We are very proud to share this written piece by Paul Lachance:
As I grow older and the hair thins out, I spend more time pondering questions about my life and how my avocations are sculpted by my experiences. Several nights ago, I was looking at my 2019 Spartan schedule and a thought emerged from the depths of my mind…Spartan Racing is a metaphor for life! Let me explain.
The first run is full of mystery. What’s around the corner? What is the sandbag carry? How high is the wall? How deep is the mud / water? Once out on the trail and the initial gang of runners spreads out then it becomes fun…chatter with friends starts to take on a new meaning as total strangers now become some of your best friends – even if it’s just for an hour or 2, or 3, or 4. Just like a child who figured out he could walk and immediately started looking for stairs, so does a Spartan newbie…anxiously jogging down the trail looking forward to the next obstacle with anticipation.
Speaking of obstacles, let’s review several Spartan standards. Shortly into the race there is what is known at the “O-U-T” obstacle. This is a set of three walls which the racer must ‘Go Over, Go Under, Go Through’. In the maturation process the same is true for all people. We encounter an issue and decisions must be made about how to solve the challenge. We can go over, under, around, or straight on to conquer the challenge at-hand. All courses of action require a decision to be made and subsequent consequences will follow if the decision is not appropriate (in the Spartan world the consequences are called, burpees).
A newbie and non-elite runner will see the 7’ wall and say, “Oh my gosh, what am I going to do, I can’t even touch the top!?!” Many adolescents face the same challenge during their formative years…they are confronted with a life experience that they simply have yet to face. So, what do you do? Easy! Ask for help! In life, asking for help is turning to a parent, a mentor, or trusted adult. You ask for guidance and the issue is soon a non-issue. Spartan’s also ask for help. Speaking for me personally, I get to the wall, take a breath, look for several big guys, and ask for a knee. Once I am able to reach the top of the wall, and with a little assistance from the big guys, I can manage to muscle up and carefully drop over the backside. (NOTE: You also have to be willing to lend a hand or a knee…we all help each other.) I am not afraid to ask for some help as there are situations, both in life and the Spartan world, where I need assistance…and if you say you don’t ever need help then you are not being honest with yourself.
The last obstacle of the event is magical. All the way through the course there is a bit of curiosity as to what is coming up. Now you can see the spectators, smell the fire, hear the music from the festival area, and see the finish line; and the fire jump. However, just prior to the fire jump there is generally an obstacle called the slip-wall. This particular obstacle could be a metaphor for adolescence all by itself. You’ve struggled through the developmental years only to face life straight on. The slip-wall is a tall wall set at about 45 degrees, is generally very muddy, and about 20 feet high at the apex. A runner has to climb that wall (hopefully there are ropes to help pull yourself up) then climb back down on a set of horizontal 2 x 6’s. You think to yourself, I just did my first Spartan Race and I am still walking upright with no broken bones…life is good. As you dismount the slip-wall your face instantly takes on a very large smile as the finish line is right there…on the other side of the fire jump. For most people than can be equated to finishing high school…you have arrived at the point in life that your role as a productive citizen is taking on a whole new meaning. So, it is with a newbie Spartan. Now they can be part of the Spartan community…full of brash bragging and self-congratulatory thoughts. Now it’s their turn to be productive…recruit new members to the Spartan community by spreading the word, showing off that medal, wearing the t-shirt, etc.
The second and subsequent races are your middle school and high school years…you learn new skills, gym time takes on a new meaning as you now know what to train for, and if the bug really bit you, you actually look forward to getting up and going for a 5am run…in the snow! You have become a go-to person for a new group of newbies seeking advice and wondering what this is all about. Isn’t that what we do as we mature?
A true Spartan, possessing the mindset of a warrior, will want more and more…and as more is achieved yet even more is wanted and higher goals are set. The warrior Spartan will want to become a factory supervisor, general manager, and eventually own a part of or the entire company. For a true warrior Spartan, a double or triple Trifecta is merely a season warm-up exercise. They have their eyes set on the prize at the end of the season…one, two, three more Trifectas. Whatever it is, it is larger than last year. Look at the number of those completing more than 3 Trifectas.
For each subsequent Trifecta the numbers of participants who were able to earn that larger medal decreases rather substantially. The excuses heard for not going further are as numerous as for those not achieving greater success in life: I don’t have the skills, they have more time than me, they are naturally talented, I don’t live close to the venues, my spouse won’t let me, I have other responsibilities, I am too old, I am physically handicapped, I can’t afford it, etc. Do these excuses sound familiar? They should as you’ve heard them all your life from people who rationalize their life away.
Looking back at the factory, there is generally one main boss, multiple second and third tier supervisors, and a room full of employees…which one will you be? I know where I want to be at the end of my OCR career and it isn’t on the factory floor? Come join me on my journey through life and together we can, and will, complete a full circle of life. Our circles won’t be the same, but they are our circles.
Now do me just one favor…get off the couch, get outside of your comfort zone and I’ll see you on the trail.
Paul Lachance
Learn more about Paul’s amazing journey; and the ‘real-life’ obstacles he has had to overcome to continue in his Spartan ways: