Spartans

Back in January, Scotty decided to train for the Spartan Race with his step-brother and his... um... his Stevenson.

(I'm not sure what we're supposed to call Stevenson. He's like an orphan that our family has taken in, except that he has real parents).

The big event was on Saturday, and these three boys (men?) were giddy with excitement.

Here they are before the race:

And here they are after:

I've never seen so many filthy, half-naked people in one place in my life! Our team opted to keep most of their clothing on, which was a burden in the heat but a blessing during the barbed wire crawl:

But that's not to say that there weren't a few manly injuries sustained along the way; Scotty's entire body is covered in scratches and road (dirt?) rash.

He loves it! 

(Well... most of it).

For the six months leading up to the race, I was forced to endure video after video of Spartan Race coverage. By the time the day arrived, I was more than ready to take my place as a spectator, but then I saw Scotty fall within the first few hundred yards of the race, and I spent the rest of his leg scared to death that he was injured and dying on the mountainside somewhere (I take my role as Paranoid Pregnant Wife very seriously!)

Alas, he was fine, and the reason he fell was because he was socializing with the race volunteers (typical Scotty). He made it back in one piece, and he loved every minute of it.

Scotty, Riley, and Stevenson did the relay race this year so they could get a taste of the race, and all three of them felt like they didn't get quite enough. Next year, they're going to do the whole thing (which means I get to spent an entire year, and perhaps the rest of my life, watching Spartan videos. Yay...)

Videos aside, it was really fun to be there to watch the race... you know, once I knew Scotty was going to live through it and all. I'm pretty good at the spectator gig.

Here are a few more photos I took:

{Riley starting the first leg}

{Stevenson with his spear in the background - hardly anyone stuck the spear throw, so we were really excited when Stevenson hit the hay bale}

{Scotty coming over the wall near the end of the race}

{Scotty jumping into a mud pit}

{The finish line - but not before being pummeled by half-naked Spartans}