There’s something about racing at home.
First of all, let me say that I really enjoy traveling to race destinations. It’s always cool getting on a plane or taking a road trip, seeing a new place, checking out the scene, and then doing something ridiculous like running around carrying heavy stuff for an hour.
But there’s also something special about a race being held in your hometown.
On August 8 and 9, Spartan DEKA came to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, and I had been waiting for an opportunity to compete there for a long time.
DEKA did not disappoint.
My First DEKA FIT
This was my first time competing in a DEKA FIT.
For those who don’t know, the format is pretty straightforward: 10 rounds of a 500-meter run followed by a functional fitness zone. Run. Station. Run. Station. Repeat until you’ve completed all 10.
That gives you a total of 5K of running, with 10 workouts mixed in along the way.
The stations included movements like:
- Weighted reverse lunges
- Rowing
- Box jump-overs
- Tank push and pull
- Ski erg
- Air bike
- Farmer’s carries
- Sandbag work
- Weighted burpees
- Wall ball sit-ups
None of these movements by themselves are particularly crazy if you train regularly. The problem is that you have to keep doing them after running another 500 meters — and then immediately go back out and run again.
And those 500-meter runs were interesting.
Coming from HYROX, where you’re running 1K at a time, 500 meters initially sounds like a gift.
It isn’t.
Because they’re shorter, you can run them harder. So instead of settling into a comfortable running pace, I found myself treating them more like sprints. Then you hit a station with your heart rate already up, get through the work, and head right back out.
Do that 10 times.
Now we have a race.
Racing My Age Group
I competed in my age group, and I was happy with how I performed.
[INSERT DEKA RESULTS / STATS HERE]
One thing I’m continuing to learn from these races is just how different it is when you start comparing yourself against people who are legitimately competitive in the sport.
I train hard. I’m in good shape. I can move.
Then you watch the elite guys.
That will humble you pretty quickly.
The pace at the top is ridiculous. Some of these guys are basically running five-minute-mile pace while also having to stop and knock out functional fitness stations.
Seeing that level of competition in person opened my eyes again to just how much running matters in these hybrid races.
You can be strong. You can be good at the stations. You can have great conditioning.
But if you want to compete at the top levels, you have to be able to run. Fast.
There’s really no way around it.
Racing Was Only Half the Weekend
One of the coolest parts of the weekend actually happened after I finished racing.
I volunteered.
I ended up judging the wall ball sit-up station and the sandbag cleans, which gave me a completely different perspective on the event.
When you’re racing, everything is happening fast. You’re thinking about your breathing, your pace, the next station, how your legs feel, and how much longer you have to go.
When you’re volunteering, you get to actually watch people compete.
You see the elite athletes flying through the course.
You see regular athletes pushing themselves.
You see people hit the wall and keep moving anyway.
And you get a much better appreciation for all the volunteers and judges who make these events possible.
Siani volunteered both days too, which probably made the weekend even better for me.
I raced Saturday at 9:30 and volunteered afterward from 10-6, and then we were back around the event Sunday (10-6). Getting to share the experience with my daughter made a hometown race feel even more like a hometown race.
That part mattered.
Another Finish
Every one of these races teaches me something.
Spartan races have taught me about endurance and being comfortable being uncomfortable.
HYROX has shown me how much running efficiency matters when you’re trying to perform functional movements under fatigue.
DEKA reinforced both.
I walked away happy with my performance, but also with another reminder of how high the ceiling really is.
There’s always somebody faster.
There’s always somebody stronger.
There’s always another level.
And I actually like that.
At this point, I’m not doing these races because I expect to wake up tomorrow and suddenly become an elite hybrid athlete. I’m doing them because I like finding out what I’m capable of, seeing where I stack up, and then going back to training with something new to work on.
And every once in a while, instead of traveling somewhere else to figure that out, you get to do it right at home.
Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Convention Center.
First DEKA FIT.
Another finish.
Another experience with my daughter.
And another race in the books.
