April Luu of Falcon ran a ìsuperî race in Las Vegas last month; and, to her, the word ìsuperî has a double meaning. A ìsuperî run, part of the Spartan Race circuit (obstacle races), is an 8-plus-mile obstacle race. And super it was: Luu became the No. 1 ranked female Spartan racer in the world.Luuís husband, Daniel Luu, said rankings are based on acquired points, depending on the type of race each runner participates in. ìApril has two beasts, two sprints and one super,î he said. ìSo, right now sheís in first place overall for female, but she is second overall male and female in the world.îIn the Las Vegas race, Luu went against some of the toughest competitors in the world, including Amelia Boone, last yearís second place finisher and the 2012 No. 1 Toughest Mudder female. Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10 to 12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces. However, Luu finished first and didnít miss one obstacle, and she was a trifecta medal winner ñ one who completes in the Spartan spring, super and beast races in one season.Luu has officially signed with Spartan/Reebok and is now an elite professional Spartan athlete. ìSheís no longer an amateur, as soon as you are being paid by someone to race,î Daniel Luu said. ìNot just prize money.îLuu trains physically and mentally for each race. ìIím harder on myself than anybody,î April Luu said. ìWe are our own worst critic.î She has a favorite quote: ìTell the negative committee to sit down and shut up.î Even at the Las Vegas starting line Luu said she had to remind herself of why she started racing. ìRelax. Stay focused and have fun,î she said. ìThe only thing you can do is go up there and do the best.îLuuís next race is at Fort Carson in May, and then she has a race in Utah in June and in California in August. The season ends with the world championship race in Vermont in September.ìWhatever they put in front of me, I have to go get it,î she said.Follow Luu on Facebook, Twitter, and pages.spartanrace.com
