I Did It! Can You?
by Meredith Winnett
It’s official! I am a Spartan! AROO!
It was a tough road to get here, but I never gave up. So, how can you become a Spartan? I’d like to help you become one, because the feeling of accomplishment is amazing prodigious.
I initially wanted to do a Tough Mudder, until I realized that the only ones around me were 10+ miles and most people don’t finish due to injuries. I wasn’t in that great of shape at the time, so I decided to start small. Doing my research, I found a Spartan Race about two hours away from me that was only about 3 miles long. This seemed doable. So I let my boyfriend know, and we agreed to go for it. Until, we learned that by volunteering, you qualify for a free race. This is amazing tremendous news for college students. We signed up to volunteer for the Spartan Race in August.
I earned that medal! (And the T-shirt, and the water, and the banana)
We thought we would be racing that same day. We learned late in the day, after six hours in the sun, that in order to race the same day as volunteering, you need to volunteer in the morning. Oops. Not so amazing marvelous. We loved the energy at the race though and would definitely try to find another race to do. We learned there was a Spartan Race at Fenway Park … the day after my birthday … Back to being amazing bewildering.
Immediately we signed up for our free race and we able to race together and we were SO EXCITED. We had been training before, but the real hardcore training started towards the end of August.
November 16th comes. We had pre-race jitters, but they went away the second we got into the park. WE WERE GOING TO BE RACING AT FENWAY PARK! 17 DAYS AFTER THE SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES! THIS IS AMAZING MIRACULOUS!
The obstacles were tough. We got pretty banged up (I have a pretty little shiner on my thigh from running into so many seats). But it was worth it. Spartan Races are so much fun! And, like I said before, the sense of accomplishment at the finish line is amazing astounding.
How can you become a Spartan?
Months before the race:
- Do your homework.
Figure out where the race is, how long it is, and obstacles done at the course in the past. Use the information in your training. - Sign up.
Whether you’re just racing, racing and volunteering, or just volunteering, sign up early. The earlier you sign up, the less you’ll pay (if your’re not volunteering). - Bring a friend.
Find a partner who will keep you motivated and whom you can keep motivated. I brought my boyfriend because we make a pretty damn good team. Train with them. Race with them. Keep the morale up! - Volunteer.
Like I said before, you get a free race out of volunteering. Volunteering before I raced gave me a good feel of the Spartan environment. It helped to be exposed to that before it was my actual race day because I knew what to expect later. The Spartan Race staff are the most appreciative people of your time that you’ll ever meet. I was thanked so many time by so many people (including racers). It was anamazingextraordinary feeling. You get a free t-shirt and a lunch as a bonus. - Train!
Spartan Race emails a workout of the day. I suggest you sign up and DO THEM. I signed up and only did a few here and there. I’m sure I would have done a lot better on race day had I done the suggested training. Also, make sure you’re able to run how ever much you’re going to have to run. Doing a 3 mile race? Be able to run three miles. If you do your cardio, running is the easiest part of the race. You won’t be running 3 miles straight, but you’ll need to be able to run three miles without getting tired. - Burpees.
The ultimate goal is to not have to do any burpees, but some obstacles include burpees in them. Also, if you can’t do an obstacle for some reason, you’ll be paying the price … through burpees. - Research many obstacles.
At the Fenway race, there were monkey bars. Now these aren’t your average schoolyard monkey bars. These are more spaced out, and much harder. I couldn’t get past the third bar. To train for next year, I’ll stop by the playground and practice doing every other bar (since that’s pretty much how spaced out they were). There are a variety of obstacles that test you to the extreme, so find some and see if you can do them! - Eat right.
You can’t be hitting the gym then eating McDonald’s every day. You have to be dedicated to getting into shape. Spartan Race sends out the food of the day along with the workout of the day. Avoid foods high in fat and sodium, and try to eat foods with more protein and fiber.
Race day is approaching…
- Plan your outfit.
If you’re running in Boston in November, know there’s a good chance it’ll be cold. If you’re running in August, know it’s going to be hot. Dress appropriately. Plan it a week or so ahead and be confident that you’ll be able to run and perform obstacles in it. If you look at Spartan Race pictures, you’ll see some people wear costumes. If you plan on doing this, be sure you can do so at your best ability and no one is going to see up your very short skirt and see your p-parts. Don’t let a wardrobe malfunction ruin your experience. - Stay positive.
It’s easy to get scared a few days before the race. It’s a scary thing! But you’ve been training all this time, and you have to believe in yourself. You can do it. - Carboload.
Be sure you’ll have enough energy on race day. The night before, eat a pasta dinner. It’s light, so you won’t have a lump in your belly, and it’s full of carbs, which will give you longterm energy and last you though the next day.
Race day!
- Eat a good breakfast.
Avoid fatty, greasy foods and aim for the protein! Eat an omelette with lots of yummy veggies. Drink some orange juice. And if you have time, eat a light lunch. I had a 4:30 start time (so I was running under the lights!) and got a little hungry around 3. Snack on some trail mix or peanut butter crackers. Something small to hold you over, but super packed with energy. - Hydrate.
Drink Gatorade. Drink water. Drink coconut water. Drink liquids low in sugar. Avoid the coffee and other beverages that will dehydrate you. Be sure you’re not suffering with dry mouth five minutes into the race. There are water stations, but you have to earn them. - Stretch!
I can’t stress this enough. Make sure you’re limber because you’re going to work very hard. Stretch before the race, stretch after the race, and stretch before bed. There’s no avoiding being sore the next day, but try to lessen the pain. - Have ice in the freezer.
You’ll probably get beat up. You’re going to need ice. It’ll be nice to have once you get home and sit down and realize your legs are covered in bruises. - HAVE FUN!
You have worked so hard for this. Make the most of it! Take your time (if you’re not doing this for time). Make those obstacles your bitch. You know you can do this. Feed off the energy and HAVE FUN! Sure it’s hard to do, but you asked for it. You’re going to look back after crossing that glorious finish line and immediately want to sign up for another race. I cannot tell you enough howamazingmarvelous it feels to finish.
Hang out with the finishers. Make friends on the course. You’re all here for the same reason.
Are you a Spartan? Leave a comment with some of your tips! Help out the beginners. We know. Help them learn 🙂
Related articles
- Spartan Race Entry Giveaway! (kickstartendurance.wordpress.com)
- My First Spartan Race (bodymindbeautyhealth.com)
- What is a Spartan Race? (bodymindbeautyhealth.com)
Livin La Vida Broke-a 
This post is brilliant, I cant wait to do a spartan race myself! Good work, keep up the good posts!!
thanks so much! I hope I helped you. where are you racing? is it your first?
Ill be racing in Cambridge in the UK, and yeah it will be my first! I really cant wait
wow that sounds awesome! best of luck 🙂
Thanks! You too, keep the good posts coming, I’ve followed!
Is there a way that could have related this back to your overall topic (or is the fact that the first race free the reason you discussed this)?
Well I have a few topics that I hit upon, since this is generally a college blog. I write about budgeting, study tips, cooking, and of course fitness, which is where this fits in,
Great post, you covered a lot of stuff from beginning to end, what happened during the race is my question. How was it mid-race? I can only imagine it was real intense.
I felt very overwhelmed mid-race. I kept questioning whether or not I could get through the next obstacle. However, I didn’t let my emotions get the best of me. I stayed positive and kept going. I think the fact that I was so overwhelmed made finishing each obstacle and crossing the finish line feel that much better.
What are some foods that you would recommend eating with anticipation for the Spartan Races?
Like I said, foods high in protein are important. I eat a lot of chicken for lunch and dinner. If I’m hungry afterwards, I head to the salad bar. For breakfast, I fry up an egg or two and toast whole wheat bread or an English muffin to make an egg sandwich. For a snack, I dip apples or pretzels into peanut butter.
what are burpees?
Burpees are hell. The first ten are easy, but once you hit 30 you want to cry.
Here’s a how-to video:
Most people skip the push-up though 😉
After doing the spartan race do you think you are ready for a Tough Mudder?
I’m kind of in love with Spartan Races now! They have varying lengths so if I ever crave a longer distance, I’ll just sign up for a super (8+ miles) or a beast (12+ miles).
My friends also did the spartan race this past weekend and loved it! What was the hardest obstacle you faced in the race?
Either the rope climb or the monkey bars. I made it half way up the rope before I slipped and fell off. I had zero traction on my shoes, so clinging onto anything other than the knot was close to impossible. The monkey bars were pretty far away from each other, and someone up ahead was taking their sweet time, so I couldn’t build the momentum to swing further than the third bar. Whomp 😦
People could argue that this sounds tiring and painful. Why are these kinda of races and challenges important to you? What about defeating physical obstacles is enticing to people?
It’s a lot about proving to yourself how much you can overcome. For me, I wanted to prove that I could get into great shape and accomplish a goal. For other people, there’s a lot more that goes into it. There are older people and larger people who race to show that age and weight is an obstacle itself that they can overcome. For others, they’re cancer survivors, or they’re battling some other disease. It doesn’t get the best of them, and neither can a race. Here’s a video that brought me to tears and encouraged me to do my best:
YOU GO GIRL! Your post is so inspiring! I have been wanting to get into shape lately but don’t really know where to start. I think that if I had something to actually train for it might make it more fun and even more rewarding. How long did you train for? Did you feel like you trained enough? Would you recommend a Spartan Race over another type of fitness obstacle course?
I would definitely recommend a Spartan Race. I believe I read, but don’t quote me, that over 75% of racers cross the finish line. If you don’t want to or fail to complete a certain obstacle, you have to do burpees, but those are pretty simple if you train to do a lot of them. I trained lightly from January to August, then from August until three days before I did a lot of weight training. I wish I had done a little more cardio because I learned a week before the race I was only able to run a mile and a half without gasping for breath. But definitely sign up for the Workout of the Day if you’re interested!
What kind of silly costumes were people competing in? I’ve always been a huge fan of the costumes people come up when they run the Boston Marathon.
There were people in tutus, people dressed as superheroes (lots of batmen and batwomen), there was a guy in a bear costume, and a group of men did the course in suits. It really makes me wonder how the people with the complex suits were able to do the course without overheating.
This is great? Where did you do this at?
I raced at Fenway Park, but there was a course with the typical mud and barbed wire in Amesbury. Amesbury was in August where I volunteered.
Are you still exercising like how you were to get ready for the race? Do you think you’d want to do another one in the future?
Oh I’d definitely do another one! I’m still pretty sore from Saturday so I haven’t worked out this week yet, but I’ll continue my training as soon as I can.