breaking down my first Spartan Race
and how my relationship with working out has shifted
Hi Friends!
Woo, March did come in like a lion, that’s for sure! The month started with my very first Spartan Race, a physical feat and mental game that tested literally every ounce of my being. Read on for a race recap and some tips if you’re considering competing in a similar event.
Recap
In mid-January, my husband signed us up for a Spartan Race Sprint. I didn’t know much about them until we signed up; they were just muddy obstacle course races. As a former librarian, research is everything, and I spent tons of time researching obstacles and what to expect beforehand. Spartan Race doesn’t release the exact obstacles that you’ll be conquering, but they do have a list of all of the types of obstacles you may come across during a Sprint race (5K distance with 20 obstacles).
Again, my husband signed us up just 6 weeks before we were set to race! We both practice jiu jitsu (me for a little over a year, him for 4 years) and we do at-home workouts about twice a week. We also walk a little over 2 miles each night with our kids and dog. All of this is to say, we felt fairly confident that we were in shape, but we wanted to test ourselves with the Spartan Race and see exactly where we were physically.
Of course, life takes crazy turns, and in those 6 weeks before our race, our whole family was sick with some type of virus at one point or another, making training difficult and our regular workouts quite limited. The leadup to the race was nerve-wracking. I wasn’t expecting much from myself, my main goal was just to finish. My husband read that it can take first timers 2-3 hours to finish the Sprint, so I just hoped to complete it before the 3 hour mark.
Race Day
We had to drive 2.5 hours to our race destination. This gave me ample time to get anxious enough for the race. We ended up arriving a few minutes late for our start time (not a huge deal, we just started with the next heat), and I was sufficiently intimidated at the start. You could tell, just by looking around, that the people who did this regularly were confident and most people were in incredible shape (the people watching was top-notch!).
Before we even crossed the starting line, we had to crawl under a few barbed wire lines and hop over a wall, which I needed help with. I was terrified, being that I already needed help, that I was not going to be able to do most of the obstacles. Luckily, they tell you at the beginning, that if you don’t complete an obstacle, you have the option of either doing a bonus lap (running extra distance) or doing 30 burpees. I did have to use those other options multiple times, which was hard. In the end, I was able to complete the Atlas Carry, Bucket Carry, and Sandbag Carry (yay for carrying small children!), A-Frame Cargo, Barbed Wire Crawl, Hercules Hoist, and Plate Drag. Unfortunately, I struggled with the Helix, Inverted Wall, Monkey Bars, Multi-Rig, Rope Climb, Slip Wall, and Z-Wall. For the ones I struggled with, I did about 60 burpees, and ran the extra laps when needed. The good news is, I know what to train for next time: upper body strength. Also, the camaraderie is between Spartan athletes is exceptional. Besides needing help climbing over the walls, my shirt got stuck on a barbed wire during the Barbed Wire Crawl, and a fellow female Spartan helped me unhook. My husband and I also made a friend with a guy who was running his first Spartan Race alongside us.
Running through the race, splashing through mud, and conquering obstacles gave me the most insane confidence boost. I am almost 32 years old, a mother of two little ones, do freelance work, try to keep a house together, and have every excuse and reason why I could give up on my physical health, but pushing through and proving to others, and most importantly, myself, that I can do this was exactly what I needed.
I told my husband afterwards, that running a Spartan Race and practicing jiu jitsu have changed my entire perspective on working out. In college, and throughout most of my 20s, I worked out to look good, and cared so much about how I looked by wearing makeup, getting my hair done, wearing the right outfit. Now I don’t care nearly as much (though I’m not above it, I literally dyed my hair two weeks ago to cover my grays!). I work out for the health aspect, to be a good role model for my kids, and to be a badass. I like knowing that if something is placed in front of me (a literal obstacle in the case of a Spartan Race, or a metaphorical obstacle of life’s hardships), I can conquer them. I would never have said I was a badass in my life, until now. Both jiu jitsu and the Spartan Race have changed my life in unbelievable ways. I have never felt so sure of who I am and so much confidence to try new things in my entire life.
Tips
Invest in shoes
Like I said, research is everything, and I researched the heck out of the Spartan Race subreddit. They have the answers to every question you might have, but one of the most important conversation topics is shoes. I bought the ALTRA Women's Lone Peak 7 Trail Running Shoe and am so glad I did. They were comfortable, with a wide toe box and breathable mesh. They also cleaned up well from all the mud on the race.
Eat appropriately
As with any race, it’s important to eat for performance. I am gluten-free, so I made a gluten-free oat, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate chip concoction for breakfast on race day that was delicious and filling. I also ate a banana a little over an hour before race time, which helped with cramping.
Drink your water (and electrolytes!)
TMI, but I’m usually a sweater during any workout or outside activity. I definitely did sweat, but didn’t realize it because the mud from the run had a cooling effect. However, I still felt parched at the end of the race, and would have felt more lightheaded if I hadn’t loaded up on electrolytes beforehand. My husband makes his own electrolyte drink by mixing water and coconut water. I don’t love the taste of coconut water, but am so glad I hydrated with it before the race.
It’s okay if you don’t complete every obstacle
As mentioned earlier, there are alternative activities if you don’t complete the obstacle. It’s okay, and no one will think differently of you. At the start of the race, the emcee even said that it’s mostly a mental competition with yourself, and that couldn’t be more true. If you believe you can do it, and show up for yourself, then you win.
Bring slides
This race was MUDDY! They have a cleaning station and changing area, but I didn’t realize that I’d still be caked in mud until I had a proper shower at home. Seasoned Spartans wore slides after the race, so they didn’t get more mud on their shoes. I brought a different pair of sneakers to change into, but those ended up getting dirty, too!
Bring everything you need inside
Speaking of packing things, bring all the things you packed (which for us included a change of clothes and a cooler) inside the check-in area. We weren’t sure where to put our stuff, but the information desk attendant showed us the dropoff area with security and locks.
Where to Next
I mentioned that my goal was to complete the race in under 3 hours, and I’m happy to say I completed it in under 2! The race had many vendors and information tents around, with discount codes for future races. I already signed up for my next Spartan Sprint, where I hope to improve my race results. I can see myself continuing to participate in races in the future, and hopefully bringing my kids along for the kids’ races.
Thanks for reading, and as they say in the Spartan Race, AROO!
Eileen