A Moment of Compassion

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Spartan Race Obstacles

The spartan race obstacles are synonymous with the word challenge. The course forces you to test your physical abilities. I’ve written about obstacle course runs before. I’ve always wanted to compete in a competitive run (if you missed the first post Overcoming Obstacles – here it is). To start the year off right, I ran the Spartan Sprint Race. I chose to run this race by myself in order to truly test my abilities. I wanted to see how I could run the race without a support system.

Spartan Race obstacle course finish

And it starts…

Even though I didn’t run the race with a group, I still managed to make friends on the course. There was a guy I was running alongside whom we helped encourage each other through a couple of different obstacles. He encouraged me during the spear throw while we both traded places during various runs which helped keep us motivated. Towards the end, there was a vertical rope climb (think cheesy high school gym class rope hanging from the ceiling). The task is to climb straight up and ring a bell.

In my first Spartan race, I failed to complete this obstacle. Additionally, when I reached the obstacle this time around the only person there was the volunteer overseeing the obstacle. I was close to the top, but struggling to reach the bell. After a failed attempt lunging for the bell, I almost gave up. With the encouraging voice from that volunteer, I managed to regroup from my failed reach and ultimately ring the bell.

After the spartan race sprint in Miami

I climbed down and as I did so one of the guys I’d been running alongside caught up. He failed on his first attempt up the rope before he even really got started. Instead of rushing onto the next obstacle to improve my race time (my intent of racing alone this go around), I decided to wait. I encouraged him on his way up just like the way the volunteer had for me. I shouted encouragement at him all the way to the top and waited until he climbed back down to give him a fist bump. It was a glorious fist bump.

Reflecting on that pesky Spartan Race obstacle

Looking back at that moment I realized that even though I had come to selfishly run a solo race without social obligations, it is in the nature of sport and humans to want to help others succeed. Yes, I sacrificed a few minutes on my race time. But at the end of the day, I may not have succeeded in overcoming the Spartan Race obstacle without encouragement from a stranger. Thus it was my duty to do the same for a fellow Spartan. Paying it forward and recognizing the purpose of the race isn’t to be the fastest and win it (unless you are in the competitive heats!), but to prove to yourself you can pass a strenuous physical and mental test. Encouraging your fellow racers is an unadvertised part of that test.

Going under the dunk wall obstacle at the Spartan Race Sprint

The Takeaway

The simplest moments can have the biggest effects on us. I learned a lot from my first lone Spartan race. Despite my selfish desire to prove to myself, I could accomplish a tough physically and mentally draining Spartan Race obstacle course in a “fast time on my own.” I recognized the much more gratifying opportunity of helping someone else overcome a challenge.

In business, you hear folks like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett talk about how successful businesses are built around solving problems in the world and the bigger problem the larger the reward. I think this is true in why we as humans show compassion and help each other. The survival of the species has always depended on cooperation. Since we were hunter-gatherers and that evolutionary trait will always be present. In short, you should try one of these races to remind yourself you can overcome physically demanding challenges. And also tap into our need to help others along the way. The hidden obstacle in the Spartan Race is compassion.

More Running Posts…

Overcoming Obstacles… Literally

Invest in Yourself

Morning Routine

You Are Going to Finish a Marathon Today

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