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By Vanessa Ogle
Brooklyn Daily
No pain, go gain!
The Civilian Military Combine at Aviator Sports and Events Center on Sept. 27 separated the alpha athletes from the rookies with a fierce four-mile obstacle course. The athletes were ranked during their fitness feat — but one woman who started exercising last year said she was only competing against herself.
“You had a timer on you — I wasn’t really focused on that,” said Pamela Ficks, who participated in the race for the first time this year. “I was just like, ‘I completed it.’ ”
The trail was filled with classic boot camp obstacles, like a mud pit and a rope course — and some seasoned obstacle runners are already focusing on shaving minutes off their time next year.
“I’ll definitely try to beat my score,” said Injung Casseday, who started competing in obstacle courses this year. “I’ve always had a little bit of a competitive streak.”
But one fitness fanatic who lives for sweat sessions said she was hoping for an even more hardcore race. The athlete said she scours the area for intense races to because to her, fitness is not a fad — it is her life.
“I was expecting something a little more intense,” said Cristina Aviles, who runs about five races per year. “It is not fitness, it is life — and it does become that.”