstacle, this one took it out the legs again as we worked our way up and down steep slopes. With tired legs it was time to face The Human Barbecue, this was luckily not as scary as it sounds but was very impressive, a jump over fire into water, I loved it, a sprint and a huge jump over the fire into freezing water, the perfect mix of hot and cold. 

Suitably chilled we ran onto the steepest obstacle of the course Law Breaker, a short run up hill, this got the body temperature back up and we ran onto the Hangover, a huge overhanging wall, another one putting the upper body strength to the test, this lead straight onto The Alps, more upper body strength required as we worked our way up two huge walls with the help of climbing holds. 

Sprint King was the next Obstacle, I didn't manage much of a sprint, 28 seconds so I kept my pace up and headed onto the next obstacle, Hang Tough, another one for the upper body, monkey bars onto ropes over water, I completed this obstacle and stayed dry.

Next up was You Tube, a crawl though narrow plastic tubes, I am on the small side so for this obstacle my small size was an advantage. Then another crawling obstacle Worm Muncher, a barbed wire crawl over mud, again being small is an advantage with this one and then we ran through the next obstacle The Road Hole, this was a dark tunnel under the road.

We then ran Off Road towards Log It, the only carrying obstacle on the course and it was tough, we grabbed a log and headed up hill and over a wall then back down again and over another wall, this was painful, I was starting to tire however still had and kept my lead but was getting pushed all the way. I have to say a huge thanks to all the mega supportive marshals that gave me huge encouragement all the way around the course as well as the guy that was running with me at the log carry, he showed true OCR spirit when he seen my greeting face and his words of encouragement kept me going, I was so glad to finish that log carry. The next part of the course Furrowed Brow was also tough, a run up a ploughed field on very tired legs.

We continued up hill to most peoples favourite obstacle on the course but the one that gives me THE FEAR, it was Slide Away and my face says it all, this was a super fast water side, I flew down catching on my team mate Bradley Cooper, I thought I was going to crash in to him but he got out the way, so I survived another slide of doom.

So this was nearly it, we are in the last kilometre with only three obstacles remaining, first it was The Plunge, skips of cold water to jump into then dunk under wood before getting out the other side, this was a great way to wash some of the mud off before the finish line. Then we were put onto our back to make our way up Back It Up, a cargo net up a slippery slope up hill, we went under the net and had to pull ourselves up. I loved this and had to move fast to make sure I kept my lead.

Then it was the final obstacle Peaks Of Pain a steep slippery slope with a rope to help you up that was just out of reach so required a bit of leg work to get up in reach of the rope and on tired legs this was no easy feat but I made it, up and over then a sprint to the finish line, well I say sprint but I use those words lightly. 

That was it, finished, First Lady over the finish line, my fiancé John was 5th and our team Tartan Warrior was 2nd with our other team members Stephen Nisbet and Bradley Cooper also having strong runs. 

After our race we headed off to my Grans 90th birthday party and she was thrilled to hear our results. We then came back for the prize giving after a shower and some food, that's the reason we look so fresh in the pictures.

Total Warrior Edinburgh was a total success, a fantastic course with an amazing mix of obstacles over amazing terrain. It was tough but all the obstacles were manageable even for us shorter athletes. Everyone I have spoken to had a fantastic race and we can't wait to race it again next year. We loved it so much we are looking at doing all the Total Warriors next year. A huge well done to everyone involved with Total Warrior, all your hard work and planning payed off and showed. If you haven't raced Total Warrior yet I couldn't recommend it highly enough, put it on your OCR to do list next year.

So it's race day, nervous as usual on the drive through, the event was easy to find, ample parking, good events area on arrival, registration was quick and easy as was the bag drop. So then it begins, lots of trips to the toilet, to be honest I wasn't the only one making lots of nervous trips to the toilet so was John and the queuing was a bit on the big side, a few more toilets would have been nice. On our last pre race trip to the toilet we came out ready to race, it was 10.53am and all we heard was a call out for the first wave getting ready to start, the 11am wave, our wave and then we heard 5-4-3-2-1 and we were off, yes we started our race at least 200m from the start line at the toilets, we both had to sprint as hard as we could from the start to try and catch the front runners, I have never ran so fast at the start of a race, John was off, I lost sight of him quickly so it was up to me to keep my pace up and try and take my position as lead lady. 

The running was a mix of trails leading up to the first obstacle that was a very muddy Cargo Net Crawl, then wet and muddy and completely out of breath after my sprint start I hit the second lot of obstacles a Balance Beam, Tunnel Crawl and rows of Wooden Jacks.  

Next was a nice trail run leading onto the Overhanging Wall, I love this obstacle and then a muddy Barbed Wire Crawl, Net Jump Though's  and Overs and Unders.

The next section of running was up and down a field leading into the main events area that was obstacle intensive. The first Obstacle was the rope swing, this was awesome fun. Then it was a run through a Space Hopper Gauntlet and onto a selection of walls, 2 foot, 4 foot, 6 foot and 7 foot I think and all just a few meters apart, fantastic obstacle and a first for me.

This lead onto Everest, a climb up a huge inflatable structure and a fun slide down, then a short run to a skip full of nice cool water and a dunk under to get out. Next I hit the Spiders Web, I stayed low and made it through relatively easy and straight in front of me was the Electric Shock Therapy, no shock for me and then a Six Foot Wall.

Next up was Ramp it Up, this was a wooden apex, challenging but doable. Then it was by far the most physically demanding obstacle on the course, a Quarter Pipe, many tried and many failed, but a few conquered and I was one of the lucky few.

Then it was onto the Monkey Bars, these were about 8m long, a good distance and I made it across with ease. At this point I was directed onto my second lap as the 10k was two laps of the 5k course.

As soon as I started my second lap I faced queuing from later waves at obstacles, marshals and runners were all kind enough to let me through the queuing as I was racing it, this made the second lap slower but still enjoyable.

The only difference to the second lap was the final two obstacles, firstly was the leap of faith, a huge climb on top of a massive structure and then a jump straight off onto an inflatable pillow, I climbed up, I didn't dare look down, I held my nose, yes for some strange reason I held my nose as I was telling myself it was just like jumping in a pool of water so I wouldn't freak out, I don't like heights and holding my nose helped.

Jump completed I was on the home straight, just a couple of wee guys to fight through in Run the Gauntlet, being the huge machine that I am I ran straight through them and finished off with an awesome sprint finish and was first woman to cross the finish line, John was super speedy and was first male. The medals are fantastic and the t-shirts are bright, we got water and lucozade to rehydrate, this was much appreciated.

Once rehydrated John and I then got ready to tackle the 5k with my PT client Helen, this was her first OCR and I am glad to say she smashed it and loved it, we now have another OCR addict amongst us.

Adrenaline Rush was awesome, a great mix of Obstacles for all abilities, good running and extremely helpful marshals and officials. The icing on the cake for me was the weather, it was our first dry and sunny OCR in Scotland for a while. Well done Adrenaline Rush, you smashed it and well done to all that completed the course, you are all winners. We all ran and we all conquered and all for a great cause, Macmillan Cancer Support,  a charity close to many of our hearts.