The day had finally arrived for the last leg of my Trifecta pursuit. It was 59 degrees and partly cloudy; a beautiful fall day for a race in Boston. On my way over to the stadium I could see participants walking along the top of Fenway Park carrying large jugs. I looked away, not wanting to psych myself out. I already conquered the Super and Beast, BUT the cement grounds of the ballpark were different from the grass/mud terrain I was used to, and just because it was a Sprint race, didn’t mean it would be easy. I was very torn because I wanted to get through the course quickly and to the best of my ability, but at the same time, given the historic location and access to special areas like the locker room and dugout, I wanted to pause at points and enjoy the experience. It sort of didn’t go down as planned. I tore through the course because I was unsure how to pace myself through the stadium. Toward the end, when I was running around the clay warning track past the famous Green Monster wall, I slowed down a little to look up and around. While I was taking in the awesome 360-view, I thought WOW, I never imagined I would be running bases at Fenway Park one day! I’m not even a baseball fan (I’m a hockey gal), but I appreciated the significance of the venue. I proudly finished the course in 51:56.

The Spartan obstacle races became addictive, which is something I didn’t expect when I originally signed up for my first, and what I thought would be only one. I never imagined the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northern Virginia would lead me to Killington Mountain in Vermont and then to Fenway Park in Boston. The journey to accomplish my Trifecta goal took me outside of my mental and physical comfort zones and revealed capabilities to me that I didn’t even know I possessed. I’m not sure what my fitness goals are for 2016 yet. I’m going to take some time off from racing this winter and figure them out.

(FUN FACTOID: The Green Monster aka “The Wall” was part of the original Fenway Ballpark construction of 1912. The wall is the highest among current Major League Baseball fields, and is the second highest among all professional baseball fields, including minor leagues.)

Visit Last Word on Sports to read my article on tackling challenges races from a rookie to seasoned competitor perspective.