Canyon City resident shows Seattle Spartan spirit

Published 1:00 pm Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Rebekah Rand of Canyon City battled at the Sept. 9 Seattle Spartan Sprint, finishing first in the 25- to 29-year-old age group for women with a time of 1:05.25.

Rand is Blue Mountain Hospital District’s EMS director in John Day.

A total of 167 people ran the race, and Rand was seventh out of 48 women.

This was her third try at the competition, held in Snohomish, Washington, and it was the first time she’s won her age group.

“The first year, on a different course, I finished in two hours,” Rand said. “Last year, I improved to 1 hour, 20 minutes — I never expected to win.”

As she started the course, Rand said she felt good and passed several runners.

“I kept my head down,” she said.

She said, over the years, she started thinking more about strategy as she competes.

“You think about ways you can run smarter,” she said.

The Spartan Sprint, 4.5 miles this year, includes an obstacle course with 20 challenges, such as a rope climb, a multi ring (like monkey bars, but with rings) and a spear throw.

“It’s so much fun,” she said. “It’s exhilarating and kind of addicting.”

This is her fifth race this year, and she plans to run in a CrossFit competition in Gresham Sept. 29 and has another in Salem in November.

She credits the training she’s involved with at Megan Sherman’s Canyon Creek Cross Training gym in John Day for her increased endurance and upper body strength.

She added, “I’m thankful for my biggest supporter, Damon (her husband).”

“When I finish a race there is a sense of accomplishment that you finished,” she said. “The gratification is huge.”