By: Emilie "Flo" Hester. CPT & Larry Smith, CPT, MD
Misty McCauley (Lt) and Cassandra Hopkins (Rt) with their awards after finishing The Spartan Ultra, May 2023
Taking names and kicking butt is something not many of us consider a fun day. But Misty McCauley, considers that to be just another day's work. Misty, who has trained religiously at FloMotion Fitness for the last two and half years recently completed "The Spartan Ultra." This is a 37 mile marathon race filled with physical and personal challenges. The race was located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and consisted of 37 miles of varying terrain, obstacles that had to be overcome, and obstacles with tasks that had to be completed.
Misty had been training for this race at FloMotion Fitness and running long distances for almost a year. A wife to a US Army Iraq War veteran and a mother of two, it is amazing to see how focused and dedicated to training she is. Averaging 30 miles a week running and multiple group workout sessions a week, Misty prepared her mind and body for this grueling competition. Amazingly, this is just one of many races Misty and Cassandra complete every year. She and Cassandra have run multiple races a year since 2018.
From the start of this race to its end, Misty pushed herself to limits she did not know she could over come. In one section of the race She was required to carry a modified kettle bell or Stone for 25 yards. Along the ultra-marathon route she was also required to climb cargo nets and carry buckets filled with stones for a quarter of a mile. Team-work was also part of the competition requiring her to assist others with overcoming the obstacles. This was not a race for the weak at heart or unconditioned. Misty demonstrated FloMotion commitment and is a perfect example of the type of training and support FloMotion Fitness provides in its High Intensity Interval Training.
As the race progressed Misty never waivered, although near the end she was tired. More tired than she had ever been before, but determined to complete what she had started. Her hardest challenges came at various points along the way. She specifically noted that running through the "black sludge" and crawling under "barbed wire" obstacles with combat simulation sounds was quite unnerving and motivating. But she completed them with style and determination. Her mantra throughout the entire race was "I can do hard things too" to honor her daughter who does hard things everyday.
Several of the obstacles had to be completed two or three times along the course of the race. The "cargo net" near the end of the race was particularly challenging because by then Misty's hands had blistered and were bleeding. Made of nylon straps and hemp rope the cargo net was extremely rough. Finding her inner self and motivated by her mantra, Misty overcame this obstacle followed by leaping over the last obstacle, a trench filled with burring logs.
When it was completed Misty hugged Cassandra slammed down some gator-aid and headed off for pizza as a reward for the year's training and sacrifice.
All the members of the FloMotion Fitness Family have congratulated and expressed their admiration of her accomplishment. And we wish to express that again to her in this article. Congratulations Misty on honoring your daughter, your husband, our Nation and the FloMotion Fitness Family! We love you.